My 2 cents on FP+

[Disneylover99]

So in all "fairness" How would you divide them up? All other rides aside, cuz let's face it, the SDMT is new and the hot ticket. Say there are 60,000 guests. Of those, 50,000 want to ride the SDMT, 10,000 don't care to. The ride handles 20,000 riders in a day (guessing). How would you divide them up?

FP-: He who gets there the earliest gets one. If you're there early enough before other guests even get there, you can get two.
FP+: Priority is given to those staying onsite (and among those, the guests staying longer). If you're staying onsite (around half of those guests) then you are pretty sure to get one. If you're staying off-site, it's a crapshoot as you put it.

That's what Disney has chosen. Pretty sure to get one if staying onsite, and a crapshoot if you're not. That sounds pretty reasonable to me.

What, if anything, would you do differently? Which 30,000 guests would you choose to not get one?

I don't think there is a fair way to divide fp up with fp+.

My point was, that it's a crapshoot getting hard to get fp's even booking 60 days out. Sure it's more likely for most people, but there is no guarantee. It's like telling someone who couldn't book 7DMT 60 days out that the system seems reasonable because you could get fp's for 7DMT a week out.

 

[Disneylover99]

I think it is far less of a crap shoot than people make it out to be. These boards are kind of a vacuum chamber, and you are going to hear from a lot more people that had problems than did not. it is the nature of the world and especially the internet that people with problems tend to shout them far and wide, and people that do not tend to just go about their day.

Well sure it's less of a crapshoot, 60 days out, if you're staying multiple days. But still a crapshoot nonetheless.

 

[spinandmarty]

was

I do certainly understand where you or coming from, kids or my life, have had the pleasure of working with several special needs kids, I'm sure I seemed kind of harsh in my earlier post, I should of said for the way I tour Fast Pass + does not work for me, although the only fast pass i could never get after 11:00 or noon was TSMM.... Just to end on a happy note the High School in the district I work in just voted a special needs boy as prom king, not as a joke, not in sympathy, but a kid everybody likes....

 

[Kaler131]

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).

EXACTLY!!

 

[Kaler131]

Who are these people who say "If I can't get a fast pass I can't ride the ride!" I don't think I've ever seen or heard anyone say that. More often I see people say "FP+ is optional, if you don't like it, don't use it."

Also, if you read carefully, no one is saying that they would prefer it if there was NO Fastpass. The OP is not complaining about the perk, they are trying to use it, and complaining about how long it took to get what they wanted through the clunky and slow website.

No, he's right. I work at MK FP+ kiosks and I hear that a lot! People get mad at us because they think they cannot ride the ride without a FP.

 

[Lucius Best]

No, he's right. I work at MK FP+ kiosks and I hear that a lot! People get mad at us because they think they cannot ride the ride without a FP.

I believe you, I don't doubt it that there are people out there who don't understand how the FP+ system works. In my post I was saying that I don't hear it in discussions on these boards, but I can only imagine what you have to deal with working a FP+ kiosk in MK.

I remember one time using a paper FP on Splash, walking by a loud family in the standby line. They were visibly annoyed at the dozens of FP returners passing them, one thought we were in line for the train (?), another insisted we had paid money for our FP to cut the line. It doesn't get much simpler than sticking your ticket in a kiosk and taking a slip of paper, and these people hadn't figured out how to do it. And after spending who knows how much money to go to WDW, they also never bothered to ask a CM or anyone how it worked.

When MDE and FP+ came out, I wondered how those people were going to use it, the people who couldn't figure out how to insert their plastic tickets into a kiosk. Now they need to create MDE accounts, and link their family members, and link their tickets, and reserve their Fastpasses, etc. I considered myself an expert, but before my first FP+ trip I felt like a first-timer, spent hours figuring out the FP+ system and planning and calling Disney to get everything linked up correctly in MDE. But for all those people who were confused by paper FP-, I can't imagine it is easy for them to figure out FP+.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Last time we went I was able to secure all of the fps we wanted but it was tedious and too restricting. I just booked another vacation and this time I'm only going for 8 fps for a 5 day trip and throwing the rest into the wind. I'm not even going for A&E. I do like the parade fps though. I know a lot of people think they're a waste but when you've got little ones it's easier not to have to jostle or wait a long period of time for a good viewing spot. Totally loved the FoF parade fp and will go for it again!

