kides say Magic Bands have ruined Disney

[Suvadoo]

But what about moving it to the preferred time? People seem to be chiding the OP for not getting the FP and then moving it. I just don't think it is that easy during the Christmas week. The OP says they tried to move it and couldn't. There are only two possibilities: 1) That is true; or 2) the OP is a liar.

Based on the initial responses I've read on these boards, OP is a liar who didn't know what they were doingwhen booking their FP+ reservations. After all, they should have been able to move them to any time they pleased!

 

[JimmyV]

They didn't say when they tried to move it did they? I got the impression they tried to move it at the park, because maybe they didn't figure out until they got there that they didn't really want to wait around for the last one.

Yes they did. See post #5.

 

[JimmyV]

OP is DVC, so she was not one of the 30 day people.

This makes the tale even more troubling. If a 60 day person cannot change times, then that spells trouble.

 

[JimmyV]

Based on the initial responses I've read on these boards, OP is a liar

That is one of the two possibilities. Just not the one that I immediately jump to.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

How could a 60 day person not be able to change times on anything other than Anna and Elsa, AT 60 days?

Nothing else books up that fast at 60 days. Not even 7DMT. absent glitches of course. Parades/Wishes might but you can't move those, their times are fixed.

If you had a specific time that you wanted that one for and you couldnt get that specific time, OK, but there are usually times available at 60 days where your passes don't have to be several hours apart.

 

[Hokie2000]

OK, talk to me, then. I have three FP+ trips under my belt in the last 14 months. Based on her posts, mom2trk and I seem to have similar touring styles. I agree almost 100% with the things I've seen her post...my complaints mirror hers. So, just ascribe her posts to me, and tell me I'm wrong. FP+ cramps my touring style. We do far, far fewer rides now than we were able to in the past. Call me a legacy FP "super user" but the norm for us WAS four rides on Soarin' in a day and four rides on TSM in a day, with only one trip through the SB line, and thus minimal waits. We are people who have been often enough that we know what we like to ride and we skip everything else. We like to ride the same rides over and over again. This system doesn't work as well for us as the old system did. In August, when crowds were low, the system worked better. In December, it was a different story. We did almost no rides in the afternoons because we weren't willing to wait in long (over 30 minutes) lines and there was no 4th FP+ availability for all for of us any of our favorites. I scheduled my FP+s so that we had generally gotten through them by 1:00 at the latest, but the 4th FP+ was still impossible. Honestly, after our August trip, I was shocked at what I saw popping up on the kiosks in December. We all learned quickly that we were getting up and getting to the parks right at opening so we could do re-rides then and afternoons were full of doing "something else" that wasn't rides.

We still had fun, but it wasn't because of FP+, and it didn't seem like this trip was as fun as past ones.

I'm digging the intensity. This is like a disboard "come at me, bro."

You don't like it. Ok fine. Your description of your touring style is wildly different than mine, so your experience has very little relevance for me personally. But I'm sure it does have relevance for other people, and they can learn from your experience. It also would help (if I hadn't already experienced FP+ for myself) for me to see that you don't like FP+, but looking at your reasons I will probably not have the same issues that you did. So I wouldn't have to worry about issues that aren't a big deal to me. That is my point. "I don't like FP+ because we experienced these: reasons, reasons, reasons" is a lot more helpful than "I don't like FP+ because I think it's going to be a certain way."

 

[momof2n2]

I'm digging the intensity. This is like a disboard "come at me, bro." You don't like it. Ok fine. Your description of your touring style is wildly different than mine, so your experience has very little relevance for me personally. But I'm sure it does have relevance for other people, and they can learn from your experience. It also would help (if I hadn't already experienced FP+ for myself) for me to see that you don't like FP+, but looking at your reasons I will probably not have the same issues that you did. So I wouldn't have to worry about issues that aren't a big deal to me. That is my point. "I don't like FP+ because we experienced these: reasons, reasons, reasons" is a lot more helpful than "I don't like FP+ because I think it's going to be a certain way."

Ok. But this is exactly why I'm grateful for the "I hate FP+" threads that spell out why. Because time and again I see that their reasons for not liking it is because they tour the way I do. I do not want these threads to disappear ask long as the experiences are occurring.

When I finally start seeing - "we are former FP super users and we LOVED FP+" threads citing all the ways their family's expectations were met I'll be the first one planning a trip.

But saying that I, or mom2rtk, or other haven't-been-back-yet shouldn't chime in isn't fair either. I don't want people who tour like I do to discontinue reporting back their experiences thinking no one else could feel like they did b/c there is only ever rainbows and sunshine being reported re:FP+.

