A CM called me today to talk about FP+

[dreamseeker9]

I'm very happy to hear that the number of FP+ reservations per day may go above 3, and that a WDW guest may be able to make FP+ reservations at more than one park on the same day. To me, it always made sense for Disney to allow FP+ reservations on the same day in more than one park - it encourages people to park hop and pay more for their tickets - more money for Disney!

 

[TLSnell1981]

Increasing number of FP, no tiers and park hopping...now, just throw in repeats and FP+ could go from zero to hero.

 

[caralyn817]

Oh how I was I could be asked about these! I've had nothing but problems and we haven't even gotten to use them yet.

 

[Shaden]

Or maybe according to the metrics Disney set for themselves to meet it was a success. The parks were at capacity as usual around the holidays.

yea this is important. How Disney defines "success" and how guests define it, might be two completely different things ....

 

[Davey Jones II]

On site guest members should always be able to request RFID cards as an alternative to the band.

This item stuck out like a sore thumb. Why do we keep hearing about on-site resorts that are refusing to give cards as a backup -- lying through their teeth and telling guests that Disney just doesn't do it anymore?

We definitely shouldn't tolerate that crap. The MBs are often buggy, and backup cards can smooth some of the rough edges of this debacle that THEY'VE created. If a resort refuses to give you an RFID card, complain to Disney directly.

P.S.: To the O.P., thanks for writing all this out for us. But -- and this is not to slight you at all -- a lot of what that guy told you sounds like spin-doctoring to me.

 

[quest4dl]

How lovely that we will be part of the test data - somehow it doesn't feel quite as altruistic as giving blood. I would have been more forgiving about being a guinea pig if there had been some incentive given such as discounts on hotels, dining, etc. As noted earlier, a large number of guests or most are first-time visitors so I guess Disney doesn't really care that much about inconveniencing a non-returning guest.

 

[JimmyV]

- The recent Holiday weekend is seen, generally, as a success.

The weekend could only be considered a "success" if by success, they mean that it succeeded in bringing to the fore all of the myriad problems that the system presents. If the CM here is being forthright, then the "finished product" isn't going to look anything like what the hundreds of thousands of holiday guests had to endure. Very, very unfair for these guests (including me) to be the "control" group in this experiment, fed a placebo FP+ system when the rest of the guests will get something much better. I can see the suited execs sitting there, arms folded, observing all that went on from on high, nodding their heads saying: "Yup. This will never work. The test is a success. We now know exactly what we must change to make this project take off." If Disney has any sense of corporate morals, it would send an email to every person who had an admission ticket for that weekend and thank them for participating in the test, let them know that as a result of the data gathered, changes will be made, and that a free day's credit will be added to their MDE account for future use in an upcoming trip. Sure, if one buys a 5 day ticket and the free day makes it a 6 day ticket, the value of the refund won't amount to much. But it would be better than nothing.

 

[rastuso]

The weekend could only be considered a "success" if by success, they mean that it succeeded in bringing to the fore all of the myriad problems that the system presents. If the CM here is being forthright, then the "finished product" isn't going to look anything like what the hundreds of thousands of holiday guests had to endure. Very, very unfair for these guests (including me) to be the "control" group in this experiment, fed a placebo FP+ system when the rest of the guests will get something much better. I can see the suited execs sitting there, arms folded, observing all that went on from on high, nodding their heads saying: "Yup. This will never work. The test is a success. We now know exactly what we must change to make this project take off." If Disney has any sense of corporate morals, it would send an email to every person who had an admission ticket for that weekend and thank them for participating in the test, let them know that as a result of the data gathered, changes will be made, and that a free day's credit will be added to their MDE account for future use in an upcoming trip. Sure, if one buys a 5 day ticket and the free day makes it a 6 day ticket, the value of the refund won't amount to much. But it would be better than nothing.

So, to review:

The holiday weekend that was miserable for guests, was a success.
Even though FPs are disappearing in advance, they are going to be giving more of them: obviously for crap rides.

And the best lie: visitors in the fall, you know, who would be starting to plan now, are set to have fantastic trips, because all of the problems will be fixed, somehow

Sounds like a lot of BS damage control to me. But it's working. OPs are saying, "great, everything is almost fixed", even though there is no supporting evidence.

-jason

 

[Davey Jones II]

They keep promising improvements to the system. I honestly believe that the best improvement would be linking the MBs to Legacy Fast Pass.

No high tech contrivance can be as fast as showing your paper FP to a CM, and having him/her wave you through. As long as they insist on using FP+, fast pass and standby lines will inevitably move more slowly than before.

 

[flortlebap]

This is really positive.

Hopefully it means we won't be as restricted for our September trip!

