The Future of Fast Pass Plus

[dkrauss]

I don't fully understand the viewpoint that it's a lot of work. It took me about 3 minutes of time to make my selections and now I'm set until my trip in September. To me it's no more work than when i used to have to gather up everyone's KTTW, head over to an attraction to get FP and hope the time is right, didn't interfere with other plans, etc.

I think both systems have advantages and disadvantages, but for the average guest it will help them to get what they want, when they want - with the exception of the new attractions of the year that have heightened demand.

As for MDE - yes it has glitches, but current software philosophy is that it's a continuous work in progress and the sooner software can realize business vague the better. It's better than having no app at all and will continue to improve based on feedback and ever changing market needs.

 

[MouseClubMama]

I won't get to experience FP+ until next April, so I really have nothing to compare it to other than planning ADR's. With that said, I know myself too well, and I really don't think I could rise to the level of planning that it would take to juggle FP+ with ADR's . It is already a challenge for our family to revolve park time around meal times; to add attraction reservations into the mix would take us into an uncharted territory from which we may never return ....way more structure than our group could possibly handle! So next April, for better or worse, we'll be at the parks at rope drop, and we'll take it from there. FP+ may indeed alter the Disney experience that we are familiar with, but we will take it in stride, and press on.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

I don't fully understand the viewpoint that it's a lot of work. It took me about 3 minutes of time to make my selections and now I'm set until my trip in September. To me it's no more work than when i used to have to gather up everyone's KTTW, head over to an attraction to get FP and hope the time is right, didn't interfere with other plans, etc.

I think both systems have advantages and disadvantages, but for the average guest it will help them to get what they want, when they want - with the exception of the new attractions of the year that have heightened demand.

As for MDE - yes it has glitches, but current software philosophy is that it's a continuous work in progress and the sooner software can realize business vague the better. It's better than having no app at all and will continue to improve based on feedback and ever changing market needs.

I spent about an hour doing them on my last trip...this would have been in Oct 2013 for a Dec trip so very possible things have changed hut Indon't believe so. The time options given did not work. For the first couple of days I spent lots of time changing an attraction and the time b/c I couldn't get what I wanted. Then realized the best way was to pick the option that had the exact opposite times I wanted. This allowed me to just have to change times. That trip was just me and a friend who happened to have same FPs. Next trip is in Oct. 6 people and will probably have some days the same rides and some days different. I can only imagine how long it's going to take. Add to it that sometimes you still aren't able to get what you want at midnight at 60 days out and you have to do one at a time and then copy and try/or try to get overlapp I no windows.....yeah....not much faith I'll be done in 3 minutes. Glad it worked for you...truly I am, but can def see why others don't have it so easy. It's not that they are doing something wrong....it's that the system glitches out and doesn't work with all scenarios.

 

[dkrauss]

I won't get to experience FP+ until next April, so I really have nothing to compare it to other than planning ADR's. With that said, I know myself too well, and I really don't think I could rise to the level of planning that it would take to juggle FP+ with ADR's . It is already a challenge for our family to revolve park time around meal times; to add attraction reservations into the mix would take us into an uncharted territory from which we may never return ....way more structure than our group could possibly handle! So next April, for better or worse, we'll be at the parks at rope drop, and we'll take it from there. FP+ may indeed alter the Disney experience that we are familiar with, but we will take it in stride, and press on.

I really like your response. Being self-aware is very important IMHO. Your vacation will be great, not because you did or didn't use FP+ but because your with your family/and or friends Isn't that the point!!!!

Doug

 

[Jennasis]

Why was it "work"? Well if one wanted a Mine Train FP+ then one HAD to be awake in the middle of the night, at least in my case. Thank GOD I made that selection first, before the system crashed all together. By morning (7:30am, ALL mine train choices were completely gone) All that has happened is that the rope drop frenzy has been moved from 9am AT the park, to MIDNIGHT (or occasionally 1am) 60 days before the park opens.

While choosing my FP+ selections, it felt like taking the SAT's...what if I pick the wrong ride or wrong time? MAYBE I can change it down the road or even day of...and maybe not. What if I pick the wrong time, or wrong ride?? How the heck do I know what will happen 60 days from now?

