What are your thoughts about FP+ and DVC resort stays?

[KAT4DISNEY]

No, it won't.

The entire system is completely transparent to Disney. They can tally--right down to the last FP+ reserved--how many people are and are not using their passes.

For simplicity's sake, assume that right now 10,000 FPs are being issued daily for Soarin' and 90% of them are being used by guests. That's 9000 FP riders daily.

When the advance reservations come online, that usage drops to 75%. All Disney needs to do is increase the number of FPs they make available daily. Instead of offering 10,000 FPs for Soarin', they raise it to 12,000. At 75% usage, you have the same 9000 people riding via FP each day and the other 3000 unused FP+ reservations are your casual no-shows.

That said, I think it's a major stretch to imply that making the system easier to use will put guests at a disadvantage. I'm not convinced that there is a huge population of guests who will peck-away at their keyboards to reserve FP+s, but today would have spent their day in Standby lines instead. The heaviest users of FP+ are the same people who would have criss-crossed the park all day collecting paper tickets.

The great appeal to FP+, IMO, is that you DON'T have to cross the park all day long collecting those tickets...you have MUCH more control over your ride times...and you don't have to be at the park at rope-drop in order to have some guarantee of getting a FP for certain headliner attractions.

I suddenly had visions of the airlines and how they operate. Trying to determine no shows, cancellations and then overbooking. Then offering compensation to get rid of those they can't accommodate when they said they would. In Disney's case the people that will pay are those that get in the stand by lines.

I'm holding out hope that FP+ improves our experience however what I've heard so far makes me believe that what has been used for the past several years may prove to be the system that works better for us. I'd like to be able to report otherwise next year though.

 

[Longhairbear]

My whole problem with pre booking fastpass is that i'm gonna end up with a whole lot of nothing. It's the major stuff I will not be getting. I could care less about more fast passes at the lesser stuff. And if I can only get fastpass at the lesser stuff..... and why do I need that in the first place?
I'm really tired of playing nice on here.
Next Gen, Magic Fuss , and the rest of the crap Disney is throwing at me can just...... imagine what I want to say........

 

[tjkraz]

I suddenly had visions of the airlines and how they operate. Trying to determine no shows, cancellations and then overbooking. Then offering compensation to get rid of those they can't accommodate when they said they would. In Disney's case the people that will pay are those that get in the stand by lines.

It's not the greatest analogy because airlines have limited seats and cannot accommodate any overflow.

Disney has been tinkering with the number of FPs issued for years, and the entire system is impacted by things like attraction break-downs, people using the DVC instant FastPass redemption cards and the inconsistencies of when people actually return for their ride time.

Everything you describe is already happening today. That's part of the reason why Standby lines are varying durations over the course of a day and move at different paces--depends upon how many are in the FP line getting higher priority.

My whole problem with pre booking fastpass is that i'm gonna end up with a whole lot of nothing.

That's a major assumption and one not worth getting worked-up about, IMO. Not at this stage.

When you look at all of the factors which will influence the pre-booking (more attractions, limited number of FPs for each guest, limited to only certain guests who can pre-book), there should be ample system capacity for those who do not wish to plan in advance.

 

[OneMoreTry]

is this already in use?

 

[DebbieB]

is this already in use?

No and there has been no official announcement.

 

[Anal Annie]

I know I won't like it. We like to ride the same ride over & over sometimes...and another reason I won't like it is that we like to park hop and often go to an early open at like AK then we leave mid-day and go somewhere else. I won't like it if we're restricted to only being able to use it at one park for the day. And restricted to only 3 or 4 / day? Really? Where's the benefit of park hopping?

I'm also not going to be a fan of having to WEAR something on my wrist.

I DON'T like the idea of having to plan anything else in advance - ADR's is more than enough planning.

We're going to DL and Aulani this summer so probably won't get to see it in action until 2014...hopefully by then they will have the kinks worked out and there will be enough feedback for us to plan the best strategy. Problem is I liked our OLD strategy.

It sounds like they will be sucking the fun out of everything IMO.

 

[dcfromva]

...and another reason I won't like it is that we like to park hop and often go to an early open at like AK then we leave mid-day and go somewhere else. I won't like it if we're restricted to only being able to use it at one park for the day. And restricted to only 3 or 4 / day? Really? Where's the benefit of park hopping?

We almost always park hop, too. Some of my favorite attractions almost always have an extremely long stndby wait time. Currently, we just skip them if we can't get FP. To me, it would be pointless to go to the second park if I knew I couldn't get a FP for certain attractions like Buzz Lightyear and Peter Pan.

I'm also not going to be a fan of having to WEAR something on my wrist.

