Lines at the FP+ entrances

[Disneyfamily4]

I have never been on TSMM. On the past 2 trips we have taken our young children and not been able to do breakfast and getting ready and transportation to get to Hollywood in time to get a fast pass- and no way to stand in line for 60+min with a 2&4 year old. Now we have added another baby to the fam, but can still get fast passes. Very nice and family friendly.

Were you guys staying in the resorts and what time of year do you go? Even in April, I was never denied a fast pass, but I admit we never got there after 10 or 11am.

 

[Belowthesurface]

Star tours FP+ line today

https://twitter.com/mist3rm4tt/status/435501713311936513

Anyone in this? Just wanted to know how long it took to get on vs. standby.

There was probably a downtime at Star Tours. This is what FP+ lines will look like now when attractions come back up from being down for a prolonged period.

 

[Disneyfamily4]

There was probably a downtime at Star Tours. This is what FP+ lines will look like now when attractions come back up from being down for a prolonged period.

Under the new system, if a fast pass ride is down, you should get notification ASAP. Then for the people in line, cast members will walk up and down the line letting you know. As soon as a ride closes, the people will be given a free fast pass on their band without them needing to do anything. The free fast pass will allow you to walk up and do any ride you want.

With that said, if the ride was down, it's doubtful people would just wait. If the ride just reopened, I doubt all these people would have all shown back up at the same time. As you see in the picture, several people are eating ice cream, showing they have been in that line for a long time. People have posted other pictures of fast pass lines, I would love to know what is truly going on.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I often forget that I have grown up with technology all around me for my 45 years on this planet. We went from black and white to a color tv. VCRs, then DVD players and recorders to DVRs. I had my first full blown computer at age 10. We had one rotary telephone in our home until I was 12, now my 11 year old has a cell phone. Digital watches and handheld calculators are part of my life's timeline.
My point is, technology is changing our lives every day. I can assume that most of us on this board have seen the same evolution of technology over our lives, yet people seem consumed by the introduction of it into Disney. Is it because you feel that the parks should be timeless? I don't ask that in a sarcastic way, but rather, as a way to understand your connection to the older technology, that frankly, had reached its end of life anyway. The majority of population visiting the parks have cell phones. Disney is trying to capitalize on that technology just the same way they did with FP and the advent of the ATM. Remember, for the longest time, people complained about getting THEIR money from a machine. Now, it is the default way of doing business with a bank. Once people were comfortable with sticking a card in a machine to get something back, FP was rolled out and the rest is history.
There are many sites, including this one, that had sticky threads on how to maximize the number of FPs you could acquire in a day. Those same sites used to run articles about how FP was so underutilized that the people that had figured it out could monopolize it.
Well, times change and technologies emerge and now people are going to have to get used to the fact that FP+ is the new way that Disney does business. I don't think that they are going to move from this model unless they start losing money and that will only happen if people begin to avoid the parks. Now....show of hands...how many of you are really, really going to avoid Disney because of MM+?
I started this comment out by saying that I am very comfortable with technology. The changes made to the system did not affect my last visit at all. We made our selections, even changed a few, got in line, rode the rides, and then moved on to the next. If you are feeling anxious about it, I would suggest, if you have not already, that you schedule your trip, go see how it works for yourself and then decide...do I want to spend my money here, or go somewhere else? Has Disney lost the magic for me because I have to pick 3 rides in advance that I want to ride today and wear a band on my wrist so that I can enter those rides ahead of all the people waiting in standby?
Sorry for the long winded comment, and I know that I will get flamed by some, but from reading the comments above, it seems that a lot of the anxiety (a lot, but not all) is coming from people who have not been there yet to give it a try.

As long as other Disney resorts offer a higher quality product and don't control my touring like they do at WDW, I have no reason to go back. Now... It's not just my issues with MM, mind you. It's the maintenance, the declining offerings, what the DDP has done to the restaurants, the shuttered buildings, AND MM. I can't, for the life of me, understand why people would visit WDW as opposed to DL (assuming similar costs).

The folks I feel sorry for are the ones that live down the street. Or are within an afternoon's drive of WDW. With much higher costs to visit DL, they almost have to make due. I'm glad I'm not in that position.

ETA: In the past week, I've had two friends ask for help on WDW trips, and with both I steered them to DL instead. They didn't understand why (what do you mean PotC is twice as long as at WDW??) until I shared with them all there is to love about DL.

Now they're both excited for not only their first DL trips... But to see the others sites in SoCal. And I love that I cost TDO probably 10k in revenue ( two families, both with 5 members)!!!

