FP+. great for us newbies

[DividedSky]

I'm having a hard time understanding the downsize of this feature as it pertains to a visitor such as myself.

and who am I? a newbie. A non-savy family guy. I don't know the acronyms. I've only been to the park twice, and each time was separated by 6 years. I have no idea which rides to go on early, late, etc, etc.

I'm an I/T guy though, and as such, this experiment and testing fascinates me. So I have been lurking and reading.

As I see it, the rides are the rides. how every many guests the rides can accommodate doesn't really change. Now obviously any glitches with the scanning equipment, and the leaning curve makes this false, but once all that is ironed out, the rides do what they have always done. x number of visitors can ride a ride per hour.

So the only real change is how we obtain a fast pass.

And that is where my limited experience comes in. I hated the old system the one and only time it was in existence for me. Walking all the way to a ride to find out I'm coming back in 4 hours, and can't obtain another fast pass that entire time was about as inefficient a system as possible for me.

As I see it, the new system is a huge hurdle for those in the know. the old system of knowing exactly how to maximize your fastpass tickets isn't going to work as well as it once did. I love that though. the more fast pass's you savy people got was limiting the number us newbies were getting. It's sort of like a form of cutting, albeit more civilized.

all hail FP+ the meek and unsavy shall rise again

 

[Robo]

Sounds good.

 

[CanadianPaco]

 

[g8torphan]

Divided Sky - love the name

Have to ask: where you sent here from phook?

 

[DetroitDisney]

I agree.

People are crying bc they can't abuse the FP system anymore, or because onsite guests MIGHT (no evidence at this point) get better treatment for FP+.

I love the new system.

 

[mom2rtk]

Sounds good.

I know. What could go wrong?

 

[DividedSky]

Divided Sky - love the name

Have to ask: where you sent here from phook?

not sure who that is? I assume it also is a phish reference?

I've been lurking because we are going back in 62 days.

so in 2 days I am going to try to be as savy as I can be when my onsite reservation window opens up.

Those that hate the system can easily ignore me. I have no experience with the new system, and very limited experience with the old one. the concept is one I do like though.

 

[momof2n2]

Welcome to the DIS, DividedSky.

Beer and cookies are served nightly.
You can have my beer. I'm all about the cookies.

 

[Laketravis]

Hi Sky and welcome.

Will you be staying onsite or off? Right now that makes a big difference. How many days? Park Hoppers?

If you don't have park hoppers, many people will recommend that you arrive at Rope Drop and get in as many walk-ons and short SB lines as possible, saving your FP+ for later in the day.

Keep the tiers in mind at two of the parks (HS and EP) and if your stay is long enough you should probably alternate headliner FP's on different days if that is your inclination.

If you park hop, the same strategy applies except you will be switching parks to the one you made your later-day FP's for.

As an admitted IT guy, the MDE app is likely to provide you with many interesting points to critique, as will the hidden algorithms you will no doubt observe as you navigate the FP+ reservation/change process.

That's pretty much it, not much more complicated than that. Keep in mind it could all change by the time you arrive, but like you said - everything has a learning curve.

 

[g8torphan]

not sure who that is? I assume it also is a phish reference?

I've been lurking because we are going back in 62 days.

so in 2 days I am going to try to be as savy as I can be when my onsite reservation window opens up.

Those that hate the system can easily ignore me. I have no experience with the new system, and very limited experience with the old one. the concept is one I do like though.

Just a phish board....used to huge, now it's just us old farts complaining about kids/family and reliving the good ole days. Just like real life....

Enjoy your stay in Orlando.

 

[smbowtie]

Only time will tell.

 

[mesaboy2]

I'm having a hard time understanding the downsize of this feature as it pertains to a visitor such as myself. and who am I? a newbie. A non-savy family guy. I don't know the acronyms. I've only been to the park twice, and each time was separated by 6 years. I have no idea which rides to go on early, late, etc, etc. I'm an I/T guy though, and as such, this experiment and testing fascinates me. So I have been lurking and reading. As I see it, the rides are the rides. how every many guests the rides can accommodate doesn't really change. Now obviously any glitches with the scanning equipment, and the leaning curve makes this false, but once all that is ironed out, the rides do what they have always done. x number of visitors can ride a ride per hour. So the only real change is how we obtain a fast pass. And that is where my limited experience comes in. I hated the old system the one and only time it was in existence for me. Walking all the way to a ride to find out I'm coming back in 4 hours, and can't obtain another fast pass that entire time was about as inefficient a system as possible for me. As I see it, the new system is a huge hurdle for those in the know. the old system of knowing exactly how to maximize your fastpass tickets isn't going to work as well as it once did. I love that though. the more fast pass's you savy people got was limiting the number us newbies were getting. It's sort of like a form of cutting, albeit more civilized. all hail FP+ the meek and unsavy shall rise again

I don't disagree with your basic premise (but not the part with me limiting the FPs you got). Glad it works for you.

I agree. People are crying bc they can't abuse the FP system anymore, or because onsite guests MIGHT (no evidence at this point) get better treatment for FP+. I love the new system.

That's just garbage.

 

[DividedSky]

Hi Sky and welcome.

Will you be staying onsite or off? Right now that makes a big difference. How many days? Park Hoppers?

If you don't have park hoppers, many people will recommend that you arrive at Rope Drop and get in as many walk-ons and short SB lines as possible, saving your FP+ for later in the day.

Keep the tiers in mind at two of the parks (HS and EP) and if your stay is long enough you should probably alternate headliner FP's on different days if that is your inclination.

