Off Site visit to Disney, why bother?

[damo]

I find it fascinating that so many people are always up in arms about the unfairness of Universal charging for express passes to those who don't stay onsite but now that Disney might be doing it, it is all good business.

 

[chicagoshannon]

People keep saying "this is not how it's going to be when it's all rolled out" and "we don't know what it will be like in the future". Well, this is how it is NOW! I don't care about what's going to happen in January when my trip is in 4 weeks.

I pay the same admission to the park as everyone else (more because I have to pay adult price for my 3 and 6yr olds AP). I should have equal opportunity to ride the rides I paid to ride during normal opperating hours as everyone else!

I'm hopeful that by my trip in May this will be worked out but it appears that my trip in 4 weeks is going to be a disaster. I mean if I get to the parks before opening and I get a fast pass for a ride with a time window of 7pm I will most likely not be able to ride the ride because I'm traveling with young children and older grandparents who have a lower tolerance for staying late at the parks.

 

[dwheaton]

I find it fascinating that so many people are always up in arms about the unfairness of Universal charging for express passes to those who don't stay onsite but now that Disney might be doing it, it is all good business.

I think it goes back to the way each company has presented its Value Proposition. Disney pushes the guest service and "magic" so much and has always presented the idea that everyone who visits is on an even playing field for most of the options. Universal has pushed the attractions and thrills, not the service. It doesn't mean they have bad service; they just don't market that way.

Universal has three resorts, so the percentage of people who have access to the FOTL pass by staying there is much smaller. They're adding a fourth one but not with the FOTL access. This means that it's more of a perk and doesn't have such a dramatic impact on the standby lines. Also, their hotels are on the luxury side and run by an outside vendor.

Disney has many resorts all across the property. Even the number of rooms for just the luxury and DVC resorts is much higher than Universal's total. Giving perks like only FP+ to on-site (which I know probably won't happen) would have a drastic impact on off-site visitors. It's much different than Universal and would change the entire experience for anyone not in that group.

Finally, many people (fairly or not) put Disney on a pedestal because of how they've treated guests in the past. They're a for-profit company, but the general consensus is that they focus on the customers more. So when they do something that may be similar to other companies, it comes off worse. When your Value Proposition is in place, you typically don't want to do things that make it seem false. I think that's the issue with a lot of the recent changes. Whether it's fair or not, people believe it goes against what Disney stands for as a company.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I find it fascinating that so many people are always up in arms about the unfairness of Universal charging for express passes to those who don't stay onsite but now that Disney might be doing it, it is all good business.

Again - Disney has officially stated that FP+ is included in theme park admission for all guests.

 

[CanadaJulie]

Again - Disney has officially stated that FP+ is included in theme park admission for all guests.

Yes but not right now - only "once they are done testing". And mums the word on when that will be...

The tests started this summer and will go to at least January 5th so a minimum of 6 months of testing. Anyone who had APs or stayed offsite during those 6 months (and maybe more, who knows what will happen on Jan 6th !), has been disadvantaged. That's an awful lot of people.

I don't think it will be too bad once it's all rolled out and they iron out the kinks in the system. I just wish Disney would be honest with us and tell us WHEN THAT WILL BE !!

 

[FLchick415]

I definitely don't disagree that Disney should be more vocal about who will be testing and when. Because not knowing has to be frustrating for those of you who want to plan around this but can't.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Yes but not right now - only "once they are done testing". And mums the word on when that will be...

The tests started this summer and will go to at least January 5th so a minimum of 6 months of testing. Anyone who had APs or stayed offsite during those 6 months (and maybe more, who knows what will happen on Jan 6th !), has been disadvantaged. That's an awful lot of people.

I don't think it will be too bad once it's all rolled out and they iron out the kinks in the system. I just wish Disney would be honest with us and tell us WHEN THAT WILL BE !!

I understand that it's not right now and we don't know when testing will end...but I keep seeing rumors going around here about how FP+ is only ever going to be an onsite perk, or that offsite guests will have to pay for it a la Universal, and some posters who stay offsite talking about how they'll never have access to FP+.

