Well... MagicBands and FP+, Our Experience

[Belle5]

My husband and I (DVC) went to the world with my mother-in-law and father-in-law (not DVC) over New Year's this year. We stayed at OKW and generally liked the FP+ system. Admittedly, we were a party of all adults, and I am an uber-planner who likes to keep some spontaneity (In the past, my husband and I have often enjoyed playing "Park Roulette" by jumping on the first park bus that came and wondering where we could go for the day; however, we always pre-booked dining and knew what we would be doing at night.)

A few things we appreciated:

1. Spending more time at the resort pool, hot tub, and tennis courts (relaxing more than we normally do on Disney vacations)
2. Being able to only spend 2 1/2 hours in the parks at night but still being able to do 3 rides without waiting (The parks were very crowded at this time of year, so we were able to ride our rides and then head to less crowded areas like the Boardwalk/ Downtown Disney/ the World Showcase.)
3. Having more time to linger at Epcot's many bars and restaurants
4. Feeling less rushed since we did not have to zoom around the parks collecting fast passes (We LOVE rides and used to get 6-9 FP' per day, but it was nice to enjoy the surrounding and atmosphere instead of doing this.)
5. Knowing that we would get to do all of the attractions we REALLY wanted to do at some point during our 6 day vacation
6. Walking around the back lot in HS/ animal trails in AK/ World Showcase in Epcot during times between FP+'s
7. Riding/ seeing attractions we rarely experience at MK since they had short waits (Philharmagic, Laugh Lab, "Jingle" Cruise, and Enchanted Tiki Room)
8. Knowing that our fastpass times would always be convenient for us

A few things that frustrated us:

1. Being tied to our cell phones (I was the only one frustrated by this since I was the "unoficial" planner who made any FP+ changes we needed to make. I HATE making decisions and dealing with tech issues on vacation...I have always planned ahead so that I could relax more during my vacations.)
2. Being unable to change FP+ times later in the day (In the morning, we were always able to change the ones for the evening, but at around 2:00 the FP+'s were generally all booked.)
3. Wanting to do more rides and more headliners (This was especially true in Epcot where even Malestrom was considered a headliner.)

For parties of all adults, I would recommend the following:

1. Book your FP+'s starting 1 hour after dinner, and book your dinner near your first FP+. This way, even if your dinner takes an hour and 45 min, you can still make the end of your FP window. Also, you will get to do your first 2 rides in a row without waiting. Then you can experience the ambiance, do your last ride, and hang out somewhere fun at night.
2. Book your first 2 rides near each other and your 3rd ride near wherever you want to hang out in between rides.
3. Aim to arrive at your first ride near the end of the 1 hour window so that you can do 2 rides in a row.
4. GO TO JELLY ROLLS! Deuling pianos are so fun! ($20 cover charge is expensive but worth it to us.)
5. Walk to as many parks as you can. (When going from MK to Epcot/ HS, take a bus to Beach Club/ Boardwalk. Then walk to Epcot/ HS...beautiful view, and less hassle.)

Overall, we would have liked more rides and more headliners, but we still prefer the new system to the old one because we found it more relaxing. We were still open to go wherever we wanted in the morning, but often we slept in/ played tennis/ hung out at the resort (all of which we enjoyed). We found that we focused less on the parks and more on vacationing. We did spend less money because of this, and that was nice too (though not likely what Disney intended). It was nice to be able to go out in the evenings and still do our 3 rides at very convenient times in relatively rapid succession.

Since we go every summer (This was our first New Year's there.), we were more pleased with the free time FP+ gave us than we were upset about the lack of rides. I imagine that 3 rides a day would really frustrate rare Dis-goers or once-in-a-lifetimers, but it actually made us take more time to relax.

On a side note, we are still glad that WDW does not have the "pay to get more fastpasses" system that Universal has. Even though we could afford to pay for more passes, we would not want to feel like we were paying to cut in front of people who might have had to save and save for a vacation. It is nice that Disney gives EVERYONE fast passes (even if you can only pre-book when staying on property...at least people at the "value" resorts can still pre-book and get the same number of fastpasses.)

