getting tired of line jumpers
Hopman said:
How true Gonch. So, if I understand or possibly mistunderstand, you're saying Fastpass (Q-bots or any sort of virtual system) is essentially an updated pay-per-ride system?
eightdotthree said:
This is true, but they still have to wait just as long as everyone else to ride no matter how many tickets they buy.
Hmmm. These two comments go together more than it may seem. I don't think I can answer one without considered the other.
With a VQ system, you're buying a seat at a certain time. With pay-per-ride you're buying a seat with no time guarantee.
With a VQ system you can get more seats in the same time for paying more than someone who paid less. With pay-per-ride you get more seats for paying more than someone who paid less and time isn't really a factor.
I dunno. In the end it seems to come down to exchanging money for time more than anything.
And I know the argument is going to be, "At the expensive of the non-VQ'ers time" and that may be true. But no more so than any situation where you can make advance reservations and also just show up and hope to get in or get a ticket or get whatever.
The system does work because of it's exclusivity. If everyone used it, it be the same as no system at all, just at higher prices and that's the system failing. There has to be some limit on it's use or availablity.
I prefer the idea of limiting by price and letting the market decide what it's worth rather than limiting by number and leaving people out in the cold who might have wanted to get in on it.
It really is a multi-layered concept. Lots of angles to consider.
I am fine with Six Flags charging a butt load of money and letting less people use it, it doesn't affect my wait too much. What I hate is seeing them up sell it by blocking off rows on coaster trains that are exclusive for Virtual Queue users. That is complete BS and shouldn't be tolerated.
Since that is not the case anywhere at the moment, I think that the parks that have true virtual queue systems are smart and the ones who have pay-to-cut systems are even smarter as they have found a way to make even more money and give a better perceived value.
Coaster Junkie from NH
I drive in & out of Boston, so I ride coasters to relax!
eightdotthree said:
What I hate is seeing them up sell it by blocking off rows on coaster trains that are exclusive for Virtual Queue users. That is complete BS and shouldn't be tolerated.
Unfortunately, that does seem to be a side effect of implementing the system on older rides in some cases.
Rides built since the system are always built with it in mind and it's a non-issue. The combining of VQ'ers and non VQ'ers is flawless.
I think the logic is that if they block that row, then no one is visibly getting cut in front of. Like you're waiting for that row and I come up the exit and get on while you're forced to wait. Who knows how long that could go on before you actually got to ride? Less hassle and anger if no one is allowed to wait there in the first place, I suppose.
Just another reason that it makes more sense to filter the the different groups together before entering the ride vehicle. I guess it's just not feasible in some cases.
Even still, just to play devil's advocate, what's a real-world worst case scenario on that? A 10 or 12 row ride having one row blocked off. That increases your wait by what 8 or 10 percent. Sucky, but not anger-related-stroke inducing.
Still see your point though.
The system works at Disney where it is available to everyone. Its a huge reason I have such a relaxing time at a Disney park.
To a degree. Those passes run out even if you still want one and for some rides you have to swing by downright early to score a FP. Getting the FP can be as much of an excercise in planning as just hitting the rides in a 'better' order to maximize your time.
With the pay systems, I know I'm going to be able to ride and I'm riding whenever I want to. That alone makes things like the Q-bot leaps and bounds better (and makes my day that much easier to manage) than FastPass.
I haven't been to Disney since 2001. I can't wait to get back and see FastPass in action again. I just did a Gold-bot for the first time last month. But my memory of the old days of FastPass compared to what Gold-bot does is no comparison.
FastPass doesn't do anything but guarantee me a ride on its terms if I'm lucky enough to find them still available when I want one. Not much better than standing in line and taking my chances...except that I'm not standing in line. ;)
Gold-bot lets me ride on my terms. I can pick whichever ride I want, whenever I want.
...as long as the majority of their GP is not angered to the point they lose too much gate. I am not saying that is the case, but any business has to be careful of perception when trying to squeeze more money from their customers. I haven't been to any SF parks except KK so I can't say how their GP reacts. I've read here that Qbots didn't go over so well when first introduced, but people seem to accept (and even appreciate) them now (probably after more people used them to cut^h^h^hreserve spots :)
Is that an accurate description, SF attendees? *** Edited 7/10/2008 9:26:21 PM UTC by metallik***
a_hoffman50 said:
How about this idea? Have a park with absolutely no physical queues only virtual ones.
The major problem is that then people will all be on the hyper crowded midways.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
Lord Gonchar said:
I don't either because the number of seats you got in a day was never a fixed number. It was based on countless variables and was certainly not 'fair' in any way.
But you understood the variables.
To give another example, I'd be pretty pissed if I showed up at SFoT today, threw down my $50, and they had turned Titan, S:ToP, Batman, and Freeze all into upcharge attractions. I think that's where a lot of the negative reactions are coming from. In the initial change, it was not clear to many GP that they were going to get less rides *on average* per day at the park for the same price.
However, the second time (or 8 years later) I went, it'd be my own fault.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
ApolloAndy said:
However, the second time (or 8 years later) I went, it'd be my own fault.
Yeah. I think that pretty much correlates with what is actually happening at the parks. Those old days of people getting angry and not understanding are gone.
In the initial change, it was not clear to many GP that they were going to get less rides *on average* per day at the park for the same price.
I'm not sure that's even necessarily true. Some people will get less rides. Many will most likely get the same amount.
Guess where we saw no line jumping?
I will guess...threve.
Suck it Trebek.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
Coaster Junkie from NH
I drive in & out of Boston, so I ride coasters to relax!
My author website: mgrantroberts.com
Besides, they wouldn't call it line jumping, probably refer to the practice as "queuing offside".
You must be logged in to post
