Magic Bands, FP+ and MDE... One Man's Review...

[LoKiHB]

This might be a little long, just a warning....

We returned home to the frozen North after a week of (mostly) wonderful weather 3/7-3/13. Here are my thoughts on our recent trip, Magic Bands, MDE and, the DREADED (GAH!!!) FP+.

Dates: 3/7-3/13
Resort: Boardwalk Villas
Park Days: 3 MK, 2 Epcot, 1 DHS, 1 AK

First a little about who we are:

Family of 4, DVC Members, AP Holders from NY. Mom, Dad, and two boys, ages 7 (8 in a month and a half) and just turned 2. Mom and Dad are both in our 40's and still young enough to feel like kids, but old enough to feel the rigors of a long day at Disney.

Our 7 year old has pretty severe ADHD and ODD. He is currently on medication for it. I chose to mention this because it certainly affects the way we spend our time in the parks.

We have been lucky enough to vacation at Disney 3 times since 2011. From 2011 til now, we have taken it a little slower and easier each time. On our most recent trip, we slowed it down even more. I am aware that for many, many people, yearly or even every a visit every 5 years is not an option, and for many others, a vacation to Disney is a once in a lifetime thing. That being said, I pass no judgment on anyone's preferred method of enjoying it. I just ask that no one pass judgment on ours.

A little about who we are NOT:

We are NOT Rope Drop people.
We are not Commandos.
We like to plan our ADR's and our park days, but not to the degree where we have it planned to the minute. With the old FP system, we could oft be found walking from Land to Land trying to scoop up FP tickets. We were those people in the past that used the DxDP and realized there was no way to keep 21 ADR's over the course of a week, and cancelled a lot of them. .

Anyway... our trip went something like this:

3/7- arrived at BWV around 10 am. It was a chilly day. Lucky enough to have our room ready by 10:30, and got to check in before going to Epcot. Only downside, we asked for a pool/garden view room, and got a lovely view of the Boardwalk driveway and main entrance, partially blocked by a tree. Oh well, at the very least, it wasn't Long Island.

Got to Epcot just before Noon. Had a lovely- albeit windy lunch at Yorkshire Fish & Chips. Strolled through England and Canada over to The Seas. Had FastPass+ for Turtle Talk, Soarin', Test Track. (Yes, I was able to make the changes during the brief glitch last month.) I know we didn't need a FP+ for Turtle Talk, but again, we have 2 little ones, and they both really wanted to do it. We rode Nemo, then walked over to Turtle Talk. Afterward, we meandered to Soarin' where I rode with my oldest. Then we went and rode TT- after stopping for coffee, tea and, a donut. It was very laid back.

FP+ - worked out great. I'm sure having both TT and Soarin' played a big part in that.
MDE- was slow on my S4 connected to wifi, but worked
MagicBands- first attempt at the International Gateway - got the dreaded blue circle. Retried it, green.

3/8- MK

Beautiful day. Sunny and warm. Got to MK around 10:15. FP+ Peter Pan, Winne the Pooh, Haunted Mansion. Walked onto IASW, no FP needed. Spent some time at the Toon Town Circus, then had to go all the way back to BWV so my older son could change after playing in the water and be back for Chef Mickey by 5:30. All in all, a very laid back day. We found ourselves with time to just relax and enjoy. We had lunch at Friar's Nook. I wouldn't eat there again.

FP+ - worked great after arriving a bit earlier than most
MDE- slow, but functional
MB's - no issues at all

Ok- this is getting too long. In a nuthsell Magicbands- no problems all week, MDE- slow but functional. As for FP+.... here is the short, short version....

3/9- MK

FP+ for Jungle Cruise, PotC, BTMRR. Walked on to PotC didn't need FP+. Changed it to something else, don't recall what. Worked out great for us. A lot of downtime to catch other less popular attractions we normally wouldn't have.
Highlight- Festival of Fantasy Debut- Awesome

3/10- AK

FP+ for EE, Kali, Kilaminjaro. All three had very long SB lines. We were in without a problem. Quick and fun. Quick note, SHOULD have had a FP for the Nemo musical. Why? It was SRO.

3/11 - HS

FP+ for Star Tours, TSMM, Fantasmic!- Walked on ST without the FP because we were there early for an ADR. Changed to Great Movie Ride. Good thing too, because the line was LONG!!! TSMM- right in and right on. 2 young kids- Fantasmic! never happened for us. I also went with just my older son the night before and did Star Tours and Muppetvision.

