Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[SaharanTea]

Right but I guess I meant that since more & more ppl know about it, more of the available FPs are being used. I think at first there were many going unused for the ITASW type rides.

Disney has exact control over the FPs for each ride. If there are more for IASW, it's because they allow it.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Disney will never enforce not allowing people to buy extra park tickets. Long lines at park entry when happy people are eagerly anticipating a fun day is one thing; long lines of exhausted people who just want to go back and go to sleep but have to wait to “tap out” is quite another. What they could easily do (and maybe do already as far as I know) is restrict the park tickets that are eligible for 60 day FP reservations to named guests in the onsite room reservation, so if your party is fully occupying an onsite room, even if you double up on park tickets you would only get 60 day FP reservations for one ticket per person.

 

[Grumpy6264]

I find the possibilities of what may be coming very intriguing. Why do they continue to expand access to more good neighbor hotels? Why, a month or so ago, were people able to book FP+ 74 days from the beginning of their stay? How are they going to be able to distinguish between onsite vs good neighbor vs offsite guests? And finally, how is all of this going to affect me (this is really the biggest question for most of us.)

They could change the system along these lines.

Tickets will no longer include three FP+, the ability to make FP+ selections will be more directly tied to the stay.

People staying on-site are still allowed to make three FP+ selections at 74 days from the beginning of their stay (CL can continue to pay for three additional at 90 days). Additional (up to 3) can be purchased and booked at this time as well.

People staying at good neighbor hotels, can make their selections (maybe with a limit of 2) at 60 days. An additional can be purchased at this time.

People staying offsite, will need to buy a FP+ package in order to utilize FP+.

I am sure that this in no way will be what it looks like in the end, but it is a way to provide benefits to staying onsite and still monetize FP+.

Just some thoughts.

 

[evlaina]

People staying on-site are still allowed to make three FP+ selections at 74 days from the beginning of their stay (CL can continue to pay for three additional at 90 days). Additional (up to 3) can be purchased and booked at this time as well.

People staying at good neighbor hotels, can make their selections (maybe with a limit of 2) at 60 days. An additional can be purchased at this time.

People staying offsite, will need to buy a FP+ package in order to utilize FP+.

I am sure that this in no way will be what it looks like in the end, but it is a way to provide benefits to staying onsite and still monetize FP+.

Just some thoughts.

This idea has been suggested a few times on this thread, and I think it makes the most sense. But what do we know lol!

You need to give an incentive to stay onsite "in the bubble." I work for the parent company of one of the Good Neighbor hotels and can pay $60/night to stay there and get the same benefits as staying onsite, but I choose to stay onsite. Guests should be rewarded for this. I just wish they would announce something official already...

 

[mom2rtk]

I find the possibilities of what may be coming very intriguing. Why do they continue to expand access to more good neighbor hotels? Why, a month or so ago, were people able to book FP+ 74 days from the beginning of their stay? How are they going to be able to distinguish between onsite vs good neighbor vs offsite guests? And finally, how is all of this going to affect me (this is really the biggest question for most of us.)

They could change the system along these lines.

Tickets will no longer include three FP+, the ability to make FP+ selections will be more directly tied to the stay.

People staying on-site are still allowed to make three FP+ selections at 74 days from the beginning of their stay (CL can continue to pay for three additional at 90 days). Additional (up to 3) can be purchased and booked at this time as well.

People staying at good neighbor hotels, can make their selections (maybe with a limit of 2) at 60 days. An additional can be purchased at this time.

People staying offsite, will need to buy a FP+ package in order to utilize FP+.

I am sure that this in no way will be what it looks like in the end, but it is a way to provide benefits to staying onsite and still monetize FP+.

Just some thoughts.

I really don't think they have the capacity to give 3 to everyone onsite then sell an additional amount. I have a strong suspicion they will start limiting "free" fastpasses to non headliner attractions. To have something worthwhile to sell, they can't keep giving it out in the quantities they are now.

 

[Sarah1024]

Except that those hotels probably pay for this benefits and WDW knows that once SWGE opens, their onsite rooms will be all booked for months and years!

Yes, I know they pay Disney for those benefits. But that is Disney making a quick buck (it can't be that much money) on people who would be buying packages and visiting WDW either way. The only thing that's happening is it is diluting the FP's for the people who are on Disney proper property.

 

[Sarah1024]

(have only read page 1 and this one)

I think this is pushing the add-ons a little too much. I get that there are perks to having money, but I've always thought of Disney as someplace where everyone can feel the magic equally.

