FP - allowed returns later than 1, 2 or more hours??

[KellyNY]

We didnt have a "late" FP problem, until "free dining" was offered year round. Hey, walk up ressies are extinct..gotta make them 6 months out... It's either dining experiences or attractions. No way, we should expect both. Unless, Disney can "save the day"? Hmmmm... b

Disney is more then just rides or TS meals and there are so much that you cannot see and do everything no matter how you plan it. You have to find a balance but it has nothing to do with your FPs. If you look at the clock, figure out what you have already planned, you can map all your experiences without a problem. A bit of extra work, yes, impossible, no.

 

[LilyWDW]

We didnt have a "late" FP problem, until "free dining" was offered year round. Hey, walk up ressies are extinct..gotta make them 6 months out... It's either dining experiences or attractions. No way, we should expect both. Unless, Disney can "save the day"? Hmmmm... b

I have never had an issue with planning my meals. I have never had an issue with not being able to use my FP on time (always did so, though never really on purpose.). I have never had an issue with using FP AND making it to my ADRs either, free dining or not.

I really think people are just looking for things to go badly.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Disney is more then just rides or TS meals and there are so much that you cannot see and do everything no matter how you plan it. You have to find a balance but it has nothing to do with your FPs. If you look at the clock, figure out what you have already planned, you can map all your experiences without a problem. A bit of extra work, yes, impossible, no.

Yep, it's that simple. We are always seated promptly...with ADRs. Our service is never ridiculously slow. And really, we should anticipate every moment of down time or delay. I plan nothing, and wander aimlessly through the parks. Zigging and zagging..no concept of time..no schedule and don't even know.. where I'm going. I guess, wanting more, than one sit down meal and two rides (maybe a potty break and a snack) in an 8 hour day, really is expecting too much

 

[WDSearcher]

Yep, it's that simple. We are always seated promptly...with ADRs. Our service is never ridiculously slow. And really, we should anticipate every moment of down time or delay. I plan nothing, and wander aimlessly through the parks. Zigging and zagging..no concept of time..no schedule and don't even know.. where I'm going. I guess, wanting more, than one sit down meal and two rides (maybe a potty break and a snack) in an 8 hour day, really is expecting too much

Funny. The last time I went to DHS (a week before Christmas), I did just that. I wandered aimlessly through the park. The one and only time-specific thing I had on my list was meeting friends at SciFi for a late lunch. I zig-zagged throughout the park, stopping to do stuff if I wanted, often veering off to do something at the spur of the moment. I got to the park at 10am; left right before Fant! at 6:30-ish.

During my aimless day, I ate at SciFi; saw B&B and LMA; did an Animator's class; went on RnRC, GMR and Muppets; visited Sorcerer Mickey; had a pretzel dog while sitting by the lake; went on Star Tours; did a bit of shopping; went to the bathroom several times ; and even went on TSM twice (albiet once in a 60-min line and once with a FP someone gave me that happened to be for an hour later, but they were leaving the park and didn't want to come back). I used one FP that whole day, and it wasn't even one I pulled.

The point being that yes, you can zig-zag around the park, moving aimlessly, no plan whatsoever ... and do a lot more in an 8 hour day than one sit-down meal, two rides, a potty break and a snack. My aimless day was dependent on one single ADR and nothing else. Of course, I was willing to wait in line for things I wanted to do right then and there, and I did walk past things I didn't want to wait for (meeting Phineas & Ferb, for example, or doing a second spin on Star Tours). And I did not have a checklist of things-I-HAD-to-see-or-my-day-would-be-RUINED. Not having FPs or the luxury of using them "whenever" did not mean that I had to lower my expectations. I had a swell day.

 

[TDC Nala]

Reading through and trying to figure out how "what happens if you have a fastpass window that conflicts with your ADR" turned into "now we will have to decide whether we want to reserve any table service meals at all, or to use fastpasses." Seems a little premature to be saying that fastpass window enforcement will ruin everything for those who like table service dining based on a few experiences about restaurant service taking longer than expected. That makes the mere possibility of being disappointed into a dealbreaker.

