Watch as the Dreams Unlimited Podcast team talks MyMagic+

[JJZMgailey]

Hear from locals and a Walt Disney World veteran on how they plan their vacations using FastPass+ and more!

 

[rteetz]

I enjoyed the discussion but it really comes down to personal preference. I can also see both sides to this. I'm an uber planner and want to plan anything and everything. MyMagic+ lets me do just that.

Kevin has a unique perspective because he visited in the 70s. I'm only 17 so of course I didn't get that chance. A lot of this has to do with changing times, and increased crowds. Walt Disney world sees millions more now than it did in the 70s. With the changing times comes technology and today's society is technology driven. Everyone is glued to their phones for Instagram facebook, and Twitter. Disney having an app for guests to use only helps that as many people especially the younger generations like mine are so tech savvy.

I think a common thing people do with the new system is they act like they have to use it. That's not true, you can still be spontaneous and still go in without any fastpasses or ADRs. That may limit choices but if you choose that route you should know that going in.

Great show as always!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I thought this was a very interesting discussion and was happy to hear multiple sides to the story. I was worried when Heather was telling her story that it was going to turn into a "Bash FP+" fest, but nice to get Tracy and Pete's point of views that like it

To me it is worth it to now in advance that we have a ride on Toy Story set or meeting Anna and Elsa, etc. - and yes it adds stress to scheduling but I'd rather know a month out whether it was going to happen or not than be stressing up until that morning and dealing with rope-drop, etc.

The one big negative I see is forcing attractions that were not built to have a FP line to now have to have one - with Pirates probably being most guilty of this. The queue is just not built for this and I hear stories of when there is no one in the FP line near empty boats leaving while the standby line has a 45 min wait.

The one thing I will fully agree with is that this does make a WDW trip more complicated. If I was planning my first ever trip in 2016 I think it would be very intimidating.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Oh just to add one more thought. I do think 180 days is a lot to have to plan out ADRs (I think 60 days would be plenty) but really don't want them to go to same day as that just brings back the "running of the bulls" at rope drop - except now it is to go get a day-of ADR for Be Our Guest instead of for riding Toy Story Midway Mania

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I enjoyed the discussion but it really comes down to personal preference. I can also see both sides to this. I'm an uber planner and want to plan anything and everything. MyMagic+ lets me do just that.

Kevin has a unique perspective because he visited in the 70s. I'm only 17 so of course I didn't get that chance. A lot of this has to do with changing times, and increased crowds. Walt Disney world sees millions more now than it did in the 70s. With the changing times comes technology and today's society is technology driven. Everyone is glued to their phones for Instagram facebook, and Twitter. Disney having an app for guests to use only helps that as many people especially the younger generations like mine are so tech savvy.

I think a common thing people do with the new system is they act like they have to use it. That's not true, you can still be spontaneous and still go in without any fastpasses or ADRs. That may limit choices but if you choose that route you should know that going in.

Great show as always!

I agree with this and also with John saying that he remembers being the only people on Main St., etc. ... I just feel that isn't realistic to happen anymore

I wonder if there is something that could be done to make things better for them. Perhaps some of the high capacity rides that weren't built for FP (Haunted Mansion, IASW, Pirates) could be removed from FP system so there is a bit more to do that you don't need a FP for or something

 

[JJZMgailey]

Just popping in to let you guys know that there is currently an issue with the audio feed for this show but it should hopefully be fixed later this afternoon!

 

[rteetz]

I agree with this and also with John saying that he remembers being the only people on Main St., etc. ... I just feel that isn't realistic to happen anymore

I wonder if there is something that could be done to make things better for them. Perhaps some of the high capacity rides that weren't built for FP (Haunted Mansion, IASW, Pirates) could be removed from FP system so there is a bit more to do that you don't need a FP for or something

Yep. Yes I would agree with you that some of those attractions not built for FP should go back to just standby but we know that will never happen now.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Love this podcast

 

[Princess Jes]

I'm yet to listen, but has anyone else had issues trying to download to the podcast app on an iPhone?

 

[rteetz]

I'm yet to listen, but has anyone else had issues trying to download to the podcast app on an iPhone?

Jackie said there is an issue with the audio feed. I didn't have a problem watching on my iPad on YouTube though.

 

[Princess Jes]

Jackie said there is an issue with the audio feed. I didn't have a problem watching on my iPad on YouTube though.

I listen in the car on the way to work, so unfortunately the YouTube feed won't work for me :-(
They say patience is a virtue

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I listen in the car on the way to work, so unfortunately the YouTube feed won't work for me :-(
They say patience is a virtue

yes, though I suspect those that said that never had to wait for anything in their lives

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Like a previous poster, I definitely was leery about watching this episode because I thought it would be a bash FP+ session just based off of previous comments from some members of the team. I really appreciated Tracy and Pete being a part of the discussion to balance opinions out.

Similar to Heather, I tend to travel as a solo but do meet up with friends for a few days each trip. This gives me the perspective of both worlds. I rarely have difficulty finding a FP for any attraction including the most popular like Mine Train, Soarin', etc. I tend to make my FPs a couple of weeks before my trips and then adjust them once I'm down there. No availability has just not been my experience. For example, in December I booked a FP for Mine Train the day before it was to be used. I also did this twice with Big Thunder and once for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. During my July/August trip, I was able to do something similar and for a group of five. If what I wanted was not available, I would just check again while taking a break or waiting in a short line later on; typically things open up throughout the day. What is available is always changing so if it only in the morning it might be in the afternoon, and it only takes a minute or two to look. Note that my trips are always during peak season.

FP+ has really made my trip experience more relaxing. I don't have to deal with rope drop (or the thought of it), running from one side of the park to the other and back again just for a FP (which wasted a lot of time), and the thought of not being able to ride something. I've been able to visit an attraction without issue and have also been able to experience some of the lesser known entertainment options as a result of the new system. It's been a definite plus for me.

