FP+ Royally sucks

[2minny]

back to the point of this thread, before everyone began attacking one another. Don't get frustrated with FP+, we are leaving in a month and I continue changing fp+ times and rides, there are plenty of openings. So, there must be a problem with the website or just book rides at times they suggest then go in a change selections or times after. If I have this many options a month before leaving, you should not have a problem with your selections either! No worries, don't get upset, it will work!

 

[Suvadoo]

I literally spent the last 48 hours OBSESSING how I would make it all work out, to have a perfect trip. Instead I log on at 1am, enter my 3 priorities, and have them spit back to me for late night only (Really PPMF is only available late night?) What a dumb system. So infuriated! How about giving me an attraction, a time it's ready, and let me choose?

Just want to say, it sounds like your frustration is justified based on your experience. I thinks it condescending when people tell you to calm down or step back.

 

[mom2rtk]

Otherwise, you can wait in the standby line if you wish, as NikkiBell said.

That's correct. You can stand and wait for your shot at 10 to 30% of the ride's capacity while the other 70-90% are all given priority.

 

[sethschroeder]

I love technological advancements, but you could conduct a conversation face to face prior to smartphones. But I do see your point, I would much rather stay in contact with my smart phone than watch the smiles on my children's faces when they walk through the parks!

So don't use it, your not required to have a smart phone. Its a benefit but is not required. Its also not required to use all day you could just use it for a couple mins and be fine.

 

[Suvadoo]

That's correct. You can stand and wait for your shot at 10 to 30% of the ride's capacity while the other 70-90% are all given priority.

That's what I want to do onmy $5,000 + vacation!

 

[FINFAN]

y'know, my DS just said, "what's wrong with being in line?" That's where all the cool stuff is. I hated not being able to feel like I was one of the toys when being rushed through TSM before. That's the only time our family is together in one place, single rider splits us up too, that stinks"

He's the best

I am hoping our trip happens because I REALLY want DS to be able to come with us (just got a new job offer yesterday sooooo ) and we will just do our best, not bother with Be Our Guest (lol, rhyme) and be appreciative that we made this trip to visit our DD 1/2 WDW~ 1/2 non-park and Daytona Beach.
I imagine I better toughen up my skin for comments being made like "can you believe they didnt FP+ this? Look at those poor people in line, what are they thinking?" lol..... said in my best Ursula voice...."Life's Full of Tough Choice's, Isn't It?"

 

[FINFAN]

back to the point of this thread, before everyone began attacking one another. Don't get frustrated with FP+, we are leaving in a month and I continue changing fp+ times and rides, there are plenty of openings. So, there must be a problem with the website or just book rides at times they suggest then go in a change selections or times after. If I have this many options a month before leaving, you should not have a problem with your selections either! No worries, don't get upset, it will work!

and if this thread is getting ugly, what is it like at the parks? I miss my happy place lol

 

[2minny]

and if this thread is getting ugly, what is it like at the parks? I miss my happy place lol

Oh gosh, that didn't occur to me

 

[HM]

I do not see why everyone keep trying for FP at midnight or there-abouts. From all the posts about it, it looks like it doesn't work 60 days out at midnight. Wait until lunch break that day and do them then, when it will probably be working.

 

[sethschroeder]

I don't want to misunderstand your post~you are saying that if we had gone to the parks last July , using a smart phone was a great help for non-FP+ related reasons, right?

I guess we would have done as we used to , eat at CS (which we like, time and $ saver and food usually good)
look at ride board for wait times or fast pass return time on sign at ride
just follow TP for which park is recommended that day and hop if too crowded

It appears from reports here on the DIS that those days are gone , so using that info seems like not as good a vacation match for us as before. While not tech savvy I'm not completely incapable of adjusting, I just know when to stop fitting a square peg in a round hole.

It doesn't mean you cant have a magical vacation but FP+ is not the only reason why you would want a smart phone in the parks. That being said if you go during less busy periods its a lot less likely that smart phones help you out. FP+ in September is less needed than December for instance.

 

[Jennasis]

I'm so sorry, OP, that things are frustrating and not working out for you. I so hope it doesn't happen to me when I have to make my FP+ reservations in July for our September trip.

I'm also happy that the system has worked out as intended for many others. I hope it does for me too.

I think everyone needs to remember that YOUR experience honestly has no bearing on others experiences. If things are messed up for you, doesn;t mean it's messed up for all and just because your experience went "flawlessly" (I want to punch my screen every time I see that word now), doesn't mean everyone else's experiences will be or that those who didn't have it work that way were doing something wrong.

I appreciate everyone sharing ALL their experiences.

