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

[keishashadow]

They're going to have to do something, because they can't have huge crowds showing up every single morning from now on. If it's bad now, it's going to be utter chaos in the summer. Somebody's going to get hurt.

I’ve been there at opening 4 times, including day #1. none of those experiences could be described as chaotic. Say what you want about Disney’s failings but crowd control is not one of them by any stretch of the imagination

Moving to FP with the option for standby would only increase the flux of people arriving earlier to be at the front of the RD pack, as well as the stampede of people when they open the park rushing to the line.

Disney has employed the CMs walk-back rope drop method for nearly 20 years after the AM running of the bulls to Space Mt in MK caused some guests to get injured.

I think a combo system of X number of FP & X number of the same type of AM lottery system they have in place, both issued on a daily basis depending on whatever metrics they develop, would be the best of both worlds.

If anything, I’d love to see MGM open at 6 am, park entry to start at 5 am. Early? Yes it is. My thoughts are you need to prioritize. If its important enough to you, then you will manage get yourself there at that time. The 8 am openings were far more crowded than the 7 am, based upon my (limited) experience

You should be fine. As long as you are ready to hit "join a boarding group" as soon as opening time rolls around--and you don't experience any IT issues--you'll be fine.

Depends on the number of people in the park, what methodology & type of phone utilized etc., but no...there is NO guarantee of a BG even if you are ready to swing for the fences.

My last visit was on Sunday prior to Presidents Day. Was in middle of the pack waiting near One Man’s Dream awaiting to ride TS. Packed in easiy 10 people wide. Of those within ear shot of me, only a few reported success. Most were very unhappy campers.

I had issue where I did get a BG, but my phone immediately just kept circling on the app. DH checked it on his phone and didn’t see the boarding group I had secured. After a long wait in line with many disgruntled folks, GS was able to sort it out. somehow they could tell upon examination the exact BG I had snagged (that had immediately disappeared from my new iphone) & repopulate it onto my app.

Phew, but it took a good half hour to complete. During that time, I overheard several other CMs repeating the same basic thing to guests...think of it as a lottery system between all who are attempting for the same number of spots each morning.

The opening of MMRR on March 4, which will divert a huge number of people away from SWGE, should make it much more manageable for ROTR to revert to a normal line method.

I don’t see that happening. Was easy to grab a FP for it the week before Easter for party of five once they opened them up.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Fingers crossed that it's not too much longer before they move on from what I hope is this temporary approach of boarding passes at rope drop. Maybe it'll be 6 months, maybe it'll be 2 years. But at some point, they'll need to add fast pass - and at the very least, add a regular standby line. It's the only attraction in the history of Disney (or at least that we can recall) that doesn't have a regular standby line for guests. For those not into getting up a dawn and battling the crowds 45 minutes before park opening, we're not going to be experiencing the attraction anytime soon.

But I guess for now, it's working, and Disney cast members only have to battle the extra-large rush of the crowds once in the morning - instead of the potential of it being an extra-large rush most of the day with lines to the attraction. I think this was an over-reaction to what they experienced with FOP. But it's having the net effect they want - even if it's making it extremely difficult for some folks to experience it.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Fingers crossed that it's not too much longer before they move on from what I hope is this temporary approach of boarding passes at rope drop. Maybe it'll be 6 months, maybe it'll be 2 years. But at some point, they'll need to add fast pass - and at the very least, add a regular standby line. It's the only attraction in the history of Disney (or at least that we can recall) that doesn't have a regular standby line for guests. For those not into getting up a dawn and battling the crowds 45 minutes before park opening, we're not going to be experiencing the attraction anytime soon.

But I guess for now, it's working, and Disney cast members only have to battle the extra-large rush of the crowds once in the morning - instead of the potential of it being an extra-large rush most of the day with lines to the attraction. I think this was an over-reaction to what they experienced with FOP. But it's having the net effect they want - even if it's making it extremely difficult for some folks to experience it.

How is removing BG and adding FP/SB or even just stand by better? You’re talking about the difficulty to ride, but think it’s going to be easier to ride it stand by? Or easier to snag a FP?

It’s a reliability problem and to a lesser extend a capacity problem. Distributing 8 slices of pizza to 10 hungry kids still means 2 kids don’t get one no matter how you decide who gets one. And even more kids are left hungry if you have a day where your oven is burning pizzas leaving less to go around.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

How is removing BG and adding FP/SB or even just stand by better? You’re talking about the difficulty to ride, but think it’s going to be easier to ride it stand by? Or easier to snag a FP?