 

[KellyNY]

Yep, it's that simple. We are always seated promptly...with ADRs. Our service is never ridiculously slow. And really, we should anticipate every moment of down time or delay. I plan nothing, and wander aimlessly through the parks. Zigging and zagging..no concept of time..no schedule and don't even know.. where I'm going. I guess, wanting more, than one sit down meal and two rides (maybe a potty break and a snack) in an 8 hour day, really is expecting too much

I am not sure how you plan your days in parks but let me tell you that I am one of those relaxed people who plan nothing, ok maybe few ADRs. We sleep in late, swim, visit other resorts, I happen to just sit somewhere in shade and read a book, we enter parks no earlier then 2pm, most often even later then that and we still manage to do ALL rides we want, use bathroom number of times, eat TS meal and call day a success. BTW, we have same results in May or July.
Even when we went during Spring Break, our first visit and missed half of MK(inability to read map), had no idea what to do at all, we managed to do much more then just 2 rides, meal and bathroom break.

 

[KellyNY]

dp

 

[SnowPeas]

I'm a little timid asking this question. Please remember that I have NEVER been to Disney World - and only once to Disneyland as an adult so I might have NO idea what I'm talking about here...

Why is it that there are some folks who are acting as if without being able to ride Fast Pass ride X at any time they want to, it prevents them from doing ANYTHING? I mean, isn't this just ONE component of a very complicated system changed?

Is there anyone who can tell me why this little change is said to affect so much, and why everyone is so concerned about it? Does it just have to do with ADRs? Or is it more than that?

 

[larryz]

Some people built their whole park touring strategies around the ability to use a FP past the window printed upon it.

With that option gone, they'll have to plan more judiciously, not knowing in advance whether or not there will be FPs available for the rides they want to do, and whether or not those FPs will conflict with any dining reservations they may make (or have made) at the 180 day point.

Once NexGen kicks in, a lot of that anxiety will go away -- assuming that, as is popularly believed, that system will offer the selection of FP times you'd like to "reserve."

I personally believe the interim period is designed to cultivate that anxiety, so that when the NexGen is offered at a premium, guests will be more likely to spend the money for it.

And they're counting on the FUD generated by threads like this to do just that.

I think...

 

[W8n4night]

It like any change, it throws you for a bit. I think it goes to what you're used to , how you planned your day, how you tried to maximize your day and how to be efficient with your day.

The changes to the FP system, or more to the point return to how it was in fact supposed to work, will create ripples for a bit but new plans, strategies and approaches will get figured out. The most dramatic aspect for me is the perception of a loss of flexibility.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm a little timid asking this question. Please remember that I have NEVER been to Disney World - and only once to Disneyland as an adult so I might have NO idea what I'm talking about here...

Why is it that there are some folks who are acting as if without being able to ride Fast Pass ride X at any time they want to, it prevents them from doing ANYTHING? I mean, isn't this just ONE component of a very complicated system changed?

Is there anyone who can tell me why this little change is said to affect so much, and why everyone is so concerned about it? Does it just have to do with ADRs? Or is it more than that?

I think some people were used to grabbing a fastpass, and being able to go back and ride that ride whenever they wanted to. Now that you have to ride in the time window listed on the ticket, it is freaking people out a bit. And for those people, they will have to adjust how they tour the parks. So I can see how it is a bit stressful.

For us, we never bothered to load up on fastpasses and use them later in the day. So nothing has changed, no adjustments necessary. I can tell you that as recent as last week we had no problems balancing our ADRs and our fastpass times. We never were at the parks at rope drop. And we definately took more than one potty break a day!

 

[magicbob]

I personally believe the interim period is designed to cultivate that anxiety, so that when the NexGen is offered at a premium, guests will be more likely to spend the money for it.

If it causes enough turmoil for the folks who want to do more than just wander aimlessly, then they will be willing to pay whatever it takes to have that ability back. At least, that's what TPTB are counting on.

 

[SnowPeas]

Some people built their whole park touring strategies around the ability to use a FP past the window printed upon it.

With that option gone, they'll have to plan more judiciously, not knowing in advance whether or not there will be FPs available for the rides they want to do, and whether or not those FPs will conflict with any dining reservations they may make (or have made) at the 180 day point.

Once NexGen kicks in, a lot of that anxiety will go away -- assuming that, as is popularly believed, that system will offer the selection of FP times you'd like to "reserve."

I personally believe the interim period is designed to cultivate that anxiety, so that when the NexGen is offered at a premium, guests will be more likely to spend the money for it.

And they're counting on the FUD generated by threads like this to do just that.

I think...

