FP+ is Live! Magic Bands in the park!

[Doug7856]

I'm still inclined to wait and see what Disney does. Here are a few of my thoughts/hopes/wishes:

• 3 FP's are fine at Epcot, DHS & DAK, but totally unacceptable for MK
• Not having day of FP available is a deal breaker for me. Disney needs to make this happen.
• Kiosks should be readily available for day of FP and changes ... and they must be fast and user intuitive;
• Repeat day of FP should be available for those who like to repeatedly ride rides. It's a touring style that must be accommodated for Disney to succeed with repeat guests and teens (small kids on Dumbo and Small World too!)
• Show choices are great for families and will be a great option (including parades and fireworks)
• Wifi needs to work. I think they should limit access to My Disney Experience and possibly Facebook or Twitter to ensure proper bandwidth.

I can't believe Disney would throw away the goodwill they have with repeat guests including AP holders and DVC members. I think the delays are a good sign that Disney is aware of the issues brought up here and other places.

I'm a planner so the concept is awesome to me, now Disney needs to make it work! I am also budget driven (I suspect a lot of us super planners are), so I'm not sure this will result in more spending by this touring segment -- however, I often leave with unspent money because I really dislike much of the trinkets Disney sells these days (I know, a different topic).

I've enjoyed all the thoughts and comments everyone!

 

[doconeill]

nope, you need a napkin and a sharpie, both of which a CM could provide. Oh, and those pesky waste bins that appear all around the parks.

Napkins I can get a Pecos Bills, with the free toppings bar.

Sharpies I can get in the World Showcase...

in early round testing the help centres, the CMs did have small cards and they provided the Guest with a reminder if he/she didn't print out the FP "reservations"

I'm now picturing them with those handheld printers attached at the belt like they have at the rental car returns...

 

[Combos]

• 3 FP's are fine at Epcot, DHS & DAK, but totally unacceptable for MK
• Not having day of FP available is a deal breaker for me. Disney needs to make this happen. There's no official word, but I'm hoping it's FP availability is like other "events" where inventory is released at different times before and on the day of.
• Kiosks should be readily available for day of FP and changes ... and they must be fast and user intuitive;
  Think "edit", "type of thing i wish to do", "list of things within that category".
• Repeat day of FP should be available for those who like to repeatedly ride rides. It's a touring style that must be accommodated for Disney to succeed with repeat guests and teens (small kids on Dumbo and Small World too!) This would be difficult while still allowing all Guests a chance at the ride/event. This is largely a case where popularity actually hurts an attraction
  
• Wifi needs to work. I think they should limit access to My Disney Experience and possibly Facebook or Twitter to ensure proper bandwidth. It's been improving since the initial roll out. I am sure Disney will want to avoid the troubles NYC has with phone calls dropping because of load.

I can't believe Disney would throw away the goodwill they have with repeat guests including AP holders and DVC members. I think the delays are a good sign that Disney is aware of the issues brought up here and other places.
I hope they don't. It would be a shame, and could really hurt loyalty.

 

[Robo]

Leaving the "technology" part of this for a moment...

I know that just about everything has been said before, but things get lost in long threads.

If we agree (just for the moment) that Disney will offer all guests holding tickets THREE FP+ Advanced Attraction Reservations.
But, these three FP's will be "tiered" so that only ONE FP can be for an "E-Ticket attraction...

That means that all of us will be limited to NOT THREE FP's, but ONE FP.
ONE. (I can simply NOT agree that holding a FP for Tiki Room or some such, or even holding a FP for dining at who-knows-what-time, is something to celebrate as a "premium.")

Does anyone think that holding ONE FP... that will come due during ONE park hour... is an IMPROVEMENT in guest enjoyment?

 

[doggydoc]

I can't believe Disney would throw away the goodwill they have with repeat guests including AP holders and DVC members. I think the delays are a good sign that Disney is aware of the issues brought up here and other places.

I am right there with you on this one. I just can't convince myself Disney is willing to just say "too bad" to people who share this view unless 1) they have, IMHO, underestimated the size and passion of this group and/or 2) they really believed that we would so excited about prescheduling that we wouldn't care about the limitations.

I also am confounded why they didn't, as has been suggested earlier, simply convert the existing FP system to work with RFID and continue alongside FP+ as in the testing. That would be a system that would be truly exciting and a major improvement. It would allow late risers to get their TSMM or Soarin' FP and I wouldn't have to be denied FP's. This would also allow them to get the Magic Bands deployed and begin collecting data. Once they have collected and analyzed that data for a couple years THEN they could begin to build the "sidewalks" and really have a chance at crowd control and direction.

 

[bcrook]

• 3 FP's are fine at Epcot, DHS & DAK, but totally unacceptable for MK
• Not having day of FP available is a deal breaker for me. Disney needs to make this happen. There's no official word, but I'm hoping it's FP availability is like other "events" where inventory is released at different times before and on the day of.
• Kiosks should be readily available for day of FP and changes ... and they must be fast and user intuitive;
  Think "edit", "type of thing i wish to do", "list of things within that category".
• Repeat day of FP should be available for those who like to repeatedly ride rides. It's a touring style that must be accommodated for Disney to succeed with repeat guests and teens (small kids on Dumbo and Small World too!) This would be difficult while still allowing all Guests a chance at the ride/event. This is largely a case where popularity actually hurts an attraction
  
• Wifi needs to work. I think they should limit access to My Disney Experience and possibly Facebook or Twitter to ensure proper bandwidth. It's been improving since the initial roll out. I am sure Disney will want to avoid the troubles NYC has with phone calls dropping because of load.

I can't believe Disney would throw away the goodwill they have with repeat guests including AP holders and DVC members. I think the delays are a good sign that Disney is aware of the issues brought up here and other places.
I hope they don't. It would be a shame, and could really hurt loyalty.

One way to counter the problem of too popular rides (like TSMM) is to add more attractions of the same caliber. Simply limiting access to those rides seems barbaric.

 

[MichiganDVC]

I am used to the jokes and laughing when I say things like this upcoming information. But, it is true.

I am a science teacher and currently a librarian at a middle school. And I spend all day working with kids and classrooms trying to get people to ask questions, find answers, be involved in thoughtful conversation, ask what if, solve problems, identify weaknesses in systems, propose solutions, collect data in any way at your disposal, look at situations from multiple perspectives, find relevant articles about your topics, cite sources, keep a bibliography. To me that is engaging work.
I'm a teacher, too. High School, AP World History. I, too, love questioning, problem solving, etc... and spend all day trying to get the kids to do it! The problem I see here is that people are getting hysterical. Threatening to never come back, sell their DVC points, go to Universal instead... Frankly, as busy as WDW is, I don't care if all of those people DO leave and find something else to do with their vacation time. But its one thing to playfully speculate, like people have been doing with Poly DVC cfor the last few years. But very few people got angry about the possibilities. With FP+, people are angry. Despite the fact that we have zero actual confirmed information, other than "it's coming."

This fastpass+ topic has been a good challenge for me and hundreds (thousands of others?). The first FP+ threads reached about 8000 posts in less than a month. 7,555 of them being negative, angry and fearful posts based on nothing more than speculation. Even if the scenarios here are 100% true, no one really knows how the implementation will go because we've never really tried it before.

It has also been an amazing collaboration of ideas. I would really be stunned if Disney hasn't been following conversation (they would be foolish to pass on the feedback - it has been a free focus group).

MichiganDVC, I like your touring style. I have one of your previous posts permanently bookmarked. I understand what you are saying. Ooh, which one? Perhaps I should revisit my posts and follow my own advice next time?


But my teenage kids really enjoy riding BTMRR 7 times and still riding jc, HM, and POTC. Everyone tours differently. The nine teenagers I brought to Disney last summer would not have appreciated being told "where to walk" (thanks doggydoc).

I agree and, let's be honest, WDW is for teenagers the least. I don't think it can be everything to everyone all the time. It does the little kids very well, parents very well, and baby-boom generation very well. I am 35 years old with no kids (yet) and I go 3-4 times a year, so I'd say the over-21, childfree crowd is also taken care of. But teenage boys? Maybe not. They like sports and thrills. Perhaps Universal with their roller coasters is a better plan. Or, if you live near Cedar Point like I do. No, Pirates might not hold the same mystique for a 15 year old boy that it did when he was 5.

While I'm on this tangent , I blame the parents of these disinterested teenagers! You NEED to bring your kids to WDW a much as possible when they are very young to indoctrinate them. Once they are magically brainwashed (like I was) they will keep coming back at all ages and keep loving it like they did when they were kids...

 

[Disney_Princess83]

If we agree (just for the moment) that Disney will offer all guests holding tickets THREE FP+ Advanced Attraction Reservations.
But these three FP's will be "tiered" so that only ONE FP can be for an "E-Ticket attraction...

That means that all of us will be limited to NOT THREE FP's, but ONE FP.
ONE. (I can simply NOT agree that holding a FP for Tiki Room or some such is something to celebrate as a "premium.")

Does anyone think that holding ONE FP that will come due during ONE park hour is an improvement?

I want a FP to the Tiki Room, Mickey's Philharmagic and the Restrooms, thank you

Who wouldn't want FP's for these attractions.

 

[Robo]

I want a FP to the Tiki Room, Mickey's Philharmagic and the Restrooms, thank you

Who wouldn't want FP's for these attractions.

To a more focused question of " Who WOULD want FP's for these attractions?"

The answer, of course, is "someone who has never been to MK before."

(And, sadly, may never bother to return after their "enhanced experience" there.)

