Extra Fastpasses: A Case Study

[Tex]

Planning my June trip is kinda stressing me out.
We are only there for 3 days, MK day1, Epcot and HS day 2 and Animal and MK day 3.
I made our FP+ reservations for the 2nd half of our days.
I figured we would arrive at rope drop and be able to hit everything with out FP+, go to Beach Club for the afternoon and do the 2nd part of the day with FP+.
But now it seems like I should just make the FP+ for the morning
because I can add extra FP+ for the 2nd half of the day. RIght????
But I can only use FP+ in one park per day, right?
If I spend the morning in Epcot and use 3 FP+ by 1:00 and then go to Hollywood Studios at 5:00,
I cant use FP+ because it is a different park, right?
oh the troubles.

 

[jade1]

I would like to thank "DISNEY" and the design and adaptability of FP+ and those that believed it in it from day one.

For the doubters:

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Man- here we go again with the "fabulous" stuff. I can't seem to open one thread without some fella referring to her indirectly.

I don't get this. Is this a joke? I assume fabulous was being used in the quoted post as an adjective, not the name of a user.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'd like to thank all the little people.......

Oh wait, I'm saving that one for the Academy.

 

[ForeverAlice]

Sorry if this has been answered recently but say I use all three fp in HS and hop to MK in evening does this mean at the kiosk there I can book three there? Has anyone done that yet?

 

[FlightlessDuck]

As opposed to the older system, where you had to go to the actual attraction that you weren't about to ride next? Just head where you want to go, and stop at ANY kiosk along the way.

Right, although the way we toured, most of the time we didn't have to cross the park to get new FastPasses. But I do see how this would be helpful for those who did.

And if you're going to bring the Yiddish, it's "tuchas".

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toches#English

tuches
tokhes
tuchus
tuchis
tookus
tochis
tuchas
tuckus
tochus​

 

[sharonped]

Yeah I'm feeling a bit of the "poor me's". We were there right after they cut off all legacy fp's and were stuck with 3 at one park, tiered and limited. I am glad folks are now able to use 6 and up. I hope this stays... Just wish we could go a bit more often to overcome a not-so-great January experience. Sigh.

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

I don't understand what you are talking about.

Mr. Austin- you no longer have to walk from machine to machine. You can now enter the park with three FastPass+ of your choosing. Then you can acquire more after you use the three from any of the FastPass+ kiosks. You no longer have to make a trip over to the ride.

Again, you're welcome. I went. I tested. I wrote a lengthy email. I got a follow-up call. I had a lengthy phone conversation. As Robo points out, they really didn't have an appreciation for the fact that the law of averages didn't apply to FP-. They were stuck in their belief that the "average" guest used 2.something per day, so 3 seemed about right. The example I gave them on the phone was that this is like saying if I put my head in a hot oven and my foot in a bucket of ice, on average, I should feel comfortable. Three simply was not enough to make their core users happy and they vowed to see what they could do about changing it. For people who insist that the current version was on the radar all along, well, all I can say is that I didn't get that impression from speaking with them. Remember that they didn't offer up the user poll of future options until well after the roll-out of FP+. They easily could have test-marketed user preferences by asking people those same questions in November and December as FP+ was being tested. The current version of FP+ was a "change on the fly" and it sounds pretty good so far. My only ill-will right now is that I was used as a Guinea pig for a system that was failing from the outset and had to pay full price for a half-hearted experience. The people who are now using 10 FPs a day pay the same for their ticket as I did for mine, while I was stuck picking Figment for my third and last FP of the day. I'll get over it, but only because I know that I was able to make a difference in the overall outcome. one bad trip amoung 50 isn't a bad record.

Well- I and I'm sure many others appreciate that you went on ahead to Disney World and tested out the system and provided the good and bad feedback that Disney needed. I love how Disney acknowledges that the success of FastPass+ is mostly due to the park guests who tested the system and took the surveys. JimmyV and WillAustin you are good guys for doing this!!!!

 

[JanaDee]

Man- here we go again with the "fabulous" stuff. I can't seem to open one thread without some fella referring to her indirectly. She don't even post on this board anymore but some of y'all can't take ya mind off of her. I just don't get it. Enough.... it is annoying and it is an insult to all of the other women who are present here vying for attention and looking forward to engaging in meaningful discussion. We don't need to be constantly reminded of her. You got one thing right though......this system is looking pretty darn fabulous----way better than the Legacy FP!!!! The pro FP+ folk have always said not to overreact because the system was being tested out by Disney. Disney said this too- and they said they will make adjustments based on user feedback. So- a huge thank you is in order only to all of the people who actually went to Disney and tested the system and took the time to complete the surveys provided and by offering both positive and negative feedback. I am so glad I did not listen to all of the negativity and doom and gloom predications and cancel my trip because I would have been feeling really bad. I'm very glad I listened to the pro FastPass+ people like wisblue, jade1, sammie, wdwfreak, davidnyc, brian noble, mickey minnie mom, kaybird and so many other people here who have been very helpful in keeping the calm. Disney is running just fine without Legacy FastPass!!!!! Better than fine----when the complainers said it was NOT impossible.....New Coke and all of that. Ha! FastPass+ is not going anywhere!

