Soarin + Fast Pass = Headache?

[jetsdc]

When I last rode in 2006, using a Fast Pass, I still waited over 20 minutes before getting to a theater. It seemed like you got to skip the main queue, but then, you just got inserted toward the front into another reasonably long line. I thought Fast Pass was supposed to get you right on! Have they fixed this problem, or is Soarin' still plagued by an inadequate Fast Pass system?:confused:

[ImagiAsh]

I had the same 20 minute delay as you mentioned just two weeks ago. While it did get us past the main queue area (which could be as long as a 90 minute wait), we were then placed on that other line, where the main queue splits off in two different directions. The layout of the queue doesn't seem to cater a separate fastpass line beyond that point, so it seems this is what will happen every time you go on with a fastpass. While I understand your point (and wish fastpass moved a little faster there!), I can't complain after cutting the line down by about a 70 minute wait. Hopefully, you will have better luck with it the next time around!

[SBETigg]

There are many rides in which Fastpass doesn't get you "right on" but simply shortens the wait considerably. In fact, I think most of them work this way. On many rides with Fastpass, you get to a point where you a) blend with the regular rider line or b) wait in a line with other Fastpassers-- because you are not the only Fastpass in that time range.

Sometimes, especially in slower seasons, it works out that you do get right on. Other times, it still cuts the wait time considerably and it works very well for us at any rate. No complaints here.

[Darin M]

I had the same problem last year. The queue area wait is way too long. Sometimes I feel the same way for other Fast Pass attractions, but in the end, I just think, hey, its Disney World, and I'm here to have a blast.

[BelleBeauty]

I think a lot of the problem with Soarin is that it is still so new and SO popular. You have to consider that a lot of the time FPs are gone before 10:30am, and they can't make the standby line 175 minutes long to accommodate those lucky enough to get a FP.

I don't like the queue area in general, so boring....

[Marker]

I guess it's just a matter of perspective and expectations.

I'd say a wait of only 20 minutes as opposed to 90 minutes or more is a wonderful thing.

I guess I've never expected Fast Past to eliminate waiting, just to reduce it, and saving an hour and a half, or more, does indeed REDUCE the wait. But then again, I guess it's just a matter of perspective and expectations.

[Polynesian Dweller]

There are many rides in which Fastpass doesn't get you "right on" but simply shortens the wait considerably. In fact, I think most of them work this way. On many rides with Fastpass, you get to a point where you a) blend with the regular rider line or b) wait in a line with other Fastpassers-- because you are not the only Fastpass in that time range.
Absolutely right. Look at Splash Mountain as an example. You join the main line about 5 minutes or so from the loading point, you don't just walk on. There are lots of others like that. FastPass shortens your wait but doesn't eliminate it all together. And as others say, reducing it to 20 minutes from 90 minutes is definitely a winning situation. I agree, no complaints from me. :mickey:

[RocknRoller94]

Under normal circumstances (and a lot of luck), you might walk right on. But Soarin' is a very popular ride. The stand-by line can get up to an hour long, as far as I've heard, and maybe longer.

[dolphinmickey9170]

I guess the wait time would give me the headache. I'll take 20 minutes with a FP over 120+ anytime.:mickey:



8 Days!!

[jszczur5]

I don't like the queue area in general, so boring....

Has anyone experienced the queue area since they upgraded it and added some kind of interactive screens?

[grumpycajun]

Fast pass doesn't get you right on. It get's you a lot closer to the front, but inevitably you'll get to a point where your have to mix with people who've been waiting in the regular line. Otherwise, they'd never get on.:pout:

[jetsdc]

There are many rides in which Fastpass doesn't get you "right on" but simply shortens the wait considerably. In fact, I think most of them work this way.

While I can accept that you might not be entitled to get right on, the Fast Pass wait time is usually no more than a couple of minutes. A 5-minute wait where you get inserted into a general queue at the last possible point is OK -- this is what happens on rides such as Splash, Pooh, etc...

But I think the Soarin' system is painfully inadequate if you have to wait 20+ minutes even with Fast Pass. In my opinion, it is not sufficient to say that the Fast Pass "reduces" the wait time from 90 minutes down to 20. Certainly that is a savings, but that is NOT what Fast Pass was designed to do -- it was designed as a way to "hold" your place in the queue while you go off and do other things. So having the Fast Pass is supposed to be your time "waiting" in line.

It's too simple to accept that "some" benefit is better than "no" benefit -- I don't see it that way. Would we be happy if they let us experience only half the ride, even though that would at least be better than not experiencing it at all? No.

They really ought to re-think and fix the Fast Pass system for Soarin...

