MDE FP+ Glitches

[ChicagoMom]

I don't have any real complaints about the new FP+ system during our recent trip but the MDE app seemed to have issues. It would freeze up at times. It's not intuitive.

And the worst thing is that it can make changes without clicking okay. I had a FP+ to see A&E on our last day in MK. We ended up staying for the evening EMH on saturday and saw A&E then. So during breakfast for our last MK day, I clicked on modify FP for A&E to see what I could switch it to. I chose PP and then the app froze. Finally I got the little button telling me that the operation didn't go through (or whatever). I tried my DH's phone and guess what...the FP was already changed to PP. It was okay because we'd already seen A&E but I'd be if we hadn't.

So be careful with the modify FP option.

 

[bjakmom]

I lost an A&E FP+ on the App when I tried to copy to another person in our party. The App automatically changed both FP+s to Cinderella and Rapunzel, with no option to cancel or back up, like you can on the regular web site. I will never make any changes on the App again!!

 

[DaisyNY]

Good to know...we're heading down in December...in the past I remember having to confirm before changes were made.

 

[Lzylitnin]

We had a problem changing a FP on the app, last week. It completely deleted our FP for Pirates and Thunder Mountain RR, when I was just trying to change the time of our Pirates FP. I ended up using a kiosk to change it, and the cast member helping me said it looked like we had already used 3 FPs that day, and this would be our 4th. We had only used one. It wasn't even 11am, with a 9am opening, so there was no possible way for us to have used 3. Frustrating!

 

[Suvadoo]

It sounds like people should only use the app to check their FP return times and anything else should be done at the kiosks. But if the Kiosks have 20 minute lines ( as I've seen posted lately) isn't the benefit of obtaining a FP to avoid an attraction line negated?
I don't think the reviews of FP+ are going to be too stellar over the next 2 months.

 

[Robo]

It sounds like people should only use the app to check their FP return times and anything else should be done at the kiosks. But if the Kiosks have 20 minute lines ( as I've seen posted lately) isn't the benefit of obtaining a FP to avoid an attraction line negated?
I don't think the reviews of FP+ are going to be too stellar over the next 2 months.

Or... on a smart phone, go to your web browser and open (and use) your MDE account that way.

 

[Suvadoo]

Or... on a smart phone, go to your web browser and open (and use) your MDE account that way.

I tried this on my last trip, but the internet was slooow in the parks and it kept timing out. The time I spent trying to access MDE was comparable to the amount of time I would've spent at the kiosks. On top of that, trying to access MDE on my phone ate up the battery life. I decided to let my phone die, rather than trying to find and then waiting for a charging station.

 

[Robo]

I tried this on my last trip, but the internet was slooow in the parks and it kept timing out. The time I spent trying to access MDE was comparable to the amount of time I would've spent at the kiosks. On top of that, trying to access MDE on my phone ate up the battery life. I decided to let my phone die, rather than trying to find and then waiting for a charging station.

Many guests carry a portable phone recharger that eliminates the need of finding
a stationary AC-outlet-based charging station.

 

[FlipHipster]

It seems to be designed for the user that goes in once, makes their selections with no intention of modifying them. If you want to search and move things around, it's ridiculously cumbersome.

Why are there 4 separate paths to modify a FP+? Why not 1 screen that shows your FP and allows you to add/update/remove them? I spent a good part of the morning looking for FP 1 at a time, searching, back out, search, back out, search. Each search is several steps. I didn't even notice the link at the bottom for adding other guests to existing FP and spent a bunch of time trying to figure out where I copy FP. There's an extra step in the copy process that doesn't seem to need to be there, etc. In fact most of them don't seem to need to be there, why does it take 5 or 6 steps of checking boxes and adding people to tell me there are no FP's to copy?

Sorry if that sounds like a vent, it really is just an observation based on experience. They really need to work on some of the workflow and navigation issues. Hopefully part of the ongoing IT re-org involves hiring some UX people.

 

[Suvadoo]

Many guests carry a portable phone recharger that eliminates the need of finding
a stationary AC-outlet-based charging station.

Yeah great idea, I want to carry more crap into the parks NOT

 

[FlipHipster]

Many guests carry a portable phone recharger that eliminates the need of finding
a stationary AC-outlet-based charging station.

2nd this ^. I carry a small "power bank" that will charge all our devices via USB several times. It is slow but works and you can stay "mobile". Search amazon, they make them in all shapes and flavors now, some of them are pretty small.