This was very helpful. Thank you!

 

[emilymad]

This was very helpful. Thank you!

+1 Tybalt - This was very helpful and I think what we are going to try to do our next trip. Thanks for the positive attitude!

 

[Belle5]

Tybalt,
Can you give your dates of travel? You mentioned it was very crowded...

Thanks!

 

[Tybalt]

Tybalt,
Can you give your dates of travel? You mentioned it was very crowded.

We went from December 28 through January 2. The most crowded day was New Years Eve (even though we went to Epcot that night since it was rumored to be less crowded than the other parks).

I forgot to add that I would recommend planning the major headliner as your second FP+ if you plan your first one after dinner. I would hate to miss out on my favorite ride because of a longer dining wait that I had expected.

 

[Tybalt]

+1 Tybalt - This was very helpful and I think what we are going to try to do our next trip. Thanks for the positive attitude!

Happy to help! Hope you have fun! We're excited to go back in August for our 9th anniversary.

 

[mariamouse]

My husband and I (DVC) went to the world with my mother-in-law and father-in-law (not DVC) over New Year's this year. We stayed at OKW and generally liked the FP+ system. Admittedly, we were a party of all adults, and I am an uber-planner who likes to keep some spontaneity (In the past, my husband and I have often enjoyed playing "Park Roulette" by jumping on the first park bus that came and wondering where we could go for the day; however, we always pre-booked dining and knew what we would be doing at night.) A few things we appreciated: [*]Spending more time at the resort pool, hot tub, and tennis courts (relaxing more than we normally do on Disney vacations) [*]Being able to only spend 2 1/2 hours in the parks at night but still being able to do 3 rides without waiting (The parks were very crowded at this time of year, so we were able to ride our rides and then head to less crowded areas like the Boardwalk/ Downtown Disney/ the World Showcase.) [*]Having more time to linger at Epcot's many bars and restaurants [*]Feeling less rushed since we did not have to zoom around the parks collecting fast passes (We LOVE rides and used to get 6-9 FP' per day, but it was nice to enjoy the surrounding and atmosphere instead of doing this.) [*]Knowing that we would get to do all of the attractions we REALLY wanted to do at some point during our 6 day vacation [*]Walking around the back lot in HS/ animal trails in AK/ World Showcase in Epcot during times between FP+'s [*]Riding/ seeing attractions we rarely experience at MK since they had short waits (Philharmagic, Laugh Lab, "Jingle" Cruise, and Enchanted Tiki Room) [*]Knowing that our fastpass times would always be convenient for us A few things that frustrated us: [*]Being tied to our cell phones (I was the only one frustrated by this since I was the "unoficial" planner who made any FP+ changes we needed to make. I HATE making decisions and dealing with tech issues on vacation...I have always planned ahead so that I could relax more during my vacations.) [*]Being unable to change FP+ times later in the day (In the morning, we were always able to change the ones for the evening, but at around 2:00 the FP+'s were generally all booked.) [*]Wanting to do more rides and more headliners (This was especially true in Epcot where even Malestrom was considered a headliner.) For parties of all adults, I would recommend the following: [*]Book your FP+'s starting 1 hour after dinner, and book your dinner near your first FP+. This way, even if your dinner takes an hour and 45 min, you can still make the end of your FP window. Also, you will get to do your first 2 rides in a row without waiting. Then you can experience the ambiance, do your last ride, and hang out somewhere fun at night. [*]Book your first 2 rides near each other and your 3rd ride near wherever you want to hang out in between rides. [*]Aim to arrive at your first ride near the end of the 1 hour window so that you can do 2 rides in a row. [*]GO TO JELLY ROLLS! Deuling pianos are so fun! ($20 cover charge is expensive but worth it to us.) [*]Walk to as many parks as you can. (When going from MK to Epcot/ HS, take a bus to Beach Club/ Boardwalk. Then walk to Epcot/ HS...beautiful view, and less hassle.) Overall, we would have liked more rides and more headliners, but we still prefer the new system to the old one because we found it more relaxing. We were still open to go wherever we wanted in the morning, but often we slept in/ played tennis/ hung out at the resort (all of which we enjoyed). We found that we focused less on the parks and more on vacationing. We did spend less money because of this, and that was nice too (though not likely what Disney intended). It was nice to be able to go out in the evenings and still do our 3 rides at very convenient times in relatively rapid succession. Since we go every summer (This was our first New Year's there.), we were more pleased with the free time FP+ gave us than we were upset about the lack of rides. I imagine that 3 rides a day would really frustrate rare Dis-goers or once-in-a-lifetimers, but it actually made us take more time to relax. On a side note, we are still glad that WDW does not have the "pay to get more fastpasses" system that Universal has. Even though we could afford to pay for more passes, we would not want to feel like we were paying to cut in front of people who might have had to save and save for a vacation. It is nice that Disney gives EVERYONE fast passes (even if you can only pre-book when staying on property...at least people at the "value" resorts can still pre-book and get the same number of fastpasses.)

