Any Reformed FP- Uber Users Who Have Embraced FP+ ?

[jade1]

I was..I posted a link in my 1st post from today where a local orlando news station had an article saying that MK had closed to capacity at 10am. I'm sure that was the first closing phase, not closed to absolutely everyone, but I'm pretty sure they shut down the MK parking lot at that phase, which just on its own would limit how many people were coming to even try to get into MK.

I saw reports that MK did fully open later that day, but IIRC it wasn't until around 4 or 5pm.

ETA: Here's the source for the 10am closing on NYE. The source in ETA1a states that MK actually closed at Phase A at 9:25am.

ETA1a: on NYE, MK entered Phase B closing at 1:45pm. Parks reopened after 5pm Source

ETA2: MK was also at phase A closing on Christmas Day starting at 10:30am, and didn't reopen until after 3pm. Source

Yea I'm not posting that the MK was empty those days, just never saw the turnstiles with nobody in them or waiting to get in in the past.

I walked right in both days at that time, so it wasn't closed.

Back at the resorts they did not stop sending buses to the MK, and the monorail resorts didn't get stopped either.

These are the 2 busiest days of the year.

It is possible IMO-that a lot of folks are visiting in "shifts" that are closer to their FP+ windows.

In the past if you didn't get into MK by late AM either of those 2 days-you had zero chance at the FP's for the headliners.

That is no longer the case. If somebody wants to ride the mountains at MK those nights with no wait-why rush in first thing in the AM?

 

[Angel Ariel]

I walked right in both days at that time, so it wasn't closed.

It may have been in Phase A, which only restricts certain guests (not resort guests), but it was in some form of closing as the sources I posted confirm.

Back at the resorts they did not stop sending buses to the MK, and the monorail resorts didn't get stopped either.

I don't believe Phase A closing restricts resort transportation.

If somebody wants to ride the mountains at MK those nights with no wait-why rush in first thing in the AM?

I have never said anything negative about that aspect of FP+

 

[jade1]

I believe MK was in it's first phase of closing during Jade's pictures on Christmas Day. We were riding the train around the park during this time on Christmas Day and it was quite strange to see just a very few people in front of the park.

On these very crowded holidays, I don't really think there is any such thing as equal crowd distribution because of fp+. Everyone just knows to get there early or risk getting shut out, know matter what time their first FP ride is at.

We walked right in.

I think they "shut down" is more the offsite parking lot. We could have missed some kind of closure at the gate but we never saw that.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Phase A Closing:

No admission of guests with one day tickets, and no admission of guests even with FastPass+ reservations unless they have one of the following:

WDW Resort Guests, including The Four Seasons Resort, Swan, Dolphin or Shades of Green, Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels arriving by bus (Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel, The Buena Vista Palace, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel, B Resort, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, Hilton), Golden Oak residents and guests.
WDW Premier Passport, Annual & Premium Passholders
Guests with Park Hopper tickets re-entering or crossing over from another WDW Theme Park
Guests with Memory Maker
Guests with dining reservations
Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Harmony Barber Shop or The Pirates League.

Source

MK entered Phase B at 1:45pm on NYE according to the aforementioned sources.

Phase B Closing

No admission of guests with one day tickets, and no re-entering or crossing over from another park unless they have one of the following:

WDW Resort Guests, including The Four Seasons Resort, Swan, Dolphin or Shades of Green, Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels arriving by bus (Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel, The Buena Vista Palace, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel, B Resort, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, Hilton), Golden Oak residents and guests.
WDW Premier Passport, Annual & Premium Passholders
Guests with Park Hopper tickets re-entering or crossing over from another WDW Theme Park
Guests with Memory Maker
Guests with dining reservations
Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Harmony Barber Shop or The Pirates League.
FastPass+ reservations

 

[jade1]

It may have been in Phase A, which only restricts certain guests (not resort guests), but it was in some form of closing as the sources I posted confirm.



I don't believe Phase A closing restricts resort transportation.

I believe that-but on the 2 busiest days of the year-very few onsite guests were arriving at MK (from 27 resorts) when we arrived and took these pics-nobody at all from BC/BCV/YC?

By visiting this week for many many years I conclude its a FP+ affect, I can't prove it or care to.

I have never said anything negative about that aspect of FP+

We were talking about how FP+ might space arrivals. I was just explaining IMO why the gates may be less busy (by giving an example), or at least more spaced out with FP+.

 

[Shaden]

Yea I'm not posting that the MK was empty those days, just never saw the turnstiles with nobody in them or waiting to get in in the past.

I walked right in both days at that time, so it wasn't closed.

Back at the resorts they did not stop sending buses to the MK, and the monorail resorts didn't get stopped either.

These are the 2 busiest days of the year.

It is possible IMO-that a lot of folks are visiting in "shifts" that are closer to their FP+ windows.

In the past if you didn't get into MK by late AM either of those 2 days-you had zero chance at the FP's for the headliners.

That is no longer the case. If somebody wants to ride the mountains at MK those nights with no wait-why rush in first thing in the AM?

Staggs, or Iger, last year made a comment regarding this last year during the holiday. The daily capacity for MK had increased, as he attributed it, because of FP+.

Essentially, and I think your post is accurate here, due to the cycling of guests.

Of course, no comment was made on what those folks were getting accomplished on their visit, but just that more people were able to be admitted into the park in total. The obvious conclusion drawn from this is that people were cycling in and out of the park faster.

Superficially, this sounds alright of course. But doesn't really give us much information about their experience. I would think it follows logic that since the overall capacity to the park has changed due to FP+, but the capacity of the rides hasn't changed, the only possible conclusion is that people are doing less, and leaving the park. From a business perspective, I guess this is good, potentially more revenue from the same capacity, but from a guest perspective, considering the increased price year over year, this is a great example of paying more for less.

 

[tweak89]

Sounds like you are going in late March or so? I'm very curious as to what your impressions will be.

We do Six Flags but never pay for Flash Pass; we thought Express Pass was a MUCH better implementation of queue bypass than FP+, and we've found FP+ to be great for the three you get each day but beyond that has worsened conditions for everything else once you've used up your three.

So by all means please let us know how it works out for you!

Correct, we'll be there from the March 22-26.

I agree, Express Pass in simply incredible. We only pick up Six Flags Flash Passes if we are visiting an out of state park (we also have season passes, so we look at the additional expense differently than if we has to buy tickets and Flash passes).

I just booked the tickets as well, and we have our first minor glitch. Although we have a resort reservation and park tickets registered (with a mydisney.com account) it's only showing a 30 day window for the tickets. Spoke to a CSR and it's a know glitch, but they assure me when my 60 day window opens I will be able to see/make reservations. My fingers will be crossed for that day.

I'll definitely post my impressions upon my return. I'm not too concerned about it for me and the wife (we've been to WDW many times) I just want a smooth experience for my niece and nephew.

 

[jade1]

ETA1a: on NYE, MK entered Phase B closing at 1:45pm. Parks reopened after 5pm Source

ETA2: MK was also at phase A closing on Christmas Day starting at 10:30am, and didn't reopen until after 3pm. Source

Thank you for showing an amazing improvement FP+ has made for those days. And exactly what I suspect many guest did do.

Arriving after 5PM meant another 10 hours of park time.

In the past arriving after the reopen meant zero chance of any decent FP at all and the 3 mountains at 2 hour waits..

Now you can arrive with FP+ for the 3 mountains and no wait.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I believe that-but on the 2 busiest days of the year-very few onsite guests were arriving at MK (from 27 resorts) when we arrived and took these pics-nobody at all from BC/BCV/YC?

By visiting this week for many many years I conclude its a FP+ affect, I can't prove it or care to.

i'm not asking you to prove it. It did not seem that you believed MK was at a closing phase at all, so I provided more information to back up that fact. Nothing more

Originally Posted by jade1
If somebody wants to ride the mountains at MK those nights with no wait-why rush in first thing in the AM?

