mitchk
Well-Known Member
I will be saying something. I think it can work to, but it needs a lot of changes. Btw. Thanks to the mod. For moving this. I wasn't sure where to post this.
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Selected for Fast Pass Plus
- Thread starter Por-Favor-Manténgase
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I will be saying something. I think it can work to, but it needs a lot of changes. Btw. Thanks to the mod. For moving this. I wasn't sure where to post this.
ddbowdoin
Well-Known Member
NOT A FAN... this is something that will likely turn into a perk only the wealthy can afford. There is no way, as a company, they'll allow this to remain free in the long run. There is, as there always has been, a great market to tap when it comes to extra perks like this. PEOPLE WILL PAY
mitchk
Well-Known Member
awhit066
Well-Known Member
I don't know why they would want to do this. I mean they up charge for park hopper tickets so wouldn't trying to keep people in one park per day influence revenue?
mitchk
Well-Known Member
ddbowdoin
Well-Known Member
actually... that's a really good point.
Buried20KLeague
Well-Known Member
Depends on your definition of the word "pay". But it seems clear that this will only be offered to those that Disney can reasonably pinpoint to be spending all their vacation money with the Mouse.
Right now, it's offered ONLY to those that stay on property, and ALSO use Magical Express. The million dollar question is... Will these two things be required upon full roll-out?
If so... Locals and AP'ers are screwed. Those (like me) that stay on site but rent a car so we don't have to subject ourselves to Disney's internal bus system are screwed. Those that stay off site (for any of a number of reasons) are screwed.
If the requirements are staying on site and using DME, they're going to alienate a whole bunch of people and them off. It's going to create multiple classes within guests. It's going to create and huge gap between the "haves" and the "have nots", as I've said since day one.
By the way... If it DOES stay like this, every one of you will hear a huge "I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!" from me. Since the instant it was announced, I've said that they would not make it availabile to everyone, and that if they do, it would be for an additional direct fee for some. I still stand by that.
You want to rent a car and still have FP+? Okay. That's $9.99 per day per person per day of your tickets. You want to stay off site and still have FP+? That's $9.99 per person per day of your tickets. You're a local? That's $9.99 for the day (or an additional $50 per AP for the year).
Add that upcharge to the parking fee that you may or may not have to pay, and all of a sudden staying on site looks more econonical (or so they would have you believe).
They know their on site product is overpriced and under quality. This is them closing that gap in value in relation to price. Mark my words.
Buried20KLeague
Well-Known Member
I'm sure when the full roll out happens, you'll be able to mix rides from different parks into the same day. The testing is just at the MK, so it stands to reason they're keeping you there for the day.
My guess is they'll have another testing phase for maybe EACH park, then a final phase where you can choose your park, or mix between a couple.
This is the equivalent of them starting the engine a few times before they actually put it in drive.
*** NOTE: I'm against this whole FP+ deal, but the way they're testing it makes logical sense.
mitchk
Well-Known Member
ddbowdoin
Well-Known Member
I agree with this 100%... it's like we (as dedicated fans) see the writing on the wall.
I've said for sometime that WDW definitely distinguishes its guests into different classes. It's not that the base class is bad, it's just the more cash you have the experience is that much better... which just mirrors the way the rest of the world works.
experiment624
Well-Known Member
I read somewhere, a long while ago, that FP+ is only intended as a perk for those that stay on property, however, I do not attest to the validity of where I read it from, I don't remember. If that is true, it makes me think they are trying to copy Uni to the sense that if you stay at either of Uni's "on-property" resorts, your room key is an unlimited fast pass at both parks all day. Uni also sells a FP (expensive buggar) but it is only good for each ride one time; whereas the room key is unlimited. Again, If, FP+ is only for on-property vacationers, it knocks us locals out of the running, not that I'm on board with planning a day out like that in the first place. So if going to Disney as an annual pass holder and a local means that we can no longer get reasonable times on the same day fast pass, or get a fast pass, or now have a 3 hour standby wait time while the on-property folks walk-on, I can easily not renew my annual pass and find other ways to spend my money. As mentioned, it already sucks trying to eat at a park when (AP holders/locals) don't plan our trip 180 days ahead and therefore can't get seating; for that reason there, i'll happily eat off property and spend less time in a park on any given visit which in turn equals less money I spend at Disney. Actually, our annual pass is coming up for renewal and I just can't find a reason to renew at this point.
JCAEdge21
Active Member
I don't even know what I want to eat for dinner tonight, let alone 180 days from now! It's completely ridiculous..
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Seriously! Six months is insane, and you have a point, many people don't even know what they want to eat tonight for dinner. Really ridiculous.
