My thoughts...

[ty_n_cy]

... for what they're worth.



So... I clearly lurk a lot. I don't have a ton of posts, but I visit very often and read a lot of what is said. I don't really take any of that into consideration when it comes to what I do or book, just because our family has been so frequently that we kinda know where we wanna go... what we wanna do... how we wanna travel... all that good stuff.

Anyway... a lot of the threads talk about spontaneity and how it's gone. To an extent, I can see that. Although, we were never really a 'spontaneous' family to begin with, it was always nice to just 'happen upon' something and enjoy it.

Our first experience with FastPass+ was in December when we brought my parents on their first ever trip. We stayed at AKV Kidani in a Savannah View 2 Bedroom. We had 4 days that were planned to the minute. Being my parents' first visit and our first visit around the holidays, we wanted to do 'everything'... but had realistic expectations. All that said... it went pretty much flawlessly. We packed a LOT into each day.

If you know the parks even a little, you can plan around your FastPass+ times to maximize your park time. Keep in mind that the FastPass system has ALWAYS been a 'virtual' place in line. While I think that 5 would be a more ideal number than 3 (and it would be even more ideal if you could use them across parks)... it's still easy enough to 'save your place' in line on some of the attractions while you enjoy other things throughout the parks.

Our second experience with FastPass+ was this weekend. We booked a 1 Bedroom at Saratoga Springs on Wednesday afternoon to check in on Saturday evening. We booked our FastPass+ selections that night and were able to get pretty much everything we wanted at Magic Kingdom on Saturday night and Epcot on Sunday morning. We planned around the available times and hit everything with no issues.

The common things with both trips is that, while we planned for our FastPass+ times... we kept the layout of the parks in mind. We knew what else we'd pass and where we could do other things. Even with all the planning... we were still able to enjoy some spontaneous things throughout each trip. Shopping... snacks... parades... shows... rides... character interactions... it was all there for us, just as it had been in the past.

I know that off-site visitors are kind of 'in the dark' with all this stuff... and I'm sure it's not an 'accident' by Disney. They want you on their property... why would they NOT give you another incentive to have you to stay there? I also think that Disney will realize that they're hurting some of their guests and fix this during the later stages of the 'testing period'.

Planning will ALWAYS be a part of a Disney vacation going forward. It just is what it is. That doesn't mean that you cannot be spontaneous and explore other things throughout the parks. Over the course of our last few trips, we've discovered things like late-night character interactions in Tinker Bell's Magical Nook (where I've fallen in love with Periwinkle and Vidia)... Voices of Liberty at Epcot... Street Performers at Hollywood Studios... Rafiki's Planet Watch at Animal Kingdom... and generally, a bunch of really great, really fun Cast Members at parks, resorts, restaurants, shops and lounges.

I've always been taught that EVERYTHING is only as good as what you make of it. If you go in with really high expectations or a poor attitude... you're bound to be disappointed... no matter WHAT you're doing in life.

I know it will never please everybody... but my family actually enjoys FastPass+ and finds that it offers MORE freedom for us. We don't HAVE to be at Epcot within the first 30 minutes of opening to ride Test Track or Soarin'. We can sleep in or spend the morning at the resort pool before heading over to a park in the afternoon or early evening. It's made our vacation experience even MORE enjoyable than it was in the past.

I hope that, eventually, it works well for everybody and others will feel the same.... and I REALLY hope that it doesn't cause others to turn on Disney World as a vacation destination. The feeling I get inside the Disney World boundaries is almost indescribable and I wish that EVERYBODY could find a place that would make them as happy as I am there.

Anyway... like I said... those are my thoughts.

CY

 

[TDC Nala]

why would they NOT give you another incentive to have you to stay there? I also think that Disney will realize that they're hurting some of their guests

One of the problems is that they may be OK with hurting some of their guests in order to encourage others. It's great if you're not the one who was hurt. Some of those who are hurt by the changes are not feeling like they can lie down and take it, and it's not happy for them anymore. Unfortunately at this time their only real remedy is to either change the way they used to do things, or stop going.

 

[ty_n_cy]

One of the problems is that they may be OK with hurting some of their guests in order to encourage others. It's great if you're not the one who was hurt. Some of those who are hurt by the changes are not feeling like they can lie down and take it, and it's not happy for them anymore. Unfortunately at this time their only real remedy is to either change the way they used to do things, or stop going.

I can absolutely see that... and that makes me sad for them. It should NEVER come down to Disney World being 'not happy' for anybody.



I hope that Disney finds a way to make it so EVERYBODY can enjoy their new system. I think they have a very good BASE plan... it just needs to be tweaked a little bit to be more inclusive of ALL visitors.

