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

[cindyfan]

That is the worst commercial I've ever seen!!!

I can see it totally NOT working for us when the whole family goes!

This was designed for those that don't park-hop and for those that only plan to do a few attractions.

 

[Bluegrrl]

Long reply, and I am very sorry about it:

There is an article on theme park insider about FP+ and if the program can "scale" (will it work on a broad range). It's called "Can 'Magic' scale? That's Disney's billion-dollar question.) I can't link to it, but it's very interesting, especially since it mentions that the money from the people control system that Disney's implementing is sucking funds from Disney Hong Kong, Star Wars land, Resorts, park upgrades, monorails, infrastructure, etc. I found this article very interesting. Hopefully it hasn't been here before, but if so, please forgive me. Basically they are diverting these funds into a sinking system - a system that Disney did not need in the first place.

Besides, Disney's IT is pathetic at best - my brother works in IT, and he swears that IT is the backbone of every major corp. You live or die by your IT.

Our last vacation was the most stressful vacations I have ever had. I ended up yelling at my mom. I never yell at my mom. We ended up missing multiple FP's for several reasons (which we never have before):

Have a nice lunch (My LO loves Jake, and we had a very relaxed lunch at H&V)
Wake up a little later because of the LO
Go to nap at 12pm because of LO (no nap=super cranky toddler)
Go to bed at 8pm because of marathon and super-cranky LO

We missed 3 of my favorite rides that were usually non-fp because the standby lines were too long (Mansion and Pirates), and also felt rushed to get to rides (especially Peter!) because god forbid we miss that 1 hour window. Or, we had excessive downtime and we couldn't do anything because stopping was not an option. As any parent of a toddler knows - one must keep moving (stroller or otherwise) lest toddler have meltdown. They are like sharks that way.

MK was the worst. We had FP+ for Pan, and when we got there, the FP+ line was past the old legacy area. I freaked out. I've never seen the line that long! Fortunately, there were some very kind CMs who suggested that we ride the IASW (Also, a new FP+ line, again, never needed to be one in first place), and they all assured us that they would get us onto PP with minimum wait, no matter what.

One of my very good friends who works at Disney said that this FP+ was a side add-on thing. Basically, the MDE and the MB were only meant to be a room key/charging combo. But then some person came along and thought that it would be great to add FP in, so that you wouldn't have to carry anything. So this system was never meant to handle FP+ - and that's the cause of a lot of the issues.

Anyway, sorry for the long post (hopefully it wasn't as long as the new FP lines are. )

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

Worst.....commercial.....ever!


I wonder if the title of the commercial is "entitlement".

 

[TLSnell1981]

Hey..... that's kind of catchy.

Or maybe they could call it "limited magic time".

Sounds like a winner to me.

 

[mom2rtk]

With all the extra costs they are throwing at this thing on top of the extra costs they've already incurred, the wolves are going to be extremely hungry.

Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[momof2n2]

I think that "locked-in" commercial really captures how blind they are being here. People don't like to feel locked-in. Even if they are really locking themselves in anyway with all of the planning that goes into WDW...no one wants to think they are being locked in. Especially on vacation! Locked-in is what we do all year, with school and work and everything else.

Disney was very successful with Magical Express...and the goal there was also to lock people in by kidnapping them at the airport But it worked, because you were giving people something.

They should have just got the bands for room keys, tickets and charging.

OR if they were really fired up about the technology they could have used them JUST LIKE Legacy FP. Walk (not run) to the ride. Few FP time. Tap each persons band. See the head light up and the ride appears on your My Magic profile on your phone (if you have one). All the same rules but use the band in place of the paper.

 

[mom2rtk]

I think that "locked-in" commercial really captures how blind they are being here. People don't like to feel locked-in.

I think they also missed the boat thinking people want to "interact more with their electronic devices" while at Disney. They should do a commercial with people walking past beautiful things at Disney with their heads down looking at their phones, bumping into things, etc.

Or maybe Universal should incorporate that into some sort of ad campaign to highlight the differences between the parks........... Man, that could be fun.

 

[momof2n2]

Too true - along with "Limited Tiered Magic"

And I think it's fair to continue to call it a test - a "test" of patience for everyone participating, or watching the commercials......

Or if folks come back in a few years and it's not being used anymore and someone says, "What happened to..." the CM can say, "It was only a test."

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

I think they also missed the boat thinking people want to "interact more with their electronic devices" while at Disney. They should do a commercial with people walking past beautiful things at Disney with their heads down looking at their phones, bumping into things, etc.

Or maybe Universal should incorporate that into some sort of ad campaign to highlight the differences between the parks........... Man, that could be fun.

I make my family put their smartphones away on vacation, I don't even own one because they suck you in.

