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

[MadMax11]

Fractal, can you explain why you believe most people who visit will find the new system better? I'm really struggling to see that. I can not imagine how this is going to make my vacation to DisneyWorld (one I take with my family very frequently) any better...and in fact, I see it as far more of a nuisance and annoyance that I'm forced to plan out each day of my vacation 60 days in advance if I want to experience the attractions I'm paying for.

My next trip is in June. I'm travelling with my wife and kids..as well as my parents, who've been DVC owners since the very first day points were offered. My parents do not own a smartphone, so I get to be chief planner. Of course, they don't want to ride all the rides we ride...so there are layers of complexity in trying to plan that out to maximize time (which doesn't come cheap at WDW, incidentally) that I find to be a complete put off. Fingers crossed that our magic bands actually work and that they function as advertised. Maybe other people love the challenge of it? They see that as fun? Personally, I'd rather leave my smartphone at home when I travel for vacation rather than be tethered to it constantly. I'd rather leave calendars behind and move spontaneously through the parks -- that's why I've always paid for ParkHoppers (the value of which seems greatly diminished now, I might add).

I just don't see what the problem was that needed this fix. I certainly see the need to keep developing new attractions and experiences...I never felt like the fastpass system was flawed or broken; certainly not enough to warrant the changes that have come along with MM+.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I just don't see what the problem was that needed this fix.

Please see my earlier post here.

The only "problem" Disney is trying to fix is to find new ways to generate more revenue out of the same old attractions.

It's what happens when corporate leadership starts thinking of their paying customers first and foremost as revenue streams.

 

[Fractal514]

Ok, why FP+ and MDE will be seen as "good" by many if not most who are attending the parks.

First, part of the fun of going to WDW is the planning (for a majority, I think). Picking your hotel, looking at the restaurants, thinking about what rides you want to go on. For a lot of folks, and I think kids in particular, fantasizing about your upcoming trip is a part of the appeal of going. This probably diminishes for those who visit regularly, but I know personally that I'm excited to be visiting again next December and have already started looking at what holiday things will be going on and which ones I want to make sure to see.

With this in mind, the idea of being able to visit My Disney Experience and book your dining reservations, make plans for the parks, and see all of that with a nice little count-down timer is exciting and fun. I recognize that many do not like to plan things out in advance, but I am willing to bet that many if not most visitors to WDW DO at least plan out which days they will be in which parks, and perhaps even where they will be eating. I know that lots of folks who don't like to plan in advance look on this behavior and not only don't get it, but actively dislike it, because the more folks DO plan in advance the harder it gets to just "wing it" effectively.

Finally, FP+ and why I like it, and why others have told me they like it. On my first day in WDW, I like to visit EPCOT, and Soarin is one of my favorite attractions, but because of the wait times, and the fact that one of our traditions is to go to the Biergarten for dinner, I often can't ride it on my first day. With FP+, I'm able to book at 5pm Soarin and a 6:30pm Biergarten and know that I won't have to rush or worry about the wait time. I have two small children and we often split our day up over two parks. We might attend Animal Kingdom in the morning, a park that doesn't need FP really (if you get there early and make use of single rider for EE), head back to the hotel for a nap, and then head into MK in the late afternoon, knowing that we have Peter Pan FP waiting for us and that we won't need to play it by ear.

Please don't get me wrong, I don't like having every aspect of my trip planned out, and I often don't. I do, however, plan out the things that are important to me and that I know I want to do at least once during my visit.

As for other things people liked: I spoke to a family of five, (mom, dad, three children ages 13, 13, and 16), and they loved the ease of use of the magic bands and the fact that they didn't have to carry around the paper fast passes, or split up to get them. They also enjoyed that they could sit in their hotel room and discuss what they wanted to do tomorrow and then figure out what FP+ were available.

The system isn't for everyone, but I do think that for those coming down for the first time, who want to relax and know that they will definitely get on Space Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion, and Test Track, and what have you, being able to plan that out ahead of time is an attractive feature.

