Without worms spilling all out the can what is the problem with the new fast pass system?

[wdisney9000]

the biggest advantage for on-site guests is that you can get your FP in advance

Biggest advantage...or ONLY advantage? And if you have to switch that FP+ during the day you are subject to the same availability as off site guests. Zero gain/loss

especially if you're like us and have no interest in getting to the parks at rope drop, and know that no matter when you arrive you'll have three attractions you'll basically walk right on.

I think that in current WDW, the only way you will "walk right on" an attraction is to actually be there at rope drop and be one of the first to get in. I have yet to "walk right on" an attraction using FP+. Even at POTC we waited a few minutes with FP+. Not saying it never happens, its just rare. Before FP+ I recall walking right on POTC or HM in standby line countless times during emh or on a slow day. That has not happened at all in our last few trips. Probly will rarely happen again.

 

[sjhym333]

Just for the heck of it I just signed into MDE to see what I could get today and tomorrow.

It is 4:45 pm here and at EPCOT Soarin was unavailable and Test Track is down due to rain but they system says FP's are temporarily unavailable. All attractions were available tomorrow at EPCOT

All attractions were available for the MK tonight and tomorrow with the exception of some meet and greets tonight.

The DHS had RNRC but not Toy Story Mania. Everything else was available tonight. Everything is available for tomorrow.

We are in Spring Break here and the parks are busy. I hear a lot of complaining about FP+ but it for almost 5pm in the evening I would be pretty happy with what is available.

 

[Redhawk]

It

Biggest advantage...or ONLY advantage? And if you have to switch that FP+ during the day you are subject to the same availability as off site guests. Zero gain/loss



I think that in current WDW, the only way you will "walk right on" an attraction is to actually be there at rope drop and be one of the first to get in. I have yet to "walk right on" an attraction using FP+. Even at POTC we waited a few minutes with FP+. Not saying it never happens, its just rare. Before FP+ I recall walking right on POTC or HM in standby line countless times during emh or on a slow day. That has not happened at all in our last few trips. Probly will rarely happen again.

It totally depends on when you go and how you tour the parks. I usually qualify my posts about how well FP+ works for us with "we go at low-crowd times". So I do see how others who go on higher-crowd days don't have the same advantage, but that said, I'd still rather have 3 guaranteed FPs.

 

[DisLuver]

Our bigger problem is before we never rope dropped. I have 4 kids: teenage to preschool; we have some nice gaps. That means they don't all like the same things. My littlest isn't going on ToT or SM or Everest. Tall enough, but certainly not brave enough. That means if my older ones want to do that, my littlest either wastes a FP or Mom and/or Dad also need to skip a favorite. And there is no way everyone can hit their favorite with little to no wait no matter what. Now, we have to rope drop instead of letting everyone get their needed amount of sleep and probably being more pleasant during the day. I also find us now racing from ride to ride every morning, cross crossing the park, unable to enjoy. For us--for us--there is just no win with this new system.

We also have not had much luck "changing on the fly." We couldn't get what we wanted, when we wanted it most of the time. Either the attraction was available, but not at a time that worked--generally conflicting with other plans--or the attraction was completely gone.

I know it works for some, but I'm thinking it is generally for small families, couples without kids, those who never used Legacy FP, those who barely used Legacy FP or some combination of the previous groups.

 

[Redhawk]

Our bigger problem is before we never rope dropped. I have 4 kids: teenage to preschool; we have some nice gaps. That means they don't all like the same things. My littlest isn't going on ToT or SM ... Now, we have to crossing the park, unable to enjoy. For us--for us--there is just no win with this new system.

I understand your dilemma. I don't know how often you go to the parks but perhaps when you're planning your next trip you can strategize in a different manner. It won't be ideal perhaps but it may be a better way to work with the current system.

Do you stay on site so that you're able to get your FPs in advance? My understanding is that every member of your family can get separate FPs, although it may be a little more time consuming to set it up that way. If your two oldest kids are old enough and trustworthy enough to be allowed their own time in the Parks perhaps they are at the age where they would enjoy going off for a morning or afternoon on their own while you took the younger kids on the rides they like best or maybe did character M&Gs.

 

[wdisney9000]

It
I'd still rather have 3 guaranteed FPs.

"Guaranteed" is just a word that makes people feel all warm and toasty inside. They know all they really sold ya was a "guaranteed" piece of ****. Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it "guaranteed", I will. I got spare time. (paraphrased from Thomas Callahan)

 

[Redhawk]

"Guaranteed" is just a word that makes people feel all warm and toasty inside. They know all they really sold ya was a "guaranteed" piece of ****. Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it "guaranteed", I will. I got spare time. But for now, for the customers sake, for your kids sake, you might wanna think about buying a quality product elsewhere. (paraphrased from Thomas Callahan)

I make my own choices and trust others can do so as well. I don't buy crap. When I feel the Disney experience is no longer worth my money, I have no problem simply walking away from it.

