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View Full Version : Just returned, thanks for the FP tips, just a few questions.



KristyK1113
07-19-2001, 02:28 PM
We just returned from our vacation and had a wonderful time. The FastPass tips we received were great and loved the switchpasses even more with children 8,6,4, and 2. Actually we used the two together which gave us plenty of big rides without standing in line. The rides in Fantasy Land had the longest wait times, especially Dumbo. I just had a couple questions I thought someone out there might know.

1. How many FastPasses do they give out per scheduled time?

2. Why do people still stand in 80 minutes lines when FastPasses are still available?

3. Why did they run out of FastPasses early in DCA but not DL?

4. Why did my four year old make the 40 inch rides in DL but the one 40 inch ride (Jellyfish) in DCA he was to short. Don't they standardize the height marks? They didn't even have a tape measure so I could show them he was tall enough. They were extremely rude! (DCA was not fun for my 6, 4 and 2 year old they got to ride two rides and got sick of watching things. I can't beleive they cost the same amount of money. I feel like we wasted one of their days on the three day hopper ticket. And $60.00)

5. While on Tom Sawyer's Island a man said in a few years they were going to replace the Island with another attraction and that was why the island isn't being well maintained. Is this true? Why did they take out the guns?

6. We spent the first two hopper days at DL our third day we went to DCA until it closed at 11:00 then headed over to DL to close that park. We shopped until 1 am and were some of the last few out of the park. I asked the tram CM if anyone has ever slept over night at DL. He said no because of the great security and there are six thousand workers that come in during the night for cleaning etc. Is that true? Has anyone ever stayed there overnight and are there really six thousand workers each night?

7. How many people are able to escort a handicapped person? I saw one group with at least twenty people walking right on to all the attractions.

8. Last question, how do you get to be in the parade?

mad4mky
07-19-2001, 02:34 PM
I don't know most of your answers. But I have a handicapped child...and they give us a pass for our whole family, which is five...but they will give it up to six. I'm sure larger groups might make prior arrangements for more people. But, perhaps there were more chapperones than you thought?:)

stan4d_steph
07-19-2001, 02:41 PM
Originally posted by KristyK1113

5. While on Tom Sawyer's Island a man said in a few years they were going to replace the Island with another attraction and that was why the island isn't being well maintained. Is this true? Why did they take out the guns?

There was an incident where a child's finger was amputated when her ring caught on the trigger of a toy rifle as she fell. After this, they took out all of the rifles.

Splash Freak
07-19-2001, 02:42 PM
At MK every time i've been there I have had no problem with handicap groups except once or twice when there'll be an huge brazilian tour group or an big family reuiniun has 1 handicap person and theres 150 people in the group and they all get on! the limit should be 10 at the most!

ODV CM
07-19-2001, 08:32 PM
There's not even 6,000 during the day(but close. I was told 5,000). There might be a total of 60 at night, but only during weekends when they give the park a good hosing down. During the weekdays, when they don't, probably less than 20, unless there is some construction going on, in which case, they usually try to get most of it done during the night when the guests aren't there. Yes, people sleep overnight in the park all the time, espically during the Grad Nights. All they have to do is hide for like 3 hours after the Grad Night is over, and they can spend all day in the park. People mostly try to hide in the restrooms, which doesn't work, but the really smart ones hide backstage, where you can't really tell for sure because people come there in their normal clothes during the night for a variety of different things, espically the aforementioned construction. I've heard hiding in the caves on Tom Sawyer's Island is fairly successful, but I doubt it. If I've heard it, security probably has too.

DisneylandKid
07-19-2001, 08:41 PM
I have a friend who is disabled, and the max. for a disability pass is 6 people. I think they are pretty strict on this, too. I always feel guilty using it even with 6 people even though I know she can't stand up very long. I get a lot of dirty looks from untrusting people...

Morrigoon
07-20-2001, 12:06 AM
That cm obviously didn't remember/know about the Captain EO opening..

Oh, and I've heard other stories about non-approved sleepovers. But in deference to the person who told me... I won't say how it was done. But it HAS been done.

