Life w/o FP+....we survived!

[Tgrgrl]

Our family of four (me, DH, DD7, & DD4) visited WDW May 14-17 using the FL Resident 3 day $139 passes. Since we were paying for the tickets with multiple GC's, we waited to buy the tickets until Thursday night at DTD GS, hence we were unable to secure FP's. I stressed and stressed over this and even considered driving to Disney in March just to buy the tickets to book FP's. My DH talked me out of it & I am so glad he did! This trip was our DD's 4th birthday present and her first trip to WDW so we agreed to just go at her pace and let her and our DD7 decide what they wanted to do as the day progressed. I won't bore you with a full trip report but by using the current wait time app, we were able to ride/see 22 attractions & meet/greets at MK on Friday, 17 at Epcot on Sat (including two prolonged tours of the butterfly garden) and 16 at AK on Sunday. Our longest wait was 80 minutes for Soarin', which we probably wouldn't do again w/o a FP. So for the next trip , if we can, would we use FP? Absolutely! But just wanted to share our recent experience and assure you that you can do WDW w/o FP and still have a fantastic time.

 

[Lucius Best]

If you got your tickets Thursday night, and had a mobile device with app, is there a reason you couldn't book FP times? The night before going to the park, there should have been plenty of availability for most rides. On our trip last month, we moved around our FP times the night before each of our last three days, including getting FP for Soarin. I can't imagine waiting in a line for 80 minutes is anything anyone would want to do.

 

[msb578]

If you got your tickets Thursday night, and had a mobile device with app, is there a reason you couldn't book FP times? The night before going to the park, there should have been plenty of availability for most rides. On our trip last month, we moved around our FP times the night before each of our last three days, including getting FP for Soarin. I can't imagine waiting in a line for 80 minutes is anything anyone would want to do.

Or even the kiosks when entering the park...

 

[Tgrgrl]

Yes, we could have booked FP's after we got the tickets. My point was, not expressed very well, that we chose not to book FP's and just go at the kids pace. The Soarin stand by was posted at 25 min on the app when we got in line but ended up unexpectedly much longer.

 

[Itinkso]

For future ticket purchases, you can call Ticketing and purchase tickets using multiple Giftcards. Numbers have to be read off individually but any number of Giftcards can be used to purchase tickets in advance and then link them to MDE.

 

[grecorj]

For future ticket purchases, you can call Ticketing and purchase tickets using multiple Giftcards. Numbers have to be read off individually but any number of Giftcards can be used to purchase tickets in advance and then link them to MDE.

Even for FL resident passes when you have to p/u in person and show ID?

 

[Ocean]

. . . but by using the current wait time app, we were able to ride/see 22 attractions & meet/greets at MK on Friday, 17 at Epcot on Sat (including two prolonged tours of the butterfly garden) and 16 at AK on Sunday.

Thank you for posting! I'm glad to hear those numbers. I've used FP heavily since it was first introduced, and I always feel like I'm not getting full value out of the trip if I don't. It's nice to remember what it used to be like, and it's nice to know that you can still enjoy a lot of things without booking FPs.

 

[Itinkso]

Even for FL resident passes when you have to p/u in person and show ID?

I was just addressing the fact that she purchased with multiple gift cards. I have purchased SoCal tickets for Disneyland online basked on our zipcode. WDW doesn't do likewise?

 

[Tgrgrl]

For future ticket purchases, you can call Ticketing and purchase tickets using multiple Giftcards. Numbers have to be read off individually but any number of Giftcards can be used to purchase tickets in advance and then link them to MDE.

I called Ticketing two separate times and was told I could not purchase these tickets with multiple GC's over the phone, that I would have to go to GS in person. I don't know if the GC policy via phone has changed or maybe I just got bad info both times?

 

[Itinkso]

I called Ticketing two separate times and was told I could not purchase these tickets with multiple GC's over the phone, that I would have to go to GS in person. I don't know if the GC policy via phone has changed or maybe I just got bad info both times?

Wow, bad info, I believe. Guests have been able to also pay for resort deposits with multiple gift cards.

Glad you had a great time - you accomplished a lot!!

 

[MrsHull]

Could the hang up have been that they were resident passes? They may need to verify residence using the billing address on the card.

Regardless, I'm glad you had a good time and was able to do DD's most important things.

