Our 4th FP+ of the day...

[practicallyperfect77]

I agree! For MK I will not change my touring plan for "extra FP's" I will stick to my RD strategy and use FP later in the day!
However, at Epcot & HS I would use my 3 FP from 9-10, 10-11, 11-12 in hopes to get another tier one... That will be my touring plan for those 2 parks for sure! I will still however RD and go straight to the other tier 1 I don't have a FP for, ride it, then head to my 1st FP by 10, then on to my second and third then to the kiosk to try to get my 4th FP a tier 1... If it's there great... I get to ride one of the tier 1's twice if not... Then I'd just get whatever is available

ITA. And I also think you might be able to get it a little sooner too, but need someone to test my theory. For ex let's say at Epcot you have FP+ 9-10 for Soar in', 10-11 for living with land and 11-12 for nemo. You arrive at RD and head straight to TT. You get on with minimal wait and are at Soarin' by 9:45. You get off Soarin' and ride living with the land and are off by 10:15. Now technically your 3rd FP+ doesn't start til 11, but since you've used #2, I think you can move up #3 (provided there is availability). You head straight to nemo and ride that and then get in kiosk line by 11 for FP+ 4 and choose either soarin' or TT for later in the afternoon. Then off to world showcase for the rest of the day. The trick is moving up your 2nd and 3rd FPs once you complete the 1st one. This worked in Dec but not sure if it still does.

 

[OtherScott]

The focus of this thread seems to be on what FPs are available after someone uses his/her first 3.

One question I would ask in connection with this is what 3 FPs you had in the first place, and how much they really helped you.

To get a fourth FP at the earliest possible time requires using 3 FPs in the first two hours (and a few minutes) that the park is open. My experience has been that you can do almost as much, if not just as much, in those first two hours without FP as you can do with them, especially in the MK with its number and variety of popular attractions.

I think even the most ardent detractor of FP+ would agree that the best thing about FP+ is that it allows you to pick 3 of your favorite attractions to enjoy with a FP at times that are best suited to your schedule. Personally, I can't see throwing a lot of that value away just to have a shot at extra FPs for which the selection of attractions and times is likely to be a lot more restricted than it is when you make your 3 reservations in advance.

Even if I planned to spend all day at MK, I would probably schedule my FP+ reservations in the 12-2 range and then see what additional FPs are available at 2, instead of using the first 3 by 11.

There has always been too much focus on what people can do versus what they will (probably) do.

I remember arguing in November that capacity wasn't going to be a problem because FP+ usage was probably not going to be as high as many assumed. Even in our little DisBoards world, it was fairly evident.

 

[KatieCharlotte]

ITA. And I also think you might be able to get it a little sooner too, but need someone to test my theory. For ex let's say at Epcot you have FP+ 9-10 for Soar in', 10-11 for living with land and 11-12 for nemo. You arrive at RD and head straight to TT. You get on with minimal wait and are at Soarin' by 9:45. You get off Soarin' and ride living with the land and are off by 10:15. Now technically your 3rd FP+ doesn't start til 11, but since you've used #2, I think you can move up #3 (provided there is availability). You head straight to nemo and ride that and then get in kiosk line by 11 for FP+ 4 and choose either soarin' or TT for later in the afternoon. Then off to world showcase for the rest of the day. The trick is moving up your 2nd and 3rd FPs once you complete the 1st one. This worked in Dec but not sure if it still does.

I guess it makes sense to get Soarin at 9 a.m., since you're more likely to be able to get earlier times for other rides. But, I would go to TT at rope drop and might be anxious about the standby line taking longer than I expect and want something not important from 9 to 10 a.m., in case I missed and couldn't reschedule Soarin.

I think at MK it's pretty clear you shouldn't book a FP+ until at least 11 a.m., assuming you plan to stay for the afternoon.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

I think at MK it's pretty clear you shouldn't book a FP+ until at least 11 a.m., assuming you plan to stay for the afternoon.

Everyone keeps saying that they wont modify their plan for MK, butt will for the other parks. I disagree.

MK has so many things to do. You stand the most to gain from 4+ fastpasses at MK. Best to blow through them and avoid as many lines as possible.

However if you look at Epcot or AK...there's only so many rides to do (or are worth doing), that it would be the best to lock-in the 3 rides you care about the most, and then use RD to hit the others in the morning.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

I guess it makes sense to get Soarin at 9 a.m., since you're more likely to be able to get earlier times for other rides. But, I would go to TT at rope drop and might be anxious about the standby line taking longer than I expect and want something not important from 9 to 10 a.m., in case I missed and couldn't reschedule Soarin.

I think at MK it's pretty clear you shouldn't book a FP+ until at least 11 a.m., assuming you plan to stay for the afternoon.

If you arrive at the park and are in line 1/2 hour or so before open(so close ton the front) and head straight to TT, do you think it'll take more than an hour to ride and get over to soarin'? Guess it depends on how quickly you can move but since Epcot opened about 15 mins early, I'm thinking this is doable. I rode Soarin' twice right at RD and I believe when I looked at the time when getting off the 2nd ride it was somewhere b/t 9:15 and 9:20....and that was 2 rides. Surely 40 mins is enough time to get from one ride to the other.

 

[OtherScott]

ITA. And I also think you might be able to get it a little sooner too, but need someone to test my theory. For ex let's say at Epcot you have FP+ 9-10 for Soar in', 10-11 for living with land and 11-12 for nemo. You arrive at RD and head straight to TT. You get on with minimal wait and are at Soarin' by 9:45. You get off Soarin' and ride living with the land and are off by 10:15. Now technically your 3rd FP+ doesn't start til 11, but since you've used #2, I think you can move up #3 (provided there is availability). You head straight to nemo and ride that and then get in kiosk line by 11 for FP+ 4 and choose either soarin' or TT for later in the afternoon. Then off to world showcase for the rest of the day. The trick is moving up your 2nd and 3rd FPs once you complete the 1st one. This worked in Dec but not sure if it still does.

According to Disney's patent application, you may not even have to try and move your FPs up.

HAL is in constant contact with each FP attraction receiving real time data that can be added to historical data and predictive models. "He" can simply make the call on whether or not to let you use your existing FP early.

So show up early and have Mickey ask HAL if you can get on.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

According to Disney's patent application, you may not even have to try and move your FPs up.

HAL is in constant contact with each FP attraction receiving real time data that can be added to historical data and predictive models. "He" can simply make the call on whether or not to let you use your existing FP early.

So show up early and have Mickey ask HAL if you can get on.

That's cool. I know in Dec they allowed 5 mins early or 15 late.

 

[BlackMagicWoman]

Thanks for your predictable contribution.

Holding fastpasses back so some people can't ride once but others can ride twice? Yeah, not ok and major flaw in FP+.

I don't see how this is a major difference than FP-. All the fastpasses would be gone by noon so some people got to ride FP twice. I know that I have used a FP, gotten off, gotten another fastpass and ridden again in the same day on the legacy system. I'm sure someone didn't get FP once because I did that.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

I don't see how this is a major difference than FP-. All the fastpasses would be gone by noon so some people got to ride FP twice. I know that I have used a FP, gotten off, gotten another fastpass and ridden again in the same day on the legacy system. I'm sure someone didn't get FP once because I did that.

This is assuming that Disney would even let you get a FP for the same ride twice.

For all we know, during busy seasons they may put additional restrictions on it. Just because a FP+ exists in an available "pool" doesn't mean all guests necessarily have access to that pool.

 

[JanaDee]

I don't see how this is a major difference than FP-. All the fastpasses would be gone by noon so some people got to ride FP twice. I know that I have used a FP, gotten off, gotten another fastpass and ridden again in the same day on the legacy system. I'm sure someone didn't get FP once because I did that.

A better comparison would be if extra paper FP were made available later in the day, but only certain people could obtain and use them.

 

[Figmentforever24]

So got a trip in May coming. Anyone booked three for Epcot and had Sorian or Test Track as one of the three. Then went back and got Sorian or Test Track after they used their 3 in the afternoon? Just curious what the availability for the rides are in the evening hours?

 

[practicallyperfect77]

I don't see how this is a major difference than FP-. All the fastpasses would be gone by noon so some people got to ride FP twice. I know that I have used a FP, gotten off, gotten another fastpass and ridden again in the same day on the legacy system. I'm sure someone didn't get FP once because I did that.

The difference b/t FP+ and FP- is the prebooking. If someone doesn't get an FP+ for an attraction (with the exception if A&E meet) it was that persons choice. Just like with FP- it was still that persons choice b/c they didn't arrive to the park earlier. I personally don't like the holding back and releasing throughout the day (I believe in first come first serve) but realize they probably have to do that in order for the system to work. But I don't have to like it and I don't think it's right for my family to get shut out at 11:58 for a ride but the family that comes in after me gets them at 12:02 b/c they released more at 12. I do not like the fact we don't "see" the same thing. With FP- we did.

*Times are made up...I have no clue if they are holding FP+ back and what time they are being released.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

A better comparison would be if extra paper FP were made available later in the day, but only certain people could obtain and use them.

