FP+ Works Against Families

[juliekzp]

I feel for parents of kids at the age where they may or may not be brave enough to ride a certain ride. Under legacy, if they chickened out on Space, you just grabbed FPs for Buzz next. But when FPs are more limited, it becomes a lot more complicated. Each FP takes on a new level of importance.

If your kid chickens out for SM, just go on your phone or to a kiosk and change the FP to something else (like Buzz, which is always available same day, often less than 30 minutes later). Easier than old FP, where you'd have to wait for your SM time frame to be done (or three hours) before pulling new ones and also physically walk to the new ride.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

FP isn't supposed to be choosing whether you ride an attraction or not, it's whether you ride an attraction without waiting in the standby line. But many guests see not riding and standing in line as the same thing, or close to it.

Many persons who post about FP+ complain that they are limited to only 3 rides a day. And they don't mean fastpass rides. They mean rides, period. Seemingly, they won't ride without fastpass.

 

[nilla]

It doesn't matter if a given line has gotten longer or not. The big impact comes when you have to ride things by standby that you previously used to be able to ride by fastpass (Because of tiering, limit and 3 or no repeats). Your daily wait total jumps exponentially when you move rides from fastpass to standby.

True, but It wasn't really easy to repeat in the past on the big attractions. TSMM and Soarin' were pretty much "one FP per day", even with the paper FPs.

To me, the big change was not from FP to FP+, but when Disney started actually enforcing the end times for the paper FPs (which they still do with FP+).

 

[smiths02]

The fact that they could only get one FP for the princess meet which the really wanted to do for their daughter so only one parent gets to go experience this is just sad. I'm sure that the same thing happened to someone else so they just magically found an extra FP as they were walking to the line of when they got there the line was suddenly only ten minutes but I don't think that's reality for 99.9% of the visitors.

But with only two adults and a young child, this is a choice they might have had to make under legacy FP. And in the end, the OP picked up the 4th FP anyhow.
So, in reality, the only problem was making the choice at 60 days and not knowing if it would pan out.

 

[mom2rtk]

We went in June, a crowded time, we did just grab another FP or we rode something that didn't have a huge line. IASW, Philharmagic, Tea Cups, Haunted Mansion, Monsters Inc, Dumbo, Aladdin Carpets were all pretty much walk-ons...we even waited for the Speedway once, it was 10-15 minutes.

But before you had your choice of all rides, including headliners. Now if you choose another headliner, it will likely be by standby instead of FP. That's what I'm talking about.

And when your little chicken finally got brave and did Space and said "Let's go again" you really could grab another FP and go again.

 

[mom2rtk]

True, but It wasn't really easy to repeat in the past on the big attractions. TSMM and Soarin' were pretty much "one FP per day", even with the paper FPs.

To me, the big change was not from FP to FP+, but when Disney started actually enforcing the end times for the paper FPs (which they still do with FP+).

There were lots more headliners than Soarin and TSMM where it DID work.

And I believe that they only started enforcing end times as a preparation for FP+.

 

[mom2rtk]

If your kid chickens out for SM, just go on your phone or to a kiosk and change the FP to something else (like Buzz, which is always available same day, often less than 30 minutes later). Easier than old FP, where you'd have to wait for your SM time frame to be done (or three hours) before pulling new ones and also physically walk to the new ride.

And if your kid wasn't ready for Space but really just wanted a second ride on BTMRR?

And to schedule it on the app, you would have to replace Space with the new choice. But what if the rest of the family still wanted to ride Space? They can't schedule a 4th from the phone, even if they luck into it being available.

In the past, those who wanted to ride Space would still ride Space, then everyone would start over with a brand new FP for something else (and there would be more to choose from because they would not have been scheduled on for 60 or more days already).

 

[mom2rtk]

FP isn't supposed to be choosing whether you ride an attraction or not, it's whether you ride an attraction without waiting in the standby line. But many guests see not riding and standing in line as the same thing, or close to it.

Many persons who post about FP+ complain that they are limited to only 3 rides a day. And they don't mean fastpass rides. They mean rides, period. Seemingly, they won't ride without fastpass.

Yes, they can still ride....... at the expense of giving up much more of their day waiting in line.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I'm just not understanding where FP+ is worse for families specifically?
Or is this just another I don't like FP+ thread?

I think the OP was pretty clear about the topic of the thread. :

As for why it's worse specifically for families, I think a PP explained part of the family-specific issues rather well:

I have also had requests from several of my friends with more than one kid to assist them in making their FP+. I have watched them struggle in the tiered parks, when their kids have different preferences- and watched them feel like they were putting one kid over the other depending upon what they picked. I have watched this same struggle with non-tiered parks because of the 3 pass limit and the differences in what the kids liked. I have heard over and over; how much harder it is than the older system, and how non family friendly it is. My friend with 3 kids almost cancelled her entire trip over it. I talked her off the ledge, and they did go and have a good time, but the new system definitely adds a whole level of stress.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

But with only two adults and a young child, this is a choice they might have had to make under legacy FP. And in the end, the OP picked up the 4th FP anyhow.
So, in reality, the only problem was making the choice at 60 days and not knowing if it would pan out.

i guess if they were the last people to get to the machine it's entirely possible that it could happen but I'd guess the odds wouldn't be in favor of that occurring. We never once attempted to get a FP- and only got it for one member of our party.

