FP+ Pros/Cons

[Laketravis]

Laketravis, since you are asking me for details on how we approach DHS, maybe I should ask you how you would do it on a level 10 day and how you would be able to gather multiple FPs for TSMM and RNRC given how early in the day they run out. On those days it doesn't take long for the return times to get more than 2 hours out, so I don't know how many FPs you could realistically get. What do you do with the rest of your day while you're waiting for those FP return times to come up?

That's easy - I'd never go on a level 10 day, and I didn't find the question relevant to forward strategy as it had to do with something that is no longer available in two parks and soon to be gone in the rest.

 

[Laketravis]

we really aren't that interested in doing certain attractions multiple times per day for multiple days on one trip. We don't measure our enjoyment or the success of our trips by the number of rides we do, the number of FPs we are able to collect, or how many hours we spend in the parks. We are generally satisfied if we can do most of our favorite things once per trip, especially when the trips are relatively short.

I also don't necessarily measure the value of FPs by how many we get. I find those FPs in the late afternoon and evening to be more valuable than ones that you can round up right at park opening because they are allowing us to bypass much longer lines at a time when FP was never an option.

So if you hit HS early and get those three headliners done in an hour, you aren't really interested in doing them again later in the day with FP+, right?

Then you move to another park and use your FP's for additional attractions.

That is probably true with a lot of people. But what would you do with those three FP's if you didn't have park hoppers?

We always get park hoppers for a variety of reasons, so that would work for us because we aren't necessarily interested in riding the same thing over and over again either. Even the tastes and compulsive needs of an 8 year old change on a daily basis.

Sounds like requirement #1 of your FP+ strategy is to add the Park Hopper option.

 

[csmith041177]

Like most of you, I have read alot about the FP+ system, and have gotten frustrated by me not understanding it at first and, now, frustrated that I might not have as enjoyable experience as I did in the past. However, I have finally "Grown Up" about this, and have decided to reserve judgment until my family goes down in September and I experience the system live and in person.

 

[themommy]

Fastpass+ is what it is. It has it's upside and downside. I have to agree with the earlier post and say get your fastpasses for the evening and go early to another park if you want to park hop. It really isn't so hard to do. We were there for the week of Christmas and did not have many problems at all. In fact it worked out very well for us when we decided we wanted to do something else at the moment and we could immediately pick up the phone, get on My Disney Experience and change our fastpass+ time. We did this a few times. The only thing I don't like is the tiering (which we did not have to deal with thank goodness, because it was not implemented yet) which basically bites. And just one word of advice....DO NOT waste a fastpass+ on Fantasmic! My son wanted to make sure we went and I thought it would be a great idea to get one so we did not have to wait in line forever to get in. When we got there we realized that we were walking in at the same time with everyone else that did not have a fastpass+ for it. We ended up with crappy seats on the end because you just sit where all the other people do. There is no special area to sit in like when you doing the dining and get it. Totally wasted fastpass+.

 

[Nemo32]

Can someone please explain tiering to me? I wana make sure I'm understanding.

 

[Robo]

Like most of you, I have read alot about the FP+ system, and have gotten frustrated by me not understanding it at first and, now, frustrated that I might not have as enjoyable experience as I did in the past. However, I have finally "Grown Up" about this, and have decided to reserve judgment until my family goes down in September and I experience the system live and in person.

If everyone is supposed to reserve judgement until AFTER they have used FP+, how are they supposed to intelligently USE the system when guests are supposed to reserve FP+ up to 60(+) days BEFORE their trip?

This is especially a dilemma for the specially protected sub-group known as "first-timers."

 

[Nemo32]

Nevermind! Got it! Well that makes it even worse. No matter how you play it there'll be at least one major attraction you need to be running for at RD. I thought FP+ was supposed to make it less stressful.

As an aside, I'm going during Star Wars Weekends. I assume FP+ will be used for this too?

 

[Robo]

I'm going during Star Wars Weekends. I assume FP+ will be used for this too?

If they use the MagicBands for SWW Meet & Greets, it would have to be a special file of separate FP+ for guests in DHS at those times.

