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

[Planogirl]

This is definitely strategy for us because we've used similar approaches. I don't understand why those who want to do something else don't just avoid the thread. Is this discussion really so annoying for some reason?

As for how popular this thread is or isn't, do some of the critics here realize that they are helping to drive the popularity?

 

[Planogirl]

Back to the actual topic, only a few hours in a themepark SOME days can actually be very gratifying.

If Universal is involved, you could visit Uni early and since it tends to close early head over to MK when it stays open late. It's tiring but can be a lot of fun. As for value, that is in the eyes of the beholder. I might find that the fun we have is very valuable plus FP+ is definitely valuable since we would arrive at the Disney park so late.

I realize that this isn't the approach being discussed since fewer days might be necessary but it is just another strategy that limits time spent at WDW.

 

[SmithSmith]

Let's see it, as well as costs to determine how you arrived at $4.40 per attraction - all of the cost, not just ticket prices.

Your scenario: 3 attractions per day for 28 days = 84 attractions
$675 AP divided by 84 = $8.04 per attraction

My scenario: 15 attractions per day for 6 days = 90 attractions
$398 6 day PH divided by 90 = $4.42 per attraction

I'm not sure what other costs I could include for it to be a fair comparison. You have 3 in your party, I have 2. You fly, we drive (a Prius). You're budget shopping for condos, while we "splurged" on a hotel for our last trip (we were celebrating). Then there's car rentals, types of meals, gas, other Orlando activities that you want to visit, etc.... there are just far too many differences to account for. That is why I kept it simple the first time and only compared it by cost of tickets.

I'll gladly post my itinerary. I already have it all typed up, considering I've already posted it before. However, remember when Fuzzy and DisneyKidds were wanting to know what you accomplished during 2 weeks at Disney and asked for you to share your FULL itinerary? How about you finally share yours, and I'll happily repost mine. Besides, it'd be far more informative to see what can actually be accomplished, instead of speculating about your future trips.

 

[SmithSmith]

On these boards? Strange - a post search doesn't bring any of that up, just a lot of sarcastic criticism. Maybe it would help with the perception of your comments if you could bring all of that helpful advice and cost-saving park touring strategies into a helpful thread?

Critical? Absolutely! Sarcastic? Ummm... when? I try to stay away from sarcasm.

Yeah, it's no wonder you didn't come up with anything while searching my posts. The search function isn't fully operational yet! Only my 10 most recent posts show up! So here are 3 threads showing where I have indeed helped people on this board.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ak-day-safari-fotlk-nemo-before-noon.3369368/

http://www.disboards.com/threads/please-help-with-1-5-day-ak-itinerary.3369674/#post-52906753

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ak-fp-help.3373964/

 

[SmithSmith]

Lake, I'm confused. I asked you this on Monday night:

Lake, I thought you did Free Dining during your November trip?

You replied:

We did this last time but it required taking DS out of school in order to time eligibility. Won't be able to do that anymore and I see the probability of FD being offered in the future as very low if not at all so I'm not counting on it going forward.

However, in post # 891 from this page:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/any-reformed-fp-uber-users-who-have-embraced-fp.3363593/page-45

You said this just 3 weeks ago:

I'm with you - we always enjoy free dining. I know there's a debate as to whether or not it's "free" because you pay full rack rate, but I'll gladly pay $225 a night (CSR) in return for not have to pay for our meals.

WDW was also pulling back on discounts and free dining, but if the current AP promo for resort bookings is any indication (up to 37% off deluxe, 30% off moderates thru mid-June) then they are still needing to fill rooms and another round of free dining next fall is a real possibility again.

So which one is it? Do you think free dining is a possibility or not?

 

[Laketravis]

So which one is it? Do you think free dining is a possibility or not?

Sometimes you have to think a little bit about the context of my comments. I won't be able to take DS9 out of school anymore, so I don't see FD as a possibility going forward during the smaller window of times when we can go.

 

[Laketravis]

Your scenario: 3 attractions per day for 28 days = 84 attractions
$675 AP divided by 84 = $8.04 per attraction

My scenario: 15 attractions per day for 6 days = 90 attractions
$398 6 day PH divided by 90 = $4.42 per attraction

Far too simplistic and if you are going to use an arbitrary "per attraction" cost basis then I'll use a more conventional "cost per day" as mine because your first mistake is assuming 3 attractions is all we do per day; I increase that to 6 (60% less than what you claim to accomplish) and my "cost per attraction" is already less than yours.

So a more conventional comparison:

You: $66 per day
Me: $24 per day

Now, we could talk about what each of us really gets done each day all day......but I honestly have no interest in debating this with you any more.

Besides, I have to reserve my FP's in the morning.

 

[Cormoran]

I think we're going to be using some of your theme park strategy on our next visit. We're staying at the Swan for the first half of the Vacation, and we plan to make FP+ reservations for late in the day and do other things around Orlando in the mornings and early afternoon. One day, we plan to visit Kennedy Space Center, another day a botanical garden, and the final day wandering around the Boardwalk area. Then we will enter the parks at around 4pm and stay until closing.

