My Fpass experience so far..

[12_Ears_Dad]

First of all I want ask what's all the fuss? No it's not a perfect system, but I think the way it is set up is the way it has to be to cater to the most guests the best way. It's tiered to give the most people a chance to experience one of the most popular attractions. We were at a disadvantage because we're off property.

Hollywood studios
Fps for TT, TSmania, Indiana Jones (overall, cant complain)

Epcot
Fps for Soarin, TestTrak, Mickey and Friends M&G, TTwCrush
(Happy with this)

Magic Kingdom
Fps for Monsters Laugh Floor, Big Thunder Mountain, Main St Elec Parade..
(Our options were really limited here..)

Animal Kingdom
Fps for Dinosaur, Everest, Kilamjaro, Festival of the Lion King

We still have one more day each at Mk and Epcot that we can't schedule yet until tomorrow and Friday ..

(And the days there are 4 fp listed is our group split up)

 

[JasonDeyoung]

I like it and have not had any issues w it at all. I am prob one of the few, but I like it better than the old paper passes

 

[Nick Wilde]

The problem? The outcry? Is that you have to plan your entire day out, and decide what attraction you want to ride, and when you want to ride it WEEKS in advance, along with what park. It's quite inconvenient for local AP holders like me.

 

[12_Ears_Dad]

The problem? The outcry? Is that you have to plan your entire day out, and decide what attraction you want to ride, and when you want to ride it WEEKS in advance, along with what park. It's quite inconvenient for local AP holders like me.

No one's forcing you to use the Fp system.. and if your an AP your probably there enough to not really need it most times..

 

[JasonDeyoung]

The problem? The outcry? Is that you have to plan your entire day out, and decide what attraction you want to ride, and when you want to ride it WEEKS in advance, along with what park. It's quite inconvenient for local AP holders like me.

I'm an FL AP and have not had any issues with it at all. I like it

 

[Nick Wilde]

No one's forcing you to use the Fp system.. and if your an AP your probably there enough to not really need it most times..

I never said I'd rather not have a FP. Just that the old FP was better for spontaneity. Imagine this. I give you $100 every week. Then I start to only give you $50 a week. When you complain, I'll tell you I'm not forcing you to take the money. You still want the $50, but you'd much rather have the $100. Same with FP and FP-.

 

[Disney4family]

The problem? The outcry? Is that you have to plan your entire day out, and decide what attraction you want to ride, and when you want to ride it WEEKS in advance, along with what park. It's quite inconvenient for local AP holders like me.

I'm not a local AP and I also hate planning like this. I've said it before. How do I know if I want to plan months in advance for Test Track or Soarin? Does anyone know a website that shows me the exact weather that far in advance?

And if this new system isn't the cause of major backups in rides that never had FP before, how do explain 40 minutes waits for PoTC or Small World or Figment?

 

[12_Ears_Dad]

And if this new system isn't the cause of major backups in rides that never had FP before, how do explain 40 minutes waits for PoTC or Small World or figment

40 min wait? I don't think that's an unacceptable wait time for most anything.. and who's using FP for small world?

 

[Disney4family]

40 min wait? I don't think that's an unacceptable wait time for most anything.. and who's using FP for small world?

As others here have said, those who don't know the parks will use their FP on some must-dos without realizing that they don't have to - or at least didn't have to.

You used to able to walk on Pirates while waiting for your Jungle FP time or Small World while waiting for Peter. Now both waits are almost the same. Why? Too many people packed in the parks? People here insist not. They say Guests are just redistributed differently.

What has changed that has caused such a change in wait times on all rides?

The only spontaneity that we now have is waiting to see which FP we get when our window opens up based on what is available each day. Now we have to plan our day around that. We used to just walk into a park with excitement for whatever we wanted and spending the day however we wanted. Now we wait and see how we can spend the day. People will say it's not that different and at least we're "guaranteed" 3 attractions. There is a shift, however subtle it may seem to some. I think that's what gets under the skin of those of us who miss the open possibilities of the old system.

 

[OneDNP]

I have not used FP+ yet so I will table my opinion until I have a right to have one, but I did use and enjoy FP- and even good-old standby only.

I will admit there is something to knowing how to work the system to your best advantage and riding everything you want to ride before lunch, even if it means doing rope drop when you are not a morning person and running across the park multiple times to collect fast passes. It's a rush on top of the standard Disney rush. The folks who mastered it are bummed out because it is harder to work an advantage with the new system in terms of quantity:wait-time of experiences, and you have to put more time into planning than just rope drop and printing off a touring plan. Plus, FP- gave no advantage to on-site vs off-site vs local.

