BIG change to FP+ today

[Mrs. Ciz]

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

Me! I have been happy owning my timeshare long term. My parents bought it for me with some of the money my great grandma left me when I was a 19 year old freshman in college. I am now almost 48 and have been all over the place and stayed in some amazing places using that thing. Best investment ever, I can't put a price on joy.

 

[granmanh603]

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.

I agree, you just tap your band real easy. I would prefer not to add it but they make you feel like you have too when you check in . I brought gift cards to use but have not cause it is just so easy, they have these readers everywhere that you just tap and enter your code done. This is not going away we are trapped.

 

[Sheilby]

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.

That is the part that is annoying me the most. When I agree to something I actually do read what I'm getting myself into, but I don't want to have to check back daily to see what has changed. If they are changing something they should give you warning and post a clear notice.

Yes, yes, I know, I agreed to test, I suppose that means if they decide to say that I need to give a blood sacrifice to ride a ride I should cheerfully go along with it because I agreed to test. Here's my first born Disney, now let me see Mickey Mouse.

 

[Planogirl]

People keep on saying that FP+ is being created so that people have more time to spend money in gift shops and restaurants. How can that be when so far everything indicates that people will spend more time in lines? Unless they start winding lines through gift shops, I don't see how that will work.

 

[granmanh603]

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

Well we are only here til Wed thank goodness. We have been DVC for 13 years and this MB/FP+ thing bight just be the breaking point if they don't figure this out better than this. It is not working for us.

 

[robpa]

Me! I have been happy owning my timeshare long term. My parents bought it for me with some of the money my great grandma left me when I was a 19 year old freshman in college. I am now almost 48 and have been all over the place and stayed in some amazing places using that thing. Best investment ever, I can't put a price on joy.

Well I'm happy that it is working for you. I think there are a lot of unhappy time share owners however(I know a few) I mean there are companies out there to help you unload timeshares so there must be a market for it.

 

[robpa]

Well we are only here til Wed thank goodness. We have been DVC for 13 years and this MB/FP+ thing bight just be the breaking point if they don't figure this out better than this. It is not working for us.

Good luck. Hope that if you decide to get out of DVC it is relatively painless for you.

 

[robpa]

Just to add one more point to Granmanh603 post, its a testament to what is happening at Disney right now that people are happy their vacation is over and they are heading home. I saw this in a couple of posts. Not sure a vacation destination wants their guests to feel this way after spending time there

 

[jannylynn]

Just to add one more point to Granmanh603 post, its a testament to what is happening at Disney right now that people are happy their vacation is over and they are heading home. I saw this in a couple of posts. Not sure a vacation destination wants their guests to feel this way after spending time there

Really? 1 person is testament? Because I know 5 families personally that have gone recently and loved it. They aren't all laid back and generally content people either.

What about you? Have you been to WDW lately?

I don't love this change to FP+ but I intend to drive on and have a lovely vacation. I already sent my opinion off to WDW and it's time to move on.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

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.

The day we usually go to MK they close at 11 or 12 and yeah, we stay all day. We usually get there at about 7:30 because we have ADR at CP for 8:05 or 8:10. We are in FL when they do RD. We spend up to 14 or 15 hours at MK. We always plan and early sit down dinner and take our time with that meal to rest up for the evening. But I know most can't or don't want to do this. We all touring differently!

 

[granmanh603]

Just to add one more point to Granmanh603 post, its a testament to what is happening at Disney right now that people are happy their vacation is over and they are heading home. I saw this in a couple of posts. Not sure a vacation destination wants their guests to feel this way after spending time there

Yes just realized how right you are, for the first time I am looking forward to leaving and leaving all this MB/FP+ behind. One slow day this week at DHS the MB /FP+ worked for us , note I am saying for us, we got up decided to go to DHS looked online and booked 3FP for TSM,RNR,TOT but believe it or not when we used them the lines were minimal not more than 30min each but that was unusual , the week before was way different with crowd levels much different. To be honest this week was the lowest crowds I have seen since we here here the Oct after 9/11.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

The day we usually go to MK they close at 11 or 12 and yeah, we stay all day. We usually get there at about 7:30 because we have ADR at CP for 8:05 or 8:10. We are in FL when they do RD. We spend up to 14 or 15 hours at MK. We always plan and early sit down dinner and take our time with that meal to rest up for the evening. But I know most can't or don't want to do this. We all touring differently!

How I wish I had your stamina!!! My feet can't handle more than about 10 hours. And my teenagers get really cranky without their midday nap. The first time we went we tried to stay all day. Made rope drop and called it quits around 7:30. Missed all the night time fun. Could. not. do. any. more. Then we started doing rope drop, the mid day nap and going back for dinner and all the night time stuff. Worked so much better for us. Every one has to figure it out for themselves, don't they.

