OK, just got back 3-22 loved FP+ and Magic Bands

[DSLRuser]

Is this supposed to be a positive? I thought that one of the primary benefits of FP+ was to shave away the "commando" advantage.


This is one of my beefs. I don't want to use up time hopping from park to park just so that I can use 3 FPs and then leave. Taking a bus to the MK, going through bag check, walking through the park, just to ride Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain and Buzz seems like a big investment of time just for three rides. B
l.

I will agree with you Jimmy. There was one day we were specifically chasing soarin. Went to epcot only to ride soarin on a FP+, then went to dinner and MK for stand by all night. So that does happen. I think this was more from the tiering system at epcot than anything. No way around it. If you dont want to ride soarin or test track stand by, you have to go 2 days and waste some FP+

 

[DSLRuser]

Just curious, why would you not want the ability to park hop? If you have a max of 3 or 4 and paid for hoppers why would you not want to be able to use those 3 or 4 across multiple parks?

because it keeps the playing filed level. And I dont want to script out every step of my trip.

The 3 pass limit added a sense of spontaneity that had not been there the last few trips. in fact, we used to not by hoppers under the old system. it wasnt needed. To me, th new system is where park hoppers shine. ride early morning, or late at night when there is no lines, and use your FP+ for the mid day crowds.

 

[DSLRuser]

Just curious, have not seen mention of it in any other threads, but does anybody know if they have, or intend to install FP+ kiosks in the hotels. Seems a few discrete ones in the hotels might be of benefit to on-site guest that don't have a smartphone

All the kiosks are are either fixed iPads, or cast member with an ipad.

no reason they couldnt move them around.

 

[JimmyV]

I think this was more from the tiering system at epcot than anything. No way around it. If you dont want to ride soarin or test track stand by, you have to go 2 days and waste some FP+

I already told my wife and daughter that the next time we go, we are going to do things very differently. Last month, we were Rope Drop uber commandos as you suggested earlier. And it really did work. Except by the fourth day I caught my wife thumbing through the Yellow Pages in our hotel room, looking for a divorce attorney in the Orlando area. So next time, we are going to do half days at the parks. If you get a FP for either Soarin' or Test Track for mid-morning and commit to not doing the "other" ride that you cannot FP, saving that one for another day, you free yourself up immeasurably and do not have to arrive 40 minutes before the park opens. But we have never, ever, not done both rides on the same day, so it will take a bit of adjusting. And yes, that means some unusable, worthless FPs for Epcot by spreading the trip out over two days. But they have beaten me into submission. And don't think for a second that this isn't intentional on Disney's part. They do not want people spending one day in each of the four parks, freeing up two or three days for people to head out on I-4 North. They want you to spend 7 leisurely days at WDW instead, even if that means doing less each day, but using more days to do it all.

 

[glamdring269]

because it keeps the playing filed level. And I dont want to script out every step of my trip.

The 3 pass limit added a sense of spontaneity that had not been there the last few trips. in fact, we used to not by hoppers under the old system. it wasnt needed. To me, th new system is where park hoppers shine. ride early morning, or late at night when there is no lines, and use your FP+ for the mid day crowds.

I guess I don't understand how it keeps the playing field level. If they offered the ability to use your 3 or 4 FP+ across multiple parks if you pay for the hopper then isn't that a level playing field?

I do believe your strategy is the best currently available. Get there for RD and ride until you can't stand the lines. Hop to a park in the evening and use your FP+ there. My only gripe with that is if Epcot is your PM park then you're kind of getting ripped off. And that's why I'd like to be able to spread across multiple parks.

 

[JimmyV]

I guess I don't understand how it keeps the playing field level. If they offered the ability to use your 3 or 4 FP+ across multiple parks if you pay for the hopper then isn't that a level playing field?