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I have never been on TSMM. On the past 2 trips we have taken our young children and not been able to do breakfast and getting ready and transportation to get to Hollywood in time to get a fast pass- and no way to stand in line for 60+min with a 2&4 year old. Now we have added another baby to the fam, but can still get fast passes. Very nice and family friendly.

I've long said that getting a TSMM FP is the single thing that I see as a positive with this system.

The problem is... They're killing a fly with a sledgehammer in that regard.

 

[kelknight84]

Under the new system, if a fast pass ride is down, you should get notification ASAP. Then for the people in line, cast members will walk up and down the line letting you know. As soon as a ride closes, the people will be given a free fast pass on their band without them needing to do anything. The free fast pass will allow you to walk up and do any ride you want.

With that said, if the ride was down, it's doubtful people would just wait. If the ride just reopened, I doubt all these people would have all shown back up at the same time. As you see in the picture, several people are eating ice cream, showing they have been in that line for a long time. People have posted other pictures of fast pass lines, I would love to know what is truly going on.

If you read the guys comments he says he used all his FP at EPCOT so had none at HWS. So wouldn't that mean that pic is standby?

 

[Disneyfamily4]

If you read the guys comments he says he used all his FP at EPCOT so had none at HWS. So wouldn't that mean that pic is standby?

I was reading the comments too, trying to see what this is all about. I assumed he just walked by it and saw it was the fast pass line. Usually though, I've seen regular lines this long and a cast member will be standing there holding up a sign letting people know what the line is and alerting them to where the back of it is.

 

[raymusiccity]

Not us. We are avoiding Disney right now because we think the price increases are not justified for the product they are offering. The new offerings since our last visit do not appeal to my hubby or kids.

Ticket prices are based solely on supply and demand. During the gas crisis, there were more packages and discounts being offered. Disney gets a bad rap, but, look at how the surrounding attractions are in lock step whenever ticket prices go up. Uni and SeaWorld aren't exactly bargains 'for the product they are offering'.

 

[wdisney9000]

There was probably a downtime at Star Tours. This is what FP+ lines will look like now when attractions come back up from being down for a prolonged period.

I'm sure Star Tours had down time when legacy fp was around yet it never looked liked that. Why is that?

 

[Belowthesurface]

Under the new system, if a fast pass ride is down, you should get notification ASAP. Then for the people in line, cast members will walk up and down the line letting you know. As soon as a ride closes, the people will be given a free fast pass on their band without them needing to do anything. The free fast pass will allow you to walk up and do any ride you want.

With that said, if the ride was down, it's doubtful people would just wait. If the ride just reopened, I doubt all these people would have all shown back up at the same time. As you see in the picture, several people are eating ice cream, showing they have been in that line for a long time. People have posted other pictures of fast pass lines, I would love to know what is truly going on.

You are assuming those people use the recovery Fastpass somewhere else and don't hold on to the one they can't use at that moment.

They cannot walk up to any ride as attractions are now grouped into different categories and you can only go to certain attractions depending on which attraction has broken down.

As someone who has to walk all 4 parks frequently, I can assure you that these lines are common when attractions stop for a long period or come back up from a downtime.

 

[Belowthesurface]

I'm sure Star Tours had down time when legacy fp was around yet it never looked liked that. Why is that?

There could have been an error in the inventory for that day and too many were given out. It now takes longer for Guests to make it past Greeter and couple that with a downtime..... oh my.....

Safaris cannot handle the new FP+ system. Once you touch at Greeter, you do not have to touch at Merge. So that means you could cut the line and get into the FP+ line and nobody would suspect a thing.

 

[Snowflake82]

Ticket prices are based solely on supply and demand. During the gas crisis, there were more packages and discounts being offered. Disney gets a bad rap, but, look at how the surrounding attractions are in lock step whenever ticket prices go up. Uni and SeaWorld aren't exactly bargains 'for the product they are offering'.

Very true. The parks are crowded, so clearly there are plenty of folks willing to pay the price. I should have said that our family doesn't see the value in it right now, for us. That equation considers that the kids have, on average, been there once a year ever since they can remember. The rest of the family is not real interested in going back right now. The things that are new don't appeal to them.

 

[Disneyfamily4]

You are assuming those people use the recovery Fastpass somewhere else and don't hold on to the one they can't use at that moment.

They cannot walk up to any ride as attractions are now grouped into different categories and you can only go to certain attractions depending on which attraction has broken down.

As someone who has to walk all 4 parks frequently, I can assure you that these lines are common when attractions stop for a long period or come back up from a downtime.

