I know I'm late to the game...

[MrInfinity]

But that isnt what you've said. You repeatedly and consistently state your "opinion" as fact ! You may attempt to couch your words in language that would indicate that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but you dont do it very successfully !

I think you have the wrong person, Lucky. It is someone else who said to lower expectations because that is what is realistic. <-- Presenting an opinion as a fact.

My opinion is that one can have a wonderfully magical trip to Disney World, ride lots of things, have the highest of expectations, and have them be exceeded.

A fact is that I did go to WDW, did ride as much as before, did not lower my very high expectations, and they were exceeded. I had a better time than on trips past, due in part to the benefits of FP+.

From this fact, it can be concluded that it is possible to do what I actually did.
It is also possible to have an experience like yours. I accept both are possible experiences.

Is that okay? Do you accept this as well?

I also totally believe that because you got less done, your opinion as a result is that one should lower future expectations. I don't quite know why, but that's your experience. So be it.

You ok w that? No opinion as fact. Just my opinions as opinions, and actual facts as facts.

 

[Luckybee]

I think you have the wrong person, Lucky. It is someone else who said to lower expectations because that is what is realistic. <-- Presenting an opinion as a fact.

My opinion is that one can have a wonderfully magical trip to Disney World, ride lots of things, have the highest of expectations, and have them be exceeded.

A fact is that I did go to WDW, did ride as much as before, did not lower my very high expectations, and they were exceeded. I had a better time than on trips past, due in part to the benefits of FP+.

From this fact, it can be concluded that it is possible to do what I actually did.
It is also possible to have an experience like yours. I accept both are possible experiences.

Is that okay? Do you accept this as well?

I also totally believe your opinion, that you got less done, and as a result, lower your future expectations. I don't quite know why, but that's your experience. So be it.

You ok w that? No opinion as fact. Just my opinions as opinions, and actual facts as facts.

Much better

 

[JaxDad]

MrI, you sort of proved Luckybee's point with your last post. You state your experience as fact ("A fact is that I did go to WDW, did ride as much as before") and others' experiences as opinion ("I also totally believe your opinion, that you got less done").

It's really not a big deal, though, and it is sad to see attitudes toward FP+ divide the forums into camps at times. Basically, we are all here because we want to make the most of our own vacations and take a little advice from here and a little from there to make that happen.

 

[Cormoran]

But nobody told you that you shouldn't lower your own expectations. No one told you that you are wrong for doing so for your trip.

What was done was requests for additional information from your trip so that others could determine their own expectations for their trip. And for your experience, crowds were also a factor and it would be appropriate advice for any guest to adjust their own expectations as needed with the composite of available information.

So, someone who travels usually on New Year's Eve to MK may actually get to raise their expectations if they traveled to MK during the dates you traveled in April last year since it isn't quite as busy, as an example.

Regardless of what you may think, I didn't say this either. I never told anyone to agree with me. I said what works for me. Why is that such a hard concept to grasp?

I find it amusing that you are citing NYE and XMAS as a time when FP+ works really well. So for 2 weeks out of the year, FP+ is great, in your opinion. Well, I don't visit at those times and for the other 50 weeks of the year i think my strategy works for me: lower expectations.

 

[Cormoran]

MrI, you sort of proved Luckybee's point with your last post. You state your experience as fact ("A fact is that I did go to WDW, did ride as much as before") and others' experiences as opinion ("I also totally believe your opinion, that you got less done").

It's really not a big deal, though, and it is sad to see attitudes toward FP+ divide the forums into camps at times. Basically, we are all here because we want to make the most of our own vacations and take a little advice from here and a little from there to make that happen.

You're right . I apologize for my back and forth participation in this conversation.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Cor and others suggested the best advice on the internet, period, is to lower expectations.

You are attributing a quote to Cormoran that she did not make. Cormoran stated that it was the best advice *she* received. She never said it was the best advice period. I think the quote you are taking issue with is this one (which is also the first post you quoted/replied to in the thread)

I think it is sad that the best advice that can be given is to lower your expectations. True, but sad.

Perhaps you should take your issues with the "best advice that can be given" wording up with the poster who actually said it.

 

[MrInfinity]

You state your experience as fact ("A fact is that I did go to WDW, did ride as much as before") and others' experiences as opinion ("I also totally believe your opinion, that you got less done").

Good catch! The opinion part of that sentence is that people should lower their expectations. Not that she got less done. I corrected the wording there...

And yes, both of our experiences are fact. We both experienced those things, for real.

It's really not a big deal, though, and it is sad to see attitudes toward FP+ divide the forums into camps at times. Basically, we are all here because we want to make the most of our own vacations and take a little advice from here and a little from there to make that happen.

Agreed. That's why we're here. I want to help people have the best time they can there, while at the same time get advice on how to make my own trips even better.

 

[Luckybee]

MrI, you sort of proved Luckybee's point with your last post. You state your experience as fact ("A fact is that I did go to WDW, did ride as much as before") and others' experiences as opinion ("I also totally believe your opinion, that you got less done").

It's really not a big deal, though, and it is sad to see attitudes toward FP+ divide the forums into camps at times. Basically, we are all here because we want to make the most of our own vacations and take a little advice from here and a little from there to make that happen.

