How to "fix" FP+

[ktlm]

On the surface I absolutely agree with you. Simplify it and it stands a chance of working. Except! what happened when everyone prebooks the same ride? Back to the same problem of not enough Fast Passes.

Whether you use the old or new system- there is always a finite ride capacity and a limited amount of fast passes. "My" system in operation would be no different that it is now with the tiering- every single person who books at 60 days out can attempt to book TSM with the system the way it is now- they just can't book another top tier ride. If you just book one in advance- it is the same--- but you can have the availability to get another top tier ride that day based on availability. Presumably, if you can only have 1 FP+ not everyone will book TSM- some people would rather book RNR. Just like at EPCOT-presumably, not everyone will book Soarin- some people will book Test Track- some might book Illuminations figuring they can pull FP+ for the other rides in the park--- AND maybe to try and get people to spread out the advance one between more attractions shows and parades are only available for pre-booking for your 1 FP+, not for a day of FP. Then- if they would actually rope off a FP+ section for Fantasmic (unlike now where the FP+ is worthless there)- surely some people would book that and take their chances with TSM. (That is the whole reason they implemented the tiers) Just like now- if everyone does try to book FP+ for TSM, then there will not be any same day availability- no different than now- or with the running of the bulls old fast pass rush to TSM. WDW could hold back some FP for each time slot for day off, if it elected to. I really think it would work. I definitely think it would work better than the FP+ system they are implementing now.

WDW still gets people committed to a park because they have one attraction locked down for that day. With the flexibility and ability to plan your day as you go and to get more FP than 3 without overloading the system as everything is staggered- then people spend less time standing in line which gives them more time for shopping.

If the system can't handle everyone getting a FP when they walk in the gates- then make a waiting period and don't let them get it at rope drop. Not everyone is going to get on their phone at exactly the same minute that way- some people will be doing other things.

 

[jade1]

I would be willing to pay $10. However, I wouldn't be willing to pay $50 for the five members of my family. Multiplication is always a killer.

Don't get hung up on the number-it's just a suggestion, would you pay $2 ($10 total)? If it meant a 2nd Soarin would be built?

So if you choose to bypass the SB 2 times during your trip-you (10 rides) just donated $20 to building the 2nd Soarin wing-which will be free to you in a few years.

Point is-there is a price to add to attractions-and to build new headliners. How fast WDW would want the return on investment is probably pretty long term. $10 EA would only be a year or 2 for some additions, well that's probably not necessary-maybe 5 or 10 years would be fine.

Like the mine train-I bet that would pay off in 2 years or less, but like you say-it may not be super popular, so they would want to factor that in etc.

 

[Robo]

"My" system in operation would be no different that it is now with the tiering- every single person who books at 60 days out can attempt to book TSM with the system the way it is now- they just can't book another top tier ride.

That is much more limiting than even FP-

Guests (who didn't get a FP+ reservation) would know, BEFORE their trips, that they were NOT going to get to ride the 7DMT without a 2 hour wait.

Nope, I'm not going.

Please, please... scrap the "advance reservations" for riding attractions.

 

[DebbieB]

I would do a combination of both. Allow 3 in advance, including tiering, so that there would be enough to go around and then allow more the same day, maybe one every 2 hours, in the same or different parks.

I loved being able to choose any time of the day in advance. The thing I disliked about FP- is being limited to the return time on the clock and to have to be physically at the fastpass machine at the right time. I would be OK with eliminating the advance FP if you could still pick any time of the day when you got to the park.

 

[rebbyparker]

I would do a combination of both. Allow 3 in advance, including tiering, so that there would be enough to go around and then allow more the same day, maybe one every 2 hours, in the same or different parks.

I loved being able to choose any time of the day in advance. The thing I disliked about FP- is being limited to the return time on the clock and to have to be physically at the fastpass machine at the right time. I would be OK with eliminating the advance FP if you could still pick any time of the day when you got to the park.

Multiply this by every other guest in the park and we're back to where we started.

 

[Robo]

Multiply this by every other guest in the park and we're back to where we started.

Yup.

For every guest who knows IN ADVANCE that they ARE getting what they want...
How many other guests are knowing IN ADVANCE that they are NOT getting what they want.

It's the "IN ADVANCE" part that is the blessing/curse one-two knock-out punch.

 

[Laketravis]

So if you choose to bypass the SB 2 times during your trip-you (10 rides) just donated $20 to building the 2nd Soarin wing-which will be free to you in a few years.

I suppose it's simply semantics - I could argue that I donated $6,500 to building a 2nd Soarin on my most recent trip.

 

[Laketravis]

yup.

For every guest who knows in advance that they are getting what they want...
How many other guests are knowing in advance that they are not getting what they want.

