MK feels different.

[JimmyV]

Yup!!!!!!! This is a video from the Jungle Cruise......the FastPass line snakes outside of the queue.......while the standby line is walk on due to folks hoarding all of the Fastpasses and using after them after they expire!!!!!!!! It was a real bad problem for Disney and it needed to be addressed!!!!! Disney deserves a gold medal for Fastpass Plus!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBO1htGurR8

1. How do you know that all these people are using their FPs after the expiration period?

2. Compare that video to the video(s) on Youtube of the EE FP+ return line that snakes outside the queue area all the way to the Nemo theater.

 

[redsbe]

Did someone mention TSMM?

Yes my post was in direct response to a previous post that referred to TSMM

 

[scrappinam]

The problem with the old FP system was it catered to a certain demographic The people I see arguing it was "great and fair" are in the demographic 1) agile enough to visit the same location twice in short order, but then able to quickly get to some other "fill in" ride 2) people who seem to like the challenge - getting the most out of the system 3) people who like to be goal driven 4) people who don't mind splitting up their party in order to hit the maximum number of fp's Other demographics - * people with disabilities * people with small children * parents who are trying to give the impression that a magical day at WDW is just that - not something to rush through.. more Carpe diem, less the goal is all that matters i did not find the old FP model useful I am a compulsive planner.. i did my homework on the parks 4 years ago. But realized dragging my 5 year old in circles in order to get that one additional FP ride would not make for a great trip Over the last few trips, I've seen too much craziness - people stressed, rushing, yelling at their kids. All at the happiest place on earth(?)

This is where I have to disagree.

I have always gone to disney with small children. At one time or another I gone with a 2 month old and a 4 year old, been twice with a 6 month old a 4 year old, and an 8 year old, been 4 times with a 2 year old. Yet we could easily pull 8+ FP- in a day at magic kingdom, if we traveled at a slow time 10-12. We always managed to ride TSMM 3 times in a day using rd and FP-. I did not find it as stressful as I do now. I am a compulsive planner too but I like to have a little wiggle room for when my 2 year old gets off a ride and says ride again mommy. Now between schedule ADR's and FP+, I feel like every moment is planned. It is stressful for me to have to very little wiggle room and it is stressful for my 4 kids.

Although FP+ was not as bad as I had expected, I did find that our family left the park earlier in the afternoon because we had already used our FP and the sb lines were too long or because we scheduled out FP for evening and sb was too long. Even though you are supposed to have flexibility to change you FP choices, the app is not always working and the popular rides are already booked.

I feel that in order to ride all that we want rd is even more important than with FP-. I also saw more stressed out parents and children. You could see that some were stressed because they were unable to get the app to work properly, some because sb lines were longer, some because of the crowds in general.

Lastly, you see so many people with their noses stuck in their phones that they are missing out on the magic all around them.

For me and my family, I think we will get used to the new FP. It is just going to take some time to adjust and change how we tour. For me, the magic is still there and I think it always will be.

 

[jeffbear]

To the original point about the MK being different with the new FP+ system ... yeah, I get that it's different. Frankly, I've been enough times over enough years that my experience was basically different every single time I've been to WDW. So, if you can't manage to snag 10 FPs in a single day anymore, does that mean you'll have a different experience than when you could? Yeah. but it doesn't HAVE to mean you have a worse experience. That part, I just don't get. Maybe you'd end up riding one or two less rides but spent a lot less time and energy sprinting around the park collecting fast passes. To me, that's at least got an even money chance of making your day better, not worse.

 

[EMode]

To the original point about the MK being different with the new FP+ system ... yeah, I get that it's different. Frankly, I've been enough times over enough years that my experience was basically different every single time I've been to WDW. So, if you can't manage to snag 10 FPs in a single day anymore, does that mean you'll have a different experience than when you could? Yeah. but it doesn't HAVE to mean you have a worse experience. That part, I just don't get.

It won't make my experience better.

 

[jeffbear]

It won't make my experience better.

OK ... so not even the smallest chance, eh?

I just happen to not believe that the value of the day in the park is defined by how many attractions I ride but rather by how much fun I have.

Maybe I'm nuts ... or on the wrong board :0)

 

[redsbe]

"Although FP+ was not as bad as I had expected, I did find that our family left the park earlier in the afternoon because we had already used our FP and the sb lines were too long or because we scheduled out FP for evening and sb was too long."

There are plenty of attractions and activities to fill time in the parks even when busy, mid day and top rides have long waits. I was able to fill time from 2p to 8p last Monday with plenty of things to do in MK without a FP+ to use. Also visiting during lower crowd periods still allows for many more rides throughout the day without need for FP+.

