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Has anyone here ever used those at a waterpark? I'm pretty familiar with some of Accesso's other products's (Q-bot, Q-Smart etc.) but I don't think I've seen these in action anywhere.

I'm not sure what system some of the Six Flags parks are using, but I know they've had an Accesso wristband system for quite a few years now.

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Has anyone here ever used those at a waterpark? I'm pretty familiar with some of Accesso's other products's (Q-bot, Q-Smart etc.) but I don't think I've seen these in action anywhere.

I'm not sure what system some of the Six Flags parks are using, but I know they've had an Accesso wristband system for quite a few years now.

Six Flags St. Louis discontinued it, but when they had Flash Pass in the waterpark, it was Accesso's Qband. I can only speak to that one, as I haven't used it at any other Six Flags waterpark.

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In terms of being a nicely themed, well-rounded experience, I like both of the Disney water parks. I have no problem picking a water park for a half-day during a week-long Disney vacation. I'm not as enamored with the attractions, mainly because I've been on better slides elsewhere, including just a couple hours from home. Summit Plummet is fun, but Deep Water Dive is better. Crush 'n' Gusher is fun, but it doesn't hold a candle to Mammoth/Wildebeest/Deluge. Typhoon Lagoon's wave pool is entertaining for spectating, but the one at Mt. Olympus is even more entertaining (maybe for the wrong reasons) and like heck am I getting in either one!

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Has anyone here ever used those at a waterpark? I'm pretty familiar with some of Accesso's other products's (Q-bot, Q-Smart etc.) but I don't think I've seen these in action anywhere.

I'm not sure what system some of the Six Flags parks are using, but I know they've had an Accesso wristband system for quite a few years now.

Six Flags St. Louis discontinued it, but when they had Flash Pass in the waterpark, it was Accesso's Qband. I can only speak to that one, as I haven't used it at any other Six Flags waterpark.

 

Looks like Magic Mountain still uses it:

467886919_ScreenShot2017-03-13at21_00_35.png.8c974d3cb8f1efa49cc15ddbaa4f269a.png

 

And as you can see, at least the ride reservation system works EXACTLY the same at Six Flags as it will at Volcano Bay. (Which does make me question why Universal is making such a huge deal over this when SIx Flags and many other water parks have had it for years, but that's a whole other discussion!)

384431764_taputapu1.thumb.jpg.daf9f2f84bbed24b526559ef6a7a1616.jpg

Edited by robbalvey
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I've never been to either of the Disney water parks but I'm looking to go to maybe both of them at the end of the month. It says you can go to both on the same day with 1 ticket, is this even realistically possible to do and get on the majority of everything? I'll probably just go to 1 or do both on separate days to not have to rush but I was just curious.

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I've never been to either of the Disney water parks but I'm looking to go to maybe both of them at the end of the month. It says you can go to both on the same day with 1 ticket, is this even realistically possible to do and get on the majority of everything? I'll probably just go to 1 or do both on separate days to not have to rush but I was just curious.

Actually, yeah! When we go to the water parks we actually like to go either the first couple of hours of the day or the last. Here's why... in those first couple of hours, people haven't bothered to get up and go to a park yet, and you can usually ride almost everything at the park in the morning before the crowds get there. (get there EARLY like 30 minutes BEFORE the park opens!) In the last couple of hours, people start to get tired and stop riding stuff. So I'd say pick a park to start at, get there for opening, spend a couple of hours there, take your time park hopping to the other park, and close that one out! It's totally realistic to be able to do!

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Disneycentric "theme park experts" like the majority of people on twitter don't go to any amusement parks outside of Disney and now Universal, so for them decade old technology is brand new and innovative. Most of them have never even seen one of the LIM water coasters! I guess it'll do the Yas Waterworld thing where the band will cause stuff to happen, which is nice, and there's no longer any standby lines, so that'll be something to see.

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I've never been to either of the Disney water parks but I'm looking to go to maybe both of them at the end of the month. It says you can go to both on the same day with 1 ticket, is this even realistically possible to do and get on the majority of everything? I'll probably just go to 1 or do both on separate days to not have to rush but I was just curious.

