My FP+ Park Strategy WILL SAVE ME ALMOST $20,000!!!

[jtowntoflorida]

Lake, don't forget to try overlapping times for the three of you, instead of all three at once. It narrows your return window, but does open more possibilities for a group.

 

[ArwenMarie]

One of which is being able to pre-book your FPs, enter the parks at any time during the day you want (which they argue they wouldn't get without FP+), use those three, take in the sights and sounds, and then retreat to your resort. For many people that just isn't worth it, not for the price you pay at WDW. However, if you could do this, and do other things in Orlando, and pay less ? ... Sounds a lot better.

This is exactly what Disney wants people to do IMO...spend less time in the parks and more time everywhere else...onsite of course

For us, I do not buy airfare to Orlando of all places to do anything but go to theme parks. There are far more scenic places, many nearby, where I can go to swim, golf or shop.

And then, like you said, I am always doing a price-per-day calculation in terms of value.

 

[WillAustin]

We are WDW lovers first and foremost. This is a nice attempt to try and cast off this thread as off site lovers / Universal lovers. I have only ever stayed onsite at WDW, went to UNiversal 4 or 5 years ago, WDW every year since.

We've only ever stayed onsite deluxe and have added days on almost every subsequent WDW trip. We've never considered off-site at all before. This past weekend was our first time at Universal.

 

[mom2rtk]

This is exactly what Disney wants people to do IMO...spend less time in the parks and more time everywhere else...onsite of course

Maybe they should be careful what they wish for.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

The OP wants to point out that there is pretty much nothing they want to do at WDW other than ride three FP+ rides. So why not stay offsite, eat elsewhere and buy tix to Universal to offset that. Staying and eating offsite is MUCH cheaper than staying and eating onsite, DDP or no DDP, and the OP appears to be happy with the offerings at Universal.

If enough guests follow his lead it may result in lean times for WDW, which is counting on guests wanting to stay at its resorts, buy the dining plan, forego renting a car and spend the vast majority if not all of their time on Disney property.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

It's funny, the "Law of Unintended Consequences " is always a risk when you implement something that is designed to manage or influence human behavior. NextGen is very much about keeping some guests like off-site in-Park longer to get them to spend more, while perhaps getting off-site out of the Parks sooner so they can spend more at the broader Resort. Lake's hit on an interesting side effect of this that's popped up in a lot of threads. I remember Jade's picture posts talking about this very thing you're pointing out. I don't think Disney implemented this so that on-site and DVC'ers can have half Park days and time off to explore the rest of Fla.

It's an interesting trend to watch.....

This has definitely piqued my interest. My only issue would be Orlando traffic and the amount of time it takes to get from Universal property to Disney. Way back in our college days, we did a trip to Orlando where we stayed in Kissimmee (at a HoJo, I believe. LOL!) and visited the Magic Kingdom, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens in Tampa, and the beach. I remember it being a haul to Tampa and the beach, but I really can't recall much of the actual Orlando area or how far away the parks are from each other. If I have to spend an hour getting from Universal to Disney, I just can't see us enjoying that.

 

[lugnut33]

You already know you'll have an excellent time, because you enjoyed your recent Universal trip so much. There is an awful lot to do in Orlando and I think you'll be surprised by how spontaneuos your vacation will be.

I totally understand what you're saying. Disney decided to implement FP+ and ration rides and now you have adapted to this touring change, by reducing the time and money spent at WDW. As a previous poster speculated, how many more people are adapting to the WDW changes by reducing time and money spent at the parks and resorts? I just don't think WDW offers enough incentive for me to spend all of my vacation time at the resort. I have accepted that I will pay more and experience less on my upcoming WDW trip.

What really surprises me is I am more excited about Universal than I am about WDW. I just think the ride reservation thing has sucked out a lot of the spontaneity for me. I can't just pretend to go with the flow when I feel my time is managed.

I think you should send a thank you note to WDW and explain how much you appreciate FP+ and how much money their new system has saved you.

The way I've come up with around the spontaneity thing is to log on at 60 days out and just make FP+ for 7DMT and A&E for every day you are there. Then as the time gets closer, firm up your plans on which parks you might be in and begin to make changes. You can pretty much change all FP+ selections up to a few days before except for the two I mentioned. As for TSMM, you'll have to firm that one up a little earlier than the rest. However, we don't really like TSMM that much so it's not a big deal if we skip it. I prefer Buzz for a shooting game.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

That is a tough pill to swallow. Of course one way to afford more days would be to consider staying offsite.

