Posted wait times are wrong this week (May 15th)

[seashoreCM]

You can get additional FP's after you use your first three. Many people that know how to use the system report getting 6 or more a day.

Not been at WDW since electronic fastpasses (non-paper; FP+) were introduced but has anyone written criticism about or put replies in the sticky FP (I haven't read the four figures worth of replies) thread about ........

Guests who used their first 2 FPs earlier but got their first tier FP for the evening have to surrender/relinquish/forfeit it or be locked out of the FP system all afternoon long.

Long long time ago, the FP minus system (paper based) let you get another FP 2 hours later if the one you just got was for way off in the future (er, much later the same day).

 

[JewelofAlderaan]

This past week was supposed to be a "slow" time. Parks are absolutely packed. I wonder why?

Ugh I feel you. I was there from May 4-8 and it was super crowded, with high wait times. It was less packed when I went in July and August the previous two years. Like others said, I guess there's no real slow season anymore.

 

[ErinAlb]

I posted about this last month. We ran into longer than posted wait times often, and it was sometimes day-wrecking. Standing hourlong lines that were supposed to be 15 minutes, causing us to miss ADRs or the next FP time.

This is so discouraging to me. I honestly can't believe how complicated trip planning has been, trying to figure out all the little strategies to optimize FPs and EMH and ADRs and which day at which park and multiple permutations of touring itineraries — and then they announce SWGE is opening and "there's no way to plan for the crowds we're gonna see," but also "careful planning is key to surviving WDW post-SWGE." Then they changed all the park hours during my trip, and now I guess we're going to have to be up at 5 a.m. to even make rope drops. And the posted wait times aren't even accurate?

Now I'm reading Jodifla's post from last month and ... yikes. I'd feel pretty betrayed. When people say stuff like, "I'd never imagine things would be this bad 15 years ago," it makes me nervous about how much money my family is spending. I went to DLR last year and was completely enamored, but we didn't really have to do much planning or get up at 5 a.m. or anything like that. Lines were mostly short, and it was way less expensive thanks to the ease of offsite lodging. Maybe WDW is a lot more stressful.

 

[monkyby87]

This is so discouraging to me. I honestly can't believe how complicated trip planning has been, trying to figure out all the little strategies to optimize FPs and EMH and ADRs and which day at which park and multiple permutations of touring itineraries — and then they announce SWGE is opening and "there's no way to plan for the crowds we're gonna see," but also "careful planning is key to surviving WDW post-SWGE." Then they changed all the park hours during my trip, and now I guess we're going to have to be up at 5 a.m. to even make rope drops. And the posted wait times aren't even accurate?

Now I'm reading Jodifla's post from last month and ... yikes. I'd feel pretty betrayed. When people say stuff like, "I'd never imagine things would be this bad 15 years ago," it makes me nervous about how much money my family is spending. I went to DLR last year and was completely enamored, but we didn't really have to do much planning or get up at 5 a.m. or anything like that. Lines were mostly short, and it was way less expensive thanks to the ease of offsite lodging. Maybe WDW is a lot more stressful.

I understand all of these concerns, but a lot of it is mentality. These are things that are given, regardless of when you go: the parks will be busy, you will have trouble seeing everything there is to do, lines may be long, and we really don't know how SWGE will affect the other parks, if they do.
Things have changed A LOT, and are constantly changing. That's just how the parks are. 15 years ago things were very, very different. Careful planning is important, but it also doesn't have to be the stressful task some make it out to be. It's important to try and get FP for the rides you for sure want to do. But it's not something you need to be pulling your hair out over. Stuff is only day-wrecking if you let it be. App times aren't always the most accurate, but they give you a general idea at least.
Also, not having such a strict schedule will help. If you have a bunch of FP closely timed with ADR's, you lose your flexibility and you run the risk of having issues. WDW doesn't have to be stressful.

 

[monkyby87]

Not been at WDW since electronic fastpasses (non-paper; FP+) were introduced but has anyone written criticism about or put replies in the sticky FP (I haven't read the four figures worth of replies) thread about ........

Guests who used their first 2 FPs earlier but got their first tier FP for the evening have to surrender/relinquish/forfeit it or be locked out of the FP system all afternoon long.

Long long time ago, the FP minus system (paper based) let you get another FP 2 hours later if the one you just got was for way off in the future (er, much later the same day).

