FP+ is amazing

[bcrook]

But with FP- you might have not been able to get either because by the time you got to the park they were all distributed or so much later in the day than you were planning on being at the park.

It all evens out. For your average park goer (I.e. the 99% who don't read the boards ) I'd guess this will ultimately be a net positive.

Disney said that 50% of their patrons used FP in the past. That 50% used up the days available FP fairly efficiently.

50%. That means 8.5 million people were FP users at MK. That is a rather large number of people. A lot more than 1%.

9000 people a day flooded into DHS before 11:00 am to grab up the TSMM slots. Every single day... Over 3 million a year.

 

[dustpixie]

It was bad enough when people who liked FP+ were told they were wrong. Now their choice of what to do when they're in the park is wrong too? Yikes.

I was just about to post something similar. I guess I'll keep my own plans for next week to myself so as not to risk ridicule from the perfect people.

To the OP: I'm glad you had a good time!

 

[bcrook]

I was just about to post something similar. I guess I'll keep my own plans for next week to myself so as not to risk ridicule from the perfect people.

To the OP: I'm glad you had a good time!

Is disagreement the same as ridicule?

 

[DVCFan1994]

More like saying: "I love buffets. They may cost a little more, but they re-fill your water glass as much as you want." This is an information and strategy exchange Board. While the original sentiment may have been delivered a bit more harshly than usual, one should take away from this thread that getting a FP+ for EO, Figment, Nemo, or the Tea Cups (among others) is a sub-optimal strategy.

Sub optimal to you. Sounds like it was a great day for OP. Why do so many people (not just quote above I can't multiquote now) feel the need to demean OPs choice in a personal manner? We went with a 2 year old nephew that couldn't ride TT, Soarin, MS, maelstrom. We had no plans to go to any other park that day. So, we used FP for Nemo and Figment. It was the optimal choice for our group on our day.

I can understand people's frustration with the new system, I have my own concerns. And the day I was at Epcot without my nephew the tiering really bothered us. But telling people they wasted their FP, had a poor strategy, etc. is just demeaning. And it makes all these negative comments seem so biased they should be ignored completely. There are plenty of family make ups that this strategy would be fine for. But since they aren't doing it your way, they must all be sub-optimal strategizers. Why should what's important to their family matter?

 

[KaLyn]

Using a FP for Imagination is not "wrong", but it is pointless.

I think all the tier 2 options in Epcot are pointless to book FP+ for. But you have to book 2 of them so you gotta pick something.

 

[bcrook]

I think all the tier 2 options in Epcot are pointless to book FP+ for. But you have to book 2 of them so you gotta pick something.

Not if you hop. That was my point. I think Epcot is a poor value. I plan on using mine at DHS and MK.

 

[magicbob]

The point of employing "strategy" in touring = getting the "most" out of touring (i.e., maximum rides, especially headliners, with minimal waits). If someone is happy not getting the optimal number of headliner attractions with the minimal amount of wait, it doesn't make them "wrong." It just means they did not need to optimize their strategy to enjoy themselves.

Just because someone enjoyed not getting to ride all the headliners with minimal waits doesn't make their touring style an optimal strategy. It just means they enjoyed themselves without employing an optimal strategy. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't equate to what they did being an optimal strategy.

The determination of whether a strategy is optimal is an objective question. Does the strategy result in maximum rides with minimal waits? That's what makes an optimal strategy. The subjective question of "did someone enjoy their trip" has nothing to do with whether or not their strategy was an optimal one.

 

[Angel Ariel]

IDK... just seems like people find too much pleasure in questioning something that made someone happy

There are plenty of pro-fp+ people here who have also taken pleasure in criticizing anyone who doesn't like fp+ :

 

[JimmyV]

Sub optimal to you. Sounds like it was a great day for OP. Why do so many people (not just quote above I can't multiquote now) feel the need to demean OPs choice in a personal manner? We went with a 2 year old nephew that couldn't ride TT, Soarin, MS, maelstrom. We had no plans to go to any other park that day. So, we used FP for Nemo and Figment. It was the optimal choice for our group on our day.

That is why I chose the term "sub-optimal" instead of "wrong" or "bad" or any other judgmental term. Sub-optimal simply means that the Fast Passes were not used for their maximum efficiency. That is not opinion. It is empirically testable. This is not to say that every person is required to maximize efficiency or even wants to do so. But that should not prevent the point from being made so that others can digest this data as they learn to use this new system. We used a FP+ for Living With The Land. Our use was sub-optimal. But it fit with our schedule that day. And when we used it, we passed exactly zero people in line. a complete waste. But what is to be done?

 

[JimmyV]

The point of employing "strategy" in touring = getting the "most" out of touring (i.e., maximum rides, especially headliners, with minimal waits). If someone is happy not getting the optimal number of headliner attractions with the minimal amount of wait, it doesn't make them "wrong." It just means they did not need to optimize their strategy to enjoy themselves.

Just because someone enjoyed not getting to ride all the headliners with minimal waits doesn't make their touring style an optimal strategy. It just means they enjoyed themselves without employing an optimal strategy. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't equate to what they did being an optimal strategy.

The determination of whether a strategy is optimal is an objective question. Does the strategy result in maximum rides with minimal waits? That's what makes an optimal strategy. The subjective question of "did someone enjoy there trip" has nothing to do with whether or not their strategy was an optimal one.

