Aaaaaand it sucked

[Suvadoo]

I am another "wing it" type person, who rarely used the legacy FP. However, I have found myself using FP+ and liking it. I don't book FP+ for every day of the trip, but I do use it to make sure I get in my very favorite attractions easily at some point during the trip. Most of my trips are solo, so it's a lot easier to find spots at the last minute. So I still wing it for the most part, with just the occasional scheduled FP. There's nothing that says you can't cancel or change the FP if the mood strikes.

I also use it for those days when there will be more than just me touring the parks. For example, I will be there for 10 days in January and for two of those days have a couple people joining me. We have made the FP+ for the two days they will be with me, but I probably won't make any others until I actually arrive.

I understand why people don't like it - it's not for everyone. But the legacy system wasn't either. In my opinion it seems like the people who loved the legacy system hate the new one, and vice versa. The very things I disliked about the old system (having to be at the park at rope drop and running to grab a FP before they ran out, crisscrossing the park multiple times to get the FP and then return for the ride) have been drastically reduced with the new system. However, for those who enjoyed grabbing FP for the same ride over and over, or had a runner system going, it's not so much fun.

For now, though, it's the only game in town as far as WDW goes, and everyone just has to figure out how to make it work best for their family.

I think,based on the increased crowds and FP+, there are guests who are making the most of it by spending their vacation dollars and time elsewhere. I'm seeing quite a few posts from people saying they will take a break from Disney and maybe come back in 5 years.

I don't think FP+ is entirely to blame. I think D has done a wonderful job of advertising, and the parks are always empty in every ad. But the parks are always full and there are no slow times. I really think this, more than FP+ is, going to drive people away. I don't want to spend my vacation standing in lines for food, rides, and bathrooms. Simply put, IMO no vacation is worth that.

 

[ArwenMarie]

We recently did a 1 night stay at Loews Portofino(for early park access and express pass) , we also checked out the Royal Pacific. I wasn't expecting to love the hotel.

In the past we've stayed at AKL concierge level , but have checked out rooms and the properties at GF, Polynesian, and the Contemporary and the Boardwalk

If you can swing deluxe at U. then imho the Portofino blows any of the hotels I mentioned out of the water. The grounds, pools, restaurants, SERVICE, ambience etc. are all at luxury level. By this I mean the real luxury level , not the Disney luxury level (which to those of us who stay at luxury hotels elsewhere is a different standard than Disney's).

The price btw is much better than D deluxe as well !

I would go back to the Portofino anytime. We wont stay onsite at Disney. Nuff said !

Love Portofino. My favorite theme park hotel in Orlando.
Never staying onsite at WDW again either. Love the parks but the hotels don't match up to the prices for us.
Offsite or onsite UOR for us.

 

[Luckybee]

I am another "wing it" type person, who rarely used the legacy FP. However, I have found myself using FP+ and liking it. I don't book FP+ for every day of the trip, but I do use it to make sure I get in my very favorite attractions easily at some point during the trip. Most of my trips are solo, so it's a lot easier to find spots at the last minute. So I still wing it for the most part, with just the occasional scheduled FP. There's nothing that says you can't cancel or change the FP if the mood strikes.

I also use it for those days when there will be more than just me touring the parks. For example, I will be there for 10 days in January and for two of those days have a couple people joining me. We have made the FP+ for the two days they will be with me, but I probably won't make any others until I actually arrive.

I understand why people don't like it - it's not for everyone. But the legacy system wasn't either. In my opinion it seems like the people who loved the legacy system hate the new one, and vice versa. The very things I disliked about the old system (having to be at the park at rope drop and running to grab a FP before they ran out, crisscrossing the park multiple times to get the FP and then return for the ride) have been drastically reduced with the new system. However, for those who enjoyed grabbing FP for the same ride over and over, or had a runner system going, it's not so much fun.

For now, though, it's the only game in town as far as WDW goes, and everyone just has to figure out how to make it work best for their family.

Or not !

And since it doesn't really work for ours we simply can avoid Disney for the time being.

But I am curious. What made you think you had to do rope drop under the legacy system. We never did and found our days worked great. Now mind you we never went holiday weeks but we had been a number of times in April, May, August, Sept, and November. Under the old system we would check out a fp for something we wanted. If available we'd grab it, and if not there was always a lot of rides available with very short lines. We'd then use our fp, and move on to other short line rides. We were never on a schedule, we'd check out fp's as we moved through the park, never ran around getting fp's, and accomplished a whole heck of a lot more than we could now.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Love Portofino. My favorite theme park hotel in Orlando.
Never staying onsite at WDW again either. Love the parks but the hotels don't match up to the prices for us.
Offsite or onsite UOR for us.

I love the convenience of staying onsite, but to be honest, we have a time share about a mile from DTD, so I think from now on I'm doing a throwaway room and staying at the time share. Then, I won't be as compelled to spend every day at Disney and none at Universal or Sea World. I still love Disney, but I'm getting burnt out on the crowds and I hate planning in advance! Portofino sounds like a plan, too!