That is why our original plan was to go one-year+ afterward during low crowd times, so Jan 2021. Of course, the lockdowns messed that up.
I think, though, that with the bleeding edge tech rides there will always be some in-the-field testing. Same thing with Hagrid’s.
2 Likes
No, everyone does not pay the same.
A Florida resident can get an annual pass for much cheaper than I can coming from Oklahoma.
The vloggers can try every day if they want to.
People like me coming from 1K+ miles might get two shots or so on a trip.
I like the vlogs and most of my YouTube consists of watching them. I don’t get it, though, when they’re on what I know is their 10th go on RotR and I hear stories about families who invested MUCH MORE MONEY for a shot and failed.
The system is flawed. I have no idea how to fix it the system, but it is flawed.
Wait, I take that back. The way to fix it is First Come First Served. End of story. Not leaving it chance and technology every day. The other option would be a lottery system that takes place the day before so people can be prepared if they don’t get an opportunity to experience it.
4 Likes
I think your right! I wonder if corona messed up plans to phase to this. Also VQ prob more forgiving when the ride breaks down. I’m hopeful it changes before I return——. Which given all these cuts is getting pushed further avd further back!
1 Like
I just canceled my May/June reservation at Pop after waking up to the news that all the actors had been laid off/fired/let go.
I think I’ll take the family to San Antonio, hit Sea World and Six Flags, visit the Alamo.
2 Likes
It really stinks! But I hear ya, the cost is too much with all These cuts. It wasn’t just a theme park ticket— it was a ticket for rides shows fireworks… made it more worth it. I’m hoping by 2022 they bounce back and hire some of these wonderful actors back. It really does make the experience.
3 Likes
The VQ might work better for RotR if they switch to a system that has a limited number of slots dropped each hour or two. They are kind of doing that now with the 10:00 and 2:00 idea. But what if they did fewer slots, and had a VQ drop at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, and 6:00, etc. And the number of people they allow at each attempt is enough to get to the next window. This better simulates a standby line while preventing people showing up at the beginning of the day taking most (all!?!) of the slots before some folks have even rolled out of bed, or were able to navigate the overburdened transportation system.
1 Like
Those are really good points. I think I’m just extremely frustrated with BGs and how, IMHO, RotR still can’t accommodate even half of the people who want to ride it.
WDW doesn’t want the 8+ hour line situation that Universal had with Hagrid’s. However, they can’t even, consistently, complete the BGs they issue. I agree it’s getting better. There’s just got to be a better way than the same day limited lottery system.
@RH_TtR - I do remember writing something like that… (I don’t have it in front of me & don’t want to dig through thousands of posts to find it! 
)
I’m not trying to dodge your questions. I still think standby is one of the better options than BGs. The park can hold 60K maximum which doesn’t happen too often. Average daily attendance at DHS is 20K - 30K. If it was running better it would accommodate 90% or more of the people wanting to ride. (If everyone only wanted to ride this one attraction)
Again… I’m just not a fan of the BG only situation as it currently operates. I’m not debating / arguing - just venting. idk if the better way would be advance BG bookings like FPP, Standby only or some kind of mix of options.
1 Like
This is a slippery slope. Who determines who’s fit to ride? I sure as hell don’t want anyone else determining if my family is “more worthy” to ride over someone who say has been on 20 times already, but has severe autism (depression/cancer/divorce/dealing with the loss of a job/dealing with the loss of a loved one/just having a REALLY crappy day and needs it so they don’t turn into a homicidal maniac later on). Even Vloggers…you don’t know what could happen to their mental state if you take their one constant and suddenly deem them unworthy.
I’m not deeming ANYONE “unworthy” and where you drew that from is beyond me.
I’m saying, that the OPPORTUNITY needs to be EQUAL for everyone.
Relying on spotty technology doesn’t make it EQUAL.
I’ve read some stretches before, but saying people will turn into homicidal maniacs if they can’t get on RotR? Come on.
I’m also not suggesting this stay in place forever, or be for every ride.
Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.
1 Like
Here’s a counterpoint: back in February, many days the BG distribution window was open for up to 2 hours! But now, they’re all gone in less than 30 seconds each window (and usually closer to 10 seconds). 2 hours (or even 2 minutes) is fair. Anyone who is remotely aware of how to get a BG will get one. But 30 seconds is a lottery. No guarantee any given guest will get one.
So my point is, I wonder if they only had one window again if that would make it less like a lottery? It still won’t get back to 2 hours because of reduced capacity and later opening (easier for everyone to arrive on time). I know there are reasons not to do that (the idea was to spread arrivals). But like everyone is saying, something has to change.
