MK to get SIX new FP attractions? UGH?!?!

[Bolna]

I would agree with you on the majority of the restaurants. However, I would say there are certain exceptions such as Victoria & Alberts or Bistro de Paris or California Grill. I think you can consider V&A a "special event" , wouldn't you? I do not think it's unreasonable to make a reservation for a signature restaurant in advance.

For those that are making dining in the park their secondary or tertiary focus they can work within the confides of the system and go with whatever services are available. If they feel they are entitled to a sit-down meal and don't want to play within the rules of 180 days out they have choices. They can go such as Tony's Town, Biergarten, Teppan Edo, La Hacienda de San Angel , Restaurant Marrakesh or countless others. All of which mind you I can get a reservation for for the first week of October.

Yes, I agree that some of the high end restaurants (or even some character meals) fall into the "special event" category even at WDW. And I know that there is usual always availability at some TS restaurants. However, the best availability is in general at the resort restaurants which are difficult to reach for those who trust Disney with all their transportation needs and in theme park availability is limited. Actually, I like eating at the resorts, so it is not an issue for me personally. I have just overheard conversations quite often on the busses or in lines about how difficult it is to find someplace to eat as there are plenty of people who don't expect that restaurants sell out so much.

And interestingly, I was just recently at DLP and when I enquired one afternoon at a restaurant whether they still had reservations available that evening, I was not only told that they could give me one for an early dinner (they were booked for the later times) - or I could just line up for a table as they leave tables open for walk ins.

 

[awilliams4]

Actually, I just found Lake View rooms at the tower for October, which is still in the 60 day window... so I'm still correct.



And even if I couldn't have found availability for Bay Lake Tower...the fact that you can still get reservations at 35 of the 36 resorts on property (or whatever the number is now) hardly debunks my statement. You absolutely do not need to book your rooms 180 days out. period.

OK, fair enough. I just went to try and do a cash ressie instead of a point ressie, looking for a 2 Bedroom Dedicated Lake View 60 days out. None available. So I checked BCV, same thing, none available.

DVC, different beast but the way we vacation, we have to reserve at 11 months or cross our fingers at 7 months for places we don't own.

 

[flynnibus]

I strongly disagree. I would have a strong guess that most people have been planning a trip for at least 6 months out. Not many people can decide now to spend $3000+ on a WDW trip in the next 30 days. If you think most people don't have their trips booked 180 days out, you are either a.)mistaken or b.) rich as hell. Most people have to save money to go. they can just book a last minute spontaneous trip to WDW.

Not everyone flies across the country to visit WDW... there is a whole population that is within driving distance to WDW and who making weekend trips is both affordable and practical.

 

[awilliams4]

Not everyone flies across the country to visit WDW... there is a whole population that is within driving distance to WDW and who making weekend trips is both affordable and practical.

I believe that Disney does not cater to this group as much. I suspect that if the numbers were crunched, local AP guests don't spend nearly as much as out of towners. And if Disney configures their offerings to placate the out of towners, I don't blame them.

 

[devoy1701]

OK, fair enough. I just went to try and do a cash ressie instead of a point ressie, looking for a 2 Bedroom Dedicated Lake View 60 days out. None available. So I checked BCV, same thing, none available.

DVC, different beast but the way we vacation, we have to reserve at 11 months or cross our fingers at 7 months for places we don't own.

I had a feeling you were going to take it here. You're absolutely right that being a DVC member and trying to book using your DVC points for a certain time period is a completely different beast that requires you to plan in advance, especially if you are not trying to book your home resort. That scenario definitely does not apply to my argument. But if paying cash, you can usually get a room anywhere you want. I've even booked a room for NYE before just 2 days prior because we weren't sure if we were actually going to visit Epcot for NYE of not. You usually can get a room cheaper too (up to a certain point) if you wait to the last minute as you can take advantage of what used to be some great room-only discounts.

 

[psukardi]

Not everyone flies across the country to visit WDW... there is a whole population that is within driving distance to WDW and who making weekend trips is both affordable and practical.

