Just a FP+ Thought...Don't Have to Like My Opinion!

[quandrea]

We are here now and having a great time. We have been able to ride rides we have never been able to because of fp+. My kids got on toy story for the first time. We will be riding dumbo for the first time this week. We have been here over thirty times. We are rope drop people but only spend the morning in the park. Late fast pass return times never worked for us. Now I book ahead, we tour in the morning efficiently and are experiencing new things. It's great.

For those nights we head back, I book rides ahead of time. Soarin was amazing today. In the past we could never have snagged a fp.

I've had no trouble changing our plans.

Great flexibility, no glitches. I can see super users being put off, but this system will really work for the majority. Disney knows what they are doing.

 

[kmc]

We stayed on site at Universal for three days after an extremely lackluster trip in August 2012. It was a breath of fresh air. We were kicking ourselves for going back to Disney after seeing how good staying at Universal can be.

I wanted to give WDW one more chance. My decision to not return isn't an irrational snap decision based on FP+, it's just the straw that broke the camels back.

Totally understand, we use to alternate between disney and universal as we really enjoy both. But took a break from disney the last 6 years, hoping for some new attractions. I can tell you at the end of a disney vacation I am throughly exhausted, not so much after universal. We are finally going back to disney this December and hoping for the best with the new system as I think it will work for us, aside from not being able to use fast+ for park hopping. I will tell you as much as I love universal and their on site hotels, it still has never giving me the feelings I get when walking down Main Street and seeing that castle.....but that probably stems from all my childhood memories spent there with my family.

 

[annaaidan99]

If I want to relax, I'll go to the beach. They don't charge $100 a day to take in the atmosphere there.

Every time I price a beach rental it seems that they charge more than that.

 

[Sammie]

Every time I price a beach rental it seems that they charge more than that.

Exactly.

 

[mom2rtk]

Every time I price a beach rental it seems that they charge more than that.

You pay admission to the beach?

Of course the room costs money. But at Disney we pay for the room AND park admission. Our beach vacations are always tons cheaper.

I think Disney is hoping for an all-inclusive model. And they are hoping you forget just how much you paid to walk through the gates every day.

 

[DaisyNY]

I agree that Universal front of the line access for on-site (that's the key word) is great for their THREE resorts...We've stayed at Portofino, Royal Pacific and Hard Rock numerous times and I would not compare Universal Parks to Disney.

I think the overall theming and experience at Disney is much better! Though the front of the line access allowed us to probably do everything in one day!

IMO...The new system worked well for us and honestly we never really able to makr FP- work as well! I'm willing to be wrong and see how it works for us in March....We do plan two very late nights in MK and EP when they are open until eleven or twelve am!

 

[crostorfer]

Every time I price a beach rental it seems that they charge more than that.

You could get a room at a beachfront hotel for the same, or less, than your rooms at the WL, and not be charged a daily admission fee. Or, limited to 3 hours of sunshine per day.

 

[Laketravis]

Two words: Aventura Spa

 

[crostorfer]

I agree that Universal front of the line access for on-site (that's the key word) is great for their THREE resorts...We've stayed at Portofino, Royal Pacific and Hard Rock numerous times and I would not compare Universal Parks to Disney.

I think the overall theming and experience at Disney is much better! Though the front of the line access allowed us to probably do everything in one day!

IMO...The new system worked well for us and honestly we never really able to makr FP- work as well! I'm willing to be wrong and see how it works for us in March....We do plan two very late nights in MK and EP when they are open until eleven or twelve am!

I find the theming of Hogsmede to be just as good, if not better, than anything at Disney. That front of the line access that allows to do everything in a day works to my advantage, with a child that wants to do things over, and over, and over. FP+ works against me.

 

[mom2rtk]

You could get a room at a beachfront hotel for the same, or less, than your rooms at the WL, and not be charged a daily admission fee. Or, limited to 3 hours of sunshine per day.

Now that is seriously funny.

Although we did end up on Sanibel Island last summer in the midst of a tropical storm. I think we got 3 hours of sunshine the entire WEEK. But the payoff was worth it in the end. Not one cent of admission charged for this:


Sunset at Sanibel Pier by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[larryz]

If I want to relax, I'll go to the beach. They don't charge $100 a day to take in the atmosphere there.

C'mon, that's an exaggeration -- with a multi-day ticket, Disney doesn't charge more than $45 a day for atmosphere...

 

[mom2rtk]

C'mon, that's an exaggeration -- with a multi-day ticket, Disney doesn't charge more than $45 a day for atmosphere...

That would be a pretty hefty cover charge. They really should start selling an "atmosphere only" pass though.

On the way back from the beach last summer we stopped at the MK for one day (actually just part of one day). Admission? $105.

 

[larryz]

That would be a pretty hefty cover charge. They really should start selling an "atmosphere only" pass though.

On the way back from the beach last summer we stopped at the MK for one day (actually just part of one day). Admission? $105.

Geez! That's like paying rack rates at a hotel!!!

 

[quandrea]

Exactly.

My experience too. Five nights for five guests would have run me $5500. No air needed. I'll take wdw any day.

 

[DaisyNY]

Again theming, restaurants, Main Street USA, the monorail, waterparks, and so on...IMO there's nothing else that compates...to hear that individuals are cancelling vacations because of FP+ without experiencing it just seems silly to me! No offense intended!

 

[mom2rtk]

Geez! That's like paying rack rates at a hotel!!!

But I got 6 fastpasses after 2 PM and felt like I had received value for what I spent.

 

[mom2rtk]

My experience too. Five nights for five guests would have run me $5500. No air needed. I'll take wdw any day.

That must be some beach. We spent less than $1K for a week in a 2 BR condo overlooking the Gulf on Sanibel.

 

[quandrea]

Again theming, restaurants, Main Street USA, the monorail, waterparks, and so on...IMO there's nothing else that compates...to hear that individuals are cancelling vacations because of FP+ without experiencing it just seems silly to me! No offense intended!

So true. I was skeptical but it has turned out to be great. So many people posting haven't lived it yet.

 

[quandrea]

That must be some beach. We spent less than $1K for a week in a 2 BR condo overlooking the Gulf on Sanibel.

All inclusive in northern ontario. Not worth it. Didn't go.

 

[DaisyNY]

But look at your photo with the princesses....that's all part of the WDW experience IMO!