READ POST 1 & 2 FIRST-Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group Planning and Information-*No Spoilers*

[Jimmy Mouse]

So can you be anywhere? Do you have to be on Disney property?

I agree 7am is too early. Why not 8am? The park doesn't open until 10am.

They are opening at 9:00 am Christmas week and after till the end of the year.

 

[vossjemi]

I saw the Disney parks blog article announcing the board group virtual queue change, but are they announcing the change in any other way? How will the average (not message board fan like us) Disney tourist be made aware of this BIG change? My family has a HS reservation for 11/4 and I have no idea if the change will appreciably alleviate rope drop congestion or if tons of people will show up before 10am anyway because they don't know that the virtual queue opened at 7am.

We fly in tomorrow and I got an email tonight from Disney destinations informing me of the change so I imagine they’re sending out the email to all upcoming guests so that they know

 

[Princess2R]

They are opening at 9:00 am Christmas week and after till the end of the year.

I think it's 7am so that people can switch to another park and still make it in time for opening there.

Any thoughts on if I'll have to allow MDE access to my location?
Has anyone talked to someone at Disney who has anymore details?

 

[Leigh L]

The technical change is complicated too, because the system will work differently at 7:00 versus 2 p.m. In the a.m. you don't need to be in the park, but at 2 o'clock you do. So, different search features for the system to work properly under each scenario. Might be a few glitches, but I trust they've tested it. Over all I think this is a positive change.

I wish I had your confidence .
In all seriousness, I'm sure they tested but nothing seems to go smoothly when they make changes like this lol. Overall, I do agree it's a good change though and I hope it works.

Our DHS day is 11/8, so a little nervous, esp since I kept missing the 10 a.m. time to practice since they tweaked the process since I last was at DHS.

 

[GBRforWDW]

As a reminder for all folks following along this flexibility is only valid at the 7 AM VQ BG window until BGs are all reserved.

For the 2 PM VQ BG Window you must be inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios to access this second virtual queue availability window. (This is also a change from the current rules).

Dave

While the wording is certainly interesting, I highly doubt they'll be using geolocation to know if you're in the park right at 2pm. Instead, it'll continue the current policy of having scanned into the park at some point prior to 2pm.

 

[Turk February]

I like this change. I don't think it'll lead to a big decrease in crowds to start the day since there are still so many "new" rides people want to go on, but I'm sure there's a significant amount of people who only arrive before 10 to try and secure a BG and now they can do that from anywhere and plan their day accordingly.

 

[Trackmaster]

I think it's 7am so that people can switch to another park and still make it in time for opening there.

Any thoughts on if I'll have to allow MDE access to my location?
Has anyone talked to someone at Disney who has anymore details?

I'm crossing my fingers that the logic behind 7 AM is that this opens the door for them to start opening letting boarding groups on at 9:30 AM, or getting down to 9 AM. Unless the technical issues are making it so that they need the full 15 hours from 7:15 PM to 10:15 AM to get to work on the ride and hammer out the kinks (kind of like Universal was doing last year when they kept Hagrids on a short leash early on and were opening it at noon and closing the queue line before the park closed), a great way to solve the issue of very few ticketed guests getting to ride is to quietly start calling boarding groups well before the advertised park open. DHS used to be a minimum 11 hour park, and would often go well beyond that. Sure, the parks don't have the demand that they used to, so they're slashing hours, but clearly RotR still has extreme demand, so why not do what you can to push the hours for it? Start calling groups at 8:45 AM and start giving spins at 9 AM, and call a ton of BGs at 6:30 PM and let anybody in line by 7:00 PM ride even if the line goes until 9:00 PM (BG only, not an open stand-by line). With both rows being loaded, they might be getting a fighting chance to give rides to most of the people who are ticketed who want to ride in a given day this way.

 

[GBRforWDW]

I'm crossing my fingers that the logic behind 7 AM is that this opens the door for them to start opening letting boarding groups on at 9:30 AM, or getting down to 9 AM.

I like the idea, i really do, but considering how Disney has operated this ride both pre and post closure, I would not count on them kicking the ride off early.

 

[Trackmaster]

I like the idea, i really do, but considering how Disney has operated this ride both pre and post closure, I would not count on them kicking the ride off early.

Yeah, but every month that's open it will get a little better. I'm not mechanical whiz by any means, but I know some of the general concepts. For groundbreaking rides like this one they're figuring it out as they go along. They need more time for daily maintenance early on, and they can reduce the maintenance time required as time goes on. Unfortunately Disney kind of sat on their hands during the shutdown while Universal was actually taking care of their parks and don't things that they always wished they had time for during it. So that time was lost. Every month that Disney gets with RotR they'll learn more about it, and the mechanical aspects will get smoother.

But going back to my main axiom: you can play around with virtual queues, virtual lines, standby lines, Fast Passes, Expresses, etc. all you want, but at the end of the day, there are always winners and losers with those. The best way to fix the system is to get more butts in seats in a given day. More operating hours for this ride and less downtime means more satisfied butts in seats and more people going home with a smile on their faces.

 

[Turk February]

I like the idea, i really do, but considering how Disney has operated this ride both pre and post closure, I would not count on them kicking the ride off early.

I agree, especially when your window to return is timed. It wouldn’t be fair to begin starting the ride early and have people miss out because they didn’t plan on arriving until X time after securing a BG. You’d have to make it widely known that BG’s will be called before park open, etc. and I just personally don’t see that happening, especially given the amount of days they don’t even begin right at 10 because the ride is down.

 

[MIChessGuy]

I tried a practice join at 10:00am today. A few minutes before then, I was surprised when the app told me to log in. Then I ended up on the 'my virtual queues' screen rather than the main screen with the AT-AT, and couldn't figure out how to get back to the AT-AT quickly enough. Anyhoo, it all worked out because I made it to the "Not so fast!" screen which I gather indicates success if it had been a 'real' join. I just did not like having to do the pull-down/refresh thing repeatedly until the queue finally opened. I had wanted to work from the AT-AT screen.

 

[tlmadden73]

I can see the new BG change as a flexibility benefit to resort guests or normal ticket holders as those spots don't seem to be filling up like the AP ones .. though it would still be a gamble IF those spots are filled up.

I could .. for example .. just make a DHS Reservation for every day of my trip.
Day 1 - wake up .. try and get BG .. fail .. switch park reservation to Epcot.
Day 2 - wake up .. try and get BG .. succeed .. enjoy
Day 3 - just switch to MK
Day 4 - just switch reservation to AK.
Day 5 - want to try DHS again .. try for BG -- fail .. go to one of the other parks again.

I may switch around my park reservation days a bit for an upcoming trip with this strategy in mind and put DHS on the front end of my trip to try for a BG as opposed to the end of the trip (which was falling on a Friday/Saturday).

I am also going to try something for my in-laws next week, because I don't see them "bothering" trying to get up early and hassle with getting a boarding group. I got myself a park reservation for the same day they are there. I am going to get up (from my house hundreds of miles away)and try and make a Boarding Group reservation for them (and me) .. and see what happens.

I have existing no-expiration tickets .. and can make up to 4 days of park reservations on whatever days I want at this point.

 

[TinkerPan]

Besides trying to reduce park opening crowds, I think with the Nov. 3rd change Disney is also trying to address another problem: too many people trying to access MDE all at once to get a BG. After all the Boards conventual wisdom was 1) to have encourage everyone to practice from home, and 2) have everyone in your party try for a BG. This had to have stressed the system.
So how to solve? I think Disney may have solved the first part - discouraging folks from practicing at home. The system will now likely check first thing if you have a park reservation. If you don’t you’ll get an error message. If you try from home, you won’t know if you would have been successful or not. So, why bother.
As to the second practice – having everyone in your group trying for a boarding group - we’ll have to see how this plays out going forward. It’s been reported numerous times that Disney CMs have been telling folks to only have one person in the group try. Was this in anticipation of the change? Now, the email recently sent out reinforces this.

“Please keep in mind, only one Guest per traveling party should attempt to enroll in virtual queue. Multiple Guests and devices attempting to enroll the same party could complicate securing a boarding group. As a reminder, in order to be eligible for the 2 p.m. virtual queue enrollment, all Guests in a party must already be inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios.”

We will have to see if this Disney guidance is still hot air or not.

 

[Princess2R]

I can see the new BG change as a flexibility benefit to resort guests or normal ticket holders as those spots don't seem to be filling up like the AP ones .. though it would still be a gamble IF those spots are filled up.

I could .. for example .. just make a DHS Reservation for every day of my trip.
Day 1 - wake up .. try and get BG .. fail .. switch park reservation to Epcot.
Day 2 - wake up .. try and get BG .. succeed .. enjoy
Day 3 - just switch to MK
Day 4 - just switch reservation to AK.
Day 5 - want to try DHS again .. try for BG -- fail .. go to one of the other parks again.

I may switch around my park reservation days a bit for an upcoming trip with this strategy in mind and put DHS on the front end of my trip to try for a BG as opposed to the end of the trip (which was falling on a Friday/Saturday).

I am also going to try something for my in-laws next week, because I don't see them "bothering" trying to get up early and hassle with getting a boarding group. I got myself a park reservation for the same day they are there. I am going to get up (from my house hundreds of miles away)and try and make a Boarding Group reservation for them (and me) .. and see what happens.

I have existing no-expiration tickets .. and can make up to 4 days of park reservations on whatever days I want at this point.

I think this is exactly why Disney says you should be "nearby"
Just as a discouragement from people not serious about going doing this.

So, than those of us who actually are there that day on a vacation/ can't reschedule will miss out on a 7am boarding group if people not serious about going are just playing around with the system or seeing what happens.

 

[tlmadden73]

I think this is exactly why Disney says you should be "nearby"
Just as a discouragement from people not serious about going doing this.

So, than those of us who actually are there that day on a vacation/ can't reschedule will miss out on a 7am boarding group if people not serious about going are just playing around with the system or seeing what happens.

