BIG change to FP+ today

[mom2rtk]

In the end, it may look very different from any of the tests, but Disney won't ruin their brand or make the experience any less magical.

Ultimately I agree. But many many people have thousands of dollars wrapped up in trips in the short term. And it's going to take a while for them to get it right. Some can have a less than magical trip and have the cash to come back next year and try again. Some just don't. Those are the ones I feel for most.

 

[Momtomouselover]

The problem right now IMO is that. Not everyone has access to FP+ and as an alternative "normal" FP is NOT available. What I mean by that is our experience in October (and also mentioned by many others) is that FP for headliners were gone very early in the day AND the times available even early in the morning were for late in the afternoon or evening. In the past we were able to get FP for many rides in the morning, afternoon and even the evening if not a busy time of year. If I had a trip planned during Nov./Dec. busy season and did not have FP+ I would be very concerned unless you don't mind riding SB each day. That is, unless, the purpose of my trip was to see decorations and atmosphere more than rides.

 

[rebbyparker]

I just wish (and I know I'm dreaming) that Disney would put out some kind of PR saying, "from this date to this date, we will be doing this and the rules are..." and "from this date to this date we will be doing this and the rules are...". That's all, I just want to know what's what when I'm going to be there. If I've played by their rules so far and used their technology and customized MB's and made ADR's and Wishes Dessert Party and Sleigh Ride reservations and FP+ selections then I've done my part. I just wish they would do theirs and let me know what the situation is going to be when my trip arrives. Not really a lot to ask?

 

[TLHB70]

Ultimately I agree. But many many people have thousands of dollars wrapped up in trips in the short term. And it's going to take a while for them to get it right. Some can have a less than magical trip and have the cash to come back next year and try again. Some just don't. Those are the ones I feel for most.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[redsbe]

The problem right now IMO is that. Not everyone has access to FP+ and as an alternative "normal" FP is NOT available. What I mean by that is our experience in October (and also mentioned by many others) is that FP for headliners were gone very early in the day AND the times available even early in the morning were for late in the afternoon or evening. In the past we were able to get FP for many rides in the morning, afternoon and even the evening if not a busy time of year. If I had a trip planned during Nov./Dec. busy season and did not have FP+ I would be very concerned unless you don't mind riding SB each day. That is, unless, the purpose of my trip was to see decorations and atmosphere more than rides.

As has been discussed many times here early October was a busier then expected time at WDW causing issues with FP gone at few top rides like TSMM soon after RD. Currently during lower crowd period that does not appear to be a problem. I have only been to WDW during moderate crowd periods and even then we were not able to pull 6 to 8 FP- per day and many times for TSMM FP- would still be gone by mid day or pull only very late evening times. Even without FP+ I doubt that anyone going during the holiday season was able to freely pick FP- for the top rides throughout the day or secure 6-8 FP per day. Using RP and getting FP early has (and still will be) required strategy for visting WDW during holidays, even with FP+ in place. And yes you can travel to WDW in November and December and experience low crowds as long as avoid Thanksgiving and Christmas Breaks - that even with FP- have always been a challenge to plan trips for due to high crowd volumes

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Well, I'm certainly glad I booked my FP+ early. Fortunately, I was able to get it before it turned into this format.

WIth that said, everything Disney does before rollout is considered beta. Before I moved into copywriting, I was in media. Google was constantly approaching us with betas and testing for different formats of ads etc.

It was incredible how many betas never came into fruition, or did, but was completely different from the beta. There was always something our agency hated, but another loved. And vice versa.

Obviously, FP+ will make it out of beta. There's been too much money put into it for it not to succeed. I really think what Disney is doing is testing another idea before rolling it out.

Other than it being a beta, I think this may be a result of such high crowds during this week and limited FP+. Think about it, other than TT and Soarin', what rides are really at EPCOT? At MK, you have the three mountains, all the classics, Pirates and more. At DHS, there's RnR, ToT, TSM. At EPCOT, there's two main rides and only so many hours in the day.

My theory is that with Christmas week being around 6 weeks away, FP+ has reached limited quantity. To be sure that everyone in the test has an equal opportunity to partake in FP+, Disney has set restrictions on EPCOT. Next will probably be Animal Kingdom or DHS. If it gets any worse, then you will probably start to see it at MK.

If this is the plan for peak weeks, I'm more than okay with it. Managing crowds and distribution is fair to everyone and ensures that everyone gets to use at least one FP. I would say if this is an idea for FP+, that they should keep FP-. That way, whomever does not get TT, for example, can still get to the park early and get a FP for it.

 

[redsbe]

Ultimately I agree. But many many people have thousands of dollars wrapped up in trips in the short term. And it's going to take a while for them to get it right. Some can have a less than magical trip and have the cash to come back next year and try again. Some just don't. Those are the ones I feel for most.

If they plan on spending thousands of dollars traveling to WDW during peak crowds and expect to be able to ride the most popular attractions like TSMM 4-5 in a day then yes they will be disappointed - but FP+ has not changed that situation since going to WDW during peak crowds has always required RP, other strategies and an understanding that the experience (rides and number of rides) will be less then one can enjoy when crowds are lower. If their concern is value then travel off peak crowds.