It’s a reliability problem and to a lesser extend a capacity problem. Distributing 8 slices of pizza to 10 hungry kids still means 2 kids don’t get one no matter how you decide who gets one. And even more kids are left hungry if you have a day where your oven is burning pizzas leaving less to go around.

Not sure I understand your analogy, but yes - since there is no choice for standby (like every other Disney attraction) or fast pass (like most WDW attractions), it's taking away the normal means of how people ride these things. If the standby line gets to 4 hours in the afternoon and someone wants to wait - at least give the option. If someone can snag a fast pass 60 days out, at least give them the chance. So yes - even if it's a really long standby line, it will be an better potential for some people to ride it than it is with the current system. For folks who don't or CANNOT be there before opening, it's just not going to happen with this system - and there are many people in those categories (those sound like the kids who are going without pizza!). At least with a true standby line all day, everyone has an equal shot at it.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Not sure I understand your analogy, but yes - since there is no choice for standby (like every other Disney attraction) or fast pass (like most WDW attractions), it's taking away the normal means of how people ride these things. If the standby line gets to 4 hours in the afternoon and someone wants to wait - at least give the option. If someone can snag a fast pass 60 days out, at least give them the chance. So yes - even if it's a really long standby line, it will be an better potential for some people to ride it than it is with the current system. For folks who don't or CANNOT be there before opening, it's just not going to happen with this system - and there are many people in those categories (those sound like the kids who are going without pizza!). At least with a true standby line all day, everyone has an equal shot at it.

Everyone has a shot at the BG. For every person who could ride with stand by that couldn’t with BG, someone who could ride with BG is missing out with standby. There are only so many spaces and they are currently being filled, no matter who is filling them.

If someone is capable of waiting in a 4 hour line what makes them incapable of getting to DHS for 8 AM?

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Not sure I understand your analogy, but yes - since there is no choice for standby (like every other Disney attraction) or fast pass (like most WDW attractions), it's taking away the normal means of how people ride these things. If the standby line gets to 4 hours in the afternoon and someone wants to wait - at least give the option. If someone can snag a fast pass 60 days out, at least give them the chance. So yes - even if it's a really long standby line, it will be an better potential for some people to ride it than it is with the current system. For folks who don't or CANNOT be there before opening, it's just not going to happen with this system - and there are many people in those categories (those sound like the kids who are going without pizza!). At least with a true standby line all day, everyone has an equal shot at it.

When my kids were little we would have had a much easier time getting them to the parks at 8 (we did that anyway) than we would standing in a 5 hour line. It would have been impossible. So it’s not necessarily fairer it’s just a different set of people that it’s problematic for.

 

[tlmadden73]

Everyone has a shot at the BG.

I disagree .. the more people that start showing up for 8:00 AM openings .. eventually there will be a point where the number of people at the park exceeds the number of boarding passes given out (heck .. it may be there already) .. so now you are gambling your DHS park entry on a lottery of getting to ride a ride. Works fine for local passholders that can just "try, try again" . .doesn't work very well for the family of 4 that has 1 day scheduled for DHS (and don't want to shell out for park hoppers).

And like the blog posted earlier mentioned -- this has made the mornings at DHS extra crazy BECAUSE tons more guests (than normal) are showing up for this lottery system so once the thousands of people there get their boarding pass (or not) .. the other rides fill up

People are paying $100+/day to go to these parks .. they don't want a lottery system to see if they get on one of Disney's most anticipated (and advertised) rides (that may be the main reason they are there).

It's a convenience thing I guess .. it just "feels" bad from a perception standpoint. It's more about feeling like you "HAVE" to get there before a certain time .. especially when everything else in Disney World can be scheduled months in advance or just waiting in a line.

 

[rteetz]

I disagree .. the more people that start showing up for 8:00 AM openings .. eventually there will be a point where the number of people at the park exceeds the number of boarding passes given out (heck .. it may be there already) .. so now you are gambling your DHS park entry on a lottery of getting to ride a ride. Works fine for local passholders that can just "try, try again" . .doesn't work very well for the family of 4 that has 1 day scheduled for DHS (and don't want to shell out for park hoppers).

And like the blog posted earlier mentioned -- this has made the mornings at DHS extra crazy BECAUSE tons more guests (than normal) are showing up for this lottery system so once the thousands of people there get their boarding pass (or not) .. the other rides fill up

People are paying $100+/day to go to these parks .. they don't want a lottery system to see if they get on one of Disney's most anticipated (and advertised) rides (that may be the main reason they are there).

