What gets me most is the hypocrites on this board

[GrimGrinningGhost25]

And a good part of this is not only because of the crap FP + system but from the people on this board that are scamming the system and double and triple dipping with all these FP's.

My personal feeling is that being part of the FP+\MB testing is a privilege for me and DH. I don't agree with the double dipping and do not intend to while I am there. I know people are saying that CM are telling guests they can, but I don't agree. I'm not here to tell anyone what to do. I feel that I agreed to be part of the testing and the parameters around testing are three a day so I'm sticking with that. Just my feelings, and everyone is free to do and think as they please. I'm not going to beat anyone down because they feel differently. I do understand why people don't like this system but I happen to really like it and I'm excited to use it.

 

[ShayBells]

That's actually the scenario when you use the idiom mark my words; nobody uses it when something's a certainty, they use it when they strongly believe they are right about something that is not certain.

I know what you meant. I just strongly believe everything will work out.

And I strongly believe fortune telling doesn't exist.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[MouseMomx2]

Personally, I think the biggest annoyance is people who complain and talk about how crappy something is before they've experienced it for themselves. Sure, the experiences other people post are helpful when planning and when evaluating something, but until I use FP+ the way I tour, I have no real way of knowing how it works for ME. I know how it works for this DISer or that DISer, but they're not me.

There are people here who have reported that FP+ worked just fine for them ... there are even fans of the system, who have used it and can't wait to use it again. I get that it's more fun and more human nature to read the negatives as validation and ignore the positives as anomalies, but the sample size here on the DIS is so minutely tiny that I can't imagine someone assuming the things posted here are representative of the system as a whole.

I do agree with someone upthread, though ... while it may seem cliché to say, "Well ... just don't go then!", it really is the only option. It's not like Disney's going to not roll out the rest of FP+. If it's something that someone is opposed to before they've even tried it, then choosing a vacation destination that doesn't have you stressed and angry before you've even left might make for a much better overall vacation experience.

 

[RyMickey]

There's plusses and minuses to the FP+ system that's for sure.

Will I enjoy not having to wake up and be at Hollywood Studios at 8:15am in order to ride Toy Story Midway Mania because of FP+? Sure.

However, I won't enjoy the fact that I've got to strategically plan out which park I'm visiting which day. Granted, for many, this commando-style of intricate planning is what they enjoy when they visit. For me, not so much.

And, quite honestly, time will certainly tell whether FP+ is as fantastic as these testers believe it to be. This is a program that seemingly ALL hotel guests will be able to partake in prior to their arrival. I imagine that currently not ALL hotel guests utilize FP-. Whether that be because of naivety or something else, it's simply not happening. Now, you're going to offer this perk to all hotel guests...and I can't help but think this is going to change the game quite a bit. That's tens of thousands (and more likely six figures) of pre-planned FP+'s...and I can guarantee you that the majority of these guests won't be wasting their FP+'s on the American Idol Experience. This makes it near impossible to NOT plan things far in advance, let alone making it more difficult for even a regular hotel guest to get the coveted FP+'s they want.

We'll see how this all shakes out (I was down there just last week, didn't utilize FP+ [was at Saratoga which didn't have it yet], and experienced some issues already), but how gung ho will people be about this when 59 days out, there aren't any Midway Mania passes available? I have to imagine as well that had Saratoga offered the program and FP+ was in full swing, our family would've been in trouble as the trip was planned spur of the moment three weeks ahead of time...so much for spur of the moment trips anymore...

(Once again, we have no idea how Disney will roll this thing out. It's all speculation. I'm just happy that I'm not going back for a while.)

 

[saskdw]

Many people including myself are not happy with this FP + mess. I have been going to WDW almost annually for 30 years or so. Most of those trips have been in the "slower" seasons and I have never once did a rope drop or have I planned what my schedule was for the day. We have always been able to do basically everything we wanted to do, we worked around the crowd and used our FP when they came into effect.


This FP + system is a joke. I don't want to plan on when I'm going to eat and when I'm going to ride this ride or that 3/4/5/6 months out. That's utterly ridiculous. Now you can't even go to the Park and get a FP because they are all gone early in the day because most are taken up by these people getting them in advance. And forget about getting in a stand by line now for the big attractions. And a good part of this is not only because of the crap FP + system but from the people on this board that are scamming the system and double and triple dipping with all these FP's. People complain about the crowds on this board but then they're quick to point out how they got triple the FPs they should have because they used their Magic Band, Their KTTK card and their old room key. Ridiculous.

I agree with Disney charging people who don't show up for Dining Reservations, in fact they should charge them the price of the minimum meal X number of guests the reservation is for. If they catch you in the system with more FPs than the permitted amount, you should have your FP privileges revoked for your entire length of admission.

I think the end result of the Magic Bands, Fastpass+, and new ADR policy will please alot more people than you think. Not everyone wants to get out of bed at 6-7am on their vacation to do rope drop and collect FP's. Some people can only go at busy times and they want to sleep in on their vacation, but still enjoy headline attractions and TS eating. I for one look forward to getting out of bed at 10am on our next WDW trip instead of 7am and already have FP's for the day. This will allow us to enjoy our vacation at a leasurely pace. I think you would be suprised how many people want to plan their WDW trips like this.

DIS boards is a very SMALL percentage of the poeple that go to WDW. I agree that DIS board people are among the most experienced and knowledgable in WDW vacations. I would say most relish the fact that they are more prepared than most other people at WDW and feel a certain satisfaction that they know things that most others vacationing at WDW don't. They are masters of the outgoing system. I think these new changes will level the playing field to a certain extent and alot of DIS members don't like that. They don't have as big of an advantage now.

The reality is there are alot more people WDW will be able to attract once these new policy's/systems are bug free and fully in affect. An inexperienced WDW traveller will now be able to go Christmas week and still enjoy themselves without doing months of research.

I think one point that's really being missed here is that you won't be able to book FP+ 6 months in advance and won't need to book ADR's 6 months in advance. The average family will be able to book FP+ and ADR's 30 days out and get everything they want. There will be a huge decrease in the number of ADR's and the need to book places like Le Cellier 6 months in advance. ADR's will most like be available anywhere you like as close as 30 days out.

Again, once the bugs are worked out I think it will create a more pleasant experience for a much larger number of people. Some DIS members will be unhappy because their years of experience no longer create a big advantage over the average person.

 

[Bullseye]

It honestly allowed us (my family ... not speaking for anyone else) to be MORE spontaneous, because we didn't have to run for a FP machine and then see what time we got before we planned what else we wanted to do. We knew going in that we had FPs for X ride at such-and-such a time, and an ADR for Y restaurant at such-and-such a time, and so the rest of the day was whatever we wanted to do. We didn't have to worry about only wanting to spend a half day at a park and then being "forced" to stay because our FP time was six hours away. And if we decided we needed to sleep in a bit, we knew we had our FPs in hand and could do that without missing a prime ride-return window.

We actually got up at 9am one morning, decided at the last minute to see if we could have breakfast at Kona Café (we had to wait 20 min, but we got in), and then headed over to DHS to ride TSM when our window opened just after noon. Without FP+, we'd have been up at the crack of dawn, in line at the Studios a half hour prior to opening having probably slammed down some pop-tarts and juice on the way, rushed over to TSM, and ended up with a FP for sometime mid-afternoon. No spontaneity there.

So ... for us ... it worked. And it worked well. We loved planning our must-dos in advance and letting the rest of the day unfold.

This is exactly why I'm going to like MB/FP+! I always hate having to rush through the parks not taking in everything there is to see just because I need to go secure a FP for something. We don't generally park hop nor use more than three FP's a day anyway. I have been through it yet, but I'm actually looking forward to it for all the reasons you mentioned WDsearcher!

 

[saskdw]

It honestly allowed us (my family ... not speaking for anyone else) to be MORE spontaneous, because we didn't have to run for a FP machine and then see what time we got before we planned what else we wanted to do. We knew going in that we had FPs for X ride at such-and-such a time, and an ADR for Y restaurant at such-and-such a time, and so the rest of the day was whatever we wanted to do. We didn't have to worry about only wanting to spend a half day at a park and then being "forced" to stay because our FP time was six hours away. And if we decided we needed to sleep in a bit, we knew we had our FPs in hand and could do that without missing a prime ride-return window.

We actually got up at 9am one morning, decided at the last minute to see if we could have breakfast at Kona Café (we had to wait 20 min, but we got in), and then headed over to DHS to ride TSM when our window opened just after noon. Without FP+, we'd have been up at the crack of dawn, in line at the Studios a half hour prior to opening having probably slammed down some pop-tarts and juice on the way, rushed over to TSM, and ended up with a FP for sometime mid-afternoon. No spontaneity there.

So ... for us ... it worked. And it worked well. We loved planning our must-dos in advance and letting the rest of the day unfold.

We will experience the new systems/policys for the first time this December and this is exactly the type of experience I'm looking forward to. I agree fully with everything you've posted in this thread.

