FP+ Details Are Out!

[squirrel4569]

The group management thing is something I hadn't thought about because we don't typically travel with others, but we will be next year when this is for sure to be out. Unless you get everyone on the same reservation on Disney property then it will be a bit of a hassle to coordinate. I was already wondering about coordinating some of the ADRs.

Another thing this might do would be to prevent guests from using FP from their party to ride a ride multiple times. On our last trip DD2 was too short for many rides and DW didn't want to ride them so she would do something else with DD2 while DD1 and I rode twice. Unless we're swapping bands that's not going to work anymore.

While you will be able to modify your FP selection, it does seem to kill a lot of spontaneity in the vacation fun.

 

[Pirate4Ever]

One question, and this may be a dumb one... What about guests who do not have a smart phone? How are they to navigate the FP+ system?

There will be touch screen kiosks in the parks that will allow you to access/modify your FP+

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

There will be touch screen kiosks in the parks that will allow you to access/modify your FP+

I can't wait to see the queue for those.

Newbies will then go home from vacation and report how the longest line they stood in was the line to pick where and when you get in line.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

There will be touch screen kiosks in the parks that will allow you to access/modify your FP+

And the lines of people waiting to use them will probably be absolutely horrific.

*beaten to the comment by Zippa D Doodah*

 

[focusondisney]

This whole FP+ thing is like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. On at least some level, FP+ is about Disney trying to to cover up for inadequate ride capacity in the parks, specifically a lack of headliners. There is an obvious reason Soarin' and TSMM keep ridiculous lines from start to finish of every park day. Spending billions of dollars to create a new system to string along the wait times seems bizarre to me. I know there are other benefits for Disney (data collection; additional sales opportunities; etc), but surely adding some attractions would have been cheaper and made the masses happier.
I am sure that in time FP+ will be the norm and we will all have it figured out, but as of now it just looks like a hot mess. It is intimidating to regular guests, confusing to newbies, and is about as inviting and relaxing as an IRS form.

We are headed to WDW the last week of September. I actually wouldn't mind the chance to play with the FP+ system then because there is plenty of room for error since crowds will be relatively slimmer. But I would be mortified trying to learn FP+ and plan a proper vacation in a busier time of year. One thing we enjoy is maximizing the current FP system as part of our spontaneous days and nights of fun at WDW, but it would seem those times are quickly coming to an end.

One question, and this may be a dumb one... What about guests who do not have a smart phone? How are they to navigate the FP+ system?

Agree with you about wanting to try it all out during a slow time. We usually go in mid Sept & only use FP for things like TSM & Soarin' (just DH & I & we don't do coasters.)

And they are making certain FP+ "centers" with kiosks for people without smartphones.

 

[bauer1168]

Would there be anything to stop someone say, from buying a magicband/ticket, booking 3 FP+ slots and selling it on eBay/kiosk in Orlando for people to use when they arrive?
For example, you buy a ticket/magicband and get 3 FP+ slots for DHS (TSM, TOT, Star Tours) for say, New Years Day. You put in a false name to the ticket (John Smith) the seller never, ever uses it. The seller puts it up for 'sale' 59 days before New Years Day, would there be a market for guests who would want those bands/tickets?
We've all seen it with concert tickets where there users on eBay/stubhub who sell multiple tickets for sold out concerts. Could this be done/come around for FP+ slots for high demand rides like TSM on days that are more or less going to reach park capacity/closure?

 

[g-dad66]

There will be activities that are FP+ only - no standby option.

This caught my eye.

Hmm...wonder what these activities will be?

 

[Pirate4Ever]

I can't wait to see the queue for those.

Newbies will then go home from vacation and report how the longest line they stood in was the line to pick where and when you get in line.

Considering the (un)reliability of WIFI in the parks, I'm afraid you might be right!

 

[doconeill]

I forgot to add...I had also heard an independent rumor a few weeks ago about the possibility of closing Sid Cahuenga's at DHS...I presume this is the "Sid's" mentioned to make room for FP+ kiosks. The inside Guest Relations is definitely too small to take those on as well.

 

[doconeill]

This caught my eye.

Hmm...wonder what these activities will be?

Parade/fireworks viewing I bet. No vultures hoping those areas don't fill and they let non-FP+ guests in...

 

[momof2n2]

Am I the only one seriously rethinking my WDW plan for 2014? As in, seriously thinking about not going?

 

[LisaTC]

This whole FP+ thing is like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. On at least some level, FP+ is about Disney trying to to cover up for inadequate ride capacity in the parks, specifically a lack of headliners. There is an obvious reason Soarin' and TSMM keep ridiculous lines from start to finish of every park day. Spending billions of dollars to create a new system to string along the wait times seems bizarre to me. I know there are other benefits for Disney (data collection; additional sales opportunities; etc), but surely adding some attractions would have been cheaper and made the masses happier. I am sure that in time FP+ will be the norm and we will all have it figured out, but as of now it just looks like a hot mess. It is intimidating to regular guests, confusing to newbies, and is about as inviting and relaxing as an IRS form.

