Just Back Today, Bad FP+ Experience for Offsite

[mom2rtk]

While it could have been spent on attractions they still would be over crowded at the busiest times of year unless they got 2 head-liners in every single park or created a whole new park as well as 1 head liner in each park.

What Disney is doing is developing the infrastructure for the next 20-30 years. This system will allow them to track data to make more money to make more rides in the future if they choose to. This system allows them to deliver content never before possible. This system fits with the mindset of quite a few people to schedule what they are going to do on vacation (how about going to europe and just getting a room and a plane ticket...). This system allows for integration into the 21st century technology we have on us at all times (55% of americans have smartphones and that number is growing). This system is the infrastructure that can have additional things built into it over the years.

The 1.5 billion did not go just to FP+ and likely decided that 1.5 billion would actually have a return/break-even in the next couple years with dividends in the future. Not sure Disney's practice but I would suspect they would at least want a 4x+ payout under a certain timeline. This can be soft-dollars such as tracking who goes to which restaurant or what rides go over best with which age groups or who stays for the fireworks and if they get something to eat before them?

All the more reason they should have spend maybe half on MM+ (without FP+) and half on adding something notable to DHS and Epcot.

 

[joybeth]

You were in the worst possible spot, not staying on site, thus no Magic Band, thus not able to book in advance. It was a super busy weekend, on top of that. It is imperative you stay on site at least one night to get your band. Once you have that you can at least book 3 in advance, and any future visits you can book in advance. These are the new rules of the game like it or not!

Agree, Disney Dad. It was the perfect storm, super busy weekend and staying offsite. I always stay onsite, but my sister's family has been Hilton Grand VC owners for years. They will make plans that don't include Disney when visiting Orlando in the future.

jb

 

[Ted C]

Yes and wait until Summer's perfect storm... We haven't seen the worst of this yet...

 

[Mad Hattered]

Anyways there is a question everyone needs to ask... If FP+ were all gone for TSMM they are all gone at 1 per person compared to last year at this time where people could have had 2 passes and you could have not gotten any....

So what you are saying is....this did nothing to help the FP situation?

 

[mom2rtk]

Anyways there is a question everyone needs to ask... If FP+ were all gone for TSMM they are all gone at 1 per person compared to last year at this time where people could have had 2 passes and you could have not gotten any....

At least you could have gotten one if you were there at rope drop. People staying offsite can't even say that right now.

 

[morethananyonex]

So what you are saying is....this did nothing to help the FP situation?

Which is exactly what us "negative" people have been saying since the start. If I may use the F word, it's still not fair .

They don't have enough ride capacity, especially at a park like DHS where everyone and their mother wants on TSMM, to give everyone a FP. People are still getting left out. There is no way to fix that until they build something or restrict the number of people in the parks. They can only give out so many FP until FP becomes stand by and stand by becomes the don't even bother line. Some people still can't ride TSMM, which is what so many people were praising FP+ for, it got them that illusive FP. The people getting shut out aren't the ones who don't do RD now, they're the ones who don't plan enough to grab the FP in advance (or can't, like current offsite guests). Someone is still losing.

 

[Ted C]

Exactly, which is the point. And its February. This is just the precursor I'm afraid.

 

[damo]

Which is exactly what us "negative" people have been saying since the start. If I may use the F word, it's still not fair .

They don't have enough ride capacity, especially at a park like DHS where everyone and their mother wants on TSMM, to give everyone a FP. People are still getting left out. There is no way to fix that until they build something or restrict the number of people in the parks. They can only give out so many FP until FP becomes stand by and stand by becomes the don't even bother line. Some people still can't ride TSMM, which is what so many people were praising FP+ for, it got them that illusive FP. The people getting shut out aren't the ones who don't do RD now, they're the ones who don't plan enough to grab the FP in advance (or can't, like current offsite guests). Someone is still losing.

And once everyone does get advance planning abilities, who is going to get shut out then? It will be very, very interesting to see how this all pans out.

 

[sethschroeder]

Exactly, which is the point. And its February. This is just the precursor I'm afraid.

Except in 2013 on presidents day (MK 8 of 10, Epcot 8 of 10, HS 10 of 10, AK 9 of 10) this is a busy time of year....

 

[sethschroeder]

All the more reason they should have spend maybe half on MM+ (without FP+) and half on adding something notable to DHS and Epcot.

I would assume not implementing FP+ would have left no incentive to move to MM+ so people would have ignored it and that .75 billion would go to waste.

Could they use more rides? Yes but they chose for some reason unknown to the public to go this route. Its likely we will never know for a long time. I would guess its because this is seen as a something they would need to invest in sooner than later anyways to get the information gathering their require to milk more money out of what is already at WDW as well as what will be launched in the future.

 

[sethschroeder]

The kiosks inside the park were staffed by cast members and operational prior to the official opening of the park. We were able to get ToT and RR and Great Movie ride, so it was just TSM that was gone prior to park opening.

To Denies's point though would TSM have FP+ times open at park opening but not 30 mins prior? So that if you would have waited until the gates opened possibly ticket times would have then been opened? Only Disney knows likely???

 

[mom2rtk]

I would assume not implementing FP+ would have left no incentive to move to MM+ so people would have ignored it and that .75 billion would go to waste.

Could they use more rides? Yes but they chose for some reason unknown to the public to go this route. Its likely we will never know for a long time. I would guess its because this is seen as a something they would need to invest in sooner than later anyways to get the information gathering their require to milk more money out of what is already at WDW as well as what will be launched in the future.

..... and I'm afraid their choice to move forward has really accentuated the lack of ride capacity rather than mask it as I'm sure they had hoped.

 

[Ted C]

Yes and so is all Summer... Simply put, they don't have the capacity to force everyone to pre plan let alone have anything left over for last minute guests as perfectly described in this thread. I've been there many, many, times, usually 10-days at a time. I'm just not sure this works out... Time will tell.

 

[morethananyonex]

And once everyone does get advance planning abilities, who is going to get shut out then? It will be very, very interesting to see how this all pans out.

I agree.

I'm curious to see if they will be holding a certain number for same day FP+, because if not TSMM may become the first attraction that actually does consistently require earlier booking than night before. I'd also be curious to see the breakdown of tier 1 FP use in DHS. I imagine Epcot is close to split 50/50 TT and Soarin' which is likely a big reason why the situation isn't as bad there.

 

[Ted C]

Mom2trk you're dead on. It doesn't matter how much traffic control you put in if your 4-lane highway narrows down to a two lane that can't handle it.

 

[mom2rtk]

I agree.

I'm curious to see if they will be holding a certain number for same day FP+, because if not TSMM may become the first attraction that actually does consistently require earlier booking than night before. I'd also be curious to see the breakdown of tier 1 FP use in DHS. I imagine Epcot is close to split 50/50 TT and Soarin' which is likely a big reason why the situation isn't as bad there.

We won't know their plan for holding back same day slots until after all AP and offsite guests are prebooking. They have no choice right now but to keep some back for the ones who had no ability to prebook at all.

And I'm actually thinking the Mine Coaster could be the first to completely book prior to the day of. With TSMM a close second.

 

[Ted C]

Of all rides they need to make a mirror duplicate of is TSM. It simply can not throughput enough and never will be able to. And of all rides, from an expense point of view, it would make sense.

 

[morethananyonex]

We won't know their plan for holding back same day slots until after all AP and offsite guests are prebooking. They have no choice right now but to keep some back for the ones who had no ability to prebook at all.

And I'm actually thinking the Mine Coaster could be the first to completely book prior to the day of. With TSMM a close second.

I always forget about the Mine Coaster. I guess in my head it will always be in a perpetual state of construction .

Guess it depends what comes first, Mine Train opening or prebooking for offsite.

 

[mom2rtk]

Of all rides they need to make a mirror duplicate of TSM. It simply can not throughput enough and never will be able to. And of all rides, from an expense point of view, it would make sense.

Forget the mirror duplicate. Just add Carsland like they did at DCA. THAT is the reason MH and I were able to find short lines at TSMM there.

 

[Ted C]

Good point