Any Reformed FP- Uber Users Who Have Embraced FP+ ?

[DisneyKidds]

And from the matrix I supplied, you can see that I had 3 FP's scheduled for most days. Beyond that, I'm not sure what you see?

Not sure why I'm going to waste any more time, but I'll go further down the rabbit hole. Your responses are getting more obtuse and bizarre, but what the hey.....hey.....hey....

So Lake, your matrix. Is that a plan you had for each day, or is that an accounting of what you actually did each day?

 

[Angel Ariel]

Seriously...there is no way to end this. Even if a full blow by blow description is posted, there will then be arguing about how xyz could have been done differently (as already evidenced in other posts in this thread).

Bottom line it comes down to - some have experienced that beyond their 3 FP+ they found they had long lines to contend with (and I do not believe this includes RD time, just from glancing through, as RD is pretty universally accepted by everyone on the DIS as a great time to get a lot done)

Others have experienced that, beyond their 3 FP+ (and also not including RD time), that they did not have long lines to contend with.

Each experience is valid. There are a myriad of reasons that these differences could exist. It's really not necessary to require either side to so explicitly describe their experience so that the other side can determine why their experience was the way it was.

I mean, it isn't like I don't see the usefulness in determining why those differences exist, I do - and in another discussion/thread I'd likely feel differently - but at least for me any of what *could* be useful from this thread is getting entirely lost in the personal back and forth at this point.

 

[Laketravis]

Seriously...there is no way to end this. Even if a full blow by blow description is posted, there will then be arguing about how xyz could have been done differently (as already evidenced in other posts in this thread).

Bottom line it comes down to - some have experienced that beyond their 3 FP+ they found they had long lines to contend with (and I do not believe this includes RD time, just from glancing through, as RD is pretty universally accepted by everyone on the DIS as a great time to get a lot done)

Others have experienced that, beyond their 3 FP+ (and also not including RD time), that they did not have long lines to contend with.

Each experience is valid. There are a myriad of reasons that these differences could exist. It's really not necessary to require either side to so explicitly describe their experience so that the other side can determine why their experience was the way it was.

I mean, it isn't like I don't see the usefulness in determining why those differences exist, I do - and in another discussion/thread I'd likely feel differently - but at least for me any of what *could* be useful from this thread is getting entirely lost in the personal back and forth at this point.

I agree, and I'm stopping this nonsense right here.

If anyone else has genuine questions like HollieS had that I might be able to help with, please don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Angel Ariel]

LT- How difficult was it to get those FP+ times back to back. Was this a midnight at day 60 plan? a spend hours moving stuff around plan? A 30 day plan?


minus park hopping like a rabbit it is similar to the strat I want to use in the parks

I found the easiest way to get back to back FP+ times, for me, was to originally book all of the FP+ at the *opposite* time of day that I wanted them, and then modify them to the times I was looking for. (For all but 7DMT and A&E - for those two, I'd take the best option).

For example, if I were spending the day in MK and I wanted late morning/midd-day FP+, I would look at the 3 pre-made options MDE pops up (usually A B and C are morning/afternoon/evening times), and I'd choose the set of evening FP+. Then I'd immediately go in and modify the times to the times I actually wanted each FP+ for.

This way, MDE wasn't blocking me from seeing availability simply because one of the FP+ I had was during that time. That's one of the flaws in the system, IMO. It should show you ALL availability, and if you choose a time that overlaps another FP+ it should prompt you to keep one and modify the other.

If I took the options MDE first gave me in the time slots I originally wanted, I found it much harder to modify them to back-to-back slots because it wouldn't show me availability (even if there was availability) in slots where other FP+ were booked.

 

[wisblue]

Somehow I sense that's leading to a "But you got stuff done at AK in the morning so what you couldn't do at MK in the evening is irrelevant".

No, it's not irrelevant from the standpoint of whether or not you feel like you got a good value for your day.

But, it is absolutely relevant toward determining whether your statement about only being able to do 3 things that you wanted to do with short waits is accurate.

