Yet another hard-learned ROTR BG lesson, report, pics and maps

[Raech]

If they didn't use boarding group technology you'd be there lined up the night before and then wait in a 10-14 hr line after the park opens. You wouldn't get to experience the park just a huge queue.

6hrs is a pipe dream. When Star Tours first opened they had to extend park hours and the queue was insane. Forget trying to figure out how to eat, drink, and go to the restroom. Perspective.

 

[Evita_W]

I like that, but would say you need to be in line 4 hrs before park closing.
It's not uncommon for these headliners to end up having 6 hr lines. If the park closes at 12 and it is a 5hr line. Then the park opens the next day for MM at 7, that's not much down time for the ride or CMs.

That has always been the rule, even for RSR, you just had to enter the line before the closing announcement.

 

[Evita_W]

If they didn't use boarding group technology you'd be there lined up the night before and then wait in a 10-14 hr line after the park opens. You wouldn't get to experience the park just a huge queue.

6hrs is a pipe dream. When Star Tours first opened they had to extend park hours and the queue was insane. Forget trying to figure out how to eat, drink, and go to the restroom. Perspective.

Then the ride was not properly designed, in this day and age, there is zero excuse to have such a low hourly capacity that you would end up with anything more than a 4 hour line in a worst case scenario.

 

[Mike_M]

I am going to get a lot of hate for this I am sure but, if you are an AP holder, I think once you are able to get on the ride you should only be allowed to get a boarding pass as a backup for a couple weeks to give everyone an opportunity to get on the ride. Atleast for the first 6 months or something you can only ride it once every two weeks unless your backup boarding pass gets you on it.
I have seen so many people not be able to get on it who rarely get to visit Disney and then you go watch all the AP Vlogger videos who are out there every morning fighting to get a boarding pass. Some of have already been on it 5+ times while others cant even get a low enough group.

I think we have to take a moment to remember that not all AP holders are locals who can drop into the park anytime they want. I usually make a single trip down every couple years, but ended up upgrading to a Deluxe AP last year because I knew I was going to have the rare opportunity of being in Southern Ca. a few times this past year and it was cheaper to get a deluxe AP instead of regular tickets. It expires next month and I won’t be renewing.

For my final trip on the AP, I was able to time it with the opening of RotR and I ended up being one of the success stories with ride, making it on twice during opening weekend. I also know that I most likely wont be scheduling another trip for the next couple years, so this was my one chance to get on the ride for some time. As an out of towner, getting to ride it twice definitely makes the wait till my next trip, whenever that ends up being, easier to manage.

My point is that restricting access to a ride based on your ticket type doesn’t necessarily give an equal opportunity to out of town guests. It’s a popular ride and deserving of the hype IMO, so it makes sense that a lot of people are going to want to ride. Any kind of preferential treatment is going to affect groups of people that it wouldn’t be intended for.

The current system, flawed though it may be, seems to be offering the most equal chance to all guests, local and distant. The only caveat would be that the more technically proficient you are, the better your chances are of smoothly navigating the app, and knowing what the problems could be and how to best prepare for them.

If technology isn’t your thing, I can see this being the one thing that could cause issues.

 

[bcla]

Honestly, that can't be done, even the Boarding Groups violate the terms and conditions on all tickets, as they clearly state unlimited use of all attractions, except arcades. Sine you can only get one boarding group per day, that is not unlimited use of all attractions.

What terms guarantee unlimited use? All the terms I see say that any terms can be changed any time at Disney's discretion. They don't even guarantee admission if there's a crowd control issue.

 

[Gaugersaurus]

Honestly, that can't be done, even the Boarding Groups violate the terms and conditions on all tickets, as they clearly state unlimited use of all attractions, except arcades. Sine you can only get one boarding group per day, that is not unlimited use of all attractions.

Not sure if my AP has different ToC regarding attraction usage than park tickets but it clearly states "Park attractions or entertainment may change operating hours; close due to refurbishing, capacity, weather or special events; and may otherwise change or be discontinued without notice and without liability." Now if Disney started charging for BGs on top of park tickets I could see there being a possible legal issue. As it is now they can modify operations of attractions any way they see fit for any reason they want based on my interpretation the ToC on my pass.

 

[Kender]

Concurring with others that BGs are not a violation of the terms and conditions. BGs are just a virtual queue and the queue is cut off when all spots in the virtual queue are filled. They do not have to operate to closing either.

