My 2 cents on FP+

[3DisneyFanz]

So you're not ever seeing SMDT or A&E? When are you booking -- are you in the 30-day group?

We've always been onsite. Twice we had the 60 day window (once for the 11 group and once for the 5) and the other 2 times were significantly shorter based on when we decided to go with one being about 14 days out but that was only the 3 of us. We've been two trips in April and two in September and have had the same results everytime. We are limited to 5 day max trips with work so I know that puts us in an even bigger hole against the lucky people with their 9 and 10 day vacations. But to the original question we've never had 7dmt, AE or Wishes come up for us. We did see MSEP this last time but again I just can't bring myself to FP that.

 

[JimmyV]

Keep it in perspective against the old system. You would get 1 fast pass, and to get that fastpass you would sometimes have to run to a fastpass machine. You would have to be there at Rope Drop... period, and then sprint to the machine and hope....If you didn't get the fastpass then all the effort was for nothing, and you had hopes and dreams that were shattered right there and then.

I'm not going to pile on to what others have said. Lots of good points made on both sides. But it should be noted that no one who arrived at Rope Drop and headed to a FP- machine got shut out. Ever. Did the lines at the FP machines ever build to 30 minutes or so? Yes. At one attraction. One, out of the many attractions that offered Fast Passes. (And yes, if A&E offered FPs under the old system today, that number would have grown to two. And for about 6-8 months, 7DMT might have caused that number to grow to three.) So it cannot be denied that there was a ride where you might have to wait 30 minutes to get your ticket. But Rope Droppers always got a ticket. Always. Was it always for the time that fit best in your day? Nope. Can't argue with that. But if one is weighing possibilities and probabilities, it has to be conceded that the Rope Drop strategy while inconvenient and sub-optimal for many people's lifestyle, resulted in 100% success in getting a ticket for some hour of the day. The same cannot be said for the current system. It is now possible for one or two attractions/experiences to be gone at midnight of your 60th day. If you have a lengthy trip planned, it is probably the case that you will get some time slot on some day for absolutely everything that you want. But there are still days when availability for the day that is exactly 60 days out is gone. Perhaps the success rate now is 95% for people who sign on at midnight. Or 99%. But it isn't 100% as it was for Rope Droppers in the past. As noted, there are lots of advantages to the current system over the old one. But nothing can top the 100% success rate for Rope Droppers under the old system. Can't do better than 100%. Is trading a couple of percentage points worth not having to get your family up at 5:00 a.m. to make Rope Drop? That's a question that only each family can answer. I know that my wife would rather have me cursing the computer in our house at 1:00 a.m. than have her cursing me at 6:30 a.m. on a Disney Bus!

 

[spinandmarty]

I never ever did not get a fast pass for anything i wanted showing up at rope drop, usually multiples if I wanted them... Never ever once ran for a fast pass, never ever had a fast pass runner.... never ever used a fast pass after it was expired... never hoarded a fast pass... Hate fast pass plus!!!! my family gets to do so much less now, spending a lot more money.... You will never convince me fast pass plus is more fair than old fast pass.... what can be more fair than you wake up and go to park and everyone has the same chance.... if you don't go at rope drop that's your choice..... If I knew before we went that my family was going to have to get up earlier in the morning to make rope drop I started making them start getting up 10 to 15 mins earlier every week for a month... in one month thats an hour, seemed to work.... I'm sorry..... I go to WDW to ride rides, don't care bout meeting mickey, or minnie, or goofy, or elsa, not a big fan of parades, or fireworks... I want to ride rides.....

 

[leebee]

I never ever did not get a fast pass for anything i wanted showing up at rope drop, usually multiples if I wanted them... Never ever once ran for a fast pass, never ever had a fast pass runner.... never ever used a fast pass after it was expired... never hoarded a fast pass... Hate fast pass plus!!!! my family gets to do so much less now, spending a lot more money.... You will never convince me fast pass plus is more fair than old fast pass.... what can be more fair than you wake up and go to park and everyone has the same chance.... if you don't go at rope drop that's your choice..... If I knew before we went that my family was going to have to get up earlier in the morning to make rope drop I started making them start getting up 10 to 15 mins earlier every week for a month... in one month thats an hour, seemed to work.... I'm sorry..... I go to WDW to ride rides, don't care bout meeting mickey, or minnie, or goofy, or elsa, not a big fan of parades, or fireworks... I want to ride rides.....