Actually, yeah! When we go to the water parks we actually like to go either the first couple of hours of the day or the last. Here's why... in those first couple of hours, people haven't bothered to get up and go to a park yet, and you can usually ride almost everything at the park in the morning before the crowds get there. (get there EARLY like 30 minutes BEFORE the park opens!) In the last couple of hours, people start to get tired and stop riding stuff. So I'd say pick a park to start at, get there for opening, spend a couple of hours there, take your time park hopping to the other park, and close that one out! It's totally realistic to be able to do!

 

Awesome, thanks Robb! I figure maybe I'll start at Typhoon Lagoon first since they have the new ride then park hop to Blizzard Beach. We are apparently getting killed with snow tonight and tomorrow so the end of the month can't get here quick enough.

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I think the new addition to Typhoon Lagoon is great! I like seeing new additions, especially to one of my favorite water parks!

 

However, I was a huge fan of being able to snorkel and swim with sharks at Typhoon Lagoon. I still can't believe it is gone! I know it was never too crowded over there and I know Disney knows what they're doing...but that was one of the biggest reasons why I liked Typhoon Lagoon so much! That experience couldn't be found at any other water park (unless you take a trip to Discovery Cove). I'm welcoming the new addition but I'll always miss the snorkeling.

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Disneycentric "theme park experts" like the majority of people on twitter don't go to any amusement parks outside of Disney and now Universal, so for them decade old technology is brand new and innovative. Most of them have never even seen one of the LIM water coasters!

 

Don't even get me started on this!!! I've have had to explain to so many theme park "experts" out here that third world countries have water coasters JUST LIKE the one going into Volcano Bay and even Six Flags has had a "wearable" band for virtual queuing for years. But so many of the theme park bloggers here in Orlando have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA any of that exists and legit think that Universal invented the water coaster and the water park "magic band" and that's exactly how they will report it, and I'm sure the park is totally ok with that! *sigh*

 

and there's no longer any standby lines, so that'll be something to see.

I still have no idea how this is going to work or IF it will even work. If you read all of the reports done so far (although I admit I'm reading reports by these same theme park "experts" who don't realize that most of what Universal is installing is right out of the ProSlide catalog. Not knocking that because I love ProSlide, but you know what i mean! Anyway...) Universal claims there will be "no standy lines" in the park at all. You will be able to reserve ONE ride at a time on your Tapu Tapu band, and like the picture I posted above suggests, you go sit under an umbrella with a drink until your time is ready. Ok, that's all well and good, but...

 

What happens with their big new water coaster has a 90 minute return time on it, and you tap to get a return time and in that 90 minutes you're not allowed to "standby" for one of the tube slides that has a 45 minute wait on it because there is legit NO STANDBY line and on top of that, you can only reserve one ride at a time.

 

Do we assume that maybe the lazy river and the wave pool are open to guests without reservation is it implies in the picture I posted above? But how many times can you do that? Unless they can figure out a way where ALL LINES never get more than about 15-20 minutes, I'm not sure how not having a standby line makes logistical sense. Clearly some rides will have longer wait times than others just by the nature on how theme parks work.

 

But not being able to do much of anything until your ride time is up is like saying....

 

"Hi! Welcome to Magic Kingdom! You can choose ONE RIDE right now to get a return time for. In that time, you can ride the train and the Peoplemover AND THAT'S IT or maybe go find some shade and get a drink. If you see a ride that is shorter than your wait time YOU CAN'T RIDE because of course we wouldn't want you to experience as many of our attractions as possible..."

 

I know I'm over-exaggerating here... but by how much? Because this is the scenario I see with having a park with no standby lines where you can only reserve one ride at a time....

Edited by robbalvey
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I'm kind of curious how that is going to work out as well. I mean water parks by their nature tend to have lower capacity attractions that stack up some long lines. I mean the past 4 or 5 visits to I've made to Wet N Wild, Aquatica, or Blizzard Beach even on days where the park wasn't insanely crowded most of the major attractions had 40+ minute waits, heck I've seen Summit Plummit up over 90 minutes for a majority of the day. So yeah if there are no standby lines for other attractions while you wait for your return time I'm just not sure how they're going to pull that off.

 

Maybe like you mentioned earlier, if single day tickets aren't available and the only way you can get in is with a 3+ day pass it will keep attendance lower so that kind of system operate with reasonable return times. With all the new resort properties proposed for the future maybe Volcano Bay tickets will only be available through a multi day room and ticket package. That wouldn't totally surprise me at this point.

