READ POST 1 & 2 FIRST-Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group Planning and Information-*No Spoilers*

[SouthFayetteFan]

Here is my theory.......they already spent a ton of money to staff the whole place for an extra hour. If everything else closes down, and the main BG's are placed inside SWGE.......they only have to pay a small portion of wages and keep one ride open...... to avoid giving out comp tickets.

And that made a lot of sense to me when they called all the BGs up to 132 back.

But now they’ve called backup BGs 98-139 back and they wouldn’t have owed them comp tickets or anything.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

139 was called at 7pm and they appear to have stopped. With a 9pm close that might be it for today.

 

[amsteel]

139 was called at 7pm and they appear to have stopped. With a 9pm close that might be it for today.

And now there is a range of about 40 BG who have until park close, but also stressful to see just a few backup BG called back, especially if you are in BG 140.

 

[Revan46]

First: Thanks to EVERYONE in this thread for helping me better understand RotR and getting ready for my own HS day.
As mentioned much earlier, ended up with BG 15 and surprisingly the ticket I had on my phone actually ended up being scanned at the turnstiles, didn't even need to go to Guest Services thankfully.
In terms of the actual morning, I actually ended up in the "corral" just where Rope Drop would happen and at first I was refreshing from the My Status page. I also closed out the app two or three times completely and reopened it (while also asking a cast member on the path to the "corral" that the app was recognizing I was in the park). However when 7 happened, I refreshed the status and nothing. So then I went back to where it gives you either My Status or Join Boarding Group and it went red. And then I was in and happy. Interestingly, a group of 5 next to me logged same time and ended up BG 61. So more of the whole what really determines your number?
I went on MFSR to kill time as they weren't calling anyone yet, midway through line (which cause of Rope drop obviously wasn't too slow) they started calling. I went at about 8, and was out just after 8:30.
So again, thanks everyone for your help. It was an incredible ride and I hope for those who have NOT gone on it do get to in the future, it really is fantastic.

 

[Revan46]

So not worth it.

Kind of agree. I REALLY enjoyed the ride (not as much as RotR but still) but it is not worth a 2.5 hour or more wait. Heck it's not worth 1.5 hours. I know many may not be able to return for years in some case so in their case, OK, I suppose might as well wait. But if you say are an annual pass member or just doing a trip later on, come back and do MFSR rope drop. I felt it was worth the wake up to be on and off within 30 minutes of park opening.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

And that made a lot of sense to me when they called all the BGs up to 132 back.

But now they’ve called backup BGs 98-139 back and they wouldn’t have owed them comp tickets or anything.

Those last 7 groups are gravy. If they don't get a ride, maybe they just get a FP for tomorrow.
It also insures that they don't finish serving all guests and accidentally have 20 minutes of dead time before the updated closing time.

Imagine the social media negative buzz if the last guest leaves at 20 minutes of the hour and says..
"Hey- they still have 20 minutes let people ride!"
"I can't believe they were set up to run another 20 minutes and now there is no one here"

 

[yulilin3]

Kind of agree. I REALLY enjoyed the ride (not as much as RotR but still) but it is not worth a 2.5 hour or more wait. Heck it's not worth 1.5 hours. I know many may not be able to return for years in some case so in their case, OK, I suppose might as well wait. But if you say are an annual pass member or just doing a trip later on, come back and do MFSR rope drop. I felt it was worth the wake up to be on and off within 30 minutes of park opening.

I don't think any attraction at wdw is worth an hour wait. Definitely for first timers and people that will not come in years there's no other option which is why we see these super long queues all around

 

[Revan46]

I don't think any attraction at wdw is worth an hour wait. Definitely for first timers and people that will not come in years there's no other option which is why we see these super long queues all around

Precisely. I'm sorry but more than a 20 minute wait for It's a Small World is just...what. And today there was a 20 min wait for PhilharMagic which was crazy cause most times I go (I love Disney music) I can enter easily. Today there was even a line outside in the queue...le sigh. But hey at least no queue (sort of) for RotR even if people do get sort of excluded in a way if not lucky enough re: BGs.

 

[ninafeliz]

We’re going on Feb 5 and I’ve been off of the boards since our last visit in early December because of Christmas and a few other things. I just came on to check on how things are going for this ride since we wanted to ride it, and read the first posts. Am I reading this correctly??? For the last couple of days boarding groups were full 1 or 2 minutes after the official opening?? So we have to get there at like 6:00 am to make sure we are inside the park prior to 7, and then if our phone or the app glitches we miss out anyway? That’s crazy, if it’s correct. It kind of makes me just not care, that’s ridiculous for one ride. I’m hoping I’m missing something, and need to read more posts or something?