 

[wilma-bride]

We had several issues when trying to switch individual FP+ to different experiences using the app. Basically, when you choose the experience you want, it doesn't show you the available times (or the time that you will actually get). A couple of times we switched a 9-10 am FP+ for one ride, only to end up with a 7.30-8.30 p time for another. Very, very frustrating. I assumed that if it didn't show you a time, it was because you would be getting exactly the same time. Also, you cannot use the app to change a FP+ once he window for that FP+ has opened. We had to go to the kiosks on those occasions - or use MDE accessed through the internet.

 

[disneydude365]

i think its very pre planning orientated i was scared going in but i managed to get three mountains and even splash at a mid afternoon in case its chilly during the time of our trip as to get dry before dark lol.

i was thoroughly happy once i found attractions i liked was sad 7dmt was full, but i probably won't try to change anything and i think thats what disney hopes to. also its still early phase of fast pass + so will be glitches they have to smooth out. i think why its so unstable i you constantly have ppl searching for times and so its always looking the second you go to change your putting that fast pass aside for a second and well sadly someone comes along and grabs it

 

[Josh Hendy]

The types of glitches people are reporting makes me think that the $1B plus initial investment may have to be followed by a multi-$Billion effort to fix the software.

And by "fix", I mean, they may have to re-design the database(s) schema(s), re-write the SQL interface(s) to the database(s), and the middleware, and the human interface(s) at the front end. Otherwise, if they're constantly trying to tweak and pile new code on top of a shaky or flawed design, they'll end up with a terrible fur-ball of the dreaded "spaghetti" code. To tell the truth it sounds like they already have a bit of a mess on their hands.

As we used to say ... "there isn't enough money or time to do it right the first time but there's enough money and time to do it over."

The two biggest advantages they seem to have achieved so far are (1) first-time visitors who were previously happy to walk-on to marginal or high-capacity rides such as Figment and Haunted Mansion are now happy to walk onto the same rides with a FP they have booked at some point before arriving at the parks, and (2) very experienced visitors who are not AP holders are happy that they can sleep in, walk-on to 3 or 4 headliner attractions and then return to their resort to swim.

And perhaps a third and even more important advantage (from the point of view of WDW but not the guests), is that they've potentially reduced the number of attractions that most people can visit per day and distributed guests more widely among the existing attractions - meaning that they can allow more people in the parks while possibly deploying fewer attraction employees per guest.

 

[FlipHipster]

The types of glitches people are reporting makes me think that the $1B plus initial investment may have to be followed by a multi-$Billion effort to fix the software.

And by "fix", I mean, they may have to re-design the database(s) schema(s), re-write the SQL interface(s) to the database(s), and the middleware, and the human interface(s) at the front end. Otherwise, if they're constantly trying to tweak and pile new code on top of a shaky or flawed design, they'll end up with a terrible fur-ball of the dreaded "spaghetti" code. To tell the truth it sounds like they already have a bit of a mess on their hands.

As we used to say ... "there isn't enough money or time to do it right the first time but there's enough money and time to do it over."

The two biggest advantages they seem to have achieved so far are (1) first-time visitors who were previously happy to walk-on to marginal or high-capacity rides such as Figment and Haunted Mansion are now happy to walk onto the same rides with a FP they have booked at some point before arriving at the parks, and (2) very experienced visitors who are not AP holders are happy that they can sleep in, walk-on to 3 or 4 headliner attractions and then return to their resort to swim.

And perhaps a third and even more important advantage (from the point of view of WDW but not the guests), is that they've potentially reduced the number of attractions that most people can visit per day and distributed guests more widely among the existing attractions - meaning that they can allow more people in the parks while possibly deploying fewer attraction employees per guest.

I got the impression this is what is happening with all the "restructuring" in parks and resorts.

My biggest complaint last year was that I don't think Disney fully understood what they were undertaking. I never really followed the board until that trip. Those things should have been part of the initial project. It's just "technological debt", you either pay for it up front or later with interest. Nobody rides for free.

 

[DizBelle]

i think its very pre planning orientated i was scared going in but i managed to get three mountains and even splash at a mid afternoon in case its chilly during the time of our trip as to get dry before dark lol.

i was thoroughly happy once i found attractions i liked was sad 7dmt was full, but i probably won't try to change anything and i think thats what disney hopes to. also its still early phase of fast pass + so will be glitches they have to smooth out. i think why its so unstable i you constantly have ppl searching for times and so its always looking the second you go to change your putting that fast pass aside for a second and well sadly someone comes along and grabs it

"Early phases"?? Hasn't this system been in some level of testing WITH GUESTS for about 2 years?

 

[Missyrose]

Yeah great idea, I want to carry more crap into the parks NOT

We fairly easily throw a portable charger in our park bag. But if you don't want to carry one or stop to charge your phone, then you sound like a fantastic candidate to use the kiosks in the parks.