Possible good news for offsiters and FP+

[doconeill]

Using "under-promise, over-deliver" as a guide, additional FPs will be introduced. Probably day-of, at first.

Disney has to analyze things like actual follow-thru rate and mechanical breakdowns over a period of time.

I'd guess by fall they'll know what is left in the bank on a given day.

That's the big thing...they need to see how utilization is going once the entire audience has access and is using it. It might take some time for people to even know they have access and what they need to do, so I'm not entirely sure how long that will take.

What you might see shorter term is rather than just adding a flat number of extra FP+, you'll get notified of "opportunistic" additional FP+ that day...if they see utilization is low for some attractions, they'll offer you additional ones at those attractions specifically.

 

[2Tiggies]

Fixing it?

That's the big thing...they need to see how utilization is going once the entire audience has access and is using it. It might take some time for people to even know they have access and what they need to do, so I'm not entirely sure how long that will take.

What you might see shorter term is rather than just adding a flat number of extra FP+, you'll get notified of "opportunistic" additional FP+ that day...if they see utilization is low for some attractions, they'll offer you additional ones at those attractions specifically.

To make long lines at the precious few that have moderate lines. Sigh.

OR maybe they will send out invites to random guests allowing them to test the test.

I just get a bit nervous lately when Disney implies changes ahead but leaves things completely vague and open ended. Their logic and mine aren't even remotely close to being related.

 

[surferdave]

On another board they are hypothesizing that it will involve: (1) park-hopping for FP+; (2) changing or removing tiers for onsite guests; (3) etc.

Probably true. By that definition it will always be in testing and therefore never subject to critical analysis.

 

[Marionnette]

This really is welcome news, although I wish that it had been rolled out last week! I was staying onsite, but my nephew was offsite with his high school band. We hooked up with him for the evening after they marched. Changing my FP+ reservations was easy, using the app. His had to be done at a kiosk. And when we missed one FP+ window because of an extremely long SB line at HM, we had to switch his FP+ again even though I was able to do mine in a couple of keystrokes.

I really didn't expect them to open it up to all offsite guests so soon after the first testing invites went out. I really thought that they would quietly invite an ever-increasing number of offsite guests to participate until they collected more data and got additional feedback. I suppose that they may have been under pressure to get it done before Easter and 7DMT?

Now the question becomes: how many offsite guests will take advantage of this? Will enough of them use it to reduce the lines at the kiosks? Or are there a large portion of first-time, uninformed travelers who will not want to put the app on their smart devices?

 

[OtherScott]

That's the big thing...they need to see how utilization is going once the entire audience has access and is using it. It might take some time for people to even know they have access and what they need to do, so I'm not entirely sure how long that will take.

scan, analyze, respond, assess, repeat - forever. That is the genius, IMO, of the platform.

What you might see shorter term is rather than just adding a flat number of extra FP+, you'll get notified of "opportunistic" additional FP+ that day...if they see utilization is low for some attractions, they'll offer you additional ones at those attractions specifically.

Exactly. In a dark room somewhere under the castle, "HAL" sees that doconeill and his family haven't eaten in 4 hours and have used up all of their FPs. This is about the time that most people head for the exits. HAL pushes an ADR and FP to them via MDE.

 

[nugov2]

That sounds more like wishful thinking from people who usually stay onsite.

If people couldn't understand "walk up and pull a ticket" they definitely won't get tiering for some but not others.

Agreed, I don't think that will ever happen. Maybe they would give more FP to onsite, but I don't think they will change something like tiering and if they did it would only be for deluxe guests...they couldn't do it for all resort guests. Since this whole thing started there were people preaching and shouting hallelujah that FINALLY WDW was recognizing and rewarding their onsite guests. FP+ has never been about that and IMO never will be...at least not in any way significant.

 

[OtherScott]

Probably true. By that definition it will always be in testing and therefore never subject to critical analysis.

That's the beauty. Neither those convinced it's great nor those who thinks it sucks will ever have to admit they were wrong!

Seriously, they better be forever testing this. Critical analysis was always going to be difficult because of the wide range of application - like "separating fly sh*t from pepper hard."

We're (consumers) focused on FP+ and MDE right now because that's what's in our faces - right now.

I'd love to know how Disney intends to quantify success. The scalability of this is beyond what I can imagine - and I can imagine a lot.

 

[OtherScott]

I think that ship already sailed.

 

[clsteve]

Exactly. In a dark room somewhere under the castle, "HAL" sees that doconeill and his family haven't eaten in 4 hours and have used up all of their FPs. This is about the time that most people head for the exits. HAL pushes an ADR and FP to them via MDE.

"Look Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over."

 

[OtherScott]

"Look Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over."

"Open the FP menu, HAL!"

 

[johde]

That sounds more like wishful thinking from people who usually stay onsite.

If people couldn't understand "walk up and pull a ticket" they definitely won't get tiering for some but not others.

Once people get familiar with FP+ it would be nothing for Disney to segment guests behind the scenes and only get a rise from message board people like us. I'm a deluxe guest and when I prebook my screen at EPCOT has pick 3. You're staying off site and it says pick 1 from column "A" and 2 from Column "B". The thing is is doesn't even need to be that obvious. Mr. Offsite guest walks up to a Kiosk and it says Soarin is Unavailable. Mrs. Onesite guest walks up right behind them and surprise a Soarin FP+ "just became available". Or maybe Mr. Offsite guest is only given the choices of 7:00pm and 8:00pm. and Mr. Onsite guest can also get a 12:30 or 1:30. With nobody knowing exactly what anybody else sees the possibilities are endless. It's not something they could advertise but people who stayed onsite could go home and rave about how smooth things went.

 

[mom2rtk]

Once people get familiar with FP+ it would be nothing for Disney to segment guests behind the scenes and only get a rise from message board people like us. I'm a deluxe guest and when I prebook my screen at EPCOT has pick 3. You're staying off site and it says pick 1 from column "A" and 2 from Column "B". The thing is is doesn't even need to be that obvious. Mr. Offsite guest walks up to a Kiosk and it says Soarin is Unavailable. Mrs. Onesite guest walks up right behind them and surprise a Soarin FP+ "just became available". Or maybe Mr. Offsite guest is only given the choices of 7:00pm and 8:00pm. and Mr. Onsite guest can also get a 12:30 or 1:30. With nobody knowing exactly what anybody else sees the possibilities are endless. It's not something they could advertise but people who stayed onsite could go home and rave about how smooth things went.

I agree we might see some subtle behind the scenes things like manipulating times and rides shown to certain groups of guests. (It's one of the potential things I dislike about this system, even though we stay onsite). But I just doubt it would be something as overt as "offsite has tiers, onsite does not". Just my opinion of course.

 

[johde]

I agree we might see some subtle behind the scenes things like manipulating times and rides shown to certain groups of guests. (It's one of the potential things I dislike about this system, even though we stay onsite). But I just doubt it would be something as overt as "offsite has tiers, onsite does not". Just my opinion of course.

During Prebooking I tend to agree that they won't be that obvious. I also think Tiers are here to stay at EPCOT and DHS during the Prebooking period. Where we could see the change is modifying FP+ that day. We already saw the "computer glitch" where people could change FP+ without regards to tiering. Once everyone is prebooking, that system could be easily rolled out of "day of" use by all guests or just of onsite guests. So, as an onsite guest I can only prebook TT or Soarin' but on the day of onsite guests could get first crack at the remaining FP+ by changing say Imagination FP+ to the other attraction.

 

[michaelsr]

Any advice for how to buy magic bands as an offsite guest? I tried this morning on MDE and could not figure out where to click to purchase magic bands. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Zeebs]

Any advice for how to buy magic bands as an offsite guest? I tried this morning on MDE and could not figure out where to click to purchase magic bands. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Can I just ask why you want to buy the magic bands? Just checking you know you can book your fastpass + in advance by NOT having them.

It would appear apart from being a souvenir they don't offer you anything extra.

That said if you just want them for a souvenir, I can't help you as I don't know where to get them from.



Kirsten

 

[Zeebs]

Just been in to play around with booking fastpasses, just so when we get to our day I know what we are doing.

Then freaked out cause I couldn't figure out how to cancel them. I eventually found it but they don't make it very easy.

Kirsten

 

[doconeill]

Any advice for how to buy magic bands as an offsite guest? I tried this morning on MDE and could not figure out where to click to purchase magic bands. Thanks in advance for any advice.

As far as I know WDW has yet to confirm if or when MagicBands will be sold to off-site guests, but I have not heard anything about them being available online. They will likely sell them at the parks.

 

[lm1981]

Just been in to play around with booking fastpasses, just so when we get to our day I know what we are doing. Then freaked out cause I couldn't figure out how to cancel them. I eventually found it but they don't make it very easy. Kirsten

I did the exact same thing this morning and couldn't figure out how to delete them. Had to goggle the solution.

 

[michaelsr]

From Disney's Website:

"If you are not staying at a Disney Resort hotel and are not a Passholder, you will receive a card when you purchase park admission—and you have the option to purchase a MagicBand at Disney theme parks and Downtown Disney area."

 

[lori8481]

From Disney's Website:

"If you are not staying at a Disney Resort hotel and are not a Passholder, you will receive a card when you purchase park admission—and you have the option to purchase a MagicBand at Disney theme parks and Downtown Disney area."

I read this exact same thing from Disney's website and proceeded to look around the Downtown Disney info page to see where they could be purchased but didn't have much luck. Has anyone sucessfully purchased MagicBands (as an offsite guest)? If so, would you mind sharing where, what colors were available and how much? TIA!

(P.S. Yes, I understand I don't NEED them; already have my tickets from OTC, but the kids want the bands because they've seen them on the commercials. Plus, I think they might actually be eaiser for a 5 & 7 yo to keep up with instead of a card.)