Our 4th FP+ of the day...

[OtherScott]

That is certainly different that what others were reporting yesterday. Thanks for taking the time out to share your experiences here.

Isn't she the OP?

 

[Mad Hattered]

Isn't she the OP?

Yes. But other people reported being able to finagle their phone to move the 4th FP to another park. OP is saying it would only allow MK (the park she is in) and that not all the choices were showing up on the phone as they were at a kiosk.

 

[OtherScott]

Yes. But other people reported being able to finagle their phone to move the 4th FP to another park. OP is saying it would only allow MK (the park she is in) and that not all the choices were showing up on the phone as they were at a kiosk.

got it

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Make sure to bring an external charger too. At least my phone only made it til about 1pm. I used it for pics too and checking FB and probably playing candy crush while in line.

On my last trip to WDW, I knew my phone wouldn't make it all day in the parks without a charge. I went on ebay and bought 3 extra batteries for around $12. I just carried the batteries and switched one out when I needed it. Then I charged them overnight in the room. They aren't "official" batteries, but more of a universal kind which is how I got them cheap but it did the trick. No doubt I would need them on my next trip to WDW.

yesterday i went to 3 different parks we used our 3 fast passes at HS in the AM got a 4th at Animal kingdom and that one did even not show up on my phone. But when we went to MK we were able to get a 5th fast pass there and that one i was able to actually change on my phone (probably a glitch)

Yes, I also have heard of several people being able to change the 4th fp on their phones, but you have to initially get it at the kiosk. Only changes can be made on the app.

This is great news. If will make FP+ more bearable, thank goodness. However, as I absorbed this info and looked at the big picture, I realized that vacation should not be this much work. I always enjoyed the planning of our WDW trips as much as the trip itself. Either I'm getting too old or vacations to WDW have become too complicated.

I've been going to WDW since 2006. I also find the planning part to be part of the fun, but this is too much. It has become quite stressful to plan a trip now. Booking attractions and ADR's 60 days out and fp+ in general has taken the fun out of planning.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

I just tried to change our 4th FP (Little Mermaid) for something else on my phone. I could only make a MK selection and they were much more limited than the Kiosk options (no Cinderella, SM, BTMRR, etc...)

So what I want to know is WHY there would be a difference at the kiosk vs on the app. Is the app just that poor?

 

[practicallyperfect77]

So what I want to know is WHY there would be a difference at the kiosk vs on the app. Is the app just that poor?

Maybe the same reason that when I booked ADRs this morning and chose "breakfast" instead of a certain time only the crappy times showed up. They are trying to direct you to certain things. So glad I thought to choose an actual time and realize better options were available.

 

[clsteve]

I think everyone here is pretty clear that HAL is doing all of the thinking based on programmed parameters.

The discussion is merely how much HAL is programmed to think.

My point is that as of today, I don't think HAL is holding back because I don't think Disney is pushed up against capacity limits. They certainly don't appear to be there yet on a prebooking level, and certainly not on a redemption level. This is not the same as saying Disney is populating every guests' MDE with every available time slot.

That said, my opinion is that FP+ will be overwhelmingly guest driven and transparent because it can be. What I think I know about human nature leads me to this conclusion - Disney will get near 100% redemption rate from those who used FP- and be lucky to get 2 out of 3 from those who previously did not.

Once redemption rates become predictable, booking gets easier.

HAL, or the Guest Experience Management System and Method as he likes to be called, will provide advantages (dining, golf and spas) to certain guests, and FPs to optimize the scheduling of these other revenue grabs.

They have decades of collected data they used to justify and build the system. They're not going to wait to collect more data before turning on the things that are going to help them recoup the investment.

They would be the first Executive Group in the history of Capitalism that didn't rev' the engines immediately on a brand new, shiny 2 billion dollar toy that churns money- one for which they've waited a year and a half longer than they expected.

 

[Planogirl]

Multiple posters on here reported yesterday that while they had to get the 4th FP+ in the park from a kiosk, they were able to make changes to that 4th FP+ using their phone app. They also reported that different choices showed up on the app than at the kiosk. So I guess you take whatever is offered and then make changes.

That doesn't alleviate having to play on your phone, which to me is the #1 thing I hate about FP+, so I'm with you there.

Ugh, I keep hearing that people can do so many different things. I guess that while this is all in a state of flux that I need to be more patient.

If I understand it right, the latest is you go to a kiosk to get a 4th FP and then you can change it on your phone? Why not just allow people to skip the kiosk altogether?

It is good to read that the kiosk lines are short.

