ROTR lottery needs to end.

[mom2rtk]

When this ride opened it was debated to the high heavens. Every alternative imagined ended up having more downsides, they always end up creating worse headaches than the current system when played out.

People don’t like the idea of getting shut out. That’s very understandable. But the ride cannot handle all HS guests daily, something has to give. Having 2 HS days with 4 chances to snag a BG is the closest there gets to guarantee, probably well over 95% if you are somewhat prepared (no, a new phone isn’t necessary ). Anyway it’s no different than many other important experiences that can go sideways during a trip. You could get rained out your only day for MK fireworks on a trip, or Everest could be your fav AK ride and it’s down the day you’re there. There’s always a risk something very important to our trip doesn’t go as planned, with no way to absolutely 100% guarantee. It’s the same with RotR.

Unfortunately there just isn't enough to do in DHS for 2 days. It's fine if you have hoppers, but we usually don't.

 

[Heather07438]

Unfortunately there just isn't enough to do in DHS for 2 days. It's fine if you have hoppers, but we usually don't.

It’s like EP now. I don’t even want to use one park reservation day there (between the late open and all the construction), nevermind 2. But if I absolutely wanted to do my best to see Epcot Forever show, I’d need a back up plan in case it gets rained out. It feels frustrating and stressful for sure but I’ve yet to see a way for RotR to operate that’s better than current.

Alot people people wish RotR would have standby. But that basically brings it back to Square 1 where we’d need 2 days at HS. One day to stand on a 7hr line (and still have a chance of breakdown anyway), and day 2 for the other attractions in HS.

People said let us rope drop to get on a standby line. Then we’d all need to hit HS before 4am for a shot, doesn’t sound good either. Really the best solution is like they did at TSMM where they built a third arm to better handle the demand. But that’s crazy $$$ to do for RotR, not feasible.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Believe what?

Since I have to spell everything out...

I'll believe that the BG system is fair and equitable IF and WHEN I get to ride ROTR -- on our ten day WDW vacation next year.

I'll try like hell to get on the damn ride, but I fully expect to get shafted.

 

[Heather07438]

Since I have to spell everything out...

I'll believe that the BG system is fair and equitable IF and WHEN I get to ride ROTR -- on our ten day WDW vacation next year.

I'll try like hell to get on the damn ride, but I fully expect to get shafted.

You’ll be fine! Don’t let it stress you too much. Seriously, going more than one day and being familiar with the process is what you can do. And sounds like you are doing

I’m not saying this to brag but as an example of the odds. We’re 5 for 5, all of them the morning attempts, we never even needed to attempt the 1pm drop. Of those were 2/2 back when you needed to be inside HS, 3/3 on another trip from inside our hotel. I even beat out DS19 on his 11Pro with my iPhone 8.

Even when they are gone in 10-15 seconds… it sounds much worse than it actually is. Count out 10 seconds. That’s a long time to hit the Join button 3 times. Even with the risk of maybe phone freezing or whatever, if you have other family members trying too that won’t happen to everybody.

It’s extremely rare for somebody to prepare, try a couple times and still fail. The odds are tremendously in your favor. I’ve yet to hear someone say they had 2 HS days, tried 4 attempts between the 7a and 1p drops and not get a BG. MTFBWY Goodluck!

 

[Davey Jones II]

You’ll be fine! Don’t let it stress you too much. Seriously, going more than one day and being familiar with the process is what you can do. And sounds like you are doing

I’m not saying this to brag but as an example of the odds. We’re 5 for 5, all of them the morning attempts, we never even needed to attempt the 1pm drop. Of those were 2/2 back when you needed to be inside HS, 3/3 on another trip from inside our hotel. I even beat out DS19 on his 11Pro with my iPhone 8.

Even when they are gone in 10-15 seconds… it sounds much worse than it actually is. Count out 10 seconds. That’s a long time to hit the Join button 3 times. Even with the risk of maybe phone freezing or whatever, if you have other family members trying too that won’t happen to everybody.

It’s extremely rare for somebody to prepare, try a couple times and still fail. The odds are tremendously in your favor. I’ve yet to hear someone say they had 2 HS days, tried 4 attempts between the 7a and 1p drops and not get a BG. MTFBWY Goodluck!

I'll believe it when I ride it.

 

[cherrylimeadew]

I'll believe it when I ride it.

