FP+ Window reduced to 30 days for non-resort guests

[mom2rtk]

The title of this thread seems misleading to me (unless I missed something).
Shouldn't it be "FP+ window opened to 30 days for non-resort guests".
I mean, up till now- couldn't non-resort guests not pre-book at all? So nothing was reduced for them, and something new has been added.

I'm not up to date on all AP things, but can't they book 60 days out right now (for a rolling 7 days) if they have bands? If so, that would be a reduction for them.

 

[faneuil]

I know I'll get a lot of heat for this opinion and the "fair" fairy is not cooperating, but I don't understand why you think staying off property should include the same benefits as those that choose to stay on. WDW is a business. If they didn't provide added benefits, no one would stay on property.

I understand you are an annual pass holder, but the benefit of that is given to you, not necessarily Disney. You buy a discounted ticket to go whenever you want. They make less $$ than those that buy tickets for the duration of the stay.

You still get the 30 day benefit, so that is better than non pass holders. I guess I just don't understand why everyone cannot make the logical conclusion that Disney wants every guest to stay on property in a perfect world. The world is not perfect, so they need to have some way of providing added value to those willing to pay the extra $$ to stay on property.

OK, let it fly. I'm ready for everyone to tell me that they are now staying away and not going anymore and they should be ashamed of themselves. That everyone should have the same benefits. I guess I just don't agree that buying a ticket is the same as booking a vacation.

I totally agree with you, which is why I'm delighted with 30 days.
I was upset when I, as an AP holder, couldn't get anything at all without booking a resort stay. I felt some sort of FP+ window for all AP holders would have been a nice touch and a way of saying thanks. I also think Disney missed a great opportunity to use us an lab rats, but whatever.

The whole thing for me is a moot point now, because I can book 30 days out and I'm a happy camper. I would have been happy with 10. Anything to avoid those awful kiosks.

 

[JimmyV]

I know I'll get a lot of heat for this opinion and the "fair" fairy is not cooperating, but I don't understand why you think staying off property should include the same benefits as those that choose to stay on. WDW is a business. If they didn't provide added benefits, no one would stay on property. There is no one right answer to this. On-site people already get EMHs, so they get first crack at headliner rides. FP is only in operation during regular operating hours and anyone with an admission ticket can use the parks then. This is not to say that on-site guests cannot get an "extra" benefit. But up to this point, through 15 years of FP, they have not.


You still get the 30 day benefit, so that is better than non pass holders. This is certain to change. I guess I just don't understand why everyone cannot make the logical conclusion that Disney wants every guest to stay on property in a perfect world. Because we all know that this cannot happen, nor does Disney want it to happen. Disney absolutely does not want every guest to be an on site guest. The parks would be empty. Disney has 25,000 rooms. At an average occupancy of 3.5 people per room, that is 87,500 people if every room were filled. But we are told that occupancy averages closer to 79%. Subtract out the people who are going to conferences, cheerleading competitions, weddings et al., you might have 65,000-70,000 on-site guests in the parks. Spread that over four parks and you would hear crickets. Disney wants and needs off site guests. So why bite that hand? The world is not perfect, so they need to have some way of providing added value to those willing to pay the extra $$ to stay on property.

Those are just some of the counter-arguments, some more persuasive than others.

 

[TDC Nala]

OK i'm confused here. If you're an AP holder, or not staying at the resorts....

How do they know when you will be at the parks?

Doesn't matter. You can book anything 30 days out. They're assuming that you won't book fastpasses for days that you won't be in the park.

But you can only book 7 consecutive days at a time without a resort stay.

 

[glvsav37]

"I hate to nitpick, but why should I, who paid $600 for his ticket, have a smaller booking window for fp+ than someone who books 2 nights at the All-Stars and buys a 2 day ticket?"

I dont think your question is so much wrong, but more just imposable to quantify.

Inherently, with this system and network of things each guest can/cannot do, there has to be natural groupings.

All along, the majority of post that both hate as well as love FP+ and MDE starts with "I" "I" do/don't make rope drop. "I" have kids and cant plan that far out. "I" don't have kids and can be flexible. "I...I...I..." Heck, I even fell in that mindset early on.

But back to my point...a system this vast cannot accommodate each and every guest's individual preferences, touring style and length of/frequency of visit. So naturally they need to create 'groups' and may times those 'groups' will overlap with an individual's plans. But they have to draw lines somewhere.

So yes, as an AP, your ticket worth in your eyes more then a guest staying at a Pop—but your a resident (I assume) and can go more frequently and spread out over the year. But what about mine? I am a AP holder but only get to use it on 2 trips a year because I live out of state. OK, so do we disqualify type of pass as a defining factor for 60-vs30-day FP+ reservations?

