FP+ only Toy Story Midway Mania

[FoozieBear]

CM: Oh, sorry, you need a FP in order to ride this.
Guest: Wait, I'm confused, there's no standby line?
CM: That is correct. You can go to a FP kiosk and make a selection
Guest: Okay. So I'll get to ride it, what, in three hours?
CM: Correct.
Guest: Even though I can see there's no one in the FP line right now?
CM: Correct
Guest: Well that's disappointing. I think next time we'll choose to spend time at other parks rather than come here since we can't even get on the ride.

Good luck to that guest. It's nearly impossible to even get a FP to that ride. The line goes over two hours even on slow days and the FPs are gone within minutes of park opening.

Another WDW News site is reporting Today that Disney is "making more than the usual allotment of FastPass+ reservations available" for this test. So my interpretation is that everyone who wants a TSMM FP+ each day will get one. (Thus there will be no angry mobs with pitchforks outside Guest Services) So does that mean FP+ is really a reservation to come back later and stand in a 1-2 hour FP+ line instead of a 4 hour standby line?

Well, it can't be that much, becuase if they gave so many out, then basically all guests would be riding, so it would be no difference. The whole point is to eliminate riders so they can keep it down to a specific amount. I don't get why they have to eliminate the "first come first served" FastPass system, and now the first come first served standby line. The whole thing makes me sick.

 

[arko]

Where does it say that there needs to be notice and that it has to be a certain time frame? This is 1 ride we are talking about. And if someone is disappointed that they did not get to ride a certain ride that trip, well that falls under the category of "too bad, that's life", not OMG I am going to sue Disney. Got to keep these things in perspective. That law suit is the dumbest thing I've heard in a long time, it should not be entertained. Don't they realize all the money that Disney has to spend on lawyers is now going to cost the rest of us when they raise prices to pay for them.

Disney has in house counsel for these kinds of things and the costs are tiny for a company like Disney, Like I said being right doesn't make it a smart idea.

 

[Mr Bill]

For those keeping track at home, Seth Kubersky at Touring Plans reported that FP+ was distributed for the day by 1 PM. https://twitter.com/TouringPlans/status/519170173962813440

 

[Richard Gregory]

That's not really possible though. You can't give out more FP's than the total daily capacity of the attraction (plus a certain percentage to allow for no-shows), and once those are exhausted, without a standby option any further guests are not accommodated.



I feel for the CM's and managers having to deal with this debacle, since it is completely a problem of Disney's own making, but on the other hand they did bring this on themselves.

If they give out extra FP's to maintain a continuous flow of guests, and thus avoid empty ride vehicles that the standby queue would normally fill, they are introducing a new problem by creating a line when an above average number of FP+ guests all show up in the same few minutes period of the return time window (Guests don't return as if on a production line. They'll come in fits and starts; Sometimes just enough to fill every seat, but other times a couple hundred will all arrive minutes apart).

Do you happen to know what time all FP+ were distributed for the day, if they have been? If there is an angry bunch of guests, I'm assuming those are the people getting turned away (if you could still get an FP+ now, the return time would be fairly soon, given park closing)?

We arrived at 3pm and there were no FP+ available. There was no advanced warning over the last few days which was disappointing.

I went on the ride at 5pm and as you say there is no way to work out when within an hour people are going to arrive. I can only assume this is what the test is for.... To work out when are the busy peaks etc (you'd think they have that info from the systems anyway). I'm fully expecting there to be more passes available everyday this week till they have it optimised. Im back on Thursday so will report then.

 

[whiterhino42]

I really don't understand why Toy Story Mania is so popular. It is a video game in a ride vehicle. They really should be more creative and come up with something new. Just saying...

Well #1 it's a lot of fun for all ages. People like interactive rides.
#2 There is like barely anything in that park to do!

 

[tigger1968]

We arrived at 3pm and there were no FP+ available. There was no advanced warning over the last few days which was disappointing.

I went on the ride at 5pm and as you say there is no way to work out when within an hour people are going to arrive. I can only assume this is what the test is for.... To work out when are the busy peaks etc (you'd think they have that info from the systems anyway). I'm fully expecting there to be more passes available everyday this week till they have it optimised. Im back on Thursday so will report then.

Just curious...if the ride is FP+ and there were none available, how did you get to ride at 5pm? Were you able to get a FP for 5pm? Or were they allowing some standby in? I am just asking for some clarification as to what sort of availability there was today. Thanks!

 

[ParentsOf4]

They are not violating anything. The disabled have the same access that any other person has, that is exactly what the ADA wants, for a disabled to not be punished for being disabled. To allow only DAS in standby and not anyone else would be putting those using DAS in a much better position then everyone else.

Not exactly. Those with disabilities are supposed to receive "equivalent service", not the "same access". ADA requires that entities provide a "reasonable modification" in order to receive that equivalent service. As implemented by Disney, DAS provides that "reasonable modification" by using the FastPass+ line, not the Standby line.