 

[Hokie2000]

People might just discover how many lovely resorts are close to WDW and also how many fun things someone can find to do in Florida.

I was ready for #3 but I'm liking #2 more and more. That is at least until our next trip.

I hope you have a great trip!

The first thought got me wondering - do you think, after something big like Avatarland is finished, the evening FP+ strategy will contribute to some visiting the parks that might not have otherwise? If someone is planning a Universal-only trip, for instance, I wonder if the potential to visit WDW parks to see new attractions w/o a wait in the evenings would be an attractive option that they wouldn't have explored previously. That's assuming that said planner knows about FP+ and that FP+ availability is there, of course. And that tickets to multiple parks are in their budget. Lots of big "IFs," haha.

 

[Laketravis]

I think we're going to be using some of your theme park strategy on our next visit. We're staying at the Swan for the first half of the Vacation, and we plan to make FP+ reservations for late in the day and do other things around Orlando in the mornings and early afternoon. One day, we plan to visit Kennedy Space Center, another day a botanical garden, and the final day wandering around the Boardwalk area. Then we will enter the parks at around 4pm and stay until closing.

You gave me a great idea! I just updated DAY TWO in the other thread after making FP's this morning for Epcot and am working on day three's plan but I wanted to get a non-amusement-park activity during the week and KSC would be awesome.

 

[Cormoran]

yup, I'm really looking forward to seeing Atlantis. I also love the robot exhibit, and the bus tour. I'm kind of a space nerd. I'm hoping there's a launch when we visit.

 

[Laketravis]

yup, I'm really looking forward to seeing Atlantis. I also love the robot exhibit, and the bus tour. I'm kind of a space nerd. I'm hoping there's a launch when we visit.

Have you researched any costs/deals?

 

[Mikie]

LT you're close to 7,400 views. I think there are an awful lot of people that are interested in this thread despite the campagn to kill it by having it removed from the theme park strategy forum

A little, sorry

This confuses me, maybe because I don't know quite how the moderators operate. I've had threads moved to the community graveyard that didn't make sense to me when they seemed very similar in tone and content to other threads that didn't get moved. Are you saying that people complain (I don't know where, as there are no posts in this thread saying "please move this") and that causes a move? Or that the mods themselves moving this to a less visible spot constitute the campaign?

Anyway, I took the post at face value (despite the clearly marketing-style flashy title) and find it an interesting way to consider a central Florida vacation, that incorporates a lot of Disney, in the FP+ era instead of an immersive Disney-only trip while considering whether it is also cost-effective to do so. I like the Disney bubble but also never crunched all the numbers on incorporating other venues. I assumed that, tickets being my biggest expense, tacking on a disney day made more out of my time and money than buying Sea World, Uni, or other tickets and was more fun for my $$. Despite the fact that I generally like FP+ and therefore don't generally agree with Laketravis et al on the debate threads, I am finding value in this strategy analysis.

 

[Laketravis]

A little, sorry

This confuses me, maybe because I don't know quite how the moderators operate. I've had threads moved to the community graveyard that didn't make sense to me when they seemed very similar in tone and content to other threads that didn't get moved. Are you saying that people complain (I don't know where, as there are no posts in this thread saying "please move this") and that causes a move? Or that the mods themselves moving this to a less visible spot constitute the campaign?

Anyway, I took the post at face value (despite the clearly marketing-style flashy title) and find it an interesting way to consider a central Florida vacation, that incorporates a lot of Disney, in the FP+ era instead of an immersive Disney-only trip while considering whether it is also cost-effective to do so. I like the Disney bubble but also never crunched all the numbers on incorporating other venues. I assumed that, tickets being my biggest expense, tacking on a disney day made more out of my time and money than buying Sea World, Uni, or other tickets and was more fun for my $$. Despite the fact that I generally like FP+ and therefore don't generally agree with Laketravis et al on the debate threads, I am finding value in this strategy analysis.

I was told the thread was moved because it was "Not Planning". So I started a new one that focuses specifically on the strategy itself (More for Less) in hopes it might prove helpful.

 

[Cormoran]

A little, sorry

This confuses me, maybe because I don't know quite how the moderators operate. I've had threads moved to the community graveyard that didn't make sense to me when they seemed very similar in tone and content to other threads that didn't get moved. Are you saying that people complain (I don't know where, as there are no posts in this thread saying "please move this") and that causes a move? Or that the mods themselves moving this to a less visible spot constitute the campaign?

Anyway, I took the post at face value (despite the clearly marketing-style flashy title) and find it an interesting way to consider a central Florida vacation, that incorporates a lot of Disney, in the FP+ era instead of an immersive Disney-only trip while considering whether it is also cost-effective to do so. I like the Disney bubble but also never crunched all the numbers on incorporating other venues. I assumed that, tickets being my biggest expense, tacking on a disney day made more out of my time and money than buying Sea World, Uni, or other tickets and was more fun for my $$. Despite the fact that I generally like FP+ and therefore don't generally agree with Laketravis et al on the debate threads, I am finding value in this strategy analysis.