Then there was the actual system. Pick 3 rides. Then put them in order of importance (completely pointless). Then choose one of these 4 sets of times...NONE of which were remotely what I wanted...even their "best match". How do THEY know what my "best match" is?? How do they know what I want to do with my time?? So I had to jump through their pre-selected hoops...then go back to the beginning to one-by-one change the times (or the rides, THEN go back to the beginning and go through it to change the time).

I know why they do it this way. They're hoping the unknowing masses will accept the times Disney offers in an attempt to control crowd flow as THEY see fit. But it's cumbersome, bloated and frustrating.

That said, I still like FP. I may even not have a problem with FP+ and the concept of scheduling in advance. I DO NOT have any love for MDE. Fortunately, my love of Disney as a vacation destination still far outweighs my dislike for MDE. If/when things fall completely apart, we'll just say "at least we saw it coming" and carry on.

 

[over50visits]

So, I'm expecting a total failure of MDE to be possible. I'm setting the bar very low for Disney and their joke of an IT infrastructure, and will make the most of our vacation regardless.

I think you have hit the button perfectly on how to handle this. Expect MDE to fail, expect your FPs and ADRs to be lost, perhaps even your tickets. Probably, these won't happen, but the board is filled with stories of when it did.

So, expect it to keep failing as it seems to every day now, be pleasant surprised when it works (it probably will), and just go with the flow and enjoy visiting WDW as best you can without it. Don't let the failure spoil your vacation!

 

[momof2n2]

Actually, I think there's a fair number of people asking themselves that very question a lot lately.

Amen.

I voted with my wallet this year.
SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, LegoLand & Aquatica got my money this year. And we had a blast.

Carry on...

 

[Planogirl]

Actually, I think there's a fair number of people asking themselves that very question a lot lately.

Yep. For this and many other reasons.

 

[btk2333]

Amen.

I voted with my wallet this year.
SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, LegoLand & Aquatica got my money this year. And we had a blast.

Carry on...

Good for you! I'm glad you put your money where your mouth is!

Yep. For this and many other reasons.

And if attendance starts dropping we'll know that these statements are true; however, I don't think Disney is seeing a noticeable downturn in attendance- if anything people are reporting that things are MORE busy than they have been in the past.

 

[Suvadoo]

I think you have hit the button perfectly on how to handle this. Expect MDE to fail, expect your FPs and ADRs to be lost, perhaps even your tickets. Probably, these won't happen, but the board is filled with stories of when it did.

So, expect it to keep failing as it seems to every day now, be pleasant surprised when it works (it probably will), and just go with the flow and enjoy visiting WDW as best you can without it. Don't let the failure spoil your vacation!

I think you're right about lowering expectations, but I am also disappointed that Disney has rolled out a system that can so easily fail and their guests are stuck trying to pick up the pieces.

I'm happy that so many people are having glitch free experiences, that's great. But there are guests who are spending a large chunk of their time lined up at Guest Relations. At this point, I think Disney's guest relations is comparable to any major airline. They don't have enough employees available to help people if or when there is a major problem.

I know that there can be problems on any vacation, but I do expect the management of any major resort, regardless of the location, to handle problems quickly and efficiently, so that their guests are satisfied. I just don't see that happening.

Also, a lot of people are saying that FP+ is here to stay based on Disney's initial investment. But how long is Disney going to continue funding a system that requires so much support? I wonder how many additional IT helpdesk people, FP+ kiosk cast members, and guest relation personnel have been hired to help guests with MDE. How much longer is this additional support going to be required? IMO, MDE could be dumped if the costs of supporting it outweigh the benefits. Disney may decide to cut their losses. If this was such a resounding success, why did they fire the man in charge of MDE?

 

[Suvadoo]

Good for you! I'm glad you put your money where your mouth is!



And if attendance starts dropping we'll know that these statements are true; however, I don't think Disney is seeing a noticeable downturn in attendance- if anything people are reporting that things are MORE busy than they have been in the past.

