Aaaaaand it sucked

[JanaDee]

My experience and why we like FP+. As a family of three we visited this past August. On what was going to be an AK day we decided to make a last minute switch to MK. All the walls had killed the atmosphere at AK for us. So that morning while the wife is showering I hop on the MDE website (not the app) and switch our FPs to Space Mountain at 11:00, Thunder Mountain at 1:00, and Splash Mountain at 2:00. We arrive at rope drop and get a bunch of attractions done while the masses scramble for the dwarfs kiddie coaster and a couple princesses. This was a busy time and the new system worked awesome for last minute planning. Not caring about the mine train certainly helps us, we have done it a couple times and just do not get the fuss. This strategy will work fine for AK also. HS and EPCOT need a couple more headliners to for last minute FP selection to work well IMO.

As long as you don't have an ADR you must cancel with at least 24 hrs notice or you get charged, and you aren't interested in the 2 most highly sought after FP +, the above maybe could work.

 

[BJC15]

We only do a few ADRs per trip for just that reason, we enjoy the flexibility and we are not that big on sit down meals anyway. And we fell in love with MK way before mine train, so we can still very much enjoy our days now if we choose not to wait in line for it. I like that Mine train seems to take some of the pressure off our favorites. All that said, I sure do miss the days of collecting paper FPs during the day, then coming back in the evening to burn through them. The days before enforced return times was the golden era for us FP maximizers.

 

[emldrl]

I think this whole thing boils down to: there is no one right answer. It is not one size fits all, and what works for me might not work for you. The same goes for discounts, dining plans, ADRs, resort selection, and every other aspect of WDW.

Now, the old system is gone, and it isn't coming back. So, the best thing to do, if you want to keep going, is to adapt your vacation style accordingly. It might not work out perfectly well, but it can be done.

 

[leebee]

We went in October and it felt like we were playing "hurry up and wait" all the time. I scheduled our fp+ times about an hour apart. All the wait times at non-headliners were so long that we were afraid to ride anything in between our FP+ rides. We don't have smart phones, so we couldn't shift our FP+ times to shorten the in-between waiting times, and honestly, on crowd level 7 or 8 days, I am not convinced there would have been any times available to shift them to. We felt like we wasted a lot of time, waiting to do those FP+ rides.

On the other hand, by mid-to-late afternoon (say between 4pm and 6pm), it was really easy to get that 4th, 5th, etc. FP+. We'd go to the kiosk, see what was available NOW or SOON in the immediate area, go ride, then return to the kiosk. This worked particularly well in TomorrowLand, where we were able to ride Buzz Lightyear several times in a row. HOWEVER… standby lines were at an hour or longer for Buzz, Space, and the Laugh Floor. Even Stitch had a 30 minute wait. I hate that FP+ has made for more waiting overall. We aren't planning on taking trip #27 anytime in the near future… if at all. It's just too much preplanning, too much locked in planning, and too much waiting around for an expensive vacation!

 

[CampbellzSoup]

There is not one thing wrong with the fast pass system I've used it without any hassles or problems ever. It's not for everyone sure but it's an excellent well done and thought out system.

And if I didn't get a fast pass I wanted I *gasp* waited.

 

[quhawk]

Agreed. FP+ takes the strategy out of maximizing the parks. Think of it this way...if someone walked up or decided to go to the MK say 10-15 days prior, they have 0 shot of getting a FP for 7dmt, unless they want to wait the 60-90 min that's (in a slow time) that's their only shot to ride.

the one thing I did like was I could move our FP's later. Since we came from the West Coast, getting up super early was tough. I frontloaded our FP's, not really thinking about that aspect. But I could only do that on certain rides.

 

[Luckybee]

We went in October and it felt like we were playing "hurry up and wait" all the time. I scheduled our fp+ times about an hour apart. All the wait times at non-headliners were so long that we were afraid to ride anything in between our FP+ rides. We don't have smart phones, so we couldn't shift our FP+ times to shorten the in-between waiting times, and honestly, on crowd level 7 or 8 days, I am not convinced there would have been any times available to shift them to. We felt like we wasted a lot of time, waiting to do those FP+ rides.

On the other hand, by mid-to-late afternoon (say between 4pm and 6pm), it was really easy to get that 4th, 5th, etc. FP+. We'd go to the kiosk, see what was available NOW or SOON in the immediate area, go ride, then return to the kiosk. This worked particularly well in TomorrowLand, where we were able to ride Buzz Lightyear several times in a row. HOWEVER… standby lines were at an hour or longer for Buzz, Space, and the Laugh Floor. Even Stitch had a 30 minute wait. I hate that FP+ has made for more waiting overall. We aren't planning on taking trip #27 anytime in the near future… if at all. It's just too much preplanning, too much locked in planning, and too much waiting around for an expensive vacation!

Leebee...Im curious . ..We were there in Sept and had long standby waits. Another poster told me they were there in Oct and had short waits .Your experience sounds more like ours. Do you m,ind me asking when approx. you were at MK ?

 

[Luckybee]

I think this whole thing boils down to: there is no one right answer. It is not one size fits all, and what works for me might not work for you. The same goes for discounts, dining plans, ADRs, resort selection, and every other aspect of WDW.

Now, the old system is gone, and it isn't coming back. So, the best thing to do, if you want to keep going, is to adapt your vacation style accordingly. It might not work out perfectly well, but it can be done.

I agree with you but I also think there is one further option which would be stop going for now and wait until they change FP again which will be our new "strategy" . If we're wrong and it never changes ...well then we can say we are not going back. For now ...there is always Universal and the West Coast

 

[hill6]

I personally love it. We got to Disney in the afternoon and were able to go to DHS for dinner and to ride ToT and TSM without waiting in forever lines on our first day. Would never have been able to do that before.

 

[maxiesmom]

I think this whole thing boils down to: there is no one right answer. It is not one size fits all, and what works for me might not work for you. The same goes for discounts, dining plans, ADRs, resort selection, and every other aspect of WDW.

Now, the old system is gone, and it isn't coming back. So, the best thing to do, if you want to keep going, is to adapt your vacation style accordingly. It might not work out perfectly well, but it can be done.

I agree. And all of that could be said about the old FP, or about the system before FP. There is no one system that every guest would agree works for them.

 

[BugsDaddy]

I agree. And all of that could be said about the old FP, or about the system before FP. There is no one system that every guest would agree works for them.

No matter what system that Disney implements to deal with ride distribution and crowds, someone is not going to like it. I agree.

I think that those that are changing their vacation plans due to FP+ are probably more prevalent on these boards than the vast majority of your average Disney World visitors. Otherwise, Disney World's attendance would probably be decreasing rather than increasing. The bottom line is that the free market system works and people vote with their spending dollars. Based on Disney's soaring profits and record park attendance, I think the votes have been cast.

So, I would say to those people with upcoming trips who are worried over all of the negative FP+ posts, go try it for yourself before getting too wound up about it. There are a LOT of people who never post on these boards who absolutely love the new system.

 

[RMulieri]

I am afraid of this , and this is why we haven't been back since the change, and I am not sure when/if we will be..We like to wing it too.We plan each and every moment of our daily lives because of what we do for a living.I don't want that on vacation.I conceded on booking dining 6 months out.I am not planning rides and parks too..So for now it is Disneyland and Universal Orlando for this family

 

[wdwcoltsfan]

Agreed. FP+ takes the strategy out of maximizing the parks. Think of it this way...if someone walked up or decided to go to the MK say 10-15 days prior, they have 0 shot of getting a FP for 7dmt, unless they want to wait the 60-90 min that's (in a slow time) that's their only shot to ride.

the one thing I did like was I could move our FP's later. Since we came from the West Coast, getting up super early was tough. I frontloaded our FP's, not really thinking about that aspect. But I could only do that on certain rides.

If that happened, I would suggest the person go to MK at RD and ride 7dmt before the crowds show up. That most likely would have been the recommended strategy under the old FP as well. Otherwise the lines would have been long and the FP would have been distributed for the day. I imagine it would have been exactly like trying to ride/get FP for TSMM.

