FP+ vs ADR, which is more annoying/valuable?

[MrHappy]

It's 6:59am. The kids are asleep, you are at the kitchen table. Laptop open. Your eyes are fixed on the clocked. There's a calm steadiness in the air.
TICK! 7! A banjo begins to play inside your head as you hit refresh and start filtering through rides or restaurants - depending on how far away your next trip to Disney World is, of course. Months of planning, schedules, spreadsheets, and it all comes down to this - 'fingers, and internet, don't fail me now!'. You close your eyes to place yourself in Tomorrowland as you map out the logistics of stampeding to the monorail to get to the Grand Floridian for Tea...on time. Finally, the storm is over, your roster is complete. You did it. The ultimate vacation. Sure, you had to go to some back ups here and there, but all-in-all, a meticulously planned schedule. Everything is set up for you months in advanced, just follow the schedule, arrive on time, and have no worries. Right?

So I ask you - which system is more annoying, FP+ (the system that straps you to a specific area of a specific park at a specific part of the day and when that's over, repeat the process), or the perhaps less flexible ADR system (the system that also has you watching the clock, with the added bonus of penalties). You can take the positive spin...which system is more valuable. For this fun Friday survey, assume you're a resort guest.

Thanks, I look forward to your thoughts!

[I find these systems fascinating and actually like them. I think it would be borderline anarchy without them.]

EDITED FOR ACCURACY

 

[networkpro]

I've always gotten exactly what I wanted and I've never logged on at 6am to book anything. So I don't consider either of them annoying.

I've booked my FP+ for the next trip from a bus to the parks

 

[NelleBelle]

I hate booking the ADRs 180 days (which we had to do this trip since we have a party of 7). This meant I had to figure out what days I wanted to be in what parks according to what meals. It made it even more difficult trying to figure out which days we were going to squeeze Universal into the mix. Just ridiculous!! We decided to choose just a few of our "must-eat" places and then we'll wing it from there. If we can't get same-day ADRs, then we'll eat counter service. I just can't do the months and months of crazy planning because when something goes wrong, I end up totally stressed out and in a foul mood. I don't want to vacation like that so we'll just play it by ear. Not too worried about FP; when we went in 2016, 7DMT was the "it" ride and hard to get FP, but we had no issues and rode it several times that trip. Hoping to get some FoP FP but am worried we have such a large group that we may have to split and won't be able to ride together. ARGH, bring back the paper FP!!

 

[NelleBelle]

I think most attractions aside from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Flight of Passage, Toy Story Mania, and Frozen are pretty easy to get. The only FP's I would try to get on a dime at 7am were those 4, the rest? Not that bad.

I do find that trying fit in ADR's around the schedule to be annoying. I want to eat at the best signature places, but trying to schedule that and fit it into your day can be a pain. I think my schedule that I've worked for May works though.

There are also certain things I won't do. For example, going to Animal Kingdom on an EMH morning is something that I won't do. It's a mob scene. I feel like I'm in a roman empire formation about to charge into battle. No thanks.

View attachment 264509

Was this EMH morning rope drop????

 

[joejccva71]

Was this EMH morning rope drop????

That pic was a non-EMH morning rope drop. On EMH mornings, the line goes out into the parking lot unless you get there nice and early. You have to understand. Flight of Passage is the best ride not only in Disney but also Universal. This is why the parks are busier than normal for this time of year. Touring Plans site normally has crowd calendar trackers on their site, and they've been flat out wrong lately because of the immense increased crowd levels for ALL the parks because people are coming to try Flight of Passage at AK. It's throwing off all the crowd tracker numbers.

 

[NelleBelle]

That pic was a non-EMH morning rope drop. On EMH mornings, the line goes out into the parking lot unless you get there nice and early. You have to understand. Flight of Passage is the best ride not only in Disney but also Universal. This is why the parks are busier than normal for this time of year. Touring Plans site normally has crowd calendar trackers on their site, and they've been flat out wrong lately because of the immense increased crowd levels for ALL the parks because people are coming to try Flight of Passage at AK. It's throwing off all the crowd tracker numbers.

OY! Well, my original plan was to try and rope drop by getting there at least 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 early (have a "picnic" breakfast while waiting) so that even if we are lucky and score FP for the ride, we'll be able to ride at least twice. Would it be worth it to try and rope drop on an EMH morning, too?

 

[joejccva71]

Would it be worth it to try and rope drop on an EMH morning, too?

I mean you can try it. Get there 2 hours early and bring coffee and breakfast with you and just hang out at the turnstiles and eat. Take uber or lyft those mornings and forget about the buses. They're not going to be running 2 hours before rope drop.

Also there are a few issues still with even getting there super early.

1. Even if you are the VERY FIRST person or family there, when they let everyone in 30-40 minutes prior to park opening, you're still stopped by Cast Members at a certain point where they hold everyone. Usually it's at the Pandora bridge. While they hold everyone, people catch up and it's a mob scene. Kinda like a battle formation. Archers ready! Then the CM's let everyone go and people squander by and try to get to the front.

You still get there but people can be ruthless. "We all got places to go, we all got places to go!"



2. The second thing is, you miss a few rooms of the queue because with the initial rope drop crowd, they put EVERYONE through the FP line. So you miss a few rooms that are pretty cool that you would normally see in the standby queue line. I mean if it's no biggie to you then you're good, but I found out that's why alot of people stand in the 2-3 hour line cause they want to see the entire queue. I dunno, it's your call. If you do FoP multiple times then maybe one time you bite the bullet and wait 2-3 hours or whatever the wait time is (bring some snacks with you in line).

