Some complaints are valid.....some not so much

[sjhym333]

I am a local AP holder and my initial reaction to FP+ when it was announced was not positive at all. I have been using it since it first became available to AP holders and since I am just down the road my trips to the park are always last minute. I have become a big fan of FP+. Here are some of my observations:

1) A lot of people who complain about FP+ have not used it yet or used it early in the rollout. We have had minimal problems over the past several months. The system has worked great for us.

2) I am usually able to get a FP for many of the headliner attractions a couple of days out and even the day of, including 7DMT. The exception has been the Frozen Meet and Greet and some parades and fireworks (which I wouldn't use anyway.) In the past two weeks I have made last minute trips to the MK and got 7DMT FP's each trip. There weren't a bunch of time options but they were there. The best advice I got was from a CM who told me that FP's open all the time as people change their plans by either skipping a park, cancelling a trip or leave early. So keep checking to see if something has opened up. Also, if you aren't going to use your FP's please cancel them so someone else can get them.

3) If I were travelling some distance and spending a lot of money of travel, hotel and tickets I would be happy that I can plan those attractions that define a great Disney trip for me. Yeah it is a pain to plan which park you want to be at 60 days out but it is not much different from any other big trip. For instance if I wanted to see a show on Broadway that is always sold out I would need to purchase those tickets months out to insure that I can see that show.

4) I agree with the ADR issue. As a local it is especially hard since we can no longer make a last minute trip to the parks and enjoy a nice meal at one of our favorite restaurants. Years ago it was not unusual for us to hit EPCOT for a Friday night date night and grab dinner in a World Showcase restaurant. That is much harder to do today and in fact besides some of the quick service restaurants we haven't eaten in a sit down restaurant in years.

5) If you can't get a FP for something there is still the being there at opening option. This hasn't changed at all with FP+

Lastly I would say...you're on vacation. Enjoy it. Don't stress about all the planning. Plan out the things you just HAVE to see and let the rest just play out.

 

[erasure fan1]

Booking ADR's last minute has been an issue for many years though correct? Those don't have anything to do with FP+ IMO.

According to a bunch of people I know, they don't seem to have issues getting FP for headliners and they book a month out. I'm sure getting FP+ day of is not the same but......

We had no plans to go to the parks on our trip this summer, just use the pools, shop and walk around the resort and relax. My inlaws gave us tickets as a gift and we were about 2 months out from our trip. Maybe I am unlucky but we did have issues with the headliners so I have to agree that for a last minute trip it can be a pain. ADRs can be a problem just for the fact that the closer you get to your trip, the less FP+ times are available, so finding an opening that fits the schedule can be tricky. I know thats how it was for us. Getting the ADRs we wanted was hard enough (and we didn't get everything we wanted) couple that with finding FP+ selections that worked well with the ADRs was even harder.

 

[epcot2004]

I think it is the dining reservation issues that hinder last minute trips more thanFP+. They NEED to hold back some dining capacity for walk-ups.

Would be great to see from our perspective but never going to happen. From the business perspective there is nothing better than knowing ahead of time what staffing and inventory you will need. I do not like the issue of not being able to walk up and have complained about it (regarding lack of spontinaity) in these forums in the past but as a business owner (not food service) I do understand why they seem to be booking in this manner. The question I have is when we make an ADR for Kona Cafe it will give us very few times but when we get there the place is half full, same when we leave. Are they holding times for walk ups for some but not others?

 

[BigTxEars]

If you could do away with ALL types of reservations in the park other than room reservations then we are in for the change, other than that count us as huge fans of FP+/ADRs/ MBs etc

 

[sjhym333]

The question I have is when we make an ADR for Kona Cafe it will give us very few times but when we get there the place is half full, same when we leave. Are they holding times for walk ups for some but not others?

We have had the same experience at the Kona Cafe. One day we walked up and over half the tables were empty but we were told it would be about 45 mins for a table for breakfast. I said to the hostess that half the tables were empty and she mumbled something about reservations and staffing. I overheard several other people who were waiting complain also. It just seemed ridiculous to us. We haven't been back since.

 

[draybook]

Don't stress about all the planning.

That would be easier said than done if TDO wasn't forcing people to either plan their vacation 16 years in advance or else possibly miss out on a lot of things.....

 

[Goofyernmost]

What would help is just allowing walk ins. I tried a couple of place and was told flat out... go away, no ADR, no service. I would have waited for someone to not show up and then go in, but, that didn't happen. I don't know if all do this, but, the few that I tried certainly did.

 

[copcarguyp71]

What would help is just allowing walk ins. I tried a couple of place and was told flat out... go away, no ADR, no service. I would have waited for someone to not show up and then go in, but, that didn't happen. I don't know if all do this, but, the few that I tried certainly did.

