A & E, no FP+ available 60 days out !

[lmcarr49]

Can I ask why you need 2 different days to do a character greeting? Maybe this is one reason other people can't get even one meet and greet? Maybe WDW should do what they do with ADRs and not allow someone to book more than one FP+ for the same attraction. Just seems a bit selfish to me and I can't understand why someone would need to meet them twice.

I agree with you. It's very selfish and I don't care what the reason is.

 

[mom2rtk]

I read on the one of the blogs that they are building a new M&G area for them in the Norway Pavillion in Epcot. I'm hoping this new area will include not only the girls but Olaf as well since he is who my DD loves. She'll settle for meeting Elsa and Anna but Olaf is her love so I'm really hoping they add him!

I would suspect when this new area opens it will have a frozen themed backdrop and probably take a lot of the heat away from the MK M&G but that's just conjecture on my part. The real question is- WHEN will they finish it! Probably going to take their sweet time and open it with the new Frozen ride which just sucks that it takes them that long

We don't know yet if this M/G will be in addition to..... or instead of.....the one in the MK.

 

[Disfan1968]

They can't have them in both sides of FTH at the same time, as that would destroy the illusion.

I think it's more that it's just against their stubborn policy. Honestly, no illusions would be harmed in the making of this picture if kids were properly routed so as to not be aware of the second set of A&Es.

 

[ruthies12]

We don't know yet if this M/G will be in addition to..... or instead of.....the one in the MK.

I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that Disney wouldn't be dumb enough to continue to only have one M&G for them when they have a second location available. We all have our own illusions

 

[mom2rtk]

I think it's more that it's just against their stubborn policy. Honestly, no illusions would be harmed in the making of this picture if kids were properly routed so as to not be aware of the second set of A&Es.

Do you realize they do this already? Each side is set up for more than one set of princesses, and they do indeed just route the guests in a way that is invisible to them. Same thing at TST.

I'm just saying that if they put Anna/Elsa on both sides, it would be more apparent that's what's going on.

 

[RamKat77]

It's not like building a new roller coaster. Why can't they just find a few more women who look like Anna/Elsa? They should kick Cindy and Rapunzel out of the Fairytale Hall and make it 100% A&E.

I am looking forward to *hopefully* getting my kids into A&E in May. But I am a Tangled girl through and through and would be especially bummed if they kicked Rapunzel out of PFH. My kids' joy obviously is priority, but I think as a big kid at heart, we adults should get to experience a little fun for ourselves, too. Just a thought...

 

[mom_of_3_mousketeers]

Can I ask why you need 2 different days to do a character greeting? Maybe this is one reason other people can't get even one meet and greet? Maybe WDW should do what they do with ADRs and not allow someone to book more than one FP+ for the same attraction. Just seems a bit selfish to me and I can't understand why someone would need to meet them twice.

I agree something should be done for A&E but shouldn't be done for every FP+ ride. I couldn't imagine only being able to go on a ride once my entire stay and then get "locked" out to make it fair or unselfish for other people.

 

[twodogs]

Can I ask why you need 2 different days to do a character greeting? Maybe this is one reason other people can't get even one meet and greet? Maybe WDW should do what they do with ADRs and not allow someone to book more than one FP+ for the same attraction. Just seems a bit selfish to me and I can't understand why someone would need to meet them twice.

Yes, you may ask why, but it sounds like my answer may not matter since you find my choice is selfish already...

I believe the FP+ system allows everyone with a ticket the same opportunity to book 3 FP+s/person/day prior to their trip. They have rules such as tiering at some parks to distribute these. However, getting a FP for the same ride, meet and greet or show/parade, is certainly allowed by Disney, if it is done on different days. I did not get an "extra" FP+ by booking A/E for two different days. I used 2 of my FP+ opportunities for this meet and greet, and had to give up doing 2 other FP+ experiences in return. So I don't believe it is universally unfair to repeat an experience via FP+. It might seem unfair to someone who wanted to do A/E, but it actually helps someone who, for example, wants a FP+ for Wishes those two nights. Wishes is not a priority for me, so I did not choose to use my FP+ for Wishes, thereby leaving it open for others to choose. Everyone gets the same number of FP+ opportunities, and I believe they can use them as they wish to make the best trip for their family. I am not gaming the system. I stayed up until Midnight to book it on the first night, I researched these great threads so I would know how to do it efficiently. Others have the same opportunity.

In addition, my taking a FP+ for any ride, M&G, show, etc does not prevent anyone else from that experience. Everyone has the opportunity to do these rides and events standby, if they are unable to get a FP+. That's what we will be doing (standby) on other rides and shows on our MK days, as that is the trade off for using our FP+ slots for A/E.

Why would we want to meet them twice? Because I have two daughters who absolutely love Frozen. Why would someone want to ride a particular ride twice? Same reason. Have priority seating for a favorite show twice? Same reason. Everyone has to choose what works for them. We can only visit once per year or less, so we prioritize the most important things to our family.

And I do believe that you can absolutely book the same ADR during a trip twice.

Thanks to all of those who posted as to their own reasons for booking the same ride/event/show twice in one trip!

 

[twodogs]

I would also point out that having more than one FP for a ride happened very frequently with FP-. There were entire threads dedicated to how to get 2 FP-/day for popular rides such as Test Track, TSM, etc. Did getting 2 FP- for the same ride mean another guest didn't get one? Yes. I still think it was ok because everyone has the opportunity to get there at RD, run to get a FP-, use it early and then pull another FP- to ride later. People at Disneyland often try to get a FP- for Radiator Springs Racers in the morning, and then stalk the FP machine to get another one with a night return time to experience it at night. To me, it is the same with FP+, as there were always a limited number of FPs available, and everyone had a chance to get them. It just depended on how much effort you wanted to put into it with FP-.