It would only work if they "tiered" the entire system. Otherwise, you'd have people using one FP at Epcot (for either Soarin' or Test Track), and then they would hop over to, say, DHS and use two at TSM and ToT. You'd get three top tier headliners in a single day (as would many other people) and the system wouldn't be able to handle that traffic. By doing this, you avoid the "unwanted FPs" at lesser attractions, and Disney wants you to have and use those. You always must remember that Disney did not design this system to permit the guests to optimize their touring efficiency. It designed the system to optimize its own efficiency. If Disney made it too easy for guests to knock off all of the headliner attractions in a fast, efficient manner, that would leave them with more time to venture off property and go to those "other theme parks". Disney has a vested financial interest in you touring less efficiently so that you spend your entire vacation in its parks. The public relations difficulty is trying to convince people that the system is helping them instead of holding them back. Hence the advertising campaign about the resorts. Disney wants you to feel fulfilled by a day that is 9:00-2:00 in a park, and 3:00-10:00 at a resort. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. For 7 days.

 

[ZoZo]

Just curious, have not seen mention of it in any other threads, but does anybody know if they have, or intend to install FP+ kiosks in the hotels. Seems a few discrete ones in the hotels might be of benefit to on-site guest that don't have a smartphone

Last month, we did see CMs with iPads every morning at the hotels, ready to help people with FP reservations. They were standing by the lines for the busses to the parks. In fact, they walked back and forth to the different bus lines, asking if people needed help making their FP reservations.

 

[glamdring269]

It would only work if they "tiered" the entire system. Otherwise, you'd have people using one FP at Epcot (for either Soarin' or Test Track), and then they would hop over to, say, DHS and use two at TSM and ToT. You'd get three top tier headliners in a single day (as would many other people) and the system wouldn't be able to handle that traffic. By doing this, you avoid the "unwanted FPs" at lesser attractions, and Disney wants you to have and use those. You always must remember that Disney did not design this system to permit the guests to optimize their touring efficiency. It designed the system to optimize its own efficiency. If Disney made it too easy for guests to knock off all of the headliner attractions in a fast, efficient manner, that would leave them with more time to venture off property and go to those "other theme parks". Disney has a vested financial interest in you touring less efficiently so that you spend your entire vacation in its parks. The public relations difficulty is trying to convince people that the system is helping them instead of holding them back. Hence the advertising campaign about the resorts. Disney wants you to feel fulfilled by a day that is 9:00-2:00 in a park, and 3:00-10:00 at a resort. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. For 7 days.

I get that when using those parks as the extreme example. But I really don't see an issue with having an FP scheduled for something like Soarin' and two FP's scheduled at MK or AK.

 

[JimmyV]

I get that when using those parks as the extreme example. But I really don't see an issue with having an FP scheduled for something like Soarin' and two FP's scheduled at MK or AK.

When two of the four parks are tiered, it can hardly be said that this is an extreme example. (And there are rumors of tiering at the MK after the 7DMT opens). I suppose that they could construct a system by which someone could hop to two parks per day, as long as only one of them was Epcot or DHS, but not both. But this would be too complex. They did not institute the concept of tiering (and no repeats) because they thought it would be a cool innovation for guests. They implemented those features to prevent "cherry picking". Yes, going to Epcot to ride Soarin' and then to the MK to ride Space Mountain and Splash Mountain would be terrific, and would fall outside the constraints of the current tiering strategy. But how do they allow that without also allowing someone to ride Soarin' and then hopping over to DHS to so TSM and ToT? Given how "connected" those parks are by walkways and launches, that would start to become the norm for many commando guests, and they simply do not want you to do that. I agree that it would be "good for the guest". But that has not and never will be the linchpin of FP+. Right now, if you want to ride Soarin' and Space Mountain, both with FP+, you have to use up two day's admission on your ticket. You may not like that. But Disney does.

 

[glamdring269]

When two of the four parks are tiered, it can hardly be said that this is an extreme example. (And there are rumors of tiering at the MK after the 7DMT opens). I suppose that they could construct a system by which someone could hop to two parks per day, as long as only one of them was Epcot or DHS, but not both. But this would be too complex. They did not institute the concept of tiering (and no repeats) because they thought it would be a cool innovation for guests. They implemented those features to prevent "cherry picking". Yes, going to Epcot to ride Soarin' and then to the MK to ride Space Mountain and Splash Mountain would be terrific, and would fall outside the constraints of the current tiering strategy. But how do they allow that without also allowing someone to ride Soarin' and then hopping over to DHS to so TSM and ToT? Given how "connected" those parks are by walkways and launches, that would start to become the norm for many commando guests, and they simply do not want you to do that. I agree that it would be "good for the guest". But that has not and never will be the linchpin of FP+. Right now, if you want to ride Soarin' and Space Mountain, both with FP+, you have to use up two day's admission on your ticket. You may not like that. But Disney does.

Ultimately what is good for the guest it what will matter to the guest. We'll see how it turns out when we return in October with just RD and FP+ at our disposal. I'm hoping it will not be as bad as feared but we were always very good at maximizing our time under the old system (RD plus standard FP within normal window timing). We will of course need to evaluate how much value we're getting out of the the Dis after the next trip to determine if our expectations continue to align with WDW's future vision.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I will add this. Because of the new system, I will never stay off site again. As long as you move your FP+ stuff around at least the night before, you can basically get what ever ride and what ever time you want. But the day of, its a crap shoot. That's when all the off site guests cram into the FP+ kiosks and take up the scrap left by resort guests. And those kiosk lines were horrible in every park.

Interesting conclusion. So if they are trying to use this to increase onsite stays, sounds like their plan is going to work.

 

[MrInfinity]

It's nice to hear so many positive reports coming back, and from ppl that don't post regularly! Seems much of the FP+ paranoia is dissipating...

We were doing a last minute trip, so I didn't get to book my FP+ until the 1st day we got there.

This was one of the big FP+ worries, that you have to preplan rides 6 mo in advance. I've always asserted this was a self-inflicted obligation and nothing more. Planners (myself included) are intrinsically compelled to optimize anything that is plannable... so you give them a menu of rides and they'll want to optimize them. Actual reports coming back are indicating that you do not need to plan in advance, and if picking your rides the night before is more your style (and you don't want something particularly rare like meeting A&E), then you are welcome to do so.

The one thing I found, which is opposite of what a lot of people thought before trying the new system, is Park Hoppers are a must.

While I don't think they're a must (we never use them) the option now to hop to an evening park and use your FP+ there is really great.

So, armed only with an iPhone 5, I was happily able to manage our FP+ and Dinning reservations with ZERO issues. Not a single mishap, no glitches, no technology errors.

"Faulty equipment" would eventually pass as the bugs get worked out of the system.

Bottom line is, Disney did their homework. The new system is designed very well and it JUST WORKS.

Agree, Disney knows their guests better than anyone, and they've brought FastPass to them in a way in which most guests will now actually use it.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Thanks for sharing your account, OP! Glad it worked so well for you! On a trip last month my sister and I found it worked well also. Not a single glitch, easy to reschedule FP+, etc.

I still would like to be able to book in multiple parks in a day and have the ability to pull same day FP+ after using (better yet, STARTING to use) the reserved 3.

Either way, I'm cautiously optimistic about our Oct trip with DH and the kids. Maybe even a few adjustments to the system before then... ...

 

[fabfivefigo]

We had a generally good experience with FP+ during our trip in the first week of March. There was only one bug that interupted our plans, so I would mark it down as a success. The technology is pretty neat and it was nice to have your plans at your fingertips all day long with the help of the app.

The thing that really made a difference for us compared to past visits was the mid-day and evening standby waits. I'm not sure if FP+ has anything to do with this or not, but there were waits for rides that I have never experienced, even during summer visits. Examples include, but were not liminted to BTMRR, Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, Maelstrom, ToT, Peter Pan. We basically got to a point during each day when we had used our FPs and could either stand a 50 minute line or head back to the hotel. That has never happened before this past time.