AP:
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/annual-passport-terms-conditions/

Parks, services, entertainment and attractions may change operating hours, close temporarily, or may otherwise change or be discontinued without notice and without liability.

eTicket:
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/faq/tickets/eticket-terms-conditions/

Theme parks, restaurants, attractions, entertainment or other services may change operating hours; close due to refurbishing, capacity, weather or special events; and may otherwise change or be discontinued without notice and without liability.

Disney shall not be liable for non-utilization of ticket components or loss of recreational or entertainment opportunities due to refurbishing, capacity, inclement weather, special events or any circumstances beyond their control.

Did not see "unlimited" anywhere in the terms and conditions. Not even on the back of a ticket. The only place I could locate a reference to "unlimited" was in regards to MP giving unlimited PhotoPass.

 

[jlmarr]

Maybe day tickets should be in a separate pool. I'm an AP and am ok with day guests getting their money's worth. (Data points for me: two park visits since RotR opening, BG 138 - didn't get to ride, BG 51 - got to ride yesterday, might try again next week.)

 

[KPeterso]

Thanks for your weekly update!

I went on Saturday and parking was a nightmare then too! Like you, I got off at Harbor around 6:45 and it took a good 35 minutes to park and then long security lines. Lucked out right onto a tram that left right away and picked a good line to get in. So I was in before 7:50 and able to get boarding group 34 (and that was taking my Mom out of my group as she was not with me). I hope you have better luck on the boarding groups Wednesday or next Sunday!

 

[Evita_W]

Just going with the writing physically printed on my pass.

 

[Pamela M]

I think some of this craziness isn't necessarily AP's and as WonkaKid as shown us not even AP's are getting AP's on their 1st or 2nd tries.
Disney has this pretty crazy deal for park tickets for locals and any child right now. If they had extended the offer to everyone in CA I would have jumped on it and made the trip down from NorCal. My guess is that Disney wants to pack the gates per park opening so they appear to be at capacity and that ROTR is success. I think we might see the weekend crowds go down slightly once that promotion is up( mid April I think)

I prefer the BG's to waiting in line. I heard the line for the Hagrid ride at Universal in Orlando was 8-10 hours long and the ride kept breaking. What made the news was not the wait but the fact that it kept breaking down. With the BG's it's not really obvious unless you are tracking it closely.

I do feel for the people coming from other countries who don't want to use their data plan. I feel like there should be someway for them to get a BG without having to spend $$ on roaming data.

Wonkakid - I hope you get a low boarding group next time you try. It's really is a fun ride. I was lucky enough to ride it at WDW and can't wait to try and get on it again in DL in April.

 

[bcla]

I do feel for the people coming from other countries who don't want to use their data plan. I feel like there should be someway for them to get a BG without having to spend $$ on roaming data.

The Wi-Fi is surprisingly good at Disneyland. However, I'm not sure how it might work when possibly hundreds of people are huddled in the same area trying to connect. That's got to be a bottleneck.

 

[Howry]

If they didn't use boarding group technology you'd be there lined up the night before and then wait in a 10-14 hr line after the park opens. You wouldn't get to experience the park just a huge queue.

6hrs is a pipe dream. When Star Tours first opened they had to extend park hours and the queue was insane. Forget trying to figure out how to eat, drink, and go to the restroom. Perspective.

Atleast I would have an opportunity even if I arrived at 8:15 in the morning. At this point you have zero chance if you are after opening and really only a 50% chance even if you do arrive prior to 8AM.

 

[Malcon10t]

I am going to get a lot of hate for this I am sure but, if you are an AP holder, I think once you are able to get on the ride you should only be allowed to get a boarding pass as a backup for a couple weeks to give everyone an opportunity to get on the ride. Atleast for the first 6 months or something you can only ride it once every two weeks unless your backup boarding pass gets you on it.
I have seen so many people not be able to get on it who rarely get to visit Disney and then you go watch all the AP Vlogger videos who are out there every morning fighting to get a boarding pass. Some of have already been on it 5+ times while others cant even get a low enough group.

I'm an AP. I just came down this month and went to the park Friday and Sat. I won't be back til mid Feb. Because I hold an AP, I shouldn't have been allowed to try for a boarding pass on both days? Yes, I got one each day. Group 59 on Fri, group 13 on Sat.I will get 2more tries in Feb, then I might be back end of April. Why should I be limited to 1 and a person with a 3 day ticket can try for 3?