 

[OtherScott]

They have decades of collected data they used to justify and build the system. They're not going to wait to collect more data before turning on the things that are going to help them recoup the investment.

They would be the first Executive Group in the history of Capitalism that didn't rev' the engines immediately on a brand new, shiny 2 billion dollar toy that churns money- one for which they've waited a year and a half longer than they expected.

Historic FP redemption rates are for same day pulls only - by the 50% of your guests motivated to pull them.

FP+ allows for FP pulls months in advance by an expanded group that undoubtedly includes those previously not inclined to use them. I imagine the redemption rates will be less overall.

I'm just saying that with better data they will be able to more accurately intentionally overbook...

 

[ArwenMarie]

Yes. But other people reported being able to finagle their phone to move the 4th FP to another park. OP is saying it would only allow MK (the park she is in) and that not all the choices were showing up on the phone as they were at a kiosk.

Perhaps another loophole nipped in the bud!

If I understand it right, the latest is you go to a kiosk to get a 4th FP and then you can change it on your phone? Why not just allow people to skip the kiosk altogether?

It is good to read that the kiosk lines are short.

I guess it's a way to limit the number of people who actually go and try to get that 4th FP?

 

[ArwenMarie]

I've been going to WDW since 2006. I also find the planning part to be part of the fun, but this is too much. It has become quite stressful to plan a trip now. Booking attractions and ADR's 60 days out and fp+ in general has taken the fun out of planning.

It really is just too much, too many puzzle pieces going on. Add in the fun of waiting for parades and fireworks to show up on FP at an unknown date.

 

[mejo]

We did 2 FP at mK, missed the third then were able to get a test track FP at 4:45 for 5:10

 

[ksrogers]

We did 2 FP at mK, missed the third then were able to get a test track FP at 4:45 for 5:10

This is due to low volumes. The reason I state this is I just checked FP+ on my phone for today and it showed availability for everything but E&A MG. On a crowd level 7, 8 or 9 throughout the summer this won't happen. I hope it does but based on history I'm doubtful.

 

[3happydancers]

Ugh, I keep hearing that people can do so many different things. I guess that while this is all in a state of flux that I need to be more patient.

If I understand it right, the latest is you go to a kiosk to get a 4th FP and then you can change it on your phone? Why not just allow people to skip the kiosk altogether?

It is good to read that the kiosk lines are short.

It is also good to read that many are having success pulling additional fast passes. Let's hope this trend continues!

 

[mrsmorrow]

We did 2 FP at mK, missed the third then were able to get a test track FP at 4:45 for 5:10

Were you in Epcot then? Or did you do it at MK?

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Ugh, I keep hearing that people can do so many different things. I guess that while this is all in a state of flux that I need to be more patient.

If I understand it right, the latest is you go to a kiosk to get a 4th FP and then you can change it on your phone? Why not just allow people to skip the kiosk altogether?

It is good to read that the kiosk lines are short.

It seems like there isn't much consistency. The fact that some people are able to get fastpasses for an attraction that others can't makes you wonder what the trick is so that we all can get a shot at what we want. It's hard to figure out if Disney is randomly throwing out fastpasses that they held in advance during a random time of day or if people staying in deluxe resorts are seeing options that people in value don't see. I think its scary for us disers because we are used to being in the know, but in this case, its hard to figure out exactly what Disney has going on. Just that fact that the op was able to get a TSMM fp at 4pm tells us something is going on.

 

[2Tiggies]

It really is just too much, too many puzzle pieces going on. Add in the fun of waiting for parades and fireworks to show up on FP at an unknown date.

Don't forget the hours of fun on the phone getting phantom guests evicted from your room on your MDE account and getting yourself reinstated as an adult ....

I enjoy planning our trips but not plotting out our days to the extent that we need to for FP+

It's excessive to me.

 

[mejo]

Were you in Epcot then? Or did you do it at MK?

we went to Epcot at a kiosk, there was no line though at the pin station FP kiosk

 

[amg35]

we went to Epcot at a kiosk, there was no line though at the pin station FP kiosk

Thanks for the updates!

 

[Shaden]

This is due to low volumes. The reason I state this is I just checked FP+ on my phone for today and it showed availability for everything but E&A MG. On a crowd level 7, 8 or 9 throughout the summer this won't happen. I hope it does but based on history I'm doubtful.

I agree, though on an overall 7, if you are picking the lowest park, you might still get away with it ... but as I have said before, high crowd days only represent 36% of the year. The other 64% ... this should be possible.