This totally hit the nail on the head for me. We are also adults and super planners.

We loved the ability to just walk up to the ride when our window rolled around, but did find the Epcot and HS tiering quite frustrating, as well as the difficulty finding FP+ times post-10am or so over MLK weekend. Also would add that the fastpasses should be available in any park each day. It really made having park hoppers feel a bit silly! Agree that I was much more tied to my phone this trip.

We had no issues with the functionality of the bands and actually found them decently comfortable to wear. Loved being able to use them to access our room instead of pulling out a room key! Very convenient for purchases and dining as well.

 

[Shaden]

My husband and I (DVC) went to the world with my mother-in-law and father-in-law (not DVC) over New Year's this year. We stayed at OKW and generally liked the FP+ system. Admittedly, we were a party of all adults, and I am an uber-planner who likes to keep some spontaneity (In the past, my husband and I have often enjoyed playing "Park Roulette" by jumping on the first park bus that came and wondering where we could go for the day; however, we always pre-booked dining and knew what we would be doing at night.)

A few things we appreciated:

1. Spending more time at the resort pool, hot tub, and tennis courts (relaxing more than we normally do on Disney vacations)
2. Being able to only spend 2 1/2 hours in the parks at night but still being able to do 3 rides without waiting (The parks were very crowded at this time of year, so we were able to ride our rides and then head to less crowded areas like the Boardwalk/ Downtown Disney/ the World Showcase.)
3. Having more time to linger at Epcot's many bars and restaurants
4. Feeling less rushed since we did not have to zoom around the parks collecting fast passes (We LOVE rides and used to get 6-9 FP' per day, but it was nice to enjoy the surrounding and atmosphere instead of doing this.)
5. Knowing that we would get to do all of the attractions we REALLY wanted to do at some point during our 6 day vacation
6. Walking around the back lot in HS/ animal trails in AK/ World Showcase in Epcot during times between FP+'s
7. Riding/ seeing attractions we rarely experience at MK since they had short waits (Philharmagic, Laugh Lab, "Jingle" Cruise, and Enchanted Tiki Room)
8. Knowing that our fastpass times would always be convenient for us

A few things that frustrated us:

1. Being tied to our cell phones (I was the only one frustrated by this since I was the "unoficial" planner who made any FP+ changes we needed to make. I HATE making decisions and dealing with tech issues on vacation...I have always planned ahead so that I could relax more during my vacations.)
2. Being unable to change FP+ times later in the day (In the morning, we were always able to change the ones for the evening, but at around 2:00 the FP+'s were generally all booked.)
3. Wanting to do more rides and more headliners (This was especially true in Epcot where even Malestrom was considered a headliner.)

