This board scares me

[PoohsFan1]

I think we need to be a bit careful here. It is not crazy for someone who has been to WDW 10 times to say: "You know, this new system is still in flux, appears to be in need of some tweaking, and doesn't seem to present us with what we are used to. Maybe now is the time to take that trip to (fill in the blank) that we have been contemplating and re-visit WDW in the future." There is a big beautiful world out there beyond the castle walls in Central Florida. I can't say that postponing a trip to WDW "does not make sense" if there are other places one wants to go, and vacation dollars are an allocated resource.

You have a valid point there . I didn't mean to say that the OP was crazy, because I don't think he/she is. Like I said before, I too am a bit nervous about this new system but I wouldn't cancel our trip because of it, but that is just me. If someone wants to cancel/postpone a trip, I can understand that as well, especially to go see other parts of the world.

 

[shalom]

I can't say that postponing a trip to WDW "does not make sense" if there are other places one wants to go, and vacation dollars are an allocated resource.

Yah. I don't think FP+ is going to have a negative impact on my family long term, but I'm still very happy we didn't have a trip planned for this year. If we already had a condo reservation when I found out FP+ was being implemented, we'd probably go anyhow, but I wouldn't count on going to the WDW parks, and I'd tell the kids to be aware that the crowds at SeaWorld or Universal might be higher if others are equally wary.

That said, I think the worst of the "shake down cruise" will be over by September.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think you pretty much have it down. The negativity comes from the fact that this board is populated by people who have gone to WDW often through the decades, learned the strategies over the years for maximizing ride time, have seen prices go up, and have now been confronted by a system that ensures fewer rides without any concommitant reduction in price. People who plan a workaround by finding enjoyment in ways other than rides, and people who were never park commandos to begin with will be perfectly satisfied with the new world order. Those who view their Disney successes and failures measured by total number of rides on headliner attractions will predict (and likely notice) a decline in overall enjoyment. Only you know which camp you are in. To put it in concrete terms, if your days at DHS involved ping-pong-ing back and forth between TSM, ToT and RnR with multiple fastpasses, those days are over. If your days at DHS involved riding those rides once per day and enjoying the visual of walking down the Streets of America, you will not notice any difference at all.

I think we need to be a bit careful here. It is not crazy for someone who has been to WDW 10 times to say: "You know, this new system is still in flux, appears to be in need of some tweaking, and doesn't seem to present us with what we are used to. Maybe now is the time to take that trip to (fill in the blank) that we have been contemplating and re-visit WDW in the future." There is a big beautiful world out there beyond the castle walls in Central Florida. I can't say that postponing a trip to WDW "does not make sense" if there are other places one wants to go, and vacation dollars are an allocated resource.

Well said

 

[JanaDee]

I think we need to be a bit careful here. It is not crazy for someone who has been to WDW 10 times to say: "You know, this new system is still in flux, appears to be in need of some tweaking, and doesn't seem to present us with what we are used to. Maybe now is the time to take that trip to (fill in the blank) that we have been contemplating and re-visit WDW in the future." There is a big beautiful world out there beyond the castle walls in Central Florida. I can't say that postponing a trip to WDW "does not make sense" if there are other places one wants to go, and vacation dollars are an allocated resource.

Thank you!

 

[Happyjen27]

Since you want to go, just go. Enjoy! As with all things in life, your experience is almost always directly related to your ability to see the good, overcome the bad and roll with the surprises.

I'm new to Disney, and during our Dec 13 trip I didn't mind FP+, I was also encouraged by the CM to use the traditional paper FP system too, so it was all perks, less downside. That is no longer an option.

We're going to hold off on the Disney trip we would have taken in Dec 14 in favor of another destination. I don't mind spending 8 bucks to try a new style of french fry at a local favorite restaurant, but I do mind spending 8K to try a new way of vacationing. I'd rather just see how it all sorts out.

 

[MrInfinity]

Haven't been to disney in GASP a whole year. So much has changed in a year. Like always I come here when I start planning my next trip. You all have me scared! Almost to the point of not wanting to go anymore, or at least for awhile. If you look through the threads their seems to be more negative than positive. I've read everything about FP + and I'm not thrilled with only three a day and in only one park (we would FP- like it was our business). With all that said we have a trip to beach club mid September. I'm willing to give the new system a try. I'm hoping with fp+, rider swap, going during a lower crowd time, emh, rope drop, and single rider we can make the best of this. Can anyone offer some good advice to make the new system work? Tips and strategies to have a good time? Or something good that happened on a recent trip?

Hehe... People like to vent about that which annoys them. And people like to read about other people venting. It's just natural human behavior! I'm here.. I enjoy reading the forums. Even tho I take it all w a grain of salt.