CY

 

[jrtoastyman]

I know it will never please everybody... but my family actually enjoys FastPass+ and finds that it offers MORE freedom for us. We don't HAVE to be at Epcot within the first 30 minutes of opening to ride Test Track or Soarin'. We can sleep in or spend the morning at the resort pool before heading over to a park in the afternoon or early evening. It's made our vacation experience even MORE enjoyable than it was in the past.

I'll tell you what, I couldn't agree more. Used to be that some of those rides, like TSMM, TT and Soarin', if you weren't there at RD, you had to decide between standing in an enormous SB line or taking a FP that might be 8 hours into the future. If you had planned on being at that park all day, no biggie, but if you show up at DHS at 10 and had plans to be elsewhere in the evening, well, you were simply not going to be riding TSMM without a huge wait.

FP+ gave us the flexibility to come and go as we pleased. We were very good at working the previous system (particularly before they started enforcing FP return times), but you were still limited in other ways, including the fact that for certain really-high-demand attractions, you really needed to be there at RD even if you intended to use FP. I also like that you can adjust them on the fly if you get to an attraction and find FP to be unnecessary, or if you get hung up somewhere and would otherwise miss your timing window. Under the prior system, if your window ran out, you'd basically wasted a FP.

I have two complaints with FP+:

1. I'd like to have more than 3 (although the only place it matters for us is MK)
2. I'd like to be able to schedule them in more than one park in the same day.

With that said, however, neither of those things really had a significant negative impact upon our last trip. On balance, our trip was less hectic and more flexible than previous trips. Still some kinks to be worked out, to be sure, but I am puzzled by the doomsayers I see on here every day lately...

 

[Disney Dad 88]

Great post, we have a similar attitude around the park because we can and do go once a month at least. However, I do think some of the spontanity of your day in the park is gone. The biggest change is losing the ability to ride the headliners multiple times. We have adapted, but I still feel for those families who only go once a year and have lost the flexibility of the old FP system. Like it or not this is the system and I for one will adapt.

 

[shanejoseph]

Although we have not experienced FP+ yet (next trip New Years 2014), I truly appreciate you capturing my exact thoughts! I am truly disappointed at the overall negativity coming from such a large segment of obvious Disney loyalists and veterans! I have the utmost confidence in WDW to fine tune this tremendously intricate innovation in family entertainment! Just look at their tract history! Although I share the sentiment of some posters in wishing that everyone will learn to adapt, and enjoy, the new WDW, if they continually spew extreme negativity, I wish they would just stop going! More room for the rest of us!

 

[Nancy F]

We had no problem with the new FP+. But I'm also hoping that they change the three FP/one park per day rule.
Nancy

 

[Disney Dad 88]

It is negative because the change is massive for Disney Vets. This is the "avenue" for us to vent. As I said in a previous post I will adapt, but anyone who thinks that 2 billion spent on this change was a good idea...is smelling to much Pixie Dust. I would rather have had 3 E-Ticket rides. Let the Vets vent......and I mean this in the most positive way.

 

[misse320]

Although we have not experienced FP+ yet (next trip New Years 2014), I truly appreciate you capturing my exact thoughts! I am truly disappointed at the overall negativity coming from such a large segment of obvious Disney loyalists and veterans! I have the utmost confidence in WDW to fine tune this tremendously intricate innovation in family entertainment! Just look at their tract history! Although I share the sentiment of some posters in wishing that everyone will learn to adapt, and enjoy, the new WDW, if they continually spew extreme negativity, I wish they would just stop going! More room for the rest of us!

We'll put! I come to the boards to get excited about my next trip and many of the threads are making it hard to stay enthusiastic. This March will be our first experience with FP+. So far it has added a little more stress to the planning process, but that's mostly because we are traveling with several groups of friends. I'm really most excited for the fact that we will get to ride TSM for the first time in 5 years!

 

[over50visits]

Disney World is unreasonably expensive, crowded, overwhelming....and a wonderful place to spend time with your family. The CMs seem universally open and welcoming, the place looks brand new, and quality of the rides, street entertainers, parades, theming, and transportation is truly world class. You truly get what you pay for, it's just you are paying for First Class.

I think people (such as ourselves) who have been there many times over many years have bought in to being "family" and care much about changes that they've made or "should" make. Thus the great threads on this forum.

Americans have a great ability to argue/complain (witness baseball) and still have a lot of loyalty and a wonderful time. WDW is a good example of that.

We have a wonderful time every time we go, and have lots of suggestions for Disney. But whether they take them or not won't change the fact of how great a vacation there is.