Completely frustrated with FP+

[smidgy]

Just wait for the snow to start falling around the country. Then we'll get the "it's better than shoveling snow" posts.

Which only replaces the "it's better than work" posts. I agree that it is but recently I thought that going to the doctor was better!

don't forget the "how LUCKY you are to be here" posts.. as if you didn't work for the money

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Some of the frustration comes from the fact that so many members of this Board are seasoned veterans who used to be able to tackle a trip to WDW like it was a walk down the driveway to pick up the mail. We knew it all. Could do it all. And could plan it all. In our sleep. But the game changed and we were all sent back to square one. No one likes having the advantages gained from years of experience stripped away from them. So the question becomes, do you want to do what it takes to become a "pro" all over again, or have you been to WDW so many times now that the investment in time is no longer worth it, and it is time to move on to something else. Tough call.

I will admit to being caught up in the mania. Yep, I was up at 6 am 180 days out, 12 am at 60 days out, booked MVMCP Candlelight Processional, and the Frozen Dessert Party AND Wishes Dessert Party. I got all the ADRs and the fp+s I wanted, shuffled them around, etc. I wasn't happy though. Our family didn't have time to enjoy our resort, swim, lounge around, walk aimlessly through the parks and decide what we wanted to do next.
So, I decided to keep the important ones: A&E, 7DMT, FoF Parade, Enchanted Tales, Soarin, and MSEP. Every time I cancelled a reservation I felt like a weight was lifting off my shoulders. I think I'm going to cancel the Frozen Dessert Party; none of us drink, so no value there.
Keep trying. I have been able to add 2 latecomers to all my reservations and fps, except CRT and A&E M&G. That's ok, they will survive not meeting the sisters as they are in their 60s and it's not that high on the priority list. I'm still excited about going; I'm just going to relax more.

 

[disnut1149]

Pretty soon, even this sentiment will fade. I liken it to going skiing. Back when lift tickets were $25, I would go irrespective of the conditions. Now, with lift tickets for a family of three costing $270 or more per day, conditions have to be pretty darn near perfect to get me to bite. It is no longer "good enough" to be out on the mountain. I am not going to spend $270 plus $70 more for ski lodge food to ski on ice, bare patches, or in -10 degree weather. For that amount of money, I want a perfect day, or at least as close as nature will allow.

I am now getting that same feeling about WDW. If a bunch of rides are closed, others are out of commission for long stretches due to breakdowns, there are rides that are limited to "FP+ Only", and my best efforts to score FPs at midnight didn't net us what we wanted, I have to seriously reconsider the cost and time investment. While no trip can ever be perfect, I can certainly narrow my opportunities down to "practically perfect." Is three FP+s for rides I used to walk on to, coupled with no hope of getting a 4th (or 5th, or 9th FP) coupled with 45+ minute SB waits for rides "better than being at home"? Not any more. I can't imagine that I will ever go back at a time when crowds levels are anticipated to be 8, 9 or 10.

Great post. I always look forward to your posts. You always seem so logical.

 

[Suvadoo]

I will admit to being caught up in the mania. Yep, I was up at 6 am 180 days out, 12 am at 60 days out, booked MVMCP Candlelight Processional, and the Frozen Dessert Party AND Wishes Dessert Party. I got all the ADRs and the fp+s I wanted, shuffled them around, etc. I wasn't happy though. Our family didn't have time to enjoy our resort, swim, lounge around, walk aimlessly through the parks and decide what we wanted to do next.
So, I decided to keep the important ones: A&E, 7DMT, FoF Parade, Enchanted Tales, Soarin, and MSEP. Every time I cancelled a reservation I felt like a weight was lifting off my shoulders. I think I'm going to cancel the Frozen Dessert Party; none of us drink, so no value there.
Keep trying. I have been able to add 2 latecomers to all my reservations and fps, except CRT and A&E M&G. That's ok, they will survive not meeting the sisters as they are in their 60s and it's not that high on the priority list. I'm still excited about going; I'm just going to relax more.

