Boarding groups - Any thoughts/rumors on when this might end?

[randumb0]

I prefer BG over FP. If it moved to FP then only those with extended stays would get to ride. The current method gives everyone a chance which includes onsite, off-site and locals

 

[Boopuff]

We have a 6 day trip planned in June. We decided to try for a BG on one of our first days, if we get a BG great, if not we'll give it one more try. I'm just not willing to throw day, after day away trying to get a BG. No ride is worth it for me. Our last trip (2 yrs ago) we couldn't get a FP for FOP. No biggie. This time with a 6 day trip I'm optimistic that we should be able to snag that FP. (fingers crossed)

 

[randumb0]

We have a 6 day trip planned in June. We decided to try for a BG on one of our first days, if we get a BG great, if not we'll give it one more try. I'm just not willing to throw day, after day away trying to get a BG. No ride is worth it for me. Our last trip (2 yrs ago) we couldn't get a FP for FOP. No biggie. This time with a 6 day trip I'm optimistic that we should be able to snag that FP. (fingers crossed)

Be inside the park and on your phone before 7. Do that and odds are you will get to ride

 

[rteetz]

This. It's going on 3 months now. You would expect to see some significant improvement by now, if it was just "operator" issues that needed to be figured out.

It’s more than operate issues. This is four ride systems working together.

 

[mercuryvenus]

This. It's going on 3 months now. You would expect to see some significant improvement by now, if it was just "operator" issues that needed to be figured out.

This week has seen huge improvements. I’ve been tracking it on the app.

 

[mshanson3121]

It’s more than operate issues. This is four ride systems working together.

I realize that. That was my point - the ride itself is flawed/the issue.

 

[randumb0]

I realize that. That was my point - the ride itself is flawed/the issue.

So you want them to scrap the ride?

 

[DisLiss]

I don't know but having enormous crowds flocking to HS every single morning, mostly for nothing seems so, so silly to me.

I already warned my kids that if that's still happening come our (summer) trip we won't be riding. We'll show up later in the day and hit the other rides & attractions of the park instead. The ride is brand new---it will still be there for our next trip.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I don't know but having enormous crowds flocking to HS every single morning, mostly for nothing seems so, so silly to me.

I already warned my kids that if that's still happening come our (summer) trip we won't be riding. We'll show up later in the day and hit the other rides & attractions of the park instead. The ride is brand new---it will still be there for our next trip.

How is it mostly for nothing? The majority of people who are in the park at opening will get a BG. It’s obviously your choice if you don’t want to try for it, but there’s really no reason not to try at least

 

[MelRavenswood]

Be inside the park and on your phone before 7. Do that and odds are you will get to ride

Not necessarily. We were there two weeks ago, had all riders at the park well before opening, followed all of the tips found on this board and others, and had 4 different phones(2 in park/ 2 outside) trying, and our group still only got a BBG(114), and didn't get to ride

 

[DisLiss]

How is it mostly for nothing? The majority of people who are in the park at opening will get a BG. It’s obviously your choice if you don’t want to try for it, but there’s really no reason not to try at least

It depends on how high the crowds are what percentage get a boarding pass and then it depends on how the ride does that day if everyone with a pass get to ride. I just keep seeing videos and reading accounts of people basically milling around just waiting for their BP, with no other real plans, since they were up in the air about if they'd get a pass or when or if they'd even stay in the park.

We're "Lower Crowds are our highest priority" kinds of WDW fans, so crushing into the entrance of HS trying to get a pass just doesn't sound fun to us. And we're not the type to build a trip up around a few "must-do" things, so no one is terribly put out about the idea of missing it. If we decide to try it once we get there, that's fine, but we're planning out our days without it. If we wind up going in the AM on one of our "extra" mornings (the ones we didn't plan out anything specific for), then that's fine, and it will just be a bonus. But we're not dying to try to get a pass. We're the path of least resistance types, I guess.

 

[elle21]

I really hope they keep boarding groups. It will be our only chance of riding it with an off site stay and I’ve got two Star Wars obsessed little boys who will be dreaming of riding it.