Atleast I would have an opportunity even if I arrived at 8:15 in the morning. At this point you have zero chance if you are after opening and really only a 50% chance even if you do arrive prior to 8AM.

I doubt you would. It would still be 8am. I'm curious how you come up with 50%. Everyone around us on Sat got a BG. But yes, we were all in the park by 8.

 

[Malcon10t]

Just going with the writing physically printed on my pass.

Can you scan that part as it isn't on my pass?

 

[Malcon10t]

That has always been the rule, even for RSR, you just had to enter the line before the closing announcement.

Actually, there were many times they stopped the RSR line prior to closing as they needed time to process everyone, and still have enough down time to get the ride maintenance compete. And there are no "rules" that govern this. Disney has allowed people to join up to closing time, or the time they expect to need to close the ride for the day.

Here's the back of mine:

 

[Aurora0427]

I think some of this craziness isn't necessarily AP's and as WonkaKid as shown us not even AP's are getting AP's on their 1st or 2nd tries.
Disney has this pretty crazy deal for park tickets for locals and any child right now. If they had extended the offer to everyone in CA I would have jumped on it and made the trip down from NorCal. My guess is that Disney wants to pack the gates per park opening so they appear to be at capacity and that ROTR is success. I think we might see the weekend crowds go down slightly once that promotion is up( mid April I think)

I prefer the BG's to waiting in line. I heard the line for the Hagrid ride at Universal in Orlando was 8-10 hours long and the ride kept breaking. What made the news was not the wait but the fact that it kept breaking down. With the BG's it's not really obvious unless you are tracking it closely.

I do feel for the people coming from other countries who don't want to use their data plan. I feel like there should be someway for them to get a BG without having to spend $$ on roaming data.

Wonkakid - I hope you get a low boarding group next time you try. It's really is a fun ride. I was lucky enough to ride it at WDW and can't wait to try and get on it again in DL in April.

I agree. The boarding groups enabled us to ride. We have a four year old and an eight year old. Standing in an 8-10 hour line just isn’t an option for our family. We’ve had to wait until just yesterday to ride Smugglers Run because the wait times have finally started to come down during the day.... we had a 25 minute wait yesterday and it was awesome. So while the BG system isn’t perfect, it’s the best option. I also don’t understand why people are wanting to ride repeatedly.... it’s a great ride but there’s just other stuff to do as well.

@WonkaKid I hope you get to ride soon!!!!!!

 

[bcla]

I agree. The boarding groups enabled us to ride. We have a four year old and an eight year old. Standing in an 8-10 hour line just isn’t an option for our family. We’ve had to wait until just yesterday to ride Smugglers Run because the wait times have finally started to come down during the day.... we had a 25 minute wait yesterday and it was awesome. So while the BG system isn’t perfect, it’s the best option. I also don’t understand why people are wanting to ride repeatedly.... it’s a great ride but there’s just other stuff to do as well.

@WonkaKid I hope you get to ride soon!!!!!!

You never know what people want to ride. I remember when I was younger and Pirates wasn't that popular, a group of us rode on it 4-5 straight times. We just got off and walked as quickly as we could back in line. If we could go on Guardians of the Galaxy repeatedly we would, but I've only seen 3 of the possible 6 ride experiences.

Now that my 9 YO has discovered roller coasters, we've ended up going back 4-5 times. When there was no line at a local amusement park, we we told we could just wait on the platform and then choose a seat when others had made their choice.

 

[Kaleidodad]

Honestly, that can't be done, even the Boarding Groups violate the terms and conditions on all tickets, as they clearly state unlimited use of all attractions, except arcades. Sine you can only get one boarding group per day, that is not unlimited use of all attractions.

That sounds more like the wording on a ticket package purchased through a third-party, rather than part of the T&C for a ticket or AP purchased directly from Disney.

 

[Aurora0427]

You never know what people want to ride. I remember when I was younger and Pirates wasn't that popular, a group of us rode on it 4-5 straight times. We just got off and walked as quickly as we could back in line. If we could go on Guardians of the Galaxy repeatedly we would, but I've only seen 3 of the possible 6 ride experiences.

Now that my 9 YO has discovered roller coasters, we've ended up going back 4-5 times. When there was no line at a local amusement park, we we told we could just wait on the platform and then choose a seat when others had made their choice.

We are currently on a Pirates and BTMRR kick. Over and over and over and over.