[jetsdc]

Otherwise, they'd never get on.:pout:

Not if they distribute Fast Passes at the appropriate rate. The great Imagineer Mufassa once posted a lengthy explanation on Intercot about how the system is designed to work. It goe something like this -- every ride has a theoretical hourly capacity of riders. The Fast Pass system is supposed to give out return tickets after taking into account the number of people in the stand by queue, so that the number of Fast Pass holders + the number of regular riders = the ride's capacity. If they maintain the right balance, everyone should be able to ride effectively (the regular line taking X amount of time, and the Fast Pass time taking Y amount of time, which can be spent doing other things while the Fast Pass system "waits" for you).

The problem with Soarin' is that they dump the Fast Pass riders into the general queue too far from the entry to the ride, thus slowing down both lines and causing additional delays for both groups. Either that, or they are giving out too many Fast Passes each day.

There's gotta be a better way...

[BMan62]

Compare apples (Soarin') and oranges (Pooh) and, of course the FastPass times will be skewed. Soarin' normally has wait times of over 90 minutes. Pooh has wait times of what, 20 - 30 minutes max.

Soarin' is the most popular attraction at any of the parks currently. If you cannot wait 20 minutes for a ride, why are you going to Disney in the summer?

A saying I use, regularly, for this kind of attitude is: It's a free beer party and you're complaining about the brand! Lighten up and enjoy the extra 70 minutes you now have to enjoy something else in the park.

[jetsdc]

A saying I use, regularly, for this kind of attitude is: It's a free beer party and you're complaining about the brand! Lighten up and enjoy the extra 70 minutes you now have to enjoy something else in the park.

It's not free - tickets cost quite a bit, and have gone up (in part) due to additional features such as Fast Pass. Give me a free ticket and you won't hear a peep from me.

And easy on the "attitude" and "lighten up" mumbo jumbo -- we're all entitled to our opinions. I love DW as much as the next guy; otherwise I wouldn't go. Like everyone else here, I'm just sharing my thoughts and suggesting that this is one area for improvement. If you disagree, fine, but no need to chalk it up to an "attitude" problem on my part.

[Polynesian Dweller]

jetsdc, I understand the point about 20 minutes and it caught me off guard the first time as well. A lot of the issue is the ride itself. Unlike Slash Mountain, Pooh, and others like that, it is not a continuous load attraction. Once the ride has as many as it can hold, there won't be any additional movement until the ride stops again. So, minimum wait is the 10-12 minutes (maybe someone has the exact length of time the ride lasts) until the ride stops again. So, to me, 10 minutes from the merge to the ride load area is the real issue and that's fine.

If it was a continuous load ride, then 20 minutes is unacceptable, but with a ride like this, a delay is and has to be expected. I don't see how they could time it so every Fastpass person had a 5 minute wait for this attraction. 20 minutes isn't out of the question with an intermittent load ride like this one. Its also a big reason that the standby line is regularly 90 minutes.

One of the most comparable rides to me, is Mission: Space. Even with Fastpass, from the place you merge with the Standby line is at least 10-15 minutes. Same thing, a ride that can only be loaded at certain times. There is a built in delay. It feels faster because they have stages to the pre-show area. You feel like you are always moving. It sounds like Disney is trying to figure out ways of making the pre-show work better at Soarn' to make the wait not feel as long.

[CleveRocks]

While I can accept that you might not be entitled to get right on, the Fast Pass wait time is usually no more than a couple of minutes. A 5-minute wait where you get inserted into a general queue at the last possible point is OK -- this is what happens on rides such as Splash, Pooh, etc... The main difference is that Splash and Pooh are continuously loading, whereas Soarin' is episodic and not continuous. This makes a H-U-G-E difference in how one waits.

The thing that makes the line go fastest is when you have people already staged and ready to go the very instant the doors open. This is accomplished at Soarin' by having everyone stand on those little circles in each of the three lines at each of the three doors on each of the two sides. And this is further accomplished by having people waiting in line down the hall and around the corner.

You can argue that Disney designed the building poorly, and you'll get no argument from me. But given the current real estate, I can't imagine a way to make the FP holders get in any quicker.


But I think the Soarin' system is painfully inadequate if you have to wait 20+ minutes even with Fast Pass. In my opinion, it is not sufficient to say that the Fast Pass "reduces" the wait time from 90 minutes down to 20. Certainly that is a savings, but that is NOT what Fast Pass was designed to do -- it was designed as a way to "hold" your place in the queue while you go off and do other things. So having the Fast Pass is supposed to be your time "waiting" in line.

It's too simple to accept that "some" benefit is better than "no" benefit -- I don't see it that way. Would we be happy if they let us experience only half the ride, even though that would at least be better than not experiencing it at all? No. I see things differently than you do.

