No fastpasses available today?

[JenniferS]

[/quote]I firmly believe a huge (50%+) of the FastPass+ passes reserved over the internet will go unused (for a variety of reasons, but mostly because I think the mobile app is going to be largely unused within the parks and these passes will not be changed as necessary).[/quote]

While nowhere near 50%, we certainly let a number of FP+ go unused during our recent trip.

One day, due to weather, our whole DHS schedule got messed up. When I tried to rearrange our RnRC passes at one of the kiosks (approx. 4:30 p.m.) the only option (parkwide!) offered was American Idol Experience. Unnecessarily, I grabbed them anyway, just because I didn't want to waste yet another set of FastPasses.

We ended up doing RnRC using Single Riders anyway, after being blown away by the most amazing performance by a guy named Hector at AIE. (Hector went on to win the golden ticket that night, but sadly we missed it as we were dining at 50's Prime Time during the finale).

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

I am not sure, we usually stay off site but buy tickets at the parks. We also visit family in florida when we go down so it makes the most sense to not stay on site. I hope there is a way for off-site guest to get a Magic band or whatever for a minimal charge, otherwise I would say it is unfair to some extent!

oh okay. Idk, I always thought off-site guest buy tickets from outside vendors because it is cheaper. But thats for clearing that up.

 

[charisse scully]

It has to be a glitch of some sort. I could see TSMM being out already, but not the other two.

Help out an old lady please.....what is TSMM? So many abbreviations....I can't figure out any of them.

 

[crispy]

Help out an old lady please.....what is TSMM? So many abbreviations....I can't figure out any of them.

Toy Story Midway Mania.

 

[SilentWindODoom]

Just got back from the World. I suppose my experience isn't typical from all the ranting and raving I've seen.

People complain about overplanning and losing spontaneity. We go once every few years, and we know where we want to eat. We know what new experiences we want to... experience, and we plan accordingly. I've always approached the parks and everything by going left and taking a circle. The Magic Kingdom is started in Adventureland with the Jungle Cruise, then Pirates, then on to Frontierland. If we're there at rope-drop we usually don't hit a line until Fantasyland. We love eating lunch at Columbia Harbor House, which occurs at the natural lunching point during our excursion.

I was very unhappy with the start of our Epcot journey last time we went because my party balked at fairly paltry wait times (20 min for Mission: Space), in favor of fastpasses, which led to a lot of extra backtracking back and forth across Future World, made especially less fun given my mistake of wearing shoes that were ever-so-slightly too small for me.

This trip, we got fastpass+ for Mission: Space, Test Track, and Soarin'. Normally, we would never make it to Soarin' because you need to make a run for it immediately, but this gave us an opportunity to experience it. We no longer had to backtrack and waste time because we got fastpasses for Mission: Space, Test Track, and Soarin' in that order. Extra time that we had was enjoyed just relaxing, taking time to smell the roses, take in the details. That's something I love doing, and would never have been able to do without fastpass+. Gone was hectically running from place to place, being focused on getting everything in rather than enjoying where I was.

In Magic Kingdom, we got fastpasses for Enchanted Tales with Belle, Buzz Lightyear, and Monsters Inc. This entire trip was spurred by my mother's love for Beauty and the Beast and being able to experience Enchanted Tales, something we'd likely never get to experience without fastpass+ was wonderful. Without it we'd likely balk at the huge wait time, and even with standard fastpasses there's be higher things on our list to get first. Monsters Inc.'s fastpass ended up being completely useless, but I think that's something that will help stem the tide: people getting fastpasses for attractions that don't need them because their children love those characters.

By Day 6, I'd hurt my back and wasn't feeling well. Our 10:15 Star Tours fastpass+ made it possible to sleep in a bit, slowly saunter in past the rope-drop crowd (we had the benefit of extra magic hours), not care when the rope dropped and people ran by us, and enjoy a small breakfast at Starring Rolls. We even decided to take in Great Movie Ride while we were sitting there, since we still had about 20 minutes until the window opened for Star Tours.

Fastpass+ was a boon this trip. It allowed us to approach Disney not as a rat race, but the way it was meant to be enjoyed. We sat in the forests of Fantasyland and listened to the bubbling brook and waterfalls. We watched the mariachis in Mexico. I saw a hilarious show as a group on Sunset Boulevard rolled out the red carpet. It was nice.

