It's The End of the World as We Know It-The TCD Gang's Last Fort Trip (BC)

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

This appeals to me on many levels, not the least of which is fantastic use of chalk board paint!

 

John from work needs to pain his car this way!!  Can you imagine what Nicole and I could do to it!!!!!

:hah:  :hah:  :hah:  :hah:  :hah:  :hah:  :hah:

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

I will say there is not air everywhere though. 

 

When flying through the asteroid field and they land in the "cave" they have to use breathers because there is at least not enough air. I can remember the exact wording right now. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

It probably is. There are a lot of voice actors who do both shows. They always had a friendly competition of sorts going back and forth. They would poke fun at each other's shows.

 

I know that I have never seen a single episode of Robot Chicken, and I don't think I've ever seen a full episode of Family Guy.  I used to watch The Simpsons before the kids were born, but after they came along, Mrs. TCD banned us from watching these off colored cartoons.

 

As bad as the Ewoks were, ain't nobody that stirs up the hatred like Jar Jar. 

 

True.  And that's why I'm a fan.  I really wish they would have him make an appearance at Hyperspace Hoopla one year.  The reaction would be priceless.

 

I think I stated this in my other post but there were a few factors other than the wait times on why we did not go:

1. One couple we were with were AP holders and they scoped the place out at rope drop. IMHO and Andrew you might chime in, these crowded special events are best enjoyed if you are a AP holder. This allows you to come and go as you please. With 4 of us not being AP holders and one of my friends a theme park/crowd hater and a late riser, it wold not have been worth the $90 each to get to the park by 11:00 and battle the crowds. It would have been a non enjoyable day.

2. It was opening weekend so maybe the wait times were more realistic. Maybe they never changed the times from one weekend to another...lol

I was ideally bummed we did not go. I think we are going to bite the bullet at the end of year and get AP's

 

I agree with you- it would be hard to justify paying for a one day ticket to subject yourself to the crowds at a Star Wars Weekend day.  But, with proper planning, it could be done.  You would need to be there for rope drop, and hit the things you most wanted to do then.  You could then get a great spot for the parade, and take in some of the shows and talks that are on the schedule during the busy times.  Have a nice lunch in one of the sit down places, and then do a few more things with Fastpasses before claiming a primo spot for Hyperspace Hoopla.  I think you could make an enjoyable day out of that.

 

 

Also a true Star Wars geek hates jar jar blinks more

Seth McFarland I believe teamed up with Seth Green who was one of the writers/ creators for robot chicken. Still have no idea where the name came from

 

 

OK, so it sounds like Jason and Starbuc71/Dave could be bros.

 

No mistake on the car writing. He is not just a star wars geek but he is a Honda car guy. http://www.hondavtec.org/

 

Ah, the Star Wars/Honda geek combo.

 

I'm really jealous of this guy now.

 

Couple of comments. Not gonna try the multi quote because its been acting weird.

 

The facades for Star Tours area are intentional. It is Hollywood Studios. A glimpse behind how movies are made. That's why the area is designed the way it is.

 

Disney is not intentionally manipulating the wait times. Those times are automatically set by an electronic computer system. You know those little red cards you get from time to time? Those read your start time and the time you reach the front of the line and automatically change the signs and the apps. The tip boards then get a message to change the boards. They are supposed to run those red cards through every hour and more often if busy. but if the crowd dies before they get a card through, the time will still be the higher time.

 

An example, the other day Pirates was a 55 min wait. then the ride went down. When it opened back up, the system still read a 55min wait even though no one was in line. They had to have a CM run a card through the system to make it lower. So its not an exact science and there are factors that can affect the times (like guests taking those red things home as souvenirs) and is far from real time.

 

Say it isn't so.  Devores/Dave (there are too many Daves posting on this thread!) is now part of the wait time conspiracy!

 

Like a good co-conspirator, you are reciting the official Disney propaganda about these wait times.

 

But it isn't true!

 

Those red cards are fake!

 

They just make up exaggerated wait times in an attempt to "encourage" guests to use Fastpasses.

 

When those stupid wristbands come out, they will be crowing about how much the wait times have been reduced!

 

But the wait times have been fake for a long time.

 

You can take those red things home?  It never occurred to me to try to take one of those as a souvenir.

 

We have inadvertently ended up with red cards at the end of rides.

 

On such occasions, we have sometimes turned them in at another ride.

 

I'll bet that gave some computer somewhere a fit.

 

I was always wondering what the red cards were for and how they played a part with the ride

 

What the other Dave said is what Disney says they are.

 

I say they are fake.

 

They probably have sensors in them that download your personal data from your phone or something like that.

 

 

This appeals to me on many levels, not the least of which is fantastic use of chalk board paint!

 

 

See?

 

This dude kills it with the ladies.

 

Someone need to warn Brian about Mo being on the look out for guys with blackboard paint on their cars.

 

 

He is fluent in over six million forms of communication.

 

LOL!  That sounds right.

 

You should have kept that to yourself, though.

 

You already get picked on enough here without letting everyone know you're one of those Star Wars geeks.

 

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

I will say there is not air everywhere though. 

 

When flying through the asteroid field and they land in the "cave" they have to use breathers because there is at least not enough air. I can remember the exact wording right now. 

yeah but there shouldn't have been air there at alll

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

yeah but there shouldn't have been air there at alll

 

Oh I agree. I was just stating that in at least one instance he made a feeble attempt to show there isnt air everywhere. 

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Oh I agree. I was just stating that in at least one instance he made a feeble attempt to show there isnt air everywhere. 

or a feeble attempt to show there were places with bad air

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

or a feeble attempt to show there were places with bad air

Also possible

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

 

ring these questions, which have always bugged me:

1. Where is earth? Is it ever even mentioned?

A galaxy far far away.

2. Who paid for all that stuff they have? Seriously, where did the money come from for the Death Star, and who funded the Rebels? All those space ships and stuff can't be cheap.

Government embezzlement?

stole, bartered, secret alliances?

3. How come there is air everywhere and everyone can breath it?

lazy creator

4. What about gravity? It seems to be the same wherever anyone goes in space.

see above

5. How is it that there are a zillion storm troopers shooting at the good guys and nobody ever gets shot? Not even nicked.

apparently the people with brains and a good shot went into the Rebels, while the stupid people and bad shots became storm troopers

TCD

 

 

Thanks, Nicki, I know you're a fan.

 

But, I am just amazed at how many seemingly intelligent people get so geeked over these movies, when they have huge gaping holes in them such that they are completely implausible.

 

Just the other night, Episode 6 was on TV.  I flipped it on and watched a scene that I didn't even remember.  It was the one where the Ewoks had captured the rebels and they thought C3PO was some kind of god, and they were planning to eat the humans.  Luke used the force to make C3PO fly around on a chair.  I swore I could see the strings.  Lame special effect.  And completely stupid scene.  Yet, people spent millions watching these movies over and over again.

 

 

John from work needs to pain his car this way!!  Can you imagine what Nicole and I could do to it!!!!!

:hah:  :hah:  :hah:  :hah:  :hah:  :hah:  :hah:

 

Thanks!

 

You just gave me an idea!

 

I have some sidewalk chalk in my camper still.

 

Next time I'm at Star Wars Weekend, I'll bring a couple of pieces.

 

Can someone give me a link to the Star Wars alphabet?

 

 

I will say there is not air everywhere though.

 

When flying through the asteroid field and they land in the "cave" they have to use breathers because there is at least not enough air. I can remember the exact wording right now.

 

 

yeah but there shouldn't have been air there at alll

 

 

Oh I agree. I was just stating that in at least one instance he made a feeble attempt to show there isnt air everywhere.

 

 

or a feeble attempt to show there were places with bad air

 

Sorry guys, this isn't helping make the case of plausibility.

 

LOL.

 

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

So I have a confession to make, though I did like the original movies, even I have to admit that certain things don't stand up to the test of time.  Though it pains me to say it, notice that I am doing so in a place my husband doesn't read, Empire was the best.  The Ewoks & Jar are just a bit annoying and frankly most of the books are better. 

 

It's actually hard to watch the movies now.  Funny thing about it was as soon as my son got obsessed with Star Wars... I was done.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

So I have a confession to make, though I did like the original movies, even I have to admit that certain things don't stand up to the test of time.  Though it pains me to say it, notice that I am doing so in a place my husband doesn't read, Empire was the best.  The Ewoks & Jar are just a bit annoying and frankly most of the books are better. 

