FP+ late day strategy wasn't the best for us

[ucfknight]

Somehow I don't think it's working quite how they envisioned if a CM has to stand at the end of the line holding a "FP Return" sign.

Scanning bands takes much longer than holding up a paper FP so a cast member can quickly check your return time. This leads to a large backup at ride entrances for those rides where they distribute a lot of passes. Last week I saw ridiculously long FP return lines on Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan, Soarin', Test Track, Expedition Everest, Toy Story Midway Mania, and Tower of Terror.

Hopefully once they fully switch over to the new system they will add more scanners to those rides which need it. Maybe they can add a V shaped island with 4 scanners like they have at the front entrance to double the capacity. One cast member standing in the middle of the V with a screen should easily be able to monitor all 4 touch points for FP return.

 

[summermac]

That's exactly what we do. Looking at our schedule for May, I can't even find one evening to plan for FPs.

We pretty much end up in Epcot just about every night. I think on our last trip we went there three out of six nights.

I am using FP+ late morning/early afternoon for the most part and to avoid criss crossing the park all day long. The exception is AK - I have everything scheduled there by 12:30 in the event we opt to leave the park and hop elsewhere. Well wait, on our last night have FP+ scheduled at MK for late (it's open until 1) because I have never ridden BTM or Jungle Cruise at night and I think that will be really cool!

 

[wisblue]

Somehow I don't think it's working quite how they envisioned if a CM has to stand at the end of the line holding a "FP Return" sign.

Based on our experience the week after Christmas, and the reports of several others, these lines seem to be much more the exception than the norm.

Even the OP said that the TSMM wait was by far the longest he/she encountered in a FP line.

 

[DemonLlama]

For the most part, we had no trouble with FP+ -- never a single blue circle, and except for the evening FP+ bookings, never a line to get up to the scanner to go through.

I just found it odd that the few lines we did encounter all were in the evening. Perhaps exhausted guests are just that must slower and dumber when it comes to everything? If the number of FP slots are the same hourly, it didn't make sense to only run into back-ups at night.

 

[DemonLlama]

another theory -- perhaps by the evening more rides have gone down throughout the day, and guests offered the "pick anything" email (we got one of these when Space went down around the time we had a FP+ scheduled) are choosing to save them until the evening and the longest line they expect? That might cause a glut in the FP line unlike anything you'd encounter during the day.

 

[CanadianPaco]

What this tells me more than anything is not to plan on doing any evening standby rides. /QUOTE]

I was thinking the same thing!

 

[nkereina]

We were there in November and found the scanning of the bands to be time consuming - both when using them for FP+ and purchasing items. Rather than sliding my card through the cash register, the CM at the QS counter had to pull out the iPhone scanner thing, click through a few things, scan me, click another screen, have my sign, then turn around to the counter to print my receipt. Really held up the line. The same handheld scanners were very glitchy at both the MSEP and Illuminations FP+ entrances and as a result, took forever to get through those lines.

But if you don't use your FP+ reservations for the late afternoon/evening, then when would you use them? It obviously wouldn't make sense at rope drop unless you maybe you only have a couple hours in the morning at the park. If you make your FP reservations for 10am, 11am, etc then you will just be stuck in standby lines later, if you want to ride anything. There's really no other choice IMO.

 

[amylevan]

But if you don't use your FP+ reservations for the late afternoon/evening, then when would you use them? It obviously wouldn't make sense at rope drop unless you maybe you only have a couple hours in the morning at the park. If you make your FP reservations for 10am, 11am, etc then you will just be stuck in standby lines later, if you want to ride anything. There's really no other choice IMO.

Actually, like I said above there is another choice. We do rides from rope drop until we leave for an afternoon break. We then head back out for TS dinner, evening entertainment, and just a few rides. So we scheduled ours from 11-2. But we are usually on longer trips and take our time touring.

 

[Laketravis]

Scanning bands takes much longer than holding up a paper FP so a cast member can quickly check your return time. This leads to a large backup at ride entrances for those rides where they distribute a lot of passes. Last week I saw ridiculously long FP return lines on Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan, Soarin', Test Track, Expedition Everest, Toy Story Midway Mania, and Tower of Terror.

We thought so too.

Hopefully once they fully switch over to the new system they will add more scanners to those rides which need it. Maybe they can add a V shaped island with 4 scanners like they have at the front entrance to double the capacity. One cast member standing in the middle of the V with a screen should easily be able to monitor all 4 touch points for FP return.

We didn't notice any improvement in processing time with the 4-V stations because people would instinctively walk up to and use the first one, physically blocking the person behind them from getting to the second one, and most people behind that first person would either simply wait unless prodded by a CM or weren't aware there was another available reader.

It reminded me of those annoying two-in-a-row drive up ATM's where you pull up behind someone at the first ATM and there is nobody at the one in front of them (and you can't easily get around the person in front of you to get to that available ATM).

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Like PPs, my plan was to schedule our FP+ late morning/early afternoon. We usually start at rope drop and go until around 2pm, then take a break back at the resort to swim, rest, and change into clothes that aren't soaked in sweat. We will go back in the evening, but generally stay away from the headliners.