3/12 - MK

FP+ for Space Mountain, Buzz, and changed to Dumbo because the previous attempt yielded a 45 minute wait- 20 of it BEFORE getting to the play area. My son changed his mind about SM, so we changed it for another trip on BTMRR. We walked onto Barnstormer. Also did People Mover, Monsters Inc, and met Buzz. We skipped out on the BTMRR

3/13 - Epcot

FP+ for Test Track, Spaceship Earth, Character Spot. All needed. Epcot was PACKED. Spaceship Earth was at a 40 minute wait by the time we got there.

This was our experience. For our family, it worked out great. We did get to the parks a little earlier than we have in the past because of ADR's and proximity to both Epcot and DHS. That helped with some of the SB lines.

Our overall experience was fantastic. I didn't feel rushed, I didn't feel the need to run from one place to the next. I had time to sit down and enjoy things about each park that I never even noticed before.

There are kinks that need to be worked out. For some people, this will NOT be a good change, at least not at the onset. I feel that the major drawbacks to FP+ are the tiers more than the number of FP+ per day. In my opinion, removing tiers and maybe allowing people to pull more FP+ once their 3 are complete would make for a better time for all.

Some random observations:

- I noticed a lot more guests without magic bands than I did with magic bands. Of the ones with magic bands, I noticed a lot of gray ones.
- The Boardwalk, while a phenomenal resort, in my opinion is reserved more for people travelling with older or no kids.
- Ohana is does not live up to the hype. The food was decent, not amazing. Same goes for San Angel. The menu is very scant. That being said, I commented to my wife while at T-Rex that we are T-Rex people, not San Angel people. And I'm sure the people sitting 18 inches to either side of our family would agree!

So in conclusion- for our little family, FP+ and Magic Bands were a definite plus. I can see where depending on your preferred touring style, it could be sub par or even out right awful. My advice to those who have been reading but have not yet experienced it- experience it for yourself before you decide to give up on Disney, and conversely, experience it for yourself before you say it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I think in the end most people will fall somewhere in the middle.

I hope this was informative and useful to everyone, and I apologize for being so long winded.

 

[SUSIEQ]

Just a quick question about your room: did you book a preferred room, and they gave you a standard view room?

 

[LoKiHB]

We booked a 1 BR Villa. When making the reservation the choices were garden/pool or boardwalk, I think. It as a while ago, so I'd have to check.

 

[jenninaustin]

Super helpful review! And don't apologize for being long winded...there are some of us out here trying to soak up all the knowledge we can get!

 

[disneyfantotheend]

Sounds like a great stay, and FP+ fit your needs well. Glad to hear it. Not liking the sounds of what seems to be a lot of long stand by lines though. I heard a lot of good reviews though on those, so I will hope it varies depending on the day. All in all, I have been reading mostly good reviews the last couple days.

 

[LoKiHB]

Sounds like a great stay, and FP+ fit your needs well. Glad to hear it. Not liking the sounds of what seems to be a lot of long stand by lines though. I heard a lot of good reviews though on those, so I will hope it varies depending on the day. All in all, I have been reading mostly good reviews the last couple days.

We got there right at the beginning of Spring Break. My wife spoke to a CM that said we were lucky, and that the following week would be far worse. And yes, we had a great time.

Some of the standby lines were atrocious, but I didn't find them any worse than I've seen in the past. Now, the FP+ Kiosk lines... That's another story. I have pics I took of just the lines for the FP+ Kiosks. I'll see if I can post them another time.

One thing I did forget. There were times where the FP+ entry lines seemed VERY long. But they were VERY fast. We got to Soarin' about 10 minutes early and had to wait. I watched the line build up to about 30 people then down to nothing no less than 3 times in those 10 minutes, so don't let the long FP+ entry lines scare you, they are NOT what they seem. You will still be on the ride very quickly.

 

[wuzzy6]

Thank you for a fantastic review. You had a very similar experience as we did, and I'm glad y'all had a great time!

Additionally, we share the same opinion that everyone should really reserve judgment until they have the chance to try it all for themselves. I've seen a lot of comments, stated as facts, by people who've not even tried it yet.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

We got there right at the beginning of Spring Break. My wife spoke to a CM that said we were lucky, and that the following week would be far worse. And yes, we had a great time.