 

It's actually hard to watch the movies now.  Funny thing about it was as soon as my son got obsessed with Star Wars... I was done.

 

Hey, that's OK.  A lot of the animated Disney movies that are still so popular are pretty lame when you compare them to movies of today.

 

Even though I have picked on the geeks, I really enjoy the Star Wars Weekends, and based on the crowds, so do a lot of other guests.  A lot.

 

The Star Wars franchise is not going anywhere.  Disney will make a fortune from it.  You are right- with the Clone Wars cartoons and other things, they have been able to keep the franchise relevant to young children.  That is a remarkable thing.

 

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Hey, that's OK.  A lot of the animated Disney movies that are still so popular are pretty lame when you compare them to movies of today.

 

Even though I have picked on the geeks, I really enjoy the Star Wars Weekends, and based on the crowds, so do a lot of other guests.  A lot.

 

The Star Wars franchise is not going anywhere.  Disney will make a fortune from it.  You are right- with the Clone Wars cartoons and other things, they have been able to keep the franchise relevant to young children.  That is a remarkable thing.

 

TCD

 

I need to go back to Star Wars Weekend sometime and just crowd watch.  The last time we went during that time was also our first visit to DHS.  Needless to say, when you are trying to enjoy the park with little ones on a first visit the crowds aren't welcome.  After visiting several times AND understanding how to use FP (thanks to you) i could simply sit back and enjoy the people.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I need to go back to Star Wars Weekend sometime and just crowd watch.  The last time we went during that time was also our first visit to DHS.  Needless to say, when you are trying to enjoy the park with little ones on a first visit the crowds aren't welcome.  After visiting several times AND understanding how to use FP (thanks to you) i could simply sit back and enjoy the people.

 

Yes,  you wouldn't enjoy a Star Wars Weekend if your primary objective was to experience all the regular DHS attractions.  But, if you go to take in the atmosphere, meet a few of the special characters, and people watch, it is a blast.

 

TCD

[Specularius 102]

If I recall correctly, the red cards have to be initialized by holding in front of a reader at the start of the line. They use the same technology that office buildings use to log employees in and out. I have witnessed CM's initialize a card and then hold it for at least 5 minutes before handing it to a patron. This is manipulating the wait time. I have also seen CM's receive them at the check point and hold them for several minutes before passing them over the reader to record the time. If this happens at the front and back end then there is 5-10 minutes inflated on the wait time right there. During our Mardi Gras trip this past February we rode Soarin' and the wait time said 90 minutes but the line could not be seen from the entrance. We got in line and it only took 38 minutes. 

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

If I recall correctly, the red cards have to be initialized by holding in front of a reader at the start of the line. They use the same technology that office buildings use to log employees in and out. I have witnessed CM's initialize a card and then hold it for at least 5 minutes before handing it to a patron. This is manipulating the wait time. I have also seen CM's receive them at the check point and hold them for several minutes before passing them over the reader to record the time. If this happens at the front and back end then there is 5-10 minutes inflated on the wait time right there. During our Mardi Gras trip this past February we rode Soarin' and the wait time said 90 minutes but the line could not be seen from the entrance. We got in line and it only took 38 minutes. 

 

I have seen this too.  Only I kind of forced the CM to give me the card since I knew what it was meant for (one trip I got handed one almost every time i rode something) and naturally assumed they were going to hand it to me.  I asked the Cm if they wanted me to take it.  However the CM hesitated briefly but eventually handed it over.  I bet a new card went through about 5 min after me....hmmm, it was at TSM

[DaveInTN 3,247]

 

 I am just amazed at how many seemingly intelligent people get so geeked over these movies, when they have huge gaping holes in them such that they are completely implausible.

 

 

 

I have always said that Lucas is a good storyteller and visionary...but a horrible director.  One example is how he took some very talented actors, such as Natalie Portman and Harrison Ford, and coaxed attrocious performances out of them.  Go back sometime and watch Natalie's acting in Ep. III, when Anakin is in the midst of turning to the dark side.  It's laughable.  But other directors get Oscar winning performances from her.  That's one of the reasons I am excited to see what JJ Abrams will be able to do with the franchise. 

