Non-resort guests can not reserve FP+ early

[ArwenMarie]

Guests and the S&D always had the same park benefits as on-site guests. Are they allowed to book ahead of time now too or are they considered Off-site and not able to book until entry?

This could change our future plans as we like staying there.

It looks like they are considered to be offsite right now in regards to FP.

 

[Mkrop]

Guests and the S&D always had the same park benefits as on-site guests. Are they allowed to book ahead of time now too or are they considered Off-site and not able to book until entry?

This could change our future plans as we like staying there.

It looks like they are considered to be offsite right now in regards to FP.

But did I read somewhere that they have a kiosk in the lobby???

 

[iheartjuppy]

Has anyone (off-site) linked their tix to their MDE account and TRIED to book FP+ (even same day) through the app? I know it says you can't but I haven't heard of anyone trying to book from the app in the park. I am OK with same day just really don't want to line up at a kiosk!

 

[mill4023]

Universal includes front of line pass for their onsite guests at 3 of their 4 resorts, anyone BBQ'ing universal for that?

You must not have been on the boards when Universal got rid of the free Express Pass option. I think it was around 2006 and yes, there were plenty of people who were upset about that. Many people still complain about being made a second class citizen when visiting Universal as an off-site guest. But like everything else, regardless of how much we don't like something, most of us accept that it is the way it is. And even if we don't like something, that doesn't mean we think the company "owes" us anything. It's only natural to be upset when something you had gets taken away.

Many of us loved the system the way it was. Sure, on-site guests had perks like EMH, Magical Express, free parking. But once you walked through the gates, everyone was equal in terms of their opportunity to use FP to avoid waiting in long lines. It worked for anyone who chose to take advantage of it and choosing to take advantage of it didn't cost any extra money.

Now that a system that worked great for many people and was "equal opportunity" is being taken away, it's not surprising that people are complaining.

 

[Luckybee]

At 3-4x the cost of a house, tho.
I'm not one of the off-site guests saying on-site shouldn't have perks. Ugh - you absolutely should get something for paying those prices &/or staying in a hotel atmosphere & having to share a pool & dealing with XY or Z. QUOTE]

Its not just the larger properties that are 3 or 4 times the cost either. Dh and I have traded our 2 weeks of Marriott Aruba for Orlando in October. Normally for us when we don't do Aruba we usually stay at either 4 Seasons or similar .We're doing Sabal Palms and Lakeshore Reserve. By anyone's standard LR is a 6* property. We're getting a full luxury one bdrm villa. I compared the standard prices for LR with the same thing at the Grand Floridian villas(which would be the only villa comparable to LR at Disney) for the same time frame. If we were paying for it our 1bdrm would be $199 a night. (which I must admit is a bargain). On the opposite end of the spectrum however is the GF 1 bdrm which is $800 a night. Even a regular deluxe room there is insanely priced imho and about twice that of the other 6*'s in Orlando

We are not by any means tightwads, but if I'm paying those prices I'm going back to Anguilla or the South Pacific where for that money I can get a private pool or over the water bungalow.

I can understand the draw for some of staying on property if you have kids but for adults staying off property with equal or more luxurious amenities for a fraction of the cost (even with a throwaway room added in) seems like a no brainer at least for our tastes and preferences. I can understand a price differential for onsite ( although im not sure that even at the same price for our preferences we'd want onsite since we look for more r and r on vacation and peace and quiet), but 4 times the price actually shocked me.

 

[Networth]

What kept you from the park? Why were you unable to get there like other guests? It was more than fair, first come, first served.

And now the offsite guest might get screwed, they may not get a shot at it like other paying guests...and somehow you think that is "more fair"

Your argument works both ways. It is unfair that a paying guest can't ride something one time because other paying guests rode it say twice(taking that one additional spot). My point was this system is more fair most ways. The people complaining are those that feel they had a right to ride "insert attraction" 4 times because they paid for it, and got their first otherwise Disney has "cheated" them. News flash every other guest paid as well but maybe couldn't/didn't want to treat their vacation like operation black hawk down.

Explain to me how a special needs family who can't make rope drop should get less for their money than a family who can commando the park. You can complain and say first come first serve but thats not always "fair" and thats not the way it will be from now on, thank god. As for off-site getting screwed, they still get 3 FP's, they still can arrive at rope drop, they still can stay till the park closes. How is that getting screwed? At least with the new system EVERY guest will get to ride something at least once. I would love to know how that is not more "fair" than first come first serve mentality.

