Wishes no longer a FP option?

RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
JediMasterMatt said:
This news makes me want to share a story. It's the story of the Hub 2.0 and it's birth. It's a scary story, so parents mind your children please.

For years, Park Ops have wanted to do "something" with the Hub and its crowd control and flow patterns; but, as we all know - getting the Mouse to open up the checkbook takes considerable doing. They thought they had the deal with the devil made when Wishes replacement was almost a go and it would've brought to life 360 degree action all around the Hub with projections and fountains. Then that project got axed and any hopes of revamping the Hub were squashed.

Then along came everyone's favorite WDW project - MM+ and it's evil sibling FP+. For the project to be successful, there had to be perceived value in the system. You can't have everyone getting FP+ reservations for the attractions they want (since those attractions have finite capacity and the smoke-and-mirrors that is FP+ isn't allowing any additional people per day on any attraction), so FP's footprint had to grow and spread throughout the Kingdom. So desperate for additional "value" to be added to the available allotment of attractions in the roster that "non-queuing" attractions were proposed to be added to the pipe. Things like parades and spectaculars. Anything and everything was considered in an effort to get people to select Option B over what everyone wants to reserve in advance - the Option A's (the mountains, Pan, and other "popular" attractions).

Now, for the naïve, they may think "golly gee, isn't it great that I can pre-reserve a space to watch a parade or fireworks", they also need to recognize what they are usually giving up by doing so. They are giving up 1 of the 3 available slots for other rides and attractions as usually, the nighttime spectaculars have to be pre-reserved well in advance of their arrival or else they won't be available. For some parks, that also means giving up a top tier pre-reservation. If a guest selects a nighttime spectacular as their pre-reservation, that means for the Mouse - you at best only get 2 possible FP's for other attractions the entire day as you can't add more until your advance reservations are depleted.

With the possibility of selling a guest something the would covet (a pre-reserved space for a nighttime spectacular) for virtually nothing (other than the cost of staffing the FP+ entrances) AND taking that guest out of the mix of using more than 3 total FPs for the day AND potentially limiting to a reduced tier of available FPs for their other choices, you better believe that TDO was finally ready to move forward with doing something like the Hub 2.0 after all the years of waiting.

There in lay the genesis of why the Hub 2.0 finally happened. It got approved because they needed/wanted more pasture for FP+ patrons to keep them away from other attractions FP's though out the entire day.

That is why the news of the FP+ removal for Wishes makes me laugh and also makes me so sad and angry. Laughing because of the absurdity of it all. I'm sad for all the Cast Members that the budget cuts are going to be making an already bad situation in the workplace much worse and the hit to their paychecks and livelihood. Angry because Parks is being punished because of all of us have made it so successful that Burbank can keep cutting to the bone and they are probably right... people will still come.

The refurbished Hub could've happened simply because it was what Park Ops has wanted for so long to keep guests from congesting the main artery... but, it didn't.

Hub 2.0 could've happened because they wanted to redo Wishes... but, it didn't.

Hub 2.0 might have happened because it was the right thing to do... of course that would never happen with this regime.

It all happened because of FP+ and TDO's hope that PT Barnum was right and people would reserve a spot well in advance and limit them the rest of the day.

So, maybe I just found the one positive thing I can say about MM+. It finally gave us Hub 2.0.

Oh, and for those that are wondering why IllumiNations hasn't followed along - that has more to say about the limited number of tiered options in the pool at EPCOT than it does about TDO wanting to save a dime. EPCOT, unlike MK, really doesn't have much to steer people away from the headliners these days.

Maybe someday, we can live in a world where WDW treats it's FP's for Spectaculars like DLR. Where you recognize that you can give them a return time and not hold it over their head all day preventing them from doing other things (at DLR the Spectaculars and shows with FP are unlinked from the rest of the attractions and you can hold a ticket AND still do other FPs).
Click to expand...
Very early in on the next gen process, Jim Hill was talking about putting viewing areas in the Rose Garden. This has been part of the process all along. I know it as well as the 3rd Soarin' theater were part of the original XPASS proposal.
 
awilliams4

awilliams4

Well-Known Member
I emailed Disney on this telling them that our family really enjoyed Wishes FP+ and to please consider to return it as an option later. I received a phone call and was told that the more emails they receive regarding this, the more likely that FP+ for Wishes may return later after the cuts are reconsidered.
 
J

Jeffxz

Well-Known Member
There is a placeholder on the main WDW site for "Magic Kingdom Special Activities" under dining. There is some speculation that this might be to introduce a dining package for wishes that will use the current reserved viewing space.

There is also a similar placeholder called "Animal Kingdom Special Activities", similarly this may be for the Rivers of Light dining package.
 
W

wdrive

Well-Known Member
Jeffxz said:
There is a placeholder on the main WDW site for "Magic Kingdom Special Activities" under dining. There is some speculation that this might be to introduce a dining package for wishes that will use the current reserved viewing space.
Click to expand...

This makes too much sense and I can't believe I didn't think of it when I first saw that the Wishes FP was being cut. It's completely inline with how they seem to operate these days.
 
tl77

tl77

Well-Known Member
I'm sure they've taken the fireworks and parades off the FP+ so they can find some way to charge you for the same service instead. People clearly like it, so why keep giving it away for free as a FP+? You can stand on the VIP astro-turf section and watch the 15 minute fireworks for $150 per person, that only $10 a minute, plus maybe you get a Mickey Ice Cream bar or something... that's a deal right?
 
Shawn K.

Shawn K.

New Member
AFAIK, only the Wishes Fast Passes were taken away (as of April 19th). Fast Passes are still available into June for Festival of Fantasy and Main Street Electrical Parade. (Of course, the site appears to be down right now, so something may be changing. Rivers of Light perhaps?)

I will say one thing about the Fast Passes for Wishes and the Electrical Parade. As a father of two (2 and 6), the loss of the 4th fast pass is not a big deal. Keep in mind that we limit our sessions in the parks to 3-4 hours at a time (with a several hour break in the middle) and utilize crowd calendars and line apps to maximize short lines in the mornings and evenings. We would also book the Electrical Parade and Wishes on the same day so that we would only lose one day of extra fast passes. It certainly depends on your situation, but those fast passes are worth it to us.
 
LAKid53

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
Jeffxz said:
There is a placeholder on the main WDW site for "Magic Kingdom Special Activities" under dining. There is some speculation that this might be to introduce a dining package for wishes that will use the current reserved viewing space.

There is also a similar placeholder called "Animal Kingdom Special Activities", similarly this may be for the Rivers of Light dining package.
Click to expand...

Must be for another upcharge for gullible guests. We did the dining package for the first time we watched Fantasmic! After that, we just got in line early...for the later show. I agree with many posters - it's nuts to waste a FP+ on a parade or fireworks show. So said the person whose done it just once for Wishes and FoF; mainly for a first timer traveling with us. But won't again.
 
Blairnicol

Blairnicol

Well-Known Member
BrianV said:
I was going to write exactly that. They are probably just lining up some hightop tables and Champaign glasses. Easily charge $80pp. :(
Click to expand...
This was my thought too....I wonder if they will move the dessert party to one of these areas? The view would be much better than Tomorrowland. It would be fugly while they set it up and the Tomorrowland Terrace definitely lends itself more to food prep than the middle of the hub, but that's one way to not waste the crap-ton of cash they just dropped on all of that astroturf.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom