Just Back from Spring Break with FP+

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

We're just back from an 8 day spring break trip using FP+ for the first time. We have been to WDW many times and consider ourselves veterans. We have APs and own DVC.

Generally, we liked the Magic Bands, except that they are hot and sweaty. Most of us wore them on our belt loops instead of our wrists. They are convenient for admission, charging and room keys. They are also generally a good way to use FP rather than the old paper system. But the FP+ system is, in our opinion, mostly awful.

The pros of FP+: We were able to "schedule" a ride on Soarin from 8 to 9 pm our first night there, even though we didn't get to WDW until nearly 5 p.m. It allowed us to have a nice dinner at EPCOT, walk around a bit and then use our FP and go back to our resort. That was really nice. We never would have gotten a FP under the old system.

The cons of FP+: Simply stated, I have 2 issues: 1) no park hopping; and 2) the lines! In all honesty, we didn't park hop for rides this time. Only for dinners. With the FP+ system, it's pointless to park hop for rides because of the lines! It's a Small World had a 30 minute wait. Haunted Mansion had a 50 to 60 minute wait. Pirates had anywhere from a 40 to 50 minute wait. The teacups had a 35+ minute wait. Star Tours had a 30 minute wait. Voyage of the Little Mermaid had a 60 minute wait. All those rides that used to have 5 to 10 minute waits now have 30+ minute waits...and it's just not worth it. I've never seen so many people on the Riverboat ride in my life!

For us, FP+ is having what is likely the undesired effect. We go to the parks, use our 3 FP+ and then leave. No wandering around, eating lunch out and shopping. Instead, we went back to our resort, swam in the pool. Fixed lunches in our room (we had a 1-bedroom with a full kitchen), did free stuff around the resort, and relaxed a bit more (no running from ride to ride).

We have a trip coming up again in June with extended family. We'll be staying in a 2-bedroom this trip and our plan is to use the FP+ for our 3 rides and enjoy the water parks and pools much more. We've also decided not to renew our APs until they get this mess they've created straightened out.

Under the old system, some "hot" rides had long lines, but now nearly everything has long lines. No pacifying the kids (and husbands) by saying hey, let's duck in here for a quick ride on.... Or lets go see this show before our FPs are ready. It's not much fun to walk around and see that everything has a 30+ minute wait...particularly when it was a walk on or nearly so ride every time in the past.

So, I've adjusted my opinion on the Magic Bands...yes it took me 13 calls to get everyone's passes connected and resolve some other issues (like linking everyone in), but they work pretty well.

The FP+ system, not a fan! I do like the "scheduling" part...it's nice to do your 3 rides in quick succession of one another. But I miss the days where some attractions just didn't have lines, or at least had short ones. Yes, they were never the E-ticket rides...but they had their charm with short waits. They, and the parks, lose their charm with the much longer waits.

Karen

 

[kapoof]

Thanks for the review. I can totally see how the charm is lost. This seems to be such a mess. I can only imagine summer in the scorching heat tempers are going to be very very short with these endless lines.

 

[ferd]

Thanks so much for your report. I'm glad you were able to still enjoy aspects of your vacation despite all the FP+ stuff.

You hit the nail on the head with so many points, but these two below really rang true for me. We're local APs, and this is precisely what we have to do now compared to how we used to be able to visit the parks:

For us, FP+ is having what is likely the undesired effect. We go to the parks, use our 3 FP+ and then leave. No wandering around, eating lunch out and shopping.


Under the old system, some "hot" rides had long lines, but now nearly everything has long lines. No pacifying the kids (and husbands) by saying hey, let's duck in here for a quick ride on.... Or lets go see this show before our FPs are ready. It's not much fun to walk around and see that everything has a 30+ minute wait...particularly when it was a walk on or nearly so ride every time in the past.


Karen

 

[hale999]

These are really the 2 big issues with FP+ for me.
1) can't ride the headliners more than once without massive waits
2) the non-headliner rides that were no waits (like figment imagination) are now 20 to 30 minutes

 

[DVC Doctor]

I think the issue of wait lines is due to Spring Break.

 

[2Tiggies]

2) the non-headliner rides that were no waits (like figment imagination) are now 20 to 30 minutes

This actually makes the new system a deal breaker for us more than the 3 limit. It kills all reasonable options and gives little incentive to remain in the park.

And before someone suggests I should be shopping, I don't want to go shopping on vacation and I am not going to start spending money because I'm bored.

Thanks for the report OP. These recent and live updates are so valuable to us.

 

[erin1715]

I totally agree about FP+. We went the last week in February and we used to enjoy being able to do Pirates or Haunted Mansion virtually every time we walked by them! This trip was very frustrating with the long lines that FP+ has created. It has made things worse, not better. But the big wigs at Disney seem to be blinded.

 

[hale999]

Tiggies,
There were literally no rides during the day that had less than a 20-30 minute wait in any of the parks. Even It's a Bugs Life (which i had not seen anything more than a 5 minute wait during spring break the last few years) had a 30+ minute wait

 

[mom2aandj]

I think the issue of wait lines is due to Spring Break.