 

[redsbe]

"Now that a system that worked great for many people and was "equal opportunity" is being taken away, it's not surprising that people are complaining. "

It was also a system that many people took advantage of by securing large numbers of FP each day, often for the same ride. Yes it was permitted and possible so I am not debating the merits of such an approach and would not refer to it was "stealing" or "gaming" the system as some posters have, but by gathering up FP those visitors were making it harder for other visitors to get FP, especially later in the day. Hard to say whether using such an approach to the FP system was "equal opportunity" especially for those unable to get to park early enough to secure a FP. Now at least all park visitors can pre-book 3 FP+ per day per park and be assured they can enjoy from a selection of the most popular attractions.

I am not saying FP+ is better then FP-, just a change in how WDW can manage FP use among the park visitors on a given day.

 

[morethananyonex]

Your argument works both ways. It is unfair that a paying guest can't ride something one time because other paying guests rode it say twice(taking that one additional spot). My point was this system is more fair most ways. The people complaining are those that feel they had a right to ride "insert attraction" 4 times because they paid for it, and got their first otherwise Disney has "cheated" them. News flash every other guest paid as well but maybe couldn't/didn't want to treat their vacation like operation black hawk down. Explain to me how a special needs family who can't make rope drop should get less for their money than a family who can commando the park. You can complain and say first come first serve but thats not always "fair" and thats not the way it will be from now on, thank god. As for off-site getting screwed, they still get 3 FP's, they still can arrive at rope drop, they still can stay till the park closes. How is that getting screwed? At least with the new system EVERY guest will get to ride something at least once. I would love to know how that is not more "fair" than first come first serve mentality.

Families who have members with special needs always had the ability to get the GAC, now the DAS. They did not get less than a commando simply because they did not make rope drops.

The most fair way of doing things was the old system. First come first serve, minimal technology required, and no resort stays required. Everyone was equal once in the park when you're discussing FP. I cannot say the same at the moment, and it's debatable what the future will hold.

 

[mill4023]

"Now that a system that worked great for many people and was "equal opportunity" is being taken away, it's not surprising that people are complaining. "

It was also a system that many people took advantage of by securing large numbers of FP each day, often for the same ride. Yes it was permitted and possible so I am not debating the merits of such an approach and would not refer to it was "stealing" or "gaming" the system as some posters have, but by gathering up FP those visitors were making it harder for other visitors to get FP, especially later in the day. Hard to say whether using such an approach to the FP system was "equal opportunity" especially for those unable to get to park early enough to secure a FP. Now at least all park visitors can pre-book 3 FP+ per day per park and be assured they can enjoy from a selection of the most popular attractions.

I am not saying FP+ is better then FP-, just a change in how WDW can manage FP use among the park visitors on a given day.

Regardless of whether some decided not to take advantage of the opportunity, the fact is that everyone who had a ticket to enter the park had the exact same opportunity available. That is "equal opportunity".

Mentioning "those unable to get to the park early enough to secure a FP" is just silly. Sure, there may be some circumstances beyond one's control, but 99.9% of the park visitors are able to get to the park at opening time if they choose to.

We still don't know for sure whether this will be true when the system is fully live and out of the testing phase, but the title of this thread is about off-site visitors NOT being able to prebook FP+.

If that is true, your statement: "Now at least all park visitors can pre-book 3 FP+ per day per park and be assured they can enjoy from a selection of the most popular attractions." is completely false.

If off-site visitors are unable to book FP+ ahead of time, it changes from an "equal-opportunity" FP system to one where those who can't afford to stay on-site have a much less than equal opportunity to get a FP.

 

[redsbe]

"Regardless of whether some decided not to take advantage of the opportunity, the fact is that everyone who had a ticket to enter the park had the exact same opportunity available. That is "equal opportunity"."

It is also equal opportunity to allow same number of FP+ to each visitor.

"Mentioning "those unable to get to the park early enough to secure a FP" is just silly. Sure, there may be some circumstances beyond one's control, but 99.9% of the park visitors are able to get to the park at opening time if they choose to."

99.9% is not equal opportunity, and yes there are many types of circumstances that cause visitors not to make RP.

"We still don't know for sure whether this will be true when the system is fully live and out of the testing phase, but the title of this thread is about off-site visitors NOT being able to prebook FP+."

Yes we do not know for sure what WDW plans are for FP+ access to off site visitors so for the time being lets stop assuming current FP+ will be unfair to off site visitors

 

[mill4023]

It is unfair that a paying guest can't ride something one time because other paying guests rode it say twice(taking that one additional spot).

But that didn't happen.
Everyone could and will be able to ride whatever they want, using the stand-by line if they choose. And everyone had the opportunity to ride whatever they wanted with a FP, if they chose to arrive early enough.

 

[mill4023]

99.9% is not equal opportunity, and yes there are many types of circumstances that cause visitors not to make RP.

Without being exceptionally pedantic, yes, 99.9% is equal opportunity.

