FP+ Kiosks and additional FP's

[Mikie]

Columbus Day week (Oct 12-19) 2014. Disclaimer: I wasn't heavily motivated to try for 4th and more, BUT I did want to see if it would be easy and convenient, then maybe I'd decide it was going to be part of my ongoing strategy.

I often couldnt find the kiosk (as some have said, one in DHS can easily be mistaken for a bathroom line!). I found some kiosks with lines of at least 5-6 people. I didn't want to wait around to see if/how well they moved. As my group likes to do a little of everything, there was always *something* we could get in line for rather than a kiosk. I had a big group, so feared that it wouldn't be worth a wait when we could just find a 20 min standy line to get in instead.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

This is a pic from easywdw.com showing the roped off queue for the "bathroom breezeway" kiosks in the MK. When we were there in December, this queue was usually about half full, and at times, was completely full. In addition to the "permanent" FP+ kiosks that were there, there were always more CMs with iPads as well, so the line moved fairly quickly.

 

[jensen]

OP thank you for starting this post! I think this has been my biggest frustration with planning this trip. We went last January with FP+ and loved it! We were really pleased with how we could make changes on the fly with our phones. Everything worked really well for us.

But, now that you can book the extra FP+, I'm having to rethink my whole strategy.

Last year, I would spend my day at one park then hop over to HS in the evening just so I could ride TOT after dark. In order to do this, I'd have to book all of my FP+ in the evening at HS... sometimes even letting one go to waste.

Now that I have the option to, not only hop, but get a 4th FP... do I take a chance on getting one when I arrive in HS in the evening?

 

[jensen]

** Here is what I found during our trip in October **
Sunday 10/26 MK low crowd day, did entirely Fantasyland with the exception of PP by 12:30pm. Including 3 FP+ Journey, ETWB, 7DMT.

Went to kiosk outside Mickey's Philarmagic after 7DMT and got FP for Buzz , told CM I didn't need assistance as they seemed to be slowing people down with their 'help'.
Turned around a second later and changed my FP for Buzz to PP on my app which was not showing available on kiosk.

Went to lunch with FP+ at BOG , used our 4th FP for PP then walked off, went back to same FP kiosk and did the same. Chose Buzz on kiosk, turned around and changed it to what we wanted through app that wasn't showing available on kiosk.

I'm not sure if we were lucky but that was day 1, continued the same pattern the rest of our 15 day trip.

The only time we ran into problem was at EP, we had to split our 4th FP up, where half the fam did TT and half did Soarin

Wait, wait, wait! WHAT? You can get a FP+ at the kiosk and then change it on your app! That's an interesting tidbit of information I've never heard before.

Can you change it to something you've already ridden? For instance, can you ride 7DMT twice in one day? What about tiered parks? Can you ride Soarin' twice or ride Soarin' and TT?

 

[Rwsm2011]

Are there every any characters left for the 4th FP like Tink or Mickey?

 

[DisneyKidds]

Wait, wait, wait! WHAT? You can get a FP+ at the kiosk and then change it on your app! That's an interesting tidbit of information I've never heard before. Can you change it to something you've already ridden? For instance, can you ride 7DMT twice in one day? What about tiered parks? Can you ride Soarin' twice or ride Soarin' and TT?

If it's available, sure. It would be a little surprising to see those available though, unless it was really slow.....but you never know.

 

[jeffbear]

In the sense that the FP+ Kiosks "work" by providing FP's for desired attractions, I've seen several make comments to the effect the FP+ Kiosks work when you don't need them, but don't when you do.

Is that a correct statement?

I'm not sure you are have enough data to be drawing the correct conclusion at all. What I see is comments along the lines of ... "I couldn't get what I wanted so I just left." Well, what did you want and was that in fact reasonable? Or even possible? Did the kiosk system fail because you couldn't be bothered to walk 200 yards to another one with less of a line?

I dunno. I still see a lot of emotion in most of the responses to this entire issue. Once we get a chance to see hard data from the likes of Touring Plans, then I'll start drawing conclusions.

 

[DisneyKidds]

I'm not sure you are have enough data to be drawing the correct conclusion at all.

Since when has that stopped him?!!!

 

[jade1]

Nobody in line at the kiosks XMAS week, but we were there in the evenings if that matters. Only used them to quick stop and snap a pic of our itinerary-certainly would not wait in line to do that.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

1, 2 No more than 2 people in front of me. But it's usually not peak time of day by the time I get there.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor and Big Thunder. On one night when MK was open late. Although once I did look on a MVMCP day around 4 pm and there were only three selections available.

4. Sure, but you probably won't get much the closer to park closing it is.

I've seen several make comments to the effect the FP+ Kiosks work when you don't need them, but don't when you do.

Is that a correct statement?

In the mechanical context, or in what selections are available? I had luck one night and no luck the second (which to be fair was very close to park closing). That's no means of proving that statement correct or not.

 

[Suvadoo]

I tried using the kiosks, there was nothing I was interested in getting. This was last April.
At MK: Philharmagic, Teacups, Dumbo
Epcot: EO, Figment
DHS: Muppets

I think I remember waiting in line for about 10 minutes at each place. It would be really nice if there was an availability board at each Kiosk area telling you which rides had FP's available and the approx. times. That way you decide if you thought it was worth waiting for a 4th FP.

