Disney has lost another family - do they care?

[cbelcdn]

I rarely post however I am lying in my bed here at Hilton (never before at 8pm) and I am sad to say this is it! My daughter is 4 and this is her fourth and last trip with me. It's been fun until now - can't stand having to plan around fast pass+ system. Don't waste money on park hopper anymore as by the time you get to another park, lines are far too lengthy and you can't get fast passes. Spontaneity is gone. I don't spend this kind of money to work so hard planning my day's route and strategy.

 

[mesaboy2]

I rarely post however I am lying in my bed here at Hilton (never before at 8pm) and I am sad to say this is it! My daughter is 4 and this is her fourth and last trip with me. It's been fun until now - can't stand having to plan around fast pass+ system. Don't waste money on park hopper anymore as by the time you get to another park, lines are far too lengthy and you can't get fast passes. Spontaneity is gone. I don't spend this kind of money to work so hard planning my day's route and strategy.

Hepefully there will be changes to the way offsiters are treated soon to improve the current situation. Check back in a few months or a year and see if things are better for you.

 

[mydisneykids]

So sorry you are having a rough time. I am not a big fan of FP+either and wish they had stayed with the old system.
Especially a busy weekend like President's Day. We did this weekend a few years ago and NEEDED FP in each park we went to as the crowds were crazy.
I hate to say until Disney allows ofsite guests to prebook FP......high crowd times will be crazy for those staying off property.

 

[mefordis]

I have always thought that booking a reservation for a 2 minute ride is just stupid.

OP, plan a trip to Universal or Disneyland if you possibly can. And wait for changes at WDW.

 

[tinkerpea]

So sorry to hear this,
We stay onsite and usually do 3wks every 18 months or so,
However we have done 3-3wk trips in the last 15 months and are due to go again this June-July and truly think after this trip we will be taking a break from disney!

It really upsets me as I've been coming every yr since I was 2, I got married at disney had all 3 children's 1st birthday trips at disney, and it was the 1st place I choose to go after life saving head surgery and one of the things that kept me going trough my 6 months in hospital, and treatment!

However if I had not had already booked and paid for flights we would not be going in June!

We did the MB trial and it was amazing, because we also had legacy FP however with the whole stupid 3fp thing and only one park! We can't cope I'm still quite sick at times and need to rest, so we like to hop after resting, we also have an autistic child and so with the taking away of both FP and the GAC I'm dreading the up coming trip!

And nope I don't think disney care because they have so many new visitors every year who do not know how amazing disney was!
They don't need to worry about the old ones

 

[subtchr]

OP, sorry you feel that way. It must be very disappointing.

Just a quick question, if you don't mind. Were you able to get any FP+ after entering the park? How were the lines at the kiosks?

I was offsite a few weeks ago at a much less crowded time, and I was able to get very good FP+ at DHS and AK -- and that was with not arriving at AK until 3:00 pm. I was afraid that my good luck could be attributed to the low-ish crowds. Please let us know what FP+ were available at the parks for you.

 

[brockash]

Disney doesn't care...they're marketing to the new, less "in theknow customers.". After going yearly for the last decade (staying a week and onsite), I'm almost positive this too will be our last trip for quite a long. while. Some of the family. members have been wanting to try new things for a cpl yrs and I just can't justify the cost for what you get and the type of vacation anymore. Not to mention that none of us are going to be willing to wait in lines for things that we never used to. We took part in the test and it was nice, but only because we were still able to use legacy fastpasses and the fact that there was only a small fraction of guests using it, but there's. no way we'll be satisfied with the system as it is. Disney is changing and unfortunately the changes aren't for us.

 

[North of Mouse]

I rarely post however I am lying in my bed here at Hilton (never before at 8pm) and I am sad to say this is it! My daughter is 4 and this is her fourth and last trip with me. It's been fun until now - can't stand having to plan around fast pass+ system. Don't waste money on park hopper anymore as by the time you get to another park, lines are far too lengthy and you can't get fast passes. Spontaneity is gone. I don't spend this kind of money to work so hard planning my day's route and strategy.

No, sadly they don't care.

We have been going to WDW since they opened and now for the first time we are taking a 'long' break and going other places for vacation. We may, or may not, go back in a couple years, but we don't expect Disney to care.

 

[Sammie]

OP, sorry you feel that way. It must be very disappointing.

Just a quick question, if you don't mind. Were you able to get any FP+ after entering the park? How were the lines at the kiosks?

I was offsite a few weeks ago at a much less crowded time, and I was able to get very good FP+ at DHS and AK -- and that was with not arriving at AK until 3:00 pm. I was afraid that my good luck could be attributed to the low-ish crowds. Please let us know what FP+ were available at the parks for you.

Right now for tomorrow at every park, everything is wide open, including all headliner rides, shows and parades.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Millions of people only go to WDW once and never return. Disney has to be okay with that. It is a fact of life. You can't make everyone happy. You don't even try.

 

[sethschroeder]

Stop going and they might eventually. There really isn't anything to say to everyone mad about FP+

As long as they keep increasing attendance every year they wont change anything.

Say what you want Disney is going to keep changing FP+ and people just need to speak up appropriately.

 

[pktbMouse]

OP I feel so sorry for you....we have booked to go in June and frankly we are dreading it for the very same reason. We have actually cut it down to only one disney day now because of FP+ and are doing Legoland and Universal instead to try salvage the vacation. WE are thinking next year we will be going elsewhere too until this mess is all sorted out.

 

[willowsnn3]

I don't plan around FP or park hopping. We rarely park hop even when we have AP's and a lot of times we don't bother with FP either.
We go 3 to 4 times a year and still seem to have a wonderful time & ride what we want to without a long wait. Just don't understand what the problem is.
Yeah go on over to Uni & PAY for your fast pass......

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

I don't plan around FP or park hopping. We rarely park hop even when we have AP's and a lot of times we don't bother with FP either.
We go 3 to 4 times a year and still seem to have a wonderful time & ride what we want to without a long wait. Just don't understand what the problem is.
Yeah go on over to Uni & PAY for your fast pass......

So glad the new system isn't a concern for you but since you go to the parks 3 or 4 times a year and rarely use FP for your touring, it is understandable that you would not be upset with the new system. FPs never played into your touring anyway. For some us it does. For some of us, we only get 1 day in each park once a year or maybe even longer. For some of us, we can only travel during busy seasons with heavy crowds where wait times are crazy by lunchtime. For some of us, we were able to use the paper FPs to allow us to ride favorite rides more than once without a long wait. For some of us, we used 6+ paper FPs at day. And for some of us, 3<6. (Or so I've read)

 

[pktbMouse]

I don't plan around FP or park hopping. We rarely park hop even when we have AP's and a lot of times we don't bother with FP either.
We go 3 to 4 times a year and still seem to have a wonderful time & ride what we want to without a long wait. Just don't understand what the problem is.
Yeah go on over to Uni & PAY for your fast pass......

we didnt originally plan round FP either but the new system is now making the SB lines wayyy longer than they normally were so now its virtually impossible to get a ride with a SB of under one hour now as opposed to 20 mins norm for this time of year

 

[MrInfinity]

So glad the new system isn't a concern for you but since you go to the parks 3 or 4 times a year and rarely use FP for your touring, it is understandable that you would not be upset with the new system. FPs never played into your touring anyway. For some us it does. For some of us, we only get 1 day in each park once a year or maybe even longer. For some of us, we can only travel during busy seasons with heavy crowds where wait times are crazy by lunchtime. For some of us, we were able to use the paper FPs to allow us to ride favorite rides more than once without a long wait. For some of us, we used 6+ paper FPs at day. And for some of us, 3<6. (Or so I've read)

mom2mickeyfan, you have 900+ posts out here. I see you posting constantly about how FP+ is bad for you. Yes, Disney will putt off previous FP- abusers w the new FP+. But, for each person offended, Disney is gaining 100 new customers that will each spend more money than the one lost. Yet here you are. Posting. Hating. 900 posts.

