HELP! Am I doing something wrong??

[nilla]

Wow... didn't realize that. Thanks for the quick reply. A pretty ridiculous policy, IMO. I'm already not liking FP+ !

Wait until you get to the parks. FP+ is wonderful. We were worried about it last year, especially with how buggy the website was when we were making our FPs. Then, we got to WDW and fell in love with it pretty quickly.

 

[Shaden]

Exactly. If you are staying at WDW they will know you are there for 14 days but only purchased 3 days of tickets. Where as if you are off property all they know is you bought 6 days of tickets. You could use all those tickets in 3 days if you went to two parks each day. They don't know how long you will be in the area.

Try reading my post again. The whole POINT is that WDW has stated a) they want to lock you in to WDW days as much as possible so more of your vacation dollar stays in WDW instead of going other places. This would especially apply to offsite guests. b) Another stated goal of the system is staffing management, making sure they have enough staff in the parks depending on crowds, and enough people in the correct parks, or at the right attractions, etc. This only works if people are able to pre-book. The more advanced notice they have of this, the better.

 

[IrishNYC]

True. But I see nothing that would prevent them from enabling an offsite passholder the option to book their FPs 10 days (or however many the on siters get) from the first day that they book an FP for.

The fact that 60+10 is an onsite stay perk is what prevents them from making 30+10 an offsite perk. They don't make it a perk because they don't want to or have to.

 

[Robo]

Exactly. If you are staying at WDW they will know you are there for 14 days but only purchased 3 days of tickets. Where as if you are off property all they know is you bought 6 days of tickets.

You could use all those tickets in 3 days if you went to two parks each day.

Sorry, that's not possible.
Guests can only use one "theme park ticket asset" per day on multi-day tickets.

Guests can only visit more than one park per day if they have the Hopper option.
Regardless, guests can only book, in advance, 3 FP+ per day.

 

[staceyeileen]

B) This applies to AP holders too .... should they be subject to the same restrictions ?

Yes, AP holders are subject to the same restrictions. I'm an AP holder. I can book FPs for 30 days from today, but if I need an FP 31 days from today I have to wait until tomorrow.

 

[staceyeileen]

APs I Believe can book up to 60 days in advance, Disney doesn't know when they will be showing up either, they might be staying off property but they can still book at 60 days, all Disney knows is I have an AP, I can use that any days I want. No reason to treat people who have purchased non-AP tickets any differently.

This is not correct. AP holders are limited to booking FP 30 days from the current date. In fact, one could argue that AP holders are even MORE limited when it comes to booking FP, because they are only allowed 7 total days of FP+ booked even if they plan on staying for more than 7 days (again, because Disney has no idea how long your trip is)

 

[mesaboy2]

A lot of this stuff is covered somewhere....where was it?

 

[Shaden]

This is not correct. AP holders are limited to booking FP 30 days from the current date. In fact, one could argue that AP holders are even MORE limited when it comes to booking FP, because they are only allowed 7 total days of FP+ booked even if they plan on staying for more than 7 days (again, because Disney has no idea how long your trip is)

Corrected. But the point still stands, there is no reason for this. None. It doesn't even seem to serve the purposes stated by Disney execs about the system. Nothing that prevents Disney from expanding it to 30days +10, for APs and offsites. On site still has quite the advantage being able to book 30 days prior.

 

[Shaden]

A lot of this stuff is covered somewhere....where was it?

Can't imagine, I actually read your post before writing but was thrown off somehow. I think because I read AP holders can prebook 60 days in advance ... then my eyes just skipped to the 7 days thing

 

[KEVD]

The fact that 60+10 is an onsite stay perk is what prevents them from making 30+10 an offsite perk.

All I'm sayin' is... if 60+10 is available for onsiters, I don't see what the big deal would be for Disney to allow 30+10 for those staying offsite.

 

[shpooey]

A lot of this stuff is covered somewhere....where was it?

I know I've seen a link somewhere...

I think it was blue. Or maybe yellow. Or something in between there.

 

[IrishNYC]

All I'm sayin' is... if 60+10 is available for onsiters, I don't see what the big deal would be for Disney to allow 30+10 for those staying offsite.

As someone else said, then they might as well make it 40 days. But, as someone else said, Disney has no idea what "30 days from your stay" is because they don't care where you're staying if you're not onsite. It makes no difference to them. If they changed it it would be a 40 day reservation window, whether you word it 30+10 or 40, it's still a 40 day window.

Offsite guests get a 20+10 window. Sound better?

 

[mesaboy2]

As someone else said, then they might as well make it 40 days. But, as someone else said, Disney has no idea what "30 days from your stay" is because they don't care where you're staying if you're not onsite. It makes no difference to them. If they changed it it would be a 40 day reservation window, whether you word it 30+10 or 40, it's still a 40 day window.

Offsite guests get a 20+10 window. Sound better?

You should be in marketing.

 

[Shaden]

As someone else said, then they might as well make it 40 days. But, as someone else said, Disney has no idea what "30 days from your stay" is because they don't care where you're staying if you're not onsite. It makes no difference to them. If they changed it it would be a 40 day reservation window, whether you word it 30+10 or 40, it's still a 40 day window.

Offsite guests get a 20+10 window. Sound better?

Really, its so difficult for you to take the logical step to ... 30days +10 starting on the first day you book a Fastpass ?

