First time FP+'er just booked FP+'s - it was awful.

[Disneyliscious]

So about an hour ago my 60 day window finally opened up. I was nervous.

Our park days go AK>EP>Skip a day>MK

We have a 2 day on site stay so I was able to book for AK and EP tonight and hopefully in 2 days can book for my MK day.

The process itself is pretty streamlined and simple. You choose your rides and it gives you suggestions on times. I chose those times (I think you have to accept those times they give you at first, best I remember) and then went back to edit them.

Here is where it just got stupid.

Using EP as my example:

Nemo was 9:35-10:35am
Mission Space was 10:45-11:45am
Test Track was 12:05-1:05pm

I wanted Test Track to be our first FP but when I went to check, there were no early times available. I was like dang, they're already gone. After playing around a bit I realized it wasn't showing me earlier times for Test Track because I already had Nemo booked in the early slot. So I had to go put Nemo in like a random 2pm slot and then go back to test Track and THEN it showed me the earlier times. So I book Test Track at 9:20am-10:20am, change MS to 10:35-11:35, then go change Nemo again from its random slot of 2pm back to 11:45am-12:45pm.

Its asinine that you can't see what times are available for other rides without first removing one of your already secured FP+ to some random time slot. Am I doing something wrong? You could potentially lose a hard to get FP+ by just trying to book it at a different time. There should be a warning like on ADRs that lets you cancel a current one once you've chosen a 2nd time and it should show you ALL times available, not just the times where no FP+ is booked. Just because I have MS booked shouldn't mean I can't see times available on other rides for the same time slot.

 

[kiramay]

When I did it I'd pick my 3 rides, and then at the top it gave 3 time options. I'd pick the time options (A, B, orC) that was the farthest from what I wanted. Then I modified them one at a time, starting with the hardest to get it my #1 pick. The other two I'd adjust around that one.

 

[edolee]

It is true... when I did my FP+ I purposefully chose the system pre-selected times farthest from my desired time. In other words, if I wanted morning FP+, I selected the afternoon times the system gave me. Then I could get the actual FP+ I wanted one by one without the system selected times getting in the way.

The asinine thing about this is that Disney is demanding we plan like lunatics (what attractions am I going to do in a particular park 60 days from now with no idea about the weather, family circumstances etc), and then gives us defaults that have almost zero chance of being what we want, so we end up having to figure out how to go around the system design more or less... Disney is in DESPERATE need of some User Experience experts.

Ed

PS

I see kiramay posted basically the same reply a few minutes before me. For the money we spend with Disney, and the hoops the expect us to jump through to have a good experience for our families, you would think they would at least give us a system with a user interface that matches what they expect us to do...

 

[Disneyliscious]

I wish I had known ahead of time to do that. And I'm sure its posted somewhere in the FP+ thread but I don't even bother with that thread because its SO long at this point its overwhelming to me. I did manage to get the times and rides I wanted and at least now I know this before my most crucial park comes up to book in 2 days (MK).

I don't want to be running all over the park, back and forth, hoofing it like a nut. So I'm going to plan a rope drop straight to Buzz then FP+ Space Mountain. I will use the other 2 on BTMRR and Splash (we can ride 7DMT during MNSSHP closer to midnight so not even worried about getting a FP+ for that) but I don't know what time I'll be over in Frontierland to ride those rides. Like Edolee said, its just stupid. I am going with 2 first timers. We might want to stop at a shop or just walk at a leisurely pace to enjoy the scenery while over in Tomorrowland. I don't want to do SM then have to feel rushed to get to BTMRR and Splash, nor do I want to get to Frontierland and be too early to use the FP+ we have (assuming I get them).

I realize I can stand in the regular lines and just not use FP+ but thats not what I want nor does Disney want it. While we don't always get what we want, I just see FP+ as a very poor way of trying to manage a vacation. Its less poor than standing in line for 1+ hours so its the lesser of the 2 evils but with todays technology, there has to be a better way to do this.

Also, Ed if thats you in your profile pic you look just like Blake Shelton. I want an autograph.

 

[jemlover]

Anybody else having problems viewing selected Fast pass selections on the My Reservations and Tickets section of My Disney Experience? When I go into the Fast Pass Reservation area where you select the fast passes all my choices are showing. When I look at them in the My Reservations and Tickets one of the days selections are missing and other days have different reservations than what I have reserved. If I go in to try to modify the correct fast passes are showing. I'm afraid the fast passes that I chose will not link to our Magic Bands.

 

[Disneyliscious]

Anybody else having problems viewing selected Fast pass selections on the My Reservations and Tickets section of My Disney Experience? When I go into the Fast Pass Reservation area where you select the fast passes all my choices are showing. When I look at them in the My Reservations and Tickets one of the days selections are missing and other days have different reservations than what I have reserved. If I go in to try to modify the correct fast passes are showing. I'm afraid the fast passes that I chose will not link to our Magic Bands.

I haven't even looked there yet. Gonna check it out. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Rosebud123]

Our park days go AK>EP>Skip a day>MK

We have a 2 day on site stay so I was able to book for AK and EP tonight and hopefully in 2 days can book for my MK day.

Why couldn't you book your MK day at the same time? If you have a 3 day ticket, it should matter that you're only onsite for the first two days.

 

[Alesia]

I wish I had known ahead of time to do that. And I'm sure its posted somewhere in the FP+ thread but I don't even bother with that thread because its SO long at this point its overwhelming to me.

It is.

You really should check the thread out. Everything you really need is in the first 2 posts. Being prepared makes for a much better experience.