Edit: I see now that you have abandoned the thread. Fine with me.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Oh - and I'll tell you what IS a potentially huge waste of time. Standing in line waiting for an FP+ Kiosk for what usually turns out to be a crappy FP for something that would have taken just as long to get in the SB line for. Try adding that time up over the course of a day times several days. I think the best advice we could give anybody on these boards is "Don't waste your time with an FP+ kiosk if there is a line. Because there is a line, there probably isn't anything decent left. And honestly, if there isn't a line at the kiosk, the SB line for what you want may not be very long at all". Wanna bet what these people ended up with? My money's on such coveted FP's as The Great Movie Ride or The Muppets: http://s1375.photobucket.com/user/LakeTravis99/media/FPKiosk_zpsfd7f131e.jpg.html

Lake may be right on this a portion of the time, but based on the two times I used a FP+ kiosk to secure a 4th FP, it seems incorrect as a yet another sweeping generalization.

The last week of July (read: busy park) we waited about 5 minutes to use a kiosk around 5:00 to secure a 4th FP+ in the MK. We got Buzz. Had a 50 minute line when we used the FP+.

On January 1 (read: busy park) we waited about 5 minutes to use a kiosk around 6:00 to secure a 4th FP+ in the MK. We got BTMRR. Had a 60 minute line when we used the FP+.

 

[wisblue]

Seriously...there is no way to end this. Even if a full blow by blow description is posted, there will then be arguing about how xyz could have been done differently (as already evidenced in other posts in this thread).

Bottom line it comes down to - some have experienced that beyond their 3 FP+ they found they had long lines to contend with (and I do not believe this includes RD time, just from glancing through, as RD is pretty universally accepted by everyone on the DIS as a great time to get a lot done)

Others have experienced that, beyond their 3 FP+ (and also not including RD time), that they did not have long lines to contend with.

Each experience is valid. There are a myriad of reasons that these differences could exist. It's really not necessary to require either side to so explicitly describe their experience so that the other side can determine why their experience was the way it was.

I mean, it isn't like I don't see the usefulness in determining why those differences exist, I do - and in another discussion/thread I'd likely feel differently - but at least for me any of what *could* be useful from this thread is getting entirely lost in the personal back and forth at this point.

That's a fair summary.

If people want to provide useful advice about how others can plan their trips to avoid negative or share positive experiences they had, it really is necessary to give some details about what they did. But, of course, nobody is obligated to provide details about their trips.

 

[wisblue]

I found the easiest way to get back to back FP+ times, for me, was to originally book all of the FP+ at the *opposite* time of day that I wanted them, and then modify them to the times I was looking for. (For all but 7DMT and A&E - for those two, I'd take the best option).

For example, if I were spending the day in MK and I wanted late morning/midd-day FP+, I would look at the 3 pre-made options MDE pops up (usually A B and C are morning/afternoon/evening times), and I'd choose the set of evening FP+. Then I'd immediately go in and modify the times to the times I actually wanted each FP+ for.

This way, MDE wasn't blocking me from seeing availability simply because one of the FP+ I had was during that time. That's one of the flaws in the system, IMO. It should show you ALL availability, and if you choose a time that overlaps another FP+ it should prompt you to keep one and modify the other.

If I took the options MDE first gave me in the time slots I originally wanted, I found it much harder to modify them to back-to-back slots because it wouldn't show me availability (even if there was availability) in slots where other FP+ were booked.

That's exactly what I have done and, once I got rolling, I was able to do 7 days of FPs in about a half hour.

 

[wisblue]

Lake may be right on this a portion of the time, but based on the two times I used a FP+ kiosk to secure a 4th FP, it seems incorrect as a yet another sweeping generalization.

The last week of July (read: busy park) we waited about 5 minutes to use a kiosk around 5:00 to secure a 4th FP+ in the MK. We got Buzz. Had a 50 minute line when we used the FP+.

On January 1 (read: busy park) we waited about 5 minutes to use a kiosk around 6:00 to secure a 4th FP+ in the MK. We got BTMRR. Had a 60 minute line when we used the FP+.

You and I must be the luckiest people in the parks.

Both in August (crowd level 8) and November (level 6) I waited about 5 minutes to get FPs multiple times. Once, when they still had kiosks near Buzz Lightyear there was an intimidating looking line snaking around, so I asked the CM how long it would take. She said it would be about 5 minutes, so I got in line and, sure enough, within 5 minutes we had our 4th FP of the day. It turned out that the line looked long because so many families got in line together.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Yeah, I generally got most of our FP+ back to back to back, and it was nothing like solving a Rubik's Cube.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Finally had a chance to look at Lake's matrix (I feel like this thread has me stuck in the Matrix). I'm glad Lake is done so I won't feel compelled to play his silly games any longer.

