I am now ANGRY!!!!

[1girln3boys]

That's the thing, they'd be totally fine! Just because people on this board stay up until midnight or 1am to book their FPs and ADRs does NOT in any way mean that it's required. There's definitely a skewed reality on the DIS.

You might miss out on the headliners if you did. We booked ours at midnight and couldn't get A&E on our 1st day at MK. But we're able to on our 2nd day.

 

[prudence64]

That's exactly why a lot of people didn't find paper FP to be very useful.

Yes! We got a really inconvenient time for rerun to TSMM - right in the middle of an ADR - in the old system. Got to arrange it well under the new system.

 

[wisblue]

I am not that worried about the exact minute my FP window opens because, with very limited exceptions, what's available at midnight will also be available early the next morning. And, if I run into one of those limited exceptions (like A&E) I'll come up with an alternative way to deal with it.

To me, this is nothing compared to wondering when Southwest will actually make flights available. They will say that their schedule expands on a particular day, but they do not provide a specific time, even if you ask. I have learned that they usually start loading the schedule and fares early in the morning, but I also learned that if you want a specific flight at a busy time of year, those fares can shoot up within an hour or less after they first are available. Saving or losing tens or hundreds of dollars on a family trip is more important to me than whether or not I can get a FP for one specific attraction that I know I can do at rope drop if it's that big a priority.

 

[WillAustin]

To me, this is nothing compared to wondering when Southwest will actually make flights available. They will say that their schedule expands on a particular day, but they do not provide a specific time, even if you ask. I have learned that they usually start loading the schedule and fares early in the morning, but I also learned that if you want a specific flight at a busy time of year, those fares can shoot up within an hour or less after they first are available. Saving or losing tens or hundreds of dollars on a family trip is more important to me than whether or not I can get a FP for one specific attraction that I know I can do at rope drop if it's that big a priority.

At least JetBlue announces when they are extending their schedules. I've had good luck with them.

 

[Cormoran]

To me, this is nothing compared to wondering when Southwest will actually make flights available. They will say that their schedule expands on a particular day, but they do not provide a specific time, even if you ask.

But Disney doesn't provide a specific time or date for when FP reservations can be made, how is this different from Southwest Airlines?

 

[wisblue]

You might miss out on the headliners if you did. We booked ours at midnight and couldn't get A&E on our 1st day at MK. But we're able to on our 2nd day.

I think this would be more accurate if you replaced "headliners" with "A&E and maybe 7DMT". I don't hear about anything else that goes that quickly, except for parades and fireworks, which are easy enough to experience without a FP.

 

[JimmyV]

So do you think they can change to FP+ window time and unlink it from the closing time of MK? Just your opinion

They can move the kick off time to any static time they want. Just like ADRs. For some very odd reason, they have chosen to do it in the middle of the night and allow the time to slide forward to coincide with the operational schedule of the MK even though you are booking FPs at all 4 parks. They could just as easily tether it to the closing time of Epcot 60 days in advance and then most days your window would open up at 9:00 pm. Or allow the time to slide both forward and backward and have it open up at 7:00 pm on days when the MK closes early. Or tie it to the time that the last park closes 60 days in advance. On many days, that would be Epcot at 9:00.

 

[1girln3boys]

I think this would be more accurate if you replaced "headliners" with "A&E and maybe 7DMT". I don't hear about anything else that goes that quickly, except for parades and fireworks, which are easy enough to experience without a FP.

You might be right. We had no problem getting anything else. We got 7DMT for both our MR days A&E was the only hard to get one

 

[disnut8]

I think this would be more accurate if you replaced "headliners" with "A&E and maybe 7DMT". I don't hear about anything else that goes that quickly, except for parades and fireworks, which are easy enough to experience without a FP.

Totally agree. The OP did not say which attractions he/she was trying to get so who knows what happened after that? Are there guests who really need that Anna and Elsa FastPass? Actually, no. There are guests who *want* that Anna and Elsa FastPass.

 

[wisblue]

But Disney doesn't provide a specific time or date for when FP reservations can be made, how is this different from Southwest Airlines?

First of all, part of my point is that it ISN'T any different, but it involves something for which more is at stake. But, for some reason Disney is being held to a higher standard.

But, more importantly, while Disney may not announce and publicize a time, the practice is pretty firmly established and can be discovered by someone who looks into it. Has anyone ever tried calling Disney and asking what time their FP window opens? If someone cared enough about it, maybe they could find out that way instead of relying on a forum like the Dis.

