Anyone else not doing FP+?

[mom of princessx2]

We arrive the day before Thanksgiving and are choosing to not test FP+. We will be there for 10 days so I didn't think it would be an issue but now I'm thinking we will be out of the loop. We have PAP so I know once I am signed up there will be no going back. Anyone else choosing to not sign up for this?

 

[jwaters4]

I am just curisous why you would choose not to use them? We always have and I can't imagine not. I am just sad that we only get 3 now. Just wondering what your thoughts are

 

[MAO]

I'm not - but then I've never used a regular fastpass!

I will be activating my first PAP this trip (15 days) and that, I think, will be all the novelty I can stand. ;-)

 

[JimMIA]

We have PAP so I know once I am signed up there will be no going back.

Not sure what you mean by this. Once you make your FP+ selections, you can go back and modify them.

Anyone else choosing to not sign up for this?

No, but I was told by a tech support CM that some people have canceled their trips out of frustration with MDE issues. And some of the offsite folks are talking about not doing Disney parks until offsite also gets FP+ -- I've seen several turning upcoming trips into Universal/Sea World/other Florida destinations trips.

 

[Upon a Star]

I just got back and the parks were much busier than last october. We used FP+ and didn't have many issues. I actually like the idea of it but don't like the thought of only 3 per day. Just as advice however if you aren't using FP + you'll need to drastically alter your touring style at parks like AK and Hollywood studios. The return time for regular FPs were outrageous at these parks as they have fewer E ticket rides. At 930 am the return window for TSM was 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Everest and khali Soarin and test track all had similar experiences as many FPs are already taken by FP +.

 

[mom of princessx2]

I am just curisous why you would choose not to use them? We always have and I can't imagine not. I am just sad that we only get 3 now. Just wondering what your thoughts are

Part of the reason is that we would only get 3. Sometimes we use less per day but sometimes more.
Also we like to park hop and don't always know where we are going to end up.

 

[JessM]

Part of the reason is that we would only get 3. Sometimes we use less per day but sometimes more.
Also we like to park hop and don't always know where we are going to end up.

While I see where you are coming from I would still test FP+. There are not going to be as many FP- in the system as you are used to so I would definitely book your FP+s ahead of time to make sure you get a chance to ride your favorites. Who knows, you may love it! I'm going the first week in December and I'm excited to participate in testing, should be fun!

 

[mom of princessx2]

I just got back and the parks were much busier than last october. We used FP+ and didn't have many issues. I actually like the idea of it but don't like the thought of only 3 per day. Just as advice however if you aren't using FP + you'll need to drastically alter your touring style at parks like AK and Hollywood studios. The return time for regular FPs were outrageous at these parks as they have fewer E ticket rides. At 930 am the return window for TSM was 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Everest and khali Soarin and test track all had similar experiences as many FPs are already taken by FP +.

This is what I am starting to worry about. The crowds may not be as busy for us, I think the FPs will be as limited. I may have to rethink this.

 

[JimMIA]

Another interesting thing is that offsite visitors can also book FP+s right now if they have at least one night onsite.

If they book one night at a Disney value resort, the system will let them book as many days of FP+s as they have tickets, up to 14 days from their onsite checkin date. And...the parking fee folks let them park free if they see a Magic Band on their wrists!

 

[drusba]

We will be setting it up simply because I look at it as we might as well get the times and, if for some reason we change our minds, such as go to a different park one day or otherwise don't show up for one of the rides, we have not lost anything except the time it took to set up FP+. As I can see from things mentioned above that is exactly the problem with FP+. If you are already in the park and get an FP you are most likely going to use it. I don't think that will necessarily be true for FP+ because it is really difficult for many (probably majority) to finally commit to whatever schedule they are going to follow months before it happens. The result is likely to be that many FP+'s won't be used but they will still cause the problem noted above about FP's at the park being so limited that they will now run out for decent times faster than ever.

 

[NJ Dance Mom]

My family and I are going next week and while we didn't consider not testing FP+, we didn't make FP+ reservations for each day that we are there. We've left the last few days open. I was saying to DH that I thought the FP+ system would take all the spontaneity out of the trip and he pointed out it would make for less wasted time, i.e. walking the length of AK just to find out that the wait for Kilimanjaro Safaris was 2 hours and there were no fast passes left. I do fear however, that once the system rolls out to all on-site guests getting a FP of any kind will be harder than a ressie at CRT. Not looking forward to that.

NJ Dance Mom

 

[brkgnews]

Not sure what you mean by this. Once you make your FP+ selections, you can go back and modify them. No, but I was told by a tech support CM that some people have canceled their trips out of frustration with MDE issues. And some of the offsite folks are talking about not doing Disney parks until offsite also gets FP+ -- I've seen several turning upcoming trips into Universal/Sea World/other Florida destinations trips.

People will also threaten to cancel trips because a ride is closed, a restaurant changes its menu or it's partly cloudy.

 

[robinb]

I think that by skipping FP+ you're cutting off your nose to spite your face. Especially when you can still get FP- with your PAP and KTTW card. Why not have a few FP's a day in your back pocket?

