FP + What we know and what we want to know

[TJDisneymama]

so do you need the MagicBand in order to use FP+? I'm confused....

Guests who stay off property at non-Disney hotels will get a ticket with touch features that will provide park entry, allow for redeeming FastPass+, and touch to pay. Purchasing a MagicBand and participation in the “My Disney Experience” is optional for these guests.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Sorry if this has been asked I did look through this very helpful thread ( thank you for compiling it ) but did not see it. How will GAC be affected? At the moment I use my GAC card will I now be expected to book through FP+ instead? This would not work for me as due to health issues and being disabled I cannot predict from day to day let alone weeks in advance when I am well enough to ride an attraction.

 

[eliza61]

Now that at least some of the speculation about Fastpass+ has been confirmed, it really doesn't make me feel better about any of it.

I have no intention of using the new system when we go. This is only my opinion, but for me it turns the planning aspect of a Disney vacation from a pleasure into a chore. The main reasons I would not be using it are that I don't want to plan my FPs in advance, I don't want to limit myself to 3 and I don't want to limit myself to using FP in one park. I also don't want to be tied to a smartphone, computer or kiosk for the duration of my vacation.

My main concern, which I really hope will turn out to be another case of me over-reacting , is that the park experience for those of us who don't want to use it will be noticeably downgraded. My fear is that by attempting to tour the parks as we always have, we will miss out on FPs for popular rides as they have already been booked well in advance and that despite being happy to wait an hour plus for good viewing for parades and fireworks, we will no longer be able to do this as all the best areas will have been pre-booked.

Feel free to tell me if I'm getting carried away as I would be completely relieved to know that this is just my imagination running away

Your post sums up my thoughts exactly.

Unfortunately I don't think you are getting carried away, I'll take it a step further and say it will probably "force" you to participate. I forsee eventually them doing away with the old fast passes entirely. truthfully I see them getting rid of the standby lines totally also

I'm probably being ridiculously melodramatic but for my family we've already lost our love affair with the mouse world (and there is nothing wrong with that). some times a place changes and you realize it's no longer the place for you.
My family and I are wingers, I don't want to plan my vacations on the same level generals plan an invasion of a foriegn country. so for me this is just another thing on the "con" side of my list when I decide where to go on vacation.

 

[eliza61]

From Disney via nytimes: "Prodding guests to do more advance planning, combined with the tracking of guests as they roam the parks, will help Disney manage its work force more efficiently. More advance planning will also help lock visitors into Disney once they arrive in Orlando, discouraging people, for instance, from making impromptu visits to Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter."

LOL. I find when companies use that term, it translates to "lay more folks off or hire less personnel".

 

[Mjkre]

I have a question and apologize if already answered.

I am going in 6 weeks and a DVC member staying on points. I usually buy Tix through UT. Do I have to buy them through Disney in order to make use of this system IF it is up and running?

To be honest, if I don't have to, I don't think I will use the new system. I have zero faith at this point in any enhancement made by the IT dept. in Disney. But if the old system is phased out, I don't want to out of luck because I used UT.

Also, no real sense in getting a park hopper now, correct?

 

[Missyrose]

Now that at least some of the speculation about Fastpass+ has been confirmed, it really doesn't make me feel better about any of it.

I have no intention of using the new system when we go. This is only my opinion, but for me it turns the planning aspect of a Disney vacation from a pleasure into a chore. The main reasons I would not be using it are that I don't want to plan my FPs in advance, I don't want to limit myself to 3 and I don't want to limit myself to using FP in one park. I also don't want to be tied to a smartphone, computer or kiosk for the duration of my vacation.

My main concern, which I really hope will turn out to be another case of me over-reacting , is that the park experience for those of us who don't want to use it will be noticeably downgraded. My fear is that by attempting to tour the parks as we always have, we will miss out on FPs for popular rides as they have already been booked well in advance and that despite being happy to wait an hour plus for good viewing for parades and fireworks, we will no longer be able to do this as all the best areas will have been pre-booked.

Feel free to tell me if I'm getting carried away as I would be completely relieved to know that this is just my imagination running away

I just hope you realize that there will probably be no other alternative eventually (other than a standby-only trip). It does appear that regular FP will eventually go away. So you might find yourself feeling your way through the new system. You may not want to book attraction reservations a couple of months in advance. But you may finidning yourself saying "I think we might go to MK tomorrow, let's see what FP+ reservations are available."

 

[doconeill]

so do you need the MagicBand in order to use FP+? I'm confused....

Guests who stay off property at non-Disney hotels will get a ticket with touch features that will provide park entry, allow for redeeming FastPass+, and touch to pay. Purchasing a MagicBand and participation in the “My Disney Experience” is optional for these guests.

I think the quote actually answers your question. No, you don't NED a MagicBand. Offsite guests will have an RFID enabled ticket.

I'm surprised at the "touch to pay" - seems they want to subject everyone to using that feature too...

Sorry if this has been asked I did look through this very helpful thread ( thank you for compiling it ) but did not see it. How will GAC be affected? At the moment I use my GAC card will I now be expected to book through FP+ instead? This would not work for me as due to health issues and being disabled I cannot predict from day to day let alone weeks in advance when I am well enough to ride an attraction.

I don't expect GAC to be altered in any way.

I have a question and apologize if already answered.

I am going in 6 weeks and a DVC member staying on points. I usually buy Tix through UT. Do I have to buy them through Disney in order to make use of this system IF it is up and running?