 

[lugnut33]

I disliked FP+ in November, and then we went at the end of February and I still disliked it. Here's the thing, me and the kids still had a great time because we make it great. We had a good time in spite of FP+.

 

[JimmyV]

Here's the thing, me and the kids still had a great time because we make it great. We had a good time in spite of FP+.

Same here. Being true WDW veterans with several hundred days under our belts, we knew the tricks of the trade and the workarounds. For people who know what they are doing, you will still have fun. But we have friends who are going for the very first time over Easter in a few weeks. They have twins around 10 years old and a sophmore in high school, so interests will vary. Up front, I am giving them advice and encouragment. Privately, I am doing a "face palm". I strongly suspect another family will fall into the "I don't understand what you see in it" camp, and who will never go again. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[magicbob]

It's nice to hear so many positive reports coming back, and from ppl that don't post regularly! Seems much of the FP+ paranoia is dissipating...

 

[granmanh603]

Boy I am puzzled first no smart phone.. Now on to ease of getting FP, I did not find it easy to make or change them. When we went in to MDE they give you rides and time of their selection not yours and if you tried to chage they would say no choices left. Also rides were Down when trying to chose. They spent all this money on FP+ and maybe should have spent time on fixing rides in 4 days. Sm,TM HM ToT all down those are only ones that I noticed. Oh SM not open

 

[Magpie]

Boy I am puzzled first no smart phone.. Now on to ease of getting FP, I did not find it easy to make or change them. When we went in to MDE they give you rides and time of their selection not yours and if you tried to chage they would say no choices left. Also rides were Down when trying to chose. They spent all this money on FP+ and maybe should have spent time on fixing rides in 4 days. Sm,TM HM ToT all down those are only ones that I noticed. Oh SM not open

I don't have a smart phone either. I didn't have any problems navigating MDE. Yes, they offer you three selections of times. But it's simple enough to go back and move them around to the times you want. The trick is, if you want afternoon times, then pick the earliest of the three pre-chosen options. That way when you change them one by one, you won't have any conflicts.

If rides are down, it's because they're being refurbished on that date. Isn't it better that you know now, than when you walked up to the ride on the day of, just to find it closed?

We had no problems functioning without a smart phone on our December trip. I simply wrote the times of our rides down on a piece of paper and stuck it in my pocket, so I could check it... very similar to a legacy fastpass, actually.

I didn't bother changing any of them. I have no difficulty getting to any ride anywhere in any park, within the hour window. Much easier than trying to make an ADR!

Also, we opted for the two-park plan. Rope drop at one park in the morning, back to the resort for a nap, then afternoon-to-close at a second part, with our FP+ selections. It was pretty awesome walking onto Toy Story Mania at 7pm! And no... we weren't ever restricted to just three rides at the second park. We got three FP+ rides, and however many of the "anytime" rides we wanted. Which is more than we ever got before when we'd go to our second park in the evening, after all the legacy FPs had been distributed.

 

[Nezumi Fan]

Hi all! First official post -- found the boards after Googling around and ending up at the podcast on Youtube. Lots of good info.

After more research than I generally put even into work projects, the kiddo and I decided to stay on-property (first time ever) and will be at the park during the last week of May, in order to make SWW. Very excited.

My question is about FP+. Since we're just shy of 60 days out, I had thought we would not be able to make our online FP+ reservations until tomorrow...and, indeed, that is true on the website...but on the mobile app, it seems I have the option to make (some) FP+ reservations.

Here's what's odd. I can make reservations for rides, but ONLY at Epcot. I'm free to choose any one from Tier 1 and any two from Tier 2 but, again, only at Epcot. None of the other parks are offered as an option -- not yet, anyway.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks!