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

[Suvadoo]

To me, these comments highlight one of the fundamental differences in how people approach their Disney vacations and what people enjoy and value about them.

We have always built some resort time, or at least some time outside the parks, into our trips. If you gave me an unlimited front of the line pass, I would still not spend 12-14 hours in a park riding rides over and over again. On the other hand, if I just wanted to spend time at a resort lounging around a pool or a beach or just having a "resort experience", I would get bored very quickly.

What we enjoy about visiting WDW, and what we value, is the total package of recreation, entertainment, and relaxation. The rides and shows in the parks are an important part of that, but not the be all and end all of the vacation.

My perfect Disney vacation would be getting up in the morning when I'm ready to get up, which is usually pretty early anyway, taking my time getting to a park, spending a few hours doing rides and attractions without having to wait for anything, taking a break at the resort lounging around by the pool reading a book or something similar, and then going to a park for a few more hours enjoying a few more attractions and maybe a nighttime show before retiring for the night by about 10 PM.

Over the course of the trip, I would want to do all of my favorite attractions at least once, but I would very rarely do anything more than once in a day. We would probably only spend about 8 hours a day in the parks, 4 or 5 hours starting in the morning and 3-4 hours in the evening.

Of course, this ideal Disney vacation is not really possible, except maybe in the least busy of times. But, we can come pretty close by getting to the parks when they open and doing the most popular attractions then. FP+ allows us to enjoy a few popular attractions in the evening, something that wasn't really possible with paper FPs without spending all day in the parks.

I never said anything about repeatedly riding rides. We don't usually do that. If we do, it's Small World, Pan , or Pirates. Not what anyone would call headliners. We want to leave the parks after having a great experience regardless of the time of day. But from what I'm reading some guests are leaving the parks in surrender. They are not able to enjoy what they did on previous vacations, unless they are willing to endure long SB lines. Additionally, I have a hard time choosing what rides for FP+. I think FP+ has really emphasized the mediocrity of WDW attractions. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the attractions, but I just don't think they're worth the hassle of obtaining a FP+, it's kind of the same way I feel about ADR's.

In April, our trip will be divided between WDW and Universal and from what I'm reading on these boards, guests who have tried this recently usually enjoy Universal as much, but usually more than their WDW portion of the trip. They find they are able to do more at Universal, the Universal staff is friendlier and more relaxed, and the Universal resorts are less expensive than WDW.
I will let you know how it goes.

 

[Jennasis]

To me, these comments highlight one of the fundamental differences in how people approach their Disney vacations and what people enjoy and value about them.

We have always built some resort time, or at least some time outside the parks, into our trips. If you gave me an unlimited front of the line pass, I would still not spend 12-14 hours in a park riding rides over and over again. On the other hand, if I just wanted to spend time at a resort lounging around a pool or a beach or just having a "resort experience", I would get bored very quickly.

What we enjoy about visiting WDW, and what we value, is the total package of recreation, entertainment, and relaxation. The rides and shows in the parks are an important part of that, but not the be all and end all of the vacation.

My perfect Disney vacation would be getting up in the morning when I'm ready to get up, which is usually pretty early anyway, taking my time getting to a park, spending a few hours doing rides and attractions without having to wait for anything, taking a break at the resort lounging around by the pool reading a book or something similar, and then going to a park for a few more hours enjoying a few more attractions and maybe a nighttime show before retiring for the night by about 10 PM.

Over the course of the trip, I would want to do all of my favorite attractions at least once, but I would very rarely do anything more than once in a day. We would probably only spend about 8 hours a day in the parks, 4 or 5 hours starting in the morning and 3-4 hours in the evening.

Of course, this ideal Disney vacation is not really possible, except maybe in the least busy of times. But, we can come pretty close by getting to the parks when they open and doing the most popular attractions then. FP+ allows us to enjoy a few popular attractions in the evening, something that wasn't really possible with paper FPs without spending all day in the parks.

Neither right nor wrong...just your preference.

Bottom line is FP+ works for some and is truly a plus, and not so much for others.

 

[wisblue]

I never said anything about repeatedly riding rides. We don't usually do that. If we do, it's Small World, Pan , or Pirates. Not what anyone would call headliners. We want to leave the parks after having a great experience regardless of the time of day. But from what I'm reading some guests are leaving the parks in surrender. They are not able to enjoy what they did on previous vacations, unless they are willing to endure long SB lines. Additionally, I have a hard time choosing what rides for FP+. I think FP+ has really emphasized the mediocrity of WDW attractions. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the attractions, but I just don't think they're worth the hassle of obtaining a FP+, it's kind of the same way I feel about ADR's.