I said early on the FP+ system would be fine when everyone was complaining during the rollout. And now, 6 mo later, it's fine. Uber-riders can no loner get on at other riders' expense, and tho they will look at that as a negative for them, it's better for everyone in general, especially Disney.

It doesn't matter if you used to be able to get more than your share by usurping from others. Disney has closed loopholes by using technological advancements. So too does a rich exec get mad if the government closes a loophole that used to legally make him tons of money at others' expense. I'm guessing that Disers would not support maintaining HIS loopholes. But when it comes to your own personal welfare, people don't look at it as objectively.

Look at the main complaint about FP+ and you'll see that it stems from how that person will get less now. Personal, self-serving. But look at anyone who thinks it's a positive... and it's cuz it benefits others equally, requires less effort, requires standing in no fastpass lines, allows one to sleep in and enjoy vacation at a slower pace, spend less time at the parks, etc etc. The benefits are so many and so diverse yet the drawback hits only certain ppl who used to be able to take more than their share.

I know I'll get on fewer rides now. But I don't really care that much. I know I'll get on everything I want to... and I'll have a great time. I'm sure you will too!!

 

[rotlex]

I'm not so much worried about the FP+ stuff itself, usually don't do more than 3 a day anyway, and are early morning folk at that. A bigger concern for us, after having a few friends down since it's implementation, is what it is doing to the normally no wait\former no fast pass rides like Pirates and Haunted Mansion. Even during the busiest times these lines flowed smoothly without fast pass. Why oh why is Disney causing lines where there need not be any?

 

[RandolphNY]

I'm looking forward to using this system. Right now we know where we are going to be on 4 of our 7 days. On Tuesday, we are at 60 days to go so we will try to schedule our 3 FP. I know that soaring will be our first one. With all of this cold up north , April can't come soon enough

 

[flicx]

Going in mid September should be a great time to go! Low crowds should allow to ride everything.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

OP, I'm sorry that the board has scared you - it has definitely been quite intense lately. FP+ is a very hot topic and that has caused a very vocal crowd (myself included) to debate the merits of it. Both the negative and positive sides have been loud and intimidating.

I think your family will still have a great time. FP+ might be an adjustment for you if you were an avid user of FP- but due to the time of year you are going I think you should still be able to accomplish the majority, if not all, of what you want to do!

As far as advice on the new system: In my experience, the best way to use FP+ was to book afternoon or evening FP+ and to hit rope drop.

Hehe... People like to vent about that which annoys them. And people like to read about other people venting. It's just natural human behavior! I'm here.. I enjoy reading the forums. Even tho I take it all w a grain of salt.

I said early on the FP+ system would be fine when everyone was complaining during the rollout. And now, 6 mo later, it's fine. Uber-riders can no loner get on at other riders' expense, and tho they will look at that as a negative for them, it's better for everyone in general, especially Disney.

It doesn't matter if you used to be able to get more than your share by usurping from others. Disney has closed loopholes by using technological advancements. So too does a rich exec get mad if the government closes a loophole that used to legally make him tons of money at others' expense. I'm guessing that Disers would not support maintaining HIS loopholes. But when it comes to your own personal welfare, people don't look at it as objectively.

Look at the main complaint about FP+ and you'll see that it stems from how that person will get less now. Personal, self-serving. But look at anyone who thinks it's a positive... and it's cuz it benefits others equally, requires less effort, requires standing in no fastpass lines, allows one to sleep in and enjoy vacation at a slower pace, spend less time at the parks, etc etc. The benefits are so many and so diverse yet the drawback hits only certain ppl who used to be able to take more than their share.

I know I'll get on fewer rides now. But I don't really care that much. I know I'll get on everything I want to... and I'll have a great time. I'm sure you will too!!

I'll just say

 

[wisblue]

I'm not so much worried about the FP+ stuff itself, usually don't do more than 3 a day anyway, and are early morning folk at that. A bigger concern for us, after having a few friends down since it's implementation, is what it is doing to the normally no wait\former no fast pass rides like Pirates and Haunted Mansion. Even during the busiest times these lines flowed smoothly without fast pass. Why oh why is Disney causing lines where there need not be any?

This is a lot more anecdotal than established fact.

One person reports that lines at certain rides are much longer, or that FP lines take longer to get through, and the people who are against FP+ in the first place jump on it and say (1) this is because of FP+, and (2) it's going to be like this all the time, if not worse. In addition to overall park crowds, there are a lot of things that can cause a line to be longer at a certain attraction at a certain time on a given day, such as a breakdown on that ride or another one nearby, or the long term refurbishment of another attraction. Or maybe two tour groups just entered and caused the line to grow quickly and temporarily.

Others report that they haven't noticed things like that, and it gets lost in the shuffle or dismissed. This is a lot like the general reporting of park crowds, where two different posters reporting on the same park on the same day will have completely different perceptions.