For parties of all adults, I would recommend the following:

1. Book your FP+'s starting 1 hour after dinner, and book your dinner near your first FP+. This way, even if your dinner takes an hour and 45 min, you can still make the end of your FP window. Also, you will get to do your first 2 rides in a row without waiting. Then you can experience the ambiance, do your last ride, and hang out somewhere fun at night.
2. Book your first 2 rides near each other and your 3rd ride near wherever you want to hang out in between rides.
3. Aim to arrive at your first ride near the end of the 1 hour window so that you can do 2 rides in a row.
4. GO TO JELLY ROLLS! Deuling pianos are so fun! ($20 cover charge is expensive but worth it to us.)
5. Walk to as many parks as you can. (When going from MK to Epcot/ HS, take a bus to Beach Club/ Boardwalk. Then walk to Epcot/ HS...beautiful view, and less hassle.)

Overall, we would have liked more rides and more headliners, but we still prefer the new system to the old one because we found it more relaxing. We were still open to go wherever we wanted in the morning, but often we slept in/ played tennis/ hung out at the resort (all of which we enjoyed). We found that we focused less on the parks and more on vacationing. We did spend less money because of this, and that was nice too (though not likely what Disney intended). It was nice to be able to go out in the evenings and still do our 3 rides at very convenient times in relatively rapid succession.

Since we go every summer (This was our first New Year's there.), we were more pleased with the free time FP+ gave us than we were upset about the lack of rides. I imagine that 3 rides a day would really frustrate rare Dis-goers or once-in-a-lifetimers, but it actually made us take more time to relax.

On a side note, we are still glad that WDW does not have the "pay to get more fastpasses" system that Universal has. Even though we could afford to pay for more passes, we would not want to feel like we were paying to cut in front of people who might have had to save and save for a vacation. It is nice that Disney gives EVERYONE fast passes (even if you can only pre-book when staying on property...at least people at the "value" resorts can still pre-book and get the same number of fastpasses.)

I am very glad this worked for you, but reading your report this is the sense I am left with ...

You enjoyed your trip to Disney with FP+ because you did less, you hung around the resort and the eateries more.

That's really the impression I get. You talk about the fact you used to pull more than 6 FPs a day. over 6 days, that's 36 FPs, at 9 per day that's 54, instead you got 18, that were tiered. I do get the whole, it was crowded and you got to ride 3 rides, tiered in 2.5 hours, I guess that's kinda cool .... but worth the trade off of 18 rides to 54 !?!??!?!

You got to ride the attractions you "really" wanted to ... once ? That doesn't make it sound like you are ride centric folk. And hey, if yur not, great, awesome, I can see how the system would work well for you. But you essentially admit ... you got less, while paying more, because of FP+.

FP+ didn't give you more free time, in fact, its possible it gives you less free time, since it artificially spaces out FPs, and FPs and ADRs ... you always had the same amount of time, you CHOSE to spend it in the parks before, this trip, you didn't because ... ??? Because FP+ prevented you from riding more attractions because you weren't willing to stand in line ? (I wouldn't be either) ...

I don't see how you could possibly think this was a good system. The option was ALWAYs there for you not to be so commando in the parks, to pull a few FPs, ride the rides you "really" wanted to, and then head back to the resort or to the eateries and enjoy.

In no way can I possibly interpret your experience as demonstrating FP+ as an improvement.

Your trip, sounds like it was great, but it doesn't sound like FP+ really improved your trip, IMO. Still glad you enjoyed yourself though.

 

[tinkerpea]

Its such a shame that what for many was a wonderful tradition, has now come to an end for many!

We have been going to disney world since I was 2, I have gone for 3wks every year since! We are from the UK.

When I had my 1st child I made sure to carry on the family tradition and shareholder overwhelming love for Disney with my 1st born and my dh "then fiancé" who had never been,

We took our son at 4months for 3wks and again for his 1st bday
We then had twins and again took them for their 1st bday.
We got married the only wedding I knew I wanted was a fairy tale disney one, so yep we went back over with family and friends and got married there.

