FP+ observation

[Shaden]

Adding the ability to schedule additional FP's to an already existing app would substantially reduce the need and the labor costs of having multiple CM's with iPads at kiosk locations to process overflow; it could also reduce the potentially negative visual impression and guest frustration of lines to avoid lines. Yet the decision so far has been to not add this self-provisioning feature.

Disney knows that they are doing.

This is something I posted about when we returned in May.

Indeed I am quite sure Disney knows exactly what they are doing. Its really very simply. By forcing people to move to, wait for FPs, they are, essentially decreasing the rider demand (and dissatisfaction if forced to wait) by taking people out of the queue even for those few minutes.

This allows FP+ to achieve 2 goals simultaneously 1 - attraction efficiency maximization - steering crowds toward the under utilized attractions (the ones with FPs available) and 2 - decreasing the overall rider demand - by putting in the little time sink of having to walk to and wait for FPs.

Smart really, though not exactly geared to helping out the guest necessarily (though you could spin it that way).

But I am pretty sure this is why Disney has not made it available on the App.
Doing so would require very little code. As was explained to me the Kiosks work on a parallel but very similar system, if they could do it, so could your app, and actually the Guest Relations CMs (the ones in the Plaid vests/shirts) work on another, similar but different, parallel system. All three accessing the same main system of FP management for availability, all with different access rights and FP distribution software.

 

[Laketravis]

The kiosks are no longer iPad's rather they are solid free standing do-it-yourself with CM's manning more than one kiosk. If you know what your doing you can breeze through yourself. The CM's only help people who look like they need it.

I always saw several CM's at every kiosk location. They hover over each kiosk machine and proactively assist guests by greeting them and asking them what they are looking for - they don't just wait for someone who looks like they need help. In fact, it agitated me sometimes because they would even start off touching the screen for me and I had to tell them I was okay doing it myself. Each of them is armed with an iPad so that they can be human kiosks when the lines get really long.

Point is there is no need for several CM's at each kiosk location. To suggest there is would only illustrate systemic issues with FP itself; adding the capability to the app would only further reduce that lack of need.

Knowing whether or not you are in the park is a GPS function which is already built into the app.

 

[Laketravis]

This is something I posted about when we returned in May.

Indeed I am quite sure Disney knows exactly what they are doing. Its really very simply. By forcing people to move to, wait for FPs, they are, essentially decreasing the rider demand (and dissatisfaction if forced to wait) by taking people out of the queue even for those few minutes.

This allows FP+ to achieve 2 goals simultaneously 1 - attraction efficiency maximization - steering crowds toward the under utilized attractions (the ones with FPs available) and 2 - decreasing the overall rider demand - by putting in the little time sink of having to walk to and wait for FPs.

Smart really, though not exactly geared to helping out the guest necessarily (though you could spin it that way).

But I am pretty sure this is why Disney has not made it available on the App.
Doing so would require very little code. As was explained to me the Kiosks work on a parallel but very similar system, if they could do it, so could your app, and actually the Guest Relations CMs (the ones in the Plaid vests/shirts) work on another, similar but different, parallel system. All three accessing the same main system of FP management for availability, all with different access rights and FP distribution software.

Exactly. Speed bumps are used to slow traffic down.

 

[Shaden]

. In fact, it agitated me sometimes because they would even start off touching the screen for me and I had to tell them I was okay doing it myself. Each of them is armed with an iPad so that they can be human kiosks when the lines get really long.

This annoyed me to NO END !

I actually had one CM tell me She "Had" to do it for me. As in, I was not allowed to use the Kiosk. This was like, day 8 or 9, so I had been using the Kiosks a lot up until that point. Usually annoyed as someone would try to do it for me, and I would politely or jokingly say something to indicate I knew what I was doing and then would just step back and make small talk.

But the one, she actually would not stop, told me she had to do it for me, and refused to let me do it myself.

 

[Disnsyncey]

I was a dummy on Friday and while I was waiting for my 3rd FP to come up (for a ride I had already ridden) I waited 45 min to meet Cinderella to kill time.....we ended up changing that FP afterwards, and THEN we went to go look for more and Cindy still had FP available! BAH!

 

[larryz]

Were it not for the temporary sign, one might mistake that as a line for the restrooms.

Depending on how they interpret "FP+," they STILL might...

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Ah, gotchya.

Star Tours is a great example of how this can work in the opposite since both queues run side-by-side; many times we would enter the FP side at the same time someone entered the SB side and they would end up in front of us simply because we had to stop at the second reader station. That's a good example of information gained from experience that would contribute to a decision not to try to get an FP at all.

Something similar happened to us at least twice. Got in line for our FP+ there and the SB line was running faster.

GMR also had a longer FP+ line than SB.

 

[SuperTink]

Has it been cleared up about whether or not you can change a 4th FP in the app after you get it from the kiosk?

 

[Laketravis]

Has it been cleared up about whether or not you can change a 4th FP in the app after you get it from the kiosk?

Whenever I tried to do it, I got a "Network Error".

 

[RebeccaRabbit]

We found the lines at kiosks to be quite slow. (Of course this was earlier in the year - maybe they have gotten more efficient now.) The worst was one time we were behind 3 other people. The first guy was in charge of a TOUR GROUP, and was trying to pick FPs for like 80 people or something! He was taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r... Meanwhile a HUGE line built up behind us. After about 15 minutes of not moving at all, I gave up and walked away. No acknowledgement from the CM that there was anything unacceptable going on. Lots of disgruntled peeps in the line muttering and shuffling. Hopefully that was an anomaly - really shouldn't let tour group leaders pick FPs from the regular kiosks and hold up the line like that.

 

[5Hfan]

I'm totally jealous! I love the IASW and HM overlays at DLR.

+1

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Has it been cleared up about whether or not you can change a 4th FP in the app after you get it from the kiosk?

I was able to do this in October.

 

[famy27]

We found the lines at kiosks to be quite slow. (Of course this was earlier in the year - maybe they have gotten more efficient now.) The worst was one time we were behind 3 other people. The first guy was in charge of a TOUR GROUP, and was trying to pick FPs for like 80 people or something! He was taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r... Meanwhile a HUGE line built up behind us. After about 15 minutes of not moving at all, I gave up and walked away. No acknowledgement from the CM that there was anything unacceptable going on. Lots of disgruntled peeps in the line muttering and shuffling. Hopefully that was an anomaly - really shouldn't let tour group leaders pick FPs from the regular kiosks and hold up the line like that.

This is why I like the kiosks by Philharmagic best. It's one giant queue, so you get the first kiosk available. At most of the others, you are in separate single lines, so if you pick the wrong line (which I invariably do), you are stuck there forever while someone looks at a few options, calls a friend over, starts reviewing the options with said friend, calls someone else on the phone to get their okay, realized the FP they wanted is gone and starts the process over.

In general, we had excellent luck with kiosks and normally waited less than five minutes, but that one by Buzz had bad vibes for us. When they had the one open in Storybook Circus, we used that every time. We never waited in line there. I stupidly assumed that when they started removing kiosks, it meant they were getting ready to add 4th FP to the app. Wrong again.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

I didn't wait in a long SB like that, but I didn't look for a 4th FP because whenever I passed the kiosks during the day, there were long lines - it discoraged me from bothering to go find one later. Also, *after* you got yours, you know how the times worked out. . . Before going to the kiosk, you wouldn't have been able to know it and it's not worth the trouble to everyone. Is there a kiosk near small world?

We had the same experience. We only tried getting more Fastpasses on one day because the lines at the kiosks were so long. I never even figured out where the kiosks were in Epcot, DHS, and AK.

 

[RebeccaRabbit]

This is why I like the kiosks by Philharmagic best. It's one giant queue, so you get the first kiosk available. At most of the others, you are in separate single lines, so if you pick the wrong line (which I invariably do), you are stuck there forever while someone looks at a few options, calls a friend over, starts reviewing the options with said friend, calls someone else on the phone to get their okay, realized the FP they wanted is gone and starts the process over.

Thanks, this is a great tip. I wish they did it this way (single line for multiple kiosks) at every station. I ALWAYS pick the wrong line too - very bad line karma, apparently.

In general I actually liked FP+ a lot, except for the whole kiosk thing. We don't have a smartphone (I know, meet the Neanderthals), and were reduced to kiosks for any necessary changes. The irony of waiting in line to avoid waiting in line gives me mental motion sickness

 

[SuperTink]

Whenever I tried to do it, I got a "Network Error".

Thanks for the reply.

 

[SuperTink]

I was able to do this in October.

Thank you. Looks like the jury's split.