It does matter if you want to get in one of the first Boarding Groups of the day, but once the first wave of early arrivers fills up all the space in between the tapstiles and the ticket booths, then head right (unless they’ve finished whatever construction is going on this week).
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Based on what you described, this is what I’m imagining (but correct me if I’m wrong):
If you’re past the ticket booths, just fill in all available space (green circle). But if you’re behind the ticket booths, join a line toward the right (red circle) because of construction on that side compressing the crowd so fewer people will be filling more lines beyond the ticket booths. Is that right?
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Yes, that’s what I’ve seen. Then, look for the line you think will move fastest as soon as you round the corner past the ticket booths. That part is tougher to predict, since at some point the crowd needs to convert from a mass of humanity filling all available space into lines for each tapstile.
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I heard this on the Dis podcast this week too. They also think that, with the way the construction walls are set up, people can’t really see (when arriving from the left - where most people arrive) that you can go all the way over there.
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Through parking gate 4:51
4th row of parking (second double row)
Held at security 5:00
Security opens 5:10
Through security 5:20, held at taps
6:20 gates open
Through at 6:28, boarding group 21 (party of 1)
Eta
Boarding group called at 7:31, noticed a sign up that BGs were gone at 7:38, not sure when it was first posted.
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Day 11 Timeline 12/15/19
Link to OP Updates in progress
4:15am Parking lot open; first guests arrive at HS
4:50am @rdrysdale arrives at HS
4:51am @Katsup92 arrives at HS
5:00am @karellechamine arrives at HS
5:03am @jfrelack arrives at HS
5:06am @Len arrives at HS
5:08am Security lanes open
5:15am Rdrysdale through security, first in line at tapstiles
5:17am Karelle through security, held at tapstiles
5:20am Katsup through security, held at tapstiles
5:21am @ang0980 through security, about 8 people back
5:26am Jfrelack through security, about 30 people back
5:30am @tiggerpal through security - in front of ticket booths
5:40am @disuttonod arrives at HS
5:41am @libertinull through security - by ticket booths
6:13am @AllAboard through security - far from taps
6:20am Park opens; Rdrysdale - BG 6; @MOJoe arrives at HS
6:23am Jfrelack through tapstiles - BG 14
6:24am Ang through tapstiles - BG 8
6:26am Len through tapstiles - BG 11
6:28am Tigger and Katsup through tapstiles - BG 19/21
6:45am Disuttonod through tapstiles - BG 58
6:54am Len joins queue
6:55am AllAboard through tapstiles - BG 78
7:00am Published park opening; MOJoe through tapstiles - BG 86
7:05am Ride reported down (minor delay)
7:20am MDE stops issuing BGs
7:39am Len completes ride
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I will add to the timeline later this morning when I have time. There were lots of liners there (including Len) and I have collected all their arrival times and BGs to add to the post above. Long story short: 5am is still early enough for one of the first BGs but 6:30am is definitely the very latest you will want to arrive.
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This is equal parts insane and completely reasonable.
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Excellent. Now we will start to get some first-hand data to fill in the real ride behavior…rather than depending on others.
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WiFi shares the same band as Bluetooth, and most phones have Bluetooth enabled and possibly active. So it could be the phones contributing.
Should be easy to address. Just don’t allow cell phones on the ride. Have lockers they can be stowed in ahead of time like other amusement parks do. It would, in the short term, avoid the issue…if that is the issue.
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It is fixable, but it is akward. They created the whole datapad system on Play Disney (which I think relies on Bluetooth) as a way to keep guest entertained on SWGE lines (and on the land as well, but having something to do while in line sounds like a big part). Lockers for phones can’t be after the line because the ride’s exit is on completely different place from its begining. They might try to ask people to put their “datapad” on airplane mode on the first ride vehicle (like an airplane procedure), but doing that without breaking the immersion sounds hard, and people might just ignore.
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To save myself some time, I’m no longer going to track BGs throughout the day. The same data is being collected automatically at this site. At the end of each day, I will post the chart for that day within the respective timeline.
Below is the chart for today so far - you can see there has been just one significant instance of downtime between about 8:40 - 9:50am. Shorter periods of downtime have been reported today by people in line, but I will not count them in my summary table in the lead post unless they are longer than about 30 min. Generally if the ride and line is evacuated, it takes about an hour to come back up.