Just my 2 cents.

 

[NelleBelle]

We are renting a car as we hate relying on Disney's transportation (although will use it for MK). I can't even stomach the thought of waiting 2-3 hours for something...I've got places to go and it ain't no 3 hour-standby line for a ride! Ugh, I don't know how people do it! Although, when we were at DLR years ago, we tried and tried for FP to Radiator Springs Racers and could never get them, despite rope dropping. We finally broke down and waited in a 2.5-hr line, and I must say, it was a great ride! But the queue definitely left something to be desired!! I honestly don't know what we were thinking...we waiting in the queue with 5 and 7-yr old boys!! Thank heavens for electronics (and homework)

 

[RookieMouse]

I think most attractions aside from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Flight of Passage, Toy Story Mania, and Frozen are pretty easy to get. The only FP's I would try to get on a dime at 7am were those 4, the rest? Not that bad.

I do find that trying fit in ADR's around the schedule to be annoying. I want to eat at the best signature places, but trying to schedule that and fit it into your day can be a pain. I think my schedule that I've worked for May works though.

There are also certain things I won't do. For example, going to Animal Kingdom on an EMH morning is something that I won't do. It's a mob scene. I feel like I'm in a roman empire formation about to charge into battle. No thanks.

View attachment 264509

Yikes!

Rope drop is not anywhere on our priority list, partly due to mob scenes like this, but mainly due to the fact that I am the only person in the family who is a morning person (a condition imposed on me during a 30-year air force career), and the aggravation of trying to get everyone else up and moving in time for rope drop would be worse than battling the Mongol hordes at the gate.

 

[Crazydisneygirl]

I don't mind the planning and getting on the computer to make the ADR or fastpass times; EXCEPT I live in BC therefore need to get up 3 hour earlier to book everything when they open. Worried about free dining if/when it comes open as my travel agent does not get to work until 4 hours after. What are the wait time for the phone if I call right at 7am when free dining is offered. Anyone?

 

[Phantom Mickey]

Its annoying that weve gotten to the point where doing both are necessary for a trip. Most Value wise its the ADR's. The competition for a table for dining especially at the better restaurants has gotten crazy. Book a trip during any high crowd season or free dining promotion time and your getting everything you want is like winning the lottery. Having gone to WDW multiple times, we know exactly which restaurants we want and which ones we would rather avoid. So making choices of where we want to dine is easy, but when we get locked out and have to settle for a table somewhere less enjoyable, its frustrating. FP+ choosing later on can be a headache as well but if I cant get my choice and times I want its less of a problem and can be worked around.

***********

I have actually gone OFF PROPERTY for meals as now you pretty much are locked into making reservations. What caused me to start OFF SITE dining was going to a reservation and STILL WAITING 30 MINUTES to get a table. I have found in most cases that I spent less time going OFF SITE for dining and I don't have all the crushing crowds to contend with so the meal is in a much more comfortable atmosphere and depending where you go, the food is better.

 

[drp4video]

Not a fan of either. It has become work. No longer can I wake up and decide which park to go to that day. Sometimes it depended on the weather as to which park I would choose. No longer. Going in May and waiting for my 60 day window for FP+ to hit. I made one ADR for dinner on a day we go to Universal (Boma). I won't make any more until I have my rides as I don't know what times I will get. Once I have the rides, I might make one more ADR. I am a Disney veteran. Used to have AP's, but no more. Now it's once every three years. Like I said, too much planning and stress these days.

 

[MikeyK72]

Not a fan of either. It has become work. No longer can I wake up and decide which park to go to that day. Sometimes it depended on the weather as to which park I would choose. No longer. Going in May and waiting for my 60 day window for FP+ to hit. I made one ADR for dinner on a day we go to Universal (Boma). I won't make any more until I have my rides as I don't know what times I will get. Once I have the rides, I might make one more ADR. I am a Disney veteran. Used to have AP's, but no more. Now it's once every three years. Like I said, too much planning and stress these days.

I agree. Gone are the days of spontaneous decisions...starting with which park you go to that day like you had mentioned. Then later walking past an attraction with a posted standby wait time and paper FP return window and deciding if either of those worked for you. Granted the "old way" didn't guarantee that your little girl would meet her princess that day or guarantee that you'd ride your favorite attraction but there used to be a peaceful and relaxing feeling about a spontaneous vacation.

I know that folks will argue that you can still be spontaneous if you want...I agree to a point. DW and I are veterans of the World too (DVC members, two or three trips per year, APs, etc.) and really limit the FP+ reservations we make these days so that we can be more spontaneous. However I'd argue that comes at a cost that we didn't pay in the past because now it appears to be harder to get FP+ reservations same day for the popular attractions.

 

[NelleBelle]

I don't mind the planning and getting on the computer to make the ADR or fastpass times; EXCEPT I live in BC therefore need to get up 3 hour earlier to book everything when they open. Worried about free dining if/when it comes open as my travel agent does not get to work until 4 hours after. What are the wait time for the phone if I call right at 7am when free dining is offered. Anyone?

I hear ya! We live in Seattle and that 3 hr time difference is a killer! Can't help you on the free dining as we won't do it anymore (doesn't make sense for us as we'd rather take the room-only discount and use DH's discounted tickets rather than the package...as vegetarians, we don't "break even" on the meal plan and it's so much food for us)! But back when we used to do it, we never had a problem getting our ADRs.