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

[Suvadoo]

Anybody ???



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.

In the past, I left the parks satisfied with the overall experience. Now I leave the parks in surrender. It's just not worth the hassle. I am at the Disney theme parks to ride the rides. I enjoy the shows, music, dancing fountains, and characters. But I can experience all of those things in my own city. So these are not reasons to stay in the parks.

Cycling guests through the parks may be a short term benefit for Disney, but I think they're going to drive away a lot of repeat and first time visitors. If I can pay $100 and ride twice as many rides at Busch Gardens compared to the same $100 I pay at Disney, I'm going to Busch Gardens. Yes the theming is superior at the Disney parks, but theming can only go so far. I want experiences.

 

[erc]

In the past, I left the parks satisfied with the overall experience. Now I leave the parks in surrender.

I think a lot of people had that feeling before FP+ as well. There were always hordes of people standing around looking at a park map, looking at amazement at these people who were boarding a ride from the FastPass line. You almost can't buy tickets to the Disney Parks today without being informed about MDEx or FP+. So I think a bigger cross-section of people are using the overall "FastPass" system today than they did in the past. Because of that the average number of attractions per person per day has most likely increased. But it may have decreased for those who knew exactly how to game the FastPass system to their advantage in the past.

 

[Suvadoo]

I think a lot of people had that feeling before FP+ as well. There were always hordes of people standing around looking at a park map, looking at amazement at these people who were boarding a ride from the FastPass line. You almost can't buy tickets to the Disney Parks today without being informed about MDEx or FP+. So I think a bigger cross-section of people are using the overall "FastPass" system today than they did in the past. Because of that the average number of attractions per person per day has most likely increased. But it may have decreased for those who knew exactly how to game the FastPass system to their advantage in the past.

Yes, more guests are using FP+ because there are more FP+ attractions. I don't think you can credit FP+ with increasing the amount of attractions guests experience. I think it's exactly the opposite, because rides that were walk-ons ( People Mover) now have a wait. I think guests are spending more time in lines not more time on attractions

Also, there are still hoards of people standing around and staring at their park maps. There are also hoards of people who purchase their tickets at park entry, so they remain ignotrant of the FP+ system and how it works.

 

[Laketravis]

Yes, more guests are using FP+ because there are more FP+ attractions. I don't think you can credit FP+ with increasing the amount of attractions guests experience..

I'll say it again, I don't buy the "people didn't know about FP before" argument. Between the kiosks outside the attractions with large lit-up signs showing return times, watching other guests pass you in the SB line after presenting mysterious little slips of paper, and CM's available to answer questions - how could anyone not have figured out what it was once they asked?

Almost doubling the number of attractions that offer FP and forcing everyone who uses the system to pick three doesn't eliminate any ignorance factor.

The "increase" in usage can be as simple as guests are using FP on twice as many attractions now, therefore usage has doubled. Makes for a nice talking point during an investor call.

 

[famy27]

I'll say it again, I don't buy the "people didn't know about FP before" argument. Between the kiosks outside the attractions with large lit-up signs showing return times, watching other guests pass you in the SB line after presenting mysterious little slips of paper, and CM's available to answer questions - how could anyone not have figured out what it was once they asked?

Almost doubling the number of attractions that offer FP and forcing everyone who uses the system to pick three doesn't eliminate any ignorance factor.

The "increase" in usage can be as simple as guests are using FP on twice as many attractions now, therefore usage has doubled. Makes for a nice talking point during an investor call.

From personal experience, our first trip with legacy FP was in 2001. I hadn't seen or heard of it before we arrived at the park. We were staying offsite in my parents' timeshare and had booked everything ourselves. I had never visited a WDW-related website. I saw the kiosk, asked the CM about it, grabbed my first FP, and I was hooked. So, in the past 15 years, ways to learn about FP have increased significantly. It was hard not to see it/know about it. And anyone who didn't learn the paper system or thought it was too complicated would seem to be an unlikely candidate to use FP+.

 

[dayvewc]

I'll say it again, I don't buy the "people didn't know about FP before" argument. Between the kiosks outside the attractions with large lit-up signs showing return times, watching other guests pass you in the SB line after presenting mysterious little slips of paper, and CM's available to answer questions - how could anyone not have figured out what it was once they asked?

I think the key assumption here is "once they asked". My first trip, I was accustomed to Six Flags Queue Pass or whatever it's called, so assumed that FP was a for-pay system. Why would I need to ask about what I already "knew"?