Well put and on this I think we can all agree

 

[JaxDad]

...

LOL! This should be the standard post for everyone to just step away from their keyboards or move to another thread!

 

[Angel Ariel]

LOL! This should be the standard post for everyone to just step away from their keyboards or move to another thread!

The post was edited. it was not originally just "..."

 

[MrInfinity]

LOL! This should be the standard post for everyone to just step away from their keyboards or move to another thread!

Haha. To that, I say...

...



No really, I was editing one post and replying to another, and this system crosses the drafts, so then I had to go fix that to not be a duplicate. I don't really care for all this mid-typing draft saving that the new forum does.

 

[JimmyV]

You have left out of the equation those of us who were not huge fp- users, but who either miss the spontaneity, or the much shorter standby lines for the secondary rides.

That is a fair point, especially as it relates to spontaneity. I tend to overlook this, because I am a planner. I do not like the fact that I have one more thing to plan, and I especially do not like that ride reservations are, to some extent anyway, best reserved two months before my arrival date. But my personal proclivity toward planning causes me to overlook the issue of spontaneity because I have never really been "that guy". (Post drift...I once was "that guy" in the Laugh Factory). So you are correct that the loss of spontaneity needs to be taken into account.

As for longer lines for secondary attractions, I am sort of on the fence with this one. There is a touring strategy that would allow one to avoid the longer lines, and that is to completely reverse the way one used to do Rope Drop. RD has typically been used to knock off headliners. But imagine what your day would be like if you arrived at RD and went to a bunch of secondary attractions while the rest of the masses head to headliners. Of course, this type of strategy requires that you get FPs for headliners, and it also requires that you give up the opportunity to ride those headliners multiple times with minimal waits. In other words, instead of doing Space Mountain as a standby even though you have a FP for it later (thus netting you 2 rides), one might now want to head straight to HM, PoTC and Jungle Cruise, knocking all of those off as virtual walk-ons at RD and foregoing the immediate ride on Space Mountain. You eliminate the "longer lines at secondary attractions", but in so doing, you only ride SM once. Which draws me back to the point about not being able to ride over and over again. So, the "longer lines at secondary attractions" is not an inevitable result, as long as one is prepared to give up riding other rides over and over. A big change, to be sure.

 

[MrInfinity]

A hybrid strategy works pretty well. I tried all sorts.

One day, we arrived, rode Space Mtn twice back to back, (while DS rode Buzz back to back) then Astro Orbiter, then Speedway, all before things got busy. Now sure we could have ridden Space Mtn a 3rd time (or crossed the park and tried for BTM?) but by staying local, we could enjoy the rest of the rides, knowing we had a FP+ to PP and BTM for later. This staying local really impacted our trip, and was a big offset to any time lost due to pulling fewer Passes in a day. It also helped the trip feel more like... let's just do what we want since we're right here, instead of feeling like we should be moving on to get another ticket to something.

Another day, we did all secondaries. We got there and went straight for Storybook Circus (gasp!). One of my lesser liked areas of the parks... a place I wouldn't care to be midday, so we did it in a morning. We split up and our kids rode the Barnstormer and Dumbo several times in a row, then we went over to the Little Mermaid. It worked fine. We were able to do a rather hot, uncomfortable part of the park in very little time.

We'd plan to spend the middle of the day in places that we like to just "be". As in Adventureland and Fantasyland. These are good places to take FP+'s since there are lots of things to do in between them... Tiki, Treehouse, Carousel, Small World, etc.

 

[Luckybee]

That is a fair point, especially as it relates to spontaneity. I tend to overlook this, because I am a planner. I do not like the fact that I have one more thing to plan, and I especially do not like that ride reservations are, to some extent anyway, best reserved two months before my arrival date. But my personal proclivity toward planning causes me to overlook the issue of spontaneity because I have never really been "that guy". (Post drift...I once was "that guy" in the Laugh Factory). So you are correct that the loss of spontaneity needs to be taken into account.

As for longer lines for secondary attractions, I am sort of on the fence with this one. There is a touring strategy that would allow one to avoid the longer lines, and that is to completely reverse the way one used to do Rope Drop. RD has typically been used to knock off headliners. But imagine what your day would be like if you arrived at RD and went to a bunch of secondary attractions while the rest of the masses head to headliners. Of course, this type of strategy requires that you get FPs for headliners, and it also requires that you give up the opportunity to ride those headliners multiple times with minimal waits. In other words, instead of doing Space Mountain as a standby even though you have a FP for it later (thus netting you 2 rides), one might now want to head straight to HM, PoTC and Jungle Cruise, knocking all of those off as virtual walk-ons at RD and foregoing the immediate ride on Space Mountain. You eliminate the "longer lines at secondary attractions", but in so doing, you only ride SM once. Which draws me back to the point about not being able to ride over and over again. So, the "longer lines at secondary attractions" is not an inevitable result, as long as one is prepared to give up riding other rides over and over. A big change, to be sure.

