All FP machines to be removed from Animal Kingdom by next week and....

[roomthreeseventeen]

It really boggles my mind that people can not see that the EARLY BIRD will still get that worm...it will be at 60 days, who ever can be on that computer at that exact moment will be able to get those coveted FP+s instead of at rope drop.

The system is HUGE and has a lot of availability. I booked for our trip at 56 days out because of issues linking our tickets, and got everything I wanted when I wanted it.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Agreed. They've taken the FP+ system and put in on par with ADR's. I can see it now, people stalking the new FP+ Cancellation Board in the hopes of grabbing a FP+ for the time they need.

I will not do that. I will sit in the Hall of the Presidents sleeping all day instead.

 

[Jennasis]

It really boggles my mind that people can not see that the EARLY BIRD will still get that worm...it will be at 60 days, who ever can be on that computer at that exact moment will be able to get those coveted FP+s instead of at rope drop. So if my computer crashes, you will get it before me, but that is fair. So if a guest is a nurse and doesnt get off in time to book before you, you will get it before her...but that is fair etc. But because I get my butt out of bed before you on that Tuesday in December and get to DHS before and stick my ticket in a machine bfore you...that is UNFAIR. I cant not wrap my head around ANY of this.

How is this fair...oh that's right it benefits you the sleep in person, and yet we the RDers are being called unfair, selfish or elitist.

I've been saying this since day one. All they did was move the rope drop stampede to a stampede online 60 days out. The early bird still gets the worm.

Rope drop v. sleeping in is a personal choice. One either side makes knowing full well the advantages or the drawbacks.

 

[mom2rtk]

If there are people in the FP line at times when there weren't before, then standby waits will go up.

Yep. And that's the piece of it I am most curious to see unfold.

 

[wen8jr]

The system is HUGE and has a lot of availability. I booked for our trip at 56 days out because of issues linking our tickets, and got everything I wanted when I wanted it.

You only seem to be considering how it is right now with just onsite guests in this early/testing phase. Some people were not even aware of it to book early out.

No one really knows how it will be when fully implemented: when more onsite guests catch on and begin booking too and if AP, DVC and/or onsite are also added to the early booking capabilities as well.

The more people begin to use this system the less choices there will be.

 

[mom2rtk]

The system is HUGE and has a lot of availability. I booked for our trip at 56 days out because of issues linking our tickets, and got everything I wanted when I wanted it.

So is the demand.

And you have not yet booked FP+ when everyone else is eligible.

I have never doubted fastpass will be available day of. Heck, I might even believe some will be available after using the initial 3. I just don't happen to believe any of those will be something anyone ever needed a fastpass for in the past.

The ones people really care about will be gone.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

You only seem to be considering how it is right now with just onsite guests in this early/testing phase. Some people were not even aware of it to book early out.

No one really knows how it will be when fully implemented: when more onsite guests catch on and begin booking too and if AP, DVC and/or onsite are also added to the early booking capabilities as well.

The more people begin to use this system the less choices there will be.

That's true. Nobody knows exactly. At THIS point, it seems to be functioning at the point where you don't need to book 60 days out, and there is a fair amount of ability to change your FP+ the morning you are going to that park.

 

[amylevan]

That's true. Nobody knows exactly. At THIS point, it seems to be functioning at the point where you don't need to book 60 days out, and there is a fair amount of ability to change your FP+ the morning you are going to that park.

And at this point, only roughly half of guests have access.

Math. Again.

 

[Missyrose]

That's true. Nobody knows exactly. At THIS point, it seems to be functioning at the point where you don't need to book 60 days out, and there is a fair amount of ability to change your FP+ the morning you are going to that park.

But the thing to remember at THIS point is, at best, half of the day's attendance has the ability to book FP+ in advance (and not even all the resort guests are using that ability). It's only logical to surmise that when you double the number of people who have access to the advance booking, availability will become an issue.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

But the thing to remember at THIS point is, at best, half of the day's attendance has the ability to book FP+ in advance (and not even all the resort guests are using that ability). It's only logical to surmise that when you double the number of people who have access to the advance booking, availability will become an issue.

But when you double the number of people who have access to advance booking, you also dump all of the old legacy FP into the new system as well.

 

[doconeill]

But the thing to remember at THIS point is, at best, half of the day's attendance has the ability to book FP+ in advance (and not even all the resort guests are using that ability). It's only logical to surmise that when you double the number of people who have access to the advance booking, availability will become an issue.

But to throw another math wrench into the equation - not all the FP capacity is given to FP+ yet.

I know the "half" number is throw around in this thread - is there a reliable source for numbers of on-site vs. off-site guests?

 

[Mkrop]

The system is HUGE and has a lot of availability. I booked for our trip at 56 days out because of issues linking our tickets, and got everything I wanted when I wanted it.

On what planet does TSMM have a lot of availability??? When everyone is one the system, there wont be the same availability there is today. I am sure there will be availabilty for Muppets.