And ever year since we have gone back!

Our oldest sadly had autism and so we found disney was amazing for him and our family to accommodate his needs and ours,

Since they have taken away the main accommodations with the GAC which was not great BUT now FP!! which we used to help our son tremendously I feel our next trip in June-July is to be our last as it was already booked, unless they figure this all out and realise that 3 tiered FP for 1 park is highly unreasonable!

Not everybody can rope drop, it sometimes takes hours to get our son ready and so one of us would go collect FPs while the other made a slower way into the parks,
This can no longer be done, there for takes away alot of accommodations we needed.

So I greatly understand people's frustrations with this system!
We trailed it in October and because it worked along side legacy FP it was great! Not anymore..

 

[pampam]

I am very glad this worked for you, but reading your report this is the sense I am left with ...

You enjoyed your trip to Disney with FP+ because you did less, you hung around the resort and the eateries more.

That's really the impression I get. You talk about the fact you used to pull more than 6 FPs a day. over 6 days, that's 36 FPs, at 9 per day that's 54, instead you got 18, that were tiered. I do get the whole, it was crowded and you got to ride 3 rides, tiered in 2.5 hours, I guess that's kinda cool .... but worth the trade off of 18 rides to 54 !?!??!?!

You got to ride the attractions you "really" wanted to ... once ? That doesn't make it sound like you are ride centric folk. And hey, if yur not, great, awesome, I can see how the system would work well for you. But you essentially admit ... you got less, while paying more, because of FP+.

FP+ didn't give you more free time, in fact, its possible it gives you less free time, since it artificially spaces out FPs, and FPs and ADRs ... you always had the same amount of time, you CHOSE to spend it in the parks before, this trip, you didn't because ... ??? Because FP+ prevented you from riding more attractions because you weren't willing to stand in line ? (I wouldn't be either) ...

I don't see how you could possibly think this was a good system. The option was ALWAYs there for you not to be so commando in the parks, to pull a few FPs, ride the rides you "really" wanted to, and then head back to the resort or to the eateries and enjoy.

In no way can I possibly interpret your experience as demonstrating FP+ as an improvement.

Your trip, sounds like it was great, but it doesn't sound like FP+ really improved your trip, IMO. Still glad you enjoyed yourself though.

This post seems logical and well written.

 

[crostorfer]

I am very glad this worked for you, but reading your report this is the sense I am left with ...

You enjoyed your trip to Disney with FP+ because you did less, you hung around the resort and the eateries more.

That's really the impression I get. You talk about the fact you used to pull more than 6 FPs a day. over 6 days, that's 36 FPs, at 9 per day that's 54, instead you got 18, that were tiered. I do get the whole, it was crowded and you got to ride 3 rides, tiered in 2.5 hours, I guess that's kinda cool .... but worth the trade off of 18 rides to 54 !?!??!?!

You got to ride the attractions you "really" wanted to ... once ? That doesn't make it sound like you are ride centric folk. And hey, if yur not, great, awesome, I can see how the system would work well for you. But you essentially admit ... you got less, while paying more, because of FP+.

FP+ didn't give you more free time, in fact, its possible it gives you less free time, since it artificially spaces out FPs, and FPs and ADRs ... you always had the same amount of time, you CHOSE to spend it in the parks before, this trip, you didn't because ... ??? Because FP+ prevented you from riding more attractions because you weren't willing to stand in line ? (I wouldn't be either) ...

I don't see how you could possibly think this was a good system. The option was ALWAYs there for you not to be so commando in the parks, to pull a few FPs, ride the rides you "really" wanted to, and then head back to the resort or to the eateries and enjoy.

In no way can I possibly interpret your experience as demonstrating FP+ as an improvement.

Your trip, sounds like it was great, but it doesn't sound like FP+ really improved your trip, IMO. Still glad you enjoyed yourself though.