However, it's a moot point.

After thinking about it further, I realized that even though DAS uses the FastPass+ line, DAS is supposed to be the equivalent of the Standby line.

If there is no Standby line, then there is no DAS.

No problem.

 

[Monorail Mike]

We arrived at 3pm and there were no FP+ available. There was no advanced warning over the last few days which was disappointing.

I'm sure the goal of this test isn't to ruin the once-in-a-lifetime vacations of paying customers.

Ok, I was wrong they are trying to ruin your vacation.

 

[BrerJon]

Yeah but they only hand out a certain percentage of FP to balance out the stand by line. If they are just doing FP then all of those spots that are taken by stand by people now turn into FPs. So there are way more FP for the TSMM test then you would normally have. I don't understand why this is such a hard concept for people to grasp. If you go there to wait in line you will more then likely be able to get a FP for it.

Even if they have many more Fastpasses available as they do now, I suspect they'd still be snapped up early in the day, killing it for spontaneous park hoppers.

Imagine this: It's Christmas week, the busiest time of the year. I arrive at DFR at 6.30pm, after a day at Epcot, and decide I want to ride TSM. The park closes at 8pm, and in the past I knew the line would be about 90 minutes, but that's cool, I'm willing to wait. Except under the new system, that's not an option.

Are you seriously saying that under the new system, 90 minutes before closing on the busiest days of the year, I'm gauranteed to be able to get a Fastpass with a return time before the park shuts?

 

[Richard Gregory]

They are not violating anything. The disabled have the same access that any other person has, that is exactly what the ADA wants, for a disabled to not be punished for being disabled. To allow only DAS in standby and not anyone else would be putting those using DAS in a much better position then everyone else.

This exact situation happened today whilst we were waiting for our FP+ time. A guest went up to a manager with a DAS card wanting to go on the ride even though he didn't have a FP+ as his son was autistic. The cast member very politely said that he was more than welcome to come back any other day when FP+ were available or book 60days in advance but she was quite clear that he wasn't going to get on the ride as a standby.

 

[whiterhino42]

Slashfilm wrote an article about this and why this is an awful idea.
http://www.slashfilm.com/disney-testing-fasspass-only/

I know it would be impossible to not go to a Disney park (I need to go at least once a year) but if this actually happens, I will never step foot in a Disney theme park again. It's just revolting.

I think this is all just becoming too much. The micro-managing is out of control. I have friends that have gone not having done pre-planning. They have all come back hating Disney because of waits, no fast passes, not getting into any restaurants etc..... I'm a planner but even for me this is getting a bit much. Ok so I need to know now that on Tue Feb 5 at 1pm we have to be done with lunch & heading to TSMM for our fast pass! It's too much, it's killing the fun. I did not mind the old ticket fp system (legacy fp).

 

[Richard Gregory]

Ok, I was wrong they are trying to ruin your vacation.

Lets be honest if Disney could do what they needed to do any other way I'm sure they would. In the long run im sure the small amount of aggravation this week will pay off for everyone.

Frustrating yes..... But not the end of the world. It'll be very interesting to see how they configure the ride if they do add the third track.... 1 or 2 tracks for FP+ and 1 or 2 tracks for standby..... Or will they build flexibility in so they have more FP+ at busier times so guests aren't stuck in queues for as long.

 

[Cubfan300]

That Royal Caribbean cruise next year (instead of a 4th trip to WDW in 4 years) is looking more and more attractive every day.

 

[Richard Gregory]

Just curious...if the ride is FP+ and there were none available, how did you get to ride at 5pm? Were you able to get a FP for 5pm? Or were they allowing some standby in? I am just asking for some clarification as to what sort of availability there was today. Thanks!

We'd had a rest day and went in the evening for dinner at Brown Derby. I'd just so happened to have put some FP+ in as entertainment before dinner. I think it's a good example of how FP+ is so much better than legacy FP for that one example.... We managed to do 3 rides, 1 show and have dinner all in the space of 4hrs. In the old world we'd never have been able to get FP's for the right time.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I think I understand what you are trying to say but simply wanted to clarify that "for any reason whatsoever" is an overstatement. I'm sure you didn't mean it this way but Disney cannot violate anyone's civil rights.

Furthermore, I don't want to get into a DAS discussion here but it's possible that this trial run might violate the American With Disabilities Act (ADA) if it does not honor DAS. After all, Disney has stated that DAS complies with ADA, suggesting that not honoring DAS is a violation of ADA. Hopefully, someone consulted with Legal before OK'ing this trial run.

I think it is being interpreted incorrectly. I read it to say that DAS is excluded from the FP requirement, which it always has been in most cases. They have there own system for FP and I think that they are going to want to incorporated that in any future thought of change to the queuing system. In reality it didn't even restrict the standby crowd, because in order to get an accurate test they need to work it as maximum demand. Stand by people, it seems should be allocated the equivalent number of FP's to equal full capacity. It might not be at a time that is ideal, but, they will be able to get as many through the ride as they ever did, just at a controlled time.

