There is absolutely no down side to FP+ - just back!

[MolonLabe]

I'm not going to lie. Paper fastpass is awesome. I am an aggressive rider. Always having a fastpass for a ride as soon as I can get it. Never standing in standby unless there was no fastpass. Grabbing fastpasses for my favorites multiple times a day. It was the life.

I would probably get 8-10 fastpasses a day. No more of that. I will still go. I will still love disney. My touring style is forcibly changing. It will cause us aggressive riders to standby more. It's gonna be a bitter pill for me and all who tour fast and furious. I guess if you're a slowpoke and ride 4-5 rides a day yeah.....you'll probably love it. I'm a 15-20 ride girl.....well......not anymore .

Same here. Our plans are based completely around fastpasses. The second our window opens, I get a new fastpass.

At MK, 8-10 fastpasses is the norm for us. While my wife stroll from one location to the other, I jog from one side of the park to the other for our passes.

Only having 3 FP's for MK is going to suck. A lot.

I'll be testing the FP+ next month. I'm looking forward to having 3 "bonus" fastpasses on top of what I'd normally pull.

I'm not naive enough to think that the limited testing now is indicative of the future.

------------

"Fair" I hear that ugly word being bantered about as if the current system is unfair.

The current system is as fair as it gets. Everyone gets the same chances on the same day.

Today, ironically, some friends dropped by to ask for some Disney tips, they were going to the first week of September.... two weeks ago as I was about to find out.

They told me about some of what they wanted to do, like CRT and BBB... I asked about their reservations. They said they just cashed in their airline miles and got their flight and wanted to talk to me first about the best times...

I made the best suggestions I could... at least they are going during a lower crowd week.

They would be completely screwed under just a FP+ scenario.

Doesn't anyone here remember what it was like in WDW before the fastpass system?

Going back to that system with 3 fastpasses only? Disney is trying like mad to become Six Flags and I don't waste my time there.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Trip Reports board.

 

[Punzie]

 

[DisneyFanSince71]

I don't think it is going to be as bad as sine some people think, but I do think that it will affect different people differently based on touring styles. Some negatively, some positive.

Look at it this way. Say 80,000 people visited the magic kingdom today and no one used fp+, but continued with the old system. All of the rides would continue and the shows would go on. Take the exact same scenario and take away old fastpass system and insert the new one. Guess what? 80,000 people still visit the magic kingdom, the rides operate the same number of times as before, and the same amount of shows go on. Someone is still filling those spots of the 80,000 people in the park. But it is more balanced out.

If Disney continues with 3 fp+ per person, then no one would be able to have much of an advantage over the next person. It balances out.

The new system seems positive for the laid back person, but for those that tour more aggressively, it clearly appears it is going to be negative.

The aggressive tourist will ride less rides, while the typical laid back tourist will now probably ride more.

But in the end everything balances itself out. There are still the same number of seats filled using the same number of people in the park.

Just my thoughts.

I like and agree with most of what you said. It hasn't been a level playing field, the premium has been to get to park early to get best selection. This despite the fact that everyone pays the same Disney fare. The disadvantage is to those who show up late.

The counter argument is that this system isn't any more fair than the last. The advantage goes to the technically literate and those that can prebook many days in advance. The biggest disadvantage goes to those who plan late. However, everyone is inconvenienced to have to take more time to make a ride reservation than the actual time of the ride.

This has all the marks of PR disaster waiting to happen (aka new Coke did very well in the focus groups, they just couldn't "explain it so well" when announced it to the population at large).

When this gets announced, as its understood, when will someone make a viral You Tube video of someone trying to make a ride reservation and it takes 20 minutes but then it conflicts with the ADR and then when they realize they can't do both and when they call a Disney representative to help them resolve the problem and getting a "I'm sorry sir this conflicts with our policy" type of answer.

And what is Disney doing with all this new information? And heaven help them if their answer is that they are "enhancing the guest experience?" (Think when Dell tried to enhance their bottom line by not putting the customer support line on their website).

