Did FP+ change your dining plans?

[Iralyn]

Heading to Disney in August and we're currently in that window where we have access to dining reservations but not yet FP+. Because we just booked last week, I'm still playing around with our dining plans. I'm curious as to whether people found that they ended up changing their dining plans due to FP+ availability.

And I'm a newbie so if this has already been discussed, please direct me to the thread. Thanks!

 

[BigAlsGal]

Heading to Disney in August and we're currently in that window where we have access to dining reservations but not yet FP+. Because we just booked last week, I'm still playing around with our dining plans. I'm curious as to whether people found that they ended up changing their dining plans due to FP+ availability.

And I'm a newbie so if this has already been discussed, please direct me to the thread. Thanks!

Haven't changed any dinner plans. It's very easy to get the ride times you want. I just worked those around our ADR times.

 

[ancestry]

No it didn't change our dining time -- I book all of our FP+ times around our ADRs.

 

[jcemom]

No it didn't change our dining time -- I book all of our FP+ times around our ADRs.

This.

 

[jester161]

When you are booking your FP+ it will tell you if there is an overlap or conflict so is really easy to work your FP+ around your existing ADR'S - just booked all 14 days of FP and it worked a dream!!

 

[freckles04]

For us, it kinda did.

Have to book FP+ and ADR's REALLY messed up our sense of spontaneity. We've decided to do CS only in October... and actually, that was my DS10's idea!

 

[foohpah]

I did change 1-2 ADRs but they were ones that I was not sure we wanted to keep anyway. Getting certain FP+ times helped make my decision so it was no big deal.

 

[mullysisters]

The whole new Disney Experience has changed the way we plan. Extra crowded, FP+, the CC dining reservation fee have all contributed. It feels far less relaxed and spontaneous.
But, that's the way it is now, so you have to roll with it. This trip I will be eating at three fav TS and CS for all the rest of my meals.
I'd like to see a poll:
Book ADR's first or FP+ first? then schedule everything else around them.

 

[jcemom]

The whole new Disney Experience has changed the way we plan. Extra crowded, FP+, the CC dining reservation fee have all contributed. It feels far less relaxed and spontaneous.

I totally agree! But seeing as my only choice is to go or not to go, I guess I'll deal with it, just maybe a little less often than before.

 

[helenb]

Before FP+, we always made rope drop, then made an ADR for lunch (we like our big sit down meal at lunch, plus it's often cheaper than dinner) about noon, then maximized use of FP in early afternoon before returning to the hotel for a swim. Since we like the Epcot resorts, we normally hopped to the Boardwalk or the World Showcase for a CS dinner.

We have our first FP+ trip coming up in June. I made the same lunchtime ADRs for about noon, then reserved FP+ for 11 am and 1-3 pm (varies by day). This still allows us to follow the plan we usually do. I'm not anticipating much in the way of changes. (We'll see how well it works after our trip.)

 

[ajwolfe]

No, not in the least. I made my ADR's first and then made my FP+ around them. We are not that worried about the FP+, if an ADR runs long and we miss one oh well. Choosing not to stress about it.

 

[mullysisters]

I went on yesterday to change FP+ to accommodate a few last minute plans and found I couldn't push my FP+ back any later (6pm and later) I was surprised given that people are posting you can book your FP+ on the morning of.
Also, all of the restaurants I checked for next week are gone for dinner times.
I hope the FP+ changes for BOG aren't an indicator that CS restaurants may soon require ADRs
That may be the final decider for us to choose a new place for our vacation.
PS Drove to Dollywood in 2010 and had a blast. I would be going this year if there were and international airport nearby.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

The whole new Disney Experience has changed the way we plan. Extra crowded, FP+, the CC dining reservation fee have all contributed. It feels far less relaxed and spontaneous.

For us, it was more the CC dining reservation fee. ( I didn't abuse the old system! I just resent the new one.)

Every time something runs late on WDW's end (transportation, we're seated late, or the weather poses an issue) I think, "we should be charging THEM a no show fee!" Or, "Gosh, I'm glad we aren't going to an ADR right now."

Or worse, when we ARE late to an ADR because a boat stopped running in the storm, it is even worse.

In other ways, FP+ is a good thing, because you know in advance what FP times you'll get.

But no more arrival day table service dinners for us.

 

[mggeary]

We used to book 11:30-11:45 lunches beacause we liked the early break and avoiding the peak lunch crowds. But this blocked us from a 11-12 FP+ so now we are planning to book 12:00-12:30 lunch times and show up early. There are really now "reservations" at Disney anyway. First come, first serve as long as you have an ADR.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

We used to book 11:30-11:45 lunches beacause we liked the early break and avoiding the peak lunch crowds. But this blocked us from a 11-12 FP+ so now we are planning to book 12:00-12:30 lunch times and show up early. There are really now "reservations" at Disney anyway. First come, first serve as long as you have an ADR.

good points.

Though OP should be aware of the opposite, too. PLENTY of times we've been seated well past our assigned ADR. Even when we had what I thought was an early dinner book - 5pm, we were still seated quite a bit past our ADR. they aren't quite first come first serve, but if you show up quite a bit ahead of your ADR, you may be seated early, esp as the above poster suggests, it is a lunch ADR and you show up before noon.

I think a big thing to consider as a new visitor is just how time consuming many meals can be. Make sure you allow at least TWO hours for meals. some may take less, but 90mintes is pretty common. signature dining is more like a solid two hours. Even buffets take a while, at least if it is a character meals and you actually want to see all the characters.

Also know that it can take quite a while to get around WDW. When they say allow an hour+, to get to your destination, they mean it! Just walking from your room to the food court/bus stop at your home resort can take a solid amount of time.

The new FP+ system, as far as I can tell, only allows you to book one FP per hour.

 

[lisatx04]

I had a lunch ADR at the Plaza Restaurant in MK at 12:20. I went to make my FP+ selections for our favorite rides, and one of the rides came up as overlapping my ADR. So it was either change my ADR or try and change my FP+. It was easier to change the ADR to dinner as they had no lunch availability left. We are going in June.

 

[Ravenne]

No it didn't change our dining time -- I book all of our FP+ times around our ADRs.

Ditto