News Round Up 2020

[rteetz]

News

https://blogmickey.com/2020/01/first-look-at-m-coming-to-disney-springs-in-2020

 

[rteetz]

News

Updated Block & Hans Menu Coming Soon to The American Adventure at Epcot

 

[Brianstl]

They won't do FP for RotR until its running consistently for a while. We should see it move on from Boarding Groups though with a period of standby only.

Do you really want people waiting in line two hours and then the ride breaks down before they board? That kind of thing creates a ton of headaches for Disney. I don't think you can go to standby only until you are sure it is running consistently.

 

[rteetz]

Do you really want people waiting in line two hours and then the ride breaks down before they board? That kind of thing creates a ton of headaches for Disney. I don't think you can go to standby only until you are sure it is running consistently.

I didn't say it is happening tomorrow but its coming.

 

[only hope]

A person had the opportunity regardless they just chose not to.

People only have the “opportunity” to prebook a Smuggler Run fp if they live far enough that they need a hotel, and they are rich enough to be able to afford the long on-site stay required to book one before they are gone. I suspect long-term it’ll be like SDD: frequently gone around 70 days, and never there at 60 days so locals who splurge for one night still don’t have a chance.

 

[Brianstl]

I didn't say it is happening tomorrow but its coming.

If they have it running consistently enough to go to standby only, they might as well go to FP instead at that time.

 

[rteetz]

If they have it running consistently enough to go to standby only, they might as well go to FP instead at that time.

That doesn't appear to be the route they are going and really not a route I think they should go. Its a progression not a jump right into the deep end.

 

[wareagle57]

Yeah but a lot of people haven't ridden it yet because they won't wait over 30 minutes for a ride. Now they'll have an opportunity.

We rode it in September and waited about 60 minutes in standby just because we had no other choice and we love SW. We wouldn't wait that long again, so now we won't have to. I'm happy about it.

There were times nearly every day (especially before RotR opened) that you could ride SR with less than a 20 minute wait. The dozen or so times I've ridden it, I've only waited longer than that once or twice. Now, I'll never get to ride because it will always need a FP and the standby will always be miserably slow.

 

[Tiki Birdland]

News

https://blogmickey.com/2020/01/walt...moving-to-fantasyland-station-in-late-january

Every time I see railroad updates, I'm saddened. Now that steel has gone up, why can't they re-lay the track and get it back open?

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I actually think I may be anti-FP. Never thought I'd say that.

But these days it seems like they load such a high percentage of FP versus standby that it's just ridiculous.

I remember trying to ride Spaceship Earth last October. Fastpasses were gone for the day. There was only one queue line of standby so we were like sweet, won't be long.

They never let the standby line move unless FP stopped coming.

It came to the point where the standby line was holding their breath and getting upset when FP people came. They literally would not let standby go if they saw someone entering the Fast pass queue but were nowhere near the merge point.

Took about 20 minutes to go one length of the standby line.

 

[OSUZorba]

Wait times were about an hour for Smuggler's run over the MLK holiday weekend. There was really no need for it to be added to the FP system.

I am sure after FP the lines will average 90-120 minutes. I was really hoping they'd leave it off FPP. At least leave it off for a year.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

NEWS

Regal Eagle feature smoker installation begins:

https://blogmickey.com/2020/01/regal-eagle-smokehouse-feature-smoker-installation-begins

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I actually think I may be anti-FP. Never thought I'd say that.

But these days it seems like they load such a high percentage of FP versus standby that it's just ridiculous.

I remember trying to ride Spaceship Earth last October. Fastpasses were gone for the day. There was only one queue line of standby so we were like sweet, won't be long.

They never let the standby line move unless FP stopped coming.

It came to the point where the standby line was holding their breath and getting upset when FP people came. They literally would not let standby go if they saw someone entering the Fast pass queue but were nowhere near the merge point.

Took about 20 minutes to go one length of the standby line.

I am on the fence - I do worry that some e-tickets will always get long standby lines even without FP and the thought of going form like 60+ minute line to 60+ minute line is not super appealing

BUT I wonder if they can incorprate these boarding groups/virtual queue more? Either instead of FP or in addition to FP - so you have your FP line but then, for those that don't have standby, you use a virtual queue - and secure your spot only day of. This way people who pay to stay on site for long periods of time do get the benefit of getting FPs but for those that don't just show up at rope drop to secure your Virtual Queue spot and you don't have to wait in line for hours and hours

 

[OSUZorba]

I actually think I may be anti-FP. Never thought I'd say that.

But these days it seems like they load such a high percentage of FP versus standby that it's just ridiculous.

I remember trying to ride Spaceship Earth last October. Fastpasses were gone for the day. There was only one queue line of standby so we were like sweet, won't be long.

They never let the standby line move unless FP stopped coming.

It came to the point where the standby line was holding their breath and getting upset when FP people came. They literally would not let standby go if they saw someone entering the Fast pass queue but were nowhere near the merge point.