In April, our trip will be divided between WDW and Universal and from what I'm reading on these boards, guests who have tried this recently usually enjoy Universal as much, but usually more than their WDW portion of the trip. They find they are able to do more at Universal, the Universal staff is friendlier and more relaxed, and the Universal resorts are less expensive than WDW.
I will let you know how it goes.

The comment about repeating rides was not directed at you specifically. But, you know that there are many people on this board who say that they used to be able to do certain rides multiple times in a day and that FP+ makes it harder for them to do that.

As for Universal, I have visited there a number of times so I have formed my own opinions about its attractions and the relative friendliness and quality of its staff. And, as a DVC owner, the Universal resorts are definitely not less expensive for us than a comparable Disney resort. So, like a lot of other things it is more a matter of taste, preference, and personal circumstances.

If others find Universal to be a better experience and value than Disney, I am glad for them that they have found something that is better for them than a Disney vacation.

 

[wisblue]

Neither right nor wrong...just your preference.

Bottom line is FP+ works for some and is truly a plus, and not so much for others.

I never pretended that this was anything other than our preference and opinion. But, for people who have never experienced FP+, I think knowing what they want to get out of their vacations will help them understand how FP+ will affect them, positively or negatively.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

To me, these comments highlight one of the fundamental differences in how people approach their Disney vacations and what people enjoy and value about them.

We have always built some resort time, or at least some time outside the parks, into our trips. If you gave me an unlimited front of the line pass, I would still not spend 12-14 hours in a park riding rides over and over again. On the other hand, if I just wanted to spend time at a resort lounging around a pool or a beach or just having a "resort experience", I would get bored very quickly.

What we enjoy about visiting WDW, and what we value, is the total package of recreation, entertainment, and relaxation. The rides and shows in the parks are an important part of that, but not the be all and end all of the vacation.

My perfect Disney vacation would be getting up in the morning when I'm ready to get up, which is usually pretty early anyway, taking my time getting to a park, spending a few hours doing rides and attractions without having to wait for anything, taking a break at the resort lounging around by the pool reading a book or something similar, and then going to a park for a few more hours enjoying a few more attractions and maybe a nighttime show before retiring for the night by about 10 PM.

Over the course of the trip, I would want to do all of my favorite attractions at least once, but I would very rarely do anything more than once in a day. We would probably only spend about 8 hours a day in the parks, 4 or 5 hours starting in the morning and 3-4 hours in the evening.

Of course, this ideal Disney vacation is not really possible, except maybe in the least busy of times. But, we can come pretty close by getting to the parks when they open and doing the most popular attractions then. FP+ allows us to enjoy a few popular attractions in the evening, something that wasn't really possible with paper FPs without spending all day in the parks.

This would be my ideal vacation as well. A balance of time in the parks and resorts, relaxation, the ability to get where I want, when I want. I do agree that there is some value to the fp+ when it comes to getting on the more popular rides with little wait time. What I don't like is the longer wait times for the attractions which, in the past, had little or no wait time. Because of this, I either had to fp everything I wanted to do, which meant multiple trips to the same park (and thereby taking away the down/resort time I crave) or doing less and waiting longer. It remains to be seen if this is a creation because of the new fp system or if Disney has just figured out a way to cram the parks full just about year round. The other thing I miss is the ability to walk into a restaurant and at the very least get a reservation. Realistically, some restaurants have always required pre-booking, such as CRT and probably (had it been built yet) BOG, but others, such as Tony's, LTT, H&V, even Brown Derby were walk-ins. I really hate having to figure out where I want to be 180 days in advance. That said, overall we had a good time in December, the little ones didn't notice any differences, and I gladly paid (MVMCP) to have a more peaceful time in the parks. I just missed the ability to relax and stop and smell the roses.

 

[Suvadoo]

The comment about repeating rides was not directed at you specifically. But, you know that there are many people on this board who say that they used to be able to do certain rides multiple times in a day and that FP+ makes it harder for them to do that.

As for Universal, I have visited there a number of times so I have formed my own opinions about its attractions and the relative friendliness and quality of its staff. And, as a DVC owner, the Universal resorts are definitely not less expensive for us than a comparable Disney resort. So, like a lot of other things it is more a matter of taste, preference, and personal circumstances.