It's a real challenge for us though since it comes as my daughter enters high school and we need to be away less days instead of more.

Same with us. As our children have gotten older, we've had to shorten our trips. And we have a finite amount of vacation days and don't want to spend ALL of them at WDW. We see less value in our trips as prices have gone WAY up (especially ticket prices) and we don't accomplish nearly as much as we used to.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

This has definitely piqued my interest. My only issue would be Orlando traffic and the amount of time it takes to get from Universal property to Disney. Way back in our college days, we did a trip to Orlando where we stayed in Kissimmee (at a HoJo, I believe. LOL!) and visited the Magic Kingdom, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens in Tampa, and the beach. I remember it being a haul to Tampa and the beach, but I really can't recall much of the actual Orlando area or how far away the parks are from each other. If I have to spend an hour getting from Universal to Disney, I just can't see us enjoying that.

Universal is about 20 miles east from Disney on I-4. Very easy to get to. Even with heavy traffic on I-4, it's never taken us an hour to get there.

 

[Laketravis]

The OP wants to point out that there is pretty much nothing they want to do at WDW other than ride three FP+ rides.

Not at all. Actually the objective is to maximize yield by using FP+ strategically for three attractions and take advantage of other non-FP activities like parades, fireworks, and attractions with lower wait times while minimizing time in the park and supplementing the day with non-WDW venues.

And saving money, of course. Lots and lots of money.

 

[clsteve]

This has definitely piqued my interest. My only issue would be Orlando traffic and the amount of time it takes to get from Universal property to Disney. Way back in our college days, we did a trip to Orlando where we stayed in Kissimmee (at a HoJo, I believe. LOL!) and visited the Magic Kingdom, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens in Tampa, and the beach. I remember it being a haul to Tampa and the beach, but I really can't recall much of the actual Orlando area or how far away the parks are from each other. If I have to spend an hour getting from Universal to Disney, I just can't see us enjoying that.

Ha!

I stayed in that very HoJo's back in the college days And another place in Kissimmee called Wilson World..???? I think. Glad those "8 to a Room" days are long over.

Traffic's a valid point, though something that can be planned around and easier to find the back ways with GPS than back then. It'll be interesting to watch . The Disney infra is based on Mears and locking guests in. Just a few percentage point swings in guests having vehicles and heading off-site for other activities (which means lost meals, golf, shopping, etc.) is not what was planned ....

 

[mom2rtk]

The way I've come up with around the spontaneity thing is to log on at 60 days out and just make FP+ for 7DMT and A&E for every day you are there. Then as the time gets closer, firm up your plans on which parks you might be in and begin to make changes. You can pretty much change all FP+ selections up to a few days before except for the two I mentioned. As for TSMM, you'll have to firm that one up a little earlier than the rest. However, we don't really like TSMM that much so it's not a big deal if we skip it. I prefer Buzz for a shooting game.

I would suspect there are a fair number of people doing just that already.

 

[mom2rtk]

Not at all. Actually the objective is to maximize yield by using FP+ strategically for three attractions and take advantage of other non-FP activities like parades, fireworks, and attractions with lower wait times while minimizing time in the park and supplementing the day with non-WDW venues.

And saving money, of course. Lots and lots of money.

If Disney can use yield management techniques, then why shouldn't you do the same?

 

[MakiraMarlena]

dang new board

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Not at all. Actually the objective is to maximize yield by using FP+ strategically for three attractions and take advantage of other non-FP activities like parades, fireworks, and attractions with lower wait times while minimizing time in the park and supplementing the day with non-WDW venues.

And saving money, of course. Lots and lots of money.

You could have saved loads of money staying and eating offsite before FP+.

What yield are you maximizing by going to Universal to supplement the day? You will be waiting in line there. I did see that you believe at least some of Universal's attractions are worthy of wait time, perhaps more than WDW's are.

 

[Laketravis]

What yield are you maximizing by going to Universal to supplement the day?

Vacation yield. What would anyone do with an extra 8 - 10 hours a day in Orlando each day? It doesn't have to be USO, although that's an option because the cost basis is low. Sea World is another, TripAdvisor lists 475 individual attractions in the Orlando area, none of which I've had an opportunity to research yet.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Vacation yield. What would anyone do with an extra 8 - 10 hours a day in Orlando each day? It doesn't have to be USO, although that's an option because the cost basis is low. Sea World is another, TripAdvisor lists 475 individual attractions in the Orlando area, none of which I've had an opportunity to research yet.

