This just in from Disney Parks blog!

[Planogirl]

Lovers = system looks like it will work, love we can get more that 3 possibly
Haters = no matter what I will hate disney, I want FP-/no waits/300 FPs/$1 rooms

It's not that stressful people make it that way... Haters going to hate keeps coming to mind after reading some responses after this slam dunk upgrade in the system.

This is nonsense, at least in my case. I'm glad that you're happy but please don't pretend to know what others think.

 

[rastuso]

Everyone is now talking about park capacity and how Disney has to build more attractions in order to fix the "waiting in line" problem. MK has approximately 50 "things to do". Even if they build FIVE NEW RIDES (which would take at least 5 years) that would only reduce the average waiting time by 10%. This means a ride that has a wait of 40 minutes...it would only reduce the wait time to 36 minutes! Even if you went to the park for EIGHT HOURS you wouldn't even save an hour. And I don't think MOST people stay at a park for 8 hours. Fact is, waiting is part of the theme park experience, and there's not much that can be done about it. FP+ does not the solve the problem, it just gives you some perceived entitlement. THE ONLY REASON anyone here might think otherwise is because they previously took part in a drastically flawed system that only benefited a small % of the guests.

Because a new D ticket is the same as teacups, Main Street Trolley, and Magic a Carpets, right?

And a new true E ticket wouldn't be the best ride in the park.

-Jason

 

[Planogirl]

Hah!

But you've got to hand it to them-- what a brilliant move they made today.

It does nothing to change the base issue of not enough capacity. But, like Andyman, Will, Shaden and others have said- at first glance, it's a positive for a lot of touring strategies.

For Disney, a huge Marketing win: “Only Three…!!??” is now out of the conversation. They've taken the main argument away from many of us who were most impacted by the new strategy! For the mainstream press, analysts and casual Disney Fans, this argument now becomes just a lot of background noise and complaining.

On the flip side of that, getting up early is now back in vogue! Those who want to sleep in and do the Parks later also don’t have an argument- if you want more (or more good ones), go earlier and make earlier FP reservations! (funny how it all comes back to that, again)....

The devil's in the details, but they've bought time- a lot of time, and can now say “Don’t worry, we’ll listen and fix it” for just about forever- whether this is true, or this change was always part of the Plan, or it's a scramble because of bad design and planning.

Andyman said it: win, win for the Mouse and some touring styles. But, a big "hmmm, how's that going to work?" for others

I agree! I still want to see if people get something decent when they get their later FP but this enhancement is definitely a potential plus.

That said, I still plan to go late in the day and use my 3 FP+ or however many. I like my new touring plan no matter how much Disney might dislike it.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Still should be way less actual FP's being used because so many threads here included those folks who "used 7-8 FP's a day and Disney was now ruining THEIR vacation with this new system"
Frankly that 40% sounds iffy anyway.

So you don't believe a lot of people got that many fast passes?

We used to, we used to get to the parks near RD and go all day long, it was pretty easy to get that many fast passes.

That may not have been your "touring plans", so you probably don't understand how much that really did affect some people.

I have a vacation to WDW in 38 days, I wasn't excited about it at all, so much so that it was annoying my wife.

After today's announcement, I can't wait for our trip, even if this is not implemented by our May trip, I'll be ok with it. I know this will be a one time thing and that the way we do Disney is not completely done.

The limit of 3 fast passes was a big deal to us, I'm extremely happy that Disney listened to their guest.......

 

[MrInfinity]

The reason this will result in only marginal improvements to the long lines and wait times is because these problems are not created by the FP 3 per day limitation. Instead, the long lines and absurd wait times have resulted from the fact that thousands more park goers are now aware of and using FP than ever before. And the parks simply do not have enough rides to handle this new, significantly increased demand.

Disney has trumpeted FP+ to everyone and - "surprise! surprise!", everyone is using it and will continue to do so. Previously, a significant percentage of park goers did not use legacy FP for a variety of reasons.

That's why I term Disney's proposal a mere "tinkering". It will not solve the main problems for the reasons I've already stated. What WOULD help to solve them is loads more $$$ invested in park infrastructures, but I see no evidence that WDW intends to do that on the scale that would be needed.

This is true! The change is not really a significant change. Rides are not handling more users, and there are not fewer users using FP to make it better for others. So now if each user pulls 4 fp instead of 3, the only change there is 33% more of the rides fill by FP slots instead of Standby slots. That is ALL that changes... since the rides are not actually handling more ppl... where is this 4th ticket coming from? From someone else riding standby.

Anyways... It's a nice idea, Disney is clearly trying to give ppl 4 cuz they say they want more than 3, but giving EVERYBODY 4 instead of 3 is as bad as giving everybody 3 in the first place. Since this benefit is equally helping everybody, it's not really helping anybody.

