My experience with the New FP+ (offside guest)

[Miriade]

Hello folks! I've just returned home from a 12 days Vacations in Orlando and I stayed offsite to visit WDW. I can say I miss Disney already
But as an offsite guest and with the new FastPass+ system on the go I can say a thing or two:
1. FP+ Kiosks are fewer than needed and I was upset to have to stay in line quite a while even when I chased the 'not so crowed' I've read about here. And February is not peak season, I cannot imagine how bad this waiting time will get on July/August.
2. CM are still learning the ropes of this new system and it is very important you my fellow guest be patient with them, don't go unleashing the kraken (ops, wrong park) upon them bc you've been waiting in line. IF you're luck they will try to reset the time options the system shows for better but mind it sometime this won't happen. I don't know why but I was able to get better hours than previous guest with the same CM, she told me Soaring showed time window for 5 pm to the party before me and then I've got 10:35 a.m.
3. The tiers, oh, this is a great thing bothering me . FP+ being limited to 3 attractions does not hurt me badly but not being able to choose both Soaring AND Test Track at Epcot; this is not nice! Same goes to Hollywood Studios. In a park with so few 'rides' the tier hurts the most. Magic Kingdom thanks the Goodness has no tiers for now.
4. CM can be a little lenient upon little lateness to show up to use your FP+ but this depends upon CM and occasion. We had a 11 m.o. child with us this time and we had a diaper-situation getting us a little late to go to Tower of Terror but the CM allowed us to enter. But you'll have to wait till appointed time window to use the PF+, if it says 3:00 p.m. it's 3:00pm and not 2:45pm.
5. Children swap using FP+ requires you to show up at the first verification point with the child in question to get the voucher (it's a piece of paper just like good old FP).
6. The line to enter the rides with the new FP+ is somehow longer than I can ever remember comparing with the 3 times I've been there at WDW using the old system. Simply bc you'll need to scan your tickets or bracelets and sometimes people have them not ready or stored in the bottom of the backpack or in the wallet with a party member that somehow is not here you get the picture! And remember : there's 2 checkpoints for FP+
7. I saw the FP+ crashed down at MK on our second visit when we entered BTRRM at the first ckeckpoint with CM allowing entrance card by card or band by band with a touchpad but at the second checkpoint it was normal. Again IF this was peak season the FP+ line will be longer than ever and it makes me wonder where are they going to put people as most the attractions have just bigger waiting spaced roped for the normal entrance lines...

As we're not onsite AND selected guests (the cool magic band is not already for 'everyone staying at WDW Resorts'!) the lovely app sync thingie won't work for us, so no email or SMS let's take pictures!

Our MK FP+ pic - by far the busiest longest line to get the FP+!

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The DHS pic of the tiered FP+ options. We decided to sacrifice ToyStoryMania as the time windows options showed were not able to accommodate a baby. We could not stay that late at the park just to ride TSM!

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And this is the picture of our also tiered PF+ from Epcot:

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As TestTrack has single rider lines we decided to ride TT on that and get FP for Soaring.

Animal Kingdom has no Tiers (yet) and it was the park we wait less time to get the FP+ setup.

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[davedmaine]

Let me sum that all up with two words: It's terrible.

 

[Miriade]

No, no, I did not call it a terrible experience.
Fast Pass Plus is in its infancy and it will need to grow up some steady legs to endure the peak season crowds but I do believe it'll be going in the right direction.

When the cell phone app works for everyone and the FP+ online reservation turn out to be as naturally accepted as the ADR for the restaurants I will think it will work quite well.
Those guest with no such desire to be planning so much time in advance won't be forget as I believe Disney will get hold to a formula about the time windows for the most demanded attractions in each park to be left open for 'the day'.

Well that's what I do hope to happen and soon.

 

[shelemm]

I am startled by the notion that anyone would need an FP for Spaceship Earth.

 

[cigar95]

. . . . . . And February is not peak season, I cannot imagine how bad this waiting time will get on July/August.

This one, at least should not be a problem. If things go as expected, offsite guests will be able to use the app by that time, so less demand for the physical kiosks.

The current overload of the kiosks is a temporary artifact of the system still being in transition.

 

[redrosesix]

Awesome report!!!

I am startled by the notion that anyone would need an FP for Spaceship Earth.

I know - sad but true, stand by waits are longer for a lot of rides now. But if you save time doing rides you really like it is worth it.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

I am startled by the notion that anyone would need an FP for Spaceship Earth.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[ddluvsdisney]

I am startled by the notion that anyone would need an FP for Spaceship Earth.

That was my first reaction when they implemented this. But believe it or not since FP+ I have waited in line for SSE a few times. Never had before

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[jade1]

Awesome report!!!



I know - sad but true, stand by waits are longer for a lot of rides now. But if you save time doing rides you really like it is worth it.

It shows 10 minutes right now so I think it will be needed even busier weeks only.

That said they still need to add the Frozen M&G IMO, and a few more headliners would help.

 

[amg35]

I've usually had a wait for Spaceship Earth

June 2011 the wait was 25 minutes at some points. Perhaps it was the times we rode it.

 

[pgende80]

Did you book FP+ first thing in the morning? Or did you hit a few rides an then schedule them? Were going in 10 days an staying offsite an I'm trying to figure out how i wanna schedule them! Thanks

 

[Ravenne]

I've usually had a wait for Spaceship Earth

June 2011 the wait was 25 minutes at some points. Perhaps it was the times we rode it.

It's kind of sad, but when I saw "25 minute wait" my initial thought was, "bah, that's nothing at WDW." For Spaceship Earth, that is rather uncommon in my experience. I think the longest I've ever had to wait was during rain storms and everyone ducked in there to ride it to dodge the rain.

We went to the movies last night and during the previews was an ad for WDW and MBs. Interestingly enough, the ad specifically said, "you're invited to join us during our test." I couldn't help but chuckle.

 

[NMAmy]

Let me sum that all up with two words: It's terrible.

I was there last week as an off-site (Shades of Green) guest and I think that's pretty much spot on.

The difference between our stay at Universal (wonderful!) and Disney (pretty sucky) was night and day.

Oh, and wait times were almost universally incorrect so what one sees on the app is almost always a vast difference from the actual wait. DH and I got into Small World line for what was listed as a 15 minute wait and we were still just inside the door after 20 minutes when we bailed. And it went on like that for the whole week.

 

[johde]

3. The tiers, oh, this is a great thing bothering me . FP+ being limited to 3 attractions does not hurt me badly but not being able to choose both Soaring AND Test Track at Epcot; this is not nice! Same goes to Hollywood Studios. In a park with so few 'rides' the tier hurts the most. Magic Kingdom thanks the Goodness has no tiers for now.

The other side of this would be without tiers you could have walk up to the FP kiosk at EPCOT and found Soarin and Test Track completely booked. Then at DHS TSMM and RNR completely booked. Because without tiers people who booked before you took all the available slots. So instead of getting FP+ for 2 headliners you got 0 headliner. The people who could prebook took them all.

There's a thread here with a survey about getting additional FP+ same day. And possible relaxation of the tiers as the day progresses. But that won't happen until all offsite guests get prebooking ability.