FP--- Disney has become too regimented

[Angel Ariel]

No people seemed mad that they couldn't RD, start grabbing FP for a ride, then lather rense repeat, i was attempting to point out FP- or not, that was going to be harder to do or at least fewer times with increase in guests in the parks. FP+ i dont see as the cause for the issue of increased waits. I have said i wish they had both systems so folks that dont RD can rest assured they can FP a big ride.

My 10 comment was being absurd on purpose to statements that FP+ is the worst solution, that is all. People are assigning causation to the FP+ system where none may exist, there is insufficient available facts to support a link.

There are multiple reasons why people don't like fp+. Lack of re ride ability is definitely one of them for some people, but I would not assume that everyone who dislikes fp+ dislikes it for that reason.

 

[ArwenMarie]

"There seems to be a sense of entilement from rider maximizers amongs the population who are upset that they cannot ride the top rides 10 times in a day anymore with limited wait times. "

Minus the over drama of 10 times, you cant tell me there isn't a sense of well earned tried and true touring style entitlement under fp- death that repeat visitors feel very upset about.

It's not a sense of entitlement. It's a sense of a price increase. For a certain price, people used to be able to do X, Y, and Z in the parks, and now they can only do X. But the prices didn't come down. It doesn't matter what everyone else was doing when it's your vacation, and your vacation money. What you focus on is what you are getting versus what you used to get, for the same price (well, actually higher prices!). It's totally rational behavior in the economic sense.

 

[Disneyhappy]

I'm a long, long time WDW visitor with average visits of three times per year for 10 years. We have scaled back trips after 6 FP+ trips with continually decreasing positive experiences. Our next visit will be 16 months since out last. We visited DL for the first time this spring. Planning was so much easier and the visit was so much less stressful! It really made me miss FP-. At the end of our trip, DH noted that he did not see a single family meltdown which has become common place at WDW, more so since the implementation of FP+. At DL, RD was still a great option for those willing to get up early. We called "Otto" to find out FP times and wait times. Unless children join us at WDW, we spend less time in the parks and also started dining off site more frequently as a result of our opinion that WDW dining quality has declined as well. I am have happy for those that like FP+ better than the old system, especially because of the huge expense of a WDW trip. But for us, we don't like it, especially with the longer standby lines which were not a result of higher park attendance based on my research of comparing attendance year over year. WDW marketing did its job of drawing folks to visit but others in WDW failed in preparing for the crowds they asked for by not creating additional attractions to accommodate the solicited crowds. We still love WDW and own DVC but they definitely are not getting as much of our disposal income as they once did.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Disney could care less about your opinion in these surveys. They want your email address so they can spam you to death. I was approached last week for a survey and the second question was what was my email address. When I refused to give it out I became a nonperson. No more interest in my opinions. Disney is the king of spam. They make AARP look like beginners.

They ask you your email address because that's how they send you the survey. I was approached in epcot on our trip. They only asked me 4 questions in the park..all demographic related, and my email. The survey was sent to my email a few days after our trip ended. It took about 20 mins to complete. I'm glad hat 20 mins was at home, and not park.time.

 

[mom2rtk]

They ask you your email address because that's how they send you the survey. I was approached in epcot on our trip. They only asked me 4 questions in the park..all demographic related, and my email. The survey was sent to my email a few days after our trip ended. It took about 20 mins to complete. I'm glad hat 20 mins was at home, and not park.time.

I actually think it's a great way to do that. I love giving my feedback, but don't want to give up park time answering questions. At home I can think things over and answer when it's convenient.

 

[goodgodmrsmolly]

I find it amusing to read the daily FP+ gripe threads blaming it for ruining spontaneous trips while people totally ignore or discount the effect of ever rising crowd levels and virtually no increase in attractions to spread the crowds out. If it wasnt for FP, you can forget about getting on most rides without an hour wait, and with FP-, you had to get to the park at RD and sprint to the machine to get your headliner ticket. Now many on here love RD, and it is superior, but they dont care that some of us have small children (or spouses) who sleep in, or we also like nighttime entertainment so doing 14 hour days isnt an option. I bet last year my family rides half as many rides as we did without FP+ except for the two days we RD.

