I'd just like to repeat for the hundredth time that Tapu Tapu is not a Fastpass. So no, that's not an issue at all. You wait in (virtual) standby for one attraction at a time, like you would at any other park on Earth. Say what you will about long wait times, but if you don't understand how virtual queue systems work, that's no fault of the system.
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Volcano Bay
- Thread starter Mike C
- Start date
I'd just like to repeat for the hundredth time that Tapu Tapu is not a Fastpass. So no, that's not an issue at all. You wait in (virtual) standby for one attraction at a time, like you would at any other park on Earth. Say what you will about long wait times, but if you don't understand how virtual queue systems work, that's no fault of the system.
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
Some people have their minds made up that they cannot enjoy this. Best they just don't go and let the rest of us have fun.
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
And for the hundredth time, I get it. Honestly, it's not that complicated. I don't think there's a single person who doesn't understand TapuTapu is a virtual line, not a Fastpass, not Express, and not a QuickQue.
"You wait in (virtual) standby for one attraction at a time, like you would at any other park on Earth."
Yes, and at any other park, you can go enjoy the other attractions at your leisure. THAT'S the issue. I swear, it seems people defending the system are just refusing to admit this is the case. How can you not understand how some people would not want to wait 2-3 hours for 1 ride and not have the option of enjoying the other attractions while waiting? It's just mind boggling.
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EpcotEric01
Active Member
I don't think you do get because you 100% contradicted yourself in the very next paragraph. At any other park you couldn't go and enjoy the other attractions at your leisure, because you would be standing in a physical line. Also, just like any other park, if the wait time was 2-3 hours you don't have to get in that line, pick a different one. Please, tell me, at what attraction in Disney can you be in line and then enjoy the other attractions at the same time?
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
Because in that instance, I COULD use the Disney Fastpass system. Yes, I understand they aren't the same. Fastpass, Express, QuickQue are all better because you CAN have a place in line and ride other attractions. That is where TapuTapu fails. Now, if they adjusted things so you could tap into one ride, hold your place, and go ride a slide with a 30 minute wait, awesome.
Let's take the most popular slide (or at least the one with highest wait time), which I read to be the one with the trap-door. Then let's take an equally high wait time at the Magic Kingdom, say Splash Mountain. At the Magic Kingdom, you could reserve your time for Splash, but have a plethora of other options to fill in the time. If Fastpass worked like TapuTapu and while waiting to go on Splash Mountain all you could do would be to go see the Country Bears or hang out on Tom Sawyer Island, it would suck, no?
Again, I get it. Let me simplify this in the easiest terms I can think of. If you could tap into a slide and go get in line for another, then another and another, wouldn't it be better than not being able to do so?
lebeau
Well-Known Member
Not necessarily.
FastPass doesn't create capacity. All those physical bodies in line plus virtual places being held in a different line simultaneously results in longer standby lines overall. In theory, you will ride the same number of attractions regardless of which system is employed. With the virtual queue you don't have to physically wait in a line (at least not for very long). So if the system is being used effectively, I'd much prefer the virtual queue to a system like FP.
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
With all due respect, clearly that's not the case, at least given the amount of negative reviews on VB and the most common complaint being the wait times. And there is no way, the average standby wait at Disney exceeds 3-4 hours like some of the slides at VB seem to.
Look, Fastpass is by no means perfect. Far from it. However, right out of the gate, it's got TapuTapu beat simply because you're guaranteed at least 3 rides. There are many people not getting that at VB. Granted, it's kind of apples and oranges as one is a water park (regardless of the Universal spin). However, for a more accurate comparison, look at the world's most visited water park, Typhoon Lagoon and ask anyone if they ever leave the park without being able to ride a single slide.
The bottom line, to me anyways, is yes the systems are completely different, but the end result should allow for the guest to enjoy most, if not all, of the park's attractions. At one, you can. At the other, most people anyways, can't. TapuTapu, unless it allows for you to tap in but go ride another slide, is all smoke and mirrors.
lebeau
Well-Known Member
I put some caveats in my statement. In order for the wait times to equal out, the system has to be utilized efficiently. Disney has been using FP for decades. They have their system down to a science. When FP+ rolled out, there were hiccups. There still are, but Disney has had years to finetune the system. Universal will do the same with their virtual queue. Comparing the brand new system at implementation with something that has been in use in some form or another for decades is not an apples to apples comparison.