It's a convenience thing I guess .. it just "feels" bad from a perception standpoint. It's more about feeling like you "HAVE" to get there before a certain time .. especially when everything else in Disney World can be scheduled months in advance or just waiting in a line.

There are already people in the park at park opening some days that don’t get a boarding group. It also really depends on how many boarding groups Disney opens and how many people are in each group which has changed vastly over the course of this ride being open.

5+ hour lines and people getting kicked out of that line for a breakdown doesn’t look good either.

 

[tlmadden73]

There are already people in the park at park opening some days that don’t get a boarding group. It also really depends on how many boarding groups Disney opens and how many people are in each group which has changed vastly over the course of this ride being open.

5+ hour lines and people getting kicked out of that line for a breakdown doesn’t look good either.

I am just pointing at the reasons people don't seem to like the boarding group scenarios (the perception of "having" to get there) ... I don't think there is a good solution where DEMAND obviously is outpacing supply. I guess only TIME will solve this problem (or they can greatly increase capacity (no idea at what % of their "perfect" capacity they are running at).

Disney is doing its best .. Like you said ... this is a better solution than waiting in 5 hour lines, or "rushing" to the ride to obtain a paper ticket.

I wonder how this all would have worked out if they had not opened SWGE 3 1/2 months early (at WDW)? Then the boarding groups would probably just be for the land itself and the excitement would be divided between the two rides AND the land rather than just focusing on the one NEW ride?

*shrug* Maybe that would have been worse?

 

[rteetz]

I am just pointing at the reasons people don't seem to like the boarding group scenarios (the perception of "having" to get there) ... I don't think there is a good solution where DEMAND obviously is outpacing supply. I guess only TIME will solve this problem (or they can greatly increase capacity (no idea at what % of their "perfect" capacity they are running at).

Disney is doing its best .. Like you said ... this is a better solution than waiting in 5 hour lines, or "rushing" to the ride to obtain a paper ticket.

I wonder how this all would have worked out if they had not opened SWGE 3 1/2 months early (at WDW)? Then the boarding groups would probably just be for the land itself and the excitement would be divided between the two rides AND the land rather than just focusing on the one NEW ride?

*shrug* Maybe that would have been worse?

As far as I know the best they’ve operated at is about 1500 per hour which is not 100%. 1800-1900 is the target mark.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I disagree .. the more people that start showing up for 8:00 AM openings .. eventually there will be a point where the number of people at the park exceeds the number of boarding passes given out (heck .. it may be there already) .. so now you are gambling your DHS park entry on a lottery of getting to ride a ride. Works fine for local passholders that can just "try, try again" . .doesn't work very well for the family of 4 that has 1 day scheduled for DHS (and don't want to shell out for park hoppers).

And like the blog posted earlier mentioned -- this has made the mornings at DHS extra crazy BECAUSE tons more guests (than normal) are showing up for this lottery system so once the thousands of people there get their boarding pass (or not) .. the other rides fill up

People are paying $100+/day to go to these parks .. they don't want a lottery system to see if they get on one of Disney's most anticipated (and advertised) rides (that may be the main reason they are there).

It's a convenience thing I guess .. it just "feels" bad from a perception standpoint. It's more about feeling like you "HAVE" to get there before a certain time .. especially when everything else in Disney World can be scheduled months in advance or just waiting in a line.

No matter how bad the situation getting BG is, everyone has a shot to get one. Stand by does not give more of a chance, like was said by the person I responded to. Notice I did not say everyone will get one, but everyone is able to have a shot at getting one should they choose.

Spaces are limited. There’s no method that gets more people on. If we’re going to bring up the family with one shot and one day, do you really think it’s better for them to tie up nearly half their day in a line (with a one day ticket, that’s an awfully expensive wait), or take their chances with the BG system that more often than not does successfully get people on who try, despite its flaws?

I absolutely think it stinks when people miss out. I feel so bad for posters who have come back with negative reports, especially those unlucky enough to have it happen over and over. That doesn’t mean I don’t think a stand by line would be so much worse for more families.

I agree with you that it’s a perspective thing. People are bristling at being told they “can’t” ride. But IMO a ridiculously long stand by line is saying just about the same thing, but people like making the choice not to get in it themselves better I guess.

 

[hertamaniac]

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/hollywood-studios-hours-extended-8am-crowds/

Great link/post. Thanks!