Well, unless you work for Disney in marketing, chances are you don't have the full information to say for sure how much attendance increased over say the last year. Meaning it is impossible to accurately say for sure how much increased attendance has caused the problems or if FP+ is the issue. Sure, it might be a factor, but Disney isn't releasing numbers on attendance, riders per hour and other info one would need to make a conclusive statement. Most people are going on what they see. I have been to the parks on what I would say is a slower day, comparatively to old FP times, and have seen lines longer than pre-FP+ for attractions. So to me, the only change would be FP+.

Saying there is not enough new attractions is important to note. I think that is part of why people are upset about the FP change. Instead of making a new attraction, the big plans are to simply increase capacity at 2 existing attractions, and that seems plain wrong to me.

 

[Astridia]

Disney could care less about your opinion in these surveys. They want your email address so they can spam you to death. I was approached last week for a survey and the second question was what was my email address. When I refused to give it out I became a nonperson. No more interest in my opinions. Disney is the king of spam. They make AARP look like beginners.

I wasn't asked for my email address and I took 2 attraction surveys.

 

[Doug M]

Well, unless you work for Disney in marketing, chances are you don't have the full information to say for sure how much attendance increased over say the last year. Meaning it is impossible to accurately say for sure how much increased attendance has caused the problems or if FP+ is the issue. Sure, it might be a factor, but Disney isn't releasing numbers on attendance, riders per hour and other info one would need to make a conclusive statement. Most people are going on what they see. I have been to the parks on what I would say is a slower day, comparatively to old FP times, and have seen lines longer than pre-FP+ for attractions. So to me, the only change would be FP+.

Saying there is not enough new attractions is important to note. I think that is part of why people are upset about the FP change. Instead of making a new attraction, the big plans are to simply increase capacity at 2 existing attractions, and that seems plain wrong to me.

I agree with most of that but the bold. You completely ignore more people in the parks. It is possible FP+ isnt helping lines, but more people mean longer lines. There are two changes to FP+ from FP-. Crowd levels are part of it. In a PP it was stated summer levels were up 3% over 2013 and 7% other times. A few extra thousand a day makes a difference, those people are riding rides.

 

[mom2rtk]

I agree with most of that but the bold. You completely ignore more people in the parks. It is possible FP+ isnt helping lines, but more people mean longer lines. There are two changes to FP+ from FP-. Crowd levels are part of it. In a PP it was stated summer levels were up 3% over 2013 and 7% other times. A few extra thousand a day makes a difference, those people are riding rides.

I don't give Disney a pass for lines being longer because of increased crowds. They knew the numbers before we did. They set targets to achieve those numbers. And they chose a ride rationing system to "deal" with those crowds instead of adding enough attractions to keep pace.

 

[Doug M]

I don't give Disney a pass for lines being longer because of increased crowds. They knew the numbers before we did. They set targets to achieve those numbers. And they chose a ride rationing system to "deal" with those crowds instead of adding enough attractions to keep pace.

Me either, i am not defending Disney for their complete lack of foreshadowing the rise in attendance and the problems it was going to cause. The way to deal with it would have been more attractions, not changing FP.

 

[fitzperry]

It's not a sense of entitlement. It's a sense of a price increase. For a certain price, people used to be able to do X, Y, and Z in the parks, and now they can only do X. But the prices didn't come down. It doesn't matter what everyone else was doing when it's your vacation, and your vacation money. What you focus on is what you are getting versus what you used to get, for the same price (well, actually higher prices!). It's totally rational behavior in the economic sense.

This is it exactly. Quite simply, we don't get the same bang for our buck that we used to, and that affects our choice of where to vacation.

 

[Shaden]

One of the things that I find so interesting is that people here on the Dis often complain about the "complainers". Quite often they toss you the "Disney doesn't care what you post here, send them an email if you want to have any impact."

I actually completely disagree with this logic. Disney doesn't care if you email them, sure you will get the standard response, and some folks even get a follow up ... but they have your money, so they are already good. On the other hand by complaining here on the boards or in the comments sections of articles or on social media, you may impact someone else's decision to go to WDW. THAT, they care about. How many companies do nothing when people complain to them, even repeatedly, but as soon as a story gets the attention of a local news paper, or a video goes viral on you tube, etc suddenly their problem is addressed and the company is full of apologies ...

So complain on ... email if you like, but you are probably better off posting here and on facebook...

 

[goodgodmrsmolly]

I agree with most of that but the bold. You completely ignore more people in the parks. It is possible FP+ isnt helping lines, but more people mean longer lines. There are two changes to FP+ from FP-. Crowd levels are part of it. In a PP it was stated summer levels were up 3% over 2013 and 7% other times. A few extra thousand a day makes a difference, those people are riding rides.