 

[wogwog]

Let us not forget in all the issues being raised what it is that Disney gives you with all the new technology. A rubber band, inflated hotel prices, the fun of over planning a vacation, the pleasure of planting your face in your phone while on vacation, constantly having to learn where the hoops are you must jump through as the rules change, take longer to enter the park than the old style ticket required, giving up way too much personal information to all levels of Disney employees, hope the system does not lose your information or reservations or Photo Pass pictures, and more negatives than I care to remember. Pick what number you believe is the most correct by what you have head between one and three billion and think of how many new attractions the amount would create. Now think what Universal would have done with the same amount of money.

 

[drew81]

MyMagic will make you go PSYCHO.


Don't say I didn't warn you.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

Don't forget that people with smartphones (ie, most Disney guests) will be able to change or update their FP+ reservations on the fly, pending on availability.
I've already done it.

I didn't forget them; I mentioned them right in the post you quoted: "I firmly believe a huge (50%+) of the FastPass+ passes reserved over the internet will go unused (for a variety of reasons, but mostly because I think the mobile app is going to be largely unused within the parks and these passes will not be changed as necessary)."

The problem is that, although most Disney guests have smartphones, my guess is that far less than Disney believes have the knowledge, ability and desire to download the mobile app, figure it out, and utilize it in the park to change their fastpass reservations. My 67 year old parents have smartphones, but I could build the Great Wall of China in my backyard (by hand, by myself) before either one of them would be able to change a fastpass using their phone.

 

[Bairstow]

Let us not forget in all the issues being raised what it is that Disney gives you with all the new technology. A rubber band, inflated hotel prices, the fun of over planning a vacation, the pleasure of planting your face in your phone while on vacation, constantly having to learn where the hoops are you must jump through as the rules change, take longer to enter the park than the old style ticket required

My experience this September indicated that the band/thumbprint scanner system is faster and more reliable than the old ticket slot/two finger system. Especially since one CM can monitor two stations at once.

, giving up way too much personal information to all levels of Disney employees,

To my understanding, all that most line CMs interfacing with the band will have access to is your first name.
I haven't heard of employees not involved in guest services situations (like the front desk of your hotel) having access to any other information.
Have you heard otherwise? Keep in mind that you've been on CCTV at all times while at the park for years.

Pick what number you believe is the most correct by what you have head between one and three billion and think of how many new attractions the amount would create.

The billion dollar figure floating around is part of a wider initiative to upgrade a host of Disney IT infrastructure across the board. MyMagicPlus and the bands are only a small part of it, but are far and away the most interesting part.

 

[Jeffxz]

I can't speak to the paper fastpasses, but I think the very limited amount of available FP+ that was reported yesterday was a glitch. Yesterday I tried to make TSMM FP+ on Sunday and there were no times for a group of 4, I was able to get 2 overlapping hours for 2 groups of 2 around 7:00PM (2 FP+ for 6:00-7:00 and 2 more for 6:30-7:30). I went on again today and had no problem changing the time to any time after 1:00 for the whole party.

I still expect the sky will fall, but I don't think it has yet.

 

[bethymouse]

I guess those folks at the parks from now until the beginning of 2014 are going to experience problems.
I can't wait until the mine train opens! Now that will be interesting!

 

[RSoxNo1]

1st off as I posted ealier I think your crowd level is way higher than what Touring plans is posting. We were there last and on the plane ride a gentlemen in the seat in front of was saying he went last at the exact same and the crowd was 3/4 of what it was. There seems to be an extreme amount of guests in the parks.

That very well may be true, but the "all Fastpasses distributed" times are significantly earlier than they ever were previously.

 

[John]

Disney will not scrap the entire program. They have spent too much money, their time, and guest time on it. I feel like the only way to recoup their investment would be allow paper fastpasses, and make fp+ a bonus or add on for a price. Many people who pay to avoid the morning rush to rides.

I actually like this idea......

