Could FP+ Ruin my experience?

[Satchmo128]

As an off-site guest who does not typically buy tickets in advance (we have a friend who is a CM and she sometimes has CM comp park tickets for us to use, but not always), we will be in a situation of waiting to see what is available when we arrive for our trip.

I completely realize that we are blessed to have a friend who is a CM and we can benefit from the perks she has, but it makes things like FP+ virtually impossible for us.

We will be there in early November and I'm kind of petrified about how the planning/implementation will affect us this year and in the years to come.

 

[WalleyWorld]

A lot. They gave up on the limited testing and push the bands at every guest of the testing resorts. There are what 6? resorts testing so I'd guess (really just a total guess) that there are more than 5k ppl actually using FP+ on any given day spread around the 4 parks.

This is a garbage move on Disney's part. Basically they are allowing entire resorts full of people to double dip on FP+ & regular FPs during this so-called testing phase, leaving non-testers to fight over whatever scraps of FPs remain. Basically I'm a 2nd class citizen because we happen to be staying at the 'wrong' resort and can't book FP+ reservations.

 

[jade1]

For example currently, If I show up to MK at 1:00 and grab a FP for Splash Mountain for a return time of 7:00 pm. I spend the next five hours happily wandering the park waiting until 3:00 pm, so I can pull that 10:00 Space Mountain. At 5:00 pm, I grab a Peter Pan for whatever is left. On the way to Splash at 7:00, I will pick up a BTMRR.

Not sure when you travel, we do peak season and even this is not possible.A 3PM FP for Space? A 5PM for PP? Forget it.

If I can book 6:00, 7:00. 8:00 ahead of time. I will probably show up at 5:00. Catch my rides with no time to loiter, and then wait for the Parades and Wishes, so I can sneak on the rides via Standby.

Now you talking.

Jade1's plan is most sensible. But I still think it is going to involve logging on a month in advance to get those big e-ticket rides.

Hmm, I don't know, will have to try to squeeze 5 minutes into my 5,000 post Disboard time, might be tough.

Of course this scenario lends itself well to planning additional excursions to Universal. I don't know. I keep trying to find an angle that works for me.

Or still hit rope drop at another park if you want to knock out some headliners. We just won't as were interested in other things as mentioned.

 

[RedHeadedFairy]

Or still hit rope drop at another park if you want to knock out some headliners.

This is part of how we would likely offset the limitation of having only 3-4 FP+ per day.

It would make RD all the more important to my family. RD & hit all the big attractions at one park then use Hoppers/FP+ in the evening at another park after a midday break.

 

[jaykorf001]

I was included in a MK fast pass + test last September. I thought it streamlined our experience, and I found myself wishing we had that option in our march trip last spring. Besides, if you do t want to use it, don't!

Did you make your reservations 60 days in advance or closer to your actual trip? I'm not being snarky at all as I do not know how the test worked. I just can't imagine having all that planned 60 days out and would at the very least like to be park flexible given weather forecasts or other variables. I also can't imagine doing nothing but stand by for a trip.

 

[mom2rtk]

Did you make your reservations 60 days in advance or closer to your actual trip? I'm not being snarky at all as I do not know how the test worked. I just can't imagine having all that planned 60 days out and would at the very least like to be park flexible given weather forecasts or other variables. I also can't imagine doing nothing but stand by for a trip.

Nobody has been able to schedule 60 days out. The tests were not set up far enough in advance to allow it.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

So here is a thought. If the trend of people getting a bonus FP+ for MK and you have park hopper on your ticket, would it be best to hit RD at the other parks and ride your favorites until it gets crowded and then head to MK to use 4 FP+s??

 

[mom2rtk]

So here is a thought. If the trend of people getting a bonus FP+ for MK and you have park hopper on your ticket, would it be best to hit RD at the other parks and ride your favorites until it gets crowded and then head to MK to use 4 FP+s??

Maybe. But there are still too many unknown variables about the system to spend much time figuring out a plan of attack.

What if they will let you add same day fastpasses to your band, but not until you have used the pre-scheduled ones? Does that change your approach? I know it would for me. For others it probably won't.

