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Why do you think that the start of backup BGs is so varied with respect to BG #? Sometimes backup status start at 88 and sometimes 134. It doesn’t seem to correlate with CL or park hours or boarding group number from day before.
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Is anyone seeing a difference in quality of phone and ability to quickly get a BG? I have an Iphone 6S and am due for an upgrade. Have been considering the 11 PRO but my phone’s working fine enough and I wouldn’t consider upgrading just yet except for this trip (photos and BGs).
TIA!
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I may or may not have just upgraded from the worlds worst android to an iPhone 8 with the hopes of this helping getting a boarding group. I needed a new phone anyway, but this was a convenient excuse.
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We arrived at HS at 6:03, through the tapstiles at 6:38. We headed to Sunset Blvd, and got boarding group 82 at 7:01. We had 6 people trying, 3 iPhones (8, XR, an 11) on Verizon, 2 Android (both Galaxy S10+) on Sprint, and one iPhone trying from New Jersey.
Edit to add: it was the iPhone XR that was the winner, though 3 more of us were in to selecting our party.
They started at group 8 and were up to 27 by 8am, but then stalled there until just after 9.
We rode RnR twice (once with FPP), then took the skyliner to Epcot for RD there.
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Is this today? if not what day - just as a reference. But pretty much what i’m planning on - go to HS early, try and get a BG, hit a ride or two then go to Epcot. return to HS for BG call. Have three consecutive days i can do that 2/3,2/4,2/5 with 2/8 as a backup. only need one to work 
I am boarding group 81. Others around me got earlier, but my phone wigged out on the refresh and I had to restart the app.
I’d suspect today. That was pretty much my exact timeline this morning at HS.
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Yes, it was today. They’ve stalled again, on 28-31.
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I did the major upgrade to the pro, but my thinking was nothing to do with “my old phone’s working”. Rather it was that I needed a new camera. I decided to put the extra money I would have spent on a nice camera into the phone upgrade instead.
Just something to think about.
I was there yesterday (1/25). Took Lyft from Coronado Springs at 6:30. Got there at 6:40. Was in probably by 6:50 with no bags and a DD4. Got 68 at maybe 7:00:30. My wife had better luck not Opening the app at all until right at 7:00. I was in and refreshing My Status and had nothing. So I would watch going into the app well beforehand unless you are Willing to go back out and in. Good news is I got to ride it twice (long story). And they were calling BG 68 around 11:30 or so. So it was a good day.
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What other 2 phones were to the party selecting phase?
I imagine it is at least partly due to how many FPs they end up handing out each day, due to issues with the ride. Those people can come back any time at all to ride I believe. And they’re not just given to those with BGs not called, they’re also given out when there’s a problem during any part of the ride.
Also the size of the boarding groups could vary from day to day.
The iPhone in New Jersey and the other Galaxy S10+. New Jersey would have won, except she didn’t have my travel party memorized and had to refer back to my earlier text.
Also, it’s worth noting that EVERYONE in your friends and family list will show up, not just the ones who are scanned in to HS. If tippy have a big group or a third party helping make sure they have a list.
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Ugh. They’re only on 53-60 and it’s 2pm. I really hope we don’t miss Fantasmic.
Wait… if we have a non-backup BG and it doesn’t get called today we will get to come back tomorrow? I thought you were just out of luck.
If you look at Steve’s chart, they have been opening BGs at 7:00:00 or even 6:59 lately as opposed to 7:01 as they had been doing for a while. Good advice would be to check every minute starting around 6:58am.
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I didn’t think about this part. Seemed it would be related to number of boarding groups from the day before but I didn’t think about the extra people who had interrupted rides and got FPP for next day(s).
They just do that to camouflage their operations (aka keep SteveBloom in a job LOL).
Assuming BGs and ride breakdowns/delays are temporary, wonder how long until we have fully operational/“permanent” operation protocol? Guesses?
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BG 81. Just arrived but was told it just went down. Right now they’ve just extended the window I can arrive.
I think they are still doing this.
If a regular BG is not called, you get a 1-day ticket (not sure if vase or hopper) plus an FP which can be used for RotR or any other ride I believe.