Now, when Disney adds PhotoPass+ onto the Magic Bands and starts to use even more of the personalizing, I think it will only get better.

This is all just my opinion, but I think there MUST be others who feel the way I do, or else Disney wouldn't be moving forward in the face of opinions expressed by people like you all who dislike it.

 

[Fractal514]

My next trip is in June. I'm travelling with my wife and kids..as well as my parents, who've been DVC owners since the very first day points were offered. My parents do not own a smartphone, so I get to be chief planner. Of course, they don't want to ride all the rides we ride...so there are layers of complexity in trying to plan that out to maximize time (which doesn't come cheap at WDW, incidentally) that I find to be a complete put off. Fingers crossed that our magic bands actually work and that they function as advertised. Maybe other people love the challenge of it? They see that as fun? Personally, I'd rather leave my smartphone at home when I travel for vacation rather than be tethered to it constantly. I'd rather leave calendars behind and move spontaneously through the parks -- that's why I've always paid for ParkHoppers (the value of which seems greatly diminished now, I might add).

I organized a trip for late September/early October that was attended by my family of 4 (me, wife, two toddlers), and 5 other adult men who wanted to drink and ride thrill rides. Clearly there was going to be some complexity and yes it did take me a few go rounds to figure out how to use the system. I was particularly annoyed with how they do the parade/firework viewing FP+. But I knew it was an early system, so I was a little forgiving. That being said, I had no difficulty making different FP+ reservations for different people, as you are allowed to select only those who you want to choose for. Switching them around after you've initially selected is also not that difficult. I found that having a schedule of FP up front allowed us to have key experiences together as a large group but also to separate and enjoy the park as smaller groups and individuals as well.

The park hopper argument confuses me though. If you are going to park hop, I'm going to assume that you'll be doing rope drop for at least one of the two parks your visiting. If this is the case, you should be able to hit a headliner attraction or two easily in the first hour or so, maybe even more if it's an EMH day. So knock those e-tickets out early and then head into another park later, with three FP+ all locked up and ready to go. It's the best of both worlds, IMHO.

 

[Fractal514]

One more thought occurred to me. I hear a lot of people talking about the fact that they don't like to plan in advance and how they like to just have fun in the parks and go with it. That they don't know what they want to eat 60 days in advance. I guess I fail to see how they aren't able to do this currently. I have days where I just "wing it" in the parks all the time. I do, however, recognize that on those days, I might not get on Space Mountain due to a long line that I don't want to wait in. I also know that I might not get a table at California Grille that night, but then again, I might, it's all in the luck. For me, truly winging it means doing what you want at that moment based on what's available. It doesn't mean deciding right now I want to ride Space Mountain and then being upset that there is a line for it. It doesn't mean decided at 4pm that you want a nice steak and then being upset that you can't get in to La Cellier. I think that, maybe, the planning model and the winging it model still exist, they've just been pushed to a bit further of an extreme.

 

[Redhawk]

Adds another step but if it really bothers you, you can cancel the third as soon as you confirm your reservations.

I did same-day fast passes because I was saying at the Swan resort. I don't think there's a way to cancel a third unwanted pass even if you go to another kiosk soon after you've made your original three choices.

Ultimately I don't think it will matter that much but it's just weird that you're forced to choose three. I guess they're trying to herd people onto different rides and keep them moving through the parks.

Once the paper fast passes are truly gone forever, it's possible that this electronic system will be better able to judge how many fast passes have been given out/reserved and how many more have been requested and adjust accordingly so that more are available if there is high demand. Perhaps that's too much to hope for however.

 

[Redhawk]

The park hopper argument confuses me though. If you are going to park hop, I'm going to assume that you'll be doing rope drop for at least one of the two parks your visiting. If this is the case, you should be able to hit a headliner attraction or two easily in the first hour or so, maybe even more if it's an EMH day. So knock those e-tickets out early and then head into another park later, with three FP+ all locked up and ready to go. It's the best of both worlds, IMHO.