On my second trip, I had done a little more research than before. But even then, it was my second day before I realized that all tickets were eligible for FP, and not just certain types. I knew I had opted for 4 day 1 park per day plain tickets, not park hoppers, not water parks and fun, not non-expiring, (and it made sense to me) not fast pass enabled.

Yes, IF someone did due diligence in preparing for their trip (and not saying I did, but that was more the nature of my trips), or thought to ask a CM about the FP they could have learned of the program easily. But with every other park making it a for-pay system, why would the average first timer question the idea that it wasn't free?

The separate entrances, kiosks outside attractions, admission slips, all would indicate, to someone accustomed to for-pay systems, how it works at Disney, not that this is a free benefit. And even if you saw someone inserting their ticket into the kiosk, knowing different types of tickets are sold would not explicitly mean that MY ticket would.

Not trying to be argumentative, just pointing out an assumption you've made and why people may not have asked about the program.

 

[Laketravis]

I think the key assumption here is "once they asked". My first trip, I was accustomed to Six Flags Queue Pass or whatever it's called, so assumed that FP was a for-pay system. Why would I need to ask about what I already "knew"? On my second trip, I had done a little more research than before. But even then, it was my second day before I realized that all tickets were eligible for FP, and not just certain types. I knew I had opted for 4 day 1 park per day plain tickets, not park hoppers, not water parks and fun, not non-expiring, (and it made sense to me) not fast pass enabled. Yes, IF someone did due diligence in preparing for their trip (and not saying I did, but that was more the nature of my trips), or thought to ask a CM about the FP they could have learned of the program easily. But with every other park making it a for-pay system, why would the average first timer question the idea that it wasn't free? The separate entrances, kiosks outside attractions, admission slips, all would indicate, to someone accustomed to for-pay systems, how it works at Disney, not that this is a free benefit. And even if you saw someone inserting their ticket into the kiosk, knowing different types of tickets are sold would not explicitly mean that MY ticket would. Not trying to be argumentative, just pointing out an assumption you've made and why people may not have asked about the program.

Good point, and I think that holds true for the current system as well. Just last month I had someone in the SB line at Space Mountain ask me 'hey buddy, how much does that cost?' when I was passing them in the FP line. Surely there are others who assume the same thing and never ask, like you pointed out.

 

[meggiemouse]

Following. Our last trip to Disney was in 2013 and I mastered the rope drop/fast pass thing. Now everything has changed and I'm freaked out. I'm happy to find a thread that isn't bashing FP+ but explains how to embrace it!!

 

[mesaboy2]

Following. Our last trip to Disney was in 2013 and I mastered the rope drop/fast pass thing. Now everything has changed and I'm freaked out. I'm happy to find a thread that isn't bashing FP+ but explains how to embrace it!!

You may want to take a glance at the thread linked to by the green link in my signature below. The first post is written to answer many of the most commonly-asked FP questions.

 

[crostorfer]

In the past, I left the parks satisfied with the overall experience. Now I leave the parks in surrender.

A more true quote hath never been quoted. I wrote a PTR about this upcoming trip that I don't even really want to take, and I attributed FP+ to a feeling of hopelessness. You look around at the wait times aside from your allotted 3, it dawns on you that there is nothing you can do, and so you just leave, dissatisfied. It happened to us in March, and again in October.

 

[dayvewc]

Good point, and I think that holds true for the current system as well. Just last month I had someone in the SB line at Space Mountain ask me 'hey buddy, how much does that cost?' when I was passing them in the FP line. Surely there are others who assume the same thing and never ask, like you pointed out.

I think you are correct. I also think that there are fewer people unaware now than there were then. Just based on how Disney is including the FP+ system in the planning phase currently, compared to not promoting it at all (when I was planning my first trips).

I would think that the people who don't know now are more likely to fall into a few groups: those who receive tickets as some sort of promotional or group activity, people who show up and buy tickets at the gate, people who know enough to buy tickets from a reseller such as undercover tourist but don't know about FP, people who don't plan, and people who stay off-site. Most likely though, people who fit multiple of these categories.

As opposed to before, where the people who knew the program fell into a) repeat visitors, b) obsessive planners, or c) asked about them.

 

[Suvadoo]

A more true quote hath never been quoted. I wrote a PTR about this upcoming trip that I don't even really want to take, and I attributed FP+ to a feeling of hopelessness. You look around at the wait times aside from your allotted 3, it dawns on you that there is nothing you can do, and so you just leave, dissatisfied. It happened to us in March, and again in October.

I'm in the process of planning a trip for April. It's a split between WDW and Universal. I've got the days picked out to visit each resort, but you know what? I'm not even terribly excited about the WDW portion of the trip. We're going for Flower and Garden, which we love. But I am dreading trying to pick which specific park on a specific day, which attractions to pick for FP+, and the best FP+ times for our family.