 

But as far as your assertion that the storylines have gaping holes and are implausible....its Sci Fi.  Of course it is implausible.  Do you really think there are worlds like this in a galaxy far, far away?  The entire thing is ludicrous.  But the overall themes of good vs evil ring true with the human experience.  The movies hit close to home, both in historical terms and today.  That's what makes them timeless.   

 

So there. 

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

I have always said that Lucas is a good storyteller and visionary...but a horrible director.  One example is how he took some very talented actors, such as Natalie Portman and Harrison Ford, and coaxed attrocious performances out of them.  Go back sometime and watch Natalie's acting in Ep. III, when Anakin is in the midst of turning to the dark side.  It's laughable.  But other directors get Oscar winning performances from her.  That's one of the reasons I am excited to see what JJ Abrams will be able to do with the franchise. 

 

 

Did you know that Sir Alec Guiness was embarrassed by Star Wars?  (according to some things I have read and seen)

Adding to the good actors bad performance list - Ewan McGregor, whose real life Uncle played Wedge in the original trilogy told him not to make the films if he wished to have a career afterward

Hayden Christensen has given a few good performances outside of Star Wars too

Edited June 6, 2013 by Nicki aka Rebelstand

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

If I recall correctly, the red cards have to be initialized by holding in front of a reader at the start of the line. They use the same technology that office buildings use to log employees in and out. I have witnessed CM's initialize a card and then hold it for at least 5 minutes before handing it to a patron. This is manipulating the wait time. I have also seen CM's receive them at the check point and hold them for several minutes before passing them over the reader to record the time. If this happens at the front and back end then there is 5-10 minutes inflated on the wait time right there. During our Mardi Gras trip this past February we rode Soarin' and the wait time said 90 minutes but the line could not be seen from the entrance. We got in line and it only took 38 minutes. 

 

See Devores?

 

Conspiracy!

 

This story from Specularius is similar to our experiences, and things we have heard comparing notes with other guests. 

 

I get it that it's hard to state accurate wait times.  But, this is Disney for crying out loud.  They could easily get it right if they really wanted to.

 

And going back to our visit to Star Tours that day, there is no way that there had been a 50 minute wait sometime earlier that morning, and the time had not been adjusted back down.  The park was just starting to fill.  They had that 50 minute wait time posted before 10 am.  No way that was an accurate statement of any wait time that morning.

 

I have seen this too.  Only I kind of forced the CM to give me the card since I knew what it was meant for (one trip I got handed one almost every time i rode something) and naturally assumed they were going to hand it to me.  I asked the Cm if they wanted me to take it.  However the CM hesitated briefly but eventually handed it over.  I bet a new card went through about 5 min after me....hmmm, it was at TSM

 

Yeah.  Toy Story is a big one.  I have heard story after story of some huge wait time being posted, and then guests go in and find the queue room empty, and they walk right up to the stairs. This is particularly true later in the evening.

 

The problem is that there is no way for a guest to tell there if the wait time is grossly inflated without going in to the attraction.  Same thing with Space Mountain.  You have to invest the time to go in and look, and it could be one of the rare times when the sign is right.

 

It's really annoying.

 

I have always said that Lucas is a good storyteller and visionary...but a horrible director.  One example is how he took some very talented actors, such as Natalie Portman and Harrison Ford, and coaxed attrocious performances out of them.  Go back sometime and watch Natalie's acting in Ep. III, when Anakin is in the midst of turning to the dark side.  It's laughable.  But other directors get Oscar winning performances from her.  That's one of the reasons I am excited to see what JJ Abrams will be able to do with the franchise. 

 

But as far as your assertion that the storylines have gaping holes and are implausible....its Sci Fi.  Of course it is implausible.  Do you really think there are worlds like this in a galaxy far, far away?  The entire thing is ludicrous.  But the overall themes of good vs evil ring true with the human experience.  The movies hit close to home, both in historical terms and today.  That's what makes them timeless.   

 

So there. 

 

 

You're right.  The whole science fiction genre is like that.  Has anyone watched any of the new show on NBC, Revolution?  The premise is the power has been out for 15 years, and this group is on a quest to get it turned back on.  They show all of these scenes of famous landmarks in ruins.  Yet the stars of the show have these fantastic wardrobes, and occasionally someone will figure out a way to get a helicopter or some kind of weapon to work.  Really?  A helicopter that has been sitting around for 15 years is going to fly?  And these young people, who would have been like 3 years old, max 5, when the power went out, know how to fly helicopters?  Come on.