I'm also keenly eager on off-site reports, which are often derided and discouraged.

 

[Suvadoo]

That is one of the two possibilities. Just not the one that I immediately jump to.

I'm sorry, I thought I had pushed the winking smiling face. I would never assume the that the OP is lying, but there are several posts on this thread that imply as much. It amazes me that whenever anyone has a negative opinion, people try to impune the integrity of the OP. I haven't seen any threads where a OP has a positive experience and a bunch of people question the OP's veracity or the reasons for their great experience. I just don't understand.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I'm digging the intensity. This is like a disboard "come at me, bro."

You don't like it. Ok fine. Your description of your touring style is wildly different than mine, so your experience has very little relevance for me personally. But I'm sure it does have relevance for other people, and they can learn from your experience. It also would help (if I hadn't already experienced FP+ for myself) for me to see that you don't like FP+, but looking at your reasons I will probably not have the same issues that you did. So I wouldn't have to worry about issues that aren't a big deal to me. That is my point. "I don't like FP+ because we experienced these: reasons, reasons, reasons" is a lot more helpful than "I don't like FP+ because I think it's going to be a certain way."

Mom2rtk does not "think" she knows her touring styl, she knows it. Pretty sure we all know our own touring styles. Hers happens to include re-riding attractions. It is a *fact*, not a supposition, that fp+ makes re-riding attractions without SB waits much more difficult. In fact don't many here claim that part of the purpose of fp+ was cracking down on the amount of re-riding, so others would have the opportunity? Pretty sure I've seen that point brought up a lot.

Why does it take setting foot in a park to know that fp+ is restrictive for those who like to tour that way?

 

[ilovemk76]

I'm sorry, I thought I had pushed the winking smiling face. I would never assume the that the OP is lying, but there are several posts on this thread that imply as much. It amazes me that whenever anyone has a negative opinion, people try to impune the integrity of the OP. I haven't seen any threads where a OP has a positive experience and a bunch of people question the OP's veracity or the reasons for their great experience. I just don't understand.

OP have never said that at the 60 day mark she tried to change and could not. She only made a general comment that was intentionally evasive of the question.

I think the OP just accepted what was offered and then sometime later, realized she could move them. When she tried, it did not work. Now sure what rides she tried to move or when.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Well, some of it's just trying to figure out whether the OP had any options that they didn't know about that could make it easier for them next time. Or they were assuming they could not do something when in fact they could have. Not accusing them of "lying." Although maybe it wont' make any difference since they've already said they aren't going back.

 

[Hokie2000]

Completely off topic, but DH and I were just discussing cricket flour yesterday. LOL

Back on topic, still not a FP+ fan and yes, I have used it - twice.

There are also cricket protein bars! One day I will try cricket products and report back.

Sorry you don't like FP+. I think it's pretty apparent that there are some who are not going to be happy with the new system. No matter how I feel about it, it doesn't change the fact that it doesn't work as well for you, and jtown, jennasis, suvadoo, etc, etc. That's just the reality of it. Will it make you stop going, do you think?

 

[JimmyV]

How could a 60 day person not be able to change times on anything other than Anna and Elsa, AT 60 days?

See post below.

I think the OP just accepted what was offered and then sometime later, realized she could move them. When she tried, it did not work. Now sure what rides she tried to move or when.

Seems very logical to me.

Again, it is easy for all of us Monday-Morning FP users to say that if one hops on the system at 60 days out, the World is your oyster. The vast majority of guests do not do that. One way of looking at this is to say: "Tough cookies. Do your homework and do better next time!" Another way of looking at this is to say: "Gee. Things sure have changed and I'm not sure for the better." Neither viewpoint is wrong.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Sorry Jimmy, but that post does not explain why they couldn't move things AT 60 days. We do not know WHEN she tried to move them (although it seemed to be going around that she couldnt' move them at 60 days) or even which attraction it was. Obviously the closer to the day you are there that you try to move them, the less availablity there is going to be, especially for something popular.

This is still a bad thing if you don't want to have to mess with moving them at all, but this is the system that has to be worked with now, and the OP's post is too vague to figure out exactly whether there might have been another option.

 

[Brian Noble]

When I finally start seeing - "we are former FP super users and we LOVED FP+" threads citing all the ways their family's expectations were met I'll be the first one planning a trip.

This isn't ever going to happen, because the ENTIRE POINT of FP+ is to get more guests using the FP return lanes, and to get them planning it at least a little bit in advance. Disney appears to have very consciously decided that they want to take some re-rides on the most popular attractions with limited capacity away from the FP super-users, and spread that limited attraction capacity to other guests. Disney apparently believes that by doing so, they will have a larger number of happier guests overall, even though there are definitely some guests who are less happy.

