I Don't Trust Stand By Times Anymore

Just came back from WDW a couple of weeks ago. Though a traditionalist, I'm excited about the Epcot changes and the preview in the old Odyssey center. However, this trip taught me to be VERY skeptical about the wait times. I wrote previously that the new AK premier rides seemed to be overstated but it seems to be a general park thing now since they don't do the Time Lord card to random people in line (or those of us who used to request it).

SEVERAL lines were as many as 20 minutes overstated. It makes a bigger difference when VoTLM was advertising a standby of 35 minutes and we were on in less than 15. I'm sure they are calculating by algorithms and FP is probably messing up the projections but there are attractions that I'd pass at 35 minute wait that I'd ride at 15 min. I'm not expecting Swiss time accuracy, but a consistent spread of 15-20 minutes when standby times are incremented in those amounts seems like an area that needs attention. Bring back the Time Lords! :mickey:

I have not been in a more than 8 years to Walt Disney World - because I sold my Florida house :cool:. As a result, I have been going elsewhere due to changing family circumstances. This has been fun & entertaining too. :cloud9: However, when I did go to WDW regularly, sometimes a cast member would hand a lanyard with a card clipped to it to a random rider entering the regular standby line. When that rider was about to board, they were supposed to give that same lanyard to a cast member at the front of the line. This would track the actual time spent in line. Are these the "Time Lords" to which you are referring? If so, I had it explained to me that those "real times" were then "slightly inflated" to give guests the feeling that they are being served faster, being given better service, making waiting in line less seem daunting and more tolerable. Those inflated times are placed on the boards in the form of wait times. :mickey:
If that is not what you are referring to, sorry - I have no idea - :sadwave: After-all, I have not been there since they instituted wrist bands and eliminated paper fastpasses. :blush: :mickey: My guess is that they can ascertain the same information from your wrist bands, and if so - the time inflation principle might still be in place for the same purpose. :trampo:
P.S. - I am planning to revisit WDW when Epcot is completed, maybe sooner - but I am enjoying the posts here at Intercot in the meantime. :rocks:

Yes, those are the Time Lords :mickey: It does make sense to under-promise and over-deliver and I was used to about a less than 10 minute variation but so many were way off the last couple of times that I didn't know what to trust. Good thoughts on the band, hadn't thought of that. Good thinking!

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Originally Posted by ILoveLegos

However, when I did go to WDW regularly, sometimes a cast member would hand a lanyard with a card clipped to it to a random rider entering the regular standby line. When that rider was about to board, they were supposed to give that same lanyard to a cast member at the front of the line. This would track the actual time spent in line. Are these the "Time Lords" to which you are referring? If so, I had it explained to me that those "real times" were then "slightly inflated" to give guests the feeling that they are being served faster, being given better service, making waiting in line less seem daunting and more tolerable. Those inflated times are placed on the boards in the form of wait times. :mickey:

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I think this is what the original poster was referring with (with a potential typo in the post). However, they don't seem to use these lanyards any more. I haven't seen anyone being handed a lanyard to assess wait times in quite a long while now.

Thanks! :mickey:

Actually, I have gotten used to this understatement lately and every once in while it catches me. Last weekend I walked off Pirates and saw a 35 minute wait for Jungle Cruise. Wow, 35 minutes must be more like 20. Ended up being 50.

Yikes, that's not fun! :(

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Originally Posted by faline

I think this is what the original poster was referring with (with a potential typo in the post). However, they don't seem to use these lanyards any more. I haven't seen anyone being handed a lanyard to assess wait times in quite a long while now.

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I would expect that they are using the MB 'tap points' to determine wait times now. I believe, and I could be wrong as it has been over a year since I visited, that there are two 'tap points' for each attraction -- One when you join the queue and one where you actually get on the ride. This would make sense to me, and for them to add 10% to the wait time would give you a 'nice' cushion to mke people feel like they are getting on more quickly.

On our last trip I found that "wait time" really usually meant "wait + ride time", so the waiting time was less. Not sure if they are trying to keep people out of the SB lines, or if it is a case of under promise and over deliver, but they were much less accurate than in the past.

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Originally Posted by PopPhan

I would expect that they are using the MB 'tap points' to determine wait times now. I believe, and I could be wrong as it has been over a year since I visited, that there are two 'tap points' for each attraction -- One when you join the queue and one where you actually get on the ride. This would make sense to me, and for them to add 10% to the wait time would give you a 'nice' cushion to mke people feel like they are getting on more quickly.

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Some rides are using the second tap point; others are not. I have been on some rides where the second tap point has had a bag of the machine and you just continue on through without having to tap a second time.

Tap points are irrelevant, as are the lanyards. With the Magic Bands, they can track anyone and everyone they want who has a MB with a working transceiver. All they have to do is pick up a signal and track it through the queue. Pretty straightforward.

Steve