Spontaneity at WDW Gone

[Laketravis]

Does anyone have the link to that site handy to see what it says about the upcoming Christmas holiday?

Do you mean this one?

http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/fastpass-availability

 

[Money82]

Here is one at 30 days out.

Irrelevant. What you're not getting is that in my case (when I went Nov 14-21), I logged in at 60 days and was unable to locate 7D on the first day of my trip and a few other days as well.

So in MY CASE, logging in at Day 60 was absolutely mandatory for securing at least a couple 7D fastpasses.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

Irrelevant. What you're not getting is that in my case (when I went Nov 14-21), I logged in at 60 days and was unable to locate 7D on the first day of my trip and a few other days as well.

So in MY CASE, logging in at Day 60 was absolutely mandatory for securing at least a couple 7D fastpasses.

Now it's YOUR case, but what I quoted was an absolute statement made by you to discredit another poster. It made no mention of YOUR case.

 

[Money82]

Now it's YOUR case, but what I quoted was an absolute statement made by you to discredit another poster. It made no mention of YOUR case.

You actually didn't quote anything I said, all you did was post an image of your FP times.

But sure, you could roll the dice and gamble like you did and wait and see what's left. Perhaps you find it, perhaps you don't. However, after spending 5K plus, I don't like leaving things to chance.

 

[wisblue]

Now ya'll have me concerned. This caveman is headed to Universal Orlando 12/30-1/5 and we have not planned a single thing.

Nada. Zilch. Nothing. We just made on-site hotel reservations and bought AP's.

We've never been there before. Is there a Universal website or app we should be using right now to plan and reserve our spots? Are we not going to be able to experience the headliners? Are there places we won't be able to eat at? Will we be facing hour long or longer queues for the most popular attractions? Is there anything we should be doing right now for this SPONTANEOUS trip we have planned so that we don't miss out on anything when we get there?

I know you're being sarcastic, but between (1) a week at a resort with 2 parks, (2) one hour early entry every day, (3) front of the line access to all but a couple of attractions, and (4) parks that are not as popular or crowded as WDW, you will have no trouble doing everything many times over. Universal and WDW are significantly different animals, and if Universal were as popular as WDW they wouldn't be able to offer some of the perks they do.

Based on things you have said, you should absolutely love Universal if for no reason other than the ability to ride certain things over and over and over again. But, for people who have done both and greatly prefer WDW, what we could do at Universal is totally irrelevant. My wife, for example, has no interest in thrill rides, getting wet on rides, or Harry Potter, and doesn't know or care anything about comic book superheroes. if we go to Universal for a day she stays back and lounges around the resort. If I told her we were going to spend a week at Universal she would tell me to let her know when I was coming home.

 

[wisblue]

Do you mean this one?

http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/fastpass-availability

No, it was something that came out of the UK. If I remember it right they listed availability based on a party of 4. It was just a chart that showed whether something was available or not, it didn't list times.

 

[Laketravis]

I know you're being sarcastic....

Not at all. I'm wondering if there is any planning we should be doing. So thanks for pointing out that none is required.

Based on things you have said, you should absolutely love Universal if for no reason other than the ability to ride certain things over and over and over again.

Where, in 4 years of posting, have I ever said I love or want to ride certain things over and over and over again? Quite the contrary, I don't seek redundancy at all.

But I do have this really strange aversion to very long waiting lines....

 

[Laketravis]

No, it was something that came out of the UK. If I remember it right they listed availability based on a party of 4. It was just a chart that showed whether something was available or not, it didn't list times.

Oh, you mean this one?

http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=10123554&postcount=1

 

[wisblue]

Oh, you mean this one?

http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=10123554&postcount=1

Yes, this one says that, other than the things listed, FPs for other attractions are normally available same day.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

You actually didn't quote anything I said, all you did was post an image of your FP times.

But sure, you could roll the dice and gamble like you did and wait and see what's left. Perhaps you find it, perhaps you don't. However, after spending 5K plus, I don't like leaving things to chance.

I did quote you. You just missed it somehow. I made mine at less than 50 days out. The picture is not during my vacation week. It was what I found today for 30 days from now. I searched it to see if my ability to book at less than 60 days out was an anomaly.

 

[Money82]

But I do have this really strange aversion to very long waiting lines....

You don't enjoy standing in long lines which provide one with the distinct pleasure of being able to identify who did and didn't take a shower in the morning? What an odd being you are.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Irrelevant. What you're not getting is that in my case (when I went Nov 14-21), I logged in at 60 days and was unable to locate 7D on the first day of my trip and a few other days as well.

So in MY CASE, logging in at Day 60 was absolutely mandatory for securing at least a couple 7D fastpasses.

Your case is different than making a generalized statement which you may or may not have done (I have not checked, yet.)

Sounds like you went at a more popular time relative to the date the prior poster just checked.

Also, it sounds like that on the 60th day, you may have still missed out (I assume it must have been available later in your trip?).

 

[Laketravis]

Yes, this one says that, other than the things listed, for other attractions are normally available same day.