 

[Brier Rose]

It honestly allowed us (my family ... not speaking for anyone else) to be MORE spontaneous, because we didn't have to run for a FP machine and then see what time we got before we planned what else we wanted to do. We knew going in that we had FPs for X ride at such-and-such a time, and an ADR for Y restaurant at such-and-such a time, and so the rest of the day was whatever we wanted to do. We didn't have to worry about only wanting to spend a half day at a park and then being "forced" to stay because our FP time was six hours away. And if we decided we needed to sleep in a bit, we knew we had our FPs in hand and could do that without missing a prime ride-return window. We actually got up at 9am one morning, decided at the last minute to see if we could have breakfast at Kona Café (we had to wait 20 min, but we got in), and then headed over to DHS to ride TSM when our window opened just after noon. Without FP+, we'd have been up at the crack of dawn, in line at the Studios a half hour prior to opening having probably slammed down some pop-tarts and juice on the way, rushed over to TSM, and ended up with a FP for sometime mid-afternoon. No spontaneity there. So ... for us ... it worked. And it worked well. We loved planning our must-dos in advance and letting the rest of the day unfold.

THIS!!! X's 1000!

 

[carrie1626]

I have to keep reminding myself that the larger % of visitors in WDW at any given time is going to be first time visitors.

The new generation wants and expects to be in the electronic/ gadget world.
The WDW Co. has to start gearing the experience towards this generation.


As sorry as that might be for some of us.

I'm already thinking that after my upcoming trip I'll not visit again until Disney Springs and Avatarland are open. I want something big and new, too!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I don't think I can accurately complain or defend the system since I haven't used it. It certainly sounds like a pain in the butt, though.

 

[DPickering]

Many people including myself are not happy with this FP + mess. I have been going to WDW almost annually for 30 years or so. Most of those trips have been in the "slower" seasons and I have never once did a rope drop or have I planned what my schedule was for the day. We have always been able to do basically everything we wanted to do, we worked around the crowd and used our FP when they came into effect. This FP + system is a joke. I don't want to plan on when I'm going to eat and when I'm going to ride this ride or that 3/4/5/6 months out. That's utterly ridiculous. Now you can't even go to the Park and get a FP because they are all gone early in the day because most are taken up by these people getting them in advance. And forget about getting in a stand by line now for the big attractions. And a good part of this is not only because of the crap FP + system but from the people on this board that are scamming the system and double and triple dipping with all these FP's. People complain about the crowds on this board but then they're quick to point out how they got triple the FPs they should have because they used their Magic Band, Their KTTK card and their old room key. Ridiculous. I agree with Disney charging people who don't show up for Dining Reservations, in fact they should charge them the price of the minimum meal X number of guests the reservation is for. If they catch you in the system with more FPs than the permitted amount, you should have your FP privileges revoked for your entire length of admission.

Haven't read the whole thread and I think your suggested penalties are a bit much but overall I agree. I have zero interest in scheduling my vacation time like that. This upcoming trip we are going to make no dining res's and if we use fp+ it will be a day or two in advance if at all.

 

[Shaden]

The amount of people currently testing is nothing compared to how many people will be using it next year at this time.

Yes, now, in testing moving times is generally easier. Availability isn't that much of an issue. That, is not the reality of what this system will be like.

Anyone thinking they'll be able to move their 10:20 FP+ for Toy Story to 5:45 on the same day is not thinking very realistically.



Oh, no doubt. It just has to be realized what you tested is not what will be in place when testing is completed and FP- is removed altogether.

Totally agree, and its a nonsense argument that so many are making "Oh just wait til its rolled out" that somehow there is going to be more capacity ??? Today people are reporting that by 9am and 10am Test Track's FP return was 6pm and Soarin FP was totally gone. This is not even a busy time of year.

FP+ is going to ruin the way most people (that I know at least) have enjoyed WDW. You are going to have to try and grab FP+ for the headliners 60 days out, and likely they will book completely 60 days out. There are really only 2 choices. Either you allow people to maximize FP+ bookings at the 60 day mark, and thus the lines at the parks are going to be stupid long and there will be no FP+ available that day. OR, you hold back some FP+ for the same day bookings, which means people will go online at 60 days and NOT be able to book their FP+s . If I went online 60 days before my trip and couldn't book any headliners for the days I wanted them, I would be cancelling my trip and taking my money elsewhere.

