Magic Kingdom going FP+ only on 1/14/14

[donsullivan]

Sorry for not clarifying but APs not staying at resorts and getting advance fp+ bookings is what I was referring to. How would advance bookings 60 days out work for them?

I am among those who continue to be excluded so what I'm sharing is second hand. As those with access have described it to me, the system uses a rolling 60 day calendar where the eligible Passholder can make reservations (subject to all the same constraints as others) on any 7 different calendar days during that 60 day interval. If they have FP+ reserved on 7 unique calendar days, when the log into the system they are not allowed to make additional reservations on additional days until one of those days is expired or utilized. It's unclear to me since I don't have access what the process is to cancel them if you have a change in schedule and will not be able to use them). When their reserved day count drops to 6 (or below) they can book reservations on additional day(s) taking them back to their 7 day concurrent (not sequential) reservations.

Please note this is the experience of Passholders, there is no scenario I've heard of for what a non-resort guest, non-Passholder experience would be.

 

[Lord_Vader]

I am among those who continue to be excluded so what I'm sharing is second hand. As those with access have described it to me, the system uses a rolling 60 day calendar where the eligible Passholder can make reservations (subject to all the same constraints as others) on any 7 different calendar days during that 60 day interval. If they have FP+ reserved on 7 unique calendar days, when the log into the system they are not allowed to make additional reservations on additional days until one of those days is expired or utilized. Then their reserved count drops to 6 and they can book reservations on one additional day taking them back to their 7 day concurrent (not sequential) reservations.

Please note this is the experience of Passholders, there is no scenario I've heard of for what a non-resort guest, non-Passholder experience would be.

You are 100% correct, and this was also the case when we had on-site resort reservations for 14 days.

 

[GoofGoof]

Correct to Bands, no to advance reservations hence the reason why they have been talking to ticket brokers here in the UK to reassure them the advance reservations will be available to everyone. Which is what I have been saying ... Magic Bands and Custom Printing to get the 11% from offsite, onsite will be coming from Custom Printing.

EDIT: I think the reason why some people are saying "no they won't they will never roll it out to everyone", is they think Bands are key to the experience when they aren't just the crappy FP+ part.

One way they could logistically open advance reservations to off site guests would be to sell firm date park tickets. If I buy a 7 day ticket today I can use it any time. I could book FP reservations for tomorrow but if it rains I just don't go and change my reservations and show up next week or next month. Any benefit Disney got from knowing when I would be there would be gone. If they offered an upsell to book FP in advance it would have to be for a set date and I would then be locked in. Benefit gained.

No point going back and forth and keep disagreeing. I understand that your opinion comes from someone that you trust and I honestly hope you are correct. I never liked the idea that Universal offered their benefits only to hotel guests or for a fee. FP should be a part of admission. I prefer EMHs as an on property perk too. We will see very soon which way it goes.

 

[SirLink]

One way they could logistically open advance reservations to off site guests would be to sell firm date park tickets. If I buy a 7 day ticket today I can use it any time. I could book FP reservations for tomorrow but if it rains I just don't go and change my reservations and show up next week or next month. Any benefit Disney got from knowing when I would be there would be gone. If they offered an upsell to book FP in advance it would have to be for a set date and I would then be locked in. Benefit gained.

No point going back and forth and keep disagreeing. I understand that your opinion comes from someone that you trust and I honestly hope you are correct. I never liked the idea that Universal offered their benefits only to hotel guests or for a fee. FP should be a part of admission. I prefer EMHs as an on property perk too. We will see very soon which way it goes.

UK tickets already have a start date though ...

 

[muteki]

Exactly my question, How will disney know when "60 days out" applies to offsite guest. They have no way of knowing when offsite guest plan to arrive.

Well, when you are making FP+ reservations you have to specify a date. If the date you specify is <60 days, ok. If the date you specify is >60 days, no FP for you.

