How many FP+ do you want?

[bcrook]

I have to agree with you and all though I know Disney parks and Disney is a for profit company I feel there should be some balance. In my opinion the balance lately has been tipping always towards what benefits Disney and this is one more symptom of that. Eventually they will swing to far and then we might start to see some true customer benefits again.

I hope so too!

Btw, I am not saying Disney is evil for trying this strategy out. More power to them. If it works - wow! Good for the stockholders.

But I find it frustrating when Disney is given credit for creating a better more equitable system for all guests. They have not said that this is their reason.

They have been very clear, this is about data, money and crowd control.

 

[toomuchtv]

I'm okay with the 3, though 4 would be nice. I don't like the tiers.

 

[bcrook]

I'm okay with the 3, though 4 would be nice. I don't like the tiers.

No more tiers! Tiers cause tears! No more tears!

 

[texhanddoc]

This is myth. This is not designed to give these people a chance. Actually it is going to hurt them more .. The casual visitor will be blindsided by the more savvy visitors weeks in advance. Disney doesn't care who has those slots, they just want vacations locked in an advance to keep off site guests at their parks and not wander off.

I agree that Disney would want vacations as locked in advance as possible. But Disney is not dumb. They know the majority of FP+ reservations will be made the same day by people who show up to the park.

It is most definitely not a myth. What is the point of the tiered system? If 10,000 FPs are distributed for TSM in a single day... you now have planners having to decide... do you want to use your SINGLE tier 1 FP for RnRC or TSM? If you value RnRC more (have older kids), you will use it for RnRC. Once legacy FPs are gone, the only people riding TSM twice will be those getting there at rope drop AND making a FP+ reservation. The days of riding TSM 3 or 4 times because you know "the system" are gone.

So, having only 3 available while combining this with a tiered system tends to "spread the wealth." Soarin OR TT.... RnRC OR TSM. These are the decisions planners have to make instead of collecting sets of these every time your FP return window comes up. Maybe it is forcing people to plan more, but make no mistake, one of the main purposes of this system is to make sure that most of the fastpasses are not in the hands of the few.

 

[bcrook]

I agree that Disney would want vacations as locked in advance as possible. But Disney is not dumb. They know the majority of FP+ reservations will be made the same day by people who show up to the park.

It is most definitely not a myth. What is the point of the tiered system? If 10,000 FPs are distributed for TSM in a single day... you now have planners having to decide... do you want to use your SINGLE tier 1 FP for RnRC or TSM? If you value RnRC more (have older kids), you will use it for RnRC. Once legacy FPs are gone, the only people riding TSM twice will be those getting there at rope drop AND making a FP+ reservation. The days of riding TSM 3 or 4 times because you know "the system" are gone.

So, having only 3 available while combining this with a tiered system tends to "spread the wealth." Soarin OR TT.... RnRC OR TSM. These are the decisions planners have to make instead of collecting sets of these every time your FP return window comes up. Maybe it is forcing people to plan more, but make no mistake, one of the main purposes of this system is to make sure that most of the fastpasses are not in the hands of the few.

That makes sense to you, but in no publications or interviews has this been stayed by Disney. On the other hand, they have stated over and over again that mymagic+ is designed to get people to spend 15-20% more in the parks, book up rides in advance to lock in guests and keep them from wandering off in Orlando. They have said people like interacting with their phones and the technologies.

They have said they want people to enjoy the other non headliners in the park, and this forces people that way. They love the idea of knowing where everybody is and where they are going.

But they have never said, they are going to level the playing ground and purposely keep my teenagers from riding ToT three times so others can enjoy it.

They have realized if they gather up all the FP and then hand them out as they see fit, they can better control people's behavior. At least that is their thought.

I have most of the interviews with Disney execs bookmarked, they can be found in the link of my signature.

 

[LucyBC80]

Six would be my ideal number. No tiers and no picking one experience just once. If I want to book Splash Mountain or Everest with all my available FP+, it's my vacation and I spend it as I see fit.