Those who don't like that will have to content themselves with either changing their Florida touring style to either cut down on re-rides or wait in standby, or by visiting California instead where old-style FP is still in use.

For the record, I am a former FP super user. We've adjusted our touring style to do fewer headliner re-rides, and more of the "lesser" attractions. We still avoid the longer standby lines. We've found our trips are just as enjoyable as ever, but they are different.

Edited to add: we have discovered that there are some advantages to FP+ for our family. For example, it is possible to have a pretty darn good day in a park on a sleep-in day, because you can book afternoon/evening FP+ on headliners in advance. Now that we have teens, we are doing a lot more sleep-in days and late nights, and FP+ definitely helps with that.

 

[JimmyV]

Sorry Jimmy, but that post does not explain why they couldn't move things AT 60 days. We do not know WHEN she tried to move them or even which attraction it was. Obviously the closer to the day you are there that you try to move them, the less availablity there is going to be, especially for something popular.

They likely could have moved things at 60 days out. Indeed, I am certain of it. But people seem to be assuming that this is a high priority for all Disney visitors. Not everyone uber-plans that way. Find fault with people for not locking things in at 60 days. That's fine. But understand that the vast majority of guests will not do that. FP+ has simply created a new breed of super-user. The point is, before, when you were 5 days away from your vacation and had done little to no planning, you were at no disadvantage whatsoever when you crossed through the turnstile. Now, you are. Is the solution to pre-plan? Sure. But that is where the angst comes from. Not everyone wants to or will. Sucks to be them? I suppose. But let's not delude ourselves into thinking that FP+ is somehow more equitable than FP-. FP- favored a certain kind of super-user, and FP+ favors a different kind of super-user.

 

[Suvadoo]

There are also cricket protein bars! One day I will try cricket products and report back.

Sorry you don't like FP+. I think it's pretty apparent that there are some who are not going to be happy with the new system. No matter how I feel about it, it doesn't change the fact that it doesn't work as well for you, and jtown, jennasis, suvadoo, etc, etc. That's just the reality of it. Will it make you stop going, do you think?

I can speak for me: Last chance is this April, but for the first time I will divide my time between WDW and Universal. First half WDW. We're not super users and there are only a couple of rides that our family would repeat, but I don't want to adhere to a schedule while I'm at WDW. On our last trip, I found myself constantly checking my device to make sure we didn't miss a FP+ reservation, instead of paying attention to the rich details that are everywhere in any Disney park. To me, it was a waste.
If the trip in April is a similar experience, it will be our last trip to WDW. We will continue to get our Disney fix at DLR. And if, God Forbid, FP+ comes to DLR , I guess it will be time for me to hang up my mouse ears and search out different vacation destinations. That would be very hard to do, since my Disney dreaming gets me through most of life's rough spots.

 

[ilovemk76]

See post below.


Seems very logical to me.

Again, it is easy for all of us Monday-Morning FP users to say that if one hops on the system at 60 days out, the World is your oyster. The vast majority of guests do not do that. One way of looking at this is to say: "Tough cookies. Do your homework and do better next time!" Another way of looking at this is to say: "Gee. Things sure have changed and I'm not sure for the better." Neither viewpoint is wrong.

But the OP owns DVC and has been 3 times in 14 months. So she was not a novice to FP+. Neither view point is a valid argument for the OP. Nothing has changed from June 2014 to now. We were last May and we knew to change when we made the FP+s at 60 days. We were also there over Thanksgiving 2013 (not our first Thanksgiving), same as the OP. We both also used FP+ on that trip.

I tend to think the size and length of time for the crowds was the real problem. With Thanksgiving the crowds build and dissipate in a short time. Not so at Christmas. Thanksgiving day is a mad house, but by Sunday the crowds are extremely low.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I have to agree with Brian. FP+ was not implemented to benefit the super-users, but to "thwart" them. If the super users of FP- don't like FP+ then it's doing what Disney intended for it to do. And Jimmy's right, they have created a new breed of super-user. So it's either learn the system, or give up. Which is why I take the OP at their word when they say they aren't interested in going back.

Maybe there's something they didnt' know about, or maybe not, but it appears the argument is there shouldn't HAVE to be anything you need to learn in order to plan a day at a theme park. Of course at WDW those days are over.

 

[avic77]

Now what do I do with the DVC purchase???? Dave's????

Resale or rent your points....plenty of other people are still feeling Disney magic and will happily buy or rent your points till you figure out if you are completely over Disney or will return one day.

Im actually looking forward to trying the FP+ system. I dont expect I'll like everything about it but I plan to go in with an open mind.