Disney's "Added Capacity" Program Aims to Shorten Wait Times

Walt Disney World attractions and wait times. You can't have one without the other, right? Turns out, Disney has been working to decrease those wait times with its "added capacity" program. So far, millions of dollars have been spent to adjust over twenty of the most popular attractions at WDW to enable more guests to experience those rides.

For example, the vehicles at Space Mountain's loading dock were sped up by half a second. The result? According to Brian Britain, vice president of park operations for Disney World, the iconic ride can now accomodate some 500,000 more guests per year than it could before the added half second.

Over at Pirates of the Caribbean, the boats now load a split-second faster than before the "added capacity" program thanks to a water jet. Now, 700,000 more guests per year can enjoy the ride.

In the new and improved Fantasyland, the Dumbo attraction has done away completely with the guest line. Guests now wait with pagers that alert them when it is their turn to board.

How does Disney know the tweaks to the rides are working? By using a "top secret" room where "multiple cameras, complicated algorithems and computer simulations" are used to calculate and then post accurate wait times. Says Britain:

We want our guests to have a hassle-free experience. Let's face it, waiting in line is a hassle.

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