FP+ for wishes and Main Street Electrical Parade

[GeekDad]

Not sure if anyone else noticed this but I just went to change some FP+ selections for my upcoming trip starting the 13th and now I can select FP+ for wishes and the Main Street Electrical parade. I grabbed them both as I was trying to set some up for MK anyways and figured Id give them a try to see what the viewing locations are like.

No idea if this is just a timing thing now that I'm close to my trip or if they have just added these options back in.

 

[Disney Daddy]

I had been interested in learning about this. I was wondering how FP works for parades and fireworks! Please post about your experience upon your return.

 

[skimbob]

So far for my trip in January all I have gotten is reserved area for Illuminations.

 

[JohnD]

So far for my trip in January all I have gotten is reserved area for Illuminations.

My FPs don't open up until 2/8 for an April trip. Also interested in how FP+ works for Illuminations.

 

[disney4life2008]

This will be interesting. Does anyone know how the FP+ reservation has been for Fantasmic? I read a report that it just allowed to jump to the head of the line but did not provide any better viewing than anyone else. I am interested in the Wishes and Illuminations areas but I am not using my FP+ for either.

 

[GeekDad]

I didn't get FP+ for Illuminations or Fantasmic but I did for wishes and MSEP so I will post my thoughts on those after my trip.

 

[TheMouseFan]

This will be interesting. Does anyone know how the FP+ reservation has been for Fantasmic? I read a report that it just allowed to jump to the head of the line but did not provide any better viewing than anyone else. I am interested in the Wishes and Illuminations areas but I am not using my FP+ for either.

I was there 2 weeks ago and there was no reserved seating for FP+.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

My FPs don't open up until 2/8 for an April trip. Also interested in how FP+ works for Illuminations.

The FP+ section for Illuminations is in International Plaza. There is a roped off area. We had FP+ for this in Sept but opted not to stay once we got there. The time said to arrive between 8:15-8:35 and at 8:15 the place was already pretty full and the only place left was a spot with a bush right in front of it. I think FP for shows like this and Fantasmic and probably even MSEP are useless. You still have to show up early to get a good spot (especially at Fantasmic since there is no reserved seating for that, you just merge with the regular line when you get to the theater so if you show up on the time on the FP (ours was 5:55-6:20 forma 6:30 show) then you get the seats on the ends since everything else is full.

 

[disney4life2008]

I was there 2 weeks ago and there was no reserved seating for FP+.

Thank you for the update. I kind of figured that reserving shows would not mean a great viewing location - even more so because guests can pay extra for dinner packages where viewing locations are included. I think its laughable that these shows are on there anyway. But I guess it works for some people.

 

[Becky]

Not sure if anyone else noticed this but I just went to change some FP+ selections for my upcoming trip starting the 13th and now I can select FP+ for wishes and the Main Street Electrical parade. I grabbed them both as I was trying to set some up for MK anyways and figured Id give them a try to see what the viewing locations are like.

No idea if this is just a timing thing now that I'm close to my trip or if they have just added these options back in.

In August the FP+ for Illuminations and the afternoon MK parade worked well. Best views ever. BUT only four hotels were in FP+ testing. In November with almost all hotels in FP+ testing our Illuminations reserved area was worse than when we just viewed from our usual area near Mexico. Fantasmic was a joke. We got there at the earliest time FP+ was supposed to enter and the seats were 90% full!! We had to sit in the back of the far left section.
We will NOT waste FP+ on parades or shows again. Keep in mind that it will get even worse once the full roll out takes place.

 

[disney4life2008]

In August the FP+ for Illuminations and the afternoon MK parade worked well. Best views ever. BUT only four hotels were in FP+ testing. In November with almost all hotels in FP+ testing our Illuminations reserved area was worse than when we just viewed from our usual area near Mexico. Fantasmic was a joke. We got there at the earliest time FP+ was supposed to enter and the seats were 90% full!! We had to sit in the back of the far left section.
We will NOT waste FP+ on parades or shows again. Keep in mind that it will get even worse once the full roll out takes place.

LOL Actually I want people to reserve shows because they will be under the impression there getting a priority view. This would mean for HS they would loose out on TSMM and Epctot TT or Soarin.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

The fp+ viewing area for Wishes looks terrible, by the way. It seems far too close to the castle!

 

[Disney Daddy]

I think FP+ for shows is just a clever way for Disney to spread guests out over the attractions. Since we are only allowed 3 or 4 FP+ options a day/park, using a FP+ on a show takes you away from one of the headliners.

 

[GeekDad]

I think FP+ for shows is just a clever way for Disney to spread guests out over the attractions. Since we are only allowed 3 or 4 FP+ options a day/park, using a FP+ on a show takes you away from one of the headliners.

This is probably true but my son is not tall enough for a lot of the headliners like the MK mountains so I figured this trip would be a good time to try it out and see if it is worth it. Also we have at least one FP+ for everything else we wanted so it works out ok.

 

[MeandMickey]

Be prepared to be wrangled like cattle for the MSEP and Wishes. We were there last week and it was caos. They had the center of the hub all roped off and kept running people away from the ropes. When they started to scan for FP+ the place just got crazy and they packed so many people into the ropes that if you were not claustrophobic, you were when you got out! Forget about kids and strollers. They could not see much with so many people smushed together and all standing tall. When the hub was full of sweaty stinky guests, they started to put all the other FP+ people into the grassy area between the castle and the rose garden. It was a cool night and the grass was wet and those people were just complaining. We did not have FP+ for these events, but watched as they croweded into the center hub and grassy area as we enjoyed our seats curbside. These FP+ for shows are BS to me anyway. Just get to a spot when you feel like it and wait for the shows. FP+ was even crazier than having people save seats for the parade and Wishes. Castmembers were asking everyone without FP+ to move to Frontierland for Wishes. Huh?! Good luck with that, there are only a handful of spots worth venturing there for Wishes if you want to experience the show at it's best. And even then, no thanks. Disney has screwed up plenty with FP+ and I believe they are going to learn a tough lesson in the next year with an upset passholder base and day guests (even if they don't care much about them).

 

[GeekDad]

So my FP+ reservations for MSEP and wishes was on Saturday December 14th. I think both were worth it however I would not do them both on the same night again.

For MSEP the viewing location was in the center hub on the side that faces the castle. Things were well organized before they started letting people in and CMs were going up and down the line making sure everyone in line had a FP+ reservation for the parade. It was not crowded in the viewing area at all and we say right along the front edge with no one behind us. The CMs did a great job of keeping people out of the area that didn't have FP+. Although right as the parade started this kid maybe about 13 ran over and sat right in the middle of my group. I tried to say something to him but he played the "im foreign and don't understand English card" it wasn't a big enough issue as he wasn't blocking anyone's view so I wasn't that worried but I did wonder were his parents were.

The viewing area for the fireworks was in the rose garden and even though not everywhere in there is a great view it was still nice to not have to stand in a sea of people. I wouldn't do both on the same night again because the CMs told us after the parade we could stay right there in front of the castle to watch the fireworks. Although I know the castle would block some of the fireworks it would have been nice to not have to weave through huge crowds of people.

Also I should note that on this particular night people were holding spots for the parade at about 6pm when I saw them so some were there even before that. They had two high school marching bands kicking off the parade so that probably added to the crowds.