After my trip last week. I will never stay off site again...

[Don Disney]

I think its a very broad and unfair statement to say that those that are finally blessed think they are better than everyone else, and feel they are entitled to be treated better. I personally find the entitlement mentality much more common in the families that have saved like mad in order to be able to afford to go.....because its been such a financial mountain to climb, they feel they've paid a huge sum for their vacation and they are now entitled to some Disney magic.

Where I live, the "common family" cannot afford a Disney vacation. Most folks I know would give their eye teeth to be able to visit. How do you think Walt would feel about a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom villa at SSR going for $700 per night, when similar (and dare I even say, better) accommodations at the Sheraton Vistana Resort around the corner are under $150 nightly for the same time frame? How can that price range possibly encompass the "common family"? Disney appears to have strayed from the original vision in more than one regard.

We will have to agree to disagree on whether a front-of-the-line pass for an extra fee would be a benefit or a disservice to guests. I have tried Universal's Express Pass, and loved it. I have tried Seaworld's Quick Queue, and loved it too. I have tried Disney's Fastpass- and even it had some merits. With Disney placing offsite guests at a disadvantage for FP+, I will probably not even bother giving that system a try. If they ever implemented an unlimited FP for a fee....I'd return in a heartbeat.

Referring to those who"think"that way...not those with money who don't think that way...We will definitely agree to disagree...I don't know where you live,but here in Southeast Louisiana(one of the poorest states in the country by the way),many of my co-workers,and children's classmates go to WDW a lot,12 of 24 kids in 1 DD's class,and 6 of 24 in my other DD's class went for Mardi Gras....some stayed on property,some didn't.None of us,I would venture to say,are "well off":just regular,hard working folks who want to go to WDW bad enough to save,work some OT,and just really live simply,find the best deals we can,and not live"high-on -the-hog"....that's what "common folk"around these parts do....Heck,people are taking cruises,Disney Cruises included;going to the Gulf Coast EVERY summer,and taking other trips too!!! I work with a lady who takes about 4 or 5 vacations a year(her and her boyfriend are masters at finding hotels and resorts on special)!They have driven to Cedar Point in Ohio for goodness sakes...crazy! I know we are very fortunate,and I am grateful...but we are really all just common folk. I do realize that there are plenty of folks who will never get to visit WDW,and that's a shame.So,Gina,lets just count ourselves as very fortunate and agree on that!!! See you on the Dis!! I forgot to mention...some of us use our tax refunds to help finance our vacations...we've done it 3 times!!!

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

Don't lose hope...according to WDW Magic (see link below), offsite guests will now be able to make FP+ reservations 30 days in advance through MDE beginning next week; and offsite guests will also have the option to purchase magicbands if they want (although magicbands won't be required to be able to reserve/use FP+)

http://www.wdwmagic.com/other/mymag...available-to-offsite-day-guests-next-week.htm



I can work with 30 days and feel more optimistic about this all than I have in the past few months. I am reading a TR of someone who was at WDW last week and they were able to change around their day of FP+ reservations using MDE without much of a hassle and it seems like they did this a couple times during their trip (during the busy spring break period at Disney). Sure, those that stay on property have the 60 day advantage, but 30 days isn't too bad IMO; and those of us Dis'ers who are in the know have a big advantage over those non-planners and the many folks who may still show up to the parks without knowledge of how FP+ works at all.

 

[davedmaine]

Because of the new system, I will never stay off site again..

And Disney board members begin to high-five.. The fools have fallen for it

 

[busyshrew]

YES, I ordered my tickets thru orbitz and was able to link them to MDE. I only booked 1 night at all star movies and at the 60 day mark I was able to add my 1st day of Fp then then next day another day opened up until I ran out of days on my tickets. (5day ticket)

This is wonderful to know. When we next go to Disney (hoping to time our next visit for when the MK renovations are pretty much complete), I'm planning on getting a value room. It would be well worth the money.
1) Ability to book ahead on FP+
2) Can get Magic Bands
3) EMH if need be
4) 2 day free parking
5) a nice place to retreat & relax in the middle part of the day, with a pool to boot! (we tend to go early, leave right after early lunch, then go back after supper)

Am I missing any other advantages?

 

[daytondisney]

Fastpasses are also "extra".

The point is moot because now everyone can pre-book these to varying degrees, but I think the pushback comes from the idea that FP has not been an extra, or a perk, or whatever one wants to call it. Buy a ticket, get FP.

So the offsiter viewed this as losing something he had, not someone else getting a new thing.

Semantics matter, I think. Otherwise Disney wouldn't have Extra Magic Hours, they'd just say "Everyone staying at a hotel other than ours has to leave the parks a hour early."

Same practical effect, but imagine the psychological effect.

 

[bankr63]

http://www.wdwmagic.com/other/mymag...available-to-offsite-day-guests-next-week.htm

This is wonderful to know. When we next go to Disney (hoping to time our next visit for when the MK renovations are pretty much complete), I'm planning on getting a value room. It would be well worth the money.
1) Ability to book ahead on FP+
2) Can get Magic Bands
3) EMH if need be
4) 2 day free parking
5) a nice place to retreat & relax in the middle part of the day, with a pool to boot! (we tend to go early, leave right after early lunch, then go back after supper)

Am I missing any other advantages?

Well, advantage 1 and 2 of the throwaway room just went away, making the expense much harder to justify. Not sure that 5 is such an advantage either. Our offsite resort is closer and more comfortable than all of the value resorts. So an extra room for 2 days of parking and EMH? meh!

I'm glad to see things are starting to even out, although I think the new FP+ system sucks for everyone regardless of onsite or off. But then our family really knew how to use the old FP system to get multiple rides on all the best attractions. Can't wait for things to settle so those crafty planners can start coming up with the maximization strategies! I'll be back next March, offsite, and loving it, right where we always are!

 

[OtherScott]

Well, advantage 1 and 2 of the throwaway room just went away, making the expense much harder to justify. Not sure that 5 is such an advantage either. Our offsite resort is closer and more comfortable than all of the value resorts. So an extra room for 2 days of parking and EMH? meh!

I'm glad to see things are starting to even out, although I think the new FP+ system sucks for everyone regardless of onsite or off. But then our family really knew how to use the old FP system to get multiple rides on all the best attractions. Can't wait for things to settle so those crafty planners can start coming up with the maximization strategies! I'll be back next March, offsite, and loving it, right where we always are!

Onsite will have a 30 day jump on offsiters. Won't mean much - until it does, like Mine Train and some princesses at Epcot.

Second, MBs are included in onsite room cost. Expect to pay $12-$15, according to unsourced reports. So family of 4 pays extra $48-$60.

Add parking of $15 X 2, and you're close to a Value guest.

And now you've got 60 day pre-book and EMH for entire trip.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Semantics matter, I think. Otherwise Disney wouldn't have Extra Magic Hours, they'd just say "Everyone staying at a hotel other than ours has to leave the parks a hour early."

Same practical effect, but imagine the psychological effect.

Ah yes, semantics. I know my brain is wired differently than most. I shudder when I hear someone say that they get "free" transportation from the airport when they stay at a Disney resort, or "free" dining when the paid rack rate for their room. Included the price? Yes. Free? Hmmmmm.

 

[jaykorf001]

Ah yes, semantics. I know my brain is wired differently than most. I shudder when I hear someone say that they get "free" transportation from the airport when they stay at a Disney resort, or "free" dining when the paid rack rate for their room. Included the price? Yes. Free? Hmmmmm.

Part of me wishes devoted onsite ONLY guests could see the spread we have at WBC for $120 a night inclusive. Part of me hopes they never explore so the prices stay down here! We went over to AKL to see the animals this morning. I was reminded how much fun it was to stay there -- but for us it'll only be Disney deluxes (no way I'm paying more for what We have here -- well it'll be more but maybe we'd do it for specific fun) and only for a couple nights MAX. We hate being cramped. The offsite options are just so much nicer/bigger for the money. This is really important to us. My husband would never set foot back in orlando and pay Disney prices. To each their own. I get that.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Part of me wishes devoted onsite ONLY guests could see the spread we have at WBC for $120 a night inclusive. Part of me hopes they never explore so the prices stay down here!