 

[Tybalt]

That's really the impression I get. You talk about the fact you used to pull more than 6 FPs a day. over 6 days, that's 36 FPs, at 9 per day that's 54, instead you got 18, that were tiered. I do get the whole, it was crowded and you got to ride 3 rides, tiered in 2.5 hours, I guess that's kinda cool .... but worth the trade off of 18 rides to 54 !?!??!?!

You got to ride the attractions you "really" wanted to ... once ? That doesn't make it sound like you are ride centric folk. And hey, if yur not, great, awesome, I can see how the system would work well for you. But you essentially admit ... you got less, while paying more, because of FP+.

If the system is reduced to mathematics, it's true that you are getting fewer rides; however, I did not pay more for this than normal. We really are ride people, though I can see how the math leads you to doubt this; however, we are not rope drop people, so there are some rides we never really get to do. For example, this was one of the only trips I have been able to convince my husband to ride TSM with me (since he NEVER wants to get up early to try for a fastpass). Also, there were several times that we had booked a fastpass and were able to change it when we found that the ride did not have a long wait.

That being said, Disney trips for us are not really about cramming as much as possible into one day. We love rides, and six rides a day was awesome; but we also love convenience, and having convenient fastpass times was helpful. I already acknowledged that more fastpasses would be nice and that tiers were frustrating; however, the convenience did make us more relaxed.

FP+ didn't give you more free time, in fact, its possible it gives you less free time, since it artificially spaces out FPs, and FPs and ADRs ... you always had the same amount of time, you CHOSE to spend it in the parks before, this trip, you didn't because ... ??? Because FP+ prevented you from riding more attractions because you weren't willing to stand in line ? (I wouldn't be either) ...

Actually, since we could schedule one fastpass per hour, they did not give us less time. We waited in line for Pirates and smaller rides in between some rides, and enjoyed other aspects of the parks between others. Our first two fastpasses were done in a row, and that left about an hour and half to wait for and ride a ride/ do whatever we felt like doing.

I don't see how you could possibly think this was a good system. The option was ALWAYs there for you not to be so commando in the parks, to pull a few FPs, ride the rides you "really" wanted to, and then head back to the resort or to the eateries and enjoy.

In no way can I possibly interpret your experience as demonstrating FP+ as an improvement.

I guess everyone has their own opinion. I was mainly pointing out that the parks are still enjoyable as are the rides. There are benefits as well as drawbacks to anything. Would it be great if Disney gave us more Fastpasses? Absolutely! Am I going to dig my heels in and refuse to go anymore or proclaim the situation a Dispocalypse if they don't? No. I have never known a system to be perfect when it first started out. I imagine they may add more Fastpasses later when they have worked out the kinks. At any rate, I will still enjoy the parks, the ambiance, and the magic.

As for the commando option, sure I had it...just like when I went to a restaurant tonight with my husband I had the option not to eat the rest of the delicious chocolate fudge cake. I totally ate too much of it, and it made me feel sick. Does that mean I got more of my money's worth or that it was a better experience? No. It's the same with rides at Disney. I can't resist them (honestly, who can?), but that doesn't mean that running from Fastpass machine to Fastpass machine all day makes me get more for my money of have a better experience. It all comes down to what makes me happier in the end. And for me, the new system has perks too.

 

[JimmyV]

We love rides, and six rides a day was awesome;.

No one has a right to challenge your opinion or question your enjoyment level, so thank you for your insights. But be tuned in to the fact that the crowd here will never find 6 rides a day to be a positive development. It worked for you but this will cause serious angst. Granted, it was a crowded time of year.

 

[Shaden]

If the system is reduced to mathematics, it's true that you are getting fewer rides; however, I did not pay more for this than normal. We really are ride people, though I can see how the math leads you to doubt this; however, we are not rope drop people, so there are some rides we never really get to do. For example, this was one of the only trips I have been able to convince my husband to ride TSM with me (since he NEVER wants to get up early to try for a fastpass). Also, there were several times that we had booked a fastpass and were able to change it when we found that the ride did not have a long wait. .

