AP's to get 20 FP+ per quarter

[Mom2six]

Well, I'm not an AP holder...but I did read that info on that link earlier in the thread. I find it surprising that no one has mentioned the section on the FP+ for pre-ordering your meals. It mentions restaurant experience several times and then says:

***A FastPass+ selection for dining at a FastPass+ designated table service or quick service location secures your arrival window and allows you to order meal prior to your arrival window. Each guest who has ordered ahead must have a FastPass+ selection for the same arrival time and location confirmed by the Site/App.

I think that is very interesting. I don't know if I will like arranging all my rides and pre-ordering my meals ahead of time, but if done right, it could make for a very smooth day.

 

[mom2rtk]

Well, I'm not an AP holder...but I did read that info on that link earlier in the thread. I find it surprising that no one has mentioned the section on the FP+ for pre-ordering your meals. It mentions restaurant experience several times and then says:

***A FastPass+ selection for dining at a FastPass+ designated table service or quick service location secures your arrival window and allows you to order meal prior to your arrival window. Each guest who has ordered ahead must have a FastPass+ selection for the same arrival time and location confirmed by the Site/App.

I think that is very interesting. I don't know if I will like arranging all my rides and pre-ordering my meals ahead of time, but if done right, it could make for a very smooth day.

If I have to give up regular FP for FP+........ and only get 4 per day.......... no WAY am I using it to order a meal.

Between the meals and the parade/fireworks viewing, it seems to me like they are trying to wean people off of using ride FP's. The only times of year that meal option would have value would be the very time you need ride Fp's the most.

 

[Mom2six]

If I have to give up regular FP for FP+........ and only get 4 per day.......... no WAY am I using it to order a meal.

Between the meals and the parade/fireworks viewing, it seems to me like they are trying to wean people off of using ride FP's.

Hmm, I don't see a lot of people using a FP for dining if it means having less for rides. I guess for times when certain restaurants are really busy - like BOG just opening so has a long wait.

One downside to the FP+ for our family, is that only half our people go on the big thrill rides so sometimes we would get FPs for say ToT and FPs for RnRC at the same time. Now if the FP can only be used by that ticket holder we can't do that anymore. Plus, a few times we have given away FPs or gotten FPs from others. That will no longer happen either.

 

[Mom2six]

And they have seriously considered eliminating the AP program entirely several times because of such problems.

No, the way they fix it is to eliminate the means by which people choose to tweak the system to be outside the acceptable norms.

You can show up for 28 days in a 90 day period - but you cant get FP+.

But they haven't eliminated the AP program...so they sell a pass to come to the park as many days a year as you wish to come except black out days. You can't turn around and say that Disney doesn't want people to use the pass the way they sell it!! That's absurd. If they don't want people to use the pass, then don't sell it. They can't be against people actually using something they sell. LOL.

Disney also sells DVC properties to encourage people to come often to WDW...they even call it a home away from home.

 

[WillAustin]

If I have to give up regular FP for FP+........ and only get 4 per day.......... no WAY am I using it to order a meal.

Me neither.

It's even worse when you factor in 2 of the 4 will likely be for rides that don't really need FPs.

 

[Missyrose]

Hmm, I don't see a lot of people using a FP for dining if it means having less for rides. I guess for times when certain restaurants are really busy - like BOG just opening so has a long wait.

One downside to the FP+ for our family, is that only half our people go on the big thrill rides so sometimes we would get FPs for say ToT and FPs for RnRC at the same time. Now if the FP can only be used by that ticket holder we can't do that anymore. Plus, a few times we have given away FPs or gotten FPs from others. That will no longer happen either.

If you play around with the new My Disney Experience Web site, you'll see it is set up to allow for different FP+ reservations for different members of your party. So you should be able to schedule two different attractions at the same time if there are different thrill levels within your party.

And I have to say that I take offense to the poster that says AP holders don't deserve the same level of FP+ because we "pay less for our tickets." My pass cost more than any of your MYW tickets. Add to that the Tables in Wonderland card we purchase every year and all the souvenirs we buy (including the box of them we had to ship home in October), I will be damned to be made to feel like a second-class citizen.

 

[1stvisit0909]

Anyone who rides Soarin' more than once in a day. The system is designed to stop individuals from re-riding attractions via FP.

If they wanted to stop that, they could only give one per ticket per day. You can't tell me that wouldn't be easily implemented.

We don't go often, and are not pass holders, but I think if you have "valid theme park admission" you should be able access either fp or fp+ unless you are going to charge extra like universal. We choose not to visit the dark side while at disney bc they charge extra for people who aren't at a universal hotel.

