Anyone else done with the 60+ FP rule?

[BobbyMoon]

Not unless the idea of that turns people off so much they stop going to Disney.

Some people might be turned off by this but not enough to affect Disney in any meaningful way. They keep raising the prices, charging for parking while staying on property but people keep gleefully paying.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Whatever criticisms can levied, they are doing a pretty darn good job. for the most part, with some planning, you can have an entire vacation and ride all the big rides and not wait in any line more than say, an hour. that's amazing for how many guests visit.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Some people might be turned off by this but not enough to affect Disney in any meaningful way. They keep raising the prices, charging for parking while staying on property but people keep gleefully paying.

Yeah, that was a bit sarcastic, I don’t think that’s actually going to happen. Just think there’s like a 0.001% chance paid FP ends up benefitting anybody but those who pay for it.

 

[cakebaker]

Whatever criticisms can levied, they are doing a pretty darn good job. for the most part, with some planning, you can have an entire vacation and ride all the big rides and not wait in any line more than say, an hour. that's amazing for how many guests visit.

This ^ Since the start of FP+, I have never failed to get FP’s for the headliners, eventually. Sometimes at my booking window, other times right before or after we arrived. And I don’t know any tricks nor am I any more talented than anyone else at getting them.

Almost always when someone says there was nothing, it means the big 3 or nothing exactly when they wanted it.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

IMO the worst new thing at Disney is DAH. They limited the free hours in the park to charge a select few who can afford it $125 (or is it more now) per person. I am sure there is a spreadsheet somewhere in Disney's Finance group that says

((($125*X)+(X*Z)) - reduced operating costs) > ((X+Y)*Z) - increased operating costs

where:
X = DAH guests
Y = non DAH guests
Z = in-park spend per person

We can thank Magic Bands for them having allllllll that data to prepare the speadsheets.

 

[sharonabe]

But I couldn't get SDD or FOP for our trip (it's a party of 5) at all. Maybe if I continue to play around I could get things - but given EMH, arrival and departure times, a planned dessert party - I only had +1 and +2 days to try to get those. NADA - nothing. Not available the ENTIRE day - either ride, either day.

Sorry, but it sounds like you had priorities other that FP+. You've planned a dessert party, which I assume locks you into a certain park for that day. It also sounds like you've decided not to do EMH days, so that played into when you could go where as well. Your arrival and departure times were probably based on when you could get flights in and out at a price you were willing to pay and this affects your planning too.

There are people who make FP+ their priority and allow when they can get the hard-to-get ones plan their park days and fill in with anything else after they've secured them.

Both ways of planning are fine and each one works for what you prioritize.

 

[cakebaker]

IMO the worst new thing at Disney is DAH. They limited the free hours in the park to charge a select few who can afford it $125 (or is it more now) per person. I am sure there is a spreadsheet somewhere in Disney's Finance group that says

((($125*X)+(X*Z)) - reduced operating costs) > ((X+Y)*Z) - increased operating costs

where:
X = DAH guests
Y = non DAH guests
Z = in-park spend per person

We can thank Magic Bands for them having allllllll that data to prepare the speadsheets.

I particularly don’t like the reduction in EMHs, but park hour cuts came long before DAH. DAH costs no one anything that doesn’t want to pay it. I like the option of being able to have a better experience with lower crowd levels than I could possibly get regardless of how late they stayed open at no extra charge. You’re allowed 5 hrs or so in the park, all the drinks and snacks you can eat , no need to have a park ticket that day and AP holders get a sizable discount. I think the price is very reasonable.

 

[Klayfish]

how would it be an "epic disaster" to do away with FPP? Everyone wants everything "fair" why not make it fair and go back to where everyone just stood in line? Of course if they did, then you would have people complain that it isn't fair they pay more for their vacation but have to stand in line like the rest. There is no perfect solution as it was stated, there's no one way to please everyone. In a time when everyone wants everything to be fair game, it has to be realized that not everything is.