OK, then what do we use? See, its not so cut and dry, and very gray.

Going on your issue, there would need to be massive benchmarks that would result in too many more dates/options for the average guest to handle, so:

7+ days or more on site get 60 days
5+ gets 45 days
3+ gets 20
2 days gets 15
APs regardless of resort stay get ??

There is no real 'fair' way to do it other then to open it up for everyone. But then that brings us back to one of the main drivers for this, to attract people to stay on site.

its not just black and white.

As it is now...I think the 30 days is a huge compromise and you win vs same-day booking.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

Doesn't matter. You can book anything 30 days out.

But you can only book 7 consecutive days at a time without a resort stay.

So if you have an AP you could essentially constantly reserve fast passes?

If they didn't have to pay for parking this would be an awesome deal for AP holders. Make 2-3 FP+ reservations...show up at park...repeat a week later. Never even have to eat a meal at the park.

 

[bookgirl]

I'm fine with that. (I was making and changing FP+'s up until just days before my onsite trip and had no problems getting what I wanted).

I just got an AP and may have an offsite trip so no problem with a shorter window. That seems very fair as a perk for onsite while still letting offsite do advance and cut down on the line at the kiosks.

 

[5Hfan]

will EMH go away if 60 day booking 3 fast passes is the big onsite stay perk?

 

[TDC Nala]

So if you have an AP you could essentially constantly reserve fast passes?

If they didn't have to pay for parking this would be an awesome deal for AP holders. Make 2-3 FP+ reservations...show up at park...repeat a week later. Never even have to eat a meal at the park.

For 7 consecutive days, yes. as noted, they are assuming that AP holders won't reserve fastpasses if they are not going to be in the park.

AP holders don't pay for parking. Maybe seasonals do.

And yes, they can show up at the park, do the 3 FP's and leave. Repeat every 7 days. Not sure how many locals do eat in the parks on a regular basis...I'm not sure I could afford it if I were local.

 

[glvsav37]

I totally agree with you, which is why I'm delighted with 30 days.
I was upset when I, as an AP holder, couldn't get anything at all without booking a resort stay. I felt some sort of FP+ window for all AP holders would have been a nice touch and a way of saying thanks. I also think Disney missed a great opportunity to use us an lab rats, but whatever.

The whole thing for me is a moot point now, because I can book 30 days out and I'm a happy camper. I would have been happy with 10. Anything to avoid those awful kiosks.

this is the right outlook on it.

We are out of state APs (New York) and have our room-only trip booked for summer. As I followed this 'test' in its early stages and they were talking about not allowing AP early book or only 7 day booking (we stay for 12 days)—I was fuming mad.

Thankfully bc we had the room ressi, that trumped the no-FP+ booking rule at the time. So thankfully I was talked off the ledge

 

[disneyfantotheend]

The longer booking window is quite a good perk for onsite guests or at least I think it is. Were you thinking of maybe more FP+ for onsite guests?

I don't really think 60 days compared to 30 will be a disadvantage for anyone other than possibly those staying the busiest weeks out of the year. Like Christmas and Easter and some of summer.

Actually it would lead to an increase of ghost reservations as they would be allowed the 60+10.

Again I think making a ghost reservation will be just a waste of money for most, because I think 30 days out they will be fine getting FP+ for what they want.

Ok I guess I'm going to repeat this post and see if it gets deleted again?

"I hate to nitpick, but why should I, who paid $600 for his ticket, have a smaller booking window for fp+ than someone who books 2 nights at the All-Stars and buys a 2 day ticket?"

You certainly did not say anything that should have been deleted. I understand what you are saying, and definitely feel that AP holders are getting the short end of the stick. But some have actually reported having a 60 day window. Maybe they are staying onsite??

 

[faneuil]

So if you have an AP you could essentially constantly reserve fast passes?

If they didn't have to pay for parking this would be an awesome deal for AP holders. Make 2-3 FP+ reservations...show up at park...repeat a week later. Never even have to eat a meal at the park.

You don't pay for parking with certain annual passes.
I have a Florida resident annual pass with no black out dates. It includes parking.

Even before FP+, I would go into HS to ride TSM and TofT, and then leave.

 

[Pooh2]

We went Thanksgiving week and did not book any FP+ until we arrived on property. Most of them were booked the night before.

I know the system was not fully implemented at that time but it really does not seem to be something to stress about.

 

[JimmyV]

So if you have an AP you could essentially constantly reserve fast passes?

If they didn't have to pay for parking this would be an awesome deal for AP holders. Make 2-3 FP+ reservations...show up at park...repeat a week later. Never even have to eat a meal at the park.

