Fast Pass Plus wasn't THAT bad…. a lot of hype for how awful it was

[Laketravis]

Spontaneity fail again. Tonight we came to Epcot for the only time we could get Test Track and it also goes down while we are in line. Have been waiing over an hour now and our next FP for SE expires in 30 minutes. Was spontaneity meant to mean spontaneous failures???

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[Luckybee]

Spontaneity fail again. Tonight we came to Epcot for the only time we could get Test Track and it also goes down while we are in line. Have been waiing over an hour now and our next FP for SE expires in 30 minutes. Was spontaneity meant to mean spontaneous failures???

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You are not having good luck with ride breakdowns. Are the Cm's making up the missed fp's for you. If not me thinks you're getting to the point where a quick(hopefully) stop at guest relations might be in order to see if they would consider a couple of anytime fp's

 

[Cormoran]

You are not having good luck with ride breakdowns. Are the Cm's making up the missed fp's for you. If not me thinks you're getting to the point where a quick(hopefully) stop at guest relations might be in order to see if they would consider a couple of anytime fp's

I think it depends on how long the line is at guest relations. After spending a lot of time in SB lines and FP+ lines for malfunctioning attractions ( test track and POTC), the last thing we wanted to do was stand in another line at guest relations on our last trip. We found it so frustrating that we just left the parks in surrender. It wasn't worth another line!

 

[Laketravis]

You are not having good luck with ride breakdowns. Are the Cm's making up the missed fp's for you. If not me thinks you're getting to the point where a quick(hopefully) stop at guest relations might be in order to see if they would consider a couple of anytime fp's

I'm certainly not alone. There are tens of thousands of other guests experiencing the same thing these past few days. The infrastructure can't support the load - it's readily apparent when actually here with high crowd levels.

Guest Services? Perhaps, but yet another added step in the process of trying and failing to reserve online, showing up at the times reserved for the attractions reserved, experience some sort of inconvenience, stand in line at GS to complain, repeat.....

Shouldn't be necessary. They should fix what they have if they aren't going to build more yet continue to stuff as many as possible onto what they have.

And don't get me started on the restrooms....

 

[Cormoran]

I'm certainly not alone. There are tens of thousands of other guests experiencing the same thing these past few days. The infrastructure can't support the load - it's readily apparent when actually here with high crowd levels.

Guest Services? Perhaps, but yet another added step in the process of trying and failing to reserve online, showing up at the times reserved for the attractions reserved, experience some sort of inconvenience, stand in line at GS to complain, repeat.....

Shouldn't be necessary. They should fix what they have if they aren't going to build more yet continue to stuff as many as possible onto what they have.

And don't get me started on the restrooms....

OK, so are the bathrooms filthy too?

 

[North of Mouse]

OP, so you haven't been to Disney since FP+, but it's great, and you already 'know' that it's just a bunch of hype how awful it it???? Hope that it is everything for you that you think it will be.

We have been, but I will not go into our feelings on the matter.

 

[Laketravis]

OK, so are the bathrooms filthy too?

I actually thought about the podcast today while in a restroom at EP that was filthy, watched a CM come in, sweep up an errant piece of toilet paper, and leave. I suppose I should have marched right over to GS to report that as well but I'm not the WDW quality assurance officer and like I posted above it shouldn't be necessary. The initiatives to reduce costs are blatantly obvious and completely disappointing.


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[wdwfanatic316]

OT but laketravis I hope you post your experiences later when you return even though your original thread was closed. I was really looking forward to hearing how your trip went!

 

[Shaden]

Very much feel the same about LT's Report, we now have another trip in the books for November, assuming we can snag Free Dining, we will see what comes.

But to the OP, there is a lot of negativity about the system because there are a lot of negatives to the system.

That doesn't mean there aren't positives about the system as well, there are, but for many people - and no not just some vocal minority here on the boards, for MANY people - the changes are in total sum - negative.

But, it largely depends on your touring style and what you want out of your vacation, and how you utilize FP+ or how you would have under legacy FP.

Booking the FP+s is only a very small part of the system, though its also personally part of it I don't like, the element of prebooking in advance as opposed to what I feel like when I walk down to the buses in the morning.

As for other comments here - lines ARE longer - they have been measured/timed. Crowds are up, but they aren't up enough to account for the change in wait times, no where near in fact, especially considering the change in wait times year over year with the only difference being FP+ and a slight increase in crowds.

OP - go, experience it if you like, make the most of it and enjoy your trip.

We don't like it in total sum, but we still had a good trip last May and hope to have one again in November

 

[Luckybee]

I'm certainly not alone. There are tens of thousands of other guests experiencing the same thing these past few days. The infrastructure can't support the load - it's readily apparent when actually here with high crowd levels.

Guest Services? Perhaps, but yet another added step in the process of trying and failing to reserve online, showing up at the times reserved for the attractions reserved, experience some sort of inconvenience, stand in line at GS to complain, repeat.....

Shouldn't be necessary. They should fix what they have if they aren't going to build more yet continue to stuff as many as possible onto what they have.

And don't get me started on the restrooms....

I don't disagree that you shouldn't have to deal with GS or all the aggravation but Im just trying to figure out how you could get some kind of a reprieve from all the nonsense you've been dealing with !

 

[wisblue]

I do agree. I had to read the post and the title a few times to figure it out.

The title is now irrelevant anyway.

The thread has mainly become a discussion about how crowded, broken down, and filthy WDW has become, things that really have very little, if anything, to do with FP+.

 

[North of Mouse]

Yes, off topic, but that's what this thread has become!!

