FYI RE: "Double Dipping"

[LSUfan4444]

The field is level because getting to use mb/fp+ has associated costs that the other group does not incur.

In order to use the new system I must put up with a great deal of uncertainty. Will my colorful new room key actually open my door? Will my PP+ pics be there when I get home?

Also, I must limit my choice of resorts if I wish to try the new system. Does Disney tell you you can't pull paper fp if you stay at pofq? That's what we had to deal with.

You want to talk about leveling the playing field, come back when that first group of yours has to put up with the BS using the new system entails.

Yeah, it's a cool new system and I enjoy using it a great deal. Make no mistake though, Disney asked ME to test it for them not the other way around. I'm the one doing them the favor. And like many others, if it meant giving up the legacy fp system, I would not have signed up.

So you agree it awards an advantage to the tester?

 

[LSUfan4444]

I think at this point, the best advice is plan for the unexpected.

I have been advising and practicing something similar.

It needs to be understood this system should not be marginalized. It cannot be seen from inside a vacuum and we all need to understand what was yesterday may not be today and what is for this family may not be for our family.

If you agree to testing, you are agreeing to those terms. If you want control of your FPs, do not sign up for MB testing, otherwise, you could be at mercy of the attractions they push and their desire and/or ability to remove you from the paper FP system.

 

[pigletto]

The field is level because getting to use mb/fp+ has associated costs that the other group does not incur.

In order to use the new system I must put up with a great deal of uncertainty. Will my colorful new room key actually open my door? Will my PP+ pics be there when I get home?

Also, I must limit my choice of resorts if I wish to try the new system. Does Disney tell you you can't pull paper fp if you stay at pofq? That's what we had to deal with.

You want to talk about leveling the playing field, come back when that first group of yours has to put up with the BS using the new system entails.

Yeah, it's a cool new system and I enjoy using it a great deal. Make no mistake though, Disney asked ME to test it for them not the other way around. I'm the one doing them the favor. And like many others, if it meant giving up the legacy fp system, I would not have signed up.

Ok then put yourself in my shoes. I have 2 day tickets that I can't add to my account and can't upgrade until I get there. So no fastpass+ for me. But I am going in December when every resort is on the system. So I get to wait and hope there will be anything left when I get there. I can't use fastpass+, so I HAVE to use regular fastpass, and it's going to be a very busy time of year. So will there be anything left?
So you get access to both... and I don't know that I'll even have access to one system.
I didn't pay less than you, I'm not staying offsite, I'm still throwing $7000 at Disney but I get to wonder if we'll stand in lines all darn day. And to add to the fun I get to watch people such as yourself justify why you think you deserve access to anything you can get your hands on. Disney asked you to participate. You know you could have said No. You wanted to test it. So really that doesn't wash.

 

[cigar95]

I was simply wondering, since you weren't able to pull a paper fastpass today, if something has changed recently to make magic band testers no longer able to pull paper fastpasses.

Yesterday at MK I was able to get FP using both my paper AP and my KTTW, while also using the FP+ I had scheduled in advance.

My American Express card, however resulted in "This is not a valid FastPass".

My next experiment will be to try and pull a FP using the water park tickets I recently converted to RFID. (Almost everything is a walk-on this week, especially with the weather, so my FP tests are strictly for the sake of expanding the universe of knowledge.)

 

[Ariel on Land]

Here's the thing though... now that a large majority of resorts are "magic band" resorts, you really don't get to "choose" the old system. You get bands as your KTTW card no matter what.

I'm seeing two different answers (and questions) depending on if I'm on my computer or on the MDE App.

On the app: Q: I am FP+ eligible, but I did not request FP+ selections ahead of time. When I arrive at the theme parks, can I still get regular FP?

A: No. If you are eligible for FP+ and you used a paperless ticket linked to your MB or KTTW card to enter, you are not eligible to use the regular FP system. However, if times are still available you can request selections on your mobile phone using the MDE app.

If you did not use a paperless ticket linked to a MB or KTTW card to enter the park, then you can use the regular FP distribution system.

But on the website-- I see this:


Q. If I don’t make FastPass+ selections in advance, will I be able to experience my favorite attractions at the theme parks?


A. All attractions still provide a standby queue—assuming they are not closed for refurbishment. If FastPass+ experiences are still available, you can make FastPass+ selections for attractions and entertainment online with your mobile phone or at a FastPass+ kiosk when you arrive at the park.

For even more on-the-go flexibility, download the My Disney Experience mobile app to select and modify FastPass+ experiences, plus access your vacation details, maps and up-to-the-minute information.

If you are not FastPass+ eligible, you are still eligible to use FASTPASS service. All FASTPASS tickets are subject to availability and are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.


So the FAQs aren't even giving the same answers!!!!

 

[RedHeadedFairy]

The field is level because getting to use mb/fp+ has associated costs that the other group does not incur.

In order to use the new system I must put up with a great deal of uncertainty. Will my colorful new room key actually open my door? Will my PP+ pics be there when I get home?