 

[kbelle8995]

Saw a commericial for this last night.

Be our guest for our test. But they put the test part at the end. "Really?"

As with Disney spin they made it look easy just walk up and get in.

 

[Sphinx610]

This is great news !!!! We're going in mid October !!!

Us too!!! Yeyyy!!!!
Gilltrooper- wear your line green Micky n keep an eye out! I'll be wearing mine too!

Yea, I didn't think it was going to stay this regimented. This is such a relief... We are going with a party of 8

 

[johde]

So they are hoping that guests will learn how to use the band at the Mickey head, and that's going to make the lines start moving faster.

But I thought WDW was primarily first time visitors. If that's the case, how does that ever get better?

Playing devils advocate for a minute. On a 5 day vacation, a first time visitor is going to line up their Mickey band at least 20 times. 5 times for admission and 15 times for FP+'s. As CM get better, they will be able to "train" the guests so that by the 3rd or 4th time they are old pros. So, for the other 16 or 17 times things will go smoothly.

The other issue right now is you're now only "training" first time visitors but untraining and retraining long time but infrequent visitors. Retraining repeat visitor may take longer. For the first time visitor, FP+ and MB and Mickey Heads is all they ever know. For the long time visitor, who kept their paper FP in a lanyard around their neck, they may have a tendency to continue to reach for their lanyard subconsciously even though they "know" they have a MB.

Friend of mine in the military have said it's much easier to teach someone to shoot who's never held a gun compared to someone who had been hunting. Because the hunter needs to unlearn habits.

 

[JimmyV]

As with Disney spin they made it look easy just walk up and get in.

Yeah. Somehow they fail to show that picture of me joining the back of the Everest FP return line....across-the-bridge-at-the-Nemo-theater!!!

 

[Eosphotog]

P.S.: To the O.P., thanks for writing all this out for us. But -- and this is not to slight you at all -- a lot of what that guy told you sounds like spin-doctoring to me.

I report it as I hear it

Though he was probably in damage control mode because the whole premise of the call was to convince me that everything will be ok for a fall trip we are planning. I'm not convinced.

 

[bcrook]

- 3 is the limit now, expect this to go up. It is limited to allow for good test data.
- Single-park FP+ per day is going away. It is limited to allow for good test data.
- Tiers are going to change, may even go away. They don't know yet.
- FP return lines may seem long, but they move fast

There is simply no way for these items to be true during Peak times.

But it is not completely false information.

3 is limit now - it could go up to four at MK. It could go up in September for other parks. It could go DOWN to 2 in July.

Single park FP is going away... Maybe, but it will probably be in conjunction with wdw wide tiers. Disney is not going to allow the savvy people to grab TSMM, RnRC and soarin in the same day. Maybe TSMM, ToT, and figment in the same day.

Tiers are going to change... You can count on that. But it won't be what people think.

Unless Disney raises attendance 20% more and drive away a large percentage of park goers tiers and limits are here to stay.

Of course everything said by the CM could be true during the low park days.

With off site guests being added to the prebooking stage and mine train ready to join the party, we are about ready to move to the next stage of FP mania - advanced ride reservation battle royale. It will take the entire peak season of summer to analyze the next round of mayhem.

 

[agavegirl1]

I am so hoping the "test" is over by October 17th when I will be there.

 

[2Tiggies]

I report it as I hear it

Though he was probably in damage control mode because the whole premise of the call was to convince me that everything will be ok for a fall trip we are planning. I'm not convinced.

I also realize that the CM's have to 'spin doctor' their delivery of information to the guests and that they aren't going to announce that a certain week was seen as a fail .....

BUT I also wanted to point out that I appreciate you posting all this detailed information as you heard it from the CM and allowed everyone else to add (or not) our own interpretation on it. Had you put your own thoughts into it in your first post, it would have watered it down and opened the thread up to mis interpretations and misquotes. I find it a very useful post and it offers something I really need this weekend: a thread of hope. So allow me to thank you for taking the time to share this - exactly as it was conveyed to you.

 

[bcrook]

I report it as I hear it

Though he was probably in damage control mode because the whole premise of the call was to convince me that everything will be ok for a fall trip we are planning. I'm not convinced.

September could actually be quite nice. The off peak times is usually marred by glitches not FP demand. One would think the software, hardware, website will continue to improve. One would think.

 

[Meggysmum]

I just did an extensive survey about fast pass +.....guess since I was just there in Jan.
There were several different scenarios listed......we'll see what happens with it

I did that survey too. I was quite interested in all the scenarios and they were all better than the current situation. I didn't hate FP+ but felt that improvements were needed.

I travel again in July so I am hoping there may be changes by then.