 

You may be right about Lucas too.  Aside from Harrison Ford, who from the original cast ever went on to do anything else of note?

 

Did you know that Sir Alec Guiness was embarrassed by Star Wars?  (according to some things I have read and seen)

Adding to the good actors bad performance list - Ewan McGregor, whose real life Uncle played Wedge in the original trilogy told him not to make the films if he wished to have a career afterward

Hayden Christensen has given a few good performances outside of Star Wars too

 

Wedge?

 

Never mind.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

OK, I think the comments have died down enough that I can try an update.

 

Hopefully the site will cooperate.  I've seen a lot of new error messages lately.

 

Maybe I am just supposed to post recipes?

 

Anyway, we left off with our escape from the DHS SWW mad house.

 

It could not have been fun for the guests who were just arriving as we left.  What in the world did all those people sitting in traffic think they would be able to do once they finally parked and fought the crowds just to get in the park?

 

Sad.  I really feel sorry for guests who do not plan.  Those people were going to have an awful time.

 

But enough of that, we headed back to the Fort.

 

Of course, we had discussed all of this beforehand.

 

One option we considered was hopping a bus from DHS to a resort for lunch, and then hopping back to DHS or another park.

 

But, we had our car there, and a golf cart waiting for us back at the site, and heading back to the Fort sounded more appealing.  Plus, I had left over GAG chicken in the fridge.  And cold beer in the cooler.

 

So, back to the Fort it was!

 

We caught a traffic jam on the way in.

 

The bus had to unload a wheelchair.

 

That takes a long time.

 

But, at least it wasn't somebody with one of those scooters that they just as easily could have ridden here:

 

 

 

Note how the traffic in the opposite direction has stopped for the bus.  That is the way it's supposed to be.  But, unfortunately, it is also rare to see.  There are signs posted right there telling guests to stop for buses loading and unloading passengers.  And, that rule is printed on the steering wheel of the Fort's rental carts.  Yet, time and time again idiots on carts don't stop.  Just the day before, I was stopped behind a bus at the 1500 loop bus stop, and some guests exited, and walked behind the bus to the footbridge.  Some A-hole on a Disney cart sped by coming from the opposite direction and almost hit those guests.  What the heck is wrong with people?  Isn't it common sense to be careful around a bus that is loading or unloading guests?  I yelled at that A-hole.  And if you are the A-hole I yelled at, let me repeat that you are an A-hole, and why don't you take 30 seconds and read the rules printed on your golf cart steering wheel the next time you rent a Disney cart?  Thank you.

 

Oh, and as long as I have your attention Mr. Hole, there is one more thing.  You are supposed to pull over if there is a car or bus behind you.  What makes you think it's OK to putz around at 5 miles per hour when there is someone with a car or a bus full of people behind you?  That rule is on your steering wheel too, stupid.

 

I guess that was another Troll Rant^TM  sorry.  I didn't feel that one coming on.

 

Anyway, after the slight delay, we made it to the site, and took off for some looping.

 

We had been here for two nights already, and I had not yet conducted my mandatory River Country inspection.

 

So, we headed there.

 

There had been a dry spell at the Fort preceding our visit, and the stagnant water in the old River Country pool had significantly evaporated.  The poor cattails have dried up and died:

 

 

I hope the River Country panther is OK.

 

Another photo from a convenient hole in the fence:

 

 

The fake rocks are looking really bad over there:

 

 

The blue tanks are still in place.  I still have never figured out why they are there:

 

 

I find it funny that whenever anyone else posts River Country photos, they are all taken from the same point.  This is where there are holes in the fences. 

 

One of the big groups from the 1500 loop was down at the beach enjoying a picnic lunch:

 

 

And that reminded me of that chicken that was waiting to be eaten back at the site.

 

So back we went to 123.

 

Twin #2 was not in favor of the fried chicken.  I know that I have mentioned it in previous reports- that girl always wants the noodles from the quick serve place at the Polynesian Resort.  Twin #1 thought chicken would be fine, but that a Dole Whip sounded good.  So the deal was that we would head over to the Polynesian in a while for lunch for Twin #2 and a couple of Dole Whips.