 

[IrishNYC]

Really, its so difficult for you to take the logical step to ... 30days +10 starting on the first day you book a Fastpass ?

30+10=40. It's a 40 day window no matter how logical you want to get. But it's a strict 30 days. That's it. That's the way it is. It's not difficult for me at all to take the logical step that even if you call it 30+10 it's still a 40 day window.

When I booked on my 60+10 window, it was really 61 days from my first day in park. That's a bonus of being on site.

Onsite is 60+10 because you could be staying for 14 days, but you're still only allowed to book 10 days beyond. Same for 180+10 ADR for onsite guests. You can complain that Disney knows you're staying 14 nights, so it wouldn't be that difficult for them to open up 4 more days for you. But they don't. That's the way it is.

 

[KEVD]

This is going in circles

 

[Shaden]

30+10=40. It's a 40 day window no matter how logical you want to get. But it's a strict 30 days. That's it. That's the way it is. It's not difficult for me at all to take the logical step that even if you call it 30+10 it's still a 40 day window.

When I booked on my 60+10 window, it was really 61 days from my first day in park. That's a bonus of being on site.

Onsite is 60+10 because you could be staying for 14 days, but you're still only allowed to book 10 days beyond. Same for 180+10 ADR for onsite guests. You can complain that Disney knows you're staying 14 nights, so it wouldn't be that difficult for them to open up 4 more days for you. But they don't. That's the way it is.

Your argument was 'How could they possibly know what your stay is .... 30+10 days from what !!??? I mean how is this multibillion dollar company supposed to know when you are going to be visiting WDW if you are staying off site ?? Garsh, its so confusing'

The simple solution, that you can't seem to make the leap to ... 30+10 starting the first day you book a Fastpass, I am guessing that's when you are visiting WDW if you are staying offsite, starting the first day you book an FP for up to the number of days you have tickets for (since Disney does have that data).

We aren't talking about "the way it is" the OP was questioning WHY its the way it is, and to an extent complaining that it is the way it is, and rightly so.

So onsite gets a 70 day booking window, offsite gets a 30.

It does not make sense.

It makes perfect sense to give onsite some advantage, or encourage onsite bookings I guess (though other people have argued quite well you are each paying the same for park admission regardless).

But, for a system that is designed to try and lock people in, and to let Disney know when people are going to be in the parks, it would make much more sense to let off site guests book 30+10

Let alone to simply the process for the guest, who under the current rules has to long on at midnight every night at 30 days out for as long as their trip is in order to ensure the best chance at FPs (though I don't know if this is really necessary to get the FPs they want)

 

[Hummingbird]

It's an onsite perk. Plain and simple. You need to stay onsite if the perk is that important to you. And I say this as an AP holder who can only book 30 days out one day at a time (unless I stay onsite).
TBH Disney doesn't have to let anyone book them in advance. They also could have done 30 days for onsite guest and day of for everyone else (heard that option was thrown around a bit when deciding). Hotel guest get perks. Perks are a big draw for a lot of guest. Some guest may decide they do not need to stay onsite if the perks weren't really perks costing Disney money and some of the "lock in" factor. I know for us we would never stay onsite if we didn't get transportation & emh. I also think the whole locking in guest thing applies more so to onsite guest because if you buy a ticket and I buy the same ticket and I am onsite they are getting more money from me by encouraging me to use my MB as a room key, & charging access.

 

[Shaden]

It's an onsite perk. Plain and simple. You need to stay onsite if the perk is that important to you. And I say this as an AP holder who can only book 30 days out one day at a time (unless I stay onsite).
TBH Disney doesn't have to let anyone book them in advance. They also could have done 30 days for onsite guest and day of for everyone else (heard that option was thrown around a bit when deciding). Hotel guest get perks. Perks are a big draw for a lot of guest. Some guest may decide they do not need to stay onsite if the perks weren't really perks costing Disney money and some of the "lock in" factor. I know for us we would never stay onsite if we didn't get transportation & emh. I also think the whole locking in guest thing applies more so to onsite guest because if you buy a ticket and I buy the same ticket and I am onsite they are getting more money from me by encouraging me to use my MB as a room key, & charging access.

If you buy a ticket, which is also your charging device and room key etc, are staying on property, relying on Disney Transit, why does Disney Have to "lock you in", I'd say you are pretty locked in already. An offsite guest, with a car, staying at a hotel in Orlando, they have options. Booking Fp's is supposed to lock them in to spending time, and money in WDW. Limiting their ability to book Fps, also limits their potential to "lock in".

I totally agree its an onsite perk, not debating that as others elsewhere have, just debating why the system is the way and that it doesn't seem to have any logical basis. That it would be better for both Disney and the guest if offsite could book at 30 and book up to 10 days beginning on that first day.

 

[KEVD]

Let alone to simply the process for the guest, who under the current rules has to long on at midnight every night at 30 days out for as long as their trip is in order to ensure the best chance at FPs (though I don't know if this is really necessary to get the FPs they want)

Thank you, Shaden. Finally someone understands the mere simplicity of my point. Why would WDW require only a portion of their customer base to login for consecutive days when they could simplify things by merely allowing the millions of offsite customers who are planning to attend the parks on consecutive to login once to book all their FP's for the duration of their stay?