When was your trip, were all resorts online, were AP users online, were offsite people online NO...of course! there was availability at 56 days, but was there the SAME availabilty at 40 days, no bc you got in their EARLIER than the 40 day person, and yet that is more fair that one person walking into DHS at 9 and someone else walking in at 9:40, the availabilty has changed and the EARLY BIRD got the worm!.

We went 12/5 through 12/10, all resorts were online, we got in before tiering and we did not get all the times we wanted, we tried to go in and change them...why bc DH was away on day 60 and wanted me to wait until he got home to book.

 

[Mkrop]

Agreed. They've taken the FP+ system and put in on par with ADR's. I can see it now, people stalking the new FP+ Cancellation Board in the hopes of grabbing a FP+ for the time they need.

But I am sure it is "FAIR" if those certain people get that coveted ADR for Ohana or Chef Mickey before I do because they can call before I can are they selfish and elitist. Maybe WDW should make it more fair and give me an Ohana ADR, I have never been able to eat there before

That's true. Nobody knows exactly. At THIS point, it seems to be functioning at the point where you don't need to book 60 days out, and there is a fair amount of ability to change your FP+ the morning you are going to that park.

not for the headliners last week there wasnt, the few times we were able to get onto MDE to look. We finally gave up and pulled FP-s. We had a few instances where we were running late and we had earlier FP+s and we wanted to change them, either none were available or we could not get on the system

 

[bcrook]

But to throw another math wrench into the equation - not all the FP capacity is given to FP+ yet.

I know the "half" number is throw around in this thread - is there a reliable source for numbers of on-site vs. off-site guests?

I have read that a lot. We have seen report after report of off site guests not having access to headliners at 9:45 and 10:00 am. There couldn't be much held back.

As a previous posts suggests, it doesn't take many people to wipe out TSMM or KS.

As for estimates of crowds - it is more math. 27000 rooms x 4 people per room x .80 fill rate in busier times. Probably about 85,000 people.

Total attendance in busier times about 160,000 -170,000.

It is probably about half. During peak times the off site numbers go up.

 

[doconeill]

I have read that a lot. We have seen report after report of off site guests not having access to headliners at 9:45 and 10:00 am. There couldn't be much held back.

From some non-scientific measurements I made a while back (before all this was even close to reality), on a pretty busy day, FP return times at TSM and Soarin' could advance an hour for every 15 minutes that passed. Given a 9-9 park day, with about 10 hours of FP return times available, the Fastpasses could be exhausted in theory in 2.5 hours.

So, if they are now exhausted in 1 hour, it could be as much as 40% FP still held in reserve. I personally don't think it's that much, but then again, if only 50% have access to FP+, they probably wouldn't want to pull TOO many out of circulation. Plus how much loss is due to double dipping, etc.

Now, also in the past I've heard of TSM Fastpasses stretching to 1pm or later. But I think that is in part due to the initial rush dying down. But now we're talking 4-5 hours instead of 2.5 - but that's still 20-25% held back.

Not scientific numbers but as close to that as I have. And seems somewhat in line with me watching Test Track return times last month go up about an hour every 5-10 minutes.

 

[Shaden]

It really boggles my mind that people can not see that the EARLY BIRD will still get that worm...it will be at 60 days, who ever can be on that computer at that exact moment will be able to get those coveted FP+s instead of at rope drop. So if my computer crashes, you will get it before me, but that is fair. So if a guest is a nurse and doesnt get off in time to book before you, you will get it before her...but that is fair etc. But because I get my butt out of bed before you on that Tuesday in December and get to DHS before and stick my ticket in a machine bfore you...that is UNFAIR. I cant not wrap my head around ANY of this.

How is this fair...oh that's right it benefits you the sleep in person, and yet we the RDers are being called unfair, selfish or elitist.

Indeed, it will still be the early bird, with the added restrictions that you need to be booked 60 days in advance (potentially), and that you will only be able to pull 3 FPs.

So, same essential system but with more restrictions and less flexibility ... um ... great !?!?!?

And it boggles my mind that no matter how many times we do the math people just can't wrap their heads around the fact that "day of" and "leading up to day of" flexibility is going to be drastically reduced and probably NIL during busier times (maybe even during slower times). Testing when only a small portion or even half of the guests are on FP+ is not representative of how the system will function when 100% of guests are able to book FP+ at 60 days, when Disney is fully marketing and pushing the system and every TA worth their salt is going online for lists of clients at their 60 day marks to book for them.

Remember those willfully ignorant people I was talking about ?? Yea, that's them.

 

[mom2rtk]

And don't forget the Disney marketing machine is just revving its engine. That campaign is just in its infancy.

 

[surferdave]

On what planet does TSMM have a lot of availability???

California.

 

[mom2rtk]

California.

LOL, I was there last week and saw the wait time under 30 minutes many times. And get this.... we never did it! We were really focusing on things we couldn't do at WDW. But it did taunt me!

 

[doconeill]

LOL, I was there last week and saw the wait time under 30 minutes many times. And get this.... we never did it! We were really focusing on things we couldn't do at WDW. But it did taunt me!

I think it was Tom Bell of the DL podcast that took a picture with it saying 40 minutes, and he thought he was on the wrong coast...