I don't recall stating FP+ frustrated me. In fact I specifically said more than once that I wasn't commenting on whether or not FP+ was good or bad. Only that it increased pre-planning.
I never once said that there wasn't any planning required around RunDisney things. What I said was that, comparing 2 very similar events - one pre-FP+, one post-FP+, the one post-FP+ required much more pre-planning.
Perhaps for you. But your planning that you have spelled out quite clearly seems PAR as in normal. As in--not exceptional to the FP+ experience. Maybe it was something you felt you had to do. But if you acknowledge pre-planning is required, maybe you just did much less planning than other race participants in the past. Between flights and attractions, you felt you had to do more. The challenge is isolating whether this is a direct result of FP+ or a result of your concerns that if you didn't rise to the occasion, that you would miss out.
The only RunDisney events we did that weekend were the run and the spectator party (which were happening at the same time). This was the same for the TOT 10 miler in 2013. DH went out to the expo on his own via taxi to pick up his packet while my friend and I were at DTD. There was no need to plan that at all, as he did it on Saturday afternoon, and DH did not enter a park at all that day until the run.
So he if he did exactly the same thing this year or similar, how did this require more pre-planning due to FP+? And if you opted to do the same or similar, where is the more pre-planning required?
FP+ has zero impact on any of that.
My friend and I went to epcot around 8:00pm ish, using our spectator party tx for entry. There was *nothing else* to plan around. You seem to be making the assumption that there was a lot of other run-related things we were planning around. There weren't.
You may have had other race-related things to plan around on your runs, but that doesn't mean we did.
How did FP+ require additional pre-planning than was more than what you did here?
I never said they weren't a consideration *at all*. I said they weren't something we had any need at all to consider 2 months before the 2013 trip. There was nothing that could have or would have been accomplished by doing so 2 months before the 2013 trip. It was taken into account *once we were on property,* as I stated, but not before.
But per your own detailed description--you had zero plans that would have required Fp+ because not a single thing required it one year later. So it sounds like you could have done exactly the same thing with the same amount of pre-planning which was to plan your activity (that day, that week, or whenever you opted for those choices) as a non-park day around an event on the evening .
I said it was more *pre-planning* for us. Emphasis on the pre - as in, before arrival on property. For an example..last year there was nothing that would be accomplished by predicting what time we'd get back to the hotel the night of the run, and what time we'd wake up the next day. Instead, we experienced the run/party, got back to the hotel - saw what time it was, then decided what time we'd get up the next morning and head out.
So you are telling me that it required pre-planning to know that you may be up late and may not make park opening in 2014?
Because again--it would take 5 seconds to realize that FP+ in the morning may not be a wise choice. Be it that night or 60 days prior. Same amount if time spent on that "plan" and your complete free will choice on when to think that thought.
Yes, I chose to use FP+. In choosing to use FP+ on a RunDisney weekend where DH was running an event, this amount of pre-planning was required.
Not really--race day could be identical with no pre-planning since you did no parks until party time. And it doesn't take rocket science to figure out instantly that a late night more than likely means not an early morning.
We saw varying reports of the flexibility of FP+, and we weren't willing to take the chance that we wouldn't be able to get any headliner FP+ if we waited til the night before/day of to choose FP+. We were glad we didn't as we were at DHS the day after W&D, and we did not find there to be much flexibility with FP+ for headliners at this park. In order to schedule FP+ prior to arrival, the additional questions we had to consider (3a/b/c, etc) needed to be answered.
Your choice, but I am having difficulty quantifying this more pre-planning--being fully aware in 2013 that your decide the night before what time to get to the parks would have also meant limited to no FP- on headliners as well as lengthy lines in standby.
To me--the pre-planning you emphasize did not seem as necessary as you are claiming. Given that people who fly in can and do plan around their ME arrival (we did in 2012).
