Okay, this has been going on for a few days now so I've got a few sanity check questions to make sure I understand where we are right now.
1- FP+ has expanded to additional resorts recently and is planned to be available at all resorts by 11/1/13
2- As a result of this expansion, Disney appears to have reduced the number of Day-of FP's available for day guests (seems obvious they would need to) to a much smaller quantity than would have been previously available. At that new lower quantity level, they are running out of FP's for most high popularity attractions such as TSMM, TT, ToT, etc.. within ~60-90 minutes after the official opening of the park.
3- FP+ is only available to Disney resort guests 'selected' to be a part of the test
4- Annual Passholders are not eligible to use FP+ unless they have recently participated in a resort test and linked their AP to the system. This appears to be an unintended loophole that they've decided it's not really worth trying to stop because it's such a small number of people, it's not worth worrying about.
5- In my discussion with Disney earlier this week I was told that they do not have a publicly available timeline for if or when FP+ might be made available to AP holders of any kind.
6- Day guests are not eligible to use FP+ at all under any circumstance at this time.
7- There are a number of reports that after they get all of the resorts launched in November the system is going to be essentially frozen until after the holiday season with no changes or additions. Also, not an unreasonable thing, you don't want to be messing with it substantially during that peak holiday period and risk a complete meltdown.
So assuming the above to be accurate (and I invite correction for accuracy as appropriate) as an Orlando local with an Annual Pass, it seems that unless I get to a park at rope drop, getting a FP for any of the major attractions for the foreseeable future is just not going to happen. And even if I get there at rope drop it means only one 'E' ticket FP for the entire day, all other access to all other attractions in via standby (except a 'C' or lesser attraction where FP+ was recently added).
The only option I have to potentially change this is to spend even more money than that $950 I already spent on my Premier Passport and spend a night at a resort and hope I get selected to 'test' so that I can get FP's in coming months.
While I acknowledge that I'll get no sympathy from most as a local for complaining about this, it appears that portion of the guest community will have a reduced experience when visiting the parks for the foreseeable future. I've seen nothing official from Disney that AP holders will ever be able to participate in this program except as a resort guests, nor if there is some sort of plan when an AP holder would be eligible to participate.