Excellently stated and the exact point I was trying to make.

 

[KaLyn]

Not if you hop. That was my point. I think Epcot is a poor value. I plan on using mine at DHS and MK.

I wasn't talking about park hopping. People were making fun of the OP's choice of tier 2 attractions. Because she had already selected a tier 1 she HAD to then select 2 tier 2 choices. I'm saying that no matter what she chose it doesn't matter because none of the tier 2 attractions are worth a FP+.

 

[Angel Ariel]

The OP was there on 3/7. This has never been a problem in the first week of March.

When we were there in February, the majority reaction from the 99%'ers who do not read boards, had barely heard of FP+ and were just then learning how the system worked, ranged from: "You've got to be kidding me", to "Are you serious?", to "The old system was so much better", to "This sucks", to "@#%&*%$". Granted, a lot of that reaction was overheard at kiosks from people who did not pre-book. But still, to say that the new system was warmly received by the 99%'ers would be a great overstatement.

Ita with the second part. Most people who I have told about fp+ (completely neutrally, only saying that now you can prebook 3 fp+ day in a park), have responded with "you mean I have to book rides in advance now too? That's crazy!"

 

[ShannonMB]

Oh, if ONLY they could reimagine the need for the tiers. I think sleeping in and having a leisurely breakfast before EPCOT and still being able to ride Soarin' at a reasonable time sounds AWESOME, but it's just so NOT awesome to still have to get there at rope drop if you want to avoid a wait at TT, too.

I like how Jimmy V summed it up - some people will be willing to sacrifice the other headliner in exchange for getting to ride one of them whenever you feel like it. Yuck! I'm not trying to be greedy, and I never was one to ride headliners multiple times, but I just want to be able to ride the top 2 or 3 rides without waiting forever just like I was able to do with FP-. Whatever. Next time I'm in EPCOT I'm skipping Test Track and heading to La Cava. DD and her gramma can ride the Mexico boat ride a couple extra times.

OP, I'm glad you had a leisurely and enjoyable afternoon in EPCOT!

 

[JimmyV]

Next time I'm in EPCOT I'm skipping Test Track and heading to La Cava. DD and her gramma can ride the Mexico boat ride a couple extra times.

If I see you there, I'm buying the first round. My touring strategy for Epcot will never be the same, and I suspect that La Cava and Tutto Gusto will see much more playing time.

 

[bcrook]

I wasn't talking about park hopping. People were making fun of the OP's choice of tier 2 attractions. Because she had already selected a tier 1 she HAD to then select 2 tier 2 choices. I'm saying that no matter what she chose it doesn't matter because none of the tier 2 attractions are worth a FP+.

I understand your point. Maybe soon we will be able to use FP for the Visa Reward Courtesy Station in the World Showcase, the grey goose slushie stand, getting fish and chips in the U.K. Then these problems will go away.

 

[KaLyn]

I understand your point. Maybe soon we will be able to use FP for the Visa Reward Courtesy Station in the World Showcase, the grey goose slushie stand, getting fish and chips in the U.K. Then these problems will go away.

Lol. Don't forget bathroom breaks!

 

[rotlex]

Having to FP Figment and Nemo is not a positive.

Seriously. This upsets me more than the tier rides, FP+ not working right etc. We go in August, and I'm praying that FP+ doesn't jam up all the normal walk on type rides we love so much. Things like Pirates, HM etc. etc.

I'm getting really nervous about this not only in regards to these types of posts on the boards, but direct reports from 3 different personal friends, that have gone fairly recently.

Yikes.

 

[JimmyV]

... but direct reports from 3 different personal friends, that have gone fairly recently.

Whoa! Hang on a second. I thought it was only a hundred people on this board who complained. Or complained in high pecentages. What percentage of your 3 friends did not like what they experienced? This could be game changing stuff right here!

 

[AJPPGH]

So you just "decided to head over"? I would like to know your backstory....for those of us who are only there for a couple of days this isn't really how we roll. Mainly because we are really only going to get one park per day with this new system. Each days FPs have to be decided based on which park we are at. Most of us on short stays have it pretty much decided by day where we will go. And when we do get there we don't just want to ride a handful of rides- we want to ride soarin AND TT because we won't be coming back anytime soon.

I do think that as it is now FP+ definitely benefits most those who are on an extended stay and want to make sure to see everything at some point. If you only have a short amount of time you almost have to add RD to your strategy.

With that being said I will say that I DID like FP+ for the most part mainly because I was able to schedule all headliners on the day of the gitch AND because there are a lot that we really don't care to ride anymore with kids that are a bit older.

 

[rotlex]

Whoa! Hang on a second. I thought it was only a hundred people on this board who complained. Or complained in high pecentages. What percentage of your 3 friends did not like what they experienced? This could be game changing stuff right here!

LOL, yeah, just 3. But all 3 had issues!

I just find it disturbing that I usually take all the complaints on the boards with a few grains of salt. But when 3 different families of friends have all gone to WDW within the past 2 months and experienced issues, it starts to make me nervous. After nearly 20 years of visiting WDW regularly, I already didn't like some of the things I saw happening service wise. This just makes me think even harder about returning again.