Hollywood Studios to Test New Park Opening Procedure

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From Touring Plans...

Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Test New Park Opening Procedure

by R. A. Pedersen 14 Comments

Beginning Sunday, January 15, 2012, and running through Friday, January 20, 2012, Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort will be testing out a new opening procedure. Disney internally refers to this process as “rope drop without a rope.” Here are the finer points of the changes:

• Turnstiles open at 8:30 a.m. Operational attractions at that time: Toy Story Mania!, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
  
• All other attractions open at 8:45 a.m. If you arrive at one of these attractions before then, you will need to wait in an exterior queue until the attraction opens.
  
• Signups for Jedi Training Academy begin at 8:30 a.m. at the ABC Sound Studio (former home of Sounds Dangerous).
  
• FASTPASS distribution is available at all attractions beginning at 8:30 a.m.
  

The most basic take-away is that the park is ostensibly now open at 8:30 a.m. on days listing a 9:00 a.m. opening. Arrive early and leave your home or hotel earlier if you’re following an early morning park touring plan.

http://blog.touringplans.com/2012/01/15/disneys-hollywood-studios-to-test-new-park-opening-proceedure/

[DaveInTN 3,247]

So instead of ropedrop they will now just have turnstile spin? And no ropedrop show?

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Having experienced the madness that is rope drop at HS (the ONLY time I've ever done rope drop) I'll be curious to hear how this pans out.

Sounds like maybe they're trying to avoid the "mass exodus" to TSM by an entire crowd of people at once (which is INSANE). This way it'll be more of a steady stream - although I'm betting still pretty crazy.

If anyone experiences this first hand, please let us know how it goes.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Couldn't they also disburse the mayhem a bit by installing two additional banks of FP machines in two different areas of the park? So the crowd could then choose to go in one of three directions upon park opening...maybe one bank to the right toward TOT and one to the left on the way to Lights Motors Action or something?

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

California does the TSM rope drop right!! They open the sunshine plaza early (about 30 minutes) and a SINGLE FILE line for TSM forms in the sunshine plaza. About 10 minutes before park opening, they start walking that single file line back to TSM. At exactly park opening, the first guests are loaded on the attraction.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Having experienced the madness that is rope drop at HS (the ONLY time I've ever done rope drop) I'll be curious to hear how this pans out.

Sounds like maybe they're trying to avoid the "mass exodus" to TSM by an entire crowd of people at once (which is INSANE). This way it'll be more of a steady stream - although I'm betting still pretty crazy.

If anyone experiences this first hand, please let us know how it goes.

Been there done that!

The HS rope drop is unique in terms of the stampede to TSM.

Folks go in different directions at rope drop at the other parks, but not at DHS.

This test will probably be deemed a success, but it will only work because the average guest will know nothing about the early opening. For Star Wars Weekends last year, they opened an hour earlier than the published open time. It was great for those who knew about it.

But, if it becomes common knowledge that the park opens earlier than the published time, then the crowds will just show up earlier, and the stampede will resume.

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Been there done that!

The HS rope drop is unique in terms of the stampede to TSM.

Folks go in different directions at rope drop at the other parks, but not at DHS.

This test will probably be deemed a success, but it will only work because the average guest will know nothing about the early opening. For Star Wars Weekends last year, they opened an hour earlier than the published open time. It was great for those who knew about it.

But, if it becomes common knowledge that the park opens earlier than the published time, then the crowds will just show up earlier, and the stampede will resume.

TCD

I have experienced this twice. Once during Star Wars weekend and once the week before Christmas. During SW weekend the stampede was a three way monster.

1. Beware those mama's trying to get their kids into the Jedi Academy (my son still doesn't know this exists...).

2. Beware those trying for Darth Vadar autograph.

3. Beware those heading for TSM. When we where there for christmas, the wait line for the FP was less than the wait for the ride.

The stampede was so bad I had to pick my daughter up to ensure she didn't get her then 5 year old self run over both times.