FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[KrzyKtty]

I call bs. You need to give more details of your "planning" to back up this claim you never waited in a line for over a hour.

I used Touring plans. I start planning general itineraries almost 6 months out. I start refining them from the 60 day. Onwards. And refine the multiple times during the last week or two. Then the morning of I refresh it one more time to make sure everything is pulling the most accurate line data.

I paid for their subscription service and made detailed touring plans with their information and lots of research on these boards down to 5 to 10 minute increments. I interspersed the big things that we had to do with little things that didn't matter. I also would put in break and lunch times in the middle. That way if we ended up taking longer on one thing we could cut something else out in the middle and continue on general schedule. I don't know how I can prove to you my own personal experience, but my husband can vouch that he's never had to wait in line more than 45 minutes at Disney World. It's something that he seems to be weirdly proud of considering I have to do all the work.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I still think waking up early a month in advance is better than running around like a headless chicken as soon as the parks open in order to gather paper FPs. But I realise it's a matter of personal preference, and neither side is going to convince the other.

I've experienced both, but when I experienced paper FP, it wasn't crowded enough to really be a necessity, so it's not a true comparison for me.

 

[LittleBuford]

I've experienced both, but when I experienced paper FP, it wasn't crowded enough to really be a necessity, so it's not a true comparison for me.

I last experienced legacy FP in Disneyland Paris a few years ago, not long after a visit to WDW. It reaffirmed my strong preference for FP+.

 

[KrzyKtty]

By the way, I realize everything I said above is a little bit over the top. I'm sure plenty of other people have managed similar outcomes with way less planning. That's just a personality quirk on my part.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I used Touring plans. I start planning general itineraries almost 6 months out. I start refining them from the 60 day. Onwards. And refine the multiple times during the last week or two. Then the morning of I refresh it one more time to make sure everything is pulling the most accurate line data.

I paid for their subscription service and made detailed touring plans with their information and lots of research on these boards down to 5 to 10 minute increments. I interspersed the big things that we had to do with little things that didn't matter. I also would put in break and lunch times in the middle. That way if we ended up taking longer on one thing we could cut something else out in the middle and continue on general schedule. I don't know how I can prove to you my own personal experience, but my husband can vouch that he's never had to wait in line more than 45 minutes at Disney World. It's something that he seems to be weirdly proud of considering I have to do all the work.

That's how I plan our trips, too...not that I would if given the choice, though.

I even give us a daily choice of a park to hop to, so each day has three parks listed...one for the morning/early afternoon, two others to choose from for evening.

(Any planned activities and FPs were generally made for 2pm or earlier, so hopping didn't disrupt anything.)

 

[KrzyKtty]

And when I say personality quirk, I really do mean that. It doesn't matter what trip I'm going on, I still plan it to the same weirdly detailed itinerary. Going out to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, had multiple plans down to the hour of the day just in case. Going to Niagara and New York City... same level of planning. About the only trip I can manage to go on without getting crazy about the planning seems to be Universal ironically enough. And this year I am still planning it way more than I probably should.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

And when I say personality quirk, I really do mean that. It doesn't matter what trip I'm going on, I still plan it to the same weirdly detailed itinerary. Going out to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, had multiple plans down to the hour of the day just in case. Going to Niagara and New York City... same level of planning. About the only trip I can manage to go on without getting crazy about the planning seems to be Universal ironically enough. And this year I am still planning it way more than I probably should.

We've started frequenting a small, local amusement park and I almost went into panic attacks because I couldn't plan anything and I've just gotten so used to needing to.

 

[hopemax]

I still think waking up early a month in advance is better than running around like a headless chicken as soon as the parks open in order to gather paper FPs. But I realise it's a matter of personal preference, and neither side is going to convince the other.

My post wasn't about convincing the PP or you. Instead of recognizing that multiple paths exist due to personal preference, the PP posts as if everyone had to be struggling as much as he was with legacy and would be as happy as he was with FP+. Which isn't true. Nothing is ever "one size fits all."

 

[LittleBuford]

Speaking of Touring Plans, I purchased a copy of The Unofficial Guide back in 2001 for my first WDW trip as an adult, and even then the need for almost militaristic planning during busy times was emphasised again and again. I'm not sure how far back this advice goes, but I'd be surprised if it began with the introduction of FP.

 

[LittleBuford]

My post wasn't about convincing the PP or you. Instead of recognizing that multiple paths exist due to personal preference, the PP posts as if everyone had to be struggling as much as he was with legacy and would be as happy as he was with FP+. Which isn't true. Nothing is ever "one size fits all."

Too many participants in this thread are unwilling to accept the validity of others' experiences.

 

[KrzyKtty]

We've started frequenting a small, local amusement park and I almost went into panic attacks because I couldn't plan anything and I've just gotten so used to needing to.

I've had the same sort of reaction. I'm so used to it at this point I don't really know what to do when I go to an amusement park without a touring plan. I kept trying to plan it over and over again for Disneyland in California, even though everybody kept telling me it doesn't really work the same way.

 

[G00fyDad]

I used Touring plans. I start planning general itineraries almost 6 months out. I start refining them from the 60 day. Onwards. And refine the multiple times during the last week or two. Then the morning of I refresh it one more time to make sure everything is pulling the most accurate line data.

I paid for their subscription service and made detailed touring plans with their information and lots of research on these boards down to 5 to 10 minute increments. I interspersed the big things that we had to do with little things that didn't matter. I also would put in break and lunch times in the middle. That way if we ended up taking longer on one thing we could cut something else out in the middle and continue on general schedule. I don't know how I can prove to you my own personal experience, but my husband can vouch that he's never had to wait in line more than 45 minutes at Disney World. It's something that he seems to be weirdly proud of considering I have to do all the work.

