Is it just me?

[Laketravis]

I can't help but chuckle every time I board a bus to Animal Kingdom and hear the announcement "...and don't forget to visit our NEWEST attraction, EXPEDITION EVEREST!"

...which, of course, has been open for almost EIGHT YEARS now.

 

[wisblue]

a) Thank you Plano

b) you just don't get it wis, I will try again. There are things we know as fact. Insofar as the current iteration of the system continues. This is as much as fact as saying, the Poly has a volcano pool !!! It does, of course, Disney could change this at any time, but if someone asked, you would say, the Poly has a volcano pool !!!

Likewise, stating things like: Your experience booking afternoon FPs isn't representative of what it will be like with everyone onsite and offsite is on FP+ AND Disney is promoting the hell out of it ... guess what, that's fact.

Arguing that it will be MORE difficult (note, no bar for difficulty, no specificity about what day you will have to booked on) to book FP+ for the most popular attraction when there are more people using the system and trying to book FP+, that's fact, not opinion.

Indeed, making notes about the limited capacity of rides vs the number of potential people booking FP+, that's dealing with facts, no opinions.

The facts that we have to deal with are what know about the system, here, now, today. If you are going to suggest that we "don't know" what the system will look like when its fully rolled out (despite the current iteration, the statements by Disney, the reports from Disney execs etc etc) then um ... sure ? I guess you could argue that Disney is going to start giving everyone an Unicorn that you can ride across a rainbow too ... because, hey, that's possible.

Once you start comparing the presence of a volcano pool at the Polynesian to what crowd patterns at WDW will be like in the future, I know we can't have a rational discussion.

If you want to talk about the facts of what is going on right now, there have been no reports of FP+ reservations being sold out 60 days in advance, and many reports of guests being able to make changes to their FP+ reservations on the same day, even sometimes for the most popular attractions. My daughter did exactly that on her trip last week.

And, as I explicitly said earlier in this thread, I realize that things will be different in the future than they are during this period of transition and parallel systems. But, I still say that your opinion about what that future will look like is NOT a fact.

Even your statement that more people will potentially have access to FP+ is not a fact unless you assume that offsite guests will eventually have access to them. But, assuming that to be true (which I expect it is) it is also a fact that that larger pool of guests will be sharing a larger pool of FPs because there will be no more FP-.

Finally, how guests will respond to Disney's future marketing efforts (whatever they are) is also not a fact. It's funny how the same people who think that Disney is being run by a bunch of clowns who have no idea what they are doing to their guests think that Disney's marketing department can orchestrate the behavior of their guests so easily.

 

[Laketravis]

Wisblue, I've been reading back over your posts and I'm curious - when was the last time you were actually at WDW?

 

[wisblue]

X

 

[wisblue]

Wisblue, I've been reading back over your posts and I'm curious - when was the last time you were actually at WDW?

One of my daughters is currently working at WDW so, between helping her move and visiting, I was there in January, April, June, and November this year (for a total of about 25 days). I will also be visiting with one of my daughters for a few days right after Christmas, which is why I have been following the boards to see what is going on.

My other daughters have also visited their CM sister without us, so I have also heard their reports.

However, because we are willfully ignorant Kool Aid drinkers, we have yet to realize that WDW has changed so dramatically for the worse. I hope we stay that way, because I'd rather save my negativity for something else.

 

[surferdave]

DH and I went to WDW on our honeymoon in October and had nothing but wonderful experiences with the FP+ and the magic bands. It was nice waking up in the morning and planning our day and scheduling our fast passes right from the mobile app. I didn't see any issues at all..

Yes, October was a wonderful time to use the system in testing when it had very limited accessibility and fastpasses were plentiful (IF you didn't hit some the arbitrary snags like I did).

 

[rebbyparker]

.

You edited it all away?

 

[Mad Hattered]

a) Thank you Plano

b) you just don't get it wis, I will try again. There are things we know as fact. Insofar as the current iteration of the system continues. This is as much as fact as saying, the Poly has a volcano pool !!! It does, of course, Disney could change this at any time, but if someone asked, you would say, the Poly has a volcano pool !!!

Likewise, stating things like: Your experience booking afternoon FPs isn't representative of what it will be like with everyone onsite and offsite is on FP+ AND Disney is promoting the hell out of it ... guess what, that's fact.

Arguing that it will be MORE difficult (note, no bar for difficulty, no specificity about what day you will have to booked on) to book FP+ for the most popular attraction when there are more people using the system and trying to book FP+, that's fact, not opinion.

Indeed, making notes about the limited capacity of rides vs the number of potential people booking FP+, that's dealing with facts, no opinions.

The facts that we have to deal with are what know about the system, here, now, today. If you are going to suggest that we "don't know" what the system will look like when its fully rolled out (despite the current iteration, the statements by Disney, the reports from Disney execs etc etc) then um ... sure ? I guess you could argue that Disney is going to start giving everyone an Unicorn that you can ride across a rainbow too ... because, hey, that's possible.

Amen!

As far as the bolded goes....the only thing Disney could do at this point to entice me is to offer me up some Veronica Corningstone.... if they are handing out rainbows and Unicorns that is. Is that part of the up-selling Jay was talking about?