And what percentage of the patrons are of this make-up? I would guess that the majority of people traveling to WDW are there for an extended period of time and staying for more than a weekend. And if that's the case it's only safe to say that Disney is going to keep it's larger demographic happy.

 

[flynnibus]

And what percentage of the patrons are of this make-up?

Large enough it has specific programs aimed at them.. like Tables in Wonderland... FL Resident APs.. etc.

And if that's the case it's only safe to say that Disney is going to keep it's larger demographic happy

I already illustrated how extending the ADR window doesn't really serve more and more people - in fact it helps Disney more than you. Yet people keep sucking it up.. just like the DDP. Disney are excellent at manipulating the customer base.

 

[raven]

I believe that Disney does not cater to this group as much. I suspect that if the numbers were crunched, local AP guests don't spend nearly as much as out of towners. And if Disney configures their offerings to placate the out of towners, I don't blame them.

That $25 meal of yours, Mickey Premium Bar, Mouse Ears and t-shirt costs the same for guests that live around the corner from WDW.

 

[Bolna]

I believe that Disney does not cater to this group as much. I suspect that if the numbers were crunched, local AP guests don't spend nearly as much as out of towners. And if Disney configures their offerings to placate the out of towners, I don't blame them.

See, I think that the smart thing is to try to offer the best possible product to as many guests as possible.

Also, while DVC members might know the game of the 180 days reservations, just as the locals know, a lot of first time out of town guests arrive at WDW without any dining reservation and are taken by surprise by how limited they are in their choices.

 

[basas]

The way I see this, a major drawback of Fastpass+ is an equalization of standby lines across the park. Yes, you may only be waiting 20-30 mins for Space on a busy day, but you will also be waiting 20-30 minutes for EVERY OTHER RIDE. Right now you go to the MK, there is a 60 min wait for the mountain, but a 5-10 minute for pirates, HM, Philharmagic, etc. Once Fastpass+ redistributes the crowds, we're all going to be waiting in a lot more lines. I'm sure Disney has done their research and has determined how long of a wait time that guests will be willing to stomach, and now will shoot for that wait time at all rides park wide (probably around 20 mins). Now, most of us are savvy enough to know how to react to the ebb and flow of park crowds, we get through a whole day with no waits. Those days are going to be history with FP+.

Now, I'm sure some people are thinking, well, I'll just get a FP+ for all the rides I like, the mountains, HM, Pirates, Peter Pan, but I'm afraid that the system will not work that way. In order for the redistribution to work successfully, there will have to be a choice, i.e. one of the mountains, but not all three. If you could just pick the most popular attractions, that is what everyone would do, and the Fastpass+ line would be just as long as the old standby. The filler is the lynchpin for the redistribution of crowds.

Now, I guess this wouldn't be terrible if you were still able to get there at rope drop and physically pick up FPs for the attractions you weren't allowed to book with FP+, but I'm really thinking that it is not going to work that way. Redistribution of crowds and overall lowering of wait times is what they are after, so I think that they are either going to have to eliminate "day of" FP for it to work, or make it an either/or scenario where you can do FP "classic" OR FP+ and not both.

The bottom line is that FP+ is going to completely change the wait times across the park, and love or hate FP+, it is something we are all going to have to navigate around.

Isn't this assuming the majority of visitors are clueless? Why, all of a sudden, will less people want to ride Space or Splash Mountain? Why will, all of a sudden, everyone want to ride the TTA? You can redistribute guests around the park to a certain extent, but as others have said, FP+ does nothing to change the capacity of any given ride...and when more guests want to ride an attraction then it can handle (as is the case for most e-tickets), lines are going to form. As far as I can tell, there is NO possible way to get rid of long lines (for everyone) at the most popular attractions.

 

[Turtle]

I think most logical people would prefer a few rides spent with a billion dollars rather than a new fastpass system making your vacation stressful with a tight schedule.