But that necessitates doing "rope drop" which we HATED doing since we actually like to "gasp" sleep in on holidays. Our previous touring style involved going during slow season, very little pre planning, arriving at the park afternoon or evening, and really wandering aimlessly through the various lands and jumping on what, at the time were short to non existent lines for secondary rides. Not everyone's style to be sure, but it was what we enjoyed. On our upcoming holiday where we will spend just a couple of days in the Disney parks, for our MK day Ive planned rope drop which is so far from our idea of a holiday that dh actually thought I was joking. When I asked him if he would rather see what we saw in Sept. his answer was "well do we actually have to go to MK for rides,...why don't we just go at night to see the fireworks and the parade....lol" I think it has more to do with our crazy work hours and thinking of vacation as a time to sleep

 

[JimmyV]

But that necessitates doing "rope drop" which we HATED doing since we actually like to "gasp" sleep in on holidays.

Unfortunately, I can't imagine a day in a Disney Park that does not involve RD unless one wants to roam around, hit a few pre-booked attractions, maybe wait for a few more, and then leave. LakeTravis is more or less testing this theme. Go to a park. Do a few things. Leave. A full day of riding rides likely requires getting an early start. Maybe you need to "change" your expectations!

 

[Luckybee]

Unfortunately, I can't imagine a day in a Disney Park that does not involve RD unless one wants to roam around, hit a few pre-booked attractions, maybe wait for a few more, and then leave. LakeTravis is more or less testing this theme. Go to a park. Do a few things. Leave. A full day of riding rides likely requires getting an early start. Maybe you need to "change" your expectations!

By golly I think you're right

Seriously though ...that is why on our last trip we did pretty much what LT is doing now. We hit the prebooked, added a few spectator activities, then left. It was not what we were used to but still allowed us to enjoy ourselves, albeit not to the same extent as in the past.
Everyone who goes to Disney, if they choose to continue to go, will have to develop a touring style that will work for them with the new realities. Imho everyon will have a different style !

 

[Cormoran]

By golly I think you're right

Seriously though ...that is why on our last trip we did pretty much what LT is doing now. We hit the prebooked, added a few spectator activities, then left. It was not what we were used to but still allowed us to enjoy ourselves, albeit not to the same extent as in the past.
Everyone who goes to Disney, if they choose to continue to go, will have to develop a touring style that will work for them with the new realities. Imho everyon will have a different style !

So do yo expect to ride more, less, or the same amount with FP+? So are your expectations lowering, raising, or the same since FP+?

 

[mickeyluv'r]

A hybrid strategy works pretty well. I tried all sorts.

One day, we arrived, rode Space Mtn twice back to back, (while DS rode Buzz back to back) then Astro Orbiter, then Speedway, all before things got busy. Now sure we could have ridden Space Mtn a 3rd time (or crossed the park and tried for BTM?) but by staying local, we could enjoy the rest of the rides, knowing we had a FP+ to PP and BTM for later. This staying local really impacted our trip, and was a big offset to any time lost due to pulling fewer Passes in a day. It also helped the trip feel more like... let's just do what we want since we're right here, instead of feeling like we should be moving on to get another ticket to something.

We'd plan to spend the middle of the day in places that we like to just "be". As in Adventureland and Fantasyland. These are good places to take FP+'s since there are lots of things to do in between them... Tiki, Treehouse, Carousel, Small World, etc.

In #1, It sounds like you got fairly lucky. Granted, we arrived at 9:10am, but we were only able to ride Space Mtn 2 times before things got pretty busy on our last visit. Buzz and Astro were already 30+ minutes. Even TTA had a line! We have used this approach for some times, and can do comparably less than we used to do in the same time frame. Previously, we would have gotten a Space FP, rode it standby, grabbed a Buzz FP, used our SM FP, maybe rode Buzz standby, used our Buzz FP, and THEN walked onto the TTA. All with minimal use of a FP runner. (Usually everyone else did something useful while waiting for the FP runner, like the restroom.) I also use the term runner in a loose context.

 

[Luckybee]

So do yo expect to ride more, less, or the same amount with FP+? So are your expectations lowering, raising, or the same since FP+?

Sounds like a great title for a thread. Our expectations are generally lower, for our style of touring. To be fair though(can you tell I'm all about fair today )I can understand why for others it may be different .

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Unfortunately, I can't imagine a day in a Disney Park that does not involve RD unless one wants to roam around, hit a few pre-booked attractions, maybe wait for a few more, and then leave. LakeTravis is more or less testing this theme. Go to a park. Do a few things. Leave. A full day of riding rides likely requires getting an early start. Maybe you need to "change" your expectations!

I can.

We usually aim to arrive by 9:15am, so maybe not true RD. Busy holiday weeks, we try for full RD, even when MK opens at 8am, and sometimes we hit AM EMH.

Other times we were able to arrive well after RD, and still manage to see almost everything - or at least we used to do that.

Far more important to us is the after dark hours, where we typically cover a lot of ground- even with new FP. It is hard to do RD at 8am and STAY out past 2am.

I assure you, we are not in the camp that only hits a few rides, or at least we didn't used to be in that camp. Our FP+ trips have been a bit discouraging. I have my limits. I won't wait 30+min to see the Muppets.