 

[Laketravis]

The problem is a simple one: More people want to use a resource than that resource can accommodate during any given interval of time.

This is becoming a very real problem for Disney - it's made national news as more and more people are becoming frustrated with ridiculously long wait times.

The ideal solution would be to limit the number of park guests (either by sheer volume limits or by raising prices to reduce demand) so that any attraction wait time would not exceed an acceptable period of time. But of course, that isn't practical and there is no way WDW is going to stop accepting additional revenue.

The next solution would be to increase the availability of resources (attractions) by adding more of them. Hmmmm.......notice how there are now TWO Dumbo's? But it's expensive and inefficient to replicate attractions.

So for WDW the most logical solution is to apply advanced algorithms and queuing techniques to reduce wait times across the board. Unfortunately, while it reduces the wait time it also reduces the frequency one can utilize those resources.

And that's not acceptable to many either. Personally, I'd like to ride TT or TSM more than once per day.

And I'd pay $500-$1000 more per WDW vacation to experience my favorite attractions multiple times on the same day with no more than a 10 minute wait.

Guess what? I would be WDW's most favored customer because that's the easiest solution for them - but there probably aren't enough customers that feel the way I do.

 

[Laketravis]

And I have to say that I take offense to the poster that says AP holders don't deserve the same level of FP+ because we "pay less for our tickets." My pass cost more than any of your MYW tickets.

When calculated on a daily basis, it certainly does not. That pass is good for 365 days versus a maximum 10 days for MYW tickets.

 

[Mom2six]

The next solution would be to increase the availability of resources (attractions) by adding more of them. Hmmmm.......notice how there are now TWO Dumbo's?
.

I think this would be a great solution to some of the long waits. For instance, having more character meet and greets would likely reduce wait time for them since many people don't want to spend the whole day meeting characters - it might even it out among all of the available one.

Also, having more rides would possibly reduce wait times for the non-E ticket rides. Under attractions for HS (on the Disney website) there are only 20 listed - this includes the shows and parades. They have maybe 6 actual rides depending on your definition.

I just don't know if limiting the number of times a guest can ride a ride - thereby limiting the number of rides per day to a pretty small number - is the answer to long waits.

 

[Mom2six]

When calculated on a daily basis, it certainly does not. That pass is good for 365 days versus a maximum 10 days for MYW tickets.

Does it really matter how much a person paid per day? If a person has admission to the park for the day, then he or she should have the same priviledges as everyone else. There are all sorts of differences between pricing anyway. Should people there on a 4 day Military Salute Ticket get less FPs than others because they had a discount? Should students coming on a Youth Eductions Series ticket not be entitled to FP+ because per day they paid less than you?

 

[Suellen]

For a large number of guests this will be a big improvement. They'll be able to get FP+ for TSMM and Soarin.

Your opinion and it remains to be seen.

 

[Suellen]

I had no idea there was someone so high up in the Disney Corp posting here that "firmly" has knowledge of the inner workings.

I like too, Liz, that you and I don't spend more at Disney in a year then a tourist!! LOL!

First off I have already spent $2400 at the start of admission.

Next I would estimate we "easily" spend $5000 a year eating there. Picking up small souvenirs...etc. Special events.... halloween party $250 christmas party $250 (all days which technically we have AP's for and pay extra) Pretty sure right there we spend more then an average visitor spends annually. We don't get free dining so that is out of pocket.

Whatever though. Disney could easily make it like Universal does and limit FP to once per day per attraction. I can't see how much local money they would lose by preventing annual passes from being purchased.

 

[ScrampShopper]

Your opinion and it remains to be seen.

Can't wait to start seeing the threads where people are complaining they could not get FP+ reservations for TT, Soarin, and TSMM because all the slots were already taken. We will need a new forum to accomodate the threads that spring up to say I cancelled my FP+ for this ride at this time so if anyone needs it, go sign up now, same kind of stuff we have for ADR issues!!

 

[bumbershoot]

First off I have already spent $2400 at the start of admission.

Next I would estimate we "easily" spend $5000 a year eating there. Picking up small souvenirs...etc. Special events.... halloween party $250 christmas party $250 (all days which technically we have AP's for and pay extra) Pretty sure right there we spend more then an average visitor spends annually. We don't get free dining so that is out of pocket.

Whatever though. Disney could easily make it like Universal does and limit FP to once per day per attraction. I can't see how much local money they would lose by preventing annual passes from being purchased.

