For those who think only DISers hate FP+, check their Facebook page

[AmyB2006]

Now, explain how all of these things would have been better under the paper FP system. Or, when there were no apps at all, MDE or otherwise? You don't NEED to use your phone for any of these things. You just need to use it if you want to take advantage of some of the features of the new system.

Yeah, I can honestly say I don't get the whole "having to pull out your phone" argument. If you're not pulling out your phone to check your FP time, you're pulling out a piece of paper from your wallet or pocket. Really no difference, you're still "pulling something out". If you want to check wait times you can either stop where you are and get your phone out, OR physically walk to the ride to check, or walk to a central station and check times. To me, the phone is way easier in both of these situations. As far as FP+ times, take a screenshot so it's easier to access.

I just don't get this argument.

 

[morethananyonex]

How so? Wouldn't having access to wait times and FP return times be more necessary and/or useful if you wanted to know what the wait times and FP return times were for other attractions so you would know where to go to get your next FP? Come on guys. We understand why some people hate FP+. But, the idea that it somehow FORCES you to use your phone more than you would otherwise is a little hard for me to believe, unless you are using it to take advantage of OPPORTUNITIES presented by FP+ that weren't there with paper FP (like changing FP reservations). You would have me believe that all of those people with their heads in their phones while we were walking the Freedom Trail in Boston last summer were checking WDW wait times.

I do understand what you're trying to say, but the issue is now that Disney has provided these opportunities, you are losing out if you don't take advantage.

You're right that FP- didn't allow for much of this, but it didn't with anyone. You weren't giving up something by not being able to do the things listed. Nobody could. You weren't missing out if you let a FP- go without using it, you could just go pick up another one. You weren't focusing on the wait times because you could just not get one if the time was short. It wasn't schedule months in advance. If you're a park hopper you didn't have to think about switching your passes between parks if you can get away with not using yours in the first park.

FP+ gives more flexibility, but it gives it to everyone who wants it. If you don't take advantage of it you're putting yourself at a disadvantage. It's like when people say Disney isn't forcing you to use FP+, you can just wait in the SB. While yes that's technically true, you are giving up an advantage by not using the system to the fullest.

 

[xie]

Now, explain how all of these things would have been better under the paper FP system. Or, when there were no apps at all, MDE or otherwise?

You don't NEED to use your phone for any of these things. You just need to use it if you want to take advantage of some of the features of the new system.

Remembering the times - easy, we only had "remember" our ADR time; any fast passes were automatically given to us as paper slips and thus in our pockets, so nobody had to whip out a phone.

Headliner with no wait - again easy - why would we have gotten paper fast passes for it to begin with, if we arrived at the ride and it had a 5-10 minute wait? We would have simply boarded through the standby line. Only if it was a ride we LOVED would we have gotten a paper fp to return later and ride a second time - since with a line that short, we could reboard again through standby essentially as many times as we please. Nothing in this process would require a phone app.

Disney has just closed the ride for rain/broken - well, if you had a paper FP for it and just got rained out, your paper FP is now temporarily useless - HOWEVER, if they do return the ride to service later in the day, you can get on even though the window has passed. Thankfully though, with no 3 pass limit, you could skip right down the road to get a fast pass for some other ride. Again, no phone required. Now, you are given an electronic omni pass which requires you to use the app or a kiosk.

Disney has just seated you 1 hour late for your table service, overriding your FP return window - again with a paper pass, all you had to do was explain to the CM what had happened and they'd let you in when you got there. We would just bring the receipt from the restaurant to prove we were there, hand over the paper fast passes and go ride. No phone app or rescheduling required.

Again, now, if you need to make any changes to your assigned 3 FP+ for any of the above reasons, you MUST pull out your phone or go stand in line at a kiosk. There are no other options; Cinderella's fairy godmother is not going to pop in and handle it for you.

Until you've been there and lived it for 10 days, you won't get what a pain it can be. And if you happen to be so extraordinarily fortunate as to spend 10 days onsite juggling reservations and FP+ and run into no problems, you still might not get what a pain it can be for many other guests who don't beat the Murphy's Law odds.

 

[AmyB2006]

Remembering the times - easy, we only had "remember" our ADR time; any fast passes were automatically given to us as paper slips and thus in our pockets, so nobody had to whip out a phone. s.

This is what I don't get. Is it that much harder to "whip out" a phone than a piece of paper??

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Yeah, I can honestly say I don't get the whole "having to pull out your phone" argument. If you're not pulling out your phone to check your FP time, you're pulling out a piece of paper from your wallet or pocket. Really no difference, you're still "pulling something out". If you want to check wait times you can either stop where you are and get your phone out, OR physically walk to the ride to check, or walk to a central station and check times. To me, the phone is way easier in both of these situations. As far as FP+ times, take a screenshot so it's easier to access.