 

[Mkrop]

I'm not sure you are have enough data to be drawing the correct conclusion at all. What I see is comments along the lines of ... "I couldn't get what I wanted so I just left." Well, what did you want and was that in fact reasonable? Or even possible? Did the kiosk system fail because you couldn't be bothered to walk 200 yards to another one with less of a line?

I dunno. I still see a lot of emotion in most of the responses to this entire issue. Once we get a chance to see hard data from the likes of Touring Plans, then I'll start drawing conclusions.

That's a bit of hyperbole, they are not that close to each other. If your 3rd FP was for either Splash or BTMRR, the closest kiosk is either at Jungle Cruise or at the Adventureland breezeway. Certainly not that close. I certainly wish they had more kiosks throughout the parks. It was a pain trying to find them and they never seemed to be close to where we were when our 3rd expired or in the direction we were headed. We backtracked a lot to get to the kiosks which I thought was what FP+ was suppose to eliminate, all the running around.

 

[Suvadoo]

That's a bit of hyperbole, they are not that close to each other. If your 3rd FP was for either Splash or BTMRR, the closest kiosk is either at Jungle Cruise or at the Adventureland breezeway. Certainly not that close. I certainly wish they had more kiosks throughout the parks. It was a pain trying to find them and they never seemed to be close to where we were when our 3rd expired or in the direction we were headed. We backtracked a lot to get to the kiosks which I thought was what FP+ was suppose to eliminate, all the running around.

Now come on, you know FP+ has eliminated the need to run alll over the parks and backtrack. That's one of the greatest features of FP+!

 

[Laketravis]

Now come on, you know FP+ has eliminated the need to run alll over the parks and backtrack. That's one of the greatest features of FP+!

You know that picture I have of the FP+ Kiosk at HS? Right after I took it, I asked one of the CM's:

Me: Is this the only Kiosk?
CM: Oh no, they're all over
Me: Where are they?
CM: All over!

I'm not making that up. I don't think the locations were on the park maps yet, and all I can remember are the ones between RnRC/ToT and the one(s) by TSMM.

But I just checked the online MK map and it's showing four Kiosk locations.

The online HS map actually shows four locations as well - so I guess the CM was right that they are "all over".

The online EP map, well, poor old Epcot only has 2 locations. But then again, that's probably all Epcot needs.

The online AK map has four locations as well - with two of them unusually close to each other.

 

[Mkrop]

You know that picture I have of the FP+ Kiosk at HS? Right after I took it, I asked one of the CM's:

Me: Is this the only Kiosk?
CM: Oh no, they're all over
Me: Where are they?
CM: All over!

I'm not making that up. I don't think the locations were on the park maps yet, and all I can remember are the ones between RnRC/ToT and the one(s) by TSMM.

But I just checked the online MK map and it's showing four Kiosk locations.

The online HS map actually shows four locations as well - so I guess the CM was right that they are "all over".

The online EP map, well, poor old Epcot only has 2 locations. But then again, that's probably all Epcot needs.

The online AK map has four locations as well - with two of them unusually close to each other.

DS17 kept saying well there is one by the International Gateway, I laughed and said unless we are walking in from the Boardwalk that one is quite a bit out of the way from all the rides.

 

[DisneyKidds]

I'm sure it will happen at some point, but this convo will be rendered moot when they allow you to make additional FP+ selections via the mobile APP.

 

[Mkrop]

I'm sure it will happen at some point, but this convo will be rendered moot when they allow you to make additional FP+ selections via the mobile APP.

Until then it is a pain in the rear end....

We also have issues with trying to change experiences...it would try to delete everything. So we did have to let some FPs expire. I am sure this was a glitch or a user error, although DS17 is pretty savvy when it comes to this stuff and DH looked at it too and we could not figure it out.

The one day it did allow him to change an experience (3 out of 4 of us were not feeling well and we needed to sleep in), there was absolutely nothing worthwhile to us to change it to.

 

[Disneylover99]

I'm sure it will happen at some point, but this convo will be rendered moot when they allow you to make additional FP+ selections via the mobile APP.

I will be thrilled if and when this happens.

I just can't stand waiting in lines. I, for one don't want to wait even five minutes to line up to make a reservation to ride later. I would rather traipse across the park and back to get a FP from a legacy machine, then stand around for five minutes. At least I was doing something and enjoying sights as I went.

 

[mggeary]

I'm sure it will happen at some point, but this convo will be rendered moot when they allow you to make additional FP+ selections via the mobile APP.

I'm starting to doubt this is in the cards. Disney surely has the IT capability to do it now, but perhaps they are holding back for fear that afternoon FP availability will dry up immediately if they let people book 4th FP on mobile devices. This may be an intentional hurdle.

Remember Disney's target audience is educating the causal vacation goer, particularly the first time visiting family, trying to minimize their overall wait in lines to get them to return. They have been successfull in so far as a much higher % of these folks know of FP+ than they did of legacy FP, do the detriment of people like us.

 

[norybell]

I will be thrilled if and when this happens.

I just can't stand waiting in lines. I, for one don't want to wait even five minutes to line up to make a reservation to ride later. I would rather traipse across the park and back to get a FP from a legacy machine, then stand around for five minutes. At least I was doing something and enjoying sights as I went.

This is exactly how I feel.