By that I suppose you mean all of the red blocks that indicate there are no more FP's available?

 

[wisblue]

Where, in 4 years of posting, have I ever said I love or want to ride certain things over and over and over again? Quite the contrary, I don't seek redundancy at all..

I seem to remember you talking about riding Space Mountain 6 times in a row or something like that but, if that wasn't you, I'll retract that part.

If you don't like redundancy, I'm not sure how you could keep yourself entertained for 16 days at WDW with 10 or more park days, or for 7 days at Universal. With early entry and front of the line passes I would think you would be repeating things before too long.

 

[Money82]

Anyone get the feeling that we've got some passionate Disney employees posting here in an effort to defend FP+ at all costs?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Now ya'll have me concerned. This caveman is headed to Universal Orlando 12/30-1/5 and we have not planned a single thing.

Nada. Zilch. Nothing. We just made on-site hotel reservations and bought AP's.

We've never been there before. Is there a Universal website or app we should be using right now to plan and reserve our spots? Are we not going to be able to experience the headliners? Are there places we won't be able to eat at? Will we be facing hour long or longer queues for the most popular attractions? Is there anything we should be doing right now for this SPONTANEOUS trip we have planned so that we don't miss out on anything when we get there?

The fact they sell FOTL privileges and offer it to their hotel guests always has me concerned. It does require us to prioritize what we wish to do and their lack of a variety of things (an app or centralized time board) are things that are missed. So we still pre-plan our touring strategy. And we are afraid we will miss out on stuff due to the lack of tools that could even be used on the same day and their lack of a FREE fastpass equivilant to guests who are not staying on site or paid a premium to get it.

Yet we still has fun when we went and had no complaints, but our window of going is much much narrower trying for much smaller crowds to mitigate the absence of features we utilize at Disney. Yet--we.still.plan. In a similar timeframe.

We are too big for a room there as well.

But clearly you have nothing to worry about since you have paid for the privilege of virtual walk on to every ride with that feature. Yay you!

Disney has far too many on site guests for that to be a practical offering. Darn their luck.

 

[Laketravis]

Anyone get the feeling that we've got some passionate Disney employees posting here in an effort to defend FP+ at all costs?

I've often suspected that.

I seem to remember you talking about riding Space Mountain 6 times in a row or something like that but, if that wasn't you, I'll retract that part.

DS did the first year he was tall enough to do so. I certainly didn't and the reason it was possible was because every time I pulled 3 FP's it was only he and DW riding. So I think I pulled 3 FP's four times, which meant he was able to ride 6 times. One event like that over the course of the four years we've been taking him hardly amounts to the characterization that only an obsessive individual who rides over and over and over again would have an issue with FP.

If you don't like redundancy, I'm not sure how you could keep yourself entertained for 16 days at WDW with 10 or more park days, or for 7 days at Universal. With early entry and front of the line passes I would think you would be repeating things before too long.

But Wis .... there's SO MUCH MORE to do at WDW than rides, right?

 

[nkereina]

Irrelevant. What you're not getting is that in my case (when I went Nov 14-21), I logged in at 60 days and was unable to locate 7D on the first day of my trip and a few other days as well.

So in MY CASE, logging in at Day 60 was absolutely mandatory for securing at least a couple 7D fastpasses.

Just to buttress this, we were also there 11/14-11/19, and were only able to obtain 7DMT FPs on the last day of our trip when booking on the exact 60 day mark. It wasn't until Disney "magically" released a ton of additional FPs a week or two before our trip that we were able to book one for the first day of our trip. I think they are playing with availability when they release them, which may explain why someone is able to get one at the 30 day mark.

 

[Money82]

Just to buttress this, we were also there 11/14-11/19, and were only able to obtain 7DMT FPs on the last day of our trip when booking on the exact 60 day mark. It wasn't until Disney "magically" released a ton of additional FPs a week or two before our trip that we were able to book one for the first day of our trip. I think they are playing with availability when they release them, which may explain why someone is able to get one at the 30 day mark.

I will say, that there were a couple days where we switched our days to Magic and I was unable to get FP+ for 7D or Peter Pan. So that right there should tell you everything you need to know about "spontaneity."

I mean for God's sakes, I saw people being turned away from Beaches & Cream because they didn't have a reservation. A burger & ice cream joint turning people away because they didn't have an ADR. Lots of spontaneity there.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[wisblue]

By that I suppose you mean all of the red blocks that indicate there are no more FP's available?

No, you suppose wrong.

These charts cover 7DMT, TSMM, and a variety of shows and character greetings.

In the introduction it says "Only the attractions that get booked up in advance are listed. Other attractions are normally available on the day."

I am reading this to say that FPs for things like Soarin, Test Track, RNRC, all of the rides at DAK, Peter Pan, the mountains, etc. are "normally" available same day. That may not mean that they are available each and every day, or that they last all day (which I know isn't true), or that there is a wide selection of times. But it's a far cry from saying that you have to book in advance to get anything good.

Would you read that differently?