TSM standby-less test Oct. 6-9

[cakebaker]

I would love to know for certain the answer to this.

Me too!

Thing is though, if they were going to alter availability depending on factors such as deluxe vs value, ap vs regular ticket, you'd think they'd advertise it in order to get people to do whatever it is they're after.

They certainly push the on site preferential treatment and to secretly change availability really doesn't do them much good.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Agreed. Doesn't mean I don't want to know though.

I think, if their IT department was up to the task, Disney would love to have that level of granular control.

Totally agree!

 

[ChanFO]

I have often wondered why they don't tier these things to drive more demand to the more expensive resorts, since they've been having trouble filling them. For example, deluxe and DVC villa reservations would get more options (additional FP+ selections or more times) and earlier access (75 days in advance instead of 60), and value might get... less.

... I probably shouldn't be giving Disney ideas, if they haven't already thought of it.

 

[mesaboy2]

Me too!

Thing is though, if they were going to alter availability depending on factors such as deluxe vs value, ap vs regular ticket, you'd think they'd advertise it in order to get people to do whatever it is they're after.

They certainly push the on site preferential treatment and to secretly change availability really doesn't do them much good.

Without knowing their end goals, it's hard for me to assume what variables they may or may not be playing with. It could be they haven't gone public with this yet because it isn't ready for prime-time.

I have often wondered why they don't tier these things to drive more demand to the more expensive resorts, since they've been having trouble filling them. For example, deluxe and DVC villa reservations would get more options (additional FP+ selections or more times) and earlier access (75 days in advance instead of 60), and value might get... less.

... I probably shouldn't be giving Disney ideas, if they haven't already thought of it.

You, them, and hundreds of us already have.

 

[OtherScott]

So the DHS RD stampede will now be to the kiosks, it would seem.

Robo, one of your patented detailed maps with the best routes to the kiosks would seem to be a handy, must-have.....

What do you think of actually stress-testing the system?

I think it makes sense, whatever they eventually decide.

 

[bumbershoot]

And so it starts...

If I walked in and saw that I would turn around and leave. I would stop at Guest Relations first. Chat with them about the day's plans, our ticket use plans, and the possibility of a refund of that day since our plan was changed too much.

We now keep Universal APs. We would just head up there instead.

Our Uni passes run out in November and we were considering switching back to Disney this time but this could be a deal breaker for us.

You know the sort of discount a renewal is, right? It's significant. We have Preferred, and if we can manage just THREE park days in our AP year, we've gotten value out of the Preferred renewal. If that's a chance in any given year, consider keeping them.

(of course they might change it...and you only get the continued discount if you are NOT on a payment plan...)

Disney does not care about your touring plan. Among other things.

They make this whole website where you can create a touring plan right on there, with a calendar and a list of things you'll be doing and notes and all that, and then they ruin the usage of it.

It seems to me that they're only doing this test on attractions that generally see some of the highest waits across the park. This, Soarin', A&E. So maybe this won't be something (at least I hope) they implement on all of the rides, just the ones that get the longest lines? (IDK, I'm just thinking out loud mostly)

What a great idea! Everyone wants to be on this ride. Let's not let them. That'll make them do other things and come back another time! It won't make them angry and LEAVE or anything.....

That's how theme parks (including WDW) used to operate: you had to pay admission just to get in and then you had to pay per-ride to ride.

What if this is all a way to get us to ask for that again?

So now there is a long FP+ line.... defeats the purpose of FP+ being a timesaver and there is still a line. They're just swapping out one line for another. Doesn't make sense to me?????

Agreed.

You're making no sense at all-

First you claim the fp's are all gone. No, they weren't.

Why don't you believe that when he checked for his party they weren't there? You know perfectly well it's a dynamic system and things pop up then are taken all the time.

And don't you think he went back in to see if what you guys were saying was true BECAUSE you guys were saying that? Don't you think he's feeling a bit challenged by posters here, or curious? I just read all the back and forth with that poster in the last 20 minutes, and if I were him I would be curious, too, about this changing availability.

 

[cakebaker]

Without knowing their end goals, it's hard for me to assume what variables they may or may not be playing with. It could be they haven't gone public with this yet because it isn't ready for prime-time.

Well won't that be an interesting time should it ever come to light.

I've often wondered if they'd ever go to grading perks according to resort level. They certainly did it with the dining plans- who knew people that stayed at deluxe resorts required more food!

 

[FlipHipster]

Agreed. Doesn't mean I don't want to know though.

I think, if their IT department was up to the task, Disney would love to have that level of granular control.

True this. ^

 

[joelkfla]

But people don't seem to know any other way of forming a line other than running it across the walkway and blocking people. And those in line are so afraid someone is trying cut that you have to force them to move so you can get by. It happened several times on our last trip- even at IASW! Not a long line at all, but it was into the street for a bit and heaven forbid they should line up by the ride- nope, gotta run it right thru the middle of the walkway.