So you’re against the current system until you get to go on it. Lol

If you go on a ten day trip and don’t get on that’s on you not the system. You’ll have plenty of chances. Just get your gizmo ready.

 

[Davey Jones II]

So you’re against the current system until you get to go on it. Lol

If you go on a ten day trip and don’t get on that’s on you not the system. You’ll have plenty of chances. Just get your gizmo ready.

What, am I supposed to love this system if it fails miserably for me? IF it works for us, then I'll change my mind.

What's to like, when I might try several times and still never get on the ride?

I also hate the notion that "it's on me" if a new system that THEY implemented doesn't let me ride it even once. No, that's on THEM. It's THEIR system.

It's going to be the first time we get a shot to ride the bloody thing. So, if we don't jump through just the right hoops at just the right time, in the mere 5 seconds that all the BG spots get snapped up, while competing with people who have done it many times and thus are far more adept at it then we are...then we're SOL. Frankly, that sucks.

Wow, I can't wait to get up at 6 a.m., only to crap out...

 

[cherrylimeadew]

What, am I supposed to love this system if it fails miserably for me? IF it works for us, then I'll change my mind.

What's to like, when I might try several times and still never get on the ride?

I also hate the notion that "it's on me" if a new system that THEY implemented doesn't let me ride it even once. No, that's on THEM. It's THEIR system.

It's going to be the first time we get a shot to ride the bloody thing. So, if we don't jump through just the right hoops at just the right time, in the mere 5 seconds that all the BG spots get snapped up, while competing with people who have done it many times and thus are far more adept at it then we are...then we're SOL. Frankly, that sucks.

Wow, I can't wait to get up at 6 a.m., only to crap out...

You're so hung up on waking up at 6am. Wake up at like 6:45 or 6:50. That's a lot more sleep!

Same hoops to jump through for everyone. Practice like a lot of people and you'll have PLENTY of experience.

You literally sound like someone that lost an election and you're claiming the voting was rigged and our voting process doesn't work because you didn't win. But if you win the election, get on the ride, then it's fine!

Love the notion that if it doesn't work for just one person then it doesn't work.

It's either this or you'll have to stand in line the entire time the park is open. I'm sure you'd LOOOOVE that idea right?

Again a hearty lol.

Good luck!

 

[Davey Jones II]

You're so hung up on waking up at 6am. Wake up at like 6:45 or 6:50. That's a lot more sleep!

Same hoops to jump through for everyone. Practice like a lot of people and you'll have PLENTY of experience.

You literally sound like someone that lost an election and you're claiming the voting was rigged and our voting process doesn't work because you didn't win. But if you win the election, get on the ride, then it's fine!

Love the notion that if it doesn't work for just one person then it doesn't work.

It's either this or you'll have to stand in line the entire time the park is open. I'm sure you'd LOOOOVE that idea right?

Again a hearty lol.

Good luck!

Once again, with feeling: I'll believe it when I ride it. I reserve the right to loathe something that shafts me, on my very expensive vacation.

"Practicing" is not an option when it means losing sleep on multiple days leading up to my vacation. I'm supposed to be groggy all day just so I can try to learn to beat the "fast fingers" crowd? I need to be functional.

Your election analogy is way off the mark. I never said this system is rigged, but I don't see how it's fair. People who have a lot more experience working this system are much more likely to get a BG. So the ones who have already done the ride multiple times have an advantage over people who never got to ride it once -- and those people are more likely to stay that way! If you want to pretend that's fair, that's YOUR fantasy.

FOP has had four-hour waits since opening day, yet that ride is still far more accessible than ROTR. We were always sure that we would get to ride FOP (and other superstar headliners) during our trip; the same cannot be said for ROTR.

And no, getting up at 6:50 a.m. isn't much better.

 

[Davey Jones II]

When people ride dozens of times to the exclusion of people who have never been on it, I think that just stinks.

Exactly.

 

[kevgraub]

People who have a lot more experience working this system are much more likely to get a BG. So the ones who have already done the ride multiple times have an advantage over people who never got to ride it once -- and those people are more likely to stay that way!

Personally, I think the whole practicing thing is extremely overhyped.

I practiced one time before our trip (using the 1:00 pm time slot) just so I could have an idea where to click. I told my family (who did not practice at all) where each of the buttons would show up and to just click them as quickly as they can.

