Curious how FP+ has changed your touring style, if at all?

[itchin2go]

After our trip in July, FP+ guarantees we will only stay CL from now on instead of splurging on it for special trips. The extra fast passes the concierge staff were able to give us made all the difference on several of our park days.

Unless this comes with CL as an official perk, I don't think you can count on it from trip to trip.

 

[Nancyg56]

This sounds a bit like monetizing FP perks via resort tiers. While I understand Disney's motivation, I can't say I'm a fan.

It is not a guarantee but rather a gift. We have been here since Sunday and have not been offered this perk, but we have not asked for it either.

 

[Nancyg56]

Unless this comes with CL as an official perk, I don't think you can count on it from trip to trip.

Exactly. And once people decide it is part of the package, this gift will disappears too

 

[cakebaker]

The CM added them to our magicbands while we were in the lounge. We were able to use them on any ride at any time. We got 3 per day per person.

I wouldn't count on this being available for any length of time. Now that it's been made public people will demand they get the same thing and they'll stop doing it.

As tempting as it is to share, I rarely mention when we receive any special perks. Too many people seem to think anything anyone gets, they should get it too.

 

[Lisaloo]

I wouldn't count on this being available for any length of time. Now that it's been made public people will demand they get the same thing and they'll stop doing it.

As tempting as it is to share, I rarely mention when we receive any special perks. Too many people seem to think anything anyone gets, they should get it too.

I'm not worried. We travel often (not just to Disney) and tip extremely well. Perks won't go away just because someone hears about it and shows up demanding it, they just won't receive it. It doesn't take a ton of time and effort to build a relationship with staff. Showing appreciation and kindness will almost always result in a positive response.

 

[mesaboy2]

I'm not worried. We travel often (not just to Disney) and tip extremely well. Perks won't go away just because someone hears about it and shows up demanding it, they just won't receive it. It doesn't take a ton of time and effort to build a relationship with staff. Showing appreciation and kindness will almost always result in a positive response.

Then there's nothing in your previous post (below) that can be attributed specifically to FP+, the subject of this thread.

After our trip in July, FP+ guarantees we will only stay CL from now on instead of splurging on it for special trips. The extra fast passes the concierge staff were able to give us made all the difference on several of our park days.

 

[Lisaloo]

Then there's nothing in your recent posts that can be attributed to FP+ (the subject of this thread).

I was questioned about my post concerning our touring/CL stay and FP+ so I responded. Not off topic.

 

[mesaboy2]

I was questioned about my post concerning our touring/CL stay and FP+ so I responded. Not off topic.

My point is that you could have achieved extra FPs just the same as with legacy FP. FP+ didn't guarantee it--staying CL, tipping well, and killing CMs with kindness did.

 

[LOL!]

Sounds like FP+ changed your lodging preference, not your touring style. In fact, your touring style may not have changed at all if extra FP's were necessary. I agree that making oneself visible to staff by tipping heavily could lead to extra considerations but I wouldn't bank on them to continue.

 

[lugnut33]

FP+ allowed us to spend much less time in the parks during our visit last week. We do not get the value we had under the old system and we are really thinking about selling our DVC shares. One of the best days we had on our vacation was an impromptu side trip to the beach where it was not packed with people and we had a great meal for the 4 of us for under $60 (drinks and tip included). I didn't have to plan anything (matter of fact, some people were probably happy because we didn't use our 7DMT, A&E, and SM fastpasses we had that day), just show up.

 

[L&Lfan]

We've accepted the fact that with FP+ we are able to do much less per day than we did with legacy FP. We have subsequently cut our visits from 2-3 times per year to just once. We are expanding our vacation options whereas we had been almost exclusively Disney vacationers for over 20 years.

 

[AJ1983]

I see pros and cons in both. I like that at RD I can powerwalk to TSMM, hop right in line with a ten to fifteen minute wait and know I already have a Fp for noon. Before the choice was ride first and end up with a fastpass for really far out (meaning no more fp for two hours), or get a decent fp time first then face a long line which usually meant only one ride for us. Howeber the benefit was people would often give us fp as they were leaving the park (its just two of us so it was easy for another couple to hand them over quickly then approach larger parties to see if they wanted just two fp)

 

[AJ1983]

Also my husband and i have the luxury of going at least once a year and stay onsite so if we cut a park day short because of long lines, we arent sacrificing as much as someone who is there on their first/only trip to Disney

 

[robinb]

First of all, we usually go at the busiest time of the year: NYE and Spring Break.