I believe attendance is up because the economy is improving. According to the Orlando Sentinel, all of the Orlando area parks are experiencing increased attendance.

 

[jco_direwolf]

And if attendance starts dropping we'll know that these statements are true; however, I don't think Disney is seeing a noticeable downturn in attendance- if anything people are reporting that things are MORE busy than they have been in the past.

We'll start to know come Oct. As that is when the annual report is due out.

Just FYI Disney's domestic parks brought in $1.1BILLION.

In 2013 domestic (so WDW, DLR and cruise line summed) Attendance increased 4%, per capita spending increased 8% hotel occupancy was 79% (which is down 2% from the previous year) but the per room guest spending is $267 (up $10 from 2012).

They do say that Florida had higher operation and administration costs in 2013 due to IT for My Magic+

The report is here, the juicy stuff about the parks is on page 33.
http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/sites/default/files/reports/10k-wrap-2013.pdf

 

[Fantasia79]

Is FP+ creating too much time planning and scheduling your vacation? Agreed, it is. The pay off is when you get there, you spend so much more time just simply enjoying the ambiance of the parks. I certainly don't miss running to get a fast pass, and that fast pass being for a time that didn't work well for me. I also am relieved knowing before I get to the resort that I'm going to be able to go on Soarin' & Space Mountain without spending hours in a line.

It is too bad that Disney has gotten to a point where you have to plan out what you want to do months before you go, or it might not happen on a trip. I feel bad for people who don't like to plan ahead or didn't know they were going that far out. Though, if you want the best seat at the movies, you gotta get there early.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Jennasis]

Is FP+ creating too much time planning and scheduling your vacation? Agreed, it is. The pay off is when you get there, you spend so much more time just simply enjoying the ambiance of the parks. I certainly don't miss running to get a fast pass, and that fast pass being for a time that didn't work well for me. I also am relieved knowing before I get to the resort that I'm going to be able to go on Soarin' & Space Mountain without spending hours in a line.

It is too bad that Disney has gotten to a point where you have to plan out what you want to do months before you go, or it might not happen on a trip. I feel bad for people who don't like to plan ahead or didn't know they were going that far out. Though, if you want the best seat at the movies, you gotta get there early.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

That hasn't changed. It was ALWAYS that way. Only now Disney has made "early" MIDNIGHT 60 days before park opening, instead of 9am at park opening.

 

[btk2333]

I believe attendance is up because the economy is improving. According to the Orlando Sentinel, all of the Orlando area parks are experiencing increased attendance.

Which means Disney is making loads and loads of money- not usually a catalyst to reverse course on a billion dollar project

We'll start to know come Oct. As that is when the annual report is due out.

Just FYI Disney's domestic parks brought in $1.1BILLION.

In 2013 domestic (so WDW, DLR and cruise line summed) Attendance increased 4%, per capita spending increased 8% hotel occupancy was 79% (which is down 2% from the previous year) but the per room guest spending is $267 (up $10 from 2012).

They do say that Florida had higher operation and administration costs in 2013 due to IT for My Magic+

The report is here, the juicy stuff about the parks is on page 33.
http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/sites/default/files/reports/10k-wrap-2013.pdf

It will be interesting to see the reports when they come out

 

[jco_direwolf]

Also, a lot of people are saying that FP+ is here to stay based on Disney's initial investment. But how long is Disney going to continue funding a system that requires so much support? I wonder how many additional IT helpdesk people, FP+ kiosk cast members, and guest relation personnel have been hired to help guests with MDE. How much longer is this additional support going to be required? IMO, MDE could be dumped if the costs of supporting it outweigh the benefits. Disney may decide to cut their losses. If this was such a resounding success, why did they fire the man in charge of MDE?

With this from 2013 Annual report I think it's hear to stay.

