Fastpass+, a solution to "overwhelmingly negative" responses from families

[ParentsOf4]

Rather than alleviating stress, the whole FP/FP+/NGE/MDE phemomena has added immeasurably to the creation of stress. Gone are the days of a family waiting together for anything. In fact, gone are the days of anyone waiting for anything. Impatience rules. WDW is just going with the flow, unfortunately. Guests can currently buy their way out of some of this aggravation by paying for a tour-guide. Now they can app their way out of more. Beware that WDW may monetize the FP+ soon as well. Life itself is stressful enough that WDW doesn't need to add to it.

IMHO, the "right" solution is to simplify the WDW experience. For example:

• Completely eliminate FP/FP+
• Return to a simplified ticket structure based solely on days.
• Eliminate the "pay for" add-ons such as Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

Such changes will never happen. WDW has become the way it is because the corporate goal is to maximize revenue and profits, not to simplify its guests' vacations or reduce their stress. FP+ seems to add another layer of complexity.

Many working in corporate or government cultures recognize that complex procedures and processes tend to be "solved" with even more complex procedures and processes. Even CM knows that there now are rules for everything at WDW. Complexity tends to breed even more complexity.

 

[Todd L]

Nope, you got it wrong.

The right thing was for me to head to TSM at rope drop and then meet up with my family in front of RnRC, do that, then do TOT, then for me to sprint across the park to ST, then again meet up with my family in front of TSM.

Just joking.

I wouldn't call it terrifying but at least I could skip my exercise for that day. Maybe the average WDW guest was terrified at the thought of exercise?

Funny!!! Why is it usually the dads who do the running for the Fast passes??

My poor father in law travelled with us a few years ago to wdw and always wanted to go for the Fast passes...hes got multiple issues with his legs, feet and hips that slow him WAY down....Didnt work out too well!!

 

[Rose&Crowner]

"Most terrifying experience?" As a Marine Corps and Army veteran, I can't even shake my head at that level of hyperbole. That is absolutely #$%$% %%^&^%$ !!@#ing STUPID. Unless you lost a family member (accidental type of experience like happened very recently) or got separated from a child at WDW, nothing at that place should ever be characterized as terrifying. If anyone who answered the survey in that manner would like to come with me to Afghanistan next month, I'll be more than happy to let them see a few terrifying experiences. Candy ....

Relax Devil Dog, you do realize not everyone has the same experiences throughout their lives, right? And you clearly know that being separated from your family thousands of miles from home in a strange crazy place is terrifying.
Signed, one of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children.

 

[Virtual Toad]

I love the idea that I dont have to run from the main gate at H.s. to Tsmm to get fast passes while my family heads to Star wars...

You're assuming you'll be able to book TSMM in advance... but everyone else will want to also. It's still a question of supply and demand. The mad dash at rope drop is replaced by a mad dash on line xxx days out. Will as many be available? Will people who want to ride TSMM have to settle for Great Movie Ride Fastpasses instead? If for some reason you miss out on the online booking frenzy, are you okay with missing TSMM altogether or waiting in standby?

It will be interesting to see how this all pans out but I'm not sure it's going to give everyone what they want.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Pumpkin7 is correct in pointing out that the mad dash at rope drop is a problem with the current FP allocation regime. The addition of FP+ does not completely eliminate the problem. However, the proposed solution would elevate the demand for being one of the first 200 or whatever to hit the FP machine and thereby make the situation worse. Injuries may result from the crush of impatient guests.

Removal of the incentive to wait/rush for a limited resource should be the answer. Maybe leaving the most in-demand ride FP machines turned off until Noon or some random on/off cycle would discourage the Pamplona stampede. Definitely have all FP turned off for the first hour after rope drop.

 

[Virtual Toad]

If you choose to stand in the stand-by line instead of getting a FP......that's your choice. Life isn't fair and FP is an option for everyone. That's the key point....it's for everyone. Every guest has the option to choose to FP a ride and do it later....but some choose not to. It's his/her choice and that's fine but if I want to get a FP and walk by you to get on it faster is my choice. My confusion in your arguement is in one breath you say u use FP but then it doesn't feel fair to watch people walk past you on Peter Pan?? You can't have it both ways. If it was only for people who could afford it then I could prehaps agree with some of your arguement but since it's available on a level playing field to all guests....I don't.

What happens when more FP+s are given to Deluxe Resort guests? What happens when offsite or day-of guests are excluded from the system or handed table scraps? The existing FP system is a level playing field but FP+ will likely allow some much better access than others. Is that a system you'd still be happy with?

 

[KatMaria]

What happens when more FP+s are given to Deluxe Resort guests? What happens when offsite or day-of guests are excluded from the system or handed table scraps? The existing FP system is a level playing field but FP+ will likely allow some much better access than others. Is that a system you'd still be happy with?

Obviously Disney is going to limit how many Fastpass+ goes to resort, and how many go to day guests. It is what they have been figuring out the last few months. They won't just let all of FP go to all the FP+ people. It won't happen.

 

[the-reason14]

So I guess the biggest question is will you be able to utilize fast pass + while still getting regular fast passes from the machine, or will you be limited to either one or the other?

 

[Todd L]

You're assuming you'll be able to book TSMM in advance... but everyone else will want to also. It's still a question of supply and demand. The mad dash at rope drop is replaced by a mad dash on line xxx days out. Will as many be available? Will people who want to ride TSMM have to settle for Great Movie Ride Fastpasses instead? If for some reason you miss out on the online booking frenzy, are you okay with missing TSMM altogether or waiting in standby?

It will be interesting to see how this all pans out but I'm not sure it's going to give everyone what they want.

I agree with you......was just trying to be funny!!