"Even though you are supposed to have flexibility to change you FP choices, the app is not always working and the popular rides are already booked."

This is true

"I feel that in order to ride all that we want rd is even more important than with FP-. "

Has been a fact at WDW for several years, the advantage of RD to ride the most popular attractions, including repeatedly

"I also saw more stressed out parents and children."
Also been the case in the parks for some time, not all is related to FP+

" You could see that some were stressed because they were unable to get the app to work properly, some because sb lines were longer, some because of the crowds in general."
Park has been busy in last month due to spring break, one of the busiest times of the year, been that way for years.

"Lastly, you see so many people with their noses stuck in their phones that they are missing out on the magic all around them."
Seen that in the park and other public places for last few years, again I doubt it has little to do with FP+, many are going to be on their phones anyways and still missing the magic (which is their choice)

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes my post was in direct response to a previous post that referred to TSMM

Then they get a drink too.

I'm challenging everyone to make their case for TSMM out of the argument for FP+. That's all.

 

[EMode]

OK ... so not even the smallest chance, eh?

I just happen to not believe that the value of the day in the park is defined by how many attractions I ride but rather by how much fun I have.

Maybe I'm nuts ... or on the wrong board :0)

No, not even a little better because it doesn't work with how our family tours WDW. FP- worked for us.

No you aren't nuts but you don't seem to understand that for some of us the fun of a Disney vacation are the rides and attractions.

Maybe I'm the one that is nuts but I don't see the value of spending thousands of dollars just to be happy there soaking up the atmosphere.

 

[smitch425]

To the original point about the MK being different with the new FP+ system ... yeah, I get that it's different. Frankly, I've been enough times over enough years that my experience was basically different every single time I've been to WDW. So, if you can't manage to snag 10 FPs in a single day anymore, does that mean you'll have a different experience than when you could? Yeah. but it doesn't HAVE to mean you have a worse experience. That part, I just don't get. Maybe you'd end up riding one or two less rides but spent a lot less time and energy sprinting around the park collecting fast passes. To me, that's at least got an even money chance of making your day better, not worse.

I agree. To me, Disney is about spending time with my family. We used FP- a lot, but we much prefer the flexibility of FP+. Yes, we probably ride a few less rides per day, but we still spend the exact same amount of time doing things together in the parks. We can have just as much fun chatting and people watching in line as we do on a 3 minute ride. Everyone is different. WDW vacations, for us, are about quality time, not quantity of rides, but to each their own.

 

[mom2rtk]

No you aren't nuts but you don't seem to understand that for some of us the fun of a Disney vacation are the rides and attractions.

Maybe I'm the one that is nuts but I don't see the value of spending thousands of dollars just to be happy there soaking up the atmosphere.

Nope, you're not even close to being nuts. If you were the only one who felt that way, Disney wouldn't be rationing rides right now.

I'm with you. $100 a day is just too steep a cover charge to go and hang out. If I had an AP and spending just a few dollars a day I might feel differently.

 

[jeffbear]

No, not even a little better because it doesn't work with how our family tours WDW. FP- worked for us.

No you aren't nuts but you don't seem to understand that for some of us the fun of a Disney vacation are the rides and attractions.

Maybe I'm the one that is nuts but I don't see the value of spending thousands of dollars just to be happy there soaking up the atmosphere.

Trust me ... I'm there at rope drop and I get in plenty of rides and attractions. We're scheduled out with FP+s for our next trip and I'll get to plenty of stuff. I just see a lot of complaining about not being able to get 10 or more FPs in a day when I know full well that going that way was possible ... but not easy and darned taxing.

Maybe I'm just open to the value of taking it one notch slower and not worrying about how much I spend per ride. That doesn't mean I spend three hours on a park day sitting around watching the crowd walk by on Main Street. Although, to be fair, 15 minutes of that can be quite fun and good for the feet.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

Maybe I'm the one that is nuts but I don't see the value of spending thousands of dollars just to be happy there soaking up the atmosphere.

Our family is just as nuts as yours!

 

[magicbob]

Everyone is different. WDW vacations, for us, are about quality time, not quantity of rides, but to each their own.

Quantity of rides ridden does not preclude spending quality time with your family. The two are not mutually exclusive.

 

[morethananyonex]

We spend time together as a family almost every single day. When we're spending thousands of dollars to get down to Florida, stay onsite and get into the parks, I do expect a bit more than people watching and taking in the atmosphere. It doesn't mean we don't value spending time together or that we speed through without taking anything in, just that Disney isn't the only place we can make memories together and hang out together, and a big part of the appeal for us is what there is to do in the theme parks.

