Reserving judgment on FP+

[Eldon_Brasche]

When I first learned of the new FP+ system I, like many, was upset at the thought of being limited in my ability to make FP selections as I was before. I also disliked the notion of not being able to hop and make selections at multiple parks per day. On the other hand, I really liked the idea of being able to make FP selections ahead of time to eliminate the “running of the bulls” to get them. I can’t recall how many times I did not ride TSM because the FP’s were all gone before I was able to secure one. I’m not much for standing in lines; about 15 minutes is my limit, though I am flexible enough to make exceptions but that only includes an increase of up to about a 20 minute wait at best so the idea of securing one before entering the park seems like a win-win for me in that regard.

Now that I have tried FP+, I must say that I found a lot to like (room admittance, park entrance, dining/charging) even though the limitations are somewhat significant with respect to the tight restrictions on rides. With that being said, many people are frustrated over the idea of having to book attractions 60 days in advance and I can appreciate that for some, this takes away the spontaneity. Keep in mind that you can get many if not most attractions the day of without much of an issue. I just tried it earlier today as I have done so for many days as a test and I can confirm that getting a fast past for Test Track or Soarin is possible on the same day and the availability is pretty wide open as for return times. Toy Story is a bit more of a challenge but I have had no trouble getting one the day before at just about any time throughout the day or early on the day of with a few select times available.

For me, the biggest issue is the facts that all of the information currently available about FP+ leaves me to think that the current limits are the best it will be. My own logical thought process tells me this isn't so as it is still in testing and I simply lack the requisite information needed to make a final assessment. Perhaps others are feeling the same way in that Disney is not really providing much information as to what the future state is going to be. FP+ seen as a radical transformational change to a system that many people liked in its previous incarnation so it stands to reason that the change management for this is huge. As it stands right now, Disney is failing on the change management side of this transformation. In my day job, when we introduce a new system we always communicate out what the long term vision (future state) is going to be so that people can adjust their expectations along the way as we work toward that future state. Perhaps Disney is being extra cautious in sharing information as they may need to make adjustments to the system as they go, which is understandable but the lack of information is causing a lot of unnecessary excitement. With requirements management being the most crucial element of a new project, balancing the voice of the customer against the voice of the business often leads to a struggle and I’m sure there have been many heated discussions over how to manage those requirements. As this is a change that affects the park visitors, I’d love to know how many actual visitors were consulted on this to capture their voice.

In conclusion: for all the good and bad with the new system, the fact remains that it is still being rolled out and many changes are yet to come. I’m not ready to throw away my AP, cancel my flights and swear off Disney until I have experienced the full brunt of the system in full production at which time I can say with complete certainty whether the system meets my expectations or not.
Judgment reserved.

 

[PSUGuy]

We all view change through our personal lens. For years we'd hit a park at RD, get most of the E Ticket rides in without needing a FP then we'd hop to Epcot for the balance of the day and the FP window was so far into the evening as to be useless to us. Last Oct we were guinea pigs for MBs and FP+ and it improved our experience. We still hit a park at RD, still got a lot done sans FP but we'd have rides waiting for us at Epcot thanks to FP+.

Your mileage may vary, but we're not complaining.

Bill From PA

 

[BuckeyeBama]

We all view change through our personal lens. For years we'd hit a park at RD, get most of the E Ticket rides in without needing a FP then we'd hop to Epcot for the balance of the day and the FP window was so far into the evening as to be useless to us. Last Oct we were guinea pigs for MBs and FP+ and it improved our experience. We still hit a park at RD, still got a lot done sans FP but we'd have rides waiting for us at Epcot thanks to FP+.

Your mileage may vary, but we're not complaining.

Bill From PA

A great strategy!