neutie88
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2006
- Messages
- 114
Just got back from a 5-day trip (May 8-13) with a party of 6. Don't normally post, but wanted to share a few observations and things we discovered that I thought would be good to share.
Observations
1) Crowds on our Magic Kingdom day were much higher than anticipated. We had 4 out of 10 on Touring Plans, but it really felt like a strong 7. We were there for rope drop (front of line), and they have had to change the opening procedure to accommodate the craziness of Anna & Elsa. No more running up Main Street. We were escorted (both tunnels) by cast members with ropes all the way through FantasyLand. We were going to Peter Pan, so we were able to peel off once we passed Philharmagic, but as we passed through the castle, there were already a 100+ folks waiting by the carousel for the line to start. I assume these were Character breakfast guests that were already in the park. So if you are going to standby for A&E, either do an in-park breakfast, or be prepared for an immediate wait, even if you are at the front of rope drop line.
2) We were not able to ride attractions b2b like we did in the past, due to the artificial lines created by FP+. Examples were Peter Pan and Journey into Imagination and Star Tours. Usually we could hit PP twice first thing, but the line was already 15 minutes once we got off the ride (we were 3rd on). We waited 20 minutes for Figment, which was a huge mistake on our part. Small World was 20 minutes within the 1st hour of the park, and I think all of FantasyLand was suffering from A&E overflow issues.
3) Had no problem getting additional FP+ after our initial 3 were used. Unfortunately, we are avid park hoppers, so we were only in the same park for more than 6 hours on our first day (MK). But we were able to get additional FP+ for PoC, BTMR, and HM on that day after our last FP+ was used at 1:05pm.
4) Be wary when trying to CHANGE FP+ experiences on the MDE app. You have a choice to change the time OR change the experience. I tried to change our 3:05 PoC to BTMR, as it said it was available. What the app does not tell you is what the available time is (I assumed it was the same time). So my 3:05 FP+ changed to 8:00pm for BTMR! I went to a kiosk location, and the CM there educated me that the app puts you through a 2-step process - change the experience, then the time. So you may not get the time you want, and once you commit to changing the experience, your previous FP+ is gone. I was able to get a time very close to my original back for PoC, but this mystery time factor makes me very wary of changing any experiences on my app going forward. If your 4th FP+ is too far out, you really reduce your chance of getting a 5th, so look for the closest time available to the current time, unless, it is an attraction you just have to ride at the expense of additional FP+.
5) MagicBands worked really well for our entire group. We only had a couple times where someone's band did not work the first time, but there was always someone standing by to help, and it was usually user error (tapping vs press and hold). My DH, DS, and myself had two bands each we used interchangeably throughout the trip. And it was fantastic to get my itemized bill from the resort and be able to see EXACTLY who had charged what. I was able to put individual spending limits on each band at resort check-in, so I could make sure no one spent more than they should.
FastPass+ Discoveries
1) You have FP+ windows, but once you use the first FP+ in your list, you can start to change the times of the other ones to compress your schedule further and get more FP+ later on. We had TestTrack FP+ for 9:10am. We used the FP+ at 9:15. Walked over to Spaceship Earth at 9:30 and the wait was 15 minutes, but our FP+ did not start until 10:10, so we were contemplating waiting in line. I went on the app, and was able to change our FP+ start time from 10:10am to 9:40am, and the changes were picked up immediately at the FP+ entrance, and we walked in at 9:35am. Then changed our last FP+ for Mission Space from 11:10am to 10:10am once we had used the SE FP+. Repeated this at HS with ToT (9:15 FP+) and Great Movie Ride (10:20am changed to 9:50am). We could not change our last one (TSMM-12:10pm) as there were no earlier times available (shocker!). So if you have a smartphone and can multi-task while walking, you can move your schedule around to maximize your FP+ experience and get more FP+. I wish I had figured this out on Day 1 rather than Day 3. You do have to go to a kiosk to add the 4th-?th FP+.
