Fastpass+ Tiering System Doesn't Look Good to Me...

[disney world dreamer]

@marciemi and @disney world dreamer thanks for the correction. I didn't realize you have to go to a second park in order to get back to tier 1s (or book the throwaway tier 2, OR use it) important disctiction! I, too, prefer FP+ for the way we tour (wanting to do just about everything, which fills your day and means you're not trying to repeatedly trying to pull FP for just a few rides). But the tiering, while necessary for Disney is troublesome for many visitors.

i actually wanted to make a correction here because after rereading my post the wording is misleading.
i did not mean that you must go to the second park to get a tier 1.
i meant you can look for a tier 1 at the other park VIA THE MDE APP.
for example if you want to park hop from HS to epcot you could...
get FP+ for TSMM and TOT and then you can be in HS looking for a TT FP+ at epcot using the app.

 

[Finally DVC]

Sorry to be the negative Nellie, but I'm really struggling to see what the magical benefits of Fastpass+ are...

The "magical benefits" are that it takes opportunities away from people who are willing to work for them, and gives them to people who are not.

Get used to it Comrade.

 

[disney world dreamer]

The "magical benefits" are that it takes opportunities away from people who are willing to work for them, and gives them to people who are not.

Get used to it Comrade.

um you have just as much of a chance as anyone else does to get the FP+ that you want so its not "taking away opportunities" for you.

 

[DavidNYC]

Benefits are tremendous more flexibility especially now with being able to make additional ones with your phone. Under the old system to get FP for both Soarin and TT you'd be taking most of your day anyway since you'd have to get the first and wait 2 hours to get the second by which time with current crowds your return time would be late day. Tierimg is required to ensure adequate spread of top attractions among guests. I'm doing far more with smart use of current system than under the old.

 

[nooneshome]

Let's be real. Under the old system, if you went to get a Test Track FP, by the time you were eligible to grab a Soarin FP they would all either be for much later at night or gone.

BINGO. To me there are more positives with FP+.

 

[Laz]

I have not been back to WDW since FP+ started. Under the old system, we would go to EPCOT and get legacy FPs for Soarin and wait stand by for TT. We always seemed to be able to have plenty of time. Other times we would go back to EPCOT close to closing time when Illuminations was going and just wait in the stand by line. We knew that it might be a long wait, but it was out of the elements. Are these type of strategies (for lack of a better word) not doable under FP+?

 

[disney world dreamer]

I have not been back to WDW since FP+ started. Under the old system, we would go to EPCOT and get legacy FPs for Soarin and wait stand by for TT. We always seemed to be able to have plenty of time. Other times we would go back to EPCOT close to closing time when Illuminations was going and just wait in the stand by line. We knew that it might be a long wait, but it was out of the elements. Are these type of strategies (for lack of a better word) not doable under FP+?

you can still do that no problem.
but now you have the convenience of getting a FP+ for soarin up to 60 days out if staying onsite so there's no "running" to get a legacy fastpass at rope drop.
now you can just focus on walking straight to test track.
and of course you could still opt to wait in line for test track at the end of the night.

 

[toonaspie]

I think we can all agree that Epcot's Tier setup is terrible (especially now with FEA thrown in the mix). They clearly put all the rides that everyone cares about in Tier 1 while putting the rides that most would consider an afterthought in Tier 2 (at least for me anyway since I'm not interested in Mission Space). It would be a little bit better if they switched around one of the Tier 1 (either TT or Soarin) to Tier 2 and switch out Nemo (or another smaller ride) to Tier 1.

DHS's Tier setup works out perfectly for me cause I would easily choose TSMM for Tier 1 and ST and ToT for Tier 2. It seems the attractions (based on popularity levels) are more evenly split.

In a way I can understand why the setups are why they are. There's a part of me thinking that maybe that should have Tier setups in MK and DAK as well. Dont freak hear me out! I get why Epcot and DHS have Tiers but not DAK since it has about as many attractions (based on popularity) as Epcot. To me I think it's only fair that either all the parks do the Tier setup or none of them do. I also think that shows and meet and greets should have their own separate FPs from rides. Feels like a waste of an FP to reserve a show when they're already on a schedule the way rides aren't. Show FPs only guarantee you a better seat. You don't get preferences like that with ride FPs.

I might just be crazy-talking here!