Also, I must limit my choice of resorts if I wish to try the new system. Does Disney tell you you can't pull paper fp if you stay at pofq? That's what we had to deal with.

You want to talk about leveling the playing field, come back when that first group of yours has to put up with the BS using the new system entails.

Yeah, it's a cool new system and I enjoy using it a great deal. Make no mistake though, Disney asked ME to test it for them not the other way around. I'm the one doing them the favor. And like many others, if it meant giving up the legacy fp system, I would not have signed up.

I'm sorry - I'm failing to see your major "sacrifice" here. You have to limit your hotel selection to CHOOSE to participate in this test & THAT's an inconvenience? Did Disney call you directly & say "Hey, Cobright! We reallly want you to test this system but you have to choose to stay in these hotels, sorry bud...." If your hotel choice was based around being able to participate in FP+ that's YOUR choice.

Where are the increased costs exactly? Last I heard Disney was providing MB's free of charge & there is no increase in your charges to utilize FP+ during your stay. How are YOUR costs higher than any other on-site visitor? In fact, I think others can say they will spend MORE for the same trip if they are staying in a pricier hotel not included in the testing.

 

[pigletto]

Here's the thing though... now that a large majority of resorts are "magic band" resorts, you really don't get to "choose" the old system. You get bands as your KTTW card no matter what.

I'm seeing two different answers (and questions) depending on if I'm on my computer or on the MDE App.

On the app: Q: I am FP+ eligible, but I did not request FP+ selections ahead of time. When I arrive at the theme parks, can I still get regular FP?

A: No. If you are eligible for FP+ and you used a paperless ticket linked to your MB or KTTW card to enter, you are not eligible to use the regular FP system. However, if times are still available you can request selections on your mobile phone using the MDE app.

If you did not use a paperless ticket linked to a MB or KTTW card to enter the park, then you can use the regular FP distribution system.

But on the website-- I see this:


Q. If I don’t make FastPass+ selections in advance, will I be able to experience my favorite attractions at the theme parks?


A. All attractions still provide a standby queue—assuming they are not closed for refurbishment. If FastPass+ experiences are still available, you can make FastPass+ selections for attractions and entertainment online with your mobile phone or at a FastPass+ kiosk when you arrive at the park.

For even more on-the-go flexibility, download the My Disney Experience mobile app to select and modify FastPass+ experiences, plus access your vacation details, maps and up-to-the-minute information.

If you are not FastPass+ eligible, you are still eligible to use FASTPASS service. All FASTPASS tickets are subject to availability and are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.


So the FAQs aren't even giving the same answers!!!!

 

[HollyEpcot]

Following this thread.

We have opted to help test FP+ but if we can't get paper fastpasses then we will probably drop it. One of my biggest concerns is getting to attractions on time- in the past we always used the MK Railroad to get around from one end of the park to another, but that will be out of service when we are at the park. We travel with several generations at the parks, so between mobility issues and bathroom stops (if Disney had a passport book for bathrooms, we'd have a complete set!) it is often hard to make return times even on the paper fastpasses. With FP+ there is no grace period for being late for return times. Has the grace period been eliminated for paper fastpasses? (I'm talking about a 15-20 minute grace period, not hours and hours). We travel in the off season to avoid crowds and generally just travel in a linear direction. Other than making the mistake of going to MK during Christmas taping, and missing out one year on BTMR (they ran out of fastpasses and grandpa was so disappointed! But not disappointed enough to wait in a 1 hr+ line) and Soarin (we had fastpasses but by that time it was too far to walk. At the time of that trip we hadn't been on it before, so we didn't realize what we were missing!)

As for the whole debate over fairness, the reality is, MB testers are performing a service for Disney- testing the system so Disney can get the bugs out. Instead of paying the testers, or giving them a discount on park admissions, Disney is paying the testers by giving them access to FP+. To avoid hurt feelings, Disney could have made the system open to everyone on a volunteer basis, or could have made it completely random, like they do when they give out PINs. Unfortunately, that isn't how Disney chose to roll this out. Disney picked which resorts would be involved in testing, and the testing dates. Please let's not blame fellow park goers- this whole system was devised by Disney and is being implemented by Disney. And while the parks and movies are amazing, that doesn't mean all of their corporate decisions are great!

 

[Sammie]

I have been advising and practicing something similar.

It needs to be understood this system should not be marginalized. It cannot be seen from inside a vacuum and we all need to understand what was yesterday may not be today and what is for this family may not be for our family.

If you agree to testing, you are agreeing to those terms. If you want control of your FPs, do not sign up for MB testing, otherwise, you could be at mercy of the attractions they push and their desire and/or ability to remove you from the paper FP system.

I agree and I think everyone that agrees to testing should be aware you might have problems and that is just the situation right now. If that would bother someone I would not advise participating.

 

[Reddog1134]

Here's the thing though... now that a large majority of resorts are "magic band" resorts, you really don't get to "choose" the old system. You get bands as your KTTW card no matter what.

I'm seeing two different answers (and questions) depending on if I'm on my computer or on the MDE App.