I am no fan of the ADR program nor am I defending it in any way. But, we have had success at San Angel Inn, Garden Grille and Rose&Crown as well for stand by (Garden Grille was during rain and people were leaving the park). I will say that people in line in front of us stormed away in a huff when they were told 45 minutes to an hour and a half when the poor hostess told the same to me she had this look of fear on her face like she was being forced to play russian roulette with a semi-auto...I replied "that's fine, I am on vacation and have nowhere to be". Both times the greeter looked so happy that I was not the usual demanding, moody "richard" that I do believe we were sat within a half hour (which I attribute to my demeanor). You catch more flies with sugar than you do with vinegar.

We have also walked on the experiences we did not feel like waiting for but I never get upset. I am "in the zone" on vacation and only really get my dander up after I arrive back home and reflect on any difficulties but with one vacation a year I roll with the punches while there rather than getting worked into a lather and not enjoying myself.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I am no fan of the ADR program nor am I defending it in any way. But, we have had success at San Angel Inn, Garden Grille and Rose&Crown as well for stand by (Garden Grille was during rain and people were leaving the park). I will say that people in line in front of us stormed away in a huff when they were told 45 minutes to an hour and and a half when the poor hostess told the same to me she had this look of fear on her face like she was being forced to play russian roulette with a semi-auto...I replied "that's fine, I am on vacation and have nowhere to be". Both times the greeter looked so happy that I was not the usual demanding, moody "richard" that I do believe we were sat within a half hour (which I attribute to my demeanor. You catch more lies with sugar than you do with vinegar.

We have also walked on the experiences we did not feel like waiting for but I never get upset. I am "in the zone" on vacation and only really get my dander up after I arrive back home and reflect on any difficulties but with one vacation a year I roll with the punches while there rather than getting worked into a lather and not enjoying myself.

Like I said, I didn't try everyplace, but, the ones that I did could not accommodate me. There was no option to wait. They weren't nasty about it, nor was I. I simply asked and when told they couldn't do it, I just moved on. I think a lot of it depends on the park, maybe the degree of popularity of the restaurant or the crowd level. I just don't try anymore. I just either go to quick service or offsite.

 

[wdisney9000]

you're on vacation. Enjoy it. Don't stress about all the planning

Wife and I employ this philosophy and it works well for us, but thats only because we have visited like a bazillion times and we dont have kids. My brother and sister have kids and they have been many times also but they are ALWAYS on a go-go-go type of pace. It seems much more difficult for a family to have a leisurely pace and keep the kiddies happy at the same time.

I love the responses we get from parents in the parks who ask if we have kids. One lady slowly nodded her head and gave us a big thumbs up last week. Another asked "whats it like to go where YOU want and eat what YOU want"? lol. I see people pushing strollers while theyre kids are screaming and then they notice us sitting there relaxing with drinks in hand watching the fiasco and they give us an odd look as if theyre thinking, "I want to do what you are doing". Funny thing is that we are usually talking about how fun it will be to bring our kids to WDW one day.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Like I said, I didn't try everyplace, but, the ones that I did could not accommodate me. There was no option to wait. They weren't nasty about it, nor was I. I simply asked and when told they couldn't do it, I just moved on. I think a lot of it depends on the park, maybe the degree of popularity of the restaurant or the crowd level. I just don't try anymore. I just either go to quick service or offsite.

Last time I was at DHS that was the case for every single table service in the park even though many were OBVIOUSLY less than half filled. We could not be served. We left. That was not long after Star Tours II opened and we have not been back. A hundred bucks per person to get in to ride the 3 compelling attractions and denied food service.

My vote is that DHS is by FAR the worst major theme park in the country.

 

[sjhym333]

That would be easier said than done if TDO wasn't forcing people to either plan their vacation 16 years in advance or else possibly miss out on a lot of things.....

I understand wanting to as much as possible while at WDW but I think that first and foremost it is a vacation. Planning to do the things you HAVE to do then just allow the rest of the trip unfold can be great. Disney attractions aren't going anywhere, Disney restaurants are (with a couple of exceptions) are not THAT great that I would really make a point to visit them. Disney doesn't force anyone into all this planning. People decide that they need to do everything to enjoy their vacation. Considering how often some people visit WDW I am surprised that people feel that they need to run every minute of the trip. But that is just my opinion and it's not my vacation.

 

[draybook]

I understand wanting to as much as possible while at WDW but I think that first and foremost it is a vacation. Planning to do the things you HAVE to do then just allow the rest of the trip unfold can be great. Disney attractions aren't going anywhere, Disney restaurants are (with a couple of exceptions) are not THAT great that I would really make a point to visit them. Disney doesn't force anyone into all this planning. People decide that they need to do everything to enjoy their vacation. Considering how often some people visit WDW I am surprised that people feel that they need to run every minute of the trip. But that is just my opinion and it's not my vacation.

I would venture a guess that the people that "visit so much" are outweighed by the people that visit only a few times in their lives. And when you're paying the prices that you do can you really expect people to not want to do everything? Whether or not Disney "forces" people to plan or not is open for debate, but the consequences for not planning at current state WDW are pretty steep.