 

[TraderSamWDW]

I'm going with a year or two

 

[hertamaniac]

I'm going with they knew they had a fundamental flaw early on and have been in recovery mode since. There is little resistance to say the ride isn't astonishing and a technological wonder. I, myself, am eager to try and ride next Wednesday. But to say this ride's rollout isn't without major faults is a case of understudy.

I want to make sure I make my position clear. I want any theme park (specifically Disney/Universal) to push the limits of public technology. I want my fellow admirers and guests to experience the best ride possible. What I don't want is for them to accept a moving target and loading system that appears to have become a new norm for an incomplete ride experience. BGs are wonderful if you accept that the ride is either too unreliable or, to a lesser degree, popular. The minute we say BGs are wonderful is a free pass to Disney/Uni that an incomplete product is better than no product at all; I don't agree.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

At this point .. it is more the struggle to get the family up and moving and onto transportation (will the Skyliner run early enough? Will we just be better off driving? ) before that. I know we can do it (we've done rope drop many times before).. just needing to be there at the exact certain time just adds a bit more pressure.

I wouldn't chance the Skyliner. If you hav access to a car I would just drive. That is what we did and I took the stress out of that element and got to park super close

We then took the car back to the resort when we took our midday break and used the Skyliner for the afternoon return

 

[Remy is Up]

I'm in the camp of BGs are fine for this. They eliminate the need for the mass rush to the attraction. They eliminate 4 hour stand by lines. And everyone has equal access to them. If anything mmrr actually takes heat off sdd more than any other attraction. and you can still get a bg for rotr

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm going with they knew they had a fundamental flaw early on and have been in recovery mode since. There is little resistance to say the ride isn't astonishing and a technological wonder. I, myself, am eager to try and ride next Wednesday. But to say this ride's rollout isn't without major faults is a case of understudy.

I want to make sure I make my position clear. I want any theme park (specifically Disney/Universal) to push the limits of public technology. I want my fellow admirers and guests to experience the best ride possible. What I don't want is for them to accept a moving target and loading system that appears to have become a new norm for an incomplete ride experience. BGs are wonderful if you accept that the ride is either too unreliable or, to a lesser degree, popular. The minute we say BGs are wonderful is a free pass to Disney/Uni that an incomplete product is better than no product at all; I don't agree.

What are your thoughts on BGs just as a form of virtual queue in general though? I would love if they implemented them for FoP (in addition to having FP, just instead of a long standby queue)

 

[hertamaniac]

What are your thoughts on BGs just as a form of virtual queue in general though? I would love if they implemented them for FoP (in addition to having FP, just instead of a long standby queue)

Fair question, Phil.

If, and a big IF, the ride's reliability such that there was a very low percentage of being kicked out of the queue (I'll just say, for arguments sake, 20%), then I think that points to a mature and well tested technology. I am by no means anti-BG, but don't want us as guests to accept it as a means for an incomplete project or experience. We all pay a lot (not just monetarily, but time and study wise) to deserve better. Makes sense?

Mark

 

[Boopuff]

I will take the BG "lottery" over an hours-long standby wait. I just can't "financially" see the point of tying up hours of an expensive trip waiting for one ride. (others may disagree). AP holders, bloggers, locals all have a leg up and ride, re-ride over and over with the opportunity to try again tomorrow! But us cross-country travelers have a one-and-done ride mentality. So I'm all for the BG lottery!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Fair question, Phil.

If, and a big IF, the ride's reliability such that there was a very low percentage of being kicked out of the queue (I'll just say, for arguments sake, 20%), then I think that points to a mature and well tested technology. I am by no means anti-BG, but don't want us as guests to accept it as a means for an incomplete project or experience. We all pay a lot (not just monetarily, but time and study wise) to deserve better. Makes sense?

Mark

It does make sense and I 100% agree that we shouldn't accept the BG process as a satisfactory alternative to a well performing ride or that it fully makes up for the unreliability - to me it is the best of a less than stellar situation.

I think the questions is, what was the best choice for Disney to make knowing this. Let's say they could either open the ride on the date indicated knowing it would work but not reliably, or take another 6 months and then it would run at an acceptable performance level. That is great for the people that weren't going until that later date, but in the mean time there would have been tens of thousands of people that could have ridden that didn't. I know a lot of the unfortunate situations get air time, but in reality the vast majority of people that are there for park opening get to ride.

Not sure there is a definitely right answer but as someone who was able to ride and likely won't be back for more than a year, I am very happy they opened it when they did.