PDA

View Full Version : Don't always trust the posted "stand by" times



Pages : [1] 2

Gothboy
07-06-2009, 12:33 PM
I was at the park last night and was surprised to see how dead it was. As I was heading out, I swung by the Indiana Jones ride and noticed the posted stand by time was showing 20 minutes.

I asked the cast member if there was really a 20-minute wait and she said, "No, it is more like 2 - 5 minute wait but we don't advertise that because it will quickly turn into a 50 minute wait".

So there you go... sometimes 20 minutes may only mean 5 minutes.

codewoman
07-06-2009, 12:45 PM
We've also had a 20 minute Peter Pan wait be 40 minutes.

When we were there last week, though, I did time our standby waits (when they were over 10 minutes). They were very accurate as compared to what was posted at the ride location itself. I was very pleased.

Bytebear
07-06-2009, 01:35 PM
I have found when the signs are off, they favor the guest. I think the Haunted Mansion only goes down to 13 minutes wait time.

SoCalSteven
07-06-2009, 02:10 PM
There appear to be minimum posted wait times, like the 13 minutes for Haunted as posted above.

Makes sense since it is hard to be disappointed when you wait less than expected.

cstephens
07-06-2009, 02:11 PM
I have found when the signs are off, they favor the guest. I think the Haunted Mansion only goes down to 13 minutes wait time.

Yeah, that's what it's supposed to be, which is why we thought it was weird that it was just "3" yesterday afternoon.

FFGirl15
07-06-2009, 03:08 PM
So there you go... sometimes 20 minutes may only mean 5 minutes.

I actually have ended up experiencing quite a few of those on my recent trips to both DL and WDW like last summer at DL, the wait time for Matterhorn said 35 minutes, but we got on in 20 minutes and last Christmas at WDW, the wait time for Pirates said 60, but we were on within 45.

I've been quite pleased with how Disney times out their stand-by wait times and they haven't dissappointed me yet. :)

darph nader
07-06-2009, 03:33 PM
We use the same trick at work. Tell the Customer wait time is 20-25 mins.Get it done in10-15 mins and the customer is pleased as punch.:cool:

tonytone
07-06-2009, 04:28 PM
FWIW--IIRC some of the signs state something to the effect that it's X minutes "from this point" (or something similarly worded), where "this point" is where the wait time sign is posted...so there can be times where the actual wait time is less than what is posted on the sign, especially if the end of the line is way forward of the sign.

ssturgeo
07-07-2009, 05:57 AM
Indy wait time...when it says 15 minutes...I figure that is the time it takes to walk to the ride vehicle!!!! :>)

Sarah32384
07-07-2009, 06:21 AM
I'm not sure how the signs work at Disneyland, but I know that in other theme parks when there's a sign that says 20 minutes wait it will also state that it is 20 minutes from that point. It might be the same at Disney, does anyone know?

adriennek
07-07-2009, 08:48 AM
I'm not sure how the signs work at Disneyland, but I know that in other theme parks when there's a sign that says 20 minutes wait it will also state that it is 20 minutes from that point. It might be the same at Disney, does anyone know?

Well it's usually from that point but from that point given current conditions. If the Indiana Jones queue were completely full, then the wait time would be much higher than 20 minutes from that point.

Adrienne

Bytebear
07-07-2009, 10:50 AM
Most of Disney's attractions only have one sign, so it will always be from that point. I think the Matterhorn does have the wording "from this point" but other rides have variable times, usually electronic that change based on how much of the queue is open and how many switch backs are open.

What they do is hand a guest a card with a time on it, and ask that guest to give it to the load operator. The load operator then compares the times and adjusts the time on the sign accordingly, so the time can be quite accurate, depending on how often they do the check.

wvnative
07-07-2009, 10:55 AM
When we were there in March, I was actually handed a lanyard with a little timer attached and asked to give it to the CM on the loading platform.

I've been impressed with how accurate the times often are.

Malcon10t
07-07-2009, 11:53 AM
What they do is hand a guest a card with a time on it, and ask that guest to give it to the load operator. The load operator then compares the times and adjusts the time on the sign accordingly, so the time can be quite accurate, depending on how often they do the check.I've never had a card with a time on it, its always been like a lanyard thing.

oregontraveler
07-07-2009, 12:10 PM
There is another method of 'stacking the queue' where you might see a big line as you near the entrance but a very big gap on the middle, out of sight.

TowerofTerror
07-07-2009, 02:30 PM
I ALWAYS TRUST THE TIME they have posted

Squeaky
07-07-2009, 03:02 PM
ooh I've never heard of the lanyard thing! I wanna be the timer someday! :)

Bytebear
07-07-2009, 03:04 PM
I've never had a card with a time on it, its always been like a lanyard thing.

Could be new. I think the last time I was given a card was 4 years ago.

oregontraveler
07-07-2009, 03:34 PM
I got one on POTC at WDW last February so I think they still use them.

CookieBandit
07-07-2009, 08:21 PM
Most of the time, it seems like the actual wait time is longer than the posted wait time - usually not more than 10 minutes over.

Except this last time we went (on a Friday in the summer) - the posted wait time for Space Mountain was 41 minutes but turned out to be only 20!

Matterhorn Yodeler
07-08-2009, 12:02 PM
They are still using cards to judge wait time. On Fathers Day I was handed a card when entering California Screamin'. I handed it into the ride operator, who noted the time.

Tan Da Man
07-08-2009, 12:30 PM
It can go both ways...I was there a couple months ago and Splash had a 50 minute wait posted, and as I used my fastpass there was a guy yelling at a CM saying he had been in line for over an hour and said they had lied to him about the waiting time, and then was yelling at everyone in the fastpass line for "cutting"..some people dont get it

Hannahbelle
07-08-2009, 03:44 PM
Yes, I noticed over the 4th of July weekend the times were "inflated" a little too. But not by too much, maybe 5 to 10 minutes off.

cynthia312
07-09-2009, 07:38 PM
Usually my stand-by wait times are more than what it really is.

Indy would say 40min stand-by, but my wait was really about 50min.

ssmatik
07-10-2009, 08:25 AM
Indy would say 40min stand-by, but my wait was really about 50min.

I think that it is harder for rides like Indy that go down quite a bit. When the ride is down the people with FP's can't ride so when the ride reopens there are more FP riders. I have seen the FP line stretching all the way back to the tree house on multiple shutdown days.