Absolutely. Also, are the kiosks in the Animal Kingdom a set of kiosks at each location or a single kiosk at each location? If so, we're looking at 5 kiosks for all non-resort guests? That line is going to be awful.
Being able to reserve them on your smart phone upon entering the park solves this.
Just throwing this out there as a very real possibility for the long lines. Would it surprise anyone if the Fastpass+ software is treating a "Group" as a single entity when subtracting from the Fastpass+ distribution. To clarify, under the legacy system you would insert 4 tickets and get 4 Fastpasses in 4 separate "transactions". Now, you can have a single person get 4 Fasptass+ reservations in a single "transaction". Yes, they're ultimately limited on the distribution from an individual standpoint, but I wouldn't be surprised if the available Fastpass pool is only debiting a single Fastpass instead of the 4 in that case. It could certainly explain the overkill on Fastpass+ wait times.
That also makes a lot of sense as well. The 5 minute intervals broke up the hour into 12 different groupings. If they're not doing that with Fastpass+ it's another one of many steps backwards.
As always, another excellent post. The most important thing here is that it's a zero sum game. I anticipate that Disney's primary objective here is to take the satisfaction away from people that are paying less, and give it to people that are paying more. The problem with that logic is the level of satisfaction can really only be so high. Assuming satisfaction is linked to number of attractions visited, they would have to tier the number of FP+ reservations each guest could achieve. I don't doubt that this is in their mind, but the creation of a class system in the parks is potentially crippling to the public image of the company.Many will like MM+. MM+ (including FP+) offers some good benefits for guests that fit certain profiles.
For example, if you are an onsite guest and like to sleep in, there's little doubt in my mind that FP+ is a real winner for you.
However, MM+ does nothing to improve the overall experience for all guests. It simply changes it.
Fundamentally, guests judge their WDW experiences based on how much they enjoyed the rides & shows and how long they waited to experience them.
MM+ doesn't make any attraction appreciably better. Sure, there may be a point when one of the dolls on It's a Small World waves at me and says my name. Some will enjoy that. Some will find it creepy. (Can anyone say Chucky?)
Since MM+ doesn't increase ride capacity, it's a zero-sum game. There will be winners and there will be losers. Some guests will wait less; others will wait more.
MM+ will encourage some offsite guests to stay onsite but it also will encourage some offsite guests to not visit WDW at all.
Compare that to, for example, Avatarland. Once it opens, there's sure to be more guests who will visit WDW as a result. Avatarland will increase DAK's ride capacity.
Even for those who dislike the IP, it won't prevent them from visiting WDW. There won't be examples of people saying "I was going to visit Disney World but now that Avatlarland is open, I'm not going."
However, with FP+, that phenomenon will occur.
There are those that simply cannot afford (or refuse to pay) WDW's Resort prices. Realizing that they now will be stuck in WDW's Standby lines for all of WDW's major attractions while Disney devotes 80% of ride capacity to FP+ lines (mostly consumed by onsite guests), many offsite vacationers might very well give up on WDW.
MM+ could end up driving away nearly as much business as it generates.
MM+ made sense years ago when Universal wasn't much competition, when WDW essentially was competing with itself.
In 2014, MM+ is just a dumb business strategy.
WDW should follow the examples of WWOHP and Carsland. Build well-themed lands with truly outstanding attractions. That's the smart business strategy.
It does sound like they're keeping the parade around a bit longer but it doesn't make up for losing 7 shows a day. Has anyone established why the downtime between the two locations? Is it purely to save money for 6 months, or is it because infrastructure (lighting rigs, sound equipment, other rigs) are moving?
Considering the current build time of a Meet and Greet is 18 months, it would take them 27 years to build 18 new meet and greets.
0-1. Doubt they would have built much additional.
Don't forget, when a wait time says 70 minutes, it is just as likely that it really means 25 minutes as it is that it means 130 minutes.
Stand by still does not work on some attractions.
You were lucky Rock and Roller Coaster had FP after park open. They have been gone many days before 10:30 due to FP+.surfsupdon said:
Well said. I think those with the most to lose under this system are obviously offsite guests. After that it's the FP commandos. The people who pulled FP after FP and/or used runners to get FP for the whole group. This type of touring of the parks is not going to be possible. There will be some people who not be greatly impacted and probably some who will benefit from the system but it will in some way be at the expense of those who have a lesser experience. It all comes back to the fact that there is no increased capacity, nothing new to do.Many will like MM+. MM+ (including FP+) offers some good benefits for guests that fit certain profiles.
For example, if you are an onsite guest and like to sleep in, there's little doubt in my mind that FP+ is a real winner for you.
However, MM+ does nothing to improve the overall experience for all guests. It simply changes it.
Fundamentally, guests judge their WDW experiences based on how much they enjoyed the rides & shows and how long they waited to experience them.
MM+ doesn't make any attraction appreciably better. Sure, there may be a point when one of the dolls on It's a Small World waves at me and says my name. Some will enjoy that. Some will find it creepy. (Can anyone say Chucky?
Since MM+ doesn't increase ride capacity, it's a zero-sum game. There will be winners and there will be losers. Some guests will wait less; others will wait more.
MM+ will encourage some offsite guests to stay onsite but it also will encourage some offsite guests to not visit WDW at all.
Compare that to, for example, Avatarland. Once it opens, there's sure to be more guests who will visit WDW as a result. Avatarland will increase DAK's ride capacity.
Even for those who dislike the IP, it won't prevent them from visiting WDW. There won't be examples of people saying "I was going to visit Disney World but now that Avatlarland is open, I'm not going."
However, with FP+, that phenomenon will occur.
There are those that simply cannot afford (or refuse to pay) WDW's Resort prices. Realizing that they now will be stuck in WDW's Standby lines for all of WDW's major attractions while Disney devotes 80% of ride capacity to FP+ lines (mostly consumed by onsite guests), many offsite vacationers might very well give up on WDW.
MM+ could end up driving away nearly as much business as it generates.
MM+ made sense years ago when Universal wasn't much competition, when WDW essentially was competing with itself.
In 2014, MM+ is just a dumb business strategy.
WDW should follow the examples of WWOHP and Carsland. Build well-themed lands with truly outstanding attractions. That's the smart business strategy.
Wasn't all of this true before FP+ too? Soarin had 60 min+ lines before FP+. If you pulled a FP from the machine once you got there you had to return at a specific time (say between 1pm and 2Pm). In that case you couldn't choose the time, you had to return at whatever the return time happened to be. With FP+ you won't need to rush to Soarin at all (unlike when you had to go there to pull your FP). You can make the reservation for late afternoon (say 4 to 5Pm) and your mom would have all morning and afternoon to browse leisurely around but dad still gets his ride guaranteed. In this one limited case I would say your experience may actually be improved by FP+ (Assuming you are staying on property and can book in advance). Now if you want Test Track and Dad wants Soarin then you got a problem
