Never Trade my Points ...may start w/New FP+

[nezy]

I am getting so frustrated planning our next WDW trip and then reading about al of the frustrating waits and fixes many people have had to endure, that I am considering using my points someplace other than WDW! Anyone else?

We LOVE going to WDW. My kids (DS 19, DS 17 and DD15) have been going to WDW since DS (19) was 2 months old. I have never been so frustrated. I am currebnt making plans for our FEB vacation-something I usually enjoy. The tiered levels and 3 FP+ options within only 1 park and having to pre-schedule is truly making this experience less than magical. I am seriously considering taking a break from WDW until this mess is sorted out.

I haven't been to Hilton Head in a few years! May have to check availability there or VERO, Have never done an exchange and never wanted to but i may have to consider those options now.

 

[DizBub]

I was just as apprehensive about the MB's and FastPass+. Our last trip was a couple of weeks ago and have to admit we really liked our FP+ experience. Granted 3 per park per day is kind of restrictive but it was really nice to be able to just walk on TSM and Soarin', two attractions that we don't get to go on often because we are not rope-droppers. By the time we get to the parks regular fast passes are usually gone for the day.

Remember that you can still use your tickets to access regular fast passes. Some people schedule their MBs for one park later in the day and go to another park early to use regular FP.

I say give it a chance, you may be pleasantly surprised. Plus, you don't HAVE to use the MBs if you really don't want to. Just use them to open your door and/or charge to your room.

 

[Docmom]

We just got back from a short trip and in general like FP+. We decided to do a different park on our second day the night before so I had to change the FP around. It was a hassle because their system is slow and crashed a couple of times but I eventually got us all our first choice picks at times we wanted. For us it certainly beats the old system of having to get to a park early and get FP for later that afternoon or evening. We're in Florida and have gone a few times since they started testing FP+ and because of it have actually been able to ride Soaring each time. One thing I don't like though is the new system for dining reservations where they'll charge you if you cancel less than 24 hours out. That did put a bit of a damper on our experience and in the future it'll affect how I plan our dining. But don't stress too much over them and enjoy your trip!

 

[robinb]

I was just as apprehensive about the MB's and FastPass+. Our last trip was a couple of weeks ago and have to admit we really liked our FP+ experience. Granted 3 per park per day is kind of restrictive but it was really nice to be able to just walk on TSM and Soarin', two attractions that we don't get to go on often because we are not rope-droppers. By the time we get to the parks regular fast passes are usually gone for the day. Remember that you can still use your tickets to access regular fast passes. Some people schedule their MBs for one park later in the day and go to another park early to use regular FP.

You went while FP+ was still in the testing phase. Disney has now started a tier system where you can only get one FP+ for a headliner. You can't get 3 headliners any longer. They are also getting rid of FP- so it may be totally phased out by the time the OP arrives.

 

[DizBub]

You went while FP+ was still in the testing phase. Disney has now started a tier system where you can only get one FP+ for a headliner. You can't get 3 headliners any longer. They are also getting rid of FP- so it may be totally phased out by the time the OP arrives.

They had already started tiering when we were there. In fact we weren't able to get TT and Soarin' on the same day. Regular FP was still available though. If they do get rid of regular FP and they aren't more flexible with FP+ I can see things getting ugly.

 

[nezy]

They had already started tiering when we were there. In fact we weren't able to get TT and Soarin' on the same day. Regular FP was still available though. If they do get rid of regular FP and they aren't more flexible with FP+ I can see things getting ugly.

Getting rid of the FP- completely seems like it would affect many many people who do not stay on property as well. Not sure if Disney is trying to go the way of Universal with this concept so people feel they have to stay on property to get the FP+ option. I do not think it is a good plan for Disney to follow marketing ideas of Universal. Also think this would alienate many of the timeshare holders who come to the area for Disney but do not necessarily want to stay on property.

I am willing to try it but something about the whole thing doesn't sit right with me.

 

[TSMMANIAC]

Regular FP are already being done away with. AK FP machines are gone. As the roll out continues the other parks will follow suit. We were at WDW in Oct, made FP selections for 6 days and actually only used about 6 FP. We were rope drop people for TSM and could play it several times in a morning with FPs and waiting in line. No longer the case. We are willing to wait and see how it all progresses and adjust when necessary. We always figure out ways to enjoy WDW.

 

[keaster]

We haven't experienced FP+ yet, but we will for a couple trips coming up in March and June.

After that, I think we're going to take a break from WDW until the whole FP+ thing is sorted out. 2015 we're planning for Aulani and we're also looking at trying HHI and Vero.

 

[Nabas]

The tiered levels and 3 FP+ options within only 1 park and having to pre-schedule is truly making this experience less than magical.

The tiered aspect is particularly irritating at DHS and Epcot,

If WDW can't give guests at least 3 good FP+ selections, then WDW should be building more attractions!

 

[yitbos96bb]

It really seems like Disney is overthinking all this a bit. The tiered solution just seems to be a god awful bad idea

I am getting so frustrated planning our next WDW trip and then reading about al of the frustrating waits and fixes many people have had to endure, that I am considering using my points someplace other than WDW! Anyone else?

