This Mom just booked 1st trip in years and now regretting it.

[BearsMom2011]

I'm kind of at a loss to describe how sad I am about all this magic band business and FP+. I get to book our FP starting in 5 days and I am at a complete loss as to how to strategize it all with the tiers and only one park etc etc. And quite frankly I'm pretty ticked off that I have to strategize it to this degree so early! We have dinner reservations, which was already exhausting as I had to get everyone's opinion first and navigate through the website. It's not that easy. So what if some of these aren't a good plan when we get there? Maybe they won't work with the FP's I book. Or maybe we'll get tied up somewhere or be just plain exhausted and want to skip sit down and get a quick salad and rest. I just learned you have to cancel 24 hours in advance or you are charged $10 per person. What? I never double book reservations and would always cancel if I wasn't coming but 24 hours in advance? That's unreasonable. I'm no babe in the woods about Disney and we have always done pretty well time wise. But then again I'm not one of those to carry around copies of touring guide plan for everyone either. I am afraid this will make my husband, young adult kids and me just miserable at one of the happiest and most expensive places on earth. Sorry to be a drag, but I've never felt like I've been set up to fail like this before and geez...it's DISNEY.

 

[Monty]

You don't have to plan your FP+ early. From what I've read in various comments, people are changing or booking FP+ day-of without issues and for the most part seem to be getting what they want.

ADRs is a different story, I'm not crazy about the 24-hour notice for cancellations either, but since I don't remember ever missing an ADR in all my trips, I'm not that concerned. I only see it being an issue if I were to become sick the same day as an ADR and have to cancel. I suspect you could get the charge reversed if that were the case. I know I've shown up for ADRs where other members of my party had felt ill and not come along and they didn't charge me the $10 for them.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Or maybe you can do like we all did not that long ago and just go without any advance planning and enjoy being at WDW without a care in the world. We just went and did standby lines for most of the rides, yes, even Soaring. We walked up to Brown Derby and they were fully reserved, so we ate elsewhere. Stress out if you must, but it is a choice.

EDIT: Oh yeah, we ate lunch at BOG since we couldn't get dinner ADR and missed entirely CRT since we also couldn't get any ADRs

 

[jlsHouston]

Honestly I would just look at my dinner reservations and if you have hopper tickets then just plan on doing walk on and standby in the morning park and book your FP+ for the afternoon early evening hours you will be at a park.
As you get closer to you vacation departure and even while on vacation you can change your FP+ selections pretty much on the fly
From the discussions so far everyone is kind of leaning towards using early morning hours and the late EMH for rides that they don't book a FP+. That way the lines will be shorter and you really won't need to utilize a FP option for a popular ride.
Don't stress, you are going to WDW!

 

[BigTxEars]

I like the new ADR system, most people did not abuse the old one with multiple reservations at the same time but enough did to cause issues. Its a fair system and easy enough to cancel if you change you mind. I know

I agree on the other stuff though. I hate have to try and plan ride times. But you don't have to get FPs at all I guess. Just wing it in standby lines. Although I am not a line person I find at the parks its pretty good bonding time with the kids. My youngest is 11 though so I can imagine younger kids and lines would stink.

I don't know what the answer is at WDW, they are set up not to win in may ways due to the crowds. My advice is not to over plan it, that does indeed lead to structured misery IMO. Just flow each day at the parks, I find that much more enjoyable. I am not a ride commando, if I don't ride all the big rides each trip I am fine with that.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Go to Disneyland.

Not going to work? Okay.

I was able to do my FP+ selections the night before and was fine. I was even able to change it via iOS app the day of. Here are the attractions for which I would do FP+

MK: No tiers. BTM, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain. You may want to also get Peter Pan if possible.
Epcot (tiers): Soarin' or Test Track. Honestly, just make a few so you can get tier 1. You don't need them for the rest unless the park is absolutely packed.
DHS (tiers): Rock 'n Roller Coaster (kids must be at least 48 inches tall) or Toy Story Mania. Tier 2: Tower of Terror and Star Tours.
AK: (no tiers): Everest, Dinosaur, Safari. I recommend getting on Safari and Everest in the morning so you can hit it more than once. Pretty much everything else fluctuates throughout the day. Kali is not that good of a ride.
Whatever you do, do not get a FP+ for a show.

 

[BearsMom2011]

Or maybe you can do like we all did not that long ago and just go without any advance planning and enjoy being at WDW without a care in the world. We just went and did standby lines for most of the rides, yes, even Soaring. We walked up to Brown Derby and they were fully reserved, so we ate elsewhere. Stress out if you must, but it is a choice.

EDIT: Oh yeah, we ate lunch at BOG since we couldn't get dinner ADR and missed entirely CRT since we also couldn't get any ADRs

Great to hear that not everyone plans everything and sometimes not at all! You get the idea that you have to with WDW. But you're right!

 

[BearsMom2011]

Go to Disneyland.

Not going to work? Okay.

