How is making FPs fair? Or am I missing something?

[tbssenterprises]

OK, so I was logged on and ready at 7:00am today for a quick stay that starts Dec. 2. Unfortunately, FOP was booked (as was Mine Train) for December 2, 3 and 4.

So, how can that be? Well, for someone's who's vacation starts a few days ahead of mine, that's how they can gobble up all the days for the week or so that they will be there. So, shouldn't the system be, well, if you want Dec. 2, you book on October 3. If you want Dec. 3 you wait and book on October 4th, etc. etc. In other words, I guess all FPs for FOP were taking for the people who's vacation starts before mine does on Dec. 2.

I mean, back in the day I used to do this battle with TicketMaster for Bruce Springsteen tickets. The minute the seats went onsale, most of the good ones, and sometimes even all of them were gone.

Shouldn't Disney rethink this system?

Also, I hear so many people have their TA's making their FPs, etc. Do the TA's have some "special" way to book or are they all sitting at their computers at 7:00am each morning????

 

[flexoidar]

Disney is not trying to make it fair. They are trying to make more money, which is certainly their right. If people don’t like it, they can vote with their wallet. The incentives are to reward those with longer stays. Or to reward those paying more with the CLFP.

 

[mom2rtk]

The system encourages longer stays. Why would Disney want to rethink that?

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

Couldn't agree more. FOP completely booked is ridiculous. I suspected this would be the case, but it completely throws off my AK day.

 

[tbssenterprises]

I can understand that statement about longer stays, but I am an AP and I make a couple of "shorter" trips during the year, which probably exceed a one time "long stay".... so not to start a war, but one man's longer stay is no different than my collection of shorter stays.........

 

[HuskieJohn]

As of now I have planned our AK day on 60+3 just for a chance at an evening FP+ on FOP. I have a party of 7 maybe 6 who will actually ride it so even getting these is not guaranteed.

I understand why this is so we will RD it no matter what and if we do not get FP+ then we will also getting in line just before the park closes


They have set the system up perfectly for those people with extra money to buy the FP+ and no doubt that there will be some wider roll out of the paid FP+ soon.
I am expecting that all FP+ after the 3rd one will no longer be free and they will be an up charge because that is the easiest thing for WDW to switch to next.

 

[shocker]

Yup, longer stays = more $$$$ for Disney = better FP selection for customer.

Simple math.

A company that gives away a free perk (nothing tangible to make, store, deliver) is all the rage right now, like airlines offering early boarding if you'll spend $$$$$$$$ to increase your loyalty status. It costs them nothing to let you on sooner & you feel happier you got on first. This is why more FP or anytime FP are so quickly offered when something goes wrong at Disney. Costs them nothing to throw FP at you & you're happier to wait in line less.

Other perks like MB's, DME, etc. cost $$ to deliver to you.

Agreed, never set up to be fair. Per, the OP scenario, you didn't even mention that an offsite guest can't even start until Nov. 3 & you didn't consider the AP that spent $$$$$$ on their ticket is held to 7 days of FP. Or how about the on site guest that books 10 days before arrival? So, there's caveats for everyone.

Never fear the FP. I've gotten EVERY single hard to get FP the night before or day of my park day... FOP, SDD, 7DMT...all of them.

Happy planning!

 

[Uncle Coaster]

What about the people not staying onsite that have to wait until 30 days?

I believe the system is fair.

 

[jaysmom4285]

Never fear the FP. I've gotten EVERY single hard to get FP the night before or day of my park day... FOP, SDD, 7DMT...all of them.

Happy planning!

This. For our visit last week, I could only get FoP for the early evening, so I took it. On the day we were in AK, I kept refreshing at odd moments and kept finding earlier times, so I gradually worked it back to the early afternoon time I wanted. We went to AK a second day and were able to get a FoP FP+ with some persistent refreshing. And after each FoP FP+ was used, I refreshed and got a Navi FP+ for just minutes later. And, as Shocker noted, we were also able to get additional SDD and 7DMT FP+ on the day of that park visit. Granted, there is only DH and me, and larger parties would probably have more difficulty. But it is not as hard as people seem to think to get FP+ for the popular attractions the day before or the day of.

 

[Klayfish]

The system encourages longer stays. Why would Disney want to rethink that?

Completely agree. Why would Disney want to change it to where people who are making long stays on property get discouraged? Wouldn't make smart business sense.

When I go, I'm an AP holder who stays off site, so I can only book 30 days in advance AND I can only have 7 days worth of FP+ in a 30 day period. Even still, I have no problem whatsoever with the system. "Fair" doesn't always mean everyone gets the same as everyone else.

Besides, FP+ aren't hard to get anyway.

 

[TaraWasHere]

Just keep checking while you are in the park. I snagged FOP, Test Track, SDD, 7DMT, and SM all while wandering in the parks. I also FP'd all the rides in Adventure Land one after another just by refreshing the app a few times.

 

[shocker]

I can understand that statement about longer stays, but I am an AP and I make a couple of "shorter" trips during the year, which probably exceed a one time "long stay".... so not to start a war, but one man's longer stay is no different than my collection of shorter stays.........

