Just returned - the sky is not falling!

[LuvFFPlus]

Were your FP+ choices tiered?

I agree, that without tiering it works great for people who want to hit the parks later. I would be satisfied if I could book Soarin' and Test Track, TSMM and Rockin' Roller Coaster, all while having a leisurely morning at the hotel. The system isn't set up for that. If you want to ride all the headliners (even just once) without a long stand by wait you still need to get there for rope drop. There's not much improvement for people who don't hit rope drop unless they don't care about picking and choosing which popular rides to ride.

I would be willing to deal with the rigid aspect of FP+ if it truly meant we could have a relaxing vacation with our big rides booked. For a family who wants to do all the headliners, it just creates stress. We have to combine waking up early on vacation with being tied to plans made 60 days ago. Ick.

This gets me thinking. What if they offer a package for purchase to remove the tiers and also offer some extra FP but not unlimited. Will that be a good thing to sell?

 

[davidl81]

Were your FP+ choices tiered? I agree, that without tiering it works great for people who want to hit the parks later. I would be satisfied if I could book Soarin' and Test Track, TSMM and Rockin' Roller Coaster, all while having a leisurely morning at the hotel. The system isn't set up for that. If you want to ride all the headliners (even just once) without a long stand by wait you still need to get there for rope drop. There's not much improvement for people who don't hit rope drop unless they don't care about picking and choosing which popular rides to ride. I would be willing to deal with the rigid aspect of FP+ if it truly meant we could have a relaxing vacation with our big rides booked. For a family who wants to do all the headliners, it just creates stress. We have to combine waking up early on vacation with being tied to plans made 60 days ago. Ick.

Tiered for EPCOT but not for DHS. So I did get to have TSM and RRC on my fast pass. I did ride RRC twice by doing single rider during the first fantasmic (15-20 min wait). If DHS would have been tiered I would have only rode it that one time. Epcot was today and pretty slow. Did sorin at 6:05 after candle light (did a same day change since the original time was 4:30 and our candlelight show was at 5:00). Then I did single rider for test track (10 min wait, but single rider is always pretty fast for test track since the car sits three people and most groups get on in sets of two),

 

[morethananyonex]

This gets me thinking. What if they offer a package for purchase to remove the tiers and also offer some extra FP but not unlimited. Will that be a good thing to sell?

Probably, but then you have that capacity issue again. The tiers are arguably put in place as well as the 3 FP because there aren't enough spaces available once it's rolled out to everyone for anything other set up. Is there even enough extra capacity to put together a package like that without hurting SB and FB lines even more?

 

[LuvFFPlus]

Probably, but then you have that capacity issue again. The tiers are arguably put in place as well as the 3 FP because there aren't enough spaces available once it's rolled out to everyone for anything other set up. Is there even enough extra capacity to put together a package like that without hurting SB and FB lines even more?

If they sell the package on a limited number base it could work. Similar to the Fantasmic dinner package. The only trick is to figure out the number of package to sell. That number will come after enough data has been collected.

 

[redsbe]

Most of my visits were off peak, but not at the lowest times of the year. Mostly moderate levels and a few mid summer peak level trips. Even with those, we have NEVER done a single rope drop in over 30 years of WDW. I understand the strategy, but I also understand that relaxing on my vacation is more important than riding TSM 3 times before noon.

Being able to relax and not get up early for RP is a choice you have made. Before FP- and even before FP+ visitors have always had the choice as to how to manage their trip and vacation including whether a passion to ride TSM 3 time before noon required RD or visiting during lower crowds. There is no essential need for RP for many visitors if riding the most popular attractions or avoiding lines is of no concern.

 

[redsbe]

This is my fear.

A lot of people who are on the DIS don't realize what it's like when you don't go multiple times a year, every year or even every second year. When you have to spend tons of money just to get to Orlando, you tend to go less but stay for longer. You want to get everything done because you don't go often, but you still want it to be a relaxing vacation, sometimes it's our only one. FP+ seems to be changing that .

By the way, thanks for sharing your experiences from your recent trip. Knowing the issues people are facing in advance (instead of "We loved FP+! We booked before tiering and pulled FP- though, but it's awesome!") helps us to at least change our expectations for our February trip.

We only go once every two years or so and only for 4 park days, yet FP- has never been critical to our trip experience as a relaxing vacation. Truth of the matter is that if you are rushing around trying to experience "everything" in WDW, unless you are there 7 days + and also during low crowds, FP- or even FP+ only are not going to help make it a relaxing vacation. If you are going during February (low season) and for 5 days or more, you should be able to experience all of WDW even with only FP+ available (unless part of that relaxing vacation/complete experience includes riding TSM 4 times in one day!)

 

[rebbyparker]

Glad you had an awesome trip, but don't think your experience is anything of value to add to the conversation.

You were using FP-, and you went for rope drop, and said you got to ride stuff. While that's awesome for you, it has no relation to the people staying onsite who are going to be locked into FP+, particularly at all the values but Art Now.

No one has ever questioned that its awesome to do RD with FP- ... in fact everyone knows this. Just really not sure what point you were trying to make here ???

Some of us offsiters for Christmas have been worrying about this very thing now that FP+ has been thrown into the mix, so I'm glad that the OP posted his experiences. I like knowing that our plans (similar to OP's) will hopefully work.

 

[redsbe]

You are correct. FP+ will severely limit the quantity the enjoyment of most guests. The people that go often will not be bothered by it as much, but the people that only visit once or once every so many years will in no way be able to do as much as they have in the past. Sure you will get a few guarantees with your FP+'s, but everything else will be in stand by lines that have wait times increased by large amounts of time because of all the FP being gone for that attraction or slower load times for the stand by line to accommodate all of the FP holders.