First off, you're welcome.

The rest, well...

 

[rastuso]

It was actually TEN FPs:

Per-booked --

Space Mountain: 10:35-11:35
Peter Pan: 11:55-12:55
Anna and Elsa: 1:25-2:25

Extras:

1:49: FP for Barnstormer for 1:50-2:50. Immediately ride.

2:05: FP for Dumbo for 2:20-3:20. Ride at 2:15.

2:30: FP for Winnie the Pooh for 2:50-3:50. Ride at 3:00.

3:12: FP for Pirates of the Carribean for 3:20-4:20. Ride at 3:30.

3:50: FP for Jungle Cruise for 4:25-5:25. Ride at 4:40.

5:00: FP for Buzz Lightyear for 5:15-6:15. Ride at 5:10.

5:25: FP for Rapzunel and Cinderella for 9:20-10:20.

Kiosks lines were minimal except for the first extra FP at the kiosk near the castle, when the wait was probably 5-7 minutes. Character greeting FPs, except for Mickey, were gone at 1:45. Rapzunel, however, became available at 5:25, which is why I snapped it up, instead of continuing my Get-FP-Ride pattern.

Did any of those rides have significant SB lines when you rode them? I can't imagine any did, except maybe Buzz.

It does seem that during low crowd times, the new FP+ rule makes it essentially an endless C ticket machine. I guess that's nice, but the fact that even on a slow day, at 2 pm, none of the mountains were available really sucks. Unless you didn't want to ride any of them.

-Jason

 

[OtherScott]

Again, you're welcome. I went. I tested. I wrote a lengthy email. I got a follow-up call. I had a lengthy phone conversation. As Robo points out, they really didn't have an appreciation for the fact that the law of averages didn't apply to FP-. They were stuck in their belief that the "average" guest used 2.something per day, so 3 seemed about right. The example I gave them on the phone was that this is like saying if I put my head in a hot oven and my foot in a bucket of ice, on average, I should feel comfortable. Three simply was not enough to make their core users happy and they vowed to see what they could do about changing it. For people who insist that the current version was on the radar all along, well, all I can say is that I didn't get that impression from speaking with them. Remember that they didn't offer up the user poll of future options until well after the roll-out of FP+. They easily could have test-marketed user preferences by asking people those same questions in November and December as FP+ was being tested. The current version of FP+ was a "change on the fly" and it sounds pretty good so far. My only ill-will right now is that I was used as a Guinea pig for a system that was failing from the outset and had to pay full price for a half-hearted experience. The people who are now using 10 FPs a day pay the same for their ticket as I did for mine, while I was stuck picking Figment for my third and last FP of the day. I'll get over it, but only because I know that I was able to make a difference in the overall outcome. one bad trip amoung 50 isn't a bad record.

So with the stated desire that guests spend more money, and an initial limit of 3 FPs per guests leading to a surplus of FPs daily (as evidenced by the fact that with an increase in usage approaching 90%, they can still dole out additional FPs), did the CM on the phone have any idea what Disney initially planned to do with these leftover FPs that expired at the end of the day - before all of the complaints?

 

[JanaDee]

I don't get this. Is this a joke? I assume fabulous was being used in the quoted post as an adjective, not the name of a user.

There is a poster (well, 2 actually) that loves to use the word "fabulous" and believes she has it copyrighted and gets upset when anyone else dares to use it, in any way, shape or form.

That, and all the exclamation points give her away easily for anyone paying attention.

 

[OtherScott]

Yeah I'm feeling a bit of the "poor me's". We were there right after they cut off all legacy fp's and were stuck with 3 at one park, tiered and limited. I am glad folks are now able to use 6 and up. I hope this stays... Just wish we could go a bit more often to overcome a not-so-great January experience. Sigh.

We did offsite, October. Hit the parks with nothing in hand, took leftover scraps - and had a fantastic time (disclaimer: near impossible not to with my 2 sons, a ball and a swimming pool).

 

[OtherScott]

Did any of those rides have significant SB lines when you rode them? I can't imagine any did, except maybe Buzz.

It does seem that during low crowd times, the new FP+ rule makes it essentially an endless C ticket machine. I guess that's nice, but the fact that even on a slow day, at 2 pm, none of the mountains were available really sucks. Unless you didn't want to ride any of them.

-Jason

Winner!

 

[lugnut33]

Under the old FP- system it was important to get to the park early. Under the new system it is also important (I think it's even more important now).

Under the old system I could be a dreaded super-user. Under the new system I can now be a dreaded super-user.