 

[minnie mum]

Six would be my ideal number. No tiers and no picking one experience just once. If I want to book Splash Mountain or Everest with all my available FP+, it's my vacation and I spend it as I see fit.

I would probably only want 5 or 6 at MK and DHS. But like you I detest the restrictions placed by the tiers and by not being able to get repeat FPs for my favourites. Why shouldn't we be able to get 3 FPs for Splash if that is how we want to allocate them? This 'Big Brother" aspect of the FP+ system is a big part of why we dislike this new system so much.

 

[doctornick]

I am fine with three prebooked FastPass+ as long as once you are in the park you can book more while in the park in a similar fashion to how FP- work. For instance, if I booked the FP+ for Test Track at 3pm, Maelstrom at 5pm, and Soarin at 8pm. If I could also schedule other fastpasses when I arrived at say Magic Kingdom at 9am using similar rules to FP- where you can only have one booked at a time (not counting the prebooked FP+)

Of course, it probably won't work this way, and having tiers just complicates things further.

This. I have no problems with making a limit of 3 for pre-booking. Heck, I'd be fine with it being 1 or 2 for pre-booking. But I would like to have the system work like the traditional FP system in that you can pick up additional FP+ the day off based on what remains. If there exists additional unbooked FP+ capacity in a given day, it would be nice to allow people access to that to get more that 3 FP+ or to book in a different park, just have the mechanism of booking be via the internet or at the in park kiosks through MM+ as opposed to running to paper FP machines at the specific attractions.

I agree but the only difference I would suggest would be you have to use your 1st FP+ before getting a new one. Only being able to have 3 at any given time.

I'm fine with that too.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Three is perfectly acceptable for me

 

[bcrook]

This. I have no problems with making a limit of 3 for pre-booking. Heck, I'd be fine with it being 1 or 2 for pre-booking. But I would like to have the system work like the traditional FP system in that you can pick up additional FP+ the day off based on what remains. If there exists additional unbooked FP+ capacity in a given day, it would be nice to allow people access to that to get more that 3 FP+ or to book in a different park, just have the mechanism of booking be via the internet or at the in park kiosks through MM+ as opposed to running to paper FP machines at the specific attractions.



I'm fine with that too.

Once they have given every one three, what will they do with the leftovers?

That question is still a mystery. Will they simply be available to grab first come first serve? Not likely - no value in that..

Could they be sold? Possibly

Could they be doled out as perks - surprise and delight to guests in the park...Disney has actually said they would do that.

Could they be an on site deluxe room treat?

Could they simply be eaten and allow standby to progress faster? I don't know.

But this will be fun to see.

 

[larryz]

How many do you really want?

How many you got?

 

[bcrook]

Three is perfectly acceptable for me

Three booked a month in advance with little room for switching when you arrive? Just curious.

 

[momof2n2]

Six would be my ideal number. No tiers and no picking one experience just once. If I want to book Splash Mountain or Everest with all my available FP+, it's my vacation and I spend it as I see fit.

6-8, plus this. I want to ride TSMM & EE & Soarin' 2-3 times each like I've always done.

 

[TJDisneymama]

Why do they need to limit at all? Why cant it be like it was - one every 2 hours
(Or whenever you use your current one)? I cant imagine people who do 12 hour days getting only 3 FPs. That is pathetic!

 

[Sammie]

3 is fine with me, at least that way I know I actually have them.

 

[Mkrop]

In my perfect Disney FP world, FP- would still be in place for good, with the addition of FP+...which in that case, I'd have no qualms with the quantity of three or the tiering because I'd see FP+ simply as a bonus...mostly so I could avoid rope drop for TSMM! It's our fave and we like to ride it a couple times.

This how I thought it was going to work.

You could book one or two prior to the trip and then once you enter the park you could pull more either via paper or if paperless than through your phone.

I never imagined tiering or not being able to get FPs for my favorites, if I want to use all my FPs while I am in the park for the same ride I should be able to.

And I done understand the whole one park thing, let me park hop and choose FPs in that park too.