 

[junebug624]

I think this whole thing boils down to: there is no one right answer. It is not one size fits all, and what works for me might not work for you. The same goes for discounts, dining plans, ADRs, resort selection, and every other aspect of WDW. Now, the old system is gone, and it isn't coming back. So, the best thing to do, if you want to keep going, is to adapt your vacation style accordingly. It might not work out perfectly well, but it can be done.

Thank you! I was just about to comment on the same thing! These boards are flooded by so many comments complaining about the current system and how they wished it went back to the way it was... (How about they bring back the ticket books of yesteryear? Lol) Disney is just evolving with the tech of today, and will continue to do so! Just roll with it!
Any day at disney beats a day at work!

 

[Kenny1113]

Oh, I thought you had said you didn't get tickets until you arrived, meaning that you wouldn't be getting FPs in advance.

Sorry I guess I didn't make that point clear. For me one of the downsides is that I now have to purchase tickets in advanced. In the past I waited until we got to our resort to purchase tickets. With our trip with FP+ I had bought the tickets in advanced to take advantage of FP+.

 

[Nancyg56]

I do see your point, but do you really think that would still work with the increased attendance? If there are so many more people in the park now than used to be, will this system stay the same? I don't see how. All those people have to go somewhere. I believe that Disney saw this coming, to an extent, and that's the reason for the changes. More people means longer lines, no matter what system is in use. At least with the new system, you are guaranteed a short wait for at least 3 rides.

I agree. I think that what some folks are not taking into account is the increased crowd levels during what were very slow times. I was a rope Drop person on our last trip, so my party was able to go from attraction to attraction in decent time, but Holy Cow! By afternoon, those lines were crazy! I was very glad I had those FP scheduled for the days that I had later arrivals scheduled. I do not believe that under the Legacy FP system there would have been any FP left for us on the headliners.

I will say that this system has room for improvement though, but honestly, because we all have our own expectations of how to vacation in WDW, some people will feel disadvantaged. As Disney continues to find ways to increase their numbers during historically slow periods, the rest of us need to find a way to manage the system in a way that best works for our families, because while it is not perfect, it is what we have.

 

[hookedonears]

Also increased crowd levels are (still) do in part to New Fantasyland opening. There are many people who had been to Disney numerous times and had no plans of going back any time soon, or at least until they went with their Grandchildren, that have changed their minds and are now going back.

We are planners and we've never done FP+, though while I try to never pre-judge anything, I've got a major feeling that it's going to suck royally. The tier system has completely taken away our enthusiasm to go back.

We are planners when we go to Disney, for dining purposes only. Once you choose which restaurants, for time efficiency, you have to choose which park you'll be in, which day and time. Which park depends on EMH, so planning all goes hand in hand.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

If that happened, I would suggest the person go to MK at RD and ride 7dmt before the crowds show up. That most likely would have been the recommended strategy under the old FP as well. Otherwise the lines would have been long and the FP would have been distributed for the day. I imagine it would have been exactly like trying to ride/get FP for TSMM.

Exactly! Under NO FP system would 7DMT fp's be available to the average guest. They would be gone by 10:30. Same with A&E. The return times would be late in the evening, and people would complain that they cant park hop. Rope drop has been, and still is the best strategy for headliners. People were stampeding for TSMM fp's and there were moaners and groaners about that. I'm going to enjoy myself whether I have a FP or not. I'd rather be happy, not focusing on PERKS that aren't perfect.

 

[emmasmom77]

We went this week which in previous years had been a slower week to go. Unfortunately for us (family of 3 with a 5 year old little girl) we did not buy our tickets till the day we arrived. FP+ allowed us to ride rides like Soarin, Test Track, Toy Story Mania that we probably wouldn't have ridden.

The issue for us was we didn't get FP+ to A&E and SDMT so we had to make rope drop and still waited 1 1/2 hours for A &E. When we were 20 minutes away from meeting Elsa my daughter was ready to leave. Even though in line she had a chance to write Elsa a note. We did convince her to wait and that was our best experience all day at MK. I had FP+ to Cinderella and Rapunzel M&G but my daughter passed on that probably because she thought she would have to wait in line. Either way we changed it mid day to Big Thunder Mountain.

