Non-resort guests can not reserve FP+ early

[Planogirl]

I posted this in its own thread before I saw this thread. Maybe it's already here but I wanted to make sure since this could indicate offsite visitors being able to reserve FP+ via APP. Per WDWMagic:

Full MyMagic+ testing for offsite guests to take place during January

Jan 10, 2014 | 5:20pm EST


Disney will soon begin testing the full range of MyMagic+ components for offsite resort guests.
During January 2014, selected offsite guests will be testing most of the MyMagic+ elements, including My Disney Experience, FastPass+ at all four parks and the use of MagicBands. Disney has previously said that MagicBands will be available to offsite guests for a fee in place of using the card based ticket media.

This test is significant, because it will represent the first time that offsite guests can use the full range of MyMagic+ services. The current tests of FastPass+ at Disney's Animal Kingdom and the upcoming Magic Kingdom test are restricted to just the FastPass+ component.

 

[ArwenMarie]

And it would be exactly like the paper FPs that were pulled and never used if they don't show up. What I don't get is why the same thing isn't being questioned about AP holders that aren't staying on-site. They could do the same thing and would be much more likely to do it. Or do those that think that off-site guest shouldn't be allowed to pre-book think that AP holders shouldn't be able to pre-book either unless they stay onsite?

I dont think anyone knows for sure what is going to happen with APs and FP prebooking. The way things are going, I am not sure anymore they are going to get prebooking outside of onsite stays.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

I dont think anyone knows for sure what is going to happen with APs and FP prebooking. The way things are going, I am not sure anymore they are going to get prebooking outside of onsite stays.

They do now though don't they. I can't remember who, but I believe AP holders have been able to book once they had an onsite stay and received MBs.

 

[mefordis]

Instead of that I'd like to see:

Deluxe - 5 FP+
Mods - 4 FP+
Value - 3 FP+

So all those that feel it is just fine to shut off-site guest from FP+s until they enter the park, using up valuable park time, even though we spend the same for park tickets should be fine if Disney started letting those that stay in deluxe resorts pre book at 60 days, mods at 45 days and value at 30 days even though you pay the exact same price for your park ticket as those staying in the deluxe resort. Deluxe resort guest spend the most on their rooms.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

They do now though don't they. I can't remember who, but I believe AP holders have been able to book once they had an onsite stay and received MBs.

I believe it is Delmar along with a couple of others that have reported being able to pre-book FP+s even thought they aren't on-site.

How do they know for sure if these guest will be in the park on the days they have FP+s reserved? Just maybe it isn't a concern.

 

[momof2n2]

It is NOT a very smart business decision. The choice ISN'T stay onsite vs. stay offsite. The choice is go to WDW or go somewhere else. The decision to go to WDW is hard. While the level of entertainment is exceptional, the cost to go to WDW is huge. At present, the decision to go to WDW is only marginally better than going somewhere cheaper. The decision is only palatable because of the quality and low-cost of offsite lodging. I can rent an entire new 3000 sq ft offsite house, with a private pool, for less than a 260 sq ft cinderblock special at All-Star Music. If I am forced to pay a ton of extra money to stay in those tiny little rooms that WDW offers just so I can avoid more lines, then I simply will not go to WDW any more.

Amen & ditto.
I'm sad at the prospect of dropping WDW, but I'm more than willing to enjoy other FL parks.

 

[momof2n2]

I agree, and I think it should be an added perk for the $$$ people pay to stay on site. Off site guests still have access to fast pass+, they just don't have advance access. For all the people complaining that if they have to wait until they get to the park to get fast pass they will go elsewhere...please by all means, the parks are crowded enough. I just hope you realize that before MDE you couldn't get fast pass until you where in the park anyway, and you would have to run around from one end to the other to get them. At least now you can get them all booked at one time in one place.

I did not run. And I could have three for the same attraction...

 

[momof2n2]

Perhaps this will clear up the contradiction: Would you rather spend 4 days at WDW or 2 weeks at the beach? Roughly the same cost...but which choice provides the greater vacation? The beach of course. Now if I can stay offsite for 10 days and visit WDW instead of onsite for 4 days (same cost), then I'd say the WDW choice just edges out the 2 weeks at the beach choice by a little bit. I don't like the onsite rooms. I've had a MK view at the Poly and a savanah view at AKL. They were fine for short stays, but I would go nuts if I had to stay in one of those cramped hotel rooms for two weeks. But I can get an entire house, with a pool/kitchen/game room for less than one of those cinderblock rooms at ASM. As I will NOT stay onsite (unless I win a contest or something), WDW has just made my visit to the parks LESS enjoyable by making me stand in a line, using up valuable park time, WHEN THEY HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO AVOID THAT. If they wish to offer a better advance FP+ reservation than offsite, then why don't they let offsite guests only make FP+ reservations 10 days in advance instead of forcing them to wait in a line in the park?. I have a vacation planned for July at WDW. I have a 3000 sq ft house reserved for 10 days at $100/nite in Clermont. I will try to work with whatever scraps the Disney Corporation decides to toss me. With the present FP+ system, there is a significant risk that the Disney Parks will never get another dollar from me, because of line waiting times and perceived elitism. Smart business decision? Hardly.

