FP+ Details Are Out!

[2Tiggies]

Its not planning. It is interacting with the new technology.

Yes, it is .... but you have to plan a whole lot more to allow you to interact efficiently with that new technology

 

[bcrook]

Yes, it is .... but you have to plan a whole lot more to allow you to interact efficiently with that new technology

I am up for the challenge!

 

[2Tiggies]

I am up for the challenge!

I guess a "Can-Do" approach is never a negative

I'd probably be more up for the challenge if I hadn't had to expend such a considerable amount of mental energy (smell the smoke!) trying to follow and understand all the information as it has emerged, evolved, been discussed and thrashed to death, changed ..... and ... repeat

 

[agavegirl1]

Q.
How many FastPass+ experiences am I allowed to reserve access to for each day and for my entire vacation?

A.
The total number of FastPass+ experiences available to you during your visit depends on several factors including availability and the vacation packages and tickets linked to your Disney account. Generally, FastPass+ eligible Guests are able to select one set of FastPass+ experiences each day for every valid theme park ticket linked to their account.

Depending on availability, you should be able to reserve access to up to 3 FastPass+ attractions and entertainment experiences each day.

Now up to "3". That was quick.

 

[mom2rtk]

i was thinking more that the critics only see two kind of parks...those that give them a way to have short lines for themselves and those that dont. to two loudest complaints i see are a) i won't be able to do attractions like i did with FP and b) i don't want to plan that far ahead

Once again, you are missing an entire chunk of people....those who spontaneity AND short lines.

So i assume by this, FP is considered to be full spontaneity? to me, full spontaneity is no FP and all stand by. FP requires planning, just to a degree that it seems many are comfortable with. It's known that certain attractions need to be FP at RD and the early hours of opening if you want to get any FP's cause by 10am they are likely sold out or return times are the last hour or two of the day. Trekking around the park to obtain FP's requires planning. So i find it comical to hear some complain about planning. I think it comes down to they like the way they have it now with FP cause they now how to beat out the next guy and the heck with them.

Yes, by spontaneity, I mean the ability to decide on the fly which attractions we want to do with the shortest wait. If it's standby or nothing, we won't be going.

When many complain about planning, what they are really complaining about is "advance planning"..... committing to things 60 days out and quite possibly not being able to adjust on the fly when things come up during their trip. I can't even imagine how distasteful this is for folks who like to wake up each morning and decide which park they want to visit. We at least generally commit on which park for each day enough in advance that's not a problem for us.

I don't understand how the daughters ability to ride or not ride certain attractions is an issue with FP+. Plan for what she wants to ride with the assumption she has medical clearance. If she gets to WDW and is unable to ride certain planned attractions, then make the change with FP+. It sounds to me like it would be most of the mountains & headliners in question. So, prebook them knowing that if she can't ride them, she still has the option to change them. It seems pretty unanimous that the current headliners that sell out now are the ones expected to sell out under FP+ so the other attractions that would be doable are likely to be available.

You know, I'm growing oh..... so..... weary of everyone saying that someone can just change their selections at the last minute when something comes up. That is a HUGE unknown piece of this. Without the right inventory, that option might as well not even BE there.

They don't know what the doctor will say. She could get an all clear, she could get some specific limitations. If the doctor says no mountains, then she might have wished she scheduled ETWB, PP and Wishes viewing instead of the mountains. But it's highly likely those selections will be gone by the time they get the word from the doctor.

The bottom line is that the current system would have met their needs perfectly. And FP+ imposes limitations that add stress where it doesn't need to be. If your child gets sick and you have to do the MK tomorrow instead of today, you shouldn't have to give up your possibility of doing the headliners with short lines.

 

[d1gitman]

Once again, you are missing an entire chunk of people....those who spontaneity AND short lines. empty parks? never will happen as a business model for Disney or Universal.


Yes, by spontaneity, I mean the ability to decide on the fly which attractions we want to do with the shortest wait. If it's standby or nothing, we won't be going. So then it's FP or nothing? What if there is a short stand by posted on the wait times, does that not count?

