FP+ Report: Insights, 4th FP availability, and more !!!

[dramadrew]

This is very useful information for my trip this week, thanks!

 

[JimmyV]

Great thread...but I knew it would be. Thanks. Inasmuch as this is a "strategies" board, this just might be the most useful FP+ thread to date, (save, of course, mesaboy's opus).

After all the debate about numbers and capacity, it seems as if much of this is coming to pass as anticipated and we are crawling back to where we started in some respects. The whole "now I can sleep in and arrive at noon" advantage seems to be evaporating. People with a three of four hour head start seem to be wiping out FP+ availabiliy for later in the day and the late arrivers will be left with three and only three FPs. This is surely better than having none at all, and people who are content with three tiered FPs with no repeat riding will do just fine. But will the people who complained in the past that they were getting shut out of good FPs because they didn't make RD now start to complain that they are getting shut out of a 4th (or 5th or 6th) FP? When FP+ was limited to three per day, the early arrivers and late arrivers received exactly the same allotment. People on one side of the debate argued that early arrivers should get more. People on the other side of the debate argued that everyone pays the same price, so no one should get more. The early arrivers moped at the limitation of three and the late arrivers rejoiced that equity was at hand. But now with Shaden's report, it seems clear that the early arrivers have the upper hand again. And they will contend that this as it should be, and the late arrivers will complain about getting shut out. Should be interesting to see if Disney tries to shut down the "super users+".

 

[lugnut33]

Were you able to get a FP for Dolewhip?

 

[WillAustin]

Thanks for the report, Shaden! Very helpful!

 

[bhwhiz]

Great info!

 

[OtherScott]

I didn't say it was a guarantee...the way the pp said it was like shaden or the cm did something wrong by allowing him in 5 mins early. That's all I was responding to. It's not "wrong" when Disney has said there is a grace period on either side of the window...

Didn't mean to suggest that you implied any type of guarantee. I was couching my own comment about what MM+ can do (not what it will do).

My suggestion is that if you're close in to an FP+ attraction and if you're early and if it fits within your plan, try it. It might just fit into Disney's plan, too.

Knowing the available capacity of the experience at a given time can be useful and advantageous for a variety of reasons, including, for example, when the guest arrives at the experience before the time window for his appointment. When the guest's ticket communicates with the computer at the experience, the computer at the experience and/or guest experience manager (super computer housed under castle, otherwise known as FP) are notified of the guest's arrival. In this example, the computer at the experience and/or the guest experience manager may check the available capacity of the experience. If the available capacity is below a certain threshold or value, based on specified factors, such as, for example the number of guests at the experience, the popularity of the experience, the time of day (e.g. ramp-up or ramp-down periods in the day), the presence of other events nearby that might affect the crowd at the experience (such as a parade), etc., the guest may be allowed to enter the experience early. Similarly, knowing the available capacity, wait times, number of guests visiting, etc., of each experience can be useful for inventory management of the theme park, as well as for forecasting or projection of future attendance, predicting peak hours for the experience, etc.

 

[Laketravis]

The whole "now I can sleep in and arrive at noon" advantage seems to be evaporating.

That it does. We have another two-week jaunt coming up in November, it will be interesting to see how it compares to the same period last year when we found it to be advantageous using SB in the mornings and making FP's for later in the afternoon and evening.

Seems they may have done a pretty good job at reducing Blue Mickeys, haven't heard many reports or frustrations about those lately.

 

[OtherScott]

Great thread...but I knew it would be. Thanks. Inasmuch as this is a "strategies" board, this just might be the most useful FP+ thread to date, (save, of course, mesaboy's opus).

After all the debate about numbers and capacity, it seems as if much of this is coming to pass as anticipated and we are crawling back to where we started in some respects. The whole "now I can sleep in and arrive at noon" advantage seems to be evaporating. People with a three of four hour head start seem to be wiping out FP+ availabiliy for later in the day and the late arrivers will be left with three and only three FPs. This is surely better than having none at all, and people who are content with three tiered FPs with no repeat riding will do just fine. But will the people who complained in the past that they were getting shut out of good FPs because they didn't make RD now start to complain that they are getting shut out of a 4th (or 5th or 6th) FP? When FP+ was limited to three per day, the early arrivers and late arrivers received exactly the same allotment. People on one side of the debate argued that early arrivers should get more. People on the other side of the debate argued that everyone pays the same price, so no one should get more. The early arrivers moped at the limitation of three and the late arrivers rejoiced that equity was at hand. But now with Shaden's report, it seems clear that the early arrivers have the upper hand again. And they will contend that this as it should be, and the late arrivers will complain about getting shut out. Should be interesting to see if Disney tries to shut down the "super users+".

"Sleep until noon" was never put forward as a strategy to gain an advantage, was it?

"Sleep until noon-ers" are the group that will probably be most okay with 3 FPs.

 

[clsteve]

Shaden, next time you're at a Kiosk, could you take a quick look at what languages are now available? I'm interested to see how far they've come.

We really noticed a huge variety in languages, last time in the Parks. Lots of Slavic/Eastern Euro, Portuguese (of course), most of the romantics and several Far Eastern (Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese).

It makes a big diff in waits if international guests have trouble reading the Kiosk screens.

And keep having a blast! (and don't forget to make sure they hand mix your 'Rita at Cava )

 

[BuckeyeBama]

"Sleep until noon" was never put forward as a strategy to gain an advantage, was it?