I think this is a great option if your family likes water parks. It's best to do those in the mornings especially in the stormy months. So you can do those, go back, chill, then head to a park at night with your FPs booked. Win-win.

 

[Itinkso]

And saving money, of course. Lots and lots of money.

I couldn't find your Tesla comment so am quoting this instead. Rather than a Tesla purchase which depreciates the moment you punch it for the first time, how about buying a vacation rental home? For the same amount you'll save in 2.5 years of your off-site plan, DH and I recently provided the down payment on a new 3-bedroom home in a gated community in the Champions Gate area.

YMMV but our investment includes unlimited stays, free pick-up and drop-off at MCO, up to 16 days of free park entry, deeply discounted meals at Signatures for the Holidays, and use of a car to explore sites in Florida.

For you, it would be a source of income making all of your Florida travel "free." You appear to be a person who would always be able to find ways to enjoy WDW and Orlando even after your son is on his own... home versus Tesla - the home would be more fitting for you and your family.

 

[MrInfinity]

You could have saved loads of money staying and eating offsite before FP+.

What yield are you maximizing by going to Universal to supplement the day? You will be waiting in line there. I did see that you believe at least some of Universal's attractions are worthy of wait time, perhaps more than WDW's are.

Makira,
I think Lake is claiming via a rather convoluted train wreck of a thread, to have just today discovered for himself that FP+ would indeed work well to visit a park for a short span, use one's 3 FP+, and leave. Even tho he demonstrated on his trip report thread that this is pretty much what he did, and it worked awesome for him then despite his statement that one could only expect to ride 3 headliners and thereafter one better like to shop. You can take it to the extreme, and visit 365 days in a year on an AP to ride over 1000 rides all by FP+. Who cares if it has long since been pointed out that an underlying goal is to get resort guests into the parks, thru a few rides, and then freed up to do other things from the beginning... And who cares if he is willing to wait in his car an hour, and enter the park every day for 4 weeks or whatever. Obviously there's time wasted there, but if he has time on his side then kudos! If it makes his vacation happy to think that he has not waited in a line, then that's great. So he goes back to his hotel every night and sits there for 8 hours over 4 weeks. Or he takes in the local movie theater or any of the other 427 attractions, of which he knows so little he has to go look them up on Trip Advisor. And he gets a new car. Seriously. How can anyone not commend a plan that begets a new car? Hockey players have to work their whole career to get invited to the All Star game, then not get picked for a team till last to get a new car (poor Ovechkin)... and Lake gets one just by embracing FP+.

I do some offsite things. We love LEGOLAND. It's just the way it is. In fact LL opening up in Florida has been a major factor in our decision to go to Florida as often as we do. So we spend a couple nights at LL and about a week at WDW, and that works well for us. It's what we love, so it's what we do. If Lake wants to do some random things he doesn't even know about, for the better part of his day, so be it. If it makes him happy, and he has found a way to make FP+ work for him, then I'm happy for him.

 

[Laketravis]

I couldn't find your Tesla comment so am quoting this instead. Rather than a Tesla purchase which depreciates the moment you punch it for the first time, how about buying a vacation rental home? For the same amount you'll save in 2.5 years of your off-site plan, DH and I recently provided the down payment on a new 3-bedroom home in a gated community in the Champions Gate area.

YMMV but our investment includes unlimited stays, free pick-up and drop-off at MCO, up to 16 days of free park entry, deeply discounted meals at Signatures for the Holidays, and use of a car to explore sites in Florida.

For you, it would be a source of income making all of your Florida travel "free." You appear to be a person who would always be able to find ways to enjoy WDW and Orlando even after your son is on his own... home versus Tesla - the home would be more fitting for you and your family.

It's kind of outside the scope of this thread, but you're right - it could make sense but only under a narrow set of circumstances. I actually looked into that option but feel like I missed the bottom of the Orlando area RE market and there are still a ton of foreclosures. Rental competition is fierce even during the best of times.

 

[erc]

Seriously, if you have done nothing but WDW vacations for 40 years, you are so far out of the median that losing that small amount of business won't amount to half a penny for Disney. They only had FastPass since 1999. What the heck did you do before that?

It is amusing to see people basically taking their proverbial ball and going home in a tantrum over FastPass changes. Way to look grown up.