 

[mom22boys]

I'm trying to figure out how to plan. From this thread it sounds like HS is deadlocked at 6-7AM. My original plan was to take my 8yo son, uber to the park half an hour or more before open, get on a boarding group, and I figured I'd have the next 2 hrs or so to hit a lot of rides. Hopefully get on Smuggers run first thing, then hit some other things like toy story, RNRcoaster, TOT. get out of the park before lunch, hit the pool. come back with a FP for SDD and fireworks.

If its packed that early, I really don't know how to tour this park. FPs with 1 tier suck. Most rides IMHO are not worth 1hr + wait each. I'd do Smugglers run for an hour, but thats about it.
we're going president's week, so it is a generally high crowd day no matter what.

I was hoping for the same HS day as you were, but am now coming to the realization that the quest for a ROTR BG has changed the typical rope drop experience. Our trip is over Pres Day too. For the next month, I will be watching:

1. Speed of BG distribution
2. Park Hours
3. Wait times on other rides at park opening

Depending on those factors, we might add PHs to our base tickets. From recent reports, it sounds like that might be our best option.

Wait, I just reread what I wrote and realized that with BGs Disney has created a way for me to spend more money. How unexpected!

 

[yulilin3]

We’re going on Feb 5 and I’ve been off of the boards since our last visit in early December because of Christmas and a few other things. I just came on to check on how things are going for this ride since we wanted to ride it, and read the first posts. Am I reading this correctly??? For the last couple of days boarding groups were full 1 or 2 minutes after the official opening?? So we have to get there at like 6:00 am to make sure we are inside the park prior to 7, and then if our phone or the app glitches we miss out anyway? That’s crazy, if it’s correct. It kind of makes me just not care, that’s ridiculous for one ride. I’m hoping I’m missing something, and need to read more posts or something?

Since it opened the 1 minute full bg situation has happened only 4 days. Today the bg closed st 7:15 with backup bg closing at 9:23

 

[Minnie368]

Well now they are suddenly up to 132 - called back 23 BGs in the past 45 minutes. It seems they are going to just call back all of the regular BGs. No recent on the ground reports so I can’t tell exactly what’s going on.

Are they suddenly performing better or are they just flooding the line and going to run a little linger tonight in an attempt to get their everybody? I certainly don’t know but I’m guessing it’s the latter.

Also not sure if people are experiencing the full attraction now or missing out on parts still as reported earlier.

We returned to DHS tonight and passed the line for RotR boarding groups around 7pm and it was insanely long. Like they had to have the end of line sign out and it was nowhere near the actual entrance.

 

[mamamelody2]

That's just crazy - love MFSR, but 3 hours --- maybe for FOP perhaps if I was really itching for FOP.

AGREED. It is fun, but not nearly that fun.
I went with my husband over Labor Day, so we rode I think 4 times and that was definitely enough for me, but we never waited more than maybe 45 minutes. I'm going again in a couple weeks with my 13 year old son who has never rode it, so I know he really wants to. I am hoping not to have to wait more than 60 minutes. But I'll do it for him if I must!

 

[ninafeliz]

Since it opened the 1 minute full bg situation has happened only 4 days. Today the bg closed st 7:15 with backup bg closing at 9:23

Well ok, but it’s only been open around a month, and 15 min is somewhat better but still Ridiculous IMO. I made FPs a month ago and did early afternoon, figuring we could hopefully do ROTR and SR, and possibly even some other rides before using our FPs and going from there. Now it looks like we’ll have to get up at the crack of dawn to go over and hope to get a spot, and the park will be too crowded to ride anything (we won’t wait more than maybe 45 min and that would be under duress) so we’ll have too much time to kill but barely enough to leave and come back (staying at the GF, so no quick and easy way over). On top of that we have twin toddlers and had planned to get a sitter to cover this, but now in order to do that we would probably have to have the sitter booked from like 6 am - after park closing to be sure it covered getting there for the BG and getting called and riding. I need time to digest this, but for right now I’m really contemplating bagging it and not riding this trip. Sorry to be so negative, but I’m just feeling really discouraged and annoyed right now that I have to go through so many hoops just to ride 1 ride. Then how long do we have to wait to ride once they call our BG? Is this how it’s always going to be for huge openings from now on? I have to say, our early December trip was mainly to universal and to my surprise I think I might have a new favorite, and I know my kids do.

