Fastpass Plus Sucks!

[Laketravis]

Before you Pro-FP+ people jump on the OP for doing everything "wrong", ask yourself if spending a day at an amusement park should have a "right" way and a "wrong" way.

And they say the "haters" are brutal...........

 

[Laketravis]

If having to wait in lines at a theme park has ruined your vacation, perhaps you need to rethink your expectations of theme parks.

Or perhaps the theme park needs to rethink their business plan.

 

[Saimaeve]

Or perhaps the theme park needs to rethink their business plan.

Doesn't seem their business plan is really hurting them!


I liked FP+. It worked for me, I didnt feel like I was going to get trampled by the huge groups rushing to grab them in the morning. And there are HUGE groups that did this.

Change happens, I dont see them going back to the old way so adapting seems to be the best way to do it

 

[Laketravis]

Doesn't seem their business plan is really hurting them!


I liked FP+. It worked for me, I didnt feel like I was going to get trampled by the huge groups rushing to grab them in the morning. And there are HUGE groups that did this.

Change happens, I dont see them going back to the old way so adapting seems to be the best way to do it

Oh, okay. So if the line at the McDonald's drive-thru begins to consistently wrap around the building and into the street, resulting in wait times of 15 minutes or more before you can pick up your order, rather than McDonald's increase the capacity of their drive-thru it would be a much smarter business plan for McDonald's to implement an advance-order system so you could place your order up to 60 days in advance? You'd recommend just "adapting" to that?



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[dwheaton]

I visited this week and was booking 30 days out. I was able to get Fastpasses for SDMT on both Sunday at 4:45 and then Wednesday at 12:10. I also got A&E at 7:40 on Sunday. I did have to work to get the better time on Wednesday and A&E at all.

I have mixed feelings on FP+ after using it. We have two younger girls (5.5 and 22 months), and we couldn't get out of the door to arrive early enough by the old system. We were able to ride all the big attractions by setting up the times in advance.

That said, there are issues with FP+, particularly the longer lines on attractions like Haunted Mansion, POTC, IASW, and Spaceship Earth. The lines were really spread out across many attractions at the Magic Kingdom. It changes the way you tour, and I couldn't spend lots of time waiting at the kiosks for extra FPs because we didn't want to make our daughters stand around. It also doesn't work great at places with the tiers (EP and DHS) because everyone flocks to those attractions even in the slow times.

I think if they tweak it right and allow extra fastpasses to be booked on the app, it could actually work out okay. I was able to use the app and change several times on the fly that really helped this week.

I've gone from hating FP+ to being in the middle on it now. It still has issues, and I don't like what it says about management's focus (efficiency over new attractions), but it's hardly terrible if you do it right.

 

[Saimaeve]

Oh, okay. So if the line at the McDonald's drive-thru begins to consistently wrap around the building and into the street, resulting in wait times of 15 minutes or more before you can pick up your order, rather than McDonald's increase the capacity of their drive-thru it would be a much smarter business plan for McDonald's to implement an advance-order system so you could place your order up to 60 days in advance? You'd recommend just "adapting" to that?



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Orrrr don't go to McDonald's

This isn't the same though. Is this making your life that difficult? Why go?

I don't see them changing. If it bothers you sooo very much, perhaps finding a place that fits your needs may be best.

 

[Cormoran]

Doesn't seem their business plan is really hurting them!


I liked FP+. It worked for me, I didnt feel like I was going to get trampled by the huge groups rushing to grab them in the morning. And there are HUGE groups that did this.

Change happens, I dont see them going back to the old way so adapting seems to be the best way to do it

I wonder how you'd feel about this change and how willing you would be to adapt if you felt the same way as the OP. It is so easy to adapt when you like the changes.

 

[Saimaeve]

I wonder how you'd feel about this change and how willing you would be to adapt if you felt the same way as the OP. It is so easy to adapt when you like the changes.

But does stomping your foot and saying it's not fair change it? Not really

This benefits the company in the long run. Sure you can't bowl people over anymore to grab FP at every ride you want at rope drop. But I see lots of people commenting about how they were able to get things. It's not going to go back to the old way.

 

[Jennasis]

Orrrr don't go to McDonald's

This isn't the same though. Is this making your life that difficult? Why go?

I don't see them changing. If it bothers you sooo very much, perhaps finding a place that fits your needs may be best.

Which is what the OP pretty much said they're doing. Spending their money elsewhere.

 

[BradChristian]

I'm sorry you had problems!

I am staying off site for a March 1 visit. I booked SDMT, Peter Pan, and Space Mountain for mid afternoon... Spending the morning at EPCOT so mid afternoon works great, and it seems like you only need FP for Soarin at EPCOT...

I may be extremely lucky... because I was also able to book Be Our Guest dinner randomly at 30 days as well. However - there were some flexibility even on the FPs. I was able to scoot some times around to optimize everything.

