Cautiously Optimistic...should we be wary?

[momof2n2]

all of the above

Besides, even a bad day at WDW is better than a good day at work.
And you don't have __(insert terrible diagnosis here)___________.
And you will only have yourself to blame if you don't have a blast.
And if you lose your ADRs you can get a Dole Whip.
And if you lose your FP+ you can sit on a bench.
[Did I miss any?]

 

[momof2n2]

I know it's an unpopular opinion around here, but I think that unless someone ends up in jail, the hospital, or the morgue, it's just not that big of a deal.

And if I drop $7K on this trip and don't meet Anna & Elsa, ride 7DMT, visit ETWB and meet Merida it will have been a big deal. (And that's just one park. Not getting on TSMM and RnRC will be a wasted trip for my family, too.)

 

[LuvMyEAR]

Things will always happen. It is your perspective that matters. If no one is hurt or too ill to enjoy themselves, there's really very little reason to stress about anything else. Your vacation will be what YOU make it and if you hit a few speed bumps, look for the humour in the situation. Tell yourself it is roller coaster training!

After all, you can plan a trip to WDW, you can do anything, right?

 

[GeneralTso]

I'm not new here, and I echo the above---don't worry. It's really not that big of a deal.
I used MDE for this trip (first time) and it worked just fine. Got all the FPs we wanted, all the ADRs we wanted. It just works.
Now have fun and don't stress about vacation. It's really not worth it.

 

[Micca]

I voted "Nope." Larry all those other scenarios/issues you mentioned could happen, but they can usually be sorted out without too much distress. The weak spots seem to be tech related, if you encounter problems don't beat your head against the wall or your computer, call or find a human (CM.) We've done probably 5 trips with MBs/MDE and none of the issues we had ultimately had any ill-effect on our days on site.

 

[Planogirl]

all of the above

Besides, even a bad day at WDW is better than a good day at work.
And you don't have __(insert terrible diagnosis here)___________.
And you will only have yourself to blame if you don't have a blast.
And if you lose your ADRs you can get a Dole Whip.
And if you lose your FP+ you can sit on a bench.
[Did I miss any?]

Where are these benches? Do I need FP+?

 

[larryz]

all of the above

Besides, even a bad day at WDW is better than a good day at work.
And you don't have __(insert terrible diagnosis here)___________.
And you will only have yourself to blame if you don't have a blast.
And if you lose your ADRs you can get a Dole Whip.
And if you lose your FP+ you can sit on a bench.
[Did I miss any?]

No, I think you pretty much nailed them all...
except, no matter what happens, plan your spontaneity so you can make your own magic!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

My only advice is if something disappears in MDE...wait awhile before panicking and trying to fix it. We've had stuff disappear before and it has always reappeared. I think some people panic too soon and then go in and start messing with MDE and then it really messes their stuff up.

 

[evilqueenmindy]

My only advice is if something disappears in MDE...wait awhile before panicking and trying to fix it. We've had stuff disappear before and it has always reappeared. I think some people panic too soon and then go in and start messing with MDE and then it really messes their stuff up.

This!
I've had FP's for part of my group not show up on my MDE for a few days sometimes the morning we were going to the park, (I'd have, say a FP for space mountain for 6, but my MDE would only show myself and one other person, and would even say "FP for 2", nerve wracking, to be sure) and everyone was able to use the FP's anyway. Just because they don't all show, doesn't necessarily mean they are gone.

 

[larryz]

Thanks, all, for the reassuring words. Those DIS vets know that while I was a satisfied FP- user, and initially disappointed at the huge changes involved, I've tried to keep an open mind about the MDE/MB/FP+ trifecta, and said I'd wait to judge it until after I tried it, which wouldn't be until all the dust and hoopla died down.

That appears to now be the case.

It has changed my touring strategy, and I'm leery of risking so much of my vacation success on notoriously unreliable Disney IT, but my DS and DD have tried it, and came back with glowing reports, so I'm willing to risk a few thou to see how it works for myself.