 

[yulilin3]

AGREED. It is fun, but not nearly that fun.
I went with my husband over Labor Day, so we rode I think 4 times and that was definitely enough for me, but we never waited more than maybe 45 minutes. I'm going again in a couple weeks with my 13 year old son who has never rode it, so I know he really wants to. I am hoping not to have to wait more than 60 minutes. But I'll do it for him if I must!

End of night continues to be the best time. It's currently at 40 min

 

[yulilin3]

Well ok, but it’s only been open around a month, and 15 min is somewhat better but still Ridiculous IMO. I made FPs a month ago and did early afternoon, figuring we could hopefully do ROTR and SR, and possibly even some other rides before using our FPs and going from there. Now it looks like we’ll have to get up at the crack of dawn to go over and hope to get a spot, and the park will be too crowded to ride anything (we won’t wait more than maybe 45 min and that would be under duress) so we’ll have too much time to kill but barely enough to leave and come back (staying at the GF, so no quick and easy way over). On top of that we have twin toddlers and had planned to get a sitter to cover this, but now in order to do that we would probably have to have the sitter booked from like 6 am - after park closing to be sure it covered getting there for the BG and getting called and riding. I need time to digest this, but for right now I’m really contemplating bagging it and not riding this trip. Sorry to be so negative, but I’m just feeling really discouraged and annoyed right now that I have to go through so many hoops just to ride 1 ride. Then how long do we have to wait to ride once they call our BG? Is this how it’s always going to be for huge openings from now on? I have to say, our early December trip was mainly to universal and to my surprise I think I might have a new favorite, and I know my kids do.

Universal Is definitely a more relaxed vacation. It's all about priorities and honest expectations. You don't have to be at the park any earlier than maybe 30 min before park opening. But it's definitely up to you

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Those last 7 groups are gravy. If they don't get a ride, maybe they just get a FP for tomorrow.
It also insures that they don't finish serving all guests and accidentally have 20 minutes of dead time before the updated closing time.

Imagine the social media negative buzz if the last guest leaves at 20 minutes of the hour and says..
"Hey- they still have 20 minutes let people ride!"
"I can't believe they were set up to run another 20 minutes and now there is no one here"

I’m not sure if you’ve been following this all along since the start and read every comment but a couple things:

1) it’s possible they actually have shut down early on some nights. I’m not 100% sure on that
2) with the amount of groups they called back between 6 and 7 they probably made a ton of people wait way longer than if they had called them back more methodically (and left the last 7 off).

But truth be told, I’m not there and so I can’t speak to what actually happened. The people in those last 7 groups easily are in front of a lot of the regular BG people with the speed at which they were calling groups back.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

We returned to DHS tonight and passed the line for RotR boarding groups around 7pm and it was insanely long. Like they had to have the end of line sign out and it was nowhere near the actual entrance.

That’s what is so odd to me...they seemingly flooded the line with 3 hours worth of people suddenly with only 2 hours left in operations.

 

[mamamelody2]

I'll wear it proudly and defiantly after last week's experience. They really should add tees for "I Survived Hollywood Studios Park Opening - 2020" or "Boarding Group Lottery Winner" or "A Jedi's Power Flows from Staying to the Right and Refreshing Often". I mean - I did see they've embraced the kitsch and added "I conquered It's a Small World" tees, so just go all in.

Hey, conquering It's a Small World is something to be proud of! A few years ago when my youngest son was 10, we rode it for the first time in his memory (he was 4 the actual first time) and he just kept looking around with wide eyes saying "This is terrifying!!"

 

[NoTime42]

We’re going on Feb 5 and I’ve been off of the boards since our last visit in early December because of Christmas and a few other things. I just came on to check on how things are going for this ride since we wanted to ride it, and read the first posts. Am I reading this correctly??? For the last couple of days boarding groups were full 1 or 2 minutes after the official opening?? So we have to get there at like 6:00 am to make sure we are inside the park prior to 7, and then if our phone or the app glitches we miss out anyway? That’s crazy, if it’s correct. It kind of makes me just not care, that’s ridiculous for one ride. I’m hoping I’m missing something, and need to read more posts or something?

For just a BG you don’t have to get there that early...you just have to be in the park 1-2 minutes before 7... but there will be long bag check and ticket lines, and you have to account for transportation delays.
(I was planning to arrive about 6:30 but missed a bus and barely made it at 6:58)
If you want to rope drop a ride, then you need to be in at 6