FP+ Details Are Out!

[jtowntoflorida]

But, let's assume that I purchase my tickets separately and do NOT link them on MDE and leave them as tickets, not MagicBands. Based on this FAQ, it seems that I would be eligible for regular FASTPASS. At least, initially. Maybe down the road they will phase it away completely, but one outcome of the MDE glitch mess is that it seems regular Fastpasses are not going to be shut down quickly. I am going to assume that if you have a package with tickets, well, you won't have a choice, you will be eligible. But if you stay off-site, or maybe you purchase tickets separately and don't link them on MDE, then you may have a chance at the old Fastpass system, at least initially. So, my one take-away from this, is that if you don't have a package, don't link your tickets yet, as it may make your tickets "eligible."

I agree with this, and I have never been happier to be a DVC renter who buys tickets from UT. I won't be linking those bad boys and risk being volunteered and losing regular FP. I'm just going to hope that the legacy system stays online through October. **fingers crossed**

 

[ArwenMarie]

So if PF+ is for all guests, not just resort guests, are there any benefits related to the new system that make staying onsite the better option? I'm assuming the ADR style +10 will apply once it's up and running (?)

Apologies if I've missed something earlier in the thread. I can barely keep up with this without putting half my life on hold

My guess is that it will be 60 plus length of your stay if staying onsite. So possible advantage.

Plus I think they are going to use FP plus as an incentive and phase out dining and room incentives, which we know they have been wanting to do anyway. So more FPs for onsite stays, maybe if you upgrade resorts, that kind of thing.

 

[tinkandonaldfans]

Ok I'm sorry but have question, our trip is on the 8th September, so will this new system affect our trip?

 

[mesaboy2]

Ok I'm sorry but have question, our trip is on the 8th September, so will this new system affect our trip?

Unlikely.

 

[tony609]

I'm wondering if for our Sept. trip if we wouldn't get the magic band, not for the FP+ system but just for the room key,charging purposes and so Disney can sell us magicband BLING! If sales increased that much more with the magicband, you would think they would want them out there and on all on site and AP holders wrists.

 

[Planogirl]

Oddly, many of us don't enjoy paying for something that was once included. Like airline baggage fees.

I personally expect more chances to pay extra for the benefit of riding things. I have this uneasy feeling that this is just the beginning.

 

[tony609]

I personally expect more chances to pay extra for the benefit of riding things. I have this uneasy feeling that this is just the beginning.

I have a feeling your right.

 

[beer dave]

Well, straight from the FAQ:



The "eligible" part is debatable, but I believe that to simply mean as they roll it out.

Disney has also made public statements that it will be part of your admission, and NEVER said anything about a condition of staying on-site.

Watch Nick Franklin talk in the video in this article:

http://blogs.computerworld.com/privacy/21610/big-brother-mickey-mouse-monitor-behavior-disneys-mymagic-rfid-wristbands

They've also stated that Annual Passholders will be able to use it, with no requirement they be staying on-site either.

And to add to it, you can register tickets from third parties on the web site - not something you would be expected to be able to do if they made you buy packages to use it...

I see your point, but the debatable part, the eligible, is yet to be defined. Everyone in the park has a valid ticket. If the ticket was the qualifier, they would just say everyone. They always stipulate at the end of any offering "valid theme park admission required" or "with valid theme park ticket".

I still think the qualifier has yet to be determined. We will see.

 

[Arsenal1982]

If you want to avoid being eligible, the solution is simple. Book your hotel through the Dis website but not park admission cards. Just buy those when you arrive at Disney and don't link them on your My Magic. Problem solved.

 

[WillAustin]

I see your point, but the debatable part, the eligible, is yet to be defined. Everyone in the park has a valid ticket. If the ticket was the qualifier, they would just say everyone. They always stipulate at the end of any offering "valid theme park admission required" or "with valid theme park ticket".

I still think the qualifier has yet to be determined. We will see.