There have been a lot of criticisms and comments on the new FP system compared to the old one. But it's been quite a few years now since the change, so it's just a faded memory at this point. As much as I don't like the current FP system sometimes, it does allow me to ride the popular rides at essentially anytime of day I want, as opposed to having to get there early in the day and pull a pass and hope I get a decent return time. I remember pulling a FP ticket for Space Mountain at 9:00 a.m. and it said to come back at 4:00 p.m. No thank you. With the FP+ system, I don't have that concern. It's what we have to work with now, and I think it works fine. It's not ideal, but there will never be an ideal system that's perfect for everyone.

 

[Chickinvic]

This is so discouraging to me. I honestly can't believe how complicated trip planning has been, trying to figure out all the little strategies to optimize FPs and EMH and ADRs and which day at which park and multiple permutations of touring itineraries — and then they announce SWGE is opening and "there's no way to plan for the crowds we're gonna see," but also "careful planning is key to surviving WDW post-SWGE." Then they changed all the park hours during my trip, and now I guess we're going to have to be up at 5 a.m. to even make rope drops. And the posted wait times aren't even accurate?

Now I'm reading Jodifla's post from last month and ... yikes. I'd feel pretty betrayed. When people say stuff like, "I'd never imagine things would be this bad 15 years ago," it makes me nervous about how much money my family is spending. I went to DLR last year and was completely enamored, but we didn't really have to do much planning or get up at 5 a.m. or anything like that. Lines were mostly short, and it was way less expensive thanks to the ease of offsite lodging. Maybe WDW is a lot more stressful.

I have always loved Disneyland California and find it far more enjoyable than Disney World. I do think that will also be ruined by them opening Galaxy's Edge in a park that already had more stuff in it than any other Disney park. Disneyland will likely be a nightmare now. I wish they would have opened a 3rd gate instead for all their Marvel and Star Wars type stuff.

I truly hate the Fastpass system in Florida and find it especially unfair to guests staying off site. I find Disneyland California isn't as discriminatory towards off site guests. Sure there are perks for staying at one of their (expensive) hotels there, but not as "in your face". Just my opinion.

 

[ErinAlb]

I understand all of these concerns, but a lot of it is mentality. These are things that are given, regardless of when you go: the parks will be busy, you will have trouble seeing everything there is to do, lines may be long, and we really don't know how SWGE will affect the other parks, if they do.
Things have changed A LOT, and are constantly changing. That's just how the parks are. 15 years ago things were very, very different. Careful planning is important, but it also doesn't have to be the stressful task some make it out to be. It's important to try and get FP for the rides you for sure want to do. But it's not something you need to be pulling your hair out over. Stuff is only day-wrecking if you let it be. App times aren't always the most accurate, but they give you a general idea at least.
Also, not having such a strict schedule will help. If you have a bunch of FP closely timed with ADR's, you lose your flexibility and you run the risk of having issues. WDW doesn't have to be stressful.

OK, but I guess, for instance, why would a newbie even know that you shouldn't schedule too FPs close to ADRs? The ADRs are dinner reservations for a set time, so ... aren't we in control of how long we spend eating? (I'm not being sarcastic, I'm seriously asking -- it sounds like maybe there's something I don't understand about ADRs and how predictable mealtime is?) How close are people scheduling FPs and ADRs? I just assumed we wouldn't want to book them for the same hour. But a 12 p.m. ADR followed by a 1 p.m. FP would be OK? Or a 11 a.m. FP followed by a 12 p.m. ADR would be OK?

 

[Remy is Up]

These are the very reasons those that understand FP/Refresh and then use it regularly have the success they do. While others either A. Dont plan at all, B. Dont do their research, C Dont understand how FP works or a combination of all of the above makes it really easy to enjoy the parks without a lot of effort. And in that case, wait times dont matter anyway because you dont wait in stand by lines anyway.

 

[ErinAlb]

These are the very reasons those that understand FP/Refresh and then use it regularly have the success they do. While others either A. Dont plan at all, B. Dont do their research, C Dont understand how FP works or a combination of all of the above makes it really easy to enjoy the parks without a lot of effort. And in that case, wait times dont matter anyway because you dont wait in stand by lines anyway.