Allowing every guest the same number of FP+ is equal opportunity, unless you allow only some guests the opportunity to pre-book those FP+. Then what you have is a case where technically, the off-site visitors are allowed to book the same number, but practically, they aren't able to get the ones they want because there are such a small number left.

And the whole point of this thread discussion is about the what-if of off-site guests not being able to prebook FP+. So I'm not sure why we would stop discussing that.

 

[redsbe]

"And everyone had the opportunity to ride whatever they wanted with a FP, if they chose to arrive early enough. "

Not always true as even arriving at RD, FP- would often be gone as soon as mid morning, meaning those RD drop visitors would still not have every opportunity to ride using FP and without using standby, especially on peak crowd days or shorter hours or on travel days.

 

[mom2rtk]

"And everyone had the opportunity to ride whatever they wanted with a FP, if they chose to arrive early enough. "

Not always true as even arriving at RD, FP- would often be gone as soon as mid morning, meaning those RD drop visitors would still not have every opportunity to ride using FP and without using standby, especially on peak crowd days or shorter hours or on travel days.

OK, I'll bite.

What are these reasons preventing said person from being at rope drop to maximize their own ride opportunities?

I like fireworks but can't always be in the parks at night. I'm really hoping Disney does something to level the playing field for me soon.

 

[redsbe]

"Then what you have is a case where technically, the off-site visitors are allowed to book the same number, but practically, they aren't able to get the ones they want because there are such a small number left."

And you have no idea that will be the case, until the FP+ system is fully operational, for all me know WDW will hold back FP+ for off site visitors to book day of (or for all FP+ users to change while in park, a feature WDW has been promoting for FP+)

"And the whole point of this thread discussion is about the what-if of off-site guests not being able to prebook FP+. So I'm not sure why we would stop discussing that."

Because until FP+ system is fully operational, no knows what will be offered to off site guests in regards to availability to FP+ - hard to respond to or debate an unknown.

 

[morethananyonex]

OK, I'll bite.

What are these reasons preventing said person from being at rope drop to maximize their own ride opportunities?

I like fireworks but can't always be in the parks at night. I'm really hoping Disney does something to level the playing field for me soon.

And to add to your question, are those reasons more relevant than the very real barriers the FP+ system creates for many guests? I do not see FP+ as an equal system at all.

FP- was as equal as it could get, IMO.

 

[annacali]

Has anyone (off-site) linked their tix to their MDE account and TRIED to book FP+ (even same day) through the app? I know it says you can't but I haven't heard of anyone trying to book from the app in the park. I am OK with same day just really don't want to line up at a kiosk!

I haven't been in the parks to try since offsite visitors were able to use the kiosks at AK. But, when we were there at Thanksgiving I did have my tickets linked to MDE and was on the app often just to try it out. I had dining reservations linked and an itinerary for each day on the app. There was never an option to book FP+. I am assuming that is a section that "unlocks" somewhere when you are eligible to use it, presumably when you have magic bands and a room reservation, but it wasn't present for me, even when I was standing in the park.

 

[redsbe]

"What are these reasons preventing said person from being at rope drop to maximize their own ride opportunities?"

Travel plans for one (flight times), five tired kids for another.

"I like fireworks but can't always be in the parks at night. I'm really hoping Disney does something to level the playing field for me soon."

Fireworks are offered on only selected days and then for selected times, but once the park is open (excepting for closures) rides are available all park day. If WDW promotes TSM, should all visitors not have the opportunity to ride regardless of time, and be able to schedule by using FP+?

 

[jonmar]

How many offsite guests will be turned off by a system that more than ever rewards arriving at rope drop? Offsite guests will now be competing for a fraction of the FPs that they used to since so many can be booked in advance.

If I get to the park and my options are the Great Movie Ride, and the Indiana Jones show, topped with Star Tours, I'm going to feel ripped off. Telling me I could have gotten up early or stayed onsite wont make me feel better because I have past visits to compare it to. How long before returning guests get that 'it just isn't the same' feeling? Of course, Disney can do whatever they like, it's their park, but I would expect that someone in a suit has tried to forecast guest reaction. I suspect repeat visitor numbers will suffer. On the other hand, perhaps I'm the only one that wont pay Disney prices to stand in line all day.

It's been my thought all along that the end goal is to charge for extra FPs, not unlike what Universal does for offsite guests. They will say they are better than Universal since off site guests with Disney get three free FPs, while off site Universal guests get none.

 

[redsbe]

"FP- was as equal as it could get, IMO. "

In your view perhaps, but good chance that is not shared by many other visitors or WDW (especially given the number of positive FP+ reviews already posting here).

We can easily assume from our own experiences and use that FP- worked great for us and thus was "fair" - who knows if the average WDW visitor feels the same?