WDW To Enforce FP+ Rules

[CJR]

I'm wondering if the tiered FP+ at DHS, Epcot and now DAK aren't partially responsible for some of the cheating.

I think it is absolutely the case. It's more than a coincidence these changes are being made after Pandora opened.

That's not to say it wasn't going on in MK, but this was a way for people to do both Pandora attractions without visiting on different days or waiting in standby. Since these are the poster attractions at DAK now, I can see why Disney doesn't like it when fewer people are able to experience the "new stuff".

My guess is they got more complaints at AK than the other parks, where it wasn't as big of a deal (but it would be once DHS gets its new attractions open). Perhaps before, they didn't see these issues as big of a problem. Now they have two major new attractions at the same time, they realize this can't continue.

 

[drizgirl]

Is that also being abused? Dang it, people, Disney does something nice to accommodate parents with young children and y'all have to abuse it....

In a year or two we're going to need to use child swap...I sure hope it's still there.

*shakes head*

I haven't used it in years. But there is much talk about how to "maximize" it online.

 

[drizgirl]

I think it's a courtesy to groups of 3. Two people ride while one person waits, and they don't want to make that third adult ride alone, so one of the first two adults loops back around and rides with them. I don't have a problem with that. Single riding is no fun.

I don't have a problem with the concept. They just need to require everyone riding in the party to have used 1 FP for the ride. Right now only the first person or persons entering has to redeem a FP. Nobody in the second group needs to use a FP and can use theirs on a different Tier 1 for the group. Then that person from the second group can get FP for the group at a different Tier 1 ride.

 

[asianway]

Apparently some lowlifes were using this technique to cheat on the various timed ride challenges out there as well.

 

[LAKid53]

This isn't a "recon" question but more of a "huh?" question...

How exactly are/were people exploiting this? Is it that they're booking a party of 2, riding once as themselves and going right back on with a different wristband, posing as the 2nd member of their party? I just had no idea this was even a thing...

I never thought about your 2nd scenario. My daughter has an AP and is listed as family & friends on my MDE. What prevents me from booking FP+ for not just me on a solo trip, but also her? There's no cost to add her to my resort reservation - I'll even get a MB for her. Disney wouldn't have known. But that never would have crossed my mind to do....but I'm sure others do it, until now.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I don't have a problem with the concept. They just need to require everyone riding in the party to have used 1 FP for the ride. Right now only the first person or persons entering has to redeem a FP. Nobody in the second group needs to use a FP and can use theirs on a different Tier 1 for the group.

Agreed. They need to make the whole party "scan in" before they give them the re-entry pass.

 

[Master Yoda]

Agreed. Not only do they need to make sure the band was used to enter the park (like legacy FP did) but they need to make sure the band was used to enter the park in order to transfer FPs from one party to another.

I always figured they didn't have that "feature" turned on because they didn't have the tech ability to do it consistently accurately. But if you're closing one loophole, might as well close both now.

Let 'er rip!

I would assume the feature was turned off more for ease of operations than anything else as not having it on would avoid the issue of a problem at the gate translating to a problem with FP.

Back in the days of the paper FP we ran into that issue a few times. Something for whatever reason would not work right at the gates and the CM would force the system to let us through. When we would go to get a FP, whichever AP had an issue would not be able to get a FP. That resulted in a trip to guest service to fix the issue.

 

[drizgirl]

I would assume the feature was turned off more for ease of operations than anything else as not having it on would avoid the issue of a problem at the gate translating to a problem with FP.

Back in the days of the paper FP we ran into that issue a few times. Something for whatever reason would not work right at the gates and the CM would force the system to let us through. When we would go to get a FP, whichever AP had an issue would not be able to get a FP. That resulted in a trip to guest service to fix the issue.

I hope they are staffed up in Guest Relations this week!

 

[Coaster Lover]

I don't have a problem with the concept. They just need to require everyone riding in the party to have used 1 FP for the ride. Right now only the first person or persons entering has to redeem a FP. Nobody in the second group needs to use a FP and can use theirs on a different Tier 1 for the group.

Agreed, for a group of three (where all three were riding), all three should have FastPasses... I'm okay with someone from the first "group" of two getting to re-ride with the "third-wheel" when it's their turn to ride, but everyone going through the FastPass line for Child Swap purposes should need to have a FastPass for the initial ride.

 

[Master Yoda]

I hope they are staffed up in Guest Relations this week!

Yeah...should be interesting.

 

[drizgirl]

Agreed, for a group of three (where all three were riding), all three should have FastPasses... I'm okay with someone from the first "group" of two getting to re-ride with the "third-wheel" when it's their turn to ride, but everyone going through the FastPass line for Child Swap purposes should need to have a FastPass for the initial ride.