We were separated at birth.
I know. Disney won't miss us. I'll miss Disney, but I do make a stellar sandcastle.

 

[ekendall2]

It's a resort...not just theme parks. They have thousands of rooms to rent on a daily basis. If they offered no incentives to onsite guests (Buses, EMH, FP+ priority, etc), then everyone would stay in a house or condo for less money.

This above quote says it all...

I also agree with some posters that some people may chose to go elsewhere. However, a good number of people didn't know anything about fastpass. Disney is probably thinking that this won't change the way many people think about going to the parks. I guess time will tell...

 

[ArwenMarie]

They do now though don't they. I can't remember who, but I believe AP holders have been able to book once they had an onsite stay and received MBs.

That's true. I was saying what it's going to be when they roll it out to all APs.

 

[3happydancers]

This is true for our family as well. The feeling I have about it is like losing a good friend because they have changed.

Well, I try to look at what I've gained in the last years. My family has made some wonderful memories. We've shared Disney Magic with friends and family, but the most memorable was meeting a family while at Disney, shared an illuminations cruise and had a wonderful friendship flourish! We live in different states but our families are very close and make it a point to see each other every year! We talk on the phone, email regularly and share our kids accomplishments and let downs. So even though we are not happy with Disney's choice in change, at least we take away with us wonderful memories and new long lasting friendships!

Instead of that I'd like to see:

Deluxe - 5 FP+
Mods - 4 FP+
Value - 3 FP+

How is this concept right??? Your park ticket is what affords the access and usage of park privileges, not your room status. I don't understand why where one stays should dictate how many fast passes one receives???

For the record, my family usually stays at a deluxe so we would love 5 FP+ but I honestly believe that regardless of the room a family stays in, we should all receive the same as it is our ticket that gives us entry, not your room stay. We all pay the same for tickets (aside from let's say a discount from Undercover Tourist or those who pay for AP's).

 

[3happydancers]

I did not run. And I could have three for the same attraction...

Us too! We never ran, had a wonderful full day at the parks and always had many fast passes (some for the same attractions we love) without running. Did we walk miles through the course of the day? Yes, but that is part of touring the parks.

 

[mefordis]

Universal provides unlimited fotl access that is in connection with their resort rooms, not the park ticket. Why can't WDW do the same?

The tiers make sense since each resort level costs more.

These are only for advance FP+, however. Day guests can make their FP+ when they enter the park.

Just my suggestion to WDW.

Well, I try to look at what I've gained in the last years. My family has made some wonderful memories. We've shared Disney Magic with friends and family, but the most memorable was meeting a family while at Disney, shared an illuminations cruise and had a wonderful friendship flourish! We live in different states but our families are very close and make it a point to see each other every year! We talk on the phone, email regularly and share our kids accomplishments and let downs. So even though we are not happy with Disney's choice in change, at least we take away with us wonderful memories and new long lasting friendships!



How is this concept right??? Your park ticket is what affords the access and usage of park privileges, not your room status. I don't understand why where one stays should dictate how many fast passes one receives???

For the record, my family usually stays at a deluxe so we would love 5 FP+ but I honestly believe that regardless of the room a family stays in, we should all receive the same as it is our ticket that gives us entry, not your room stay. We all pay the same for tickets (aside from let's say a discount from Undercover Tourist or those who pay for AP's).

 

[eveandlo]

We were there from December 29th until January 7th (3 extra days thanks to the storm in Chicago). I only ever booked our FastPasses the night before or the morning of, and had NO PROBLEMS getting the attractions we wanted. So if this was possible during a super busy time, I am sure off-siters will have access as well.

 

[Hayleeishulk]

I think if fastpass+ ends up being a success, floridians will end up having the upper hand. There will be a lot less people in fastpass when you plan and I'm all for it. I will be staying in a Disney hotel as well as having the annual pass. I see it as a positive opportunity that needs just a little more planning. Who cares if you have to plan for fast pass? You can actually get the time you want to go. Instead of going up to get fastpasses for 9 @ night, (even though I don't have a problem with that) you can actually plan to go @ 11. Also everyone is fretting about the 3 a day limit. That's how many my family actually uses it. So I don't think you can get 4 if you tried. You can also get to stay at all-star sports or movie @ $85 a night!

