This just in from Disney Parks blog!

[practicallyperfect77]

My preference would be that you could book your 4th FP+ anytime you are in a park for at that park only regardless on if you have used any of your 3 FP+. This provides the most flexiblity.

If they do it this way, I think they need to show customers the FP available at the park so folks can decide if it's worth it. So if I'm in MK, I have the ability to look and see what's available at HS. If nothing is there, I may as well stay in MK.

 

[2Tiggies]

I think they are making you use the kiosks because -- guess what? -- not everyone owns a smartphone. Of course, they will have to greatly increase the number of kiosks, or some of those kiosk lines will resemble the SB for Mine Train!

I agree with this. Under legacy FP, there were multiple FP points at each attraction that offered them. With the exception of TSM, they generally didn't generate terrible lines at any point. But then all you had to do was insert ticket, grab paper FP and move on. Making a selection takes time as guest try and check what is available. Furthermore, when you were outside Space Mountain pulling a FP, you glanced up at the return time, made an instant decision to continue heading over there (or not if the time didn't work for you) and you knew as you put your ticket in what you were riding and what time to come back. With the kiosks offering multiple options and various availability for the remainder of the day, you are going to have guests standing thinking. It's like going to a CS to order and then only looking at the menu and discussing with your party what you want when you get to the register. It is going to cause delays that were not seen with a simple "you know what you're getting - take it or leave it" system.

 

[gayles]

My Pet - peeve is why do i have to go on Vacation -- Then stand in Line ---- to make arrangements to go on a ride 4 th --- then 5 th --- then 6 th time ------- Then add in Trying to make it all work with Your Dining== etc ---- I still Wrote in a complaint - waiting to hear back --- I was there March 25 till 30 th , 2014 ..

 

[ciera321]

I guess I don't understand why this is good news...if you have to wait until you use your 3 fast passes, then most of the fast passes will already be gone.

Or otherwise then you have to schedule all your fast passes first thing in the morning, which will kind of ruin the idea of getting there early for rope drop to get on rides w/out waiting.

If they are going to do something, then let it be more scheduled fast passes, or being able to schedule 3 (each) in two parks on same day!

This exactly!!!!! ​

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Here's what the "4th FastPass" really means:

So, you're the type of person who will be in the park long enough to use all 3 of your FP+ and then get a 4th, and hang around until that time slot comes up? You're likely spending a lot of money here....you've earned that 4th FP.

Next it will be printed on your purchase receipt:
"Congratulations, you've spent $300 in the park today and have earned a 5th Fastpass!"

That is hysterical.

I don't see how this is anything other than positive. The system is now just like FP- with the ability to preplan three attractions before you even get there. Availability may be an issue, but it was an issue before.

In the end if this evens the crowds out through the entire park network I think My Magic will be a stunning success. ON top of that the data Disney is able to mine as a result of the system will help the guest experience and the company. We all win.

Sorry, I disagree.
1) More FP+ go in the AM
2) Standby lines get longer in the AM (they are already longer through the day)
3) They won't know if they've lost repeat guests until next year. I book my trips 12-18 months in advance. They won't miss me until summer of 2015.
4) I've been checking every day for the Parade FOR WEEKS to be released. Not a great guest experience there.

I was holding out for option C, always hold 3 FP. I wonder if a bunch of people didn't read all the options before checking A, or it was just a teaser and they never really intended to offer it?

Under C you could theoretically, book 3 FP for MK, after ride 1 book Soarin', after ride 2 book Soarin' after ride 3 book TT all in the afternoon. Theoretically of course YMMV based on availability blah blah blah.

I would view that system as a big + if the rolling FP were for attractions that actually need a FP. This was never even possible with the old system, grabbing afternoon FP for park 2 from park 1 before you even hopped.

Great idea!
Or making the return times longer and allow overlap. Making a more seemless, touring ability.

Well, I think the attractions with "no wait" will be the Swiss Family Treehouse and COP. By increasing the number of FP+ reservations guests can have, people will be selecting reservations in the afternoons and evenings with what's "left over" which will be the rides that have had traditionally lower wait times.

I keep seeing the statement "this won't increase standby times because people will just be taking FP+ reservations that are left over" in more or less words in this thread.

I just don't see it that way. Let's say 1000 guests enter the park on a given day (just a random unrealistically low number). Today, a maximum of 3000 total FP+ slots would be filled--not a single one more. In the future iteration of the system, it could be 3500, 4000, 5000...who knows? It's up to Disney to decide how many FP+ slots to create or not create. But every extra FP+ reserved is going to mean longer standby lines for everyone else.

I agree. That's why I think it's better than just 3.