You really have to take these things with a grain of salt. And, if you aren't going until September, a lot of things could be different by then. If you were never a big FP user in the first place, and are going at one of the least busy times of the year, you will be fine.

 

[PeterPanic]

I don't necessarily agree with this because you're assigning a value judgment to another person's trip. The current state of the FP+ program might be a deal-breaker for some when they weigh the pros/cons (when they're going, where they're staying, how much they're paying for a trip, how far they have to travel, how often they go to WDW, how important the "big ticket" rides are, alternative vacation options, etc).

My viewpoint is that the key word here is "flexibility". It would seem to me that if you have made advance FP's reservations then the flexibility issue isn't even necessary. You looked at your schedule you chose FP's and there they are all neatly stacked up for you to use. You can plan meals around them, rest time and even other standby rides during the interim.

I went as an offsite guest, walked in and asked for the rides that I wanted. In MK, I asked for Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan (the last one I have never been able to get because I usually arrive a little later and by then they are gone)

I looked at my first one which was for 12:30 PM (JC) and was standing at the entrance 5 minutes before my window and walked right in. My second was Haunted Mansion and that was for 1:50 PM. That gave me almost 2 hour and 10 minutes to kill between FP rides before my window would close. Soooo, I went to PoTC on standby, which took about 15 minutes to get to the ride, so that left me with about (and I'm rounding off here) and hour and a half before I actually had to be at HM. I went to the Tiki Room, and then to Country Bears and had lunch. I still arrived at HM just as my 1:50 window opened. I road HM and my next one was Peter Pan for 2:50. That gave me time to see Philharmagic and Small World before my window for PP opened. Went from there after stopping to people watch for a few minutes and practically was able to just walk on even though there was a 50 minute (at least) standby for it.

After that I went on the People mover twice, Stitch's Great Escape, CoP and Buzz Lightyear. I never had to backtrack, never had to wonder when the time for my next FP would be, because I had them all at once. It made planning the day a piece of cake. I think I saw more attractions in my limited time there then I had been able to in years and JC and PP have always been elusive for me.

I think people underestimate the amount of flexing it took to do it the old way because everyone was caught up in the moment, rushing from place to place and having to figure out, by guessing when they could do other things. I started from the hub, walking clockwise around the park and hit everything I wanted to see, easily and without any stress. I liked it!

 

[maxiesmom]

This is a lot more anecdotal than established fact.

One person reports that lines at certain rides are much longer, or that FP lines take longer to get through, and the people who are against FP+ in the first place jump on it and say (1) this is because of FP+, and (2) it's going to be like this all the time, if not worse. In addition to overall park crowds, there are a lot of things that can cause a line to be longer at a certain attraction at a certain time on a given day, such as a breakdown on that ride or another one nearby, or the long term refurbishment of another attraction. Or maybe two tour groups just entered and caused the line to grow quickly and temporarily.

Others report that they haven't noticed things like that, and it gets lost in the shuffle or dismissed. This is a lot like the general reporting of park crowds, where two different posters reporting on the same park on the same day will have completely different perceptions.


You really have to take these things with a grain of salt. And, if you aren't going until September, a lot of things could be different by then. If you were never a big FP user in the first place, and are going at one of the least busy times of the year, you will be fine.

Exactly. I've seen people complain about how long the regular lines are now, but that is not what I saw with my own eyes in December. During the trip then we were able to do Pirates multiple times as a walk on. Same thing with Haunted Mansion, and even Space Mountain. Sometimes I think things like how long the lines are has to do with what kind of luck you are having that day.

 

[tlady]

I don't necessarily agree with this because you're assigning a value judgment to another person's trip. The current state of the FP+ program might be a deal-breaker for some when they weigh the pros/cons (when they're going, where they're staying, how much they're paying for a trip, how far they have to travel, how often they go to WDW, how important the "big ticket" rides are, alternative vacation options, etc).

I agree with you. As someone who used FP extensively on all of our previous trips, the new system is a major downer for us. There are so many things I dislike about it, but they've already been mentioned countless times, so I won't repeat the mantra.

Our next trip is coming up in 2 months. If the inability to ride our favorite rides multiple times (without absurd wait times) is what we experience, I believe this will be our last trip to WDW until changes are made to the current FP+ limitations. However, if we can still manage multipe rides (with or w/o FPs) on our favorite rides, I will be satisfied. Ask me which scenario I think is the more likely, LOL.

Since our trips have been ride-centric, anything that makes it more difficult to enjoy the rides (multiple times) will be a negative for us. For others, whose trips are not as focused on the rides (particularly the headliner rides), the new system probably won't bother them very much.

But I refuse to continue to pay the ever-increasing costs of a WDW vacation, if the main reason I go to the parks (the rides) is negatively affected. From all that I have read and know about FP+, our ride experience will be affected. Just how significantly it is affected is the question, I guess.