This is going to be very interesting.

 

[EMom]

 

[Disney_Princess83]

a

 

[Angel Ariel]

The aggressive tourist will ride less rides, while the typical laid back tourist will now probably ride more.

We do laid back touring..no FP running, rarely rope drop (though not usually long after)...and we *easily* got 5-6 FPs/day. I had 3 w/i a few minutes of walking into MK the day we were there for rope drop. We got one for Mickey (disconnected), Mickey's spit out a Bonus FP for Dumbo (doesn't count against FP limit), and then one for the Princesses (which did count against the limit).

Yes, Mickey was disconnected, *but* it clearly stated on the FP ticket that I could get another FP immediately. So while I knew that little tidbit from the DIS, where others wouldn't necessarily, it was printed for anyone to read.

Those two FP machines are right next to each other..so w/i 5 mins of being in the park, I had 3 FPs w/return times appx an hour away. I think the next FP we got was for Buzz or Space..whichever it was, the window wasn't far out for that FP either.

 

[mrsmomo]

Multiple FP guy here....we are the minority and Disney cares about the majority. More people like to sleep in and like to get FPs when they do. This will make them happy, but it sucks for us.

I also read something I am more concerned about as rumors are mulling around....0 FP+ for off site per day, 1 FP+ for value, 2 FP+ for Mods, and 3 FP+ for Deluxe. If this were to happen, I would find myself never going to DL again. I can't afford the higher priced resorts and won't wait in long standby lines. Getting one FP just wouldn't cut it, we are worried about only getting 3, but it could be even less.

Guess I would just have to find other places to vacation.

See I think this is a great hook 4 Disney but I would hope it would be more like 3 for value, 4 for mods, and 5 for deluxe. Giving the incentive to stay @ a deluxe but also incentive to just stay on property for the magic bands. But i don't think this is the case as I have heard and read they are supposed to be available to everyone

 

[coozieman]

Also DVC members are not excluded, they just did a test at Bay Lake Towers, not sure where you got that info. The roll out is going to Jambo House with arrivals in early September and Beach Club Villas.

I am surprised they went ahead and let you test in advance of the planned schedule.

I mis-spoke - DVC members at AK. Non DVC at Jambo were/are included this month

 

[coozieman]

You have your answer t o "I'm not sure why" in your own sentenced. Op started the entire thread being rude and condescending clearly must be a natural state. There is no reason to start out a thread on something so impersonal as testing a system by insulting people.

And the continued and even ramped up condescension with "ninnies" and completely unrelated political digs shows a closed minded person who thinks their opinion is the only right ones.

So you ninnies stop explaining why op doesn't understand how the system will work and hop on over to universal where all you anti Obama care people belong.

Punzie - by no means was I being condescending and rude with my opening statement- I was simply stating a fact. The DIS forums are filled with comments being made by folks that have yet to use the FP+ system and are basing their opinions purely on speculation.

Fact: As it sits today - one is able to get 3-4 FP+ reservations per day(MK is tossing in a bonus FP) Not a fact once the system goes live: One is able to get 3-4 (MK is tossing in a bonus FP) Fast Passes a day. This statement that is constantly being criticized is based purely on speculation.

Fact: Paper fast passes are going away eventually
Fact: All of the paper fast passes will be converted into FP+ - allowing for thousands and thousands of FP+ daily reservations
Fact: Very few attractions run out of paper FP today (TT, Soarin and Toy Story Mania are the only ones that come to mind) - so why will it be any different once the system goes live?

Based on these items - how can one make a statement that the system is already destined for failure?

 

[Mad Hattered]

 

[delmar411]

Punzie - by no means was I being condescending and rude with my opening statement- I was simply stating a fact. The DIS forums are filled with comments being made by folks that have yet to use the FP+ system and are basing their opinions purely on speculation.