I disagree that learning all of this FP minutiae from scratch is "not a lot of effort." There is a ton of conflicting advice. "Be sure to get FPs for Avatar ... they are really hard to get for the morning ... get your FPs for first thing in the morning ... don't get FPs for first thing in the morning because you'll waste the low-crowd hours ... cluster FPs together so you can get more later ... don't cluster your FPs too close because you'll lose flexibility ... don't stress out, just go with the flow ... learn how to to constantly refresh your phone the whole time you are in the park and assign new FPs to split groups on the fly ... don't overthink things ... but if you have trouble it's your fault because you didn't do your research and plan well enough ... "

I think the FP refresh thing is probably great for people who have more chances to visit (and practice using the app). Then you can say, "I'll just go where the FPs are and I won't wait in any lines, and if they aren't available at some attraction I'll just do that the next time I visit." But if you're coming from far away and it's a one-time trip, and you have just one day in a given park, your 7:30 p.m. FP might be your only chance to do Avatar — and maybe you can modify it down to 5:30 p.m. But then you're still there all day with just two other FPs, and at that point it seems like inaccurate line times could easily domino your well-researched plans for a very expensive day.

 

[Mome Rath]

OK, but I guess, for instance, why would a newbie even know that you shouldn't schedule too FPs close to ADRs? The ADRs are dinner reservations for a set time, so ... aren't we in control of how long we spend eating? (I'm not being sarcastic, I'm seriously asking -- it sounds like maybe there's something I don't understand about ADRs and how predictable mealtime is?) How close are people scheduling FPs and ADRs? I just assumed we wouldn't want to book them for the same hour. But a 12 p.m. ADR followed by a 1 p.m. FP would be OK? Or a 11 a.m. FP followed by a 12 p.m. ADR would be OK?

ADR's don't guarantee a specific time, just that you are in line when a table opens up. I've shown up for ADR's early and been seated right away, I've been seated right at ADR time, and I've been seated well after ADR time. Also, some don't realize that they eat for longer than what they think, especially for something like a character meal. Another aspect is that some don't realize how far away a certain restaurant may be from the ride they want. So, it all just depends on when and where you're eating, and when and where the ride is for FP.

As to the other issues in the thread in general; I've been going to WDW long enough that I have experienced every iteration of getting on rides, except for the ticket books, which my father did when I was 5 or so. I have to say I like FP + better than any other method. We stood in line for hours before FP was instituted, and then we would only sporadically use FP, but we use FP + every single day we are there. There is a learning curve, but even just a 30 minute read will tell you the basics of what you need to know. After that, it's all subjective touring styles. I rope drop, FP, and refresh to great result. Others stay late, FP, and refresh for similar results. I've also done last minute trips and took what I could. If someone is going for a once in a lifetime trip, it's usually for a longer period of time and they know plenty of time ahead to look into how to tour successfully. I've helped friends and family do it... but that's the only real key; people who have high expectations need to realize they need a knowledge base of some type. Others who are really laid back can go with no plan or pre-knowledge and still have a ball.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Things have changed A LOT, and are constantly changing. That's just how the parks are. 15 years ago things were very, very different..

To me, your post is a too kind to WDW, and too condescending.

The parks being generally 'busy', and visitors not getting to see all they 'hope to see' have nothing to do with Disney's posted wait times being inaccurate.

No amount of planning will remedy many ways WDW often fails to deliver.

1. Being seated an hour LATE for a meal booked 6months and paid 45 days before it was eaten.

2. Magic bands that don't work, despite multiple attempts to get them fixed! It was so much fun being accused of theft when the bands didn't work, in addition to losing hours of vacation time attempting to resolve the problem.

15 years ago, tickets were simple: Park tickets were valid forever and unused days and entitlements never expired.

15 years ago was 2004,WDW food offerings were amazing. Disney still had dining RESERVATIONS and they were easy to obtain the SAME DAY you wanted to eat!

15 years ago WDW offered E-Ride Nights. Think Disney After Hours for $10, bought the SAME DAY, so you knew if you felt up for the late night hours.


Simply, WDWs service is nothing like it was 15 years ago.

 

[monkyby87]

To me, your post is a too kind to WDW, and too condescending.

The parks being generally 'busy', and visitors not getting to see all they 'hope to see' have nothing to do with Disney's posted wait times being inaccurate.

No amount of planning will remedy many ways WDW often fails to deliver.

