Understanding Disney's reasons behind FP+ and hopper passes

[sbeets]

If I was a Disney exec, the hopper pass has to be the highest profit add on available, and I would encourage everyone to add it. People in one park, are paying for the right to use another park that same day. Perhaps they spend money at WDW in the morning, and Epcot in the afternoon, and pay money to do it! So why doesn't Disney encourage more people to buy hoppers by allowing you to book fast passes at a second park? Finish the three FP+ at one park, go to a kiosk, and decide, hey, there's a lot of FP+ available at HS so I'll go there instead of getting a 4th FP+ at this park. As I missing something? I know I don't have the power to change anything, but I just don't understand the reasoning behind this. This year for free dining we had to upgrade to hopper passes. Is Disney seeing a decline in hopper passes because the FP+ system discourages them?

 

[Robo]

FP+ is designed to spread guests out between FAR too few major attractions.

 

[bpadair32]

I think one reason maybe that they don't want to encourage people to book 3 FP+s at 2 or 3 different parks and then just decide later which ones to use. I could see the following scenario occurring:

-Book one FP+ for 7DMT
-Book one FP+ for RnRC
-Book one FP+ for EE
-Decide to go to MK that day and let the other 2 FP+s expire unused and then just book SDFP in MK for the rest of the day.

If enough people did that, it could really impact the number of FP+s available for other people. I see it as being similar to people who book ADRs at 3-4 different restaurants for the same day and then cancel the 2 they don't want at the last minute.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

FP+ was to help people not have to show up at RD and fight the masses rushing for machines only to have the passes run out within hours of opening. Now you can have FP run out months in advance and if you really want to do something you can't get a FP for you have to fight the masses to get on the ride. See how amazing the difference is?

 

[G.Goof]

We live closer to the west coast, so we visit Disneyland more frequently. We LOVE the FP+ system at WDW! We just like knowing in advance what time our FP's are for. Much like the OP, I do wish I could use the MDE app to make additional FP+ res's after we finish our initial 3. Even more, I would love to use the MDE app to make those additional FP+ res's at a 2nd park when we hop so we know what our plan will be on arrival. I don't like having to go to a kiosk in either the 1st or 2nd park to get those extra FP+'s. That's too much like they way it works at DL...which I don't like as much.

 

[wilkeliza]

You can book your 4th FP at a different park you just have to go to that park first. You can also cancel your other 2 and then go to another park and book one but it may require the assistance of a CM.

 

[sbeets]

We have always used hopper passes in our prior visits, and we plan to on this visit as well since we have free dining and must buy a hopper or water park add on. The FP+ system just makes hopping less attractive, and it seems like Disney would want to encourage people to spend more on a ticket. Maybe I am just overestimating the income from hopper add ons.

 

[sbeets]

You can book your 4th FP at a different park you just have to go to that park first. You can also cancel your other 2 and then go to another park and book one but it may require the assistance of a CM.

We typically hit rope drop at park 1, take a nap, and hit a second park in the evening. I'd like get a FP for park 2 when I leave park 1. FP+ discourages me from going to park 2, and instead booking a 4th FP in park 1. That doesn't make financial sense to me. But hey, my MBA taught me real world, and Disney is a whole other economic engine.

 

[wilkeliza]

We typically hit rope drop at park 1, take a nap, and hit a second park in the evening. I'd like get a FP for park 2 when I leave park 1. FP+ discourages me from going to park 2, and instead booking a 4th FP in park 1. That doesn't make financial sense to me. But hey, my MBA taught me real world, and Disney is a whole other economic engine.

The nap is what they are trying to discourage haha. I agree though. We like to nap as well. The best thing we have invested in is staying club level. You can call the club level desk and they can book your 4th FP for you. It was perfect to go nap and know you had something for park #2 later.

I've heard that GS can book in other parks as well but not 100% sure on that any more.

 

[MischaOz]

I guess I'm kind of thread-jacking here, but I would very much like to know if that's true that one can book a 4th FP by calling GS. Anyone know?

 

[sbeets]

The nap is what they are trying to discourage haha. I agree though. We like to nap as well. The best thing we have invested in is staying club level. You can call the club level desk and they can book your 4th FP for you. It was perfect to go nap and know you had something for park #2 later.