If someone is unhappy with a thread's content, they can report is to the moderators and then the moderators can decide if it should be moved. As someone else mentioned, the moderator is ultimately responsible for moving a thread or closing it. However, I've noticed a trend on these boards. Threads that are negative about Disney are much more likely to be reported to the moderators than the "Everyone Loved the way my magic bands were decorated" threads. Even though MB appearance is irrelevant to theme park strategy.

 

[Cormoran]

Have you researched any costs/deals?

I've researched, but haven't found any deals. Admissions is $50 adults and $40 for kids ( under 11). When I've been before, it has been an all day experience. It's a lot of fun, if you're a space nerd!

 

[Planogirl]

I hope you have a great trip!

The first thought got me wondering - do you think, after something big like Avatarland is finished, the evening FP+ strategy will contribute to some visiting the parks that might not have otherwise? If someone is planning a Universal-only trip, for instance, I wonder if the potential to visit WDW parks to see new attractions w/o a wait in the evenings would be an attractive option that they wouldn't have explored previously. That's assuming that said planner knows about FP+ and that FP+ availability is there, of course. And that tickets to multiple parks are in their budget. Lots of big "IFs," haha.

AK would be a problem unless it stays open much later than it does now. I can see more and more people doing this in general though since Disney has made it pretty easy.

A little, sorry

This confuses me, maybe because I don't know quite how the moderators operate. I've had threads moved to the community graveyard that didn't make sense to me when they seemed very similar in tone and content to other threads that didn't get moved. Are you saying that people complain (I don't know where, as there are no posts in this thread saying "please move this") and that causes a move? Or that the mods themselves moving this to a less visible spot constitute the campaign?

Anyway, I took the post at face value (despite the clearly marketing-style flashy title) and find it an interesting way to consider a central Florida vacation, that incorporates a lot of Disney, in the FP+ era instead of an immersive Disney-only trip while considering whether it is also cost-effective to do so. I like the Disney bubble but also never crunched all the numbers on incorporating other venues. I assumed that, tickets being my biggest expense, tacking on a disney day made more out of my time and money than buying Sea World, Uni, or other tickets and was more fun for my $$. Despite the fact that I generally like FP+ and therefore don't generally agree with Laketravis et al on the debate threads, I am finding value in this strategy analysis.

From my perspective we will always go Universal plus we like to explore new places. The extra cost for a Disney multi-day pass becomes negligible after a certain point. Since we do these other things anyway why not spend part of the day at one venue and then another part at a Disney venue? We only do it for a few days but it works out well.

 

[Cormoran]

AK would be a problem unless it stays open much later than it does now. I can see more and more people doing this in general though since Disney has made it pretty easy.
From my perspective we will always go Universal plus we like to explore new places. The extra cost for a Disney multi-day pass becomes negligible after a certain point. Since we do these other things anyway why not spend part of the day at one venue and then another part at a Disney venue? We only do it for a few days but it works out well.

Our trip is going to cost more since we will be spending part of our days visiting other Orlando area attractions. But really, I'm happier with the trip knowing that I won't feel trapped in the parks searching for something with an acceptable SB line. Hopefully, we'll arrive at the parks when a lot of guests are leaving for the day. Maybe I'm just being delusional, but I can hope!

 

[MrInfinity]

Far too simplistic and if you are going to use an arbitrary "per attraction" cost basis then I'll use a more conventional "cost per day" as mine because your first mistake is assuming 3 attractions is all we do per day; I increase that to 6 (60% less than what you claim to accomplish) and my "cost per attraction" is already less than yours.

Guys, you realize ticket cost is just one drop in the overall cost of a trip. How can you describe "cost per day" as ones' ticket price? I would call that "ticket price per day". But cost should factor several things... at a minimum, travel + tickets + hotel + food. 28 days in a condo? Ok, this should be...
(quoting from memory, I think you said $243/week)

$243x4 weeks, + $675 AP. = $1647. Divide by your 168 rides (28 x 6 per day) is $9.80 / ride
$243x1 week, + $398 = $641. Divide by Smith's 90 rides is $7.12/ / ride

So with even the cheapest of hotels, it's always going to add up fast when you start taking large numbers of travel days.

So a more conventional comparison:

You: $66 per day
Me: $24 per day

What is your conclusion? The 28 is cheaper than the 6 or not?

66 x 6 = 396
24 x 28 = 672

The 28 day plan is still costing 75% more, despite a lower cost per day. (so far).

Also Lake in your other thread, you were only planning to do 4 rides on your Epcot day. You said SE, MS, and Soarin via FP+ and TT via SR. Would you say your typical day would be more like 3 rides per day, 4 rides per day, or 6 rides per day, and of those what kind of waits would you anticipate? Note I'm looking at an "average rides per day". So even if you would do 4 at Epcot that one day, if you were planning to do 8 at the MK one day, the average would be a solid 6. But I'm not sure doing 8 at the MK all with short waits without utilizing Rope Drop or EMH is possible.

 

[Laketravis]

Ahhhh... but Fuzzy, WDW is about a lot more than "rides".


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