I do know that I can continue to enjoy Universal's rides (which also has more challenging rides than Disney does), basically without limit if I stay in one of their hotels, and with very short wait times too. And the cost to stay at Portofino (a top UA hotel) during Spring Break is less than the cost of a Disney deluxe resort for the same week. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what place makes the most sense for me and my family.

This is obviously not the answer for everyone. But for those of us who enjoy the top thrill rides and headliners, it may be the wave of the future.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Do not give it a a thought. There are many of us who have tried it and like it just fine.

We are simply tired of arguing about it with those that have labeled those that do like it, lazy, stupid, Disney kool-aid drinkers.

We liked the flexibility it gave us to know in advance what major rides we had booked and when. It was easier to plan meals and such in advance.

This times a million. We tried it in December and liked it just fine. Some people always get overly dramatic and negative.

 

[disney minnie]

We actually LOVE the new system. We get to the park early so we are able to ride almost whatever we want and THEN we have fast passes for later in the day. The best part about those fast passes is that I can plan my day instead of having one person run around and get passes while the rest of the family is doing something else.

I have been twice with the new system - October and January(marathon weekend) and didn't have any problems with fast pass lines, etc.

Every family is different, but we go a couple of times a year and it was always a nightmare to try to get on Toy Story Mania. You would have to be there first thing to get a Fastpass and there is really not a lot open that early so we had a lot of standing around. Now I can plan my Fastpass and know that we will be able to get on the ride.

Every family is different. Our family liked every part of the new system and I have been going yearly since it opened and multiple times a year for the last fourteen years.

 

[Pooksie]

Haven't been to disney in GASP a whole year. So much has changed in a year. Like always I come here when I start planning my next trip. You all have me scared! Almost to the point of not wanting to go anymore, or at least for awhile. If you look through the threads their seems to be more negative than positive. I've read everything about FP + and I'm not thrilled with only three a day and in only one park (we would FP- like it was our business). With all that said we have a trip to beach club mid September. I'm willing to give the new system a try. I'm hoping with fp+, rider swap, going during a lower crowd time, emh, rope drop, and single rider we can make the best of this. Can anyone offer some good advice to make the new system work? Tips and strategies to have a good time? Or something good that happened on a recent trip?

It seems that you already covered most of the good tips in your own post... Now all you have to do is go and have a great time. Early September is a great time at Disney, as most families have taken their vacations already and the kids are back in school. There aren't issues, from what I've experienced, with large tour groups. Bring bottles of water, and personally I like riding things like splash or kali river where I might get wet. You dry off pretty quickly and it's a great way to beat the heat without having to head for some AC.

 

[stinkpickle]

We went last week during a low crowd period, and we accomplished a LOT within two hours of park opening and closing. Our FP+ reservations were mostly for afternoon time slots. Some we used, and some we skipped. Overall, it was a great trip. You should be just fine going in September.

 

[Silock]

Haven't been to disney in GASP a whole year. So much has changed in a year. Like always I come here when I start planning my next trip. You all have me scared! Almost to the point of not wanting to go anymore, or at least for awhile. If you look through the threads their seems to be more negative than positive. I've read everything about FP + and I'm not thrilled with only three a day and in only one park (we would FP- like it was our business). With all that said we have a trip to beach club mid September. I'm willing to give the new system a try. I'm hoping with fp+, rider swap, going during a lower crowd time, emh, rope drop, and single rider we can make the best of this. Can anyone offer some good advice to make the new system work? Tips and strategies to have a good time? Or something good that happened on a recent trip?

I hate FP+. I hate the scheduling. I hate that the rope drop experience won't allow you to do as much as you could in the past. Those things were a huge negative for me.

That being said, I still enjoyed my recent visit and am still planning on going back. It will be fine.

 

[Networth]

I think you pretty much have it down. The negativity comes from the fact that this board is populated by people who have gone to WDW often through the decades, learned the strategies over the years for maximizing ride time, have seen prices go up, and have now been confronted by a system that ensures fewer rides without any concommitant reduction in price. People who plan a workaround by finding enjoyment in ways other than rides, and people who were never park commandos to begin with will be perfectly satisfied with the new world order. Those who view their Disney successes and failures measured by total number of rides on headliner attractions will predict (and likely notice) a decline in overall enjoyment. Only you know which camp you are in. To put it in concrete terms, if your days at DHS involved ping-pong-ing back and forth between TSM, ToT and RnR with multiple fastpasses, those days are over. If your days at DHS involved riding those rides once per day and enjoying the visual of walking down the Streets of America, you will not notice any difference at all.

This has got to be one of the best responses I have seen on this board period, about all the FP+ negativity. Kudo's if it was shorter I would stick it in my sig.