In 2013 we introduced an historic technological innovation to enhance the guest experience at our Walt Disney
World Resort with the launch of Disney’s MyMagic+, featuring a variety of online tools to help guests get the most out
of their time with us, including convenient “MagicBands” serving as park tickets, hotel keys and a convenient form
of payment all rolled into one. We began testing the program in January with a small number of our guests, and have
gradually expanded throughout the year. By the holidays all our resort guests at Disney World had the chance to
experience MyMagic+ and we expect to complete the roll out this year, giving all of our guests the power to personalize
their Disney experience

Again we'll see what a year later they say. But I really don't think they have spent as much as you think they have.

Yes the price tag was something north of a $1B. But that includes designing the Bands, building the hardware for the parks, infrastructure and even replacing every door lock on every room. Then there was the cost a 5+ year old system that was scraped.

Most people don't know this but NexGen started about 10 years ago. The original system was going to have people use mobile phones, and either a call tree, txt messages, in park kiosks or a mobile web app (remember those things that were built to run on the tiny LCD screens of like the razor?) About the time they started to get ready for it, smart phones came out, and they where like "Oh Man the iPhone changed everything." So they scraped that whole version of it.

 

[chapie1968]

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

I keep reading posts on how to book fastpasses: First pick the attractions you want, then let the MDE select the times, then go in and edit the times for the times you want. All of this information is only learned from other users' experiences.

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.

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.

How do you think the average park goer is coping with FP+?
Do you believe FP+ will last?
If so, do you think it will remain as it is, or think it will be modified?
What modifications will be made?

I think FP+ stinks.

I don't like having to do work to plan my vacation and everything I want to do 30 or 60 days out(and don't say that "I don't have to". I do if I want to do any of the better attractions or shows.)

The system itself(APP & WEBSITE) are extremely glitchy. Often doesn't work and plenty of people having their FP's just vanish into thin air.

It's here to stay and it's only going to get worse. They will eventually add more options, but I also believe they will eventually eliminate any stand by lines.(it's happening right now with Anna and Elsa)

 

[dkrauss]

Also, a lot of people are saying that FP+ is here to stay based on Disney's initial investment. But how long is Disney going to continue funding a system that requires so much support? I wonder how many additional IT helpdesk people, FP+ kiosk cast members, and guest relation personnel have been hired to help guests with MDE. How much longer is this additional support going to be required? IMO, MDE could be dumped if the costs of supporting it outweigh the benefits. Disney may decide to cut their losses. If this was such a resounding success, why did they fire the man in charge of MDE?

The system itself is less than a year old........a system on this scale unfortunately takes time to work out the kinks. This isn't the NASA space program either..........a failure in the FP+ system won't lead to a death , so it needs to be kept in perspective. These are complex systems that are truly very difficult to test in a real world scenario...........you really need a real world scenario to work things out...........and that, unfortunately means impact to visitors

Like most new systems its always over sold and under funded...........because people are people and they just don't think of every contingency. Obviously Disney totally missed on the impact of "Frozen"........which has led to the FP+ A&E issues. But they're adjusting.......maybe not as fast as some would like but they aren't standing still.

Now if you don't like what you're getting you always have the choice to not spend your money with them. However, given attendance and the profits.........what would give anyone the impression its going away. It will be adjusted yes..........but unless lightening strikes I just don't see it changing........there just isn't enough impetus to push it in that direction. A bad economy has a much better chance of impacting Disney profits before the MDE, MB, and FP+ changes ever will.

As for the former head of the group that implemented MDE being gone........well I don't know that any of us know all the reasons behind that. However, if anything hastened that release it was probably more the massive cost overruns............but that's only my guess.

Doug

 

[chapie1968]

Is FP+ creating too much time planning and scheduling your vacation? Agreed, it is. The pay off is when you get there, you spend so much more time just simply enjoying the ambiance of the parks. I certainly don't miss running to get a fast pass, and that fast pass being for a time that didn't work well for me. I also am relieved knowing before I get to the resort that I'm going to be able to go on Soarin' & Space Mountain without spending hours in a line.

True, but you also get to wait in stand by lines that are double the pre-FP+ wait for lesser attractions, so, are you really ahead?

 

[chapie1968]

Though, if you want the best seat at the movies, you gotta get there early.

Not anymore, two of our local theaters have reserved seating now, and have had it for over a year now.