2) IF A RIDE BREAKS DOWN DURING YOUR FP+ TIME, you can double-dip into the system until it catches up! Here is what happened - We had BTMR FP+ for 10:20am. Got there and the ride was closed down. Said we could use our FP+ at any other FP+ attraction in the area (AdventureLand, FrontierLand, Liberty Square) OR come back at any other time in the day to BTMR and use our FP+ then. We went immediately to Splash to use our FP+. As we went through the scanners, the Mickey head flashed blue, but the CM waved us through. Here is the trick - If you are allowed to pass through the scanners when they flash blue, YOU DID NOT USE YOUR FP+. So, when we went to get our additional FP+ after we used our last one, the CM informed us we had our FP+ credit from BTMR we could still use. We were able to get a 4th FP+ AND have the floating one still in play, which we used on BTMR later on. So we got an extra FP+ just for good timing. Now, you may think this was a fluke. 3 days later, we got STUCK on EE and had to be evacuated (thankfully at the end of ride - there were people stuck on the incline
). We had done it as standby (10 min wait) and our FP+ was scheduled for 15 minutes later. So, we got a free anytime FP paper card as we exited the ride, booked it over to Dinosaur, and were able to replicate the loophole. Walked up, said we had EE FP+ and they let us in, even though our bands flashed blue. Did the ride again using our paper FP (the same CM was out front, I know we would not have been able to use the EE FP+ again), then went to Primeval Whirl, and by then our FP+ credit had kicked in, so we used it on that. So I think there is a 15-20 minute lag in the system between when a ride goes down and the credit becomes available, as somebody has to actually make the determination that the ride will be down long enough to warrant a credit (in both cases queues were emptied). So if you were in the right place at the right time, and there were enough FP+ attractions nearby, you might be able to get a couple of free rides in before the system catches up. Not sure how long this will last before a tech fix is put in place, but if you are scheduled for a FP+ on something that is closed, give it a shot.
Like anything else new, it was a learning curve for us. We go 2-3 times a year, and were extremely efficient paper FP users. But I constantly tested the system, asked a lot of questions of the CMs while in line and at the kiosks, and by the last day, I felt like I had a good handle on how to maximize our use of FP+ to fit our style of touring. Not having to bounce all over the park to collect paper FP saved us time, and being able to manipulate times on the app was a real boon. I hope this helps those of you that are planning upcoming trips, as this is new to everyone.
Observations
1) Crowds on our Magic Kingdom day were much higher than anticipated. We had 4 out of 10 on Touring Plans, but it really felt like a strong 7. We were there for rope drop (front of line), and they have had to change the opening procedure to accommodate the craziness of Anna & Elsa. No more running up Main Street. We were escorted (both tunnels) by cast members with ropes all the way through FantasyLand. We were going to Peter Pan, so we were able to peel off once we passed Philharmagic, but as we passed through the castle, there were already a 100+ folks waiting by the carousel for the line to start. I assume these were Character breakfast guests that were already in the park. So if you are going to standby for A&E, either do an in-park breakfast, or be prepared for an immediate wait, even if you are at the front of rope drop line.
2) We were not able to ride attractions b2b like we did in the past, due to the artificial lines created by FP+. Examples were Peter Pan and Journey into Imagination and Star Tours. Usually we could hit PP twice first thing, but the line was already 15 minutes once we got off the ride (we were 3rd on). We waited 20 minutes for Figment, which was a huge mistake on our part. Small World was 20 minutes within the 1st hour of the park, and I think all of FantasyLand was suffering from A&E overflow issues.
3) Had no problem getting additional FP+ after our initial 3 were used. Unfortunately, we are avid park hoppers, so we were only in the same park for more than 6 hours on our first day (MK). But we were able to get additional FP+ for PoC, BTMR, and HM on that day after our last FP+ was used at 1:05pm.
4) Be wary when trying to CHANGE FP+ experiences on the MDE app. You have a choice to change the time OR change the experience. I tried to change our 3:05 PoC to BTMR, as it said it was available. What the app does not tell you is what the available time is (I assumed it was the same time). So my 3:05 FP+ changed to 8:00pm for BTMR! I went to a kiosk location, and the CM there educated me that the app puts you through a 2-step process - change the experience, then the time. So you may not get the time you want, and once you commit to changing the experience, your previous FP+ is gone. I was able to get a time very close to my original back for PoC, but this mystery time factor makes me very wary of changing any experiences on my app going forward. If your 4th FP+ is too far out, you really reduce your chance of getting a 5th, so look for the closest time available to the current time, unless, it is an attraction you just have to ride at the expense of additional FP+.
