Fastpass Plus Sucks!

[Laketravis]

A daringly inconceivable plan...

They must mean 'the next day' for Space Mountain....

 

[MrInfinity]

OP, expect to be told over and over again why you're wrong and how you just didn't do anything right. I did understand that you couldn't get the dwarfs ride 30 days ahead of time and once in the parks and past your initial 3 FP+ you could only get rides that formerly didn't need FP+. I'm sorry that you had a bad time.

Wow talk about trying to start a battle. "Someone is likely to disagree w you, and they'll be wrong!".

I'd be kind of interested to hear what an actual day of his was like. That sucks that he had such a bad time, but w more specifics maybe someone else could learn from his misfortune.

Is the only advice to take away from this -- Don't go?

I'm going in December and do not want to have a similar experience.

 

[whiporee]

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?
.

There isn't a way to increase capacity. All they can do is limit availability. That could be through raising the prices or putting hard caps on the numbers they let in, which would be hard to do since they have 25,000 hotel rooms on site.

You might be able to make a case for them needing more attractions, but I'm sure you're taken the train ride -- there's not a lot of land within it to add on. But the headliners are the size they are. You can't rebuild SM or BTM to have it fit more people or move faster. 5.5 million more people came to WDW in 2013 than did in the year BTM debuted -- the rides weren't designed for the numbers of people that now come to the parks. So FP+ allows them to try to let the massive numbers they do allow a chance at getting on the rides they want to get on.

I'm all for limiting admittance, but understand that will come with a world of problems, too.

 

[mhake01]

I like the new fp system. I got 9 fp+ today. 6 at magic kingdom and another 3 at Hollywood studios. You just have to know what you want and time everything good.

And early today after I used my first three at MK I had the option to get mine train again, so I don't agree with the "everything is unavailable" group.

Fp rides I hit today (7dmt, space mountain, buz, Peter Pan, a&e, btmr, RnR, ToT, star tours)

 

[Laketravis]

There isn't a way to increase capacity.....

Really?

 

[whiporee]

Really?

Seriously. How would you do it? I guess you could shut down a ride for a year and do a complete redesign, but that's hardly feasible, especially when you're talking about the headliners that everyone complains there aren't enough of to begin with.

When you're there, do you see a lot of lag time on the rides? Seems to me that on SM and BTM they come one right after the other. You can't fit more cars on Peter Pan because the track is what the track is.

You might be able to get bigger in the park, but it's a very big park as it is, and increasing the number of rides increases the number of people who want to come, which basic supply and demand would say they ought to raise the prices even higher. Which would be cool with me.

But regardless, the problem isn't FP+ or FP-, it's that they let too many damn people in -- a million more this year than last, and I imagine next year will see the same. You can't fault them for maximizing profits, because if they don't, shareholders form committees and file class-action lawsuits.

It's unfortunate, and I'd like to see it change because the crowds there now suck, but I don't see what they can do about it.

 

[Laketravis]

Seriously. How would you do it? I guess you could shut down a ride for a year and do a complete redesign, but that's hardly feasible, especially when you're talking about the headliners that everyone complains there aren't enough of to begin with. When you're there, do you see a lot of lag time on the rides? Seems to me that on SM and BTM they come one right after the other. You can't fit more cars on Peter Pan because the track is what the track is. You might be able to get bigger in the park, but it's a very big park as it is, and increasing the number of rides increases the number of people who want to come, which basic supply and demand would say they ought to raise the prices even higher. Which would be cool with me. But regardless, the problem isn't FP+ or FP-, it's that they let too many damn people in -- a million more this year than last, and I imagine next year will see the same. You can't fault them for maximizing profits, because if they don't, shareholders form committees and file class-action lawsuits. It's unfortunate, and I'd like to see it change because the crowds there now suck, but I don't see what they can do about it.

They could limit admittance like Discovery Cove does, or raise prices even more, or even both in an attempt to control demand and still meet target margins. I wouldn't mind that at all. But in terms of space, a quick look at Google Earth shows just how much space there is - and there is plenty. But yeah, FP is just a short term fix much like a toll road - eventually they are going to have to deal with the increased traffic.

 

[Shaden]

I'm not sure that's the case.

This is no longer the case ...

 

[Cormoran]

Wow talk about trying to start a battle. "Someone is likely to disagree w you, and they'll be wrong!".

I'd be kind of interested to hear what an actual day of his was like. That sucks that he had such a bad time, but w more specifics maybe someone else could learn from his misfortune.

Is the only advice to take away from this -- Don't go?

I'm going in December and do not want to have a similar experience.

I'd recommend you read the comments prior to Planogirl's response and perhaps you will understand why she posted this comment.

 

[20yBWDW]

I can sympathize with the OP, because we just returned from a trip I found disappointing, too. After being a FP+ supporter, I even had a moment of deciding I had been completely wrong. After some adjustment to the new way, I realized, logically, that the problem was not really FP+ and in fact, FP+ saved the trip because we got at least three good rides in each day. For us, the problem was that we have young children whose primary interests in MK were in Fantasyland. Fantasyland was extremely congested, with long wait times, due to the interest in 7DMT and A&E. The additional narrowing of walkways, etc, due to the construction just added to the stress.

I actually think FP+ is a good thing, and that when the appeal of 7DMT and A&E dissipates a bit, and we all adjust to a new way of touring, we will all learn to love it.

 

[cakebaker]

I think one of the reasons the op gets the negative responses is perhaps others think their claims are a bit hard to believe. I believe they don't like fp+. What I don't believe is there was no way to avoid a 2 hour wait to ride SDMT or that the only rides available were the ones they listed.

 

[Josh Hendy]

What about Peter Pan?

