Fastpass + seems to be ruining many posters trips to WDW.

[suzanna1066@comcast.]

Here is what I get from these boards:

1) if you have a FP horror story like that person at Soarin, it is used as an example of how awful this system is and how Disney is going down the tubes blah blah blah.

2) If someone posts a positive experience, the are either ignored or told they were there at a slow time or flamed for daring to disagree with the naysayers.

3) My personal favorite: FP wasn't broken, don't fix it. Gee, Rotary dial telephones worked just fine. So did Model Ts, VCRs, CDs and good old fashioned paper books. I so want to live in a world where this type of mentality dominates.

I went during a busy week. FP+ and MBs worked great, not flawlessly mind you but pretty good. We were compensated for our inconvenience without having to ask or demand (plus we knew it was a test system).

Take that for what it's worth. Or just don't go back. Other destinations will welcome your vacation dollars, Disney won't go bankrupt and everyone will be happy.

 

[mom2rtk]

I guess the question is, will a brand new touring strategy emerge from this? Other than go during non peak times.

Everyone keeps saying the savvy park goer will come up with a way to maximize the new system.

But seriously. There's only so far you can go with 3 tiered FPs and no duplications. I just don't think there's going to be much to offer except "be there at rope drop, schedule your FPs for later when it gets busy."

I could tweet the new touring plan. Several times.

 

[bcrook]

Here is what I get from these boards:

1) if you have a FP horror story like that person at Soarin, it is used as an example of how awful this system is and how Disney is going down the tubes blah blah blah.

2) If someone posts a positive experience, the are either ignored or told they were there at a slow time or flamed for daring to disagree with the naysayers.

3) My personal favorite: FP wasn't broken, don't fix it. Gee, Rotary dial telephones worked just fine. So did Model Ts, VCRs, CDs and good old fashioned paper books. I so want to live in a world where this type of mentality dominates.

I went during a busy week. FP+ and MBs worked great, not flawlessly mind you but pretty good. We were compensated for our inconvenience without having to ask or demand (plus we knew it was a test system).

Take that for what it's worth. Or just don't go back. Other destinations will welcome your vacation dollars, Disney won't go bankrupt and everyone will be happy.

Two things:

The soarin example is an Indicator of how fast the FP are being acquired even in a non peak time with half the population excluded from FP+. How will this look when 100% are online. That is a why that example is illustrative.

Reporting that things worked great when over half the population is still excluded doesn't help with projections.

People with fp+ option are not complaining about their last trips, they are concerned about the impact on future trips. I went in October with a limited number of people knowing about FP+. It was a novelty. We had a great time, but I don't expect NEXT October to be the same with every single guest having access.

 

[bcrook]

Everyone keeps saying the savvy park goer will come up with a way to maximize the new system.

But seriously. There's only so far you can go with 3 tiered FPs and no duplications. I just don't think there's going to be much to offer except "be there at rope drop, schedule your FPs for later when it gets busy."

I could tweet the new touring plan. Several times.

Those late FP will go quickly, so book them early. That is an integral part of your tweet.

 

[mom2rtk]

It will be interesting to see if they are successful in changing crowd behavior. [/LIST]

What it would require is a change in HUMAN behavior.

And some humans don't like to get up early. I still have faith that rope drop will offer the best advantage because of the people who 1) blow off their FPs to sleep in and 2) the newbies (the only ones crazy enough to settle for RD FPs) will underestimate how long it takes to get there in time.

I do think the benefit of RD will be reduced over what it is now, but I still think RD will be one of the few ways to get something done.

Remember. It's vacation. And you people all deserve your sleep.

Says the person who has been up since 4:30.

 

[mom2rtk]

Those late FP will go quickly, so book them early. That is an integral part of your tweet.

Well, I don't want to give away ALL the state secrets.

 

[zgirls]

My 2cents...
we always used RD strategy and FP - but always went back at times other that the window listed.
Using this method, we were able to ride the hot rides 3-4 times per park visit.

We just got back from a trip where we only used FP+ bands.
It worked just fine, but you will need to plan a bit more the day prior.
I did like that I could adjust FP times on my iphone on the disney bus riding to the park.
We will never be able to get 3-4 times on TSM with the new system if we do not go at RD, but we know that 3-4 times was working the system that was in place. We love WDW and will adjust our strategy as necessary.