 

Over the weekend, I had spotted one of those new Disney buses running the orange route through the Fort.  I had asked Devores about this,  and he had seen these new buses a couple of times recently, but had not taken any photos.  So I did:

 

 

 

 

I posted one of those photos on another thread a while back, so sorry if it's a repeat for you.  I just wanted to post those in case anyone hasn't seen one of the new buses.

 

It's actually not a big deal- except for the new paint job, I don't think they are any different from the old buses.

 

Before we left for lunch, I wanted to enjoy some hammock time, so I did.

 

A long time ago, when I used to post on another board, I used to enjoy trip reports from people who had taken Disney Cruises.  A common photo that would show up in a lot of trip reports would be of some woman's feet in a hammock on Castaway Cay.  Like a point of view photo, if you will.  Well here's a scary point of view photo for you:

 

 

As bad as that is, be thankful that I did not zoom in on those gnarly feet.

 

The TCD hammock was in the perfect place for star gazing, as there was an opening in the trees directly above:

 

 

That last photo is kind of misleading.  It makes it look like it was cloudy outside, when it really wasn't.  I guess those clouds were just passing by at the time.

 

From here, we hopped on the cart to loop a couple loops and then headed down to the marina.  Here we are on the path to the marina.  That's our site right behind those palmettoes:

 

 

 

We would have been better off walking, as the golf cart parking area was so packed, that I had to park all the way over in the new area by the beach.

 

But, that gave me a chance to get some photos of this cart, which we had seen driving around.  We ran into these people at the campfire the night before and they told us that they had made all of these Monsters University decorations themselves by printing stuff they found on-line. They did a great job:

 

 

 

 

 

 

But I also enjoyed these more traditional decorations:

 

 

 

Despite the crowd of carts in the golf cart parking area, the dock area was pretty deserted:

 

 

There's that blue sky I was telling you about:

 

 

We were lucky to find a resort boat there waiting for us, and before long we were on our way-there's Clementine's Beach and the old River Country nature walk area behind it:

 

 

Over in this area is where the new dining pavilion was supposed to be built.  I guess despite all the plans and permits, that isn't going to be happening now:

 

 

The good old Fort marina, as seen from Bay Lake:

 

 

Beautiful Clementine's Beach:

 

 

We had to go by the Lodge first, but that's OK, that means we will be passing right by the shoe tree:

 

 

There's a good crop of shoes on there this spring:

 

 

Take a closer look at that last shot, there's a lot of low hanging shoes this year:

 

 

A moment of silence please as we pass the rotting remains of Disney's first waterpark:

 

 

I believe it was IDWD who posted some photos of work being done on the CM dock.  I meant to check on this, as I saw nothing new from the water:

 

 

I hope that you are enjoying our cruise.

 

But I need to stop here, as we have again reached the photo limit.

 

We will pick it up with the rest of your journey to the Polynesian and some information about the Kona Sushi Bar in the next update.

 

TCD

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

 

Yeah.  Toy Story is a big one.  I have heard story after story of some huge wait time being posted, and then guests go in and find the queue room empty, and they walk right up to the stairs. This is particularly true later in the evening.

 

The problem is that there is no way for a guest to tell there if the wait time is grossly inflated without going in to the attraction.  Same thing with Space Mountain.  You have to invest the time to go in and look, and it could be one of the rare times when the sign is right.

 

It's really annoying.

 

 

 

 

 

TCD

Something similar happened to me, but at about 9:50 in the morning. The wait said 50 minutes, but I was on the attraction in 3 minutes. (However, that was slightly faster than the line, cause as a solo, they sent me up the right hand steps past quite a few people) (A note, this DOES NOT happen often)

 

I'm guessing the first wave of rope droppers had run through and Fast Passes had not started, so there was a small window of time where there was not a wait, and they had not updated the times.

[Hotmamac aka Misty 11]

I love the Monsters University cart but can't help thinking they must have spent a fortune on printer ink. 

[devores 382]

Wait times:

 

They are not a min for min account. Meaning, if a card takes 10 mins to make the trip, it is not an automatic 10 min wait time. It is averaged across a few reads. So if one card takes 30 mins and another takes 5, it may average out to a 15 min wait, when it could actually be a 5 min.