* Back in the day (pre-FP+ and pre-FP+ build-up) we would rope drop, collect FP's as soon as we were eligible and then use them at our leisure. We would often use FP's collected in the morning when we returned to the parks in the evening. We were able to ride things in the morning and then again when we came back into the parks. We would usually not park hop since we had FP's for the evening. We were only turned away once.

* CMs started to did enforce FP return times in the pre-FP+ build up. We would rope drop and collect and use FP's within the 1:15 minute timeframe. We could not ride anything in the evenings because the lines were way too long and FPs were "sold out" by the time we returned. Our touring changed drastically and we only returned or park hopped for parades and fireworks. Still, the combination of FPs and rope drop allowed us to ride everything we wanted and we had the freedom to change plans at the last minute.

* With FP+ Our touring has changed again. We now book our FP+'s for the evening and we usually rope drop at another park. We usually get a few "good" rides in before it gets too crazy. However, I now need to plan my evenings 60 days in advance where I want to be and what rides my family might want to go on and for the most part we are STUCK with those plans.

 

[cakebaker]

I'm not worried. We travel often (not just to Disney) and tip extremely well. Perks won't go away just because someone hears about it and shows up demanding it, they just won't receive it. It doesn't take a ton of time and effort to build a relationship with staff. Showing appreciation and kindness will almost always result in a positive response.

Tell that to the people lamenting the loss of towel animals, or to those who cruise and were able to leave items to be autographed to pick up later, just 2 of the latest goodies no longer handed out. There are many instances of "perks" Disney once offered that ended up causing them problems and so the edict gets put out to stop it.

It's not something important enough that I would worry about it, but anyone who books CL with the idea that they'll get any additional fp+'s is probably going to be disappointed. If this was something that happened because you're pleasant and tip well, it would be all over these boards by now. A lot of people tip well, are appreciative and kind. Personally, I think you got a huge dose of pixie dust that may well not be repeated.

Sorry to go off subject- I just wouldn't want anyone to expect that if they tip and smile and get chatty, they'll get the same thing.

As for us, FP+ has allowed us to return the style of touring we prefer the most. Visiting 1 park in the morning, an afternoon break and then visit another park in the evening without having to stand in long lines due to fp being sold out by the time we arrived.

 

[itchin2go]

I'm not worried. We travel often (not just to Disney) and tip extremely well. Perks won't go away just because someone hears about it and shows up demanding it, they just won't receive it. It doesn't take a ton of time and effort to build a relationship with staff. Showing appreciation and kindness will almost always result in a positive response.

Are the extra FPs attributable to "tipping extremely well", "build[ing] a relationship with staff", and "showing appreciation and kindness",

OR

staying CL

OR

"pixie dust"?

Not sure there's any real way to know, which is why, again, it's not something you can count on.

 

[mesaboy2]

Are the extra FPs attributable to "tipping extremely well", "build[ing] a relationship with staff", and "showing appreciation and kindness",

OR

staying CL

OR

"pixie dust"?

Not sure there's any real way to know, which is why, again, it's not something you can count on.

I'm just confident it's not due to FP+.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

I'm just confident it's not due to FP+.

It could be. If it's a result of sitting around saying "Boy little Suzy sure would have loved to see A&E but we couldn't get a FP" or "Gee we didn't know about FP+ and now all we can get is Figment" then it's changed your style to be more creative in how to obtain things.

 

[LOL!]

Tell that to the people lamenting the loss of towel animals, or to those who cruise and were able to leave items to be autographed to pick up later, just 2 of the latest goodies no longer handed out. There are many instances of "perks" Disney once offered that ended up causing them problems and so the edict gets put out to stop it.

I see your point but I have a hard time blaming guests for things disappearing because they didn't keep it a secret.

It's like the secret menu at some fast food places. Is it extra work? Sure. But in the end it's what the customers want so service-centric companies continue to provide it, even if it's not "official". And when demand is prevalent enough, they capitalize on that rather than eliminate it.

 

[savvy?71]

I don't think we changed touring style but we definitely don't enjoy the atmosphere as much. So we still do RD without any Fastpasses. Exit as things get crowded & overheated for lunch & pool time. Head back to another park (hoppers) where we will have FP+ set up. I feel a pressure/stress...or maybe a feeling that we're not getting the most of the trip-- that didn't exist before, however. And with HS & EPCOT in the midst of so much change (or stasis, heh), we've opted to take a break from WDW. We did a west coast trip this summer and finally explored DL-- what an amazing, refreshing experience. That pressure I mentioned? Gone. The ease of the 2 parks (yet packed with as much to do--imo--as WDW's 4 parks) was incredible. We also mixed things up with a cruise and a Puerto Rico trip over the last 2 yrs. We'll still do WDW, tour the same way, but with less regularity.