Originally Posted by Angel Ariel
I have never said anything negative about that aspect of FP+

Originally Posted by jade1
We were talking about how FP+ might space arrivals. I was just explaining IMO why the gates may be less busy (by giving an example), or at least more spaced out with FP+.

I was responding to what was posed as a question. It was not clear that you were just explaining - so I answered the question I thought was being asked. I wasn't trying to be snarky or anything.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Thank you for showing an amazing improvement FP+ has made for those days. And exactly what I suspect many guest did do.

Arriving after 5PM meant another 10 hours of park time.

In the past arriving after the reopen meant zero chance of any decent FP at all and the 3 mountains at 2 hour waits..

Now you can arrive with FP+ for the 3 mountains and no wait.

If you want to gamble on when the parks will re-open. No one can predict throughout the day when the parks will begin to reach closing phases, or when they will come out of them. This year they re-opened at a decent time. There's no way to know *right now* that next year will be the same. After a few years of re-opening happening at a good time consistently, it wouldn't be a gamble any more...but right now, IMO, it's still a gamble. A gamble some may be willing to take, sure, but still a gamble.

ETA: As an aside - I thought I read a report that it was rainy and dreary on NYE (I did - here)? I would think that also played a rather large part in the park re-opening when it did.

I'm not arguing that FP+ hasn't had an effect there - I am absolutely positive it has. I just think there are also other factors involved that can't be ignored either.

 

[jade1]

If you want to gamble on when the parks will re-open. No one can predict throughout the day when the parks will begin to reach closing phases, or when they will come out of them. This year they re-opened at a decent time. There's no way to know *right now* that next year will be the same. After a few years of re-opening happening at a good time consistently, it wouldn't be a gamble any more...but right now, IMO, it's still a gamble. A gamble some may be willing to take, sure, but still a gamble.

In the past-it was worthless regarding attractions to go later. Now if you have evening FP+ it will be open that evening for sure.

The earlier crowds wear out every day, and certainly during a 20 hour day.

 

[Angel Ariel]

In the past-it was worthless regarding attractions to go later. Now if you have evening FP+ it will be open that evening for sure.

The earlier crowds wear out every day, and certainly during a 20 hour day.

I'm not debating what it was in the past. I fully acknowledge that capacity closure days were worse for evening arrivals in the past.

I still think having an evening FP+ and not entering the park until those FP+ times are up is a gamble, though. As I edited in my post above, it's likely that rain/weather had an effect on how early the park re-opened on NYE. Would it have re-opened at 5pm if the weather had been better? There's no way to know. If you have FP+ for 5pm, that would be a gamble, IMO - at least until there is a few years of a pattern of the parks reopening that early.

If you're staying onsite, it's also less of a gamble as Disney resort guests get priority for continued access when the closures start. It would be more of a gamble for an offsite guest.

Like I said, I'm not debating whether or not FP+ is better if you're wanting to have nighttime FP+ rides in MK. Clearly it is. What i'm saying is that I would not count on MK opening at a certain time. If I wanted to make sure I was in the park for a certain time, and I knew the parks could reach closing before that and not knowing when they'd re-open, I'd still get there earlier rather than later. I, personally, just wouldn't be comfortable assuming MK would reopen when I needed it to, without having some consistent data to back it up.

 

[Shaden]

Anybody ???

Yea I'm not posting that the MK was empty those days, just never saw the turnstiles with nobody in them or waiting to get in in the past.

I walked right in both days at that time, so it wasn't closed.

Back at the resorts they did not stop sending buses to the MK, and the monorail resorts didn't get stopped either.

These are the 2 busiest days of the year.

It is possible IMO-that a lot of folks are visiting in "shifts" that are closer to their FP+ windows.

In the past if you didn't get into MK by late AM either of those 2 days-you had zero chance at the FP's for the headliners.

That is no longer the case. If somebody wants to ride the mountains at MK those nights with no wait-why rush in first thing in the AM?

Staggs, or Iger, last year made a comment regarding this last year during the holiday. The daily capacity for MK had increased, as he attributed it, because of FP+.