If you ditch FP+ completely, you're taking away a huge part of WDWs way to control how many guests go through an attraction in a given time period. You're also taking away a huge part of their ability to have input on the guest experience (i.e. a short wait time). You now have everyone waiting 2 hours for PP, 7DMT or Space with no other real option. Well, the other option would be rope drop...and imagine how much more chaotic that will become if nobody has the option of riding 7DMT at 11am without waiting for hours.

Sure, I agree it would be "fair" if everyone waited in the same line. However, I definitely think ditching FP+ completely would be an epic disaster for WDW, and their guests.

I also agree there is no perfect solution, but I think FP+ is a great plan for an unsolvable problem.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I particularly don’t like the reduction in EMHs, but park hour cuts came long before DAH. DAH costs no one anything that doesn’t want to pay it. I like the option of being able to have a better experience with lower crowd levels than I could possibly get regardless of how late they stayed open at no extra charge. You’re allowed 5 hrs or so in the park, all the drinks and snacks you can eat , no need to have a park ticket that day and AP holders get a sizable discount. I think the price is very reasonable.

We did and liked DAH, but I do think they cost the average guest. Disney has no incentive to extend hours for increased crowds when people are more than willing to pay separately for it.

 

[cakebaker]

We did and liked DAH, but I do think they cost the average guest. Disney has no incentive to extend hours for increased crowds when people are more than willing to pay separately for it.

True, but I think the extended hours are long gone regardless. And as I said, the low crowds are a perk you’ll never get for free. EMH’s are pretty much worthless anymore with so many guests on site. I’d live to drop back to the 80’s when EMH’s meant a near empty park for a solid 2 hrs and cost $10. It’s not happening though.

 

[kwdw]

I'm really disliking the DAH and Morning Magic events - they are a LOT of money - but they are limiting park hours for those of us who don't want to pay for those. Those events are also impacting our plans. Avoid a rope drop plan if there's Morning Magic. Only one of the five in my group is a night owl - so waiting until closing for FOP or SDD is not also not going to happen. And now - the new dining one at AK - that's our AK day - and we had PLANNED to eat dinner at Harambe Market. And the new Villains thing at MK - now means our night at MK is going to be more crowded. Sigh.

I know - I can chose to spend my vacation money elsewhere..... I just have an AP for the year - and three family trips planned - June, August (before SW!), December - and strategies to avoid crowds are disappearing. Morning and evenings blocked by paid events so shorter park hours and fewer choices to benefit from rope drop. Me getting older and I can't cope with late hours anymore.

I know -- - I'm whining....

 

[kwdw]

Sorry, but it sounds like you had priorities other that FP+. You've planned a dessert party, which I assume locks you into a certain park for that day. It also sounds like you've decided not to do EMH days, so that played into when you could go where as well. Your arrival and departure times were probably based on when you could get flights in and out at a price you were willing to pay and this affects your planning too.

There are people who make FP+ their priority and allow when they can get the hard-to-get ones plan their park days and fill in with anything else after they've secured them.

Both ways of planning are fine and each one works for what you prioritize.

Yep - you almost nailed this - you just missed that we are planning to use EMH one morning. Flight times are actually 1st flight in option and last flight out option - but that still means we can't rope drop or stay to close on those days. And we are going to parks on arrival and departure day; and opting to not pay for resort nights before or after. So - yep - this is about budgeting costs - and yep - that provides constraints.

I am re-thinking about the cost of the dessert party - and maybe changing around a couple of park days and adding EMM at HS instead. Got decide fast...... And today's experience is making me re-think later trips in the year - maybe we decrease our dining budget and add an EMM or DAH event instead.....

 

[MikeSF]

When paper fp’s were still a thing, Disney used to reward the people who arrived at the park first each day. It didn’t matter how long your stay or where your stay was. It was fair for everyone.

