danv3
Well-Known Member
THIS.
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No fastpasses available today?
- Thread starter britlightyear
- Start date
THIS.
luv
Well-Known Member
ITA that there is nothing nefarious about encouraging people to book Disney hotels by giving them perks like FP when they do it. I think it will absolutely increase hotel occupancy. The clearest proof of this is how well it worked for Uni (although Uni's system is better.)Making informed FP+ selections requires familiarity with the parks. Simply using the My Disney Experience (MDE) website doesn't.
MDE offers a quick-pick option. A few have reported that the quick-pick option (so far) tends to pick the attractions most would want. For example, TSM over LMA; Soarin' over Maelstrom. The quick-pick option also seems to space picks out, giving guests time to travel between attractions. Giving guests time to shop.
For those unfamiliar with WDW, the quick-pick option will act as a pseudo tour guide, adding structure into what otherwise would be an unstructured day.
Corporate Disney doesn't want you to have an unstructured day. They want your entire day to be planned, specifically planned at WDW.
An unplanned day means you might actually (wait for it) visit someone else's theme park.
Quoting Disney CEO Bob Iger:
"We have for years had in place products that are available only to hotel guests. And actually, one thing that I think Jay alluded to, didn't say specifically, is the My Magic Plus will definitely encourage people to stay more on-property than off-property. Jay was talking about essentially by being able to plan ahead, people will basically have more plans with us, and that will in effect discourage them from doing other things. I think it will also encourage them to stay more in our hotels. And so I think you have to look at that as an additional value to My Magic Plus."
That's what Disney wants.
In a perfect word, Disney would love to tell everyone exactly what they should ride. That's not nefarious; that level of control would simply assure load-balancing of all their attractions. Since Disney cannot realistically achieve that, they want to target their high-value guests (think Deluxe Resorts) in order to get those with the deepest pockets to open those pockets. Again, nothing nefarious. That's just what private businesses are supposed to do. Get their customers to buy more and, when resources are limited, get their best customers to spend the most.
There have been plenty of reports of incredibly long FP+ lines for some of WDW's most popular, low capacity attractions. Guests are getting FP+ for TSM and actually using it.
Right now, it looks like too many are getting FP+ for some attractions and Disney will have to correct that if it doesn't want a bunch of high-value guests upset that they spent 45 minutes in what was supposed to be the fast line.
I think it could've been done for a lot less money than Disney spent, though. They waste ginormous sums on unnecessary things and cut cheap stuff like a few more dancers for the shows.
luv
Well-Known Member
Oh, I totally agree.
It's been a loooong time since I thought of Disney as a trustworthy company, though. I'm no longer shocked by shady behavior, half-truths or outright lies on their part.
I have been a loyal Disney customer for many, many years. I generally look past all the problems because as long as my DD is having a ball I am too. Most of the conversation about FP+ is doom and gloom. Hopefully it won't come to pass (no pun intended) but if the lines on non-prime rides get to be 30+ minutes on a regular basis my days at Disney are numbered.
I understand that they are a public company and need to continue to grow their profits. It just saddens me that it will likely be at my family's expense.
I understand that they are a public company and need to continue to grow their profits. It just saddens me that it will likely be at my family's expense.
Disneyhead'71
Well-Known Member
While I understand that Corporate Disney's goal is to "encourage" on-site stays by forcing off-site, AP, and local day guests to stand in artificially inflated wait times, I think it will have the opposite effect and simply encourage those folks to go to Universal instead.
And I think this whole thing has the very real possibility of blowing up in their face. Because, if the on-site guests are limited to 3 FP+ per day, after/between their 3 reserved ride times, these on-site guests will have to deal with the ridiculously inflated wait times to get into the sweet spot of 10 attractions a day. I am not real good at the math thing, but by my best calculations, 3≠10.
At this point, I have to use one of my favorite quotes from one of Disney's most under appreciated movies (Meet The Robinsons), "I don't think this plan was thought out very well."
And I think this whole thing has the very real possibility of blowing up in their face. Because, if the on-site guests are limited to 3 FP+ per day, after/between their 3 reserved ride times, these on-site guests will have to deal with the ridiculously inflated wait times to get into the sweet spot of 10 attractions a day. I am not real good at the math thing, but by my best calculations, 3≠10.
At this point, I have to use one of my favorite quotes from one of Disney's most under appreciated movies (Meet The Robinsons), "I don't think this plan was thought out very well."