Unfortunately for you, your actions speak louder than your words. You love Disney. Period! You spend your days out here on disboards... why - because you hate Disney? Because you think Universal is really an alternative? Seriously? If that was the case you would have 900 posts on "uniboards" or whatever. But you don't. You hang here. On disboards - because despite all this, you love Disney. You despise the idea of actually calling Universal your "home" because it just is not the same.

Tomorrow, you will be here.

The next day, you will be here.

In a year - you will be here.

Like most of us, Disney is in you. The characters. The "so far below Universal standards" rides [roll]. WDW is your park. FP+ will sink in, and in a few years FP- will be nothing more than stories of "when used to have to run across the park and grab paper tickets...".

Anyways. Just sayin. If you really felt this way - you wouldn't be here. Yet - here you are. Loving Disney. Thinking about your next trip.

Why you feel the need to constantly argue every person who says they like FP+ is beyond me, given you clearly are not switching to Universal as a serious alternative other than as an 'extra' to go to on a Disney trip. You can't just break from those characters you love. Those characters Disney owns.

Enjoy your trips. Even with FP+. There are more important things in live to spend your days hating than a ride system at a park. The park you love, and will always love.

 

[VLee]

I just don't like having to plan to this exact detail! It is a headache and I can't imagine "having" to be in a park at a certain time….planning the dining reservations was bad enough. I felt like our trips were planned around meals then.
I am DVC and have already sold two of my 8 DVC contracts, anticipating less and less fun and fewer trips to Disney.
I will instead concentrate on going other places where I can be a little spontaneous once there.
The CM on the phone today said that the new FP+ system was resulting in the stand-by lines being much shorter and that was their goal. But after reading some of the previous comments, this does not have seemed to have helped that situation.
Not to mention all the bugs that the online system has…have spent all afternoon on the phone back and forth!

 

[MrInfinity]

I just don't like having to plan to this exact detail! It is a headache and I can't imagine "having" to be in a park at a certain time….planning the dining reservations was bad enough. I felt like our trips were planned around meals then.
I am DVC and have already sold two of my 8 DVC contracts, anticipating less and less fun and fewer trips to Disney.
I will instead concentrate on going other places where I can be a little spontaneous once there.

You don't have to.

If you feel you have to, then it's only because you feel personally if a "planning option" is available to you then you must meticulously optimize it.

But you don't have to, at all.

As many have said, if you don't want to plan so, just don't. Pick the automatic picks with a single click and then go to the park. Change them around later.

If you would rather secure particular spots tho, YOU CAN. Not you have to. If you want a particular time of day, you can now reserve it. If that doesn't matter to you, then you are not required to.

All this "extra work" is being self-imposed upon yourself.

I personally don't mind it - it's fun! I like thinking about what I might go on. What else am I going to do while I wait for May?

Meanwhile 8 other ppl I am travelling with don't care at all. They are just picking whatever and going to the parks.

This system gives you the freedom to be meticulous if you want to be so, or to be casual if you prefer that.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

mom2mickeyfan, you have 900+ posts out here. I see you posting constantly about how FP+ is bad for you. Yes, Disney will putt off previous FP- abusers w the new FP+. But, for each person offended, Disney is gaining 100 new customers that will each spend more money than the one lost. Yet here you are. Posting. Hating. 900 posts.

Unfortunately for you, your actions speak louder than your words. You love Disney. Period! You spend your days out here on disboards... why - because you hate Disney? Because you think Universal is really an alternative? Seriously? If that was the case you would have 900 posts on "uniboards" or whatever. But you don't. You hang here. On disboards - because despite all this, you love Disney. You despise the idea of actually calling Universal your "home" because it just is not the same.

Tomorrow, you will be here.

The next day, you will be here.

In a year - you will be here.

Like most of us, Disney is in you. The characters. The "so far below Universal standards" rides [roll]. WDW is your park. FP+ will sink in, and in a few years FP- will be nothing more than stories of "when used to have to run across the park and grab paper tickets...".