You are assuming most WDW guests already make use of FP- and will do so for FP+. Depending on when they visit, their planning, and what they value as the experience they wish to have at WDW, it is equally possible that FP+ will have limited impact on the experience of most guests. Not every visitor needs to ride TSM, Soarin, or TT including repeatedly on the same day, and for those that want the experience they will plan accordingly even without FP- or FP+ (use RP, visit during low crowds). For all we know all those people in line for hours understand and expect that even as first time or infrequent visitors, we really have no way of knowing. Go to a major roller coaster park in the summer and see people spending hours in line for a few quick thrill rides - clearly waiting does not bother everyone or create a negative experience for them.

 

[AmyB2006]

Glad you had an awesome trip, but don't think your experience is anything of value to add to the conversation.

You were using FP-, and you went for rope drop, and said you got to ride stuff. While that's awesome for you, it has no relation to the people staying onsite who are going to be locked into FP+, particularly at all the values but Art Now.

No one has ever questioned that its awesome to do RD with FP- ... in fact everyone knows this. Just really not sure what point you were trying to make here ???

Well a lot of offsite guests have been very concerned about what their experience in the parks will be. FP- have been disappearing faster and faster, especially during peak times. So while OP's experience may not have a lot to do with MBs or onsite guests, hopefully some off site guests will get some benefit from the post. I've seen a few that have.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Glad to hear. However, your post subject title reminded me of this and now I have it stuck in my head. So thanks.

 

[Jeslynb]

We're here now and enjoying our offsite stay with FP- very much. We actually un-booked a resort for this week because I didn't want to use FP+. I might want to use it down the road, but it would not have worked well for us for this trip.

FP- was fine. Wait times were minimal and we rode all the headliners we wanted.

So, if you're staying offsite in the near future, I would agree - no worries.

 

[rebbyparker]

We're here now and enjoying our offsite stay with FP- very much. We actually un-booked a resort for this week because I didn't want to use FP+. I might want to use it down the road, but it would not have worked well for us for this trip.

FP- was fine. Wait times were minimal and we rode all the headliners we wanted.

So, if you're staying offsite in the near future, I would agree - no worries.

Thanks!

 

[Colleen27]

Ugh, this almost has me wishing we weren't staying onsite this trip... Offsite = affordable rates, no tiers, classic FP access, riding headliners multiple times. Onsite = Disney prices, MB only, choosing between headliners, no FP- access.

I just have to keep reminding myself that it is just me and my 5yo, and she doesn't care about most of the headliners. If my big kids were coming I'd be changing resorts in a heartbeat.

 

[wisblue]

We only go once every two years or so and only for 4 park days, yet FP- has never been critical to our trip experience as a relaxing vacation. Truth of the matter is that if you are rushing around trying to experience "everything" in WDW, unless you are there 7 days + and also during low crowds, FP- or even FP+ only are not going to help make it a relaxing vacation. If you are going during February (low season) and for 5 days or more, you should be able to experience all of WDW even with only FP+ available (unless part of that relaxing vacation/complete experience includes riding TSM 4 times in one day!)

Exactly.

If you sort through the arguments against FP+ on this board, the vast majority of them are made by people who are not aiming for a relaxing vacation. They are looking for the ability to ride certain attractions as many times as possible, even if that meant running around the park gathering FPs for later use.

If I were not a regular visitor, I would look at everyone's comments and take into account how that person's touring style compares with what you want to do. When a person says that his primary objective is to ride his favorites over and over and over, it's not surprising that he might think FP+ stinks, as compared to FP- with no enforced return times.

But, if you are more interested in doing as many different things as you can once each (you will never be able to do everything), you might find that FP+ gives you a better blend of doing a lot of things while being able to relax with the knowledge that you have some things reserved.

Decide for yourself rather than letting the strong opinions of others influence you too much.

 

[LuvFFPlus]

I agree with Wisblue, your vacation goal may not be the same as everyone. Take the information that you learned about WDW and match up to what you wish to accomplish.

 

[jewood1234]

Agree!!

If I hadn't been there recently myself I would have thought that the overreactions here were the norm at the parks. Not the case.....

Is it possible that there are hiccups during the transition, sure. And maybe we (along with all of our friends and most of the people we met in the parks) just got lucky???

 

[Jennasis]

Interestingly, in the Disney film "Chicken Little", the sky wasn't falling...it was much much worse. An alien invasion.

On the plus side, things ended up happy for everyone after both sides realized mistakes had been made and corrected the misunderstandings to everyone's joint satisfaction.

Just sayin'.

 

[LuvFFPlus]

Interestingly, in the Disney film "Chicken Little", the sky wasn't falling...it was much much worse. An alien invasion.

On the plus side, things ended up happy for everyone after both sides realized mistakes had been made and corrected the misunderstandings to everyone's joint satisfaction.

Just sayin'.

Agree with you. I am willing to wait until the dust settles on the system.

 

[Shaden]

Interestingly, in the Disney film "Chicken Little", the sky wasn't falling...it was much much worse. An alien invasion.

On the plus side, things ended up happy for everyone after both sides realized mistakes had been made and corrected the misunderstandings to everyone's joint satisfaction.

Just sayin'.

Oh that was SO well played

 

[Jimbeaux28]

We're here now and enjoying our offsite stay with FP- very much. We actually un-booked a resort for this week because I didn't want to use FP+. I might want to use it down the road, but it would not have worked well for us for this trip. FP- was fine. Wait times were minimal and we rode all the headliners we wanted. So, if you're staying offsite in the near future, I would agree - no worries.

If I were a Disney executive reading this post about you getting a better Disney experience by staying offsite, you would have gotten my attention immediately.