I'm trying to clear up those misconceptions as I see them.

 

[bellaprincess98]

People keep saying "this is not how it's going to be when it's all rolled out" and "we don't know what it will be like in the future". Well, this is how it is NOW! I don't care about what's going to happen in January when my trip is in 4 weeks.

I pay the same admission to the park as everyone else (more because I have to pay adult price for my 3 and 6yr olds AP). I should have equal opportunity to ride the rides I paid to ride during normal opperating hours as everyone else!

I'm hopeful that by my trip in May this will be worked out but it appears that my trip in 4 weeks is going to be a disaster. I mean if I get to the parks before opening and I get a fast pass for a ride with a time window of 7pm I will most likely not be able to ride the ride because I'm traveling with young children and older grandparents who have a lower tolerance for staying late at the parks.

This is exactly how I feel!

Not everyone can make trips once/twice a year. I've been to DW 3 times in my whole life and next week will be my 4th. I'm actually dreading it! It really isn't fair. I'm making this trip our test trip to determine weather or not we'll be back. Tickets this year were insanely pricey, and getting on 2-3 rides per day is ridiculous. FP was my favorite thing about disney. I thought it was fair and sensible, but making people (yes forcing people) plan what they want to ride, and when to ride it, months in advance is actually laughable to me.

 

[Planogirl]

I see a lot of predicting going on here but who knows how it will really all play out eventually? Things can change suddenly and drastically in any planning phase.

Universal shouldn't be brought into this IMO because as previously stated so few resorts using Express doesn't make the parks particularly difficult to tour for those staying offsite or at least we haven't had problems. You just have to tour wisely. Plus you can always buy Express passes if it somehow gets really crowded.

Disney's case is unique due to the sheer number of resorts and the high demand for just a few rides at two of the themeparks. People keep saying that Disney is testing and that things will improve later but that doesn't help anyone that is going now or soon. I don't disagree that onsite visitors should get more but it's not great to have something taken away either and that is access to those very rides by offsite visitors. Yes, they can stand in line of course and still have access however they appear to be losing the ability to ride TSMM as easily as before and no matter how you look at it, that has to hurt. That is just one example.

From my perspective, it's the lack of information that bothers me the most. I don't know for sure if fastpass- will be available in December. It looks like it will still be there but nothing has actually been announced. Things just keep happening and so far I've held off buying passes because I don't know what having passes linked will mean if anything. It's the uncertainty that so annoying IMO.

 

[FireDancer]

The furor over FP+ and how it is making people dread upcoming trips seems odd. I always considered Fast Pass a nice added bonus but not a necessity and definitely not something that, if taken away, would ruin my minute let alone a trip I haven't even made yet. It is Walt Disney World for the love of God. Just go, take the day as it comes, and have fun. I'm going in February. I'm staying off site. I have no idea if FP+ will be available or not. You know what, I really don't care either way. I'll find a way to have fun regardless.

This is exactly how I feel!

Not everyone can make trips once/twice a year. I've been to DW 3 times in my whole life and next week will be my 4th. I'm actually dreading it! It really isn't fair. I'm making this trip our test trip to determine weather or not we'll be back. Tickets this year were insanely pricey, and getting on 2-3 rides per day is ridiculous. FP was my favorite thing about disney. I thought it was fair and sensible, but making people (yes forcing people) plan what they want to ride, and when to ride it, months in advance is actually laughable to me.

No one is forcing anyone to plan when and what they want to ride. Just like ADRs FP+ is optional. No one has to use it. I don't make ADRs on park days because I don't want to micromanage my vacation or try and predict when I'll be hungry and for what month in advance. That is exactly how I feel about FP+. I have no desire to schedule rides or shows. I don't even know which parks I'll be in let alone if I'll feel like riding Expedition Everest at 11:00am. Even without using a single Fast Pass if you only manage 2 or 3 rides in a given day you are probably doing something wrong.