1. Being seated an hour LATE for a meal booked 6months and paid 45 days before it was eaten.

2. Magic bands that don't work, despite multiple attempts to get them fixed! It was so much fun being accused of theft when the bands didn't work, in addition to losing hours of vacation time attempting to resolve the problem.

15 years ago, tickets were simple: Park tickets were valid forever and unused days and entitlements never expired.

15 years ago was 2004,WDW food offerings were amazing. Disney still had dining RESERVATIONS and they were easy to obtain the SAME DAY you wanted to eat!

15 years ago WDW offered E-Ride Nights. Think Disney After Hours for $10, bought the SAME DAY, so you knew if you felt up for the late night hours.


Simply, WDWs service is nothing like it was 15 years ago.

There's nothing condescending about it at all, it was merely a fact. You're right, WDW is nothing like it was 15 years ago. WDW has gotten busier and busier every single year. Disney can't keep things they way they were and expect everything to still work. In 2004 you could indeed get reservations the same day. But with the amount of people going to the parks now, it's not as easy now. It's still possible, because I actually do it all of the time. The stuff about being seated and hour late and magic bands not working? Those are the exceptions, not the rule, of which I've never experienced, ever. And all places have things like that happen from time to time. It sucks for sure, but perhaps you're being too harsh?

 

[mickeyluv'r]

ADR's don't guarantee a specific time, just that you are in line when a table opens up. I've shown up for ADR's early and been seated right away, I've been seated right at ADR time, and I've been seated well after ADR timel.

Sorry, that is lousy policy on WDW's part.

Disney used to offer dining RESERVATIONS, and other theme parks currently offer dining reservations.

If we are booking meals SIX MONTHS in ADVANCE

and many folks are PAYING for their food 45 days BEFORE eating

WDW should - generally - seat us on time.

….That many of us have accepted WDW's absurd policies is another matter.

 

[monkyby87]

OK, but I guess, for instance, why would a newbie even know that you shouldn't schedule too FPs close to ADRs? The ADRs are dinner reservations for a set time, so ... aren't we in control of how long we spend eating? (I'm not being sarcastic, I'm seriously asking -- it sounds like maybe there's something I don't understand about ADRs and how predictable mealtime is?) How close are people scheduling FPs and ADRs? I just assumed we wouldn't want to book them for the same hour. But a 12 p.m. ADR followed by a 1 p.m. FP would be OK? Or a 11 a.m. FP followed by a 12 p.m. ADR would be OK?

You do have to do a bit of planning, especially if you aren't as familiar with everything. But even if you got right in at 12:00 p.m. and got your food right away, that's still not even a full hour to eat for the start of your FP. You have an hour window to use your fastpass, but you have to consider how long you want to spend eating and the time it will take to get to your FP. As with all things when it comes to schedules (not just at WDW), stuff can happen, so it helps to have a bit of a buffer built in. I'm not trying to be condescending, as someone mentioned previously, but you're getting yourself worked up.

There are indeed lots of little tricks you can use to minimize/maximize your FP usage, but that doesn't mean any other strategy sucks. I've been to the parks many times over the years. I've gone with FP, I've gone without, I've gone early morning, I've gone late morning, etc. You name the strategy and at some point I've probably followed it to some extent. I can assure you, whichever strategy or advice you follow, you can have a good time. A little planning and the mentality that you want to enjoy yourself will make all the difference.

 

[ErinAlb]

ADR's don't guarantee a specific time, just that you are in line when a table opens up. I've shown up for ADR's early and been seated right away, I've been seated right at ADR time, and I've been seated well after ADR time. Also, some don't realize that they eat for longer than what they think, especially for something like a character meal. Another aspect is that some don't realize how far away a certain restaurant may be from the ride they want. So, it all just depends on when and where you're eating, and when and where the ride is for FP.

Oh, I thought these were like dinner reservations. So, how long should I plan on possibly waiting? I don't think anyone in my party realizes that "reservation" means something different from what it means at any other restaurant.

 

[monkyby87]

Oh, I thought these were like dinner reservations. So, how long should I plan on possibly waiting? I don't think anyone in my party realizes that "reservation" means something different from what it means at any other restaurant.

It depends, but I would say on average 10-15 minutes. But like @Mome Rath said, you can get in earlier than your wait time even. It just depends on the restaurant and how busy things are.