You're clearly not understanding how virtual queuing works. You don't need to be able to wait in a physical line to reap the benefits of the virtual queue. The fact that other people aren't taking up space in line while also having a place held for them in another line brings down wait times across the board. The benefit is that instead of having to wait in a line, you can go do other things.
Using some made up numbers, let's say the average wait time for attractions at a park that uses virtual queues is 30 minutes. In an hour, guests could expect to experience two attractions. Over the course of six hours, they could experience a dozen attractions. Instead of waiting in line, they can do other things during those 30 minute intervals.
In a FP-like system where guests are able to wait in line while their place is being held for them in another line, we'll say wait times are doubled due to the fact people are in two lines at the same time. So, the average wait is now 60 minutes. But, thanks to FP, as soon as you finish one attraction you can experience another with little to no wait. Under this system, guests could expect to experience two attractions per hour or a dozen in six hours.
In practice, that's not how things currently work. Universal still has a lot of work to do before they will be operating efficiently. Also, not everyone using FP uses it to maximum effect which benefits anyone who waits in line for an attraction while their place is being held in line elsewhere. That's really not the point. The point is, neither system is inherently superior to the other. But everything else being equal, I prefer the one where I do not have to physically queue up.
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
"You're clearly not understanding how virtual queuing works. You don't need to be able to wait in a physical line to reap the benefits of the virtual queue. The fact that other people aren't taking up space in line while also having a place held for them in another line brings down wait times across the board. The benefit is that instead of having to wait in a line, you can go do other things."
Look, I don't want to sound rude, but for the last time, I understand exactly how the Virtual Queue works. It is very simple.
The benefit of being able to do other things would be awesome, if that was how VB were doing it. But, it's not. And THAT is the problem. You can't go do other things, other than the wave pool and the lazy rivers. Most people go to waterparks to go on slides. What good is a virtual queue if you can't do anything else while waiting? I get it. You don't have to stand in line. Fantastic. But honestly, I'd take standing in line any day of the week if I could go on more slides as opposed to not.
Look, I don't want to sound rude, but for the last time, I understand exactly how the Virtual Queue works. It is very simple.
The benefit of being able to do other things would be awesome, if that was how VB were doing it. But, it's not. And THAT is the problem. You can't go do other things, other than the wave pool and the lazy rivers. Most people go to waterparks to go on slides. What good is a virtual queue if you can't do anything else while waiting? I get it. You don't have to stand in line. Fantastic. But honestly, I'd take standing in line any day of the week if I could go on more slides as opposed to not.
spacemt354
Chili's
We've been discussing whether to take a day out of our upcoming trip (only 4 days) to Disney in order to go see Volcano Bay, and I've been trying to follow along with this/read reviews online whether or not it would be worth it. We like Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon because if we get up early, get there when it opens, we could be done by around noon and then do different things in the afternoon/night.
The massive crowds combined with some kinks to be worked out regarding TapuTapu is making me hesitant whether it would be worth it to drive over, park, and hope that we are fortunate to have no delays along the way. As some have suggested that people who are critiquing the park have convinced themselves they can't enjoy it, that's not the case at all. I want to experience it, but I also can't ignore the mixed reception when making a decision that could impact 25% of our trip.
So it seems like the best course of action for us would be to wait for a future trip, when the park is finished/crowds die down/kinks are worked out.
The massive crowds combined with some kinks to be worked out regarding TapuTapu is making me hesitant whether it would be worth it to drive over, park, and hope that we are fortunate to have no delays along the way. As some have suggested that people who are critiquing the park have convinced themselves they can't enjoy it, that's not the case at all. I want to experience it, but I also can't ignore the mixed reception when making a decision that could impact 25% of our trip.
So it seems like the best course of action for us would be to wait for a future trip, when the park is finished/crowds die down/kinks are worked out.
