Can we talk about how bad FastPass+ is?

[AmyB2006]

You're assuming they do have long-range sensors. No one is saying they're not using the data they have. I'm sure they are running all kinds of metrics on FP frequencies, buying habits by resorts, buying habits by time of day, etc.

But at present, there aren't long-range sensors in the parks, and at present, Disney is not tracking MB guests' movements in the parks. If there were long-range sensors, it would be (and eventually will be) all over the DIS boards.

Where are you getting your information? Disney themselves has stated there are Long Range readers in the parks.

 

[Kalea]

I feel left out that I am indifferent to FP+. I can't seem to work up either enthusiasm or outrage.

I have more issues with Disney's website and terrible FP+ selection process than with actually utilizing the passes. The bands and reservations have always worked as intended for us.

 

[flicx]

Actually, you wish the old system was in place and that relatively few guests were using it ... which is exactly how all of us experienced FP-. I enjoyed that time, too, but it is gone.

As I mentioned a few pages ago, the technology of FP+ isn't causing many of the concerns people have... it is the fact that there are so many more people using FP now.

FP doesn't change capacity, it just pulls people from the SB into the FP line. The result is that SB times must increase.

Even if Disney never converted to FP+ but instead was able to get the usage of paper FP up to what FP+ is now the complaints on these boards would be very similar to today.



And that's OK. I was in a similar position earlier in the year. I was really questioning how FP+ would affect the value of our entertainment dollar. In the end, I don't think the net value changed much, which can be seen as good or bad. But that is something each family needs to decide for itself.

You assume too much my friend, The technology is what is causing much of my concern and others as well. The technology that is glitchy and has so many people standing in line at guest relations. Lets not forget the technology that you now have to use to book months out in order to get top tier rides. Yes I want the old system back, not so I can hoard fast passes but so I have the flexibility to hop and still have a chance to ride most top tier rides that day. I also don't agree with the premise that so many less people were using fast pass-, these numbers are coming from Disney itself. The company who is trying to hype this 1.5 billion dollar expenditure. The company who takes down negative feedback on facebook. The company that won't release attendance numbers. When we were at the parks the fp- kiosks got tons of use! Not buying it at all.

 

[kay1864]

Below is from the Disney Site. I don't know if the long range is installed or not but they have clearly stated they intend on tracking your experience with long range readers.

"Intend" being the key word here. No one is denying that this technology may be implemented in the future. But at present, they are not tracking guests' movements throughout the parks.

Also though not super long, the system for ride photos going on your memory maker is some type of long range.

Yes. Ride photos have been mentioned several times in this thread.

 

[JanaDee]

Or they've discovered how to make it work better for their touring style and don't hate it as much?

Or they've tired of the condescending, rude, snarky and dismissive comments about what their motivation is for not liking FP+ and how entitled, spoiled, etc they are to expect their vacation to be what they want to do, not what Disney thinks they should do.

This thread is a perfect example.

 

[kay1864]

Where are you getting your information? Disney themselves has stated there are Long Range readers in the parks.

Yes, there are long range readers on some rides (for photos), as has been mentioned in this thread. What other long range readers has Disney stated?

 

[JanaDee]

You're assuming they do have long-range sensors. No one is saying they're not using the data they have. I'm sure they are running all kinds of metrics on FP frequencies, buying habits by resorts, buying habits by time of day, etc.

But at present, there aren't long-range sensors in the parks, and at present, Disney is not tracking MB guests' movements in the parks. If there were long-range sensors, it would be (and eventually will be) all over the DIS boards.

I have told you in the past they have long-range readers, yet for some reason you don't seem to believe me.

Disney has said they have both short and long-range readers. Disney has been surprisingly open about the true reason for the MB's ~ data mining.

 

[Cals dad]

Before fastpass+, wasn't this board just full of threads wanting people to rate their plan on getting fastpasses? People still planned on what they were going to do. Since they started enforcing the paper fastpass times, if you had one during a meal reservation, well, tough luck. Before, you'd go all the way across the park to get a pass, and then have to go all the way back later in the day. A lot of backtracking, wasting time. Heck, my family hardly used the old fastpass, because we wouldn't want to revisit an area we'd already been to in the day. Here's an example of how fastpass+ can work for the better.

We booked a last minute camping trip in August, about 25 days out. We planned on doing MK just one day. I got all our passes for after 7:30. This was at the 25 day mark. We got BTMRR, Splash, and 7DMT.