There is also something to the equality of waiting in line with everyone else and having unexpected conversations with strangers (though smart phones kind of killed that). Most of us with amusement parks at home only have standby, and those are not nearly as awesome as standby at Disney. Of course, you are also paying a lot more for Disney.

I don't think any FP system has had an impact on spontaneity. . . for those who don't use it! You can decide what park you want to go to on a whim, and even look up any number of free touring plans the day you go to help optimize your choice without a lot of planning on the front end. But that kind of spontineity may loose its luster when you are standing in the "have not" line.

 

[BigRedDad]

The issue with it is that it sucks. Now, you have to plan your ENTIRE trip 60 days out. You have no choice but to do the parks commando style. It leaves no room for spontaneity. You are limited to 3, but can get a 4th once all 3 are used. To get that 4th one, all 3 have to be early in the day. Otherwise, by the time you can get that 4th, they are gone.

Using the kiosks, we were able to get 5-7 FPs a day, do everything we wanted and when we wanted. The "only" benefit of this system is that we have been enough and don't need to try to do everything.

 

[JordanNite]

I found the whole online set up tiresome, and annoying - but once i got the hang of it and ironed out the set up issues i was having, it was easy enough. But i can imagine a newcomer struggling to come to grips with it.

But i'd wager alot more fast passes are wasted as a result of this.

 

[BigHero4]

I thought it was pretty straight forward online and through the MDE app. We were happy with our experience with it... just wish you could book additional FP+ from MDE app instead of going to the kiosk. Some day, I guess.

 

[bethymouse]

It is a crazy mixed up system IMHO. I don't know how the OP got a FP+ for BOTH Soarin and TT. They are in the same tier so to speak, and I could only book one of those! I guess I am an Old lady because I prefer the old paper fast pass. Besides, they were souvenirs in some cases.

 

[JasonDeyoung]

I thought it was pretty straight forward online and through the MDE app. We were happy with our experience with it... just wish you could book additional FP+ from MDE app instead of going to the kiosk. Some day, I guess.

That would be nice and I'd assume a feature coming in the future. That and if they'd made park hoping possible through the app. Oh well, in time I'm sure. I still like it

 

[SW_matt]

Hold on a minute...

I haven't visited wdw since 2010 with the old paper fastpass system, I was under the impression that with this new one you just book your fastpass on the fly via the app and it works pretty much the same way?

Is this not the case?

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I have never used the FP system. I'm from the old school where you *gasp* waited in line with everyone! lol

I loved being able to have a plan/itinerary of what to hit first, but then being able to wander through the park and then hopping on a ride with low lines. Will this not be possible when we go in the future? Will everyone need to FP every single ride? If you are in the "regular line", do you run the risk of not getting on a ride over the FP users, even if you have been there waiting longer?

This sounds like it is going to be a lot of work...not vacation!

 

[Nick Wilde]

I'm not a local AP and I also hate planning like this. I've said it before. How do I know if I want to plan months in advance for Test Track or Soarin? Does anyone know a website that shows me the exact weather that far in advance?

And if this new system isn't the cause of major backups in rides that never had FP before, how do explain 40 minutes waits for PoTC or Small World or Figment?

That last paragraph is another problem. EVERONE is getting FP for the E-tickets, so the standby line for those are shorter. BUT because you can only reserve 3 FP no one is getting a FP for a-c tickets, so the standby wait times are a lot higher for the smaller rides.

 

[12_Ears_Dad]

. I don't know how the OP got a FP+ for BOTH Soarin and TT. They are in the same tier so to speak,

Different members of the group silly. I said that in my original post.

 

[draybook]

40 min wait? I don't think that's an unacceptable wait time for most anything.. and who's using FP for small world?

Um, Pirates having a 40 minute wait in September(witnessed first hand) is NOT a normal thing and is a byproduct of this garbage FP- system. With the old system we could rack up FPs out of the wazoo. We didn't have to go wait in line for 15 minutes behind people that didn't understand English or how to use these oh so advanced kiosks.

And if you think that Disney has a warm heart and is interested in "giving everyone an equal chance" to experience all of the rides, then why does their charity and whole heartedness begin with on-site folks having a handy jump on the off-site folks? They simply wanted to spread the crowds, there was nothing about this that was done out of fairness or a kind heart.