FP+... who hates it

[I Love Pluto]

I will try one more time so that I am fully understood.

The point I was trying to make is that planning 60 days ahead is nearly impossible based on physical obstacles.

Thank you. I appreciate your patience & understanding.

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

Not a fan of FP+. Enough said.

 

[jade1]

I'm seeing a pattern - when crowds are low and SB lines are short, FP selection is pretty good even same day. When crowds are higher (7+) and SB lines are longer the FP selection is pretty poor very quickly - and a lot of the headliners are gone a day or two before.

Does not bode well for the "scraps" at 30 days, or the "midnight or else" arguments. But certainly good news for all thanks.

 

[prudence64]

I give FP + a B+. I give the old system a B-.

So, I'm happy with it.

 

[Disneylover99]

I disliked it during mild to moderate/high crowds.
I liked it during super high Christmas week crowds.

 

[mom2rtk]

Just got back after two weeks and the first week FP availability was pretty good, even same day - and SB waits were nice and low for many attractions. I think even Touring Plans revised their crowd level estimates downward for that week.

The second week, though, was the exact opposite. FP's were gone very quickly and by late morning/early afternoon selections were poor. I felt sorry for the people standing in long lines at the kiosks knowing that when they go their turn they were only going to find attractions that they probably could have spent less time the SB line than to stand in line getting an FP for it.

Between a couple of weeks in Nov/Dec and a couple of weeks this month, I'm seeing a pattern - when crowds are low and SB lines are short, FP selection is pretty good even same day. When crowds are higher (7+) and SB lines are longer the FP selection is pretty poor very quickly - and a lot of the headliners are gone a day or two before.

Definitely takes more planning than it used to.

As to the comment about long kiosk lines, I took this picture Thursday (3/19) at MK:

View attachment 83673


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Yuck. Just yuck.

 

[prudence64]

I didn't wait in line at any kiosks during our trip Veterans Day week. Walked right up every time, though I didn't try for a 4th in Epcot so don't know what that was like

 

[jade1]

After their first 3, did they get a FP for anything except secondary rides that never required a FP at all before?

Just got back after two weeks and the first week FP availability was pretty good, even same day - and SB waits were nice and low for many attractions.

Sounds like it-we saw the same thing, even better the week before.

So it depends when you visit.

 

[Fastpassminus]

If I could make my 4th FP pls selection on my phone 5-10 minutes after I used my third ( 5-10 minutes so folks wouldn't be trying to log on in line or on rides & be obnoxious gumming up the works) it would be an A. Seriously it love not having to run for FP in the morning. I love KNOWING my top three rides are ready for me at a park. I really like the way it has changed my touring style at MK. If it was fully integrated to make use of smart phone technology & park hoppers it would be amazing. Being able to make 3 in one park & at least one in a second with the purchase of a hopper ticket would make the PH actually worth it's cost.

 

[jade1]

I will try one more time so that I am fully understood.

The point I was trying to make is that planning 60 days ahead is nearly impossible based on physical obstacles.

Thank you. I appreciate your patience & understanding.

No I get it-I'm just saying "lucky for some" that can visit slower weeks-that can not plan at 60 days out-it was not needed. We went on a weeks notice and got everything over and over, most night before and a lot day of if we didn't plan at all.

Even LT has shown at least some headliner available, actually only "some" were gone a day or 2 before on weeks that are a 7 plus.

But did not mean to imply you said no headliners are ever available.

 

[Mickey&Mouse]

Just got back after two weeks and the first week FP availability was pretty good, even same day - and SB waits were nice and low for many attractions. I think even Touring Plans revised their crowd level estimates downward for that week.

The second week, though, was the exact opposite. FP's were gone very quickly and by late morning/early afternoon selections were poor. I felt sorry for the people standing in long lines at the kiosks knowing that when they go their turn they were only going to find attractions that they probably could have spent less time the SB line than to stand in line getting an FP for it.

Between a couple of weeks in Nov/Dec and a couple of weeks this month, I'm seeing a pattern - when crowds are low and SB lines are short, FP selection is pretty good even same day. When crowds are higher (7+) and SB lines are longer the FP selection is pretty poor very quickly - and a lot of the headliners are gone a day or two before.

Definitely takes more planning than it used to.

As to the comment about long kiosk lines, I took this picture Thursday (3/19) at MK:

View attachment 83673


.

The photo of the kiosk line.....

 

[Jay Kat]

We like it.

 

[Alfalfa]

No I get it-I'm just saying "lucky for some" that can visit slower weeks-that can not plan at 60 days out-it was not needed. We went on a weeks notice and got everything over and over, most night before and a lot day of if we didn't plan at all.