 

[BugsDaddy]

Honestly, other than a couple of crashes ( usually during high traffic periods), I have never had issues with reservations, fast passes, etc. Basically just like most IT systems I am familiar with, occasional downtime is not exclusive to any one. It happens to every website from time to time.

I have never experienced the number of crashes that some people claim.

And Disney does not have the exclusivity on problems while on vacation. Anywhere you go, on any vacation, things can happen.

However, it is not popular on this forum to promote the positive or encourage the turning of the occasional lemons into lemonade.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

We've never had anything disappear thankfully. The one lesson we've learned though is take a power cell for your phone into the park with you. The wifi is spotty at best and if you plan on trying to juggle things with the app it can be a real battery eater.

Remember though you don't have to be there for rope drop as long as you're there when the park opens!

 

[momof2n2]

Where are these benches? Do I need FP+?

I hear some have returned to World Showcase. Be very careful, however. I understand some are hazardously placed.

No, I think you pretty much nailed them all...
except, no matter what happens, plan your spontaneity so you can make your own magic!

Duly noted. I'll be sure to have all my spontaneity planned.

Remember though you don't have to be there for rope drop as long as you're there when the park opens!

This is excellent information.

 

[momof2n2]

Things will always happen. It is your perspective that matters. If no one is hurt or too ill to enjoy themselves, there's really very little reason to stress about anything else. Your vacation will be what YOU make it and if you hit a few speed bumps, look for the humour in the situation. Tell yourself it is roller coaster training!

After all, you can plan a trip to WDW, you can do anything, right?

I know you mean well, and I'm really not looking for a fight.

I certainly DO agree with the idea that compared to the rest of our lives, and serious situations we face, it isn't a big deal.

BUT a bad day on vacation is still a bad day and with the amount of money and time spent in planning invested in a WDW vacation I will be really upset if we crash and burn.

I had my once-in-a-lifetime trip through SD this year. As we drive toward Mt Rushmore I brimmed with excitement over the dream about to come true.
Then there was so much fog we couldn't see it. It was a complete bust and -yes- I cried.

So when we drop $7K on WDW I will be exceedingly distraught if the (now required) IT piece fails miserably. Any minute I have to spend in line at customer service is money flying away.

 

[cjparker0110]

There is nothing about a vacation that's worth worrying about.

I 100% percent agree. I know when things go wrong on a trip it can be stressful, but I think the main thing to remember is that it's a vacation. How good your vacation goes is often based on your own attitude. If something goes wrong and you dwell on it you will never enjoy the rest of it. If you roll with the punches/glitches IF they happen, you'll be just fine. I'd say just make sure you confirm that everything is still properly in the system each morning when you are heading out to the parks. That way you shouldn't have any surprises during the day. NO guarantees as technology always has a risk, but I would say just enjoy the park. Remember that if you lost FPs you are doing what people have always done: waiting to ride things. Not a big deal. Just choose wisely. Otherwise, the bench isn't a bad spot.

 

[Mome Rath]

Planning a visit for early 2016, using MDE with a real trip for the first time, and so far (crossing fingers and knocking on wood) everything is going well.

We've been able to link guests in the family account, link new ticket exchange certificates to the members, make dining reservations and match them to our planned itinerary... now we're waiting for the 60-day mark to test out the FP+s.

Anything we should be wary of as we get closer to the FP+ reservation date?

The spreadsheet is ready...

I've always found checking the actual website for MDE sometimes smooths things out if they are going a bit "haywire" on the app. I prefer the website to the app, but the app is handier (more handy? anyway...) in the parks. The other tip I've used that I learned here is to book your FP's back to front, so book your last day first, as it is more likely to have open FP's due to the 60 day window limit on other guests, which interacts with how many days those guests are staying. It makes it more likely to get rare FP's later in your stay, but a bit less likely to get the rare ones early in your stay.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that everyone knows that things can go wrong during any vacation. However no one wants things to be a problem because a company is throwing out obstacles that you have to work around. That is a shame when you are paying to be provided a service.

This isn't just exclusive to Disney of course. I just expect a certain level of service anywhere or I don't bother again. Disney gets a pass on a lot of things.