Number of FP+ to increase and Park Hopping to be added

[Ismo]

If you think about the system as a whole, having to go to the kiosk rather than accessing additional FP by phone makes some sense. Physically accessing a kiosk would mean you're in the designated park and more likely to actually use the FP whereas doing it by phone could result in people who aren't in the corresponding park eating up the FP without actually using them -- either because they didn't end up hopping over to that park or didn't make it in time.

Yep.

Also I think they know that people won't want to waste time waiting in the kiosk line for say 40 minutes, when in that time they could have just ridden a ride. Or even worse, they wait 40 minutes and there are no FP+ available that suit their family's needs.

So they're allowing us more FP+ but with a bit of stipulation.

 

[Meggysmum]

I gathered this was coming due to the wording of some surveys I have had from WDW but I am interested to see how it will actually be implemented.

 

[patsal]

I wonder how much park hopper ticket sales declined? My guess is that the feature isn't selling as well as it did pre-FP+.

I can say for sure, none of my clients that are travelling this summer have purchased the hopper option. If that tiny portion is indicative of the bigger picture....

 

[DisMomme]

I gathered this was coming due to the wording of some surveys I have had from WDW but I am interested to see how it will actually be implemented.

And when

 

[AJ1983]

I wonder how much park hopper ticket sales declined? My guess is that the feature isn't selling as well as it did pre-FP+.

I can say for sure, none of my clients that are travelling this summer have purchased the hopper option. If that tiny portion is indicative of the bigger picture....

For me, FP+ actually increases my chances of hopping. If the current system remains in place when I visit in October (being 3 /day, in one park, with tiering at EPCOT and DHS), then we would likely do RD or EMH at one park, then hop to another park where we can use FP immediatly upon arrival in the afternoon, rather than the old FastPass system where we find out when we arrive at DHS at 1:00 pm that there are no FP remaining, or the return time is 6 hours out, and the line is 80 minutes.

 

[PJGP]

I just read this and it said you go to a kiosk to get fourth...etc. So once I used my three I have to go to a kiosk to get more I can't do it on my phone?

If you think about the system as a whole, having to go to the kiosk rather than accessing additional FP by phone makes some sense. Physically accessing a kiosk would mean you're in the designated park and more likely to actually use the FP whereas doing it by phone could result in people who aren't in the corresponding park eating up the FP without actually using them -- either because they didn't end up hopping over to that park or didn't make it in time.

I agree with you. It is a sort of blend with the FP- kiosk system and the new FP+ advantages. I think it is great! No everything can be perfect at once, and people is so impatient it seems. If phone reservations are activated, people will complain of system crashes or lack of available FP. Anyway, it is a big step forward than the 3 FP+.
However, it could be tricky when opting for park hopping. Then it does make sense to be able to reserve FP on the go while you are hopping to the other park. So rule will be set up and of course some will agree and some will not!

 

[DPCummerbund]

A lot of this also came out in an interview that Mr. Staggs did in the New York Times. I haven't seen a link to that in this thread, but it has a little more information than the blog post, if anyone wants to read it:
Billion Dollar Bracelet is Key to Magical Kingdom

 

[DPCummerbund]

I wonder how much park hopper ticket sales declined? My guess is that the feature isn't selling as well as it did pre-FP+.

I can say for sure, none of my clients that are travelling this summer have purchased the hopper option. If that tiny portion is indicative of the bigger picture....

Hmmm... that brings up an interesting point. Your post was perfectly reasonable and very informative, so please don't think that this is directed at you. But there are a lot of Disney travel agents on this forum, and overall the tone towards FP+ has been very negative. I wonder how many of the "negative nellies" are travel agents, for whom FP+ has very little upside. They both have to learn a new system to explain to their clients, while simultaneously losing some short-term sales to "regulars" who may not travel to WDW this year. And, they don't ever get a personal benefit from any of these changes, since they're not going to the parks themselves (at least on these trips being planned for clients).

For me, FP+ actually increases my chances of hopping. If the current system remains in place when I visit in October (being 3 /day, in one park, with tiering at EPCOT and DHS), then we would likely do RD or EMH at one park, then hop to another park where we can use FP immediatly upon arrival in the afternoon, rather than the old FastPass system where we find out when we arrive at DHS at 1:00 pm that there are no FP remaining, or the return time is 6 hours out, and the line is 80 minutes.

I agree completely. One of my biggest pet peeves about FP- was not knowing whether it was worth the trek to the FP kiosk or not. We mainly do the "big ticket" rides, which means crisscrossing the park constantly, only to find out that the FP- were gone, or the return times were ridiculously late. With the new system, I can plan all my afternoon rides at a second park ahead of time, without wondering what (if anything) would be left when we got there.

 

[summerskye]

This kinda screws up our game plans. We had planned to RD at one park and hit as many rides as possible before the crowds. Then, after a break at the hotel park hop to another park and utilize our 3 FP+. So if we can't get a 4th FP until after the 1st 3FP have been used then I don't see any advantage to them adding a 4th or 5th. Additionally, if we schedule our 3 FPs early, then whats the point of RD. I still miss the old system.

 

[Adam Face]

Does anyone know when this new and improved FP+ system will start?

