BUT what about when it actully gets busy? (FP+)

[Stinasmom]

I am having a lot of frustration with the swirling opinions about the new FP+ program.

I feel like the podcast presented today needed to be prepared and presented after Spring Break crowds, especially around Easter. (or revisited)

When so many people say that FP+ worked great, that it saved them from having to get up and rope drop, or that they were able to get what they wanted after riding rides early in the morning, that sounds encouraging...
UNTIL
you find out they were there March 1st - 8th when the crowds are low.
Or they were there last fall for a limited testing...

What about June?
Is the number of Fast Pass times available for any one attraction a limited number in order for the Fast Pass line to even work? And if so, that limit is going to be hit way earlier and more often when more people are entering the park each morning.

With iPad bearing CMs and Kiosks around the park, are more guests participating in the FP system then they did for legacy FPs?

What's it going to be like when we approach summer crowds?

Our best prediction could be Easter week...?

I do believe Disney is working to make this better, but it's not fun having to be the guinnea pig!

As they typical DIS junkie/commando planner, I very much hope they roll out off site guest FP+ pre-booking. I have already registered us and our tickets to MDE...

I have to think that the off site guests in the know will help to fill up the available FP+ times for popular attractions so as to leave little or nothing for the unsuspecting guest who wonders what the Kiosks are for...
Unless they set some aside for day guests?

Anyone else thinking that all we've heard so far about how FP+ is working is all mute until the real crowds arrive??

Marcy

 

[kbelle8995]

I wonder this too. Sure it works great now. But how about when the park is packed. I don't think sleeping in will be an option.

 

[glvsav37]

+1

Biggest question in my head as we prepare for our annual summer trip.

I want to be optimistic, but I can't lie that it is a concern. Going during off peak times is not an option for this family.

 

[tjevans]

I want to hate FP+. I really do. Something about it just seems wrong to me.

But that feeling was tempered greatly after talking to my son (age 15), who just got back from WDW with his mom and stepdad. They stayed offsite, and were still able to get FP's for the times they want. The only complaint they had was only being able to get 3 FP in a day. They also didn't like the tiered system at Epcot.

 

[supercarrie]

I can speak to my experience as I am currently at WDW, staying on site, and the parks are packed this week.

If you are onsite, changing selections up until the night before has not been an issue, at least for us. We have used them for rides and not for characters, and the night before, saw almost full availability any time we needed to change our times. For us, this system has been wonderful in the current format.

If you are staying offsite, it has been rough this week. FP+ kiosk lines were insane with many things "sold out" by 11am. As they just announced off site guests can pre-book at 30 days out starting within the next couple weeks, I expect both far less availability/flexibility in changing FP+ times at the last minute but also the FP+ kiosk lines to die down, allowing guests to spend less time fighting those lines and more time enjoying the park.

We won't fully know what will happen when it gets busy until the offsite FP+ rollout is complete. However, in my experience as an onsite guest this week, it has still been great. In general, they have managed to keep the FP+ return lines short (our max wait so far has been 10 minutes), except when break downs have occurred. BTMRR, for example, had a very long FP+ line after a temporary closure earlier today.

 

[glvsav37]

Thanks for that update.

I noticed on a couple of wait time apps that the parks seemed crowded this week. Is there something special about this week?

Thanks again...holding out hope that we like the new system when we come in July.

 

[Jennygt]

good point op. I am very glad we are not going this year.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I just finished watching the FP+ segment. We are taking our first (and likely only) trip to WDW this June. I was thinking the same thing- how does it work when the parks are crowded this summer? I'm paying attention to Spring break/Easter crowds. I'm also wondering how easy it will be to change FPs on the fly in June. Especially when you add off site guests in to the pre-booking mix.

I have to say I'm torn because I love just being in the parks at DLR. I want to be able to relax like that at WDW and just enjoy the things we do. On the other hand, WDW is so much more expensive than DLR and I know this may be our only trip so I want to see as much of it as possible. With DLR, I know if I miss something I'll see it next time. That may not be the case with WDW.

In the end, I decided to go in to this trip with a positive attitude. I may not get to see everything, I may not know the best way to tour, but we are going somewhere new and I'm excited!

 

[Allison]

Thanks for that update.

I noticed on a couple of wait time apps that the parks seemed crowded this week. Is there something special about this week?

Thanks again...holding out hope that we like the new system when we come in July.

It is Spring Break season which makes a several week period very busy.

I have a friend who just took her family of 6 over their spring break. She is doing a trip report and being sure to talk specifically about FP+ and magic bands and how it worked for her family. It worked very well for them and she was nervous going into it but they liked it.

 

[oct2014]

While I understand that last Spring and Summer might not be good indicators, I would think the November and December holidays would be great ones. I cannot speak to the kiosk lines, but 9 of us went Thanksgiving week and FP+ worked great for our group.

 

[lugnut33]

While I understand that last Spring and Summer might not be good indicators, I would think the November and December holidays would be great ones. I cannot speak to the kiosk lines, but 9 of us went Thanksgiving week and FP+ worked great for our group.

I was there the same week and really disliked FP+, even if I had no problems using it (other than the slow glitchy website). Definitely takes away from the way our family used to tour.

 

[misstheworld]

Your point (I wonder what's going to happen in peak-season) is exactly what DH and I were saying when we visited in January. FP+ worked fabulously then (for rides and characters/shows) for our little family. We weren't affected by the tiering system because we rode very few rides in EPCOT (only stuff DS 9m could ride), but I agree...it's not the best system.

