Not sure I'm getting why FP+ is "limiting" peoples experience.

[KatieCharlotte]

Ok......I'm beginning to get it.... What everyone is saying makes sense. It literally IS limiting if going on rides is where people find the magic at WDW, especially when you consider the amount we all pay to be able to ride them! I forget what it means to be a parent of a small child who's whole experience of WDW IS the rides and meet and greets!

I'm just an 'ole veteran park lover who now is totally content with just walking in the parks, soaking in the Disney energy and atmosphere, and sitting on a bench with my coffee marveling at the beauty that is Disney. If I can get in 2 favorite rides and a fun meal per park in the process, I'm in heaven.

But that's not what Disney promotes/promises. That's not what millions of people are paying for when they come to WDW.

So for folks like me, we can find magic in other places. But that doesn't mean that everyone else should as well.

Thank you for understanding. Someday, when I'm retired, I'd love to spend the winter near Disney, have an AP, and have relaxed visits like you describe.

But for now, visiting Disney requires five plane tickets or a two-days' drive, and I have four other people to keep happy. If we are going to invest our limited time and money in Disney every few years, we wish it to be the same level of experience we've had in the past. FP+ is one factor we will consider in deciding how often we visit and how much of our time in Florida is spent at WDW. The lack of new attractions at Epcot, AK, and DHS is also a factor. This year, we will spend one day "soaking up the atmosphere" at MK, but the rest of our time in Florida will be spent seeing new places and experiencing new attractions outside WDW.

 

[Huff]

But costs at other things have skyrocketed too. And you get less. You should be spending time with your family and if that means not getting onto Test Track, what else can you do? What else did you do? Sit and gripe? Or maybe did something to relax? That's your choice.

Costs have not skyrocketed on most other things to the same extent as Disney. Just a few short years ago I was able to get AP's for $200. They're now close to $700. Other things have not risen like that in the past 3-4 years.

You 2nd comment is what I'm saying. Disney is getting so expensive and providing less for that money that its starting to make sense to vacation elsewhere. Somewhere that the bang for the buck is a better value for our family.

 

[DebbieB]

Costs have not skyrocketed on most other things to the same extent as Disney. Just a few short years ago I was able to get AP's for $200. They're now close to $700. Other things have not risen like that in the past 3-4 years. You 2nd comment is what I'm saying. Disney is getting so expensive and providing less for that money that its starting to make sense to vacation elsewhere. Somewhere that the bang for the buck is a better value for our family.

I've been buying APs since 1998 and don't recall them ever being $200. Maybe around $300 but that was 15 years ago, not 3 or 4.

 

[disneyerin]

This is going to sound snarky, and I apologize, but I have zero interest in paying hundreds of dollars for park tickets, thousands for resorts, and who knows what in airfare to just sit on a bench, drink coffee and soak in anything. I can do that anywhere.

Well, throw in at least 2 rides and a fun sit down meal......
But I know what you are saying.....isn't it crazy that I can? I don't think I would have gone to WDW during this whole FP+ "experimentation" period if I didn't know this about myself.

 

[btk2333]

i don't think I understand how people are riding fewer rides than before



You just have to adapt as things change

We've done three trips with FP+ and have done as much if not more on these trips than our trips in the past

RD at one park and hop to another park (where you have your FP+ booked)- we've had no issues, even with tiering

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

It is limiting because of the tiers and because of only being allowed 3 per day. Period. How anyone doesn't feel that is limiting is beyond me. Add to it that you can't FP the same ride in the same day and that you also can't schedule FP+ in two different parks on the same day and yeah..extremely limiting.

But what you gonna do? We are making the best of it in February and that's all we can do.

I have to wonder how much of this is another of the world's great IT failures. Perhaps the programmers cannot handle scheduling in two parks? I KNOW it SOUNDS ridiculous but IT programming is not what it used to be: A simple trip around the internet (jumping screens, locked scrolls, missing fields, clicks that don't work) is enough to illustrate how bad it is. I bet they were oversold a system by folks that didn't understand the very basics of what they were expected to build.

Separately, I completely agree that WDW has been coasting with lame attractions for years. After swearing it off, I am going at the end of the month because I completely forgot to manage my DVC points (somehow after 20 years, I have no recollection of the 4 month booking rule); I have two years saved and only 3 months left to use them. I use to rent them out to other members but the DIS has made that difficult. We are sickened by the cost of the passes and dread the expensive horrible food. At every turn, something else is closing for refurbishment .