If others find Universal to be a better experience and value than Disney, I am glad for them that they have found something that is better for them than a Disney vacation.

You may pay less in annual dues for DVC than you would if you stayed at Univeral, but you paid thousands of dollars initially to purchase DVC. So DVC is really less expensive than a deluxe Universal? Also, when I do comparison shopping all of Universal's Deluxe resorts they are less expensive than Disney's deluxe resorts.

 

[wisblue]

You may pay less in annual dues for DVC than you would if you stayed at Univeral, but you paid thousands of dollars initially to purchase DVC. So DVC is really less expensive than a deluxe Universal? Also, when I do comparison shopping all of Universal's Deluxe resorts they are less expensive than Disney's deluxe resorts.

Of course I factor our original purchase price, as well as the annual dues, into the cost of a stay at a DVC resort. When I do that, our DVC membership is currently costing us about $6 a point. That amount changes a little each year as the DVC dues increase.

The cost of staying at a DVC resort is dependent on the specific resort, type of room, and time of year. But, for example, my wife and I can stay at a studio at the Boardwalk with a Boardwalk view (her favorite resort) for between 15 and 20 points a night during all but the peak holiday periods. That translates to $90-$120 a night, which to me is a pretty good price for a place of that caliber. During the Christmas and Easter weeks, the rate goes up to about $160-$200 a night. Our home resort of Saratoga Springs and several of the other resorts cost even less. And, remember that those costs are "all in". There are no additional taxes or fees added in.

If the deluxe resorts at Universal cost less than that, I withdraw my comment.

 

[aaarcher86]

I mean, kinda, but at some point, you're at the mercy of something beyond your control. If you don't get the reservation time you want because you didn't have internet access 60 days out or you just didn't get to it before a million other people did, you're going to have a difficult time getting exactly what you want. You can pick a time that you can make work, but it's not always convenient, especially when you can't pick something close to your ADR, even if that timeslot is available and will work. That's where a lot of our problems came from: Trying to schedule good FP+ reservations around ADRs and ticketed events.

I guess. I guess it just do ends what aggravates you more - not knowing when you can ride until you walk up,and get the pass or possibly running into an issue scheduling FP+. Since I prefer knowing what I'm doing ahead of time, FP- was always a huge PITA for me.

Like I said, I didn't have the problems that it sounds like you ran into. I went in with a plan of what times I needed the FP+ to be arounds had successfully got them for 5 people. I switched stuff around later without issue - not the high ticket things obviously like A&E or 7DMT. The website was working as usual, so that was probably my biggest annoyance. We go in Feb or Sept, so there's no busy season disconnect for me. It's always been slow.

We are used to KI and Cedar Point, so maybe the idea of waiting in line for rides just isn't as big of a deal for us since it's normal where we go.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Of course I factor our original purchase price, as well as the annual dues, into the cost of a stay at a DVC resort. When I do that, our DVC membership is currently costing us about $6 a point. That amount changes a little each year as the DVC dues increase.

The cost of staying at a DVC resort is dependent on the specific resort, type of room, and time of year. But, for example, my wife and I can stay at a studio at the Boardwalk with a Boardwalk view (her favorite resort) for between 15 and 20 points a night during all but the peak holiday periods. That translates to $90-$120 a night, which to me is a pretty good price for a place of that caliber. During the Christmas and Easter weeks, the rate goes up to about $160-$200 a night. Our home resort of Saratoga Springs and several of the other resorts cost even less. And, remember that those costs are "all in". There are no additional taxes or fees added in.

If the deluxe resorts at Universal cost less than that, I withdraw my comment.

This is a significant discount - more than (I think) is available to non-DVC owners. Even with a 40% military discount on the room, during a non-peak time in November (according to allears.net), our standard room at Yacht Club was much more than $90-$120/night. It was somewhere around $275/night - again, this was with a 40% discount on the room (and the reservation was room only, as we bought the armed forces salute tickets separately).

Looking at Portofino Bay for the same timing in 2015 as we went to Yacht Club in 2014, you can get a 2 Queen standard room at Universal for $267.20/night (no discounts on that pricing)- which is less than what our Yacht Club standard room was WITH the 40% room discount.

As I read back, I see you were stating specifically DVC compared to Universal, not all Disney - I just think in conversations like these where the two are being compared, that it's important to note that comparing DVC to universal and Disney hotels to Universal hotels are two very different things.

 

[magicbob]

Ask Ayn Rand?

