Fastpass+ Rumors?

[mikedoyleblogger]

And me. Now, we live in Phoenix, so DLR is ALWAYS going to be easier for us. But we did WDW in April, 2014, and I agonized about the planning for MONTHS, stalking Anna & Elsa (this when they had been at Epcot with five+ hour waits - I got one of the first FP+ for their MK move) and the Be Our Guest ADR, particularly. Then we did DLR in August, 2015, and I agonized about planning that one in the same way...and then realized once we were there that I really didn't need to do that and we got to do so much more because of regular old FP. So when we went this past June, I just made a few ADRs two weeks ahead of time, and that was it. I love DLR so much more. Now we're APs.

You're not complaining about WDW. You're complaining about your choice to "stalk" Anna and Elsa. In 2014, when my partner and I made back-to-back trips to DLR, people were complaining about the exact same multi-hour waits to "stalk" Anna and Elsa in Anaheim. Had you visited DLR that year instead of WDW, it would have negatively colored your opinion of DLR in the same way, without involving or blaming the FP+ system.

There's also nothing stopping you from making "a few ADRs two weeks ahead of time" at WDW, except most likely the fact that, as I suspect, you never tried to do that, or you would know that it is actually very possible to do. If you choose to decide that missing one or two things will ruin your trip at WDW, I promise you, there will come a day when the same thing happens to your plans in Anaheim.

For example, the day before an early 2000s long-weekend at DLR, TDA closed Space Mountain early for a multi-year refurb. I had scheduled my trip specifically to happen before the refurb started. But since DLR is a locals park, unlike TDO, TDA very often changes refurb schedules around on the fly, with little advance notice. They do this because locals can always drive back later to ride and do what they missed. But it often screws up the plans of long-distance visitors. I was heartbroken to have traveled 2,400 miles for my favorite ride to be unexpectedly closed, and you can search the DL forum here for many, many such stories. Especially during 2013-2014 when DLR was battling with Cal OSHA over backstage safety railings, and for a solid year no one was sure what rides would be open and what rides would be closed on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. As a new DLR vet, be prepared for that, for it will happen (Space was the first of three times it happened to me), and you won't be able to blame it on MDE either.

 

[hjgaus]

I don't know why this is such an enduring assumption. You don't have to schedule rides two months in advance any more than you have to schedule ADR's six months in advance. Just because some people desire to ride 7DMT or FEA, or snag breakfast at CRT or dinner at Le Cellier so badly that they live and die by the 60- and 180-day reminders on their phones doesn't mean that you have to do that for the great majority of rides and restaurants at WDW. We often shuffle our FP+ shortly before or during our trips, never schedule ADR's more than a couple months out (since we never schedule our WDW trips more than a couple of months out), and are not shy about changing ADRs the fly either. It isn't as if you get to do everything you want to do everytime you visit DL, either. In fact, without FP+, there's a much better chance that you won't get to the things you want to do most if you don't play your day right at DL. So the lack of flexibility you think the advance planning tools make you give up--which as I've said for the most part really isn't the case--is pretty much equaled by the random nature of a day at DL.

I agree with you, TDA is moving in a different technological direction solely because of cost. I don't think Disney would lose any locals if they rolled out the exact same New Technology as currently at WDW. I think uber-fans who post online (like us!) grouse about it a lot more than rank-and-file Angelenos would care. In fact, I think DLR locals would take to Magic Bands, and MDE, and FP+, etc., just as well as Orlando locals did. There are so few long-distance visitors to DLR anyway that their FP+ reservations two months out or their dinner reservations six months out would have much less of an impact at DLR than they do at WDW. I can definitely see locals taking to Magic Bands as a style trend in the same way that WDW fans did, and I can just as easily see DLR locals loving being able to plan a visit a few weeks in advance. The people who drop in after work to watch Fantasmic or catch the fireworks aren't the majority of DLR visitiors (although I can easily see them having a Magic Band or two hanging out in the consoles of their car just in case--just like Orlando locals.) The families who come to spend a day to celebrate a birthday or other special occasion are the majority of visitiors, and those are trips that don't happen at the last minute. There's no reason at all why such visitiors would turn their noses up at advance FP and dining reservations.

