4th Fastpass easier today 6/7 than yesterday?

[SBWB48]

I have no issue with this scenario. But then they need to not let FPs be changed between parties unless both bands have been used to enter a park.

This complicates things for many large families. Consider the fact that things happen, child 1 doesn't feel well, mom stays behind that day with child 1, and dad and child 2 go to the parks. It would be unfortunate that child 2 and dad can't change the FPs over (esp. Tier 1s that they legitimately booked with tickets) simply because half their party had to stay behind for valid reasons. This is also likely why the function still exists. Sometimes, valid reasons triumph 'other' reasons and the process is in place to provide the benefit of the doubt those with valid ones more so than trying to police the minority, IMO.

 

[jas80]

How would that work though? I can't see how these unofficial guides could do this. For themselves, sure. But not for clients.

I don't know much about the guide services, but I assume that the guide is in the park with the clients, right? At that point, it just becomes a matter of scanning the correct band at the FP tapstiles. No need to even "change party."

The guide would simply have to go through the monotonous exercise of entering the park with AP1, exiting, re-entering with AP2, exiting, re-entering with AP3, etc.

 

[jas80]

How would an unoffical tour guide use more than one AP/finger scan to enter the park? The CM is not going to let them just stand there and scan multiple bands for only 1 person.

Immediately exit and re-enter (from a different line).

 

[Shanti]

I guess it's good that Disney is trying to do something about the loopholes, but I think the only people that WON'T be deterred by this solution are the unofficial tour guides who are profiting. This will only serve to put a small dent in their profits. Now they'll just have to purchase additional, legitimate APs, use those additional APs for actual entrance to the park, and they're right back where they started before the loopholes were closed.

At a cost of $650 per AP, if the guide is in the park 220 days per year, that's an incrimental cost of only about $3 per day for 3 additional FPs per day. A small cost to pass on to the clients.

The capital needed to buy all of those annual passes might be daunting to an unofficial tour guide, especially considering that Disney is finally taking action against FP loopholes. I also question how the tour guide would scan all of those APs in. Wouldn't he be noticed going back & forth through ticketing again and again? Especially doing it on a regular basis, day after day?

 

[Gentry2004]

This complicates things for many large families. Consider the fact that things happen, child 1 doesn't feel well, mom stays behind that day with child 1, and dad and child 2 go to the parks. It would be unfortunate that child 2 and dad can't change the FPs over (esp. Tier 1s that they legitimately booked with tickets) simply because half their party had to stay behind for valid reasons. This is also likely why the function still exists. Sometimes, valid reasons triumph 'other' reasons and the process is in place to provide the benefit of the doubt those with valid ones more so than trying to police the minority, IMO.

I disagree. Dad and Child 2 don't get to use 6 prebooked FP's each just because Mom and child 1 stayed home. Especially when only 2 ticket entitlements were used that day.

 

[mom2rtk]

This complicates things for many large families. Consider the fact that things happen, child 1 doesn't feel well, mom stays behind that day with child 1, and dad and child 2 go to the parks. It would be unfortunate that child 2 and dad can't change the FPs over (esp. Tier 1s that they legitimately booked with tickets) simply because half their party had to stay behind for valid reasons. This is also likely why the function still exists. Sometimes, valid reasons triumph 'other' reasons and the process is in place to provide the benefit of the doubt those with valid ones more so than trying to police the minority, IMO.

That function never exited with legacy FP, so I just don't see the need here. Dad and child 2 still get to go on what's booked on their tickets just like everyone else in the park.

 

[jas80]

The capital needed to buy all of those annual passes might be daunting to an unofficial tour guide, especially considering that Disney is finally taking action against FP loopholes & might eventually find a way to close the change party loophole (when it's misused). I also question how the tour guide would scan all of those APs in. Wouldn't he be noticed going back & forth through ticketing again and again?

The change party loophole wouldn't even be necessary. The guide is there in the park with the bands. Just scan those bands at the FP entrance. Why would someone be noticed exiting and re-entering? There are so many entrance tapstiles to choose from.

Whether the capital investment is worth it is really just a question of how profitable the tour guide services are (and whether the additional cost could be passed along to the clients).

Disney's counter-move could just be to simply ban these few tour guides from the parks. It's private property after all -- they can ban someone for any reason, or for no reason at all.

 

[Shanti]

That function never exited with legacy FP, so I just don't see the need here. Dad and child 2 still get to go on what's booked on their tickets just like everyone else in the park.

