FP+ FAQ Update - No FP- for FP+ Users

[magicbob]

Let the games begin!

I wonder though if there's a chance that they are just telling people this for now hoping they won't try, but that it might actually still work.

Or they might have felt they had to with holiday crowds approaching.

I am sorry that people will find themselves in a bad situation based on assurances they got from Disney to the contrary.

Either way, I think this is just further evidence of what many of us have been shouting from the rooftops for months. Each phase of the test inches closer to everyone having 3 FP+ choices which are tiered and Legacy FP going away entirely. It's coming, folks.

 

[mom2rtk]

Either way, I think this is just further evidence of what many of us have been shouting from the rooftops for months. Each phase of the test inches closer to everyone having 3 FP+ choices which are tiered and Legacy FP going away entirely. It's coming, folks.

Well I knew that.

And you knew that.

But I guess I'm still surprised anyone thought it would be anything other than that.

 

[Sheilby]

Where does it say that? I don't have the paper letter right now, but on the email invitation, it doesn't say that we can still pull FP- (I am going in about two weeks).

I didn't say the letter said you could still pull FP- (as in addition to FP+), I said that when they invited me they said I could opt out and continue to use FP-. Now their new FAQ says that if I have paperless tickets that I can not choose to use the FP- machine instead of FP+. I can choose to use FP- though if I bought my tickets separately. That is a complete turnaround from when they invited me weeks ago.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Either way, I think this is just further evidence of what many of us have been shouting from the rooftops for months. Each phase of the test inches closer to everyone having 3 FP+ choices which are tiered and Legacy FP going away entirely. It's coming, folks.

I did think the tiers were gone when they took them away. But then they brought them back at least to Epcot.

But yeah, not sure why any of this is a surprise.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I didn't say the letter said you could still pull FP- (as in addition to FP+), I said that when they invited me they said I could opt out and continue to use FP-. Now their new FAQ says that if I have paperless tickets that I can not choose to use the FP- machine instead of FP+. I can choose to use FP- though if I bought my tickets separately. That is a complete turnaround from when they invited me weeks ago.

When who invited you? I'm just wondering where you got the info that you could definitely pull both while "testing." As I said, I can't find it anywhere on the invite and I got invited probably around the same time as you.

ETA: I know people have been doing it (pulling FP- and using FP+) but I thought that was a glitch of sorts, not something Disney actually said you could do.

 

[Sheilby]

I don't think this is as big a deal as it seems because I think it means (just my opinion) that they are going to roll back the number of paper FPs available anyway. So not sure that people who can pull them are going to be pulling them all day anyway, especially during the busy holiday season. Just a hunch.

But I'm not going during the busy holiday season, I'm going in 5 days and I was assured that I could choose to use FP- if FP+ was not working for me.

Well aren't you nice and rude? There was really no need, you know.

I'm no Kool-Aid drinker. I just figured that Disney would actually bring the test parameters as they were meant to be online at some point, so I prepared for it by planning Rope Drop days and FP+ selections in the afternoon. And yeah, I *am* prepared to stand in a few lines. That doesn't make me compliant, it makes me a realist.

I wasn't rude, I stated you are a compliant guest. You said you are prepared to stand in lines and just accept only 3 FPs a day. That is by definition being compliant.

Either way, I think this is just further evidence of what many of us have been shouting from the rooftops for months. Each phase of the test inches closer to everyone having 3 FP+ choices which are tiered and Legacy FP going away entirely. It's coming, folks.

I still think they will limit your pre-arrival FPs (and have them tiered) but that additional FPs will be able to be grabbed electronically if they are available the day of. No, I don't think that means that you will be able to grab a TSMM the day of, but you may be able to grab additional ones at MK.

I don't even think Disney knows for sure what the final incarnation will be. I'm sure it will be tweaked a lot over the next year or so. I'm still hopeful that things won't change too much between now at the end of my trip, but I am hesitant about booking another trip until I can know what to expect. The not knowing how things will be on my vacation has ruined a bit of the magic for me. I have no problem with change, I just like to know what the changes are. I also detest getting different answers from different people that represent Disney. They should all have access to the same info.

 

[magicbob]

I still think they will limit your pre-arrival FPs (and have them tiered) but that additional FPs will be able to be grabbed electronically if they are available the day of. No, I don't think that means that you will be able to grab a TSMM the day of, but you may be able to grab additional ones at MK.

I also think that FP+ may include an element of same day booking, but availability on the day of is still likely to impact how much if a benefit that is. Better than nothing, though.

 

[Sheilby]

When who invited you? I'm just wondering where you got the info that you could definitely pull both while "testing." As I said, I can't find it anywhere on the invite and I got invited probably around the same time as you.