We did get to ride SDMT only because we were going to MVMCP and the wait time went down to 30 minutes.

For us it was the crowds not necessarily FP+ that ruined our time. 30 minute wait for coffee on main street, 30+ minute wait for food at a quick service. No longer are the days if you don't have a FP + and want to see A&E can you just walk into the park at rope drop and enjoy all the magical wonder. Now you are trampled on at you walk in. My husband had a wheelchair run into the back of his ankle and gave him a nasty gash. Seriously all to hurry and wait.

Plus at DHS Toy story Mania was down multiple times and the sing-a-long show was canceled for a couple shows. Plus if you have a stroller even if you park it correctly they constantly move it so then you have to waste time trying to find it. That really turned me off.

We also had times where we had empty times because we were waiting for our next FP+ time. Only have 20 minutes if it's for a show and if SB times on other rides are long we just waited around. We don't have a FP legacy to compare our experience to. Last time either my husband or I have been to WDW was 10+ years ago.

We ended our week at SeaWorld and the crowd level was very low and we finally were able to park our stroller and find it later, my daughter got to see Santa in less than 10 minute wait time, no one told us where we could or couldn't walk, I didn't have to search an app or look for a FP+ kiosk. We just got to enjoy a park the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

We have decided that next year Universal, SeaWorld, and Legoland are our next vacation.

 

[Jess5283]

We went this week which in previous years had been a slower week to go. Unfortunately for us (family of 3 with a 5 year old little girl) we did not buy our tickets till the day we arrived. FP+ allowed us to ride rides like Soarin, Test Track, Toy Story Mania that we probably wouldn't have ridden. The issue for us was we didn't get FP+ to A&E and SDMT so we had to make rope drop and still waited 1 1/2 hours for A &E. When we were 20 minutes away from meeting Elsa my daughter was ready to leave. Even though in line she had a chance to write Elsa a note. We did convince her to wait and that was our best experience all day at MK. I had FP+ to Cinderella and Rapunzel M&G but my daughter passed on that probably because she thought she would have to wait in line. Either way we changed it mid day to Big Thunder Mountain. We did get to ride SDMT only because we were going to MVMCP and the wait time went down to 30 minutes. For us it was the crowds not necessarily FP+ that ruined our time. 30 minute wait for coffee on main street, 30+ minute wait for food at a quick service. No longer are the days if you don't have a FP + and want to see A&E can you just walk into the park at rope drop and enjoy all the magical wonder. Now you are trampled on at you walk in. My husband had a wheelchair run into the back of his ankle and gave him a nasty gash. Seriously all to hurry and wait. Plus at DHS Toy story Mania was down multiple times and the sing-a-long show was canceled for a couple shows. Plus if you have a stroller even if you park it correctly they constantly move it so then you have to waste time trying to find it. That really turned me off. We also had times where we had empty times because we were waiting for our next FP+ time. Only have 20 minutes if it's for a show and if SB times on other rides are long we just waited around. We don't have a FP legacy to compare our experience to. Last time either my husband or I have been to WDW was 10+ years ago. We ended our week at SeaWorld and the crowd level was very low and we finally were able to park our stroller and find it later, my daughter got to see Sants in less than 10 minute wait time, no one told us where we could or couldn't walk, I didn't have to search an app or look for a FP+ kiosk. We just got to enjoy a park the way it was meant to be enjoyed. We have decided that next year Universal, SeaWorld, and Legoland are our next vacation.

We were there this week as well and had a very opposite experience. I felt like the crowds were very low. The only time we waited longer than 15 mins was for PP because my son wanted to ride it again. We thought FP + was awesome and were usually able to get 5 each day. We used easy wdw for park recommendations. My son had originally wanted to meet A&e but once we explained the wait time he changed his mind. Thankfully! All in all I would for sure go this week again when we return to Disney in a couple of years.