The Future of Fast Pass Plus

[lauritagoddess]

I think a lot depends on what you mean by the average guest. A lot of the responses assume the average guest is staying at a WDW resort or booking a package with Disney and would get the magnets and reminders. But I think the average guest is more likely one who stays off-site and for whom this might all be a surprise to. I was talking to a woman in my office who has been going to Disney once year for the last 10 years or so. She has a time share so never stays on-site. She had no clue about FP+ and booking FP in advance. When she was last there last year they still had regular FP and she seemed to vaguely remember the mickey heads at the rides and seeing some people with magic bands, but that was the extent of her awareness. And she's someone who's been to WDW multiple times. I can imagine a newbie who's staying offsite would be even more clueless about it all.

We used FP+ last August when it was still in the testing phase and we were still able to pull paper FP at the same time as using our FP+. It will be interesting to see how our upcoming trip will be in a few weeks now that it's in full swing. For now the only thing I'd really like to see so far would be allowing the additional FP+ to be booked from the app rather than at a kiosk, but I guess I'll have a better opinion once we're back.

 

[mom2rtk]

Not sure what you're saying lol. I'm on the side of the average guest will not make any extra efforts. I'm also on the side that disney does pretty much all they can to get across the resources they offer to have faster access to the attractions. It's the whole lead a horse to water thing.

Since we all love analogies let's use that one. They are the horses who won't drink. Before with old FP we were the horses that were like "We ain't stupid. Were drinking it up!!" Now with FP+ disney is saying "yes we know you uber users know how to drink the water. We need to pump the breaks on your water drinkage and leave some water for the ignorant horses."

Whether it be less FP users ahead of them or they actually make a reservation. Both scenarios are to their advantage. One just less obvious than the other.

I'm just saying that it's hard to believe that you really NEED to schedule ride times in advance for an amusement park. So even though you might TELL people they need to schedule ride times, their brain is saying "that's sort of nuts, I just don't believe it". So they don't do it.

 

[surferdave]

Ok........so we don't understand each other. Where do you get your information that "not even a moderate % of their guests" are buying in? Where are those statistics? You'll say most who you speak with don't..........and I'll say the opposite.......but neither of us know the actual figure. You're speculating................IMO using the feedback on the boards doesn't tell the story because most here are "hardcore" Disney folks with opinions they're very willing to espouse. Both pro and con...........

Doug

I didn't try to give a number of how many have been doing it so far, I said Disney should not expect many guests to do so, at least in the long run. I am skeptical that many people are doing a lot of pre-planning but I won't hazard a guess on the percentages.

 

[Suvadoo]

I just listened to the WDW today podcast Episode 1374. It was interesting. According to Len Testa, most visitors to WDW do not want to make ride reservations prior to their arrival and they don't want to use their I phones
while in the parks.

So I guess FP+ isn't exactly the resounding success it was meant to be. Evidently the new SB + Disney is using for E & A and is now testing on Soarin', is to placate guests who are unhappy with the new FP+ system. Len did say that it was very similar to Legacy FP, but with this system you can obtain multiple SB tickets since they're issued by a cast member and not attached to your theme park admission.

My goodness if people thought there was widespread legacy FP abuse before, it's nothing compared to what you can do with the new system. Now, a savvy Epcot park goer can reserve FP+from their recliner and then go to CM's at rope drop and pick up SB+ tickets until they run out. And just think, the next place they'll be implementing is TSMM.

I know FP+ was a huge investment, but I think it was also a huge mistake. If Disney can't convince a majority of their guests that they need to make ride reservations and use their app and I phone while in the parks, I think they'll have to return to regular standby lines with or without legacy FP.

This system is way too complicated most Disney guests. I know Bob Iger is a big tech geek, but his park guests aren't. Bad decisions just keep getting badder!

 

[mom2rtk]

I just listened to the WDW today podcast Episode 1374. It was interesting. According to Len Testa, most visitors to WDW do not want to make ride reservations prior to their arrival and they don't want to use their I phones
while in the parks.

So I guess FP+ isn't exactly the resounding success it was meant to be. Evidently the new SB + Disney is using for E & A and is now testing on Soarin', is to placate guests who are unhappy with the new FP+ system. Len did say that it was very similar to Legacy FP, but with this system you can obtain multiple SB tickets since they're issued by a cast member and not attached to your theme park admission.

My goodness if people thought there was widespread legacy FP abuse before, it's nothing compared to what you can do with the new system. Now, a savvy Epcot park goer can reserve FP+from their recliner and then go to CM's at rope drop and pick up SB+ tickets until they run out. And just think, the next place they'll be implementing is TSMM.

