FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[Chip Chipperson]

I actually do enjoy the planning. I also loved knowing where I was going to get to eat and the rides I was for sure going to able to ride.

Same here. I wouldn't miss the stress of logging in at 7 AM to hurriedly try to get all of our top FP+ picks - especially since our FP+ selection day always fell on a weekday while we were commuting to work so my wife would have to try to get our picks before we hit the cell service dead zone portion of our commute and then I'd try to finish and fine-tune our picks when I got to my office. That meant that we often had trouble getting some of the more popular picks, but now that we're working from home we'd probably have an easier time of it. But knowing that we had certain rides at certain times helped us know when to plan our QS meals (and, conversely, knowing what our ADRs were helped us time out our FP+ selections and plan the rest of our day). In between our FP+ times we would find the shortest wait time for something we like nearby or in between where we were and where we were headed next. I found it quite efficient, but I can certainly understand why not everyone feels that way.

 

[DisneyCane]

It was an issue - the question is if you think it was worth the consequence...

The issue was just as Disney marketed it... How do you make sure you get the 'must do' things done and feel at ease that you will get it done? They let you make a reservation and essentially guaranteed (short of ride breakdowns) you'd be able to do the experience.

In the pre-FP days (paper) you could be sure you could do the "must do" things by rope dropping and staying until close. I think you could do it in the paper FP days as well without issue. My wife and I took my sister-in-law on a single day, four park trip (before Pandora was added) and were able to do all the E-tickets at all four parks in one day with a combination of FP and standby.

I don't think that would be possible anymore with the added E-tickets. For a single park today (pre-COVID) even with FP+ making some lines ridiculously long, if you're willing to wait you can do everything pretty much guaranteed by spending rope drop to close there (except for RotR where you need to hit the boarding group lottery).

 

[PirateFrank]

I love trip planning. So much so that I am doing right now for a trip that is still a year and five months out. And I love FP+. I hated the old paper FPs and I don't think I am going to care for the virtual queues either.

honest question. How many WDW trips did you do before 160-day ADRs and same question for FP+?

...and a pair of follow up questions:
- Have you found that the quality/diversity of food has been better/same/worse since before 180-day ADRs?
- Have you found that you can get more/same/less attractions done with FP+?

I'm I'm just throwing this out there to spur on some thought. Not being argumentative - as we all vacay differently. However, my own observations are very specific in these two regards. Since the advent of the 180-day ADR (and increased dining plan offerings), the quality of food throughout WDW has plummeted. Yes, there are some good restaurants that haven't totally slipped. However, the overall quality of food, WDW-wide, has dropped significantly. In fact, that overall drop makes it even more difficult to secure ADRs for restaurants that have retained their quality in one way or another. Because everyone knows which table and quick service restaurants suck - and they dont want to eat there - but have no choice to do so, because the good ones are booked up at 180 days out.

On the FP+ front, the fact of the matter is that I've been able to accomplish progressively less in a day with FP+. Yes, I get my 3 FPs to use. Then after those are exhausted - every other mid-tier attraction is jammed with significant waits. Yes, increased attendance is also a factor. But there's no denying that FP+ has had a disastrous impact on standby waits in all of the parks. Every year, I pay for tickets that are 5-10% more expensive than the previous year, and I accomplish 5-10% less. Fastpass+ is/was a disaster for the park guest. We've all debated this till we're blue in the face.

The point is, when the value of the product gets worse and worse each year- and I'm forced to spend more and more time in advance planning for it - it gets exhausting and demoralizing. There's a breaking point we all have. Some aren't there yet. Give it time....

 

[mikejs78]

When I went back recently it was just so much more manageable without FP+. I'd much rather have to deal with 45 minute waits in big rides instead of getting a couple short waits with FP and then crazy 2 hour + waits for big attractions the rest of the time. Limited capacity/reservations and no FP make for a better guest experience.

FP will probably be returning in some form but hopefully it is limited so it does not disrupt the wait times too much.

What about 2+ hour waits for all the big attractions with no FP? Because that's what will happen once capacity gets scaled back up.