I've heard that GS can book in other parks as well but not 100% sure on that any more.

I do have club level reservations...

 

[wilkeliza]

I do have club level reservations...

I would ask on your first day. I know they did it for us as we were headed to the pool and then dinner after havig spent the day at Epcot. They got us a fantasmic FP+ for that evening. Absolultely no clue if that is normal and trying to confirm with some CM friends but I know they did it for us and told us if we need anything to call the desk before they left for the evening. They could only do it for people on the CL reservation though and said they couldn't do it for our friends.

 

[wilkeliza]

Boo got clarification from a close friend and they said it may have been an old ability that a rogue CM used. We stayed CL back when it was still realitively new and only used it that one time so that is probably why it ie different then now.

 

[Canuck16]

We have always used hopper passes in our prior visits, and we plan to on this visit as well since we have free dining and must buy a hopper or water park add on. The FP+ system just makes hopping less attractive, and it seems like Disney would want to encourage people to spend more on a ticket. Maybe I am just overestimating the income from hopper add ons.

We found park hopping with the FP+ system to be more attractive.

We would arrive at Park #1 at RD and ride everything we wanted while the crowd levels were low and FP+ were not needed. Then go back to the resort to relax and enjoy the pool etc. Then head to Park #2 for the evening with our 3 FP+ for attractions when the crowds were heavier and the lines longer.

This strategy worked well for us.

 

[Planogirl]

We found park hopping with the FP+ system to be more attractive.

We would arrive at Park #1 at RD and ride everything we wanted while the crowd levels were low and FP+ were not needed. Then go back to the resort to relax and enjoy the pool etc. Then head to Park #2 for the evening with our 3 FP+ for attractions when the crowds were heavier and the lines longer.

This strategy worked well for us.

So many people who like FP+ seem to want to avoid rope drop though. I do agree with you that your way is very logical but we're rope drop people too.

 

[Canuck16]

So many people who like FP+ seem to want to avoid rope drop though. I do agree with you that your way is very logical but we're rope drop people too.

True RD not for everyone.

The OP said that they hit RD but still find the FP+ system discourages park hopping.....we found that it actually worked better for park hopping for the way that we tour.

 

[sbeets]

We found park hopping with the FP+ system to be more attractive.

We would arrive at Park #1 at RD and ride everything we wanted while the crowd levels were low and FP+ were not needed. Then go back to the resort to relax and enjoy the pool etc. Then head to Park #2 for the evening with our 3 FP+ for attractions when the crowds were heavier and the lines longer.

This strategy worked well for us.

I may have to try this. This is our first trip under FP+, and we are complete rope drop people.

 

[wisblue]

True RD not for everyone.

The OP said that they hit RD but still find the FP+ system discourages park hopping.....we found that it actually worked better for park hopping for the way that we tour.

Yes, some people, like you and me, like FP+ because we can do RD at one park and then use our FPs at another park later in the day. That makes park hopping better for us than it was with paper FP or before FP existed at all.

Other people like FP+ because they can skip RD and still get 3 FPs at times that they choose. They are accepting the fact that they are passing on the advantages that RD offers, maybe because they plan to stay at a park until closing.

I think the claim that FP+ was designed so that people could avoid rope drop is off target. I also disagree that FP+ discourages hopping.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I just booked FP last night for the first time. I have a mixture of RD/hop to FP park and non hop days and I think it really benefits us for both. The only issue is you run out of things to book for! I was just grabbing whatever at MK at one point lol

 

[DisneyFive]

I also want FP+ reservation for multiple parks, prior to visiting. However, it would obviously put even more strain on headliner attractions. Consider Epcot. There are only two headliners. Soarin and Test Track. If you were allowed to pre-book a third FP+ at another park, it's almost guaranteed that you are going to choose another headliner at that other park... putting even more stress on that rides capacity.

I don't like the current system at all, but I get it.

The biggest frustration for us was at Animal Kingdom and Epcot, both of which have VERY limited rides that are FP+ worthy. (in our opinion) So you are at the park in the morning, and there are maybe two attractions that really justify FP+... you book them, and you end up having to find some other low ranking attraction just to use up your FP+'s before heading to another park... just frustrating.

Dan