BIG change to FP+ today

[Angel Ariel]

BTW- Toy Story Mania at Calfornia Adventure? No Fastpass and rarely a wait more than 45-50 minutes. The situation at WDW is ridiculous. If Disney were smart they would remove FP/FP+ from that ride and make everybody wait standby.

There's also a significant difference in the number of family attractions at dca compared to dhs. That has more to do with it than fp, imo.

 

[Jennasis]

If Disney starts charging for FP then I'm out (of FP use that is). I literally SCRAPE every penny I can to afford a budget trip onsite every other year. I can't justify the extra expense. My saving grace is that I have the luxury of going any time of year I want as I am self employed so we would adjust our visit to the least crowded time of year. And we are rope droppers...and the reason we do rope drop? Because I love the parks so much that I want to spend every available second in them.

 

[babydoll65]

So I just want to make sure about the fps in epcot. I'll be in epcot on 11/12 and 11/16. I booked my fp+ ress over a month ago and don't plan on changing my times. Both days I have sorain,test track and malestrome. I assume a long as I don't make any adjustments I won't lose what I have.

 

[mesaboy2]

So I just want to make sure about the fps in epcot. I'll be in epcot on 11/12 and 11/16. I booked my fp+ ress over a month ago and don't plan on changing my times. Both days I have sorain,test track and malestrome. I assume a long as I don't make any adjustments I won't lose what I have.

I assume that too, but there are no guarantees.

 

[damo]

tsmm opened 5 years ago in 2008. It was new and that is pretty much the only reason your situation would be comparable to what is going on now. There aren't enough attractions in dhs, epcot or ak to fill the void. That is the problem.

exactly!!!!!

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

Because I love the parks so much that I want to spend every available second in them.

This is our family too! I don't understand the ones that sleep in and don't get the park until noon or leave at 2. I'm not saying they are wrong. Everyone has there own way. I just don't understand it. Maybe it because they will be able to come back sooner than our family. We get one day a year at MK and I kind of tear up when it is time to leave.

 

[granmanh603]

We have been here since Oct 16 and do not want to plan, so have booked our FP+ either the night before or in the AM before we left room. It was busy before this week and this week has been really slow so yesterday went to book Soarin FP+ and there were none available so later in day after eating lunch on Boardwalk wandered over to Epcot to just walk and decided to ride the Land boat..get there and there is no sign that FP are gone so in we go and get a FP for Soarin for 7:50 return and the Standby line is 50 min. the week before that we had a FP+ for Soarin at 10:50 and when we went to ride at 10:30 the FP return time was 6:10 and when we got off ride they were gone, before 11AM,
I am not a pre planner, I do not understand the old FP system worked just fine, why change it, For Me I see no value in this system and can;t imagine when they add in AP holders how this is ever going to work. And by the way the first week we were here on the first day we went over to MK for EMH and SM was shut down and was down til at least 10:30 so could not even use FP+ pass and went over to TM and guess what shut down could not use FP. Forward a few days back to MK SM shut down large part of time we were there and we had a FP+ for JC and guess whay shut down..were told we could use on another attraction so went over to POC and there was a huge stand by line so we FP+ there and waited at least 20 on that line. Holiday season might be fine for people who want to plan 60 days out and did. not so for us.

 

[StuckInKS]

I think in the longrun, it will be a positive change, for me at least and others that tour like me. We are the late risers that arrive around 11 or noon and stay late and close the parks.

We tour like you, though we arrive even later (as I write this, it is 11AM and my family is still asleep in their POP beds). Even still, I fail to see the positive in this change or in FP+ as a whole. I don't care if it allows me to FINALLY get a FP for TSMM, Soarin and Kali River Rapids, it is still a horrible system.

 

[StuckInKS]

This is our family too! I don't understand the ones that sleep in and don't get the park until noon or leave at 2. I'm not saying they are wrong. Everyone has there own way. I just don't understand it. Maybe it because they will be able to come back sooner than our family. We get one day a year at MK and I kind of tear up when it is time to leave.

So if MK opens at 9am and closes at 1 or 2am, you stay the whole time? That is a LOT of walking for one day! That is why we arrive later, because we go on days where we can get there at 2pm and still spend 10-12 hours in the park, which is plenty for us for one day.

 

[nugov2]

I would pay extra money to get fastpasses but Disney won't take it! I personally would rather do that then get nothing at all or have to wait until day of visit to see what's left.

At Universal I would get express for virtually every ride or of course unlimited express if we pay the big bucks. However, it's really not necessary unless you visit during a busy time or at least that has been our experience. That is, unless Disney drives too many people to Universal. Please don't do that!

I would too...so maybe my post was wishful thinking. I wish they would just simplify the whole system. I am a planner, but the idea of planning rides doesn't appeal to me at all. I would rather just purchase FP for the day and be able to get in the FP line for all the rides or a certain number of rides whenever I want. I don't know why they are trying to reinvent the wheel here and it is just dumb IMO. Planning meals is one thing, planning rides is another. We are off site people for space, but have no problem paying to get the perks. I guess from what I have seen you can get a room on site for one night and get the MB/FP for the length of your trip. I guess we will just pay for the hotel room and not use it if we have to do that to get access. It just seems like the whole process is a huge PITA.