I am, however, excited for Universal. Early entry for Harry Potter and express pass for the rest of the day. We can decide what park to visit based on a whim and we can ride anything we feel like without being concerned about ride reservations.

As I'm planning the WDW portion of this trip, I'm fantasizing about planning my next DLR vacation, because it is going to be a similar experience to the Universal portion of the April trip. We can decide what park to visit based on a whim and we can ride anything we feel like without being concerned about ride reservations.

 

[Laketravis]

I'm in the process of planning a trip for April. It's a split between WDW and Universal. I've got the days picked out to visit each resort, but you know what? I'm not even terribly excited about the WDW portion of the trip. We're going for Flower and Garden, which we love. But I am dreading trying to pick which specific park on a specific day, which attractions to pick for FP+, and the best FP+ times for our family.

I am, however, excited for Universal. Early entry for Harry Potter and express pass for the rest of the day. We can decide what park to visit based on a whim and we can ride anything we feel like without being concerned about ride reservations.

As I'm planning the WDW portion of this trip, I'm fantasizing about planning my next DLR vacation, because it is going to be a similar experience to the Universal portion of the April trip. We can decide what park to visit based on a whim and we can ride anything we feel like without being concerned about ride reservations.

Come to think of it, it was pretty cool walking out of FJ or Spider Man or Transformers and asking DS9 "what do you want to do next?", knowing that we'd be able to do it with a relatively short wait - even over New Years.

We're doing the same as you, will be back 3/6-3/21 but this time staying at one of the off-site condo's. Have AP's for both WDW and USO, and I'm really tempted to go ahead and reserve a few nights at Royal Pacific to get EP's for a few days. I can't find any compelling reason to do the same at WDW.

 

[erc]

I We can decide what park to visit based on a whim and we can ride anything we feel like without being concerned about ride reservations.

Having two parks with less than half the visitors that Magic Kingdom alone experiences can make that work pretty well.

If FP+ were only available an hour before park opening, would that be an improvement?

 

[Laketravis]

Having two parks with less than half the visitors that Magic Kingdom alone experiences can make that work pretty well.

If FP+ were only available an hour before park opening, would that be an improvement?

I don't cut WDW any slack simply because they are bigger and have more paying guests. If they are twice as big than they should have twice the capacity.

 

[Suvadoo]

Come to think of it, it was pretty cool walking out of FJ or Spider Man or Transformers and asking DS9 "what do you want to do next?", knowing that we'd be able to do it with a relatively short wait - even over New Years.

We're doing the same as you, will be back 3/6-3/21 but this time staying at one of the off-site condo's. Have AP's for both WDW and USO, and I'm really tempted to go ahead and reserve a few nights at Royal Pacific to get EP's for a few days. I can't find any compelling reason to do the same at WDW.

If you didn't have AP' s for WDW would you be going there in March or would you go elsewhere? I love WDW but if it weren't for Flower and Garden, I'd be skipping the parks altogether. I just don't find value in extreme planning that results in less in-park experiences.

 

[mom2rtk]

If FP+ were only available an hour before park opening, would that be an improvement?

I have no confidence in Disney's IT infrastructure to handle that much traffic all at once every day.

 

[Laketravis]

If you didn't have AP' s for WDW would you be going there in March or would you go elsewhere? I love WDW but if it weren't for Flower and Garden, I'd be skipping the parks altogether. I just don't find value in extreme planning that results in less in-park experiences.

Honestly? We would probably do something else. We upgraded to AP's the last time we were there (last month) because we were planning to come back in March, again in June, and again sometime in November.

Then we went to USO a couple of weeks ago. What can I say?

And this from a family who was seriously considering relocating to Orlando and spent the last year researching homes, schools, cost of living, etc.

 

[Suvadoo]

Having two parks with less than half the visitors that Magic Kingdom alone experiences can make that work pretty well.

If FP+ were only available an hour before park opening, would that be an improvement?

Perhaps If Disney had increased the number of attractions before implementing FP+, it would have been better. I think eliminating FP + altogether would have been better. By that, I mean returning to all SB throughout the parks.

 

[Suvadoo]

Honestly? We would probably do something else. We upgraded to AP's the last time we were there (last month) because we were planning to come back in March, again in June, and again sometime in November.

Then we went to USO a couple of weeks ago. What can I say?

And this from a family who was seriously considering relocating to Orlando and spent the last year researching homes, schools, cost of living, etc.

Are you still thinking of relocating?