 

[TLHB70]

The day we usually go to MK they close at 11 or 12 and yeah, we stay all day. We usually get there at about 7:30 because we have ADR at CP for 8:05 or 8:10. We are in FL when they do RD. We spend up to 14 or 15 hours at MK. We always plan and early sit down dinner and take our time with that meal to rest up for the evening. But I know most can't or don't want to do this. We all touring differently!

This is how we tour also. We get to RD, usually arrive about 45 minutes before opening. We stay until closing. We spend a lot of money on our WDW vacations, and we want to be in the parks every moment that we can. I guess it makes us feel like we are getting our money's worth.

 

[babydoll65]

I assume that too, but there are no guarantees.

When I was talking to the Disney tech. support last night I asked him about the new fp+ changes in epcot. He said that they only found out about it through a email and was laughing because he said the people on disboards probably found out about it alot sooner. He said to NOT change any of my fast passes for epcot this way I'll keep what I already have. I'm too scared to even change any of my times so I guess I'll have to make them work.

 

[wisblue]

Well I'm happy that it is working for you. I think there are a lot of unhappy time share owners however(I know a few) I mean there are companies out there to help you unload timeshares so there must be a market for it.

DVC is not really a typical time share because it has a lot more flexibility. While many traditional time shares have been disasters, point based vacation clubs like DVC hold their value pretty well and have a much higher level of satisfaction.

For someone who is confident that their family members will want to take regular trips to WDW every 2 or 3 years (or more often) you are effectively getting about 70% off comparable onsite resort accommodations.

I studied it thoroughly before buying and it has been great for us.

 

[eliza61]

This is actually good news for me, I was seriously thinking about purchasing points at the new Grand Floridian dvc. This will save me a couple of thousand.

 

[stormer]

This is how we tour also. We get to RD, usually arrive about 45 minutes before opening. We stay until closing. We spend a lot of money on our WDW vacations, and we want to be in the parks every moment that we can. I guess it makes us feel like we are getting our money's worth.

Us too!

 

[kelowatt]

my sister and I just spend an hour on line setting up our vacation in two weeks (she and my dad live in Buffalo, and I live in Boston). I like knowing that, if nothing else, I will be able to get on these three rides i've booked for each day. I also like the way the fastpass website prompts you if you've booked a restaurant reservation.

My sister and I dont go nearly as often as my dad. Every time we go there seems to be some new development in crowd management. I wonder if not really being used to any one way of doing disney makes handling changes a bit easier. I understood the old fast pass, but I had only used it on two trips, so changing how it works is not that big of an adjustment.

I keep reading all of these tips with the old system where you had to be at the park at rope drop to get the fastpasses for the rides you want. With this system, if we want to be lazy old people and sleep off the results of the previous nights drinking, we can still have fastpasses for later in the day.

I can also see how this would benefit some people who are either ocd or have issues around predictability (thinking of the kids wiht autism I've worked with in the past), where there is a set schedule for their top picks that would have a shorter line that might alieviate some melt downs.

I guess we'll have to see how it all works, but for right now I think it looks like it is going to work well for my family.

 

[Nancyg56]

People keep on saying that FP+ is being created so that people have more time to spend money in gift shops and restaurants. How can that be when so far everything indicates that people will spend more time in lines? Unless they start winding lines through gift shops, I don't see how that will work.

I have never agreed with this hypothesis. I could not understand how the changes would free up people to spend. While it is conceivable that folks would stay in the parks around their FP+ times, it is also conceivable that they would just get fed up and decide to head back to wherever they are staying. Waiting for a FP arrival time has generally resulted in "stand around" time, so wandering in shops or getting an ice cream bar was always an opportunity for WDW to make money.

I am speculating on where this is leading, though. I believe that while the testing is going on, the advanced reservations only apply to resort guests. I bet that once the glitches are corrected, onsite guests will have an advanced window to book attractions, and may have more choices that those who choose to stay offsite.

I believe that the DDP, when first offered was a steal that was only available to resort guests, and we all arrived in droves. Gradually the price began to rise and it is not the incentive it was at one time. Having the ability to book attractions well in advance of others, is a major perk and may be the next "DDP carrot" for WDW.

 

[jannylynn]

Waiting for a FP arrival time has generally resulted in "stand around" time, so wandering in shops or getting an ice cream bar was always an opportunity for WDW to make money.

.

It's too bad there's absolutely nothing else to do at the parks while waiting for our FP times.

Surely there's more than buying snacks and shopping for souvenirs? Besides we still had to "wait around" for our specific FP window with the paper FP's.

I don't think this changes much except that WDW will have the ability to disperse the crowds throughout the park when it comes to the people that will just take the suggested times and attractions that are given when a guest pre-books the FPs using the suggestion tool and then never bothers to change the time because they don't know how or just don't really care to.