I know well the hell of Disneyland when it's painfully crowded, and given the smaller dimensions of its pathways and enormous number of its nearby AP holders, that happens IMO more regularly than it happens at MK or the other WDW parks. Those are the moments, when Space Mountain has a 90-minute line and no more Fastpasses, and I can't conceive of physically making it across the park to Blue Bayou, that I would most want to drop into MDE and change my day around. I can easily do that at WDW, and that's the biggest reason we changed home resorts. That's the kind of real flexibility you give up by dismissing the New Tech tools out of hand.

I agree with ALL of this !!! Speaking as a LOCAL (living about a 30 minute drive away) DVC Member/ Signature Annual Passport Holder!!!

Although we all are entitled to our own opinions I hope we can all try to just enjoy Disney!!

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't know why this is such an enduring assumption. You don't have to schedule rides two months in advance any more than you have to schedule ADR's six months in advance. Just because some people desire to ride 7DMT or FEA, or snag breakfast at CRT or dinner at Le Cellier so badly that they live and die by the 60- and 180-day reminders on their phones doesn't mean that you have to do that for the great majority of rides and restaurants at WDW. We often shuffle our FP+ shortly before or during our trips, never schedule ADR's more than a couple months out (since we never schedule our WDW trips more than a couple of months out), and are not shy about changing ADRs on the fly either. It isn't as if you get to do everything you want to do everytime you visit DL, either. In fact, without FP+, there's a much better chance that you won't get to the things you want to do most if you don't play your day right at DL. So the lack of flexibility you think the advance planning tools make you give up--which as I've said for the most part really isn't the case--is pretty much equaled by the random nature of a day at DL.

And I desire to do nearly all of those things. And I used to be able to do it with far less hassle at WDW. And I still can do comparable things at DLR without needing to even consider any of it more than a few weeks out for dining reservations and same day for rides. The slate is clean every single morning we get up and head for the parks at DLR. That's just not the case any more at WDW. If you are willing to choose from what's available same day at WDW, then I can see how it works out fine. But people who aren't AP holders and don't get to the parks very often can't just pick up next time what they happen to miss this time. And sometimes doing specific rides is important to them. Sometimes it's even fun to do headline rides over and over. We used to do that at WDW. I understand that we still can, if we luck into availability or are willing to wait in long lines. But I love the current DLR system where I can know with certainty that I can accomplish that if I want to.

I'm glad you are a fan of FP+ and that it works for you. Really, I am. I'm just saying that it's a mistake to assume that everyone wants the same system in place at DLR.

And yes, we can agree that Disney doesn't care what either of us wants. They want what will best benefit the bottom line.

 

[Winnowill]

You're not complaining about WDW. You're complaining about your choice to "stalk" Anna and Elsa. In 2014, when my partner and I made back-to-back trips to DLR, people were complaining about the exact same multi-hour waits to "stalk" Anna and Elsa in Anaheim. Had you visited DLR that year instead of WDW, it would have negatively colored your opinion of DLR in the same way, without involving or blaming the FP+ system.

There's also nothing stopping you from making "a few ADRs two weeks ahead of time" at WDW, except most likely the fact that, as I suspect, you never tried to do that, or you would know that it is actually very possible to do. If you choose to decide that missing one or two things will ruin your trip at WDW, I promise you, there will come a day when the same thing happens to your plans in Anaheim.

I DID make ADRs a few weeks ahead of time - we hadn't started planning the trip until three-four months before, anyway. And, if we hadn't gotten to see A&E or have supper at BOG, it wouldn't have ruined our trip, and I never said that it would have. However, those were things we wanted to do. We also wanted to ride 7DMT. Well, it wasn't open, yet. Missing out on that didn't ruin my trip, either. What I'm saying is that I prefer not having to PLAN these things ahead of time so much. Especially for highly desirable FP+ and the tiered structure...ugh. I don't WANT to have to decide whether I'd rather do Test Track at rope drop and Soarin' with FP+ and then know that I probably won't be able to get an FP+ for Test Track by the time I use my three previous FPs (including two on lesser attractions that I really didn't WANT to have to choose FP+s for - although, when we were there, there was no option to add to your three FP+) - what a pain. We tour DLR judiciously with FPs and we never wait more than 20 minutes for anything unless we choose to, and we certainly don't have to concern ourselves with tiered attractions.