Sounds like you've done the right thing for your vacation. I think that a lot of the problems with WDW vacations is, we get caught up in the planning frenzy because we know if we don't plan ahead we won't be able to eat at certain restaurants or go on certain attractions. I also think Disney is causing a lot of the frenzy by constantly sending out e-mails reminding you to make reservations. But really when it comes right down to it, skipping certain experiences at WDW won't ruin the trip,but running around the parks and being controlled by a timetable will.

I have adopted your approach to my next vacation. If by then, I still feel the value of the WDW experience has diminished, DLR will become the only place for me to get my Disney fix.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Like where? I could go to my local movie establishment a pay a lot less. What fabulous place would you consider?

You have to take into consideration where this poster lives. Very nice resorts in the area, as well as a few hour driving distance to many fabulous destinations.. All of us are not that lucky, and I agree with others who expressed that they only go every other year or so and don't want to be disappointed. There is a separate pool of SDFP+ so I would book other things early in the day and then try to get another FP later, or hit it at RD.

 

[Laketravis]

Some really great comments here. Encouraging when a discussion is allowed to progress without it becoming an antagonistic dissection of another's point of view.

For us, I think the analogy of past experience contributing to a higher level of confidence in having a great time is a good one. Now, we feel like we are working against science and technology when we simply want to "ride a ride" and the odds are stacked against us.

 

[cakebaker]

Some of the frustration comes from the fact that so many members of this Board are seasoned veterans who used to be able to tackle a trip to WDW like it was a walk down the driveway to pick up the mail. We knew it all. Could do it all. And could plan it all. In our sleep. But the game changed and we were all sent back to square one. No one likes having the advantages gained from years of experience stripped away from them. So the question becomes, do you want to do what it takes to become a "pro" all over again, or have you been to WDW so many times now that the investment in time is no longer worth it, and it is time to move on to something else. Tough call.

This is where I think the problem lies with a lot of people if the old system worked well for you.

It's like being a first time guest and having to look at the park map just to figure out where a bathroom is. It's pretty intimidating and a lot of work for something you used to be able to do with your eyes closed.

I think it's harder to change how you do something than learning it for the first time so new guests don't mind as much. For those of us that fp+ works well for- it's the same issue, but we have incentive to do it.

 

[surferdave]

Some of the frustration comes from the fact that so many members of this Board are seasoned veterans who used to be able to tackle a trip to WDW like it was a walk down the driveway to pick up the mail. We knew it all. Could do it all. And could plan it all. In our sleep. But the game changed and we were all sent back to square one. No one likes having the advantages gained from years of experience stripped away from them. So the question becomes, do you want to do what it takes to become a "pro" all over again, or have you been to WDW so many times now that the investment in time is no longer worth it, and it is time to move on to something else. Tough call.

I'm all in on your skiing analogy but I don't feel this way at all. I've learned to use a new system when the old one was replaced many times (despite the accusations that I and others "just don't like change" or are technophobes). In fact, I know I'm adaptable enough to new IT systems that I would get a head start on a lot of you clowns who have been doing it with the old one longer than me.

But this new system isn't really a planning system, it's a scheduling system. Having an itinerary isn't the same thing as having a plan; the options for contingencies and adaptability are way too highly dependent on too many factors that you can't influence.

This, together with the silly "lurking" you have to do to get good FP+ selections for so long ahead of time and the fact that Disney is in way over their heads IT wise and it shows are my biggest issues.

 

[Suvadoo]

You have to take into consideration where this poster lives. Very nice resorts in the area, as well as a few hour driving distance to many fabulous destinations.. All of us are not that lucky, and I agree with others who expressed that they only go every other year or so and don't want to be disappointed. There is a separate pool of SDFP+ so I would book other things early in the day and then try to get another FP later, or hit it at RD.

Agreed. I am lucky to live where I do, in the winter. Not so much in the summer. But one place I mentioned was not in driving distance: Washington DC and it's a lot less expensive than WDW.

 

[JimmyV]

I'm all in on your skiing analogy but I don't feel this way at all. I've learned to use a new system when the old one was replaced many times (despite the accusations that I and others "just don't like change" or are technophobes). In fact, I know I'm adaptable enough to new IT systems that I would get a head start on a lot of you clowns who have been doing it with the old one longer than me.

But this new system isn't really a planning system, it's a scheduling system. Having an itinerary isn't the same thing as having a plan; the options for contingencies and adaptability are way too highly dependent on too many factors that you can't influence.

