Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Yep, I experienced the same thing with RSR at DCA Hopemax. I was able to enter the park early and hit the attraction first thing with about a 10 minute wait. By the time the park opened the wait was 120 minutes with a 30 minute line for Fastpasses.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 Now imagine what it is going to be like when NexGen moves the majority of FP's to early online booking
Originally Posted By leemac <<On non-early entry days, I can show up at opening and ride with little wait. On early entry days the wait time is already 40 min or more, by the time I'm allowed in the park. Fastpasses return times are farther out too.>> That is at most 4 mornings per month. It isn't every single day. NGE will make the FP situation worse as more FPs will be reserved in advance by resort guests. It isn't yet clear if there will be fewer Standby riders at present.
Originally Posted By leemac <<What's nonsense is pretending that EMH is a "level playing field". Disney has greater perks for people willing to pay for them. That is nothing new. Having access to the parks when non resort guests don't sure ain't "level".>> There is absolutely no comparison: EMH is open to every resort guest and offers the same experience irrespective of whether you are at All Star or Grand Floridian. Under NGE the code can be written to skew heavily towards the Grand Floridian. EMH has minimal impact on daily park operating hours. Epcot is still 9-9 etc. Guests staying off-property or day guests have not had time taken away from them. EMH is a perk but it has negligible impact on regular park operations. EMH was an additional perk - and a costly one which is why NGE will see it relegated to Yesterland.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Here's a link to a speech that Tom Staggs gave to investors, dated 2/17/11.>> I've no idea what predicated the decision to semi-annonce NGE earlier this month - I don't even recognise those website acronyms! Technically NGE hasn't been formally announced. We were told earlier this week that the initial launch might not be until March now - and Q3 is a possibility too. It isn't quite there. Which comes back to my point about vacation planning. There are guests that have already or are in the process of making their summer bookings. It must be very difficult to cut through all the noise about NGE to determine what impact it will have on their vacation. WDW Co. isn't helping either with virtually no info on their reservation website either.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub ...and the disappointment begins as you keep checking your e-mails to see if you have been magically selected as a chosen test pattern guest to make those plans next generationally. I know my past 3 visits (Easter 2012, Thanksgiving 2012 and Jan 2013) I kept wondering if I would be selected) and then made painfully aware as I watched the lucky ones enter with their next gen ticketing in that special line created just for them. Heck I even envied them for the guest survey I knew they would be receiving after their trip and wondered if that would put them into a special category for future surveys that would give them special discounting for a return trip...(joking)...kinda...
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<IMO, early entry does have an effect on non-resort guests. The most prominent example is Midway Mania at DHS. On non-early entry days, I can show up at opening and ride with little wait. On early entry days the wait time is already 40 min or more, by the time I'm allowed in the park. Fastpasses return times are farther out too.>> They don't distribute FP during EMH. The FP time has just as much chance of being far out if you're not the first one in the park.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 The overplanning of vacations is not my thing. It's so difficult to plan every meal, every attraction, and every detail so many months out. What if you change you mind? If you use NGE, you lock yourself into something...it's not a flexible vacation. Also, for many families, this will be their first ever visit to WDW...how will they know which attractions to choose fastpass for if they've never been on them before? The same with restaurants, they have to basically decide based on descriptions, and maybe online reviews. It just sucks the fun right out, if you ask me. Maybe lots of people love vacations like that, but it's certainly not my style.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<They don't distribute FP during EMH.>> I don't think anyone is argueing that point. << The FP time has just as much chance of being far out if you're not the first one in the park.>> Tell me talk a little about my experience with riding Soarin at Epcot during one visit. During EMH Soarin is only operating one theater. So, as a result of EMH the line for Soarin was artificially made long during my visit. Once everyone got off Soarin, we immediately got Fast Passes as those just became available that early in the day. Everyone immediately got into the Fast Pass line, the 2nd Soarin theater opened. So, granted a few off property folks managed to snag a few Fast Passes by that time, the vast majority of Fast Passes were grabbed by guests who were already in Epcot, guests staying on property. Also, I might add, there have been days when Fast Passes were gone for the most popular rides by noon. And there are othertimes when there have been far to many Fast Passes issued for the popular rides, to the point that you can be in the standby lines for hours, like the one and only time I ever went on Midway Mania when I was in queue for 3 hours.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper Okay, sure. But it's also INCREDIBLY easy to plan your visits to certain parks around EMH days. You don't have to go to EPCOT when there's morning EMH.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper They're advertising it to guests as of today. Can we stop "waiting for the roll out", now?
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom To be fair, I don't see how EMH after the parks have closed effects day to day operations and subsequent guest experiences. I also realize that many families with small children are not going to utilize the after hour EMH benefit for obvious reasons. <<Okay, sure. But it's also INCREDIBLY easy to plan your visits to certain parks around EMH days. You don't have to go to EPCOT when there's morning EMH.>> Yes it is, and obviously that is something diligent family planners prepare for prior to any WDW trip. Still, WDW gets their complement of WDW park first timers who are not familiar with the Fast Pass system. And there is a WDW park phenomena that parks with EMH are often the most crowded the day of the week the EMH are offered in those parks. Finally, the luxury of entering a specific WDW park early for EMH every Tuesday is little comfort for the vast majority of guests who will only be on vacation at WDW for a week or less. I fully understand why guests get irate when rides and attractions are temporarily closed for a day or more. I myself have departed from a weeks long vacation at WDW having missed many rides ( like Splash Mountain ) thinking..... well there is always next year.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Finally, the luxury of entering a specific WDW park early for EMH every Tuesday is little comfort for the vast majority of guests who will only be on vacation at WDW for a week or less.>> I don't follow Ops decision-making on EMH but I thought that there was at least one EMH per day - and often both a morning and evening - is that not the case any more?
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Technically NGE hasn't been formally announced. We were told earlier this week that the initial launch might not be until March now - and Q3 is a possibility too. It isn't quite there." This is exactly the impression that I've had all along. Thanks for clarifying.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper There is one per day. Very rarely is there a morning and an evening at different parks on the same day. And it's usually an Animal Kingdom morning paired with a different park's EMH.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<This is exactly the impression that I've had all along. Thanks for clarifying. >> How are we classifying formally announced? I'd consider this article where both Tom Staggs and Bruce Vaughn talk about it as "formally announcing it" <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/business/media/at-disney-parks-a-bracelet-meant-to-build-loyalty-and-sales.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01...all&_r=0</a> Not to mention the same stuff being posted on the Disney Parks Blog.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Okay, sure. But it's also INCREDIBLY easy to plan your visits to certain parks around EMH days. You don't have to go to EPCOT when there's morning EMH." The point remains that EMH is not a level playing field. Participants in the program have an advantage over those who don't. Perhaps we'll see a more dramatic impact because of MyMagic+, but you were contending that the playing field is level now and it isn't because of EMH and other programs that give preference to certain customers.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper It's a level playing field. Everyone gets the same normal operating hours.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "How are we classifying formally announced?" Typically there's a press release outlining all of the details followed by TV spots and published advertisements. At least that's what I'm looking for, not a small segment of a larger presentation from the CEO to a group of stock holders.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "It's a level playing field. Everyone gets the same normal operating hours." But not the same access.