Right . I am curious how "nearby" you'll need to be -- but I hear you --- Note -- my "test" involves actually getting a BG for a family who will be at DHS that day. I just plan on doing it FOR them (with myself as an additional person in their group). I also want to be able to "test" to see how the system works so I am not fumbling around the morning of my DHS day since you need to be on the ball. (which is just ridiculous).

I think the BG system for THIS ride (because of how insanely fast it fills) is just awful.

I too worry about how this change will just make it harder for one time guests to get a BG .. because locals and APs can try for a spot from the comfort of their home. Having to be physically in the park was a barrier .. which meant LESS people were trying to get a pass. Now a lot MORE people will be trying since there is no penalty for having a park reservation (and not using it).

Hopefully bumping up the ride capacity (with plexiglass barriers) will help get more boarding groups per day.

So .. with this in mined; I just rescheduled my park days like this for January .. for my 5 planned park days to maximize my chances of getting in a BG.

Monday - DHS (if I don't get in a Rise boarding group -- I'll switch this to AK or Epcot).
Tuesday - MK
Wednesday - DHS (in case I don't get in on Monday) .. otherwise I will just cancel the park reservation and make this a resort/Disney Springs day
Thursday - Epcot
Friday - DHS again (just in case I don't get in the other two days) -- if I have already . I will probably make this a MK or AK day
Saturday - AK ..

I'll probably only go to DHS once, but this way I have three "shots" if necessary over the entire trip..

 

[scrappinginontario]

I'm crossing my fingers that the logic behind 7 AM is that this opens the door for them to start opening letting boarding groups on at 9:30 AM, or getting down to 9 AM.

I don't see them starting RotR earlier than park opening time as guests with BGs are planning their arrival time based on what time the park opens. E.g. If I got BG 1 and the park opened at 10am, I would anticipate I would have until 10:59am at least to arrive in the park and get to the ride.

They can change the park hours which could mean opening the ride early but I don't see them starting to call BGs earlier than park opening time due to the 1 hour return window that is currently in place.

 

[HockeyMomNH]

Right . I am curious how "nearby" you'll need to be -- but I hear you --- Note -- my "test" involves actually getting a BG for a family who will be at DHS that day. I just plan on doing it FOR them (with myself as an additional person in their group). I also want to be able to "test" to see how the system works so I am not fumbling around the morning of my DHS day since you need to be on the ball. (which is just ridiculous).

I think the BG system for THIS ride (because of how insanely fast it fills) is just awful.

I too worry about how this change will just make it harder for one time guests to get a BG .. because locals and APs can try for a spot from the comfort of their home. Having to be physically in the park was a barrier .. which meant LESS people were trying to get a pass. Now a lot MORE people will be trying since there is no penalty for having a park reservation (and not using it).

Hopefully bumping up the ride capacity (with plexiglass barriers) will help get more boarding groups per day.

So .. with this in mined; I just rescheduled my park days like this for January .. for my 5 planned park days to maximize my chances of getting in a BG.

Monday - DHS (if I don't get in a Rise boarding group -- I'll switch this to AK or Epcot).
Tuesday - MK
Wednesday - DHS (in case I don't get in on Monday) .. otherwise I will just cancel the park reservation and make this a resort/Disney Springs day
Thursday - Epcot
Friday - DHS again (just in case I don't get in the other two days) -- if I have already . I will probably make this a MK or AK day
Saturday - AK ..

I'll probably only go to DHS once, but this way I have three "shots" if necessary over the entire trip..

I was talking to DH about this last night. I was thinking of doing something similar for my Jan trip and booking my Epcot day as a DHS day instead. That way I'll have three days to try for a boarding group and I'll just switch one or two of those to Epcot day of.

I think this might have the unintended consequence of making it harder to get a park reservation for HS because there's nothing to stop people from booking them all up to hedge their bets, so to speak.

 

[tlmadden73]

I was talking to DH about this last night. I was thinking of doing something similar for my Jan trip and booking my Epcot day as a DHS day instead. That way I'll have three days to try for a boarding group and I'll just switch one or two of those to Epcot day of.

I think this might have the unintended consequence of making it harder to get a park reservation for HS because there's nothing to stop people from booking them all up to hedge their bets, so to speak.

Agreed. DHS was already filling up without this .. it will be booked even more (which means more availability for the other parks) I could probably safely schedule DHS for every day of the week and just switch them to what I really want/need that morning.

It IS a gamble ... if .. for whatever reason .. Epcot is filled up that morning. But thus far .. that doesn't seem to be the case, (especially for Epcot).

 

[HockeyMomNH]

Agreed. DHS was already filling up without this .. it will be booked even more (which means more availability for the other parks) I could probably safely schedule DHS for every day of the week and just switch them to what I really want/need that morning.

It IS a gamble ... if .. for whatever reason .. Epcot is filled up that morning. But thus far .. that doesn't seem to be the case, (especially for Epcot).

I guess the catch is planning in park dining. For Jan, it's not a problem as DD21 and I don't usually do many sit down meals. I was hoping to get her into Oga's for one night though.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Heads up: lots of additional Oga’s Cantina times dropped. I was able to easily snag one! I wonder if it’s the change in the virtual queue people cancelled? Or they added more?