Pretty much agree. We are not rope droppers- we aim to leave our hotel around 9:30 to 10am. Under legacy FP the only ride we were never able to get a FP for was TSMM, but we knew the choice: If you want to ride TSMM, get up and go to rope drop; if you don't get to DHS until 11am, oh well- you snooze, you lose. However, at least we had a chance. Now, with FP+, the two top attractions have been taken 10 days before I can even try to get the FP+. Huge benefit for those who go for longer trips; with a 4 day trip, you stand little chance of 7DMT or A&E FP+, because they've been gone for 5 or 10 days before you ever had a chance to try to get them. NOT A FAN of FP+.

 

[bpadair32]

Pretty much agree. We are not rope droppers- we aim to leave our hotel around 9:30 to 10am. Under legacy FP the only ride we were never able to get a FP for was TSMM, but we knew the choice: If you want to ride TSMM, get up and go to rope drop; if you don't get to DHS until 11am, oh well- you snooze, you lose. However, at least we had a chance. Now, with FP+, the two top attractions have been taken 10 days before I can even try to get the FP+. Huge benefit for those who go for longer trips; with a 4 day trip, you stand little chance of 7DMT or A&E FP+, because they've been gone for 5 or 10 days before you ever had a chance to try to get them. NOT A FAN of FP+.

Any change was going to upset some people that the old system worked well for. But the fact is that it is more fair that people do not HAVE to be at rope drop for a chance to experience all of the attractions. Also, fireworks, characters and shows are a big reason a lot of people go to Disney. If you are just about the rides, you would probably be better served at 6 Flags.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Any change was going to upset some people that the old system worked well for. But the fact is that it is more fair that people do not HAVE to be at rope drop for a chance to experience all of the attractions. Also, fireworks, characters and shows are a big reason a lot of people go to Disney. If you are just about the rides, you would probably be better served at 6 Flags.

There is nothing about FP+ that involves being fair. Everyone since day 2 has been in a hole that just keeps getting harder and harder to get out of the shorter your stay is. Oddly enough the argument that you don't have to do rope drop now goes completely against the recommendation people always give when someone comes on and says they couldn't get a FP for a particular ride. If that's the primary way to counteract not getting a FP+ then rope drop is more critical than ever.

We enjoy the shows, fireworks and certain character meetings but the people willing to pay $100 just for that is a very small minority of park visitors. Most people aren't spending money to come in and do three things and then spend the rest of their day in shops and restaurants.

 

[Disneylover99]

Any change was going to upset some people that the old system worked well for. But the fact is that it is more fair that people do not HAVE to be at rope drop for a chance to experience all of the attractions. Also, fireworks, characters and shows are a big reason a lot of people go to Disney. If you are just about the rides, you would probably be better served at 6 Flags.

So you think it's fair that someone could log in at midnight 60 days out, and not get any availability for SDMT, but someone could book a last minute trip and randomly check MDE the day before and get SDMT?

I don't call that fair. I call that a crapshoot.

 

[mesaboy2]

Oops. Someone said the F word.

 

[spinandmarty]

Any change was going to upset some people that the old system worked well for. But the fact is that it is more fair that people do not HAVE to be at rope drop for a chance to experience all of the attractions. Also, fireworks, characters and shows are a big reason a lot of people go to Disney. If you are just about the rides, you would probably be better served at 6 Flags.

No I would not be better at six flags, I love WDW.... and it is not more fair!!!!!! I love the stories behind the rides at Disney... that's why my family has been going there once a year since 1996, and have not gone to a six flags in 15 years.... And no you still have to be at rope drop if you want a chance to ride all the rides you want. and then if your lucky maybe one ride... maybe fireworks, characters, and shows are a big reason a lot of people go, just not for me.... I know it's just me but for 15 years I could go ride everything I wanted to, and never wait more than 10 mins maybe 15 for any ride.... There isn't a ride in the world that I would wait 20 mins for.... I do go to shows and fireworks cause my wife likes them.... I was so bummed after how much less we were able to do and enjoy after our last two trips with fast pass+ that I am sending her and my daughter alone in Oct... I don't want to waste my vacation days on a trip that I don't think is worth it.... FAIR is when you wake up in the morning and go to a park, and everyone has the same chance, if you don't want to go at rope drop that's your choice......