I know FP+ was a huge investment, but I think it was also a huge mistake. If Disney can't convince a majority of their guests that they need to make ride reservations and use their app and I phone while in the parks, I think they'll have to return to regular standby lines with or without legacy FP.

This system is way too complicated most Disney guests. I know Bob Iger is a big tech geek, but his park guests aren't. Bad decisions just keep getting badder!

Better make those TT Fps for late morning now. More time to get through the Soarin SB+ distribution queue a half a dozen or so times.

Is it time to resurrect my image of a man in a trenchcoat (in the hot FL sun) skirting the edges of the park looking for people who want to buy SB+ passes for the day?

 

[Suvadoo]

Is it time to resurrect my image of a man in a trenchcoat (in the hot FL sun) skirting the edges of the park looking for people who want to buy SB+ passes for the day?

A whole new industry! Think of all the money you can make scalping SB+ tickets!!

 

[surferdave]

I just listened to the WDW today podcast Episode 1374. It was interesting. According to Len Testa, most visitors to WDW do not want to make ride reservations prior to their arrival and they don't want to use their I phones while in the parks.

I hate being right all the time.

 

[Suvadoo]

I hate being right all the time.

It must be really tough!

 

[dkrauss]

:

I hate being right all the time.

Apparently you're right ............what's the end result? You're the golden god of this thread? Well isn't that obvious... The problem is still the problem isn't it? Do you believe going back to paper FP solves the A&E problem? Would it lower the standby lines? I wonder......

I thought it was interesting in Mr. Testa's comments he uses the words "significant" and then "tiny" in explaining the number of guests who don't want to reserve their rides or use iPhones. Aren't significant and tiny opposites...........just thought it was interesting (you can hear that section at 9:00 to 9:22 in the podcast)

Well I've lost..................time to go update my FP+times

Doug

 

[Mad Hattered]

I hate being right all the time.

The Dark Knight is Always Right has a certain ring to it.

Not to be confused with golden god.

 

[surferdave]

Apparently you're right ............what's the end result? You're the golden god of this thread? Well isn't that obvious...

Relax, it's just a movie quote. About problems at a theme park, no less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DO0kxKMHIA

The problem is still the problem isn't it? Do you believe going back to paper FP solves the A&E problem? Would it lower the standby lines? I wonder......

Nope. I said earlier in this thread that anything other than increasing attraction capacity is just a shell game. Disney is like a popular restaurant owner running a buffet who adds on a new wing full of tables to seat guests (since that's where the money is) and doubles down on his promotions and advertising but doesn't expand his kitchen or put out any more food than he did before.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Nope. I said earlier in this thread that anything other than increasing attraction capacity is just a shell game. Disney is like a popular restaurant owner running a buffet who adds on a new wing full of tables to seat guests (since that's where the money is) and doubles down on his promotions and advertising but doesn't expand his kitchen or put out any more food than he did before.

Excellent!!!! Best analogy I've heard!

The only way out is expand park hours. I remember a few years ago they were testing EMH at the water parks all summer.

My memory isn't what it used to be but I thought I remember a summer where almost every morning there was a EMH for MK. There is no law that says you can't have EMH every morning for MK during the summer plus rotate through the other parks.

 

[Suvadoo]

Excellent!!!! Best analogy I've heard!

The only way out is expand park hours. I remember a few years ago they were testing EMH at the water parks all summer.

My memory isn't what it used to be but I thought I remember a summer where almost every morning there was a EMH for MK. There is no law that says you can't have EMH every morning for MK during the summer plus rotate through the other parks.

Agreed. But I think they need to expand park hours along with increasing EMH.
But these are additional band-aides. What they really need is more attractions at Epcot and DHS.

 

[MrInfinity]

Is it just me or does FP+ seem like an awful lot of work for a vacation?

I don't think it's a lot of work. You can pick a weeks worth of fast passes in 30 min online, and you have 2 months to do it.

I keep reading posts on how to book fastpasses: First pick the attractions you want, then let the MDE select the times,

STOP... most people can just stop here, and are happy to do so.

then go in and edit the times for the times you want. All of this information is only learned from other users' experiences.

Carrying on, yes, for those who WANT to micro manage, the facilities are there to accommodate them. But further editing is purely by choice / desire!

Once you're in the parks and have used your 3 FP's go to a kiosk and wait in a line to avoid waiting in an attraction line and try to get a 4th FP.

I did not ever wait more than 5 min in a FP line in May. It will be worse in the summer, but it was pretty darn good in May.

From what I've read on the boards, aside from the glitches, most people like FP+. The DisBoards,however, are loaded with Disney Fanatics and this is a small subset of WDW visitors. The average WDW visitor does minimal or no research prior to visiting WDW.