Now I know I know, they are also expanding the use of FP to other rides and attractions. This isn't going to solve the problem, people have google, they can google "what rides should I FP+". And lets say they don't. Again I will tell you what, if I am a WDW newb and I spend thousands of dollars for possibly the only trip my family will take (although, maybe we have more and WOULD return) ... and I get to WDW and have FP+ for Peter Pan and small world and Lilo and Stich ... but the standby lines for Space, splash, and Thunder are all 100 mins and I see people breezing through with their FP+ because they knew to book them, and I didn't. I am going to be pretty pissed as well ...

This is not going to serve Disney or its guests well ...

 

[JRawkSteady]

To the OP, the people who are getting paper FPs are not causing any sort of a difference in FP distribution. You have to realize a lot of the MB testers don't even know "double dipping" is an option! So THOSE people (the majority) aren't even touching paper FPs. Which MEANS that there should be MORE paper FPs available than there used to be.

Again, as I've said a trillion times.... THE TESTERS ARE ALLOWED TO GET BOTH FP+ AND FP-!!!!!!!! THAT IS THE BONUS OF BEING A TESTER!!! So why are people still arguing that fact!??! It's beyond ridiculous!! Nobody is messing with the system!

And believe me, when we went down, we could barely use the FP+, because it was inconvenient, slow, and a hindrance to our vacation. We ended up just using FP- instead and cancelling a lot of our FP+ reservations. The only times we had any use for the system were on busy days that we were not parkhopping. So, yes, as a tester, I can say that the system is terrible as it is. But there is nothing hypocritical about it. Blame Disney for releasing such an awkward and ineffective system. NOT the guests who are only doing what they were told they could do.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I feel really sorry for the folks who have offsite trips planned in the next few months, with expensive things like flights and rentals, and who don't even have access to FP+ yet. They didn't know all of this when they booked, so they couldn't have planned for it.

I think this is the new reality though going forward...same-day availability is just not going to be there, especially for the top rides during the busy weeks.

 

[MarieA]

Many people including myself are not happy with this FP + mess. I have been going to WDW almost annually for 30 years or so. Most of those trips have been in the "slower" seasons and I have never once did a rope drop or have I planned what my schedule was for the day. We have always been able to do basically everything we wanted to do, we worked around the crowd and used our FP when they came into effect.


This FP + system is a joke. I don't want to plan on when I'm going to eat and when I'm going to ride this ride or that 3/4/5/6 months out. That's utterly ridiculous. Now you can't even go to the Park and get a FP because they are all gone early in the day because most are taken up by these people getting them in advance. And forget about getting in a stand by line now for the big attractions. And a good part of this is not only because of the crap FP + system but from the people on this board that are scamming the system and double and triple dipping with all these FP's. People complain about the crowds on this board but then they're quick to point out how they got triple the FPs they should have because they used their Magic Band, Their KTTK card and their old room key. Ridiculous.

I agree with Disney charging people who don't show up for Dining Reservations, in fact they should charge them the price of the minimum meal X number of guests the reservation is for. If they catch you in the system with more FPs than the permitted amount, you should have your FP privileges revoked for your entire length of admission.

I agree with you 100%. As you can see from my signature, my DH and I are frequent visitors to WDW. We are not happy about MagicBands and this whole FP+ system. We do not want to plan our park days 45 days in advance. We will usually plan our what park we will visit that day at breakfast.

My daughter just returned from WDW and was part of the test group that used the MagicBand. There were certain things she liked about MagicBand, but she hated the whole FP+ system. She said the standby lines were really long and didn't like that she could only get 3 FP+ for the day. She missed one of her FP+s because her meal took longer than expected (she was seated late for her ADR). She also had park hoppers and didn't like that she could only get FP+ for one park each day.

When she returned she was asked to fill out a survey regarding the MagicBand and FP+ experience. She let WDW know what she liked and disliked about the new system. Hopefully, they will listen to guest feedback and make changes to the way the FP+ system works.

I am hoping that this issue is resolved by May which is when we will be returning to WDW.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

Well, look at it for the locals - it's even harder for us now.

We can't get into any restaurants that are gigantic favorites anymore (Ohana, for instance - forget about finding anything in the next month and honestly, how do I know I want to plan exactly what day I want to go and what I want to eat when I go on a random Saturday? That's part of the "fun" of living behind WDW - NOT having to plan far in advance). We can't get Fast Passes anymore. We basically walk around the park the entire day, looking for the shortest line, and just get into that.

I personally don't like the idea of the whole Magic Band/Fast Pass +. Honestly wish Disney would scrap the whole thing and go back to how they were when they first opened - no Fast Passes, just get in line and go with the flow.

 

[surferdave]

To the OP, the people who are getting paper FPs are not causing any sort of a difference in FP distribution. You have to realize a lot of the MB testers don't even know "double dipping" is an option! So THOSE people (the majority) aren't even touching paper FPs. Which MEANS that there should be MORE paper FPs available than there used to be.