 

[PirateFrank]

This is my current level of trip planning enjoyment....
View attachment 560168

Those are pro-level WDW spreadsheets (I might steal that layout! )

Let me follow up by saying I enjoy the planning to a certain extent as well. I guess you can say that you learn to love what's good for you. So I've accepted the fact that I have to be ready to go with a cup of coffee and fast fingers at the 180/60 day marks.

The problem is when you have to adjust after those dates (no plan is perfect 6 months out)....and you realize that your need to adjust is going to result in a diminished experience. Nothing burns more than being stuck in Tonys or the Plaza (or worse, not able to find anything), because your Crystal Palace or BOG reservation conflicts with the one time you could get onto 7DMT. Its at those times when you realize that this advance planning paradigm we've all been forced into truly sucks.

 

[G00fyDad]

honest question. How many WDW trips did you do before 160-day ADRs and same question for FP+?

...and a pair of follow up questions:
- Have you found that the quality/diversity of food has been better/same/worse since before 180-day ADRs?
- Have you found that you can get more/same/less attractions done with FP+?

I'm I'm just throwing this out there to spur on some thought. Not being argumentative - as we all vacay differently. However, my own observations are very specific in these two regards. Since the advent of the 180-day ADR (and increased dining plan offerings), the quality of food throughout WDW has plummeted. Yes, there are some good restaurants that haven't totally slipped. However, the overall quality of food, WDW-wide, has dropped significantly. In fact, that overall drop makes it even more difficult to secure ADRs for restaurants that have retained their quality in one way or another. Because everyone knows which table and quick service restaurants suck - and they dont want to eat there - but have no choice to do so, because the good ones are booked up at 180 days out.

On the FP+ front, the fact of the matter is that I've been able to accomplish progressively less in a day with FP+. Yes, I get my 3 FPs to use. Then after those are exhausted - every other mid-tier attraction is jammed with significant waits. Yes, increased attendance is also a factor. But there's no denying that FP+ has had a disastrous impact on standby waits in all of the parks. Every year, I pay for tickets that are 5-10% more expensive than the previous year, and I accomplish 5-10% less. Fastpass+ is/was a disaster for the park guest. We've all debated this till we're blue in the face.

The point is, when the value of the product gets worse and worse each year- and I'm forced to spend more and more time in advance planning for it - it gets exhausting and demoralizing. There's a breaking point we all have. Some aren't there yet. Give it time....

1. A few. I hated FPs when they came out because it was a very abused system.

2. I am not a "foodie" so I couldn't answer that question honestly. I don't really care what food tastes like as long as it is not truly disgusting. I am not the type of person that looks for fruity notes or something in my food. I do not relate to Remy very well. LOL

3. I found that I could do more attractions with FP+ than I could before FP or during the paper FP options. It allows me to plan my day better. We hit the parks early. Not always at rope drop but close and then hit the maor "big rides" early with just a walk-on and then by the time the parks filled up we were ready to use the later in the day FP+ options I selected.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

This is my current level of trip planning enjoyment....
View attachment 560168

I use a spreadsheet, too...but that doesn't mean I enjoy having to decide 6 months out what we're going to do and where we're going to eat or trying to juggle FP and ADRs and avoid having to spend more time on transportation and walking than necessary. Planning a vacation shouldn't be akin to assembling an intricate puzzle.

 

[Chi84]

honest question. How many WDW trips did you do before 160-day ADRs and same question for FP+?

...and a pair of follow up questions:
- Have you found that the quality/diversity of food has been better/same/worse since before 180-day ADRs?
- Have you found that you can get more/same/less attractions done with FP+?

I'm I'm just throwing this out there to spur on some thought. Not being argumentative - as we all vacay differently. However, my own observations are very specific in these two regards. Since the advent of the 180-day ADR (and increased dining plan offerings), the quality of food throughout WDW has plummeted. Yes, there are some good restaurants that haven't totally slipped. However, the overall quality of food, WDW-wide, has dropped significantly. In fact, that overall drop makes it even more difficult to secure ADRs for restaurants that have retained their quality in one way or another. Because everyone knows which table and quick service restaurants suck - and they dont want to eat there - but have no choice to do so, because the good ones are booked up at 180 days out.

