How do the kiosks work?

[ffugitive]

Will I be able to make a 4th fastpass reservation for everyone in my group? Do I need their Magicbands? Also, if there is only availability (for a particular ride) for less than the full party, is there the ability to search for overlapping times like in MDE?

 

[jtowntoflorida]

You go up and tap your band and it pulls up MDE. You only need one band per party (and thus one person per party) provided that everyone you want to make FP+s for are on your Friends & Family list in MDE. You can search for overlapping times by just selecting one person at a time (just like in the app) but I really don't recommend this. It's too time-consuming and will just take too long...you'll be holding up the line, and IMHO, it's kinda rude. If I don't like the selections for my full party, I just take whatever is available, and then change it on my phone instead of standing there at the kiosks forever. Also, there will probably be CMs there to "help" you, and they'll be pressing the buttons and will likely only search for your full party anyway. It's easier just to take whatever is available for your full party size and then change it on your own.

 

[redsbe]

They also tend to be very busy and slow moving (as many guests have no idea how to use them and can not decide on selections) and on average or above average crowd days the availability of the most popular attractions are gone by noon or even earlier. Say MK opens at 8am and you have already been able to schedule your three FP+ for 830-930a, 940-1040a and 11-12p at your 60 day window, then when you are able to add a fourth FP+ your options will be limited (especially if park closes at early or regular evening hour) to a few common attractions - certainly none of the mountains. Last week we did not find the extra kiosk FP+ to be very helpful even though we had booked all our 3 FP+ at the 60 window for morning hours. It may save you time to in avoiding longer ride times in afternoon or evening for common ride like HM (instead of a 40 minute SB), but beyond that very limited advantage when park is level 7 or higher.

 

[ffugitive]

I see, so basically just get anything available and then I have full change ability on the app? That makes sense.

Yes, I do not expect major attractions to be available come 1 or 2 when I have used up my 3. But as you say, I think it would be very useful for the lesser attractions so as to avoid the 30-40 minute waits even those seem to have.

 

[redsbe]

I see, so basically just get anything available and then I have full change ability on the app? That makes sense.

Yes, I do not expect major attractions to be available come 1 or 2 when I have used up my 3. But as you say, I think it would be very useful for the lesser attractions so as to avoid the 30-40 minute waits even those seem to have.

yep that is a strategy, unless you end up waiting 20 minutes to use a kiosok! All depends on CMs staffing there (which in our experience was pretty good), time of day, and park crowds. On more then one occasion we walked right past using the kiosk because of a line of 10 or more guests waiting to use one. At that point it did not seem worth the time of effort to save line time at an attraction. More kiosks (even if only open during busy park days) would be very helpful.

 

[Bellanota]

Thanksgiving week I think I only waited 5 mins max for a kiosks... The trick in my view is to not use the one in fantasy land at all ... The one by jungle cruise gets a few people but the one in fontier land was almost always empty. Also once you figure it out don't feel About tellin the CM you know what your doing ... They will try and walk you thru it every time. If you let them it slows things down. They seemed ok when I walked and told them I was on day two and had it figured out ... All of them laughed and just stepped back and let me do my thing

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I see, so basically just get anything available and then I have full change ability on the app? That makes sense.

Yes, I do not expect major attractions to be available come 1 or 2 when I have used up my 3. But as you say, I think it would be very useful for the lesser attractions so as to avoid the 30-40 minute waits even those seem to have.

Definite "lesser attractions." I was extremely disappointed in the 4th FP+ availability at the MK last week. Other than Stitch, Philharmagic, Dumbo, Flying Carpets, IASW, and Little Mermaid, there was nothing available for a family of 4. I thought for sure Pirates and HM would be available pretty much throughout the day, but that wasn't the case. It probably didn't help that PoTC was down for an entire day one of our days and until after noon on another, so maybe your luck will be better. One day I lucked out and got a Mickey FP+ with overlapping times for all 4 of us, but then even that turned into an exercise in frustration when our wait time ended up being about 25 minutes, which was only 10 minutes less than the posted SB wait time!

