Can't get into planning

[quandrea]

We are scheduled for twelve nights in January. Usually I am great with making ADRs, planning how we will spend our days, etc. This trip, just can't get rolling.

In part I think it is due to Fast Pass + and the new credit card guarantees for ADRs. We decided we wouldn't make many ADRs as we always end up changing them anyway. As time goes by we seem to enjoy CS more anyway.

Making Fastpass+ selections before I'm actually there is difficult. The more we go to WDW, the more flexibility we crave. I think this is the root of not being able to plan.

Will I be able to make Fastpass selections on the fly? I'm thinking we will decide day of or night before what our plans might be for the day.

I do have an Exotic Driving Experience planned for DH during the trip. It's his Christmas Present.

Anyway, any DVCers who plan little and how are you finding the new way of things fits into that style of vacationing?

 

[bobbiwoz]

On this past Tuesday, I was able to get FP+ for my DCuz's family (3 in the family) for 3 PM Safari Ride which was good for our own FP+ time. They thought they would be going to MK, we cancelled the MK's and booked what they wanted at AK....this was same day service! The other same day change was Monday, I remembered that the Jungle Cruise had a holiday theme, so in the morning, I cancelled our Epcot FP +s and got the Jungle cruise for a time right after our Crystal Palace lunch.

As far as "next day" I was able to get Soarin and TSMM during this visit, December 14-20!

I could not get "same day" Soarin when I tried.

 

[DVCMAUREEN]

When I was there in November, I was able to use the My Disney Experience mobile app to adjust fast passes on the fly and also get paper fast passes. I like to plan in advance but I also like flexibility so this system works for me. I usually keep my ADRs so the credit card guarantee doesn't bother me.

Good luck with planning!

 

[Judique]

We are scheduled for twelve nights in January. Usually I am great with making ADRs, planning how we will spend our days, etc. This trip, just can't get rolling.

In part I think it is due to Fast Pass + and the new credit card guarantees for ADRs. We decided we wouldn't make many ADRs as we always end up changing them anyway. As time goes by we seem to enjoy CS more anyway.

Making Fastpass+ selections before I'm actually there is difficult. The more we go to WDW, the more flexibility we crave. I think this is the root of not being able to plan.

Will I be able to make Fastpass selections on the fly? I'm thinking we will decide day of or night before what our plans might be for the day.

I do have an Exotic Driving Experience planned for DH during the trip. It's his Christmas Present.

Anyway, any DVCers who plan little and how are you finding the new way of things fits into that style of vacationing?

Felt the same as you before my Nov visit. Eventually I booked something for each day with no hard and fast plans.

When we arrived we just did what we wanted and if we were in the park that I booked, it was fine, otherwise I used laptop in the room or cell in the parks or in one case a CM in the parks to change stuff or cancel out fast passes we weren't going to use.

It's annoying to me to be forced to plan my day. I am there to relax, not to be a commando.

Luckily for me I didn't have to spend hours on the websites. I just had to link my reservations on MDE and then book my passes. Some people have had to spend hours, both at home and in the parks.

The MDE site is glitchy to say the least. It will sometimes keep making you sign in and other times it will say it is unavailable making you think it hasn't processed the changes you've put in. I've found that most times it has processed regardless what it says. It's a mess of a website.

It also seems to me we are the lucky ones. I wonder what kind of experience someone who comes from out of town and buys a one day ticket at the gate will get?!! I guess they will get to be in wide eyed wonder at the Disney experience! (as opposed to riding the e-ticket rides).

 

[quandrea]

I have found that My Disney Experience erases Fast passes on me. WAs in there yesterday and a bunch of Epcot ones were gone. Rebooked--because I want Soarin' but after that I was done. I'll deal with it there. Like the previous poster, I want to relax. The more I go, the more I crave that. I think Christmas has something to do with it also. I'm busy getting ready (enjoying every minute). Planning Disney isn't at the top of my to do list.

 

[LindaBabe]

We are scheduled for twelve nights in January. Usually I am great with making ADRs, planning how we will spend our days, etc. This trip, just can't get rolling.

In part I think it is due to Fast Pass + and the new credit card guarantees for ADRs. We decided we wouldn't make many ADRs as we always end up changing them anyway. As time goes by we seem to enjoy CS more anyway.

Making Fastpass+ selections before I'm actually there is difficult. The more we go to WDW, the more flexibility we crave. I think this is the root of not being able to plan.

Will I be able to make Fastpass selections on the fly? I'm thinking we will decide day of or night before what our plans might be for the day.

I do have an Exotic Driving Experience planned for DH during the trip. It's his Christmas Present.

Anyway, any DVCers who plan little and how are you finding the new way of things fits into that style of vacationing?

I'm feeling the same as you - after our rather unhappy experience the first week in December, I am not in a state of happy anticipation for my 3 weeks there in January.

For my upcoming trip, when I will be alone, I did not make any FP+ nor ADRs.

I have every intention of keeping my ADRs when I make them, but if I end up out of energy, or in the wrong place at the wrong time or feel like something different, it's an "immediate thing" and not 24 hours in advance.