Essentially, and I think your post is accurate here, due to the cycling of guests.

Of course, no comment was made on what those folks were getting accomplished on their visit, but just that more people were able to be admitted into the park in total. The obvious conclusion drawn from this is that people were cycling in and out of the park faster.

Superficially, this sounds alright of course. But doesn't really give us much information about their experience. I would think it follows logic that since the overall capacity to the park has changed due to FP+, but the capacity of the rides hasn't changed, the only possible conclusion is that people are doing less, and leaving the park. From a business perspective, I guess this is good, potentially more revenue from the same capacity, but from a guest perspective, considering the increased price year over year, this is a great example of paying more for less.

 

[jade1]

Staggs, or Iger, last year made a comment regarding this last year during the holiday. The daily capacity for MK had increased, as he attributed it, because of FP+.

Essentially, and I think your post is accurate here, due to the cycling of guests.

Of course, no comment was made on what those folks were getting accomplished on their visit, but just that more people were able to be admitted into the park in total. The obvious conclusion drawn from this is that people were cycling in and out of the park faster.

Superficially, this sounds alright of course. But doesn't really give us much information about their experience. I would think it follows logic that since the overall capacity to the park has changed due to FP+, but the capacity of the rides hasn't changed, the only possible conclusion is that people are doing less, and leaving the park.

Ah, but are they doing more per hour on the busiest day of the year?

What we did for XMAS was pop into MK for the parade, but our evening was actually scheduled at DHS-another thing we could not have done in the past.

And we grabbed them on XMAS Eve.

From a business perspective, I guess this is good, potentially more revenue from the same capacity, but from a guest perspective, considering the increased price year over year, this is a great example of paying more for less.

Totally disagree, BUT it does depend on how you tour of course.

Have you visited these days/nights? It is a 20 hour marathon and you need to choose what you want to do.

If you want to do the MK NYE Fireworks preview at midnight of the 30th-it really gets late to arrive early the next day anywhere, especially if you stay until 3AM.

Now we can arrive later on the 30th with FP+, and not rush in the AM.


Did the MK NYE Preview Midnight fireworks on the 30th-soo good.

Had the big 3 FP+ scheduled before.

NY at EPCOT was so much fun, very packed but a breeze walking 5 min to/from BC.

Did TT FP+ after the fireworks to be safe.

 

[jade1]

I'm not debating what it was in the past. I fully acknowledge that capacity closure days were worse for evening arrivals in the past.

I still think having an evening FP+ and not entering the park until those FP+ times are up is a gamble, though. As I edited in my post above, it's likely that rain/weather had an effect on how early the park re-opened on NYE. Would it have re-opened at 5pm if the weather had been better? There's no way to know. If you have FP+ for 5pm, that would be a gamble, IMO - at least until there is a few years of a pattern of the parks reopening that early.

If you're staying onsite, it's also less of a gamble as Disney resort guests get priority for continued access when the closures start. It would be more of a gamble for an offsite guest.

Like I said, I'm not debating whether or not FP+ is better if you're wanting to have nighttime FP+ rides in MK. Clearly it is. What i'm saying is that I would not count on MK opening at a certain time. If I wanted to make sure I was in the park for a certain time, and I knew the parks could reach closing before that and not knowing when they'd re-open, I'd still get there earlier rather than later. I, personally, just wouldn't be comfortable assuming MK would reopen when I needed it to, without having some consistent data to back it up.

I hear ya-and don't think you should ever try, I'm just not the least bit worried for us since its never happened in history to reopen that late, that I've ever heard anyway.

Plus-we are not going early those days and we never will-so not much of a gamble for us.

It's open until 3AM, which we enjoy so we are not going early-I recommend closer to 6 to 7PM for the first FP+.

This year for XMAS Day we did the MK parade and then DHS until late.

But planning back to MK next year again since it went so well-probably Bay Lake Tower those nights instead of BC.

 

[Shaden]

Jade, by the looks of things you really made the most of FP+ during the busiest times of the year and Well done.