On the FP+ front, the fact of the matter is that I've been able to accomplish progressively less in a day with FP+. Yes, I get my 3 FPs to use. Then after those are exhausted - every other mid-tier attraction is jammed with significant waits. Yes, increased attendance is also a factor. But there's no denying that FP+ has had a disastrous impact on standby waits in all of the parks. Every year, I pay for tickets that are 5-10% more expensive than the previous year, and I accomplish 5-10% less. Fastpass+ is/was a disaster for the park guest. We've all debated this till we're blue in the face.

The point is, when the value of the product gets worse and worse each year- and I'm forced to spend more and more time in advance planning for it - it gets exhausting and demoralizing. There's a breaking point we all have. Some aren't there yet. Give it time....

- The Disney dining plans ruined the quality of food, not ADRs.

- Our first trip was in 1984 (as adults) and we have gone nearly every year since then - first just us; then with our two kids and our parents; now with our kids, their spouses and (next trip) our grandchildren. We visited before any type of fast passes and would often skip the most popular rides because the waits were too long (well over an hour for rides like Splash and Space) and our parents were not inclined to stand in line that long.

We visit often enough that it's not important to get on every ride, every visit. We're happier knowing that we can get on our favorites (like FOP and SDD) without having to get to the parks early or stand in long lines. FP+ works well for us, but I know it doesn't work for everyone, so I understand the need to change the system. So far, I've been able to adjust to whatever system WDW has put in place. When that is no longer the case, we'll find another vacation venue and no one here will hear about it.

 

[G00fyDad]

I use a spreadsheet, too...but that doesn't mean I enjoy having to decide 6 months out what we're going to do and where we're going to eat or trying to juggle FP and ADRs and avoid having to spend more time on transportation and walking than necessary. Planning a vacation shouldn't be akin to assembling an intricate puzzle.

I get it. I really do. I am the only one I know (in my circle) that likes planning like this. I have learned that planning like this sometimes gets us in a pinch since it was planned out 6 months or more out but as long as we understand that this could happen then it doesn't ruin our trips.

We also always go in the attendance dips at WDW so walk-ons have always been possible first thing in the morning. If I have to drop a FP for later in the day because plans changed then no big deal.

 

[larandtra]

Regardless of what comes into play as fast passes. Something is going to come sooner rather than later. I can see fp being dropped in with ap announcement of new tiers and benefits, and an adjustment to the number of days ap holders can reserve. I fully expected a new paid system similar to max pass but in any case, fp worked for us because we understood how to refresh and drop times.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I get it. I really do. I am the only one I know (in my circle) that likes planning like this. I have learned that planning like this sometimes gets us in a pinch since it was planned out 6 months or more out but as long as we understand that this could happen then it doesn't ruin our trips.

I actually work very hard to build room for *some* level of spontaneity on our trips. Most days, we have 1 set park to do and the choice of a park to hop to. Plans being disrupted doesn't ruin our trip, but it does create stress where there wouldn't be any otherwise (because of the need for ADRs and FP). The larger and larger crowds and the crowd manipulation tactics in place have definitely led to a decline in the quality of the experience.

 

[PirateFrank]

- The Disney dining plans ruined the quality of food, not ADRs.

Disagree. Both do.

 

[Jrb1979]

Maybe it's just me but all of this sounds like a lot of work to enjoy a theme park. It's no wonder so many people find Universal so relaxing.

 

[Disneydad1012]

This was posted over on wdwinfo.com. Probably a glitch but you never know.

Is FastPass+ Coming Back Sooner Than We Thought?

The My Disney Experience app sporadically displays the FastPass+ selection button available to book August vacation dates beginning on June 30, 2021.

www.wdwinfo.com

 

[PirateFrank]

Maybe it's just me but all of this sounds like a lot of work to enjoy a theme park. It's no wonder so many people find Universal so relaxing.

