At the park now, FP+ lines are snaking through the park

[Toad_Passenger]

Disney has years of data on legacy FP. They had years of data on how many FPs people use when you have to be IN the park AT the attraction to pull your time. As you pointed out yourself, it's quite different when they remove those barriers.

So I'm curious...... to all of you saying Disney is going to "fix" the problem........ what sorts of "fixes" do you think are possible? Do they add more FPs? Do they reduce FPs? Do they develop more sensitive Mickey head readers?

On our trip 2 weeks ago, the Mickey Readers were very sensitive and would light up with the slightest touch from the MB. In most instances the problems with people scanning were completely user-related.

People had the MB in their pocket or purse and didn't have them ready to scan. Some had them on backwards and were trying to scan with the "connectors" not the Mickey portion.

On top of that the tour groups and some other people had some sort of special book that, instead of scanning a MB, had to get verified by the CM working the FP entrance and then signed. And, of course, there are those who just aren't very tech-friendly who don't have a clue what they're doing holding up the line.

As far as the tech of MB and scanners go, they are top notch. People may not be fans of the implementation of the system, but the system itself is absolutely impressive.

So, what can be tweaked? I agree that WDW is playing with quantities, time periods, etc. and those can all be changed. In addition I really think the "tier" system is part of the beta testing, and they will take everyone's feedback on that and make changes.

I can agree with a lot of DIS-ers who say they don't want to pay to be a guinea pig...that's completely fair. But to dismiss a complete system that, as of now, is in its infancy and will probably look completely different in 1-2 years time, is very hasty IMO.

As I said, we just returned from a trip 2/1 - 2/7, and the MB, FP+, MDE app, WiFi, Memory Maker, all worked in perfect harmony, so the system works, it's just the minutiae that need to be adjusted.

 

[JanaDee]

Seeing some talk about the PR from all of this, I thought I would check out what was being said on Disney's facebook page. When I pull the page up, the reviews are gone. I can't find the place where you could read all the reviews. Now my computer and facebook has been acting a bit wonky so it very well could just be on my end. But if that really is the case then that could be very telling in what they believe guest satisfaction is right now. Maybe some others could check the page to see what they find.

Nope, they've removed all comments, as well as the ability to leave a star review with comments (they were there last week).

Very telling, indeed.

 

[JanaDee]

I don't see the reviews either. If people have something to say, they'll start posting in the comments. Can they delete negative ones? I rarely use FB so I don't know much about that.

You can't post comments on their page. They've taken away that option.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

Nope, they've removed all comments, as well as the ability to leave a star review with comments (they were there last week).

Very telling, indeed.

They were there this weekend.

 

[bmalonef45]

We just returned yesterday from our first trip with FP+. I was trying to stay positive and wait to experience it myself. Unfortunately the negatives out weighed the positives.

Luckily we didn't have to wait in the FP+ lines that weren't at the rides. Seeing them was amazing to me and made me wonder if that was in the original plan. If I had to wait in a 30 minute long line just to set my FPs up I would have not been happy.

There were lines at the FP entries on some rides. Not long but longer than there used to be for paper FPs. Scanning takes longer than grabbing a piece of paper. Then there are the issues that people continually were having. Fortunately they usually just would override the system and let you through.

I will say the APP worked really really well. We used it a lot and I hope everything else ends up working as well as that.

Maybe after they get the kinks worked out they will open this system up to planning all your rides for the day and not just 3. If they did that I think they could control the lines by what was available and if you wanted to ride at a time that was full you could use the stand by line. Until then, 3 is not enough and tiering them just doesn't seem fair. We still had a good time but with it being a busy weekend, if we didn't have a FP we didn't ride the rides during the busy part of the day. Thanks goodness the parks stayed open late!

Don't even get me started about the mess that meeting the Frozen characters is. To ask your paying guests to wait in line for 4 hours for anything seems like something Walt would have been against.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

You can't post comments on their page. They've taken away that option.

You can leave comments on their pics but very few people really read those and those are very easy to delete. I've wondered if they are in fact deleting negative comments.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Nope, they've removed all comments, as well as the ability to leave a star review with comments (they were there last week).

Very telling, indeed.

Fo those of you that are still interested in reading reviews - check out the WDW trip advisor page. They cannot control or remove the reviews there. Interestingly I don't see a lot of 1 star reviews or much about FP+ even though there are hundreds of reviews from Jan 2014 to present.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34515-d143394-Reviews-Walt_Disney_World-Orlando_Florida.html#REVIEWS

 

[BuckeyeBama]

This issue of taking longer to scan the bands was brought up at the very beginning of this whole FP+ mess.

I agree - we got very good at it, but it still took 1-2 seconds to clear my wife and I at each checkpoint. We saw most folks really struggling to get their mickey head on the band flat against the center of the scanner. Some people took quite a bit of time to scan. People that stay for more than a few days will get better at this like we did, but people who are going for the first time or for only a few days will struggle (and some people will never get it).

Maybe the bands need a stronger RFID, which doesn't require an actual "touch"?

 

[JanaDee]

I agree - we got very good at it, but it still took 1-2 seconds to clear my wife and I at each checkpoint. We saw most folks really struggling to get their mickey head on the band flat against the center of the scanner. Some people took quite a bit of time to scan. People that stay for more than a few days will get better at this like we did, but people who are going for the first time or for only a few days will struggle (and some people will never get it).

Maybe the bands need a stronger RFID, which doesn't require an actual "touch"?

