FP + What we know and what we want to know

[mmmhf]

See ya in June! Hopefully on a short line for a few FP!

Hope so!

 

[bcrook]

I really hope regular fastpass doesn't go away. I likely won't use this plus thing. I don't really go to parades or fireworks. If there's a character I don't mind waiting in line and if its too long I just move on. At least I have till December to see what happens. I may shorten my trip depending on what I hear.

This analysis from mbrittb00 provides some interesting numbers showing how difficult it would be to support both platforms.

 

[meowmarie]

A short video from NBC News of the RFID cards and magic bands in action....

http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/travelkit/disney-world-track-visitors-wireless-wristbands-1B7874882

 

[BeccaG]

Great thread! Thanks OP for gathering all this in one place!

 

[BeccaG]

I am still working on reading and absorbing all this, and I totally understand the concerns that we will be left out of the fun if we don't want to super plan our day...but I am wondering, if folks are limited to 3 FP+ isn't that about the average most guest are getting now? Or do you think its more or less? Perhaps this won't have the impact on standby time we fear....

 

[bcrook]

Great thread! Thanks OP for gathering all this in one place!

Thanks and Your welcome!

I am still working on reading and absorbing all this, and I totally understand the concerns that we will be left out of the fun if we don't want to super plan our day...but I am wondering, if folks are limited to 3 FP+ isn't that about the average most guest are getting now? Or do you think its more or less? Perhaps this won't have the impact on standby time we fear....

People are speculating that the 3 number is the number used by the average visitor. Many people on the DISboards and experienced WDW patrons utilize quite a few more than that. I like to hop everyday and I probably use 3-4 in each park a day. Many people like to use a FP for the same attraction in one day, but that won't be allowed either. Based on what we know now, it is 3 FP+ but we don't know if all three can be used on e-ticket rides. Also if you want to use one for a QS order, a parade, fireworks, character meet and greet your ride opportunity decrease.

Those are some of the concerns. If you get to visit in the low seasons or don't use many FP, I can't see many drawbacks other than the barrage of texts and updates from Disney while on site (which I am sure can be turned off).

 

[bcrook]

I am still working on reading and absorbing all this, and I totally understand the concerns that we will be left out of the fun if we don't want to super plan our day...but I am wondering, if folks are limited to 3 FP+ isn't that about the average most guest are getting now? Or do you think its more or less? Perhaps this won't have the impact on standby time we fear....

Actually, I think one of the obvious goals of the entire project is get people out of standby lines. If the FP+ program is successful in changing visitors touring patterns by getting more people to go to the underutilized attractions, standby lines across the park could balance out. But of course this means that the very short lines (or no wait) attractions will have longer waits, and the longer wait rides would be shorter. This is all theory though, part of this plan is to cycle a lot people through the CoP, HoP, Stitch, Peoplemover etc. It will be interesting to see if people migrate that way more regularly.

 

[Majik9]

Yes, I was going to mention that it finally solves the "eBay" problem of Fastpasses.

The one real true positive.

 

[Sammie]

I am still working on reading and absorbing all this, and I totally understand the concerns that we will be left out of the fun if we don't want to super plan our day...but I am wondering, if folks are limited to 3 FP+ isn't that about the average most guest are getting now? Or do you think its more or less? Perhaps this won't have the impact on standby time we fear....

Personally I think many have gotten less than that, I know we have. I think Disney is trying to even the playing field so to speak.

 

[BeccaG]

Actually, I think one of the obvious goals of the entire project is get people out of standby lines. If the FP+ program is successful in changing visitors touring patterns by getting more people to go to the underutilized attractions, standby lines across the park could balance out. But of course this means that the very short lines (or no wait) attractions will have longer waits, and the longer wait rides would be shorter. This is all theory though, part of this plan is to cycle a lot people through the CoP, HoP, Stitch, Peoplemover etc. It will be interesting to see if people migrate that way more regularly.

OK, so two follow up questions.
1. How does this work for parades and QS restaurants?, anyone do that during testing or heard of this experience?
2. How does the FP+ get people to the lesser ridden rides????

