This isn't a putdown, so bear with me. The knowledge level of the FP system by the OP is typical, or greater, of maybe 95% of Disney World visitors. These people rarely used the FP system up to its potential. However, Disers mostly belong in the other 5% and know lots of ways to amass FP tickets and use them to get much more out of their day at a WDW park. The new FP+ system is not for the 5%ers, it is for the 95%ers.
The crowds at WDW parks the last several years have gotten very noticeably larger and the vast majority just didn't know how to get a moneys-worth day from their perspective. By changing the FP "day of" system to FP+ "advanced reservation" system, Disney is giving a better "moneys-worth" day to the 95%ers by guaranteeing them short lines on some popular rides.
Not inaccurate. I said in a previous thread that my husband and I were informed on multiple occasions that Disney research discovered that the average guest only used 1.3 Fast Passes per day. If I were a betting woman, I would bet that the majority of people dragging down the average were people who didn't realize that Fast Pass was free with their park ticket. The problem, however, with limiting the FP+ to just 3 a day is that it will not negatively impact those who used fewer than 3 a day, but it will negatively impact those who used more than three, especially those who used 6, 7, 8, and even more a day.
I also said in a previous thread that depending on your touring strategy, you will either love or hate Fast Pass+. My family has always been a bunch of early risers. We don't set an alarm at Disney and still end up waking up, showering, getting ready, and being at our park of choice before rope drop. At every park, there was at least one ride that we used multiple fast passes on. There were two parks (Hollywood Studios and Epcot, if you are curious) where we only used FP on two rides, but we used multiple FPs for those rides. It was not unheard of for us to use 6 a day and at a park like Magic Kingdom, where we could take advantage of detached fast pass rides such as Barnstormer and Dumbo, we used even more. As such, FP+ has drastically changed how we tour and, in our opinions, it has changed it negatively. We work around it, we still go to the parks, but our touring strategies are quite different.
My sister, on the other hand, is a night owl. When we were young, she was always the one who kept my parents and me from getting to the park early. She would much rather sleep in, get to the parks when she got there, and do her thing. For her, FP+ is a better fit. She doesn't have to worry about the TSMM or Soarin' fast passes all being gone. She doesn't get to do them multiple times, but in the past, she never did them multiple times, either, and sometimes didn't get to do them at as she was unwilling to wait in a line for over an hour. She didn't typically use more than 3 FPs so the limit to only 3 FP+ isn't really a problem.
Personally, I feel that what would have been the best solution is to have kept legacy Fast Pass for all guests. In other words, business as usual for Fast Pass. Then, as an added bonus to resort guests, Fast Pass+. That way, as long as you are a resort guest (and, let's face it - that is what Disney wants), you can tour in a style that best fits your family. As is, they are making it more difficult for one group or another. I'd assume that the previous poster is correct and they are trying to make it better for that 95%, which isn't necessarily a poor decision, but if that 5% turn out to be the repeat guests that we all believe them to be, it might turn out to be a poor decision. I guess time will tell.
For all we know it was an uptick from 64% to 65% using FPs, or it was an increase from 5% to 90% .... though I imagine if it were the later they would have proudly announced those numbers.