 

[Missyrose]

Best advice I can give anyone who has specific times in mind for their FP+ reservations is to choose the option that has times furthest away from your desired times (i.e. if you want 9, 10 and 11, pick 3, 4 and 5). That way you can manually build the schedule you want without any overlapping reservations getting in your way.

 

[Jennasis]

Yep. It's stupid.

Ps...you should be able to book your ML day NOW. I assume you have 3 day tix (or more)?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

When I did it I'd pick my 3 rides, and then at the top it gave 3 time options. I'd pick the time options (A, B, orC) that was the farthest from what I wanted. Then I modified them one at a time, starting with the hardest to get it my #1 pick. The other two I'd adjust around that one.

This. Works like a charm every time, going back to when FP+ was still in testing.

 

[Kathryn777]

I agree it should show you everything and let YOU choose if you want to change the fp you already booked. If 7dmt suddenly becomes available, I want to see it even if it is at the same time as my small word fast pass.

 

[LisaRay]

Those of you who choose the further out times and then adjust them to where you want them do you do that right away before moving onto the next day or do you get all your further out times for each day of your trip and then go back after that and adjust?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Those of you who choose the further out times and then adjust them to where you want them do you do that right away before moving onto the next day or do you get all your further out times for each day of your trip and then go back after that and adjust?

I personally do it day by day... finishing up my soonest day first and moving along that way.

Some exceptions... when booking A&E was a priority for DD during our MNSSHP trip, I went ahead and grabbed it on multiple MK days (starting with soonest), then went back to switch to more convenient times -- then went back and did the other days sequentially. I ultimately just kept the best A&E and released the other two that same day. Did the same with 7DMT when it first opened (but kept multiple rides on it during our trip).

I've lost track of how many FP+ trips we've done, from testing through last May. I've booked for long weekend trips and a 13-day trip. This worked well for me, personally.

 

[Disneyliscious]

Why couldn't you book your MK day at the same time? If you have a 3 day ticket, it should matter that you're only onsite for the first two days.

Yep. It's stupid.

Ps...you should be able to book your ML day NOW. I assume you have 3 day tix (or more)?

Im not sure but I just checked again and I can only book through October 20th. Our park days are October 19, 20, 22. I figured it had something to do with us only staying a night on site (check in 19th, checkout 20th). We have 3 day base tickets.

 

[Alesia]

Im not sure but I just checked again and I can only book through October 20th. Our park days are October 19, 20, 22. I figured it had something to do with us only staying a night on site (check in 19th, checkout 20th). We have 3 day base tickets.

You'll be able to book for your offsite day 60 days from that day.

You'll have a much better experience if you read the first 2 posts of Mesaboy2's FP+ thread.

 

[DisneyFive]

I think that Disney preselects the times for you in an attempt to better distribute the FP+'s throughout the day. Some will just take those times and leave them as is.

It is a major PITA to go back and adjust them all once you've booked them. Especially if you already have a FP sitting in that time slot. Agreed.

Dan

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Im not sure but I just checked again and I can only book through October 20th. Our park days are October 19, 20, 22. I figured it had something to do with us only staying a night on site (check in 19th, checkout 20th). We have 3 day base tickets.

I'm pretty sure the system used to allow you to book beyond your onsite stay as long as you had ticket entitlements (I actually did this myself for a trip in June), but they seem to have changed that now. I don't think you're going to be able to book your MK day until 30 days out, but I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Disneyliscious]

I'm pretty sure the system used to allow you to book beyond your onsite stay as long as you had ticket entitlements (I actually did this myself for a trip in June), but they seem to have changed that now. I don't think you're going to be able to book your MK day until 30 days out, but I hope I'm wrong.

I am on hold on the phone right now to find out. If this is the case I am totally ok with this. It would mean they finally did something about using throw away rooms for people to bool FP+ for days longer than their stay. I had talked to a CM a few months ago who said they were working on that issue along with the one where people use multiple sets of MB's to get more FP+.

Will update in a min.

 

[Disneyliscious]

Ok so I just spent about 30 minutes on the phone. The CM had me call Online Help because he couldn't figure it out. I called Online Help and the man there was incredibly friendly. He looked into it and finally came back and said he wasn't sure why I couldn't book it. He said it fell into the gray area because the length of stay was less than the days on the tickets. At t hat point he said they had to look at the rules which were "length of stay OR max of 7 days (whichever is more)" and this one fell into the "max of 7 days" because of "whichever is more".

He then went in and booked my FP+ for me. Got Space Mountain, 7DMT (there was a lot of availability left), and BTMRR. He had to book them because there was no way to force the system to let me. Nor will I be able to modify them. He said if I want to modify them I have to call back in. Since I'm not after any of the hard ones like A&E I think we'll be ok. I opted to get 7DMT instead of Splash because I didn't want to be running back and forth across the park, plus, we'll be at MNSSHP that night and can hit the other rides late in the evening.

Glad you all spoke up or I would have just waited 2 more days before trying to book and by then some FP+ may have been gone or it may not have opened up for me at all. We ended up with the following:

Rope drop to Buzz Light Year ride
9:30-10:30am - Space Mountain
10:20-11:20 - 7DMT
11:45-12:45pm - BTMRR

The only other "must do" rides we'll have will be HM, POTC, Splash and JC so I think we can do standby or hit those late in the night at MNSSHP.

On a side note, I had read here that once you use your 3 FP+ you can get a 4th via your phone. That is NOT the case. He said you HAVE to go to the kiosk to get the 4th and consecutive FP+. He said there is a lot of misinformation out there that people aren't aware of. Just thought I'd share that in case anyone else like me was planning on using their phone to get the 4th FP+.