Except, if you think most regular guests (the 80% that did not pull FP-) will not seek out or pull a 4th FP+ via a kiosk. That is kind of the shimmering light in this tunnel for power-tourers, that they may be able to pull FP+'s that the general population is not trying for. This is where it may slightly reward the savvy tourist, as opposed to just giving everyone 4 in their MDE up front.

It's got its goods and its bads.

 

[*disgal*]

Yes. Because 3 + X >3 so long as X > 0.

Yeah. I think I will wait and see exactly what I'm getting before I'm jumping up and down.

A vacation should not be this complicated and stressful.

I was thinking this yesterday as I was trying to decide where I wanted to be at 10pm on April 14th. And then this news hit and made my head hurt more. I dare not tell the rest of my family because if they knew I had to work that hard they would probably look at me and say, "You're crazy! That's why we go to the beach".

I am just wondering if this will change the lines at RD and the first two hours. We were hoping to save our FP+ for the afternoon and do Fantasy Land the very first two hours of MK opening. Should we still keep this plan or will it make the stand by lines longer in the first two hours? Any thoughts?

I would like to know this too but I really don't think it will affect my trip in 9 days. (are you reading this Disney? May 1st, May 1st...do it then!) haha

They also haven't said if you can FP the same ride more than once. I'd keep my 3 in DHS, if that was all we were given, if I could have 3 for the ToT.

I'm wondering this too. hmmmm

This is the sort of thing that happens when you put the locomotive in motion while the track is still being built.

You always manage to make so much sense mom2rtk. I would love to meet you sometime and buy you some coffee. Or whatever. (hope that doesn't sound like a stalker )

This message board is the most negative place on the internet I think.

1st world problems for sure. I'm just going to see for myself in November and just pay attention to ride/restaurant threads for the time being

Wish I could switch trips with you so I could sit back and relax too. But oh well, see ya!

Lovers = system looks like it will work, love we can get more that 3 possibly
Haters = no matter what I will hate disney, I want FP-/no waits/300 FPs/$1 rooms

It's not that stressful people make it that way... Haters going to hate keeps coming to mind after reading some responses after this slam dunk upgrade in the system.

This is nonsense, at least in my case. I'm glad that you're happy but please don't pretend to know what others think.

Thank you, Pianogirl.

Hah!

But you've got to hand it to them-- what a brilliant move they made today.

It does nothing to change the base issue of not enough capacity. But, like Andyman, Will, Shaden and others have said- at first glance, it's a positive for a lot of touring strategies.

For Disney, a huge Marketing win: “Only Three…!!??” is now out of the conversation. They've taken the main argument away from many of us who were most impacted by the new strategy! For the mainstream press, analysts and casual Disney Fans, this argument now becomes just a lot of background noise and complaining.

On the flip side of that, getting up early is now back in vogue! Those who want to sleep in and do the Parks later also don’t have an argument- if you want more (or more good ones), go earlier and make earlier FP reservations! (funny how it all comes back to that, again)....

The devil's in the details, but they've bought time- a lot of time, and can now say “Don’t worry, we’ll listen and fix it” for just about forever- whether this is true, or this change was always part of the Plan, or it's a scramble because of bad design and planning.

Andyman said it: win, win for the Mouse and some touring styles. But, a big "hmmm, how's that going to work?" for others

 

[sethschroeder]

This is nonsense, at least in my case. I'm glad that you're happy but please don't pretend to know what others think.

I am not saying someone thinks all those things I just have seen those common themes as of late as the negatives. So what is your issue with disney right now? Or are you fine?

Also I don't mean to offend anyone but most things disney can do won't appease people that are upset, look at this board when they give out a chance at more FP+ people automatically assume there won't ever be FPs left.

The main topics of contention by people upset with disney that I have seen:
More rides take money and time to build
Lower prices would just mean they make less on ever increasing crowd numbers
Going back to FP- is not an option most likely because of the cost of FP+

 

[agavegirl1]

Sooooo....I looked at my obsessive spreadsheet for October where FP+ selections and times are already listed, along with ADRs etc. With this new change, I could/would benefit from adding a 4th FP+ on three days. Two would be in the park I was in and one in a park I hopped to. Because of how I have prioritized using FP+, I wouldn't use the additional options that much. Also, if I have to use the kiosk for the additional FP+, I may choose not to do it at all. Why wait in a line to avoid waiting in a line?

While it certainly addresses the "We need more than three" issue, for practical application to my touring style, it doesn't do much. My concern is the impact on Standby lines, especially early in the morning and late in the evening. Hopefully, my October dates will not be too busy. The weekdays will be key.