Each to his/her own, though. Some people like it. I don't. I liked the MagicBands and MDE (although the DLR app is just as good for what it needs to be). But not FP+.

 

[Laz]

I am a little concerned that they may not be able to get the technology to work properly on a consistent basis. Heck, they can't even tie a DLR room key to your park tickets!

 

[ClaraOswald]

I just hope they get wifi in the parks before this rolls out.

 

[dshimel]

When my son worked at WDW in the Disney College Program, I went and visited him and used his free tickets. I was like, "but don't we have to reserve FPs in advance?" He was like, nope. Maybe get one for 11 instead of 9am, but you can still get them the day of your visit.

So, you CAN plan every aspect. You can be jumping on x days out and reserving for 8am opening.... If you want. Just like you can be at the park gates an hour before opening so you can get 8:40 Fp for space.

BUT, you don't have to plan x days in advance, if you don't want to.

Either way, the need to be at the gate an hour before opening is slightly less with digital FP. With paper FP, if you are not there at opening, then you lose short lines AND good FP return times. With digital FP and planning ahead, sleeping in that hour may cost you some short lines, but you are locked in for the good FP times.

 

[mom2rtk]

I am a little concerned that they may not be able to get the technology to work properly on a consistent basis. Heck, they can't even tie a DLR room key to your park tickets!

That's a very legitimate concern. There was a new thread on the WDW side this morning expressing frustration over how MDE wasn't working well right now:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/here-now-may-pull-my-hair-out.3566313/#post-56875682

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

That's a very legitimate concern. There was a new thread on the WDW side this morning expressing frustration over how MDE wasn't working well right now:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/here-now-may-pull-my-hair-out.3566313/#post-56875682

I was caught up in this too during our anniversary trip earlier this month. Photo pass was problematic as well, we ended up with a few pictures that were not ours. Then again, we also had a trip to DLR where our annual passes didn't work for the entire length of our trip because somehow we were not in the system anymore. So it can happen in both places. It's always good to complain to guest services when it happens because you almost always will be pixie dusted.

 

[mom2rtk]

I was caught up in this too during our anniversary trip earlier this month. Photo pass was problematic as well, we ended up with a few pictures that were not ours. Then again, we also had a trip to DLR where our annual passes didn't work for the entire length of our trip because somehow we were not in the system anymore. So it can happen in both places. It's always good to complain to guest services when it happens because you almost always will be pixie dusted.

No doubt. But I imagine someone gave you a card to use to get fastpasses with when your APs weren't working. At WDW ride access (via FP+) is run through that very unreliable IT system.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

No doubt. But I imagine someone gave you a card to use to get fastpasses with when your APs weren't working. At WDW ride access (via FP+) is run through that very unreliable IT system.

Actually, oddly enough, during that trip our APs worked fine for Fastpasses. But they wouldn't work at all for park entry or to prove our AP status for dining and merchandise discounts, and the system also wouldn't save our photos no matter how many times CMs took them for us. We wasted about two solid hours of a weekend trip waiting for Guest Services leads to arrive at every turnstyle and every food and merch cashier to approve our entries and our discounts. It was so bad, DLR Guest Services gave us a three-night stay at GCH to make up for it.

 

[dshimel]

It was so bad, DLR Guest Services gave us a three-night stay at GCH to make up for it.

What? Someone delete my APs from the system so I can get that deal!!!!

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

What? Someone delete my APs from the system so I can get that deal!!!!

I think they only did that because we're not local APs. We didn't complain though. Actually, we got to choose the hotel and chose GCH.

 

[closetmickey]

Actually, oddly enough, during that trip our APs worked fine for Fastpasses. But they wouldn't work at all for park entry or to prove our AP status for dining and merchandise discounts, and the system also wouldn't save our photos no matter how many times CMs took them for us. We wasted about two solid hours of a weekend trip waiting for Guest Services leads to arrive at every turnstyle and every food and merch cashier to approve our entries and our discounts. It was so bad, DLR Guest Services gave us a three-night stay at GCH to make up for it.

3 night stay?? That seems incredibly generous!! Are you a blogger as your name implies? Were they trying to avoid bad press? So lucky!!