It's quite possible (and, likely a very wise choice) that they will use conventional FP tickets for
those SWW Meet & Greets.

 

[Nemo32]

If they use the MagicBands for SWW Meet & Greets, it would have to be a special file of separate FP+ for guests in DHS at those times.

Ok, hopefully when I book FP+ in March I will know if it's being used for SWW. Thanks!

 

[wisblue]

That's easy - I'd never go on a level 10 day, and I didn't find the question relevant to forward strategy as it had to do with something that is no longer available in two parks and soon to be gone in the rest.

So, in other words, you have no experience with crowds at that level, no idea what touring strategies have worked on those days, and how many FPs for the Tier 1 attractions you were able to get on those days?

I'll have to keep that in mind when you tell everyone how much better FP- was for people who have no choice but to visit during the holidays.

The question IS relevant to serve as a basis of comparison between the two systems. How can you say that FP- is better than FP+ at those times when you have no experience with it?

 

[wisblue]

Nevermind! Got it! Well that makes it even worse. No matter how you play it there'll be at least one major attraction you need to be running for at RD. I thought FP+ was supposed to make it less stressful.

We do not have to RUN to anything. You just have to be there when the park opens, just like you had to do to if you expected to get paper FPs for both TSMM and RNRC on busy days.

If you want to show me that FP- was better on those busy days, you could answer the question that I posed to Lake Travis that he is unable to answer because he has never experienced a Level 10 day.

Maybe it's just me, but I have trouble saying that A is better than B when I have never experienced B and I am just guessing what A will be like.

 

[Robo]

Ok, hopefully when I book FP+ in March I will know if it's being used for SWW. Thanks!

As I added to my earlier reply-

It's quite possible (and, likely a very wise choice) that they will use conventional FP tickets for those SWW Meet & Greets.

At the frenzied pace of SWW, any technical glitch with the MDE & WiFi system could drag so many things to a major guest-disappointing halt.

 

[wisblue]

So if you hit HS early and get those three headliners done in an hour, you aren't really interested in doing them again later in the day with FP+, right?

Then you move to another park and use your FP's for additional attractions.

That is probably true with a lot of people. But what would you do with those three FP's if you didn't have park hoppers?

We always get park hoppers for a variety of reasons, so that would work for us because we aren't necessarily interested in riding the same thing over and over again either. Even the tastes and compulsive needs of an 8 year old change on a daily basis.

Sounds like requirement #1 of your FP+ strategy is to add the Park Hopper option.

If we didn't have hoppers, we would simply make FP+ reservations for the same park where we started the day, but make them later in the day. We would make whatever we didn't have FPs for our first priority in the morning, and then move on. If we were able to get in a ride on one of our favorites in the morning, and then get another on with a FP later in the day, we wouldn't turn it down.

It's hard to compare your experience with ours because you are talking about a 17 day trip with 10 park days, and our trips are never that long. Our most recent trip was 4 full park days and an evening on arrival (where FP+ let us do some things that we definitely wouldn't have been able to do otherwise.) We did a lot of observing as we walked around, but we didn't take time to stand and observe the process for hours at a time.

As for the future, you have helped to convince me that arriving early may work even better if you can get there about 30 minutes before actual (not stated) park opening. You have reported that the gate entry process is now slower because of the use of MBs. This should mean that, once we get through the gate there will be fewer people getting in behind us because they will be caught in the bottleneck caused by the inefficient entry process.

If you want more details about how we like to tour, and why we think FP+ will work well for us, you can look at my entire post from that closed thread. Here is the link:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=50464842#post50464842

 

[disnut1149]

I've been to DW in the summer when it's pretty crowded and never had a problem getting FP-.Since I only get three FP+, after I use one, how long are the lines going to be for the rides we like to go on while waiting for my next FP time to become available? We never waited in lines before!!

 

[wisblue]

I've been to DW in the summer when it's pretty crowded and never had a problem getting FP-.Since I only get three FP+, after I use one, how long are the lines going to be for the rides we like to go on while waiting for my next FP time to become available? We never waited in lines before!!