Absolutely. No issue at all with 1 or 2 people getting to ride twice so nobody has to ride alone. It's a nice perk by itself. But the abuse comes from being able to double dip in the tiered parks. That benefit really came into its own when tiering started.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Not to get too far off topic, but has the child swap process changed in recent years? My daughter is only two so it's worked the way we're talking about it for as long as we've been using it. But I seem to remember past versions of The Unofficial Guide talking about the process as if everyone actually enters the queue all together and then the child swapping happens down closer to the loading platform. That's obviously not the case now with the height-checkers preventing the little ones from entering the queue all together, but was it different in the past?

 

[LAKid53]

The way people are using it (and Disney seems to be letting them) would be as the following: Mom (M), Dad (D) Child 1 (1), Child (2), and Baby (B) are going to Disney. M and 1 Book FP for Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, and Haunted Mansion. D and 2 Book FastPasses for Splash Mountain, Seven Dwarfs, and Buzz Lightyear. M and 1 go to Thunder Mountain FP entrance and ask for a Child Swap Pass. D, 2, and B wait while M and 1 ride (through the FP entrance), then D and 2 immediately board via child swap while M, 1, and B wait off the ride. Afterwards, they go to Splash Mountain and repeat with D and 2 boarding first and asking for Child Swap passes... basically, it allows you to double your FastPasses.

And it's really not a "secret"... almost every Disney page (non-official Disney of course) recommends this "strategy" for guests traveling with small children who would otherwise be utilizing the child swap program.

Thanks, I didn't know how Child Swap worked. Hopefully, Disney will keep it since we'll need to use it in a few years.

Perhaps Disney should consider increasing the initial number of FP+ selections to 5 or 6?

 

[drizgirl]

Not to get too far off topic, but has the child swap process changed in recent years? My daughter is only two so it's worked the way we're talking about it for as long as we've been using it. But I seem to remember past versions of The Unofficial Guide talking about the process as if everyone actually enters the queue all together and then the child swapping happens down closer to the loading platform. That's obviously not the case now with the height-checkers preventing the little ones from entering the queue all together, but was it different in the past?

I don't think it has changed any time recently. But the benefits were only highlighted with the addition of FP+ and tiering. Previously you could pull FPs from any attraction you wanted as long as you were within the time constraints.

 

[drizgirl]

Thanks, I didn't know how Child Swap worked. Hopefully, Disney will keep it since we'll need to use it in a few years.

Perhaps Disney should consider increasing the initial number of FP+ selections to 5 or 6?

They don't have the inventory to offer that many. It will be interesting to see if inventory goes up any with the rules tightening, but I imagine any effect will be small in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Coaster Lover]

But I seem to remember past versions of The Unofficial Guide talking about the process as if everyone actually enters the queue all together and then the child swapping happens down closer to the loading platform.

That it the way it happens at Universal (they actually have separate Child Swap "rooms" near the load platforms of many bigger rides... quite nice rooms actually with changing stations, TVs, sometimes play areas... everyone waits through the line, then when it's time to ride, part of the group rides while everyone else waits in the child swap room, then, when the first group is done, they swap out and the second group immediately rides). To the best of my knowledge, at Disney, Child Swap has always happened at the ride entrance. You ask the cast member, they basically give you a paper Child Swap "FastPass", then the first group goes (either through the FastPass queue or the standby queue).

 

[Coaster Lover]

Hopefully, Disney will keep it since we'll need to use it in a few years.?

If they increased the FastPass selection number without closing the loophole, people would just abuse it that much more. I don't think they will stop Child Swap (they really can't), they just need to close the loophole of how people use FastPass + Child Swap to basically double up on FastPasses.

 

[Master Yoda]

Not to get too far off topic, but has the child swap process changed in recent years? My daughter is only two so it's worked the way we're talking about it for as long as we've been using it. But I seem to remember past versions of The Unofficial Guide talking about the process as if everyone actually enters the queue all together and then the child swapping happens down closer to the loading platform. That's obviously not the case now with the height-checkers preventing the little ones from entering the queue all together, but was it different in the past?

We have not used it in about a decade or more, but from what I remember, it pretty much worked like a FP for the entire party.

You went through the regular or FP line, rode the attraction then the ride swap ticket let you go through the FP line for your second ride.

 

[LAKid53]

If they increased the FastPass selection number without closing the loophole, people would just abuse it that much more. I don't think they will stop Child Swap (they really can't), they just need to close the loophole of how people use FastPass + Child Swap to basically double up on FastPasses.

I'm in agreement with closing the loophole. I also think cheating can be mitigated by either eliminating FP+ tiers or increasing the initial number of selections by one or two.

Sadly, there will always be guests who will try to game the system.

 

[Laketravis]

Guests are using multiple magic bands to get, quite literally, dozens of fastpasses.

And they are typically the ones on other forums who rant about how great FP+ is.