has a FP+ strategy been determined yet?

[mom2rtk]

Do we know yet what type of time slots the choices are? I've heard morning, afternoon, and evening. What are the specific times?

I think they sort of group them that way for your initial picks, but then you can go in and adjust them however you like from what is available.

 

[mom2rtk]

My understanding is that one must have a room reservation and park tickets linked to MDE to use FP+. We usually buy our park tickets the week before our vacation and pick them up at will call.

To be selected for the latest round of testing, you had to be at one of the resorts that were part of this test. However, once it is up and running, you just need a ticket linked to the system.

 

[AmyB2006]

Count on it.
They've painted themselves into a corner by constructing a system so
creepy, prickly and difficult that guests (who have been paying attention
all along) are already trying to find ways around it.

In fact, what current "testers" WANT is to get to use the FP+
-AND- the regular FP system TOO!
(That will only work if there are just a few FP+ users in the mix.)

This whole complex mess cannot be what they planned.

Disney.
Just STOP this thing.

Issue the MagicBands and keep the day-of FP system
(use the blessed Mickey Head scanners and spit out paper tickets from a printer.)
We know that actually WORKS.
And drops the need for WiFi in the parks and for guests to constantly
access their WiFi devices.
(The reliance on a cellphone/pad/laptop to negotiate the parks
is going to create some seriously bad situations!)

OMG, I totally agree. It is a mess. More monkeys with rubberbands back there. They must have let their IT people come up with and design this whole new system. It's a joke.

The more I read about it, the more my head spins, and I just get so turned off. I don't take advantage of that much FP now. If I show up to a ride, and it says 90 minutes standby, I get a FP and come back!! LOL If they're all gone for the day, then I don't do it. Oh well.

Why ruin a system that has worked for them for this long?? I don't get it.

 

[luvgoing2disney]

The FP+ system reminds me of why we do very few ADR's or use the DDP. It's hard to plan 6 months out as to what park we will be visiting and what we will want to eat. Granted our food selection will be more limited but we have never gone hungry.

The same with this new system. We may not be able to ride a particular attraction when we want to so we get a -FP and come back later. But with the new plans we will need to plan weeks or months out and a lot of the spontaneous choices wil be gone. Not to mention being careful to not bump into other guests as we are walking and using phones at the se time to see where we are scheduled to be.

 

[AmyB2006]

"green" piffle.

If the fragile planet will spiral into oblivion because disney issues paper fp's, it's too far gone to worry about.

lol

 

[FigmentChick]

Count on it.
They've painted themselves into a corner by constructing a system so
creepy, prickly and difficult that guests (who have been paying attention
all along) are already trying to find ways around it.

In fact, what current "testers" WANT is to get to use the FP+
-AND- the regular FP system TOO!
(That will only work if there are just a few FP+ users in the mix.)

This whole complex mess cannot be what they planned.

Disney.
Just STOP this thing.

Issue the MagicBands and keep the day-of FP system
(use the blessed Mickey Head scanners and spit out paper tickets from a printer.)
We know that actually WORKS.
And drops the need for WiFi in the parks and for guests to constantly
access their WiFi devices.
(The reliance on a cellphone/pad/laptop to negotiate the parks
is going to create some seriously bad situations!)

Robo, once again you voice the exact thing I was thinking! Well put.

 

[mom2travel]

Robo, once again you voice the exact thing I was thinking! Well put.

Yes, I agree too!!

I keep thinking there must be something I'm missing, as the FP+ concept is absurd to me. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

[bcrook]

If Disney can sell this system based on being green- my admiration and respect for those markteters and bean counters has increased by tenfold - surely the most talented team on the planet. They are light years ahead of anyone else. The down side of this though, is that the ideas may be lightyears ahead of Disneys IT department. Maybe any IT department.

This is really the problem. Well that, and the problem that there are not enough rides in Epcot, DHS, and animal kingdom to actually meet the needs of visitors with the new system.

 

[bcrook]

Yes, I agree too!!

I keep thinking there must be something I'm missing, as the FP+ concept is absurd to me. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

.

It is absurd. There is something behind this that has nothing to do with fixing FP (because it was fine). This thing is in its infancy - we are going to have more surprises in the future as more is unveiled. What that is...I don't know.

 

[Minniesgal]

As I understand it your will call certificate will have a number you can link to MDE to get FP+. You do not need a room reservation just tickets.

 

[jerivera]

Getting back on topic (vs the regular bashing of FP+ by the regular "FP+ is evil!... it's driving us insane even though we may not even be on the pilot test and we don't really know how it will work yet or when/if it will go live" cast)...

We're still not sure if we're part of the testing, but as we're also staying at the Contemporary in August, we did all of the MDE stuff, got the customized MBs (UPS says they're on their way), and made all of our our FP+ reservations.

We did modify the FP+ reservations extensively, but for us that's part of the fun of planning our vacations!

Our plan is to do the FP+ reservations in the morning, and still do rope drop if at all possible.

The way we see it, through FP+ we are guaranteed to do our "Must-Do" attractions, so we can spend the "in-between" time doing the other rides in the land we're at during that time. We're also doing the timing of each FP+ reservation to "direct" the path we're following in the park.