 

[flynnibus]

Would be great to see from our perspective but never going to happen. From the business perspective there is nothing better than knowing ahead of time what staffing and inventory you will need.

From a spreadsheet perspective.. yes. But from a business that exists by serving the public? Not so hot.

It would be awesome if they actually were matched up 100% with supply and demand.. but that's not what they are doing. They are setting a demand number... and then letting customers fill up to that level. And in doing so turning away business because their capacity is hard set and set by a forecast vs acknowledging you are serving the public and the voltivity that brings.

So sure.. your spreadsheet looks awesome, but you're ing off your customers who you can't make show up next time with a simple forecast.

The question I have is when we make an ADR for Kona Cafe it will give us very few times but when we get there the place is half full, same when we leave

Because they don't run their locations at full capacity typically... they staff for a capacity below their max depending on their forecasts.

 

[BigTxEars]

I would venture a guess that the people that "visit so much" are outweighed by the people that visit only a few times in their lives. And when you're paying the prices that you do can you really expect people to not want to do everything? Whether or not Disney "forces" people to plan or not is open for debate, but the consequences for not planning at current state WDW are pretty steep.

Says the guy who rubbed it in by playing Rick Flair music for the peasants as he walked past them into his ADRs at BOG

 

[EnergyKing]

Haven't used it, but FPplus seems like a good system ONLY if you plan accordingly. I, for one, think it spoils the spontaneity of a Disney World vacation. I'd like the freedom to say "you know what? Let's do Epcot tomorrow and do Magic Kingdom today, instead of the other way around"...for whatever reason. Seems kind too regimented, this new way. And the idea of having appointments...so you get on a ride faster, whatever...seems like it would cause a lot of unneeded anxiety. I like the first come first serve original FP kiosk system. Kept everything equal. I know you don't HAVE to use the new FPplus, but it seems like there's really no choice unless you want to wait hours for rides. Sometimes I wonder if having no fast pass would bring back a long lost feeling of reward for waiting patiently and getting to the front of a line. How did we do it in the 80's??

 

[sjhym333]

I think you can continue to have a more spontaneous vacation depending on the time of year you visit. If you are doing the big holidays you really need to make your FP+ reservations ahead of time. Most of the rest of the year I find that I can get almost any FP+ for most major attractions with some exceptions and most of them the day before or day of. From my experience the exceptions are:
Frozen Meet and Greet
Wishes Fireworks
MK Parade
7DMT (though last week I got them 2 times the day of on 2 different days)
Belle Meet and Greet
Toy Story Mania
Illuminations
(Others may add an attraction or 2)

My point is that most of the year you can really be fairly spontaneous and still get FP's the day of for major attractions. As an AP holder we mostly decide to head out the park at the last minute and find that attractions like Soarin and Test Track at EPCOT for instance are usually available until mid day or later.

I guess for most guests it is a balancing act. Do you take a chance that you won't be able to get a FP for a favorite attraction (though you can hit that at opening) or do less preplanning and let the days unfold once you get there.

 

[GrandRoyale]

Last time I was at DHS that was the case for every single table service in the park even though many were OBVIOUSLY less than half filled. We could not be served. We left. That was not long after Star Tours II opened and we have not been back. A hundred bucks per person to get in to ride the 3 compelling attractions and denied food service.

My vote is that DHS is by FAR the worst major theme park in the country.

Lol, seriously? There are several counter-service restaurants there, most of them actually pretty good and none of which require reservations...and you're saying "We could not be served" and that you were "denied food service"?

A bit overdramatic and ridiculous don't you think? It is very possible to eat without having a waiter in a sit-down location,

 

[EnergyKing]

Well my parents planned a family vacation to Florida, first one in over a decade, and we were going to hit at least a few Disney parks while in the area. I doubt very highly they know how to use FPplus, let alone know of its existence. Since it's going to be the post-xmas thru New Years day season in WDW, I predict basically having long lines for everything and hardly any available Fast Passes left over. We like to let the days unfold, and not be ruled by appointments on vacation. However, this new system makes me, personally, want to avoid going to the parks, because it seems like it's going to be frustrating, unless we go back in time and make appointments for our favorite thrill rides (Space Mountain, etc.) Luckily, though, we're all grown and don't need to bother with any kids rides. I'm looking forward to the mellow, less crowded ones, like Carousel of Progress and People Mover.

 

[Lucky]

We have had the same experience at the Kona Cafe. One day we walked up and over half the tables were empty but we were told it would be about 45 mins for a table for breakfast. I said to the hostess that half the tables were empty and she mumbled something about reservations and staffing. I overheard several other people who were waiting complain also. It just seemed ridiculous to us. We haven't been back since.

Last time I was at DHS that was the case for every single table service in the park even though many were OBVIOUSLY less than half filled. We could not be served. We left.

LeCellier was half filled last time I was there. I had an ADR, but they were turning away walk ups. They must be trying to save a few bucks on servers and kitchen staff, not knowing or not caring what they're losing in revenue.