You're not kidding. Im generally in WDW around easter. One year (I think 2017), we ended up skipping Disney and doing Universal instead. We were at the portofino, so we had express passes. Every day, we woke up and said "where do we want to go?" (unheard of at WDW). We floated in and out of the parks, eating at restaurants at citywalk or character meals at the resort, without any need for reservations to either eat or ride an attraction. We did this for 4 straight days without a single pre-planned reservation during a very crowded time of year. Stress free. I remember telling my wife after waiting just 15 minutes for dinner at the Porto...."Do you realize, if this were WDW, I would have had to start planning our dining 6-7 months ago?"

 

[DisneyCane]

3. I found that I could do more attractions with FP+ than I could before FP or during the paper FP options. It allows me to plan my day better. We hit the parks early. Not always at rope drop but close and then hit the maor "big rides" early with just a walk-on and then by the time the parks filled up we were ready to use the later in the day FP+ options I selected.

With the right strategy you could do more major rides and with short wait re-rides with paper FP than with FP+. If you rope dropped and headed straight to a FP dispenser then rode rides until your return time but got another FP as soon as you could and so on, you could cram a lot in. There was also the benefit that FP returns didn't start at park opening so there was fast moving standby for at least a half an hour.

With park hopping it was even better. Countless times at Epcot or (then) Disney MGM Studios, we'd rope drop, ride and FP E-tickets and then purposely wait until Test Track (Epcot) or RNRC (Studios) was distributing return times after 6PM and grab one. Then we'd hop to usually MK, be able to make use of several FPs for a few hours, go somewhere for dinner and return to the park we started at for a re-ride of the attraction with the longest waits.

Having people like me figure out the perfect strategy is why I wouldn't support going completely back to a system with the exact rules of paper FP. Simply limiting to one FP per attraction per day would keep capacity from getting gobbled up by passholders while once in a lifetime visitors stand on line for 2 hours.

 

[Jenny72]

I know there's been a longer-term effort at Disney and Universal to update the experience of waiting in lines, either by making reservations to ride or by integrating it into the ride as part of the experience (elaborate queues with games, beepers to tell you when your turn is up, etc.). FP+ is part of that because you don't have to wait long. And of course, when you have a Fastpass, it's great.

But as we've mentioned, the problem with FP+ is that if you're not in the FP line, the wait is excruciatingly slow. It's the opposite of what theme parks are trying to create: dynamic, fun waiting experiences. I'd feel more satisfied waiting for an hour in a line that winds through interesting areas (especially air conditioned ones) and keeps moving than standing 30 minutes in one spot, watching people run by happily.

I'm good at using FP+ and don't typically wait all that long, but a lot of people do wait (or else the system wouldn't work). It's a challenge to figure out how to make this work. Do you invest in queues or try to make it so that people don't have to wait in them? In my view, there's no solving the fact that more people want to ride than there's capacity for, so you're better off keeping the lines moving and trying to take as much frustration out of that experience as possible. So...less FP+ availability, one way or the other.

 

[mattpeto]

It does sound like a waste of a day. When I go to parks I am at the park from open to close just about every day. The hotel is just a place to sleep at night.

It's a waste of day for you, but this is the narrow type of perspective that brings out the worst in WDW fandom IMO. We get it: you like to tour the parks. That's where you put value towards your vacation.

But others like to chill and some others like to have a blend of sorts (some hardcore park days, resort only days or PM or AM park only).

Don't tell someone it's a waste of a day, that's pretty condensing and more importantly opinionated.

 

[Hockey427]

This was posted over on wdwinfo.com. Probably a glitch but you never know.

Is FastPass+ Coming Back Sooner Than We Thought?

The My Disney Experience app sporadically displays the FastPass+ selection button available to book August vacation dates beginning on June 30, 2021.

www.wdwinfo.com

View attachment 560175

Just encountered the same glitch briefly, but instead of the “Make selections for your stay” spiel mine just said “Start now.” It’s quite odd as I also have a trip coming in august yet haven’t reached the 60 day mark just yet.

 

[Dranth]

Paper fast pass was terrible overall. FP+ was much better. The problem is that FP+ turned into the answer to a problem we shouldn't have. Build up a bunch more ride capacity and we don't need any form of it.