I think Disney is realizing in the world where people literally pay for touring plans... that the majority will realize that they need to put more planning into their trips. It is going to be a big shift for those who aren't planners for sure, and thats why I think you see so much negative feedback.

I also see why Disney wants people to stay on site... Universal is incentivising people like crazy to stay in their hotels. There always have and will continue to be ever growing perks to staying on Disney property. Thats essential when you can stay in pretty nice suites 5 minutes away from DTD for $60 a night on hotwire.

I just appreciate that Disney is including FP in the admission and not making it an up charge like the Busch/Universal parks.

 

[clarkinstlouis]

Cool, one less family in line in front of me. Things change. Deal.

 

[Cormoran]

But does stomping your foot and saying it's not fair change it? Not really

This benefits the company in the long run. Sure you can't bowl people over anymore to grab FP at every ride you want at rope drop. But I see lots of people commenting about how they were able to get things. It's not going to go back to the old way.

I don't really think I am stomping my foot, nor did I ever experience a stampede to reach a particular attraction in the mornings. I don't think things will go back to legacy, but I sure as heck hope they improve substantially.

 

[Josh Hendy]

I just had a quick look at the Unofficial Guide to WDW (2015 edition). It's interesting that they don't recommend getting a FP+ for SDMT, so their availability (or non-availability) at 60 days, 30 days or whatever doesn't matter.

They recommend getting FP+ for Big Thunder for 9:30 am and Space Mountain for 9:30 am. You ride on SDMT on standby immediately after rope drop, then ride Splash Mountain right after. You should be on Big Thunder soon afterward with your FP+. Presumably their basic touring plan takes you through the other highlights such as Pirates, Haunted Mansion, etc. sometime between 10 am and 3:30 pm.

This isn't going to please people who don't do rope drop or don't like having to run/walk briskly across the park, but it's good news for most people who can't get a FP+ for SDMT.

 

[Laketravis]

Orrrr don't go to McDonald's This isn't the same though. Is this making your life that difficult? Why go? I don't see them changing. If it bothers you sooo very much, perhaps finding a place that fits your needs may be best.

It's not the same? Hmmmm..... I know some kids who would really be upset if they couldn't get their Happy Meals!

 

[Planogirl]

I don't really think I am stomping my foot, nor did I ever experience a stampede to reach a particular attraction in the mornings. I don't think things will go back to legacy, but I sure as heck hope they improve substantially.

I agree. I don't think that legacy will ever come back but that doesn't mean that FP+ won't be tweaked as time goes on.

Someone commented about incentives to stay offsite but this has actually caused me to run as far as I can from a Disney resort. We used to alternate between onsite and offsite but all of the aggravation from FP+ and other changes has me less interested in dealing with Disney much. I might be an oddball but this is how I feel.

 

[ppiew]

Guess I wouldn't want to be in line with someone with an 'attitude' anyway!

 

[Planogirl]

Guess I wouldn't want to be in line with someone with an 'attitude' anyway!

I see "attitude" from both sides of the discussion here...

 

[Laketravis]

I just had a quick look at the Unofficial Guide to WDW (2015 edition). It's interesting that they don't recommend getting a FP+ for SDMT, so their availability (or non-availability) at 60 days, 30 days or whatever doesn't matter. They recommend getting FP+ for Big Thunder for 9:30 am and Space Mountain for 9:30 am. You ride on SDMT on standby immediately after rope drop, then ride Splash Mountain right after. You should be on Big Thunder soon afterward with your FP+. Presumably their basic touring plan takes you through the other highlights such as Pirates, Haunted Mansion, etc. sometime between 10 am and 3:30 pm. This isn't going to please people who don't do rope drop or don't like having to run/walk briskly across the park, but it's good news for most people who can't get a FP+ for SDMT.

That's interesting. What do they recommend for the tiered parks - Epcot and HS?

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[Planogirl]

I just had a quick look at the Unofficial Guide to WDW (2015 edition). It's interesting that they don't recommend getting a FP+ for SDMT, so their availability (or non-availability) at 60 days, 30 days or whatever doesn't matter.

They recommend getting FP+ for Big Thunder for 9:30 am and Space Mountain for 9:30 am. You ride on SDMT on standby immediately after rope drop, then ride Splash Mountain right after. You should be on Big Thunder soon afterward with your FP+. Presumably their basic touring plan takes you through the other highlights such as Pirates, Haunted Mansion, etc. sometime between 10 am and 3:30 pm.

This isn't going to please people who don't do rope drop or don't like having to run/walk briskly across the park, but it's good news for most people who can't get a FP+ for SDMT.

What about Peter Pan?

 

[Robo]

They recommend getting FP+ for
Big Thunder for 9:30 am
and Space Mountain for 9:30 am.

A daringly inconceivable plan...