I travelled with several "non-gurus" and they all loved it. Tho they weren't into the 60-day night before thing like me, by the 1-2 weeks preceding the trip, they were in there tweaking things.

How do you think the average park goer is coping with FP+?

Very well actually. Because Disney brings FP to your phone, and every visitor these days has a phone, it is just natural. If you can handle using your phone to get on facebook (which pretty much everyone can) then you can handle this.

For the guest who is not smart-phone-savvy, (like say, my mom) FP+ is a big downer. But really, that is not Disney's target audience... their target is the 20- and 30-somethings with young families, and for those ppl it's perfect.

Do you believe FP+ will last?

Last? It will grow. And spread. Disney pioneers, others copy.

If so, do you think it will remain as it is, or think it will be modified? What modifications will be made?

Sorry my crystal ball is broken... but of course they will continue to tweak it. Will be interesting to see how different it is in 2015 when we go back compared to our experience this year.

 

[Suvadoo]

For the guest who is not smart-phone-savvy, (like say, my mom) FP+ is a big downer. But really, that is not Disney's target audience... their target is the 20- and 30-somethings with young families, and for those ppl it's perfect.
.

I don't know if you're right about the target audience. There are an awful lot of baby boomers 50's - 70's that grew up with Walt Disney in their living rooms. And they have a lot of spare time and quite a few are pretty wealthy. These are some of the people that don't want to use their smart phones in the parks and they are the one of the reasons Disney is trying SB+.

 

[Toadlover]

I just listened to the WDW today podcast Episode 1374. It was interesting. According to Len Testa, most visitors to WDW do not want to make ride reservations prior to their arrival and they don't want to use their I phones
while in the parks.

So I guess FP+ isn't exactly the resounding success it was meant to be. Evidently the new SB + Disney is using for E & A and is now testing on Soarin', is to placate guests who are unhappy with the new FP+ system. Len did say that it was very similar to Legacy FP, but with this system you can obtain multiple SB tickets since they're issued by a cast member and not attached to your theme park admission.

My goodness if people thought there was widespread legacy FP abuse before, it's nothing compared to what you can do with the new system. Now, a savvy Epcot park goer can reserve FP+from their recliner and then go to CM's at rope drop and pick up SB+ tickets until they run out. And just think, the next place they'll be implementing is TSMM.

I know FP+ was a huge investment, but I think it was also a huge mistake. If Disney can't convince a majority of their guests that they need to make ride reservations and use their app and I phone while in the parks, I think they'll have to return to regular standby lines with or without legacy FP.

This system is way too complicated most Disney guests. I know Bob Iger is a big tech geek, but his park guests aren't. Bad decisions just keep getting badder!

Do you have to have an iphone to use FP+ and does it work for more than one band?

 

[ilovemk76]

I don't know if you're right about the target audience. There are an awful lot of baby boomers 50's - 70's that grew up with Walt Disney in their living rooms. And they have a lot of spare time and quite a few are pretty wealthy. These are some of the people that don't want to use their smart phones in the parks and they are the one of the reasons Disney is trying SB+.

I am in the group and I am certainly able to use FP+ on my IPhone. I have used FP+ on three trips.

 

[Toadlover]

Really not sure how to answer this. Do I think the newbies will remain blissfully unaware? Yes. Do the uber users have their quota reduced? Yes. Who does this benefit? The average guest who is blissfully unaware in the standby line. Why does this system benefit them? Because uber users aren't jumping in front over and over again. I believe for a lot of rides (A&E mine train being the exception) there are lots of unused FP+ slots. These are distributed through shorter standby.

I had a client who went recently to disney world. I had tried to give her advice before her trip about making ride reservations and things but she just didn't get it. She did NO research at all. When I asked her about her trip and what she rode I went through my favorites. Did you ride Peter Pan? No. Did you ride HM? No. Splash mountain? No. Pirates? No Of course being an uber fan I'm really irritated at this point.

They rode the magic carpets.....jungle cruise....and buzz lightyear. That's it! This is the average guest people I'm telling you!!

Is it just me or rather than shorten the Fp+ line, they're lengthening the "regular" line. Longer than it would've been without fastpass to begin with.

 

[Toadlover]

I am in the group and I am certainly able to use FP+ on my IPhone. I have used FP+ on three trips.

Fill me in. You use your iphone to keep track of your FPs? Is this for one person? Can you reserve your whole party's FPs at the same time for the same times? I need to know!

 

[ilovemk76]

Fill me in. You use your iphone to keep track of your FPs? Is this for one person? Can you reserve your whole party's FPs at the same time for the same times? I need to know!