Some of the standby lines were atrocious, but I didn't find them any worse than I've seen in the past. Now, the FP+ Kiosk lines... That's another story. I have pics I took of just the lines for the FP+ Kiosks. I'll see if I can post them another time.

One thing I did forget. There were times where the FP+ entry lines seemed VERY long. But they were VERY fast. We got to Soarin' about 10 minutes early and had to wait. I watched the line build up to about 30 people then down to nothing no less than 3 times in those 10 minutes, so don't let the long FP+ entry lines scare you, they are NOT what they seem. You will still be on the ride very quickly.

I think my biggest problem is we always go during the low crowd times, so when I hear things like 40 minute wait for Spaceship Earth, I'm like. But really I need to put it into perspective. It is spring break after all. Thanks so much for the explanation. Would love to see pictures when you get around to it.

ETA: We used FP+, but in November. No crowds, no tiering and offsite gests weren't able to use it. So no comparison to now.

 

[Sheaboys]

Great review. It will be our first trip with FP+ and MDE. With 5 kids, I am hoping it all works out. I am going in with a positive attitude.

 

[rastuso]

Now THIS is a good honest review of FP+.

Jason

 

[TeachTink]

I enjoyed reading this. Thanks for sharing!

 

[DebbieB]

This might be a little long, just a warning....

We returned home to the frozen North after a week of (mostly) wonderful weather 3/7-3/13. Here are my thoughts on our recent trip, Magic Bands, MDE and, the DREADED (GAH!!!) FP+.

Dates: 3/7-3/13
Resort: Boardwalk Villas
Park Days: 3 MK, 2 Epcot, 1 DHS, 1 AK

First a little about who we are:

Family of 4, DVC Members, AP Holders from NY. Mom, Dad, and two boys, ages 7 (8 in a month and a half) and just turned 2. Mom and Dad are both in our 40's and still young enough to feel like kids, but old enough to feel the rigors of a long day at Disney.

Our 7 year old has pretty severe ADHD and ODD. He is currently on medication for it. I chose to mention this because it certainly affects the way we spend our time in the parks.

We have been lucky enough to vacation at Disney 3 times since 2011. From 2011 til now, we have taken it a little slower and easier each time. On our most recent trip, we slowed it down even more. I am aware that for many, many people, yearly or even every a visit every 5 years is not an option, and for many others, a vacation to Disney is a once in a lifetime thing. That being said, I pass no judgment on anyone's preferred method of enjoying it. I just ask that no one pass judgment on ours.

A little about who we are NOT:

We are NOT Rope Drop people.
We are not Commandos.
We like to plan our ADR's and our park days, but not to the degree where we have it planned to the minute. With the old FP system, we could oft be found walking from Land to Land trying to scoop up FP tickets. We were those people in the past that used the DxDP and realized there was no way to keep 21 ADR's over the course of a week, and cancelled a lot of them. .

Anyway... our trip went something like this:

3/7- arrived at BWV around 10 am. It was a chilly day. Lucky enough to have our room ready by 10:30, and got to check in before going to Epcot. Only downside, we asked for a pool/garden view room, and got a lovely view of the Boardwalk driveway and main entrance, partially blocked by a tree. Oh well, at the very least, it wasn't Long Island.
Got to Epcot just before Noon. Had a lovely- albeit windy lunch at Yorkshire Fish & Chips. Strolled through England and Canada over to The Seas. Had FastPass+ for Turtle Talk, Soarin', Test Track. (Yes, I was able to make the changes during the brief glitch last month.) I know we didn't need a FP+ for Turtle Talk, but again, we have 2 little ones, and they both really wanted to do it. We rode Nemo, then walked over to Turtle Talk. Afterward, we meandered to Soarin' where I rode with my oldest. Then we went and rode TT- after stopping for coffee, tea and, a donut. It was very laid back.

FP+ - worked out great. I'm sure having both TT and Soarin' played a big part in that.
MDE- was slow on my S4 connected to wifi, but worked
MagicBands- first attempt at the International Gateway - got the dreaded blue circle. Retried it, green.