Again, as I've said a trillion times.... THE TESTERS ARE ALLOWED TO GET BOTH FP+ AND FP-!!!!!!!! THAT IS THE BONUS OF BEING A TESTER!!! So why are people still arguing that fact!??! It's beyond ridiculous!! Nobody is messing with the system!

And believe me, when we went down, we could barely use the FP+, because it was inconvenient, slow, and a hindrance to our vacation. We ended up just using FP- instead and cancelling a lot of our FP+ reservations. The only times we had any use for the system were on busy days that we were not parkhopping. So, yes, as a tester, I can say that the system is terrible as it is. But there is nothing hypocritical about it. Blame Disney for releasing such an awkward and ineffective system. NOT the guests who are only doing what they were told they could do.

Don't worry about the people who are ranting about "double dipping" as they've termed it, they don't understand beta testing and their opinion never mattered anyway. Just let them scream at the walls and chew on their leather straps.

 

[kmb584]

And a good part of this is not only because of the crap FP + system but from the people on this board that are scamming the system and double and triple dipping with all these FP's. People complain about the crowds on this board but then they're quick to point out how they got triple the FPs they should have because they used their Magic Band, Their KTTK card and their old room key. Ridiculous.

I agree with Disney charging people who don't show up for Dining Reservations, in fact they should charge them the price of the minimum meal X number of guests the reservation is for. If they catch you in the system with more FPs than the permitted amount, you should have your FP privileges revoked for your entire length of admission.

I agree with all of the above, ten times over.

I find those who utilize FP+ for 3 headlining attractions and then proceed to pull two sets of legacy FP, one with their KTTW card and another with an old room card, for either the same headlining attractions or for other popular attractions to be incredibly selfish. Just because Disney hasn't stepped up to the plate and addressed the issue of stopping such greed, it doesn't mean that a person needs to have in hand 3 sets of FP for one attraction.

I'm wondering what the heck I'm in for once we arrive tomorrow. We're AP holders but aren't able to access FP+ yet. This is our off-site trip as in the spring I shell out it out by the thousands for a deluxe club level villa. Disney has seen enough of my money, believe me. I know their hopes were that with the FP+ system expediting attraction wait times people would have more time to spend money. What they didn't think about though is that this group of us stuck in a 2 hour stand-by queue because FP were gone within 30 minutes of park opening are going to be in a state of angered disappointment and will probably not be spending money.

 

[WDSearcher]

Now I know I know, they are also expanding the use of FP to other rides and attractions. This isn't going to solve the problem, people have google, they can google "what rides should I FP+". And lets say they don't. Again I will tell you what, if I am a WDW newb and I spend thousands of dollars for possibly the only trip my family will take (although, maybe we have more and WOULD return) ... and I get to WDW and have FP+ for Peter Pan and small world and Lilo and Stich ... but the standby lines for Space, splash, and Thunder are all 100 mins and I see people breezing through with their FP+ because they knew to book them, and I didn't. I am going to be pretty pissed as well ...

But isn't that true anywhere? Those people who do their research are always better off than the people who don't. If I book a trip to Europe but get stuck at the airport because I don't have the proper documentation, is that my fault or the airline's fault? If I show up at 9am on Black Friday to get a flatscreen for $20, and the store advertised that deal as only available between 3-4am, is it the store's fault that I didn't read the ad?

If I don't know that I should book Space, Splash and Thunder on my one and only trip to WDW (and presuming my family and I love coasters), then clearly I haven't done a lick of research. Otherwise, why would I book PP, iasm and L&S? And if I'm not going to do any research for this incredibly expensive vacation I'm taking, then is it my fault or Disney's that I now have to wait 100 min to ride a "mountain"?

Even under the "old" FP system, there were plenty of people who didn't know anything about FP. There are posts all over the DIS where people make fun of people who stand there and give dirty looks to the FP lines because the "newbies" didn't do their research. How is your scenario different?

One would hope that if someone's going to spend the same amount on a vacation that they would on a car (ok ... a used car), they'd do at least a little bit of research before getting to the front gates.

 

[LadyBeBop]

I feel really sorry for the folks who have offsite trips planned in the next few months, with expensive things like flights and rentals, and who don't even have access to FP+ yet. They didn't know all of this when they booked, so they couldn't have planned for it.

That would be me. We arrive at Wyndham Bonnet Creek in six days. I get this sick feeling that our MK days will be limited to Stitch's Great Escape and the People Mover.