I just don't get this argument.

Yeah, it sounds great in theory, but the practice (for us) was way, way different. Because it isn't just as simple as taking a quick peek at the app to check something. NOTHING is quick on the app. I had to uninstall and reinstall it every day of our vacation because it stopped working every day. It isn't the idea I hate, it's the real-world reality of the way they put the app together. NOTHING is easy with it. I did end up writing down our times, and it took me approximately half a minute to look them up in my little notebook I carried. I used Josh's wait times page if I wanted to check the wait times or FP return times. Why Josh's page? Because it's so easy to use! And loads so fast! If MDE was fast and didn't glitch out all the time and didn't suck the life out of battery like a vampire, I don't think I'd mind it. But right now it's a clunky piece of doo-doo that doesn't work well. Something that should have taken a minute or two at most ended up taking anywhere from 5-30 minutes to do, and that's where people are getting the perception of having to rely on their phones so much.

ETA: In the interest of full disclosure...Josh's wait times page isn't currently available because his voodoo magical source of information got shut down, or something.

 

[mom2rtk]

How so? Wouldn't having access to wait times and FP return times be more necessary and/or useful if you wanted to know what the wait times and FP return times were for other attractions so you would know where to go to get your next FP?

Come on guys. We understand why some people hate FP+. But, the idea that it somehow FORCES you to use your phone more than you would otherwise is a little hard for me to believe, unless you are using it to take advantage of OPPORTUNITIES presented by FP+ that weren't there with paper FP (like changing FP reservations).

You would have me believe that all of those people with their heads in their phones while we were walking the Freedom Trail in Boston last summer were checking WDW wait times.

Because with FP, we just made the rounds of the park. When we got to the headliner we were interested in, we looked at the posted standby wait time and looked at the FP return time and decided which we wanted to do.

Now that my FPs will be booked before entering the park, I will want to see what the standby wait is before committing to walking to that area of the park.

Before I could just look at the paper FPs in my lanyard to remind me of the return time. Now I need to get the phone out to check the times. You know, unless I decide to dig out paper and pencil to write them down.

 

[FreeThinker]

We don't have smart-phones, so we don't check the wait times. Infact we rarely get on our phones while in the parks unless we are trying to find each other! I guess we will have to find a Kiosk to change anything. I do think it will be sort of different to try to remember each return time for each ride, and I will have to write them down. I'm hoping by the time I go (May) they will have a few more FPs available, or just return to the old FP system!

 

[morethananyonex]

I think some of you aren't accounting for how long the app takes to do anything as well.

I wish it was a quick pick up your phone and check. Even when I'm right next to our router at home the app takes quite a while to move from screen to screen. Even checking your ADR or FP+ times can be time consuming. Much different than pulling out a paper for sure.

 

[AmyB2006]

Yeah, it sounds great in theory, but the practice (for us) was way, way different. Because it isn't just as simple as taking a quick peek at the app to check something. NOTHING is quick on the app. I had to uninstall and reinstall it every day of our vacation because it stopped working every day. It isn't the idea I hate, it's the real-world reality of the way they put the app together. NOTHING is easy with it. I did end up writing down our times, and it took me approximately half a minute to look them up in my little notebook I carried. I used Josh's wait times page if I wanted to check the wait times or FP return times. Why Josh's page? Because it's so easy to use! And loads so fast! If MDE was fast and didn't glitch out all the time and didn't suck the life out of battery like a vampire, I don't think I'd mind it. But right now it's a clunky piece of doo-doo that doesn't work well. Something that should have taken a minute or two at most ended up taking anywhere from 5-30 minutes to do, and that's where people are getting the perception of having to rely on their phones so much.

Which is exactly why I would screenshot my FPs. A quick opening of my pictures and there it is. Problem solved.

I agree the app is slow but it has gotten a lot better. LOL. When it first came out it was a disaster compared to now.

 

[Laketravis]

I'm not one to keep track of times in my head. When I would pull out my phone and tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap just to check on what time my FP for TSM was and sometimes getting the message about the blip in the network or the wifi or data signal wasn't too strong to begin with or my screen was so dim because I had to turn it down because my battery was running low it would often occur to me that....

Pulling an FP out of my pocket to look at the time actually was a lot easier.

 

[over50visits]

Beats having to manage a whole bunch of paper fastpasses.

For us, big disagreement. We never, ever thought "what a pain to manage a bunch of paper fast passes."

If we forgot our return window, it took about 2 seconds to pull it out of my pocket and look at the return time.

Now, I have to turn on my smart phone, start the app, go to the right screen, and hope their wifi service is better than the lousy service we had recently at AK.