If you park hop, the same strategy applies except you will be switching parks to the one you made your later-day FP's for.

As an admitted IT guy, the MDE app is likely to provide you with many interesting points to critique, as will the hidden algorithms you will no doubt observe as you navigate the FP+ reservation/change process.

That's pretty much it, not much more complicated than that. Keep in mind it could all change by the time you arrive, but like you said - everything has a learning curve.

We are on site. 7 days with park hopper.

I like the concept of the fastpass+ but I do have real reservations about the implementation, Why? the website is as bad today as it was 6 years ago. I've already had some poor experiences with the smart phone app. either the people in charge are in over their head, or they simply don't care abut the technology enough to make it better.

 

[DividedSky]

I agree.

People are crying bc they can't abuse the FP system anymore, or because onsite guests MIGHT (no evidence at this point) get better treatment for FP+.

I love the new system.

I don't really agree with the loaded words.

crying? How about passionate? The amount of money people invest is substantial. saying they are crying serves no purpose other then an attempt to antagonize. I don't want this thread to become that. I simply wanted to point out the concept of fp+ is quite appealing to people like me.

and abuse isn't fair either. Everyone is looking to maximize their stays. Knowing which rides to go on first isn't abusing the system IMO.

 

[Laketravis]

We are on site. 7 days with park hopper.

I like the concept of the fastpass+ but I do have real reservations about the implementation, Why? the website is as bad today as it was 6 years ago. I've already had some poor experiences with the smart phone app. either the people in charge are in over their head, or they simply don't care abut the technology enough to make it better.

Yeah, probably the most frustrating thing for me was the app and because of my background I couldn't help but be critical of it during my every attempt to use it.

A few things to remember - it will definitely drain your battery, which is true of any app you would use as much as you'd find yourself using this one while in the parks. The wifi is very spotty but when you find a good cell the throughput is excellent. The app itself though either seems to time out too quickly before garnering results, or doesn't time out at all and hangs. If you notice a lot of other people around you with their faces buried in their phones when this happens, chances are you were all competing for clock cycles.

Much more efficient to know where the FP+ kiosks in the park and use those in case you need to change your FP's around. They are all on a dedicated wifi node. Or knock one of the CM's over the head and take their iPad.

On second thought, that might not be a good idea - I've heard most of them complain that their batteries were running out pretty quickly.

 

[ArwenMarie]

That's good. Some people will love it, some will hate it, and some will be somewhere in the middle.

 

[Jennyvelaz]

You can't say it was line-cutting. The people who knew what they were doing actually trudged through investing time, money, research, and sometimes painful learning experiences. Unfortunately I believe this new system is just herding, albeit computerized.

 

[DividedSky]

You can't say it was line-cutting. The people who knew what they were doing actually trudged through investing time, money, research, and sometimes painful learning experiences. Unfortunately I believe this new system is just herding, albeit computerized.

my past experience with legacy fastpass was such a negative one that I'm actually somewhat shocked I'm heading back in 62 days. dads are suckers when it comes to their daughters apparently.

cutting is probably a bad way to describe it. I don't want to be negative, but the truth is one person finding a way to maximize their legacy fast passes can only serve to minimize someone else results.

herding? that doesn't make any sense. again, the number of people that can ride a ride stays the same.

 

[btk2333]

I'm having a hard time understanding the downsize of this feature as it pertains to a visitor such as myself.

and who am I? a newbie. A non-savy family guy. I don't know the acronyms. I've only been to the park twice, and each time was separated by 6 years. I have no idea which rides to go on early, late, etc, etc.

I'm an I/T guy though, and as such, this experiment and testing fascinates me. So I have been lurking and reading.

As I see it, the rides are the rides. how every many guests the rides can accommodate doesn't really change. Now obviously any glitches with the scanning equipment, and the leaning curve makes this false, but once all that is ironed out, the rides do what they have always done. x number of visitors can ride a ride per hour.

So the only real change is how we obtain a fast pass.

And that is where my limited experience comes in. I hated the old system the one and only time it was in existence for me. Walking all the way to a ride to find out I'm coming back in 4 hours, and can't obtain another fast pass that entire time was about as inefficient a system as possible for me.

As I see it, the new system is a huge hurdle for those in the know. the old system of knowing exactly how to maximize your fastpass tickets isn't going to work as well as it once did. I love that though. the more fast pass's you savy people got was limiting the number us newbies were getting. It's sort of like a form of cutting, albeit more civilized.

all hail FP+ the meek and unsavy shall rise again

I know that people on this message board generally disagree with you- but this reaction is what Disney is hoping for. Disney wants people who are making their first or second visits and the vast majority who don't read the unofficial guide, listen to Lou or WDW Today, or visit message boards to enjoy their first trip and want to come back in the future. I, personally, find this to be a good thing- the busier the parks are and the more people who return for multiple visits the more money there is to spend on the parks.

 

[Robo]

I know that people on this message board generally disagree with you- but this reaction is what Disney is hoping for. Disney wants people who are making their first or second visits and the vast majority who don't read the unofficial guide, listen to Lou or WDW Today, or visit message boards to enjoy their first trip and want to come back in the future. I, personally, find this to be a good thing- the busier the parks are and the more people who return for multiple visits the more money there is to spend on the parks.

So, then, when those guests DO return and "know more" are they supposed to
not enjoy their return trips?

And, if the idea is that more guests should return, are we, "the informed" not part of that group?