Also of note is that today they are well ahead of the “curve” - the black line is the average BG trend for all previous days. You can go back in time at the link and find other days to see how they compare.
In the future, if anyone notes the time when the park opens or MDE stops issuing BGs on a particular day (either there in person or sees someone credible posting about it on chat or social media), please post about it below so I can incorporate into the lead post.
Also feel free to post about your personal experience getting a BG. It’s helfpul to know 1) what time you arrived at the park, 2) about how far back you were when held at the tapstiles, 3) what time you tapped in, and 4) what BG you got. Also helpful to know your method of transport and any details about timing (how long you waited for an Uber, MV, bus, boat, Skyliner, and what time it picked you up, etc.)
One last thing - if I had to guess, the last person who got a BG today arrived at about 6:40am.
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So how does one snag the BG as quickly as possible? Of coulrse, being first/early at the taptiles, but anything else? Have the app ready and as soon as I’m through, start waiting for the BG option to appear?
Can I do anything the make this smoother, refresh the app constantly? Go to a certain place to be sure I’m registered inside? How strict is the location, at the tapstiles I’m still out but 1m inwards, I’m in?
And when registering 4 people, these 4 have to be present in the park and be in my party in the app?
Sorry this all has probably been discussed somewhere but I don’t know when and where.
Good question!
Reports are that MDE works best if you don’t try to apply for a BG until your entire party is through. Have it accessible but don’t select “Join Boarding Group” until you’ve all tapped in. If you start the process before you are through, MDE might still register you as being outside the park and you may have to close out the app (force shut down) and reopen so that it refreshes and recognizes that you are inside the park. If it doesn’t work after two or three tries, approach any CM with an iPad and they can scan you into a BG.
If it takes you two or three minutes to get a BG, don’t stress out. You will just miss out on a few BGs, which might actually work out in your benefit because it will clear up some time for you to complete more rides in the morning with low waits.
One other note: on opening day I heard reports of people being able to join a BG without tapping in if they were right outside the tapstiles. I haven’t heard that since. Might have been a fluke or closed loophole, or a false report.
If anyone who has performed this maneuver first-hand wants to go into more detail, that would be appreciated.
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I agree that you should clear the tapstile and then begin the process. On Thursday I tried to select my party before clearing the tapstile so all I would need to do is click the final step as soon as we had entered. I kept getting messages that my entire party needed to be in the park, even though they were and had been for probably a minute or more. As soon as I backed all the way out and started all over it went just fine.
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They crushed it today! 123 BGs by 6:30pm. Mot effiecient day do date…averaging 9.96 BGs per hour and only one shutdown.
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Agreed! I would go so far as to say today was the best day yet. Least downtime and they got to what was apparently the highest BG issued (123) just after 6pm. Leaving 3 hours to cycle through anyone remaining with a BG or FP. I’m assuming they will close it down for the night since they have never issued new BGs in the evening.
Opening day was the only day they have called a higher BG than today - they got to 127 (only possible because they issued 160+) but it took them longer to get that high.
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Some observations, which may be helpful. Let’s just say I heard them from someone at the parks and leave it at that. I’m channeling the spirit of the late, great Backside of Magic podcast. Paging @jeremy1002 to the thread.
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If not all of your party is there at rope drop to get a BG, it is possible to persuade a CM to add an extra person to your BG party.
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If you get tossed from the ride, you get a paper FPP. This is visually checked on your return but not necessarily scanned or taken from you. Which opens up the possibility of using it twice.
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Or asking guest services to change the date on it. They will convert it to an electronic FPP that will appear in your MDE.
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What guest services won’t do is change the date of the electronic FPP. If, for example, you used the FPP but weren’t asked to tap in and it remained on your MDE and you wondered if you could return on a third day and ride ROTR yet again.
Not looking for judgement.
YMMV.
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“I love you.” - Me this morning after waking my wife up at 4am to ride some stupid Star Wars ride.
“I know.” - My wife
She Han Solo’d me. We’re off to a great start!
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Updates during the morning
Took Lyft to DHS. 4:30AM arrival. In no bag line
Security open 5:19. Held at taptiles. 10 people back
6:22 open
BG11
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