 

[Praying Colonel]

more

And don't limit me to 1 park.

And let me get multiples for 1 attraction.

And don't tier me, bro.

 

[Order66]

Having not been yet with all the changes, I'm going to vote along with a lot of others. 3 FP+ would be OK with me, but I'd prefer to also be able to grab them at the park the old way.....after your time has expired or 2 hours whichever comes first. We usually go early summer and the parks are open 12 hours or more. We grab anywhere from 6-8 FP's during our park days. We were there last when FP times were enforced and while it became an inconvenience a few times to not wander off from a part of the park when a FP was coming up....we did OK with it. I'm also not a fan of not being able to choose more than 1 park per day. We always hop, but this will encourage us not to spend the extra money for it.

I always thought part of the whole idea of the FP was that rather than doing nothing but standing in line, the FP is "holding" your place while you do something else, preferably something that involves spending your money. The whole tier mess will have the opposite effect on us. My kids won't choose between TSM or RNR, we'll have to do both. So one day while I'm waiting in a line 60 minutes or more, it's going to be 60 minutes or more I won't be eating....I won't be shopping.....I'll be standing in a line doing nothing to make them a profit at all. Then off to the next long line, where I'll also be spending nothing. Can't waste time in gift shops when we have a lot of things we like to do in each park and more time to wait in line for them.

regards

 

[DPCummerbund]

To me, the ultimate success of FP+ / My Magic isn't a specific number of passes - it's the idea that I'll be able to plan my day, and thus spend my time doing stuff other than waiting in lines - ideally for Disney, this would be shopping and eating, but I'll probably do other things.

Having 3 fastpasses isn'ta plan. Having 5 passes isn't a plan. Having a set of fastpasses and dinner reservations that covers my visit to a park (at least 6-8 hours, preferably 10 or more) is a plan.

I would guess that the normal visitor stays at a park for 8-10 hours. Let's say, hypothetically, 3 FP+ means you wait 30 minutes at an attraction (20 in line, 10 on the ride) instead of 90 minutes. 3 attractions x 30 minutes = 90 minutes "planned" out of the average person's day. If they stay for 9 hours, Disney has helped them plan one sixth of it. The other five sixths will be spent wandering around, waiting in line, and other, typically "unplanned" activities.

For Disney to spend (a reported) one billion dollars on a system that schedule less than 20% of a guest's time is ridiculous. Such a plan will not significantly reduce the amount of time anyone spends in line, and therefore will not increase the amount of time spent in restaurants and gift shops - thus negating the point of the program in the first place. I think FP+ has great potential, but to reach that potential will require a significant increase in the amount of "planned" experience.

 

[bcrook]

To me, the ultimate success of FP+ / My Magic isn't a specific number of passes - it's the idea that I'll be able to plan my day, and thus spend my time doing stuff other than waiting in lines - ideally for Disney, this would be shopping and eating, but I'll probably do other things.

Having 3 fastpasses isn'ta plan. Having 5 passes isn't a plan. Having a set of fastpasses and dinner reservations that covers my visit to a park (at least 6-8 hours, preferably 10 or more) is a plan.

I would guess that the normal visitor stays at a park for 8-10 hours. Let's say, hypothetically, 3 FP+ means you wait 30 minutes at an attraction (20 in line, 10 on the ride) instead of 90 minutes. 3 attractions x 30 minutes = 90 minutes "planned" out of the average person's day. If they stay for 9 hours, Disney has helped them plan one sixth of it. The other five sixths will be spent wandering around, waiting in line, and other, typically "unplanned" activities.

For Disney to spend (a reported) one billion dollars on a system that schedule less than 20% of a guest's time is ridiculous. Such a plan will not significantly reduce the amount of time anyone spends in line, and therefore will not increase the amount of time spent in restaurants and gift shops - thus negating the point of the program in the first place. I think FP+ has great potential, but to reach that potential will require a significant increase in the amount of "planned" experience.

Very insightful. After a year of tracking this adventure, that is the first I have read that example. Is that your original idea? I will have to cite that and add it to the archive.