Fair enough, that is good, the changing on the fly if there isn't a long wait, I worry that our experience, (in moderate season) wont be as flexible, as people reported during Christmas there weren't many options to switch to later in the day ... but ok cool.

What I meant about paying more, was that Disney substantially increased their prices this year (and the past couple years really) ... that's really what I was referring to, we are all paying more this year, for, arguably "fewer" rides, if with the convenience of pre-booking them, albeit, tiered

That being said, Disney trips for us are not really about cramming as much as possible into one day. We love rides, and six rides a day was awesome; but we also love convenience, and having convenient fastpass times was helpful. I already acknowledged that more fastpasses would be nice and that tiers were frustrating; however, the convenience did make us more relaxed.

Actually, since we could schedule one fastpass per hour, they did not give us less time. We waited in line for Pirates and smaller rides in between some rides, and enjoyed other aspects of the parks between others. Our first two fastpasses were done in a row, and that left about an hour and half to wait for and ride a ride/ do whatever we felt like doing. .

Fair enough, and I didn't mean to suggest that you weren't making good use of your time, its just that in your OP you said that with FP+ it was great that you had more time to relax at the resort etc ... but it just seemed to me that that was because you did fewer rides, and as a result decided to spend more time at the resort ... which you could have always chosen to do, you just didn't in the past. Its a causality, thing that's all, I can't see that FP+ gave you more time, it just places a greater penalty on trying to ride more, a discouraging factor, which prevents you from staying in the parks as long ???

I guess everyone has their own opinion. I was mainly pointing out that the parks are still enjoyable as are the rides. There are benefits as well as drawbacks to anything. Would it be great if Disney gave us more Fastpasses? Absolutely! Am I going to dig my heels in and refuse to go anymore or proclaim the situation a Dispocalypse if they don't? No. I have never known a system to be perfect when it first started out. I imagine they may add more Fastpasses later when they have worked out the kinks. At any rate, I will still enjoy the parks, the ambiance, and the magic.

As for the commando option, sure I had it...just like when I went to a restaurant tonight with my husband I had the option not to eat the rest of the delicious chocolate fudge cake. I totally ate too much of it, and it made me feel sick. Does that mean I got more of my money's worth or that it was a better experience? No. It's the same with rides at Disney. I can't resist them (honestly, who can?), but that doesn't mean that running from Fastpass machine to Fastpass machine all day makes me get more for my money of have a better experience. It all comes down to what makes me happier in the end. And for me, the new system has perks too.

I totally agree with all of this actually, the point that I was trying to make isn't that the commando option was there, but rather you always had the option to slow things down, to do less with FP-, you could have always had the trip you just described. Albeit, again, you couldn't pre-book. But, knowing, as you clearly do, the FP- system, and the time of year you went, you knew you would have been able to pull those FPs (except perhaps TSMM), just about any time during the day, just ride a few rides, and slow things down. The big difference with FP+ ... is that the option to do MORE, is no longer there. With FP-, you could have chosen to do less, chill it out, OR to go commando and do more ... FP+ removes the second option.

I agree that this isn't the Disneypocalypse ... though I can see for some people that they really might not find its worth the price anymore, especially if rides were central to their enjoyment. I am not sure how its going to pan out, rides are central for us, and we go during "moderate" season, in early May. But we will find out in 93 days

And I wasen't as people will suggest trying to argue you didn't have a good time, good lord, people are still having wonderful times at Disney with FP+ ... I was merely trying to point out that I don't think the system is a causal factor here, that in fact it really restricted your options and potential of the trip, while the price you pay has actually increased ... can you still have a great time, of course you can, and you clearly did, and I am glad that you did

There have been/are, just many posts going around like... "I love FP+, we rode everything we wanted, we just walked on, we were able to ride EE 6 times in a row with FP+." People who are going to the park an hour before closing on a "1" day at the end of January ... its a causality thing.

