FP+ report - Spring Break

[irene_dsc]

We just finished 3 days and I'm on my down day before Universal. The parks were pretty crowded, but manageable. We felt very grateful we had planned ahead with FP+, however.

Some general thoughts:

If you do FP+, it is worth it to get Magic Bands. You have to scan your ticket or MB twice for each FP+ ride, and it would really slow down the line if you had to dig out your ticket each time. I suppose if you had a lanyard, it could work, but we opted for buying MB on our first day before entering (Epcot at RD). I haven't seen it mentioned on here that they scan twice in line, to prevent people from line jumping.

On a very busy day, if you want to add more FP+ at the end, you will be limited in your choices. At 10:30 pm on Sunday, after our 7D FP+, we wanted to add Big Thunder Mountain, and they were all gone. Yesterday at AK, we wanted EE after 4:30ish, but they were all gone. However, the lines died down after that. Dd and dh rode it on standby in about 35 minutes, and ds then noticed single rider was at 10 minutes. Dd and ds then rode it in single ride mode about 4 more times!

We got to MK about 9 am on a 7 am EMH day, and were still able to do most of the rides we wanted before our 1 pm lunch at LTT. Buzz, Space, Haunted Mansion were all before our 10:50 Peter Pan FP+. Then we got in Big Thunder Mountain before our 1 pm lunch. (Note my kids are 10 and 13 - they wanted bigger thrills. Dd had fond memories of Peter Pan from our first trip when she was 3, but was totally underwhelmed this time!) They then did Sorcerer's Apprentice after lunch (including a quick Swiss Family Treehouse for me), then Splash at 5:15 FP+, then Tom Sawyer's Island.

So, for us, FP+ worked out well. We knew we could get on some of the slower loading rides, but we had big blocks of time available to do whatever we wanted. Since it was an hour window, we didn't feel as limited as needing to make an exact time for an ADR.

 

[lustergirl]

Thanks for the update

 

[subtchr]

I agree with everything you wrote, but it's not any easier to use MBs over the cards if you keep your card in your hand instead of having to "dig it out".

In fact, cards are often quicker, if the person has it in hand, because you don't have to match Mickey to Mickey.

I also thought FP+ worked well overall the past two busy weeks!

 

[irene_dsc]

I agree with everything you wrote, but it's not any easier to use MBs over the cards if you keep your card in your hand instead of having to "dig it out".

In fact, cards are often quicker, if the person has it in hand, because you don't have to match Mickey to Mickey.

That is true - but you presumably want to keep your card in a safe place, since it is your ticket into the park. Do you really want to hold onto it during the ride? Where are you going to put it during the ride? The way I had packed my bag, the tickets were all together in my wallet, and I didn't have to worry about a kid losing the ticket. If anything happened to the MB, we had the ticket as backup. Some of this is simply due to how my bag and wallet are organized - if everyone had a way to quickly get at their card, it wouldn't matter.

 

[subtchr]

That is true - but you presumably want to keep your card in a safe place, since it is your ticket into the park. Do you really want to hold onto it during the ride? Where are you going to put it during the ride? The way I had packed my bag, the tickets were all together in my wallet, and I didn't have to worry about a kid losing the ticket. If anything happened to the MB, we had the ticket as backup. Some of this is simply due to how my bag and wallet are organized - if everyone had a way to quickly get at their card, it wouldn't matter.

Fair enough.

When I used a card, I just held it to go through both touch points, then slid it in a pocket. And it's no big deal to replace a lost card, because your mdx has the number, or I take a photo of the back of it.

But you are right, if the card is tucked away in a bag, it would be a pain to get out.

I just don't want people staying offsite to think they must pay $13 more per person to have a better experience. I take hundreds of high school kids to the parks, and they always use cards without a hitch.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I agree with everything you wrote, but it's not any easier to use MBs over the cards if you keep your card in your hand instead of having to "dig it out".

In fact, cards are often quicker, if the person has it in hand, because you don't have to match Mickey to Mickey.

I also thought FP+ worked well overall the past two busy weeks!

I somewhat agree. We always have our cards out before hopping in line. I am not sure it is easier per SE to line up the card as I thought it had to be that little square to Mickey. (I'm sure the square has a tech name, but I don't know what it is.)