The touring plan "One Day in MK for adults" recommends getting FP+ for BTMRR (9:30am), Peter Pan (12 noon) and Space Mountain (3:30pm).

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

.

For Epcot "One Day Touring Plan for Adults" they recommend getting FP+ for Test Track (9:15am), Mission Space (10:15am), Spaceship Earth (1pm) ... but riding Soarin' on standby immediately after Rope Drop.

Unofficial Guide to WDW is a GREEAAT resource, I highly recommend it. They come up with touring plans using computer simulations and test them with real people walking around the parks, then they refine the plans and come up with options for 1 versus 2 days, adults vs. parents with kids, etc. And there is much, much more than touring plans.

My standard advice to any acquaintance who wants to go to WDW is to get this book. The people who don't take my advice usually answer like this when I ask them "How was your trip?" ... "[makes a face] Oh gosh, the lines were SOOO long, we spent most of the trip in lines."

 

[Cormoran]

The touring plan "One Day in MK for adults" recommends getting FP+ for BTMRR (9:30am), Peter Pan (12 noon) and Space Mountain (3:30pm).



For Epcot "One Day Touring Plan for Adults" they recommend getting FP+ for Test Track (9:15am), Mission Space (10:15am), Spaceship Earth (1pm) ... but riding Soarin' on standby immediately after Rope Drop.

Unofficial Guide to WDW is a GREEAAT resource, I highly recommend it. They come up with touring plans using computer simulations and test them with real people walking around the parks, then they refine the plans and come up with options for 1 versus 2 days, adults vs. parents with kids, etc. And there is much, much more than touring plans.

My standard advice to any acquaintance who wants to go to WDW is to get this book. The people who don't take my advice usually answer like this when I ask them "How was your trip?" ... "[makes a face] Oh gosh, the lines were SOOO long, we spent most of the trip in lines."

Why wouldn't they suggest a FP for Soarin' and then riding Test track single rider?

 

[Planogirl]

Wow talk about trying to start a battle. "Someone is likely to disagree w you, and they'll be wrong!".

I'd be kind of interested to hear what an actual day of his was like. That sucks that he had such a bad time, but w more specifics maybe someone else could learn from his misfortune.

Is the only advice to take away from this -- Don't go?

I'm going in December and do not want to have a similar experience.

I don't start battles. But in the event that anyone else misreads what I meant, I simply wanted to point out that the thread was going down the same chastising path as always plus I understood perfectly well what the OP meant. A few others didn't seem to.

 

[Planogirl]

The touring plan "One Day in MK for adults" recommends getting FP+ for BTMRR (9:30am), Peter Pan (12 noon) and Space Mountain (3:30pm).



For Epcot "One Day Touring Plan for Adults" they recommend getting FP+ for Test Track (9:15am), Mission Space (10:15am), Spaceship Earth (1pm) ... but riding Soarin' on standby immediately after Rope Drop.

Unofficial Guide to WDW is a GREEAAT resource, I highly recommend it. They come up with touring plans using computer simulations and test them with real people walking around the parks, then they refine the plans and come up with options for 1 versus 2 days, adults vs. parents with kids, etc. And there is much, much more than touring plans.

My standard advice to any acquaintance who wants to go to WDW is to get this book. The people who don't take my advice usually answer like this when I ask them "How was your trip?" ... "[makes a face] Oh gosh, the lines were SOOO long, we spent most of the trip in lines."

I like the UOG too even though I haven't bought one for a while. Those MK FP+ times seem awfully spread out though.

 

[Josh Hendy]

Why wouldn't they suggest a FP for Soarin' and then riding Test track single rider?

They don't include single-rider lines in their standard touring plans (condensed on one page so you can tear it out and carry it around) but they mention the single-rider option in their descriptions of several of the most popular rides (in the "Touring Tips" subsection).

 

[first state]

The only part the doesn't work is the 4th and additional passes. There are not even close to enough kiosks. Also people stand around in groups to figure out what they want to do next. CM in fantasyland told me the kiosk in fantasyland can have an hour wait. Told us to walk back to tommorwoland it would be faster. I say if they add 25 kiosks per land it would help. We still got 8 fast passes. Also a CM gave us two slips for any ride fast pass, for no reason he was walking around restaurant when it was jammed talking with guests.

 

[CarolynU]

I'm just not a planner, so FP+ doesn't work for me. I used to like deciding on the morning of which park I felt like going to and then I just rocked up and snagged legacy FP's for the ride or attraction I fancied doing and then I would get another or park hop maybe and get another FP there. Now that mode of visiting has been more or less closed to me. Due to that my next vacation instead of visiting WDW prior to my DCL cruise I'm just headed straight to Miami.
I guess that my style of touring is atypical, so although FP+ has caused me to change my vacations I'm in the minority.

 

[vacationer1954]

Planners have always done better than non-planners at Disney and park commandos have always done even better than regular planners. I like FP+ because I have a more even playing field with the commandos who had touring plans before that allowed them to get several FPs early in the day on days our family would be able to get only one or two before the return times started getting so far out into the late afternoon and evening that we couldn't last that long.

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

MY husband and I went to WDW the week before last, stayed on property but did not do any FP in advance. We bought our two day tickets from Guest Services when we checked in, and the nice CM made some FP for us, of course 7DMT was not available. but the others we wanted were: TT, Soarin, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain.

So, we did rope drop and went right over to 7dmT, along with the crowds, and maybe had a five to ten minute wait at most, most of which was walking through the line. Easy, Peasy!

The system worked just fine for us, but rope drop is always the best strategy for beating the crowds, for awhile at least! I was not a master planner for this trip (usually I am) BUT for riding the most popular attraction, nothing beats rope drop and rope drop is available to everyone, whether staying on or off property. In that regard, nothing has changed!