That's my point above. Disney can do ANYTHING with this system:

"Guest number #47283 used a fast pass for Space Mountain at 11am. When they get their 4th fastpass, they cannot chose Space Mountain again until 8pm even if there are earlier times available"

"Guest number #84299 has NEVER been in Haunted Mansion, let them choose any FP time available"

They may not be at this point yet, but this has to be the end game...because they can monetize this by providing different "entitlements" to different types of guests.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

That's my point above. Disney can do ANYTHING with this system:

"Guest number #47283 used a fast pass for Space Mountain at 11am. When they get their 4th fastpass, they cannot chose Space Mountain again until 8pm even if there are earlier times available"

"Guest number #84299 has NEVER been in Haunted Mansion, let them choose any FP time available"

They may not be at this point yet, but this has to be the end game...because they can monetize this by providing different "entitlements" to different types of guests.

And I think that stinks!

 

[JeremyGNJ]

And I think that stinks!

It might stink for the visitors who arrive at Rope Drop, and expect to do each of their favorite rides multiple times.

But for the VAST majority of guests who only go to Disney a few times in their lives....and show up after a leisurely breakfast...it's actually very cool!

 

[mickeysgirl17]

This is assuming that Disney would even let you get a FP for the same ride twice.

For all we know, during busy seasons they may put additional restrictions on it. Just because a FP+ exists in an available "pool" doesn't mean all guests necessarily have access to that pool.

That's my point above. Disney can do ANYTHING with this system:

"Guest number #47283 used a fast pass for Space Mountain at 11am. When they get their 4th fastpass, they cannot chose Space Mountain again until 8pm even if there are earlier times available"

"Guest number #84299 has NEVER been in Haunted Mansion, let them choose any FP time available"

They may not be at this point yet, but this has to be the end game...because they can monetize this by providing different "entitlements" to different types of guests.

I would agree with you. Disney is completely in control. They decide what you see on the app and at the kiosk. Even if something is available, it doesn't mean YOU will see it. They control what you can and can't get a fp for. This is a huge difference from legacy fp where anyone could get whatever they wanted if it was available. That means you might not be able to get a fp for splash mountain but the guy behind you can. It makes me furious.

 

[clsteve]

That's my point above. Disney can do ANYTHING with this system:

"Guest number #47283 used a fast pass for Space Mountain at 11am. When they get their 4th fastpass, they cannot chose Space Mountain again until 8pm even if there are earlier times available"

"Guest number #84299 has NEVER been in Haunted Mansion, let them choose any FP time available"

They may not be at this point yet, but this has to be the end game...because they can monetize this by providing different "entitlements" to different types of guests.

Now you're getting it....!

According to Disney's patent application, you may not even have to try and move your FPs up.

HAL is in constant contact with each FP attraction receiving real time data that can be added to historical data and predictive models. "He" can simply make the call on whether or not to let you use your existing FP early.

So show up early and have Mickey ask HAL if you can get on.

The Patent info Lake researched does shed a "Brave New World" light on things, doesn't it?

I wouldn't expect Mickey to get much back in that discussion. Hal was always a one sided conversationalist....

 

[practicallyperfect77]

It might stink for the visitors who arrive at Rope Drop, and expect to do each of their favorite rides multiple times.

But for the VAST majority of guests who only go to Disney a few times in their lives....and show up after a leisurely breakfast...it's actually very cool!

I know...I'm selfish...it's all about me. That being said I'm planning a trip with my sis and her fam and it'll be a one n done for them. The kids have no expectations of riding things multiple times but I would still rather have FP-. And I doubt we'all get to the parks at RD. I still believe in first come first serve. That's how many things in life work.

 

[Shaden]

It might stink for the visitors who arrive at Rope Drop, and expect to do each of their favorite rides multiple times.

But for the VAST majority of guests who only go to Disney a few times in their lives....and show up after a leisurely breakfast...it's actually very cool!

I agree, though it would probably be completely lost on them, they wouldn't even know such things were happening.

The question would then be, who does Disney care about more, the family that comes once or twice, or the families who go year after year after year.

I would think their push to increased DVC and even changes like the recent 4th FP (which only people who have extensive knowledge of the previous system would really have a clue about) would speak to their interest in the repeat guest.

 

[KatieCharlotte]

Everyone keeps saying that they wont modify their plan for MK, butt will for the other parks. I disagree.

MK has so many things to do. You stand the most to gain from 4+ fastpasses at MK. Best to blow through them and avoid as many lines as possible.

However if you look at Epcot or AK...there's only so many rides to do (or are worth doing), that it would be the best to lock-in the 3 rides you care about the most, and then use RD to hit the others in the morning.

It probably does depend on what types of attractions you're most interested in. My family likes mostly non-coasters and no meet and greets, so between 9 and 10:45 a.m. in spring break we walked on six favorite rides. We wouldn't have benefited from using our FP+ during that time. I would have used them all in the early afternoon, however, instead of saving one for late afternoon.

At Epcot, the only second tier ride we really like is SE and we basically have time to ride one of our favorites at RD before the lines get long, so I'm happy to waste one second tier for a chance at another first tier, even if it's my kids' favorite Maelstrom, or another SE.