This just in from Disney Parks blog!

[Spork24]

Curious...if you could book your additional FP by app rather than kiosk, are the changes a win or is it still not enough? I think a rolling 3 passes would never work. Rope droppers like me would show up first thing in the morning and then continuously gobble up fast passes as I use 1, as the day goes on. Causing mass crowds first thing in the morning as well as all the best FP gone within hours of park opening.

Yes, I've been dreading the day disney started listening to the ideas of many on this blog about additional FP once you have used all of yours. it's going to make FPs harder to change, and longer standby lines. I'm afraid I'll hate hate hate the changes to what I thought was a good system.

 

[AmyB2006]

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!

But for those that do, like me, and don't mind using it in the parks, why can't they let you do it that way? The lines would certainly not be as crowded at the kiosk if people can use their phones too.

 

[ucfknight]

But for those that do, like me, and don't mind using it in the parks, why can't they let you do it that way? The lines would certainly not be as crowded at the kiosk if people can use their phones too.

Because that would make sense.

 

[HBGdancermom]

But for those that do, like me, and don't mind using it in the parks, why can't they let you do it that way? The lines would certainly not be as crowded at the kiosk if people can use their phones too.

I bet the phone option will be coming soon too.

 

[squirrel4569]

I bet the phone option will be coming soon too.

They probably don't want guests to use the app because as soon as a guest or family gets off a ride they will pull out their phones and block the exit to the ride for everyone else while they book their next FP

 

[ArwenMarie]

That's for pre-booking though. They have to hold some back for day of guests. Otherwise people would be even more livid. They've been holding some back already so why do you think they wouldn't continue to do so?

Because everyone can prebook now?

 

[MaryKatesMom]

My comment wasn't regarding whether or not there will be a line - just that you don't actually have to schlep across the park as the person I quoted implied.

Being able to get any FP+ from any kiosk is step up from legacy FP (not talking about availability of those FPs, just the ability to get them wherever).

Agreed. Not physically having to be at the attraction is a plus.

That's for pre-booking though. They have to hold some back for day of guests. Otherwise people would be even more livid. They've been holding some back already so why do you think they wouldn't continue to do so?

Is that fact or an assumption?

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.

Agreed. Plus, I'll need to carry an extra battery charger around. I need a new phone but don't want to "spend" my upgrade in case of emergency.

 

[clsteve]

But for those that do, like me, and don't mind using it in the parks, why can't they let you do it that way? The lines would certainly not be as crowded at the kiosk if people can use their phones too.

Speculation (again) but there are a lot of good technical reasons to do so, at least in the short term.

The biggest being, they can carve out a selection of FP's just for that Park so that those who are in the Park aren't hitting and continually querying the same database(s) that all of the people all over the world are using for long term FP ressies. They can even do that the night before for more optimization.

Hey who knows, it might speed up MDE

Plus, it greatly cuts down on wifi/network traffic, keeps the kiosks relevant, keeps people Park Hopping hoping for availability when they get there, etc.

Lots of other tech reasons- and I'm not saying it's necessarily optimal or long term- but I can see why it makes sense. Especially since they're giving something back. This could well be the quickest and technically easiest way to do it.

Edit: just to add and make it simpler: the kiosk would then be like the old FP- machines. All the kiosk would have to check back at the main db would be that you used all of your three and wouldn't have to pull all of the availability down from it. It would just let you reserve the ones it already has loaded.....

 

[MaryKatesMom]

They probably don't want guests to use the app because as soon as a guest or family gets off a ride they will pull out their phones and block the exit to the ride for everyone else while they book their next FP

Or stand in the middle of the sidewalk. One person holding a phone the other holding the map.

 

[hemmie]

Am I understanding this correctly?
1. The assumption is that you have to use up ALL 3 FP+s before being able to book any additional.
2. This in effect "punishes" people who pre-book a FP+ for Wishes.
3. This works to Disney's advantage in that it motivates people to book FP+s for early in the day (whether or not they are necessary early in the day) in order to secure additional FP+s... but people are risking any worth having are unavailable anyway?

 

[ArwenMarie]

Am I understanding this correctly?
1. The assumption is that you have to use up ALL 3 FP+s before being able to book any additional.
2. This in effect "punishes" people who pre-book a FP+ for Wishes.
3. This works to Disney's advantage in that it motivates people to book FP+s for early in the day (whether or not they are necessary early in the day) in order to secure additional FP+s... but people are risking any worth having are unavailable anyway?

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes

And you have to book the next one at a park kiosk.

 

[hemmie]

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes

And you have to book the next one at a park kiosk.

Youch. Thanks. Is this just speculation at the moment, or is this pretty solid info?

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Because that would make sense.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Youch. Thanks. Is this just speculation at the moment, or is this pretty solid info?

It seems to be official as of now.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

They need to also make an option for those who book fast passes later in the day otherwise there is little incentive to schedule your fast passes later in the day. If your FP's are not for another 6 hours then let those people book an additional one upon arrival.

 

[jahber]

So am I the only one who finds the argument that this change makes FP+ more like FP- to be kind of ridiculous? WDW spent what is rumored to be close to $2 billion and angered many, many loyal customers for a system that "approaches" the benefits of the system that was already in place. And people think the "FP+ haters" are crazy or ungrateful for not liking it? Ok.

 

[jade1]

They need to also make an option for those who book fast passes later in the day otherwise there is little incentive to schedule your fast passes later in the day. If your FP's are not for another 6 hours then let those people book an additional one upon arrival.

Many of us will just want the 3 later in the day-at least most days.

I think they want incentive to book AM or nobody will want to. The trade off is not knowing what will be available later, and peak weeks will be the least beneficial, and low season will be the most-same as now.

Feedback will keep folks on here informed, and future visitors will have a better grasp on what way will likely work best for them IMO.

 

[Jupiter]

I'm pretty ambivalent on this. A fourth sounds good, but the thought of even longer waits at 2nd tier attractions and during rope drop is scary.

 

[mcd2745]

All this time it seemed like a no brainer that Disney would be changing the system to make it better.

Agreed. Which is why it's laughable that some of the people that constantly complained about FP+, and turned every thread into a FP+ bashing session...are practically taking victory laps and patting themselves on the back.

 

[KYDisneyDad]

Do people not realize with what is described in the article and what is being cheered by several in this post, is that we are headed very very quickly to a system where all rides are scheduled?? Just getting more fast passes the way described here means to be able to ride ANY ride, even the most minor ones, you will have to have a fast pass time scheduled no matter what time of day or night? Imagine standby lines much much worse than they are even now with the near 100% priority being given to fast pass. Rope drop strategy will be only a memory as FP slots begin at opening and stay filled until close.
Many of us will fondly remember the days of walking through FL and saying, Hey let's ride Small World.