5) MagicBands worked really well for our entire group. We only had a couple times where someone's band did not work the first time, but there was always someone standing by to help, and it was usually user error (tapping vs press and hold). My DH, DS, and myself had two bands each we used interchangeably throughout the trip. And it was fantastic to get my itemized bill from the resort and be able to see EXACTLY who had charged what. I was able to put individual spending limits on each band at resort check-in, so I could make sure no one spent more than they should.
FastPass+ Discoveries
1) You have FP+ windows, but once you use the first FP+ in your list, you can start to change the times of the other ones to compress your schedule further and get more FP+ later on. We had TestTrack FP+ for 9:10am. We used the FP+ at 9:15. Walked over to Spaceship Earth at 9:30 and the wait was 15 minutes, but our FP+ did not start until 10:10, so we were contemplating waiting in line. I went on the app, and was able to change our FP+ start time from 10:10am to 9:40am, and the changes were picked up immediately at the FP+ entrance, and we walked in at 9:35am. Then changed our last FP+ for Mission Space from 11:10am to 10:10am once we had used the SE FP+. Repeated this at HS with ToT (9:15 FP+) and Great Movie Ride (10:20am changed to 9:50am). We could not change our last one (TSMM-12:10pm) as there were no earlier times available (shocker!). So if you have a smartphone and can multi-task while walking, you can move your schedule around to maximize your FP+ experience and get more FP+. I wish I had figured this out on Day 1 rather than Day 3. You do have to go to a kiosk to add the 4th-?th FP+.
2) IF A RIDE BREAKS DOWN DURING YOUR FP+ TIME, you can double-dip into the system until it catches up! Here is what happened - We had BTMR FP+ for 10:20am. Got there and the ride was closed down. Said we could use our FP+ at any other FP+ attraction in the area (AdventureLand, FrontierLand, Liberty Square) OR come back at any other time in the day to BTMR and use our FP+ then. We went immediately to Splash to use our FP+. As we went through the scanners, the Mickey head flashed blue, but the CM waved us through. Here is the trick - If you are allowed to pass through the scanners when they flash blue, YOU DID NOT USE YOUR FP+. So, when we went to get our additional FP+ after we used our last one, the CM informed us we had our FP+ credit from BTMR we could still use. We were able to get a 4th FP+ AND have the floating one still in play, which we used on BTMR later on. So we got an extra FP+ just for good timing. Now, you may think this was a fluke. 3 days later, we got STUCK on EE and had to be evacuated (thankfully at the end of ride - there were people stuck on the incline
). We had done it as standby (10 min wait) and our FP+ was scheduled for 15 minutes later. So, we got a free anytime FP paper card as we exited the ride, booked it over to Dinosaur, and were able to replicate the loophole. Walked up, said we had EE FP+ and they let us in, even though our bands flashed blue. Did the ride again using our paper FP (the same CM was out front, I know we would not have been able to use the EE FP+ again), then went to Primeval Whirl, and by then our FP+ credit had kicked in, so we used it on that. So I think there is a 15-20 minute lag in the system between when a ride goes down and the credit becomes available, as somebody has to actually make the determination that the ride will be down long enough to warrant a credit (in both cases queues were emptied). So if you were in the right place at the right time, and there were enough FP+ attractions nearby, you might be able to get a couple of free rides in before the system catches up. Not sure how long this will last before a tech fix is put in place, but if you are scheduled for a FP+ on something that is closed, give it a shot.Like anything else new, it was a learning curve for us. We go 2-3 times a year, and were extremely efficient paper FP users. But I constantly tested the system, asked a lot of questions of the CMs while in line and at the kiosks, and by the last day, I felt like I had a good handle on how to maximize our use of FP+ to fit our style of touring. Not having to bounce all over the park to collect paper FP saved us time, and being able to manipulate times on the app was a real boon. I hope this helps those of you that are planning upcoming trips, as this is new to everyone.
We leave next week and this makes me feel much more relaxed! 