Even LT has shown at least some headliner available, actually only "some" were gone a day or 2 before on weeks that are a 7 plus.

But did not mean to imply you said no headliners are ever available.

I'm pretty sure that's not what LT was showing. And that picture of the kiosk line? Wow.

 

[disnut1149]

Sometimes I really miss the pre-FP days. When everyone just waited in a line and were fine with it.

I hated that!! Stood in line for an hour when Splash Mountain first opened and said never again. I was never fine with waiting in long lines, especially with small children.

 

[gwb]

We like the new system Make no apology for that. Look at the old system you literally fought your way to rope drop, practically ran to the attraction and got in line while 1 member of group went to fast pass line and got passes for that ride. Then hurried to next ride and did same. Please don't say this didn't happen because it did. Also time management sites for WDW preached this practice.. A major result was that the people who got to ride the main attractions with multiple fast passes were the ones who manipulated the system (or as a previous poster put it as an abuser). This meant that a large number of people didn't get to ride the main attractions at all. Responses to this previously have been "so what I'm paying big bucks for this vacation". With new system more people get a chance to ride the main attractions that couldn't before. So it's a more equal playing field now.
The complaints about sound very familiar to the complaints that happened when the EMH first came out.
Yes there is a lose of some spontaneity, but it's basically only 3 rides, so you have no spontaneity for the rest of the day?
As stated before nothing will change your mind depending on how you like the new system or not BUT RESPECT ALL VIEWS AND THEIR FEELINGS AND WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM IN THEIR BELIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JennyMP03]

If I could make my 4th FP pls selection on my phone 5-10 minutes after I used my third ( 5-10 minutes so folks wouldn't be trying to log on in line or on rides & be obnoxious gumming up the works) it would be an A. Seriously it love not having to run for FP in the morning. I love KNOWING my top three rides are ready for me at a park. I really like the way it has changed my touring style at MK. If it was fully integrated to make use of smart phone technology & park hoppers it would be amazing. Being able to make 3 in one park & at least one in a second with the purchase of a hopper ticket would make the PH actually worth it's cost.

Same for me. I like having rides reserved. I missed FP+ at Tokyo Disney for sure. We got there before opening and barely got to ride anything, and it wasn't due to a lack of planning on my part.

I just wish I could A) use my phone to reserve additional FP and B) be able to reserve FP in a different park after using the initial 3.

 

[DCDisney]

I'm going with group of 40 during April so busy and did the FPs at about 28 days out even though we were staying on site there were organizational issues. But anyway everything was available except parades, fireworks, and 7 dwarves at MK and all at multiple times. I could get 7 dwarves for less people but only later in the day. I had no trouble getting toy story, Everest, Safari, etc. for 40! A smaller family without the time restraints should be able to at least get their 3 top rides without worrying about midnight booking.

 

[Jennasis]

Not a fan of it. It stressed me right the heck out, from choosing them at 1am 60 days out to using them in the park. I was thrilled each day when we used our last one so I wouldn't have them hanging over my head like the freakin' sword of Damocles all day.

I WAS a fan of original-recipe FP. Sad it's gone. Our plan for the future is to tour old school as much as possible (just waiting in the line like normal).

Others have had differing experiences with it and that's totally fine. Just the way it felt to me.

 

[mesaboy2]

Same for me. I like having rides reserved. I missed FP+ at Tokyo Disney for sure. We got there before opening and barely got to ride anything, and it wasn't due to a lack of planning on my part.

I just wish I could A) use my phone to reserve additional FP and B) be able to reserve FP in a different park after using the initial 3.

I got there before opening and rode everything I wanted to with FP, which included the uber-popular choices Monsters Inc Hide and Go Seek, Pooh's Hunny Hunt, Journey To the Center Of the Earth, and Tower of Terror.

 

[JennyMP03]

I got there before opening and rode everything I wanted to with FP, which included the uber-popular choices Monsters Inc Hide and Go Seek, Pooh's Hunny Hunt, Journey To the Center Of the Earth, and Tower of Terror.

That's awesome! We only did DisneySea and just for one day, and I think it was an especially crowded day. My first mistake was waiting in the line for TSMM FP. We were in that line for an hour, at opening, and our return time was 6:15 PM. We should have just skipped TSMM and started out by riding ToT, then Indiana Jones (Journey was down ). That first hour spent waiting for FP kind of killed us. I researched and tried my best, but it didn't go well. FP+ would've been helpful that day for us. We never got to go on ToT at all, and I hate that we missed it. I won't even admit how long we waited for Indiana Jones. It's honestly embarrassing.