Just returned from 2 weeks at Disney and I will have to disagree with those that think things around Disney are getting filthy. None of the bathrooms in any of the parks were in any worse condition - there were CM's working as hard as ever in the restrooms that I went in - constantly picking up paper that slobs were throwing down and wiping down the sink areas, floors from splashes.

It's a constant battle for them and it can't ever be perfect with people in and out constantly and acting like pigs (not all, of course). Can you imagine trying to keep your own bathroom clean at home with people in and out all day??? I tried to give them extra smiles when I went in as theirs is a 'thankless' task! Just don't understand all the complainers, on other threads as well.

 

[Disneylover99]

The title is now irrelevant anyway.

But still confusing for people clicking on this thread for the first time.

 

[Disneylover99]

None of the bathrooms in any of the parks were in any worse condition - there were CM's working as hard as ever in the restrooms that I went in - constantly picking up paper that slobs were throwing down and wiping down the sink areas, floors from splashes.

It's a constant battle for them and it can't ever be perfect with people in and out constantly and acting like pigs (not all, of course). Can you imagine trying to keep your own bathroom clean at home with people in and out all day??? I tried to give them extra smiles when I went in as theirs is a 'thankless' task! Just don't understand all the complainers, on other threads as well.

You just called people pigs and slobs. I guess everyone has something to complain about.

 

[luvsJack]

We just returned last Wednesday. Test Track was down during our FP time too. When we walked up to the line area, the CM's gave us a choice, we could choose another FP (nothing that we wanted or didn't already have was available) or we could return any time before closing to use our FP. We just went and did other things, used our other FP and then came back to Test Track with no problems and little wait.

As for the bathrooms, they really were not filthy. In every one that I went in, there was a CM there cleaning constantly. At DHS, I wanted to tell her to please stop until the line went down a little. She was cleaning each stall as someone came out and would then signal for the next person to go in. Every bathroom was as clean this time as they were the last time we went.

I don't like FP+ but it is what it is. I do like getting the FP ahead and not having to go hunt them down or run to them or hope they are available at arrival to the park. I would like to see them add being able to get FP in more than one park on a given day. And if they are going to stick with 3, then let folks get their 4th on the app. I have no desire to stand in a line to keep from standing in a line and not knowing if what I want is available anyway.

 

[Laketravis]

I don't disagree that you shouldn't have to deal with GS or all the aggravation but Im just trying to figure out how you could get some kind of a reprieve from all the nonsense you've been dealing with !

It's wierd because this is the first time we've tried to condense our time in the parks by using FP and it's also the first time we've encountered so many breakdowns. It's also the busiest time we've ever visited, have never been during spring break before so not sure if this is normal?


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[wisblue]

But still confusing for people clicking on this thread for the first time.

I guess. Maybe the title should have started with the word "Reserving".

 

[ArwenMarie]

It's wierd because this is the first time we've tried to condense our time in the parks by using FP and it's also the first time we've encountered so many breakdowns. It's also the busiest time we've ever visited, have never been during spring break before so not sure if this is normal?

Maybe you guys should cut your losses and head to the beach for the rest of the trip?

I hope you write this up somewhere when you get back, it's too bad the other thread got closed for whatever reason.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Didn't find this one confusing at all. Once I read the OP it was clear they were talking about the process of reserving FP+. That makes sense, as it's the first interaction a guest has with MM+, and is often what is feared most after reading the myriad experiences people have had. The OP was expecting it to be terrible based on reading many of those experiences and found it wasn't nearly as bad as some people have either been unfortunate enough to have it be......or as bad as some people make it out to be.

It is interesting to see reports from people who have been there at the same time the past couple of weeks. It's dirty, it's not dirty. It's crowded, it's manageable. You can't ride anything it's all breaking down, no problem just stop back later. The infrastructure is crumbling and the trip is in shambles, people have had a great trip. Like I said, interesting......how everyone views the same circumstances, just through a different lense. Are lenses agenda driven.....???? I think some are.

 

[luvsJack]

Didn't find this one confusing at all. Once I read the OP it was clear they were talking about the process of reserving FP+. That makes sense, as it's the first interaction a guest has with MM+, and is often what is feared most after reading the myriad experiences people have had. The OP was expecting it to be terrible based on reading many of those experiences and found it wasn't nearly as bad as some people have either been unfortunate enough to have it be......or as bad as some people make it out to be.

It is interesting to see reports from people who have been there at the same time the past couple of weeks. It's dirty, it's not dirty. It's crowded, it's manageable. You can't ride anything it's all breaking down, no problem just stop back later, the infrastructure is crumbling and the trip idea shambles, people have had a great trip. Like I said, interesting......how everyone views the same circumstances, just through a different lense. Are lenses agenda driven.....???? I think some are.

To be totally fair, there were 50 in our group in the parks at the same time and some of us had different experiences. The Director's wife and her child felt like everything they got on in MK broke down---Pooh, Splash, Little Mermaid and Peter Pan all stopped when they were on them, and she swore it was for more time than it would take to load a wheelchair. We had NONE of those experiences. The only ride we saw that broke down was Test Track and it didn't put a kink in our day at all.

AK was horribly crowded (and hot) and the guards at the gates said "its a slow day". But the other parks were manageable, but I usually go at Thanksgiving so maybe I am used to bigger crowds??

I did not notice the "filthy" that others keep talking about nor did I encounter any rude or non-magical CMs. I did notice some that seemed very tired by days end but was doing everything in their power to continue to be magical as much as possible.

I do think that if one is unhappy with anything at WDW, then they are going to notice every tiny negative detail.