That why I said "ome of the frustration". There is no doubt that other frustrations come from exactly what you have posted. Put 'em all together and you get a whole lot of frustration. And one thing I didn't mention before, (but I'll bet everyone here has noticed), is that perhaps the single biggest negative implication of all the techno-changes is that 95% of all guests now have their heads buried 18 inches from their phone screens instead of looking up at the windows on Main Street to see which names they can recognize. We all love the "little details" at WDW, but I wonder if the next generation of guests is ever going to appreciate those little things as much as we "old timers" did when they spend so much time staring at their apps.

 

[elaine amj]

Some of the frustration comes from the fact that so many members of this Board are seasoned veterans who used to be able to tackle a trip to WDW like it was a walk down the driveway to pick up the mail. We knew it all. Could do it all. And could plan it all. In our sleep. But the game changed and we were all sent back to square one. No one likes having the advantages gained from years of experience stripped away from them. So the question becomes, do you want to do what it takes to become a "pro" all over again, or have you been to WDW so many times now that the investment in time is no longer worth it, and it is time to move on to something else. Tough call.

Very very good point. It's tough to learn everything all over again. I'm on the fence about the new system. I learned how to work the old system pretty well and the new one has been a learning curve. There are things I will like about the new system though - it's certainly made parkhopping easier. e.g. I can start my day at Epcot and parkhop to DHS knowing I have my evening TSM FP+ in hand.

BUT - it has made shuffling plans brutal. I am thinking of adding a couple of days to my christmas week trip and it's a lot harder now. Of course, that is partly because it is peak season.

Agreed. I am lucky to live where I do, in the winter. Not so much in the summer. But one place I mentioned was not in driving distance: Washington DC and it's a lot less expensive than WDW.

It's always good to consider other options. We are fortunate enough to travel a lot and WDW is still far and away our favorite, even with the new system.

For us, we did Washington last Christmas and my kids got "museumed-out" very quickly. I think we hit the wrong age. DH and I had a blast but we are pretty much once and done. I wouldn't mind going back, but wouldn't go out of my way.

We also have DLR hopes for next summer. Still I have been planning a DLR trip for 2 years now and it keeps getting postponed due to a variety of factors.

That said, even when I had a DLR trip planned, nothing gives me the "coming home" feeling that planning a WDW trip gives me. It just feels so good to plan a WDW trip - not sure why DLR didn't give me the same feeling. Maybe it didn't have enough complexity of planning? (yes, I think I'm nuts and need help). Hope we make it out to DLR next summer as I am planning! Maybe it will become our favorite park

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Now, we feel like we are working against science and technology when we simply want to "ride a ride" and the odds are stacked against us.

See, I am just not getting that...sure this is only my 3rd trip, and in the past we used FP- a bit, but probably no more than three times a day (because of course EPCOT and HS, the ones we would use it for were gone by the time our first FP- time period was up).

But if you didn't get a FP-, did people give up and think they couldn't ride the ride? yes, they just tested the FP+ only on 2 rides...but when they did they opened up a lot more FP+'s for those so if they do that again, most people should be able to score them (if the closed SB and didn't add anymore FP+, basically leaving the ride empty all day, then sure, that would be an issue...but they aren't that dumb!)

So far, with FP+ i've managed to get everything we wanted, some of the times aren't perfect, but I keep tinkering with them and they keep getting closer to perfect (FP- almost never was perfect for us, TSMM ticket at rope-drop, right in the middle of our lunch ADR time; TT FP- four hours after we planed to be on the other side of EPCOT, SOARIN FP-, gone 1 hour after rope drop when we arrived).

So, we are going to "ride a ride" and if we didn't have a FP+ for it, we will still ride the ride (Haunted Mansion on the day it reopens)

I even had DW suddenly say this morning that all she wanted to do instead of rides was to meet every character she could...ok, that would have been nice to know prior to our 60+ day...but gee, went in and changed her FP+ to take her off rides I knew she wouldn't care about missing, and right there, was an A&E FP+ waiting...not the time we want, but still could be workable if I can 't change the time. And this is for a day that is projected to be crowd level of 7, the Saturday before Christmas...so forgive me, I just can't understand the dislike of the system...sure, it glitched on me and I lost 7DMT but they did their best to fix it, and now I got it again when it was suddenly available one morning.