Why would you assume that everyone who park hops would do a rope drop? I have no interest in doing rope drop or rushing around from headliner ride to headliner ride when I first get in the park. My husband and I are lucky in that we are able to pick low-capacity times to visit the parks and we've always been able to make that and FP work very well for us, especially with EMH. You have your way of doing the parks, I have mine, and other families, couples, etc have theirs.

I'm participating in these discussions because I'm interested to see how the new system is working, if there are glitches, if people like it better than the legacy FP system or not. I don't assume that my way of going through the Parks is the only way and thus no one should have a complaint.

 

[Fractal514]

Why would you assume that everyone who is visiting the parks and doing park hopper would do rope drop? I have no interest in doing rope drop or rushing around from headliner ride to headliner ride when I first get in the park. My husband and I are lucky enough that we are able to pick low capacity times to visit the parks and we've always been able to make fast pass work very well for us. You have your way of doing the parks, I have mine, and other families, couples whatever have theirs.

Well, I guess you're out of luck then. Not every system will work well for everyone. I bet you'll be able to figure out a way to make the new system work for you too. I'm curious what scenario you picture happening that will impede your being able to enjoy your vacation. Going to MK then to Epcot and not being able to ride Soarin?

 

[Redhawk]

Well, I guess you're out of luck then. Not every system will work well for everyone. I bet you'll be able to figure out a way to make the new system work for you too. I'm curious what scenario you picture happening that will impede your being able to enjoy your vacation. Going to MK then to Epcot and not being able to ride Soarin?

I don't see how I'm out of luck. As I mentioned before, my husband and I go to the parks at low-capacity times and have no problem getting on the headliner rides many times a day.

I'm interested in the new system and how it will work or not work for others who may get to visit the Parks only at high-capacity times and only once every few years.

IMO, disappearing FP+ reservations, system glitches, and magic bands that don't work properly can make someone's day in the park frustrating and disappointing rather than joyful.

I don't understand why you're taking such a defensive tone. If you like the new system that's great, some of us are just interested in learning more about it, debating whether it's working or not, and trying to understand why Disney made certain choices about it. Most people seem very disappointed that you can do fast passes for only one park per day. That's a big change from how the system has worked for many years now and people have a right to say that they're disappointed in it.

P. S. I hate Soarin', it's borin'.

 

[jlsHouston]

For clarity, I completely get and appreciate how this system will be a less enjoyable system than the previous system, for some. My argument is that I think the majority of guests, however, will find the new system better. I have to believe that Disney feels this way as well, because in order for it to make money people will have to like using it and use it fully.

Honestly I have only vacationed at WDW a half a dozen times. It took grandkids for me to really have a desire to visit Disney in Florida because essentially I am not really a theme park person. I took my kids to the MK at Disneyland a couple of times in the late 80's/early 90's when they were young and I don't know...wished even then I could hang at the hotel and read a book rather than spend so much time in a line. SO...my current love affair with WDW is very resort oriented and probably partly because I look and tour the parks much differently and I stay many many days when I get to Florida so I don't have to be a park commando. And I don't like FP+ the way it is structured. And I don't like making a change on my room reservation and the computer cloud is so bogged down these days, I can't do room charging. That cramps my style too. And I hated rapid refill and it wasn't because I could no longer secure free sodas by recycling old mugs because I always have used the DDP so ...and last trip I didn't do the DDP and went prepared to buy the new mugs which I did and loved the new colors and hate

For clarity, I completely get and appreciate how this system will be a less enjoyable system than the previous system, for some. My argument is that I think the majority of guests, however, will find the new system better. I have to believe that Disney feels this way as well, because in order for it to make money people will have to like using it and use it fully.

