Has anyone used fastpass + with a high crowded park ?

[maryj11]

Has anyone used the fastpass + with a high crowd level yet ? I just wanted to know what were your experiences with it and did it work well or not ?

 

[kaybird]

We used it New Years Eve and week. VERY crowded, if it had not been for FP+, I know we would not have ridden as much as we did. Even rode TSMM a couple of times, which we had missed out on regular FP- for the previous 3 trips.

 

[maryj11]

We used it New Years Eve and week. VERY crowded, if it had not been for FP+, I know we would not have ridden as much as we did. Even rode TSMM a couple of times, which we had missed out on regular FP- for the previous 3 trips.

Thats good to know. How many fastpasses were you able to get for one park and were they for the popular rides ? I know TSMM is popular but were you able to get others as well ?

 

[practicallyperfect77]

During Christmas time last year FP- was still in place and Spring Break this year offsite couldn't prebook. The ability to book additional FP+ just started on 4/28. Based on the wait times via the MDE app, it hasn't been super crowded this past week. I think easywdw has these forecasted as 4's and 5's so def not as crowded as summer or Christmas/Spring break. I say all this to say, I don't think anyone knows how the system is going to work in crowded times and what the availability for rides such as TSM or Soarin' will look like. There have been a few threads where folks have stated they were able to get 8, 10 or 11 FP+ in a day the past couple of weeks. I believe these were all at MK. Will be interesting to follow trip reports from the summer months.

ETA: sounds like folks are able to prebook the headliners without much problem. Exception being A&E meet n greet and possibly Mine Train.

 

[jade1]

It will mirror FP- in that way, busier days equals fewer FP's and diminishing quality-numbers logic.

That said, for many us having 3 set for super busy days will be phenomenal. Any extras will be even better of course.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

It will mirror FP- in that way, busier days equals fewer FP's and diminishing quality-numbers logic.

That said, for many us having 3 set for super busy days will be phenomenal. Any extras will be even better of course.

It will mirror FP- except the fact that many more guests are using FP+ which means we don't really know what availability there will be for rides during the more crowded times. I believe I have read 85% use FP+ vs 50% using FP-.

 

[PEC]

I assume you mean since they started the more than 3 FPs. It did not start until after Spring Break. Sure weekends are busier but far from the large crowds. Memorial Day will be a good test. I expect a lot of the multiple FPs for top tier attractions to not be as available and the times for returns of other rides not to be so great. However this is relative. With the old FP- the same was true. My experience has always been that even during like Spring Break, get there at RD, do some things with short Wait Times and also in the evening the lines are shorter.

 

[jade1]

It will mirror FP- except the fact that many more guests are using FP+ which means we don't really know what availability there will be for rides during the more crowded times. I believe I have read 85% use FP+ vs 50% using FP-.

True, but there are more attractions as well-but basically I mean the busier = the fewer.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

True, but there are more attractions as well-but basically I mean the busier = the fewer.

Absolutely although we'll probably have to agree to disagree on whether that is a good thing. At this point I would suggest the OP to take trip reports with a grain of salt b/c the system with the rules in place now has not been tested during busy crowded times. I think it's important to understand how the system was being used at that time when reading others' reports.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

It will mirror FP- except the fact that many more guests are using FP+ which means we don't really know what availability there will be for rides during the more crowded times. I believe I have read 85% use FP+ vs 50% using FP-.

Not to pick on this post, because it reflects what many posters think, but it compares apples to oranges. Quantities of FP+ are not limited in the same way FP- was. They are different.

FP+ is very much a work in progress; our experiences with FP+ beta are not really relevant to what the final version of FP+ is going to be. It evolves every day.

New FP+ in it's advanced stage is going to have MORE guests using FP's than FP- did. It also offers WAY more options. FP+ will improve flow.

Previously, guests did not KNOW what FP's were available, what return times were available, etc. Now they will be able to see what's out there before they leave their home/hotel room. Because they can do that, everyone can make better utilize resources.

I am not quite as optimistic as I previously was...but I think adding more then 3 fp per guest is a significant step towards what FP+ will eventually become.

Ultimately all guests, will be able to prebook a higher percentage of their activities before they arrive. Even on busy weekends. All guests will be better able to manage their time than they ever were before. The fireworks are a great example. no matter what, most guests, even under pretty busy weekends, can find a spot to stand to see the fireworks. The new system allows guests to KNOW that before they arrive.

 

[jade1]

Absolutely although we'll probably have to agree to disagree on whether that is a good thing.

No-I agree that busier = fewer is not a good thing.

 

[maryj11]

Thanks everyone, yeah I should of thought of that the adding more fastpasses after the 3rd one did not start until 4/28. So it really has not been used during large crowds yet . I guess I will have to wait until I get there to find out. We arrive Memorial day so I will report back on how it went.
I was just asking so I could book my fastpasses early in hopes of getting more but if it is crowded the headliners probably would be mostly gone or have late times available before closing if we are lucky

 

[jade1]

Thanks everyone, yeah I should of thought of that the adding more fastpasses after the 3rd one did not start until 4/28. So it really has not been used during large crowds yet . I guess I will have to wait until I get there to find out. We arrive Memorial day so I will report back on how it went.
I was just asking so I could book my fastpasses early in hopes of getting more but if it is crowded the headliners probably would be mostly gone or late before closing if we are lucky

It is a challenge right now as to the best method.

I set my coworker up for that same week-did 2 days AM FP+ and 3 days late afternoon/early eve FP+. That way they can change on the fly (if avail) if they like one way better.

PS-they plan and afternoon break each day, so that is a factor as well you may not have.

 

[JimmyV]

Previously, guests did not KNOW what FP's were available, what return times were available, etc.

This information was available from TP.

 

[heybravo626]

We have used it Christmas week, New Year's & Easter week in all parks. Obviously that was before the extra FP+ after original 3. Prior to Easter trip, FP- machines were still up in parks except for AK so that is a factor that is now gone and replaced with FP+.
Being able to set 3 times in advanced is great for at least in how we tour (early rope drop with hop later in day to another park). No doubt that the same day availability of FP+ in parks is stressed during busy times. That was the case at Easter. Top rides were gone pretty fast. Making same day changes in the parks can get annoying and frustrating.

I am curious to see how everything works for out summer peak trip with the extra FP+’s and what it does to standby lines. Personally, I am not relying on using the extra FP+ during peak time because I don’t think much will be left. I would rather ride standby at rope drop and use 3 FP+ later in crowded times then burn through all 3 FP+ and be at the mercy of what is left for later times with the extra FP+. I guess only time will tell as we see how it works in the early summer time.

 

[jade1]

This information was available from TP.

Kind of.

We were at SAB late AM and it showed TT still available-gone before we could get there. This has happened in the parks as well-much less from the hotel room as mickeyluv'r suggested.

It was good at letting you know there is a ZERO % chance you could obtain a FP- for headliners -so it had that going for it.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Not to pick on this post, because it reflects what many posters think, but it compares apples to oranges. Quantities of FP+ are not limited in the same way FP- was. They are different.

FP+ is very much a work in progress; our experiences with FP+ beta are not really relevant to what the final version of FP+ is going to be. It evolves every day.

New FP+ in it's advanced stage is going to have MORE guests using FP's than FP- did. It also offers WAY more options. FP+ will improve flow.

Previously, guests did not KNOW what FP's were available, what return times were available, etc. Now they will be able to see what's out there before they leave their home/hotel room. Because they can do that, everyone can make better utilize resources.

I am not quite as optimistic as I previously was...but I think adding more then 3 fp per guest is a significant step towards what FP+ will eventually become.

Ultimately all guests, will be able to prebook a higher percentage of their activities before they arrive. Even on busy weekends. All guests will be better able to manage their time than they ever were before. The fireworks are a great example. no matter what, most guests, even under pretty busy weekends, can find a spot to stand to see the fireworks. The new system allows guests to KNOW that before they arrive.

All I meant by that statement is that right now we don't know what crowded times will look like using FP+ b/c it hasn't been used yet during crowded times with the ability to get additional FP+. I did not intend for the statement to imply that one system was better than the other. Just that trip reports from previous crowded times may not work well to predict the future.

ETA: I understand FP+ while being used by more guests also has more attractions available and also definitely appears more FP+ are being handed out. ITA they are two different systems and comparing them is rather apples to oranges. To me, the comparison is more important when looking at the experience of using one system vs the other. And folks will never agree as to which is the better system b/c it depends on individual touring styles.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

All I meant by that statement is that right now we don't know what crowded times will look like using FP+ b/c it hasn't been used yet during crowded times with the ability to get additional FP+. I did not intend for the statement to imply that one system was better than the other. Just that trip reports from previous crowded times may not work well to predict the future.

ETA: I understand FP+ while being used by more guests also has more attractions available and also definitely appears more FP+ are being handed out. ITA they are two different systems and comparing them is rather apples to oranges. To me, the comparison is more important when looking at the experience of using one system vs the other. And folks will never agree as to which is the better system b/c it depends on individual touring styles.

Sorry, I was not trying to pick on your post, and I think we actually see FP+ about the same.

I was not taking your post as meaning one was better than the other, nor was I trying to say that in my post. they are simply different, how different we don't yet know. I was mostly thinking about FP+ and FP- in terms of how many passes can be issued each day, and how those passes will be distributed over the course of the day. I'd like to think the new system eventually will be better, but the mis-steps are not encouraging. It is not a good sign that Disney's website crashed the day the new 7DMT FP opened up. The price hikes are also not a good sign.

Bottom line is that you are correct, none of us knows how this new system will play out over the next major holiday just yet.

Then again, WDW might even offer different things to different guests. I'm betting the system is not quite sophisticated enough to do this, but in theory - WDW could offer variable FP availability; some guests might get MORE access to FP availability than others.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Kind of.

We were at SAB late AM and it showed TT still available-gone before we could get there. This has happened in the parks as well-much less from the hotel room as mickeyluv'r suggested.

It was good at letting you know there is a ZERO % chance you could obtain a FP- for headliners -so it had that going for it.

There's simply no way that TP had their information 100% correct. The technology just wasn't there. Even Disney's technology is not 100% when it comes to posted wait times- either at the attractions or online.

Beyond that, I'm kind of talking in the aggregate here. FP- was itself different things at different points, and TP also changed over time. Though I would not call myself a TP expert, I've never really used any paid service like that.

I've witnessed considerable variation between posted waits and actual waits a number of times. Even very recently! Indeed, I've come to think of myself as somewhat of an expert at eyeballing/sampling a line to get a sense of it's duration. (thanks to too many trips to WDW). I secretly wonder if CM's enjoyed inflating wait times.

Many guests trust the wait times WAY too much. That's all I'm gonna say.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Sorry, I was not trying to pick on your post, and I think we actually see FP+ about the same.

I was not taking your post as meaning one was better than the other, nor was I trying to say that in my post. they are simply different, how different we don't yet know. I was mostly thinking about FP+ and FP- in terms of how many passes can be issued each day, and how those passes will be distributed over the course of the day. I'd like to think the new system eventually will be better, but the mis-steps are not encouraging. It is not a good sign that Disney's website crashed the day the new 7DMT FP opened up. The price hikes are also not a good sign.

Bottom line is that you are correct, none of us knows how this new system will play out over the next major holiday just yet.

Then again, WDW might even offer different things to different guests. I'm betting the system is not quite sophisticated enough to do this, but in theory - WDW could offer variable FP availability; some guests might get MORE access to FP availability than others.

Yup....we're def on the same page. I'm watching reports now b/c crowd wise should be similar to when I'm there at the end of Oct.