We went 2 for 2 on our trip (first time at WDW since GE opened) with boarding groups 37 and 21. My daughter, who has the oldest phone in our family and did not practice at all got it once, and my wife who has an iPhone 11 got it the second time.

Really, I think the main key is using a separate countdown clock from time.gov and doing the AT-AT method.

It may have been that we just got lucky, but I can say with certainty our luck getting early morning boarding times both times had nothing to do with practicing or having experience with the system.

 

[FCDub]

Man, if you don't want to wake up at 6:50 to get a boarding group, you'll really be annoyed if you had to wake up at 4 a.m. to get to the park at 6 a.m. so you could spend all day in line in the sun to ride one ride.

 

[Minniedap]

We just returned from our trip yesterday. We never practiced, just followed the advice of these boards. Got BG 11, first day at HS and BG 2, second day at HS.

 

[DisLiss]

The current method eliminates the crazed rope-drop run for the land. It eliminates having to be inside the park at opening to try for the AM boarding pass. And it helps to eliminate lines that snake through half the park. (Although social distancing has made lines longer than usual in recent times.)

For all of those reasons I think it's a decent solution for now. Especially when you add the ride going down into the mix.

 

[Davey Jones II]

When Fast Passes come back, I'm praying that all rides will be on that system, and all this nonsense will be moot.

 

[cherrylimeadew]

Once again, with feeling: I'll believe it when I ride it. I reserve the right to loathe something that shafts me, on my very expensive vacation.

"Practicing" is not an option when it means losing sleep on multiple days leading up to my vacation. I'm supposed to be groggy all day just so I can try to learn to beat the "fast fingers" crowd? I need to be functional.

Your election analogy is way off the mark. I never said this system is rigged, but I don't see how it's fair. People who have a lot more experience working this system are much more likely to get a BG. So the ones who have already done the ride multiple times have an advantage over people who never got to ride it once -- and those people are more likely to stay that way! If you want to pretend that's fair, that's YOUR fantasy.

FOP has had four-hour waits since opening day, yet that ride is still far more accessible than ROTR. We were always sure that we would get to ride FOP (and other superstar headliners) during our trip; the same cannot be said for ROTR.

And no, getting up at 6:50 a.m. isn't much better.

50 minutes of extra sleep is pretty nice!

Shocked you didn't think it would be nicer.

You can also "practice" at 1 pm. That would make you lose sleep?

It's not a fantasy but hey whatever makes you feel better to think.

Practice at 1pm unless that somehow makes you lose sleep. LOL

 

[Boopuff]

For me I just hope we go back to regular old park hoppers and no more park reservations. That way during a vacation you'd have several days to try, then plan your day around ROTR. (of course if they bring back ADR etc that could mess with the uber-planner in me!)

 

[tigger2002]

If you go on a ten day trip and don’t get on that’s on you not the system. You’ll have plenty of chances. Just get your gizmo ready.

But how many of those ten days do you want to reserve at HS, five or six. Just to make sure you get a BG.

 

[NashvilleMama]

But how many of those ten days do you want to reserve at HS, five or six. Just to make sure you get a BG.

This is exactly the main frustration I have - I really love the virtual queue and would happily do this for a lot of headliners if they'd switch over. But combined with the park reservation system which fills up in advance, it really stinks to have to reserve multiple DHS days as back-ups that I may not even need, missing out on reserving another park that we're much more likely wanting to visit on multiple days (DHS is a 1-day park for our family.)

 

[bsmcneil]

In the opening months the RotR board thoroughly dissected every aspect lol. There really is no better alternative than VQ. All other alternatives quickly showed worse flaws than the current type of system.

On that very active board we did notice there were hardly any reports of people trying on 2 days and not succeeding for at least one. Very rare. Not impossible but so rare it was only mentioned a couple times while success was reported for hundreds of parties.

Consider those 2 aspects together. If the thought of needing to buy 2 HS tickets to secure your RotR chances sounds stinky, well basically the same would happen if the ride offered a regular standby line anyway. Look at FoP and the 300 minute lines often reached there. 5 hours. Could get longer for RotR even. That would not leave enough time to do the rest of HS in a day therefore prompting most visitors to need a second HS ticket day anyway.

You get what confirmation bias is, right?