I was able to do my FP+ selections the night before and was fine. I was even able to change it via iOS app the day of. Here are the attractions for which I would do FP+

MK: No tiers. BTM, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain. You may want to also get Peter Pan if possible.
Epcot (tiers): Soarin' or Test Track. Honestly, just make a few so you can get tier 1. You don't need them for the rest unless the park is absolutely packed.
DHS (tiers): Rock 'n Roller Coaster (kids must be at least 48 inches tall) or Toy Story Mania. Tier 2: Tower of Terror and Star Tours.
AK: (no tiers): Everest, Dinosaur, Safari. I recommend getting on Safari and Everest in the morning so you can hit it more than once. Pretty much everything else fluctuates throughout the day. Kali is not that good of a ride.
Whatever you do, do not get a FP+ for a show.

That tier info and suggestions are really helpful. Thanks!

 

[Gabe1]

I'm kind of at a loss to describe how sad I am about all this magic band business and FP+. I get to book our FP starting in 5 days and I am at a complete loss as to how to strategize it all with the tiers and only one park etc etc. And quite frankly I'm pretty ticked off that I have to strategize it to this degree so early! We have dinner reservations, which was already exhausting as I had to get everyone's opinion first and navigate through the website. It's not that easy. So what if some of these aren't a good plan when we get there? Maybe they won't work with the FP's I book. Or maybe we'll get tied up somewhere or be just plain exhausted and want to skip sit down and get a quick salad and rest. I just learned you have to cancel 24 hours in advance or you are charged $10 per person. What? I never double book reservations and would always cancel if I wasn't coming but 24 hours in advance? That's unreasonable. I'm no babe in the woods about Disney and we have always done pretty well time wise. But then again I'm not one of those to carry around copies of touring guide plan for everyone either. I am afraid this will make my husband, young adult kids and me just miserable at one of the happiest and most expensive places on earth. Sorry to be a drag, but I've never felt like I've been set up to fail like this before and geez...it's DISNEY.

You certainly are not alone. My Sis is sending her DH and DD to Disney next month my niece is in a sports tournament on property. At Christmas we explained MME and FP+ and then I sent her an email subsequently and told her all the paper FPs would be omitted by their trip, forcing their hand to book FP+. They were totoaly unaware of the changes happening or the Magic Band. Her was her response:

DH and DD got their ride appointments last night. What a pain in the neck. I can't believe people will embrace this system. There will be some unhappy, unsuspecting campers I am sure. It took them about an hour to secure 3 days of appointed rides.

Both my Sis and BIL have high level, stressful careers. The thing about this trip was which parent could actually take time off to take my niece to the tournament for 3 days. So adding this new twist to the impromptu (they have a DVC so no strangers to Disney) trip caught them off guard and wasn't welcomed.
With my niece being in a tournament they don't know how they will place or when they will compete, it unfolds in rounds. Making dinner reservations with the cancellation 24 hours in advance, well how do they do that? One is a vegetarian one a vegan. They always noted that in reservations. My Sis hit on it, many will not embrace this system.

 

[Weather_Lady]

OP, please don't worry! We're all feeling some shock and trepidation about the new system, but those who come back are reporting that they still had a great time, whether they reserved their FP+ ahead of time, got them the day-of, or ignored them altogether!

Make a few FP+ for headliners, planned around the places/times of your ADRs. Then relax. If your plans change later, you can still change your FP+. (As Gabe1 alluded to, a lot of people don't like this new system and refuse to use it. Frankly, the majority of people who never used Fastpass will likely forgo Fastpass+ as well, meaning more availability for you to adjust your FP+ at the last minute, or simply tour without them.) If you don't like MagicBands, you can still get a Key to the World card instead.

 

[IWantMyMagicBand]

I have had to switch from staying onsite to staying offsite. I AM a planner and was getting excited about mapping out the day. Now all I have to reserve are the ADRs, and because we are no longer in the free DDP we are only doing 3. By now I would have a spreadsheet detailing times of day, potential ADRs and what would have been FP+ times, based around ADRs. When we went last time, pre-MM+, I took a binder with me, yes a binder, and the coversheet was my spreadsheet.
Now we are going to have to wing it, day of. What I wasn't prepared for when we changed to offsite (as it wasn't my decision), was how suddenly relaxed I felt about being able to decide where we are going, day of. I am embracing the fact that planning is no longer under my control as such, and I am someone who plans out our meals at home for the whole month!
If you have older children (mine are 3, 5 and 7), then involve them in this. Explain it to them. Maybe they will be happy to standby each day? It's not like you stand in an empty, unthemed corridor when queuing, is it?

 

[Susan Savia]

I hate having to book a dining reservation months in advance (although we did book 2 for our upcoming trip) so I am certainly not going to book a few rides that far out either. We have no clue what we'll be doing that far off, which park, where in a particular park we'll be, etc. on any given day or time. Just crazy. If the ride is busy when we're there, we'll come back or skip it. No big deal.

 

[Lord_Vader]

We were able to make day of reservations and changes for MK/AK even late into the day during Christmas week so I would not worry too much. Go, have a good time and make your reservations together the night before or while eating breakfast.

Have a great time!