 

[FINFAN]

I do not see why everyone keep trying for FP at midnight or there-abouts. From all the posts about it, it looks like it doesn't work 60 days out at midnight. Wait until lunch break that day and do them then, when it will probably be working.

seems like the best plan of attack as of this week. I guess when our day hits I will try the 1 am (night owl, up anyways) approach, when that kicks my butt I will try on lunch or the evening.

 

[dfisher9]

Actually, according to what I read here, the best way to get the rides at the times you like is to start with booking them at the polar opposite times of what you really want, then move them around.

Sounds perfectly intuitive to me.

That's what I figured out half way thru making mine. If I wanted morning fastpasses, I picked the option that put them all in the evening so I wouldn't have to move some around. I learned that the hard way when I wanted to move Rock 'n' Roller Coaster to the morning, and it wouldn't give me any times before 12:15. I realized that my other 2 fastpasses were scheduled for 9:30-10:30 and 11:15-12:15, so I had to move them before I could reschedule the coaster.

 

[FINFAN]

It doesn't mean you cant have a magical vacation but FP+ is not the only reason why you would want a smart phone in the parks. That being said if you go during less busy periods its a lot less likely that smart phones help you out. FP+ in September is less needed than December for instance.

gotcha. We go over Labor Day Weekend, and then have a day (maybe 9/4) midweek but w/out DD that day . We also plan on MNSSHP so that should help the MK crunch a bit. Actually, I am hoping many run to DHS that weekend to fit in Frozen (you know, 'cause it's the last weekend for it until WDW extends it )

 

[*NikkiBell*]

and if this thread is getting ugly, what is it like at the parks? I miss my happy place lol

They're actually just as they usually are. A lot of these types of conversations happen online and during the planning phases. Take them with a grain of salt, if you must.

 

[FINFAN]

They're actually just as they usually are. A lot of these types of conversations happen online and during the planning phases. Take them with a grain of salt, if you must.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't want my magic bubble burst lol~
OP I sincerely hope things smooth out for you and everyone else (myself included) who hit brick walls.
If I see liquor sales increasing I'm going with a direct correlation to WDW FP+ planning
I think I just figured out my MNSSHP costume...a screen shot/page from FP+ planning lol...sounds like the scariest costume ever

 

[Suvadoo]

I think I just figured out my MNSSHP costume...a screen shot/page from FP+ planning lol...sounds like the scariest costume ever

That costume will be so scary that everyone will run out of the park and then you will be able to go on all the attractions without FP+!!!! Wouldn't that be faboo?

 

[Crl1817]

You would have needed ADRS for Christmas even before any of this started.

Of course. But the ADRs act as a constraint on when we can schedule fastpasses. Some people are asserting that you just have to be flexible on fastpass times, but the ADR system acts as a constraint in that flexibility.

What would you rather have:
No ADR and sitting in a line potentially for 2-3 hours waiting for a table
or
ADR where you have to loosely plan your trip

Again with A+E what would you rather have:
Stampede to get in line for a possible 6 hour wait (like it was at Epcot)
or
Stampede to the FP- ticket booth to get possibly a FP- time of 8PM
or
FP+ where yes you might miss out but at least you know ahead of time or possibly know you have a 8PM FP+ time so you can come later than rope drop to help your kid be able to be awake that late

I understand the system should just work but that's more of an issue with IT than with the system itself.

We went with the paper fastpass system and that worked very well for us. I haven't gone with the new system yet, but I definitely understand the OPers frustration with the difficulties in planning with it. And the advice of some to just go with the flow or be more flexible doesn't necessarily work well with the constraints of ADRs and young children and adding the technical glitches has got to be very frustrating. Disney is setting people up to plan, plan, plan, but their technology isn't supporting that properly yet.

 

[FINFAN]

That costume will be so scary that everyone will run out of the park and then you will be able to go on all the attractions without FP+!!!! Wouldn't that be faboo?

lol I am seriously considering it. We plan to attend the first one, so hopefully not too many doing the same costume at that point. My orig suggestion was DD and DS go as student loans and DH and Parent Plus loans..'cause those are even scarier to me...but kids want to have Disney in there somehow (and not bring down the fun by bringing the outside into the bubble)
SO I guess that idea is out there for any of you needing one, you're welcome

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I thinks it condescending when people tell you to calm down or step back.

But that is exactly what he needs to do. Can't change what it is, and he's probably not going to cancel this trip because this is happening, so the best way to handle it is step back from the computer and then have another go at changing the times to what he wants. He's entitled to be upset that it isn't working right but that is not going to get him what he wants.

That's correct. You can stand and wait for your shot at 10 to 30% of the ride's capacity while the other 70-90% are all given priority.

Yes, if you choose not to use the means of getting priority, that is exactly what you will have to do. But you can still make that choice.