2 Likes
I wish there was a way they could see that your profile has gotten a BGM in the past 60 days or so, and make that profile ineligible for trying at the initial BGM drop. I know people will create new profiles, etc but maybe that is a small way to help weed out those who keep riding. Heck, I wish they could even reduce it to one ride per family, cause if a family traveling from our of state got 2 BGM’s over their trip and we got none, that would still irk me.
1 Like
This is really the big issue, though. Getting there on time. Disney has gone to lengths to prevent what was happening…that is, mass numbers of people showing up early. But right now, on site guests, in particular, are at a disadvantage at even getting there on time. As I’ve mentioned in another thread, one of the days we did DHS, it tooks us 56 minutes via Skyliner to get there…and we weren’t terribly far back in the line from the start. Fortunately, we weren’t trying to get there for rope drop, because we wouldn’t have made it.
One drop in the morning means that you are out of the game entirely, due to Disney’s fault (not providing adequate transportation). I think Disney recognized this and that’s why they opened the 2:00 release.
No solution I can think of is perfect…but a VQ with drops every 1 or 2 hours seems like the best way to handle crowds, making it fair for all. Those who arrive early have the most number of shots to try to get one, but overall it is spread around and gives later arriving folks a chance as well. It also avoids the massive crowds at opening. It also means they can keep the distribution for the day in tighter sync with actual throughput. If there is more downtime, they can release far fewer slots at each distribution, for example.
I don’t know. The ride was a great experience. But truthfully, people do need to set their expectations on this one. Don’t go EXPECTING to get one. If you do, great. If not, there is still plenty to see and do at DHS. I kind of thing the hype of the ride has transcended the idea that it is a PARK you’re going to, not a single ride! 
2 Likes
PS, when I made the comment I wasn’t obviously being serious. I knew when I typed it that it would roll some eyes.
I also understand that even though my life is filled with early childhood trauma from mental illness, that I am the outlier here. I stand by the general point though.
The motive for this had nothing to do with Disney. The guy brought his girlfriend to the park. It just happened that his wife went to Disneyland on the same day with her family and saw it.
BTW - I also though you were serious when you originally posted. It didn’t come across as satirical. (But it can be hard to distinguish tone online.)
Right. my point being people have lots of stressors. Something that happened at the park triggered the fight. Him getting caught by a wife or no, it still happened on the streets of Disneyland. People can snap anywhere.
This, was caused by a child being thrown into a pool a few blocks away. Up to 100 people fighting. Stress happens and snaps can happen.
I myself was hit in the face working CC at Fantasmic. I asked a gentleman to stand on the other side of the rope in front of Pirates. I was then punched. And when Security was alerted, he just walked away and they let him because chasing him would have caused more of a scene than just following him and making sure he left the park.
Mental breaks or lapses in judgement happen all over, it doesn’t just stop magically at the gates of Disney was my only point.
I was actually being more flippant, admittedly, but with a grain of truth. I’ve seen a lot of horrible things that didn’t make the blogs, because there were no blogs at that time. And before the modern age of the internet, Disney had a much tighter hold on what was released to the public. Everything was, just as I’m doing now, here say. I’ve been at the hands of mental illness most of my life. It is a sore subject and one I am obviously passionate about.
I’d actually like to stop talking about it. A lot of really crappy memories that I spent a lifetime trying to understand. Mental illness is real and not easily identifiable by looks. Mental breaks can happen anywhere. Whether anyone agrees that it can be triggered by humid, over crowded parks with no chance of riding a favorite attraction is irrelevant.
Trust me. I wish I could live in a world where I didn’t think it was possible either.
I get that. I worked at multiple theme parks over the years. I’ve been attacked too. It sucks.
I will say you’ve clarified your original post better with your response. Your original verbiage of “homicidal maniac” is where I think you went off point.
BTW - When did VIP tours start including RotR? I’m not saying they currently don’t, but as far as I’m aware they still didn’t offer it as part of any tour. (Not arguing, just wanted to verify)
That made me laugh. Thank you. Seriously.
I don’t know if they do or don’t. Last time I was at WDW was just before TSL opened. I was using it as an example. Also, it might be included in the 12k one instead of the normal ones. I don’t know the answer to that.
1 Like
The fight was between a man and his sister, which then included his BIL, mother (trying to stop it), his gf because he thought the gf pushed the mother down, and a local random HS coach who finally choked the guy out because security wasn’t allowed to/couldn’t use force. I never read anywhere that there was a wife.
Maybe a better example of a mental break caused by an event directly tied to Disney. Epcot’s Candlelight Processional.
“In the scuttle, the boy became upset, screaming he was going to kill everyone, the Baldwins testified.”
I could be wrong or I could be thinking of a different incident. Either way, I thought you didn’t want to keep talking about it as it was triggering you.
Again… not trying to be mean or argue, but you seem to keep drawing this out. I have my own triggers with other topics and know how distressing they can be