Josh is the voice of reason on FP+

[wdwfreak]

And I'm also pretty sure that when I was ages 2+ and went to Disney every summer (before FP!) my parents would tell me "NO" when I wanted to ride something again if there was a long line. And if I had a meltdown, I would be taken into the bathroom and summarily spanked. My parents weren't harsh or abusive...they just had this concept that if they said, "No" that I was supposed to listen and oblige.

 

[morethananyonex]

Um, isn't "vacation" spending time with your family or whomever you're with?

I know what you're saying...you don't want to "do nothing" while at a park, but I'm always curious about people who lament "doing nothing" at Disney while arguing that their next trip will be at the beach.

Personally, I have spent entire trips at WDW where I went on zero rides. Each trip is different for me. Yes, I am an adult. And yes, I know that kids want different things. And I'm also pretty sure that when I was ages 2+ and went to Disney every summer (before FP!) my parents would tell me "NO" when I wanted to ride something again if there was a long line. And if I had a meltdown, I would be taken into the bathroom and summarily spanked. My parents weren't harsh or abusive...they just had this concept that if they said, "No" that I was supposed to listen and oblige.

As a 25+ visitor in my 35 years of life, I don't feel like any of the magic was spoiled by not riding "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" 15 times in a row when I was 8 years old. But that's just me...

It seems like you are having trouble understanding that there really are families out there different than yours. Shocking, I know. There really are people out there who want to see everything when they visit (sometimes multiple times) because they do not get to go multiple times a year, every year, every second year, or even more than once in their lifetime. They really do exist, I promise.

Those zero ride trips you speak of are absolutely not the norm for most people.

 

[FireDancer]

I'm all for planning, and yet I have yet to be able to figure out how to get FP+ to allow us to do what we did on our trips with DD in March and October.

With the parameters of 4 day Park Hopper tickets (AFS tickets), and experiencing the attractions together as a family (not splitting up) in March we were able to easily accomplish:

Jungle Cruise, ETwB, Little Mermaid (FP), Dumbo (Bonus FP given to us), Haunted Mansion, it's a small world, meeting Rapunzel/Aurora/Cinderella (FP, but before fairytale hall opened), meeting Mickey (FP), Buzz Lightyear (3 times at least, FP'd twice), Monster's Inc, POTC, Swiss Family Robinson, Space Mountain (2x, 1 w/FP, 1 w/RS), Thunder Mountain (FP), Wishes (w/tomorrowland dessert party)

This was in 1 day at MK, during spring break season, and we were there appx 30mins after RD or so (and I'm pretty sure I'm missing a ride or two in here too). We rode Buzz one more time after Wishes to let the crowds die down a bit, and then headed back to the hotel.

I am having a hard time figuring out how, in a busy season like spring break, we can accomplish all that we did on that busy season trip with only 3 FP+. The only thing I've been able to come up with so far is spending 2 days in MK and just not being able to do as much each day. In which case, WDW gets less of our money, as we like to spend money around WS and if we have to spend 2 days at MK, that's less time for Epcot.

We didn't "hoard" FPs, we didn't do "FP Running," we didn't do crazy amts of re-riding (except for maybe on Buzz..but isn't that the point of an interactive game like that?)...we used FP as it was intended, and now the system will get us far less than it did before, while paying the same (if not more).

While I can suck it up and deal with the best of them, that doesn't mean I have to smile and like that I'm getting less

The more pressing question for Disney isn't you (general you) maximizing your ride count or keeping it where it was last trip. I think they are looking at the average attraction count of all guests and trying to push the extremes into the fat middle. I would wager your experience that day was on the high end of the ride count while some other people are on the low end. If your ride count goes down and theirs goes up Disney has succeeded at their goals. The people already in the fat middle will very likely not be affected and the fat middle, by definition, is the majority.

 

[JanaDee]

Um, isn't "vacation" spending time with your family or whomever you're with?

I know what you're saying...you don't want to "do nothing" while at a park, but I'm always curious about people who lament "doing nothing" at Disney while arguing that their next trip will be at the beach.

Personally, I have spent entire trips at WDW where I went on zero rides. Each trip is different for me. Yes, I am an adult. And yes, I know that kids want different things. And I'm also pretty sure that when I was ages 2+ and went to Disney every summer (before FP!) my parents would tell me "NO" when I wanted to ride something again if there was a long line. And if I had a meltdown, I would be taken into the bathroom and summarily spanked. My parents weren't harsh or abusive...they just had this concept that if they said, "No" that I was supposed to listen and oblige.