Again, under this new system, if the ride breaks down, an extra fast pass is given to them by Disney with people not needing to do anything. They can use it for any new ride they want, regardless of the tiers, or they can come back when the ride is open again and use it then. A cast member will walk up and down the ride and will let them know.

 

[tribbleorlfl]

Was anyone in the parks this past holiday weekend? Presidents Day weekend is usually a 7-9 on crowd level, right? So I imagine it was the first real test (since rollout of FP+ to all guests) of how long kiosk lines could be and how early FPs could run out for specific attractions on very crowded days. Would like to hear a firsthand account.

We're local AP's (thus rarely stay on-site when we decide to go out to the parks), but decided on-the-fly on Friday to make use of the FL Resident special and surprise our son w/ a long weekend stay at All-Star Movies. As such, we were given the generic grey bands at check-in and received access to the FP+ system in-app.

Played around w/ our choices Friday night and was able to secure evening FP for Soarin on Saturday, early evening for PPF, WtP and Buzz on Sunday, and early afternoon for TSMM Monday. Aside from Buzz, I can't tell you the last time I was able to get a legacy FP for any of those attractions.

Sunday morning when we got to the park around 10, we decided we didn't want to stay there into the evening when our FP's were available, so we used the change Experience/Time function in the app. Though our original bookings were only available in the evening, all 3 attractions had full availability throughout the day. Made one for 10:30 on PP, 11:40 for WtP, and then 2:00 for Buzz. I will repeat, I don't recall a time where I was EVER able to get FP's for all 3 of these attractions, and in all saved us 2:20 of wait time.

Monday, when we got to DHS, my son was kind of bummed and was hoping we were going to AK (his favorite park), so we up and turned around and got to AK after 11. Was concerned there wouldn't be much left FP-wise since we were parked in the grass in Giraffe. Opened up the app and got near-immediate FP for Nemo, 1:20 for KS and 2:30 for Primeval Whirl.

I did observe really long lines at most of the kiosks all 3 days, and the only FP+ line bottleneck I personally ran into was KS. A LOT of the people ahead of us seemed to be getting the blue light because they weren't in their return windows.

All in all, I would say I had a pretty positive experience w/ FP+ despite the heavy crowds. I've been somewhat skeptical of the system because of reading the horror stories, the concern at some of the limitations and a lot of ambiguity that still remains. I obviously need more time and exposure with the system to form a definitive opinion, but considering I had no technical snafus (aside from the room key on my MB being wiped out when we renewed our AP's) and got FP's for the attractions and times we wanted, I would say the system worked pretty well (for us, anyway) this busy holiday weekend.

 

[Belowthesurface]

Again, under this new system, if the ride breaks down, an extra fast pass is given to them by Disney with people not needing to do anything. They can use it for any new ride they want, regardless of the tiers, or they can come back when the ride is open again and use it then. A cast member will walk up and down the ride and will let them know.

If someone gets a FP to anything of their choice, it is an exception, NOT the rule.

They have to go to an attraction within the collection of related attractions, NOT anything they want. If someone has a FP to anything they want, it's a form of service recovery not done for everyone all the time.

 

[ford91exploder]

It all depends on our upcoming 2 week trip this March and April. If our experience this time is far less than what our previously trips were, we are done. Why would anyone from this point forward, start paying more, to experience less. People here still hold strong on this rediculous notion that planning fast passes is an advantage, but even in peak season, through the old system, we never went without riding our favorite rides. This reserving accomplishes nothing but limiting people to 3 rides, then making us stand in line for the rest.

With my kids being older, they have already started researching Universal Studios and want to stay in their resorts. My daughter and son are huge Harry Potter fans, so if this next trip isn't worth it, next year they will get their wish. The perk there is resort guests get front of the line access.

MM+ is geared to the 27 year old soccer mom who schedules play dates and whose kids are never allowed random interactions with the neighbor's kids, My DSIL fits this category and thinks MM+ is marvelous because it allows her to schedule rides/food/naps with the precision of a military campaign.

Let's face it WDW is indeed now Disney 'World of Toddlers' Those of us who went to check out from reality for a while are no longer welcome.

 

[Disneyfamily4]

If someone gets a FP to anything of their choice, it is an exception, NOT the rule.

They have to go to an attraction within the collection of related attractions, NOT anything they want. If someone has a FP to anything they want, it's a form of service recovery not done for everyone all the time.

You are wrong. Disney announced this with the program. If a persons fast pass choice breaks down, a fast pass for any ride will be put on their bands for them to use at any time. It allows them the choice to come back when the ride is working, or to just do another ride.