But times have changed. Disney rewards those who stay onsite for longer stays. The longer the stay, the more opportunity there is to ride the most desirable rides at the most desirable times.

It wasnt even that much of a reward either because you couldnt get a FP until you used that first one or two hours passed so it allowed others a chance as well if you wandered into the park a little later, sure getting them for a big attraction, ie TSMM might be problematic on the busiest days but sometimes you have to wait in line, get a FP on another popular ride instead.

I know there are mixed views on this but I'm firmly in the camp that reserving FP in advance ruined WDW for me, and yes reserved FPs do make ride times longer for those in standby. I felt it was bad enough to reserve a dinner reservation months in advance, now ride perks in advance? Pitooey!!! What next no first come first sit for parades and shows? Well we see it every year with more and more reserved areas for "special" (aka overpriced) snack packages that gets you prime seating.

 

[otten]

As long as demand outstrips supply there will be disappointed people who feel that whatever system is in use is unfair to them. I am not actually endorsing this but Disney could increase fp availability on headliners by doing away with the standby line.

 

[KPeterso]

While day by day is most fair, I don’t think Disney resorts should lose the 60 over off site.
That being said, I don’t want to deal with 6am FP (I’m in central zone) for a week. It’s rare for us to go less than 5 days.

There’s just no way to please everyone

Try being the west coast (aka 4 AM on fastpass day). I would be very cranky and mean at work if I had to get up at that time for 10-12 days to book fastpasses. I do agree that day by day would probably be fairer, but then the time needs to move back to at least 9 AM est so those of us on the west coast are not evil witches at work for a week or 2.

 

[SgtTibbs]

The REAL issue here is that Disney now allows guest at NINE so called "good neighbor" hotels to book fastpasses 60 days out. That's ruined the process to the point described in the first post.


Edited to correct number of good neighbor hotels.

 

[DVC Jen]

Completely freaked out last night when I was able to start making fastpasses at 11:30 cst (my window was supposed to open this morning at 6am cst for our 6/2-6/9 trip). There were still several FOP times available. Slinky Dog had 3 times available for our entire stay.

Me too! I was enjoying a bubble bath. Pulled up the MDE app on my phone and was shocked to see I could make my FP selections. Rushed through the rest of my bath - quickly put my PJs on, hair still in a towel and rushed to my computer (my notes were there on my desk). I got everything we wanted. Including FOP, SDD, Soarin, Test Track, FEA, 7DMT. We will be there for 10 days so I am sure that helped.

To the OP - while I understand your frustration, I don't really agree with it. I would hate to have to get up really early every day for 10 days to grab day by day FP's. That would be a real pain. MDE glitches enough as it is. More days using it = greater chances of a glitch.

 

[DVC Jen]

The REAL issue here is that Disney now allows guest at FORTY SEVEN so called "good neighbor" hotels to book fastpasses 60 days out. That's ruined the process to the point described in the first post.

I agree. I strongly feel the 60 day out rule should only apply to those staying onsite.

 

[momof2n2]

The REAL issue here is that Disney now allows guest at FORTY SEVEN so called "good neighbor" hotels to book fastpasses 60 days out. That's ruined the process to the point described in the first post.

There are 47?
I had no idea.

 

[hiroMYhero]

The REAL issue here is that Disney now allows guest at FORTY SEVEN so called "good neighbor" hotels to book fastpasses 60 days out. That's ruined the process to the point described in the first post.

There are 47?
I had no idea.

No - here are the 9 resorts with 60-day FP and EMH:
Official WALT DISNEY WORLD hotels will be extended these benefits. The Disney Springs Resort Area hotels include:

B Resort & Spa
Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort
DoubleTree Guest Suites by Hilton Orlando
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Palace
Hilton Orlando Resort Lake Buena Vista
Holiday Inn Orlando
Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista.

• Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria hotels have also begun including these perks as of 3/19/19.