 

[PJGP]

This kinda screws up our game plans. We had planned to RD at one park and hit as many rides as possible before the crowds. Then, after a break at the hotel park hop to another park and utilize our 3 FP+. So if we can't get a 4th FP until after the 1st 3FP have been used then I don't see any advantage to them adding a 4th or 5th. Additionally, if we schedule our 3 FPs early, then whats the point of RD. I still miss the old system.

How would it be different with the old system? You were not able to get a 4th or 5th anyway before, at least til you used your 3th right?
So it is exactly the same IMO. With your plans it may not work perfectly but neither would have worked with the old system.

 

[rteetz]

Does anyone know when this new and improved FP+ system will start?

No exact date has been given, probably another rollout thing slowly but surely we will see it. I would think by summer crowds hit.

 

[ses1230]

How would it be different with the old system? You were not able to get a 4th or 5th anyway before, at least til you used your 3th right?.

No. With the old system, you could get another FP when the window of your current FP opened, or in 2 hours - whichever was sooner.

So if you pulled a FP at noon with a return time of 5pm, you could get another FP at 2pm.

 

[PJGP]

No. With the old system, you could get another FP when the window of your current FP opened, or in 2 hours - whichever was sooner.

So if you pulled a FP at noon with a return time of 5pm, you could get another FP at 2pm.

Ok makes sense. But then what were the odds that you'll get the one you wanted. I mean, according to your plan, you could hit DHS at RD and then go to MK later and still have your 3 FP+ for space, splash and big thunder. Then you could get more with more or less the same chances than th old system. I am not a huge fan of FP+, but why to complain a out less restrictions?
Anyway, there are pros and cons for everybody. I feel more is better for the huge majority.

 

[emkrueger]

30 days out, for on-site guests, can you book your initial 3 FP+ at different parks, for example, 2 at MK and 1 Epcot when you know you will be hopping? Are their any penalties/restrictions by doing so that you would encounter later if your plans changed and you wanted to switch any FP+?

 

[WendyLou]

Any clue how soon this would be up and running? Maybe April 30-May 5?????

 

[oddman]

To those who are laughing at the "nay sayers" I say this.

You are welcome.

The whiners and complainers are in fact exactly the people who Dis has just listened to. Dis did NOT listen to the fans who excused and pardon long lines.

Dis heard the discontent, read the public backlash, understood they were alienating core visitors who spend vastly more per head than the group tours...


So if you think " I told you so" is in order, you are right, but it comes from the "Bad guys" those of us who were very vocal directly with Disney and online. Not those of you who posted here how restricting it to 3 was some how great.

So

I told you so.

 

[PJGP]

To those who are laughing at the "nay sayers" I say this.

You are welcome.

The whiners and complainers are in fact exactly the people who Dis has just listened to. Dis did NOT listen to the fans who excused and pardon long lines.

Dis heard the discontent, read the public backlash, understood they were alienating core visitors who spend vastly more per head than the group tours...


So if you think " I told you so" is in order, you are right, but it comes from the "Bad guys" those of us who were very vocal directly with Disney and online. Not those of you who posted here how restricting it to 3 was some how great.

So

I told you so.

I still don't know if it is matter of "good guys" and 'Bad guys". I did feel that people were just too desperate for everything to work perfect. On the other hand, nobody who is paying sooo much should have bad experiences because of someone else fault.
Anyway, even though I wasn't complaining about the whole thing, I totally agree that people who complained was heard and are the reason of the change! Thanks!

 

[Yellowstonetim]

To those who are laughing at the "nay sayers" I say this.

You are welcome.

The whiners and complainers are in fact exactly the people who Dis has just listened to. Dis did NOT listen to the fans who excused and pardon long lines.

Dis heard the discontent, read the public backlash, understood they were alienating core visitors who spend vastly more per head than the group tours...

So if you think " I told you so" is in order, you are right, but it comes from the "Bad guys" those of us who were very vocal directly with Disney and online. Not those of you who posted here how restricting it to 3 was some how great.

So I told you so.

You are making some huge assumptions. I am not sure this change wasn't planned from the beginning. I am not sure there was a huge "backlash." People who gave input to Disney are in no one's view "bad guys." Anti FP+ and Pro FP+ alike all support the idea of giving input to Disney whenever possible. In fact it was often encouraged by both "sides."

You are right that posting here "whining and complaining" doesn't do a thing. Disney does listen to input. But I still think this was part of the plan.

 

[beer dave]

To those who are laughing at the "nay sayers" I say this.

You are welcome.

The whiners and complainers are in fact exactly the people who Dis has just listened to. Dis did NOT listen to the fans who excused and pardon long lines.

Dis heard the discontent, read the public backlash, understood they were alienating core visitors who spend vastly more per head than the group tours...


So if you think " I told you so" is in order, you are right, but it comes from the "Bad guys" those of us who were very vocal directly with Disney and online. Not those of you who posted here how restricting it to 3 was some how great.

So

I told you so.

The only thing the negatives told us is that everything was ruined, we are cancelling our trips, or no one should go to disney any more. The people who were positive about the situation are the ones who were confident that it would be remedied as roll out occurred.

Your "told you so" would have to involve FPP remaining as it was in testing.
If you had said, after roll out was complete, that if we complain enough they will make it better, then you would have some credit.

The people who were optomistic that it would become better are the ones who "told you so"