The Spirited Back Nine ...

[Nemo14]

Primarily went to UNI for Mannheim Steamroller, Wandered around a bit ate and went back to BLT, Went to KSC yesterday and did the Canveral AFS tour. Have not decided on what to do today.

I was at KSC yesterday too - wish I had known you were there!

 

[ford91exploder]

Is there a way you could create a new account? What is it that's not working? They won't load or you select a ride and it doesn't register or something else? Or go to the front desk and ask for help, I did that at The Beach Club.

Thanks for the concern, I wish it was that easy But I've been dealing with this since the DAWN of FP+ since I'm DVC a new 'master account' cannot be created for me so I have to 'embrace the suck' as it seems.

I feel REALLY bad for the GR CM's as they have done their level best to help only to be blocked by the system. While I was at GR yesterday the CM had to reboot his system 3 times as when he went to edit parts of my profile the system simply locked up hard.

 

[ford91exploder]

Well if his account never works I thought it would be worth a shot.

Here is the key to the issue, Disney has a bunch of unrelated systems tied together with a HADOOP mashup, When they did their FP+ system it appears they never did a complete refactor of the data stores so it becomes a real problem when an pre existing account is corrupted in some manner.

This apparently explains why post FP+ accounts are just fine, DBIL/DSIL and 4 kids are also with us this trip and they are having a flawless FP+ experience but they have 7 day MMW tickets.

 

[CDavid]

Have not decided on what to do today.

You were supposed to have planned your day out a couple months ago, and you are 179 days late deciding where and what you want to eat. Get with the program and stop living in the past!

You have to realize that Disney is a business, and they know better than you do what you want out of a vacation. You can be so much more relaxed and spontaneous if you have everything planned out in advance - you know, like how you do your taxes and stuff.

 

[ford91exploder]

You were supposed to have planned your day out a couple months ago, and you are 179 days late deciding where and what you want to eat. Get with the program and stop living in the past!

You have to realize that Disney is a business, and they know better than you do what you want out of a vacation. You can be so much more relaxed and spontaneous if you have everything planned out in advance - you know, like how you do your taxes and stuff.

That is so true, Now to the consternation of some who insist "ford91exploder HATES WDW", I AM having a very good time here at WDW however that does not excuse the world class CHARLIE-FOXTROTS which are occurring which are directly caused by the misguided management culture at WDW.

 

[Nemo14]

Have not decided on what to do today.

*coughDisneyoutletcough*

 

[ford91exploder]

*coughDisneyoutletcough*

Snow is the other four letter word beginning with s

 

[TeddyinMO]

BrerJon, Until recently, I would have agreed with you that MDE for single-day tickets would not be an advantage, but the most recent addition to MDE seems to change this. Now that you can buy tickets with the app, you can get your day ready at the park without ever getting out of bed.

Step 1: Wake up and decide to go to MK
Step 2: Grab phone
Step 3: Log into app and buy single day ticket
Step 4: Reserve FP+ for 3 of the Big 5 rides (Splash, Space, SDMT, PP or Big Thunder)
Step 5: Go back to sleep until you feel like going to park

Seems to me this is a whole lot easier than trying to wake up, rush to do rope drop, sprinting around the park to find FP cards. Ain't technology grand?

You should try visiting randomly for one day, buying your ticket at the gate, without planning anything, and see how you get on. I suspect you'd have a far less positive view of MyMagic+ by the end of it.

 

[ford91exploder]

bhg, I actually see your point, and somewhat agree. But if you take that logic and run with it, we never would have had original fast pass or Key to the World cards or monorails to ride from the TTC to the front gates or 3-D shows or any number of things. Those were all technological advancements that they "forced" on the guests. The difference is when those started, everyone didn't have a website to whine to.

Transitions are tough. The move to MDE hasn't been perfect, but for the vast majority, it's gone well. WDW is bursting at the seems with people who are using it successfully. It's really not that complicated, and when it doesn't work, which happens with any technology, there are plenty of examples on this site of IT/CMs helping and fixing it with a phone call.

I do get that MDE and FP+ are not everyone's cup of tea. But let's be honest, there are a few posters on this site that will complain about WDW no matter what they do. When one person claims multiple IT issues that are clearly unrelated, well, I think it's fair to say that Disney IT is not the problem.

True, The problem with FP+ is primarily with planning and execution, When KTTW was introduced Disney IT was 'in house' and the people really understood all the interactions with all the business units and KTTW was a seamless experience even worked across park boundaries (unlike FP+).

Fast forward to today, 'Disney IT' is entirely outsourced except for the suits so the various teams NEVER communicate and projects are siloed.

This is the 'Government IT' model and why many large government IT projects fail so spectacularly after spending hundreds of millions or even billions because effectively 'NO ONE' is in charge.

It's why FP+ is such a hot mess because I'd argue NO ONE at Disney fully understands it as a whole.

Now I'm off to collect a ECV for DFIL who sprained ankle day before trip so our family becomes part of the ECV problem - however DFIL is a Marine and his dress uniform from 30 years ago STILL FITS.

 

[ford91exploder]

BrerJon, Until recently, I would have agreed with you that MDE for single-day tickets would not be an advantage, but the most recent addition to MDE seems to change this. Now that you can buy tickets with the app, you can get your day ready at the park without ever getting out of bed.

Step 1: Wake up and decide to go to MK
Step 2: Grab phone
Step 3: Log into app and buy single day ticket
Step 4: Reserve FP+ for 3 of the Big 5 rides (Splash, Space, SDMT, PP or Big Thunder)
Step 5: Go back to sleep until you feel like going to park

Seems to me this is a whole lot easier than trying to wake up, rush to do rope drop, sprinting around the park to find FP cards. Ain't technology grand?