And yes, of course I know there are already different resort levels, etc. - but this feels different somehow.

There are perks to having money. Right now you can already get extra FP's by staying at Club Level, or doing some iteration of a VIP tour. If Disney offers it, people will come. I don't blame Disney for monetizing this (as long as they do it right and not every guest cannot take advantage of it or the FP lines will be out of control).

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I really don't think they have the capacity to give 3 to everyone onsite then sell an additional amount. I have a strong suspicion they will start limiting "free" fastpasses to non headliner attractions. To have something worthwhile to sell, they can't keep giving it out in the quantities they are now.

Yes. This was the same problem back when FP+ rolled out and it’s still the problem today, despite new attractions opening since. Capacity.

Sure it would be super cool if we could all book 3 worthwhile attractions and buy extras only if we wanted to. It would be even cooler if we could do that plus have a worthwhile free rolling FP. That’s just not reality, it’s why we have tiers in place. It’s why the worthwhile stuff becomes hard to get even with the restrictions in place.

Paying makes this much worse, as Disney knows most people aren’t going to be paying for Dinosaur, Tea Cups, and Living with the Land. It’ll be the same handful of attractions for nearly everyone, leaving much less or none at all for free even if they technically allow it.

 

[Sarah1024]

Yes. This was the same problem back when FP+ rolled out and it’s still the problem today, despite new attractions opening since. Capacity.

Sure it would be super cool if we could all book 3 worthwhile attractions and buy extras only if we wanted to. It would be even cooler if we could do that plus have a worthwhile free rolling FP. That’s just not reality, it’s why we have tiers in place. It’s why the worthwhile stuff becomes hard to get even with the restrictions in place.

Paying makes this much worse, as Disney knows most people aren’t going to be paying for Dinosaur, Tea Cups, and Living with the Land. It’ll be the same handful of attractions for nearly everyone, leaving much less or none at all for free even if they technically allow it.

But I don't think everyone will pay for it. So theoretically it could be better/easier to get those FP's.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

(have only read page 1 and this one)

I think this is pushing the add-ons a little too much. I get that there are perks to having money, but I've always thought of Disney as someplace where everyone can feel the magic equally.

And yes, of course I know there are already different resort levels, etc. - but this feels different somehow.

That ship sailed a long time ago. Maybe it never even existed. Going back to opening, money got you on better rides and more rides.

Today money gets you extended park hours, exclusive parades and fireworks shows, exclusive party experiences, lower crowds, extra FP, earlier access to FP, and if you consider a VIP tour guide money gets you a much different experience than a regular guest.

Paid FP+ feels like an extension of what we’ve become accustomed to in the parks as of late.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

But I don't think everyone will pay for it. So theoretically it could be better/easier to get those FP's.

It doesn’t make sense to me that Disney would offer those major attractions as paid FP, while simultaneously allowing them for free. Why would anyone pay? Especially if it became easier to get those.

 

[jhoannam]

We have a vacation budget, I don't want to pay for FPs but if I need to start paying for FPs it just means I'm going to cut something from the trip. Good bye Deluxe resorts, probably be staying at SOG or a value resort the entire stay. But now that our little one is older (almost 9), we'll probably just head on over to Universal.

It also means that we aren't Disney's target market, which is really depressing because our HHI is >$100,000.

 

[JETSDAD]

It doesn’t make sense to me that Disney would offer those major attractions as paid FP, while simultaneously allowing them for free. Why would anyone pay? Especially if it became easier to get those.

Convenience. People can get top rides as extras today for free but they choose to pay for events and tours to get to ride them at their convenience. You can either spend some time on the app adding them as you go or some money in advance to ensure certain rides at certain times. Why do people pay for CL rooms and then $50/day for 3 FP's when those 3 FP's could already be had for free? Same thing.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Convenience. People can get top rides as extras today for free but they choose to pay for events and tours to get to ride them at their convenience. You can either spend some time on the app adding them as you go or some money in advance to ensure certain rides at certain times. Why do people pay for CL rooms and then $50/day for 3 FP's when those 3 FP's could already be had for free? Same thing.

Im not talking about possible same day availability.

It was said that allowing people to pay may make it easier to get these FP. I strongly disagree with that. If Disney charges for FP, I think it will be very hard to book the major headliners in advance, or else that’s devaluing Disney’s product.