A year ago, in 2012, I would have probably given Disney management and leadership more credit and leeway in regards to MM+. But 2013 changed that for me.
I made two trips to WDW last year. Spent 2 weeks over the summer between BWI and the POLY and 12 days over Thanksgiving starting at WL and then moving to the BWV, where I did a first which was rent DVC points, and then spend the last couple of days unwinding at the Dolphin.
It wasn't that the trips last year were less than enjoyable or fraught with issues that ruined the vacation. However, the changes that MM+, with MB's and FP+, namely over the November trip, brought to the vacation experience did detract from my magical time at WDW.
The more I saw what was going on around me, the more I thought how stupid can a bunch of suits be...or are they engineers and MBA's and just have no concept what brings all of us into the parks and onsite to the resorts ?
I have pretty much taken to heart what @ParentsOf4 has been talking about in regards to the room occupancy levels being a huge portion of what MM+ is going to attempt to rectify. I certainly think Disney has every right and a duty to fill the beds so to speak...
I am not a bean counter and I have no clue at what rate does WDW show a profit for rental of the rooms and honestly when I am there over the summer, could the parks even handle the increase of people if the rooms were at 80-90%?
I applaud growth and creativity and innovation. If MM+ really was about that and not about filling the rooms then I would be on this is so cool bandwagon and not on the wth is this crap wagon and truthfully I would prefer being on the former rather than the latter.
I would give Disney slack about the rollout of MM+, but why should I or anyone when they have chosen to invest so much money and brains into it and I understand its been in the works for years. Therefore in my mind, it should have been a transparent changeover when it rolled out. What I saw and experienced in November was not testing, it was a system not ready to go. There should have been no issues with the software, the doors opening with a magic band, the charging priviledges working. A paying guest onsite should never have been inconvenienced during their magical vacation while Disney tweaked their new system.
So with all the the things I think Disney could have done with a billion dolars and some innovation and creativity to enhance and expand the parks and fill the existing rooms with people who really want to come and vacation onsite, and when what I as a WDW guest gets is MM+.....I have no patience or understanding or confidence in management.
It really is a crying shame because if there is anything to MM+ that really does enhance my vacation at WDW, Disney has also missed a lot of opportunities for marketing and educating me and others.

 

[jlsHouston]

And what is the majority, where is @Jimmy Thick, I know he has the figures for how many people visit the parks at WDW annually. Is it 50 million people ? If 10% of those visitors are unhappy with the changes and come less often, that's alot of lost business.

Does any part of advanced bookings sound like a greater advantage than EMH?

No not really. In fairness, being able to select a FP before you enter a park is convenient. And yes it does help in terms of well we were going to eat here and maybe swim but if someone doesn't take our tickets and run to the FP kiosk we are not riding Soaring today or TSMM....so for a few of the rides being able to book a FP in advance does take some pressure off.
However most of us that used FP+ in November and December did with the luxury of grabbing paper FP's too...
Now talk about some enhanced park time not spent zig zagging and waiting in lines...
But now it is January and legacy FP is all but gone. Soon the warmer months will be upon us and throngs of people.....not sure if 2 weeks at the parks this summer is going to be worth the expense.

 

[SpaceMtn101]

This is my gripe about fastpass.
I have two toddlers. While at animal kingdom I decided to attempt to get some fastpasses for safaris. My choice is to get two fastpasses for attractions the kids cannot do or lose my fastpasses for the day. This seems to be a problem at a park like Animal Kingdom. I hope they will lift the 3 at one park and allow you to spread them between parks. I do not mind limit of 3 but when my kids are scared of tough to be a bug, can't sit through Nemo since it is too long, too short to ride the rides, and one is deathly afraid of characters.... My choices are wait 60 min in line for safaris on busy days (which is hard with 2 toddlers) or give up my other 2 fastpasses. I think that there should be some consideration for this.

 

[jlsHouston]

Yah, I've never made rope drop per say...and I kind of hate admitting that fact. I have however made very early ressies at H&V in order to get to TSMM and get a fairly early FP and secure even a second one an hour later under the legacy FP program.
I have entered MK before 10 am and spent a few hours before the heat set in riding the mountains and character M+G with Woody & Jessie and last thing was catch the train into FL, grab a FP for Peter Pan which by then it was always an evening or night time hour and then pretty much go back and do the pool and relax until returning for the evening and EMH at MK.
In other words legacy FP for me worked well, how I like to tour the parks and hang at the resorts and the FP+ system will work for me too, but my daughter ? Miss park commando ? I'm sure she will eventually figure out a new system for catching all her headline rides during our trips.
In other words, as you said , people who want to visit the parks and stay onsite will adjust. Some may not return as often, some may take a park hiatus. I would be real surprised if this MM+ brought new growth (customers) to the parks and resorts.
And yes there are alot of planners that visit WDW. Making ADR's, deciding what park what day or time of day, that is fun. But I hate to say it, the website isn't a very good trip planning website...so a lot of work needed there too....
Anyways in a nutshell the entire MM+ crap is just not well thought out and not well executed and IMO makes Disney look inept.