Who is John Galt? (get it?)

I don't know who this John Gault guy is either.

 

[jrtoastyman]

OK- I confess, I was a park running, super planning, uber user. We rode rides all day long with no wait. Super early for rope drop, fastpasses all in a row. It was great. My family worshipped my amazing Disney skills. The good old days, lol

But things have changed and there is no way that I will let these changes ruin my happy place! So I am determined to learn the new ropes and maximize the potential of FP+. After all it says + so its good, right? Of course its good - just different. I've explained to the kids that we will have to prioritize a bit more, maybe wait in line a bit more. But it will still be great, its Disney!!!!

Thing is, I need advice. Tips. We are going one of the busiest weeks of the year (week after Easter). The thing that scares me the most is reading that rope drop is no longer the advantage that it once was. Whats a former uber user to do? If you've embraced the new way and had a good trip can you help me out here? How did you handle the changes and make the trip great? I know it can be done....The truth is out there

As long as there are people on this earth, a large percentage of those people will be lazy, especially when they are on vacation. With that being the case, it's hard for me to ever envision a situation where being there at RD wouldn't be enormously beneficial. It has been in our recent Disney trips, and it also works at just about any other similar place in your home town as well (zoo, Six Flags, museums, whatever)...

Like all of us that knew how to game the system, I was bummed to see the transition to something new that wouldn't afford me the enormous advantage the prior system did. The thing is, though, we weren't "gaming the system" in the sense that we were doing anything improper, we just understood in a very detailed way exactly how the system worked, what the actual policies were (i.e., enforcement of FP return times) and were able to maximize its usefulness.

The new system is in some respects no different, in that some people -- and in fact, probably most people -- will not bother to learn its ins and outs. Indeed, there are still people that thought that you had to pay for the old system, or didn't even know it was there. How that happens, I don't know, but I have had recent discussions with people in both of these camps. Point is, I have no doubt that there are many people that don't realize that you can make advance reservations, or that you can get more after you've used three, or that you don't have to go to kiosks to do everything, etc. There are likewise people that won't know which things require FP, and which would be a waste. You still have an enormous advantage over all of these folks.

Personally, I've come to like FP+, and I found that I missed it on a recent trip to Disneyland. The old system still required you to scramble from the gates to get a FP for certain attractions, and traverse the park to get additional FPs. FP+ is much easier in that regard, IMO, and I gather that there remains enough day-of availability that you can still get several FPs, particularly in MK, just like you could under the old system (as long as your first 3 start early in the day).

 

[Laketravis]

I think it's interesting that the debate surrounding FP+ has finally come to include value statements about experiences outside the parks and at the resorts - and the price comparisons that were made.

We just stayed at Royal Pacific Resort. Cost per night 12/30-1/3 was $275 and on 1/4 it dropped to $152.

That was rack rate. No discounts. And I was thoroughly impressed with the resort and transportation to the parks. I would rate it over the Poly any day.

We enjoyed spending time at the resort. But the real kicker was in the parks; not having to wait in the standby line for most attractions on an unlimited basis trumped FP+ to shame.

Yes, you have to stay onsite to get EP or pay thru the nose to add it to your park ticket. Yes, it is not exactly front-of-the-line access but when the standby line is 90 minutes the express line was only 15. And yes, there are a couple of attractions that it can't be used for but believe me - those are worth the wait.

Express Pass, to us, was a demonstration of what FP+ should have been.

One can argue the merits of FP+ and ignore the disadvantages until they are blue in the face (no pun intended). But the fact is we realized much more value in several areas (resort, short wait times, quality of attractions) at a cost that was less.

So while we weren't FP- "Uber" users by any stretch of the imagination, we've given FP+ multiple opportunities to illustrate meaningful benefit and tried multiple times to evaluate it for value from various aspects, we've come to the simple conclusion that reserving a spot on three increasingly dated attractions is a value proposition not tilted in the customers favor and there were certainly other and better options available to WDW.

 

[wisblue]

This is a significant discount - more than (I think) is available to non-DVC owners. Even with a 40% military discount on the room, during a non-peak time in November (according to allears.net), our standard room at Yacht Club was much more than $90-$120/night. It was somewhere around $275/night - again, this was with a 40% discount on the room (and the reservation was room only, as we bought the armed forces salute tickets separately).