I also believe some availability will be held back for changes and new FPs day of. They won't let every slot get filled in advance.

I will look at it like picking my first 3 that I would have used under the old system anyway in advance, and then adding more as the day goes on. Rope droppers will definitely benefit more from this system.

They've never held anything back for "day of" as far as I know.

So if you use FP+ for Wishes, MSEP, Illuminations, or Fantasmic!, then for the most part, you're not going to be able to get more than three FP+ that day. That stinks. I'm glad they're adding more FP+, but I really wish it was on a rolling basis, rather than only after you use all three.

I like the rolling basis!

I agree with what you are saying, but there will always be attractions with little to no wait, at MK you're looking at Tiki Room, Country Bears, Hall of Presidents, Philharmagic, COP, and People Mover.

Really thinking about it, the MK needs more stage shows with huge stadium style seating.

Every park needs new attractions at this point. I can't wait to see what happens to FP+ when Mines opens.

I looked this morning at 9:06 and most of the meet and greet selections were not available at MK. Also, a friend told me they were unable to schedule Soarin' at any time on April 14. I don't think Disney will be able to hold anything back.

I agree.

 

[Angel Ariel]

New information about FP+ "As expected, most of our guests think that securing times to ride our attractions is one of the best ways to maximize the fun of a Walt Disney World Resort vacation. We’ve heard from a number of guests that they would like the opportunity to add additional FastPass+ entitlements during their visit, in addition to the three they can plan in advance. So, we’re working on providing them with the ability to add and enjoy additional entitlements on the day of their visit. Once they’ve used the three they’ve booked, we’ll enable them to select another at kiosks in the parks. And once they’ve used the fourth, they can select another, and so on. We also heard that other guests liked the fact that with the FastPass+ service they could use FASTPASS when they park hopped. So we’re working on a service enhancement to add that feature to FastPass+ as well."
More info: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...alt-disney-world-resort-hotel-and-day-guests/

I saw this posted on allears, and my first thought was "and yet supposedly Disney doesn't listen to the vocal guests who didn't like FP+ as it was and wanted changes."

I guess Disney does listen to people who give them feedback after all.

 

[Traub70]

That was one of the options in the survey Option B. After 1:00 you could book a 4th FP. I contend it would never work, the system would crash at 1:00:05 when everyone jumps online to book afternoon FP.

My plan was a combination of the time and using all 3 FP+'s. If you used all 3 FP+'s no matter what time you could get another FP+. However, for the ones that have a FP+ booked for nightly parades or fireworks! then at 2 or 3 or whatever time as long as you used 1 or 2 of your pre-scheduled FP+'s then you could get another one. So you still get the opportunity of getting an additional FP+ even if you have a late FP+ already booked and the ones that use all 3 FP+ before the time could get it as soon as that 3rd one is used.

 

[DougEMG]

Why not combine the best features of FP- and FP+.

Pre-book 3 FP+ before arriving in a park and then have 1 additional in-park FP+. Anytime that 1 in-park FP+ slot becomes empty you can book another one. Usage of your 3 pre-booked FP+ has no effect on your in-park FP+

This I could totally get on board with.

 

[2Tiggies]

My Pet - peeve is why do i have to go on Vacation -- Then stand in Line ---- to make arrangements to go on a ride 4 th --- then 5 th --- then 6 th time ------- Then add in Trying to make it all work with Your Dining== etc ---- I still Wrote in a complaint - waiting to hear back --- I was there March 25 till 30 th , 2014 ..

I hear you on the scheduling and for some time now, I've wrestled with my plans and felt like this is just such hard work. I do not think this is a simple system by a long stretch. If first timers who did basic research - not even touching on those who do none - found the old system complicated, this is just in a league of its own. I'm finding it heavy going and I've done this every year, plenty of times so I don't have to find out what there is and figure out what attractions we like or where we like to eat etc. All the families we were looking forward to meeting on our trip this year have either canceled or pulled the plug on the Disney portion. Only one party was upset about aspects of FP+ in itself, but all of them felt it was just too much scheduling.

 

[Angel Ariel]

If you must use the kiosks, then I don't think this is good news at all.

It's still a step up from FP-, since you can book any ride at any kiosk.

My bet is they are doing that to make you have to be in the park in order to get more. Is it possible to do that in the app? Oh yeah, with GPS...but the app is already glitchy, so I could see it being possible that they don't want to mess with adding that into the app.

 

[ChipnDale79]

My Pet - peeve is why do i have to go on Vacation -- Then stand in Line ---- to make arrangements to go on a ride 4 th --- then 5 th --- then 6 th time ------- Then add in Trying to make it all work with Your Dining== etc ---- I still Wrote in a complaint - waiting to hear back --- I was there March 25 till 30 th , 2014 ..

