I managed to get on the ride yesterday via the standby queue... after four hours.
Folks, they've got a big capacity problem here, and I'm not sure how they're going to resolve it.
I would've understood and accepted that wait time as the price of getting on during technical rehearsals... if technical delays were the source of the delays. They weren't. Aside from two "brief delay" announcements that coincided with rollbacks (which were resolved in under 5 minutes each), the ride was running at basically maximum capacity. Full trains were constantly dispatched as soon as the block cleared. This wasn't a ride station ops issue. Trains on both sides were waiting for the track to clear so they could deploy the whole time I was up there.
The real problem is the capacity versus the Express/standby ratio. Once I was close enough to observe, I witnessed a ratio of approximately 10:1. My gut assessment of what's happening here is that there's limited queueing space for Express guests, so they're basically forced to admit them constantly to avoid that line reaching capacity or spilling out into the plaza. The result is the standby queue frequently did not move for 20-minute periods.
The long-term fix here is to reconfigure some of the central queue area to devote more space to Express guests, thereby allowing for more breathing room and a healthier ratio. (Even 5:1 would be remarkably better.) From what I can tell, this is possible, but it will require some manufacturing/adjustments to the metal, bolted railings that can't be completed overnight. Express guests will have to wait longer on average, but I think that's the only way to avoid constant 240 minute waits, which isn't tenable.
There are, by my count, four water fountains with bottle refill stations located throughout the queue. This was a smart move, because I suspect many guests would have passed out in the heat if they weren't present. A fight nearly broke out twice. There are misters in the extended queue alongside Duff Brewery, but aside from some dinky fans in the hidden switchbacks from hell nestled within the track layout, there's no real relief anywhere else. I'm guessing they can't use the misters too close to the tracks/supports to avoid increased wear from moisture, but they need to get some industrial fans up in there, at the very least.
The queue from a theming perspective is fine - not great, not terrible. About on par with something a regional park would do for their stab at a more "themed" offering, though the IP only gives you so much. For all the talk about how this was going to celebrate the vehicle stunt work of the Fast & Furious movies, I didn't notice a single piece of theming supporting that angle. The old Italian Job Stunt Track at Kings Island had more going for it on this front.
They didn't seem to really think through the locker layout or process. The configuration is confusing with multiple blind corners, it's extremely congested, and guests here aren't familiar with the whole "everything in your pockets needs to go in there" standard. Unlike Velocicoaster, there isn't adequate, sequestered space to wait for the metal detectors, which kept getting backed up and worsened the overall congestion. It's actively unpleasant, and I don't see a quick way to resolve it other than "admit fewer people at once."
The lack of presence of the Fast Crew is also a head scratcher. To be honest, it feels like they ran out of money as they raced to resolve engineering and sonic challenges.
All that said, though? The ride itself rules. It's a top-tier coaster that's up there with my favorites in SoCal. The elements are innovative and exhilarating. It did not make me at all nauseous, and I can sometimes be sensitive to that when you combine spinning and frequent inversions. The length is rock solid; it did not feel short, even after the brutal wait. The view of Potter as you roll back into the station is also exceptional; during Horror Nights, with the crow stilts and (presumably) Dark Mark projections, it's going to be stunning.
I do also think they could've done a little more with the on-ride audio. The revving and screeching really sell the vehicle maneuvering, but I was a little shocked we didn't get Vin Diesel shouting "ride or die" during one of the climactic drifts or a "thanks for riding with us" from the crew at unload. It just sort of quietly stops. That could be adjusted, though, and I hope they aren't quite done.
My biggest concern remains the Express/throughput issue. I personally think they need to nix Express access, as they did for Mario Kart, for the near future; otherwise, they're going to get hit with local interest stories and viral complaints about the 3-hour+ queues every day. When demand settles, they can experiment with restoring it.