3/8- MK

Beautiful day. Sunny and warm. Got to MK around 10:15. FP+ Peter Pan, Winne the Pooh, Haunted Mansion. Walked onto IASW, no FP needed. Spent some time at the Toon Town Circus, then had to go all the way back to BWV so my older son could change after playing in the water and be back for Chef Mickey by 5:30. All in all, a very laid back day. We found ourselves with time to just relax and enjoy. We had lunch at Friar's Nook. I wouldn't eat there again.

FP+ - worked great after arriving a bit earlier than most
MDE- slow, but functional
MB's - no issues at all

Ok- this is getting too long. In a nuthsell Magicbands- no problems all week, MDE- slow but functional. As for FP+.... here is the short, short version....

3/9- MK

FP+ for Jungle Cruise, PotC, BTMRR. Walked on to PotC didn't need FP+. Changed it to something else, don't recall what. Worked out great for us. A lot of downtime to catch other less popular attractions we normally wouldn't have.
Highlight- Festival of Fantasy Debut- Awesome

3/10- AK

FP+ for EE, Kali, Kilaminjaro. All three had very long SB lines. We were in without a problem. Quick and fun. Quick note, SHOULD have had a FP for the Nemo musical. Why? It was SRO.

3/11 - HS

FP+ for Star Tours, TSMM, Fantasmic!- Walked on ST without the FP because we were there early for an ADR. Changed to Great Movie Ride. Good thing too, because the line was LONG!!! TSMM- right in and right on. 2 young kids- Fantasmic! never happened for us. I also went with just my older son the night before and did Star Tours and Muppetvision.

3/12 - MK

FP+ for Space Mountain, Buzz, and changed to Dumbo because the previous attempt yielded a 45 minute wait- 20 of it BEFORE getting to the play area. My son changed his mind about SM, so we changed it for another trip on BTMRR. We walked onto Barnstormer. Also did People Mover, Monsters Inc, and met Buzz. We skipped out on the BTMRR

3/13 - Epcot

FP+ for Test Track, Spaceship Earth, Character Spot. All needed. Epcot was PACKED. Spaceship Earth was at a 40 minute wait by the time we got there.

This was our experience. For our family, it worked out great. We did get to the parks a little earlier than we have in the past because of ADR's and proximity to both Epcot and DHS. That helped with some of the SB lines.

Our overall experience was fantastic. I didn't feel rushed, I didn't feel the need to run from one place to the next. I had time to sit down and enjoy things about each park that I never even noticed before.

There are kinks that need to be worked out. For some people, this will NOT be a good change, at least not at the onset. I feel that the major drawbacks to FP+ are the tiers more than the number of FP+ per day. In my opinion, removing tiers and maybe allowing people to pull more FP+ once their 3 are complete would make for a better time for all.

Some random observations:

- I noticed a lot more guests without magic bands than I did with magic bands. Of the ones with magic bands, I noticed a lot of gray ones.
- The Boardwalk, while a phenomenal resort, in my opinion is reserved more for people travelling with older or no kids.
- Ohana is does not live up to the hype. The food was decent, not amazing. Same goes for San Angel. The menu is very scant. That being said, I commented to my wife while at T-Rex that we are T-Rex people, not San Angel people. And I'm sure the people sitting 18 inches to either side of our family would agree!

So in conclusion- for our little family, FP+ and Magic Bands were a definite plus. I can see where depending on your preferred touring style, it could be sub par or even out right awful. My advice to those who have been reading but have not yet experienced it- experience it for yourself before you decide to give up on Disney, and conversely, experience it for yourself before you say it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I think in the end most people will fall somewhere in the middle.

I hope this was informative and useful to everyone, and I apologize for being so long winded.

Was your reservation for pool/garden view? If it was, I would ask for a points difference refund, you got a standard view.

 

[SUSIEQ]

Was your reservation for pool/garden view? If it was, I would ask for a points difference refund, you got a standard view.

Just what I was thinking.

 

[LoKiHB]

Was your reservation for pool/garden view? If it was, I would ask for a points difference refund, you got a standard view.

I just looked actually. Our original reservation was for a deluxe studio boardwalk view. When it got changed to a 1 BR, it looks like we opted for the standard view. Now that I think about it, I believe the difference in points between standard, pool/garden and, boardwalk was significant.

That being said, it was a minor annoyance that lasted MAYBE 30 seconds. Then I remembered where I was, and I forgot about it.