 

[jlsHouston]

I think @Redhawk has hit why I feel FP+ was a failure for me this recent visit over spring break. I was perceiving the 3 FP+ a day as a guarantee and they are but not necessarily for the rides the guest would normally choose to FP. How I would use legacy FP is obviously different compared to FP+. Legacy was all about the E ticket rides. FP+ is partially E ticket rides and partially fill in rides. Now if you select your FP+ rides and don't change them, sure there is a guarantee you are getting on those rides without a wait in stand by. But if you decide to change them on the fly, the guarantee is gone, and that is where I feel it is a false sense of assurance this new system implies to the park goer.
I'm not totally negative about FP+. Obviously selecting my FP+ without zig zagging the park is great. But after a week at WDW during high crowds, I don't think as much about FP+ being an improvement to my park experience versus using the old legacy FP system.
FP+ is tiered at 2 parks. This automatically limits all of us who were able to ride multiple E ticket attractions at HS and EPCOT. Last summer I entered HS at opening ran to TSMM pulled a FP and got in line stand by which was about a 25 minute wait at 9:10 am (unbelievable). My FP return was for 10:45, came back and rode it again and got another FP for 5 that evening. That is 3 times on TSMM which in my opinion is probably the most difficult ride in all of WDW to ride multiple times during busy seasons even with FP legacy. Three times on TSMM in a single day under FP+ is probably impossible or at the very least I will be dealing with a 1 hour standby line.
Tiering also caused the RNRCC single rider line to close down constantly in the afternoons last week because the single rider line got longer than the stand by line. Probably due to the tiering. I'm sure that has happened before under legacy, but I have no memory of it.
Only being able to get FP for a single park in a day has been a ridiculous feature from the get go. I don't care if this is BETA testing, you don't do that to guests who are purchasing hoppers and staying on property.
The FP+ system gave me a false sense of security that I could change my mind about times and experiences and even parks and still get my choices. No, it does not allow that any more than legacy FP's would still be available for Soaring or TSMM at 3 in the afternoon on high crowd days. No benefit to FP+ versus legacy if you are going to be switching things up mid day.
I just can't embrace FP+ now that I have used it with no legacy as back up during "red" crowd days at the parks. I am disappointed in the changes WDW has implemented with FP.
Oh and while I was at WL, the deluxes were running at 63% capacity over spring break. I heard BC/YC were about the same. Sure the values and mods were full and plenty of park visitors who were local or staying offsite. But it doesn't look like the current FP+ is creating demand for those high dollar deluxe rooms.

 

[Redhawk]

But it doesn't look like the current FP+ is creating demand for those high dollar deluxe rooms.

And wasn't that one of the big reasons FP+ was implemented? To sell more on-site stays? Even with 30% "discounts " so far it doesn't seem to be working. I wonder what will happen if/when the execs finally have to admit that the deluxe sales haven't increased.

 

[jlsHouston]

And wasn't that one of the big reasons FP+ was implemented? To sell more on-site stays? Even with 30% "discounts " so far it doesn't seem to be working. I wonder what will happen if/when the execs finally have to admit that the deluxe sales haven't increased.

Yes I think there has been a lot of speculation making FP+ something that on site guests have access to prior to arrival would be a draw to get more families staying on site. And maybe the values and mods are seeing higher capacity rates but I don't think it's happening for the deluxes. It seems that only the CONT fills up no matter what, and even now with the POLY under construction you would think people would be piling into the other deluxe resorts.
I have gotten spoiled and I will hand over $ 300/night for deluxe. And that is with a 30% discount like you said. I think WDW needs to realize though that even with the discounts bringing those rooms into a $300/night price range, it is not creating a huge demand for them. And FP+ isn't doing it either.

 

[DisLuver]

I understand your dilemma. I don't know how often you go to the parks but perhaps when you're planning your next trip you can strategize in a different manner. It won't be ideal perhaps but it may be a better way to work with the current system.

Do you stay on site so that you're able to get your FPs in advance? My understanding is that every member of your family can get separate FPs, although it may be a little more time consuming to set it up that way. If your two oldest kids are old enough and trustworthy enough to be allowed their own time in the Parks perhaps they are at the age where they would enjoy going off for a morning or afternoon on their own while you took the younger kids on the rides they like best or maybe did character M&Gs.

It's a great suggestion. And we flip between staying onsite with offsite--specifically between renting DVC points and renting a house, and we do have APs, but all my kids have different interests. My thrill seekers are #1 and #3 (not able to separate from Mom or Dad at this point); those older two do not on agree on a lot of attractions. Dividing FPs up (and I've tried), really leaves one or two people only having 2 FP they can actually use. WE want to do the bigger attractions too.

I've played this every which way, and I'm not saying that eventually I won't figure it out, but it is a real step down, for us, than Legacy FP. I keep stalking all the Disney boards looking for a way to fix (deal with) this mess. It has made us decide to finally try Universal this Thanksgiving. I'm getting pretty excited about that and since all four kids love Potter, I'm sure it will be a hit! Probably also hit Busch Gardens and Legoland. Maybe a beach. I guess that one way to go, just cut the Disney portion in half.

 

[Redhawk]

It's a great suggestion. And we flip between staying onsite with offsite--specifically between renting DVC points and renting a house, and we do have APs, but all my kids have different interests. My thrill seekers are #1 and #3 (not able to separate from Mom or Dad at this point); those older two do not on agree on a lot of attractions. Dividing FPs up (and I've tried), really leaves one or two people only having 2 FP they can actually use. WE want to do the bigger attractions too.

I've played this every which way, and I'm not saying that eventually I won't figure it out, but it is a real step down, for us, than Legacy FP. I keep stalking all the Disney boards looking for a way to fix (deal with) this mess. It has made us decide to finally try Universal this Thanksgiving. I'm getting pretty excited about that and since all four kids love Potter, I'm sure it will be a hit! Probably also hit Busch Gardens and Legoland. Maybe a beach. I guess that one way to go, just cut the Disney portion in half.

It seems to me that FP+ works can well enough for many guests, but NOT for the classic Disney demographic: parents and 2-4 kids of varying ages, and a family that needs or wants to mostly stay together even if they don't all ride together. They really don't seem to have thought it through.