That's going to depend on the day, what park you are in, what rides you like to do, and how early you get to the park.

I have only been at WDW during the summer a couple of times but, compared to Easter and Christmas, we don't think the parks are that crowded. At those times, we REALLY want to take a break in the middle of the day because being in a theme park in the middle of the afternoon when it's over 90 degrees with a dew point in the upper 70's is not my idea of fun.

 

[disnut1149]

That's going to depend on the day, what park you are in, what rides you like to do, and how early you get to the park.

I have only been at WDW during the summer a couple of times but, compared to Easter and Christmas, we don't think the parks are that crowded. At those times, we REALLY want to take a break in the middle of the day because being in a theme park in the middle of the afternoon when it's over 90 degrees with a dew point in the upper 70's is not my idea of fun.

I always have a good touring plan, and we like to go when it's hot. My DGD loves to swim so a lot of times we will take a break from the heat, but I just don't like the thought of waiting in any lines at all, (especially in 90 degree heat!! It seems like a step backwards for us. I like the thought of reserving 3 rides, not tiered, but also having legacy FP. Standing in lines is not my idea of fun.

 

[Nemo32]

I always have a good touring plan, and we like to go when it's hot. My DGD loves to swim so a lot of times we will take a break from the heat, but I just don't like the thought of waiting in any lines at all, (especially in 90 degree heat!! It seems like a step backwards for us. I like the thought of reserving 3 rides, not tiered, but also having legacy FP. Standing in lines is not my idea of fun.

Exactly! I wish there was a way for the two to coexist...though not likely possible for reasons previous posters mentioned.

 

[Laketravis]

So, in other words, you have no experience with crowds at that level, no idea what touring strategies have worked on those days, and how many FPs for the Tier 1 attractions you were able to get on those days?

I'll have to keep that in mind when you tell everyone how much better FP- was for people who have no choice but to visit during the holidays.

The question IS relevant to serve as a basis of comparison between the two systems. How can you say that FP- is better than FP+ at those times when you have no experience with it?

Careful with your assumptions and "other words". We were discussing touring strategy and you asked what mine would be during days of level 10 crowds, and my response was "I wouldn't go". That does NOT mean I have not been on busy days. In fact, I do have experience with very busy days and holidays.

You, on the other hand, recently commented you've only been a couple of times in the summer yet profess to have a highly effective touring strategy to minimize wait times utilizing nothing more than the practice of "showing up early". Using your own logic, does that render you less qualified to tell others the best way to tour the parks using FP+ ?

You've also claimed that your passion in all of this is to help newer guests who may be looking for the best ways to use FP+ even at the risk of being insulted by others (your words). Any good touring strategy will consist of more than a simple recommendation of "show up early". It appeared to me that you might also be using Park Hoppers, which you confirmed, and that could play an important part in what you claim is a successful strategy.

And that, sir, is why I thought that point of information might need to be highlighted.

You are especially fond of bringing up the "old" FP system and I really don't think a discussion about a paper based system that is already gone from two parks is going to be helpful to a new visitor. That's why I didn't think asking me the best way to use a system that no longer exists was relevant.

I'll have to keep that in mind when you tell everyone how much better FP- was for people who have no choice but to visit during the holidays.

Gee, if I didn't know any better I'd find that comment....insulting. You must also be confusing me with someone else - I haven't and don't tell people that FP- was better.

If you want to show me that FP- was better on those busy days, you could answer the question that I posed to Lake Travis that he is unable to answer because he has never experienced a Level 10 day.

Ahhh, false assumptions once again put forth in an almost insulting manner.

I should have known better than to ask you a legitimate question and expect a legitimate response.

 

[disguy1]

Anyone know if people staying offsite have fastpass+ or regular fastpass?

we are going early August.

 

[mesaboy2]

Anyone know if people staying offsite have fastpass+ or regular fastpass?

we are going early August.

By August, I think it's a foregone conclusion only FP+ will remain. No one here knows exactly how FP+ will work for any category of guest at that time--check back in a few months for updates.