 

[Capang]

Not getting a meet and greet that your child is set on is a bummer. It happened to us last summer. We planned our first ever real disney vacation in about four weeks using military tickets. Since we were so close to our arrival date we had to purchase tickets at shades of green when we arrived and didn't get to make FP until the night before we went into the parks. Obviously all the A&E FP were long gone. We did meet a nice lady with an extra paper FP, which I guess we're still in use for some, and she offered to take my daughter with hers. I wasn't comfortable with sending a 3yo with a stranger, no matter how nice. We also weren't waiting in line for 2 hours or going to do rope drop. It just wasn't going to work for us. DD was disappointed, but hey, she loved splash mountain and we rode that multiple times. We told her A&E must have been in Arrendale. When we got home we stuck a postcard in the mail with a small Frozen trinket that said sorry we missed you. I studied those character signatures and signed it. It made my kid's day. Was it fair that some people had multiple FP for this and we had none? We didn't think it was unfair. We didn't really think of it at all. We didn't wallow in disappointment and found tons of other things and characters that made our trip magical. I hope that others that find themselves in the same boat without that coveted ride or character FP can focus on all the other magical things and characters to meet.

 

[cariann77]

My 60-day window opened tonight. I just finished. Before I started booking, the first two days of our trip were already gone for A&E. It was the first thing that I went for right at 12am for 4 days into our trip. I got it, but the best time I could get was 7:30-8:30p. Going for my 2-year old and I'm sure she'll be long past crabby by that point. Considering dumping it all together.

 

[Candleshoe]

I agree with you. It's very selfish and I don't care what the reason is.

So more than once per trip is selfish? What's the time frame it doesn't become selfish then?
Once a month? Once a year? Once a lifetime?

What other things should be limited to once a trip? How about parks. No hopping and 1 park per trip.. so 4 park days only. 6 if you do the water parks.

Can we get more than one Mickey bar?

I think these limit rules should be written down somewhere.

Tell you what, we aren't going to see A&E at all, my DD15 is <insert teenage eye rolling> SO OVER Frozen, that I won't be trying for FPs.

Maybe I can give my 8 spots to someone else whose kids adore A&E so much they'd like to go more than once on their trip.

 

[UnderTheRialto]

I have no problem going twice.
I also think it's an insurance policy. Someone could be sick, A&E could close for whatever reason, you could be stuck on a bus and miss your time. Or you could just get duds.
When we met Cinderella and Rapunzel in January, they were duds. Neither one really looked like the princess or played the part well. Luckily my son didn't care or notice. If my child did notice I would have wanted to try again.

 

[Disfan1968]

Do you realize they do this already? Each side is set up for more than one set of princesses, and they do indeed just route the guests in a way that is invisible to them. Same thing at TST. I'm just saying that if they put Anna/Elsa on both sides, it would be more apparent that's what's going on.

Yes, I realize that, thanks. My point more was that I think their policy of never having two of the same princesses out is just that... a policy, as in a case such as this, sticking to tradition for them amounts to less than optimal customer service. As you yourself say, they route guests in a way that is invisible to them.... sooooooooo.... I think we agree that if they did it right, it would not be apparent to anyone whatsoever "what is going on."

 

[MainMom]

They should do something about parents who have to have a FP+ to go with their kids to see A&E, but don't want to meet the characters themselves. I don't care to get my picture taken with the princesses, but still need the FP's to take my daughter & nieces. How many would that free up?

 

[MainMom]

Double post.

 

[mesaboy2]

They should do something about parents who have to have a FP+ to go with their kids to see A&E, but don't want to meet the characters themselves. I don't care to get my picture taken with the princesses, but still need the FP's to take my daughter & nieces. How many would that free up?

The idea is fine...but how would that be enforced? How would the CM handlers in the room with the characters know which guests in each group can take pictures (by virtue of having an FP) and which ones can't? Wouldn't checking everyone (again) slow down each meet?

 

[mom2rtk]

They should do something about parents who have to have a FP+ to go with their kids to see A&E, but don't want to meet the characters themselves. I don't care to get my picture taken with the princesses, but still need the FP's to take my daughter & nieces. How many would that free up?

But that would result in the same number of groups coming through, so they would then just have to diminish the total number of FPs distributed.

 

[hpriamson]

Do you realize they do this already? Each side is set up for more than one set of princesses, and they do indeed just route the guests in a way that is invisible to them. Same thing at TST.

I'm just saying that if they put Anna/Elsa on both sides, it would be more apparent that's what's going on.

But I think kids who are young/innocent/gullible enough to think they're meeting the actual, real life Anna and Elsa are young/innocent/gullible enough to not realize that multiple lines are feeding into different locations, or can easily be convinced otherwise. After all, if you see the same face character multiple times in the same trip, it's pretty likely that it will be different CMs playing them - that's a lot harder to explain to kids who think they're real.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes, I realize that, thanks. My point more was that I think their policy of never having two of the same princesses out is just that... a policy, as in a case such as this, sticking to tradition for them amounts to less than optimal customer service. As you yourself say, they route guests in a way that is invisible to them.... sooooooooo.... I think we agree that if they did it right, it would not be apparent to anyone whatsoever "what is going on."

But I think kids who are young/innocent/gullible enough to think they're meeting the actual, real life Anna and Elsa are young/innocent/gullible enough to not realize that multiple lines are feeding into different locations, or can easily be convinced otherwise. After all, if you see the same face character multiple times in the same trip, it's pretty likely that it will be different CMs playing them - that's a lot harder to explain to kids who think they're real.

I didn't make Disney's policy. I'm just explaining it. Maybe you should send your thoughts to Disney?