Luckily for us we do not plan to go back for a few years. I posted it before, but if we cannot get FP or are only to get a couple to we will only go to 2 days at MK and skip all other WDW parks. Universals parks are far superior to AK, Epcot and HS and not worth the hassle so we will skip those and spend a couple of days at Universal and do SW the next trip instead. I will go where convenience takes me and have a great vacation. I don't think it will impact WDW bottom line, but it will if a lot of families start to feel the same. Most of the people I know IRL don't like the other 3 that much, but will buy the passes for 5+ days because they are cheaper and it is convenient. If it changes to where you can't do but one headliner, well then the minimal appeal they held is now gone. It will be interesting to see how this really ends up working in the end.

 

[Jennasis]

So if MK opens at 9am and closes at 1 or 2am, you stay the whole time? That is a LOT of walking for one day! That is why we arrive later, because we go on days where we can get there at 2pm and still spend 10-12 hours in the park, which is plenty for us for one day.

Yep. I am there for RD and stay until they kick me out...or until I've done everything I want and/or I'm too exhausted to go on. Understandably not everyone's style, but it works for DH and I. When you can only go every other year we try to extract every ounce out of the trip.

 

[robpa]

We have been here since Oct 16 and do not want to plan, so have booked our FP+ either the night before or in the AM before we left room. It was busy before this week and this week has been really slow so yesterday went to book Soarin FP+ and there were none available so later in day after eating lunch on Boardwalk wandered over to Epcot to just walk and decided to ride the Land boat..get there and there is no sign that FP are gone so in we go and get a FP for Soarin for 7:50 return and the Standby line is 50 min. the week before that we had a FP+ for Soarin at 10:50 and when we went to ride at 10:30 the FP return time was 6:10 and when we got off ride they were gone, before 11AM,
I am not a pre planner, I do not understand the old FP system worked just fine, why change it, For Me I see no value in this system and can;t imagine when they add in AP holders how this is ever going to work. And by the way the first week we were here on the first day we went over to MK for EMH and SM was shut down and was down til at least 10:30 so could not even use FP+ pass and went over to TM and guess what shut down could not use FP. Forward a few days back to MK SM shut down large part of time we were there and we had a FP+ for JC and guess whay shut down..were told we could use on another attraction so went over to POC and there was a huge stand by line so we FP+ there and waited at least 20 on that line. Holiday season might be fine for people who want to plan 60 days out and did. not so for us.

Because this has nothing to do with giving you anything. They are not doing this because there was a problem with the previous fastpass system, they are doing it to squeeze more of your money out of you. The fastpass+ is just trying to disguise the fact that this is strictly a marketing tool as well as a way to get you to spend more money without realizing it.
Like using a credit card, money hasn't left your hand so its just like you didn't spend anything at all(until the bill comes). That's their hope with these magic bands, easy to spend money.

 

[surferdave]

Issues are expected in a test phase. If you don't want to be part of the test, opt out. That simple.

This isn't a software issue, this is a change to the program, and the people here who have discovered it already agreed to be a part of the test before they changed the terms.

I think I know which Disney character is in charge of the test (together with Vanellope the Glitch!).

 

[granmanh603]

Because this has nothing to do with giving you anything. They are not doing this because there was a problem with the previous fastpass system, they are doing it to squeeze more of your money out of you. The fastpass+ is just trying to disguise the fact that this is strictly a marketing tool as well as a way to get you to spend more money without realizing it.
Like using a credit card, money hasn't left your hand so its just like you didn't spend anything at all(until the bill comes). That's their hope with these magic bands, easy to spend money.

I agree with you 100% but this has been a very unrelaxing trip and since we are DVC and they already have a lot of our money and have long stays(3weeks) this time it is very upsetting.

 

[mom2rtk]

Like using a credit card, money hasn't left your hand so its just like you didn't spend anything at all(until the bill comes). That's their hope with these magic bands, easy to spend money.

I might be alone in this, but I never attach a CC to my room for that very reason. And I won't be attaching one when we use a MB.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

BTW- Toy Story Mania at Calfornia Adventure? No Fastpass and rarely a wait more than 45-50 minutes. The situation at WDW is ridiculous. If Disney were smart they would remove FP/FP+ from that ride and make everybody wait standby.

You are telling the truth! We rode it in DCA on 4th of July and had only a 30 minute wait. Unbelievable!!!

 

[heathsf]

I understand that FP- allowed people to shop instead of waiting on long lines for rides, which made Disney more money.

What I don't understand is, if FP+ has a limit of 3 per day when many people had previously been pulling many more than that, how is Disney going to make more money out of this?

This isn't meant to be critical, I really just am confused. I don't understand how this is better for Disney when it seems like it could result in more people waiting on longer lines... Unless it's possible that this could somehow result in shorter lines overall since tiered FP could mean lines are distributed more evenly?

 

[robpa]

I agree with you 100% but this has been a very unrelaxing trip and since we are DVC and they already have a lot of our money and have long stays(3weeks) this time it is very upsetting.

Which is why they no longer have any need to try and make you happy. I don't know all the particulars of DVC (I know someone who bought in but never discussed) but it just seems like another time share deal and I don't know of anyone who is happy long term in those.

Hopefully you can salvage the rest of your vacation

 

[jannylynn]

I might be alone in this, but I never attach a CC to my room for that very reason. And I won't be attaching one when we use a MB.

Exactly! I'm not sure why people are forgetting that you could charge things to the room just as easily without the magic bands. Or you can choose not to attach a CC to your room. I don't think that was the new plan for the MB as that feature already existed.

 

[msmouse]

I wonder how many supporters of FP+s will change their minds after this.

I really did not have an opinion until I started to use it. I was invited to participate for our Nov. trip. This is exhausting. Way way too many glitches. I am about to give up. I too experienced the item discussed in the original post.