Caveat - If your MDE account is hosed, Well you are not going to have much success with rides at WDW these days. Example Sunday noonish Peter Pan was 180 minutes standby, 45 Minutes FP+

 

[bhg469]

BrerJon, Until recently, I would have agreed with you that MDE for single-day tickets would not be an advantage, but the most recent addition to MDE seems to change this. Now that you can buy tickets with the app, you can get your day ready at the park without ever getting out of bed.

Step 1: Wake up and decide to go to MK
Step 2: Grab phone
Step 3: Log into app and buy single day ticket
Step 4: Reserve FP+ for 3 of the Big 5 rides (Splash, Space, SDMT, PP or Big Thunder)
Step 5: Go back to sleep until you feel like going to park

Seems to me this is a whole lot easier than trying to wake up, rush to do rope drop, sprinting around the park to find FP cards. Ain't technology grand?

Until you throw in meals. I honestly don't know when I'm going to be hungry or have to use the bathroom or need a drink. The parks I want to visit are usually based on what the weather is like. Even if I have several days, I may not want to go to where I planned because it's raining, or way too hot.

 

[ford91exploder]

One final note - 'Selfie Girl'

While waiting for FoF on Sunday across the street was a girl who spent an hour taking selfies, She was cute but it was amazing watching someone do nothing but selfies for a full HOUR, Yes I staked out premium viewing space in front row across from the Emporium. And yes I have pictures of which I will share.

The Dragon WAS working on Sunday for those keeping track!

 

[arko]

Until you throw in meals. I honestly don't know when I'm going to be hungry or have to use the bathroom or need a drink. The parks I want to visit are usually based on what the weather is like. Even if I have several days, I may not want to go to where I planned because it's raining, or way too hot.

Then its simple don't use FP+, its not like the old system was somehow better at allowing people to be spontaneous. Under the old system if you wanted TSMM FP's you had to be there at rope drop and then run to the back of the park for a random time that you are bound to just like FP+. But at least with FP+ I can make the reservations easily the day before on most days for 90% of the rides and then I can get to the park when I want

 

[TeddyinMO]

But this is the thing that so many are missing. You have full control over those things. You can change them. Sure, on a busy day, you might have to push lunch back 30 mins or something, but you pick the times. And, on busy days, you always have to make sacrifices under any system.

MDE gives you suggestions, but it's up to you to accept them or choose a different time. Things like meals always got in the way. If you're a single-day visitors, you don't have ADRs anyway, so that's not an issue. And, if you can't hit a bathroom before getting in a 10 minute FP+ line and then make it through the line/ride without going again, I suggest you see a doctor. You have a full hour plus to make your ride time. In the "old days," you had zero flexibility. Whatever time the blasted machine spit out was what you had. Now, you can go in and change it on the fly anytime you want.

Until you throw in meals. I honestly don't know when I'm going to be hungry or have to use the bathroom or need a drink. The parks I want to visit are usually based on what the weather is like. Even if I have several days, I may not want to go to where I planned because it's raining, or way too hot.

 

[bhg469]

Even more simple. I dono go back until they freshen up their product. Long gone are the days they went out of their way to impress adults. Now they're in the business of playing down to children that would be more entertained sitting home playing on their leap frogs.

 

[pax_65]

Step 1: Wake up and decide to go to MK
Step 2: Grab phone
Step 3: Log into app and buy single day ticket
Step 4: Reserve FP+ for 3 of the Big 5 rides (Splash, Space, SDMT, PP or Big Thunder)

Sorry. 7 Dwarfs Mine Train is unavailable for the next 27 days.

You might be able to get the others, but good luck getting them in near proximity to each other. So you can do Space at 1pm and Splash at 8pm and face lots of long lines in between. Fun.

 

[PhotoDave219]

But this is the thing that so many are missing. You have full control over those things. You can change them. Sure, on a busy day, you might have to push lunch back 30 mins or something, but you pick the times. And, on busy days, you always have to make sacrifices under any system.

MDE gives you suggestions, but it's up to you to accept them or choose a different time. Things like meals always got in the way. If you're a single-day visitors, you don't have ADRs anyway, so that's not an issue. And, if you can't hit a bathroom before getting in a 10 minute FP+ line and then make it through the line/ride without going again, I suggest you see a doctor. You have a full hour plus to make your ride time. In the "old days," you had zero flexibility. Whatever time the blasted machine spit out was what you had. Now, you can go in and change it on the fly anytime you want.

While that may work for you, it doesn't work for everyone.

What Disney is trying to do is to force a "once size fits all" style of vacation on people. Not everyone wants that.

 

[PhotoDave219]

BrerJon, Until recently, I would have agreed with you that MDE for single-day tickets would not be an advantage, but the most recent addition to MDE seems to change this. Now that you can buy tickets with the app, you can get your day ready at the park without ever getting out of bed.

Step 1: Wake up and decide to go to MK
Step 2: Grab phone
Step 3: Log into app and buy single day ticket
Step 4: Reserve FP+ for 3 of the Big 5 rides (Splash, Space, SDMT, PP or Big Thunder)
Step 5: Go back to sleep until you feel like going to park

Seems to me this is a whole lot easier than trying to wake up, rush to do rope drop, sprinting around the park to find FP cards. Ain't technology grand?

One caveat… You're assuming that fast passes are available for those attractions.

 

[bhg469]

One caveat… You're assuming that fast passes are available for those attractions.

And in my experiences, the choices I'm given have always been nothing I'd ride with zero queue.

 

[Figments Friend]

I've said it before...but it bears repeating.

Forget about WDW ...and GO TO DISNEYLAND instead!

You will not be disappointed.