Of course he could do more, of course he did do more. Yes, middle of the day there were long SB lines in the parks, but we all know they weren't there when he opened the AK or Epcot, or stayed in the MK until midnight or 2am, he just did a lot of rides 'he didn't want to do'......yah, ok.

Whew, glad that is over.....

 

[Disneylover99]

You and I must be the luckiest people in the parks.

Both in August (crowd level 8) and November (level 6) I waited about 5 minutes to get FPs multiple times. Once, when they still had kiosks near Buzz Lightyear there was an intimidating looking line snaking around, so I asked the CM how long it would take. She said it would be about 5 minutes, so I got in line and, sure enough, within 5 minutes we had our 4th FP of the day. It turned out that the line looked long because so many families got in line together.

You must be lucky. Or maybe I'm just very unlucky. I got tired of waiting at FP kiosk lines last August. My longest wait was 20 minutes with just one family in front of me. I finally left. Yes, some of the lines were long but moved fast. The problem was that they were unpredictable. You'd be moving through quickly and all of a sudden not move for 5-10 minutes. I'm too impatient to wait. The FP kiosks lines were a big fail for me.

 

[wisblue]

You must be lucky. Or maybe I'm just very unlucky. I got tired of waiting at FP kiosk lines last August. My longest wait was 20 minutes with just one family in front of me. I finally left. Yes, some of the lines were long but moved fast. The problem was that they were unpredictable. You'd be moving through quickly and all of a sudden not move for 5-10 minutes. I'm too impatient to wait. The FP kiosks lines were a big fail for me.

It's not hard to see why they are unpredictable because some people are totally unprepared and clueless when their turn comes up. It's like they haven't even thought about what they are looking for in the first place. I always started with a very specific plan of what I was looking for, either by attraction or time.

We never really planned on getting more than 3 FPs in the first place anyway, so if we hadn't been able to get a 4th one it wouldn't have had much of an impact on us. But, on our last couple of trips we were entering the park on a CM pass and we couldn't get FPs until we got to a park. We had pretty good luck getting decent FPs without having to wait long if we went to the park for AM EMH and then went to a kiosk right about the time the park was opening for all guests. It didnt seem like there were that many people going to the kiosks first thing.

 

[Angel Ariel]

The only two parks we attempted kiosks in were MK and DHS.

MK was both on party days - that's just how the schedule of our weekend worked out because of DH running the Wine and Dine half. Friday was our arrival day, and we got to the FP+ kiosk around 4:30pm. Park closed at 7 for the party. There were only 3 FP+ to choose from - IASW, Philharmagic and Dumbo, and they were all for the last FP+ window of the day (5:30-6:30). We picked IASW, IIRC, but we ended up choosing not to use it and instead watch the castle lighting before heading to Epcot to see David Cook at 8pm.

The second MK day was also a party day, and the only A&E FP+ I could get had a window starting at 4:25 (our other FP+s were done by 2:30). We didn't bother to go to a kiosk after this, as we were heading to Epcot for the final night of F&W earlier than originally planned (due to the rain the night of the 1/2 marathon, we did not spend much time in WS during the run party, this changed our original plans).

We did go to MK on Sunday night as well, specifically for Wishes. We didn't enter MK til 9pm, with an 11pm closing, so we didn't bother with kiosks. After Wishes we headed to Buzz and rode that a few times in a row w/no wait, before exiting the park during the last MSEP of the night.

Sunday was the morning after the 1/2 marathon, and we went to DHS. Our first FP+ was for TSMM. Don't remember the exact window, but we arrived in the park around 12 and used it right away. We had FP+ for RNRC for (IIRC) 1:15-2:15, and then TOT from 2:30-3:30. (There was a glitch before our trip that allowed us to FP+ both RNRC and TSMM).

We did TSMM, went to LMA (saw most of it, left a little early to make RNRC), rode RNRC 2x (1 w/FP+, once single rider), then rode TOT. It was around 3:15 when we got off TOT to get FP+. DHS was not closing early. I forget exactly what was left, but it wasn't anything useful *to us* (not even Star Tours was an option) - we chose Indy just to choose something. We only waited about 5 mins for the kiosk (lines were certainly long enough to need FP+). Once we had the FP+, my friend and I went to characterpalooza around 3:30ish while DH went on ahead to Indy. We did manage to join him at Indy, entering the theatre right at 4. Based on the lack of availability at 3:15, we didn't bother with any other kiosks in DHS that night.