Forgive me, I am unfamiliar with NexGen. Is this going to be similar to the Universal Florida's "Express Pass" where you pay a dollar amount in order to be moved to the front of the line (meaning, that we'd now PAY for FP)?

If so, do you think Disney will do something similar to Universal where they allow on-site guests to use the privilege free of cost? And when is the NexGen rumored to launch?

 

[larryz]

Rumors and speculation abound. Anyone who knows isn't talking.

Meanwhile, my SWAG is that guests at Deluxe resorts will have access to the NexGen system as part of their resort stay package (concierge level guests will prob have unlimited, while "ordinary" guests will probably have three per day or so -- to help them plan around meals and such).

Those staying at moderates will likely be able to purchase at a specific price point. Those staying in values will likely also be able to purchase, but at a slightly higher price point.

It'll be tied to the RFID ticket/KTTW system currently being tested in various configurations around the parks... the RFID entry ticket at Epcot, the strange boxes sighted at ToT and Star Tours, etc... That way they can keep track of who's using their FPs, what times the FPs are set for, etc.

I don't care to speculate about non-resort guest availability, only to hazard a guess that if there's capacity available, they'll sell it (think MNSHP and MVMCP).

My SWAG, anyway...

 

[Nancy F]

I for one would be more than willing to pay to get a FP that I didn't have to come back at a certain time to use.
Nancy

 

[magicbob]

Meanwhile, my SWAG is that guests at Deluxe resorts will have access to the NexGen system as part of their resort stay package (concierge level guests will prob have unlimited, while "ordinary" guests will probably have three per day or so -- to help them plan around meals and such).

If Disney only offers unlimited reservations to concierge level and charges for a system that only allows THREE reservations, I think the cost/value ratio will be WAY too low to appeal to most guests. I MIGHT be willing to pay some extra for a next-gen system, but certainly NOT if all I'm getting is THREE measly reservations. To restrict the unlmited option ONLY to concierge level seems like they would be limiting the scope of the service to the point that it would not be worth it.

 

[SnowPeas]

Rumors and speculation abound. Anyone who knows isn't talking.

Meanwhile, my SWAG is that guests at Deluxe resorts will have access to the NexGen system as part of their resort stay package (concierge level guests will prob have unlimited, while "ordinary" guests will probably have three per day or so -- to help them plan around meals and such).

Those staying at moderates will likely be able to purchase at a specific price point. Those staying in values will likely also be able to purchase, but at a slightly higher price point.

It'll be tied to the RFID ticket/KTTW system currently being tested in various configurations around the parks... the RFID entry ticket at Epcot, the strange boxes sighted at ToT and Star Tours, etc... That way they can keep track of who's using their FPs, what times the FPs are set for, etc.

I don't care to speculate about non-resort guest availability, only to hazard a guess that if there's capacity available, they'll sell it (think MNSHP and MVMCP).

My SWAG, anyway...

Wow! What a plethora of information. Even if it's 1/2 wrong, it seems to be based on an educated guess, and well informed opinion. Thanks for your input! I'll keep my ears open in regards to it and make sure to follow along.

I for one would be more than willing to pay to get a FP that I didn't have to come back at a certain time to use.
Nancy

AYE! Me three.

 

[TDC Nala]

If so, do you think Disney will do something similar to Universal where they allow on-site guests to use the privilege free of cost?

Universal has three resort hotels, and WDW has twenty-four - no, I don't see them doing this.

 

[phyllis1966]

Some people built their whole park touring strategies around the ability to use a FP past the window printed upon it.

With that option gone, they'll have to plan more judiciously, not knowing in advance whether or not there will be FPs available for the rides they want to do, and whether or not those FPs will conflict with any dining reservations they may make (or have made) at the 180 day point.

Once NexGen kicks in, a lot of that anxiety will go away -- assuming that, as is popularly believed, that system will offer the selection of FP times you'd like to "reserve."

I personally believe the interim period is designed to cultivate that anxiety, so that when the NexGen is offered at a premium, guests will be more likely to spend the money for it.

And they're counting on the FUD generated by threads like this to do just that.

I think...

It's sad, but this seems very plausible...just one question is plaguing me now - what does FUD mean??

Maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake today, but color me

 

[SnowPeas]

Universal has three resort hotels, and WDW has twenty-four - no, I don't see them doing this.

EXCELLENT point! I guess only time will tell...