Glad you had an awesome time

 

[Tink523]

It was Disney, and we did have fun. It's just that we've seen Disney do a much better job in the past. We know what Disney World CAN be, and that's not what it is right now. This review is specifically about the MagicBands and FastPass+ system, but I'll also say that CMs surprised me this trip, and not necessarily in a good way. Disengaged and even frustrated is the best way to describe too many of them. Being in customer service is very hard work, and whatever Disney's doing for to support these folks right now, it's not necessarily bringing forth their shining personalities. Happy employees make for happy interactions with guests. If I was a first-time guest who knew no better and had no expectations, I might not have been disappointed. Although I'd imagine I would still have been frustrated with the technical glitches, even if I was a first timer. Rooms and ticket prices just keep going up and up, and access is getting more and more restrictive, and service is less and less stellar. Everything we purchase or do in our lives has a cost/benefit balance in our heads. I mean, I look at a pair of jeans in the store, think about the price, and consider whether my kid will be in that size long enough to make use of them for the amount I'll pay. And sometimes, I walk away without buying because the math doesn't work right. The math isn't working right for us at WDW right now. For the same amount of money our family can go elsewhere and be more consistently engaged. I want them to fix it, I truly do, because I love WDW and it could be amazing again.

Well said!

 

[MikeS.]

Having been away from WDW the past 7 years this thread has really opened my eyes. I have a reservation for 12/21-01/03/15 at AK. All I can do is hope they have these issues worked out.

 

[Tybalt]

The big difference with FP+ ... is that the option to do MORE, is no longer there. With FP-, you could have chosen to do less, chill it out, OR to go commando and do more ... FP+ removes the second option.

I agree with you on this. More options are better since there are so many different types of people, all with their own priorities, who go to WDW.

But we will find out in 93 days

Have a wonderful time! I really hope it all works out well for you!

Glad you had an awesome time

Thanks.

 

[shalom]

I was mainly pointing out that the parks are still enjoyable as are the rides. There are benefits as well as drawbacks to anything.

The FP+ is no benefit to serious commando touring, but it benefits a lot of people who don't or can't tour that way. As a non-commando, I can also see where it could make things worse for me; Disney's goal seems to be to spread the crowds out across more rides and to redirect people away from some of the more popular rides. Meaning some of the traditional walk ons will have longer lines. And if only 10% of people used FP-, and 90% use FP+, even the FP lines will be longer.

OTOH, I really like the idea of being able to FP the parades and ETwB and the like. And I love the possibility of picking my FP times; since some of us take a break in the afternoon, scheduling FP- was always a pain. I also really like that you can schedule them all at once, and potentially reschedule them on the fly (although I doubt that one will be useful day of when there are crowds of any size).

I can only guess there were a lot more people who didn't "get" FP than there were mega users, so as far as Disney's concerned, it's beneficial on the whole. Disney has to know that the people who pulled lots of FPs in a day will be angry about it, but I'll bet they also know those people are in the minority. I suspect they also have a good idea of the size of that minority. I think for most long-time fans, FP+ will end up pretty much a wash; benefits here, annoyances there.

That's assuming it works as planned. If the tech is still buggy and the process hasn't generally smoothed out when summer crowds hit, it's going to be a big negative for everybody and Disney's in big trouble. I've been wondering if the Disney execs may be cheering every school closing and rescheduling of more school days, because that'll slow the day of reckoning.

 

[Tink523]

I wrote DVC about our disappointment in the tiering of rides in Epcot. There are 3 rides we want to do but can't FP all three. We were there in Nov/Dec and this wasn't an issue. When we return in April it is just me and my husband, for a Disney wedding. So we won't have all day in the park it would be nice to go on rides together one trip no little ones. I received a call back and was told the bugs are bring worked out still so maybe this tiering will be dropped.