 

[osufeth24]

I mean Hagrids has been out for what, 8 months? And it still shuts down and has problems.

Rides go down, it happens

 

[hertamaniac]

But what’s the alternative? The only way to identify the problems with the ride is to have people riding it. And thousands are still riding successfully every day, which is much better than zero IMO.

The alternative was to do the necessary testing to open the ride SB and FP ready. Testing plan should have been wrapped up months before opening. What part of the testing/ride is causing this intetmittancy of operation? Why couldn't this have been ironed out before opening? Why do you think people riding are the only way to identify problems? I could easily put weight dummies onto the ride vehicles and mimic riders.

And hundreds and perhaps thousands are not able to ride after following the BG procedures. I wonder how they feel.

 

[mshanson3121]

So you want them to scrap the ride?

Oh good grief. That isn't even remotely what I said. All I did was agree with another poster that it's concerning how long the issues are lasting, and said that the issues definitely seem to be with the ride itself (not with CM inexperience). Which all goes back into the discussion of "It wasn't ready".

 

[mshanson3121]

The alternative was to do the necessary testing to open the ride SB and FP ready. Testing plan should have been wrapped up months before opening. What part of the testing/ride is causing this intetmittancy of operation? Why couldn't this have been ironed out before opening? Why do you think people riding are the only way to identify problems? I could easily put weight dummies onto the ride vehicles and mimic riders.

And hundreds and perhaps thousands are not able to ride after following the BG procedures. I wonder how they feel.

This. There were rumors from reliable sources that this ride was NOT ready. It wasn't running well during trials. Maybe they should have tried to figure out why, then. We all know Disney opened it for one reason and one reason only - $. The whole "We needed to open it to test it further" is just to appease the masses for an unreliable ride, awesome as it may be.

 

[mshanson3121]

I mean Hagrids has been out for what, 8 months? And it still shuts down and has problems.

Rides go down, it happens

But not with the frequency of this ride. No one is arguing that new rides, all rides, for that matter, are prone to quirks that need to be worked out or minor glitches and breakdowns. But rather, that this one is definitely experiecing more than is normal.

 

[Disneylover99]

I’m not sure this situation is a bad problem for Disney to have huge HS crowds in AM. The crowds bring buzz and revenue. I’m guessing BG are here to stay until the attraction is extremely reliable and there’s something worthy for an early morning wait like this headliner. If I had to predict, I’d say maybe it goes FP when Tron or GotGR open.

I’m not sure what kind of revenue Disney is making with these morning crowds. They must have to staff this place like crazy in all areas of the park. I guess more people are buying park hoppers, so that’s good for Disney.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

The alternative was to do the necessary testing to open the ride SB and FP ready. Testing plan should have been wrapped up months before opening. What part of the testing/ride is causing this intetmittancy of operation? Why couldn't this have been ironed out before opening? Why do you think people riding are the only way to identify problems? I could easily put weight dummies onto the ride vehicles and mimic riders.

And hundreds and perhaps thousands are not able to ride after following the BG procedures. I wonder how they feel.

Sure, they could have continued testing for longer. Maybe they would have found all the issues, maybe not. I do believe there are some things caused by human elements that would not have been found using test dummies, but of course I have no way to prove that. But regardless they obviously got it to a point where they thought it was reliable enough to open and had to make a call. I was there in October when just MFSR was open. Given the choice between having ROTR open with a CHANCE to ride it or not having it open at all, I would have picked having it open. I don’t know why anyone wouldn't want to at least have the opportunity to ride.

 

[mercuryvenus]

I agree there were definitely issues with the ride. Heck, I got kicked off of it and was given a FP to come back. However, I would ask whether you all have tracked the number of boarding groups they've been getting through in the past week or so? I have and have seen enough of an improvement that I am convinced they have gone from having 3 breakdowns on avg per day (the result of an analysis I read from opening through mid-Feb) to 0-1 per day. In the last 5 days they've gotten through all groups--even backups--as far as I can tell.

So while I agree they should've done more testing, my observation of the app (just from my home) suggests to me that things are rapidly improving.

Just my 2 cents.