As a 25+ visitor in my 35 years of life, I don't feel like any of the magic was spoiled by not riding "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" 15 times in a row when I was 8 years old. But that's just me...

It isn't a hard concept to grasp. Some people like to ride rides and sometimes *gasp* even more than once.

And at the idea of taking my 17 year old six foot son to the bathroom and spanking him if he dares to disagrees with me.

 

[wdwfreak]

It seems like you are having trouble understanding that there really are families out there different than yours. Shocking, I know. There really are people out there who want to see everything when they visit (sometimes multiple times) because they do not get to go multiple times a year, every year, every second year, or even more than once in their lifetime. They really do exist, I promise.

Those zero ride trips you speak of are absolutely not the norm for most people.

Sorry. I really did start this thread to be a positive one amidst all the negativity and anger. And now we're here...

 

[DebbieB]

Nothing will beat the good old days of getting there at rope drop, riding the headline attractions (several times), collecting fast passes until around 1pm, heading to the room for a break, and then heading back and using all those collected fastpasses you on the headliners again. Oh, and then staying late in the night so you could ride the same ride over and over again without any wait. Ahhh, glory days.

Was that before or after they started enforcing return times? When they started that, FP- became more difficult to use. You were locked into that hour.

 

[nugov2]

Um, isn't "vacation" spending time with your family or whomever you're with?

I know what you're saying...you don't want to "do nothing" while at a park, but I'm always curious about people who lament "doing nothing" at Disney while arguing that their next trip will be at the beach.

Personally, I have spent entire trips at WDW where I went on zero rides. Each trip is different for me. Yes, I am an adult. And yes, I know that kids want different things. And I'm also pretty sure that when I was ages 2+ and went to Disney every summer (before FP!) my parents would tell me "NO" when I wanted to ride something again if there was a long line. And if I had a meltdown, I would be taken into the bathroom and summarily spanked. My parents weren't harsh or abusive...they just had this concept that if they said, "No" that I was supposed to listen and oblige.



As a 25+ visitor in my 35 years of life, I don't feel like any of the magic was spoiled by not riding "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" 15 times in a row when I was 8 years old. But that's just me...

The Beach is free, WDW park admission is not.

I can assure you nobody had meltdowns if they couldn't get on a ride in our group. We really only had a couple of times when we looked at wait times and thought nah...too long. My dd wanted to do space again and the wait was 1 hr. We just said do you really want to wait in line for an hour when you have already been on a few times? She agreed and we moved to something else...stich...no wait....big surprise right Then we pulled a FP for it later and she hopped after dinner before we headed for our fireworks viewing at Tomorrowland terrace.

I will admit that it is me who hates waits and crowds and I will pay for just about anything to avoid them. No half price or free days at the zoo/museum for this family. I avoid those days like the plague. I'd pick double price day if they offered it

 

[morethananyonex]

Sorry. I really did start this thread to be a positive one amidst all the negativity and anger. And now we're here...

Again, I don't understand why some people refuse to look past their own vacation experiences and realize there are many ways to visit WDW. People shouldn't be talked down to because they have the nerve to suggest riding rides is important to them in a theme park.

 

[Angel Ariel]

True. To each, his or her own. However, if you equate a successful trip with sheer number of rides ridden and you don't get up for RD or if you travel with children or if you go during peak times then you're probably going to be disappointed, FP+ or not.

Rides are important to us, we had a hard time making rope drop, traveled with children, and did all of this during our spring break trip last year. We were not disappointed at all because we were able to use 5-7 fps at mk, where it was most important to us.

 

[declansdad]

nm

So you are not going back?

 

[nugov2]

I couldn't take anything else you said seriously. You're obviously a crazy person

I should add that we had 8 adults and 5 kids...so it isn't as bad as it sounds. Plus the littles were out of the park by about 2 everyday

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

The Beach is free, WDW park admission is not.

I

Actually, if you live in NJ, the beach is not free.

 

[aaarcher86]

I should add that we had 8 adults and 5 kids...so it isn't as bad as it sounds. Plus the littles were out of the park by about 2 everyday

Oh that's not so bad! I was picturing 1 - 2 adults and one of those chain leashes that everyone grabs onto like in preschool!