My only question to the board is when will onsite get the perk that Universal Studio onsite guests get. Although, even that is restricted for some rides. But basically an unlimited FP ticket. I would consider paying for that. I must add that we are DVC members.

Bottom line, to fully enjoy and get what you feel is your moneys worth, you have to go in with a strategic plan, regardless of the FP system.

 

[beer dave]

The real problem here is being skirted-- every year there are more people going to the parks, and the parks aren't getting (much) bigger. When the crowd level increases faster than the attraction count, the waits are going to be longer. Simple math. The real solution would be to decrease the number of people in the parks at any given time. To do this, the price needs to increase. Would any of you who go every year be happy to spend the same amount to go every other year if the crowds were 50 %? (serious question-- not rhetorical)

Every one can argue about "dollars to value" of their trip, but the reality is that if the parks are crowded at the current costs, the product is weighed by the public to be well worth the cost. In any business model, this is an indicator to raise the price.

I think Disneys plan (aside form the increased spending.. etc) is to level the playing field so the new visitor can have the same chance as the veteran at going on some of the main attractions, and as stated before-- we on the Dis are very largely the minority.


and to z girls-- hows the valley? I grew up there and left in 05.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

I was part of the testing phase in October. I was ok with FP+ in all of the parks except MK. I could pull more than 3 fastpasses a day with good planning and RD. IMO 3 is not enough for this park. We also had A LOT of trouble with the system being down and not being able to switch things around.

I have been to WDW 5 times in the last four years. This was the first time, upon leaving, that I was not already planning my next trip. We will be taking a year off from Disney...... Especially with the announcement of the tier system.

Did FP+ "ruin" our vacation? ..... No, not by a long shot..... But I do not like it. I thought the old system was great.

Like everyone else, we drop a lot of money to pay for a Disney vacation. I don't want to spend it standing in line. We are planning a trip to the beach next year instead.

 

[clsteve]

If it works like Disney is planning, rope drop would lose its advantage. It will be interesting to see if they are successful in changing crowd behavior. I can see the time period that rope drop is an advantage shrinking even further though.

1. Rope drop will be appealing to those who love it.
2. Some who don't like rope drop but show up for rides or a FP will schedule FP+ for later and skip rope drop.
3. Some will have to show up because that is the only FP+ available (will that balance out #2?).
4. Others will realize that getting there early or staying until close is the only way to experience the rides multiple times. Will that group over-populate the rope drop scene?

Another question is when does crowd level drop to make a park experience a true non-peak season. If FP are gone on the major rides at 9:30 am even in September - rope drop is still important. I wonder if there will be any times to visit where there will be plenty of FP on the day of visit?

Exactly. All of the evidence we are seeing now is without over 50% using FP+ and without Disney Marketing it. Them wanting to reduce the variable of RD crowds for capacity and yield management wasn't something I had thought much about before - starting to make sense, though.

And if it makes the "low" season that much more appealing, another win for Disney, getting that occupancy higher.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I'm going to WDW in January, using FP+ for the first time. I'm pretty excited to try it out. I'm going to have to hit TSM at RD due to the tiering at the Studios, but I have FP+ for everything else I really want to ride.

I can see that FP+ is an advantage to some and not to others...but FP- is the same way. I can see advantages and disadvantages to both systems, and I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all Disney touring strategy. No matter what they do, some people are going to like it and some people won't.

And for people who won't wait for more than 20 minutes for ANYTHING...uh, really? I have to wonder what these people did before FP. I went to WDW in 1995 when I was 12. Know what I did? I waited in line. For everything. I remember the line for SM stretching way out of the building. My choices were to wait in the line or don't ride. So my dad and I waited in line. We met some nice people in line behind us that we talked to. While I agree that waiting in hour plus lines all day is not the best use of time, occasionally you might have to wait more than 20 minutes. It's not that big of a deal. I'm thankful that I don't have to wait in a long line for every single thing like I did back then.

 

[skriegerjr]

And for people who won't wait for more than 20 minutes for ANYTHING...uh, really? I have to wonder what these people did before FP. I went to WDW in 1995 when I was 12. Know what I did? I waited in line. For everything.