 

[Robo]

OK, so two follow up questions.
1. How does this work for parades and QS restaurants?, anyone do that during testing or heard of this experience?
2. How does the FP+ get people to the lesser ridden rides????

1. Parades/Fireworks- Guests show up X minutes before the start-time and are allowed into a reserved section to see the show.

2. By offering FP+ for rides that otherwise don't NEED FP.
As the top-tier (often called "E-ticket") attractions' FP's will all be taken very quickly (or the number of FP+ a guest can reserve for E-ticket rides will be limited) that means that guests will, by default, choose some FP+ for the lesser rides. Guests will be steered in this way to the lesser rides for which they have FP's.

 

[DougEMG]

I completely disagree with FP+. The days of just walking in a park and riding attractions on the spot is over. I think FP+ is really a huge marketing scheme in search of more PROFIT. This is what I think Disney is trying to do...

-Charge for extra FP+ credits-$$$
-Control ADRs by making them count as a FP+ credit, causing people to buy more or stay on-site-$$$
-Keep people on property by filling up resort rooms by giving a premium to WDW resort guests-$$$
-Eventually phase out original FP, saving paper and ultimately $$$
-Give people a very small amount of FP+ credits, increasing sales of extra FP+ credits or rooms-$$$
-Discouraging guests to pay in cash, therefore create a false illusion of NOT spending, urging them to spend MORE (kinda like KTTW, but different, off-site guests included)-$$$
-Reserving parades and fireworks, lessening the need for crowd-control CMs-$$$
-Allow guests to stay in their rooms when they would have normally been at the park rushing for FPs, allowing guests to sleep in and stay until closing and/or go to DTD-$$$

And to stop uberusers from riding the same ride multiple times while other guests are waiting 2 hours in a standaby line for that ride.

 

[bcrook]

OK, so two follow up questions.
1. How does this work for parades and QS restaurants?, anyone do that during testing or heard of this experience?
2. How does the FP+ get people to the lesser ridden rides????

1. Parades/Fireworks- Guests show up X minutes before the start-time and are allowed into a reserved section to see the show.

2. By offering FP+ for rides that otherwise don't NEED FP.
As the top-tier (often called "E-ticket") attractions' FP's will all be taken very quickly (or the number of FP+ a guest can reserve for E-ticket rides will be limited) that means that guests will, by default, choose some FP+ for the lesser rides. Guests will be steered in this way to the lesser rides for which they have FP's.

It should work like the dining reservations work. If you search for a Splash Mountain FP for Friday evening, and they are unavailable, suggested alternatives will pop up. Sorry, Splash M is not available for the time you requested, how about trying the Jungle Cruise at 8:30, or don't forget the parade - you can book preferred viewing right now! Then there will be some absolutely gorgeous photos of the Jungle Cruise and the Parade. The My Disney Experience app has amazingly good photos of every attraction, restaurant, and entertainment venue.

It's a patented Jedi Mind trick that Disney owns now. "Splash Mountain? ...You don't want Splash Mountain. You want A Character Meet and Greet with Merida. Now Push the get Fastpass plus button and head to the castle area. Here is a map."

 

[HelenParr]

I love the Jedi mind trick comment, you've already made my day happy. Thank you!! "This is not the Splash Mountain experience you were looking for..."

If Disney is banking on the having that level of power (of suggestion) to shift ride demand in a P.T. Barnum "This way to the egress" kind of way, an unpleasant surprise awaits.

 

[estherhead]

I love the Jedi mind trick comment, you've already made my day happy. Thank you!! "This is not the Splash Mountain experience you were looking for..."

If Disney is banking on the having that level of power (of suggestion) to shift ride demand in a P.T. Barnum "This way to the egress" kind of way, an unpleasant surprise awaits.

You overestimate the average Disney World guest. They are very susceptible to the power of suggestion. That's why I think it will actually work. And why I think they are doing this at Disney World not Disneyland. Disneyland is visited most often by locals who know everything and view Disney as their neighborhood playground and would not be fooled for one moment by a happy little text from Disney. Compare that to the multitude of people every day at the World who ask which way to Harry Potter while standing on Main St. If they got a little text while searching for Harry Potter on the map they would happily let it lead them to Laugh Floor. And to be honest, probably be really happy about it and pleased with the experience.