 

[Jennasis]

Fair does not exist in this dojo.

 

[JimmyV]

But the fact is that it is more fair that people do not HAVE to be at rope drop for a chance to experience all of the attractions.

Going all the way back to the patent application, FP+ was never implemented to alter "fairness". It was implemented to create free time for guests in the hopes that they would use that free time doing other things that cost money, like character breakfasts and BBB. Nothing wrong with that strategy whatsoever. No need to get to DHS at Rope Drop in order to get a FP. Now you can arrive at noon with a FP in hand (virtually). And in the morning you can do something else that costs money. It's a great concept. But not one that had "fairness" in mind. After all, there is no way to neutrally measure fairness. To one person, "fair" means that every guest gets one and only one FP for TSMM. To other people, "fair" means "first come first served" and early birds get more FPs than later arrivals. Both views can be justified.

 

[Planogirl]

Any change was going to upset some people that the old system worked well for. But the fact is that it is more fair that people do not HAVE to be at rope drop for a chance to experience all of the attractions. Also, fireworks, characters and shows are a big reason a lot of people go to Disney. If you are just about the rides, you would probably be better served at 6 Flags.

It's by no means fair. Those who stay offsite are at a disadvantage and those who come for shorter trips are also. I don't think that this has anything to do with being just about the rides. People spend a lot of money and want the chance to experience the headliners.

 

[Jenni12kk]

I don't know when you are going, but there is no way I would go without FP already made. You CAN make them when you get there, but for me, I would rather do it from my house without eating into valuable park time. For example, when I was in line to make probably our 7th FP (for 9 people) at Magic Kingdom, I talked to a lady that had somehow just learned of FP. She had spent the entire day waiting...they had done 4 rides (I can't remember which) and waited upwards of an hour for all. She had not come to MK until about 10:30 so the lines were already long by then. You can certainly get more done without FP if you plan on being there at rope drop. We had done about 12 rides in the same amount of time, most with FP. I felt bad for her. She said her son hated it so far. I just don't like to wait if I don't have to. Unfortunately, Disney's website/app is glitchy and sometimes you will have a negative experience like the OP. I have not had one of those. Making FP reservations has been easy and fun for me. I am making some more at the end of the week for a friend, so I hope for a positive experience! Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great trip!

Thank you. That was very helpful. I will look into booking some advance FPs thanks to your advice.

 

[Lucius Best]

Any change was going to upset some people that the old system worked well for. But the fact is that it is more fair that people do not HAVE to be at rope drop for a chance to experience all of the attractions.

You didn't have to be at rope drop before FP+, you could always ride standby whenever you decided to get there. Also, as others have said, it is almost more important to be at rope drop now with FP+, especially with tiers at Epcot and HS. I used to be able to get to HS at rope drop, get a paper FP for TSMM, then a few hours later get a paper FP for RNRC. Now I have to choose between the two, because I can't reserve FP+ for both. The solution is to get a FP+ for one, and do the other at rope drop. So I still need to be there at rope drop to ride what I want without waiting a long time.

Also, fireworks, characters and shows are a big reason a lot of people go to Disney. If you are just about the rides, you would probably be better served at 6 Flags.

Good suggestion, I wish it were true, it would explain perfectly why standby wait times for rides are so short at Disney.

 

[Angel Ariel]

But the fact is that it is more fair that people do not HAVE to be at rope drop for a chance to experience all of the attractions

I can't speak for anyone else, but we rarely made RD under legacy. We usually get there about 30-45 mins after RD on average I'd say (assuming a 9am open). We never felt pressure to be at RD. I can honestly say we feel more pressure to be at RD now, with FP+, than we ever did before. Even with TSMM, there were still legacy FP available at 10am...but now, knowing at 60 days that we were shut out of A&E, that we can only get a FP for TT *or* Soarin', not both...we definitely felt more pressure to be at RD. Thankfully the A&E cancellation thread here came through for us. We did still try to do A&E at RD...arrived 20 mins before posted opening, to find out they were opening the park as we arrived. We were going through security as they did the welcome show. Needless to say by the time we got back to A&E and got in line, it was packed. We waited 10 mins, hadn't moved at all..watched the posted time go from 45 min to 90 mins and decided to just stay to do the FP+ we had picked up. We'd really wanted to leave the park earlier to experience the last night of F&W last year, but not waiting in that huge line was worth it. So thankful for that cancellation thread here. Spending the morning in Adventureland and Frontierland (which were deserted) was a lot more fun than standing in that line at RD.