People pay for convenience. Booking the extra CL FP is not the same as using the rolling FP. It’s paying for the ability to prebook 6 which is not currently possible otherwise. Paying for those events is not quite the same as booking FP either, often it means riding multiple times, adding park hours, not needing to be on a strict schedule, etc. People currently aren’t paying for the same thing they could get for free.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

We have a vacation budget, I don't want to pay for FPs but if I need to start paying for FPs it just means I'm going to cut something from the trip. And it will probably be staying at SOG or a value resort the entire stay - good buy Deluxe resorts. But now that our little one is older (almost 9), we'll probably just head on over to Universal.

It also means that we aren't Disney's target market, which is really depressing because our HHI is >$100,000.

I’m not going to lie, with a traveling party of 8 and staying at deluxe resorts, it’s made me start questioning if we could come out same or ahead by cutting days off our trip (saving hotel and food costs) and replacing that with a VIP guide to get the major stuff done.

Not implying that would be sticking it to Disney in any way, but it’s an interesting thought. Likely we would never go that route, as we would probably just ride less if it came down to it. Interesting though.

 

[dlavender]

I’m not going to lie, with a traveling party of 8 and staying at deluxe resorts, it’s made me start questioning if we could come out same or ahead by cutting days off our trip (saving hotel and food costs) and replacing that with a VIP guide to get the major stuff done.

Not implying that would be sticking it to Disney in any way, but it’s an interesting thought. Likely we would never go that route, as we would probably just ride less if it came down to it. Interesting though.

This is what we are kind of doing this summer. Instead of our usual onsite stay with extended family, we are renting a condo. Instead of 5 days, we are only doing 3. This is partly due to half of the fam wanting to do the EMM event. As much as it pained me to agree, I used the opportunity to move the trip offsite to offset that event. There's an amount I'm willing to spend, and have to make changes to make it all fit. IMO, the EMM is not worth moving offsite, but that's the decision that was made to accommodate for it.

 

[Grumpy6264]

I really don't think they have the capacity to give 3 to everyone onsite then sell an additional amount. I have a strong suspicion they will start limiting "free" fastpasses to non headliner attractions. To have something worthwhile to sell, they can't keep giving it out in the quantities they are now.

But right now, they give three to everyone. Capacity is an issue and is always going to be an issue, but by only giving "free" fastpasses to onsite guests, you are reducing the number of people receiving free fast passes by a significant number. Maybe they won't offer the ability to buy additional until you use your original three, who knows. There has to be something that separates staying onsite vs offsite. Making offsite guests pay for FP+ would be one way to do that.

This is kind of what Universal does, correct?

 

[Shelleyfs]

I would pay for it, but there are only 4 of us. I can't imagine having to pay for FP if I had a big family. In saying I would pay for it though, something would have to give. We get the Deluxe Dining and we stay in deluxe resorts. We always do at least one tour and a couple of dessert parties. This time I was wanting to do the fishing and maybe do the two dessert parties that we didn't do last time. I think they would need to be cancelled and instead buy FP. Each time we go the budget gets higher and higher. Right now we can afford it, but eventually we will be on a fixed income, an illness, or something else that will affect our ability to pay. I question at what amount of money does it become not worth it.

 

[Sarah1024]

Im not talking about possible same day availability.

It was said that allowing people to pay may make it easier to get these FP. I strongly disagree with that. If Disney charges for FP, I think it will be very hard to book the major headliners in advance, or else that’s devaluing Disney’s product.

People pay for convenience. Booking the extra CL FP is not the same as using the rolling FP. It’s paying for the ability to prebook 6 which is not currently possible otherwise. Paying for those events is not quite the same as booking FP either, often it means riding multiple times, adding park hours, not needing to be on a strict schedule, etc. People currently aren’t paying for the same thing they could get for free.

I assume if they are offering paid FP's for headliners, the amount given for free is greatly reduced. So if you are paying, you are guaranteed the FP. If you don't, you are not. So it won't be something you can get for free anymore.

 

[Sarah1024]

Convenience. People can get top rides as extras today for free but they choose to pay for events and tours to get to ride them at their convenience. You can either spend some time on the app adding them as you go or some money in advance to ensure certain rides at certain times. Why do people pay for CL rooms and then $50/day for 3 FP's when those 3 FP's could already be had for free? Same thing.

Because those 3 FP's are special. They are untiered and can be scheduled in addition to your normal 3. So you are getting 6 FP's in advance. And you can make them for more than one park.