My Magic + details ...

[englanddg]

You'll just associate your ticket with your account. The difference will be is 'when' you secure your tickets.

But this is an easy problem for Disney to solve... just make it so anyone can make FP+ reservations up to 60days in advance. There really is no reason to require having the tickets first. It's not like your tickets are only good for certain days...

It certainly does mess with the system, unless they are not going to place any limits on FP distribution at all...

 

[Mad Stitch]

I tried to read everything but I don't know if I missed this or not but to me a crucial component is if they are still doing tiered levels of FP+ to choose from ... @WDW1974

For example are they still going to make you choose 1 FP+ each from Group A, B, and C? Where Group A is all E-tickets, and Groups B and C are lesser attractions or entertainment ... essentially giving you only one worthwhile fastpass?

I was wondering this myself. If this was the case I'd end up using one pass out of the three.

 

[flynnibus]

Fine. What other major guest benefits does NextGen provide that didn't already exist?

I'm not going to get into some ing match over what is worth the money or not - but lets stick the facts.. and they didn't spend 2 billion on FP+ alone any more than you spent $300 on a hotdog at Casey's because your park ticket cost you $300.

 

[rael ramone]

I've done that several times. It really annoys the cast member when you do that.

While I can't say the CM 'deserves' this, any 'annoyance' on their part shouldn't be on the 'honored guests' (does the monorail spiel still say that?)...

 

[bubbles1812]

I don't see fastpass+ being a hassle at all. Once it goes live guests will go with it, some will understand how it works and some will not. There are still some guests that don't understand fast pass now or park hopping or how to make a dining reservation. It will also go live at Disneyland resort just like they intended it to. Some said they would never be able to force the return times at Disneyland but they now do so they will be able to handle Fastpass+.

Eh? Please explain how you think it won't be a hassle. I like arguments that are supported rather than silly statements of opinion put forth as fact.

 

[flynnibus]

It certainly does mess with the system, unless they are not going to place any limits on FP distribution at all...

Again... shift your thinking. Imagine the supply of FPs is unlimited... the only limit is how many you chose to give out at any time period. Disney has put a huge clamp on how often a guest can even ask for a FP... so you might end up with a situation of unlimited FP supply.. limited FP customers. The only thing Disney has to do is distribute the load so that not everyone asks for the same time.

The # of people that would book FP+ just for kicks... vs people who actually book them for a trip they are planning.. would be tiny. Possibly even insignificant. So why hold all the legit users back to try to stop some insignificant # of unused FPs?

 

[englanddg]

I'm not going to get into some ing match over what is worth the money or not - but lets stick the facts.. and they didn't spend 2 billion on FP+ alone any more than you spent $300 on a hotdog at Casey's because your park ticket cost you $300.

So, nothing then.

And yes, I did pay 100 bucks give or take, for admission to buy a hotdog at Casey's and enjoy the environment around that hotdog.

The environment is what you pay for, the hot dog is a perk (that you also pay for).

So, looking at the cost, I think it is completely reasonable to ask, as a consumer, what benefits this will have for guests considering we could have had cars land and avatar and two more major mini lands for around the same price.

 

[ddrongowski]

I don't see fastpass+ being a hassle at all. Once it goes live guests will go with it, some will understand how it works and some will not. There are still some guests that don't understand fast pass now or park hopping or how to make a dining reservation. It will also go live at Disneyland resort just like they intended it to. Some said they would never be able to force the return times at Disneyland but they now do so they will be able to handle Fastpass+.

Will I have to use a FP+ to schedule my spa/massage? Will it count as 2 FP+'s since it is a couples massage?

 

[asianway]

Eh? Please explain how you think it won't be a hassle. I like arguments that are supported rather than silly statements of opinion put forth as fact.

Always toeing the pixie dusted company line too...shocker.

 

[ddrongowski]

FP+ could also become more like the Surprise Fastpasses that might make you feel good but that no one ends up using.

Family X books Splash Mountain, Coursel of Progress and Pooh. It rains so they don't use Splash... they walked by CoP earlier in the day and the standby wait was negligible so they went ahead and did that without using their FP+... and little Timmy had a stomach ache so they left for the day without riding Pooh.

End result: 3 FP+s booked 60+ 10 days out... 0 FP+s used.

(Plus, on their next trip.. they don't bother booking FP+ at all because the payoff wasn't worth it.)

Repeat enough times and the standby lines become quite tolerable for everyone once again because fewer and fewer FPs are actually being used.

Fingers crossed but I like many others will gladly wait on the sidelines to see how this all pans out.

We are already planning this as we never use FP's.

 

[Disneyfan1981]

As someone who has been under a rock because of two kids in the past three years, this is all confusing and scary at first read, still digesting all of it but as a teacher who has to take their vacations when everyone else does, I foresee a lot of headaches when I decide to trek my toddlers across country. They're already asking to go to Disney World.

 

[Rodan75]

This is something I've wondered since the rumors started leaking out. Someone who spends a commando day starting at Studios in the morning, heading to EPCOT from noon to 6 and doing night at MK is royally screwed. You visit three parks, but you can only use FP+ in one ... and that might be first thing in the morning to ride TSMM and you don't even need or use anything else at that park. There is absolutely nothing in this scheme that remotely has changed my opinion from 2009 when I first heard about the existence of this NGE initiative.