Agreed. I'm tired of seeing that scenario being used to justify the "need" for a change party function for tickets never used to enter the parks. There is no need for other members of the party to profit off of a sick person's inability to go. The proponents act like that's some kind of right.

I really doubt this "sick family member" scenaro happens often, anyway. It's just an excuse people use to justify their desire to keep that version of the change feature open, so they can use it to transfer FPs from non-entry tickets into their own tickets in the park. I wish Disney would close that loophole.

 

[jaysmom4285]

it's interesting to see that point of reference vs reports about how many more FP+ are available now than before. I always travel in a party of 2 as well... though I have never seen 7DMT or FEA day of... but that is because those are usually gone well before day of and have limited capacity (they added capacity at Soarin' and TSMM and now those are often available day of). Then again first week of december last year was WAY busier than I remember it being. Honestly if they could stuff the discussion about how awesome it is go to during that time back in the bag I'd appreciate it so it can go back to being quiet at the parks but all of the xmas stuff going on! That was a bigger impact on my trip than anything! darn internet!

AngiTN probably did what I always do to get a fourth or subsequent FP+ for Tier I attractions - keep refreshing the screen. I think most people check once and see that MDE says there are no more FP+, and they give up. If you keep refreshing the screen, more often than not a time will pop up that wasn't available before. It can take some persistence, but I've had very good success getting subsequent FP+ on the same day for just about any attractions I wanted (for two people).

 

[ArwenMarie]

My theory is that Change Party is there for when you are booking the FPs initially.

For example, I just booked 7 days of FPs. But my family splits up a lot and rides different things. But I can't tell you how many times I screwed up and put the wrong people on the wrong ride! With Change Party I could go in and adjust the party easily.

If they took away Change Party, you would have people calling because they wouldn't want to lose their Frozen FP or whatever by switching up the people.

I think Change Party is there to save Disney money on having to staff for those phone calls. If it lets people switch a few FPs among a group while they are at the parks, so be it, but I don't think it was put in there out of any grand benevolence.

 

[SBWB48]

I disagree. Dad and Child 2 don't get to use 6 prebooked FP's each just because Mom and child 1 stayed home. Especially when only 2 ticket entitlements were used that day.

That function never exited with legacy FP, so I just don't see the need here. Dad and child 2 still get to go on what's booked on their tickets just like everyone else in the park.

I propose that we just agree that Dad and Child 2 should drag Mom and an unwell Child 1 into the park, so the change function is now valid since they have entered the park that day and changing is now perfectly legitimate And tickets expire after first use, so despite using only 2 entitlements, mom and child 1's tickets for that day are likely wasted anyways if they had to stay back, so I don't quite understand why Dad and Child 2 can't utilize the FPs if the tickets are effectively going to be 'wasted' after 14 days. Now we are getting into case-by-case scenarios, which brings me back to why "sometimes valid reasons are given the benefit of the doubt over policing".

Please just don't make me the person standing in front of unwell child 1 (I also don't want to get into 'parenting' preferably in this scenario; don't have kids, but just speaking for larger families ).

 

[mom2rtk]

I propose that we just agree that Dad and Child 2 should drag Mom and an unwell Child 1 into the park, so the change function is now valid since they have entered the park that day and changing is now perfectly legitimate

Please just don't make me the person standing in front of unwell child 1 (I also don't want to get into 'parenting' preferably in this scenario; don't have kids, but just speaking for larger families ).

Using their FPs or dragging them to the park are not the only 2 options.

 

[Lisa F]

I don't know much about the guide services, but I assume that the guide is in the park with the clients, right? At that point, it just becomes a matter of scanning the correct band at the FP tapstiles. No need to even "change party."

The guide would simply have to go through the monotonous exercise of entering the park with AP1, exiting, re-entering with AP2, exiting, re-entering with AP3, etc.

this is against the rules and the very scenario that the blogs have been posting about that would generate a lock on the account.

How on earth would a guide realistically have to walk to the front of the park, exit, wait in line again to enter and walk back to rejoin the group? might as well just wait in line for the ride at that point! IMO not a realistic scenario at all.

 

[Lisa F]

I propose that we just agree that Dad and Child 2 should drag Mom and an unwell Child 1 into the park, so the change function is now valid since they have entered the park that day and changing is now perfectly legitimate And tickets expire after first use, so despite using only 2 entitlements, mom and child 1's tickets for that day are likely wasted anyways if they had to stay back, so I don't quite understand why Dad and Child 2 can't utilize the FPs if the tickets are effectively going to be 'wasted' after 14 days. Now we are getting into case-by-case scenarios, which brings me back to why "sometimes valid reasons are given the benefit of the doubt over policing".