But you have to see that, quite literally, everyone can not do this. This is NOT possible. The capacity just isn't there.

Its much more likely IMO, that for -most- people, if they are cycling more people in and out of the park, people are doing less.

Its a simple factor of increasing the number of FPs, increasing SB wait time (due to more capacity dedicated to FPs, and increased use of FP), and increasing the total number of people in the park on any given day thus splitting the capacity over more people.

 

[wisblue]

Jade, by the looks of things you really made the most of FP+ during the busiest times of the year and Well done.

But you have to see that, quite literally, everyone can not do this. This is NOT possible. The capacity just isn't there.

Its much more likely IMO, that for -most- people, if they are cycling more people in and out of the park, people are doing less.

Its a simple factor of increasing the number of FPs, increasing SB wait time (due to more capacity dedicated to FPs, and increased use of FP), and increasing the total number of people in the park on any given day thus splitting the capacity over more people.

Of course, you are right that if the total attraction capacity stays the same and the total number of people tapping into that capacity is increased, the average number of attractions per guest is going to go down. But that doesn't necessarily translate into an overall reduced experience for every guest. Some people might prefer to do, for example, 10 attractions in 8 hours with 3 hours at the resort pool than 12 attractions in 12 hours. For some that will produce an overall more enjoyable day than a few extra hours in a packed theme park.

Others may be doing 10 or 11 attractions in a 12 hour day instead of 12, but nay not care because they aren't counting and are enjoying themselves regardless.

You also have to factor in that the overall attraction (and walking) capacity at the MK has increased in the last few years with the new attractions in the New Fantasyland.

In our case, because we have always abandoned the parks in the middle of crowded days, using FP+ in the evening allows us to do more in a day with the same amount of time in the parks. It sounds like jade is in the same boat. But, I do understand that not everyone is looking for the same experience at WDW that we are.

 

[Laketravis]

Jade, by the looks of things you really made the most of FP+ during the busiest times of the year and Well done.

But you have to see that, quite literally, everyone can not do this. This is NOT possible. The capacity just isn't there.

Its much more likely IMO, that for -most- people, if they are cycling more people in and out of the park, people are doing less.

Its a simple factor of increasing the number of FPs, increasing SB wait time (due to more capacity dedicated to FPs, and increased use of FP), and increasing the total number of people in the park on any given day thus splitting the capacity over more people.

Exactly right. While there are some guests who are content riding a few attractions once and calling it a day, they aren't the typical park guest.

Whether or not current conditions provide a satisfactory experience for a sufficient number of park guests to sustain the practice long term remains to be seen and will literally take years to prove out.

 

[Disneylover99]

We walked right in.

I think they "shut down" is more the offsite parking lot. We could have missed some kind of closure at the gate but we never saw that.

I didn't say anything was "shut down". I was referring to the discussions on these boards before the Christmas holidays, where people would ask, "will I be able to get into the MK on Dec. 25 in the afternoon if I have a dinner ADR"?

Of course the different phases of closings were listed repeatedly, but it causes you to think, well, no matter what.....I better get there early or risk being "shut out".

Now, having been during Christmas week, I would say, being a resort guest and taking the bus, my fears were unfounded. There were no closures for us, and travelling by bus was a breeze.

 

[Disneylover99]

Yea I'm not posting that the MK was empty those days, just never saw the turnstiles with nobody in them or waiting to get in in the past.

I walked right in both days at that time, so it wasn't closed.

Back at the resorts they did not stop sending buses to the MK, and the monorail resorts didn't get stopped either.

These are the 2 busiest days of the year.

It is possible IMO-that a lot of folks are visiting in "shifts" that are closer to their FP+ windows.

In the past if you didn't get into MK by late AM either of those 2 days-you had zero chance at the FP's for the headliners.

That is no longer the case. If somebody wants to ride the mountains at MK those nights with no wait-why rush in first thing in the AM?

I do think there are some really great benefits of FP+ during the busy Christmas week, especially if it is staggering the crowds.