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But so many of the theme park bloggers here in Orlando have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA any of that exists and legit think that Universal invented the water coaster and the water park "magic band" and that's exactly how they will report it, and I'm sure the park is totally ok with that! *sigh*

 

I'm not sure if it is amusing to me or irritating. Both?

 

Ok, that's all well and good, but...

 

What happens with their big new water coaster has a 90 minute return time on it, and you tap to get a return time and in that 90 minutes you're not allowed to "standby" for one of the tube slides that has a 45 minute wait on it because there is legit NO STANDBY line and on top of that, you can only reserve one ride at a time.

 

When I've talked about this to people, the general thought process they have is "Well, who wants to stand and wait in line?" Well, people want to get on rides! That's what they do! The line is merely a conduit to do that. I'm not convinced that people will simply want to consume food/beverage instead either. It isn't any different than discussions on, say, Magic Bands with that. People aren't merely endless machines of consumption. They want to do something. Those Tapu Tapus better open up glory holes or something.

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It isn't any different than discussions on, say, Magic Bands with that.

But it is. At Magic Kingdom, for example, if I have an 10:30am FP+ time for Space Mountain and I get in the park at 9am, I can look at the app and see "Oh, Barnstormer is a 5 minute wait, It's a Small World is a 5 minute wait, Buzz Lightyear is a 15 minute wait" and there are plenty of other smaller attractions with shorter lines I can do IN ADDITION to maybe getting a drink or food & beverage, etc, while I wait for my FP+ return time. *OR* I can "choose" to go wait 60 minutes for Big Thunder if I wanted to and get on TWO "E Ticket" attractions within that 90 minute window and maybe even get a drink as well.

 

Volcano Bay is saying there aren't any stand by lines for *ANY* other attractions, other than maybe the wave pool or the lazy river (which I'm just assuming based on a picture of a guy floating in a tube on the 'things to do while you wait' section of the Tapu Tapu instructions.) Universal has reported "We will NOT have standby lines" at all. If I'm having to wait 30-90 minutes per attraction, and I can SEE other attractions that don't have a long line but I am not allowed to go on, I'm not sure I'll be happy with ONLY being allowed into the wave pool or lazy river.

 

Think about the lines you can actually SEE at Magic Kingdom. Take the Speedway for example. If I have a return time for Space Mountain, and I walk by the Speedway and I see a short line and I think "Oh, I want to ride that!" but then when I go to get in line I'm told "No, no. You don't have a reservation for this. You can ONLY ride the Peoplemover and the Train until your reservation time for Space Mountain" I think I'd be pretty annoyed.

 

So what happens in the middle of September when the park is empty and all the slides are a walk-on? Are you still going to have to tap to reserve a slide if all the wait times are 5 minutes or less? That seems like an extra step that you wouldn't need.

 

We are either not being told everything about how that system is going to work, or they will have to make some pretty drastic changes once the park opens and they see that in practice that kind of system won't work.

 

Again, we'll see when the park opens, but I'm just trying to picture in my mind how this would all work based on the information that is on Universal's official website and everything that the Universal creative team have shared with the media.

 

But so many of the theme park bloggers here in Orlando have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA any of that exists and legit think that Universal invented the water coaster and the water park "magic band" and that's exactly how they will report it, and I'm sure the park is totally ok with that! *sigh*

 

I'm not sure if it is amusing to me or irritating. Both?

Oh, it's both. Amusing that people who consider themselves "experts" know so little yet claim so much. But irritating when you try to have a legit educated discussion with one of them and they tell you things that you absolutely know are incorrect and they refuse to believe anything because they haven't stepped foot outside of either Orlando or a Disney park in another country. That's when I stop talking to them.

Edited by robbalvey
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Not completely related but Everland's water park runs reservation only on certain slides here in peak season and I hate it. They operate differently in that it's only the 3 bigger slides or sometimes just mega-storm but when that only leaves the lazy river and drives the crowds into the smaller slides I get bored just sitting around in the lazy river and it's not fun only having 3 slides available to line-up at. It seems this system could be the same in that you lose the freedom of choice as a consequence trying to juggle the time.

 

Heck even for high capacity rides, it doesn't always completely work out. Here's T Express on a busy day when they were doing reservation only, when tickets had run out and you needed to trade one even for the single rider line. Reservation only is great in theory but I do feel standbys should always be an option and like Robb's example with lower waits it's super frustrating when you see something you could get done now with little to no line but can't.