 

[MadMax11]

One more thought occurred to me. I hear a lot of people talking about the fact that they don't like to plan in advance and how they like to just have fun in the parks and go with it. That they don't know what they want to eat 60 days in advance. I guess I fail to see how they aren't able to do this currently. I have days where I just "wing it" in the parks all the time. I do, however, recognize that on those days, I might not get on Space Mountain due to a long line that I don't want to wait in. I also know that I might not get a table at California Grille that night, but then again, I might, it's all in the luck. For me, truly winging it means doing what you want at that moment based on what's available. It doesn't mean deciding right now I want to ride Space Mountain and then being upset that there is a line for it. It doesn't mean decided at 4pm that you want a nice steak and then being upset that you can't get in to La Cellier. I think that, maybe, the planning model and the winging it model still exist, they've just been pushed to a bit further of an extreme.

I appreciate all your comments. Here are some of my thoughts not just to the post, above, but to the others in response to my post as well:

1. I'm fine with planning to a degree. I enjoy it, too. I can make lunch/dinner reservations well out in advance, and usually do that going through options with my wife and kids. My wife thinks I'm a bit of an over-planner, actually. Having said that, we weren't planning out when we were going to ride which ride...the old fastpass system allowed us to visit and have some flexibility about when we did what. It didn't require me making decisions for me and extended family visiting with us so far out in advance.

2. The Parkhopper is diminished to me because on many days I had no idea which park I was going to end up at. That was part of the fun to me. And I could end up with fastpasses in multiple parks. Now I'm planning all that out in advance, and limited to 3 for the entire day...and really only 1-2 for attractions I would ever have used Fastpass for before.

3. As a long-time DVC member (through family), I'm very disappointed at the direction of Disney theme parks, generally. Pumping money into crowd-herding/monitoring instead of attractions does not provide me any additional value...and I'm arguing that it diminishes that value to me. I realize it has great value to Disney...but it does not to Disney guests, in my opinion.

4. And no, I'm not there for rope drop...I can count on one hand the number of times I've ever been at any park for that.

 

[Lord_Vader]

Ok, why FP+ and MDE will be seen as "good" by many if not most who are attending the parks.

First, part of the fun of going to WDW is the planning (for a majority, I think). Picking your hotel, looking at the restaurants, thinking about what rides you want to go on. For a lot of folks, and I think kids in particular, fantasizing about your upcoming trip is a part of the appeal of going. This probably diminishes for those who visit regularly, but I know personally that I'm excited to be visiting again next December and have already started looking at what holiday things will be going on and which ones I want to make sure to see.

With this in mind, the idea of being able to visit My Disney Experience and book your dining reservations, make plans for the parks, and see all of that with a nice little count-down timer is exciting and fun. I recognize that many do not like to plan things out in advance, but I am willing to bet that many if not most visitors to WDW DO at least plan out which days they will be in which parks, and perhaps even where they will be eating. I know that lots of folks who don't like to plan in advance look on this behavior and not only don't get it, but actively dislike it, because the more folks DO plan in advance the harder it gets to just "wing it" effectively.

Finally, FP+ and why I like it, and why others have told me they like it. On my first day in WDW, I like to visit EPCOT, and Soarin is one of my favorite attractions, but because of the wait times, and the fact that one of our traditions is to go to the Biergarten for dinner, I often can't ride it on my first day. With FP+, I'm able to book at 5pm Soarin and a 6:30pm Biergarten and know that I won't have to rush or worry about the wait time. I have two small children and we often split our day up over two parks. We might attend Animal Kingdom in the morning, a park that doesn't need FP really (if you get there early and make use of single rider for EE), head back to the hotel for a nap, and then head into MK in the late afternoon, knowing that we have Peter Pan FP waiting for us and that we won't need to play it by ear.