On the app: Q: I am FP+ eligible, but I did not request FP+ selections ahead of time. When I arrive at the theme parks, can I still get regular FP?

A: No. If you are eligible for FP+ and you used a paperless ticket linked to your MB or KTTW card to enter, you are not eligible to use the regular FP system. However, if times are still available you can request selections on your mobile phone using the MDE app.

If you did not use a paperless ticket linked to a MB or KTTW card to enter the park, then you can use the regular FP distribution system.

But on the website-- I see this:


Q. If I dont make FastPass+ selections in advance, will I be able to experience my favorite attractions at the theme parks?


A. All attractions still provide a standby queueassuming they are not closed for refurbishment. If FastPass+ experiences are still available, you can make FastPass+ selections for attractions and entertainment online with your mobile phone or at a FastPass+ kiosk when you arrive at the park.

For even more on-the-go flexibility, download the My Disney Experience mobile app to select and modify FastPass+ experiences, plus access your vacation details, maps and up-to-the-minute information.

If you are not FastPass+ eligible, you are still eligible to use FASTPASS service. All FASTPASS tickets are subject to availability and are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.


So the FAQs aren't even giving the same answers!!!!

Maybe I'm just overlooking it but where is the discrepancy between the 2 answers? They look like they are saying the same thing to me.

 

[JanaDee]

Where are the increased costs exactly? Last I heard Disney was providing MB's free of charge & there is no increase in your charges to utilize FP+ during your stay. How are YOUR costs higher than any other on-site visitor? In fact, I think others can say they will spend MORE for the same trip if they are staying in a pricier hotel not included in the testing.

The cost of the bands and overnight shipping will be slipped in somewhere. They aren't free.

 

[nansmama]

Has the grace period been eliminated for paper fastpasses?

Yes, it has.

 

[RedHeadedFairy]

The cost of the bands and overnight shipping will be slipped in somewhere. They aren't free.

But are those participating in FP+ testing ACTUALLY paying more than someone booking the same package & opting out of the testing? Right now, not at some hypothetical date in the future after the testing period ends. I don't believe so.

 

[JanaDee]

But are those participating in FP+ testing ACTUALLY paying more than someone booking the same package & opting out of the testing? Right now, not at some hypothetical date in the future after the testing period ends. I don't believe so.

Right now? My guess is no, but I can't say for certain.

 

[RedHeadedFairy]

Right now? My guess is no, but I can't say for certain.

As far as I know, no one has been given package pricing with & without FP+ as an option because it would be ridiculous to expect people to pay to participate in the testing.

Of course, in the future the costs will be rolled into the packages & the bands will be "free" - for ALL guests staying onsite, whether they choose to utilize the up & running FP+ or not.

The poster that I was originally replying to asserts that as FP+ TESTERS they are incurring "associated costs" that non-FP+ testers are not & I'm not seeing it.... unless they anticipate problems & consider their time at Guest Services to be "extra cost" I really don't see where they are coming from with that.

 

[mom2rtk]

But are those participating in FP+ testing ACTUALLY paying more than someone booking the same package & opting out of the testing? Right now, not at some hypothetical date in the future after the testing period ends. I don't believe so.

And those opting out of Magical Express don't pay any less than those opting in. But it's still not "free". It's built into the overhead spread among all guests.

 

[RedHeadedFairy]

And those opting out of Magical Express don't pay any less than those opting in. But it's still not "free". It's built into the overhead spread among all guests.

Exactly my point - the cost is spread out among everyone, not specific to the FP+ testers.

 

[JPorter044]

I just got back Saturday the 21st. We were able to pull normal FP with our KTTW cards in all 4 parks with no issues.

I did have one CM try to tell me I was only suppose to use old FP if I had issues with FP+.

 

[dayvewc]

But are those participating in FP+ testing ACTUALLY paying more than someone booking the same package & opting out of the testing? Right now, not at some hypothetical date in the future after the testing period ends. I don't believe so.

I would say that they are not PAYING more, but that the trip might COST them more - if there are issues.

Both people (MB opt in - person A, and MB opt out - person B) would pay the same amount for the package, room, tickets, etc. And as long as everything functions smoothly, the argument can be made that A is getting a better value (paying less cost) since he can double dip. However, if issues occur that interfere with the normal expectations of his vacation, A will lose value on his vacation, causing it to cost more because of lost opportunities. The ability to double dip makes up for the potential cost of lost vacation time/opportunities.

It is the exact same theory that DVC gives the FP cards for taking the tour. The time the cards saves makes up for the time lost on the tour.

Really, the 3 FP+ "make up" for any potential lost time caused by technology issues. So it's less a matter of the people using FP+ and double dipping into FP-, and more a matter of using FP- and being compensated for potential issues by getting access to 3 FP+.

IMHO, YMMV,

 

[asmit4]

So all onsiters for NOv. are signed up for FP+ like it or not....and as onsiters- we are not allowed more than 3FPs per day (all in 1 park too?) That STINKS. Seems staying offsite will have a bigger advantage with access to the old system. BOO