BUT, We expect to have a great time because we have the privilege of bringing along some friends and newbies including two very cute toddlers who will be mesmerized. Our joy will come in spending time with our friends at OKW and watching the first timers take it all in. Alas, I remember a time when I planned every last point at 11 months in advance - two trips in a year to maximize the points and dreamed of someday owning 1000 of them.

 

[Squidgyness]

To be perfectly honest, I saw this coming a while back, and being an offsite guest I prepared for the worst after thorough logical exploration of the possibilities of this new system. Looks like I was wise to do so.

At the end of the day, for me it comes down to a simple ratio of time:money:enjoyment. This new system looks to be decreasing the third and increasing the first. (The second increases anyway )

I come back on here every now and again to see if anything has changed, but so far nothing doing. I keep waiting for some good news. Doesn't look like it is coming. Oh well, guess we will just have to go elsewhere.

Oh, and count me in on the side of those folks who find hits limiting, even if I stayed onsite I would have found it limiting to me and my family. And we are NOT super users... Just thought I'd add my voice for what it counts.

 

[btk2333]

Separately, I completely agree that WDW has been coasting with lame attractions for years. After swearing it off, I am going at the end of the month because I completely forgot to manage my DVC points (somehow after 20 years, I have no recollection of the 4 month booking rule); I have two years saved and only 3 months left to use them. I use to rent them out to other members but the DIS has made that difficult. We are sickened by the cost of the passes and dread the expensive horrible food. At every turn, something else is closing for refurbishment . .

WDW has been coasting with lame attractions for years but things are closed closed for refurbishment everywhere? Those complaints seem incongruous with each other...

 

[btk2333]

To be perfectly honest, I saw this coming a while back, and being an offsite guest I prepared for the worst after thorough logical exploration of the possibilities of this new system. Looks like I was wise to do so.

At the end of the day, for me it comes down to a simple ratio of time:money:enjoyment. This new system looks to be decreasing the third and increasing the first. (The second increases anyway )

I come back on here every now and again to see if anything has changed, but so far nothing doing. I keep waiting for some good news. Doesn't look like it is coming. Oh well, guess we will just have to go elsewhere.

Oh, and count me in on the side of those folks who find hits limiting, even if I stayed onsite I would have found it limiting to me and my family. And we are NOT super users... Just thought I'd add my voice for what it counts.

I'm sorry you feel this way- I hope you have many magical vacations elsewhere!

 

[KanataDad]

Just got back from our very first DW vacation. We've never used the original FP but we really loved the FP+. I used the iPhone 5 with MDE app to access my FP+. We had an issue at MK on our 3rd day. When I saw no line up I went ahead and changed my FP+ selection to another ride, but when I got to the new ride it didn't seem to register. CM said I was supposed to go to the original ride that I had booked as that's what's showing up on the system.

So I opened my APP and showed him the new selections ... and he let me in.

Then after that I tried changing the next 2 FP+ selections and it froze. The APP kept showing "Unknown" for the 2 selections I changed. I tried using WiFi and AT&T LTE but got the same results for the next hour. So I went to the FP+ booth in Fantasyland, and they struggled for the next 15 minutes trying to change my FP+ to valid rides. CM's IPad crashed 3 times, and she had to get help from another CM who finally managed to change the 2, and they said for some reason I had still an extra one so she changed that for me. I was honest and told her I already used 1 FP+ and should only have 2 left. She said they system showed 3 left ... so I was able to use 3 more FP+ (plus the 1 earlier on).

When Pirates of the Caribbean was shutdown for an hour during the FP+ window, so I tried changing it but it would not allow me so I went to the booth in adventureland and the CM explained I don't need to change it - if the ride is closed during the FP+ window I can go at any time after it opens again.

Which is exactly what we did an hour later and had no problem with it.

Though I had to use another non-Disney APP to tell me if the ride was open. Disney's APP does not tell you that. CM said just keep checking at the ride for rest of evening.

Only suggestion to Disney is that if and when we try to access a FP+ on the APP it would be nice to tell us if ride is shutdown so we avoid walking to the ride, and then also have the APP tell us when the ride opens again.

Over all I still loved the FP+ experience.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

WDW has been coasting with lame attractions for years but things are closed closed for refurbishment everywhere? Those complaints seem incongruous with each other...