Please don't get me wrong, I don't like having every aspect of my trip planned out, and I often don't. I do, however, plan out the things that are important to me and that I know I want to do at least once during my visit.

As for other things people liked: I spoke to a family of five, (mom, dad, three children ages 13, 13, and 16), and they loved the ease of use of the magic bands and the fact that they didn't have to carry around the paper fast passes, or split up to get them. They also enjoyed that they could sit in their hotel room and discuss what they wanted to do tomorrow and then figure out what FP+ were available.

The system isn't for everyone, but I do think that for those coming down for the first time, who want to relax and know that they will definitely get on Space Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion, and Test Track, and what have you, being able to plan that out ahead of time is an attractive feature.

Now, when Disney adds PhotoPass+ onto the Magic Bands and starts to use even more of the personalizing, I think it will only get better.

This is all just my opinion, but I think there MUST be others who feel the way I do, or else Disney wouldn't be moving forward in the face of opinions expressed by people like you all who dislike it.

I for one am with you on most items. We did not like the idea of planning our FP 60+ days out at all, were generally unhappy about planning which park to be in on a specific day 2 months plus before our vacation.

We LOVED the opprotunity to move FP+ times around based on what we were doing at the time.
We LOVED having the ability to add my daughter to the reservations after ours were made because she was originally going to be hanging out with someone else on several days and they had to cancel.
We LIKED parkhopping, using EMH mornings or rope-drop entries to get into the first park while we had FP+ reservations at the second park for later in the day or at night. This allowed us to tour AK on two days while holding FP as EPCOT where our dining reservations were. And one night our dining was taking longer than anticipated and we simply pushed our timeslot out another hour right before our slot was slated to start.
We DID NOT like the fact that we could not get more than one FP for E-Ticket rides at EPCOT or DHS but as we were there for two weeks, got them in on separate visits to the parks.

The guests around us generally liked the bands, FP+, PP+ in the BWI. In general they liked knowing they had their most important attractions reserved and could do the rest at their own pace without splitting up or getting up a 4:30 to make rope drop at MK at 7:00. The CMs at our resort openly stated that they thought things were getting better fast, guests in general seemed happier during our stay than earlier in testing. Over the two weeks I asked a lot of people a lot of questions on buses, boats and in lines to get a guage to the overall opinion from our resort.

 

[rct247]

Making you choose 3 FP+ a day is also potentially problematic because you also can't choose fewer than 3.

You can make less than 3 Fastpass+ selections. It does happen however, if you were to only make one FP+ choice and not use the other two, there is absolutely no way to get that entitlement back. So let's saw you make two selections at 10am, and suddenly at 4pm you realize you could probably use that 3rd pick about now, too bad, you'd be out of luck. So that's why there is a push to pick three by the system and by the cast members helping you. They want you to have you maximum even if you don't use it. You can always go in and modify that selection based on the availability of what's left, but once it is gone, it is gone. This also goes for cancelling a FP on your app. If you cancel, you are deleting it and you won't be able to modify it to or pick something else. Now, if that's what you want to do, go for it, but now you know.

I know it's been kind of off topic, but the AP arguments are a little ridiculous if you ask me. Having an AP is not a loyalty card program, it is a discounted admission program. Sure, AP holders visit the parks more often, but that's why it exists. Could you imagine if APs didn't exist and you had to pay a full price ticket every time you wanted to go to a Disney theme park? I bet most of you AP holder wouldn't go as often because quite frankly that would cost too much money. Corporate Disney way back in the saw there was a demand for some way to be able to visit multiple times a year, a month, a week without having to pay as much money. Corporate Disney thought it through and saw that while they might lose money on each individual ticket, they gain more visits where more money might be spent on food, merchandise, etc. Over time, like many other theme park companies like Six Flags, Universal, Cedar Fair, they add perks and or restrictions (block out dates) to make it enticing or make it better for the park operation.