Magic Feather
Well-Known Member
I will say, you should go as long as:
1. You go in with an open mind
2. You show up at 8 AM or 4 PM
3. Do things wisely
4. Make an outline, but not a strict plan.
To elaborate, Volcano Bay really is a nice park, it is just a lack of people knowing what to do, because of a lack of instructions on the bus to VB and marketing's terrible job at selling Tapu for what it is. When you arrive, see if anything has a tapu wait, if so, scan it in, then hit all of the ride nows. Once either Krakatau, Honu, or Ko'okiri (whichever you haven't done but want to do) hit a wait, scan in. Save Maku, Puihi, and Taniwha Tubes, as well as the rivers for later in the day. The park is straight up bad/crowded from about 1-4, so try to avoid those times.
lebeau
Well-Known Member
That's not the choice though. If both systems are operating at the same level of efficiency in two identical parks with identical capacity, you will experience the exact same number of attractions. In one, you have to wait in lines in order for that to happen. In the other, you don't. I'd prefer the virtual queue system which does not require me to wait in lines.
You seem to be hung up on how the system is currently being implemented as opposed to the concepts of how these systems work. You're also making comparisons that you admit are not apples to apples. At a high level, the problem is not what you keep saying it is.
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
Then there is something extremely wrong with TapuTapu. Volcano Bay has more slides than Typhoon Lagoon, yet its wait times are anywhere from 5-10x as long at VB and people are not getting to ride all the slides. I mean, it is what it is.
spacemt354
Chili's
Just seems like too many variables for a water park at this moment in time for us. Definitely on a future trip when all the kinks are worked out, but for now I think we will stick with what we are familiar with, especially for a short trip.
*Also note - we don't like spending a whole day at a water park, typically a half-day at most.
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Ragerunner
Well-Known Member
You are making the assumption that you can secure fast passes for the most popular rides at a Disney Park and then do less popular attractions to fill in. I can tell you that my family and I (with annual passes) frequently can't secure fast passes 30 days out for certain attractions. Frozen, Seven Dwarfs, Soarin, Toy Story Mania, Pandora. You also can only select certain top attractions at each park. You want Test Track, you can't have Soarin or Frozen. You want Tower of Terror you can't have Toy Story Mania. So even with Fast Passes you will be required to wait in some very, very long lines during the busier times of the year.
I would prefer to sit in an inner tube and float down a river than stand in a 2 hour line in the Florida heat. I would also not equate the wave pool, children's play area and the 2 rivers to the lowest level attractions at another park. I would place them more in line with - I am waiting for my splash mountain fast pass and I can go ride Buzz Lightyear, Jungle Cruise, Speedway, etc. with no line. Now that would be quite the system. Nobody has that type of system in place yet.
I would also point out that on busy weekends and other busy times of the year Country Bears, Tom Sawyer Island and Hall of Presidents may very well be you best options while you wait for your fast pass.
spacemt354
Chili's
The issue that I can see is more capacity than the actual system. It isn't inherently flawed, but poorly executed, and the issue is compounded with the mass crowds on a day to day basis. I think with time it will get better and that's why we'll wait it out.
Ragerunner
Well-Known Member
It may very well be a bigger hit than what they expected. Hopefully time will slow down the crowds and the rumored expansion also takes place.
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
No doubt, at busy times, you won't just walk right onto top-tier attractions at Disney. Personally, it's one reason why we're Universal AP holders and always stay on property. As mcuh as I don't care for booking Fastpass in advance, I will say, for our vacation in a couple of weeks, we got every ride we wanted. The 60 day advance booking makes an obvious world of difference. But I agree about the tiering system at Epcot and DHS. It's very indicative not of a broken system but parks that desperately need more attractions.
Ragerunner
Well-Known Member
You might be right that some of the parks desperately need more attractions. Maybe that is Volcano Bay's problem too, it has already become to popular and desperately needs more attractions to help with the issue. Hopefully the expansion comes quickly.
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
This park is hitting capacity nearly every day. I've seen both Robert Niles and the Unofficial Guide's blog post "reported" capacity of 6000 guests. Does anyone know if that number is correct and if it's fluctuating as operations potentially improve? Not sure if @lentesta has any insight here.