 

[Momtomouselover]

As has been discussed many times here early October was a busier then expected time at WDW causing issues with FP gone at few top rides like TSMM soon after RD. Currently during lower crowd period that does not appear to be a problem. I have only been to WDW during moderate crowd periods and even then we were not able to pull 6 to 8 FP- per day and many times for TSMM FP- would still be gone by mid day or pull only very late evening times. Even without FP+ I doubt that anyone going during the holiday season was able to freely pick FP- for the top rides throughout the day or secure 6-8 FP per day. Using RP and getting FP early has (and still will be) required strategy for visting WDW during holidays, even with FP+ in place. And yes you can travel to WDW in November and December and experience low crowds as long as avoid Thanksgiving and Christmas Breaks - that even with FP- have always been a challenge to plan trips for due to high crowd volumes

I agree that special considerations and rope drop, etc. are necessary during busy times and holidays. However, standing in HS at 9:30ish in October and finding that not only are TSMM FP's gone for the day, RNRC and Tower are only late afternoon/evening is very disappointing so we tour a bit then hop to Epcot at lunchtime where we find Soarin FP and TT are gone too. Not typical of years past and IMO had something to do with all the FP+ people with MB. So all I'm saying is that the assurance that "normal" FP is available rings a bit hollow to me. I expect Disney will eventually come out with a system that works for all visitors but this wasn't so during our visit.

 

[mom2rtk]

If they plan on spending thousands of dollars traveling to WDW during peak crowds and expect to be able to ride the most popular attractions like TSMM 4-5 in a day then yes they will be disappointed - but FP+ has not changed that situation since going to WDW during peak crowds has always required RP, other strategies and an understanding that the experience (rides and number of rides) will be less then one can enjoy when crowds are lower. If their concern is value then travel off peak crowds.

I love the exaggerations thrown around in these threads.

Not everyone can travel during off-peak times. And not everyone can tell the future. I'm pretty sure the people there in mid-October who found most FPs gone by 9:30 at DHS didn't think they were there at peak times.

I'm pretty Disney savvy, and that would have definitely caught me off guard. And while I have zero desire to ride TSMM 4 or 5 times, I would have been rather ticked to find FPs gone by 9:30. And I would have definitely felt cheated from a lot of the value of what I paid for admission that day.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

I agree that special considerations and rope drop, etc. are necessary during busy times and holidays. However, standing in HS at 9:30ish in October and finding that not only are TSMM FP's gone for the day, RNRC and Tower are only late afternoon/evening is very disappointing so we tour a bit then hop to Epcot at lunchtime where we find Soarin FP and TT are gone too. Not typical of years past and IMO had something to do with all the FP+ people with MB. So all I'm saying is that the assurance that "normal" FP is available rings a bit hollow to me. I expect Disney will eventually come out with a system that works for all visitors but this wasn't so during our visit.

Outside of what I stated above, I get the feeling that this is why Disney is flirting with changing the format of FP+. I think FP-'s low availability is due in large part to FP+. I think there's one set of FP's offered on both FP+ and FP-. Once 11am-12pm is all used up, it's gone -- for both FP+ and FP-.

By setting up this new format, they force FP+ users to choose between Soarin OR TT. It would be the hope that this would lead to one or the other having more FP- available.

Now, it's not going to work as well with TSM. That will be the FP+ that 95% of people book. You can only hope that you book your FP+ fast enough and arrive at the park early enough to get FP- for ToT and RnR.

Going with the previous posters, there is so much to do at Disney World during the week of Christmas. While I do fall under the list of people who would be unhappy to not ride ToT or RnR, I won't let it bother me. If I have to wait standby, I have to wait. I just wait for EMH or get to the park early enough..

Now, as for the EMH they currently have listed for Xmas week, THAT'S a problem. They better add to them, and do it fast. No MK EMHs till 2am is a problem.

 

[mom2rtk]

By setting up this new format, they force FP+ users to choose between Soarin OR TT. It would be the hope that this would lead to one or the other having more FP- available.

Otherwise known as ride rationing. They just wanted to try and build excitement with pre-scheduling so people might not notice.

I noticed.

 

[KatieCharlotte]

If they plan on spending thousands of dollars traveling to WDW during peak crowds and expect to be able to ride the most popular attractions like TSMM 4-5 in a day then yes they will be disappointed - but FP+ has not changed that situation since going to WDW during peak crowds has always required RP, other strategies and an understanding that the experience (rides and number of rides) will be less then one can enjoy when crowds are lower. If their concern is value then travel off peak crowds.

Some people just can't travel off peak times -- they're teachers or have other jobs with limited vacation times or their children just can't miss school, especially higher grades.

But, those people in the past were able to talk to a friend who had been to Disney or just use common sense, and know that they should arrive at the parks before they open each morning, have a basic plan, and use as many FP as possible during the day. If they went without any idea of the crowds and lines, they could quickly regroup after their first day and fix their mistakes. It was all within their control.