 

Next, Disney tracks everything.

 

Every hour on the hour a report is sent out to all leaders, execs, and coordinators (managers and assistant managers) that detail everything that happened that hour. By everything I mean, everything.

How many people rode each ride and the posted wait times for that ride, how many people saw each character, how many photos were taken at each location, how much revenue was made and how much merchandise was sold, etc.

 

If Buzz is showing a 50 min wait time and only 100 guests rode the ride, they will most definitely get a call asking why the wait time is so high with so few riders. So manipulating the wait times will only bring unwanted attention to them. So the theory is a good one, but I doubt it is done intentionally.  

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Something similar happened to me, but at about 9:50 in the morning. The wait said 50 minutes, but I was on the attraction in 3 minutes. (However, that was slightly faster than the line, cause as a solo, they sent me up the right hand steps past quite a few people) (A note, this DOES NOT happen often)

 

I'm guessing the first wave of rope droppers had run through and Fast Passes had not started, so there was a small window of time where there was not a wait, and they had not updated the times.

 

You're talking about Toy Story, and yes, that was fast.  I've seen them let groups of one or two up the other side of the stairs. But like you said, this does not happen regularly.  I'm not sure why they do it some times and not others.  Also, I should have mentioned that for some reason, they have been holding back people in the main room, and not letting the stairs fill.  Not sure why they made that change but they did.

 

I love the Monsters University cart but can't help thinking they must have spent a fortune on printer ink. 

 

I didn't think about that.  I'm also wondering if they were pulling my leg about printing it all themselves.  I'm sure they have stuff like this in party stores by now.

 

Wait times:

 

They are not a min for min account. Meaning, if a card takes 10 mins to make the trip, it is not an automatic 10 min wait time. It is averaged across a few reads. So if one card takes 30 mins and another takes 5, it may average out to a 15 min wait, when it could actually be a 5 min.

 

Next, Disney tracks everything.

 

Every hour on the hour a report is sent out to all leaders, execs, and coordinators (managers and assistant managers) that detail everything that happened that hour. By everything I mean, everything.

How many people rode each ride and the posted wait times for that ride, how many people saw each character, how many photos were taken at each location, how much revenue was made and how much merchandise was sold, etc.

 

If Buzz is showing a 50 min wait time and only 100 guests rode the ride, they will most definitely get a call asking why the wait time is so high with so few riders. So manipulating the wait times will only bring unwanted attention to them. So the theory is a good one, but I doubt it is done intentionally.  

 

Dave!

 

Come on!

 

You are just a pawn in this.

 

Those red cards are fake!  Do you understand?  Fake!

 

I believe the part of your post about management tracking everything.  So they don't need those red cards.  They know exactly what is going on.

 

So, why are the wait times consistently wrong? 

 

It has to be intentional.

 

TCD

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

This has to be the nerdiest TR ever.

I don't think the red cards are fake, but I do believe they inflate wait times sometimes. A good example is at the end of the night to discourage people from getting into line just before closing. I also think they use it to drive people to other rides.

The Lines app has much more reliable wait times than the Disney app.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I think the red cards are somehow related to the blue water tanks.  Follow the mullahs. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

This has to be the nerdiest TR ever.

I don't think the red cards are fake, but I do believe they inflate wait times sometimes. A good example is at the end of the night to discourage people from getting into line just before closing. I also think they use it to drive people to other rides.

The Lines app has much more reliable wait times than the Disney app.

 

Yeah, I have to admit this is a very nerdy trip report.

 

But consider the source.

 

I used to not think the red cards are fake.  But they are fake!  Fake I say!  And your example is a good one.  A TCD secret tip:  If there's a ride you really want to ride- hop in the queue at the end of the night, the closer to closing time the better.  If you are in line when the park closes, you are still going to get to ride.  You will be amazed at how fast rides load and lines move when the CM's are ready to go home.

 

Lines app?

 

Ain't nobody got time for that.

 

I think the red cards are somehow related to the blue water tanks.  Follow the mullahs. 

 

Brilliant!

 

You are on to something here!

 

We will blow the lid off of this yet.

 

TCD