When FP+ was first being tested, there were issues for sure and that's to be expected. Unfortunately, many internalized that experienced as what the system is like today which is far from the truth. Others heard from friends who did not have positive experiences and took this as to be the standard.

I know that Kevin and John have said for awhile now that they do not spend a lot of time in the parks which could be influencing their opinion of the system and even of how dining has been affected by it; I was grateful that Tracy and Pete jumped in to comment on their experiences being that they do spend more time in the parks. I also appreciated the notion of standing in line as a possibility. It drives me batty hearing someone declare that they can't go on an attraction because they don't have a FP. After all, isn't that what the strategy was before FP+ - grab a FP, wait on line for an attraction, and then use the FP for another? I can remember before the original FP system was created as well. Waiting on line was the norm.

Thanks again for keeping this hot topic discussion well represented from both sides.

 

[EricInPA]

I really enjoyed this podcast. The discussion between the For and Against parties regarding why they are for/against the system felt very familiar to me as I've had the same sort of back-and-forth with friends of mine.

Tracy's strategy (at least what I gathered) is very similar to ours, and like Pete said: this is a personal decision and it could go back and forth until the end of time, but it's good that everyone got to exchange and understand all the pros and cons constructively.

 

[Maddy McCoy]

Great Podcast as usual! I really appreciate the two sided discussion. I guess I'll throw in my two cents...
I loooove the fact that I can plan my vacation out months in advance, it gives me things to research, read about, watch videos, ect for months before I go. I, like some people, really enjoy the planning stages.
The saying 'plan your vacation to the minute' is a gross over exaggeration in my opinion. What it does allow you to do is give a layout of what you will be doing every few hours, with plenty of time to fill in with whatever you want to do in between. It gives me peace of mind to have a structure to my vacation, which helps me relax as I need a plan for everything.
Having everything on the App is also nice, because I am the type of person who would write things down, print things out, create spreadsheets of what we will be doing; having all of that on the app eliminates the need for me to bring an excessive amount of paperwork because I know where I'm going next, I know when my reservation for whatever is. I love having the ability to be in line for Space mountain, look on my app and see the wait time for Haunted mansion without having to walk to the opposite side of the park and being able to decide if I have enough time for one more attraction before hopping on the monorail to get to my 7:00PM reservation for O'hana.

 

[kbelle8995]

I am on the con side. Look I tried it and didn't care for it. I am glad that they had both sides of the issue covered. I wanted to hear an honest discussion with both pro and cons.
I am with Pete that is not so great that it has divided the fan base.

When I visited as a child in the 70's and back then the crowds were controlled because you had to buy tickets to ride the attractions. When you ran out you had to buy more. I think this did control crowd and who was going on the attractions.

And I like hearing their opinions on ADRs as well

It is a matter of preference that is all

 

[CampbellzSoup]

It was nice having Tracy actually address the people with the points the guest speaker has about my magical experience and fast past plus.

I just went to Disneyland and was not impressed with the old fast past system as that was my first time trying it.

I'm guessing if you didn't try fast pass the old way prior you don't have preconceived notions or memories about it...it just did nothing for me. However, if people enjoy it to each their own

 

[OKW Lover]

I tend to be more with Heather on this one. Of course, our touring styles are similar and you should probably also factor in over 100 trips to WDW before we moved to FL so we may not be the target audience. When we go to the parks now we are in one of two modes. One: its just Val & I and we are wandering around the park for a while with no other real objective. Two: we are with family or friends and are hitting the parks on their agenda so we do FP/ADR/MM/whatever else.

 

[Traveler Steve]

Thank you for the lively discussion, both sides were well represented. I too, am an "old timer". Went as a child in the 70s, teen in the 80s, adult 90s to now. A lot of changes.

I usually go solo, so I don't have the "herd a family around" that many have to deal with, so I am neutral on the FP+ at the moment. I will be down in April and plan to see what happens when I show up at MK early, no FP+ selections, and simply wander around and see what I can do. Around 20-30 minutes I'm willing to wait in line for something. Maybe, if something is too long, I will try to book a FP "on the fly" on my phone.

We'll see how it goes. The problem (well, for them it isn't) Disney has is simple. Too many guests and not enough attractions. If we are to see, on average, more of the 10-15 min. wait times we had in the past, they need at least 2 more parks and 15-20 new attractions (at least) - rides, shows, whatever. Obviously that isn't going to happen anytime soon (or ever, as it's a massive project and big $$$$). Ah, well. This is the new norm. Call it FP+, call it "social engineering" (as to distribute the crowds evenly), call it whatever you want. Bigger crowds in the relatively same amount of space = what we have now.

 

[KingLlama]

My last WDW trip was the first time I'd experienced FP+. And yeah, the "waiting up 'till midnight months in advance" felt kind of silly, but the truth is that it worked out pretty well for me.

I probably rode less, but it was easily the most relaxing WDW trip I've ever had. I liked what a previous poster said, that I could head to WDW with no worries about whether I'd be able to ride TSMM, etc. It also allowed me to sketch out a general plan for my park days. I don't plan everything down to the minute, but if I know I'm gonna be at BTMR around lunch time, then I know it makes sense to hit up Pecos Bill while I'm over that way. Takes out some of the last-minute "Where do you wanna eat?" "Well, I don't know. Where do you wanna eat?", that kind of thing.

It also made rope drop a choice, rather than a necessity.

It also had the unintentional side effect of humor, as it was hilarious to see which attractions still had FP availability when I'd check later in the day. A FP for Philharmagic? Uhhhh, no thanks.

I completely understand the other POV on this, but based strictly on my one experience with it, I'm a fan.