I've read the writing on the wall, and its not a great big beautiful tomorrow

[Magic Band Defender]

Yikes!

Is it true they have no rider swap?

I did my research/planning online before we went to DLR, and I went in thinking Rider Swap would be the same as WDW. We have never used it much, but it does occasionally come in handy. The first day they turned us down at Haunted Mansion, which I understood because technically my child could go on the ride. (He has some sensory issues that make him unable to go on some rides he could physically/height-wise go on). I thought I had read online that they did offer Rider Swap for Soarin (which my child is too short to ride). But we were turned away at the podium at Soarin. I was totally confused. I asked for clarification, and they do NOT do Rider Swap at Soarin and the child is not allowed in the queue (as of 6/14).

 

[mom2rtk]

What is RSR and what makes it worth it?

It's what you get when you spend $1B on attractions instead of a ride rationing system.

It's the premiere ride in Carsland and one of the best additions to a Disney park in decades. It's the perfect mix of dark ride and thrill ride.

IMG_7245 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[BarbieGal457]

It was different regarding how the skip the line opportunities were distributed and who was able to get them. Disney in effect eliminated: having FPs for the full set of attractions in the park available in their entirety for the day first thing in the morning; the ability to get FPs for the same attraction more than once per day (unless you could get a repeat one once your original 3 were used or expired); and the ability to guarantee yourself a skip the line on very popular attractions merely by arriving early (now it may even depend solely on where you decided to arrange for lodging). If you hate these changes, you will have a bad time.

But if you like these changes, you will have a good time. Trust me the tiers annoy the heck out of me. What I'm trying to say is, not everyone wants to use vacation to get up before the birds to guarantee FP. I don't want to get up first thing in the morning to be at a park at 8am when that is exactly what I do at home for work! I got more than one FP for the same attraction on NYE, so I don't get how old FP was better in that sense. You still get the ability to skip lines, so I don't understand that benefit of old FP either. If you lost out, you lost out - old FP or new. It has to be accepted this benefits people who have zero desire to be at a theme park at 7am to guarantee FPs. It's just silly to think that everyone tours that way.

And yes - the distribution was different because you have people who would get there at 7am, and then repeatedly take multiple FPs for rides constantly. Also, many fewer people were informed about the system and how it worked. You can't fault Disney for doing something to make it fairer overall. It's not fair that people who can't get there or don't want to get there at 7-8am should be forced to miss out on FPs. Sorry if you can't now get 7 FPs for Soarin' because they are more evenly distributed among guests who aren't forcing themselves to be there before the sun.

Either way, I can appreciate differing opinions on this as they are almost always valid concerns, but I do not wish to start any arguments or big disagreements on this.

 

[JanaDee]

It's what you get when you spend $1B on attractions instead of a ride rationing system.

It's the premiere ride in Carsland and one of the best additions to a Disney park in decades. It's the perfect mix of dark ride and thrill ride.

IMG_7245 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Wow, that looks amazing!!

 

[itchin2go]

I really am not trying to be snarky at all, but that will be the case with every and any new system anywhere, not just Disney. New systems will always make others lose their solutions that were provided by the old system, yet for some who the old system was not a solution for (like me sometimes), the new system will in fact now provide them with a solution. It's just give and take when things change.

True.

I don't want to be seen as a FP+ apologist. I think the whole MDE/Magicbands/FP+ idea was really silly. I don't think it's nearly as exciting to us as it was to the Disney execs. I think the amount of money they sunk into it was utter folly.

That said, my trip AFTER the advent of those things was pretty much the same as my trips BEFORE (except that I had a colorful new bracelet ). That cuts 2 ways. (1) It underscores the point that the "innovations" didn't really change much at all ... at a high price tag, but also (2) everything is not gloom and doom because so little actually changed.

I DO see that some things did change. Every day is not a new even playing field. You can't amass and use tons of paper FPs every day. Maybe you can't ride your favorite ride over and over anymore. Maybe lines for middle of the road attractions have increased incrementally (though not perceptibly by me).

However, you can't blame FP+ because SDMT is the newest, shiniest toy in the parks and thus the busiest. MAYBE you would have fared better with FP- .... maybe not .... no way to know. You can blame FP+ for many things. I get that. But you can't blame it for long lines at the newest attraction.

 

[Magic Band Defender]

We're not close to either park. We're smack dab in the middle of the country. I'm still waiting for Disney to split the difference and put one here.

I would love that! Texas maybe? (And I don't live in Texas, or a bordering state)

 

[BarbieGal457]

I get that. But when someone like the OP comes along and expresses her frustration, I just wish people would quit telling them how wrong they are.

Oh I totally agree with you, they aren't wrong at all. I can totally understand the frustration over this, and I find the venting to be completely valid 99.9% of the times. I guess maybe I'm just more accepting of the system change, and at Disney I really do tend to go with the flow, so maybe that is why I have very little frustration over it. Overall, it greatly benefits me more than it detracts from my experience. But I do agree, no one is wrong in their opinions either way over the topic.

 

[mom2rtk]

I would love that! Texas maybe? (And I don't live in Texas, or a bordering state)

Still not close for me, but better than the alternatives. So yeah, I could get behind that.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

But if you like these changes, you will have a good time.

That won't change anything for the guests who hate them, so they come here to vent. Of course airing it publicly is going to get all sorts of opinions in return. Disney has anticipated that more guests will like the changes than hate them. It'll still be a couple of years before that shakes out.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Not just park hoppers but the current pricing structure that allows admission at a greatly reduced price on the out days.