 

[bankr63]

Onsite will have a 30 day jump on offsiters. Won't mean much - until it does, like Mine Train and some princesses at Epcot.

Second, MBs are included in onsite room cost. Expect to pay $12-$15, according to unsourced reports. So family of 4 pays extra $48-$60.

Add parking of $15 X 2, and you're close to a Value guest.

And now you've got 60 day pre-book and EMH for entire trip.

Probably getting far enough off topic for another thread, but honestly how much advantage is the extra 30 day jump for FP's? I understand that 30 days is huge for ADR's where restaurants fill fast, but these are FP's with a much higher availability. I expect decent times to be still be available for the headliners at 30 days out.

Heck, when I finally make my first FP+ visit next year, I still won't know what parks I'm going to until no sooner than about 7 days out. We decide the parks we visit based on weather and crowd calendars, always selecting the best weather day(s) for the water parks and then working other parks around that based on the calendars. Since the weather forecast isn't reliable until 1 week out, I really don't want to be setting my parks until then.

As to the cost of the MB's I hope they will be reusable? $48-60 leveraged over 5 or 6 trips (what my current 10-day WPFAM NE tickets will last) won't be that bad per trip.

 

[OtherScott]

Probably getting far enough off topic for another thread, but honestly how much advantage is the extra 30 day jump for FP's? I understand that 30 days is huge for ADR's where restaurants fill fast, but these are FP's with a much higher availability. I expect decent times to be still be available for the headliners at 30 days out.

Heck, when I finally make my first FP+ visit next year, I still won't know what parks I'm going to until no sooner than about 7 days out. We decide the parks we visit based on weather and crowd calendars, always selecting the best weather day(s) for the water parks and then working other parks around that based on the calendars. Since the weather forecast isn't reliable until 1 week out, I really don't want to be setting my parks until then.

As to the cost of the MB's I hope they will be reusable? $48-60 leveraged over 5 or 6 trips (what my current 10-day WPFAM NE tickets will last) won't be that bad per trip.

Not much advantage, except for things like trying to see some princesses at Epcot that only have 1,000 FPs for a given day, or the new Mine Train that is calculated to have capacity of 20K per day (seats, not just FPs)

Just pointing out that the poster wasn't getting "nothing" for the ghost room.

 

[ampc3]

I just want to add, that that extra 30 days DOES matter , today was my 60 days for my throwaway checkin... and I could not get a fp+ for the A & E meet and greet for 5 people.. I was able to get it for 2 but the times didn't work with our ADR, and it ONLY showed me one time frame and this was going in individually and doing the copy method..

Now it is possible that they will hold some of these spots back and release them at 30 days, but who really knows? So I would say at the very least, the new attractions it will most definitely matter with that extra 30 days IMO

 

[kathy884]

OP -- I thought the same thing.

The 30 days, though, will be a huge plus for offsite visitors vs. being limited to day of I think. Lots of people just aren't into planning that much in advance.

But I do see the point that at really busy times, especially, that the onsite advantage could make or break the deal, if doing offsite left you with lines that were just too long to tolerate for your favorite attractions and you wouldn't be able to get in what you thought was reasonable to do in a park day.

I was thinking I probably wouldn't be coming back to WDW for a long time, as I don't like to pay onsite prices and thought even doing rope drop with limited FP plus selections that what I'd be able to do in a park day would be quite limited high season. I like to scope out a day in the park with touring plans to see what they predict my waits will be and how many of the attractions I want to do they predict I can get in. Christmas week is just too much for me these days. And spring break, a time I love to go, just seems to be getting more and more crowded every year and was less manageable than it used to be even before FP+.

OMG, though, two factors came together that got me to book an offsite trip.
(1) the real biggy is that my youngest is graduating from HS this year, I just got his college academic calendar, and his finals are done pretty early meaning we can go that week of Dec, 13th before things start getting really busy,

and

(2) The 30 day option to book FP+ means that I can even probably get a few fast passes.