 

[bjakmom]

It's a patented Jedi Mind trick that Disney owns now. "Splash Mountain? ...You don't want Splash Mountain. You want A Character Meet and Greet with Merida. Now Push the get Fastpass plus button and head to the castle area. Here is a map."

Here's what I keep wondering - how many minutes (seconds?) LOL will it take to clear out the FP+ for TSMM on any given day?? There has to be a 'release time' right? I mean a point in time where the FP+s for any given day become available for everyone to book. In the park it rarely takes more than a few hours before the FPs for the entire day are gone. That means people got up early, got dressed, made it into the park, and got in line for their FPs. So if at, say, 6 AM we can all roll over, pick up our phones, laptops, ipads, etc, log in and pick our TSMM FP for that day, I can't imagine that 5 minutes (seconds) later there will be any FP+ left for that day.

Am I missing something? The one thing I dislike about what I'm hearing (I know it's not final info) is the planning and booking my rides far in advance or else waiting in standby. I could live with a 24 hour window - but 6 mos? or even 2 mos? Yuck!!

I do like the thought of doing RD at EMH park to ride the headliners and then hopping to park where I have booked FP+ for the afternoon. But I am an AP holder so hopping is easy and not extra $$ for me.

Of course we'll see, but I just remember the years of racing to the phone to get ADRs at CRT (there used to be whole threads of short cuts to get your call answered faster)- they were always gone in minutes and the competition was fierce - will FP+ for headliner rides become like this?

 

[mom2rtk]

And to stop uberusers from riding the same ride multiple times while other guests are waiting 2 hours in a standaby line for that ride.

But they could have done that by reprogramming reglar FP to allow only one FP per ride per day.

Maybe that would be a tougher sale if it wasn't coupled with fancy technology and a pretty pink wristband.

It does seem to be a trend these days to want to assure equality of outcome over equality of opportunity.

 

[linzbear]

OK, so two follow up questions.
1. How does this work for parades and QS restaurants?, anyone do that during testing or heard of this experience?

For QS, we have to look at BoG for this one. Obviously they would have set it up with NexGen in mind. So what do you do for lunch? Order at a kiosk, take an RFID rose, and sit and wait, yes?

How would it work for FP+? Order on your smart phone/in park kiosk. It will give you a time. Go to BoG, scan your wristband (to let them know you're there), then sit down and wait.

This is conjecture of course, but it's the information we have.

 

[M2B]

I "think" I like the idea of FP+ but it's stressing me out a little right now. We're going at Easter. I wish there was more information now. Plus, Canadians still can't access the My Disney Experience. It's tough to figure out how this will all work when there is so much speculation, and IMO the timing is BAD. You don't roll out something new just in time for peak visits to the parks.

 

[mom2rtk]

In the park it rarely takes more than a few hours before the FPs for the entire day are gone. That means people got up early, got dressed, made it into the park, and got in line for their FPs. So if at, say, 6 AM we can all roll over, pick up our phones, laptops, ipads, etc, log in and pick our TSMM FP for that day, I can't imagine that 5 minutes (seconds) later there will be any FP+ left for that day.

Nobody can pass judgement on this new system until we see how this piece of it works in reality.

There definitely is an inverse relationship between the effort required to do something and the number of people who will actually do it.

Everyone talks about how hard it is to get an ADR at CRT. It really isn't. If you call at 180 days out, you'll get the time you want. Heck, you'll probably get in at 160 days out. Maybe even 100 days out.

If you really want to make a realistic comparison, try trying to get CRT back when the only character meal was breakfast. Back when they suggested synchronizing your clock with the one at the naval observatory. Seriously, even at low crowd times, it was like a lottery. EVERYTHING was gone in about 3 minutes. MAJOR feeding frenzy.

THAT is how I envision TSMM when the FP+ slots open.