Looking at Portofino Bay for the same timing in 2015 as we went to Yacht Club in 2014, you can get a 2 Queen standard room at Universal for $267.20/night (no discounts on that pricing)- which is less than what our Yacht Club standard room was WITH the 40% room discount.

As I read back, I see you were stating specifically DVC compared to Universal, not all Disney - I just think in conversations like these where the two are being compared, that it's important to note that comparing DVC to universal and Disney hotels to Universal hotels are two very different things.

Yes, my initial specific point was that staying at Universal was not less expensive FOR US because we are DVC members, and I was then responding to a suggestion that I was not including the initial cost of the DVC purchase in the cost of the room.

It's always going to be difficult to make apples to apples comparisons between Disney and Universal because they both offer specials on a regular basis and different people are eligible for different discounts and have different situations.

The cost of staying at Universal is irrelevant for me anyway because my wife (who likes WDW, but is nowhere near as big a fan as my daughters and I are) has absolutely no interest in Harry Potter or anything else at Universal. If any of us want to go to Universal for a day she stays at WDW by herself because she doesn't want to waste money on something she doesn't enjoy.

 

[momof2n2]

I'm seeing a lot of posts that say the same as you're reporting. Less attractions, less time in the parks and more time at the resorts. I just don't think that's valuable. I can spend a lot less money for a better resort experience elsewhere. For the most part the WDW resorts are OK, but nothing spectacular. I go to WDW to be in the parks and on rides and if FP+ is limiting my access, then April will be my last trip.

To me, these comments highlight one of the fundamental differences in how people approach their Disney vacations and what people enjoy and value about them. We have always built some resort time, or at least some time outside the parks, into our trips. If you gave me an unlimited front of the line pass, I would still not spend 12-14 hours in a park riding rides over and over again. On the other hand, if I just wanted to spend time at a resort lounging around a pool or a beach or just having a "resort experience", I would get bored very quickly. What we enjoy about visiting WDW, and what we value, is the total package of recreation, entertainment, and relaxation. The rides and shows in the parks are an important part of that, but not the be all and end all of the vacation. My perfect Disney vacation would be getting up in the morning when I'm ready to get up, which is usually pretty early anyway, taking my time getting to a park, spending a few hours doing rides and attractions without having to wait for anything, taking a break at the resort lounging around by the pool reading a book or something similar, and then going to a park for a few more hours enjoying a few more attractions and maybe a nighttime show before retiring for the night by about 10 PM. Over the course of the trip, I would want to do all of my favorite attractions at least once, but I would very rarely do anything more than once in a day. We would probably only spend about 8 hours a day in the parks, 4 or 5 hours starting in the morning and 3-4 hours in the evening. Of course, this ideal Disney vacation is not really possible, except maybe in the least busy of times. But, we can come pretty close by getting to the parks when they open and doing the most popular attractions then. FP+ allows us to enjoy a few popular attractions in the evening, something that wasn't really possible with paper FPs without spending all day in the parks.

Two very telling posts.

We always have been and likely always will be offsite guests. (At this point I know many just dismiss any preferences or feelings I have, but I'll go on because my economy of vacations is the same no matter where I go.)

For my family of 8 to visit WDW for five day, non-hopping it is ~ $2300. So $460/day. I like to go in May or October and MK is generally open 12 hours when we are there. (Roughly.)

So - in my economy - every hour I am not in the park, actively enjoying ourselves, we are throwing away money. We would never leave a park. We like to go for two weeks, so we have RD to kick-us-out every other day, and chill out on the off days. We see that as maximizing our vacation dollars.

It's hard to accept we may get 2/3 as much fun for that price tag.

I'm sure we'll go back some time. I want my youngest DDs to see the parks. But it'll be a tough pill to swallow if we have 2/3 less fun. :{

 

[jrtoastyman]

Express Pass, to us, was a demonstration of what FP+ should have been.

I would love to see this implemented at WDW, but I doubt it's practical, or that it would actually have the desired effect. There are only 3 resorts at Universal, so the express pass lines are reasonable. If all 22 resorts at WDW had front of the line privileges, they'd be too long to be of much value, I imagine...

 

[Laketravis]

I would love to see this implemented at WDW, but I doubt it's practical, or that it would actually have the desired effect. There are only 3 resorts at Universal, so the express pass lines are reasonable. If all 22 resorts at WDW had front of the line privileges, they'd be too long to be of much value, I imagine...

True - Universal seems to have a handle on the balanced correlation between on-site guests, additional EP's sold, and attraction capacity.