Before FP, many of us didn't go as often as we do now. We didn't have planning books like Unofficial Guide, websites like the DIS AllEars, or TouringPlans. So many of us didn't know about different ways to tour...

And from the FWIW category, we used to wait for dial up internet, too, but I sincerely doubt any of us would be willing to repeat that, after experiencing broadband service...likewise, I remember waiting in a 2 hour line for BTMRR, but having experienced WDW as many times as I have, and without the long waits, I don't care to repeat that either.

Sent from my rooted Samsung Galaxy SIII using the DISBoards app

 

[Shaden]

If you are there on an extremely slow day, you will be OK. But even if the old fastpass system is still in effect, and it appears it will be...be aware that there are not very many actual paper fastpass times left at the headliner rides...and ALL of the rides and shows now have fastpass (even the ones that never had fastpass before.) BUT many rides have fastpass+ but no fastpass paper ticket machines, so you're just out of luck there...like Pirates of the Caribbean had 30 minute standby on a slow day because they're now running a fastpass line there too. But there is no fastpasspaper ticket machine for it so if you don't have fastpass+ you have no chance to get Pirates fastpass and there are now built in waits because of the fastpass+ line. The crowds that day I would have guessed walk-on for Pirates, but not now because the fastpass+ is redistributing the crowds much more effectively (for Disney anyway.)

And we were at Epcot in mid-October on a medium-slow day (it was rated a "4" on the crowd calendar) but guesstimating the actual crowd early in the day, it was more like a 3. Maybe getting to be a 4 by the time we left around 1:00 PM that day. We arrived at Epcot 45 minutes before the park opened, we were 4th in line at the ticket turnstyle. They opened the park about 10 minutes before 9:00. I was on a scooter, and went directly to the Soarin' Fastpass machines...arriving there at 8:55 AM. There were only 3 people in the room ahead of me. Pulled 5 fastpasses with our park tickets--the return times were 12, 2:00, 2:10, 2:10 and 2:15. While waiting for my family to get to Soarin for a stand-by ride, the fastpass return time jumped to 5:30 PM at 9:00 AM. When my family joined me to get in the stand-by line, at 9:05 AM...the fastpass return time was 8:00 PM. When we left the land building about 9:30 AM and went by the electronic times sign both Soarin' and Test Track said fastpasses were gone for the day. This was in the early morning, before the crowds arrived!

As for the tiered fastpass+ system...that makes for interesting touring issues. That same day at Epcot...at 9:30 in the morning on a slow morning, Journey into Imagination had a stand-by wait time of 40 minutes! Because there was a whole bunch of people who actually booked fastpasses for Figment. Later in the morning Figment was back to normal walk-on...but that first hour it was very busy. Crazy.

WOW. That certainly is eye-opening. And now we know what happens with FP+. And that was a slow day. WOW again.

Did I say WOW??????

Yea this is exactly what so many of us have been predicting, while the Kool-Aid drinkers keep talking about how awesome and flexible this new system will be and how when THEY tested it, it was awesome !!! Even the example above is still including a small portion of guests testing, at one of the slowest times of year. Just imagine when everyone onsite is using them, then when they add in everyone Offsite and AP holders. There will be NO flexibility, You are going to have to do the midnight/7am online booking or you will be spending your vacation inline instead of on rides.

Hey, if standing in lines and 'spending time enjoying conversation with your family' is what you are looking for ... great. But I tell you what, I have a nice new house in Niagara Falls, sleeps at least 6, and you can TALK ALL YOU WANT !!!! I will rent it out to you for a couple thousand dollars a week !!! Just like Disney, only cheaper, and you get a full kitchen and a CAT ! (Please feed him and give him fresh water morning and night, along with a few pills, he is getting a little old).

 

[Mkrop]

I'm going to WDW in January, using FP+ for the first time. I'm pretty excited to try it out. I'm going to have to hit TSM at RD due to the tiering at the Studios, but I have FP+ for everything else I really want to ride.

I can see that FP+ is an advantage to some and not to others...but FP- is the same way. I can see advantages and disadvantages to both systems, and I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all Disney touring strategy. No matter what they do, some people are going to like it and some people won't.