 

[Redhawk]

I'm curious. For people who want or believe disney will allow APs and off-site guest to book 60 days out as well. How exactly would that work? How is disney supposed to know you that you'll be arriving 60 days? Its obvious with people staying on property because... well they will be staying at a disney hotel.

I understand your question is how will Disney regulate off-site guests making advance FP+ selections when there's no firm date of arrival and departure, as you have when you have a resort reservation? Well, if they open up FP+ to offsite guests, once you buy your tickets in advance and link them to your MDE account, you will likely have the ability to select advance FP windows for the number of days on your ticket. If you have a 4-day ticket, then you can choose 3 FP in one park each day for 4 days, with the first day of your choice being the day you buy the ticket and the last day being 60 (or 30 or 10) days later (whatever Disney wants to offer).

What if you change your mind about your dates later? Well, current users can change their minds at any time and attempt to change their passes. If they lose their prime selections then they take their chances on what might be available.

Disney is already trying to use their technology to get a better idea of when off-site guests will be in the parks. Also, I suppose they would like to sell more tickets in advance rather than same-day.

While they can never know exactly, by urging all guests (via e-mails, TV ads, and such) to use the MDE website to "plan" their trip, including linking their tickets to their account, Disney gets information about when these folks are planning to be in the parks. Even if you are staying off-site, you can create an account and click on daily links to make an itinerary and you can add your dining reservations to it. A dining reservation is a pretty clear indicator to Disney that you intend to be in a certain park that day.

The rollout that's happened so far is the early stage and still in "test" mode. I believe FP+ advance reservations will open up to off-site guests eventually, but who knows when? Maybe off-site guests will have the ability to choose in advance 14 days out or 30, rather than the 60 days out offered to on-site guests. In the meantime, Disney will make a big push for off-site guests to use FP+ same-day selections.

 

[orky8]

Exactly my question, How will disney know when "60 days out" applies to offsite guest. They have no way of knowing when offsite guest plan to arrive.

Um, you do realize that 60 days out will always be 60 days from the present day, regardless of whether you are onsite or not. Its the same way ADRs work 180 days out, but onsite guests get to add up to ten days from the start of their reservation, once they hit the 180 day mark, but offsite guests would need to make reservations each day at the 180 day mark.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Um, you do realize that 60 days out will always be 60 days from the present day, regardless of whether you are onsite or not. Its the same way ADRs work 180 days out, but onsite guests get to add up to ten days from the start of their reservation, once they hit the 180 day mark, but offsite guests would need to make reservations each day at the 180 day mark.

It would still be kind of a bad deal for APs. Because most APs don't plan in advance when they plan on going to the parks and doing it that way, pretty much eliminates the option to be spontaneous for anyone.

 

[71jason]

It seems like a lot of people think that those who are reserving FP in advance will take up ALL the fast passes, sort of like how you have to call very early now for ADRs or they're all gone (at certain times of year). This is not what will happen. I believe a number of FP slots will be reserved for same-day selection.

If I'm wrong about this and a person has to buy their tickets that far in advance in order to get any chance of FP slots, then Disney will be making a huge mistake. I don't think they're that stupid, but then again, who knows?

Without going into detail on how I know--this was discussed in the planning, but currently, no, none are held back for same-day distribution.

 

[stevehousse]

UK tickets already have a start date though ...

So you are saying that UK tickets are specifically locked into certain dates before you leave? Details please as this is the first I have heard of this.

 

[Redhawk]

Without going into detail on how I know--this was discussed in the planning, but currently, no, none are held back for same-day distribution.

Interesting. If that's true, then Disney is pushing even harder than I imagined for guests to do advance planning. I believe this new system will result in more advance planning (on-site hotel and restaurant reservations, ticket purchases, customizing of Magic Bands, etc.) than happens now, but not as much as they project or hope. Some people just want to go to Disney World, they don't want to spend hours researching, planning, booking, pre-paying, choosing FPs and restaurants. They may make hotel reservations on or off site, but they won't worry too much about which park they'll go to on which days until they get there.