There are advantages to the new system, but one of them is NOT more convenience in managing fast passes.

A bunch?

 

[AmyB2006]

For us, big disagreement. We never, ever thought "what a pain to manage a bunch of paper fast passes." If we forgot our return window, it took about 2 seconds to pull it out of my pocket and look at the return time. Now, I have to turn on my smart phone, start the app, go to the right screen, and hope their wifi service is better than the lousy service we had recently at AK. There are advantages to the new system, but one of them is NOT more convenience in managing fast passes. A bunch?

Again, take a picture. Am I the only person that thought to take a picture to make this easier? Surely, you can't be serious.

ETA don't get wrong. Their app is slow and painful at times. But this specific problem is easily remedied.

 

[KatieCharlotte]

This is what I don't get. Is it that much harder to "whip out" a phone than a piece of paper??

Not necessarily, but once my DH pulls out his phone to check our FP+ or a wait time app, he'll take a moment to check his email and facebook and the latest news and then post a funny status update, which he'll have to check later for comments...Those darn devices suck you in. I don't have a smartphone because I know I'd end up doing the same thing.

The very first reaction DH had when he heard about FP+ was, "You mean now I'll have an excuse to keep getting out my iphone at the parks?"

Being limited to 3 FP+ and the lines for rides like PotC being more unpredictable because of FP+ is also going to make the wait time apps more useful/addictive.

 

[Laketravis]

Which is exactly why I would screenshot my FPs. A quick opening of my pictures and there it is. Problem solved.

Dim screen because battery is low
Changed FP times using app and can't save screenshot
Dead battery
Problem not solved

 

[AmyB2006]

Not necessarily, but once my DH pulls out his phone to check our FP+ or a wait time app, he'll take a moment to check his email and facebook and the latest news and then post a funny status update, which he'll have to check later for comments...Those darn devices suck you in. I don't have a smartphone because I know I'd end up doing the same thing. The very first reaction DH had when he heard about FP+ was, "You mean now I'll have an excuse to keep getting out my iphone at the parks?" Being limited to 3 FP+ and the lines for rides like PotC being more unpredictable because of FP+ is going to make the wait time apps more useful/addictive.

Good Lord, I feel your pain. My DHs phone is glued to his face 24/7. But there's nothing I can do about it. LOL

 

[wisblue]

Until you've been there and lived it for 10 days, you won't get what a pain it can be. And if you happen to be so extraordinarily fortunate as to spend 10 days onsite juggling reservations and FP+ and run into no problems, you still might not get what a pain it can be for many other guests who don't beat the Murphy's Law odds.

I was there for 5 days between Christmas and New Year's. But, I guess I don't know what a pain it can be to be looking at the Smartphone all the time because I don't own one. When I wanted to change a FP+ reservation (which I only had to do once) or confirm my times (which I also did once) I stopped at one of the kiosks. Personally, I think having a smartphone and carrying it around and looking at it all the time is a pain in and of itself.

I thought I had a great time, especially using those FPs in the evening for attractions that wouldn't have had any paper FP left when we entered the park (our second park of the day). I can assure you that, if I had missed my evening times for TSMM or Soarin, I couldn't have simply grabbed another one.

I didn't feel like FP+ was forcing me to buy a phone and data plan if I wanted to have a good trip. And I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything because of not having a phone. To me, my old cell phone is a tool that I use as I see fit, not my master.

 

[Laketravis]

Good Lord, I feel your pain. My DHs phone is glued to his face 24/7. But there's nothing I can do about it. LOL

I was guilty of the same behavior, figured heck, while I've got it out..........

 

[AmyB2006]

Dim screen because battery is low Changed FP times using app and can't save screenshot Dead battery Problem not solved

LOL. Of course, the battery sucking argument. . I don't know what kinds of phones you guys have. I have a 4S and it sure isn't the newest but the battery life sucks in general, yet somehow it makes it through a "Disney day". LOL. Oh well.

 

[Momtomouselover]

I noticed that some of the negative comments have started to pop up over on the Reviews page side on FB. If that continues Disney may notice because they can't just bump it down by releasing new posts.

 

[wisblue]

Because with FP, we just made the rounds of the park. When we got to the headliner we were interested in, we looked at the posted standby wait time and looked at the FP return time and decided which we wanted to do.

Now that my FPs will be booked before entering the park, I will want to see what the standby wait is before committing to walking to that area of the park.

Before I could just look at the paper FPs in my lanyard to remind me of the return time. Now I need to get the phone out to check the times. You know, unless I decide to dig out paper and pencil to write them down.

Once people start resorting to minutiae like this to support their position that FP+ sucks, I know that they have lost all sense of objectivity.