Fastpass/Fastpass+ Mutually Exclusive?

[Robo]

Agreed.



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[aubriee]

I hope they give us the choice because if staying on site automatically means that we have to use FP+ (because your ticket is on the RF card) then we would likely not stay on site.

I already plan on staying offsite at Bonnet Creek for my May trip. (No discount WDW could offer could possibly beat the deal I've already gotten for a one bedroom condo I booked through a third party.) However, I also have an AP. Are offsite guests not going to be allowed to use FP+? I don't know if I'd even want to, but as an AP holder who goes to WDW 4-6 times a year, I don't like the idea of being excluded.

 

[Robo]

We just don't know.


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[Laketravis]

We participated in the FP+ trials last week. In fact, we were encouraged to participate even more than we wanted to and declined several "opportunities" to do so among teams of project managers, supervisors, and WDW researchers.

My first concern was how to keep track of your experience reservations? With a conventional FP, it's easy to look at that piece of paper you are holding in your hand and see your return window. In fact, we find ourselves looking at them several times up to actual use because frankly it's a bit of brain minutia we don't bother with.

You can't look at the RFID card to see your reservations. So how do you remember them? You can write them down in advance and carry them in your pocket like I did throughout the week. Or, you can rely on the text message reminders that WDW will send you - often many hours AFTER the reservation came due.

My second concern was with the same-park-same-day restriction. When I made our reservations online, we were limited to the number of experiences per park and only one park per day. I asked one of the PM's if this would be opening up to multiple park choices per day and he said it would not. This was extremely disappointing, as we are heavy hoppers. For instance, this past Friday we started at HS and rode TSM, ToT, and Star Tours - the first two with FP's. Then we went over to Epcot and collected FP's for TT and Soarin (which by that time were good for later in the evening). We then went to MK and collected FP's for both Space Mountain and BTMR while riding standby several times before using the FP's.

THEN we went to our dinner ADR at Cape May, then back to Epcot for fireworks and redeemed our FP's for both TT and Soarin.

None of that would have been possible with FP+ as our FP's would be limited to one park and the rest of the parks would rely on standby. So we would be faced with the decision to either forego the Park Hopper option, plan for experiences at only one park with FP+ and take our chances at other parks that day, or not use FP+ at all.

What is interesting is that FP+ (according to the PM that I had a lengthy conversation with as half a dozen of them were standing around a special FP+ entrance at Epcot that nobody was using) is intended to enhance the value of staying at a WDW resort hotel versus off-site. As the on/off site distinction for all other perks becomes less and less distinct (transportation, dining, conventional FP's, etc.) with the only remaining tangible benefit of EMH hours that fewer and fewer either see or take advantage of the benefit.

And that may have provided meaningful value, but by then removing the other more meaningful benefit of being able to move from park to park on the same day while taking advantage of FP's in each park on the same day actually turns it into a disadvantage from my perspective.

 

[Laketravis]

I wanted to add that this biggest motivation behind all of this is for Disney to be able to pack more and more people into the parks without significantly degrading their experience. The use of technology and advanced queuing algorithms will permit them to space out occupancy levels at attractions and eliminate 60 minute or longer waits for those guests using the system.

But the impact is less experiences per day per guest, because given all the Disney magic there is one thing they can't do - and that is make more time. Every attraction has a limit to the number of guests it can accomodate per hour.

The only alternative, since this is ultimately a revenue driven model, is to charge more per guest and to keep raising that charge until the two lines on the chart converge, ie: more revenue from less people.

Personally, I'd probably pay $500-$1000 more per trip to experience <10 minute waits for any attraction I wanted to experience, even multiple times, than to use FP+ or any other technology designed to space me out throughout the day. But that may not be enough additional revenue per guest to provide that experience, and even if it was there would most likely be at least one stuffed shirt in the boardroom who would want to pack more and more guests into each park at the higher revenue level.

 

[neilbrassfrog]

I'm reserving judgement until implemented. If memory serves, when Fastpass was originally created, there was much grumbling then as well.

 

[Waddler]

After giving it some thought, I'm glad that they're forcing guests to choose between using FP+ and regular FP. It levels the playing field for those of us who don't want to participate in the new system. Double-dip hopping would be fun for the double-dipping hoppers, but not for everyone else.

Sure, FP+ will likely reduce the number of regular fastpasses available to the general public, but there will also be less competition for the ones that are left. Depending on how WDW configures things, it might not significantly impact non-FP+ guests (if you assume FP+ people would've grabbed fastpasses for those rides anyway).

I still wish they hadn't messed with the current system.

 

[LucyBC80]

After giving it some thought, I'm glad that they're forcing guests to choose between using FP+ and regular FP. It levels the playing field for those of us who don't want to participate in the new system. Double-dip hopping would be fun for the double-dipping hoppers, but not for everyone else. .

A very good point and I quite agree.

 

[bauer1168]

My apologies if ive got this wrong......
So it's all going to be on one card, your room key, fp+ and park ticket?
You can only choose fp+ for one park each day, and have a park hopper ticket?
If people opt for fp+ won't they be more likely to purchase non hopper tickets, therefore spending less money, therefore less money for Disney?

All this has me confused!

If I choose to stay onsite will I have a choice on whether I want to use fp+ or not?
If I was staying onsite for say, 10 days, could I use fp+ for 5 days or would it be a case of having to use it very day if your visit or not at all?

 

[Robo]

Nobody knows.

 

[MrRomance]

As is typical with all new things with Disney, it won't be until it's rolled out and we all know the "rules" and more importantly the restrictions, that we'll really know how much of a benefit it actually is for our individual vacation plans.