 

[CandleontheWater]

This is a garbage move on Disney's part. Basically they are allowing entire resorts full of people to double dip on FP+ & regular FPs during this so-called testing phase, leaving non-testers to fight over whatever scraps of FPs remain. Basically I'm a 2nd class citizen because we happen to be staying at the 'wrong' resort and can't book FP+ reservations.

EVERYONE who is going during the test period can pull extra fastpasses! Just don't put your tickets on your KTTWC, and voila- extra FPs for you. You're welcome, enjoy FP Christmas.

Just in case you haven't heard, your room key and your tickets can both be used to get FPs, they are not connected and can both be stuck into the machine and FPs will spit out.

 

[mom2rtk]

You're welcome, enjoy FP Christmas.

Someone said you could swipe a shrimp from Columbia Harbor House through the machine and get another FP. I'd love to try this, but I'm so torn. I really want to eat my shrimp. Hmmmm...... decisions, decisions.

 

[CandleontheWater]

Someone said you could swipe a shrimp from Columbia Harbor House through the machine and get another FP. I'd love to try this, but I'm so torn. I really want to eat my shrimp. Hmmmm...... decisions, decisions.

It might be worth it for a Soarin' FP, but that shrimp sure would get stinky on the monorail.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Here is what I don't understand about FP+, and I see some others have at least a similar concern. It seems a lot of people's early strategies are to book the FP+ for afternoon /night times and possibly not spend time in the parks that morning.

Personally for us, when this all fully rolls out and has real positive feedback, we would be willing to try it. But with what we currently know I can positively say that we would spend less time in the parks, and money.

People may choose to stay onsite that morning and continue to give Disney money for fishing, or putt putt golf or shopping, whatever. But at the same time, they might choose to explore other opportunities around the general area. How many people know there is a huge Outlet Mall on the other side of DTD? What happens when those people do? They are going to be spending money outside of Disney. There are a lot of people who use ME and can be stranded (and I am totally not saying that is a bad thing, even Negative Nancy's like myself were sucked in by the Magic) but there is rapidly growing trend to rent a car and have a little more freedom. I liked to know I was going to make my ADR, or least have better odds than relying on Disney transportation.

To me, FP+ is almost asking people to schedule what they want to do when to the extent that they suddenly will have time to figure out that this isn't like a TV show and they aren't actually living under a dome.

Maybe there is hope for FP+. One can always dream.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Someone said you could swipe a shrimp from Columbia Harbor House through the machine and get another FP. I'd love to try this, but I'm so torn. I really want to eat my shrimp. Hmmmm...... decisions, decisions.

What happens if you spill Beverly on a FP+ kiosk? Nothing good could come from that!

 

[Nixie]

What happens if you spill Beverly on a FP+ kiosk? Nothing good could come from that!

- 10 FP+s

 

[mom2rtk]

Here is what I don't understand about FP+, and I see some others have at least a similar concern. It seems a lot of people's early strategies are to book the FP+ for afternoon /night times and possibly not spend time in the parks that morning.

Personally for us, when this all fully rolls out and has real positive feedback, we would be willing to try it. But with what we currently know I can positively say that we would spend less time in the parks, and money.

People may choose to stay onsite that morning and continue to give Disney money for fishing, or putt putt golf or shopping, whatever. But at the same time, they might choose to explore other opportunities around the general area. How many people know there is a huge Outlet Mall on the other side of DTD? What happens when those people do? They are going to be spending money outside of Disney. There are a lot of people who use ME and can be stranded (and I am totally not saying that is a bad thing, even Negative Nancy's like myself were sucked in by the Magic) but there is rapidly growing trend to rent a car and have a little more freedom. I liked to know I was going to make my ADR, or least have better odds than relying on Disney transportation.

To me, FP+ is almost asking people to schedule what they want to do when to the extent that they suddenly will have time to figure out that this isn't like a TV show and they aren't actually living under a dome.

Maybe there is hope for FP+. One can always dream.

I think that's a very valid point.