I too think eligibility is just a qualifier until it's rolled out to stem the tide of people wanting to sign up somehow. They have already "officially" released pages that said it will be available to "All Guests".

 

[beer dave]

I too think eligibility is just a qualifier until it's rolled out to stem the tide of people wanting to sign up somehow. They have already "officially" released pages that said it will be available to "All Guests".

I still haven't seen these official pages. When I read any of it, I see a lot of dancing around the issue. I'll believe it when they come out and say it. The closest thing was the last sentence in the video posted above, but even that seemed cut off. I guess I am a skeptic.

 

[Hedley]

I agree with this, and I have never been happier to be a DVC renter who buys tickets from UT. I won't be linking those bad boys and risk being volunteered and losing regular FP. I'm just going to hope that the legacy system stays online through October. **fingers crossed**

The concern I have regarding FP+ and the legacy FP running simultaneously is that the legacy FP may not be the same as we know it now. I think in addition to the advance reservations being gobbled up by FP+, the system may also reserve some same day FP+, thus pushing the legacy FP to a status not much better than Stand By (after all Disney is pushing FP+ and phasing out legacy FP). If that's the case, perhaps becoming eligible for FP+ would be an advantage. We just don't know what the legacy FP will look like once FP+ comes online. And if you wait to see, it will be too late to reserve FP+ far in advance if the legacy FP is not much better than SB. Decisions, decisions.

 

[WillAustin]

I still haven't seen these official pages. When I read any of it, I see a lot of dancing around the issue. I'll believe it when they come out and say it. The closest thing was the last sentence in the video posted above, but even that seemed cut off. I guess I am a skeptic.

This was the previous FP+ page that was up on the MDE website:

MDE Screenshot

"Currently, FastPass+ service is being tested with a limited number of randomly selected participants as we prepare to roll it out to all Guests over the coming months."

and

"And perhaps the best thing of all is that FastPass+ service will be included with your theme park admission."

I don't think that leaves much room to exclude anyone with a ticket.

 

[mom2rtk]

The concern I have regarding FP+ and the legacy FP running simultaneously is that the legacy FP may not be the same as we know it now. I think in addition to the advance reservations being gobbled up by FP+, the system may also reserve some same day FP+, thus pushing the legacy FP to a status not much better than Stand By (after all Disney is pushing FP+ and phasing out legacy FP). If that's the case, perhaps becoming eligible for FP+ would be an advantage. We just don't know what the legacy FP will look like once FP+ comes online. And if you wait to see, it will be too late to reserve FP+ far in advance if the legacy FP is not much better than SB. Decisions, decisions.

Add to that the fact that Disney will want guests to be clamoring over participation in FP+. I doubt they'll tolerate having the new system as being seen as less than the old one.

 

[larryz]

This was the previous FP+ page that was up on the MDE website:

MDE Screenshot

"Currently, FastPass+ service is being tested with a limited number of randomly selected participants as we prepare to roll it out to all Guests over the coming months."

and

"And perhaps the best thing of all is that FastPass+ service will be included with your theme park admission."

I don't think that leaves much room to exclude anyone with a ticket.

So now, the question is "when can 'any' guest start making reservations"?

And then the corollaries:
a) what about old tickets?
b) what about tickets purchased from someone besides Disney?
c) what about "spur-of-the-moment" tickets?
and the ever popular
d) what about Annual Passes/Premiere Passports?

 

[squirrel4569]

Interesting that they've changed from 3 to 4, which I thought they might. 4 may still be too low, when factoring in things like parades and fireworks and may be adjusted up to 5 before it fully goes live.

I was also thinking about my personal strategy and what would be an adequate number of FP for my family and our touring style. When I think about it, my goal is to do as much as we can at least once during the trip. Once in a while something will come up that we want to do more than once, but the goal is to see as many different things during a trip and consecutive trips as possible. I don't need or really want to ride TSMM two or three times (or more) in a day. I want to hit TSMM and move on to the next thing. If, by chance, I make it through all that I want to see in a day then I'll start cherry picking things to do a second time but that is just a bonus at that point.