(Time predictions from the unofficial guide people are such, though, that it looks like FP+ really wouldn't even be needed for us. For my one and only one Disney day, a day at the MK, only two attractions we want to do are predicted to have lines over 20 minutes, and I can probably even at the 30 day mark FP these. // Predictions are that I can get our nine favorite attractions in with a 40 minute break for lunch and a one hour break for dinner and still fit in the evening parade and fireworks. If we run a little over we'll just cut out an attraction or two.

I highly recommend touring guide optimization plans for helping evaluate whether a day a Disney seems worth it or not for an offsite visitor on a particular day if you are a potential visitor having concerns or trouble making a go / no-go decision. It's a lot of money to spend to do one or more days at Disney. And I for one, don't want to go if I can't get in my favorite rides and wait too long in line.

 

[mommyrants]

Wait - So i could book a resort night for one day - and book a week of FP +? I was already doing this - staying by the airport for one night...

 

[Rosebud123]

Part of me wishes devoted onsite ONLY guests could see the spread we have at WBC for $120 a night inclusive. Part of me hopes they never explore so the prices stay down here! We went over to AKL to see the animals this morning. I was reminded how much fun it was to stay there -- but for us it'll only be Disney deluxes (no way I'm paying more for what We have here -- well it'll be more but maybe we'd do it for specific fun) and only for a couple nights MAX. We hate being cramped. The offsite options are just so much nicer/bigger for the money. This is really important to us. My husband would never set foot back in orlando and pay Disney prices. To each their own. I get that.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

ITA! I have to laugh when I hear people talking about onsite is the only way to go. That's what I used to think before we discovered WBC.

 

[ampc3]

ITA! I have to laugh when I hear people talking about onsite is the only way to go. That's what I used to think before we discovered WBC.

we will be staying there for the first time next month and I CAN'T wait to see how awesome it is!!! 10 nights for $110 a night (2bdr).. don't think Disney can beat that!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Onsite will have a 30 day jump on offsiters. Won't mean much - until it does, like Mine Train and some princesses at Epcot. Second, MBs are included in onsite room cost. Expect to pay $12-$15, according to unsourced reports. So family of 4 pays extra $48-$60. Add parking of $15 X 2, and you're close to a Value guest. And now you've got 60 day pre-book and EMH for entire trip.

I love math skills like this

April weekend. Rack rates

Fairfield inn. $109
All star. $165

Extra costs parking and Magic Band
Savings free breakfast

Hmmm..,, Unless you buy a new Tragic Band every day offsite looks cheaper. Plus you get an interior corridor hotel with other cheaper dining options at your door

If you drub rot rent a car I you are paying $59 a night for cute

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

The last sentence in my post should read


If you drive or rent a car you are paying $56 for cute


Small phone keyboard and bad edit tools on the phone app are not a good combo

 

[asmit4]

Wait - So i could book a resort night for one day - and book a week of FP +? I was already doing this - staying by the airport for one night...

Currently the answer to your question is YES. However that may change. They may make it so you can only book FP+ for your length of hotel stay. Even so we take short 4 night trips and do 2 onsite days and 1 offsite day (parks I mean)

So here is what ya do. YOu go to cheaptickets.com Use a promo code for 20%...we booked AS sports for around 80 bucks total including all taxes. MBs were mailed to our house, we linked tickets, got EMH for our 2 park days, booked FP+, got free parking for the 2 days too. TOTALLY worth it IMO. Throwaway rooms are the way to go iMO with this crappy current system!

We did not ever go to our room, or check out either. Just got our 'key' and left. simple. If you are going for a longer time- and want all the perks you can do this:
Book a Monday night and a Wednesday night....SEPARATE. Monday will give you all the perks for Mon/Tues and then check in AGAIN on Wednesday morning...for perks on Wed/THurs. CHecking in took me 5 minutes. My mom and my son waited in our rental car and AS sports was probably a 4 minute drive from Wyndham Bonnet Creek. I had NO idea how close WBC really is to the parks. WE could be at Epcot DOOR TO DOOR in 10 minutes MAX. IT was awesome. I'll never stay onsite again if I can manage it.