That's on Disney, for not having enough cast to manage lines. Certainly there are ways to handle this, like, for example, having a central location monitor queues by video and dispatch a crew to handle overflow problems ASAP. All it takes is the will and the money to allocate a few cm's that might not be busy 100% of the time.

 

[FlipHipster]

Well won't that be an interesting time should it ever come to light.

I've often wondered if they'd ever go to grading perks according to resort level. They certainly did it with the dining plans- who knew people that stayed at deluxe resorts required more food!

I've been waiting for this to happen personally. Is it really fair that a family spending $1100/night for a suite at the Poly can't book FP for A&E but someone staying in a tent at FW got theirs? Surely not...

 

[DisUniversal]

You're making no sense at all-

First you claim the fp's are all gone. No, they weren't.

Oh, well let's change the reasoning to explain availability you claim wasn't there: You don't WANT to book out of the available pool. Somehow Disney has a magic wand that makes the day of release fp's special - dare I say...magical! that makes you want to only reserve sdfp's. Wouldn't make sense to book ahead. OKAY...

Ah, but now you go ahead and throw out the whole point of your exercise in futility..and why??...it's easier.

Sure it is.

Don't need it to make sense to you. Watch the available pool disappear each day (probably by noon) over the next few days and it may start to make sense.

 

[mesaboy2]

I've been waiting for this to happen personally. Is it really fair that a family spending $1100/night for a suite at the Poly can't book FP for A&E but someone staying in a tent at FW got theirs? Surely not...

The concept of "fair" is such a difficult thing to define, let alone implement in a complex system such as this.

 

[cakebaker]

I've been waiting for this to happen personally. Is it really fair that a family spending $1100/night for a suite at the Poly can't book FP for A&E but someone staying in a tent at FW got theirs? Surely not...

Oh my- you are brave!

I actually don't disagree with you at all. I think the perks for staying on site have gotten pretty thin. The 60 day window is good, but not so sure that should be across the board. You pay to play. That's just the way it is.

And wouldn't that put a kink in the fake reservation schemes? Let's see if getting free bands and a rolling 60 day window is worth the price of a deluxe resort!

 

[JoshuaShaw]

I've been waiting for this to happen personally. Is it really fair that a family spending $1100/night for a suite at the Poly can't book FP for A&E but someone staying in a tent at FW got theirs? Surely not...

What is this concept of "fair" you speak of? I'm unfamiliar with this concept.

 

[kelleybean]

We now keep Universal APs. We would just head up there instead.



You know the sort of discount a renewal is, right? It's significant. We have Preferred, and if we can manage just THREE park days in our AP year, we've gotten value out of the Preferred renewal. If that's a chance in any given year, consider keeping them.

(of course they might change it...and you only get the continued discount if you are NOT on a payment plan...)

Thanks! We have to sit and do the math because we might go a few months without any AP at all. I have to say that I love the premier pass at Universal. Love the flexibility of being able to use express for most rides after 4 and not have to worry about scheduling a time. The AP discount for food and drinks adds up pretty significantly for us too.

 

[cakebaker]

Don't need it to make sense to you. Watch the available pool disappear each day (probably by noon) over the next few days and it may start to make sense.

What a psychic! You come up with that before or after seeing when they ran out today? Amazing that your prediction pretty much matches when they ran out today....And now you want to claim credit for running them out of fp's?

They're going to run out around that time of day with or without your five fp's.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

All this back n forth on who sees what as available makes me wonder if we all see the same thing. Oh...family A always stays deluxe....they can have many options for available times. Family B is 2nd class and stays offsite so "no soup for you".

Or someone isn't telling the truth. The slight differences you saw between a few people was most likely due to an unknown number of people hitting the system at the same time.

I don't believe Disney has the capability to limit what fp availability you see.

All I know is that when I first posted checking around 2 p.m. I couldn't book FP+s for TSMM for tomorrow for a party of 3. Then I see a post where someone saw a party of 3 open for tomorrow after I posted. Right now at 3:45, I still can not book a party of 3 for TSMM for a tomorrow. I have no reason to lie about it because I have no desire to take any of these FP+s from someone that will be in the park tomorrow. I just wanted to see what came up for me. This MDE account has 3 tickets linked to it but is a new account started this past spring and has never had an onsite stay linked to it. Does that make a difference? I don't think anyone knows for sure.

 

[kt_mom]

I haven't read the whole thread but I thought I would share our experience this morning. we had a FP for the 9:35 slot. We didn't know about the test until we got there. We walked through a completely empty line and boarded immediately. Looked like most of the cars were running empty.

We inquired afterwards about a DAS return time and were told they were not giving out any DAS return times.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Or someone isn't telling the truth. The slight differences you saw between a few people was most likely due to an unknown number of people hitting the system at the same time.

I don't believe Disney has the capability to limit what fp availability you see.

Why? If they are distinguishing between ticket types, offsite/onsite...why couldn't they do the same based on which tier resort you are in? Not saying they are doing this, but I definitely think they could.

 

[NavyDad]

We now have a DIS Board poster trying to manipulate how the FP+ works for others in an effort to change the system to fit their own desires.

Classic.