There are individual experiences, and there are statistics. You and the other local AP holder spend a lot. My cousins, however, do NOT. They use the FL resident discount, and WHEN they were going to WDW (they have recently discovered Universal and no one in the family currently holds any sort of admission to WDW) they ate very minimal park food, they came in for partial-day visits, they brought their own snacks, and I don't think I've seen them buy a single souvenir. They do stay onsite *sometimes*.

Average out the 5 of them and you and the other poster (and your families), and you're watering your spending down a bit. Put in another relative of mine, who NEVER stays onsite, swims at pools where they aren't allowed to, never EVER buy food (they picnicked at Sunshine Seasons with brought-in food) or water or ANYTHING, and they've watered you guys down even more.




I don't understand why they changed FP. I do not understand the very concept of FP+ and from what I'm reading am not seeing benefits to me. I don't really even CARE about it, since they aren't going to listen to me, and we like Universal more and more anyway, but I did want to mention the anecdotal experience vs statistics issue that seemed to be causing problems.

 

[Suellen]

There are individual experiences, and there are statistics. You and the other local AP holder spend a lot. My cousins, however, do NOT. They use the FL resident discount, and WHEN they were going to WDW (they have recently discovered Universal and no one in the family currently holds any sort of admission to WDW) they ate very minimal park food, they came in for partial-day visits, they brought their own snacks, and I don't think I've seen them buy a single souvenir. They do stay onsite *sometimes*.

Average out the 5 of them and you and the other poster (and your families), and you're watering your spending down a bit. Put in another relative of mine, who NEVER stays onsite, swims at pools where they aren't allowed to, never EVER buy food (they picnicked at Sunshine Seasons with brought-in food) or water or ANYTHING, and they've watered you guys down even more.




I don't understand why they changed FP. I do not understand the very concept of FP+ and from what I'm reading am not seeing benefits to me. I don't really even CARE about it, since they aren't going to listen to me, and we like Universal more and more anyway, but I did want to mention the anecdotal experience vs statistics issue that seemed to be causing problems.

There are tourists that do the SAME thing... don't buy souvenirs, have grocery food delivered. There is a WHOLE forum here dedicated to it. I'm sure that on average it is a wash and I still feel like my admission is just as valid as those that paid full price.

How about comp tickets? Military? Undercovertourist? I mean if we are working on a sliding scale for FP availability everyone should be penalized right?

 

[Traveliz]

And there are all those CMs who visit the park often without cost to them, have pretty liberal comp privileges for bringing in friends, family...they spend very very little. Disney has never been set up to differientate between classes of guests in the parks. The resorts have different perks associated with them but that does not translate over to theme park guests...once you walk through the turnstyles whether you paid absolutely nothing or bought a 10 day hopper with no expiration (and you never even hopped)...you all have the same perks.

Liz

 

[WillAustin]

If they do remove regular FP, as some have suggested is the plan, I wonder if I'll be regretting the AP purchase we just made.

We are going back in the summer, and I'd guess we'd probably do 8-10 park days. If I'm only allowed 5 days of FPs, I'll be more than a little upset. If in-park FPs are still available, I'll bet I go that route instead of FP+.

 

[mesaboy2]

And there are all those CMs who visit the park often without cost to them, have pretty liberal comp privileges for bringing in friends, family...they spend very very little. Disney has never been set up to differientate between classes of guests in the parks. The resorts have different perks associated with them but that does not translate over to theme park guests...once you walk through the turnstyles whether you paid absolutely nothing or bought a 10 day hopper with no expiration (and you never even hopped)...you all have the same perks.

Liz

Amen. This is one of the things that separates Disney from the rest, IMO.

 

[ScrampShopper]

There are individual experiences, and there are statistics. You and the other local AP holder spend a lot. My cousins, however, do NOT. They use the FL resident discount, and WHEN they were going to WDW (they have recently discovered Universal and no one in the family currently holds any sort of admission to WDW) they ate very minimal park food, they came in for partial-day visits, they brought their own snacks, and I don't think I've seen them buy a single souvenir. They do stay onsite *sometimes*.

Average out the 5 of them and you and the other poster (and your families), and you're watering your spending down a bit. Put in another relative of mine, who NEVER stays onsite, swims at pools where they aren't allowed to, never EVER buy food (they picnicked at Sunshine Seasons with brought-in food) or water or ANYTHING, and they've watered you guys down even more.




I don't understand why they changed FP. I do not understand the very concept of FP+ and from what I'm reading am not seeing benefits to me. I don't really even CARE about it, since they aren't going to listen to me, and we like Universal more and more anyway, but I did want to mention the anecdotal experience vs statistics issue that seemed to be causing problems.

There is a price difference between FL resident AP prices and the AP prices that I pay so should I have to follow the same rules if someone wants to base FP+ availability on cost?