We did definitely do a lot that day (3 parks in one day will do that), and we did appreciate FP+ in general at DHS since there was no way in heck we'd make RD anywhere after being out for the marathon until 4am the night before. But, as kiosks and 4th FP+ went, we didn't have much luck in that department.

Hopefully on our Nov 2015 trip, we'll be able to schedule an MK day where we can use our FP+ earlier (on a non-party night), and have more options for a 4th FP. Overall, though, we came away with the feeling that if you want a 4th FP+ it's better to have your first 3 used much earlier. For 2015, we'll probably plan to have our FP+ done by 1pm on days we want to try to get more than 3 (as that fits in with the 1/2 marathon schedule and 5K schedule as well)

 

[Disneylover99]

It's not hard to see why they are unpredictable because some people are totally unprepared and clueless when their turn comes up. It's like they haven't even thought about what they are looking for in the first place. I always started with a very specific plan of what I was looking for, either by attraction or time.

We never really planned on getting more than 3 FPs in the first place anyway, so if we hadn't been able to get a 4th one it wouldn't have had much of an impact on us. But, on our last couple of trips we were entering the park on a CM pass and we couldn't get FPs until we got to a park. We had pretty good luck getting decent FPs without having to wait long if we went to the park for AM EMH and then went to a kiosk right about the time the park was opening for all guests. It didnt seem like there were that many people going to the kiosks first thing.

The problem is that we like to use our 3 fp's midmorning until early afternoon. That's when it begins to get crowded at the kiosks. So kiosks are useless to me.

 

[wisblue]

The problem is that we like to use our 3 fp's midmorning until early afternoon. That's when it begins to get crowded at the kiosks. So kiosks are useless to me.

Even then, though, on one day we got FPs at DAK in the morning because we started the day there. We went to MK at about 2 and I wanted to see if we could get something to use in between the FOF parade and a 4:30 dinner reservation at Liberty Tree. I went to the kiosk near Stitch, waited about 5 minutes, and got FPs for 3 for BTMRR at 3:30, which was my first choice. So, experiences may vary.

 

[Disneylover99]

Even then, though, on one day we got FPs at DAK in the morning because we started the day there. We went to MK at about 2 and I wanted to see if we could get something to use in between the FOF parade and a 4:30 dinner reservation at Liberty Tree. I went to the kiosk near Stitch, waited about 5 minutes, and got FPs for 3 for BTMRR at 3:30, which was my first choice. So, experiences may vary.

More like, wait times at kiosks may vary.

I can't even tell you what attractions were available, since I ended up abandoning every fp kiosk line I entered.

 

[estherhead]

More like, wait times at kiosks may vary. I can't even tell you what attractions were available, since I ended up abandoning every fp kiosk line I entered.

That's a shame. In comparing fp- to fp+ I remember always feeling like I got behind the person with 25 tickets and a broken machine. For sure often waited 5 minutes. But FP+ is even worse because as pointed out people get in line as families and then have to make decisions! People making decisions as a group is exhausting and time consuming.

That being said I never waited longer than 5 minutes in early December. However last March at spring break the fp+ kiosk at Stitch was ridiculous!!! It was forever long and didn't seem to move.

We just send one person to the fp+ kiosk. Usually me. We just pick whatever and then text my sister who's our official MDE ap person. She picks what we really want from there.

 

[Jennasis]

That's a shame. In comparing fp- to fp+ I remember always feeling like I got behind the person with 25 tickets and a broken machine. For sure often waited 5 minutes. But FP+ is even worse because as pointed out people get in line as families and then have to make decisions! People making decisions as a group is exhausting and time consuming.

That being said I never waited longer than 5 minutes in early December. However last March at spring break the fp+ kiosk at Stitch was ridiculous!!! It was forever long and didn't seem to move.

We just send one person to the fp+ kiosk. Usually me. We just pick whatever and then text my sister who's our official MDE ap person. She picks what we really want from there.

A runner? I've heard of those.

 

[estherhead]

A runner? I've heard of those.

Yup. I'm the runner. And sooo happy I have three less rides to run to and don't have to dash across the park.