This gives us two things we care about: We get our Must-Do's done, we potentially do them more than once if there's a small line (rope drop), gives us a lot of time to stroll/enjoy the Parks and ride the not-so-crowded attractions, and lets us to do everything in the morning/early afternoon before the girls get tired/cranky.

On days we do plan to wake up late (last day only, really), we're scheduling the FP+ in the afternoon. That way we can stay at hotel, relax, get to parks later, and still enjoy the rides we want even though we got there late and normally the FP- tickets would be all gone, and the wait might be 60+ minutes without the FP-.

IMO, if you're into planning your vacation a bit vs running-around-like-a-chicken-with-its-head-cut-off looking for the FP- tickets (which might be gone, for 6-8 hours later, or right in the middle of your lunch/dinner reservations), this seems like a very relaxing way to do our Disney vacation.

Good luck on your trip!

 

[larryz]

Wait..... you mean you're not going to hang around the park and shop?

Crud........... need more fixes.

The fix is easy... make everyone "scan" on the way out, and just don't open the exit turnstile until the MagicBand™ indicates the Guest has spent $100 on food, drinks, and/or souvenirs.

 

[Robo]

The fix is easy... make everyone "scan" on the way out, and just don't open the exit turnstile until the MagicBand™ indicates the Guest has spent $100 on food, drinks, and/or souvenirs.

Meeting adjourned!

Good day everyone!

Please pay your dues to the treasurer, seated at the door, as you pass out.

 

[disneynanacat]

Maybe It be best to schedule A attractions for late morning with FP+. Do rope drop and either do B attractions or A attractions standby, then do the FP+? And I thought my Dumbo Do Or Die days were over! I've come full circle. Lmboooo

 

[Rheinhold]

I'm looking forward to it actually. Will be at the Contemporary from the 15th through the 19th and I have set up FP+ and Magic Bands. MY strategy is to take advantage of the extra magic hour mornings. There will be 3 of them during our stay. Stay at that park until about noon. Park hop to the park where we made our FP+ selections and eat dinner there. Go back to our room, rest swim. Finish up with MK which is open to 11pm. I'm only traveling with my 14 year old son, mind you, so this strategy won't work for everyone. But he is up at the crack of dawn, ready to go and runs like the energizer bunny until evening!

 

[Disneylover99]

Assuming we still have access to regular fast pass, I have booked fast pass+ for attractions that are popular but don't offer traditional fast pass such as Enchanted Tales with Belle.

 

[gamerlovesdisney]

I'm a park hopper addict. I like being able to go to another park if the park I've chosen for the day is either too busy or has too many tour groups. But now I can't leave because this park has my FP+ in it. Darn! Also, with this new FP+ I can see the following scenario...you have a few minutes left on your FP+ time allotment and you're running to make the headliner attraction, and when you get to the FP line, there is a BTG there, chanting away. You can't enjoy the ride with them on it, but if you leave, there goes your opportunity to see the headliner attraction quickly. You can't get a regular FP and just come back later, so your only viable option is to wait awhile and then stand in the standby line for over an hour, or just go on and not see it at all. What a pain!

I have a Disney vacation already paid for in October so I'll be going to Disney at least one more time. But I'm already planning my next vacation and it's not Disney...Universal, here I come! And it's because of just 2 things - FP+ and the bus system (hate the way the buses have fewer seats so you seem to always have to stand these days. I hurt my hip last year when I was standing and the bus made a very fast stop. The remainer of my vacation was ruined by the pain of walking on that hip. I will not ride the buses any more unless I can sit even if it means waiting a couple buses or so; just too dangerous.)

 

[Vertical]

I'm a park hopper addict. I like being able to go to another park if the park I've chosen for the day is either too busy or has too many tour groups. But now I can't leave because this park has my FP+ in it. Darn! Also, with this new FP+ I can see the following scenario...you have a few minutes left on your FP+ time allotment and you're running to make the headliner attraction, and when you get to the FP line, there is a BTG there, chanting away. You can't enjoy the ride with them on it, but if you leave, there goes your opportunity to see the headliner attraction quickly. You can't get a regular FP and just come back later, so your only viable option is to wait awhile and then stand in the standby line for over an hour, or just go on and not see it at all. What a pain!

Or ... just get on the ride with the BTG? I don't know, seems like the obvious solution to me. I don't let BTG's bother me.

 

[Aljo]

Do we know yet what type of time slots the choices are? I've heard morning, afternoon, and evening. What are the specific times?

9-10
10-11
11-12 etc.

Now this could all change when it is fully operational and open to everyone but for the testers, many time slots are available, I've changed mine around a few times with no problems.

 

[luvgoing2disney]

MY DW and I were discussing the new format and I was wondering about this situation:

You've got your FP+ schedule all set before leaving home and on day 2 you have them for the MK. But you wake up that morning to find a forecast of rain all day long. In the past, you might have changed plans to go to EPCOT since most attractions are inside. BUT if you do that, then two days of FP+ could be wasted since you are now going to go to different parks than you had originally planned. Granted, this would be the guests choice to make that change, but with the current system, it is no problem as you could still use FP-. With the new system, that is out the window.