perfectly said. Disney took away unlimited fast pass and basically gave us 3 (1 at epcot because they force you to get 2 FP that you absolutely dont need at all) i'm so glad they spent a billion on putting a fast pass line on JIYI. After 20 years of Disney trips, Our next trip will be spent 100 % at US because we think they are investing their money into adding value for the customer. Its taking Disney years to put up a ride or 2, while US is blowing past them. It feels like Disney is taking advantage of the fact that they know attendance will go up year after year. Disney wont change their path until it affects the bottom line.
Ha Ha, yes - we had at least 4 days at Epcot and always had either Test Track or Soarin' + Living with the Land and Mission Space.. The "Other 2" were always a waste, due to being a walk on 90% of the time. The CM at the FP+ entrance for Living with the Land has the easiest job in the whole of WDW, he looked so bored that we went through the FP+ queue just to give him something to do lol.
Not entirely true. Actually, a large percentage of the staff were new hires with no experience as a CM. Some were temporarily forced to work there, but not for long. The main problem with the role is that it seems to have been created as a knee-jerk reaction that wasn't thought out well. What it should have been was sort of a mini-concierge or "guest relations jr." , something that required an interview to transfer to, where the CM's were given appropriate technical training and actual tools to fix problems for guests. Instead, they are little more than park greeters with very quick training, only there to answer questions about MM+ and FP+, without any actual tools to fix anything. The truth is, most will try to quickly manipulate the FP+ system to get you what you're trying to get, but beyond messing with the kiosk interface, there is little more that they can do. That is why you might feel rushed and unsatisfied, but don't blame them.
Right now, it would be a lot, because the system assigns you these if nothing else is available anyway.
We've never had to wait in fastpass lines more than 10 minutes and that was only for TSMM, Soarin' and PP.
Yes, I experienced this first hand... On my trip to Disney about a month ago, I went to Epcot where FP+ wasn't being used yet and I got a paper FP for Test Track and I was able to enter the FP line in about 2 seconds (the guy looked at the time on the FP and let us go through) yet when I went to MK where they were using FP+, it took about 10-15 seconds to enter the line because the had to scan you ticket, wristband, etc. The only real advantage of FP+ over old FP is that they aren't using paper. Otherwise, it seems like the FP system has become less efficient.
This is another VERY REAL gripe with the new system. By tiering the entitlement they are forcing people to all have the same accommodations. The system is undeniable designed with Disney's best interests in mind, not the guests. This is why I keep plugging the Touring Plans Lines app. The motivation behind that is simple: Allow guests to do things as efficiently as possible. The primary benefactor of this is the guest. Conversely, the My Disney Experience app, while it has been improved recently is still utilized to benefit Disney more than the consumer. It's a guests window into the Fastpass+ system, a system that is a gigantic step backwards from what previously existed. It is riddled with caveats, exceptions and restrictions that simply weren't an issue with the previous system.
Don't get me wrong, I hate FP+ and the numerous problems it has caused. However, 45 minute Fastpass lines are a sign of other issues beyond FP+.
The problem is that the reports are usually from an observation made in a snapshot of time. It might be FP or it might be mechanical problems, no one knows for sure, but they walk by and see a particularly long FP line and assume something that could be so far off the path the even Mapquest would find the way out. Before if there was a long line, we assumed it was mechanical and didn't give it a second thought. Now there is a stranger in town and a handy scapegoat for anything that looks off.