And yet without all that advance planning, they'll go, stand in long lines, eat wherever they can grab a meal, and still have a good time and even want to return.

 

[71jason]

Interesting. If that's true, then Disney is pushing even harder than I imagined for guests to do advance planning.

Exactly. As I said, some pushed to hold back same-day FP but were overruled. Disney wants to be able to staff based on advanced data, and also seems to think guests with FP and ADRs are less likely to drive off-property. How well this goes over with the general public remains to be seen.

 

[orky8]

I guess... that would still be a bad deal for APs.

Why? If APs can book 60 days out and have 7 days booked at any one time. Seems perfectly reasonable to me. What more should they get? If you want to book all 7 days at once, then wait till the 53rd day to book them.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Why? If APs can book 60 days out and have 7 days booked at any one time. Seems perfectly reasonable to me. What more should they get? If you want to book all 7 days at once, then wait till the 53rd day to book them.

Well let me state, I am not a Disney passholder but I do hold a season pass to Six Flags Great Adventure. I know that when I go to Six Flags, I choose so last minute or same day. So this method of allowing anyone to book rides 60 days outs will probably cause fastpasses to be distributed out completely and be unavailable often. So I would think that being able to spontaneously go to the parks isn't as enjoyable. Plus, for people who are APs coming for 8 - 14 day trips, then they don't have access to booking fastpasses everyday of their stay, do they?

 

[doctornick]

Well, when you are making FP+ reservations you have to specify a date. If the date you specify is <60 days, ok. If the date you specify is >60 days, no FP for you.

And it is worth noting that onsite still would have a slight advantage there, as FP+ eligibility is 60 days + length of stay. That is, you can book for your entire resort stay (assuming your linked ticket covers all the days) at the 60 day mark before your check in day.

 

[doctornick]

Plus, for people who are APs coming for 8 - 14 day trips, then they don't have access to booking fastpasses everyday of their stay, do they?

I used APs to be able to book 8 park days in advance (I had a 7 night stay at a resort) so I think that APs who are staying onsite can book for as many days as their resort stay rather than have a hard limit of 7 days at a time that they might theoretically get without a resort stay.

 

[Scuttle]

It would still be kind of a bad deal for APs. Because most APs don't plan in advance when they plan on going to the parks and doing it that way, pretty much eliminates the option to be spontaneous for anyone.

Well we've had to now. Especially with the credit card guarantee for restaurants. Actually rarely do I just get
Up and go in the afternoon. I don't like it this way I'm just saying I've been forced to adjust.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

I used APs to be able to book 8 park days in advance (I had a 7 night stay at a resort) so I think that APs who are staying onsite can book for as many days as their resort stay rather than have a hard limit of 7 days at a time that they might theoretically get without a resort stay.

Oh ok. That's better then.

 

[Scuttle]

I agree though with others. Pass holders are getting the raw end of the deal. Which is bull because I funnel way more money into WDW than the family that comes for a week every 3 years.

 

[Lord_Vader]

One way they could logistically open advance reservations to off site guests would be to sell firm date park tickets. If I buy a 7 day ticket today I can use it any time. I could book FP reservations for tomorrow but if it rains I just don't go and change my reservations and show up next week or next month. Any benefit Disney got from knowing when I would be there would be gone. If they offered an upsell to book FP in advance it would have to be for a set date and I would then be locked in. Benefit gained.

No point going back and forth and keep disagreeing. I understand that your opinion comes from someone that you trust and I honestly hope you are correct. I never liked the idea that Universal offered their benefits only to hotel guests or for a fee. FP should be a part of admission. I prefer EMHs as an on property perk too. We will see very soon which way it goes.

You bring up a good point, Disney can now sell customized tickets from date X to date X. The advantage you buy with the date range tickets is the ability to pre-select your FP+ reservations 60 days out while other guests purchase unrestricted tickets are limited to day-of reservations.