 

[annacali]

We visited as offsite guests at Thanksgiving. We were also left feeling like Disney had lost its magic. Yes we felt like 2nd class citizens as offsiters but it was more than that. Everywhere we went it seemed you needed a FP to do anything without a ridiculous wait--- shows, rides, character meets. Entering a standby line was a serious time commitment-- you knew going in you were in it for the long haul regardless of what the posted time said. There is nothing about this that having 3 FP+ is going to be a solve it all fix for me. So spending more money to stay on site doesn't seem like a viable option. Personally I wouldn't be happy with the on site situation either. It is not worth the cost of a WDW vacation for us to only be able to function in the parks for 2-3 hours at rope drop daily-- 3 scheduled fps isn't going to prolong that much at the hi crowd we have available to go.

And for the PP that said off site should be fine with day of FP+ bc that was the way it was before-- before we had the same chance as everyone else, the entire onsite population wasn't pulling them 60 days ahead. To let you know how well I expect that to work-- I got up at 6 am every morning for 8 straight days 180 days out from this past trip trying to score a BOG dinner reservation for my DDs 9 th birthday. Any night. Any time. She just wanted to go. Zero luck. I don't need that drama w rides too.

 

[eveandlo]

We also managed to get every dining experience we wanted on this trip, booking the day before, maybe 2 days out, including Be Our Guest dinner. We managed to hit every major attraction by getting up early. Doing the headliners in one park, then taking time to visit smaller less popular things and using our 3 Fast passes at a second park in the afternoon/evening. The longest we waited was for Toy Story Mania, 35 minutes, and only because we didn't want to get fastpasses at DHS because we wanted to keep them for the evening. All our other waits were under 20. We were really worried about waits as our 2 previous trips were during dead times, but were pleasantly surprised at how much we got to do during peak time.

 

[3happydancers]

Universal provides unlimited fotl access that is in connection with their resort rooms, not the park ticket. Why can't WDW do the same?

The tiers make sense since each resort level costs more.

These are only for advance FP+, however. Day guests can make their FP+ when they enter the park.

Yes, Universal provides UNLIMITED FOTL access to ALL who stay on property no matter the level of lodging (no discrimination). My point exactly. That is why, at least for me, the level or resort should NOT dictate the number of fast passes one receives if staying on property. Unfortunately, the number of resorts in Disney prevents them to offer unlimited FOTL access like Universal does to everyone due to the difference in capacity.

For those staying off property, I do not have a solution that would make everyone happy. I guess that is it in a nut shell. No matter how Disney decides to allocate fast passes for those onsite and off site, they will not be able to please everyone, my family included. We don't like the change but for this year's visit, we will have to cope as our reservations were secured last year for my daughter's sweet 16. For future vacations, however, we will be re-evaluating future vacations. For us, Disney's changes have prompted us to consider other wonderful places to vacation (even with our DVC membership).

Just my suggestion to WDW.

I think if fastpass+ ends up being a success, floridians will end up having the upper hand. There will be a lot less people in fastpass when you plan and I'm all for it. I will be staying in a Disney hotel as well as having the annual pass. I see it as a positive opportunity that needs just a little more planning. Who cares if you have to plan for fast pass? You can actually get the time you want to go. Instead of going up to get fastpasses for 9 @ night, (even though I don't have a problem with that) you can actually plan to go @ 11. Also everyone is fretting about the 3 a day limit. That's how many my family actually uses it. So I don't think you can get 4 if you tried. You can also get to stay at all-star sports or movie @ $85 a night!

Perhaps for you and your family, additional pre-planning is a non issue, but this does not work for all families. For my family, it works as a negative. While we have some plans in place, once on vacation, things come up where we will change which park we are visiting that day. One example was during one of our vacations, a fierce storm passed through on a day we were to enjoy Animal Kingdom forcing us to change plans. Now, with the new system, we will be faced with having to waste time trying to change our fast passes, which by the way, one is not guaranteed that they will get the fast pass for a specific ride nor the time needed. As for the 3 day limit, we have managed time and again, getting more than 3 fast passes in a single day without a problem and have been able to ride our favorite rides several times over utilizing the legacy passes. We can no longer do this with the new system. Also, let's not forget that we are now restricted to using those 3 fast passes in one park. In the past, one could do one park in the am, use fast passes, then hop over to another park (provided one had hoppers), and use the fast pass system there as well.

So yes, for some the new system fits, for other families, not so much.

 

[Sammie]

I think some at times forget Disney is a business that is in business to make as much profit as possible.

Many companies reward customers on a pay basis, why should Disney be any different. I mean even concerts, Broadway shows, sporting event reward the customer who can pay more for premium seating.

I see no difference in allowing on site guests to book Fastpass+ early, than Extra Magic Hours where resort guests are allowed in early over non-resort guest. Disney rooms have gotten so horribly expensive they need to reward that guest.

Disney does not have to be fair they simply have to be profitable.

 

[Mkrop]

I am a DVC owner so I stay onsite and I think this is a disgrace how offsite visitors are being treated.

And everyone keeps toting Universal business model about paying for FOTL access, well they have not been raking in the guests like WDW has for years so maybe others felt like WDW including all guests in the FP system was a better product