I don't plan on changing anything much as a result. I just put a note on those days regarding a possible 4th choice. In no circumstance was a 5th or 6th FP+ a possibility. There is just not enough attractions to FP for me.

 

[Shaden]

This is true! The change is not really a significant change. Rides are not handling more users, and there are not fewer users using FP to make it better for others. So now if each user pulls 4 fp instead of 3, the only change there is 33% more of the rides fill by FP slots instead of Standby slots. That is ALL that changes... since the rides are not actually handling more ppl... where is this 4th ticket coming from? From someone else riding standby.

Anyways... It's a nice idea, Disney is clearly trying to give ppl 4 cuz they say they want more than 3, but giving EVERYBODY 4 instead of 3 is as bad as giving everybody 3 in the first place. Since this benefit is equally helping everybody, it's not really helping anybody.

Except, if you think most regular guests (the 80% that did not pull FP-) will not seek out or pull a 4th FP+ via a kiosk. That is kind of the shimmering light in this tunnel for power-tourers, that they may be able to pull FP+'s that the general population is not trying for. This is where it may slightly reward the savvy tourist, as opposed to just giving everyone 4 in their MDE up front.

It's got its goods and its bads.

Totally true.

If people start skipping more lines, the only difference this makes is that they wait times they "skip" need to be distributed to all the other wait times.

That being said, What I think is good about this, is that it might reward the Disney "Pro" again. It gives another tool to the loyal guests that learn how to maximize the system.

 

[Planogirl]

I am not saying someone thinks all those things I just have seen those common themes as of late as the negatives. So what is your issue with disney right now? Or are you fine?

Also I don't mean to offend anyone but most things disney can do won't appease people that are upset, look at this board when they give out a chance at more FP+ people automatically assume there won't ever be FPs left.

The main topics of contention by people upset with disney that I have seen:
More rides take money and time to build
Lower prices would just mean they make less on ever increasing crowd numbers
Going back to FP- is not an option most likely because of the cost of FP+

I'm on the fence and see no reason yet to jump to one side or the other.

I don't expect them to ever go back to FP- and I doubt that most people do. Wishful thinking is nice but just as useful as wanting Horizons to come back.

The point is that to some of us this is stressful. My vacations are supposed to be easy and relaxing because my work days are crazy with schedules and problems. I don't want to worry when I go on vacation! Maybe I won't have to but so far I'm not convinced hence my uncomfortable seat on the fence.

People all have different needs and wants. I get the sense that most of those who complain are worried and upset and yet still hopeful that the end product will work for them.

 

[tony609]

It says add at a kiosk. I hope that's not the only way. I hope you can do it via smart phone too, like the others.

 

[agavegirl1]

It says add at a kiosk. I hope that's not the only way. I hope you can do it via smart phone too, like the others.

Perhaps later we will be able to. That will make a significant difference to me. WDW has until October to improve the MDE website and increase capacity on their wireless internet connection before I can decide whether this will benefit me.

I don't "hate" FP+. I don't "love" the idea of FP+. I like the idea of the magic bands for certain applications. I am frustrated by the level of planning this trip has necessitated. I am thinking it might be nice to reserve a few headliners for evening hours. I am hopeful the bugs can be worked out of the MDE system as a whole. I expect I will have a great vacation regardless. I am concerned about the impact on Standby lines. And...I am watching, waiting, researching, planning and posting until I actually know.

 

[jamoka]

Haven't read the whole thread... My internet connection is too slow... But we are here now, and any fast passes that you might want are gone by the time we arrive at the park. Maybe at less busy times it might help you out, but we were just trying to add on splash mountain tomorrow, and the earliest time we could get is 5:30 pm... It will be all out by 9:30 tomorrow am... Fast passes to less popular rides are readily available, but not needed! Getting extra fast passes isn't gong to help very much IMO...

 

[sethschroeder]

I'm on the fence and see no reason yet to jump to one side or the other.

I don't expect them to ever go back to FP- and I doubt that most people do. Wishful thinking is nice but just as useful as wanting Horizons to come back.

The point is that to some of us this is stressful. My vacations are supposed to be easy and relaxing because my work days are crazy with schedules and problems. I don't want to worry when I go on vacation! Maybe I won't have to but so far I'm not convinced hence my uncomfortable seat on the fence.

People all have different needs and wants. I get the sense that most of those who complain are worried and upset and yet still hopeful that the end product will work for them.

Understandable, vacations shouldn't have you on edge. I might get a little more nervous the week before our trip but at this point the "testing" is changing things all the time so I feel like worrying won't do much good and as long as the gates open likely I will find a way to have a good time.

 

[*disgal*]

That being said, What I think is good about this, is that it might reward the Disney "Pro" again. It gives another tool to the loyal guests that learn how to maximize the system.

