FP+ maybe silver lining!

[morethananyonex]

I might have overlooked it but is there news that same-day FP+ will be extended to offsite visitors in all of the parks in the next month? There were also reports that offsite visitors could buy MB's and I wonder if that will ever happen now?

Can I just add that I'm so glad that we took our trip last month?

Nothing yet.

And I'm jealous. I wish we had known the crappy timing of our trip before we booked.

 

[larryz]

Nothing yet.

And I'm jealous. I wish we had known the crappy timing of our trip before we booked.

And this is why I postponed our 2013 trip to 2014, and am now considering postponing our 2014 trip until 2015...

 

[Planogirl]

Nothing yet.

And I'm jealous. I wish we had known the crappy timing of our trip before we booked.

I was unsure about going in December at first. But I always wanted to check out the Christmas festivities and then I heard about legacy fastpasses going away and that made up my mind. We even changed our AK day to the day before the testing started there. We stayed offsite and did just about anything we normally would have.

It was a great trip.

 

[Brian Noble]

I might have overlooked it but is there news that same-day FP+ will be extended to offsite visitors in all of the parks in the next month?

I don't think there's a time frame on it, but there have been permits filed with Orange County to perform "Legacy Removal" at FP-enabled attractions.
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/wdw-permits-2013.857579/page-24

I suspect that that won't happen in any individual park until that park moves to the AK model.

There were also reports that offsite visitors could buy MB's and I wonder if that will ever happen now?

It seems unlikely that Disney would turn down the opportunity to make a dollar, but who knows? There were also public statements by the company that APers and those buying certain "photography packages" would get them as well, but I haven't heard anything more about that either.

And this is why I postponed our 2013 trip to 2014, and am now considering
postponing our 2014 trip until 2015...

We went to Anaheim and Paris while things were under transition in 2013. However, we're going back to Orlando early this April. I expect that there's a 50/50 shot---and maybe better odds---that legacy FP will be completely gone by the time we are there.

 

[mom2rtk]

It was a great trip.

I'm glad you ended up having a great trip.

 

[sammatt]

We just returned at 2am this morning from a 1 week trip to the world. We were able to use or 3 FP+ per day, as well as pull legacy FPs with both KTTW cards (AoA resort) and Annual Passes.

A CM working the MSEP Fastpass+ station told my hubby that in 2 weeks they will be transitioning to no paper Fps at Magic Kingdom. Of course, that is only 1 CM, and we know she could be wrong, but I just wanted to share the latest rumor with you.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Yeah, this scenario would definitely require some real life reports before deciding how to proceed. I still think that if you're there at a time that quality FPs are left over for same day, you're probably there at a time you don't really need them. I believe pre-booking will raise the usage of FP in general, typically not leaving much for later in the day. (Yes, pure conjecture on my part, but it will remain my working theory until it all rolls out and proves me wrong).

I would sure hate to move all of my FPs to early morning hours hoping to get more for later, only to find out there isn't anything worthwhile left to get. So I'd probably stay with mid day times. But I would certainly shy away from late evening times on anything (including Wishes and MSEP).

Your post summarizes exactly why I am thankful for the DIS. The information shared here is KEY to having a great WDW experience. Because I read the DIS, I knew FP+ was coming. Knowing that FP+ was coming, we got our last trip in this June so we wouldn't have to deal with it. Based on the way my family tours, how many FP- we usually pulled, etc, FP+ is negative for us. I purposefully don't have a trip planned right now. I am watching, reading, learning from posters on here and when I DO go to WDW again, I'll know exactly how to use the new FP+ system to get the most out of it for my family. Will it be as great for us as FP- was - probably not, but at least I'll know how to maximize FP+.

For those folks who think all us NON FP+ FANS do is complain (there is an active thread about the complaints right now) I want to point out two things: 1) Disney has whole teams who read and report on all internet activity pertaining to Disney. They are reading these boards and know exactly what features of FP+ are the least popular. If enough people share their displeasure, we may elicit a positive change to the new system. 2) There is a ton of MB/FP+ information mixed in with the complaints - information that has helped multitudes of people solve their similar MB/FP+ problems, plan their trips, etc.

PS - I think I'll post this on the complaint thread too because I have found all the MB/FP+ threads helpful - complaints and all!

 

[Planogirl]

On another forum someone asked a great question about how the kiosks will work for offsite visitors. They wondered if it might be possible to make FP+ choices for the day for Epcot from a Magic Kingdom kiosk. Someone else pointed out that you can't get legacy for other parks so it would seem unlikely however it was also mentioned that people could count on getting more than three so it wouldn't seem as risky to hold off getting Epcot fastpasses later after using some at MK.

Yes, conjecture but interesting to think about particularly for those who stay offsite and enjoy park hopping.

 

[Shaden]

It sure would, wouldn't it?

It might be sort of entertaining though to see everyone's heads explode as everything they thought they had figured out gets turned upside down.

 

[Shaden]

It would absolutely diminish their appeal. Just when Disney needs alternatives to headliner FPs. Fantasmic is already useless, but Wishes and MSEP still held a lot of appeal. I still felt like the appeal was going to nosedive when they took away double dipping, but this could really do it in.

Lessen their appeal, to those who are in the know, perhaps. But also potentially (again) lock those same people in. People who don't know WHAT to FP originally would probably still be likely to book MSEP and Wishes, but, people in the Know wouldn't, however, by then allowing them to lock in a reserved spot for Wishes etc, might keep them in the parks, and spending money, longer.

 

[Bluestars]

This would be an interesting move on Disney's part to let people reserve more FPs after they use their three original ones. That would help lessen the pain of this program.

I'm so glad that my trip is in September this year. It would have been very disappointing to book a trip during a peak time and be stuck with FP+. I don't see how a trip could be worth it during a busy week for people who are used to getting more than three passes a day (and duplicates for head liners) and who park hop.

We have always gotten more than three passes a day and have always been able to get at least two passes in one day for Space Mountain during the busy season. We park hop, so we would also get fast passes at the second park. Not being able to do these things would be very limiting to our family. We would be forced to stand in regular lines that we never would have stood in before.

It's really too bad they couldn't have left the old system alone. Well, the only good thing is that now that all of our kids are grown we can go during less busy times so it shouldn't be an issue. I do feel sorry for families who won't have that option.