 

[PhotoDave219]

What time of the year are you going? I make ADR's but sometimes we cancel a couple days ahead and just wing it for a place to eat. We have never waited more than 5 minutes for a table after just walking up. I hear this "I can't get a table on a walk-up any more." stuff all the time here and listening to the people I personally know (and my own experiences) this just isn't the case. We are a family of 4 and I know two other families of 5 and 6 and none of us (including the smaller families I know) have ever had issues with getting a table on a walk-up.

I live here.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I agree but your clients are not the ones generating the marketing research that Disney is using to create FP+. Quoting the OP:

These WDW guests are familiar with FP, familiar enough that they know they have to split up in order to optimize FP usage.

Your clients have legitimate concerns but it's not directly related to what the OP posted. Again, I agree with what you wrote it's just that TWDC is looking at this a bit differently than your clients' perspective.

WDW guide books have been available for decades but, for example, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (last time I checked) has exploded to over 800 pages. The Internet is in nearly every family's home. Just search for "Walt Disney World" and find millions of hits. Potential WDW guests are facing information overload. This information overload is largely driven by technology. Never have so many had access to so much information.

So its Len's fault? Lol

 

[flynnibus]

Thanks for taking the bait... Listen to Episode 1165 of WDW Today. Don't think of this as a paper touring plan, think of it as a way to optimize the movement of every guest in the park. On the most recent episode, Len explained how their latest algorithm allows for increased use of their software in the parks on any given day. While 100-200 people using the software a day doesn't typically result in disruptions in the data once it gets much higher than that they need to make modifications. If 500 people are using Optimized Touring plans on Lines, and they all show up at rope drop, they may all be directed to Space Mountain. That means that it works well for the first person that gets to Space Mountain, but not the 500th.

What Disney can do is take the distribution of guests who have pre selected all the attractions that they want to see (the basis of the optimized touring plan) and direct them around the park accordingly. That means that not everyone would be sent to Space Mountain first thing in the morning, it means that distribution will be made more evenly around attractions and guests wouldn't have to plan, Disney would do the planning for them.

That's what Touringplans is doing, and it's very impressive. Touringplans doesn't have the same access to the same proprietary information that Disney has access to, yet their software is capable of more than Fastpass+ is planning. That's inexcusable.

What Len said is exactly why your statement didn't work. And tp is giving out the same plan to everyone today because its static. Disney can shape crowd movement with its system.

I don't get at all your statements about Len vs Disney. Until Len gives out customized plans that are interdependent in the other plans given for the same day... They are in different league

 

[RunnerFool]

Oh my gosh ._. This would drive my OCD up a wall.

 

[hoke2007]

This Fastpass+ thing absolutely stinks. Not quite sure how this alleviates any stress from customers, but more than that I'd like to know who these families were that had "overwhelmingly negative" responses to Fastpass.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Well now we just moved the problem from the physical get to the fast pass machine first part, into The Internet where people will be flooding servers trying to make reservations for the fast passes as soon as their trip allows it.

The same problem will exist and it will just exacerbate the problem

 

[hoke2007]

If Disney really wanted to reduce stress, they should just start planning trips for people:

8:00- wake up
9:30- Arrive at parks
9:45- FP+ for Carousel of Progress
10:30- wait in 90 minute line to meet Princess Belle
12:00- eat one cheeseburger at Pinocchio Village Haus (1 squirt of ketchup allowed)
12:30- wait 2 hours for Peter Pan
2:45- FP+ for Philharmagic
3:15- wait 30 minutes for Stitch's Great Escape
4:00- purchase at least 50 bucks worth of stuff from Mickey's Star Traders
4:30- wait 2 hours for Space Mountain
7:00- FP+ for Enchanted Tiki Room
7:30- wait 45 minutes for Pirates of the Carribean
8:30- shop at the Emporium
9:00- watch Wishes from a poor vantage point due to not spending enough at the Emporium
9:30- run to a bus
10:00- lights out.


Let the magic begin...

 

[Virtual Toad]

If Disney really wanted to reduce stress, they should just start planning trips for people:

8:00- wake up
9:30- Arrive at parks
9:45- FP+ for Carousel of Progress
10:30- wait in 90 minute line to meet Princess Belle
12:00- eat one cheeseburger at Pinocchio Village Haus (1 squirt of ketchup allowed)
12:30- wait 2 hours for Peter Pan
2:45- FP+ for Philharmagic
3:15- wait 30 minutes for Stitch's Great Escape
4:00- purchase at least 50 bucks worth of stuff from Mickey's Star Traders
4:30- wait 2 hours for Space Mountain
7:00- FP+ for Enchanted Tiki Room
7:30- wait 45 minutes for Pirates of the Carribean
8:30- shop at the Emporium
9:00- watch Wishes from a poor vantage point due to not spending enough at the Emporium
9:30- run to a bus
10:00- lights out.


Let the magic begin...

You forgot 9:45- head to Pleasure Island.

Oops, my bad.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Disney's gonna keep going, making this more and more complex until people say, "enough" - and go on a simple vacation of dipping their toes in the sand on a beach somewhere... Where no planning whatsoever is required.

 

[PhotoDave219]

What Len said is exactly why your statement didn't work. And tp is giving out the same plan to everyone today because its static. Disney can shape crowd movement with its system.

I don't get at all your statements about Len vs Disney. Until Len gives out customized plans that are interdependent in the other plans given for the same day... They are in different league

I still would love to see Len do some serious data analysis of crowd behavior histories. Because I really think he's the only one doing it.

 

[GSP Guy]

You forgot 9:45- head to Pleasure Island.

Oops, my bad.

Stand in line for SGE and FP+ for Tiki Room!!!!
That there's funny, I don't care who you are!