 

[Fractal514]

MM+ is geared to the 27 year old soccer mom who schedules play dates and whose kids are never allowed random interactions with the neighbor's kids, My DSIL fits this category and thinks MM+ is marvelous because it allows her to schedule rides/food/naps with the precision of a military campaign.

Let's face it WDW is indeed now Disney 'World of Toddlers' Those of us who went to check out from reality for a while are no longer welcome.

I resent this entire post. I like MM+ and I am as far removed from what you describe as you can get. I am an after-school and summer camp director who speaks and writes on the subject of NOT over-scheduling our children and reclaiming free play and childhood in general. I am a staunch believer that children in this day and age are being overburdened by parents trying to "fit in" one more lesson or practice in some attempt to perfect their children.

That being said, MM+ is NOT about that. It is about scheduling, organizing, and keeping track of a litany of details that the average park attendee finds overwhelming. ADRs, Fastpasses, whatever other things you plan for on the trip, all of these are (supposedly) easier to manage on MM+. From Disney's end, they get better data on us and how to get money out of us.

The difference in the two situations is also quite substantial. In daily life there isn't a finite resource on play and fun, you can go outside and engage nature or other children to make your own experiences. In WDW, that isn't the case, there are finite resources that are being overly-demanded, such as specific restaurants and attractions. To have a method for allocating those resources makes sense; that fact that you don't like the method is irrelevant, it is just as good a method as any other (depending on your perspective).

You can hate on the program all you want, but please leave your personal hang-ups about how your DSIL is raising your nieces and nephews out of it. As far as checking out from reality, I fail to see how you couldn't still enjoy the parks without using MM+, you just might not get to eat where you want or ride everything without a wait. Or maybe, you want to have the best of both worlds, spontaneity and access, and you are just mad that you can't have them simultaneously.

 

[wdisney9000]

There could have been an error in the inventory for that day and too many were given out.

I appreciate your answer but it still doesnt explain why there was never a line that long at FP entrance when legacy FP was operational.

Error in inventory? For a billion dollar system, there should be some type of safe guard or alert if that happens or a human being watching over the system that distributes them. Also, why would CM's not tell people walking up that the ride was down? They usually do.

It now takes longer for Guests to make it past Greeter

Another problem Disney now faces that didnt exist with legacy. Couple this with people trying to sneak or con their way past greeters, add in the occasional mickey head turning blue, also, the band or the system could malfunction, and lets not forget what you mentioned above, the system could have an error and give out too many FP+ for the day. It seems there are just too many variables in the equation for disaster to strike. Variables that Disney put into place.

Disney and the defenders of MM+ can no longer use the "Its still in testing" excuse. Everybody is FORCED to participate, so (like many others have mentioned) its not a test. TDO, Iger and co. should have taken more time to get it right before forcing everyone to participate, but oh yeah, they couldnt wait because they promised Wall Street and BoD that they would have seen results and ROI by now. Iger cant keep brushing off questions forever and George K probly already has his bags (and millions) packed and is just waiting for the call. I picture him just sitting in a quiet room at Saratoga Springs with the shades drawn, suitcase by his side while sitting on the edge of bed staring blankly at the phone.

 

[Fractal514]

Disney and the defenders of MM+ can no longer use the "Its still in testing" excuse. Everybody is FORCED to participate, so (like many others have mentioned) its not a test. TDO, Iger and co. should have taken more time to get it right before forcing everyone to participate, but oh yeah, they couldnt wait because they promised Wall Street and BoD that they would have seen results and ROI by now. Iger cant keep brushing off questions forever and George K probly already has his bags (and millions) packed and is just waiting for the call. I picture him just sitting in a quiet room at Saratoga Springs with the shades drawn, suitcase by his side while sitting on the edge of bed staring blankly at the phone.

No doubt Disney is milking the "testing" aspect to give cover for the errors. I think part of the issue right now is that a greater number of people are using Fastpass in general than ever before (though I have no numbers to back that up). With so many new people learning to use the system and just using it in general, there are bound to be some increases in the FP entry line, especially when you factor in the time required to scan the Magic Bands.

I really do wonder what the overall sense of the system is from not just board members, but everyone who is using it. I tend to think that things are all relative and your response to something is based largely on your previous expectations. With that in mind, the park guest who used FP a lot and got into line quickly and was able to gather several FPs throughout the day in multiple parks sees this as a huge reduction in service. To the guest who never used fastpass out of either ignorance or the fact that it is their first trip compares the FP experience only to the stand-by one, in which case they probably see it as a good thing.

I admit that I'm a fan of MM+, but I'd be willing to also admit it is a failure if there were some broad numbers on public opinion, not just the opinion of these boards.