 

[g-dad66]

Does anyone think that holding ONE FP... that will come due during ONE park hour... is an IMPROVEMENT in guest enjoyment?

Maybe the person who has been to WDW once, thought you had to pay extra for FPs and thus didn't get any FPs, and had to stand in 1 hour+ lines for all of the headliners that he/she did?

That does seem like a rather limited target audience, though, doesn't it?

 

[doconeill]

• 3 FP's are fine at Epcot, DHS & DAK, but totally unacceptable for MK

Keep in mind, all the testing they've done over the years has tiered the attractions with limited selections. All the recent testing seems to indicate only one E-ticket choice will be permitted.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

The answer, of course, is "someone who has never been to MK before."

(And, sadly, may never bother to return after their "enhanced experience" there.)

Last trip we would always get "surprise FP's" for Mickey's Philharmagic and were 2 of about 50 people in there We like the attraction but FP's aren't really necessary

Are you saying you wouldn't return if you hadn't gotten premium access to the Tiki Room and Philharmagic? Or Swiss Family Tree House, Hall of Presidents, and Stitch's Great Escape!

Or at EPCOT - Captain EO

 

[littleacceb]

Maybe the person who has been to WDW once, thought you had to pay extra for FPs and thus didn't get any FPs, and had to stand in 1 hour+ lines for all of the headliners that he/she did?

That does seem like a rather limited target audience, though, doesn't it?

I don't know... It's often implied that these people are Disney's bread and butter. They rock up at 11-ish, so they can only ride around five attractions all day, and they impulse shop to pass any spare time they have.

 

[doconeill]

Maybe the person who has been to WDW once, thought you had to pay extra for FPs and thus didn't get any FPs, and had to stand in 1 hour+ lines for all of the headliners that he/she did?

What is there to convince them that the new system is free, if they didn't think the old one was?

 

[Combos]

One way to counter the problem of too popular rides (like TSMM) is to add more attractions of the same caliber. Simply limiting access to those rides seems barbaric.

It's not limiting access to the ride, it's limiting access to "I will hold your place in line", which is what the FP system has always been. Disney will not prevent you from waiting in the SB line immediately after completing a ride. Most people just don't do that.

 

[bcrook]

I am right there with you on this one. I just can't convince myself Disney is willing to just say "too bad" to people who share this view unless 1) they have, IMHO, underestimated the size and passion of this group and/or 2) they really believed that we would so excited about prescheduling that we wouldn't care about the limitations.

I also am confounded why they didn't, as has been suggested earlier, simply convert the existing FP system to work with RFID and continue alongside FP+ as in the testing. That would be a system that would be truly exciting and a major improvement. It would allow late risers to get their TSMM or Soarin' FP and I wouldn't have to be denied FP's. This would also allow them to get the Magic Bands deployed and begin collecting data. Once they have collected and analyzed that data for a couple years THEN they could begin to build the "sidewalks" and really have a chance at crowd control and direction.

What you are suggesting is actually based on improving the experience for the customer. But there is little return on investment. To accommodate that, they should have had new lands being built in all the parks to have plenty of fastpasses available.

Think about this, 5 years ago, Disney could have started adding avatarand (or anything else who cares), pixarland at DHS, and improved future world at Epcot with updated pavilions along with new fantasyland. All of that could have opened with an improved fastpass much like you describe. One where we don't have to run all over the park to gather FP, one where we can choose our times, one where we can build our day the way we want.

Throw in new interactive ride elements and queues and you have something special. It appears to me Rileygirl's explanation is more the reality, and most of the proof is that there isn't any new lands in DHS, DAK, and Epcot to make the utopian idea work.

I want doggydoc s wdw, it looks like we are getting Robo's scenario. 1 FP+ per day. The only way to fix the 1 per day is build more attractions, and that is not a priority. We are supposed to re-fall in love with hall of presidents.

 

[SRUAlmn]

[/LIST]


Keep in mind, all the testing they've done over the years has tiered the attractions with limited selections. All the recent testing seems to indicate only one E-ticket choice will be permitted.

So DHS is going to be tough for us. I don't do RNRC or TOT, but my husband and I both love TSMM. We'd have to choose the same E ticket option if we wanted to ride together, so I guess we'd have to FP+ TSMM and then he could ride RNRC and TOT standby (or single rider) early before the lines get long?

 

[Robo]

I don't know... It's often implied that these people are Disney's bread and butter. They rock up at 11-ish, so they can only ride around five attractions all day, and they impulse shop to pass any spare time they have.

Viva la temps libre!

 

[Disney_Princess83]

We are supposed to re-fall in love with hall of presidents.

Haven't you? Lets hope you can get a FP+ for this and fix this

 

[mom2rtk]

One way to counter the problem of too popular rides (like TSMM) is to add more attractions of the same caliber.

Now that's just crazy talk.