ABQ
Well-Known Member
This thread is so very long and though I have read most of it, what has been the general consensus with regards to how many fast passes, not FP+, but the standard circa 2012 FP one party of say, 4, could have acquired in a given day within the MK for example? Assuming they all want to ride everything together and don't plan to park hop. I'm not saying I like the FP+ limit of 3 attractions, but is there time in the day for 6 standard FP's? If so, I can't see how the clock doesn't tick too fast for that to happen.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
I think Disney is underestimating the negative effect of their failure to publish a clear, concise and permanent plan for FP+ -- who gets them, how many they get at each park, when they can be booked, etc. They've spent too much time testing and waffling and giving out vague or inconsistent information, and as a result, many guests are confused, scared and/or pessimistic about what's going to happen and what changes might take place when the full roll-out occurs. WDW has squandered the opportunity to get guests excited about the new technology (at least, guests who are savvy enough to read a press release crowing about how awesome FP+ is going to be and see how little information it's actually giving), and instead many guests are (and perhaps rightfully so) leery of it instead.
It's past time for Disney to 'fess up and tell guests exactly what is going to happen and how this is going to work. They are marketing NextGen to the people who like to be in the know, and to plan ahead, and then denying those people the information they need to formulate an effective plan for the post-rollout period.
AdventureHasAName
Well-Known Member
I would suggest that if the FP+ are limited only to on-site guests ... and those are limited to only 3 per day ... that the stand-by wait times will not be "ridiculously inflated" and instead will be fairly reasonable (just like they were before the entire FP system was implemented in the first place).
Disneyhead'71
Well-Known Member
With over 36,000 hotel rooms and 2 parks with 6 or less rides, I don't see how there won't be queue gridlock. The problem with the parks isn't scheduling, it's carrying capacity. And MDE/MM+/FP+ does NOTHING for a parks capacity.
We are seeing it now, and not even all the on-site resorts are participating in the test.
Lord_Vader
Join me, together we can rule the galaxy.
I can confirm this, now expect at least HS & AK to follow suit soon. At least for now the other three parks are not tiered but don't think it will take long before the tiered attractions are added to them as well.
Lord_Vader
Join me, together we can rule the galaxy.
As an update...
Now FP+ is allowing me to make only one or two selections and not the previously required three. At least it doesn't force me to select an attraction FP that I don't intend on keeping/using now.
Now FP+ is allowing me to make only one or two selections and not the previously required three. At least it doesn't force me to select an attraction FP that I don't intend on keeping/using now.
doctornick
Well-Known Member
It sorta was in the earliest testing (which was a Chinese menu type "pick one from column a and one from column b" set up) but they backed off of it due to guest feedback. Not surprised to see it return.
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
It really tells a tale about park/ride capacity when the implication of the tiered arrangement is that the average guest who even succeeds in getting a soarin or midway mania FP would be unable to get any other passes for the majority of the day because their return time would likely be in the late afternoon.
Grumps
Member
I have been to WDW 4 times in the last 4 years. We had such a good time the first trip that it became a repeat vacation. We loved it. We were planning on scheduling another vacation this year, but with all of this mess we are re-evaluating our plans.
We got a lot of use out of the fastpass tool and are definitely put off on the new system, moreso because we typically stay off site. Losing those, and hearing about the inflated standby times, I have to say that the odds of us going back this May are decreasing. We spent 2 days at Universal on the last trip and if we decide to go back to Orlando then I think we may book more days there instead, maybe skip WDW altogether or maybe just go over to Disneyland instead. I will just keep checking in on the board to see if things are improving.
We got a lot of use out of the fastpass tool and are definitely put off on the new system, moreso because we typically stay off site. Losing those, and hearing about the inflated standby times, I have to say that the odds of us going back this May are decreasing. We spent 2 days at Universal on the last trip and if we decide to go back to Orlando then I think we may book more days there instead, maybe skip WDW altogether or maybe just go over to Disneyland instead. I will just keep checking in on the board to see if things are improving.
awoogala
Well-Known Member
wow. glad I picked mine last week before that happened!
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
I feel your pain. We are going in May and taking two family members -- one of whom hasn't been since 2005 and the other has never been to WDW. Both are over 70 and have health issues that make standing in line for long periods difficult, but they are proud and refuse to accept any kind of "disability assistance." Now I wish we'd never booked this trip, because I unwittingly did it under false pretenses, giving them glowing reviews about WDW and telling them about the "never waited more than 15 minutes for anything" experience my family has typically had. I feel like I've sold them a false bill of goods! My task now will be to manage everyone's expectations and let them know that thanks to WDW's billion-dollar shot-in-the-foot, we're going to be waiting in a series of long lines despite our best efforts and advance planning. I'm so angry that Disney has put me in this position --in a position to be embarrassed about all the nice things I've said about WDW and its oh-so-democratic, oh-so-fair, free-to-everybody Fastpass system in the past. Appropos of nothing, the "Lowered Expectations" skits from MadTV keep running through my head...
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Bairstow
Well-Known Member
I can understand your trepidation but it from what I've seen and read the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom have been largely unaffected by the program. Crowds have been higher than usual this fall too.