WDW lost their grip on that formula years ago. They would either have to greatly diminish the number of FP participants, substantially increase attraction capacity, or a combination of the two.

As it stands now, WDW would have to average FP queue times of 15-20 minutes before equilibrium is reached between providing 3 FP's to every park guest and maintaining reasonable standby waits.

 

[Rebekkap]

And I think that's where a lot of the disconnect is coming from.

FP+ is great if the times you go are consistently crowded, and to be an effective FP- user during those times required running across the parks all the time.

But if you are used to going in the slower seasons, FP+ is a much bigger handicap, because you are getting 2/3rd fewer FPs than you're used to getting. So, you have a lot of frustration with the unnecessary limitations.

That wasn't my experience, which I posted a couple of pages back. I got at least a third more (and honestly closer to double) the number of FPs with FP+. 11 FP in a 12 hour day at the parks that included two sit down meals would not have been possible with FP- - nowhere near possible. It was with FP+, which is why I'm now a reformed hater.

 

[estherhead]

Two very telling posts. We always have been and likely always will be offsite guests. (At this point I know many just dismiss any preferences or feelings I have, but I'll go on because my economy of vacations is the same no matter where I go.) For my family of 8 to visit WDW for five day, non-hopping it is ~ $2300. So $460/day. I like to go in May or October and MK is generally open 12 hours when we are there. (Roughly.) So - in my economy - every hour I am not in the park, actively enjoying ourselves, we are throwing away money. We would never leave a park. We like to go for two weeks, so we have RD to kick-us-out every other day, and chill out on the off days. We see that as maximizing our vacation dollars. It's hard to accept we may get 2/3 as much fun for that price tag. I'm sure we'll go back some time. I want my youngest DDs to see the parks. But it'll be a tough pill to swallow if we have 2/3 less fun. :{

You won't have 2/3 less fun. You will have the same blast you always have despite all the banter and debate on here. In May and October you really shouldn't have any problem getting the FP+ you want even with 8-10 people to get it for. If you rope drop any major rides you can't get FP+ for you will be totally fine and it will feel like it did before if not better.

I, for one, am letting my last vacation sink in and as I'm planning my future trips (we upgraded to ap) I'm realizing just how much I like FP+. I was always our FP runner. My vacation was much more relaxing with the new plan. We stuck together as a family and knew we had three guaranteed afternoon no line rides. We also got plenty of bonus FP+ after 4:00 pm. And the only things I stood in long lines for were meeting Baymax & Hiro and then later Gaston. And even those were under 45 minutes.

I'm now willing to stand up and say I'm a uber FP- user who loves FP+. And we travel with 11 people. And we mix up 14 hours days with shorter relaxing days. Don't worry.

 

[mom2rtk]

You won't have 2/3 less fun. You will have the same blast you always have despite all the banter and debate on here.

Only the OP can say whether doing less rides will give her family the same amount of fun in the parks. Some families are very ride centric, others are not.

 

[DisneyKidds]

True - Universal seems to have a handle on the balanced correlation between on-site guests, additional EP's sold, and attraction capacity........As it stands now, WDW would have to average FP queue times of 15-20 minutes before equilibrium is reached between providing 3 FP's to every park guest and maintaining reasonable standby waits.

Lake - earlier you referenced a ride at Universal having a 90 minute standby line with a 15 minute express pass line. Just curious what attraction that was for?

Express Pass access sounds like a nice feature, but it seems like an apples and oranges thing compared to FP+, both in terms of benefit it supplies and the number of guests who have access.

Sounds like you are saying the express lines for Universal resort guests are about 15 to 20 minutes long? Sure, 15 or 20 minutes isn't that long, but it is a lot compared to how long we waited with FP+ for TSMM, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, 7DMT, Peter Pan, Pirates, Star Tours, Test Track, Soarin', which was 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4, 0, 2, 2. That would be 3 hours and 20 minutes in line if every FP+ line was 20 minutes, which Disney could accomplish by distributing more FP+, but they choose to keep the FP+ line at a minimum. 3 FP+ with minimal waits, or more with a 20 minute wait. That's the choice, and Disney has gone with the former. That works for me, but I realize that might not work for everyone.

Yes, there are bound to be examples of people waiting in longer FP return lines. Happened to us at Tower of Terror, but only because half the elevators were down.

When we eventually do head to Universal I do look forward to staying in one of the on-site resorts. They look nice, and the express line access, while different from Disney's FP+, looks like a nice system.