We LOVE going to WDW. My kids (DS 19, DS 17 and DD15) have been going to WDW since DS (19) was 2 months old. I have never been so frustrated. I am currebnt making plans for our FEB vacation-something I usually enjoy. The tiered levels and 3 FP+ options within only 1 park and having to pre-schedule is truly making this experience less than magical. I am seriously considering taking a break from WDW until this mess is sorted out.

I haven't been to Hilton Head in a few years! May have to check availability there or VERO, Have never done an exchange and never wanted to but i may have to consider those options now.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I haven't been to Hilton Head in a few years! May have to check availability there or VERO, Have never done an exchange and never wanted to but i may have to consider those options now.

We went to Hilton Head last month, and I've gotta admit that, besides lots of other reasons for loving it, I loved that we didn't have the frantic-make ADRs, arrange FP+, which park which day, etc. The only pre-planning consisted of SH figuring out which golf courses when. I said it then, and again, I see more HHI trips and fewer WDW trips in our future.

 

[DisneyHeather]

We just got home from an 11 day trip and we loved the MB's and FP+. We were able to change them when we wanted to with no issues (except Toy Story which said it had no other times) and were even able to change which park we were going to after spending the morning in the resort. It was nice that the teenagers could go to one park with their FP's and the two adults that wanted to ride Tower of Terror and Rockin Roller Coaster could go to that park with their passes.

We found it convenient and would be happy to use them again. I don't think I'd even rode Soarin' at Epcot until this trip (we go to DLR a lot so I ride it there) and usually we skip Toy Story too because of the waits. We rode everything we wanted to and sometimes even didn't use the FP+ because we didn't need to. Of course it wasn't crowded until the 18th so that's why we had low wait times.

 

[Micca]

In my experience the hysteria over the whole FP+/MB thing is uncalled for. I don't doubt that there have been problems and refinements are needed, but it worked fine for us.

 

[Donna M]

I liked everything about the MB except the FP+. Needing to plan out what I wanted to do weeks out was way too annoying for me. Only being able to use FP+ in one park a day needs to change. What about all the people with Hoppers? If we can only have 3 FP+ a day, we shouldn't be limited with the parks too.

I hope they will be tweaking the FP+ with all the feedback they are getting. It can work, but it's not there yet.

 

[bfosbenner]

We are heading to Disneyland in April, I guess this wont be there yet.

 

[Disney On The Bayou]

Seriously... I wasn't all that thrilled about it at first, but I have to say it added to the enjoyment of my recent trip. I felt like I had much more time to relax and I was able to make changes to my schedule fairly easy. If you are a "Park Warrior" then it probably diminishes your experience, but for us, who like to do Disney a bit more leisurely, it has been a great experience. In the last several years after making multiple trips to Disney and having to almost kill for TSM fast passes I was feeling much like you. So we did enjoy Vero Beach and HHI, but I really feel MB+ makes the WDW resorts worth it again.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We are heading to Disneyland in April, I guess this wont be there yet.

Nope. Hard to say when or even say it definitely will be.

 

[castle1]

So, if you have a park hopper, you can't get fast passes for more than one park per day??? By the time you get to the second park, all the fast passes are gone! And it sounds like FP won't be around much longer, anyway. And, this tiered system sounds crazy. What if you want to ride your favorite headliner and only use your three FP for it? Maybe I'm not understanding this new system

 

[Sammie]

Absolutely not. I loved every thing about MDE and Magic Bands. I loved knowing before I even arrived I would actually get to ride TSMM at 4pm and then go to dinner at 6pm.

I loved having a perfect place to watch Illuminations and show up at 10 mins before showtime.

I loved having the magic band at the pool and to run into the gift shop and not carry a room key or money with me.

There was nothing we did not like about the experience and can not wait to go back and do it again.

 

[Msmithmd]

So, if you have a park hopper, you can't get fast passes for more than one park per day??? By the time you get to the second park, all the fast passes are gone! And it sounds like FP won't be around much longer, anyway. And, this tiered system sounds crazy. What if you want to ride your favorite headliner and only use your three FP for it? Maybe I'm not understanding this new system

You raise several of the valid problems with the system that have been debated ad nauseum over on the theme park touring board.

Actually the system works great for park hopping. You do rope drop and ride standby at the first park, and have your guaranteed fast passes reserved for the second park. So that's something that you couldn't do before.

You're right on the tiers and on multiple trips on the same ride in a single day. Some people (me included) believe that Disney considered that with the new system, and intentionally decided to reduce the "commando advantage."

I think it's in their business model to make one person who wants to ride TSMM eight times less happy, in exchange for making seven other people who got to the park late and didn't get to ride at all before more happy.

Redistributionist? Absolutely. Right or wrong? Not really my call. But Disney is no democracy. They're trying to make more overall guests happy by intentionally evening the playing field somewhat versus the "pro" tourers. And us commandos are going to have to adapt or choose a different vacation.

It's still to be seen if the tiers and the three per day limit remain after old FP- is gone. But the idea of "one FP per ride per person per day?" I'd be very confident that will stay.