My name is Texas Crude, and I like FP+

[Texas Crude]

After reading all the negatives about FP+ it was good to see some posting positive feedback. I think my best strategy for not getting so frustrated will be to schedule FP+ as best as I can when my window opens up. If the times don't work out and I can't reschedule on the first try.....will just resort to standing in lines the old fashioned way. This will be a pain since our trip is in June, but a vacation is suppose to be fun.

Agree. It's going to impact everyone differently, since we all have different touring styles and situations, but it's not going away. Disney spent a lot of time researching it (and they have based their decision on access to data that I'm sure would blow our minds) and a ton of money implementing it, and park attendance has never been higher. You can either let it ruin your trip, or look for the positives (and there are many) and make the best of it.

 

[Texas Crude]

FP- wasn't all that different in that regard. If you showed up to HS at noon, there was a good chance you couldn't get even one fast pass, let alone one for ToT, TSMM, and the roller coaster. Now you're essentially guaranteed two of those (at least you are if you're staying on site... Still don't have enough data on their plans to know how it will work out for off site guests).

Same thing with Epcot. During the summer, how early did you have to show up to guarantee a FP- for soaring, wait for the 2 hours since you pulled it, and still be guaranteed a FP- for TT?

In practice, if you are there early enough to pull a FP for both (and have reasonable return times), the stand by wait for one of the rides would probably be tolerable enough that you could
handle it.

 

[Mommy2Corinne]

I didn't take that away from the OP.

From the OP - "Go on, it's OK to like changes."

As if the reason people don't like FP+ is because they're not OK with change?

IDK...it seems a bit condescending.

 

[Jemmi1218]

I just flew in this morning, checked into my room at 1030am, and was in Animal Kingdom by noon. I was able to ride Dinosaur, Everest and the Safari and get back to Caribbean Beach by 330pm. We also had lunch and did some shopping while there. What a productive way to spend our first day that would not have been possible prior to FP+. So far I LOVE the magic bands. I love not having to keep track of tickets and fastpasses. The hands free system has (so far) worked flawlessly for us. I can see how this technology is going to SOAR once the kinks are worked out! I admit I was a bit nervous prior to getting here with all the negative comments but I feel it's really the opposite. I'm not expecting it to be this flawless for the next 10 days, I expect some bumps but nothing will "ruin my vacation"! I'm here and loving it!

 

[Mamiamjo]

I do like the ability to book FP+ in advance, although that's about all i do like.
I don't like the limit of 3 FP+, Tiering at DHS & EP, nor the 1 Park/day rule for FP+!

I think if they go forward with opening up the advance FP+ booking for offsite guests as well, then they should allow guests to get additional FP+s on the day of, instead of the 3 FP+ rule

 

[MrInfinity]

FP+ is truly awesome. Whereas I used to be a power-runner, now I can run for my FPs from the comfort of my own home 2 months in advance of our trip and get exactly the times I want.

However, there are also significant negatives versus the old FP-.

Even a thread about liking FP+ is peppered w "you're right it's great, but really it's not -- here's why".

And my favorite:

It is staggering how many people aren't grasping this

Clearly those who actually like FP+ simply don't grasp just how bad it really is.

FP+ *is* good. I don't think there are many drawbacks, and I'm an ex-FP-runner. Some huge benefits:

* Time savings because you're not running or waiting in FP- lines.

* Not have to split up from your family

* Not prone to being abused by line jumpers who will run to get a FP- but then jump lines to meet their family who saved them a spot.

* Has fewer loopholes and nuances like understanding which FP-'s can be pulled while you have others.

* You can get on some rides if you just show up for an evening. Say you're going to Epcot from 5pm-7pm after hitting the pool in the afternoon, and you have dinner at 7pm back at your hotel. With FP- you would not get on Soarin or TT via FP - you'd be stuck waiting standby for everything. Now with FP+ if you have an ADR for 7, you can plug in a few FP+'s for 5pm and 6pm and you're golden. Show up, ride, go eat. Simple.

* Can be changed at will

* Can pick your times and plan an optimal route thru the parks

* Will generate more revenue for Disney

* By better distribution of guests, increases the capacity of the parks

* Get more people on some rides instead of few ppl on many rides and more ppl on fewer rides

This is just what's coming to me off the top of my head as huge benefits. One of the best is the amount of walking saved by eliminating excess crossings of the parks. In looking at my day plans -- they just look... pleasant. Vacation-like even. Who'da thunk.

 

[Hannathy]

I just flew in this morning, checked into my room at 1030am, and was in Animal Kingdom by noon. I was able to ride Dinosaur, Everest and the Safari and get back to Caribbean Beach by 330pm. We also had lunch and did some shopping while there. What a productive way to spend our first day that would not have been possible prior to FP+. So far I LOVE the magic bands. I love not having to keep track of tickets and fastpasses. The hands free system has (so far) worked flawlessly for us. I can see how this technology is going to SOAR once the kinks are worked out! I admit I was a bit nervous prior to getting here with all the negative comments but I feel it's really the opposite. I'm not expecting it to be this flawless for the next 10 days, I expect some bumps but nothing will "ruin my vacation"! I'm here and loving it!

Wow I'm impressed! that's great news.

 

[JimmyV]

Clearly those who actually like FP+ simply don't grasp just how bad it really is.