Under the old system I had to run to an attraction to get a FP. Under the new system I have to run to a kiosk (though that is likely to change soon, which will allow me to walk with my phone up to my nose and obtain a new FP) to get a new FP.

So, essentially under this new system I now have the ability to pre-plan 3 rides and select from different times in the parks.

Totally worth 1.5 billion dollars.

(I should add, OPs report does make me happy)

 

[JanaDee]

Under the old FP- system it was important to get to the park early. Under the new system it is also important (I think it's even more important now).

Under the old system I could be a dreaded super-user. Under the new system I can now be a dreaded super-user.

Under the old system I had to run to an attraction to get a FP. Under the new system I have to run to a kiosk (though that is likely to change soon, which will allow me to walk with my phone up to my nose and obtain a new FP) to get a new FP.

So, essentially under this new system I now have the ability to pre-plan 3 rides and select from different times in the parks.

Totally worth 1.5 billion dollars.

Totally.

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

Is "fabulous" a banned word here? I'm really confused.

And I'm a woman, and have absolutely no problem with people using the word "fabulous". I'm not insulted in the least.

Well- I am only saying what (almost) everyone else is thinking. We don't need her popping up here and then everyone getting turned up and then a good thread ends up off topic.....like it is going now. The word fabulous is not banned but when I open a thread and these guys are saying it all the time with quotations.....I know exactly who they are talking about---then the thread becomes all about her. I'm sick of it really- she is not here and I don't need to be constantly reminded of her. Other women don't want other women shoved in their face. It's not that I am jealous or anything----I'm just weary of the pink and the fabulous.

I don't get this. Is this a joke? I assume fabulous was being used in the quoted post as an adjective, not the name of a user.

Yeah okay.....fair enough.

 

[wisblue]

So with the stated desire that have guests spend more money, and an initial limit of 3 FPs per guests leading to a surplus of FPs daily (as evidenced by the fact that with an increase in usage approaching 90%, they can still dole out additional FPs), did the CM on the phone have any idea what Disney initially planned to do with these leftover FPs that expired at the end of the day - before all of the complaints?

It really does stretch credibility to think that the original plan was to set up this system, including making FPs available for more attractions and putting in the in park kiosks, and then provide for no way to distribute the thousands of unclaimed FPs.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

This really is pretty cool that you used 10.

I suppose one takeaway is that it really just doesn't make sense to get in standby lines. All those people in the SB line were passed by you as you walked to the kiosk and got a FP.

That's why SB waits at "2nd tier" attractions have been so much higher post FP+.

eventually as there is more uptake you would think it won't be quite as easy to schedule FP+s in this amount but the general idea should work.

And we then have a full virtual queuing system in place.

Remember all those line cutting arguments? And place saving arguments, and FP runner arguments. All gone.

 

[SuperRob]

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toches#English

tuches
tokhes
tuchus
tuchis
tookus
tochis
tuchas
tuckus
tochus​

Sorry, was just messing with you, since that word is spelled differently everywhere you look. I'm not even Jewish.

This really is pretty cool that you used 10.

I suppose one takeaway is that it really just doesn't make sense to get in standby lines. All those people in the SB line were passed by you as you walked to the kiosk and got a FP.

That's why SB waits at "2nd tier" attractions have been so much higher post FP+.

eventually as there is more uptake you would think it won't be quite as easy to schedule FP+s in this amount but the general idea should work.

And we then have a full virtual queuing system in place.

Remember all those line cutting arguments? And place saving arguments, and FP runner arguments. All gone.

Remember that this is the entire point of FastPass ... it's not to get you on as many rides as possible, and it's not to avoid waiting. It's to avoid waiting in a line where there is nothing else for you to do (and specifically, no way for you to spend money). Disney would much rather have you "wait" in a restaurant, or a shop, or potentially on another attraction.

I used to tell people all the time that if you're using FastPass effectively, you're basically multitasking ... virtually waiting in one line while you're doing something, anything else. You could be spending that wait watching a show, or having a meal, or doing something you normally wouldn't spend the time doing ... meanwhile, you've basically don't the equivalent of having someone hold your spot in line. The biggest flaw from Disney's perspective is that not enough guests were using it. Disney doesn't want you in those lines, so they had to find a way to get usage up.

Disney originally restricted FP+ to only three because they needed to figure out what the increase in usage was going to do. Yes, they also increased FP+ capacity by adding it to other rides that didn't have it previously, but they wanted to make sure they weren't over-stressing ride capacity. It worked, and Disney (Tom Staggs, specifically) said FP usage by guests was up 20%. Success!

Once that data was in, they were able to add the "rolling fourth." They had more capacity now to handle those guests. Sure enough, they announced last week that usage was now up 40% ... almost half as many guests as before were now waiting in lines less. And they've also said that spending in the parks is up, so guess what people are doing when they're not in line?