I wonder how Disney will prevent AP Holders from scalping certin hard to get FPs. We know that supply cannot equal demand, so there absolutely will be lots of people staring down 180 minute Standby waits for the Mine Train this Spring and Summer. If all it takes is handing someone your MB near the ride entrance and collecting it again at the ride exit, I have to believe that people will be doing the ol' switcheroo in exchange for $$$. Hidden security cameras, perhaps? But that won't stop exchanges in the rest rooms.

 

[bookgirl]

Baha, less than 60 days?

Hell, we booked during our WALK from Space Mountain to Splash Mountain and got straight on the ride.

I changed all my FP's on the bus between AK and Epcot at 8:45 am and got Soarin for 11:00 am.

Last week, during the Mardi Gras madness. On the first day of Flower and Garden Festival. I think as long as you can avoid the kiosks it's a plus for offsite booking.

 

[bookgirl]

I wonder how Disney will prevent AP Holders from scalping certin hard to get FPs. We know that supply cannot equal demand, so there absolutely will be lots of people staring down 180 minute Standby waits for the Mine Train this Spring and Summer. If all it takes is handing someone your MB near the ride entrance and collecting it again at the ride exit, I have to believe that people will be doing the ol' switcheroo in exchange for $$$. Hidden security cameras, perhaps? But that won't stop exchanges in the rest rooms.

Yeah, cause I'm going to let some stranger walk off with my MB. Not bloody likely.

 

[TDC Nala]

I was just picturing money and bands exchanging hands in the bathrooms. Lol. As a passholder maybe I need one of those jackets you see people hanging bootleg watches in.

I have a friend who booked herself onto Soarin' while walking to the attraction from International Gateway.

 

[flatlandcycle]

So if you have an AP you could essentially constantly reserve fast passes?

If they didn't have to pay for parking this would be an awesome deal for AP holders. Make 2-3 FP+ reservations...show up at park...repeat a week later. Never even have to eat a meal at the park.

No one has to pay to eat a meal at the park, if you bring your own. When a bag of apples from the outside costs the same as one apple purchased on site, why wouldn't you bring your own? That's just capitalism.

 

[HopperFan]

AP holder. Stay 4-6 weeks a year with about 60% on property and 40% off property. I have no issue with 30 day window. I am right now 21 days out of our spring break trip. Just now I booked FP+ at all four parks and there appeared to be full availability. Booked headliners and immediately went in and fine tuned some times.

For the moment, I have no issue with 30 day as long as that is the same time frame being offered to offsite guests because either way we are ticket holders not staying on property. I will not be okay if they are offered 60 days!

 

[johde]

Originally Posted by mm1971

I know I'll get a lot of heat for this opinion and the "fair" fairy is not cooperating, but I don't understand why you think staying off property should include the same benefits as those that choose to stay on. WDW is a business. If they didn't provide added benefits, no one would stay on property. There is no one right answer to this. On-site people already get EMHs, so they get first crack at headliner rides. FP is only in operation during regular operating hours and anyone with an admission ticket can use the parks then. This is not to say that on-site guests cannot get an "extra" benefit. But up to this point, through 15 years of FP, they have not.


You still get the 30 day benefit, so that is better than non pass holders. This is certain to change. I guess I just don't understand why everyone cannot make the logical conclusion that Disney wants every guest to stay on property in a perfect world. Because we all know that this cannot happen, nor does Disney want it to happen. Disney absolutely does not want every guest to be an on site guest. The parks would be empty. Disney has 25,000 rooms. At an average occupancy of 3.5 people per room, that is 87,500 people if every room were filled. But we are told that occupancy averages closer to 79%. Subtract out the people who are going to conferences, cheerleading competitions, weddings et al., you might have 65,000-70,000 on-site guests in the parks. Spread that over four parks and you would hear crickets. Disney wants and needs off site guests. So why bite that hand? The world is not perfect, so they need to have some way of providing added value to those willing to pay the extra $$ to stay on property.

Those are just some of the counter-arguments, some more persuasive than others.

While not at WDW, extra FP have been given to onsite guests at times to onsite guests at DL. In the summer of 2011, they gave people a ticket good for 2 "super FP". Stick in the ticket, a FP good immediately popped out. You could also get a FP for a ride that had given all it's FPs out for the day.

To me, the bigger question in all of this is where offsite guests with MYW tickets are going to fall when they get to prebook. Will they get 60 days, 30 days or something even shorter like 14 days. If they get 60 days that would be saying "you annual passholders have the ability to go all the time, So we're letting the people who don't visit as often get first dibs of FP+. " If it's 30 day's then it's onsite is "better" than offsite. If it's even shorter like 14, their creating an even further class system.