Disney Cruise Line reportedly is testing a new way for passengers to reserve more activities while on board their ship.
According to news reports, Disney is testing an online reservation system for character meets and the water coaster aboard the Disney Wish. Passengers are using the Disney Cruise Line's Navigator app to reserve meeting times for characters and ride times for the AquaMouse water coaster.
You do not need to purchase an on-board wifi plan to make reservations, as connecting to the Navigator app while on board is free to all passengers.
Nevertheless, having to reserve a meeting time or a ride time is an extra step that shifts the Disney Cruise experience one step closer to the Disney Parks experience.
Personally, as a former Walt Disney World attractions operator, I have no problem with physical queues. They provide an easy-to-understand and efficient way to funnel people into an attraction. Long queues serve as an efficient way to filter a crowd, ensuring that people most willing to give up their time for an attraction are the ones who get to do it. You do not need to pause the queue or deploy cast members to check reservation times or switch between standby and Lightning Lanes. Everyone's in the same line, heading to the same load point.
The only problem with physical queues results from an attraction not having enough physical space to accommodate safely and comfortably all those who wish to wait. That has been a problem on Disney's cruise ships from time to time. So, apparently, the company is testing a reservation system to address that.
My fear is that, should Disney adopt this system, it soon would succumb to the temptation to skew access in favor of certain guests, either based on their Castaway Club status or their purchase of a Lightning Lane-type pass. One of the great selling points of Disney Cruise Line is that, once on board, it provides a Disney experience that's a bit more casual and carefree than what the parks can become.
To me, the better solution is just finding a way to get the AquaMouse to run more reliably more often. And maybe hiring a few more characters for meet and greets, too. Or just deploying helpful cast members to suggest to guests at the end of a queue that there will be plenty of opportunity to experience this later, should they wish to try something else, instead, in the meantime.
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