It's the "in advance" part that is the blessing/curse one-two knock-out punch.

+1

It's one thing to go online six months in advance and reserve an experience that fills my tummy and lasts an hour and a half or more....

It's another to do that for something that is over in a couple of minutes.

Not being able to do that after several initial attempts for the first might be "understandable" but it's not going to make much sense on the second.

 

[HM]

Wouldn't it be nice if the MB could be used in such a way that they worked like the previous FP system did? Instead of putting your card in and getting a paper fastpass, you swipe your MB and get a time for return. No preplanning, just on the day of, like old FP. The only problem I see is how to keep up with the time to return and when you can get another using a MB (and no smartphone app).

 

[Robo]

Wouldn't it be nice if the MB could be used in such a way that they worked like the previous FP system did? Instead of putting your card in and getting a paper fastpass, you swipe your MB and get a time for return. No preplanning, just on the day of, like old FP. The only problem I see is how to keep up with the time to return and when you can get another using a MB (and no smartphone app).

Touch the magic band and get a paper ticket with your info on it.

Done!

 

[jade1]

I suppose it's simply semantics - I could argue that I donated $6,500 to building a 2nd Soarin on my most recent trip.

You and I know that-but try telling a bean counter.

 

[FlipHipster]

Also, your scenario would be a nightmare logistically. The infrastructure couldn't handle it. You'd have thousands at ropedrop all hitting the one wifi hotspot at the gates and 10's of thousands logging on to MDE at the resorts (if they opened it up to same day not just in-Park), all trying to get their next 2 FP+ reservations. The system would crater.

I think with the new system, there is plenty of potential for this scenario. Imagine thousands of people walking around the park with their phones out trying to check/rebook FP's , while at the same time thousands are in the hotel rooms, on the bus, at DTD, wherever trying to book FP's,while at the exact same time thousands are going through FP scanners all over the property executing their FP. Regardless of how they repackage and redistribute FP, the system I used while I was there a few weeks ago left very little confidence that it would be able to handle the load. Now on top of that add thousands of teenagers walking around the parks this summer with their iPhones and MB's trying to figure out how to exploit the mobile app and latency issues in the back end reservation system to get extra FP. Houston we have a problem...

Seems pretty obvious the bulk of the project was focused on the "Analytics" (data mining) and not so much on the reservation "infrastructure". Translation = somebody's consulting company made out like a bandit setting up the "business intelligence" pieces while the customer focused pieces were done on a shoestring budget. *shocker* Sure they will eventually fix the technical issues after pouring in tons of cash but now you have massive cost overruns that have to be offset somewhere else.... Wonder what will go?

At the end of the day what was the real potential of the program even if they rolled it out with no hitches whatsoever? We stand in a lot of lines at Disney (not complaining). I am not so sure how getting me through 3 of them faster is suddenly going to free up all this time for shopping . Also I am a planner but planning FP isn't going to stop me from going to US, I will just plan around it. The one thing that did stop us from going to US this year was cost. However next year we won't buy PH because it no longer fits our traveling style with all the advanced booking. Hey!!! I just found $200+ to use for US tickets....

I guess I am just not in the "target demographic" which is why it doesn't make sense to me. I'm cool with that as long as we can still have great vacations. If something happens to change that we can always go do something else. There's a big world outside of Orlando.......

 

[MrsDanielle]

While I like the IDEA of scheduling the FP system from a portable/electronic device, it would wreak havoc to open the entirely of MK, Epcot, DHS, and DAK FP+ reservations at, say, 8PM the night before.
CRASH!
(Imagine the daily laments on the boards of, "We tried to get a FP+ for TSM but all we got was a frowny Donald head for an hour... then they were all gone!")

One of the ways the old FP system worked was to allow guests to SEE if they NEEDED a FP to ride the attraction.

Walk to the ride, take a look at the line, either enter right then, or take a FP.

It worked and worked very well.

Did I LIKE having to walk all the way to Exp. Everest to get a FP and then to Safari to ride standby, well, no, but it worked with crowd control/FP control.

If you think FP+ will eliminate the Rope Drop Rush, just look at how the "new strategy" has shaken out...Now, making FP+reservations for later in the day, and still arriving for the Rope Drop Rush to ride the biggies with shorter lines.

Again, I like the idea of electronic booking at a late date, but I don't think Disney has the electronic capacity to handle it.

This is exactly what we did the week prior to Thanksgiving.

 

[FlipHipster]

Wouldn't it be nice if the MB could be used in such a way that they worked like the previous FP system did? Instead of putting your card in and getting a paper fastpass, you swipe your MB and get a time for return. No preplanning, just on the day of, like old FP. The only problem I see is how to keep up with the time to return and when you can get another using a MB (and no smartphone app).