My only point was that this amount of pre-planning was *not* needed on a similar RunDisney weekend prior to FP+ - *for us*.
for what you describe it was not necessarily required this time given that emphasis that it was "more" with no real description of how much time this took in reality. Moving it up 60 days sooner is not necessarily "more" so much as it is EARLIER.
You still made a plan for race day even if it did not require you to use
MDE to do so.
I have only ever been talking about *my* experience.
on a thread where we we discussing whomever's experience comes up as it relates on response to the OP.[/QUOTE]
I have not said this is indicative of all of FP+. I have not actually said anything negative about FP+ in this regard at all.
no, but you responded to a thread on the loss of spontaneity and said that you had to plan more due to FP+. You just planned differently and earlier.
The only good/bad comment I made about FP+ was that we did really appreciate having FP+ for TSMM the day after the 1/2 marathon, as we wouldn't have been able to ride it otherwise. The SB line was too long to do that, and also see the shows that DH wanted to see (like LMA, which likely won't be there on our next trip).
We always appreciate FP for that ride. On a late arrival due to a late race the night before, you would have been out of luck if not for that planning unless you wanted to stand in a 90+ minute line.
I try very hard not to dismiss or invalidate other people's experiences in the parks, no matter what they may be. Someone could be there the same weekend I was, but go to different parks on different days and have a totally different experience.
I try hard not to as well. I can only go on by what you post and in what I infer from what you post. I simply called into question your race experience as requiring anything more than normal due to FP+.
By your explanation above, I still don't see the "more" you keep emphasizing.
You yourself have said that you haven't done the TOT 10 miler, so you really can't say that my comparison of the experiences we had at the TOT 10 miler in 2013 and the Wine & Dine 1/2 in 2014 are invalid.
Nope--not yet. But I do know that,
After what you have described, that my planning will be similar
To all other marathon trips I have taken.
I never said the experience was invalid, btw.
When questioned, I do agree that I question(and I guess invalidate? The magnitude of "more" that you keep sharing on a thread about no more spontenity in Disney and have explained that in more detail above with additional questioned.
It seems you are saying that FP+ created a greater burden aka need
To pre-plan. What I see is maybe 10 minutes of--if we want to do DHS--we might as well get our FP+ booked. Done.
Maybe that is 10 minutes more than in 2013--but that it rises to the occasion of posting (vaguely) that your trip required more pre-planning with me envisioning the complaint threads or folks stalking MDE at midnight on their to date--I am not so sure.
To explain why---
For fun, I just now tried for 2 people (we have APs) for a FP to TSMM on Christmas Day--was able to book it first thing on the morning and in 30 seconds view 3 other options just has availability through the afternoon.
Switched over to MK--got all mountains in morning, afternoon or evening on Christmas Day. So if I dared venture over there (from home, not park hopping obviously) with less than 2 weeks to go, I had a wide range of options.
5 minutes has elapsed since I began exploring. More than I spent last year for a day trip on 12/25, but hardly worth a mention as though this were a flaw of the system--a word you did not use but could EASILY be inferred from who you chose to post.
So I ask -- how much time DID you spend on this "more pre-planning" relative to last year?
). If lines are short and we want to re-ride, we will. Or if not, we move on. When lines get too long towards late morning, we hit a show, playground/interactive experience, and eat, again mostly spontaneously depending on mood and line conditions. Our FP+s are scattered about in the busy times. We leave for an afternoon break and come back when lines have died down in the evening. Have an ADR for dinner somewhere. Being flexible and responding to the current situation is essential to having a fun and relaxing vacation for us. I do not see the point in planning out every step of the itinerary and would not want to vacation that way. FP+ is actually quite helpful for our touring style, b/c we have those headliners secured in advance and can relax and do all the rest opportunistically in mornings/evenings, no more running around the park "securing" FPs.
I wouldn't want to spend all week at HS ..., but as long as it's mixed up through the week, don't really see how it matters whether you go to EP on Monday and AK on Tuesday or the other way around. I'd rather go to wherever the lines are shortest - my personal preference. 
Thanks..it will be a blast regardless, we always love a great adventure!
