Choosing US over WDW again, because of FP+

[BigAlsGal]

We have not been back to WDW since the addition of FP+. AT this point, I don't know if I ever will. In July, we chose Universal instead for the first time, and loved that it required virtually no planning.

EVERYTHING I have read and heard about FP+ sounds like a nightmare, and I want no part of it. Guests arguing with CMs, without satisfaction, about apps and systems that don't work? What would Walt have to say about that?

Used to be that you would stroll through the park, and if something looked interesting, you'd go investigate. Now it becomes nothing more than running around and park hopping to make it to certain "appointments". If I wanted that, I'd stay at home and go to work.

Too much aggravation and competition. We're sticking with Universal next year.

Uhhhhh......ok.

 

[kbelle8995]

To be fair people here are biased for Universal.

But we found FP+ actually manageable. We encountered no problems. What helps is the ability to book more then 3 now. It seems there's also a lot less reports of major issues. (and remember people are more likely to post to complain then to report something positive)

I would give it another go- but at the end of the day its your money and your choice.

Not really. I was a big Disney Parks fan went for years. Preferred Disney over Universal a hundred times.

I gave FP+ a shot. I had no issues, no problem. Okay One problem but it was fixed quickly. It is just not a touring style for me. It is fine for some people but for others not so much. Reserving my rides isn't a plus for me

Also it seems like Disney is becoming more exclusive then inclusive. That bothers me. They also discussed this on the podcast.

 

[RMulieri]

To be fair people here are biased for Universal.

But we found FP+ actually manageable. We encountered no problems. What helps is the ability to book more then 3 now. It seems there's also a lot less reports of major issues. (and remember people are more likely to post to complain then to report something positive)

I would give it another go- but at the end of the day its your money and your choice.

Not true, for many of us, but you ARE on a Universal Fan forum.....We were a HUGE Disney-only family up until 2012..We would do Disney 1-2 times a year every year.It was only when DH said he was burnt out on Disney did we do a Universal-only trip., and the rest was history. Universal reminds me of how Disney used to be...NO Stress, minimal planning and FUN..Both DH and I have jobs where every minute is stressful and highly planned ( both in healthcare).I don't want my trips like that too.,Disney has become way too much planning and scheduling for me, and quite honestly I am not impressed with the new system.

 

[tony67]

Universal reminds me of how Disney used to be...NO Stress, minimal planning and FUN.

Yup - agree 100% - Part of this is that many of the Universal people are former disenchanted Disney castmembers - at least many of the better ones I've spoken too.

Of course to be fair - Universal is much smaller, has less traffic and of course front of the line access

One of the bigger pluses for me is that their hotels are run be a company that actually runs hotels and knows how to treat guests.

The Disney "Hotels" are just a poorly run profit center IMO.
The rooms in the GF are not better than a decent Holiday Inn - the moderates and values are really just motels.
No matter how often you go they don't care - trust me I've had a few issues even on club level and they don't care.
At Universal if you have an issue it is addressed.

 

[robin19871]

To be fair people here are biased for Universal.

But we found FP+ actually manageable. We encountered no problems. What helps is the ability to book more then 3 now. It seems there's also a lot less reports of major issues. (and remember people are more likely to post to complain then to report something positive)

I would give it another go- but at the end of the day its your money and your choice.

Not biased at all. I was a die hard WDW girl until this past trip in February. Everything new that they have built is geared towards little children. FP+ also was not a good thing for us as a family. I had no problems with the old system of pulling FP's and was able to ride everything I wanted that way. The new way? Not so much.. We still love Disney but our Disney trip is now Disney cruise line with some Universal/ IOA as our parks..

 

[tony67]

To be fair people here are biased for Universal.

But we found FP+ actually manageable. We encountered no problems. What helps is the ability to book more then 3 now. It seems there's also a lot less reports of major issues. (and remember people are more likely to post to complain then to report something positive)

I would give it another go- but at the end of the day its your money and your choice.

I could live with FP+ IF you could get more FPs in the park.

Right now you have to use the three you booked, then wait in line for a kiosk to get a fourth.

Personally - I think that once you use one you should be able to get another AND use the damn app to get it - not a kiosk with a 20 minute line.
And of course the tier system and 1 park limit are just wonderful - I don't want a fast pass for a ride I can walk on at any time so please don't force it on me

Finally - yeah I love the idea of - "no you can't wait standby - you must have a FP - now go away" - yeah that is great.

 

[Trixie Belden]

To be fair people here are biased for Universal.

But we found FP+ actually manageable. We encountered no problems. What helps is the ability to book more then 3 now. It seems there's also a lot less reports of major issues. (and remember people are more likely to post to complain then to report something positive)

I would give it another go- but at the end of the day its your money and your choice.

Actually, no I'm not biased towards Universal. I love WDW and miss a lot of things about it, BUT they seem to have become biased towards local guests in the past several years. I used to have APs and would go several times a year on the weekends and rarely planned more than 6 weeks out. When my kids were little, it was never a problem. We could get a room at a value or moderate resort easily, we could get ADRs for anything except Cinderella easily and since we went during what used to be low seasons, it wasn't crowded.