Funny, this was my soapbox while we were there. Seems like they could have saved themselves some real headaches by just rolling out touchscreen kiosks that interact with magic bands to replace the current machines for phase 1. Then implement the reservation system in phases to help limit your exposure to issues until you get it tuned. With the kiosks, they control your location and time so you don't have to worry about the timing issues with the backend. You also don't have to deal with all of the other headaches the mobile app introduces like someone booking while in line using a current FP. Get all the kinks worked out of the reservation system and THEN roll out your mobile app. Once you have a solid platform generating good data, then work on the analytics.

 

[Robo]

Funny, this was my soapbox while we were there. Seems like they could have saved themselves some real headaches by just rolling out touchscreen kiosks that interact with magic bands to replace the current machines for phase 1. Then implement the reservation system in phases to help limit your exposure to issues until you get it tuned. With the kiosks, they control your location and time so you don't have to worry about the timing issues with the backend. You also don't have to deal with all of the other headaches the mobile app introduces like someone booking while in line using a current FP. Get all the kinks worked out of the reservation system and THEN roll out your mobile app. Once you have a solid platform generating good data, then work on the analytics.

They didn't want it RIGHT... They wanted it THURSDAY.




(So, they got NEITHER.)

 

[hoosll]

Anyone else wish they had spent all the FP+ and MDE money on building a new park in South America rather than Shanghai!

Oh, but then they couldn't sell timeshares at the Cont, GF, and Poly to rich South Americans ...

 

[DebbieB]

Yup.

For every guest who knows IN ADVANCE that they ARE getting what they want...
How many other guests are knowing IN ADVANCE that they are NOT getting what they want.

It's the "IN ADVANCE" part that is the blessing/curse one-two knock-out punch.

That's why I said "I would be OK with eliminating the advance FP if you could still pick any time of the day when you got to the park", which was highlighted with rebbyparker's reply. Same as FP- except no return clock, chose any time of the day. So if I wanted a certain fastpass after lunch or in the evening, I could choose it in the morning. There would have to be some limitation so that there would be enough to go around, say every 1 or 2 hours you could choose one.

 

[rebbyparker]

They didn't want it RIGHT... They wanted it THURSDAY.




(So, they got NEITHER.)

and

 

[clsteve]

I think with the new system, there is plenty of potential for this scenario. Imagine thousands of people walking around the park with their phones out trying to check/rebook FP's , while at the same time thousands are in the hotel rooms, on the bus, at DTD, wherever trying to book FP's,while at the exact same time thousands are going through FP scanners all over the property executing their FP. Regardless of how they repackage and redistribute FP, the system I used while I was there a few weeks ago left very little confidence that it would be able to handle the load. Now on top of that add thousands of teenagers walking around the parks this summer with their iPhones and MB's trying to figure out how to exploit the mobile app and latency issues in the back end reservation system to get extra FP. Houston we have a problem...

I feel sorry for those 4 teenagers, sitting around the Xmas Tree at DHS, waiting for the park to open, playing World of Warcraft - when the Disney Bandwidth SWAT Team comes screaming up in the armored vehicle because they just cratered the wifi....

 

[ktlm]

That is much more limiting than even FP-

Guests (who didn't get a FP+ reservation) would know, BEFORE their trips, that they were NOT going to get to ride the 7DMT without a 2 hour wait.

Nope, I'm not going.

Please, please... scrap the "advance reservations" for riding attractions.

Oh, I'm with you on totally scrapping the whole "advance reservations", but I don't think WDW is, or ever will be.

It is more limiting than FP- because you will know in advance instead of after joining the stampede in the morning that you can't get a FP+. I'm not sure how it is more limiting than FP+ already is because I'm pretty sure when you book 60 days out, that guests who don't book until 30 days out (or probably even 59 days out) are not going be be able to get a FP+ for 7DMT and can say "Nope, I'm not going"

You know- now that you mention it--- I'm pretty sure that when we book our next trip (which I'm not sure when that is going to be anymore after dealing with FP+/MDE for 9 days on our last trip), that if I get on MDE 60 days out and can't get a FP+ for 7DMT that I will be cancelling that trip and moving it and trying again. I'm thinking the line may be 3 hours or more- we were at Disneyland the week they re-opened Star Tours and that line was posted at 300 minutes (5 hours long)- luckily we were staying on property and were given resort fast passes for it which was a perk they provided for that summer. DL does have a large local crowd who can come just to stand in line all day though- but I'm still thinking the 7DMT line may well be 3 hours at first. If there is only FP+ and no FP-, I won't be going to WDW until I have a FP+ secured for 7DMT!