 

[BugsDaddy]

Availability and availability at a convenient time are 2 different things. I'd hate to have to plan our day around finding the only 7DMT time I could get was 9:50 PM when we wanted to be at rope drop that day.

Well, what may be a convenient time for you might also be a convenient time for 10,000 ther people too and how would you expect Disney to accommodate all those people without a first come , first serve system?

 

[wisblue]

At least JetBlue announces when they are extending their schedules. I've had good luck with them.

It's not a help to me because Jet Blue doesn't operate out of our local airport. But, do they give an exact time of day that the schedule expands? That would be different than Southwest, that just gives a date and says the date may be subject to change.

 

[WillAustin]

They can move the kick off time to any static time they want. Just like ADRs. For some very odd reason, they have chosen to do it in the middle of the night and allow the time to slide forward to coincide with the operational schedule of the MK even though you are booking FPs at all 4 parks. They could just as easily tether it to the closing time of Epcot 60 days in advance and then most days your window would open ho at 9:00 pm.

You'd think so, but you never know what the internal workings of the databases are doing and how they all talk to each other. For all we know, there might be something that locks the system into only holding up to 60 days of FP+ data and is dependent on the closing time of the last park. Wouldn't be a good design, but you never know.

 

[staceyeileen]

You might miss out on the headliners if you did. We booked ours at midnight and couldn't get A&E on our 1st day at MK. But we're able to on our 2nd day.

Agreed, but I'm willing to be that the situation would have been the same had you waited an extra 7 hours and booked in the morning. That first day is always going to have slimmer availability than the last day of your trip just because of how the system works, allowing people who checked in days before you to book for the entirety of their trip. Also, when you say "the headliners" it should be mentioned that you really mean A&E and Wishes -- the latter of which I question the need for FP+ at all but that's just my opinion.

Looking at the A&E FP+ availability chart this morning shows this to be the case for the OPs dates as well.

 

[WillAustin]

Well, what may be a convenient time for you might also be a convenient time for 10,000 ther people too and how would you expect Disney to accommodate all those people without a first come , first serve system?

My point is that on a first-come first-served system, it's better to tell people when they can be served.

It's not a help to me because Jet Blue doesn't operate out of our local airport. But, do they give an exact time of day that the schedule expands? That would be different than Southwest, that just gives a date and says the date may be subject to change.

No, but I'm pretty sure my experience has been midnight Eastern time on the announced day.

 

[mom2rtk]

Well, what may be a convenient time for you might also be a convenient time for 10,000 ther people too and how would you expect Disney to accommodate all those people without a first come , first serve system?

I think most would agree that middle of the night is an unusual choice if you are concerned about "convenience".

And "first come, first served"? Nah. It would never work.

 

[hsmamato2]

Because Disney is screwing up.
Disney doesn't tell anyone about the "1AM snafu."
Guests can only find out about it if they frequent fan sites.

And, while we're at it...
It's Disney's screw-up that this ridiculous "when MK closes at 1AM" situation exists at all.

 

[JimmyV]

Has anyone ever tried calling Disney and asking what time their FP window opens?

First, and I'm trying not to be too cynical here, but I don't know if one would get a straight answer from the telephone operators. They don't exactly have the greatest reputation for accuracy. Besides, there is always going to be the closing caveat: "...but operating hours are always subject to change so you should keep monitoring the situation." Which brings me to...

Second, this would practicality force people to phone 61(or 31) days in advance. Assume WDW gets 45,000 people at the MK in a given day, 40,000 at Epcot and 30,000 each at the other two parks. Do they want 40,000 "heads of households" calling each day?

 

[wisblue]

I think most would agree that middle of the night is an unusual choice if you are concerned about "convenience".

And "first come, first served"? Nah. It would never work.

What do you think park opening would be like at MK if A&E and 7DMT both issued paper FPs that were made available same day on a first come, first served, basis? Do you think that maybe that would raise some safety concerns?

 

[BugsDaddy]

I think most would agree that middle of the night is an unusual choice if you are concerned about "convenience".

And "first come, first served"? Nah. It would never work.

I think it is debatable. I know that I am not doing much at midnight or 1am but I am usually working or on con calls at 9:00am for example. While 9:00am might be a convenient time for some people, it wouldn't be for me. Most people are not trying to work or do other things at midnight, so for some, it could be a better time.