I have been fretting about this, too. I don't even wear a watch anymore. I don't own bracelets because I don't like having something on my wrist. If a person goes a week, does that mean you wear the same bracelet for a week?

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

I know I won't like it. We like to ride the same ride over & over sometimes...and another reason I won't like it is that we like to park hop and often go to an early open at like AK then we leave mid-day and go somewhere else. I won't like it if we're restricted to only being able to use it at one park for the day. And restricted to only 3 or 4 / day? Really? Where's the benefit of park hopping?

I'm also not going to be a fan of having to WEAR something on my wrist.

I DON'T like the idea of having to plan anything else in advance - ADR's is more than enough planning.

We're going to DL and Aulani this summer so probably won't get to see it in action until 2014...hopefully by then they will have the kinks worked out and there will be enough feedback for us to plan the best strategy. Problem is I liked our OLD strategy.

It sounds like they will be sucking the fun out of everything IMO.

I'm with you. On our WDW trips now, we are NOT commando tourists. I am, however, very savvy about using FP and collecting them for rides we like. The problem is, we definitely park hop, and often do so on a whim. FP+ doesn't work when we decide we want to leave MK at 1:00 and head to Epcot rather than staying.

Once we got our DVC, my DH asked that I quit making ADR's at all. He hates having to leave a ride or area we are enjoying because we've booked something to eat. Back in the day when we first were enjoying WDW, we could go up to a place to eat when we got hungry. It was fun. My family (kids included) now refuse to do the ADR deal unless it's at our resort, or a character breakfast. I'm not even going to tell DH about this, or he'll totally nix my possible couple-days-at-Christmas idea!

Gosh, all this makes me realize why I love Disneyland so! Soooooo much more relaxed.

 

[OneMoreTry]

The less planning beforehand the better. I would hate to have to pick out what ride I want to ride and when several days before my trip.

This is not what Walt intended for the Magic Kingdom IMHO.

 

[Sammie]

is this already in use

implementation is suppose to begin in Feb. with Boardwalk being reported to be the first resort to get the new wristbands.

No and there has been no official announcement.

Official Announcement

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/01/taking-the-disney-guest-experience-to-the-next-level/

I have been fretting about this, too. I don't even wear a watch anymore. I don't own bracelets because I don't like having something on my wrist. If a person goes a week, does that mean you wear the same bracelet for a week?

Yes you will only get one bracelet. You don't have to wear it, you can put it your bag, pocket, etc. They are light weight and adjustable.

 

[luv2sleep]

implementation is suppose to begin in Feb. with Boardwalk being reported to be the first resort to get the new wristbands.

Officially Announcement

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/01/taking-the-disney-guest-experience-to-the-next-level/

Yes you will only get one bracelet. You don't have to wear it, you can put it your bag, pocket, etc. They are light weight and adjustable.

Staying at BLT in June. Will it be in place for all resorts by then? If so, when would be able to set up our ride times? Also I wonder if you already have to have park tickets or APs to set up your times?

 

[Sammie]

Staying at BLT in June. Will it be in place for all resorts by then? If so, when would be able to set up our ride times? Also I wonder if you already have to have park tickets or APs to set up your times?

There is no way to know who will be next and even that BW is first is unofficial. When it goes up, they are saying you will have 60 days from arrival to set up it up.

Whether you have to have both a reservation and tickets at the time of set up has not been announced.

I would not expect all resort to have it by June, that is just a guess on my part. I see this being a slow gradual roll out.

 

[luv2sleep]

There is no way to know who will be next and even that BW is first is unofficial. When it goes up, they are saying you will have 60 days from arrival to set up it up.

Whether you have to have both a reservation and tickets at the time of set up has not been announced.

I would not expect all resort to have it by June, that is just a guess on my part. I see this being a slow gradual roll out.

Oh ok. Thanks!

 

[Sammie]

One possible problem I see based on the intense discussion of this on the Parks forum is that if you intend to get tickets once you arrive at WDW, you will not be able to book the Fastpass+ in advance at 60 days.

At 60 days you will need your ticket in hand to book.

 

[sarah-jane]

Does that mean those who ordered tickets but are picking them up upon arrival will likely be out ofluck?(just ordered my tix for will call and there's only one barcode on my confirmation email (4 tix ordered)? Seems unfair so think there must be a way to set them up ahead. Thoughts? Apologies if this is a stupid question.

 

[zavandor]

They could allow people with a resort reservation to book FP+ even if they do not have the tickets yet. Then at checkin if one does not add tickets the reservations are void.
If they force people to buy tickets in advance and more would use services like Undercover tourist (so Disney would get less money). On the other hand, if people have to buy tickets earlier they would get money earlier and if one cancel the reservation the tickets would be sold anyway.