No way would I pay full admission for DHS. I probably wouldn't for Epcot either. Not sure about AK.

When is your next trip? If it's anytime soon...you'll probably throw AK into that bucket. Unless you like feeling like this:

We really enjoy AK normally, but all the walls really detract from the experience.

 

[Planogirl]

OP, I sympathize with your feelings. You are not wrong because this is how it is in your world. I'm very frustrated with some of the changes so I can understand how maddening this can be.

 

[PA Disneymania]

If you can snag an ADR for BOG pre-park opening, those guests are admitted into the Fast Pass line before the guests coming from the main entrance arrive at SDMT. We were in the third "train" to leave the station last week and exited the ride before the 9:00 hour struck.

 

[mom2rtk]

When is your next trip? If it's anytime soon...you'll probably through AK into that bucket. Unless you like feeling like this:

We really enjoy AK normally, but all the walls really detract from the experience.

LOL, I definitely don't need a dose of that.

We're visiting the MK in June. No other parks, and I'm really fine with that.

 

[mom2rtk]

If you can snag an ADR for BOG pre-park opening, those guests are admitted into the Fast Pass line before the guests coming from the main entrance arrive at SDMT. We were in the third "train" to leave the station last week and exited the ride before the 9:00 hour struck.

And while breakfast at BOG is expensive, it's less expensive than staying onsite.

 

[5kidsmommy]

The good news for me is we are Cedar Point pass holders. We spend our summers in crazy long lines, you can skip them but you get to pay $75+ each/per day for that privilege. So my kids are used to 60 minutes being a short line. 2 hour lines are the norm. It's crazy, yet we keep going back.

So yeah Disney standby lines, not so bad. I a, one of those who actually likes FP+, I have teenagers, they aren't really fans of rope drop. With the old system we rarely got the fast passes we wanted because we never got there early enough.

The sad fact is they will never please everyone. There will always be people who the system doesn't work for, it's not perfect but I do like the perks of it. I hate ADRs though, we do not do sit down meals because I won't deal with that crap.

 

[cakebaker]

If you can snag an ADR for BOG pre-park opening, those guests are admitted into the Fast Pass line before the guests coming from the main entrance arrive at SDMT. We were in the third "train" to leave the station last week and exited the ride before the 9:00 hour struck.

This what we're doing as well. I thought at first glance it was a pretty expensive meal- but when you break it down, it's not all that bad in the world of Disney dining.

 

[Shaden]

OP - rough situation, and understandably frustrated.

PP - People who are defending Disney on this because "its a new ride" or "Look at opening day for X ride" you are missing the point.

Yes Mine Train is "new" but its not opening day, but people are still trying to get their first rides in on it, all the return guests etc, so sure its still quite popular.

But here is the Rub, the issue the PP is having is the result of FP+, not a "New Ride". Before FP+, he could have just showed up at RD, walked over, pulled a FP, and come back at whatever time they got. Now sure that means a less planned out day, and there was no way to control what time he/she got, but they would have the FP, no question.

Now, they are shut out for 30 days, and the pool of FPs are gone before they even get in the park.

For no other ride was this true in the history of Disney, that 70% of the capacity could be booked 60 days before the park even opened. This isn't just "its a new ride" its "its a new ride with FP+" and there is a HUGE difference.

The OP is also correct in worrying about how this is going to play out for other attractions. Every new attraction is going to be like this ... its going to be "get on at 60 or good luck".

Now people can come in and post pictures about how THEY were able to get what they wanted under 60, but the Math of the capacity of these rides dictates that not everyone can, far from it, and this is far from the first story like this we have heard, its becoming a pretty regular thing here. Think about how regular it must be out in the real world of Disney vacations, at least here we know what we are doing for the most part, we know what to prioritize and when to get on etc .... had a student come to my last week and tell me I would be excited for her news ... they are going to WDW for 2 weeks in May !!! Awesome I said, where are you staying (fort wilderness), cool never stayed there but its right near wilderness lodge which I love. Have you booked your Fast Passes yet ??? Um ... fast what ?

 

[focusondisney]

checked the Dibb and yeah they have no availability on 7DMT for a couple of days in the Memorial Day weekend and the weekend after that. Part of that is about the 24 hour event no doubt. I'd keep checking. You may at least be able to find them for the child and an adult.

I don't do rope drop so I think FP+ can be an advantage in that area. If you can get the fastpasses.

I did wait for an hour to ride Escape from Gringotts and it was worth it. I think Disney visitors sometimes suffer from "there is no way I am going to wait longer than 20 minutes for anything."

The OP is trying for what is sure to be a very busy time. I think her inability to get a FP for the most popular attraction @ MK is being affected by the dates she is looking for at least as much as it is by the FP+ system. The 24 hour event over the holiday weekend has probably caused some folks that previously would have stayed offsite to book onsite. Both for the early booking advantage & the ease of getting to/from the park.

 

[eliza61]

There are other highly effective strategies you can utilize that allows you to experience in demand attractions with little to no line, they are: rope drop, during parades or fireworks, and/or just before close.

LOL. this is how I know I've out lived my love for Disney. Just the sheer fact that I now need "stratergies" while on vacation is enough for me to throw in a towel.

I want a vacation, not the d-day invasion of Normandy.

 

[mom2rtk]

LOL. this is how I know I've out lived my love for Disney. Just the sheer fact that I know need "stratergies" while on vacation is enough for me to throw in a towel.

I want a vacation, not the d-day invasion of Normandy.