When many complain about planning, what they are really complaining about is "advance planning"..... committing to things 60 days out and quite possibly not being able to adjust on the fly when things come up during their trip. I can't even imagine how distasteful this is for folks who like to wake up each morning and decide which park they want to visit. Which leaves ADR's out..those are 180 days. We at least generally commit on which park for each day enough in advance that's not a problem for us. But may be a problem for others...so which crowd is Disney to cater to?





You know, I'm growing oh..... so..... weary of everyone saying that someone can just change their selections at the last minute when something comes up. That is a HUGE unknown piece of this. Without the right inventory, that option might as well not even BE there. or it MIGHT be there...FP+ isn't fully rolled out and people are jumping out windows like it's the stock market crash.

They don't know what the doctor will say. She could get an all clear, she could get some specific limitations. If the doctor says no mountains, then she might have wished she scheduled ETWB, PP and Wishes viewing instead of the mountains. But it's highly likely those selections will be gone by the time they get the word from the doctor. For me personally, if i had such a serious health issue, i'd probably defer my trip till i know my health can allow me to do whatever i want. That's just me.
The bottom line is that the current system would have met their needs perfectly. And FP+ imposes limitations that add stress where it doesn't need to be. If your child gets sick and you have to do the MK tomorrow instead of today, you shouldn't have to give up your possibility of doing the headliners with short lines.

so then what is really being said is that Disney owes us (those of us who know how to use and maximize the system) the right to have what we want, when we want with no wait. hmmm

 

[bcrook]

I guess a "Can-Do" approach is never a negative

I'd probably be more up for the challenge if I hadn't had to expend such a considerable amount of mental energy (smell the smoke!) trying to follow and understand all the information as it has emerged, evolved, been discussed and thrashed to death, changed ..... and ... repeat

. Actually very little has changed since January, I can find hardly anything to update from the original reports.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

so then what is really being said is that Disney owes us (those of us who know how to use and maximize the system) the right to have what we want, when we want with no wait. hmmm

I, for one, do not think that Disney owes me the right to have a spontaneous vacation without long lines, but I know that it is one of my requirements. If Disney cannot meet my vacation requirements, they are off the list of places to consider. It really is that simple for some people. I love WDW, but my wife does not...

 

[rastuso]

Yeah, and nobody really has to do any attractions either.

I doubt ride capacity has kept up with the expanding attendance over the years. There are fewer low crowd times too. It just gets more and more imperative that you plan or you'll be left behind.

The truth is they had a system that worked well for spontaneity. They are choosing to scrap it in favor of a system that requires much more advance planning. You know.....provided you want to do many attractions.

It (ride capacity) absolutely hasn't. Splash is the last E ticket, over 20 years ago. I would guess the net number of ride seats available has remained fairly flat throughout the years. Buzz added a lot, but many of the others have been redesigned, like Space and Splash, to offer fewer seats per car.

And in that 20 years, attendance has probably gone up 50%. Being totally aware of the FP system allowed us DISers and turbo users to still get plenty of rides. They finally reached the tipping point, and FP+ was born out of some bean counters butt, and we are all about to be forced to think 3, or maybe 4, FPs is a wonderful value.

Jason

 

[ArwenMarie]

so then what is really being said is that Disney owes us (those of us who know how to use and maximize the system) the right to have what we want, when we want with no wait. hmmm

I dont know if you have kids, but it doesnt have to be a serious health problem to throw off a day. Even a cold or a bad night of sleep can call for an unexpected rest day (for adults too!)

there really is a difference between changing the day that you make sure you get to RD to ride your faves via FP versus losing your FPplus ressies and then going into the system trying to re-get them.

 

[MermaidMommy]

I'll admit, I was kind of excited for FP+. We aren't turbo FP users, etc. Then I saw some people's ride itineraries that they were kind enough to share yesterday on various boards, and I just got totally turned off.