 

[awoogala]

Again if Disney were just transparent and honest, I think half of the freaking out could have been eliminated.
I'm going with a group in November. Right now, I am in a panic about my trip, which I paid quite a bit for. (through Disney)
If you are going to roll out fp+ to all the onsite hotels, and not offer enough fp 1.0 to people, this could have been important info when I booked my hotel 3 months ago. Now I am left rethinking my hotel, worried my trip will be a disaster because I don't have the fp+, and others do.
No one knows when anything will happen, and Disney isn't telling anyone if and when you can get a stupid band if you are offsite. (and Dolphin is still offsite, at least where fp+ is concerned at this time).
I am thinking I need to switch to a Disney hotel quickly, or our trip could be a bit of a nightmare. My husband tells me I should just relax! I can't. fp+ is making me tense.

 

[xdan0920]

Good grief....

Digital FP is good.

Paper FP is a PITA.

HOWEVER......

Booking ride ressies 60 days in advance is RIDICULOUS. I love the idea of not having to trek back and forth across Future World to secure a FP. But why not just make all FP day of? Why this advanced booking nonsense? Wake up on a Tuesday, decide you want to go to DHS, book your FP on the bus on the way over. Easy peasy.

 

[John]

What most of you who like this program and think that having your FP's already reserved for the E-tickets ( looking at you @Tigger1988 ) You are forgetting a major detail. The program isn't in full roll out. Of course you are getting what you want.....when you want. Wait till the thing goes live. That said....I guess that should go both ways. But with what live reports we have seen it looks like at the minimum it has been problematic. Also the real culprit in wait times will be how many Fp's Disney will distribute for a particular ride. What if occupancy sky rockets like they want......will they increase FP distribution? And if they don't and a lot of guest get stuck with COP and Stitch....how long before those guest stop coming? No matter what in the end the customer will ALWAYS determine what their VALUE is versus cost. That threshold for me has already been passed.

 

[John]

Good grief....

Digital FP is good.

Paper FP is a PITA.

HOWEVER......

Booking ride ressies 60 days in advance is RIDICULOUS. I love the idea of not having to trek back and forth across Future World to secure a FP. But why not just make all FP day of? Why this advanced booking nonsense? Wake up on a Tuesday, decide you want to go to DHS, book your FP on the bus on the way over. Easy peasy.

Because that benefits you and does not benefit Disney......nothing more....nothing less. Impossible for Disney to schedule staff prior. For them it makes FP+ less valuable. Your missing the point of the program. IMO it isn't to help you enjoy your vacation but to help them make more and save more money.

 

[NearTheEars]

It must be nice to not know what you are talking about. On-site guests don't pay more for their ticket media. And there are many off-site hotels that cost more than staying at a Disney Value or Moderate (but are of deluxe-level quality). Universal's resorts include the express pass, but any day guest can purchase the same perk. So if Disney were to make FP+ available only to on-site guests without offering a way for day guests to also receive the perk, then it absolutely is unfair. When you offer something that benefits one group at the expense of another, a system must be in place to equalize that. Otherwise it's a bad business practice.

How is it a bad business practice to reward people staying loyal to your company by staying a a resort you operate? It's a perk.

Yes, it really sucks they changed the system, but it is absolutely not unfair to give special perk to a guest staying on site vs. a guest spending their money elsewhere.

The only bad business decision was not to make Fastpass resort only, or for a premium from the start. With as greedy as many believe TDO to be, I'm surprised it was free to begin with.

Let your wallets do the talking folks. That's the best way to be heard!

 

[draybook]

How is a bad business practice to reward people staying loyal to your company by staying a a resort you operate? It's a perk.

Yes, it really sucks they changed the system, but it is absolutely not unfair to give special perk to a guest staying on site vs. a guest spending their money elsewhere.

The only bad business decision was not to make Fastpass resort only, or for a premium from the start. With as greedy as many believe TDO to be, I'm surprised it was free to begin with.

Let your wallets do the talking folks. That's the best way to be heard!

I'm not surprised because if I'm not mistaken the original intent of FP was to take you out of lines and hopefully have you in their retail locations or dining; ie spending money.

And as someone that stays in a moderate resort on property I think the idea of resort only FPs sucks. Possibly getting rid of EMH sucks as well. This kind of stuff is what's going to push me towards the "other place" and that es me off because I have such a fondness for WDW.....

 

[Tangled21]

After free transportation, EMH is the only reason I stay on site. And the fact that EMH has already been shortened stinks. 3 fast passes can in no way replace the feeling of riding space mountain 3 times in a row with no wait, or riding test track at 10 o clock at night.