P1170123.thumb.jpg.999cfbb51014e84ce65dab73f2600c82.jpg

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Here's T Express on a busy day when they were doing reservation only, when tickets had run out and you needed to trade one even for the single rider line. Reservation only is great in theory but I do feel standbys should always be an option and like Robb's example with lower waits it's super frustrating when you see something you could get done now with little to no line but can't.

And I'm assuming by your picture you're saying that T Express is sending empty seats because there aren't enough reservation people to fill them, yet you're being turned away to ride because you don't have a reservation? This is exactly the type of thing I'm talking about that will frustrate so many guests if it happens.

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Yep, although it was usually just 1-2 rows and quite a few single rider seats around 2-4 a train. It was just frustrating that even single rider required the ticket so I was wasting reservation tickets on what would have been empty seats anyway that could have gone to others. To be fair in Everland's defense I haven't seen the policy as much, and at least they let people in for 2-3 hours before they cut the line to close it before fireworks.

 

Here's the sign that greeted me when I saw emptyish trains. My point being, it's super frustrating to be turned away and made to come back later for something that you could obviously fit in there an then. I mean isn't this essentially almost what Universal will be doing for each slide? Can't line up now come back at (x) p.m.

 

In this system everyone would rush T Express in the morning to get a reservation and leave the rest of the park a lot quieter. So come opening, and everyone rushes the big one wanting that for reservation and then after that another big slide etc, how do you convince people to head to the smaller ones? Will they sit empty until more people arrive later?

 

Edit: Everland did have a different reservation policy on the old flume that could potentially work here. They would open the standby line and ONLY when that line hit (x) minutes would switch to reservation only. I just feel that standbys aren't some evil that needs to be wiped out to enjoy your day. Nobody is going to a park and expecting not to wait in any line. Fast passes are great and a free system is even better but having the freedom of choice in between is what makes them worth it. Disney's known that for years.

P1170067.thumb.jpg.8d135ff8cdd7ab75131b030d991fca26.jpg

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^That's what I'm thinking, at least at first. They will really limit attendance to work out how this program will work then slowly add in more as they can.

 

It's like Cartmanland!

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Maybe Volcano Bay will add that tier system that Disney has? You only get to pick a time for 1 major attraction and than maybe 2 smaller attractions. At least that will help try to keep people busy besides just waiting around not in line. Especially if you can just keep picking attractions with less waits once you redeem them.

 

I'm very curious to see how it all turns out but I'll definitely be waiting to hear reports from everyone here on how it turns out before going myself.

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Surely the system would adjust for this sort of thing, allowing an instant reservation (i.e. walk straight in) if the ride has the space available immediately.

 

You'd think, but who knows? That's a lot of extra programming that needs to be done.

 

I think the idea is admirable, but I'm sure as hell not willing to let my vacation be a beta test for someone's tech.

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That's the [unfortunate] reality of the situation. We're entering a new age / culture where everything is a work-in-progress. Incomplete / glitchy video games that are only "good" after a few years worth of updates (Ubisoft, et al). Encouraged / forced software updates (Windows 10, iOS). Unproven tech and the release of "upgraded" cars every year instead of normal model cycles (Tesla). Unfortunately, there's no better place to test these sort of things than in the real world on the general consumer base, especially if a company has money to burn if the new tech or experiment turns out to be a big old flop.

 

If anything, Disney's slower roll-outs and "polish until finished" attitude under -most- circumstances make me more comfortable visiting them, but that's my personal preference.

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If anything, Disney's slower roll-outs and "polish until finished" attitude under -most- circumstances make me more comfortable visiting them, but that's my personal preference.

Yeah, and let's be honest here... as much as people may give Disney crap for how much money they spent, they tested that system for months to YEARS before it went public. I remember we used one of the first touch point tests at Epcot TWO YEARS before the actual system went live. And they did isolated cast member and resort testing at least 9 months, maybe a year before it all went live. And even when they did roll it out, it may have had some issues, but it was pretty rock solid for the most part, and rolling out features in phases was a very smart idea as it allowed them to tweak and adjust base features before rolling out new ones.

 

Volcano Bay opens in 2 months. How much *REAL* Tapu Tapu testing are they really going to be able to do prior to park opening?

Edited by robbalvey
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