TSI would not be a good place for that... it closes at dusk, which gives security plenty of time to clear it. And don't make the mistake of the Indian Village either... it's motion-sensored big time.

Haldwitten
07-20-2001, 12:45 AM
Answers for ya:

1) Each attraction gives out a different number of FastPasses per five minute period depending on the number of carts running and the time of day.

2) Some people who stand in those 80 minutes lines may have FastPasses for another attraction and need to kill the two hours before they can get another. Some don't know about FastPass...and others don't care to know about FastPass (these are usually the ones you see yelling at CM's in the line about all the people "cutting.")

3) I have no idea why they run out of FastPasses earlier at DCA. Maybe because the park closes earlier? Maybe because they don't give out as many? Maybe to make it look like it's more crowded than it is. :-)

4) A big push was done recently to check height marks around Disneyland. Some were off by 1/8" inch or so... but I know a lot of them have been fixed at DL. Don't know about DCA - they're probably too busy over there with the massive crowds to bother those little "details."

5) That attraction rumor concerning Tom Sawyer's Island has been going around for a while. Take it with a grain of salt.

6) Six thousand workers at night? I don't know what they do... but they must be play a mean game of hide and seek because I've never seen that many. :-)

7) The limit on special assistance passes is supposed to be six, and we're told to enforce that. Most guests with those passes have a genuine need. Every now and then we get a person with that pass who believes it means "instant boarding privileges." But those people are usually the ones who don't really need it... Most special assistance guests are very polite and kind and it's a great service to help them enjoy their visit.

8) When you see the double-decker bus parked in the middle of Main Street, that's usually when they are recruiting for the parade. Just go up and ask the CM.

KristyK1113
07-20-2001, 08:07 AM
Thanks for the replies and answers. I knew people must have spent the night in MK. It's too tempting after a fun day at in the MK and I'm not even a fantical resident of the area. I really don't have a problem with the handicap passes. Although two incidents soured me a bit. We were in line at the Matterhorn when a group with the pass came up to the CM at the exit. He told them they needed to get back in line because the MH was accessible up to a certain point. They got mad at him and started a big scene in front of everyone. The CM told them to check their guidebook. It seems like each ride as different accessiblity. Another time twenty people came on Splash Mountain escorting one person. Some of them were smiling at the rest of us in line--you know how that makes everyone feel. Sort of a "FP-in-your-face" feeling. But we'll get over it. Anyway, that seemed a little much.

adriennek
07-20-2001, 08:42 AM
Originally posted by KristyK1113
Another time twenty people came on Splash Mountain escorting one person. Some of them were smiling at the rest of us in line--you know how that makes everyone feel. Sort of a "FP-in-your-face" feeling. But we'll get over it. Anyway, that seemed a little much.

We frequently ride attractions with MousePlanet's TAG team, Tony and Adrienne. When we have had more than 6 people in our group, a few of us wait at the HCA entrance while the rest of the group waits in line. When they get to the front of the line, we tell the CM's who put all of us on the ride together.

I am actually surprised that Splash Mountain let that group of 20 on together. Usually that is a ride that is pretty strict about the 6 people only rule. I'm curious: did you happen to see if there was a Disneyland host or hostess with that group? Sometimes celebrities or royalty come to the park and request an escort that allows them to get backdoor access to a ride. Maybe that was a group who happened to have a wheelchair user among them. ALSO-- one other idea, maybe they had more than one SA Pass. Sometimes we've been at Disneyland with one friend in a wheelchair and one with a cane. In that case, we've gone on rides with 12 people because we had 2 SA passes. (And, btw, that was a fast loading ride we did that on-- Pirates.)

One thing I've learned to appreciate is that just because a person doesn't outwardly look disabled doesn't mean he/she doesn't have a condition which requires an SA pass. Of course, having used SA passes, I also know that it's rude to smile 'that way' at the rest of the guests in line!

Adrienne K

Napsto
07-22-2001, 03:02 AM
I am glad you had a fun trip.