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

We will be at Hollywood Studios on 2/1. We booked our FP a few weeks back and while there were times available, some of them didn't fit with our schedule. So it honestly took me about 2 hours messing around with the stupid MM+ site to get stuff that worked and even after, I still had to change my ADR to a different time. Luckily, it was open at the time I needed. Honestly, it's a pain!! I feel like our entire day is planned out. It has to be to make sure we don't miss anything. Even if you can't book all the headliners at HS because of the tiers, you may get to ride the ones you don't make FP+ for if you get there right at rope drop. But what happens if you want to change your FP and you don't have your smart phone? Or if you're staying off-site and have to make your FP choices the day of? You have to get to the park at rope drop to stand in line at the kiosks.. By the time you make your changes, lines have already started to build up so you don't get to do as much as you had hoped! I for one cannot stand th FP+. Call me Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer, but it's TOO MUCH PLANNING! And yes, I am speakign from experience as we have had 2 trips with FP+ and I just don't like it.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

Whatever you do, do not get a FP+ for a show.

While getting a FP+ for Fantasmic was the worst choice ever (you still have to wait in line since the FP line mixes with the regular line once you get up to the ampitheater) we got a FP for Festival of the Lion King and it was great because we got to stand in a seperate line and were let in before the regular line and were only in line about 5 minutes and got great seats. So SOME shows are worth it. Others, I can't speak for as we have only done FOTLK and Fantasmic!

 

[Tinous]

But what happens if you want to change your FP and you don't have your smart phone?

What did you do before if you had a FP and wanted to change it? At least you can now.

Or if you're staying off-site and have to make your FP choices the day of? You have to get to the park at rope drop to stand in line at the kiosks..

As opposed to get to the park for rope drop to get a legacy FP before they run out, or run too late in the day to be used. And even still, this is a temporary issue, it's already been disclosed that off site guests will get advanced access and to the app too.[/quote]

I for one cannot stand th FP+. Call me Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer, but it's TOO MUCH PLANNING!

Debbie Downer, you're just too invested in the old system. It had many, many issues, but you were just used to them and took them as par, or 'the way it is'. Fact is, you do not have to plan - but you can if you want to.

 

[Ariel484]

My in-laws are the same way, OP. They're heading to WDW in a couple of weeks, and when we met them for lunch this past weekend I made sure to let them know that the paper FPs wouldn't be there anymore. My FIL was NOT a happy camper. He said this will likely be their last trip to WDW - too much planning and micromanaging ahead of time. Once I told him that he didn't have to do anything with the Magic Band before check-in if he didn't want to - and didn't need to pick FP+ until day-of - he was happier. I'm not sure what kinds of choices will be left when they do this, but at least they are going at a less-busy time.

HOWEVER...we DID book FP+ for the trip that we just returned from on 1/4. It was really nice because we were able to sleep in and knew we'd still get to ride rides during the busiest time of the year. The new cancellation policy for ADRs is a bigger issue for me. I get why it's there, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!

Hope you have a wonderful trip!!

 

[joejccva71]

While getting a FP+ for Fantasmic was the worst choice ever (you still have to wait in line since the FP line mixes with the regular line once you get up to the ampitheater) we got a FP for Festival of the Lion King and it was great because we got to stand in a seperate line and were let in before the regular line and were only in line about 5 minutes and got great seats. So SOME shows are worth it. Others, I can't speak for as we have only done FOTLK and Fantasmic!

I called Disney 4 times in a row, and got 4 different people and they all said the same thing. I asked them if we should use one of our FP+'s for Fantasmic or will we get mixed in with the standby line and all of them specifically said that not only will we be in a separate line but it will be completely roped off seating and it will be "center". I called back 4 times to see if a few of those reps just didn't know the facts.
So you're saying this isn't the case?

 

[Lord_Vader]

I called Disney 4 times in a row, and got 4 different people and they all said the same thing. I asked them if we should use one of our FP+'s for Fantasmic or will we get mixed in with the standby line and all of them specifically said that not only will we be in a separate line but it will be completely roped off seating and it will be "center". I called back 4 times to see if a few of those reps just didn't know the facts.
So you're saying this isn't the case?

Not sure about others but we were sat in the left/middle section on the 12/27 first showing with our FP.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

What did you do before if you had a FP and wanted to change it? At least you can now.


As opposed to get to the park for rope drop to get a legacy FP before they run out, or run too late in the day to be used. And even still, this is a temporary issue, it's already been disclosed that off site guests will get advanced access and to the app too.


Debbie Downer, you're just too invested in the old system. It had many, many issues, but you were just used to them and took them as par, or 'the way it is'. Fact is, you do not have to plan - but you can if you want to.

The old FP system wasn't a problem. If we went to get a FP for Soarin but the time wasn't right, say it overlapped with a meal, we knew we could wait a little bit longer and get a FP with a later return time becasue we KNEW for fact later return times would be available at some point that day. Now, when you sign into MM+, the times available day of are the times you get. There is no waiting to see if some other better time comes up. Unless you want to keep checking your phone every 5 minutes and who wants to do that?

We tried to change my Toy Story Mania FP back in September at 10am... guess what? Nothing available. So I couldn't use it. Once FPs are booked in advance by everyone, you're going to be hard pressed to find anything day of if you want to change plans.