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

I just returned from a 9-day vacation. The Magicbands were good for the most part. We were able to get into the parks without digging cards out of pockets and bags. A few times, they just flat-out stopped working for gate entrance, however. With MBs, EMH is a total joke. They had to scan everybody's band before they could enter an attraction. We sometimes stood in a line for 10 minutes to have our MBs scanned, but walked right on the ride when that part was done. The silliest part of all of it is that you need admission to be in the park and the MBs are only given to onsite guests at the moment....so, we were guinea pigs for their EMH process testing.

I also didn't like that they called guests out by name, sometimes first and last, upon entering the park. Especially when it comes to children.

The Fastpass plus system was ridiculous. It made FP+ lines quite a bit longer. Scanning twice was silly. If you got in the first time, that should have been good enough. Paper FPs are more efficient at this point.

We didn't like the limitation on the number of FPs you can get. When it was possible, we took advantage of getting a legacy paper FP using our KTTW card or AP. Most of the time, all of the FPs were gone within an hour or so after park opening.

As a side note - we did visit "green" parks.

 

[vrajewski10513]

Yes, October was a wonderful time to use the system in testing when it had very limited accessibility and fastpasses were plentiful (IF you didn't hit some the arbitrary snags like I did).

Well I guess my inexperience, as That was my first visit, could also be why I didn't see any issue with the MB or FP+. I never used the old system. We will be going back in August so we will see how things go then!

 

[sonofanarchy]

Couple things.

Epcot was MUCH better in the 90's than it is now. Test Track was a fantastic addition, but World of Motion was an amazing attraction. Horizons was far superior to Mission:Space. Soarin' is boring and not worth the wait for us (especially with such a horrible picture). The Living Seas was much better than Nemo and Friends. Wonders of Life anyone?

As for passing judgement without having experienced FP+, I get what people are saying, but honestly, some of us have been to WDW more than enough times to know that we won't like the new system. I don't know what is so so hard to understand about that.

 

[going/again]

Some of us don't care about the final structure since we are about to visit the world. Right now the current structure is a fact for those of us about to travel.

So true we arrive xmas day, we have not been able to book a thing, not that we could as I have no idea which park we will be in, or even if my wife is well enough to do a park, if she is it will be for about 2/3 hours max, how on earth do people like us use FP+, yes I know this is our problem, but their are many like us.

 

[going/again]

As for the evolution of Epcot, that should be a different discussion in a different forum. But, from the things I've read, a lot of that evolution is a result of Disney having more difficulty finding corporate sponsors or countries to share in the cost of developing and maintaining attractions and pavilions.

So its good to know that they had all this money and spent it on MB and FP+
when they knew they were struggling to get investment from third parties, I read this as forget the guest experience they will come anyway, and for some this is true, but not for us.

 

[nkereina]

As for passing judgement without having experienced FP+, I get what people are saying, but honestly, some of us have been to WDW more than enough times to know that we won't like the new system. I don't know what is so so hard to understand about that.

I hear that. I have been to WDW many times myself. Like I said a few posts ago, I was definitely skeptical. But after using it, I was surprised at how much I did enjoy knowing what time my return times were when I started my day. It made it easier to park hop, which is something we weren't big fans of in the past. Everyone is certainly different but after my own experience I'm definitely saying "don't knock it til you try it".

 

[sonofanarchy]

I hear that. I have been to WDW many times myself. Like I said a few posts ago, I was definitely skeptical. But after using it, I was surprised at how much I did enjoy knowing what time my return times were when I started my day. It made it easier to park hop, which is something we weren't big fans of in the past. Everyone is certainly different but after my own experience I'm definitely saying "don't knock it til you try it".

Yeah, but you can't use FP at the park you hop to. How is it easier?

 

[Tigger's ally]

Yeah, but you can't use FP at the park you hop to. How is it easier?

yes you can. Our plans for the first day is to hit MK at rope and have all our fp at Epcot that night.

 

[KaLyn]

Yeah, but you can't use FP at the park you hop to. How is it easier?

Sure you can! We plan to hit rope drop in one park and then hop to the other park where our FP+s are scheduled.

Example: MK in morning for rope drop
and Epcot in the evening where our scheduled FP+ rides are.

 

[sonofanarchy]

Sure you can! We plan to hit rope drop in one park and then hop to the other park where our FP+s are scheduled.

Example: MK in morning for rope drop
and Epcot in the evening where our scheduled FP+ rides are.

OK, so in that case, you can't use FP at the MK.

I can see how in a case like that FP+ could be a benefit. Unfortunately, you can only do 1 of the headliners at the 2nd park, so that sucks.

 

[KaLyn]

OK, so in that case, you can't use FP at the MK. I can see how in a case like that FP+ could be a benefit. Unfortunately, you can only do 1 of the headliners at the 2nd park, so that sucks.

Correct. No FP+ in MK.

In the case of Epcot being the second park, I can only do 1 headliner on FP+ but there's no rule saying I cant stand in line for the second headliner. I know, standing in line *gasp!* what am I thinking!?!?!?

 

[sonofanarchy]

Correct. No FP+ in MK.

In the case of Epcot being the second park, I can only do 1 headliner on FP+ but there's no rule saying I cant stand in line for the second headliner. I know, standing in line *gasp!* what am I thinking!?!?!?

I know you're being sarcastic, but what you just described is the EXACT flaw in the system (at Epcot at least.) Because there are only 2 headliners in the park, both are bound to have absurd standby times. Before, you could get FP's for both and avoid both standby lines. Now, if you want to ride both, you're waiting in at least one of them, and if you're lucky, that wait will only be an hour.

In other words, you've just lost an hour of your vacation time that you would have otherwise had.

How is this a good thing?