It was very hot that day, so we spent most the day at Blizzard Beach. We arrived at MK about 6:45. Here's what we rode, in no particular order.
BTMRR
Splash Mtn.
7DMT
PotC
Haunted Mansion
Winnie the Pooh
Little Mermaid
Tea Cups
Dumbo
Barnstormer
Speedway
People Mover
Space Ranger Spin

After Pooh, the fireworks has just started, so we watched the whole thing from Fantasy Land. We also caught the entire electric parade on the way out at closing time(11). We did not pick up any more fastpasses after the first 3. So, in about 4 hours, we hit 13 rides, watched the fireworks and parade. If the legacy system were still in place, we'd not been able to do this because we'd spend most of those few hours in line for BTMRR, Splash, and 7DMT. There's no way we'd have gotten fastpasses for those arriving so late in the day.

For the people that knew how to work the legacy system and get loads of paper fastpasses a day, I can see why they don't like the new system, but those are the last people that should be complaining about planning. It takes a really good game plan to get the timing right to do that. After doing it many times, they might not have to plan because they know their plan by heart, but for those that didn't have so much experience, they'd have to spend hours planning before vacation to get all those passes.

So, if someone didn't plan with the old system, they'd probably end up with three or four passes, planning their day around those. It seems awfully familiar to something, but I just can't place my finger on it.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Yes they have long range readers, but those readers are not there to track your movements all over the park, and they are not very long range.

 

[itchin2go]

You left off the ever popular "If you don't like it, use standby."

Can't forget that gem.

Yeah, I'd like to forget it. It's the worst argument I've ever read on this topic.

I kind of feel bad for you if you really think that's a stupid thing to say (and it's clear that's exactly what you think).

I am not a Disney newbie, and we've had several successful vacations using very few legacy FPs ... maybe 1 or 2 a day. We rode almost everything standby, with very little wait time. Given my experience, riding standby is more than just a viable option to me.

If there had been no legacy FP at all, we would have had a fine time. It was just a bonus to us.

I know that FP+ has resulted in increased wait times for lesser attractions, but I have trouble believing that riding standby is no longer a viable option at all.

 

[lugnut33]

Fans of the legacy FP system knew how to game the system -- I was one of them, and if I am being honest, I secretly loved the fact that first time guests had very little idea how it all worked. The "problem" with FP+, I suspect, is that WDW has put massive marketing into making sure that all new guests now are fully advised multiple times as to how it works, such that there are now a whole lot more people who know what they are doing or at least have a fair shot at it. Is that everyone? Nope. Does everyone want to plan weeks or even days in advance? Nope. But is it a major inconvenience for me to take some time in advance to schedule a few highlights of my vacation, which might then actually allow me to have some true down-time for the resort, pool, etc., rather than being a slave to unknown return times for the legacy system? Nope.
!

I have yet to see any information from Disney saying if you want the popular attractions you better log on 60 days in advance at midnight and from that day on you better not change your mind on what park you want to be in. I don't recall seeing Stacy say anything about that.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Yes I want the old system back, not so I can hoard fast passes but so I have the flexibility to hop and still have a chance to ride most top tier rides that day.

You lost me on this one. By hop I assume you mean park hop? The new system allows you to have the flexibility to park hop and actually see more top tier rides in a day than FP- ever did, IMHO. Under the old FP system you weren't hopping to Epcot in the late afternoon or evening and getting a FP for Soarin or Test Track. Nor could you hop to DHS and get a FP for TSMM. Maybe you could still get one for RnR if it wasn't too late. Now you can hit up rope drop in the morning in one park and knock off top tier attractions there without FP+, and hop to another park later in the day with top tier FP+ in hand.

 

[Peachkins]

Or they've tired of the condescending, rude, snarky and dismissive comments about what their motivation is for not liking FP+ and how entitled, spoiled, etc they are to expect their vacation to be what they want to do, not what Disney thinks they should do.

This thread is a perfect example.

I think we can safely say that those types of comments are made from both sides of the issue. I'll agree that this thread is a good example. Seems the troll that started it has done his/her job, and I'm not afraid to call the OP that now. Funny how, after standing up for their anti-FP+ stance so vehemently, they haven't come back here since the thread started picking up.

 

[lugnut33]

You lost me on this one. By hop I assume you mean park hop? The new system allows you to have the flexibility to park hop and actually see more top tier rides in a day than FP- ever did, IMHO. Under the old FP system you weren't hopping to Epcot in the late afternoon or evening and getting a FP for Soarin or Test Track. Nor could you hop to DHS and get a FP for TSMM. Maybe you could still get one for RnR if it wasn't too late. Now you can hit up rope drop in the morning in one park and knock off top tier attractions there without FP+, and hop to another park later in the day with top tier FP+ in hand.

The downside is you can't ride some major attractions more than once in a day without using the standby line.

 

[Robo]

I have yet to see any information from Disney saying if you want the popular attractions you better log on 60 days in advance at midnight and from that day on you better not change your mind on what park you want to be in. I don't recall seeing Stacy say anything about that.

What I SEE from Disney are things like, "Reserve your racecar (sic) from your recliner."