But even if you do that commando style today, it is difficult to get fast passes for anything at Epcot or DHS.

 

[asianway]

As someone who has been under a rock because of two kids in the past three years, this is all confusing and scary at first read, still digesting all of it but as a teacher who has to take their vacations when everyone else does, I foresee a lot of headaches when I decide to trek my toddlers across country. They're already asking to go to Disney World.

Id save yourself the trouble and plan a week in SoCal. Aulani would also make for a relaxing trip.

 

[devoy1701]

From what I have read, I believe that regular Fastpass is not being eliminated, and that only the Fastpass+ is limited to 3 per day in one park only. This is a good idea so that all the fastpasses are not used up before the park even opens in the morning. I'm just looking forward to the MyDisneyExperience site to be fully operational so I can add the rest of my Park Hoppers (bought from undercover tourist) to my reservation. It will only let me enter one Park Hopper for myself at the moment, and not for anybody else in my family. Tech support told me that should be ironed out in a month.

I think you're confused. This new system is supposed to replace the old.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

I think there is wiggle room here. There is no reason I can think of for Disney to not allow you to make FP+ without the ticket purchase.. they already have your 'id' the reservations will be assigned to. Your FP+ is associated with your profile.. and your band will be associated with your profile when its allocated.

By requiring a hotel reservation first.. there is a relative barrier to prevent gaming the system by making lots of reservations you don't intend on using.

They want you to purchase a package or tickets directly from them, not via authorized or unauthorized ticket vendors. I agree the purchasing a resort stay also "counts" as a guarantee that this person is comitted financially, but like all things Disney wants control over ticket media.

An open FP+ reservation system with no checks and balances would be equivalent to the Brazilian Tour Group Leader putting his 300+ tickets into the distribution machines for three attractions while the group is causing havoc in the All Star pool.

If you want the best FP+ selections, you need your tickets in advance. No will calls, exchange certificates, no purchasing tickets at the Denny's down the road.

 

[asianway]

I think you're confused. This new system is supposed to replace the old.

People continue to refuse to accept that FP as a concept never had the impact it was intended to-it just took them 14 years and $2B to come up with something better.

 

[GLaDOS]

People continue to refuse to accept that FP as a concept never had the impact it was intended to-it just took them 14 years and $2B to come up with something better.

I'm glad you brought up FP original concept as Disney saw it. It wasn't a tool to shorten lines, it was thought up as a tool to get people to eat, drink, and shop while waiting for their FP to come around.

I can't help but think there's a similar line of thought behind MM+, but I see it succeeding about the same as FP in the way Disney intended it.

 

[asianway]

I'm glad you brought up FP original concept as Disney saw it. It wasn't a tool to shorten lines, it was thought up as a tool to get people to eat, drink, and shop while waiting for their FP to come around.

I can't help but think there's a similar line of thought behind MM+, but I see it succeeding about the same as FP in the way Disney intended it.

Exactly, but what they did was use that time to wait in another line. And with the criss-crossing you had more people in walkways and overall fewer people in lines. This hurt capacity from the get - go. Huge extended queues for Space, Splash, POC werent getting used and people are out on the streets. This will get people back in line, out of the streets, and result in added capacity and more efficient utilization of existing assets.

On paper.

Assuming this is what people want out of a "vacation"

 

[Mawg]

I wonder how many people will no longer purchase park hopper now? Without Park Hopper will Magic Hours still be as popular? If people stop purchasing the Park Hopper will Disney realize the lost revenue and do something about it? I think with this change my Disney strategy will change, I will no longer visit any park with Magic Hours, I will no longer purchase park hopper and since I will no longer be using magic hours I will seriously consider staying off site. If anyone else feels the way I do, it would seem to be a huge loss in revenue.

I for one would make the following changes and then it might be more welcomed. Still not perfect.

Allow to schedule at multiple parks in a day.
Allow users to book 3 ahead of time and 3 more the day of.
Hold 50% - 25% of fast Passes to only be available the day of.
Release more Fast Passes the day of if attendance is down (based on Fast Passes scheduled) at a certain park to encourage park hopping
Getting people out of busy parks and to parks less crowded should be a goal

 

[bubbles1812]

I'm glad you brought up FP original concept as Disney saw it. It wasn't a tool to shorten lines, it was thought up as a tool to get people to eat, drink, and shop while waiting for their FP to come around.

I can't help but think there's a similar line of thought behind MM+, but I see it succeeding about the same as FP in the way Disney intended it.

I'm guessing it will come as quite a shock to them when merchandise sales continue to tank. It's not like FP+ solves the problem of the 5 year old merchandise that is the same in every single store in the parks. If people don't want to buy the boring "could have bought it cheaper a few years ago, maybe I will take a look on ebay" merch, no amount of extra "free time" that FP+ is going to theoretically provide will get them to buy it. And sorry, but as long as food prices are as high as they are, I don't see people spending more there either. I'm not going to go buy two pretzels instead of one... I'm going to go get in line for another ride.