DisneyFan 2000
Well-Known Member
I'm just not sure they put any thought to anyone but their own wallets when planning all of this. Sure, the company gets to know when a guest will be at every given moment. Sure, it's an added incentive to stay on-site. Sure, they'll find out about your do's and don'ts before you ever step foot in the park and prepare accordingly. Etc, etc... I'm just not really seeing the benefits for guests. I guess it gives comfort to know you'll be skipping a huge line half a year in advance, but on day of arrival I honestly see it creating more stress than actual flexibility. The need to run from A to B will only get worse once you're on a tight schedule of attraction, attraction, ADR, attraction. Not to mention, what happens when a ride goes 101? I hope they're also prepping City Hall accordingly because I foresee a plethora of compensations given out the more guests reach a dead-end with one of their "exclusive" FP+s.
ChrisM
Well-Known Member
That would be kind of weird. But not in the way you are thinking.
This will make me sound like a jerk, but so be it: when I vacation at WDW I drop a metric ton of lucre. But I would never take the ME. I will either get a car service or rent a car for transportation. I would find it bizarre if my not wanting to ride with the rabble on the ME (all apologies to the easily offended) would preclude me from an extra benefit (which I would gladly pay for it they offered it as a pay option).
"Thanks for spending a gazillion dollars, ChrisM. But since you didn't want to use our free sh***y bus from the airport, you don't get this option."
My natural response to that would be, "what the hell?"
mitchk
Well-Known Member
I just went back to the fp plus, and made some changes. I must say, it's not as bad as I thought. You do have the option of changing times for the fp. I have dinning res at the plaza for 430, and the way I moved my fps around I'll be on btm by 3, and sm by 350. This is nice, but you are limited to the attractions you can pick, and like what was just posted, what if the ride goes 101? The whole system has its pluses and minuses.
If this is going to be the case, then Magical Express will HAVE to be expanded to Sanford (and potentially Tampa). There are lots of UK flights that fly into Sanford and it would be extremely unfair for you to not be able to get FP+ because your airline flies to the wrong airport!
I've read that as well. I remember it being brought up on these forums when FP+ was first revealed (not announced, but from an insider), but the details were fuzzy and a lot of conjecture was going on.
You can actually purchase an unlimited Express Pass at Universal...it's crazy expensive though. But depending where you stay off-property it can still be cheaper than staying on.
It's supposedly a benefit for people staying on-site. Those guest have no real value benefits to staying on site other than a few extra hours in the park. You will still have access to regular FP, the only difference is you won't be able to plan that you will be riding Space Mountain a specific date at a spefici time, months in advance. I think it's a horrible burden.
Not being eligible to participate in a program that can affect your enjoyment of the parks is one thing (FP+), but EVERYONE can reserve seating at one of the restaurants on property. If I wake up one morning and decide I want to go to Le Cirque for dinner, but can't get in because I didn't reserve in advance, that's really my problem. Certain things can't be done "on a whim," and it's not like you don't know that. While I personally despise the need for ADRs at WDW restaurants, they are a fact of life. Personally, I haven't generally had problems getting same-day reservations, but on occasion I've had to settle for times I hadn't planned. BUt at the same time I would rather know when I can go get a table than sit around for an hour waiting to be seated.
They are testing the system. They could have easily chosen people who booked through Disney on the phone; or they could have selected people who booked directly through Disney online; or they could have selected people who are only staying at moderate resorts; or so on. They chose to use DME. They picked a group they believed will spend all of their time on property, and DME users are the most likely people to remain on property. This isn't rocket science.
The MaD Hatter
Well-Known Member
Years ago, when we were only able to visit WDW once a year, our annual trip was a HUGE deal. Part of the fun leading up to the trip was planning what parks we would be in each day,which order we would see each attraction, and where we would eat. We would literally have our vacation planned out almost a year in advance, waiting feverishly for the 180-mark to see if we would be able to get all the ADRs we wanted. Back then, FP+ would've sounded like a great idea and we would have been all over it.
Since then, however, we've moved to Orlando and our Disney trips are much more spontaneous. The downside to this is that we can't ever eat where we want to because all the good restaurants have been booked for 6 months. The thought of allowing resort guests to book their FPs far in advance now sounds quite disheartening to us. It's hard enough to get FPs to popular rides like TSMM and Soarin' unless you get their first thing in the morning. It seems like this system will make those FPs even more limited. On the positive side, I guess we could always use those 2 hours we weren't able to spend eating at Le Cellier waiting in the stand-by line for Soarin'.
Since then, however, we've moved to Orlando and our Disney trips are much more spontaneous. The downside to this is that we can't ever eat where we want to because all the good restaurants have been booked for 6 months. The thought of allowing resort guests to book their FPs far in advance now sounds quite disheartening to us. It's hard enough to get FPs to popular rides like TSMM and Soarin' unless you get their first thing in the morning. It seems like this system will make those FPs even more limited. On the positive side, I guess we could always use those 2 hours we weren't able to spend eating at Le Cellier waiting in the stand-by line for Soarin'.