Just seeing rides all locked in on the days...blech! I already don't like ADRs and tend to keep those to a minimum. But now rides? Sometimes you need to move your park days around, for real reasons, like tiredness, someone not feeling great, weather, etc. Or sometimes you need to rearrange even your day on the fly.

Yuck.

I'm one who was able to book FP+'s yesterday, and I had the same reaction when I was booking them. As a super-planner, I spend months nailing down my itinerary, ADR's and touring plans. Hey, it's a hobby! But, I also know how to "read" the parks and adjust on the go depending on factors like crowd level changes, weather, ride closures, etc., so we are able to have flexible plans It stressed me out more than I thought it would picking the FP+ times, because I kept second-guessing myself. What if that ADR runs long? What if we want to go back to the resort and take a nap after all? What if we don't want another day at EP and want to hop to MK? It absolutely allows for much less spontaneity than the current FP system.

I thought that scheduling HS was the most difficult, because of the shows. It's like one of those logic problem: "Suzy has an ADR at Sci-Fi at 12:45, and one at 50's Prime Time at 7:00. She also wants to plan for Characterpalooza at 5:30. Her FP+ return times are 1-2, 3-4, and 4-5. What times can Suzy go see Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones?"

 

[bcrook]

I'm one who was able to book FP+'s yesterday, and I had the same reaction when I was booking them. As a super-planner, I spend months nailing down my itinerary, ADR's and touring plans. Hey, it's a hobby! But, I also know how to "read" the parks and adjust on the go depending on factors like crowd level changes, weather, ride closures, etc., so we are able to have flexible plans It stressed me out more than I thought it would picking the FP+ times, because I kept second-guessing myself. What if that ADR runs long? What if we want to go back to the resort and take a nap after all? What if we don't want another day at EP and want to hop to MK? It absolutely allows for much less spontaneity than the current FP system.

I thought that scheduling HS was the most difficult, because of the shows. It's like one of those logic problem: "Suzy has an ADR at Sci-Fi at 12:45, and one at 50's Prime Time at 7:00. She also wants to plan for Characterpalooza at 5:30. Her FP+ return times are 1-2, 3-4, and 4-5. What times can Suzy go see Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones?"

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

I'm one who was able to book FP+'s yesterday, and I had the same reaction when I was booking them. As a super-planner, I spend months nailing down my itinerary, ADR's and touring plans. Hey, it's a hobby! But, I also know how to "read" the parks and adjust on the go depending on factors like crowd level changes, weather, ride closures, etc., so we are able to have flexible plans It stressed me out more than I thought it would picking the FP+ times, because I kept second-guessing myself. What if that ADR runs long? What if we want to go back to the resort and take a nap after all? What if we don't want another day at EP and want to hop to MK? It absolutely allows for much less spontaneity than the current FP system.

I thought that scheduling HS was the most difficult, because of the shows. It's like one of those logic problem: "Suzy has an ADR at Sci-Fi at 12:45, and one at 50's Prime Time at 7:00. She also wants to plan for Characterpalooza at 5:30. Her FP+ return times are 1-2, 3-4, and 4-5. What times can Suzy go see Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones?"

Love it! This really sums up how I feel about FP+, I'm getting anxiety just thinking about it!

 

[Yellowstonetim]

I used to go to Cedar Point in Ohio all the time because it was a 2 hour drive away. It was nothing to stand in line for an hour or two for a new ride. Even some of the popular older rides would get waits between 45 & 60 minutes. And this was a park that was routinely adding new E-ticket rides quite regularly. They were adding new rides that featured new technologies, new heights, record breaking speeds, etc. All that did was increase the crowds and the waits. Sure the waits slowed a little at some of the older rides while the newest got the longest wait, but you still spent the majority of your day in line for the rides.

My point is that if Disney built a new ride/attraction each year for each park it would only add to the crowds and the waits really wouldn't go do. With specials and people learning about "off-season" those times will get busier as well. Expansion can help some, but it's not the silver bullet to ending the lines. Even with FP people are seeing waits increasing with the FP lines and the SB lines are exponentially growing. The crowds are growing so the lines will grow too. The same thing will happen at Universal too as they add their new attractions. It's just kind of the way it works.