On the last trip, I was unable to access MDE from my computer in the hotel, so canceling or changing a dining reservation entailed standing in line at guest services. On top of the other difficulties we had, that was a 40 minute wait.

I wrote a long, detailed letter to guest services and to the VP in charge of parks and resorts. In it, I stated my intention to NOT make FP+ reservations nor ADRS until the "day of". If I got some, well good. If not, I would do something else either on or off property. If I got ADRs, good. If not, I would be eating in my villa, counter service or OFF PROPERTY.

It's not that I am opposed to a deposit that will prevent people from double or triple booking - that's great. But I DO think there needs to be some flexibility for those people who can't plan their exhaustion level, change of plans, or sick child in advance.

IF the situation doesn't improve within the year, such that we are having fun again, in the back of my mind, i'm entertaining the possibility that going forward we may want to vacation somewhere else that better meets our needs. That could even mean selling our DVC.

 

[wdwlover25]

I was very unhappy with the initial announcement of FASTPASS + and the need to preplan everything so far in advance. About 30 days out I finally logged into MDE to link up everything and book fastpasses.

Since I already had various ADRs and my days in which park were pretty much already outlined based on availability it wasn't that bad adding the fastpasses. It was particularly nice not to race around collecting fastpasses. I pretty much stuck with what I planned except for one day. I was able to change from one park to another no problem.

Overall my experience with MDE and the Magic Bands was good.

 

[hmillerbarilla]

I'm going in 3 weeks with DH and I haven't made an ADR yet. I used to have everyday planned before all this....

I have no idea what we'll want to do, and I don't want to be charged $20 if we change our mind. I always cancelled ADRs we weren't going to use, and well, this new policy really bothers me. I get the people that cheated the system... but it's annoying for people like me. We will go ADR-less.

As for FP+? Not really for us this trip. I can see using it with the kids for late afternoon touring and not saying, "maybe soarin' won't have a line!" But this trip it's just us so no need.

I'm in a planning slump as well....

 

[AnnaS]

This is the first time in a long, long time that I have not made any plans, ADRs, FPs, etc.

We are going down in a few weeks also for 10 days. This is also the first time that I am also not excited about going. Too much going on and on my mind. We have been going every three months since 8/2012. Three trips previously/planned total booked and my dd working in Disney with the College Program. She is going now to work part of her seasonal hours. Not knowing her schedule and us having to drive her to and from work - makes very hard to plan anything. My mom not well (in hospital now for testing), worrying about my Rocco, my mil, etc. etc. - just not good timing.

I will definitely try to enjoy and relax some though - we need it.

The FPs - MB are really not that bad even though I know many have not had such a great first experience.

 

[permavac]

I feel the same way and I'm not sure why. I DID finally plan my dining reservations and which parks for which days but it was more of a chore I do think maybe it's the reports of all of the trouble with the new system that has me down. Guess I'm nervous that this trip (planned with 4 groups) will be a big hassle and let down for our first-timer guests. They were incredulous that you have to have advance dining reservations so I didn't have the courage to ask them for their ticket information to book fast passes That is one thing I wish they would change about this whole MDE - why not have the fast passes just linked to your room reservation? Obviously you won't be able to use the fast passes unless you are physically in the park so not sure why they need the park ticket info. It would make it a lot easier for the person who does the group planning.

Terri

 

[mouse]

Can you make FP+ reservations before you have your park tickets? We are a family of 9 staying in a two bedroom villa at AKV the week before Easter. I know it will be crowded. My DH & I have PAP's, but the rest of our family won't be purchasing park tickets until the day of arrival. Does that mean that I can't make FP reservations for them before their arrival? If this is so, that means that they will probably not be able to get on many of the popular attractions due to the fact that many of the FP's will be gone. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Chuck S]

Can you make FP+ reservations before you have your park tickets? We are a family of 9 staying in a two bedroom villa at AKV the week before Easter. I know it will be crowded. My DH & I have PAP's, but the rest of our family won't be purchasing park tickets until the day of arrival. Does that mean that I can't make FP reservations for them before their arrival? If this is so, that means that they will probably not be able to get on many of the popular attractions due to the fact that many of the FP's will be gone. Any thoughts on this?

No, you must have your park tickets (or will call number) and have thmn linked into My Disney Experience in order to do FP+

However, check with a CM when you arrive, they may be able to duplicate your existing FP+ reservations to the rest of your party, if you plan on touring the parks together.

 

[mouse]

We do plan on touring the parks together. Do most visitors buy their park tickets months before their trips? It would seem to me that with small children, many things could happen in the interim that could warrant a change of plans. If my DH & I make our FP 60 days before our arrival, and then the rest of the family can't get FP at the same time, I no longer see the point of a Disney family vacation. Most of the fun is watching the expressions on our grandchildren's faces while going on the attractions with them. I guess we will just have to see how it goes. After our experience with Magic Bands during our trip in November, when it was just the two of us, another bad trip will definitely have us considering selling our points. We have been members since 2002 and have long gotten over the need to preplan everything in detail. I want to look forward to a vacation, not stress over it.