"Sleep until noon-ers" are the group that will probably be most okay with 3 FPs.

Agreed - I think that the PP simply used poor wording. FP+ helps those who sleep in, but this change will limit that help unless they are happy/comfortable with their original 3 FP+ reservations.

The best strategy for max ride potential has always been an early arrival.

 

[Laketravis]

"Sleep until noon" was never put forward as a strategy to gain an advantage, was it?

"Sleep until noon-ers" are the group that will probably be most okay with 3 FPs.

I think it was purported to be an advantage, if you were inclined to sleep until noon. You could make your FP's for later in the day and be "guaranteed" a spot on TSM or RRnC or TT or Soarin in the afternoon or evening.

We don't sleep until noon and would show up at RD to do standby for majors and then have the FP's in reserve for another park later that day. For example, Epcot RD for TT and Soarin, then over to HS that afternoon for TSM and ToT with FP.

So in that sense FP had an advantage. But now that strategy would preclude one from an optimal selection for additional FP's later in the day.

Will have to see how this evolves.

 

[OtherScott]

Agreed - I think that the PP simply used poor wording. FP+ helps those who sleep in, but this change will limit that help unless they are happy/comfortable with their original 3 FP+ reservations.

The best strategy for max ride potential has always been an early arrival.

 

[OtherScott]

I think it was purported to be an advantage, if you were inclined to sleep until noon. You could make your FP's for later in the day and be "guaranteed" a spot on TSM or RRnC or TT or Soarin in the afternoon or evening.

We don't sleep until noon and would show up at RD to do standby for majors and then have the FP's in reserve for another park later that day. For example, Epcot RD for TT and Soarin, then over to HS that afternoon for TSM and ToT with FP.

So in that sense FP had an advantage. But now that strategy would preclude one from an optimal selection for additional FP's later in the day.

Will have to see how this evolves.

I should have taken the whole of what jimmy was saying. To answer his question, someone will always complain about some aspect of it - so there will be a late arriver complaining about lack of desirable additional FPs.

 

[JimmyV]

I should have taken the whole of what jimmy was saying. To answer his question, someone will always complain about some aspect of it - so there will be a late arriver complaining about lack of desirable additional FPs.

Egggg-zzzactly! The complaints will simply shift from "I couldn't get a RnR FP" to "I can only get one RnR FP+". The loud voices in the "we all pay the same price, so arriving early should afford no advantages" camp were very happy two weeks ago. But now?

 

[JimmyV]

Agreed - I think that the PP simply used poor wording. FP+ helps those who sleep in, but this change will limit that help unless they are happy/comfortable with their original 3 FP+ reservations.

The best strategy for max ride potential has always been an early arrival.

I don't think the wording was poor. That is pretty much precisely what I said. Late arrivers benefit from FP+. But when the limit was three per day per person, they benifitted equally. Now, they benefit less. We are back to a point where early arrivers do better. Many people believe that this is the natural order of things. But all through the "I hate/I love FP+" debates, not everyone saw eye to eye on that point. Will their guaranteed three FPs be enough to appease them, or will they go back to arguing that everyone who pays the same admission price should get the same number of FPs? I never saw the logic to that argument. But many here were quite vociferous in their belief.

 

[OtherScott]

I don't think the wording was poor. That is pretty much precisely what I said. Late arrivers benefit from FP+. But when the limit was three per day per person, they benifitted equally. Now, they benefit less. We are back to a point where early arrivers do better. Many people believe that this is the natural order of things. But all through the "I hate/I love FP+" debates, not everyone saw eye to eye on that point. Will their guaranteed three FPs be enough to appease them, or will they go back to arguing that everyone who pays the same admission price should get the same number of FPs? I never saw the logic to that argument. But many here were quite vociferous in their belief.

"Advantage" was the word I had the issue with - I wouldn't have taken issue with "benefit."

 

[OtherScott]

Egggg-zzzactly! The complaints will simply shift from "I couldn't get a RnR FP" to "I can only get one RnR FP+". The loud voices in the "we all pay the same price, so arriving early should afford no advantages" camp were very happy two weeks ago. But now?

I think you may be overstating the objection of the lazy schmoes, which was never "there should be no advantage to arriving early." I remember it more like "I shouldn't have to arrive at RD to be able to ride TSMM before 7pm, or with a 120 minute wait."

 

[JimmyV]

I think you may be overstating the objection of the lazy schmoes, which was never "there should be no advantage to arriving early." I remember it more like "I shouldn't have to arrive at RD to be able to ride TSMM before 7pm, or with a 120 minute wait."

Without belaboring the point, the new complaint may very well be: "I shouldn't have to arrive at RD to be able to ride TSMM (or RnR) for a second time without a 120 minute wait." If this board proves nothing else, it is that people will find something to complain about no matter what.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

"Advantage" was the word I had the issue with - I wouldn't have taken issue with "benefit."

Agreed, I got what he was saying though. FP+ offered a family that prefers to sleep in with a way to get something that would have been more difficult or impossible to get in the past. A clear benefit - or an advantage over FP-, but not an advantage over a guest arriving earlier.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Without belaboring the point, the new complaint may very well be: "I shouldn't have to arrive at RD to be able to ride TSMM (or RnR) for a second time without a 120 minute wait." If this board proves nothing else, it is that people will find something to complain about no matter what.

That has always been true, but I get your point.