Holy carp! I thought I planned a lot. LOL

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Touring plans don't control crowd level of the day or what the line of a particular ride is that day. you made a claim you never waited more than 45 minutes in line for a any ride at Disneyworld. I still don't believe it. There is a difference between planing your plan for the day but you can't control line levels. only way you could never do 45 on major rides if you had a fastpass which is being disingenuous because before the pandemic you didn't have a fast pass you would be in a stand by line for more than 45. and what about before fast passes even existed, you never stood in a 45 minute line before? I don't believe you.

 

[G00fyDad]

Too many participants in this thread are unwilling to accept the validity of others' experiences.

I disagree with that viewpoint!

 

[KrzyKtty]

Holy carp! I thought I planned a lot. LOL

It's how I live in the Disney spirit .

 

[G00fyDad]

Touring plans don't control crowd level of the day or what the line of a particular ride is that day. you made a claim you never waited more than 45 minutes in line for a any ride at Disneyworld. I still don't believe it. There is a difference between planing your plan for the day but you can't control line levels. only way you could never do 45 on major rides if you had a fastpass which is being disingenuous because before the pandemic you didn't have a fast pass you would be in a stand by line for more than 45. and what about before fast passes even existed, you never stood in a 45 minute line before? I don't believe you.

Wow. Just, wow. I have ridden headliner attractions at Disney world without having to wait 45 minutes or more. Why is that so hard for you to believe? Are you jealous that some people have been able to do it while you haven't for some reason? When do you go the week of Christmas?

 

[KrzyKtty]

Touring plans don't control crowd level of the day or what the line of a particular ride is that day. you made a claim you never waited more than 45 minutes in line for a any ride at Disneyworld. I still don't believe it. There is a difference between planing your plan for the day but you can't control line levels. only way you could never do 45 on major rides if you had a fastpass which is being disingenuous because before the pandemic you didn't have a fast pass you would be in a stand by line for more than 45. and what about before fast passes even existed, you never stood in a 45 minute line before? I don't believe you.

The website touring plans does in fact take into account crowd level of the day and what the line is on that particular day. They get updated information frequently from participants so their line data tends to be just as accurate if not more so than Disney worlds, because they don't inflate it to keep people out of the line.

And the fast passes are not disingenuous considering everybody before covet could use three fast passes. What fast passes they could use might be dependent upon where they were staying and when they made the reservation, but everybody got three. Whatever three I got would be baked into my plan for that day.

And I didn't claim I've never ever stood in a line longer than 45 minutes for all 30 years. I clearly said that I could remember in my adult life over the last 15. That holds true. During my honeymoon 15 years ago they were still using the old-fashioned paper fast pass system.

Don't believe me if you don't want to dude I have no control over your brain. All I can tell you is that it is possible. Requires annoyingly heavy pre-planning, but possible. Like I said, we rope dropped FOP 2 weeks after it opened and still didn't wait more than 50 minutes when the lines during the middle of the day were frequently 3 hours.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Wow. Just, wow. I have ridden headliner attractions at Disney world without having to wait 45 minutes or more. Why is that so hard for you to believe? Are you jealous that some people have been able to do it while you haven't for some reason? When do you go the week of Christmas?

Because they are claiming they never have. at some point you are going to wait in a hour or so line. its math. to say you dont at all is false. if you do it tell me how? details? do you use a fastpass? what time of day? what ride? what were the crowd levels that day? what time of year did you go? Just saying you can go anytime and go on any ride and never wait 45 is a general statement with many holes that don't add up.

 

[KrzyKtty]

Because they are claiming they never have. at some point you are going to wait in a hour or so line. its math. to say you dont at all is false. if you do it tell me how? details? do you use a fastpass? what time of day? what ride? what were the crowd levels that day? what time of year did you go? Just saying you can go anytime and go on any ride and never wait 45 is a general statement with many holes that don't add up.

I never ever said you could go at any time and go on any ride and never wait more than 45 minutes. I clearly said I had to stick to a very strict schedule based on the touring plan that took into account anticipated ride wait times. I also clearly said I baked in recovery and pick up times to keep ourselves on schedule. We would go in the middle of the summer because I have young kids in school and I can't take them out of the school for more than 3 days in our school district without the courts coming after the parent. So it was frequently during the busiest time of year. I also said when we went to Disneyland it was Christmas, two days after Christmas to be precise. The fact that I said the last 15 years of my adulthood means I have never claimed to do it pre-fast pass since the first iteration of FastPass were before that time. Trying to ask me how long I waited in line when I was a young child in the '80s is probably asking a little bit much.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

The website touring plans does in fact take into account crowd level of the day and what the line is on that particular day. They get updated information frequently from participants so their line data tends to be just as accurate if not more so than Disney worlds, because they don't inflate it to keep people out of the line.

And the fast passes are not disingenuous considering everybody before covet could use three fast passes. What fast passes they could use might be dependent upon where they were staying and when they made the reservation, but everybody got three. Whatever three I got would be baked into my plan for that day.

And I didn't claim I've never ever stood in a line longer than 45 minutes for all 30 years. I clearly said that I could remember in my adult life over the last 15. That holds true. During my honeymoon 15 years ago they were still using the old-fashioned paper fast pass system.

Don't believe me if you don't want to dude I have no control over your brain. All I can tell you is that it is possible. Requires annoyingly heavy pre-planning, but possible. Like I said, we rope dropped FOP 2 weeks after it opened and still didn't wait more than 50 minutes when the lines during the middle of the day were frequently 3 hours.

So like I THOUGHT you use fastpass a lot. and you hit some rides at rope drop. You don't do stand by. That is how you are able to make this claim. Have you been since disneyworld reopened now that there are no fast pases?