Now, it's never low season. Free dining keeps crowds up year round. Granted, early December is still not as crazy as summer but it's definitely way more crowded than it was even 10 years ago. We stopped being able to get ADRs for table service restaurants about 4 years ago. In order for me to be able to get an ADR for 3 people at 1900 Park Fare I would have to sit and refresh the dining page for an hour or more hoping to catch a cancellation. Adding in FP+ finished it for us. We just don't plan Disney vacations 6 months out.

It's not that I love Universal more than Disney - but they make it much easier and more relaxing for me to visit their park. It's really a little bit sad for me, because I do miss Christmas at Disney. We might take our grandson next year, but my son and dil don't even want to go wtih us-it's too much of a hassle for them.

 

[ORMom2Four]

I love both Disney AND Universal, but Disney wins hands down for Fastpass, even with the new Fastpass +.

The thing I like about Disney is that everyone gets to use Fastpass, not just those with "stars upon thars" who have paid extra for front of the line passes.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm not a fan of Faspass+ but to each their own. I prefer Universal nowadays for a variety of reasons some of which mean more to me than whatever fastpass system the parks use.

 

[RMulieri]

I'll take Universals express over Disneys FP + anyday....AND if Disney could find a way to offer similar to Universal and make money off charging guests for it, they absolutely would. WDW is also making FP+ more about exclusivity these days too

 

[damo]

I love both Disney AND Universal, but Disney wins hands down for Fastpass, even with the new Fastpass +.

The thing I like about Disney is that everyone gets to use Fastpass, not just those with "stars upon thars" who have paid extra for front of the line passes.

Did you know that just by staying onsite at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock or Portofino you get unlimited express pass access? You don't have to pay anything extra for it.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

The more Disney strong arms you into pre-booking every facet of your "vacation" (meal reservations six months prior to your visit, FP+ bookings 30 days prior, etc.) the more it pushes us away.

I don't know when and where I want to eat six months from now.

I don't know when I want to ride a particular ride a month from now.

And I'm super insulted when the opportunity to wait in a stand by line is taken away from me completely.

I want to be able to get up when I want, visit the park that I want, ride the rides that I want, and not have more appointments and pre-determined commitments on my much-needed holiday than I do in my every day life.

I want to be able to be spontaneous, make last-minute changes if needed, and just go with the flow.

I don't want flow charts and a binder full of confirmations. I want easy. I love planning, but Disney is forcing me to micro-manage. No, thanks.

I also don't mind paying for Express Passes, because for us, they have value. They are worthy of their cost. Fastpasses, on the other hand....I am glad they are free .

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

We have not been back to WDW since the addition of FP+. AT this point, I don't know if I ever will. In July, we chose Universal instead for the first time, and loved that it required virtually no planning.

EVERYTHING I have read and heard about FP+ sounds like a nightmare, and I want no part of it. Guests arguing with CMs, without satisfaction, about apps and systems that don't work? What would Walt have to say about that?

Used to be that you would stroll through the park, and if something looked interesting, you'd go investigate. Now it becomes nothing more than running around and park hopping to make it to certain "appointments". If I wanted that, I'd stay at home and go to work.

Too much aggravation and competition. We're sticking with Universal next year.

I went in July (going back in December). I did not like FP+. The real popular ones if you aren't awake at midnight 60 days out, forget TSM, Seven Dwarfs, etc. So basically it's becoming like concert tickets. That being said, I still go on every ride I wanted to go on (despite the parks being crowded, more so than at any time I've gone). I am a huge fan of both Universal and Disney. I find Universal's system much easier though the cost is a bit much. I plan on skipping the fast pass at Universal this time and sticking to the single rider line whenever possible and waiting a bit at rides that don't.

 

[tstidm1]

FP + is something I'm not sure I want to experience, but it's not the only reason I'm doing an Universal only trip in 2015. The biggest reason is that I don't want to get burned out on WDW. I feel I will come back to WDW sometime in the next five years especially if they announce a Star Wars land at DHS. By then, I will have figured out a good way to do FP + or figured out other ways to enjoy WDW without the parks.

 

[dmaxdmax]

I'm fine with FP+ but I wish you could get more than 3. However so as to not allow the 60 day people (like me) hog everything, they could limit it to 3 at 60 and 3 more at 15. That sort of thing. The second three should be able to be used at a second park.

2 cents poorer

 

[damo]

What bothered us about the FP+ is that rides that never had a wait before suddenly have a long wait now that they have FP. We waited way longer for things in standby in September than we ever have before. If they would just take off those things that worked perfectly fine without FP before, I wouldn't mind it so much. This is one HUGE reason that we much prefer Disneyland over WDW. We waited for less time for Gringotts than we did for Pirates.

 

[lazer]

What bothered us about the FP+ is that rides that never had a wait before suddenly have a long wait now that they have FP. We waited way longer for things in standby in September than we ever have before. If they would just take off those things that worked perfectly fine without FP before, I wouldn't mind it so much. This is one HUGE reason that we much prefer Disneyland over WDW. We waited for less time for Gringotts than we did for Pirates.