What I SEE from dozens of questions on this board is "How do I get a FP+ for X and how do I get another for Y?"

Lots of vacuous promotional hype from Disney.
Very little in the way of INFORMATION on how to actually USE the system.

From the info we read on this board, even many (most?) front-line CM's don't know how
to correctly use the system.

Heck, if Disney actually explained themselves better, my post count would be about 263.

 

[PEC]

"Intend" being the key word here. No one is denying that this technology may be implemented in the future. But at present, they are not tracking guests' movements throughout the parks.

Yes. Ride photos have been mentioned several times in this thread.

Understand. Just getting the info from the Disney, site, when and if they do this, they will not need a big announcement. The info is already on their site.

Now with my somewhat knowledge of communications, if the RF is truly HF then technically it would not work for long range. HF long range is used to skip off the ionosphere and can go 1000 of miles (with dead spots). It can communicate with the correct frequency and antennae a long way away (1000+ miles) but yet at 70 miles may not work at all (or vice versa).

 

[PEC]

What I SEE from Disney are things like, "Reserve your racecar (sic) from your recliner."

What I SEE from dozens of questions on this board is "How do I get a FP+ for X and how do I get another for Y?"

Lots of vacuous promotional hype from Disney.
Very little in the way of INFORMATION on how to actually USE the system.

From the info we read on this board, even many (most?) front-line CM's don't know how
to correctly use the system.

Heck, if Disney actually explained themselves better, my post count would be about 263.

I do believe their webpage could be better at explaining how it works. The best how tos I have found was from other boards. No I don't expect Disney to have that as their opening page but in the links there should be better how tos.
I will say I am not in the anti-FP+ camp or anti legacy FP camp. I guess I could enjoy my vacation without either. That said the thins that as a planner that left me the most concerned (if you want to call it that) is the original booking (for a big group) and how to get most or all the group on the attraction/M&G at the same time. I almost wish it was somewhat similar to the ADR. Ride, Date, group size, desired time. Maybe it does this more than I think but I guess I will see.

 

[kay1864]

I have told you in the past they have long-range readers, yet for some reason you don't seem to believe me.

I really have no idea about you "telling me in the past". Certainly not on this thread, since I was replying to another poster, not you. Forgive me for not recalling what every poster may have replied or posted in prior threads.

In any event, as I have mentioned in this thread, yes, Disney has long-range readers on some rides for photos. (note that Disney probably already knows I'm on that ride from my FP scan--which is not a long-range reader)

My replies in this thread have been to the claims that Disney is currently tracking MB guests' movements throughout the parks, which at present, they are not. They know when I enter the park, where I use my 3 (possibly more) FPs, and where I shop (if I actually buy something, that is)...but that's it.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Before fastpass+, wasn't this board just full of threads wanting people to rate their plan on getting fastpasses? People still planned on what they were going to do. Since they started enforcing the paper fastpass times, if you had one during a meal reservation, well, tough luck. Before, you'd go all the way across the park to get a pass, and then have to go all the way back later in the day. A lot of backtracking, wasting time. Heck, my family hardly used the old fastpass, because we wouldn't want to revisit an area we'd already been to in the day. Here's an example of how fastpass+ can work for the better.

As has been said many times, the above is *very* dependent on how a family chose to tour. I have no doubt that the above is what your experience with legacy was. My experience was much different. We did not backtrack, we did not have FP runners. If a FP time was during a meal time, we'd see that and just not get one (on the touring plans or mousewait apps so we did *not* have to go across the park to see the return time).

We had a general idea of what we wanted to FP, and what direction we'd head in the morning (ex., entering MK we'd decide if we wanted to head to Tomorrowland or Adventureland)...but not generally more detailed than that until we were actually in the park.

I really don't understand why it is so difficult for some/man to understand that just because someone may enjoy some level of advanced planning that doesn't mean they love planning vacations down to the hour. .

So, if someone didn't plan with the old system, they'd probably end up with three or four passes, planning their day around those. It seems awfully familiar to something, but I just can't place my finger on it.

We didn't plan our day around our FPs. We planned our FPs around our day, as we were experiencing it in the parks. FP+ is pretty much the opposite.

 

[jade1]

I really have no idea about you "telling me in the past". Certainly not on this thread, since I was replying to another poster, not you. Forgive me for not recalling what every poster may have replied or posted in prior threads.

In any event, as I have mentioned in this thread, yes, Disney has long-range readers on some rides for photos. (note that Disney probably already knows I'm on that ride from my FP scan--which is not a long-range reader)

My replies in this thread have been to the claims that Disney is currently tracking MB guests' movements throughout the parks, which at present, they are not. They know when I enter the park, where I use my 3 (possibly more) FPs, and where I shop (if I actually buy something, that is)...but that's it.

Or just put a metal bracelet over it between uses if that worried.