Fact: As it sits today - one is able to get 3-4 FP+ reservations per day(MK is tossing in a bonus FP) Not a fact once the system goes live: One is able to get 3-4 (MK is tossing in a bonus FP) Fast Passes a day. This statement that is constantly being criticized is based purely on speculation.

Fact: Paper fast passes are going away eventually
Fact: All of the paper fast passes will be converted into FP+ - allowing for thousands and thousands of FP+ daily reservations
Fact: Very few attractions run out of paper FP today (TT, Soarin and Toy Story Mania are the only ones that come to mind) - so why will it be any different once the system goes live?

Based on these items - how can one make a statement that the system is already destined for failure?

I've used the system way more than you, likely more than anyone else who has ever used it TBH, with success and with short term planning (aka decide to go to parks and book for within the hour). I hold no delusions that this short term planning will be successful in the future.

I very much enjoy being able to schedule a ride for the next hour or guesstimating the hour where I'll want to be in the parks on a certain day. BUT it now feels like something I have to do or else it will be an issue. My kids hate it because I keep telling them we are late for our appointment or we have to get there before our appointment, etc etc. We normally just go with the flow and go where ever the kids want to go next.

I'm concerned about same day availability for the most part, plus how to secure multiple rides on the same attraction if I can't be there in the morning. These are concerns that most locals will share. Also as an AP holder if my 7day limit on booking is held even when staying on site, that makes AP holders 2nd class citizens. Since I've dump a ton of money into DVC, that doesn't sit right with me.

Will the system crash and burn? I have no idea. But I do suspect things will be ugly for quite a while until the dust settles. Disney will either hold strong and move forward with possible alterations of the system or they will crumble and back off and go back to the status quo. There will be many guests that regardless of wide spread info, will arrive without a clue and those people will have the biggest issues with this changeover.

And being able to ride multiple attractions is often hinged on the smart use of FP. For many families with diverse needs and interests, standard FP allows them to enjoy all the FP attractions without deciding which members of the family get to wait in the FP line and which ones have to wait in SB. If your family doesn't fall into that category it is probably really hard to understand the choices and trade offs that will have to be made or that the family vacation won't be much of a whole family vacation if everyone is constantly split up going in different directions.

These are are valid and legitimate concerns and shouldn't be dismissed just because someone else is able to do commando RD to close touring.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Thanks Coozieman for the review. I think that has pointed out a lot of the potential positives of the new system.

I do agree with a lot of the comments that your experience is on the TESTING PHASE of the system and once it goes live it might not be the same, BUT all of the negatives thoughts about what will happen are also basing that on a system that is not fully up and running and had a chance to work the kinks out

Will there be issues, especially early? sure. Will some people have to adjust how they tour the parks? Sure - but I bet after a while people will figure out the best way to use the new system.

Maybe this is just my Disney-colors glasses talking but I have trouble believing they would spend millions of dollars to put in a system that is "destined for failure"

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

how can one make a statement that the system is already destined for failure?

Your thread wasn't started with the statement that FP+ isn't destined for failure but that FP+ has "absolutely no down side". There is no way this statement can be true because any system is bound to have some down sides. For our family, no matter how you saying, 3 or 4 FP+s is a down side. You yourself stated that the days of 8 FPs a day is over. So how can that not be a down side to someone?? How about your children now not being able to ride their favorite ride more than once without the possibility of waiting in a long SB line. That wasn't a concern with the old system. How is that not a down side??

There a couple of positives to the new system but to our family they are far too few but to start a thread with the heading "There is absolutely no down side to FP+" was just asking for people to disagree with you. Top that with the name calling and "list" of naysayers that don't like FP+ and it indeed comes across as rude and condescending. It doesn't help that you still believe that there wasn't anything rude in your opening post.

BTW...I do NOT need to use the system to know that 3 or 4 FP+s will never be enough for our family and I do not need to try the system to know that only 1 FP+ per ride per day is a down side for MY family. So very glad it wasn't for yours.

 

[OhMari]

I'm closing down the thread.
This is the Trip Report Board not a debate board.
Sorry.