This! 100%. It is pretty annoying to wait in long lines for super short rides...and rides that never had waits. Crowd increases, fp+ restrictions, need for dining reservations...these have all pushed us to try Universal for the first time this week. And, I know we were spoiled before with low crowds in the fall. I'll admit I'm a "remember when" person.

 

[Schmeck]

We've done IOA twice, and found it rather boring (not into screaming roller coaster-type rides) and loud - nothing like trying to be in Hogwarts and hearing people screaming from the roller coaster rides in other areas? If it was more spread out, maybe it would be better, but we only go for Harry Potter. We don't go every time because all they had for HP was the little kids' coaster, the attraction in Hogwarts, which was always a 2 hour wait, and a refaced roller coaster that we would never ride in the first place. Oh, and very tight, crowded shops. Got the area done in half a day and went back to WDW.

Now, we have to buy a double park pass to experience two more attractions? Can you use their version of FP for anything HP? Does it work for Forbidden Journey, Hogwarts Express, or Gringotts? Then there is dining and shops - expecting them to be as crowded and busy as before.

I just laugh at the OP - you haven't even tried FP+, yet you condemn it? We used it for the fist time last August, last minute trip, worked like a charm, got to ride everything we wanted to, no waits. We were very happy with the access we were given. We did stay onsite, but booked the trip about two weeks beforehand.

To each his own, but I'd give Universal maybe a once every other trip status for my family until they get rid of the trashy six flags atmosphere in a lot of the park and spend a bit more money on space and theming. I do like a few parts of IoA, and will go try the other side at least once, but not spending $$$ to stay in one of their hotels stuck on I4.

 

[EvilQueenLiz]

The thing I like about Disney is that everyone gets to use Fastpass, not just those with "stars upon thars" who have paid extra for front of the line passes.

"stars upon thars" LOL! But IMO, the new FP+ system is elitist. The 60 day guests get the good stuff, 30 days has some decent scraps leftover and day guests...? They have no stars for them. . And if you think that's bad, try visiting the park with a DCM. What a damn rigmarole to get them on the ride with us at our FP time.

I don't know when and where I want to eat six months from now.
I don't know when I want to ride a particular ride a month from now.

Agree. The 180 ADR's I can deal with but what if it's pouring rain on the day I chose outdoor rides and I want to go to Disney Quest or some other alternative? I've lost my FP's and good luck trying to get them back another day.

What bothered us about the FP+ is that rides that never had a wait before suddenly have a long wait now that they have FP.

Ugh YES! Not only on the standby lines but on the FAST PASS line too! I have never had to wait on line so long!

I actually like that the Magic Bands are the hotel key, tix, etc. What I would like to see them do is get rid of the prebooking of fast passes (or maybe one FP+), go back to the old way of getting FP's but instead of paper they can load them onto your MB. I think that people are most upset about the excessive pre-planning (I am a huge, excel sheet planner but geez!) so the way to remedy that is to take that element out of the equation. They still have their billion dollar system in place, it's still being used and they can still track everyone in the park like a giant Roller Coaster Tycoon game.

 

[damo]

We've done IOA twice, and found it rather boring (not into screaming roller coaster-type rides) and loud - nothing like trying to be in Hogwarts and hearing people screaming from the roller coaster rides in other areas? If it was more spread out, maybe it would be better, but we only go for Harry Potter. We don't go every time because all they had for HP was the little kids' coaster, the attraction in Hogwarts, which was always a 2 hour wait, and a refaced roller coaster that we would never ride in the first place. Oh, and very tight, crowded shops. Got the area done in half a day and went back to WDW.

Now, we have to buy a double park pass to experience two more attractions? Can you use their version of FP for anything HP? Does it work for Forbidden Journey, Hogwarts Express, or Gringotts? Then there is dining and shops - expecting them to be as crowded and busy as before.

I just laugh at the OP - you haven't even tried FP+, yet you condemn it? We used it for the fist time last August, last minute trip, worked like a charm, got to ride everything we wanted to, no waits. We were very happy with the access we were given. We did stay onsite, but booked the trip about two weeks beforehand.

To each his own, but I'd give Universal maybe a once every other trip status for my family until they get rid of the trashy six flags atmosphere in a lot of the park and spend a bit more money on space and theming. I do like a few parts of IoA, and will go try the other side at least once, but not spending $$$ to stay in one of their hotels stuck on I4.

Interesting that you laugh the OP for knocking FP+ without trying it but yet you are doing the same thing with the onsite hotels at Universal. Just for your information, the deluxe hotels can often be had for the same price as the mods and sometimes the values at WDW and that gives you unlimited express access.

Universal isn't everyone's cup of tea but the hotels really are gorgeous and very reasonable and have great perks. You can get an annual pass for less than the price of a 3 day parkhopper ticket at WDW and that will get you tremendous discounts at the hotels as well.