Why? Refurbishment means re-paint and repair the same old thing not create a new attraction.

 

[Angel Ariel]

i don't think I understand how people are riding fewer rides than before



You just have to adapt as things change

We've done three trips with FP+ and have done as much if not more on these trips than our trips in the past

RD at one park and hop to another park (where you have your FP+ booked)- we've had no issues, even with tiering

More time in standby lines = less time to ride more rides... I'm not sure why that's not understandable?

Sure, RD is still a good option... for those that can make RD. It's a bit ironic, IMO, to see RD constantly suggested as a way to make FP+ work better when FP+ was also supposed to help make it easier to not have to be at RD...

 

[bcrook]

Costs have not skyrocketed on most other things to the same extent as Disney. Just a few short years ago I was able to get AP's for $200. They're now close to $700. Other things have not risen like that in the past 3-4 years.

You 2nd comment is what I'm saying. Disney is getting so expensive and providing less for that money that its starting to make sense to vacation elsewhere. Somewhere that the bang for the buck is a better value for our family.

I've been buying APs since 1998 and don't recall them ever being $200. Maybe around $300 but that was 15 years ago, not 3 or 4.

Here are the historical ticket prices.

Even though prices haven't risen $500.00, they have gone up $140.00 in five years. Well over 30% increase. This far outpaces inflation.

Disney is pushing the limits to see the breaking point. It doesn't look like we are even close to reaching it if people are willing to keep spending these ticket prices and accepting less for the price. The parks are busier than ever.

Look for more price increases next year.

 

[Disneylover99]

More time in standby lines = less time to ride more rides... I'm not sure why that's not understandable?

Sure, RD is still a good option... for those that can make RD. It's a bit ironic, IMO, to see RD constantly suggested as a way to make FP+ work better when FP+ was also supposed to help make it easier to not have to be at RD...

So true!

 

[bcrook]

More time in standby lines = less time to ride more rides... I'm not sure why that's not understandable?

Sure, RD is still a good option... for those that can make RD. It's a bit ironic, IMO, to see RD constantly suggested as a way to make FP+ work better when FP+ was also supposed to help make it easier to not have to be at RD...

it is ironic.

 

[Planogirl]

Tonight I looked through some of the Italy guidebooks at our local bookstore. It feels odd but I am really thinking of going elsewhere.

I don't hate FP+ but I'm just not sure that so much scheduling and the costs for what you get and so on will work for us in the future. I'm just not sure...

 

[bcrook]

Tonight I looked through some of the Italy guidebooks at our local bookstore. It feels odd but I am really thinking of going elsewhere.

I don't hate FP+ but I'm just not sure that so much scheduling and the costs for what you get and so on will work for us in the future. I'm just not sure...

I went to Italy and France last year, headed back to France this year, and going to France, Switzerland and Germany next year. It is delightful. I work in Disney trips every year for fun with family, but I look forward to exploring the real world even more!

I'm out of DVC points until 2016, so my next trips will have to be off site, I might have to skip wdw altogether because FP+ looks very limiting for bonnet creek guests.

 

[Planogirl]

I went to Italy and France last year, headed back to France this year, and going to France, Switzerland and Germany next year. It is delightful. I work in Disney trips every year for fun with family, but I look forward to exploring the real world even more!

I've always dreamed of going to Italy but just kept on heading back to WDW and that other place. Maybe this is the incentive I need! WDW will always be there.

 

[btk2333]

Tonight I looked through some of the Italy guidebooks at our local bookstore. It feels odd but I am really thinking of going elsewhere.

I don't hate FP+ but I'm just not sure that so much scheduling and the costs for what you get and so on will work for us in the future. I'm just not sure...

italy is fantastic! it will be a great trip!

 

[btk2333]

More time in standby lines = less time to ride more rides... I'm not sure why that's not understandable?

Sure, RD is still a good option... for those that can make RD. It's a bit ironic, IMO, to see RD constantly suggested as a way to make FP+ work better when FP+ was also supposed to help make it easier to not have to be at RD...

my point is that we dont' spend more time in standby lines

FP+ can make it much BETTER for people to not do RD- however, optimal touring will always require RD- it is very simple for those two arguments to work together

You no longer are required to get there at RD to get a FP for TSM for example; however, if you want to optimize the number of rides you get in one day- you need to get there at RD, just like always