I think part of the issue is (IME) how the band sits on your arm in relation to the scanner. We didn't wear the bands because we found them uncomfortable, so moving them around wasn't hard for us, but if they are on your arm, it is hard to get it in the right position to scan. Then it takes a second or two to register, all while you're trying to awkwardly hold it there. People didn't hold it long enough and had to start again, couldn't get it to scan in the first place, etc.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

Fo those of you that are still interested in reading reviews - check out the WDW trip advisor page. They cannot control or remove the reviews there. Interestingly I don't see a lot of 1 star reviews or much about FP+ even though there are hundreds of reviews from Jan 2014 to present.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34515-d143394-Reviews-Walt_Disney_World-Orlando_Florida.html#REVIEWS

So do you think maybe the review comments disappeared from Disney's facebook page because it was loaded with glowing reviews and reports?

 

[lucyem]

I think part of the issue is (IME) how the band sits on your arm in relation to the scanner. We didn't wear the bands because we found them uncomfortable, so moving them around wasn't hard for us, but if they are on your arm, it is hard to get it in the right position to scan. Then it takes a second or two to register, all while you're trying to awkwardly hold it there. People didn't hold it long enough and had to start again, couldn't get it to scan in the first place, etc.

I am actually surprised they did not put up shorter poles for small children. I cannot tell you how many kids I saw have their arm wrenched by a parent trying to get a band set properly to scan.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

So do you think maybe the review comments disappeared from Disney's facebook page because it was loaded with glowing reviews and reports?

I never said that. I simply pointed out that WDW cannot control the trip advisor reviews and they aren't scathing. In fact, many of them are glowing 4 and 5 star reviews from Jan & Feb.

Whatever WDW wants to do with it's facebook page is it's perogative. There are indeed *some* negative comments about FP+ on trip advisor but no where near the overwheling number that were seen on FB. I prefer to look at impartial sources where the owner/proprieter of a property cannot take down or alter the reviews.

To me, FB isn't exactly a great barometer of travel advice.

 

[JanaDee]

I am actually surprised they did not put up shorter poles for small children. I cannot tell you how many kids I saw have their arm wrenched by a parent trying to get a band set properly to scan.

I was surprised at that, too. Having the scanners at just above belly height for adults isn't the greatest idea.

I am 5'4, so I guess I should say it was just above belly height for me.

 

[photo_chick]

Never for me. Not on 4th of July, not during a Friday night at food and wine, not during June Star Wars weekends at DHS, not Memorial Day, not Father's Day, never.

You must have gone on a different 4th of July than I have, because we've had longer waits in the FP line for headliners during that week. Especially for Toy Story, Soarin and Test Track.

 

[summermac]

As a whole I don't think Disney thought through the entire magic band scanning areas in general - both at park entrances and FP entrances. Something needs to be done both with the general placement of the scan areas as well as the height issues mentioned above. It was quite a cluster several times during our trip.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

I never said that. I simply pointed out that WDW cannot control the trip advisor reviews and they aren't scathing. In fact, many of them are glowing 4 and 5 star reviews from Jan & Feb.

Whatever WDW wants to do with it's facebook page is it's perogative. There are indeed *some* negative comments about FP+ on trip advisor but no where near the overwheling number that were seen on FB. I prefer to look at impartial sources where the owner/proprieter of a property cannot take down or alter the reviews.

To me, FB isn't exactly a great barometer of travel advice.

I own a business and have a FB page for it. I can't do anything with the review stars and/or review comments. I don't even see a way to remove them from the page. I can delete any comments to post I make or pictures I post but the review section is out of my control. I will admit that I don't know all there is to know about FB and that Disney being a bigger business may have different rules than me.

 

[surferdave]

Fo those of you that are still interested in reading reviews - check out the WDW trip advisor page. They cannot control or remove the reviews there. Interestingly I don't see a lot of 1 star reviews or much about FP+ even though there are hundreds of reviews from Jan 2014 to present.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34515-d143394-Reviews-Walt_Disney_World-Orlando_Florida.html#REVIEWS

Islands of Adventure, Universal, and Discovery Cove are all ranked higher than WDW at that review site. I looked for "shoveling snow back home" for a reference point but I didn't see it.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g34515-Activities-c46-Orlando_Florida.html

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

I own a business and have a FB page for it. I can't do anything with the review stars and/or review comments. I don't even see a way to remove them from the page. I can delete any comments to post I make or pictures I post but the review section is out of my control. I will admit that I don't know all there is to know about FB and that Disney being a bigger business may have different rules than me.

I've found where all reviews can be removed but can't find a way to only remove those you don't wish to be there. It is in where you can edit your address.

 

[summerskye]

Islands of Adventure, Universal, and Discovery Cove are all ranked higher than WDW at that review site. I looked for "shoveling snow back home" for a reference point but I didn't see it.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g34515-Activities-c46-Orlando_Florida.html

I think it's located just behind the magic of FP+. You have to look real hard to find it...

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Islands of Adventure, Universal, and Discovery Cove are all ranked higher than WDW at that review site. I looked for "shoveling snow back home" for a reference point but I didn't see it.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g34515-Activities-c46-Orlando_Florida.html

Again - I never said anything to the contrary and I have had NO involvement in the "shovelling snow" stuff that you all seem to LOVE to go on about.

I didn't say "WDW is better than Universal" etc. I simply said that there are plenty of positive reviews from Jan & Feb located on trip advisor.