I can just picture WDW now, people just walking around staring at their phones, ...

 

[Laketravis]

Perhaps they should play this before you enter the park:

"This is a test of the FP+ System. For the next 60 years, Disney will conduct a test of the FP+ System. The folks at Disney, in voluntary cooperation with Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto, have developed this system to keep you confused in the event of a park visit. If this had been an actual park visit, the CM you just encountered would have provided official information, news or instructions. This concludes this test of the FP+ System"

 

[mellyf]

Or maybe Universal should incorporate that into some sort of ad campaign to highlight the differences between the parks........... Man, that could be fun.

Okay, I'm mostly a lurker, but I had to comment on this. That? Is brilliant!

 

[mom2rtk]

Okay, I'm mostly a lurker, but I had to comment on this. That? Is brilliant!

I'm happy to contribute to bringing you out of lurkerdom!

 

[KatieCharlotte]

I think they also missed the boat thinking people want to "interact more with their electronic devices" while at Disney. They should do a commercial with people walking past beautiful things at Disney with their heads down looking at their phones, bumping into things, etc.

Or maybe Universal should incorporate that into some sort of ad campaign to highlight the differences between the parks........... Man, that could be fun.

Fun you should say that. Last night I was checking what was on the travel channel, and there was an ad for Universal. It was all about a family with a teen girl who spends the entire day at the park staring down at her device, seemingly missing everything around her, while the father tries not to get annoyed. Finally, at the end, she sends him a message saying this was the best vacation ever.

 

[xie]

I think they also missed the boat thinking people want to "interact more with their electronic devices" while at Disney. They should do a commercial with people walking past beautiful things at Disney with their heads down looking at their phones, bumping into things, etc.

Or maybe Universal should incorporate that into some sort of ad campaign to highlight the differences between the parks........... Man, that could be fun.

This is so true. I go on vacation to get away from being tied to a device, not to jack into one. And when we were there a few weeks ago we had to use that app quite a bit for various reasons (many of them beyond our control, such as needing to reschedule a pass from a ride that was unexpectedly closed). If it worked as expected, you could only spend a few minutes at it, but since it is so full of bugs, what should have taken 2 minutes can take half an hour (or longer) if you can get it done at all.

I spent far, far too much time on my phone.

 

[JanaDee]

I can just picture WDW now, people just walking around staring at their phones, ...

WDW was like that before FP+. Now it has become worse, since your day is centered around an electronic device.

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

Fun you should say that. Last night I was checking what was on the travel channel, and there was an ad for Universal. It was all about a family with a teen girl who spends the entire day at the park staring down at her device, seemingly missing everything around her, while the father tries not to get annoyed. Finally, at the end, she sends him a message saying this was the best vacation ever.

I saw this ad too! Universal needs to do some quick edits, they could come out + from the FP+

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

WDW was like that before FP+. Now it has become worse, since your day is centered around an electronic device.

So true, that is pretty much how it is everywhere. Went to lunch with friends one day, and they were all staring at their phones. I'm happy to stick with my simple phone, as much as I am on the internet on my computers, I'd be ridiculous..

Disney is basically just taking that and running with it, hopefully not just into a brick wall...

 

[KatieCharlotte]

WDW was like that before FP+. Now it has become worse, since your day is centered around an electronic device.

Even people like me, who hate mobile electronic devices, are thinking about how useful my husband's smartphone will be for checking wait times and managing our FP+. No!!!

Just love the banner ad that keeps running for me on the disboards ...There's Cinderella, quickly scanning by BTMRR on her mobile device and putting a check on the teacups. Yes, that's what I want to use my FP+ for.

 

[SMorgan711]

I think they also missed the boat thinking people want to "interact more with their electronic devices" while at Disney. They should do a commercial with people walking past beautiful things at Disney with their heads down looking at their phones, bumping into things, etc.

Or maybe Universal should incorporate that into some sort of ad campaign to highlight the differences between the parks........... Man, that could be fun.

THIS.

This was a huge thing that I hated about MM+/FP+. I sit at a computer for 8+ hours a day at work. I use my smart phone constantly in every day life to keep track of appointments. I go on vacation to get away from this and relax!! I was on my phone so much in November it was pathetic. I hated it.

 

[mom2rtk]

THIS.

This was a huge thing that I hated about MM+/FP+. I sit at a computer for 8+ hours a day at work. I use my smart phone constantly in every day life to keep track of appointments. I go on vacation to get away from this and relax!! I was on my phone so much in November it was pathetic. I hated it.

I'm thinking they must have surveyed the people working in their IT department or something. Because the minute I heard this, I really felt like Disney was WAY out of touch with their audience. I'm sure there are a few who think it's cool. But there are a whole lot who don't. I really think it's a huge miss.