Part of it comes from my growing up visiting Cedar Point in Ohio. The goal there with my friends and I was to hit all of the major coasters in a day. We'd get there early and go around the park, one to the next, until they closed or we couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't uncommon to stand in line for a hour or two for big time rides in queues that weren't entertaining or interactive. That being said I'm probably not standing in line for over an hour on anything unless it's something that my kids really wanted to see/do and then I would for them. In 2010 we didn't know about TSMM so we didn't see it until we got to the back of DHS and the wait was already an hour+. We thought it would get better later in the day and when it didn't we just decided to skip it. We've done it on later trips and had a great time with it. I still feel like I got my value out of the trip in 2010 despite not doing TSMM.

As far as people saying they don't know what park they will be in at 60 days out, don't many/most already plan ADRs at 180 days out? For us that largely determines our park selection. We don't hop since we don't want to spend the time on transportation and would rather be in the park instead, so our park selection is done far in advance and when I'm picking my FP+ choices I'll use what I have on ADR selections to base my selections off of.

While FP+ could be absolutely horrible, it's coming and I'm going to embrace it rather than hate on it.

 

[WillAustin]

So now, the question is "when can 'any' guest start making reservations"?

And then the corollaries:
a) what about old tickets?
b) what about tickets purchased from someone besides Disney?
c) what about "spur-of-the-moment" tickets?
and the ever popular
d) what about Annual Passes/Premiere Passports?

I'd guess we'll see a couple more months of testing and slow rollout, maybe one resort at a time using guests with packages, because that's easier to monitor and control. AP holders would probably come next. I'll bet that off-site/day guests will be the last to integrate into the new FP+ system, and I'd expect that to coincide with the turning off of the old FP system. At least, that's what I'd do if I were in charge of rolling it out.

 

[buckeev]

The concern I have regarding FP+ and the legacy FP running simultaneously is that the legacy FP may not be the same as we know it now. I think in addition to the advance reservations being gobbled up by FP+, the system may also reserve some same day FP+, thus pushing the legacy FP to a status not much better than Stand By (after all Disney is pushing FP+ and phasing out legacy FP). If that's the case, perhaps becoming eligible for FP+ would be an advantage. We just don't know what the legacy FP will look like once FP+ comes online. And if you wait to see, it will be too late to reserve FP+ far in advance if the legacy FP is not much better than SB. Decisions, decisions.

The old FP system will be discontinued once the full FP+ is full speed ahead. They are limiting the number of testers to a "small" percentage until then, making the effect on current FP & SB minimal.
My guess and my hope is that the full roll out will occur in late Sept/ early October. They're inviting disaster if they wait until the beginning of the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. Massive crowds of Zombie Mouseketeers aimlessly staggering through the park, faces glued to their wi-fi challenged, battery drained smartphones.....Oh wait, that's a movie screenplay I wanna write!

I'm not an FP+ expert, but I did just price out a one night stay at a Holiday Inn Express.

 

[Arsenal1982]

The old FP system will be discontinued once the full FP+ is full speed ahead. They are limiting the number of testers to a "small" percentage until then, making the effect on current FP & SB minimal.
My guess and my hope is that the full roll out will occur in late Sept/ early October. They're inviting disaster if they wait until the beginning of the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. Massive crowds of Zombie Mouseketeers aimlessly staggering through the park, faces glued to their wi-fi challenged, battery drained smartphones.....Oh wait, that's a movie screenplay I wanna write!

I'm not an FP+ expert, but I did just price out a one night stay at a Holiday Inn Express.

I doubt the old fast pass machines will be disabled by early October. My guess would be the beginning of 2014.

 

[momof2n2]

Sure... 4 is better than 3. But that's still four SIXTY days before I get there. It's like trying to sift for good news in the rubble. I'm still micromanaging way too far out.