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

[JimmyV]

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.

For people who have ADRs (or any other event linked to MDE) booked, I can't imagine that it will be less than AP Holders. The ADRs show your commitment to being at WDW and your commitment to spending money. If you are staying off site and don't have anything linked to MDE, I don't know why they would give you any advanced booking, or how to do it in any event. It is one thing to allow AP Holders to book FPs on a whim. But to allow the entire planet to do it? That wouldn't make sense.

 

[morethananyonex]

For people who have ADRs (or any other event linked to MDE) booked, I can't imagine that it will be less than AP Holders. The ADRs show your commitment to being at WDW and your commitment to spending money. If you are staying off site and don't have anything linked to MDE, I don't know why they would give you any advanced booking, or how to do it in any event. It is one thing to allow AP Holders to book FPs on a whim. But to allow the entire planet to do it? That wouldn't make sense.

My guess (complete guess) is that offsite guests will require an MDE account and a linked ticket. At that point, they can choose an arrival date which allows them to book length of stay (14 days) after that date, when that date is 14, 30 however many days away. It doesn't make sense that they would only give prebooking when there's an ADR. It's in Disney's best interest that as many offsite guests prebook as possible.

The offsite guests with ADRs are already sort of "locked in", they want everyone to be. The ones without any existing Disney plans are probably the ones that are more likely to not visit Disney on a whim once in Orlando.

 

[ArwenMarie]

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.

They want the parks and restaurants full, I agree.
But they also want their hotels full. They are not right now, far from it.
So they want some of those offsite tourists to stay at their hotels instead.
They do need to find the balance though, because they do still need offsite/local customers.

 

[vicb]

So all offsite customers (whether AP or not) can prebook now?

Is this true? When I read the link the OP provided I don't see anything about off site guests who don't have AP? Once again, I am confused. I am 54 days from my arrival according to MDE, how do people know it will open at the 30 day mark?

 

[JimmyV]

But they also want their hotels full. They are not right now, far from it.

We've been around this block once or twice. Now that Disney is operating 25,000 rooms, it shouldn't have expectations of occupancy levels greater than 85%. It just isn't feasible to sell out every room on every night. And with Values booking at 95%, that means that most of the extra 1,500 rooms that need to be filled to boost 79% up to a very ambitious 85% would have to come from the Moderates and Deluxes. Just how many FPs would they have to provide to a family each day to convince them to move from a $100 off site hotel, (or $160-$220 Bonnett Creek or Swan and Dolphin hotel) to a smaller, $240 Moderate or $550 Deluxe? Fast Passes have no actual monetary value, but when tries to price it out, there is no way that a single extra ride on Soarin' is worth $300+ per night. They might be able to fill some Moderate rooms by linking them to FP+. But not many people are going to jump from Hilton Main Gate to the Grand Floridian on the promise of an extra FP.

 

[OtherScott]

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!

This can't be true! Most of the board experts ran the numbers when FP advanced booking was first introduced, and based on unbiased scientific computations and empirical data (otherwise known as anecdotes and personal opinion of Disney enthusiasts and those of various cousin's best-friend's neighbor who is a CM at the sno-cone kiosk in Adventureland), all FPs should have been scarfed up within seconds of 60 day window opening - like ADRs.

Unless you're not riding any of the headliners...

 

[OtherScott]

We've been around this block once or twice. Now that Disney is operating 25,000 rooms, it shouldn't have expectations of occupancy levels greater than 85%. It just isn't feasible to sell out every room on every night. And with Values booking at 95%, that means that most of the extra 1,500 rooms that need to be filled to boost 79% up to a very ambitious 85% would have to come from the Moderates and Deluxes. Just how many FPs would they have to provide to a family each day to convince them to move from a $100 off site hotel, (or $160-$220 Bonnett Creek or Swan and Dolphin hotel) to a smaller, $240 Moderate or $550 Deluxe? Fast Passes have no actual monetary value, but when tries to price it out, there is no way that a single extra ride on Soarin' is worth $300+ per night. They might be able to fill some Moderate rooms by linking them to FP+. But not many people are going to jump from Hilton Main Gate to the Grand Floridian on the promise of an extra FP.

Precisely.

And in addition to having no monetary value, it appears to not have much actual value relative to alternatives.

 

[doconeill]

I find the 30 day window interesting, especially since the Terms and Conditions have not changed since December, as still say 60 days for MYW and AP holders. I'm betting it is still just a testing phase.

I have a resort stay coming up, but am an AP holder, and I can still make FP+ selections 60 days out. This might only apply to those who had not already been activated.

 

[ucfknight]

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.

Correct. Any Annual Passholder who has a MagicBand from a prior resort stay has been able to have 7 days of reserved FP+ in a rolling 60 day window even after their onsite stay concluded.

 

[ucfknight]

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.

I know quite a few local Annual Passholders who eat a table service meal every time they go to WDW. In fact, Disney sells a "Epcot After 4pm" pass for Florida Residents which is pretty much exclusively sold to locals who want a pass to come into World Showcase in the evenings to eat at the restaurants.

 

[*disgal*]

Be Our Second Class Guest.

The truth is that nothing that has happened yet gives anyone any idea of what it will be like when everyone has prior access.

Ding,ding,ding!