 

[juliekzp]

And if your kid wasn't ready for Space but really just wanted a second ride on BTMRR?

And to schedule it on the app, you would have to replace Space with the new choice. But what if the rest of the family still wanted to ride Space? They can't schedule a 4th from the phone, even if they luck into it being available.

In the past, those who wanted to ride Space would still ride Space, then everyone would start over with a brand new FP for something else (and there would be more to choose from because they would not have been scheduled on for 60 or more days already).

You don't need to switch everyone's FPs, just yours and your kid's. If it's earlier in the day, get a BTMRR FP for later. If it's later in the day, you probably can't, but FP- would have been all gone too. And if everyone wants to go on another ride all together, use your next FP+ or go get a fourth together. There are lots of same day FPs to be had at MK.

 

[2Tiggies]

I think it works GREAT for families .... especially for ones with young kids like a 2.5 year old who are usually not very patient when it comes to WAITING.
I went to Disney in October with my son (who was almost 2.5) .. I got Fast Passes for anything I thought HE wanted to ride. That's it. The trip was for him.
I knew we couldn't go on the mountains so I wasn't even concerned about those Fast Passes.

Disney isn't forcing you to break up your fast passes. You are trying to do that to "maximize" them.

It works great for some. Not so great for others.

Getting FP for a toddler is different to getting FP selections for a teen. When we changed our park on the day, we had to forfeit our booked 'good rides' at our original park for paltry choices at the one we decided to visit on the day. With the old system we would only have needed to get our buttes out of bed to be there at a reasonable hour around park opening to have as fair a shot at our choice of attractions as the guest standing next to us. Flexibility is not always there when you need it now.

 

[Angel Ariel]

If your kid chickens out for SM, just go on your phone or to a kiosk and change the FP to something else (like Buzz, which is always available same day, often less than 30 minutes later). Easier than old FP, where you'd have to wait for your SM time frame to be done (or three hours) before pulling new ones and also physically walk to the new ride.

Buzz was not available same day when we were there last November. There were a few times last year that I tried to change FP+ on our phone, and there was limited availability for rides in general. Perhaps that's gotten better, but I no longer rely on "knowing" that something will be available same day, as it wasn't what we experienced.

 

[mom2rtk]

You don't need to switch everyone's FPs, just yours and your kid's. If it's earlier in the day, get a BTMRR FP for later. If it's later in the day, you probably can't, but FP- would have been all gone too. And if everyone wants to go on another ride all together, use your next FP+ or go get a fourth together. There are lots of same day FPs to be had at MK.

Yeah, but I wanted to ride Space. And before I could ride Space AND something else. Now there's more negotiating because headline FPs are more limited.

And of course legacy FP for a headliner would be available later in the day. The first ones were not dispensed until that morning and had not been scheduled for the last 60 days.

Agreed there are a lot of same day FPs in the MK..... mostly for things that previously didn't require a FP at all.

 

[Angel Ariel]

FP isn't supposed to be choosing whether you ride an attraction or not, it's whether you ride an attraction without waiting in the standby line. But many guests see not riding and standing in line as the same thing, or close to it.

Many persons who post about FP+ complain that they are limited to only 3 rides a day. And they don't mean fastpass rides. They mean rides, period. Seemingly, they won't ride without fastpass.

Maybe I missed it, but I haven't seen anyone say that in this thread?

 

[3DisneyFanz]

It works great for some. Not so great for others.

Getting FP for a toddler is different to getting FP selections for a teen. When we changed our park on the day, we had to forfeit our booked 'good rides' at our original park for paltry choices at the one we decided to visit on the day. With the old system we would only have needed to get our buttes out of bed to be there at a reasonable hour around park opening to have as fair a shot at our choice of attractions as the guest standing next to us. Flexibility is not always there when you need it now.

Well that's your fault for changing your park day! I'm kidding of course but I'm sure that will be some peoples take on this.

 

[2Tiggies]

Buzz was not available same day when we were there last November. There were a few times last year that I tried to change FP+ on our phone, and there was limited availability for rides in general. Perhaps that's gotten better, but I no longer rely on "knowing" that something will be available same day, as it wasn't what we experienced.

Same as our experiences.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

But you know what? BECAUSE of FP+ .. I got to skip the lines on SIX attractions on our MK day. Buzz, Mermaid, Jungle Cruise, Aladdin, Small World, Peter Pan.

I'm sorry to rehash old arguments, but prior to FP+ you wouldn't have even needed a FP for most of those because lines were generally short. Hence why Fastpasses weren't offered for them. Now attractions with traditionally shorter lines have seen an increase in waits. BECAUSE of FP+

 

[Angel Ariel]

We went in June, a crowded time, we did just grab another FP or we rode something that didn't have a huge line. IASW, Philharmagic, Tea Cups, Haunted Mansion, Monsters Inc, Dumbo, Aladdin Carpets were all pretty much walk-ons...we even waited for the Speedway once, it was 10-15 minutes.

If that was the experience we'd had, I'd feel differently about FP+. Outside of the RD hours, nothing was walkon, and 4th FP+ availability was very slim.

 

[2Tiggies]

Well that's your fault for changing your park day! I'm kidding of course but I'm sure that will be some peoples take on this.

Yeah, imagine the sheer brazen nerve of plans changing on vacation