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

,,,,why bother, really?....surely the "reasons" for going are
more significant than collecting fass/passes or racing "to &
from" attractions... or @ least i would hope so.

for us, it isn't a contest.

 

[bellaprincess98]

I meant forcing in a different way...

If you wanted to eat a CP at MK on your trip then you have to make a reservation or else you won't get in.

Same with FP+. Everyone else is doing it so you will be forced to do it yourself in order not to loose out on an opportunity to ride your favorite ride without standing in an hour long line.

 

[Planogirl]

Reservations for resorts (of course), restaurants (sort of) and now rides. I wonder what's next.

 

[PeterPanic]

I had a couple more thoughts about this whole thing but, honestly it isn't worth it. Folks are reading only what they want to believe and ignoring everything else. We could talk about spilling food on the carpet and no one would notice because their minds are made up and they don't want to get confused with facts.

Don't feel sorry for those that "didn't know" about FP+ because it isn't even implemented yet in anything other then "test" format. If Disney is willing to ignore thousands of offsite "guests" in complete favor of onsite "guests". I cannot stop them or control their actions. I will wait and see what actually happens not what Debbie Downer thinks or Foreve R. Optimist thinks. It will be what it will be and then we must make a choice of whether we will pay the long price (if necessary) to get to enjoy the parks (not me, ever) or not go at all. (me, quite sure of that). I think we should all do what works for us!

To those that feel that onsite should get significant benefits from the extra they pay, I understand, but, it's the ambiance that you are paying for.That's the same reason that people will pay $5.00 for a beer in a bar instead of 60 cents for one at home. If you need the ambiance, that's what you're paying for. You don't have to drive, you get (at least for now) extra hours in the parks and ambiance up the ying yang. I get to see the "Welcome to Walt Disney World" entrance sign every single day AND drink my 60 cent beer. So there!

But please, can't we just wait to see what actually does happen before we get overly critical or overly jubilant about it? I would say more but I appear to have run out of "quotation marks (see) so I must stop for now. I have a new supply coming in any day now.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

But please, can't we just wait to see what actually does happen before we get overly critical or overly jubilant about it?

This is what I'm doing since my next trip is June 2014 at the earliest. But for those who have trips coming up shortly, wait and see doesn't work.

 

[damo]

I understand that it's not right now and we don't know when testing will end...but I keep seeing rumors going around here about how FP+ is only ever going to be an onsite perk, or that offsite guests will have to pay for it a la Universal, and some posters who stay offsite talking about how they'll never have access to FP+.

I'm trying to clear up those misconceptions as I see them.

Nobody knows what Disney may do in the future. What they have planned for the next year may not be what is in place in the next two years.

My point was simply that nobody seems opposed to Disney charging for fastpass + for those that don't stay onsite or upcharging for it to get more fastpasses when in the past it was a main reason that people hated Universal.

 

[PeterPanic]

This is what I'm doing since my next trip is June 2014 at the earliest. But for those who have trips coming up shortly, wait and see doesn't work.

So what? They will still be in WDW and you will be sitting home waiting to go. I think we should feel sorry for you, not them. They'll be fine.

 

[icicleVT]

We were at MK last Friday and there were no long FP lines, many rides were walk-ons and even "slow loading" rides like Jungle Cruise had regular Fast Passes available with a 30 min wait time at 3 pm. Calm down, everyone...

 

[Planogirl]

So what? They will still be in WDW and you will be sitting home waiting to go. I think we should feel sorry for you, not them. They'll be fine.

We have a trip coming up in December and I'm not convinced that we'll be fine. However I plan to just take it as it comes and not worry about it.

Too much.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Everything will sort itself out over the next year or so, but I still do feel for the people who are feeling stress about upcoming offsite trips because of FP. I think Disney is hiding behind "testing" and I don't think they have a clue what they are going to do with this moving forward. I'm sure everyone will still be able to have a great time if they go into it with the right mindset. But I don't think this whole thing has been handled well on Disney's side of things. JMO.