That being said, Disney is usually on top of things with making tweaks and figuring stuff out...even if some guinea pigs are involved.

Can't wait to try it again!

 

[mare07]

There will certainly be some tweaks, but the reality is that the emails and podcasts include trips from Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas 2013 and MLK and Presidents Day 2014.

And, I think you'll find that there are few "down" periods at Disney any more these days. Of course Easter is going to be busy, but it's always been busy. However, when the weekend before Martin Luther King Jr. was dead, it is no more due to the Marathon and this is true of many down weeks and weekends.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

Disney has released discounts that cover most days this summer. Disney doesn't give discounts unless they want to fill more rooms. It isn't a gift to their patrons. So if they are giving a discount for the summer (June 15 - Aug 28) that is telling me that they need to fill more rooms than they already have. It will still be busy in the summer. That is the time that fits best with our schedule so we have had many trips in the summer. I am not going to panic though. There is still three month until we go and I expect that the 3 FP+ plus more will be rolled out by then and with park hopping. You know for me it is about family and this very well could be the last trip I have with all of my kids with me. My kids are in high school and college and life will move on with them. Intend to enjoy this trip regardless of how FP+ plays out in the summer months. I won't have a ruined trip because we didn't get to ride Test Track or what have you. I'll have my kids with me that's what matters and FP+ can only add to that.

 

[Stinasmom]

Here is what I think I have to do:

Get everyone together (ME, DH, DS, DD, and her DBF) just before 30 days out and discuss which rides everyone wants to FastPass or which we think we can handle the standby wait. This way I can book our FP+ times to be together.
Yea, do this for all 4 parks...

This is after I recheck touring plans to determine which day is best to be at which park.

This is after DD's DBF gets his ticket and I add it to our MDE.

We'll all have to agree to get up for rope drop for MK due to the new Mine TRain ride.

OH, and didn't even think about ADR's... I think I will only try for BOG... long shot, I am sure.

So much for spontenaity, but if it means less wait-in-lines time, I guess it's worth it.

Sound familiar to anyone else!?!

Thank Heavens we're taking a cruise after this "vacation" week!
Planned that one out on my own long ago as we are GOLD with DCL.

 

[disneyholic family]

we were there in august for what i think was the first FP+ trial.

our biggest problem with the system was the introduction of FP+ to attractions that never had FPs before.
Rides that never had much of a wait, did have a wait because there were people holding FPs who slowed down the rest of us.

It definitely affected how we toured the park, since those attractions that we'd always considered easy, suddenly turned more difficult - with much longer unexpected waits.

we haven't been back since, so i don't know if those issues have worked themselves out, but it definitely changed our experience.
We didn't enjoy ourselves any less, i don't think - as for us WDW is pretty much just being there (not necessarily doing anything specific)...
but i too wonder what it's like now that it's been completely rolled out...especially during very busy times..

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Here is what I think I have to do:

Get everyone together (ME, DH, DS, DD, and her DBF) just before 30 days out and discuss which rides everyone wants to FastPass or which we think we can handle the standby wait. This way I can book our FP+ times to be together.
Yea, do this for all 4 parks...

This is after I recheck touring plans to determine which day is best to be at which park.

This is after DD's DBF gets his ticket and I add it to our MDE.

We'll all have to agree to get up for rope drop for MK due to the new Mine TRain ride.

OH, and didn't even think about ADR's... I think I will only try for BOG... long shot, I am sure.

So much for spontenaity, but if it means less wait-in-lines time, I guess it's worth it.

Sound familiar to anyone else!?!

Thank Heavens we're taking a cruise after this "vacation" week!
Planned that one out on my own long ago as we are GOLD with DCL.

When you really think about it, not all of this has to be done. FP+s are available the day of - without issue - so if you want to make things less complicated, just book them when you arrive and go with the flow.

 

[Stinasmom]

When you really think about it, not all of this has to be done. FP+s are available the day of - without issue - so if you want to make things less complicated, just book them when you arrive and go with the flow.

See, this is exactly what I was getting at when I first started this thread.
It has been the case that FPs are available "day of" during slower times.

It has also been reported that day of selections tended to be late, late in the day.
I don't think we know yet if "without issue" will hold up during busier times.

With CM's both at the park and on the phone educating guests about the system, more people will be using it than before. Top that with a weekend day in June and the limited supply could easily run out.

Plus, I don't want to try to gather all 5 of us at a kiosk that morning to make the day's decisions when we could be touring the park.

So, we'll still have that pre-trip meeting in May to plan out most every step of our week in June.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

See, this is exactly what I was getting at when I first started this thread.
It has been the case that FPs are available "day of" during slower times.

It has also been reported that day of selections tended to be late, late in the day.
I don't think we know yet if "without issue" will hold up during busier times.

With CM's both at the park and on the phone educating guests about the system, more people will be using it than before. Top that with a weekend day in June and the limited supply could easily run out.

Plus, I don't want to try to gather all 5 of us at a kiosk that morning to make the day's decisions when we could be touring the park.

So, we'll still have that pre-trip meeting in May to plan out most every step of our week in June.

I think it's great that you have a plan for your family. However, I know that reports from friends and even my experience during busy times has shown that FP+s are still available. The system is reaching its final configuration now, so I guess we will see.