Family Field Test protocol

Four kinds of evidence

• Measured: stopwatch waits, elapsed time and receipts.
• Officially verified: dated park rules, prices and policies.
• Calculated: counts and cost scenarios with their inputs shown.
• Observed: one family’s experience and preferences.

Posted waits and forecasts remain separate from waits we measure in person.

Live planning data

Current crowd estimates use posted waits collected within the last 15 minutes, with one latest reading per attraction and at least three usable attractions. The time shown is when we collected the data; a provider may have updated its reading earlier.

These estimates compare posted waits with historical averages or baseline assumptions. They are not attendance counts, measured queue times or family scores. Coverage and forecasting availability vary by park, and missing data cannot establish a quiet park.

The visit window

For baseline comparisons, ticket scan must fall within 30 minutes after general opening, with no earlier touring. The six-hour window starts at that scan. Parking and arrival overhead are recorded separately.

We use ordinary public access and standard queues. Early entry, queue upgrades, VIP access, previews and preferential treatment form separate reporting conditions. We record weather, closures, hours, day type, seasonal events, party height bands and route strategy.

Our initial route rule is to select from officially eligible attractions using a priority list fixed in the visit packet before arrival. Each next attraction is the highest-priority unvisited attraction operating when the previous activity ends. Closures and deviations are logged. Visits using forecasts or posted waits to change that order are a separate comparison condition.

Minimum evidence

A visit-level sampled-wait summary needs at least three complete queue-entry and boarding pairs across three different attractions. Smaller samples can be shown individually. Neither supports a claim about typical park-wide waits.

Six-hour outcomes need scan and end timestamps, a complete attraction record, and an activity ledger covering transfers, meals, rest and filming. Missing records that could change a comparison mean that result is withheld.

Height counts need a defined attraction inventory and dated official rules, including relevant companion restrictions. Unknown requirements remain unknown. If unknowns could change the order, we withhold the eligibility ranking.

Costs and independence

Comparisons use the same two-adult, two-child basket, booking horizon, ticket eligibility, parking, mandatory fees and meal allowance. Each report states its assumptions and source dates. Actual family spending is shown separately. Complimentary tickets do not make the standard cost scenario free.

Ordinary hosted admission can qualify with clear disclosure, editorial freedom and ordinary visitor treatment. Required positive coverage or control over conclusions disqualifies a visit from independent testing unless removed in writing.

Limits and corrections

We publish visit dates, sample counts, protocol versions, sources and missing evidence. A family’s experience cannot establish another family’s outcome. Materially different seasons or access conditions are not pooled without qualification.

We have not published an overall Family Index. Any future superlative will apply only among the parks tested. Changes to this protocol will be dated; prior evidence will be rechecked before it is used under a revised method.