APs are usually loyal customers, but you don't have to be an AP to be loyal. Maybe you make a trip once a year. That wouldn't make an AP worth it, but that is a very loyal customer as well, especially if they are traveling from a great distance. Naturally, the guests that travel from great distances usually spend more time and more money when they visit. They might stay on property for a week and since their time is limited, they might by more merchandise. APs spend more time a year in the parks, but they might only spend a few hours at a time, may not spend as much on merchandise unless it is new or limited in supply. They may not choose to eat or stay on property as much. So arguing on whether or not APs deserve better FP+ perks doesn't really make sense. You already can come when you feel like it. You probably get to experience these rides and attractions more than a once a year visitor. If you only had a chance to ride your favorite ride a twice a year, wouldn't you hope you'd get perhaps better perks staying on property than someone who can ride it twice a month?

Now, don't get me wrong. Being an AP I might expect maybe a few perks in regards to maybe a merchandise discount or something. Also remember this is new. DAS cards for an example will eventually be on MagicBands, but that is years away. They want to work out the kinks first. They have to get the system up and running with little to no issues before they can start tweaking things like who is entitled to what, how many FPs you get etc. The tweaks like the tiers at DHS and Epcot already made are taking operations into consideration due to the lack of other popular attractions. Anyways, that's my take. Take it with a grain of salt. It's just an opinion after all.

 

[ChrisFL]

Is anyone planning to be at MK tomorrow or later this week? I'd be interested in going near City Hall and seeing the "fireworks"...though i feel bad for those CM's taking the brunt of complaints/misunderstands that are SURE to happen.

I often go to the parks with some co-workers, as we're all AP holders, but right now, it seems like too much of a mess.

 

[rct247]

Is anyone planning to be at MK tomorrow or later this week? I'd be interested in going near City Hall and seeing the "fireworks"...though i feel bad for those CM's taking the brunt of complaints/misunderstands that are SURE to happen.

I often go to the parks with some co-workers, as we're all AP holders, but right now, it seems like too much of a mess.

I don't think there will be as much "fireworks" as you may think. Guests seemed to do fine with it at Animal Kingdom and even those that have visited there and come to the other parks seem to be adjusting to all the differences each park has with FP and FP+ options etc. There was probably more "fireworks" with DAS than there will be with this. Sure there will be some frustration, but there are pros and cons to both systems vs DAS where it really was a hard change.

 

[stevehousse]

You do not NEED a smart phone to use this stuff at all. You can easily just go to one of the many FP+ kiosks and change your items if you need to. It's just more convenient to use the phone app in cases like that...

 

[JimboJones123]

I organized a trip for late September/early October that was attended by my family of 4 (me, wife, two toddlers), and 5 other adult men who wanted to drink and ride thrill rides. Clearly there was going to be some complexity and yes it did take me a few go rounds to figure out how to use the system. I was particularly annoyed with how they do the parade/firework viewing FP+. But I knew it was an early system, so I was a little forgiving. That being said, I had no difficulty making different FP+ reservations for different people, as you are allowed to select only those who you want to choose for. Switching them around after you've initially selected is also not that difficult. I found that having a schedule of FP up front allowed us to have key experiences together as a large group but also to separate and enjoy the park as smaller groups and individuals as well.

The park hopper argument confuses me though. If you are going to park hop, I'm going to assume that you'll be doing rope drop for at least one of the two parks your visiting. If this is the case, you should be able to hit a headliner attraction or two easily in the first hour or so, maybe even more if it's an EMH day. So knock those e-tickets out early and then head into another park later, with three FP+ all locked up and ready to go. It's the best of both worlds, IMHO.

Park hop ≠ Rope drop

We do 2-3 park days all the time that do not start until 2-3 in the afternoon. Especially when parks are open to or past 9.

Lots of assumptions. Not just by you, but by many about how others visit the parks. Rope drops mean 6:30 wake up and exhausted kids well before noon.