 

[Remy is Up]

I disagree that learning all of this FP minutiae from scratch is "not a lot of effort." There is a ton of conflicting advice. "Be sure to get FPs for Avatar ... they are really hard to get for the morning ... get your FPs for first thing in the morning ... don't get FPs for first thing in the morning because you'll waste the low-crowd hours ... cluster FPs together so you can get more later ... don't cluster your FPs too close because you'll lose flexibility ... don't stress out, just go with the flow ... learn how to to constantly refresh your phone the whole time you are in the park and assign new FPs to split groups on the fly ... don't overthink things ... but if you have trouble it's your fault because you didn't do your research and plan well enough ... "

I think the FP refresh thing is probably great for people who have more chances to visit (and practice using the app). Then you can say, "I'll just go where the FPs are and I won't wait in any lines, and if they aren't available at some attraction I'll just do that the next time I visit." But if you're coming from far away and it's a one-time trip, and you have just one day in a given park, your 7:30 p.m. FP might be your only chance to do Avatar — and maybe you can modify it down to 5:30 p.m. But then you're still there all day with just two other FPs, and at that point it seems like inaccurate line times could easily domino your well-researched plans for a very expensive day.

And thats when you make sure you use RD or EMH to assure you get on FoP. WDW is not a place that you can just go to without a plan or understanding how to maximize EMH,RD, Refresh/FP, and even AH events. You can but I believe it is more frustrating to people when they do it that way and then become disillusioned or like to say the way WDW does things doesnt work. There are a ton of things they can improve on. Noone disputes that in the least, even the most die hard go all the time people. But, what you have to do is adapt to the way things work at the time you go and then adjust your plans based on whats important to you. Relying on posted wait times, crowd calendars etc isnt going to make a difference in your day. Either getting up early and using RD or EMH if on property or learning how to manage refresh and FPs is always going to be the best method at the moment under the current guidelines to maximize what you want to do. The problem many run into is the amount of learning involved, time invested prior to the trip is more than they are willing to invest. If I were spending that kind of money for a long trip without understanding what Im getting into, then thats on me. When I travel to another country I learn everything I can so Im not surprised when Im there. WDW is the same concept. So in your last example, rather than wasting FP on FoP, get out of bed and be there an hour before RD or if on property use EMH and youll be able to do it without blowing your whole day or sitting on FPs. Its all about how you plan it within the confines of the system and then being flexible to change quickly when situations warrant it.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

My time is worth

The stuff about being seated and hour late and magic bands not working?

WDW has become more crowded because they spend more on advertising. Folks from South America didn't pop out of thin air; WDW advertises to them.

More visitors (wider advertising) should = increased capacity, not policies that abuse our customer loyalty.
It isn't normal to wait an hour past a pre-paid meal, especially one that was booked 6 months in advance.

If any normal business treated their customers that way, normal customers would expect a full refund.

Does WDW do that when they waist an hour of our vacation time?


If a week at WDW costs $5000, with 119 waking hours (168-49 hours/sleep), then EVERY hour of lost vacation time = a loss of $42.

 

[monkyby87]

My time is worth

WDW has become more crowded because they spend more on advertising. Folks from South America didn't pop out of thin air; WDW advertises to them.

More visitors (wider advertising) should = increased capacity, not policies that abuse our customer loyalty.
It isn't normal to wait an hour past a pre-paid meal, especially one that was booked 6 months in advance.

If any normal business treated their customers that way, normal customers would expect a full refund.

Does WDW do that when they waist an hour of our vacation time?


If a week at WDW costs $5000, with 119 waking hours (168-49 hours/sleep), then EVERY hour of lost vacation time = a loss of $42.

You keep mentioning this hour past thing with a meal. That doesn't happen, and isn't normal. It may have happened, sure, but that's the exception, not the rule.

You can also choose to not go, if they're wasting so much time and money like you said.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

The problem many run into is the amount of learning involved, time invested prior to the trip is more than they are willing to invest.

So in your last example, rather than wasting FP on FoP, get out of bed and be there an hour before RD or if on property use EMH and youll be able to do it without blowing your whole day or sitting on FPs. Its all about how you plan it within the confines of the system and then being flexible to change quickly when situations warrant it.

I've been going to WDW for over 40 years. I think I know how it works.

I'm not the problem when I'm not seated on time or WDW's technology doesn't work.

Waiting is waiting. A lost hour of my time is a lost hour of my time.

Y'know, a rose by any other name and all.