Don't like new fastpass plus!

[Laketravis]

My bad - I posted that we were headed back to MK today on a party night day but I was wrong - MK is open to midnight but there is no MVMCP tonight. I'll post some pictures when I can, but I find the conditions to be somewhat strange and difficult to assess for a touring strategy. We arrived at 11:30am, well after rope drop but the lines to get in were very short. Bus areas almost looked deserted. We took that as a good sign, and when we started down Main Street we still thought the crowds were relatively light. I was even able to score a Mocha Frap in less than 5 minutes at Starbucks. So where the heck was everyone?

Turns out they were all in line somewhere. 50 minute standby for IASW? 60 minutes for Haunted Mansion? 110 for Space Mountain? Wow.

So I decided to try something. I had a set of bands from a previous visit so I thought I'd try making 3 same-day FP's while in the park like so many other guests seemed to be doing. First challenge was getting to one of the only three FP kiosk areas in the entire park. Headed to the one by Mickeys Philharmagic. Now, remember that in a park that can accommodate upwards of 50,000 guests, there are only 12 FP kiosks in the entire park. Each of them can sometimes be supplemented by an iPad toting CM, so best case is 24 channels of FP capability in the entire park for same-day guests and those who have already used their initial 3.

Somehow, those odds don't seem attractive. So I ended up with a CM who was ready to spend as long as necessary to guide me thru the process. She was somewhat taken aback when I started punching buttons on her iPad, navigating thru the screens, finally selecting Option B for the three. One of which was 7DMT which she was honestly surprised I was able to get. I made the comment to her how the process might be intimidating for a first time user and she wholeheartedly agreed. I was able to secure three FP's (one for 7DMT, one for HM, and one for Speedway) within a reasonable range of time in the afternoon. It took me a total of 25 minutes. 10 minutes to get to the kiosk and 15 minutes to get to an IPad CM and make my selections. Incidentally, I could NOT modify these FP's from the MDE app. It would generate an error each time.

I think the best touring strategy is to simply make the best 3 FP's you can and count on using Standby for everything else. The irony is that the FP system is regressive, meaning that it is the least effective when you need it the most. Drawing a comparison to the call center industry which is based solely on queuing, it's a well known fact that you can't mix calls of short duration with calls of long duration and offer quick response times to either one. In other words, during busy times when you need it the most, FP is the new standby and standby is pretty much for the severely desperate intent on that attraction no matter the wait time. This is further complicated by the fact they don't seem to have perfected the SB to FP ratio yet, perhaps the reason for the recent FP only tests on some key attractions.

The advantage of pre-reserved FP's remains the ability to do so later in the afternoon or evening. But that seems to be at the expense of Rope Drop and increased SB wait times for everything else throughout the entire day.

 

[Bete]

Once Disney invests money into a system it's very hard for them to change their mind about it. This FP+ was very expensive.

I'm convinced that Disney will feel their mistake eventually, but it may take 5 years. How it will change who knows.

I think we all have to learn to do Disney parks differently at the moment if you are going to be satisfied with the new system.

Personally, I will be going there less and my money will speak for me. I won't be spending as much time there, either.

 

[Luckybee]

My bad - I posted that we were headed back to MK today on a party night day but I was wrong - MK is open to midnight but there is no MVMCP tonight. I'll post some pictures when I can, but I find the conditions to be somewhat strange and difficult to assess for a touring strategy. We arrived at 11:30am, well after rope drop but the lines to get in were very short. Bus areas almost looked deserted. We took that as a good sign, and when we started down Main Street we still thought the crowds were relatively light. I was even able to score a Mocha Frap in less than 5 minutes at Starbucks. So where the heck was everyone?

Turns out they were all in line somewhere. 50 minute standby for IASW? 60 minutes for Haunted Mansion? 110 for Space Mountain? Wow.

So I decided to try something. I had a set of bands from a previous visit so I thought I'd try making 3 same-day FP's while in the park like so many other guests seemed to be doing. First challenge was getting to one of the only three FP kiosk areas in the entire park. Headed to the one by Mickeys Philharmagic. Now, remember that in a park that can accommodate upwards of 50,000 guests, there are only 12 FP kiosks in the entire park. Each of them can sometimes be supplemented by an iPad toting CM, so best case is 24 channels of FP capability in the entire park for same-day guests and those who have already used their initial 3.

Somehow, those odds don't seem attractive. So I ended up with a CM who was ready to spend as long as necessary to guide me thru the process. She was somewhat taken aback when I started punching buttons on her iPad, navigating thru the screens, finally selecting Option B for the three. One of which was 7DMT which she was honestly surprised I was able to get. I made the comment to her how the process might be intimidating for a first time user and she wholeheartedly agreed. I was able to secure three FP's (one for 7DMT, one for HM, and one for Speedway) within a reasonable range of time in the afternoon. It took me a total of 25 minutes. 10 minutes to get to the kiosk and 15 minutes to get to an IPad CM and make my selections. Incidentally, I could NOT modify these FP's from the MDE app. It would generate an error each time.

I think the best touring strategy is to simply make the best 3 FP's you can and count on using Standby for everything else. The irony is that the FP system is regressive, meaning that it is the least effective when you need it the most. Drawing a comparison to the call center industry which is based solely on queuing, it's a well known fact that you can't mix calls of short duration with calls of long duration and offer quick response times to either one. In other words, during busy times when you need it the most, FP is the new standby and standby is pretty much for the severely desperate intent on that attraction no matter the wait time. This is further complicated by the fact they don't seem to have perfected the SB to FP ratio yet, perhaps the reason for the recent FP only tests on some key attractions.

The advantage of pre-reserved FP's remains the ability to do so later in the afternoon or evening. But that seems to be at the expense of Rope Drop and increased SB wait times for everything else throughout the entire day.

If im understanding you correctly, you were using MB's from a previous trip in addition to your tickets and/or bands from this trip right? Then you wouldn't have those linked to your mde for this trip correct ? You would only have the fp's that you had from linking this trips tickets/bands . So if I've got this then there would be no way for you to adjust on the app.
But if im not getting this right (which is entirely possible since I was up all night last night...lol) and these were your original entitlement fp's and if you couldn't adjust from the app then it seems to run counter to all the wonderful reports I've heard here about how "easy" it is to change fp's on the app.

 

[prudence64]

I really liked fp+ overall but didn't care about having to get 7dmt, a&be or msep.

We stayed for the second msep and had a great spot without a fp.

Only thing I'd like to see is to be able to book at more than one park in same day from the start

 

[Laketravis]

If im understanding you correctly, you were using MB's from a previous trip in addition to your tickets and/or bands from this trip right? Then you wouldn't have those linked to your mde for this trip correct ? You would only have the fp's that you had from linking this trips tickets/bands . So if I've got this then there would be no way for you to adjust on the app. But if im not getting this right (which is entirely possible since I was up all night last night...lol) and these were your original entitlement fp's and if you couldn't adjust from the app then it seems to run counter to all the wonderful reports I've heard here about how "easy" it is to change fp's on the app.

I used bands that are linked to a completely different MDE account; when I logged into that account I could see the three FP's but if I tried to edit them in any way I would get an error message.

I saw several families with ziplock bags of bands and/or cards (AP?) making FP selections at the kiosks and changing them out at attractions. Using bands/cards that you didn't use for park entry that day still works when making same day FP reservations but personally I found the logistics of keeping track and the inefficiency of the kiosks not worth the effort.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I used bands that are linked to a completely different MDE account; when I logged into that account I could see the three FP's but if I tried to edit them in any way I would get an error message.

I saw several families with ziplock bags of bands and/or cards (AP?) making FP selections at the kiosks and changing them out at attractions. Using bands/cards that you didn't use for park entry that day still works when making same day FP reservations but personally I found the logistics of keeping track and the inefficiency of the kiosks not worth the effort.

Might be that the idea of booking a throwaway room is catching on. Laketravis basically spells out the premise. I'm not saying that's what he did, just the basic steps/advantages are in this post. It could also be that the folks with multiple bands were booking FP were tour guides, family reunions, or school groups.

If you make even a one night room reservation - and keep it in a different MDE account- you can use those bands to get an extra set of same day FP. If you book a campsite, at $50, you can get up to ten extra Magicbands, two days of parking perks (a $34 value those who are offsite), and two days of EMH. Net value is ten MB for the cost of one band.

There's nothing to stop guests from having multiple MDE accounts, and multiple sets of bands. When enough guests are using multiple sets of bands, they will shut out the folks who have just one.

 

[famy27]

Might be that the idea of booking a throwaway room is catching on. Laketravis basically spells out the premise. I'm not saying that's what he did, just the basic steps/advantages are in this post. It could also be that the folks with multiple bands were booking FP were tour guides, family reunions, or school groups.

If you make even a one night room reservation - and keep it in a different MDE account- you can use those bands to get an extra set of same day FP. If you book a campsite, at $50, you can get up to ten extra Magicbands, two days of parking perks (a $34 value those who are offsite), and two days of EMH. Net value is ten MB for the cost of one band.

There's nothing to stop guests from having multiple MDE accounts, and multiple sets of bands. When enough guests are using multiple sets of bands, they will shut out the folks who have just one.

People with bags o' MBs may or may not have booked a throwaway room. We stayed onsite four times in one year, so we have four sets of MBs. We also had APs. We could have used the first set of bands to make prebooked FP+s and then set up each subsequent room-only reservation on a new MDE account. With no throwaway at all, we could have used four sets of MBs (one prebooked and three for SDFPs) without booking any throwaway room. But that would sure be a lot to manage. I can't imagine how people keep all of those MBs and FPs straight.

 

[jahber]

People with bags o' MBs may or may not have booked a throwaway room. We stayed onsite four times in one year, so we have four sets of MBs. We also had APs. We could have used the first set of bands to make prebooked FP+s and then set up each subsequent room-only reservation on a new MDE account. With no throwaway at all, we could have used four sets of MBs (one prebooked and three for SDFPs) without booking any throwaway room. But that would sure be a lot to manage. I can't imagine how people keep all of those MBs and FPs straight.

Maybe Disney should just simplify it and sell a Bag o'Magic Bands and be done with it. People are willing to pay for more FP+, obviously. Or for the chance at 7DMT or A&E without having to actually sleep in a value motel room onsite.

 

[stfam5]

I haven't used FP+ yet- we haven't been since summer 2013, and had fantastic success with the legacy FP system. We are going this june and our 60 day window opens tonight. I am not out of the gate opposed- trying to give it a fair try first..at least. But We have already had some pretty intense frustration- So we are going to be at fort wilderness for 11 nights in an RV(ALong with our best friends for same length of stay in their own RV). My mother in law will be meeting us and staying for only 4 days with us. No problem right? Nope- We had a MYW package booked for myself my husband and our 3 children- and figured we would just call and have her attached for the dates she would be with us- well we couldn't get MIL on the resort resie because it was package that would require her to have 10 day tickets like us- So that means we can not book her FP+ with ours at 60 day window- SO after 4 CMs and several hours on the phone we had to change our package from a MYW to a basic- holding on the resort reservation. We then added her to that reservation. Next I had to go in and buy tickets separately and then link the tickets to our account so that now everyone has a resort reservation and everyone has tickets, Thus allowing us to book FP+ at our 60 day window for all of us...... It was a BIG pain!!! Even the CM's were stumped...took 4 to finally come up with this solution- at first best they could come up with was hope for the best when i book her FP+ at 30 days out or all of us wait till her window...ummm no that was not going to happen! Still I am going to try and give it a fair shake...but so far...GRRRR But still crazy excited to get back to WDW and the Fort!