 

[wdwfreak]

Again, I don't understand why some people refuse to look past their own vacation experiences and realize there are many ways to visit WDW. People shouldn't be talked down to because they have the nerve to suggest riding rides is important to them in a theme park.

Having a difference of opinion is not talking down to someone. I can only speak to my experiences. Josh's way may not be your way, but it is mine. Fortunately for me I'm able to tour like Josh suggests. For those who can't, I guess this thread is not for you. But thanks for stopping by.

 

[ArwenMarie]

nm

 

[skilesare]

50,000+/- people are in the Magic Kingdom each day. How can all 50,000 ride every ride they want with zero wait?

This is not difficult and what they are going for long term with FP+.

If a ride has capacity for 50,000 and there are 50,000 guests then everyone CAN ride with 0 wait as long as the ride stays up and everyone arrives at exactly their assigned time.

Of course if the ride capacity is 40,000 and you have 50,000 guests then only 40,000 can ride with no wait. The other 10,000 can't ride...but then again they couldn't before FP+ anyway...only 40,000 were every going to get on.

I anticipate that you'll soon start seeing some pixie dust with FP+ in the same manner that they used to have 'bonus' fast passes.

If they know 1000 people have FP+ from 11-12 at Space mountain they will be able to ping those people's phones the morning of their visit and give 200 a 'bonus' FP+ for Carousel of Progress from 10-11, 200 People Mover, 200 Astro Orbiter, 200 Meet Buzz Light year, and 200 Stich. They can then mix and match the same folks with a different attraction from 12-1.

Or, since they know when you swipe your band, this notification could come to you right as you walk out of space mountain and then you 'magically' get to ride something else with no wait.

Now many of the savvy tourers may ignore these, but the less savvy with think this is awesome and be routed around the crowds, thus shortening the lines elsewhere.

 

[Pooksie]

I refuse to call this testing this is a roll out. They are getting everyone comfortable with the system (which is at this point a year behind in deployment) once they have it working for everyone and the number of trouble tickets fall off well start seeing more FP+ for guests. Either in the form of Bonus Passes (think surprise FP) or Same day passes or some way.

If my belief is correct, you will be able to get additional FP+ reservations if you want, but you'll will have to purchase them by tier for a fee. Just like in the old days when you had a ticket book, if you used up your tickets and you wanted more, you could purchase another book of tickets for a fee. The new FP+ system is just a new high tech digital version of the old paper E Ticket system of old. FP- was a buffet where you could have as many as you want, and Disney has obviously decided that making the ticketing system a la carte is going to be more profitable to them. It's just rolled up in the whole MM+ system that they are touting as the new digital high tech system of the future.

So fear not, if I'm correct soon you'll have the opportunity to ride more than one tier one ride in a park in one day using FP+ reservations, but it will cost you a few dollars more to do so..

 

[glamdring269]

I'll be honest. I prefer the old way. We like being able to re-ride without waiting in long lines so the old way worked very well for us.

With that said, I'll get on board with the new way as soon as they cave on the only one park per day. It should be 3 FP+ per park each day. That way those folks who pay for park hopper are getting full benefit.

Or they could end up adding a 2nd tier of Park Hopper. Park Hopper Standard (current hopper) and Park Hopper + (FP+ at multiple parks). I would very likely pay for that.

 

[nugov2]

Oh that's not so bad! I was picturing 1 - 2 adults and one of those chain leashes that everyone grabs onto like in preschool!

Thankfully we did not have to do that!!

 

[morethananyonex]

Having a difference of opinion is not talking down to someone. I can only speak to my experiences. Josh's way may not be your way, but it is mine. Fortunately for me I'm able to tour like Josh suggests. For those who can't, I guess this thread is not for you. But thanks for stopping by.

I'm not speaking of the people who have a difference of opinion, like yourself. You keep taking it personally when I am directly talking to other people who are saying things that you are not. Unfortunately for you, when you start a thread you cannot control what other people in it post, and you cannot dismiss them from the thread when you do not like the direction it is going.

It is absolutely talking down someone to suggest that they should visit another park if they have the nerve to want to ride rides, or that there is something wrong with being disappointed if you miss a ride. There are tons of people who are only looking at this from their own frequent visitor perspective.