 

[WilsonFlyer]

We will be setting it up simply because I look at it as we might as well get the times and, if for some reason we change our minds, such as go to a different park one day or otherwise don't show up for one of the rides, we have not lost anything except the time it took to set up FP+. As I can see from things mentioned above that is exactly the problem with FP+. If you are already in the park and get an FP you are most likely going to use it. I don't think that will necessarily be true for FP+ because it is really difficult for many (probably majority) to finally commit to whatever schedule they are going to follow months before it happens. The result is likely to be that many FP+'s won't be used but they will still cause the problem noted above about FP's at the park being so limited that they will now run out for decent times faster than ever.

Yep, and as I said in an earlier thread, it is going to take a couple of seasonal cycles (2-3 years) to really gather enough statistical data to be able to anywhere near accurately predict non-use rates to any degree of certainty, unfortunately. It will smooth out over time, but expect less FP+ availability until the statistical data can be massaged.

I predict that there will be almost a magnitude more FP+'s "booked" that will never be used v. the regular issuance of the FP system currently in place that don't get used.

They will start making rough assessments immediately because they know crowd rates and can factor that in, but it will take a while for them to really hone it out.

 

[JimMIA]

People will also threaten to cancel trips because a ride is closed, a restaurant changes its menu or it's partly cloudy.

The instances I was referring to were not "threatened." They were real cancellations handled, and reported, by Disney CM's.

But I agree that a lot of people consider things they don't actually do. I was in that boat yesterday myself, actually (not threatening) considering canceling our upcoming trip because of the MDE unworkability. (There is a limit to how hard I will work to give some company my money!)

A diligent and highly-skilled Disney techie actually saved our trip...and saved Disney some lost revenue.

 

[jekjones1558]

I was not happy about MDE and having to preplan rides for FP+. We don't do dining plans partly because I refuse to be tied to dining reservations while on vacation. But I decided to give it a try for our trip last week and I actually thought it was fine. I used my iPad, iPhone and kiosks in the parks to change our FP+ selections, sometimes more than once/day. We were lucky enough to be able to use FP+ for Fantasmic seats in a reserved section. This trip was with my DSis-in-law who is not a morning person so it was wonderful to be able to book TSM and Soarin' in the afternoon with FP+. The same will be true when DH and I go in December--he has medical issues that make it really tough to be out before 11:00 AM or so and FP- for TSM and Soarin' have not been available late in the day. (Now it will be even harder to get FP- for those rides. FP- for Soarin' were all gone by 9:30 one day last week!) I did not have issues with linking or Magic Bands last week. I am hoping that will be the case in December also.
Note: I was having some issues booking FP+ on my computer last night. I kept getting an error message about being over the limit, which wasn't true. I switched to my iPad and the DME app worked fine.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

We're taking a quickie 5 night starting the day after Thanksgiving just to see the Christmas decorations and enjoy Christmas in the parks and resorts. It's my favorite time of year at WDW. Period.

I linked my DVC reservation to MDE, did my 60 day early check-in, linked my APs to MDE, and booked 3 FPs/day for me, my DW and my DD8. Even booked a couple of dining reservations which we NEVER do anymore (eat real meals on-site). Linked my MagicBands, even got the colors straight that everybody wanted and ordered them.

Completely uneventful.

What could possibly go wrong!

 

[LisaS]

...he pointed out it would make for less wasted time, i.e. walking the length of AK just to find out that the wait for Kilimanjaro Safaris was 2 hours and there were no fast passes left.

Yes!! And FP+ really helps those of us who like to sleep in on vacation rather than rush to the parks for rope drop. Sometimes by the time we get to a park the FPs are already gone or the return times are really late or overap our dining ADR. While I don't like having to plan every last detail, the effort I spent setting up some FP+ reservations really paid off because we got to ride our favorite rides at very convenient times.

 

[Firepath]

I just got back and the parks were much busier than last october. We used FP+ and didn't have many issues. I actually like the idea of it but don't like the thought of only 3 per day. Just as advice however if you aren't using FP + you'll need to drastically alter your touring style at parks like AK and Hollywood studios. The return time for regular FPs were outrageous at these parks as they have fewer E ticket rides. At 930 am the return window for TSM was 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Everest and khali Soarin and test track all had similar experiences as many FPs are already taken by FP +.

So true! We were there Oct 12-18. At 9:10am the return time for FP at TSM was 6-7pm! and we did not have FP+. Soarin was 2:30pm right after rope drop. You might want to rethink FP+.

 

[disneynutz]

Yep, and as I said in an earlier thread, it is going to take a couple of seasonal cycles (2-3 years) to really gather enough statistical data to be able to anywhere near accurately predict non-use rates to any degree of certainty, unfortunately. It will smooth out over time, but expect less FP+ availability until the statistical data can be massaged.

I predict that there will be almost a magnitude more FP+'s "booked" that will never be used v. the regular issuance of the FP system currently in place that don't get used.

They will start making rough assessments immediately because they know crowd rates and can factor that in, but it will take a while for them to really hone it out.

In true Disney fashion, IMO MDE and FP+ will have some changes after a year or 2 just like the DDP did. FP's may be offered on a graduated scale based on where you are staying. Off site gets 1, value gets 2, deluxe gets 4, and so on. They might offer a FP package for sale or tie it to the deluxe meal plan. I am sure that they are already thinking of additional ways to increase revenue using NextGen.

Bill