 

[practicallyperfect77]

I do certainly understand where you or coming from, kids or my life, have had the pleasure of working with several special needs kids, I'm sure I seemed kind of harsh in my earlier post, I should of said for the way I tour Fast Pass + does not work for me, although the only fast pass i could never get after 11:00 or noon was TSMM.... Just to end on a happy note the High School in the district I work in just voted a special needs boy as prom king, not as a joke, not in sympathy, but a kid everybody likes....

Off topic - but are you from central IL? A town just by me did the same thing...voting special needs homecoming king? If so, "hi neighbor".

On topic, I wish they would change FP+ to one ahead of time and then you pick more once you'Re in the park. That way folks that never got TSM could still get that one ride, but more available day of. I also find it insane to tell folks "you will get 4 options....choose the option that has the times mostly opposite of where you want them so it's easier to change to the times you do want them". I planned a trip for 6 last year. My sis, BIL and their kiddos were on what was probably a once n done trip. Luckily, I was in the boards reading what I needed to do and we were able to get 7dmt and A&E. I can't imagine a newbie figuring it all out tho.

 

[LadyDiznee123]

I agree with Op. Its clunky, slow, and non-intuitive (on purpose). But thats Disney all the time now. Tried to make an ADR last night and both MDE and the app were not working. Very frustrating. I had to call for the reservation.

My FP+ window opens Monday night. Not looking forward to it.

Whatever you do dont presume its going to be a difficult experience. I got my FPs and. ADRs with no problem. Everyone's experience is different. I hope you enjoy it!

 

[Jennasis]

Whatever you do dont presume its going to be a difficult experience. I got my FPs and. ADRs with no problem. Everyone's experience is different. I hope you enjoy it!

Lol, I already have used it and that was my experience with it. Monday night will be my second attempt at it....maybe it will be less awful. Anything is possible.

 

[Planogirl]

On topic, I wish they would change FP+ to one ahead of time and then you pick more once you'Re in the park. That way folks that never got TSM could still get that one ride, but more available day of. I also find it insane to tell folks "you will get 4 options....choose the option that has the times mostly opposite of where you want them so it's easier to change to the times you do want them". I planned a trip for 6 last year. My sis, BIL and their kiddos were on what was probably a once n done trip. Luckily, I was in the boards reading what I needed to do and we were able to get 7dmt and A&E. I can't imagine a newbie figuring it all out tho.

Disney would definitely have to install more kiosks if they did this. The kiosk lines can be ridiculous and of course they still remain hard to find.

Plus this seems kind of similar to the old legacy system. You would just centralize the fastpasses more which always seemed like a good idea to me.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Disney would definitely have to install more kiosks if they did this. The kiosk lines can be ridiculous and of course they still remain hard to find.

Plus this seems kind of similar to the old legacy system. You would just centralize the fastpasses more which always seemed like a good idea to me.

In my dream world they would be available via the app and could pick any park. Even at a kiosk....if you were in HS and wanted to hop to MK, you could get a space fp before you were there. Would just allow for more day of spontaneous fun.

And of course and Robo said a few days ago....build more rides. Which I realize they are doing but they need to do it faster.

 

[LadyDiznee123]

Lol, I already have used it and that was my experience with it. Monday night will be my second attempt at it....maybe it will be less awful. Anything is possible.

Ugh. Sorry to hear that.

 

[Planogirl]

In my dream world they would be available via the app and could pick any park. Even at a kiosk....if you were in HS and wanted to hop to MK, you could get a space fp before you were there. Would just allow for more day of spontaneous fun.

And of course and Robo said a few days ago....build more rides. Which I realize they are doing but they need to do it faster.

Much faster! Plus virtually nothing is happening at Epcot which is sad.

I choose not to carry a phone in the parks. Others in my party might but I would likely go to the kiosks. I don't mind that but they need more. Plus a better website but that's a whole other issue.

 

[leebee]

If Disney had marketed legacy FP as aggressively as they are marketing FP+, perhaps they would have found that more people knew about and used legacy FP. Saying that legacy FP was only a benefit to those who knew about it is a somewhat unfair comparison. How many people would know about and use FP+ if Disney wasn't shoving it down everyone's throat?