The bottom line is Disney can't please everyone. There are going to be those that benefit from FP+ and those who don't and each party are going to have to work that out based on how they plan their days.

For example, we only ever stay onsite. We did the off-site thing for years but once you go on-site, I think you're unlikely to do it again. For us, on-site is our preference and that would only change in VERY exceptional circumstances. So, FP+ is essentially being "sold to me" as a Disney Resort Guest "benefit". Being from the UK, we get 14 day ultimate tickets which mean we can go where we want, when we want for the during of the stay, so hopping isn't something that we do too often. We sometimes hop for dining purposes but in general, we plan make use of EMH to their maximum benefit.

Typically, we go to whatever park has morning EMH, stay until the crowds kick in around 2pm and get out of the park. We will then go to that park again later in the trip when it's evening EMH and make use of that. So, for us, FP+ will probably be a benefit.

Basically, my point is, you win some, you lose some and maybe people will have to rethink how they do their vacation to make the most of the systems in place. We all worked out how to maximise FP and we'll all work out how to maximise FP+ too. We live and learn!

 

[justakrazymom]

After giving it some thought, I'm glad that they're forcing guests to choose between using FP+ and regular FP. It levels the playing field for those of us who don't want to participate in the new system. Double-dip hopping would be fun for the double-dipping hoppers, but not for everyone else.

Sure, FP+ will likely reduce the number of regular fastpasses available to the general public, but there will also be less competition for the ones that are left. Depending on how WDW configure things, it might not significantly impact non-FP+ guests (if you assume FP+ people would've grabbed fastpasses for those rides anyway).

I still wish they hadn't messed with the current system.

this is where I stand on this.

 

[aaarcher86]

Speculation about FP+ is so entertaining someone should charge admission.

You may direct all admission costs to my Paypal.

 

[aaarcher86]

Nobody knows.

I had a little Princess Vespa flashback on that one!

 

[Robo]

I had a little Princess Vespa flashback on that one!

 

[aaarcher86]

Best baritone ever!

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

Very interesting initial responses so far.

~LOL. This is the same "grumbling" about FP+ as there have always been, very typical!

I'm reserving judgement until implemented. If memory serves, when Fastpass was originally created, there was much grumbling then as well.

~QFT! I totally agree! I have witnessed this "grumbling" firsthand, about everything from Magical Express, online check-in, online adr's, and the list goes on & on & on. But, the good news is, the old fastpass is still available, they can just use that!

As is typical with all new things with Disney, it won't be until it's rolled out and we all know the "rules" and more importantly the restrictions, that we'll really know how much of a benefit it actually is for our individual vacation plans.

The bottom line is Disney can't please everyone. There are going to be those that benefit from FP+ and those who don't and each party are going to have to work that out based on how they plan their days.

For example, we only ever stay onsite. We did the off-site thing for years but once you go on-site, I think you're unlikely to do it again. For us, on-site is our preference and that would only change in VERY exceptional circumstances. So, FP+ is essentially being "sold to me" as a Disney Resort Guest "benefit". Being from the UK, we get 14 day ultimate tickets which mean we can go where we want, when we want for the during of the stay, so hopping isn't something that we do too often. We sometimes hop for dining purposes but in general, we plan make use of EMH to their maximum benefit.

Typically, we go to whatever park has morning EMH, stay until the crowds kick in around 2pm and get out of the park. We will then go to that park again later in the trip when it's evening EMH and make use of that. So, for us, FP+ will probably be a benefit.

Basically, my point is, you win some, you lose some and maybe people will have to rethink how they do their vacation to make the most of the systems in place. We all worked out how to maximise FP and we'll all work out how to maximise FP+ too. We live and learn!

~Mr. Romance, this is the best post ever!!! Thanks so much for sharing your perspective, as usual you are the voice of reason & I couldn't agree more!

 

[WedgieSock]

After giving it some thought, I'm glad that they're forcing guests to choose between using FP+ and regular FP. It levels the playing field for those of us who don't want to participate in the new system.

I agree.

It seems that there are a lot of you that enjoy the 'traditional' FP system and have your touring down to pat via FP's. The great thing is, you can STILL tour like that if you so wish.

For our family, FP+ will work really well and I cannot wait.

We do not Park Hop - I can't justify the extra $300 it costs our family to have the option to change parks. For us, it isn't convenient. The time you use travelling to another park is another ride to us.

Our touring style is relaxed - we love to take in the atmosphere plus we take my parents who are older and Mum is in an ECV. Its not imperative that we get in every ride as there will always be another trip to the World.

The fact that you will be able to pick parades & fireworks is awesome for us. We love them but it can be very difficult with my Mum to get good viewing - yes, there are disabled viewing areas BUT you can only take 1 or 2 (depending on area) other members with you so we do not use them as we like to watch as a family ... we went to Disney together as a family so we want to experience Disney as a family.

The fact you can book them 60 days out doesn't bother me either - heck, I get up at 5.45am 180 days out to book restaurants so, I can deal with this also.

Basically, for our family, FP+ is full of positives and I am very happy with the proposed changes.

 

[reelmom]

This new information has me a little bit worried. I am kinda glad we decided to do Universal and SeaWorld again this summer. Maybe when Disney works out all the kinks, we will return.

 

[WedgieSock]

This new information has me a little bit worried. I am kinda glad we decided to do Universal and SeaWorld again this summer. Maybe when Disney works out all the kinks, we will return.

Out of curiosity .... why would the new FP+ system deter you from going to Disney?