This just in from Disney Parks blog!

[ChipnDale79]

Huzzah! This is fantastic news (and that's coming from a FP+ hater!).

As for having to use kiosks v. App for additional FP+, I'm okay with that. I had no problem waiting my turn to pull old school FP. And they can...and should...simply add kiosks. There should be multiple kiosks in each land. Are there currently?

FP+hater here as well...this just literally made me do a 180 on it, this is the news ive been waiting for.

I'm now on board with FP+.....

 

[chrismb22]

Never experienced FP + yet so I was reserving judgement since we generally go in slower times but this sounds like it's definitely a + (no pun intended) for all involved.

Hope it's up and running by December

 

[skier_pete]

I agree.

Also, regarding rope drop, my initial thought was that this would put a crimp in that plan. But on second thought, I am not sure that would be correct. Rope drop and do 3 pre-booked FP between say, 11am and 1-2pm. At which point your time frame for finding decent FP is much larger than if you started looking for them after 8pm.

I was thinking just along these lines. It doesn't makes sense to use them all up in the morning when crowds are so low, but using them earlier in the day will make a lot more sense this way.

I posted on the Disney Blog my conern more about that 4th FP+. let's say it's 1 PM and I am now eligible for another FP+. Well, if I want something like Soarin' or Space Mountain the return times might already be out at 8-9 PM. If I pick that FP+, it would mean I'll never get a shot at a 5th FP.

Either way, I like that they are starting this. It means that they don't consider that the system is yet in its final form, and however they implement it, they will probably continue to tweak it to try and provide overall the best guest experience possible.

 

[VandVsmama]

I think that this change is great news and it is making me reconsider our original plan to go to DL next year for a milestone anniversary trip. Might go to WDW now instead!

 

[MrsDuck]

Very pleased!

 

[jimim]

No way I'm standing at a computer in a park when I can do it on my phone. So if it doesn't get pushed to my phone I can care less about this. I'd rather pay for a few extra when planning my trip vs standing in another line.

Park hopping would be cool cause then we can save one for after dinner when we go to a diff park usually.

 

[kgeary]

With boys ages 5,3 and 1 this would another BIG help to us. I think rope drop still applies though. Maximize early. So the big question is if you have FP+ for 9am-10am-11am - and try and get your 4th at say 11:30am - what is left at that time and how far out? Like will I be able to get a FP+ for Jungle Cruise or BTM for say 12pm-1PM? Maybe not.

For us might push those Tom Sawyer Island, Treehouse type attractions later in the day.

If they don't make it app available then the lines will be crazy just to get 1 FP and you definitely risk NOT getting a headliner in the afternoon/evening.

I think this concept will be a little bit more RISK/REWARD - but it puts the power a little more in the hand of the park patron than before.

 

[Wanna be Ariel]

This is defiantly a step in the right direction. I really hope this is up and running for our May trip. Having the worst time picking FP+ on our HS/MK day.

I really hope that you can also use the app. This would make it very easy while standing in line at your 3rd FP+ The other thing I do really hope the change the tier at Epcot. I hate that. Really hoping they release more info really soon and this is in play for May.

Thanks for finally listening Disney

 

[Winnowill]

If they do this, but you're still limited to one park with your FP+s, it will KILL park hopping.

 

[morethananyonex]

Personally, while the method of getting extra FP+ is better than nothing, I'm pretty disappointed they decided to go with the use 3 instead of use 1 route. Especially disappointed that it has to be done from a kiosk. That really limits the usefulness of the extra FP, especially in tiered parks.

I am intrigued about the park hopping they mentioned though. It would be really nice if you could book Soarin' for the first part of your day in Epcot, and use the other 2 for rides in the MK later at night instead of wasting them on Epcot tier 2 choices.

 

[joy13]

I agree. Also, regarding rope drop, my initial thought was that this would put a crimp in that plan. But on second thought, I am not sure that would be correct. Rope drop and do 3 pre-booked FP between say, 11am and 1-2pm. At which point your time frame for finding decent FP is much larger than if you started looking for them after 8pm.