My comment was not directed to the broadness of "how bad it really is" but was limited soley to the issue of people arriving mid-day, being able to do the three rides for which they have FPs, and then being stunned at how little else they can accomplish due to the length of the other lines. It is only the "now I can arrive in the middle of the day and still do everything" posts that are staggering. Nothing more. Otherwise, FP+ has many, many benefits, as you have noted. But if you go through most of the "FP+ worked great for us" posts for people who were at WDW over the crowded President's Day weekend, you will see that most of them state that they arrived at the parks early. FP+ absolutely allows one to arrive later in the day. But one should not be deluded into thinking that one can get to Epcot at noon, use a 12:30 FP for Soarin' and get on to Test Track with anything less than a 90 minute wait. Or stroll into DHS at 11:00. hop on to TSM with a FP+ and then not have to wait an hour to ride RnR. You obviously understand the system an understand this point. Many others do not. This one point does not spell doom for FP+. Not by a long shot. But that doesn't mean that it isn't real.

 

[JimmyV]

I just flew in this morning, checked into my room at 1030am, and was in Animal Kingdom by noon. I was able to ride Dinosaur, Everest and the Safari and get back to Caribbean Beach by 330pm. We also had lunch and did some shopping while there. What a productive way to spend our first day that would not have been possible prior to FP+. So far I LOVE the magic bands. I love not having to keep track of tickets and fastpasses. The hands free system has (so far) worked flawlessly for us. I can see how this technology is going to SOAR once the kinks are worked out! I admit I was a bit nervous prior to getting here with all the negative comments but I feel it's really the opposite. I'm not expecting it to be this flawless for the next 10 days, I expect some bumps but nothing will "ruin my vacation"! I'm here and loving it!

Sounds like an awesome day. There have been reports of heavy crowds this week. How long were the lines that you bypassed at these attractions, and how long did you have to wait at Kali Rapids (if you did it)?

 

[DestyTiger]

I have to admit I was a little skeptical about the FP+ based on what I had been reading here last Fall, but after experiencing it I am all for it. We were at WDW in Nov and saw it while it was being tested. We did see some people who were having issues with it, but to be honest most of those seemed to be a lack of understanding of how the whole thing was suppose to work.

We went back in Jan and had the MB and FP+ for the first time. I have to admit being able to schedule ride times ahead for most of the big rides was a dream come true. It was nice being able to ride the bigger rides in the middle of the day and hit more of the "smaller" rides in the morning or evening when wait times were less. Now, we weren't able to ride those "big" rides quite as many times as we used to, but it forced us to go do other things in the parks that we hadn't done in quite a while. I have to admit that I really liked that.

And to me the MB are a huge plus. I love not have to worry about tickets/cards, or paper fastpasses getting lost. This just seems to be a huge move in the right direction to me. Are there things I would like to see changed...YES, but those things aren't going to ruin my vacation. And if we are a little patient we may find those changes come over time.

I have enjoyed WDW for 35+ trips and hope to be around to do another 35+ trips!

 

[Jemmi1218]

JimmyV- my perception of crowds is different than most. I think "crowded" is Christmas Day in the Magic Kingdom as I grew up going every Christmas. I feel the crowds are what I would typically expect for a "spring break week". Most lines were 30-45 min in standby and with FP+ we didn't wait longer than 10. We didn't do Kali as we were still waiting on luggage and didn't want to be soaked if the luggage wasn't in the room yet. But when we first arrived at noon the line was 70 min but by 2pm was down to 25-30 when we walked by. It's crowded but not shoulder to shoulder crowded. Any day in Disney despite the crowds is better than being at home in 20 degrees!

 

[JimmyV]

JimmyV- my perception of crowds is different than most. I think "crowded" is Christmas Day in the Magic Kingdom as I grew up going every Christmas. I feel the crowds are what I would typically expect for a "spring break week". Most lines were 30-45 min in standby and with FP+ we didn't wait longer than 10. We didn't do Kali as we were still waiting on luggage and didn't want to be soaked if the luggage wasn't in the room yet. But when we first arrived at noon the line was 70 min but by 2pm was down to 25-30 when we walked by. It's crowded but not shoulder to shoulder crowded. Any day in Disney despite the crowds is better than being at home in 20 degrees!

Thanks. I understand what you are saying completely. Especially about not riding Kali without some backup luggage waiting for you!

 

[Julylady]

I am just back from an 8-day stay. I was almost dreading this trip after obsessively reading all the posts on this board and seeing the pics of the long lines at the fp+ entrances. I customized my magic bands and made my fp+ selections right at the 60 day point.

As we boarded the plane, I asked my Mom where her magic band was since we would need it for the ME bus ride. Would you believe she had forgotten hers at home? We LOVED the bands and mine worked flawlessly all week! My mom had trouble with her replacement gray band getting into the parks, but a cast member with an iPad had her in the park in just seconds.

It is so nice not to have to fumble for money, park tickets, room keys. We still hit rope drop most mornings saving our FPs for later in the day. It was easy to change times or rides on the fly using my iphone. We typically used 4-5 fast passes per day in the past, but liked this method of touring just fine. It was particularly nice not having to run for a new fastpass as soon as your window opened. Overall, we had a slower paced, more relaxing trip.

 

[Mad Hattered]

This is actually one of the bigger points that was a problem with FP-. Often I would go look at the FP kiosk, but find that there was no point in pulling the pass because the return time was in conflict with something else I had planned. Then I'd just have to leave it and figure something out. FP+ does not have that problem. It's not perfect, but this, at least, is one advantage over the old way.

Whereas I could be sitting in Adventureland and use my Touring Lines app that stated what time the FP- return time was for Space Mountain and decide if I wanted to walk over there or not. It was easy.