I meant to say other change, meaning yes there are most likely some more people but it is hard to say for sure how many. BUT, the big part of that is what you said "those people are riding rides". I would guess that with FP+ more people are taking the rides where as in the past, there was maybe a person who would stay behind in a group to watch the little one or didn't want to wait in a long line and needed to rest, now those people are in line, meaning FP+ is part of the problem.

I have lived in the area and go often since a little before FP+ really came online, and I just have to go with what I saw, and that was lines got considerable worse once the MDE site came online for everyone and FP+ was a go.

 

[Doug M]

I agree, i bet with FP+ and the 3 required FP is encouraging more people to ride them over a few sticking back. There were times last year i didnt want to select 3, one time i just wanted 1 but were forced.

 

[Magic Band Defender]

I have been questioning the logic behind park hopping with the new system and the additional costs. Doesn't seem to make much sense anymore as your hands are really tied with FP+

We rope-dropped at a non-EMH park, took a mid-day break at the resort (we have a little one), then used our FP at our PM park.

 

[Magic Band Defender]

I don't understand what other options there are to the increased crowds at Disney? If they did away with FP+, we would all be standing in 2 hour lines. Everyone wants spontaneity, and the ability to sleep in until 10am, then walk on the rides. The only possible solution is that Disney restricts the number of guests. I go every year knowing it will be very busy. I get on my fav rides thanks to the FP+ system. I also ride many other thanks to EMH.
For all those who hate the FP+ and crowds what is your solution?
Just curious, I hate crowds too, when enough people stop going to WDW , things should get better.

More rides Especially at the 3 non-MK parks. Having guests more evenly distributed amongst the 4 parks and over more rides would at least be enough to shut this guest up

 

[mom2rtk]

Part of me wonders if hopper sales are down with the introduction of FP+ since they are requiring purchase of hopper (or water park) option to get free dining this year.

 

[cakebaker]

We rope-dropped at a non-EMH park, took a mid-day break at the resort (we have a little one), then used our FP at our PM park.

It's just proof of how different systems work for different people. Every once in a while I read a post where someone claims that fp+ and park hopping don't mesh and it's funny because in our case, FP+ had made park hopping work even better. We had almost given up on hopping and being able ride much in the afternoons without facing long standby lines. Now it's quite easy to do.

Riding multiple times is never a make or break for our trips, but we can now if we choose because of hopping. We visit each park several times during our trips. We have fp+'s scheduled 4 times for SDMT and between those, using EMH's late night we'll probably have the opportunity to ride more than we even want.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

One of the things that I find so interesting is that people here on the Dis often complain about the "complainers". Quite often they toss you the "Disney doesn't care what you post here, send them an email if you want to have any impact."

I actually completely disagree with this logic. Disney doesn't care if you email them, sure you will get the standard response, and some folks even get a follow up ... but they have your money, so they are already good. On the other hand by complaining here on the boards or in the comments sections of articles or on social media, you may impact someone else's decision to go to WDW. THAT, they care about. How many companies do nothing when people complain to them, even repeatedly, but as soon as a story gets the attention of a local news paper, or a video goes viral on you tube, etc suddenly their problem is addressed and the company is full of apologies ...

So complain on ... email if you like, but you are probably better off posting here and on facebook...

The one category you neglected was the most important- face to face conversations. I think folks read online posting with a grain of salt, but if their best friend or sister says they had a terrible trip, they listen.

We probably also shouldn't discount the conversations that children have. I think children too young for online also listen to each other in school on a regular basis. If a child reports, "Disney was boring." that has an impact.

I have no idea how much impact my DIS posts have. I know for certain folks have booked/modified trips- or not booked trips- based on conversations I have had with them.

 

[Magic Band Defender]

I think Disney is prioritizing first-timers and once-in-a-lifetimers over repeat guest. It's pretty obvious based on their choices. I can say we always spent far more than the average first-time guests in each of our repeat trips. Always on-site deluxe and signature dining most nights. However, that has changed since FP+ has been rolled out. We now spend far less time in the parks and less money at the resorts than we used to. FP+ allows us to get in, ride our rides, and get out.

I think Disneyland prioritizes repeat guests over first-timers and once-in-a-lifetimers. As DLR is a once (or twice) in a lifetime thing for my family, it kinda stunk. But I really don't know how they can make everyone happy, so I guess they just do what makes them more $$$.