 

[Angel Ariel]

If you are just about the rides, you would probably be better served at 6 Flags.

One can't be all about rides like Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion and Buzz Lightyear? Sorry, but my local 6 flags doesn't have rides like that. Nor do they have much of anything that my entire family...3 year old included...can do together. I don't go to Disney for thrill rides. I go to Disney for rides that my family can enjoy together as a family. I can't find that in my local parks. My local parks are either like 6 flags, where the young ones are left out, or are *for* the young ones but the rides have *maximum* height restrictions and adults aren't allowed to ride with the child.

That's why Walt built Disneyland. So there was a place for adults and children to experience the park together. Rides and all.

 

[MouseEarsJenny]

I know there has been much discussion on FP+ but this is my first visit using FP+ and I feel compelled to add my two cents. Just booked our FP+s this week for a November/December visit and this is, by far, the most frustrating experience I've had in planning Disney trips over the past 25 years!

The FP+ process is extremely tedious and their website's response is embarrassingly slow (or should be) considering the technology we have seen come from the Disney camp in the past. Going from one screen to another literally took 2-3 minutes at times.

Add to this the fact that very few of our first choices were available (even later in our visit). We felt like all of the time we spent planning our days in the parks was wasted and we are now starting over.

We have put so much more planning into this visit than any other visit to Disney because of the changes they've made (FP+ being a big part of this) and, quite frankly, it's taken much of the enjoyment out of our trip planning experience. For me, it's getting to the point of being not worth the effort it takes to plan a week at Disney. This will be our last trip for a while based solely on this experience.

Thanks for letting me rant!!!

I know there has been much discussion on FP+, but this is my first visit using FP+, and I feel compelled to counter with my two cents. Just booked our FP+ this week for a November/December visit, and this is, by far, the easiest experience I've had in planning Disney trips over the past 13 years!

The FP+ process is extremely intuitive, and the website was lightning fast, considering the technology we have seen come from Disney in the past. Going from one screen to another literally took seconds.

Add this to the fact that I got two sets of fastpasses for the Seven Dwarves Mine Train (even one on the first day of our visit). We were even able to avoid ADRs we had previously booked, and make room to watch our son perform in the 3PM parade and at the Candlelight Processional - plus, we can still run around at rope drop and ride everything we want to before heading to our fastpasses.

We have put so much less time into planning this visit because of the changes they have made. I can't wait to come back with my extended family two years from now!

Thanks for letting me share!

(Look, I am really super sorry you had such a crummy experience. That would be enough to dampen anyone's Pixie Dust, and I hope you are able to enjoy your vacation nevertheless. But I also think that opinions, internet speeds, and touring styles are always going to vary, so while sharing your experience is valuable, newcomers to the system don't necessarily need to panic.)

 

[cjparker0110]

Keep it in perspective against the old system. You would get 1 fast pass, and to get that fastpass you would sometimes have to run to a fastpass machine. Imagine A&E with paper fastpasses...You would have to be there at Rope Drop... period, and then sprint to the machine and hope. There was no planning beyond that 1 moment. If you didn't get the fastpass then all the effort was for nothing, and you had hopes and dreams that were shattered right there and then. There is nothing magical about entering the MK and someone in your party takes off with your tickets to the back of the park to get a FP for everyone. Maybe you get it, and maybe you don't. So planning wise, when is that A&E fastpass? Can't make any plans, don't know when that window will be. So your runner comes back triumphantly with the FP's, but they turn out to be at a time when you had an ADR, or you were planning to hop to another park, or worse, mid day, you miss the parade, or you don't get to go back to the resort for the mid day rest. Of course, now you can't get anymore FP's for a few hours, and you rearrange your plans on the fly to head not where you want to, but working your way towards the next FP ride you would want, so when you can get another FP you are near the machines that you needed.