 

[kbelle8995]

Our family of four (me, DH, DD7, & DD4) visited WDW May 14-17 using the FL Resident 3 day $139 passes. Since we were paying for the tickets with multiple GC's, we waited to buy the tickets until Thursday night at DTD GS, hence we were unable to secure FP's. I stressed and stressed over this and even considered driving to Disney in March just to buy the tickets to book FP's. My DH talked me out of it & I am so glad he did! This trip was our DD's 4th birthday present and her first trip to WDW so we agreed to just go at her pace and let her and our DD7 decide what they wanted to do as the day progressed. I won't bore you with a full trip report but by using the current wait time app, we were able to ride/see 22 attractions & meet/greets at MK on Friday, 17 at Epcot on Sat (including two prolonged tours of the butterfly garden) and 16 at AK on Sunday. Our longest wait was 80 minutes for Soarin', which we probably wouldn't do again w/o a FP. So for the next trip , if we can, would we use FP? Absolutely! But just wanted to share our recent experience and assure you that you can do WDW w/o FP and still have a fantastic time.

BRAVO! I'm so glad you had a wonderful time. Gives me hope. Because I dislike FP+ and am glad to hear that to do without FP+ is viable.

 

[msb578]

BRAVO! I'm so glad you had a wonderful time. Gives me hope. Because I dislike FP+ and am glad to hear that to do without FP+ is viable.

You dislike it to the point you won't use it at all, even day-of?

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that- I'm just a little surprised some people dislike it to the point they won't use it.

 

[Doug M]

You dislike it to the point you won't use it at all, even day-of?

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that- I'm just a little surprised some people dislike it to the point they won't use it.

I didnt get that she disliked FP+ and banned its use, i understood they were letting the kids decide on a whim so any preplanning would have not worked.

 

[kbelle8995]

You dislike it to the point you won't use it at all, even day-of?

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that- I'm just a little surprised some people dislike it to the point they won't use it.

I tried it with an open mind. Didn't care for it. It just isn't the way I like to tour the park.

JMO but the new system just doesn't seem that flexible. That's my view and I have no proof to back that up. I just feel that way. Like Disney is in charge of my vacation not me. And that is my opinion and just that. IF you love it great. Please forgive me if that came out too defensive. What I'm trying to say that it just wasn't for me.

I think that the OP just decided to not to use it and they had a great time. Its good for me to hear this

 

[msb578]

I tried it with an open mind. Didn't care for it. It just isn't the way I like to tour the park.

JMO but the new system just doesn't seem that flexible. That's my view and I have no proof to back that up. I just feel that way. Like Disney is in charge of my vacation not me. And that is my opinion and just that. IF you love it great. Please forgive me if that came out too defensive. What I'm trying to say that it just wasn't for me.

I think that the OP just decided to not to use it and they had a great time. Its good for me to hear this

Nope, I don't love it or hate it. I just can't imagine passing on it entirely Very interesting- I'd like to know how many people choose not to use it. But I have a funny feeling Disney isn't sharing that info!

 

[kbelle8995]

Nope, I don't love it or hate it. I just can't imagine passing on it entirely Very interesting- I'd like to know how many people choose not to use it. But I have a funny feeling Disney isn't sharing that info!

I have funny feeling you might be correct on the Disney not sharing any intel on that.

 

[Lucius Best]

JMO but the new system just doesn't seem that flexible. That's my view and I have no proof to back that up. I just feel that way. Like Disney is in charge of my vacation not me. And that is my opinion and just that. IF you love it great. Please forgive me if that came out too defensive. What I'm trying to say that it just wasn't for me.

I absolutely agree, the new FP+ system takes away a great deal of flexibility. I certainly do not love FP+, but it's the only system they have, and if it's there, and FREE, you might as well use it.

I was amazed the last trip, some days I could go to a kiosk, for example, and get a FP for Space Mountain with return time 3pm. It was 2:40pm. Space Mountain posted standby wait was 50 minutes. We hopped on the Wedway, which we were planning on doing anyway, then walked on to Space with FP, passed hundreds of people in the standby line, waited maybe 10 minutes. I just don't understand waiting in Soarin line for 80 minutes when you can get a FP the night before, or that morning, and wait less than 10 minutes. But I'm not complaining, the more people who don't use FP+, the more FP there are for me, and the more rides I can do.

 

[Robo]

I called Ticketing two separate times and was told I could not purchase these tickets with multiple GC's over the phone, that I would have to go to GS in person. I don't know if the GC policy via phone has changed or maybe I just got bad info both times?

Wow, bad info, I believe. Guests have been able to also pay for resort deposits with multiple gift cards.

Ditto.

Guests with multiple gift cards should call
WDW TICKETING GUEST SERVICES
407-566-4985 (option 5)
Hours: 8:30-16:30 ET Mon-Sat

Could the hang up have been that they were resident passes? They may need to verify residence using the billing address on the card.

Florida residents can buy resident tickets in advance.
They just need to show FL ID in order to activate them for use in the parks.

 

[itchin2go]

I absolutely agree, the new FP+ system takes away a great deal of flexibility. I certainly do not love FP+, but it's the only system they have, and if it's there, and FREE, you might as well use it.

100% with you there.