Disney to extend 60 day FP booking to non Disney hotels

[KEW]

When they roll this out to the off-site hotels, I also wonder if those guests will be able to book FP+ for their entire trip at 60 days or will their FP window open up day by day.

 

[Rwsm2011]

This would make me so happy! We have to stay in a room with a kitchen due to food allergies and the need to cook most meals. Our first trip we stayed at Bonnet Creek when they had paper FP and loved it. We only switched to the BCV because they changed the FP to the 60 day/30 day thing. It was so much cheaper to stay at Bonnet Creek. While I like the proximity to Epcot, I'd gladly save $1500 and stay off site again. We rent a car anyway, so the only perk for up right now is really FP availability.

 

[KimBean]

If you keep going on this route and give everyone FP's and increase the number of FP's, eventually the FP lines will be as long as the standby lines. Then there won't be a benefit to FP's anymore.

Then they start selling "super FP's" (for a dollar amount) which have a separate line to the FP's which is "shorter than the FP line".

In short, FP's become standby and Super FP's become FP's. But they didn't have to technically start charging for FP's so no one can sream that they are not charging for something that was free previously.

Brilliant!

On a side note, I would be happy if Disney owned properties at least got 1 day more than the non Disney hotels....

I'd pay for super FP's. Bahahaha!!!!

 

[lelew]

This just seems to be extremely tone deaf to me. There are lots of people staying on-site now who can't book fast passes they want until day 5 of their trip. Let's see - there aren't enough passes available, so let's add more people to the pool.

I have been going around Christmas since before fast pass + was a thing. I have never seen the problems with lack of availability as I have this year. This is very discouraging.

I could see giving the good neighbor places a 45 day window. That makes some level of sense. You get an advantage - but on-site gets a bigger advantage. But not the same as on-site. Since I will have more competition, I am assuming I will get some other perk for staying on-site. Hahahaha.

yep, I was on site during in Aug and could not get FP for Pandora at 60 days out.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I love staying onsite, but I would seriously consider switching to offsite in the future, especially if we decide to drive in.

We have APs for the first time this year. Activated in July and have used them a bunch already. I always wanted to stay on-site before, but the money we are saving now by staying off sight is insane. DW and I are going down in a couple weeks. We are staying in a luxury suite for about half the price of a value resort. Not saying I won't stay onsite again, but I am loving offsite visits this year

 

[rileyz]

I think this is absurd and I hope it costs them money. Knowing them however I’m sure they got a nice check from each hotel chain involved.

 

[cindyfan]

..... They're having a super hard time filling their own resorts as it is now! Especially Deluxe.

Just curious why you say this? Every time lately I try to see what is available... for trips this year 2017 and for early next year.... it comes up with either NO availability or very little. Just wondering if you have some inside information?

and... BTW... what I heard was it is just for Disney Springs resorts and places closest to WDW.... anyone hear different?

 

[cindyfan]

I'm a bit confused by those that are saying you used to be able to get multiple Fast Passes at the same time with the old system?? "stacking them"??
With the old system, I thought I was pretty good at getting numerous FPs by timing them right.... but I never remember having any more than 2 in our possession at the same time! How on earth did you "stack" them?

Also.... I totally agree that AP holders seem to get the shaft these days! If they are going to open the 60 days to non-Disney resorts... they need to do it for AP holders first!

 

[Shanti]

This really is only a relatively recent perk for staying onsite. Just a handful of years ago, there was no FP difference between off vs. onsite. So to those crying "now there's no reason to stay onsite!" what was the reason pre-2013?

There were significantly more EMH pre-2013.

 

[DreadBaroness]

We drive, so we do not use DME or the internal bus system. We don't do EMH, other than to avoid those parks. If the 60 fast pass window expands to off site hotels, I know where we'll be.

 

[Shanti]

Well I predict more availability in campsites after this begins.....

I hope so. I also hope this slows the rampant price increases the Disney resorts have experienced in recent years.

 

[mesaboy2]

I'm a bit confused by those that are saying you used to be able to get multiple Fast Passes at the same time with the old system?? "stacking them"??
With the old system, I thought I was pretty good at getting numerous FPs by timing them right.... but I never remember having any more than 2 in our possession at the same time! How on earth did you "stack" them?

Also.... I totally agree that AP holders seem to get the shaft these days! If they are going to open the 60 days to non-Disney resorts... they need to do it for AP holders first!

You could get FPs at least as often as every 2 hours, so it was possible to have more than 1 at a time—especially if your FP was much later in the day.

 

[Shanti]

Also.... I totally agree that AP holders seem to get the shaft these days! If they are going to open the 60 days to non-Disney resorts... they need to do it for AP holders first!

There are way too many AP holders to make this feasible, though...

 

[twodogs]

And as someone may have said, don’t think the offsite hotels will be able to pay Disney the fee to be in the “60 days group”, and not increase their room rates to account for that. So staying off site will likely become more expensive than it is now when this perk is rolled out. The reason prices off site are lower now is to incentivize people to sacrifice early FP booking for lower room rates. When the off site hotels have to pay for the privilege of offering their guests early FP booking, that cost will get passed on to guests. Still likely cheaper than onsite due to other (albeit minimal) perks of staying onsite and the proximity factor of onsite, but more expensive than right now.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

What are good neighbor hotels? I would so use my Hilton points! Do they provide good transportation to the parks?

Transport from good neighbor hotels sucks honestly. Granted, I haven't stayed at all of the offsite hotels but I did stay at a Hyatt a couple years ago, and the shuttle system was a joke. I gave up halfway through trip and just did Uber the rest of the trip. Worked out even better than onsite transport.

 

[Rowlf the Dog]

If so and no change for onside guests no chance to get FOP, 7DMT or FEA for our march trip, as I couldn't do RD with my mother... If I knew this earlier, I would have booked a good-neighbour hotel

 

[3gr8boys]

When they roll this out to the off-site hotels, I also wonder if those guests will be able to book FP+ for their entire trip at 60 days or will their FP window open up day by day.

That was my first thought too.

 

[dlavender]

There are way too many AP holders to make this feasible, though...

Couldn't they at least just offer it to the top tier AP's?

 

[amylevan]

I wonder if this is just a setup for another move by Disney to maybe allow 90 days for on-site guest? I would hope not as 60 days out and trying to plan attractions that far out can be stressful/annoying.

While moving to 90 days is one thing, can you imagine the mess during the transition? Can you imagine being the unlucky ones who has their 60 day window open the SAME DAY they decide to extend to 90 days and now everyone who has a vacation between 60 and 90 days is fighting for fastpasses? Forget the advantage of getting FOP at the end of your trip.

Crossing my fingers that they wait until after my FP window next month...

My FP window opens in Dec. I read somewhere "before the end of the year". I'm not overly hopeful this won't happen before my date, but I'm crossing my fingers just in case!

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Same here, I have December 24th, and I'm not feeling too hopeful to get any Pandora FPs with this announcement.