It's not really any different than the old Fast Pass system, the more i think about it, the more i like the idea of having to select the 4th FP at a kiosk. Either that or Disney making it that you HAVE to be in the park in order to get the 4th FP via the app.

Personally I don't like the idea of being in a park and competing with someone that's laying by a pool to get a 4th or 5th fast pass.

 

[Angel Ariel]

If you want to book a Space Mountain FP+ right after you get off of the Jungle Cruise, it's much easier to pull out your phone than hike across the park.

You dont' have to hike across teh park, though. You just have to "hike" to the corridor b/w adventureland and frontierland - which is right across from Jungle Cruise IIRC - which would be the nearest FP+ kiosk.

 

[2Tiggies]

I saw this posted on allears, and my first thought was "and yet supposedly Disney doesn't listen to the vocal guests who didn't like FP+ as it was and wanted changes."

I guess Disney does listen to people who give them feedback after all.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

If they do it this way, I think they need to show customers the FP available at the park so folks can decide if it's worth it. So if I'm in MK, I have the ability to look and see what's available at HS. If nothing is there, I may as well stay in MK.

True.

I agree with this. Under legacy FP, there were multiple FP points at each attraction that offered them. With the exception of TSM, they generally didn't generate terrible lines at any point. But then all you had to do was insert ticket, grab paper FP and move on. Making a selection takes time as guest try and check what is available. Furthermore, when you were outside Space Mountain pulling a FP, you glanced up at the return time, made an instant decision to continue heading over there (or not if the time didn't work for you) and you knew as you put your ticket in what you were riding and what time to come back. With the kiosks offering multiple options and various availability for the remainder of the day, you are going to have guests standing thinking. It's like going to a CS to order and then only looking at the menu and discussing with your party what you want when you get to the register. It is going to cause delays that were not seen with a simple "you know what you're getting - take it or leave it" system.

That is why I think the kiosk line is going to be a zoo!

Maximum touring strategy is now going to dictate having a FP+ in hand at all times. The times in between you'll hit up the attractions with no wait.

How many times in a day can you see the HoP?

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Anyway, regardless of where you rank each attraction, I just don't get the idea behind people wanting to ride certain things over and over. There's so many different attractions at WDW, and I always focus more on trying to experience as many different ones as possible, not experience the same ones over and over. If one of my favorites has little to no wait, then maybe I'll give it a second go, but that's not something I'm planning on doing from the beginning.

That's my attitude as well. But then, I haven't been to Disney in years, so I want to experience everything that I can before trying to do the same thing over and over and over...

 

[jade1]

My Pet - peeve is why do i have to go on Vacation -- Then stand in Line ---- to make arrangements to go on a ride 4 th --- then 5 th --- then 6 th time ------- Then add in Trying to make it all work with Your Dining== etc ---- I still Wrote in a complaint - waiting to hear back --- I was there March 25 till 30 th , 2014 ..

you mean FP- or FP+?

 

[MaryKatesMom]

It's not really any different than the old Fast Pass system, the more i think about it, the more i like the idea of having to select the 4th FP at a kiosk. Either that or Disney making it that you HAVE to be in the park in order to get the 4th FP via the app.

Personally I don't like the idea of being in a park and competing with someone that's laying by a pool to get a 4th or 5th fast pass.

They spent a billion dollars. They should be able to determine if the person making the FP+ on MDE has used their ticket and where.

You dont' have to hike across teh park, though. You just have to "hike" to the corridor b/w adventureland and frontierland - which is right across from Jungle Cruise IIRC - which would be the nearest FP+ kiosk.

To stand in a long line, waiting behind people that can't decide. Hasn't it happend to you that as soon as the person in front of you gets to the cashier THEN they turn to the person with them and ask "What do you want?" As if the big picture menu just appeared magically in front of them.

 

[ChipnDale79]

They spent a billion dollars. They should be able to determine if the person making the FP+ on MDE has used their ticket and where.

I'm not saying I disagree with that, but up until the latest update on the app, I couldnt even make changes to my FPs. So take that for what it's worth.

 

[2Tiggies]

How many times in a day can you see the HoP?

You can always spend an hour in the Swiss Family Tree House if you like stairs

 

[cigar95]

That's a really good point, I read that as a mis-statement as someone else pointed out. I assumed they really meant you could book from the app which would be awesome but you are right it could intended.

During the January and March tests, the additional FP reservations did indeed have to be made at a kiosk. But that doesn't mean that the option to use one of the online methods won't be part of the process as we go forward.