Disney's Magical Express plus the dining plan resulted in more people staying onsite and Disney capturing as close to 100% of the guest's dollars as I would suspect is possible. I thought it was marketing genius. I do feel like FP+ could possibly interfere with that.

If I can't do Disney the way I want, and do as many rides as I consider reasonable with a short wait, I will likely look to other parks to fill the void.

One of the approaches I have considered is staying onsite at Universal, visiting there in the AM and doing as many attractions as possible with express pass. Then take a break and head to the MK for some of those oh-so-popular late day FP+ headliner appointments. In that scenario, Disney loses out on all of my lodging dollars, and probably most of my dining dollars. Of course, we are not typical, because our youngest is almost 13 and ready to try out the attractions at Universal.

What happens if you spill Beverly on a FP+ kiosk? Nothing good could come from that!

I actually heard swiping Beverly through the FP kiosk will spit out double the FPs!

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

Here is what I don't understand about FP+, and I see some others have at least a similar concern. It seems a lot of people's early strategies are to book the FP+ for afternoon /night times and possibly not spend time in the parks that morning.

Personally for us, when this all fully rolls out and has real positive feedback, we would be willing to try it. But with what we currently know I can positively say that we would spend less time in the parks, and money.

People may choose to stay onsite that morning and continue to give Disney money for fishing, or putt putt golf or shopping, whatever. But at the same time, they might choose to explore other opportunities around the general area. How many people know there is a huge Outlet Mall on the other side of DTD? What happens when those people do? They are going to be spending money outside of Disney. There are a lot of people who use ME and can be stranded (and I am totally not saying that is a bad thing, even Negative Nancy's like myself were sucked in by the Magic) but there is rapidly growing trend to rent a car and have a little more freedom. I liked to know I was going to make my ADR, or least have better odds than relying on Disney transportation.

To me, FP+ is almost asking people to schedule what they want to do when to the extent that they suddenly will have time to figure out that this isn't like a TV show and they aren't actually living under a dome.

Maybe there is hope for FP+. One can always dream.

This is what I believe will happen with our family. We are RD until close. And that worked because there was always something to do/ride without it being more than a 20 to 30 minute wait by using FPs for headliners and riding the non headliners while waiting for our FPs. On MK day we would have breakfast, lunch and dinner in the park along with many many bottles of water and snacks.

With FP+ we will try to pick our FP+s for late afternoon or early evening and then head out of the park to have dinner off-site. Our FP+s will be used and I fear the SB lines will be too long for us. FP is the reason that my 7 year has never been to any other theme park but Disney even thought I live 2 hours from a Carowinds and 3 hours from a Six Flags. 3 FP+ will never been enough for us!! I guess we will save a little money but to be honest I want to spend the whole day in MK riding.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

Note to self...I must remember all these tips to get extra FPs!! Shrimp and Beverly

 

[Mad Hattered]

One of the approaches I have considered is staying onsite at Universal, visiting there in the AM and doing as many attractions as possible with express pass. Then take a break and head to the MK for some of those oh-so-popular late day FP+ headliner appointments. In that scenario, Disney loses out on all of my lodging dollars, and probably most of my dining dollars. Of course, we are not typical, because our youngest is almost 13 and ready to try out the attractions at Universal.

OMG!!! YOU just blew my mind. I seriously had an AT&T commercial moment where the kids discuss infinity x infinity.

I actually heard swiping Beverly through the FP kiosk will spit out double the FPs!

If we can swipe Beverly through a FP slot then it has more issues than just taste. :

 

[bcrook]

Not sure when you travel, we do peak season and even this is not possible.A 3PM FP for Space? A 5PM for PP? Forget it.

. I was referring to pulling FP at 3, 5, 7 for returns later. In June I can still pull a PP at 3:00, a space at 5 and a BTMRR at 7 (it usually isn't running but that is a different story.) the return time might 10:00 pm.

I can't afford the fishing excursions after laying out $2000.00 for tickets. But they do look like fun.

 

[jaykorf001]

Nobody has been able to schedule 60 days out. The tests were not set up far enough in advance to allow it.

That's what I figured -- one reason why the opinions of the test group is not that relevant to how this might work in real life.