FP+... you know which FPs you are going to get. Your "pre" planning might get ruined by not being able to get the ones you wanted, but you have 60 days to adjust your plans to fit. You get to walk into the MK as a group, and go. Enjoy the moment, the reveal from under the train station, the stroll down main street, and seeing the shops, and the windows. Nothing is more magical than that first walk down main street each time you visit WDW. Enjoy the moment, rather than having groups run to FP machines. You want planning, set up a FP for BTMRR, or Splash during Wishes. You pick your FP times and have a significantly greater chance of planning that moment on the new system vs the old system.

One other point... You should keep checking. Availability opens up all the time. Right up the the day you are in the park, heck, even in the park. I managed to get locked out of A&E and SDMT when my 60 days opened up last year. But I had both before I arrived. I even got a SDMT while playing with the app waiting in line for another ride.

I get your points here. But let me tell my experience with the old system. I went 4 years straight thanks to an aunt who worked there for a while. I never once hit rope drop (nor did I know there was such a cool event) and never had problems getting the FP I wanted. When I say that, let me say that I got FP for Soarin' the first two years it was open when the standby wait time was regularly 2 hours or more. I also got Expedition Everest the first two years that was opened and when it always had insanely long lines. All that is to say that FP at that time seemed pretty reasonable. You get to the park, you get your FP. If you're lucky you get a second one. If you're extremely lucky you get a third.

I haven't used FP+ yet. But I have seen a number of people complain about it. In specific, I have seen many complain that they spent hours getting their whole party lined up for the same rides only to have someone's information completely deleted. I have also seen people complain about the unavailability of some of the bigger attractions 60 days out. I have seen other frustrations as well.

I can't say for sure how I'll like it until I use it, but I can say this: The main frustration I seem to see if a lack of spontaneity because people feel obligated to use this system. As such, it becomes a part of planning and even micro managing your day. That can take a lot of fun out of the trip.

Now I know some people will say that standing in line is not fun. That's true. But it's what you do at amusement parks. At least WDW lines are usually interesting with stuff to look at and sometimes stuff to do. I have never minded standing in line for rides. I once waited 2 hours for a 1 minute roller coaster in Virginia. It was awesome!

I think another problem with this system is that it makes it nearly impossible for non-resort guests (not just off property people, but one day people who are just passing through) to really enjoy the parks at the same level. If 60+ planning can't get choice rides, nobody who goes on a whim has a chance, even if they show up at rope drop. The same goes for dining. I love the internet, but I think it is making things worse for stuff like trips to WDW.

 

[Lucius Best]

(Look, I am really super sorry you had such a crummy experience. That would be enough to dampen anyone's Pixie Dust, and I hope you are able to enjoy your vacation nevertheless. But I also think that opinions, internet speeds, and touring styles are always going to vary, so while sharing your experience is valuable, newcomers to the system don't necessarily need to panic.)

You're right, nobody needs to panic, and if FP+ booking worked well for you, that's great. Everyone has their own valid opinion on FP+, and it's going to depend on individual's goals, touring strategy, what they want to ride, how much they like to plan, etc. When I was planning my first FP+ trip, I spent a lot of time on these boards, I wanted to hear both the positive and negative reviews, but I particularly wanted to hear about the problems people were having, so I could be prepared and know what to look out for. For me, reading other people's opinions wasn't as valuable as the details of issues encountered by people who had a similar touring strategy to myself.

We have put so much less time into planning this visit because of the changes they have made. I can't wait to come back with my extended family two years from now!

Could you explain how you spent "so much less time" planning? I'm curious, I had family trips before FP+ and with FP+, and for both trips we planned what days we were visiting which park, but with FP+ the simple fact that you are picking rides and times resulted in more planning, not less.

 

[mom2rtk]

People mistakenly look at Fast Pass + as .. "If I can't get a fast pass I can't ride the ride!"
It is just a perk .. a bonus to let you skip the lines of 3 (or more) lines.
Why complain about a perk? Would you rather there be NO fast pass and you would have to wait in line for everything?

Just because you didn't get a Fast Pass for Seven Dwarves Mine Train .. you can still ride it. You just have to wait in line. (Just like you would if Fast Pass simply DID NOT EXIST).

I'm curious. Do you honestly think that people believe they can't ride something if they can't get a FP?