If we wanted to take in scenery and spend quality time together there's tons of much cheaper and closer options. I don't know why people who enjoy the attractions in the park are always talked about like they're missing out on something or don't understand something in these conversations.

I mean, my family bonds plenty without having to be in Disney. Maybe I'm weird.

 

[EMode]

Trust me ... I'm there at rope drop and I get in plenty of rides and attractions. We're scheduled out with FP+s for our next trip and I'll get to plenty of stuff. I just see a lot of complaining about not being able to get 10 or more FPs in a day when I know full well that going that way was possible ... but not easy and darned taxing.

Maybe I'm just open to the value of taking it one notch slower and not worrying about how much I spend per ride.

I don't go to WDW to take it slower, that is what our beach vacation is for.
I don't worry about how much I spend per ride, but if the cost of my WDW vacation rises every trip but my experience is less than its time to ask myself if its worth the cost (and effort, travel, planning, etc) for us, especially when there is a great big world out there to explore. Its okay that you are fine paying for your experience, that doesn't mean everyone is going to feel that way about theirs.

 

[jeffbear]

Quantity of rides ridden does not preclude spending quality time with your family. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Of course it isn't. But I do think both sides of this argument need to show more respect to an opposing viewpoint. Some people simply don't value the sweat that went into maxing out the rides under the old system and found that approach to be a drain on the overall experience.

I get the idea of wanting to max out the cost of the ticket, but personally I take a more middle of the road approach and I'm not going to be all that upset if I end up getting in one less ride because of the new system. Mostly because I know from experience that I've never had any trouble whatsoever finding something fun and entertaining to do in a Disney park.

 

[jeffbear]

Its okay that you are fine paying for your experience, that doesn't mean everyone is going to feel that way about theirs.

The last thing I want is for everybody to agree with me ... not even trying to win an argument. Just trying to present the opposing view in a way people can accept and respect.

 

[scrappinam]

"Although FP+ was not as bad as I had expected, I did find that our family left the park earlier in the afternoon because we had already used our FP and the sb lines were too long or because we scheduled out FP for evening and sb was too long." There are plenty of attractions and activities to fill time in the parks even when busy, mid day and top rides have long waits. I was able to fill time from 2p to 8p last Monday with plenty of things to do in MK without a FP+ to use. Also visiting during lower crowd periods still allows for many more rides throughout the day without need for FP+.


I have traveled many times during spring break and fall break do I know all about low and peak crowds time.

"Even though you are supposed to have flexibility to change you FP choices, the app is not always working and the popular rides are already booked."

This is true "I feel that in order to ride all that we want rd is even more important than with FP-. " Has been a fact at WDW for several years, the advantage of RD to ride the most popular attractions, including repeatedly

We are and have always been rope drop people. Yet this time it was more important than ever because for example you are now unable to pull a FP for TSMM and RnR or for Soarin' and test track so rope drop is very important. I know these are not MK rides but there is a chance that when mine train opens MK could take this tiering system too

"I also saw more stressed out parents and children." Also been the case in the parks for some time, not all is related to FP+

When a parent is cursing at their phone and loud ing complaining about the app in the middle of the parks, I think that it is a pretty good assumption that is has something to do with FP+.

" You could see that some were stressed because they were unable to get the app to work properly, some because sb lines were longer, some because of the crowds in general." Park has been busy in last month due to spring break, one of the busiest times of the year, been that way for years.

"Lastly, you see so many people with their noses stuck in their phones that they are missing out on the magic all around them." Seen that in the park and other public places for last few years, again I doubt it has little to do with FP+, many are going to be on their phones anyways and still missing the magic (which is their choice)

Yes but there were definitely a lot more people on their phones and iPads than I have ever seen before including myself because Disney has created a system that requires it to fully use the benefits if the system.

 

[magicbob]

Of course it isn't. But I do think both sides of this argument need to show more respect to an opposing viewpoint. Some people simply don't value the sweat that went into maxing out the rides under the old system and found that approach to be a drain on the overall experience.

I get the idea of wanting to max out the cost of the ticket, but personally I take a more middle of the road approach and I'm not going to be all that upset if I end up getting in one less ride because of the new system. Mostly because I know from experience that I've never had any trouble whatsoever finding something fun and entertaining to do in a Disney park.

I probably take a much more relaxed approach than many. But my response was to the notion that somehow wanting to ride on more rides was at the expense of spending quality time with family. Many posters on these boards make statements that at least imply if not outright state that it's an either/or scenario.