No war started here. But there is some simple hotel math to this one too.
Longer stays for customer = less carrying cost per night for hotelier

So, let's take 3-3 night stays vs. 1-9 night stay. Customer has spent the same $$$$, but hotelier has spent 3 times booking your ressie, 3 times checking you in/out, 3 times doing a complete cleaning of room/changing sheets/vacuuming instead of refreshes for multiple nights, 6 times bell services for luggage, 6 times DME rides, & 3MB's. Where for 1-9 night stay, 1 booked ressie, 1 check in/out, 1complete cleaning (maybe 2 if you stay long enough), 2 times bell service, 2 DME rides, 1 MB.

This math is true for all hotels, not just Disney, but other hotels tend to offer 5th night free, but Disney chooses the 'no sweat off our backs' better FP selection. Totally their prerogative.

If every resort turned over 2500 rooms every night, they would need more desk, bell, housekeeping, DME staff. Longer = better for them, shorter = better for you.

Happy planning!

 

[MickeyWaffles]

It really doesn’t bother me (and we did a very short stay with 2 park days earlier this year.)

If a ride is that important to us, we wait standby early or late in the day.

I very much appreciate that they let us book all our FP in one fell swoop. I would not want to have to log in to book each day of our trip. Even now I have to plan ahead to be able to book on the one day with our morning schedule. I couldn’t do that multiple days in a row.

I like being able to book them all at once, even when we have a shorter trip and might get shut out of a couple FP.

 

[tbssenterprises]

Sigh, I wish I could get the MDE benefit, but I drive and PAY to park at the resort. Oh well, that's on me.

 

[glamdring269]

Rope drop is the only FP where folks are generally on equal footing. (Yes, I know there are some mobility based exceptions)

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

My fastpass reservation was yesterday as well. But I planned not to get FoP since while i enjoy it and the detail, it's really not a must do for me any more (I've been on it 4 times) and Monday is my only chance to get there (got a lot of extras, park hopping for the first time, and DHS/GE visits). I'm planning on using EMH the Monday I'm there, but if wait times for FoP are longer than 30-45 min during that time, I'm going to skip it and head over to KJS. Maybe get one or even two morning trips in on that (plus the third for the FP).

And while I know I could have gotten a 7DMT FP since MK is my last park day, I'm not sure how early I really could have gotten it since it's Saturday (I know I know. Avoid that park on Saturdays at all cost but I really like ending my vacation with MK). And again, while the details are neat, it's a "nice if I can get it" ride but there are other attractions I like better (not to mention the extras which include 7DMT anyway).

My point is, I made sure to look at the hours, determine how I can make the most out of EMH (since this is my third stay and I've only used EMH once across any of my other two trips), and temper my expectations on what I can get. I tried to get SDD on my second to last day and was a bit surprised the only time was evening but since it conflicts with a MVMCP I'm attending, I couldn't get it (let alone scheduling that FP so late). Sometimes it's a real bummer when you can't get the FP you really hope for. But it's important to remember all is not lost, and always keep checking. Who knows when an FP will pop up?

And honestly, I don't think it's just to encourage longer stays (though it probably is the MAIN reason). With the amount of people Disney gets, could you imagine everyone on the same day trying to get the same FP? And by the time the system catches up you may be out anyway and at worst it'll be like San Diego Comic Con where it constantly crashes due to how many are trying to buy tickets (or reserve FP in this case).

My issue with the system in both booking FP 60 days out and booking ADR's 180 days out is that it really feeds into the notion of the "perfect trip". Given all the increasing research I've done personally at each trip, I really think it puts a lot of pressure on a lot of people to get it all right according to the advice given by so many. I think it's all good advice, but I've learned that sometimes I just have to accept I have to zig my way instead of zag theirs. Otherwise it's too stressful to try and follow that advice to a T. But a lot of people I don't think realize this and I think this is where the main problem comes in and also how those emotions bubble inside while at a crowded park, especially if you were the only one doing the planning and trying to make it "perfect".

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

My beef is the addition of the Good Neighbour hotels being added to the 60 day FP prebooking window.

 

[Miffy]

OP--Please keep trying for your FoP FP+s. As a PP also noted, I've gotten FoP FP+ the night before, the day of, and, last May, while I was standing in the corridor before the first FoP preshow, I was able to snag another FP+ for FoP for maybe 40 minutes later.

I've also been able to book FP+s for FoP and other mega desirable rides less than 30 days from check-in. It just requires some persistence and luck. And, of course, with FoP, there's always the rope-drop strategy and the get-in-line-just-before-closing strategy. They both work pretty well.

 

[Chrizwald]

Maybe the upcoming Genie app will help with this issue

 

[Brett Wyman]

Disney is not trying to make it fair.

This sums it up. The longer you stay the better chance you have to get the hard to get FPs. Don't forget that with CL you can pay your way into a 90 day window instead of a 60 day window. WDW is a better experience for those that can afford to make it one.