Took about 20 minutes to go one length of the standby line.

That happened to me last Jan on POTC. Got in line, posted at 20 minutes, walked straight to the inside part of the queue, then just stopped. Took 75 minutes. That really made me start thinking about how much I really liked FPP. Also did SDMT last Sept, right after it had reopened, got almost inside before I stopped walking and it took over an hour. I had RD'ed it a couple days before. Made me realize how physically short the queue actually is, and how much FPP returners slowed down the standby line. The day I RD'ed it I started by the Tea Cups and was on in like 15 minutes.

 

[rteetz]

News

“Kingdom Hearts III: Re Mind” Downloadable Content Now Available for PlayStation 4

 

[The Pho]

BUT I wonder if they can incorprate these boarding groups/virtual queue more? Either instead of FP or in addition to FP - so you have your FP line but then, for those that don't have standby, you use a virtual queue - and secure your spot only day of. This way people who pay to stay on site for long periods of time do get the benefit of getting FPs but for those that don't just show up at rope drop to secure your Virtual Queue spot and you don't have to wait in line for hours and hours

Just dropping more fastpasses day of would solve that.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I am on the fence - I do worry that some e-tickets will always get long standby lines even without FP and the thought of going form like 60+ minute line to 60+ minute line is not super appealing

BUT I wonder if they can incorprate these boarding groups/virtual queue more? Either instead of FP or in addition to FP - so you have your FP line but then, for those that don't have standby, you use a virtual queue - and secure your spot only day of. This way people who pay to stay on site for long periods of time do get the benefit of getting FPs but for those that don't just show up at rope drop to secure your Virtual Queue spot and you don't have to wait in line for hours and hours

To be honest, I didn't mind waiting on hour for Smuggler's Run when I was moving constantly. It makes the time seem not so long. Especially when they make the queues interesting. Big difference between slowly shuffling along for an hour and standing stock still for an hour not moving an inch.

That happened to me last Jan on POTC. Got in line, posted at 20 minutes, walked straight to the inside part of the queue, then just stopped. Took 75 minutes. That really made me start thinking about how much I really liked FPP. Also did SDMT last Sept, right after it had reopened, got almost inside before I stopped walking and it took over an hour. I had RD'ed it a couple days before. Made me realize how physically short the queue actually is, and how much FPP returners slowed down the standby line. The day I RD'ed it I started by the Tea Cups and was on in like 15 minutes.

I might not be opposed to the boarding groups for standby.

I just cannot express how demoralizing it is to be able to see a very short standby line for an attraction like Spaceship Earth, and then just stand there not moving while FP after FP is waved on. You just can't explain the frustration until you actually experience it like @OSUZorba

Fastpass and MDE was really the beginning of the end. Now Disney knows how many guests are coming and can cut staff accordingly. Only open one side of POTC, for example.

I feel like the only way to have a good time is to either not care about doing any attractions, or to get lucky and get the 3 FPs you want and then stay glued to your phone the rest of the day looking for others. Which seems to work on particular days for particular people. But not necessarily how I want to spend my day.

Either that, or go wait behind 40 people in the Spaceship Earth standby for 20+ minutes and not move an inch.

 

[rteetz]

News

https://blogmickey.com/2020/01/new-...vealed-for-mickey-and-minnies-runaway-railway

 

[rteetz]

News

https://blogmickey.com/2020/01/disn...added-for-june-and-july-2020-at-magic-kingdom

 

[JETSDAD]

To be honest, I didn't mind waiting on hour for Smuggler's Run when I was moving constantly. It makes the time seem not so long. Especially when they make the queues interesting. Big difference between slowly shuffling along for an hour and standing stock still for an hour not moving an inch.



I might not be opposed to the boarding groups for standby.

I just cannot express how demoralizing it is to be able to see a very short standby line for an attraction like Spaceship Earth, and then just stand there not moving while FP after FP is waved on. You just can't explain the frustration until you actually experience it like @OSUZorba

Fastpass and MDE was really the beginning of the end. Now Disney knows how many guests are coming and can cut staff accordingly. Only open one side of POTC, for example.

I feel like the only way to have a good time is to either not care about doing any attractions, or to get lucky and get the 3 FPs you want and then stay glued to your phone the rest of the day looking for others. Which seems to work on particular days for particular people. But not necessarily how I want to spend my day.

Either that, or go wait behind 40 people in the Spaceship Earth standby for 20+ minutes and not move an inch.

You can refresh for FP's, even top tier FP's, and not be glued to your phone. On average we only look for 2-3 minutes for our next FP once we've tapped into the current one. After doing EEMH to ride Smuggler's Run twice in September we didn't even bother going on the ride in October because there weren't FP's and we weren't interested in waiting 45-60 minutes to ride it. With FP I hope to ride multiple times each day we're at HS.