NOW, I will say this, I don't like that when I wanted to only change HER FP+ after having booked them all together, the only way to do it was to cancel all hers for the day...in most cases I wanted to keep ONE of them but was still able to get her one for the same general time, 5 or 10 minutes off from our start. But then, maybe it was an "ID-10-T" error, and not really a problem at all.

 

[JimmyV]

So far, with FP+ i've managed to get everything we wanted...

The number of days that I have been in WDW parks is measured in the hundreds. Under FP- never, ever, not once was I unable to bet a FPs for Soarin' and Test Track in the same day. Never, ever, not once was I unable to get FPs for TSMM, RnR and ToT all in the same day. The "gone within the first hour" claim is simply a myth for every ride except TSMM. (OK. I admit that I have never been in a park between 12/23 and 1/2). So when you say that you were able to get everything you wanted, that's terrific. But under the new system, people who want the rides that I outlined above cannot. (Unless, of course, they go at a low crowd day and can get headliners for their 4th or 5th FP at a kiosk. But if they are in the park on such a low crowd level day, then they probably don't need FPs in the first place.) Until the tiers are abolished (if ever), then it is simply not true that one can get everything that they want. The only way that can happen is for the "wants" to change. Once you adjust your "wants", then you can pigeonhole your FPs in such a way as to guarantee that you get everything that you "want".

 

[Laketravis]

See, I am just not getting that....

It's just a feeling. Before, the only challenges/variables were walking up to a machine and seeing if any FP's were still available, and if so what the return time was. A pretty simple roll-of-the-dice that allowed for just as easy (and real time) decision making.

Now, there are many more variables involved in getting/selecting an FP. I didn't explicitly state we "couldn't" get the opportunity to "ride a ride", I was trying to say that with all of the variables now involved, it can provide the feeling that even if just one of them (time, tier, park, calendar, availability, fallback to standby, etc.) toggles out of favor it complicates the decision.

I hope that makes sense.

 

[MarieA]

We just returned from our second trip to WDW this year using the FP+ system. There were 5 of us (all WDW veterans) and not one liked it. Rides that used to be walk on had 20 - 30 minute waits and there were hardly any FP+ available for the popular attractions. We had a 2 1/2 yr. old with us and it is impossible to predict 60 days out what kind of mood he is going to be in. While we did have some FP+ planned for our trip, I didn't find it enjoyable having to stick to a strict schedule. I am seriously thinking about not renewing our annual passes this year (something I never thought I would say).

My DH and I have another trip planned for May and I am considering not even visiting the parks. We may just relax at BCV for the entire week.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

The number of days that I have been in WDW parks is measured in the hundreds. Under FP- never, ever, not once was I unable to bet a FPs for Soarin' and Test Track in the same day. Never, ever, not once was I unable to get FPs for TSMM, RnR and ToT all in the same day. The "gone within the first hour" claim is simply a myth for every ride except TSMM. (OK. I admit that I have never been in a park between 12/23 and 1/2). So when you say that you were able to get everything you wanted, that's terrific. But under the new system, people who want the rides that I outlined above cannot. (Unless, of course, they go at a low crowd day and can get headliners for their 4th or 5th FP at a kiosk. But if they are in the park on such a low crowd level day, then they probably don't need FPs in the first place.) Until the tiers are abolished (if ever), then it is simply not true that one can get everything that they want. The only way that can happen is for the "wants" to change. Once you adjust your "wants", then you can pigeonhole your FPs in such a way as to guarantee that you get everything that you "want".

I think "myth" is harsh since as I said, it happened to me, an hour after RD, no Soarin...and not on Christmas...but first weekend in Dec, we decided to sleep in and missed RD...we then got a TT FP- (that was the four hours after we planned to be in World Showcase...so an hour after RD TT was already at 7 pm that evening on FPs) and joined the Soarin SB line...and we rode the ride..took more than an hour, but still rode it.

Got Soarin and TT this time, sure, different days, but we take two days in EPCOT anyway...don't have RnR, because it is not one we think we might ride...DD doesn't like corkscrews and none of us like Aerosmith...but we plan to head there at RP just in case the line isn't too long.