AMEN! A colonscopy sounds more inviting. As much as I love Disney, this is dumb. Nobody wants to vacation complicated. Nobody wants to plan out all the ADR's most of the time...planning your rides? Some don't even plan their parks until they see what the weather is like. This seems more like work than vacation. Nobody can tell me there weren't better options. I wonder what the person was on when they decided "hey, let's .... FP+, 60 days advance, only 1/park, etc, blah, blah, blah."

Regular FP always worked the way it was supposed to for us...I don't get it. I see things bandied about as to why this is being implemented, yet I don't see anything useful.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

This was posted in one of the comments on the FB page that this latest information came from:

I sent am email- here's the response. If there's a choice- the MB FP+ OR the old paper ones, then I'm all kinds of whatever with this option. "Please know you will still have access to our regular Fastpass system
and can opt out or use it in conjunction with the Disney FastPass®+.
Please know I do have little ones and this is such a huge time saver.
Unlike the current system you can change your times while in the park so
it makes for more flexibility. Where under the current system once you
get a FastPass you are locked out for 2 hours to receive another."

I'm not sure what I think about this response...there's some stuff that's inaccurate in there. Like if your FP return time is shorter than 2 hours, then you're not "locked out" of the system for 2 hours...you can pull another one as soon as your FP window opens. Also, as a mother of young kids, I like the flexibility of the current system...I'm not locked into my choices 60 days in advance. So I don't see this as a bonus for people with young kids at all. Also, she claims the legacy FP system will continue...but doesn't say for how long. They certainly wouldn't be rolling out a $1B system if they intended to keep the old one in place.

 

[lugnut33]

Remember, the magic number is 9. If you get 9 rides in a day you will be happy. So, you get 3 big attractions with your fast passes, and then 6 more should be no problem throughout the day even if you have to wait in stand-by (or take in Hall of Presidents, Stitch, COP, TTA, IASW, and Tiki Room). Then you day is over and you'll be happy.

 

[doconeill]

This was posted in one of the comments on the FB page that this latest information came from:



I'm not sure what I think about this response...there's some stuff that's inaccurate in there. Like if your FP return time is shorter than 2 hours, then you're not "locked out" of the system for 2 hours...you can pull another one as soon as your FP window opens. Also, as a mother of young kids, I like the flexibility of the current system...I'm not locked into my choices 60 days in advance. So I don't see this as a bonus for people with young kids at all. Also, she claims the legacy FP system will continue...but doesn't say for how long. They certainly wouldn't be rolling out a $1B system if they intended to keep the old one in place.

I wouldn't trust a random comment on Facebook, much as I would trust a random comment here, unless I know I can trust the source...

The Terms and Conditions still specifically state that it's either/or...

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

This was posted in one of the comments on the FB page that this latest information came from:

I sent am email- here's the response. If there's a choice- the MB FP+ OR the old paper ones, then I'm all kinds of whatever with this option. "Please know you will still have access to our regular Fastpass system and can opt out or use it in conjunction with the Disney FastPass®+.
Please know I do have little ones and this is such a huge time saver. Unlike the current system you can change your times while in the park so
it makes for more flexibility. Where under the current system once you get a FastPass you are locked out for 2 hours to receive another."

Interesting... thanks for posting... guess we'll see...

I tend to think same day FPs in some incarnation will stick around. Probably added to your band rather than a piece of paper; maybe a specified cap; who knows. But I guess we'll see soon enough... not soon enough for many of us, I know...

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Robo]

Remember, the magic number is 9. If you get 9 rides in a day you will be happy.

I've never, ever, EVER understood that number.
(And, yes, NINE is the number of attractions that it is claimed "most guests experience in a full day at WDW.")



There's a good reason that I've never, ever, EVER understood that number...

I've never, ever, EVER experienced nearly that FEW attractions in a full day at WDW.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I wouldn't trust a random comment on Facebook, much as I would trust a random comment here, unless I know I can trust the source...

The Terms and Conditions still specifically state that it's either/or...

Just to clarify, the email was posted by the person who "owns" that FB page, so she's the one who posted the original information. However, even if it's a legit email I'm taking it with a grain of salt for many reasons, especially because that part about the legacy system still being available contradicts the original information she supposedly pulled from the CM training materials.

 

[TJBerry]

Remember, the magic number is 9. If you get 9 rides in a day you will be happy. So, you get 3 big attractions with your fast passes, and then 6 more should be no problem throughout the day even if you have to wait in stand-by (or take in Hall of Presidents, Stitch, COP, TTA, IASW, and Tiki Room). Then you day is over and you'll be happy.

If testing parameters continue to be used on roll-out, you get a group of fastpasses, with only one of the three being a headliner. That is one of the main things that bugs me about the new system.

 

[Marie17]

My first thought - this is going to give me a MIGRAINE having to try to PLAN my entire vacation from picking hotel, restaurants and now RIDES!!!!!

I am a Disney fan but even I am shaking my head over how this whole FP+ system got all the way to this point. And I really would never, never, ever spend $24.95 for a BAND shirt, really!

I need to find out who to send an actual letter with a real stamp to voice my concerns regarding the new system. I don't know if it will be seen by anyone or just put into the trash bin, but in my mind it is worth it to voice an opinion that is hand written instead of via email as I am truly re-thinking the plans I have been making for January 2014.