And for people who won't wait for more than 20 minutes for ANYTHING...uh, really? I have to wonder what these people did before FP. I went to WDW in 1995 when I was 12. Know what I did? I waited in line. For everything. I remember the line for SM stretching way out of the building. My choices were to wait in the line or don't ride. So my dad and I waited in line. We met some nice people in line behind us that we talked to. While I agree that waiting in hour plus lines all day is not the best use of time, occasionally you might have to wait more than 20 minutes. It's not that big of a deal. I'm thankful that I don't have to wait in a long line for every single thing like I did back then.

We waited in really long lines and vowed to never go back, that is what we did BEFORE FP. Then we read about FP, took our then 4 year old and fell in love with the place. We now have bulit strategies no matter where we go to utilize our time efficiently. Like we are pretty local to Hershey Park, we know when to go, what days are best to avoid crowds and we stay onsite to get in an hour early, we have a strategy to avoid lines. From resaerch and experience, we know how to navigate both places to avoid standing in super long lines. WHY would I want to go backwards and wait in lines again. That is an inefficient use of mine and my family's precious vacation time.

 

[mom2rtk]

Hey, if standing in lines and 'spending time enjoying conversation with your family' is what you are looking for ... great.

If standing in line with my family is all I'm after..... I'll take them with me next time I go to the DMV!

 

[clsteve]

If standing in line with my family is all I'm after..... I'll take them with me next time I go to the DMV!

But having your family in line is going to slow down the rest of us when DMV obviously wants everyone to have an equal experience...! How rude

 

[momof2n2]

If standing in line with my family is all I'm after..... I'll take them with me next time I go to the DMV!

Touché

 

[CAbryan]

Here is what I get from these boards:

1) if you have a FP horror story like that person at Soarin, it is used as an example of how awful this system is and how Disney is going down the tubes blah blah blah.

2) If someone posts a positive experience, the are either ignored or told they were there at a slow time or flamed for daring to disagree with the naysayers.

3) My personal favorite: FP wasn't broken, don't fix it. Gee, Rotary dial telephones worked just fine. So did Model Ts, VCRs, CDs and good old fashioned paper books. I so want to live in a world where this type of mentality dominates.

I went during a busy week. FP+ and MBs worked great, not flawlessly mind you but pretty good. We were compensated for our inconvenience without having to ask or demand (plus we knew it was a test system).

Take that for what it's worth. Or just don't go back. Other destinations wil welcome your vacation dollars, Disney won't go bankrupt and everyone will be happy.

Great post and my exact thoughts.

Apparently if you listen to the nay sayers paper FP never ran out during the busy times.

I go during slow times for a reason. I don't care how it is when the parks are busy nor do I care if it's "fair" for off-site guests. I pay a premium for my smaller box of a room to enjoy on-site perks.

The system worked great for us and most people that have actually used it are saying the same. They are just not as vocal as the ones that haven't used it yet.

And like you we did have an issue with the MS day one. The CM's were great and hooked us up with extra FP's for the trouble; without us asking.

 

[EMom]

3) My personal favorite: FP wasn't broken, don't fix it. Gee, Rotary dial telephones worked just fine. So did Model Ts, VCRs, CDs and good old fashioned paper books. I so want to live in a world where this type of mentality dominates.

Yeah, but when I had a rotary dial phone, I could make all the calls my little fingers could dial. When we went to push button (and later, cell) no one limited me to 3 calls per day, to only one branch of the family, with just one being to a relative I actually liked while the other 2 calls went to the relatives you hide from at the family reunions.

 

[going/again]

1.I'm not paying thousands of dollars to stand in line.
2.I don't just talk with my family on vacations.
3.Even if we were to accept standing in line, there are only so many hours in the day. At some point, you're going to run out of time and miss some rides or attractions that you wanted to see.

I think the mantra of "You've done it once, now move on" it just ridiculous. I'm flying thousands of miles and paying thousands of dollars. If I want to ride Space Mountain twice, I should be able to do so without having to miss 5 other rides. If Disneys' goal was as it says it was, which is to enhance guests experience, they have failed miserably with FP+.

Well put.