The flip side is to be like Great America in Santa Clara, CA that has a fixed amount of space and can't really add new rides or attractions and nearly closed down due to low attendance. It's sort of feast or famine in the business. Disney is the leader in this and they know that. I think they are trying to improve the experience for all guests and while you can't please everyone, I think this will be good for the majority.

I agree. We will never have the good ol' days of spontenaity and short lines. Just not going to happen. Gas won't be 30 cents, Andy Griffith won't be on prime time. Things change. I also think people remember the good times better than they were. We expected long lines in the past, we don't now. So we forget all the hours spent in theme park lines in the 70's and 80's.

Given the changing world, I believe this will be the best way to adapt to give the most people a good experience.

Of course, the more people that decide to spend a week at Cedar Point, Ohio, the more FP+ availability for me!

 

[d1gitman]

I'm interested how they are going to deal with split stays, six days and three resorts does that mean multiple Magic Bands?!

I would think that while MagicBands are issued to resort guests, they are tied to your tickets. Currently if you resort hop, your passes are still the same. Furthermore, non resort guests can buy MagicBands if they choose, which is consistent with them being tied to your tickets, not your resort. I'd be willing to bet that you only get 1 set of MagicBands, particularly since they are supposed to last 2-3 years?

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I agree. We will never have the good ol' days of spontenaity and short lines. Just not going to happen.

Actually, we have that right now in WDW for several months each year. You can find it in January, February, May, late August, September and early December.

 

[d1gitman]

Actually, we have that right now in WDW for several months each year. You can find it in January, February, May, late August, September and early December.

but what about the DIS'r who deserves it year round? why isn't Disney designing their business model around the DIS? inquiring minds want to know, cause lord knows at least 40-50 DIS'rs are gonna completely stop going to WDW.

in all seriousness, we used to say we would only go during slow seasons. then we had the bright idea of going Christmas Day to New Years Day and loved it....then came Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day and now the blazing hot summer...we are breaking all of our own rules and loving it.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I agree. We will never have the good ol' days of spontenaity and short lines. Just not going to happen.

I was there in March 2013 with my family, about 2 weeks before Easter - right in the midst of spring breaks. We used FP as we came upon it and it made sense (no planning/fp running). We didn't wait longer than 30 mins for anything we rode. We virtually walked on to Expedition Everest 3x in a row. I think my nephew and his father rode BTMRR 5 or 6 times in a row the day we got there at rope drop. We were with them on two of those rides and after the 1st ride, the CM didn't even make us exit the train to ride again. The only headliners we didn't ride were Splash (down for refurb) and ToT/RnRC as my nephews were too short (and scared) to ride those.

I call that fairly spontaneous with short lines.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

in all seriousness, we used to say we would only go during slow seasons. then we had the bright idea of going Christmas Day to New Years Day and loved it....then came Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day and now the blazing hot summer...we are breaking all of our own rules and loving it.

WDW is like a favorite uncle. You love him dearly, so you will put up with a pile of stuff (including relatives that you would be happy never to see again) in order to spend time with him. You won't enjoy the stuff that you have to put up with, but are willing to make the sacrifice to see him. But there are limits.

 

[wookiebeck]

This is all so overwhelming. I like to plan my vacations but this is getting out of hand. Scheduling rides 60 days out? Scheduling table service 180 days out? When I took the kids when they were younger we just picked a park and went. I don't want to schedule my rides. what happened to spontaneity?

Stockholders happened to spontaneity. How many hotel rooms have been built in the past 20 at WDW? The parks are so full that brass decided to spend a ton of $$ to control the crowds via FP+.

Splash is the last E ticket, over 20 years ago. I would guess the net number of ride seats available has remained fairly flat throughout the years.

...and we are all about to be forced to think 3, or maybe 4, FPs is a wonderful value.

Yep.

Yep.

Yep.

I'm more of the 'build it and they will come' kind of person. Use the $billion to add a park!