ETA: I know people have been doing it (pulling FP- and using FP+) but I thought that was a glitch of sorts, not something Disney actually said you could do.

Again, I never said they said I could pull both (although phone CMs said you could and people have posted e-mail responses from Disney saying that during the test you could pull both when people wrote to ask), I said they said I could opt out and pull FP- instead. Now the FAQ says that even if I don't schedule FP+ I can't pull FP- with my KTTW card, only people with separate tickets can do that.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I wasn't rude, I stated you are a compliant guest. You said you are prepared to stand in lines and just accept only 3 FPs a day. That is by definition being compliant.

Actually, you were rude in your phrasing, but whatever. "Just Accept" only 3 FP a day. So...what do you suggest I do? perhaps walk in front of City Hall on Main Street with a picket sign?

This is the new reality, it has nothing to do with being "compliant." These are the new rules, and best to learn it now rather than walk around WDW grumbling to myself and protesting what cannot be changed.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I don't think this settles anything, with how bad Disney's IT department is these could be the old FAQ's and the ones on the website could be right.
...
Unless they limit all tickets to only getting 3 that would be a MAJOR PR nightmare. "Stay onsite and only get 3 FPs while off-siters can pull them all day!"
...
Right? I can only imagine how the boards will light up then. .

This is my view, too. The app is not the website, and I would trust what was on the website before I trust the app.

Once again the same argument resurfaces and the same fears return - that Disney is going to limit resort guests to three fp+'s while everyone else in the parks get to pull fp's all day. And the same thing comes to mind for me - that Disney is not going to do something that makes people want to spend their money at off site resorts and with outside ticket vendors.

So far, no one has reported, yet, that the fp- machines have been turned off for resort guests. They can't even figure out how to turn off the fp- machines for people with old room keys. If they aren't going to do that, then they certainly aren't going to take away fp- from resort guests.

And if all common sense and marketing logic fails the minds at Disney, and they do decide to take away fp- from resort guests, then you will hear the biggest uproar and they will have to give it back to them. I am not at all worried about it, because I don't think it is going to happen that way.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Again, I never said they said I could pull both (although phone CMs said you could and people have posted e-mail responses from Disney saying that during the test you could pull both when people wrote to ask), I said they said I could opt out and pull FP- instead. Now the FAQ says that even if I don't schedule FP+ I can't pull FP- with my KTTW card, only people with separate tickets can do that.

Oh, ok, sorry about that. I do see you wrote opt out.

Did you want to opt out? It sounds like you ordered your bands and booked your FP+s?

 

[Sheilby]

I also think that FP+ may include an element of same day booking, but availability on the day of is still likely to impact how much if a benefit that is. Better than nothing, though.

Probably won't help those that go during really busy times, but it would help someone like me who makes sure to go during off times.

The part that kills me about the whole FP+ thing is Disney pushing them on everyone including people who would never have used FP-. My friend is down there now and I sat with her for hours and scheduled all her FP+s. She wound up not even going to a park on her first day and never bothered to cancel (or call me to cancel) her FP+ selections for Soarin, TT and Maelstrom. She can't be the only newbie that will do that. It absolutely killed me to think that someone couldn't get a FP for that ride because she was scheduled for it and didn't use it. She also skipped her ETWB FP+ because she thought it was just a meet and greet (yes, I had explained what it was before we booked it, but she forgot). I don't mind missing out on FPs because someone got there before me and is going to use it, but missing out on FPs because people are scheduling them without having a clue and never even using them is going to kill me.

 

[Dayton Flyer]

We have also heard that they were going to stop issuing KTTW cards to those with MagicBands, so it would only make sense that if that were the case, that those people would not be able to pull paper FP any longer. I agree that this is no surprise.

 

[johnf0614]

OK, i did my very first screen shot from my phone, hope this works:

I wonder if they took this down already... I went to Help Center and Frequently Asked Questions Section, and don't have Fast Pass + as an option...

 

[Dayton Flyer]

I don't mind missing out on FPs because someone got there before me and is going to use it, but missing out on FPs because people are scheduling them without having a clue and never even using them is going to kill me.

I think this will become less of an issue as time goes on, because one of the things that the MBs allow is tracking of how many of the FP+ are used. So, at some point (if not now), they will allow overbooking of FP's based on the average usage and the average # of people that won't show for their FP's.

It's just like airlines overbooking flights... they figure that on every plane, there's going to be a couple of people that don't show.

 

[Sheilby]

Actually, you were rude in your phrasing, but whatever. "Just Accept" only 3 FP a day. So...what do you suggest I do? perhaps walk in front of City Hall on Main Street with a picket sign?

