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Virtual Queuing in 2021

RoyJess said:
I can vouch that @spinba11 is a genuine RAP user (unlike others that take the P out of the system), without knowing each individual circumstances, it's unfair to tarnish everyone with the same brush.. I can only assume that 60 minutes was put on the RAP car because by the time it open, the queue time was 60 minutes. Life sucks for those that are genuinely disabled.
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Sorry if that was a bit harsh. I appreciate everyone's needs are individual. The comment reads they waited in line for an hour to use a pass they have because they cant wait in line for an hour. If the circumstances weren't actually like that then fair enough and apologies that I've misunderstood.

It just put me in mind of another user who admits to not needing the pass but using and abusing one anyway. As far as I'm concerned anyone abusing passes designed to make life fairer for the disadvantaged should be ostracised from the community and banned from the park. Both would be a better place for their loss.
 
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pluk said:
Fair enough, although surely any new queuing system should be intrinsically linked with the RAP system and built in to whatever changes are made. They surely can't be viewed in isolation.
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Oh absolutely, I'm not saying RAP can't be discussed in relation to a virtual queue system. Just a few of the more recent posts in this thread were solely about RAP and nothing to do with what Towers might be doing in bringing in a virtual queue system! So just trying to stop this from turning into another RAP thread.
 
Interesting.

If Alton Towers capped capacity at 10k and no other queueing options were available, what would the longest wait be? What would an average wait for a roller coaster be?

One challenge would be getting the allocation right so that the physical queue stays under 5-10 mins, but not being so conservative that the rides run significantly below the capacity. It sounds like WDW do something similar, how do they manage it?

Another challenge is what the hell would people actually do if they couldn't queue for stuff. I can just see people coming off Nemesis, wanting to go on Air, taking it with a 45 minute wait. What does an average guest do in that position? If it's lunchtime, great, that works out. This is the sort of situation where the Gardens and Towers could come in to their own, and the app/website you use to book rides could even suggest routes for you to take to fill the time (as well as dining options and what not). I still feel that the park would need more

This is all totally academic of course because:
  • Merlin could never resist the lure of paid options which would screw it up
  • Merlin would never make the investment both technological and on-park to make such a setup a success
 
WillPS said:
Interesting.

If Alton Towers capped capacity at 10k and no other queueing options were available, what would the longest wait be? What would an average wait for a roller coaster be?

One challenge would be getting the allocation right so that the physical queue stays under 5-10 mins, but not being so conservative that the rides run significantly below the capacity. It sounds like WDW do something similar, how do they manage it?

Another challenge is what the hell would people actually do if they couldn't queue for stuff. I can just see people coming off Nemesis, wanting to go on Air, taking it with a 45 minute wait. What does an average guest do in that position? If it's lunchtime, great, that works out. This is the sort of situation where the Gardens and Towers could come in to their own, and the app/website you use to book rides could even suggest routes for you to take to fill the time (as well as dining options and what not). I still feel that the park would need more

This is all totally academic of course because:
  • Merlin could never resist the lure of paid options which would screw it up
  • Merlin would never make the investment both technological and on-park to make such a setup a success
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My understanding is Disney take it out of staff hands and automate it as much as is possible so the system figures times out.
 
Virtual waits would be longer than regular queues were this year, as basically everybody in the park would be in a virtual queue at all times which is obviously not the case with a physical queue.

Disney don't have to worry about staggering arrivals as they can just be flexible with standby. The system still struggles after breakdowns though, with long fastpass queues whilst those in standby are almost entirely denied access.
 
WillPS said:
One challenge would be getting the allocation right so that the physical queue stays under 5-10 mins, but not being so conservative that the rides run significantly below the capacity. It sounds like WDW do something similar, how do they manage it?
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Disney only allocate about 70-80% of capacity to FastPass. If the FP queue gets too long, then they just stop taking guests from the regular standby queue, or go up to 95% of capcity from FP. If not enough people with an FP return then they take more standby.

Very few parks have even tried 100% virtual queues, Volcano Bay is the main one, but water parks have pools, beaches and lazy rivers to do when not on the slides and even then the virtual queue doesn't really work right.

Although right now due to the pandemic WDW has no FastPass or Fastrack except for those who cannot wait in link and need a disability access pass. Many people report that having just one line that is continuously moving is much better than the FastPass anyway. FP+ is not expected to return without modifications and we may even see a paid-for system or something more like Universal Studios have.
 
Every time this has been tested, one line is better. Watch a ride next time you get to a park and in the queue after close. Soon as FT is gone watch how fast it goes.
 
I don't understand how it'll work tbh. First of all how would they determine the slots? Would they be every 5-10 mins or would they do hourly slots? Also as been said above how are they going to manage the physical queue and prevent it building up at all. After all if I'd just waited 70 mins in a virtual queue for wicker man but still had to wait 10 mins in the actual queue, I'd be pretty annoyed. Also wouldn't it therefore effect the rides capacity if they only allow 100 people in per 10 mins or so. And how would they determine who rides first at the start of the day. For example, 2000 people could select wicker man as their first ride, but if the park has only just opened and everyone does it at the same time, how do they determine who rides first?

That is off course if they're implementing it to the main queue, which I doubt as it would just cause complications. Its more likely to be an add on, most likely the new fastrack system to prevent the fastrack queue building up. If so, then its a good idea. If its for the main queue too, then not a fan
 
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pluk said:
Sorry if that was a bit harsh. I appreciate everyone's needs are individual. The comment reads they waited in line for an hour to use a pass they have because they cant wait in line for an hour. If the circumstances weren't actually like that then fair enough and apologies that I've misunderstood.
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It doesn’t really read as harsh at all , the fact is the person above has openly told us that they waited for one hour (9-10) in the same area (near to the front of the Smiler entrance / queue) . They had the ability to wait then , so what exactly is the RAP needed for ? It’s a subject that is worth scrutiny as the “crowded” RAP queues that are often commented about demonstrate to me all these people are in fact capable of waiting in crowded areas for long periods of time
 
tayspru said:
It doesn’t really read as harsh at all , the fact is the person above has openly told us that they waited for one hour (9-10) in the same area (near to the front of the Smiler entrance / queue) . They had the ability to wait then , so what exactly is the RAP needed for ? It’s a subject that is worth scrutiny as the “crowded” RAP queues that are often commented about demonstrate to me all these people are in fact capable of waiting in crowded areas for long periods of time
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There's a difference between waiting for an hour sitting down and standing up.
 
Ethan said:
Not really. How can standing up effect someone's ability to be patient and wait in a queue line compared to sitting down
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People who suffer from fatigue would probably like to say something about that.

The RAP encompasses a lot of different forms of disability. Just because one person can potentially stand for 30 minutes doesn't mean the next person can (which is why we now take a wheelchair).

Any system that stops the RAP from being abused should be applauded by both sides.
 
I think there is 2 separate issues: RAP abuse and RAP implementation. The implementation with large queues at say Wicker Man aren't great because the entire point of RAP is to remove queues. Some form of turn up to a ride and get a time/book a time should help eliminate the queues if managed properly.
 
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