We have been at spring break before, and granted, there are more people going to Disneyworld every year, but I think FP+ really is lengthening the lines of the non headliner rides that you used to be able to do as filler. This morning at Epcot at 10 am there was a big line for living with the Land! I never saw anything remotely like that on any of our previous spring break trips.

 

[happymomof1]

I think the issue of wait lines is due to Spring Break.

I was just kind of thinking the same thing...... We were there for New Years eve and ALL of the lines were long then as well. I have heard that Spring break is disney's busiest time.

 

[stairstepmom]

Sigh. I feel the same way. And it's not just because it's March. We were there in January during MK changeover to FP+ only and saw firsthand the immediate impact on the wait times for the secondary rides. There were always a few "filler" rides/attractions that had reliable <20 minute waits - most of those now have FP+ and with people not doing headliner repeats, where are they going to go? To the "filler" rides, of course. On our MK day with legacy, we did A TON and had a blast all day. On our MK days with FP+ only, we did a few things at RD, did our 3 FP+, wandered around looking in amazement at the ridiculous wait times for the filler attractions, and went back to the resort to relax.

I was just contemplating re-booking a mom/daughter trip in May before my AP runs out, but then I look at the wait times and read accounts like this and I hate to waste our money. Disney is like labor - you forget the pain all too soon, with only hazy good memories left - thanks for reminding me of the ouch factor!

 

[JennyDrake]

These are really the 2 big issues with FP+ for me.
1) can't ride the headliners more than once without massive waits
2) the non-headliner rides that were no waits (like figment imagination) are now 20 to 30 minutes

DITTO!

 

[JennyDrake]

I think the issue of wait lines is due to Spring Break.

Last year I would have agreed, but I was there in February and NOT around the federal holiday and it was the same thing. Standby lines were unreal and like another post said, we didn't even try for PoTC, MM and several other "regular" rides for us due to 5-60 minute lines.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Thanks for reporting your experience with FP+. It seems that FP+ will have the opposite effect on our family too -- we will go and do our 3FP+ rides and spend WAY more time offsite. In the past, we would eat lunch and dinner at the parks because going to eat offsite took too much park time away and the lines for non-headliner rides were tolerable. If we can't find any "fill-in" rides with reasonable waits, we'll just leave when we're hungry and head back to our townhouse. We may try heading back to the parks much later in the evening to see how the waits are then. I'm so glad that we decided to stay offsite this trip.

 

[sgtpet]

Wow! I am so sorry for all of you. This is terrible. The lines are outrageous for things that had hardly any line in the past. I own at DVC and I am taking a break from WDW for now. My family and I are going to Disneyland in Anaheim and a Disney Cruise in the summer of 2015. I hope they fix these problems sooner than the next time I go to WDW.

 

[phewms]

It's a Small World had a 30 minute wait. Haunted Mansion had a 50 to 60 minute wait. Pirates had anywhere from a 40 to 50 minute wait. The teacups had a 35+ minute wait. Star Tours had a 30 minute wait. Voyage of the Little Mermaid had a 60 minute wait. All those rides that used to have 5 to 10 minute waits now have 30+ minute waits...and it's just not worth it. I've never seen so many people on the Riverboat ride in my life.

Were these wait times for the FP Line or the standby line?

 

[MickeyOCD]

Yes, here now. It's Spring Break & busy. & FP+ creates lines where none existed before & still doesn't reduce standby for headliners. Journey into Imagination has a standby wait of 30 min & Soarin is still 120 min standby!

 

[tink20]

Disney is like labor - you forget the pain all too soon, with only hazy good memories left - thanks for reminding me of the ouch factor!

so true

 

[JeremyGNJ]

For us, FP+ is having what is likely the undesired effect. We go to the parks, use our 3 FP+ and then leave. No wandering around, eating lunch out and shopping. Instead, we went back to our resort, swam in the pool. Fixed lunches in our room (we had a 1-bedroom with a full kitchen), did free stuff around the resort, and relaxed a bit more (no running from ride to ride).

I tend to think that IS the desired effect. For people to Pay Admission, Ride a few rides...eat a meal...buy some stuff...leave.

 

[2Tiggies]

Tiggies,
There were literally no rides during the day that had less than a 20-30 minute wait in any of the parks. Even It's a Bugs Life (which i had not seen anything more than a 5 minute wait during spring break the last few years) had a 30+ minute wait

That bugs me. Really. We have pretty much walked up for the next showing of Bugs Life twice, one on Easter Monday and once the day before Easter. Oh well, exploring the area outside WDW property is probably not a bad thing to get us out of our little bubble.

I tend to think that IS the desired effect. For people to Pay Admission, Ride a few rides...eat a meal...buy some stuff...leave.

I wish I could argue with you on this. But I think you're right. Trouble is, it costs us so much just to get to Orlando that to spend most of our day at the pool or our room would make a beach vacation more appropriate. At a fraction of the cost.