Someone mentioned that they may let them in but, it might not be the same people that otherwise would have gone in standby. Maybe, maybe not, if you want to go bad enough you will attempt to get a FP. They never did allow anyone in according to height anyway, it was always first come, first served. FP in this case amounts to a reservation system. It would be a nightmare to work I would think, so I wouldn't worry about it lasting beyond the 4 days too much.

 

[JR864]

Okay, I mostly lurk and rarely post, and I guess I get the Capt. Obvious award for saying this...

But.... isn't it curious that every time a thread like this is posted where a new unexpected process, or closing, or change occurs, that a small zealous group of users expend an inordinate amount of time contradicting, belittling, and/or discounting those that are disappointed or upset.

It is a natural reaction for people to be disappointed when things change -- everyone deals with it in their own unique ways, which often include the ability to vent for awhile with others who share your interests. I truly do not understand the motivation of people who jump in and immediately start to poke holes in someone's post that is mostly driven by feelings.

As for the immediate issue at hand -- obviously it is disappointing to show up at a park and see that one of your favorite rides is down for renovation, closed for an unexpected break, closed for weather, etc., but the difference is that the disappointment is shared by all and is pretty much explainable and outside of anyone's control at that moment. The distinction here is that this is directly within Disney's control, was not announced so that anyone could adjust their plans at even a few days ahead, and is counterintuitive to how amusement parks have and continue to operate. There is also a very visible psychological component at play here that shows that SOME people are allowed to ride, but YOU are not even allowed to WAIT (in other words, move along, we don't want your kind here...) Think about how this has also played out in other places this year like BOG.

I do realize that people cast the golden age of WDW in this sepia-toned everything-was-perfect nostalgia, but one thing that Disney always used to do very well was provide an egalitarian environment for ALL their guests. This in my opinion is the worst casualty of MM+ and FP+ -- WDW is now a land of haves and have-nots, and it seems like every week I read another post that enhances that notion.

 

[John]

I dunno....to me they are just over thinking this thing. The real answer to guest satisfaction is to simplify things. Not make them more complicated. Weather you like FP+ or hate it, truth is it complicates your visit. I have zero confidence that what ever conclusions that come from this "test" will not make my visit less complicated.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

We'd had a rest day and went in the evening for dinner at Brown Derby. I'd just so happened to have put some FP+ in as entertainment before dinner. I think it's a good example of how FP+ is so much better than legacy FP for that one example.... We managed to do 3 rides, 1 show and have dinner all in the space of 4hrs. In the old world we'd never have been able to get FP's for the right time.

That is very true. For our August trip, my family likes to go to the parks for a few hours in the evening and hang by the pool most days. We do very few all day park days (those are for January ) We spent a lot more time at DHS this past trip because we would go in, stay for a few hours, have dinner, watch Frozen fireworks or Fantasmic and leave. We normally would have spent that time in Epcot. With FP+ combined with the fact that we don't enjoy the new Test Track, we just spent way more time at DHS.

 

[BrerJon]

I dunno....to me they are just over thinking this thing. The real answer to guest satisfaction is to simplify things. Not make them more complicated. Weather you like FP+ or hate it, truth is it complicates your visit. I have zero confidence that what ever conclusions that come from this "test" will not make my visit less complicated.

Each year, a visit should get simpler. The opposite is happening.

In the old days, you could go to a ride, stick your ticket in the machine, and get the next available Fastpass, or wait in line whenever you wanted if they were all gone. Simple.

Now, unless you download their malware app and have your phone with you and fully charged, you have to go to a kiosk nowhere near the ride, enter your name, address, birthday etc. in a clumsy terminal keyboard that barely works, then when they've NSA-style data captured all they can (or you've spent five minutes trying to enter fake details and zip codes so they don't spam your life and track your every move), you're either told nothing is left, go and ride something that's a walk-on anyway, or you can choose a good time from whatever is left. Works for some, but boy is it complicated in comparison.

 

[Bairstow]

Each year, a visit should get simpler. The opposite is happening.

In the old days, you could go to a ride, stick your ticket in the machine, and get the next available Fastpass, or wait in line whenever you wanted if they were all gone. Simple.

Now, unless you download their malware app and have your phone with you and fully charged, you have to go to a kiosk nowhere near the ride, enter your name, address, birthday etc. in a clumsy terminal keyboard that barely works, then when they've NSA-style data captured all they can (or you've spent five minutes trying to enter fake details and zip codes so they don't spam your life and track your every move), you're either told nothing is left, go and ride something that's a walk-on anyway, or you can choose a good time from whatever is left. Works for some, but boy is it complicated in comparison.

Or, if you can spare four minutes and go to a website beforehand, you can take care of all the reservation business long before you get there.