I actually don't have a problem with an onsite guest getting dibs before an offsite guest, of which I am most of the time now. I don't know if it's fairness, capitalism or what, but if someone is paying hundreds of dollars a night for their disney room while I pay a fraction of that offsite I think they earned it. Or, I guess you could say, paid for it. I mean, no one is forcing me to stay offsite. THere's always availability onsite if I want a room. Free country and all.

I only speak for myself, but this still wouldn't be something that would draw me back onsite. Now, if time goes by and I'm hearing offsiters aren't able to get FPs for any headliners at the parks, then maybe I'll change my mind. But I don't think Disney would do that. The offsite guest might not be a priority but they are still important to Disney's bottom line.

Now, AP holders? I don't know what I would do there. I guess I rank them over me, an offsiter (does that make me a third class guest? ).

Since off-site guests make up half of attendance (and an even higher percentage in the holiday and high seasons), I don't think this will be a big deal. I can't imagine that on-site guests will drink the well dry between days 31-60.

I agree.

 

[Hej2222]

Correct. Any Annual Passholder who has a MagicBand from a prior resort stay has been able to have 7 days of reserved FP+ in a rolling 60 day window even after their onsite stay concluded.

I just checked my MDE and also App and I am restricted as of today to 30 days out despite prevous onsite stay and AP. Up until today I could make FPP 60 days out.

 

[Mom-2-2Princesses]

I'm curious as to when this is supposed to take effect? We have a trip coming up in 37 days (the weekend of and the week following Easter). We are AP holders (who just customized and ordered our MagicBands; they have not shipped yet) staying offsite. I just booked all our FP+ for our trip, got all of the headliners at all of the times I wanted.

According to this information, I should not have been able to do this, because we are AP offsiters outside the 30 day window, right? Or have I misunderstood?

 

[ucfknight]

I'm curious as to when this is supposed to take effect? We have a trip coming up in 37 days (the weekend of and the week following Easter). We are AP holders (who just customized and ordered our MagicBands; they have not shipped yet) staying offsite. I just booked all our FP+ for our trip, got all of the headliners at all of the times I wanted.

According to this information, I should not have been able to do this, because we are AP offsiters outside the 30 day window, right? Or have I misunderstood?

They are apparently just now (today?) changing the window from 60 days to 30 days. If you already have them booked, you should be allowed to keep them even after your personal window changes to 30 days.

 

[HopperFan]

This can't be true! Most of the board experts ran the numbers when FP advanced booking was first introduced, and based on unbiased scientific computations and empirical data (otherwise known as anecdotes and personal opinion of Disney enthusiasts and those of various cousin's best-friend's neighbor who is a CM at the sno-cone kiosk in Adventureland), all FPs should have been scarfed up within seconds of 60 day window opening - like ADRs.

Unless you're not riding any of the headliners...

Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan, Talking Mickey, Soarin, Spaceship Earth, Mission to Mars, Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Safari, Expedition Everest and Dinosaur (5 days during our April Spring break 4/2-4/6, so weekdays and weekend).

 

[Mom-2-2Princesses]

They are apparently just now (today?) changing the window from 60 days to 30 days. If you already have them booked, you should be allowed to keep them even after your personal window changes to 30 days.

Interesting. So I guess if you are an AP offsiter within the 60 day window, you should RUN and book your FP+'s immediately! The system let me do it just before I posted, so I guess it's not changed yet. I hope they don't all get cancelled... that would irk me!

 

[ArwenMarie]

We've been around this block once or twice. Now that Disney is operating 25,000 rooms, it shouldn't have expectations of occupancy levels greater than 85%. It just isn't feasible to sell out every room on every night. And with Values booking at 95%, that means that most of the extra 1,500 rooms that need to be filled to boost 79% up to a very ambitious 85% would have to come from the Moderates and Deluxes. Just how many FPs would they have to provide to a family each day to convince them to move from a $100 off site hotel, (or $160-$220 Bonnett Creek or Swan and Dolphin hotel) to a smaller, $240 Moderate or $550 Deluxe? Fast Passes have no actual monetary value, but when tries to price it out, there is no way that a single extra ride on Soarin' is worth $300+ per night. They might be able to fill some Moderate rooms by linking them to FP+. But not many people are going to jump from Hilton Main Gate to the Grand Floridian on the promise of an extra FP.

Deja vu! My main point was that it seemed like things were moving towards equality in terms of FP+, with the possible addition of prebooking for offsite. But this change shows that Disney is open to treating customer groups differently with regards to it.

 

[ArwenMarie]

duplicate

 

[ucfknight]

The system let me do it just before I posted, so I guess it's not changed yet. I hope they don't all get cancelled... that would irk me!

I doubt they will get cancelled.

When they implemented tiers at Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, they didn't cancel future FP+ selections for those holding multiple tier 1 rides. I'm sure if your selections are in place, those selections will be grandfathered in when they cut your window down to 30 days.

 

[delmar411]

I just checked my MDE and also App and I am restricted as of today to 30 days out despite prevous onsite stay and AP. Up until today I could make FPP 60 days out.

I'm not restricted to 30days. I just altered our Mother's Day FP+ that I made using the alternative method of booking over 60days in advance.(using the app and fast picks)

I have full 60 day out access. We also have a single night resort stay coming up in mid-April but that's it.