Anyways. Just sayin. If you really felt this way - you wouldn't be here. Yet - here you are. Loving Disney. Thinking about your next trip.

Why you feel the need to constantly argue every person who says they like FP+ is beyond me, given you clearly are not switching to Universal as a serious alternative other than as an 'extra' to go to on a Disney trip. You can't just break from those characters you love. Those characters Disney owns.

Enjoy your trips. Even with FP+. There are more important things in live to spend your days hating than a ride system at a park. The park you love, and will always love.

Go back and read all of my 900 post. I've never once said we are going to Universal. I don't like Universal's pay for the front of the line service. That hasn't changed. Show me once in any post that I have made that I said my family was giving up Disney and going to Universal. You won't find one because I haven't said. We have no plans to do it. My family will be in each park 1 time this June on 8 and 9crowd days. We go each time this year, I know what happens to wait times. I know that last year my child was able to ride his 3 favorite rides 2 or 3 times using paper FPs with little to no wait. I know last year my family was able to ride over 20 rides in MK and was able to get 9 paper FPs. I know this year we won't get 9 FPs. We won't get 8. We won't get 7. Heck we won't even get 6. I'm sorry if it offends you that we are not happy about it. I find it very offending when someone expresses concerns and are met with post saying "we go to Disney 3 or 4 times a year during slow seasons and never even pulled any FPs...what is the big deal with being limited to 3." All I did was point out some reasons why others may not feel the same as that poster.

BTW, it was the poster that I was replying to that seemed to have a problem with the OP's feelings on FP+. Why is okay for them to put the OP down? How else are those that don't like FP+ suppose to take "what's the big deal, we never used FP anyway so why should it matter to you?". Really, that is okay??

 

[Rosanne]

mom2mickeyfan, you have 900+ posts out here. I see you posting constantly about how FP+ is bad for you. Yes, Disney will putt off previous FP- abusers w the new FP+. But, for each person offended, Disney is gaining 100 new customers that will each spend more money than the one lost. Yet here you are. Posting. Hating. 900 posts.

Unfortunately for you, your actions speak louder than your words. You love Disney. Period! You spend your days out here on disboards... why - because you hate Disney? Because you think Universal is really an alternative? Seriously? If that was the case you would have 900 posts on "uniboards" or whatever. But you don't. You hang here. On disboards - because despite all this, you love Disney. You despise the idea of actually calling Universal your "home" because it just is not the same.

Tomorrow, you will be here.

The next day, you will be here.

In a year - you will be here.

Like most of us, Disney is in you. The characters. The "so far below Universal standards" rides [roll]. WDW is your park. FP+ will sink in, and in a few years FP- will be nothing more than stories of "when used to have to run across the park and grab paper tickets...".

Anyways. Just sayin. If you really felt this way - you wouldn't be here. Yet - here you are. Loving Disney. Thinking about your next trip.

Why you feel the need to constantly argue every person who says they like FP+ is beyond me, given you clearly are not switching to Universal as a serious alternative other than as an 'extra' to go to on a Disney trip. You can't just break from those characters you love. Those characters Disney owns.

Enjoy your trips. Even with FP+. There are more important things in live to spend your days hating than a ride system at a park. The park you love, and will always love.

You don't have to.

If you feel you have to, then it's only because you feel personally if a "planning option" is available to you then you must meticulously optimize it.

But you don't have to, at all.

As many have said, if you don't want to plan so, just don't. Pick the automatic picks with a single click and then go to the park. Change them around later.

If you would rather secure particular spots tho, YOU CAN. Not you have to. If you want a particular time of day, you can now reserve it. If that doesn't matter to you, then you are not required to.

All this "extra work" is being self-imposed upon yourself.

I personally don't mind it - it's fun! I like thinking about what I might go on. What else am I going to do while I wait for May?

Meanwhile 8 other ppl I am travelling with don't care at all. They are just picking whatever and going to the parks.

This system gives you the freedom to be meticulous if you want to be so, or to be casual if you prefer that.

Oh, dear. Well, we can't all be practically perfect in every way. Thanks for keeping track of post counts. I have over 1000 now.