I agree tiers need to go, but they also need to build more rides...that's the main issue with all parks but MK.

 

[JimmyV]

Got Soarin and TT this time, sure, different days, but we take two days in EPCOT anyway...

And this is exactly why tiers are here to stay. Disney built a system that almost cries out for people extending their stays. I've said it before and I'll say it again. When the suits met in the conference room to conjure up MDE and FP+, the question they asked themselves was "What can we develop that will help Disney?", and not "What can we develop that will help our guests?". The fact that there are collateral benefits to guests is a terrific side-effect. But it was never the overall purpose of any of this.

I agree tiers need to go, but they also need to build more rides...that's the main issue with all parks but MK.

 

[itchin2go]

And this is exactly why tiers are here to stay. Disney built a system that almost cries out for people extending their stays. I've said it before and I'll say it again. When the suits met in the conference room to conjure up MDE and FP+, the question they asked themselves was "What can we develop that will help Disney?", and not "What can we develop that will help our guests?". The fact that there are collateral benefits to guests is a terrific side-effect. But it was never the overall purpose of any of this.

I think *some* people who never visited Epcot for 2 days before *may* be changing their plans now, but for the life of me, I can't see why.

I booked Soarin as our Tier 1 on all 3 of our Epcot days, and the family is going to ride Test Track at rope drop. I have seen Toy Story jump to an hour wait at rope drop (or near to rope drop), but I have never (personally) seen Test Track jump THAT far THAT quickly. It's just always been a breeze to ride it at (or near) rope drop.

Granted, maybe people would rather book some extra days than get up early every now and then, but that's their choice. It's certainly not a necessity in parks like Epcot and DHS where there's so little to ride in the first place.

 

[famy27]

I think "myth" is harsh since as I said, it happened to me, an hour after RD, no Soarin...and not on Christmas...but first weekend in Dec, we decided to sleep in and missed RD...we then got a TT FP- (that was the four hours after we planned to be in World Showcase...so an hour after RD TT was already at 7 pm that evening on FPs) and joined the Soarin SB line...and we rode the ride..took more than an hour, but still rode it.

Got Soarin and TT this time, sure, different days, but we take two days in EPCOT anyway...don't have RnR, because it is not one we think we might ride...DD doesn't like corkscrews and none of us like Aerosmith...but we plan to head there at RP just in case the line isn't too long.

I agree tiers need to go, but they also need to build more rides...that's the main issue with all parks but MK.

Was the trip where you couldn't get Soarin' an hour after RD last year, when Disney was running with both paper and FP+?

Otherwise, something super-weird had to have been going on. The only two rides in WDW and DL that I've ever seen run out of FPs in the first hour are TSMM and RSR. Even during spring break and summer, we've had no issues getting TT and Soarin. I've never done Christmas/NYE, but really surprises me that this would happen in early December.

 

[JimmyV]

I think *some* people who never visited Epcot for 2 days before *may* be changing their plans now, but for the life of me, I can't see why.

I booked Soarin as our Tier 1 on all 3 of our Epcot days...

Confused. You go to Epcot for three days and can't see why people who used to go for only one day might change and enlarge their stay?

Two words define why Disney implemented this system. Universal. Studios. (And some would argue those words should be: Harry. Potter.) What Disney was parrying was the family that flew down on Saturday and did:

Su: MK
M: Epcot
Tu: DHS
W: AK
Th: IoA
F: US
Sa: Sea World, or one of the above parks if there was a non-park day during the week.

This scenario was becoming more and more prevalent. So while you are seeing Epcot over three days, the vast majority of guests were not. So Disney devised a system that would put a governor on people's touring strategies forcing them to spend 6 or 7 days in its parks instead of 4. Pure genius. With the side-effect being that you do a little less each day. When your FPs run out and there aren't any decent attractions left offering additional ones, you leave a little earlier than you used to. And you go to Epcot on multiple days so that you can get a FP for Soarin' one day and TT for the other. (Note: Rope Drop is the antidote to all of this, but one of the things that people say they like most about FP+ is the ability to sleep in and avoid RD. And that works. But that is the scenario that cries out for extra days at WDW thus cutting out a day or two at US/IoA.)