People booked offsite without knowing about FP+. Locals bought APs, not knowing they'd be shut out of a FP+ system for who knows how long. Onsite guests who didn't understand FP+ prebooking or gave up after technical difficulties (my DH sure would!), can't just easily fix the problem when they arrive, if the headliners are all prebooked. Even onsite guests who prebooked and don't encounter glitches have been unexpectedly forced into a tier system at Epcot, where they previously could get Soarin, TT, and (should they so desire) Maelstrom fastpasses on a busy day by just arriving early. The tier system was obviously an attempt to make things a little less terrible for those who can't prebook FP+. Everyone who is currently booking a trip to Disney really has no idea what the rules will be tomorrow, much less next summer.

 

[rebbyparker]

"Ride Rationing". I think you've hit on the new buzz word.

 

[wisblue]

Otherwise known as ride rationing. They just wanted to try and build excitement with pre-scheduling so people might not notice.

I noticed.

How do you define "ride rationing", and what makes it so evil? Isn't the current FP system some form of "ride rationing"?

As long as there is a limited capacity for something (which there will always be for a ride in a theme park) and a greater demand than the capacity (which will happen for popular attractions, especially when the park is busy), there will be some form of "rationing". That rationing may take the form of a pure "first come, first served" (which is what existed before FP), or something which allows some people to reserve a spot in advance (which is what happened with legacy FP). In some fashion, FP+ will reallocate who has access to the limited spots on the ride, and it's inevitable that some people will be happier with it than others. But, it's no more rationing than the current FP system; it's just different rationing.

Maybe if they really want to ration rides, they will limit how many times anyone can ride a certain ride, either by FP or standby. Frankly, if WDW would adopt a system that would only allow a person to ride something one time per day during busy times of the year, I wouldn't care at all. And I also know that that would send some people into orbit. You can't please everybody.

Finally, I think WDW is smart enough to know that some people will like their changes and some people won't. I don't think they are naïve enough to think that the hardcore Disney visitors wouldn't notice what they are doing and what impact it would have on their touring styles.

 

[wesleybean]

with "regular" FP? I read on one thread the system may be down? Hopefully I read something wrong or the poster was wrong... I'm going on Thanksgiving through Dec 4 and staying off property, so I don't have the magic bands. Can anyone verify you'll still be able to get FP the old way?

 

[AmyB2006]

with "regular" FP? I read on one thread the system may be down? Hopefully I read something wrong or the poster was wrong... I'm going on Thanksgiving through Dec 4 and staying off property, so I don't have the magic bands. Can anyone verify you'll still be able to get FP the old way?

As of now, you can. That could change at any moment. For Thanksgiving weekend, I would get there early if you want to score some regular FPs.

 

[wesleybean]

As of now, you can. That could change at any moment. For Thanksgiving weekend, I would get there early if you want to score some regular FPs.

Thanks!

 

[doconeill]

with "regular" FP? I read on one thread the system may be down? Hopefully I read something wrong or the poster was wrong... I'm going on Thanksgiving through Dec 4 and staying off property, so I don't have the magic bands. Can anyone verify you'll still be able to get FP the old way?

It worked fine on Sunday. But boy, I saw the return times on Test Track go up faster than I've ever seen at any attraction...I'm sure Soarin' was worse (but I had a FP+ for it)

 

[ckelly14]

Using RP and getting FP early has (and still will be) required strategy for visting WDW during holidays, even with FP+ in place.

Ok, I know RD (rope drop) and FP (fast pass), but what is RP?

 

[robpa]

That very well may be what ends up happening, but for now, those with upcoming trips can use it however they want. I have faith that Disney will make the customer experience the best it can be. This is the largest project Disney has taken on, and I doubt they want to lose visitors due to it. They are spending %1.5 BILLION dollars on this and they won't get it wrong. That being said, Disney has said some of the objectives of the project are as follows:


–By getting guests to plan more of their trips in advance, Disney expects they will spend more of their vacation time on Disney World property, instead of visiting Universal Orlando, shopping malls or other off-property attractions.

–By making food and souvenir purchases as easy as waving a wristband in front of a scanner — the same cash-free model that has been so lucrative for the cruise industry — Disney thinks guests will spend more money overall.

–By collecting more personal data about visitors, from their favorite characters to their spending habits, Disney hopes to develop more effective sales offers customized for individual families.

-Disney thinks MyMagic–will help in other areas, too, from luring more people into company-owned hotels to establishing a new souvenir line in the form of MagicBand accessories.


In the end, it may look very different from any of the tests, but Disney won't ruin their brand or make the experience any less magical.

To the bolded part, I'm sure they don't like losing visitors but losing some I'm sure is figured in. I am sure that there is a certain percentage of customers that don't come back and they know this #. So as long as they can continue to attract more new customers than lose repeat customers they will continue to move forward on the course they have plotted. Only when this starts to not favor Disney will they change tactics. Face it they are taking in quite a bit with out outlandish spending(not counting this new initiative).