Just returned... Updated Obervations, FP+

[disneyseniors]

I'm not a travel agent, but just commenting on my own personal experience with a Certified Disney Travel Agent. There is a difference between a TA and a Disney certified one! If you want all that is Disney, with all that is new and available, it would be a good idea to check one out! We have always used a Disney TA, and will always use one. As far as "the ta books all the attractions for them", that is not true. At least with our certified Disney TA. She told me that they are not allowed to book any reservations, rides, for their customers! She does assist those people that have trouble with the system, but does not do it for them. She says she feels guilty knowing they don't know a thing about booking, and tries to steer them the right way. So, according to a real honest to goodness Disney TA, they are not supposed to book anything like that for their customers. I love using a Disney TA because she gets us the best deals, esp on flights too. She knows all the new ins and outs at Disney to pass along. They also get paid by Disney, so there is no added cost for using a TA. Hope this helps clarify things for you

 

[ps17]

Hate that there were glitches that made your trip not as nice and wonderful as you expected it to be. We leave in a week and this will be our first foray into using the magic bands/memory maker and FP+ so interested to see what opinions we form about the whole thing.

Unfortunately however, even if Disney did everything perfectly and all the planning software/reservations systems worked without any problems, people would still find something to complain about or something they didn't like. You just can't please everyone!

I think that from day one when we started this venture 15 years ago, we knew what we were getting into. As Bob Sehlinger said in his great original book before the age of websites, Disney is the vacation that fights back. All vacations fight back, but Disney really fights back - but that is why we do what we do - that is why we get up early in the morning for RD or why we bother with the magic bands, or check 10 times a day for that BOG reservation. But we are in fact, Disneyaholics and this is a part of our life as well as our kids' upbringing that they won't forget. It isn't for everyone, but it was for us that we made this run. Wouldn't change a thing and if our kids weren't "graduated" we would do the same thing.

I do caution use of the word "complaining" which does carry a negative connotation. We are reporting experiences and our feelings because that is one we do. It can be informative for some. Others can commisserate, but I don't know if complaining is a fair portrayal of reporting back. If people want to report misfortunes or glitches I think that should be perfectly aceptable if not helpful.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Fair enough. And I probably agree with you.

I have a related, somewhat, amusing story - Peter Pan ride is not something we usually do, but they had just opened the expanded queue through the Darling House days before we arrived and were willing to wait on the standby line 'late-ish' one evening. Well, the sign suggested 20 minutes......15 minutes later we had barely moved. Needless to say, we got off that line and walked-on to Under the Sea.

Under the Sea falls into my category of a ride that had great potential that is, to me - Meh. What bothers me: first, there is no noticeable new technology being used here. Second, I have always been annoyed at seeing the control rod coming out of Flounder while Ariel is singing 'Part of Your World'. And I never found the big room when they are playing 'Under the Sea' to be anything special....and no, I do not feel as if I am under the sea; I feel under the sea at the Little Mermaid show in Hollywood Studios.

On our last day and nearly moments before we needed to leave to the airport, the 7Dwarfs FP+ we had was rendered somewhat worthless because of being broken. In trying to reschedule at a Kiosk, a Cast Member gave us a FP+ for Peter Pan. We skipped the queue and remembered why we disliked the ride to begin with - too short (just like Winnie the Pooh and your complaint of 7Dwarfs).

On both Winnie & Peter Pan, Disney has added interactive things to do along the stand-by queue to address your concerns. But I come back to the fact that, I believe, these rides just were not intended to be for adult amusement, because just like 7Dwarfs, they are short in duration at the preference of little children. Then again, according to the data on DisBoards - Space Mountain and 7Dwarfs are both 2.5minute rides.

Hey, I'm not trying to convince you 7Dwarsf is a great ride, but we all have issues with some rides and we might find it helpful to remind ourselves the duration of even our favorites sometimes.

Really, don't you find it poorly done, too? I know a lot of people lament the loss of 20.000 Leagues, but you were in a submarine that, while it pretended to go under with bubbles floating from beneath, it never went under. All you had to do was stand and watch it go around to see that. Then, you could see the lines tied to the fish. Really cheesy. Last, all you had to do while in the sub with your face pressed against the glass was look up - you could see the top of the water. Under the Sea reminds me of that - a ride that could have had great potential but it looks as if the people who designed and executed it just didn't care. Or, maybe they figure everyone riding will be 3 years old and not notice.