This is the new reality, it has nothing to do with being "compliant." These are the new rules, and best to learn it now rather than walk around WDW grumbling to myself and protesting what cannot be changed.

A picket sign might work, who knows. I don't accept things without a fight, and sometimes my fighting pays off. They tried to ban drinking at our private pool. Some people responded like you, "those are the new rules, what are we going to do about it?" I responded by gathering people together and informing the board that we had joined the private pool so that after a hard day of work we could go to the pool and have a (plastic) glass of wine up on the patio area while the kids played with their friends and that we were not going to accept the new rules quietly. We fully intended to vote with our pocketbooks. We heard all sorts of comments about liability and such that were a bunch of nonsense. I joined the board, talked with the insurance company myself and people were still allowed to have a cocktail at the pool.

Yes, that is a local matter and not Disney, but companies bow to their customer demands all the time. I won't go quietly into the night and I don't respect people that do.

This is my view, too. The app is not the website, and I would trust what was on the website before I trust the app.

Once again the same argument resurfaces and the same fears return - that Disney is going to limit resort guests to three fp+'s while everyone else in the parks get to pull fp's all day. And the same thing comes to mind for me - that Disney is not going to do something that makes people want to spend their money at off site resorts and with outside ticket vendors.

So far, no one has reported, yet, that the fp- machines have been turned off for resort guests. They can't even figure out how to turn off the fp- machines for people with old room keys. If they aren't going to do that, then they certainly aren't going to take away fp- from resort guests.

And if all common sense and marketing logic fails the minds at Disney, and they do decide to take away fp- from resort guests, then you will hear the biggest uproar and they will have to give it back to them. I am not at all worried about it, because I don't think it is going to happen that way.

My fear with the new wording is that KTTW cards won't work to grab FP-, but separate tickets will so that offsiters can pull them all day, onsiters who bought their tickets separately can pull FP- in addition to their FP+ and onsiters with packages will be the only ones limited to 3 a day. I understand their desire to stop people from using old KTTW cards, but why can't their software be rewritten to only spit out a FP for current cards?

Oh, ok, sorry about that. I do see you wrote opt out.

Did you want to opt out? It sounds like you ordered your bands and booked your FP+s?

I did order bands and book FP+, but I want the option to opt out if they aren't working for me. I am not the type to wait in a line at GR to get some glitch worked out. I'd rather just abandon my FP+ at that point and tour as usual rather than waste precious park time.

 

[Sheilby]

I wonder if they took this down already... I went to Help Center and Frequently Asked Questions Section, and don't have Fast Pass + as an option...

I didn't see it at first either, you have to be logged in to see that option.

 

[disneygal55]

Actually, you were rude in your phrasing, but whatever. "Just Accept" only 3 FP a day. So...what do you suggest I do? perhaps walk in front of City Hall on Main Street with a picket sign?

This is the new reality, it has nothing to do with being "compliant." These are the new rules, and best to learn it now rather than walk around WDW grumbling to myself and protesting what cannot be changed.

We just got back from WDW about 2 weeks ago. We participated in MB testing and booked 3 FP+ rides per park per day. We were able to choose 3 top tier rides if we wanted them and did use our AP passes to pull one FP- in total during our trip of 6 days. Even though everything went well for the most part, I would love to go back to the old FP- system and am beyond annoyed that Disney is now only offering one head liner ride per day at Epcot...especially if they cut off MB users from pulling FP-. If they change all the parks to a limit of one headliner ride per day, I will be in line at guest services to complain and hope that others do the same. Maybe if guest service locations had lines of upset customers...out the door and down the street lol....they would re-think this absurd policy!

 

[johnf0614]

I didn't see it at first either, you have to be logged in to see that option.

I'm logged in, but you know what, I'm not eligible for FP+ yet. My trip is further out, so maybe that's why I don't see it on the App.

 

[princesslover]

I didn't say the letter said you could still pull FP- (as in addition to FP+), I said that when they invited me they said I could opt out and continue to use FP-. Now their new FAQ says that if I have paperless tickets that I can not choose to use the FP- machine instead of FP+. I can choose to use FP- though if I bought my tickets separately. That is a complete turnaround from when they invited me weeks ago.

THIS.

The letter stated that if I opted out of testing, I would still be able to use FP-. Now (it appears) they are saying something different. Since I do not have separate tickets (I have a package) my ability to pull FP- was taken away no matter if I opted in or not. It makes no sense.

Like others have said, I have a hard time believing that Disney would limit only 3 FP+ to onsite resort guests while letting others pull FP- all day.