To be honest, if I don't have to, I don't think I will use the new system. I have zero faith at this point in any enhancement made by the IT dept. in Disney. But if the old system is phased out, I don't want to out of luck because I used UT.

Also, no real sense in getting a park hopper now, correct?

First, we don't know if it will be up and running in 6 weeks. Even if it is, it would seem regular FP will still exist as well as it will take time to roll it out.

Second, the official press release doesn't say anything about it being a requirement. It says FP+ is included with theme park admission. What remains to be seen is how you'd associate a third-party ticket like UT with your reservation in order to make FP+ selections.

 

[Melodious]

I also don't want to be tied to a smartphone, computer or kiosk for the duration of my vacation.

I believe the wording of announcements so far means that there will be fastpasses available once you get to the park, though who knows for what how many, etc. I personally don't believe that they'll give away all of the space mtns fastpasses for onsite guests

Mostly though, I just wanted to comment that if you have been using fastpasses, you've already been tied to a kiosk during your vacation. Now the kiosks won't be a marathon around the parks

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

I don't expect GAC to be altered in any way.

.

Thanks!

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

This may have been asked and answered, I'm not sure. I've tried to go through the pages and pages of information and make sense of it all. I find myself very confused.

My question is - and this is assuming that eventually the standard FP system goes away - Are you going to have to have a smartphone in order to make changes to your FP+ reservation? Or are there going to be kiosks that you can use to make changes?

Currently, DH and I don't have smartphones and we have no immediate plans to get one. Besides the fact that they cost so much money up front, we do not wish to pay the extra data fees each month. We have "dumb" phones and we are happy with them! Also, I would imagine that there are a lot of other people, esp older people, that don't have smartphones either.

I get the feeling that we are moving to a system where only the very well-off can afford a Disney vacation and I think that is very wrong!

 

[doconeill]

This may have been asked and answered, I'm not sure. I've tried to go through the pages and pages of information and make sense of it all. I find myself very confused.

My question is - and this is assuming that eventually the standard FP system goes away - Are you going to have to have a smartphone in order to make changes to your FP+ reservation? Or are there going to be kiosks that you can use to make changes?

There will be kiosks in the parks and resorts.

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

Thanks doconeill!

Another question: If you get a FP+ for someone in your party but they, for some reason, do not want to ride the ride, can you take their MagicBand and use it for someone else in your party?

I'm a little wary of the MagicBands. I really hate having something on my wrist when it's so hot. I can only imagine that the Bands would reek by the end of the day!

 

[doconeill]

Thanks doconeill!

Another question: If you get a FP+ for someone in your party but they, for some reason, do not want to ride the ride, can you take their MagicBand and use it for someone else in your party?

I'm a little wary of the MagicBands. I really hate having something on my wrist when it's so hot. I can only imagine that the Bands would reek by the end of the day!

The MagicBands are non-transferable. Then again, so were Fastpasses...but it remains to be seen how flexible Disney will be on this. I have a feeling not very, but it can also depend on how they'd know...we're not 100% sure how much info the CMs get when you use it.

 

[MissStitch626]

I just hope you realize that there will probably be no other alternative eventually (other than a standby-only trip). It does appear that regular FP will eventually go away. So you might find yourself feeling your way through the new system. You may not want to book attraction reservations a couple of months in advance. But you may finidning yourself saying "I think we might go to MK tomorrow, let's see what FP+ reservations are available."

This is exactly my thinking, to be honest, and exactly why I'm feeling pretty resistant to the changes. It just seems to be such a complete overhaul of the whole experience (I'm speaking only for myself here based on the way I tour the parks - obviously the changes will enhance a lot of people's park experiences)

Then again, it hasn't gone live yet - maybe it will be like a lot of things and will actually be amazing and I'll be wondering what I was worried about

 

[bigAWL]

Here's a question... if the old pastpass system goes away, what's DVC going to use to get people to come to thier sales presentations?

 

[doconeill]

Here's a question... if the old pastpass system goes away, what's DVC going to use to get people to come to thier sales presentations?

There is no reason a similar RFID-based "free pass" card wouldn't work.

 

[su_A_ve]

The MagicBands are non-transferable. Then again, so were Fastpasses...but it remains to be seen how flexible Disney will be on this. I have a feeling not very, but it can also depend on how they'd know...we're not 100% sure how much info the CMs get when you use it.

But at least it would be prevent seasonal CMs from scalping them. It was a lot easier to have a stack of regular FP than a stack of Magic Bands.

 

[doconeill]

But at least it would be prevent seasonal CMs from scalping them. It was a lot easier to have a stack of regular FP than a stack of Magic Bands.

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

 

[su_A_ve]

My concern is that Disney moves to the next step as other amusement parks and charges a premium for additional FP+

And another thing... So today a paper ticket gets a fingerprint and this somewhat stops the resale of them after. With RFID tickets, I'm led to believe there won't be any more fingerprints, therefore the resale of used tickets would skyrocket?

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

I believe the wording of announcements so far means that there will be fastpasses available once you get to the park, though who knows for what how many, etc. I personally don't believe that they'll give away all of the space mtns fastpasses for onsite guests

Mostly though, I just wanted to comment that if you have been using fastpasses, you've already been tied to a kiosk during your vacation. Now the kiosks won't be a marathon around the parks

~Wow, I almost missed this fabulous post! Good, sound logic is like a breath of fresh air! I could not agree more!