That sounds like a good plan. Rope drop will always be too early and difficult for many families. If people didn't take advantage of the low crowds before, I don't see this changing their ways.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I don't think this is as great of news as everyone thinks it is. As evidenced by EasyWDW's recent blog post about longer standby lines for rides that used to have traditionally short lines due to the implementation of FP+, this is just going to make that problem worse. People never used to get FP for things like Pirates, HM or Spaceship Earth (well, they weren't even available with regular FP...). Now the lines are long for those rides during busy times when they didn't used to be.

Now, when the average guest has used up their three FP+ by the afternoon, they will go to the kiosk and see that there are FP+ reservations available for some rides (HM, Buzz, etc) but not headliners, so they will still scoop one up. In my opinion, this is just going to dramatically increase standby times all day long now.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I don't think this is as great of news as everyone thinks it is. As evidenced by EasyWDW's recent blog post about longer standby lines for rides that used to have traditionally short lines due to the implementation of FP+, this is just going to make that problem worse. People never used to get FP for things like Pirates, HM or Spaceship Earth (well, they weren't even available with regular FP...). Now the lines are long for those rides during busy times when they didn't used to be.

Now, when the average guest has used up their three FP+ by the afternoon, they will go to the kiosk and see that there are FP+ reservations available for some rides (HM, Buzz, etc) but not headliners, so they will still scoop one up. In my opinion, this is just going to dramatically increase standby times all day long now.

It can't really make the problem worse. The number of FP+ slots aren't going to change.

 

[shalom]

Brilliant. I like these proposed changes, and they seem a balanced compromise. OTOH, I suspect there'll be plenty more tweaking in the next year or so.

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.

It's not that different from the past set-up of having to wait two hours and whatnot. And, as with FP-, I expect Disers will figure out the best strategy and still have a considerable edge over those who haven't studied up.

I'm wondering if they're going to let people get a second FP for the same ride; at one point someone claimed that would never be an option. If their goal is to allow newbies a chance at some of the most popular rides, I think that will be something they hold firm on.

The other thing is, even getting more FPs is not going to make FP+ work the way FP- did, because a much higher percentage of people are using FP+. So even if they do let people have a second shot at the same ride the day of, unless they've shifted a boatload of rides over from standby to FP (enough to offset the many more people using them), there will never be as many tickets available for repeat rides as there used to be.

 

[clsteve]

Kinda makes you wonder if too many people were booking mid-day and afternoon FP-s and not enough in the mornings. This will change that quickly....

 

[morethananyonex]

It can't really make the problem worse. The number of FP+ slots aren't going to change.

But the level of usage will increase, so slower times may look more like busy times in terms of stand by lines, especially at secondary rides that will see the biggest increase in FP usage.

Rides like POTC and HM will likely be the type that are frequently available and most appealing to use the additional FP for.

 

[amg35]

It's funny, some people who used to hate fast pass plus are now saying because of this they are doing a turn around, where as before I was fine with fast pass plus but now find myself disappointed for fear of what willl happen to wait times at rope drop!

Man I thought I had it all figured out! For example, I was going to rope drop AK one morning and go on all the rides without much of a wait, and then use my fast pass at MK that night. Now, if everyone is using their fast passes in the morning, my standby waits at AK will skyrocket.

 

[lizabu]

That's awesome!

 

[Pamnkevin]

I don't think this is as great of news as everyone thinks it is. As evidenced by EasyWDW's recent blog post about longer standby lines for rides that used to have traditionally short lines due to the implementation of FP+, this is just going to make that problem worse. People never used to get FP for things like Pirates, HM or Spaceship Earth (well, they weren't even available with regular FP...). Now the lines are long for those rides during busy times when they didn't used to be. Now, when the average guest has used up their three FP+ by the afternoon, they will go to the kiosk and see that there are FP+ reservations available for some rides (HM, Buzz, etc) but not headliners, so they will still scoop one up. In my opinion, this is just going to dramatically increase standby times all day long now.

I don't think later in the day people will take a FP of a non-headliner just to take one. If you're looking for a headliner like BTMM and that's what your party wants to do...you'll most likely say screw it and go in stand by for BTMM

 

[chrismb22]

It's funny, some people who used to hate fast pass plus are now saying because of this they are doing a turn around, where as before I was fine with fast pass plus but now find myself disappointed for fear of what willl happen to wait times at rope drop!

Man I thought I had it all figured out!

What do you think will happen at rope drop? Why will it increase crowds? I'm just curious. As I said before, I really didn't read up too much about this since I don't have to make any plans until October.