[pook@wdw]

I believe the FastPass system wasn't designed to get you "right on" as much as it was to shorten your wait time. It is a brilliant idea, but could use a bit of "plussing". You should be able to get more than 1 fastpass at any given time rather than waiting 1-2 hours before getting a 2nd or 3rd one!:thumbsup:

[jetsdc]

A lot of the issue is the ride itself. Unlike Slash Mountain, Pooh, and others like that, it is not a continuous load attraction. Once the ride has as many as it can hold, there won't be any additional movement until the ride stops again. So, minimum wait is the 10-12 minutes (maybe someone has the exact length of time the ride lasts) until the ride stops again. So, to me, 10 minutes from the merge to the ride load area is the real issue and that's fine.

You make a good point - I had not thought of it that way. I still think they could have designed the queue better to let Fast Pass people proceed directly to the pre-show staging area (rather than having to wait in the last hallway). But the lack of continuous movement is the biggest cause of delay here. I see the distinction and I appreciate your pointing it out. :mickey:

[Polynesian Dweller]

I still think they could have designed the queue better to let Fast Pass people proceed directly to the pre-show staging area (rather than having to wait in the last hallway).
That's a good point and the one I also would like to see. Wonder if it has something to do with the layout of the building. The last queue corridors almost look like old utility corridors for piping etc. transformed into ride area. It almost looks like they ran out of room in the buidling to create their lines. That said, I think its a good suggestion for Disney to consider if they can work around that a bit. :mickey:

[MinnieMommie]

20 minutes is a very good wait time for Sorin. That attraction has a very long wait time. I always wait at the rope for the park to open and rush to Sorin (and get a FP at thattime as well). Really, 20 minutes is good. :mickey:

[mainemajor]

When I last rode in 2006, using a Fast Pass, I still waited over 20 minutes before getting to a theater. It seemed like you got to skip the main queue, but then, you just got inserted toward the front into another reasonably long line. I thought Fast Pass was supposed to get you right on! Have they fixed this problem, or is Soarin' still plagued by an inadequate Fast Pass system?:confused:

Speed your wait time up - yes
Eliminate wait time - Not possible in the real world
Disney can do a lot of things, but they will never be able to make a system that allows you no wait time.
Your assumtions about what fast pass is just does not make sense

[texasteacher]

20 minute wait sounds great for Disney!

[Dicecatt262]

When I last rode in 2006, using a Fast Pass, I still waited over 20 minutes before getting to a theater. It seemed like you got to skip the main queue, but then, you just got inserted toward the front into another reasonably long line. I thought Fast Pass was supposed to get you right on! Have they fixed this problem, or is Soarin' still plagued by an inadequate Fast Pass system?:confused:

I don't think I've ever seen anywhere that FastPass claims to get you "right on". Usually it purports to be "little or no wait", and I've also heard "even 15 minutes or less!". 20 minutes for Soarin' is "little" wait, considering how staggering the lines get. I know exactly what you mean about how it dumps you into the main line, Rock N Roller Coaster does that too and I thought that fast pass line was very inefficient. Test Track does it too, once you get past the preshow. Almost all do it. Some of them do it back farther in the line than others, and since all rides load differently, that has an effect as well. I think Everest has the most efficient FP line yet! Usually it is a 5 minute wait, no matter how long the stand by is. I always alot 30 minutes to Soarin, with a fast pass, because the people on the right are waiting WAYYYY longer than that, so Fast Pass is fulfilling what it claims, "little or no." "Little" is a matter of opinion, but I think most would agree that 20 minutes compared to 2, 2 1/2 hours is "little." I've never seen Fast Pass claim to get you RIGHT ON.

[jetsdc]

it purports to be "little or no wait", and I've also heard "even 15 minutes or less!". 20 minutes for Soarin' is "little" wait, considering how staggering the lines get.

Let's take it straight from the horse's mouth (aka, the Disney web site):

"FASTPASS
Disney's FASTPASS® service is sure to help you get the most enjoyment out of your day at the Walt Disney World® Resort! This free Guest Service saves your place in line, allowing you to venture off and experience more of the wonders of Walt Disney World — before returning to board your attraction with a minimal wait."

I'm sorry, but I don't think 20 minutes is "minimal". I stand by my position that the Soarin' queue is poorly designed and should dump Fast Pass users into the line at the last possible moment before boarding. I fully agree that you can't get "right on" and shouldn't have used that phrase in my OP. But 20 minutes is not a minimal wait -- it may be LESS than 90 minutes, but minimal, or de minimus, has got to be 5-10 minutes TOPS. 20+ (and it has for me been longer than 20 at least a couple of times) is just not up to the standards Disney itself has set for this service.

[MickeysEars]

I had a 30-40 min wait WITH a fast pass. I was very shocked, but I love the ride!