Now, when we went in late August our experience with the 4th FP+ was totally different, but there was also practically no one in the parks then. What it comes down to is that the 4th FP+ works extremely well in low crowd times, which is when you need it least. But once crowds reach average or above, the value of the 4th FP+ diminishes considerably.

yep that is a strategy, unless you end up waiting 20 minutes to use a kiosok! All depends on CMs staffing there (which in our experience was pretty good), time of day, and park crowds. On more then one occasion we walked right past using the kiosk because of a line of 10 or more guests waiting to use one. At that point it did not seem worth the time of effort to save line time at an attraction. More kiosks (even if only open during busy park days) would be very helpful.

I should have taken a picture, but on Saturday the 13th, there was an actual queue with ropes set up for the kiosks in the MK. I heard people saying the wait was over an hour!

FWIW, the best kept secret re: FP+ kiosks is that there are two unmanned kiosks in the Guest Relations building inside the park in the MK. I walked right up to them every time I used them, even though there were lines elsewhere. It's not all that practical for people already in the park (unless you're willing to hike back to the entrance), but is great for people who park hop.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

I should have taken a picture, but on Saturday the 13th, there was an actual queue with ropes set up for the kiosks in the MK. I heard people saying the wait was over an hour!

Wow...on Saturday teh 20th, the on in Frontierland only had a short line most the day. On Monday the 15th, it looked long, stretched down the path to the main road in front of the DVC booth, but was only a 10 minute wait.

but I do agree with the "select anything" and then use the app to try to perfect it...and keep checking as things do pop up.

 

[mirak]

I hope I didn't make a mistake booking all three FPs for the morning in the hope of snagging 4th and 5th FPs later on. Currently, for a Magic Kingdom early EMH day opening at 8, I've got FPs for 9:15 (SDMT), 10:15 (Splash) and 11:15 (Jungle Tour). I was hoping to then grab an early afternoon FP for POTC and a late afternoon FP for Buzz.

TouringPlans rates the crowds for my February Thursday EMH day as a 5.

 

[SuperTink]

FWIW, the best kept secret re: FP+ kiosks is that there are two unmanned kiosks in the Guest Relations building inside the park in the MK. I walked right up to them every time I used them, even though there were lines elsewhere. It's not all that practical for people already in the park (unless you're willing to hike back to the entrance), but is great for people who park hop.

This is extremely helpful. Thank you!

 

[ktlm]

Just FYI- we had an awful time trying to change FP+ on the app on the smartphones in October. It can glitch when you try to change times. We tried to move one earlier and when I hit confirm on the time I wanted it wound up significantly later instead. The CM at the kiosk told me it was either a glitch or someone else was getting the FP+ at the same time and hit confirm before I did.

Also, unless they have fixed it, if you are going to change experiences, it will look like it is giving you the same time as your original FP+, but the option shows up if the other experience you want is available at ANY time that day. Although, it looks like you are getting the same time with a different attraction, when you hit confirm it will assign you the first available time for the experience that day, which may be at 11:00 p.m., or may be in the middle of an ADR you have later. We found that out the hard way.

We found it was much better and safer to change FP+ at the kiosk, even if it was sometimes a pain to walk to a kiosk. We never had much of a wait for a kiosk. The longest wait I had was at the Fantasyland one, and that was still only about 5 minutes. At the kiosk, the CM will be able to pull up the other experiences for you AND can show you what times they are actually available- unlike the app.

 

[Laketravis]

I consider the FP Kiosks to be a regressive feature. Meaning the more you need it the less useful it is.

Our experience in all parks was that the time required to get to a kiosk, wait in line, and then use the kiosk typically exceeded the time required just to go thru the standby line of any of the choices that were still left.

When the lesser attractions (which would be the only choices left) have SB wait times of 20 minutes or less, you'll save time just getting in line. And for the high capacity, interval-based shows like Mickey's Philharmagic or Captain EO where everyone gets in at the same time anyway, there is no advantage to having an FP.

You can try it yourself and form your own opinion.

 

[mggeary]

Increased FP+ awareness and use (far more than legacy FP), Cast members, and some other factors have squeezed the system far more than during roll out and over the summer.

Don't underestimate however how much time you will save getting fastpasses for those "minor rides" like Small World, etc... that used to have no lines and now under FP+ have 30+ min afternoon waits. This is where you will get your value from 4th FP at MK, less value for 4th FP at other parks.