Ha! You know that's like a curse word around here don't you? And you said it outloud?

(some people thought Disney created FP+ so that the "pro" couldn't get away with what they were getting away with. Now you just ruined it for them. Shame, shame on you.)

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

So you don't believe a lot of people got that many fast passes?

We used to, we used to get to the parks near RD and go all day long, it was pretty easy to get that many fast passes.

That may not have been your "touring plans", so you probably don't understand how much that really did affect some people.

I have a vacation to WDW in 38 days, I wasn't excited about it at all, so much so that it was annoying my wife.

After today's announcement, I can't wait for our trip, even if this is not implemented by our May trip, I'll be ok with it. I know this will be a one time thing and that the way we do Disney is not completely done.

The limit of 3 fast passes was a big deal to us, I'm extremely happy that Disney listened to their guest.......

No I occasionally got a bunch in a day also. My family doesn't have a "touring plan" we just have fun ! Firm believer that when it's not busy you could get 8-10 in a day.BUT did you really have to? When it was busy (like spring break) it was very hard to do same because the crowds would eat up the time.

Haven't read the whole thread... My internet connection is too slow... But we are here now, and any fast passes that you might want are gone by the time we arrive at the park. Maybe at less busy times it might help you out, but we were just trying to add on splash mountain tomorrow, and the earliest time we could get is 5:30 pm... It will be all out by 9:30 tomorrow am... Fast passes to less popular rides are readily available, but not needed! Getting extra fast passes isn't gong to help very much IMO...

Spring break still = BIG crowds FP- or FP+ doesn't matter

 

[Mad Hattered]

Lovers = system looks like it will work, love we can get more that 3 possibly
Haters = no matter what I will hate disney, I want FP-/no waits/300 FPs/$1 rooms

It's not that stressful people make it that way... Haters going to hate keeps coming to mind after reading some responses after this slam dunk upgrade in the system.

Thanks, Seth. We appreciate you breaking down the barriers like that.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I find it comical that, when someone tries to point out the simple logic behind why the lines are long, they are accused of being haters. It has nothing to do with hate. It's simply the plain truth, however unpleasant it may be to hear.

Disney is stuck with a FP system that, on many levels, is failing its guests. All they can do, for the forseeable future, is introduce a few changes to make people feel as if things will get better. And some have fallen for it. But, for the long haul, it's clear that Disney needs to commit much more $$$ to its parks, build more rides and attractions. That strategy is the ONLY one that will have a significant impact on ride wait-times and the long lines people are experiencing.

I 100% agree that more attractions are the best solution to the problem of long wait times.

 

[*disgal*]

Spring break still = BIG crowds FP- or FP+ doesn't matter

Well, I don't know what to tell ya. We have gone Easter week many times, Thanksgiving and mid December.......with rd we were able to pull many fps with fp- and were able to ride the headliners 2 and 3 times.

This next trip we get 3. That's a major difference.

Now say in 2 months one can hit rd and pull 4 or 5 FPs. Sounds great! At first. Everyone agrees more people are using fp now. But there are only so many fps a headliner can give out. Am I going to be able to pull 2 fps for Splash? Or will there be no repeats? Will only figment and Captain EO be left at Epcot by the time 1pm rolls around and we've used our 3rd FP?

These are the things I need to know before I get all excited about this announcement. So far, it just seems like a great marketing tool for disney. I don't mean to be a downer, I'm just practical. I'm not complaining because I don't have those answers yet. This could be the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Hah!

But you've got to hand it to them-- what a brilliant move they made today.

It does nothing to change the base issue of not enough capacity. But, like Andyman, Will, Shaden and others have said- at first glance, it's a positive for a lot of touring strategies.

For Disney, a huge Marketing win: “Only Three…!!??” is now out of the conversation. They've taken the main argument away from many of us who were most impacted by the new strategy! For the mainstream press, analysts and casual Disney Fans, this argument now becomes just a lot of background noise and complaining.

On the flip side of that, getting up early is now back in vogue! Those who want to sleep in and do the Parks later also don’t have an argument- if you want more (or more good ones), go earlier and make earlier FP reservations! (funny how it all comes back to that, again)....

The devil's in the details, but they've bought time- a lot of time, and can now say “Don’t worry, we’ll listen and fix it” for just about forever- whether this is true, or this change was always part of the Plan, or it's a scramble because of bad design and planning.

Andyman said it: win, win for the Mouse and some touring styles. But, a big "hmmm, how's that going to work?" for others

Haters gonna hate!

Actually this sums it up perfectly, CL! But I bet the PR team is wishing they hadn't used the word "kiosk" in that statement. Why can't they just figure out how to get the anti-lock brakes AND the airbag to both work consistently?