It's wrong to compare FP+ to FP-

[Reddog1134]

I don't know that I understand the "locking in" rationale either(because FP+ appts aren't going to change my plans) - but that is the only rationale that Disney has actually gone on record stating is the reasoning behind MM+/FP+.

I don't think it's going to change any ones plans either. I think the effect is a little more subtle than that. It's more like a nudge.

You're not going to cancel your day at Universal because you have a Soarin' Fastpass. But if you're undecided about leaving the park early, that Soarin FP might entice you to stay.

 

[sheetz]

The only thing I can think of is that maybe a lot of people don't decide in advance how exactly many days to spend at WDW until after they arrive in Orlando. So by pushing folks to book FP+ 60 days in advance they lock them into spending a pre-specified number of days at the Mouse.

 

[Reddog1134]

The only thing I can think of is that maybe a lot of people don't decide in advance how exactly many days to spend at WDW until after they arrive in Orlando. So by pushing folks to book FP+ 60 days in advance they lock them into spending a pre-specified number of days at the Mouse.

 

[Angel Ariel]

The only thing I can think of is that maybe a lot of people don't decide in advance how exactly many days to spend at WDW until after they arrive in Orlando. So by pushing folks to book FP+ 60 days in advance they lock them into spending a pre-specified number of days at the Mouse.

That's the only part that makes sense to me (in terms of how Disney views it). That said..is it really a huge number of people waiting to buy tickets til they get there? We never wait, so that's just not something I think of.

 

[DebbieB]

I think alot of people look at FP- with "rose colored glasses". Some people act like they ran all over the park getting one FP- after another and never had to stand in a standby line. Maybe on a slow day but that didn't happen in busy season.

If the return time for TSM was 4:00pm at 9:30am, that locked you out of getting another one for 2 hours. Plus it could conflict with your planned dinner time. So then what do you do? I love being able to reserve a specific time that fits with your other plans, not be at the mercy of the return clock.

I'm reserving judgement because I don't think this is the final plan. I expect there to be more "day of" available.

 

[magicbob]

Sorry--have to respectfully disagree. I disagree with your premise that FP- was going away regardless, and the alleged reasons for it going away. That's all speculation. There's no proof WDW saw it that way, and if they did they could've made internal changes to FP- to keep it from being used that way. For example, they could've begun enforcing the window a lot sooner than they did (which was in preparation for FP+). Also, they could've changed the FP distribution rules so that you could only get another FP 2 hours (or longer) after getting the 1st FP. Instead, one could get a FP as soon as the window for that FP opened. For example, if you pulled a FP at 9 am and your return time was 9:45, WDW permitted you to get another FP at 9:45. They could've easily changed their algorithm so you couldn't get another FP until 11 am (or later).

Even if that weren't the case, there's no way to avoid comparisons between the 2. For me, I've only attended WDW in a FastPass world: my 1st visit was 04. You take my FP and replace it with another FP system, I sure as heck am going to compare the 2.

THIS ^

Actually, when it was first introduced, you had to wait until your FP window opened before you could get your next FP. I remember one time debating if I should get a FP for Splash Mountain because the return time was something like 5 hours out, and I knew I wouldn't be able to get another one until then.

Yep. I'd read here that the original algorithm was more restrictive, but over time WDW relaxed it so that guests could get more FPs.

Precisely. They relaxed the rules on return times because early in the morning, making people wait that long before pulling another would result in a lot of FPs not getting pulled. The reality is that, other than a few select rides (I'm lookin' at you, Soarin' and Toy Story Mania!), FPs were available for many/most rides well into the afternoon/evening. Those arriving at 11am still had the option of pulling FPs for lots of rides, yet many DIDN'T BOTHER. That's why there were enough for others to pull many and multiple rides. It's not because we took them away from others. It's because others didn't take them allowing enough for us to get more. And those FPs that we were able to get early in the morning? Guess what? They mostly had early return times BEFORE the poor abused late arrivers even got to the park. That means those FPs would not have been available for them anyway, because the machines would have advanced the clock so they weren't giving out FPs with return times in the PAST. Rope droppers who were able to get lots of FPs early were merely keeping them from going to waste.

When the stories come back from vacation as "we paid $80 a day to wait in line and only went on 4 rides"....then yes, this is a business case for making the system more fair.

Ummm.....aren't you hearing more of those stories now with FP+ in place?????

Yup.

Wrong.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Brevity is the soul of wit.

Yup.