Thanks for the update, OP! I hope you enjoyed/are enjoying your spring break vacation.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

That is true - but you presumably want to keep your card in a safe place, since it is your ticket into the park. Do you really want to hold onto it during the ride? Where are you going to put it during the ride? The way I had packed my bag, the tickets were all together in my wallet, and I didn't have to worry about a kid losing the ticket. If anything happened to the MB, we had the ticket as backup. Some of this is simply due to how my bag and wallet are organized - if everyone had a way to quickly get at their card, it wouldn't matter.

We usually have an adult on charge of cards. Cards come out before the FP line, kids hold I to them until checkpoint 2. Then mom or dad collect them while waiting in the rest of the line.

We do the same when entering the park.

Of we don't have our tickets ready, it would slow down any line we are in.

I think the person you are quoting is referencing the same idea.

 

[JimmyV]

That is true - but you presumably want to keep your card in a safe place, since it is your ticket into the park. Do you really want to hold onto it during the ride? Where are you going to put it during the ride?

It's not "either/or". You take your ticket out of your pocket and hold it in your hand when you tap the first Mickey. Since you are in the FP line, you get to the second Mickey rather quickly. Your ticket stays in your hand during this minute or two. After you tap the second Mickey, you put your ticket back into your pocket. It never stays in your hand while you ride. Assuming one uses three (maybe 4) FPs per day, that person would be taking their ticket out of their pocket once to enter the park, and three or four times to use their FPs. This isn't really a hardship, especially given how much better the cards work at the Mickey Posts than the bands do. It's not as if one has to take their card out for every single ride. Just the FP ones.

 

[Angel Ariel]

That is true - but you presumably want to keep your card in a safe place, since it is your ticket into the park. Do you really want to hold onto it during the ride? Where are you going to put it during the ride? The way I had packed my bag, the tickets were all together in my wallet, and I didn't have to worry about a kid losing the ticket. If anything happened to the MB, we had the ticket as backup. Some of this is simply due to how my bag and wallet are organized - if everyone had a way to quickly get at their card, it wouldn't matter.

When we go to the parks, I bring a small ID wallet like this one, instead of my regular every day wallet. This will fit my DL, CC, hotel room key (when offsite) park tickets as well as some cash (not a lot of bills, but 2 or 3 $20 bills would easily fit). It fits easily into my pocket (either front pocket, or back pocket if the jeans I'm wearing have a button close on the back pocket).

MBs are great, but even with them I still carry this when we tour (we don't link our CC's to MBs, and IDs go with us everywhere, regardless). It's nice and compact, which makes it easier/quicker to get to as I can keep it on my person instead of in a bag.

 

[irene_dsc]

So, maybe I should've said to plan ahead to have a place to keep your cards that is both secure and quick to access. Anyhow, we enjoyed the novelty of using the magic bands, and my husband had been looking for an excuse to try them out, ever since he read the big article on them, so it worked for us.

 

[Angel Ariel]

MagicBands were great for us too, definitely! We actually really enjoyed them a lot, more than we thought we would! I wasn't trying to criticize your post at all, just offer a suggestion that could help with the problem of it being difficult to access things quickly, that' all! We try to carry as little as possible of our own stuff (even when bringing a diaper bag for DD), so downsizing wallets and such helps us stay organized and keep the "stuff" we bring as streamlined as we can. I'm sorry if it came off as saying you were wrong - that wasn't my intent! Just trying to help

 

[subtchr]

So, maybe I should've said to plan ahead to have a place to keep your cards that is both secure and quick to access. Anyhow, we enjoyed the novelty of using the magic bands, and my husband had been looking for an excuse to try them out, ever since he read the big article on them, so it worked for us.

Absolutely, I think MBs are cool, too! It's great technology (when it works, as it did for me this last trip!).

As I said, I just don't want people who are staying offsite think that they must spring for $13 MBs for everyone in their family, to have the optimum experience in the park. Cards work just fine if you don't have MBs.

 

[capegirl]

We're staying at SOG, and we are getting the MB's just the avoid the annoying card extraction at the turnstiles.Once I realized that I would have to repeat the procedure for each FP+ I was happy to spend $13 to end my card misery. I was always the one who had to scramble to get the cards safely back into my crossbody bag as my family raced ahead into the park. Hooray for the MB!