Please just don't make me the person standing in front of unwell child 1 (I also don't want to get into 'parenting' preferably in this scenario; don't have kids, but just speaking for larger families ).

Using their FPs or dragging them to the park are not the only 2 options.

is it really necessary to argue about what is clearly a non-abusive use of a function that disney specifically spent time and money implementing? Disney is not trying to shut down the parents of sick kids, or kids who chicken out on a ride at the last minute or whatever other legitimate uses of change party led them to implement it in the first place.

 

[Gentry2004]

My theory is that Change Party is there for when you are booking the FPs initially.

For example, I just booked 7 days of FPs. But my family splits up a lot and rides different things. But I can't tell you how many times I screwed up and put the wrong people on the wrong ride! With Change Party I could go in and adjust the party easily.

If they took away Change Party, you would have people calling because they wouldn't want to lose their Frozen FP or whatever by switching up the people.

I think Change Party is there to save Disney money on having to staff for those phone calls. If it lets people switch a few FPs among a group while they are at the parks, so be it, but I don't think it was put in there out of any grand benevolence.

Or Disney could just automatically "lock" the change party function at midnight for FP's scheduled the next day.

 

[Shanti]

I propose that we just agree that Dad and Child 2 should drag Mom and an unwell Child 1 into the park, so the change function is now valid since they have entered the park that day and changing is now perfectly legitimate. And tickets expire after first use, so despite using only 2 entitlements, mom and child 1's tickets for that day are likely wasted anyways if they had to stay back, so I don't quite understand why Dad and Child 2 can't utilize the FPs if the tickets are effectively going to be 'wasted' after 14 days.

Please just don't make me the person standing in front of unwell child 1 (I also don't want to get into 'parenting' preferably in this scenario; don't have kids, but just speaking for larger families ).

Yeah, right...

"Darling, I know you have a fever, but since we can't use the change party function to transfer our FastPasses to Dad's & Ben's, we're going to need to go with them to the park today. We couldn't stand to see your and my FastPasses going unused. Even though they already have their own FastPasses booked, I know. It would just be a waste for them not to get to use ours, too. You'll have to focus on getting better later, honey."

Love the unrealistic scenarios sometimes floated on these boards, especially by non-parents...

 

[Gentry2004]

is it really necessary to argue about what is clearly a non-abusive use of a function that disney specifically spent time and money implementing? Disney is not trying to shut down the parents of sick kids, or kids who chicken out on a ride at the last minute or whatever other legitimate uses of change party led them to implement it in the first place.

Its not "legitimate" to use a sick kid's FP's if that kid didn't even enter the park or use a ticket entitlement. You get 3 prebooked FP's per person per ticket entitlement used. I think its pretty simple. Transferring FP's from some who didn't enter the park to someone who did is wrong, regardless of whether it was premeditated or not.

 

[AngiTN]

Its not "legitimate" to use a sick kid's FP's if that kid didn't even enter the park or use a ticket entitlement. You get 3 prebooked FP's per person per ticket entitlement used. I think its pretty simple. Transferring FP's from some who didn't enter the park to someone who did is wrong, regardless of whether it was premeditated or not.

I guess the only area left in question is for someone who entered the park, used 2 of their 3 FP and left for whatever reason. Can someone use their 3rd FP? I'd guess no

 

[fan1080]

I guess the only area left in question is for someone who entered the park, used 2 of their 3 FP and left for whatever reason. Can someone use their 3rd FP? I'd guess no

Assuming both tickets were used to enter the park, I don't see an issue there, especially if the change party function is permitted.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

I disagree. Dad and Child 2 don't get to use 6 prebooked FP's each just because Mom and child 1 stayed home. Especially when only 2 ticket entitlements were used that day.

What if dad and older child now want to have a different touring strategy based on the fact that the younger sibling will not be in the park that day and therefore have no use for Dumbo and Magic Carpets FPs. Rather, they would like to ride Space and BTMRR today. Then tomorrow, when the younger sibling is feeling better they will ride the attractions that cater to shorter Disney guests.

Not saying Dad and child are entitled to 6 FPs. Just saying the Change Party function should remain because there are many valid reasons why guests would want to change their FP plans.