insight into how fastpasses will change

[Mrs Bus Driver]

The more I find out the more I agree with DisneyFreak. Don't want to be a downer but the more I hear about the fp part of nexgen the less I like it. I like the idea of doing cs and other things with my phone, very nice at least for me. But yeah no more everyone is equal at the parks. I do think this will hurt them in the end, money wise which is the only thing they will understand but it will be a long time coming.

[waymickey]

I said it before and I will say it again. I don't like this idea not one bit.

[BuffaloJason]

Well let's see... it takes away a spontaneous vacation... Um, it will increase stand by wait times DRAMATICALLY... Um, hmmm it makes booking a stress free and fun vacation STRESSFUL and LESS FUN and NO WAY MAGICAL... Oh, let's toss this on out there... Did you know that there will be FP+ only experiences that, unless you get the FP+ for it, you WON'T be able to experience said, um experience??? I know for a fact there is a meet and greet being designed (maybe already getting built, but not sure, cannot confirm) where only guests who book it through FP+ can experience this meet and greet.... All others? Nah... Now, hmmm, I thought WDW was about all guests being treated as equals once you pass through the gates??? Guess that goes out the window...

Sorry Lisa, you cannot meet Minnie Mouse cause we booked FP+ for Tower of Terror, Great Movie Ride and Rock N Roller Coaster, and we had to stand in a 2 hour stand by line for TSMM... So, nope.. Sorry, no magic for you!!!

Thanks for the response. I'm interested in understanding other perspectives. I personally don't understand why one would choose to assume loss of spontaneity, increased standby wait times, etc. are the inevitable result of having the option to book fastpasses in advance. Doesn't that all really depend on what percentage of each rides capacity Disney chooses to allocate for FP+ advance bookings. It seems to me like they'd be able to "tune" that for whatever leads to guest spending as little time in line as possible. Yes, of course at least one of their motivations for minimizing your time in line is so you'll spend more time doing things that cost money. They're a publicly traded corporation with an obligation to maximize their profitability so I can't really hold that against them. Fortunately, minimizing time spent in lines is also consistent with improving my guest experience. WIN-WIN as Steven Covey would say. I'd also like to spend less time running to attractions so I can get fastpasses to ride them later. Having the ability to do that from my phone or even from home also seems like a major improvement. Again, I'm just not feeling the doom and gloom on this one, but I still seem to be in the minority (or are we perhaps just a relatively silent majority).

Anyway, cheers. I truly hope this all turns out to be better than you expect. It would certainly be a shame if Disney ends up alienating fans as enthusiastic about their product as you and the others on this forum.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Anyway, cheers. I truly hope this all turns out to be better than you expect. It would certainly be a shame if Disney ends up alienating fans as enthusiastic about their product as you and the others on this forum.

I'm already alienated... They lost me... They have to EARN my business back.. But Disney is to ego driven.. They don't feel they have to earn anything... They EXPECT you to just bow down and accept their garbage... Sadly, too many are willing to just accept their mediocrity... Universal lost me before but now, they won me over... Why? They are doing what they have to do to EARN it... That is why I am waiting for D23 to see what Disney has planned for WDW... To me, this year's D23 is make it or break it..

I said it here before, I would love to come back here in a year or two and eat crow... I just don't think I have to worry about that... There is nothing that I read or hear about that will make me change my mind... And it isn't even the bands,. which I don't like either... But I can live with the bands.. That isn't my issue...

I say loss of spontaneity because there will be... This new system will reward those obsessive compulsive planners, not the people who decide last minute to take a trip.. You will need to book the popular rides 60 days in advance... if you don't, you will be shut out... Just like the ADRs... Book the popular places first thing in the morning at 180 days or explain to Little Sally why she cannot dine with Cinderella... It really does make booking a WDW vacation much more of a chore...

What is wrong with the system currently in place? Nothing... At least EVERYONE who steps into the park (the obsessed planners and the spontaneous/local visitor) will have access to the same FP for the same rides as everyone else... What is going to happen if, say, you decide to book a trip to WDW 3 weeks out, compared to 6 months to a year? And you go to book FP+ for TSMM, and lo and behold, they are sold out? You turn to a FP+ for ToT.. Ooops, sold out... Rock N Roller Coaster? Gone too.. What's left? Well, maybe you can get a FP for Indiana Jones Stunt Show (which is a waste since you don't need one), Star Tours (again, not needed) and a meet and greet... Does that sound magical to you? In order to secure a TSMM FP+, you will need to know 2 months out that you are going to be in DHS at this time on this day... Yea, you can stand in the stand by line, but you'll be waiting longer than 2 hours now... Magical? I agree with you that it stinks you have to run around the park to get a FP now... The easy answer and fix would have been a centralized FP machine/kiosks so people didn't have to run from Splash to Space and back again... Blame Disney for that... Oh, the new system? Will have centralized kiosks... Something they should have thought about for this current system, those idiots LOL... May have to say good bye to Sid's One of a Kind Shop in DHS for that park's centralized kiosk location...

I hope I am not coming off sarcastic.. I truly don't mean to... The examples I am giving above is exactly what will wind up happening... The casual first time visitor may think this is great... Until they miss their 60 day mark... And now they cannot get any FP+ for any major rides... Imagine the complaints? People complain now about the FP system, and they CAN get one.. What are they going to do when they can't and are forced to wait 1 hour for Pirates, when the stand by would only be 10 minutes? Or instead of walking onto Haunted Mansion, you'll be waiting 45 minutes in that awful noisy queue... Everything is pointing to this being a major disaster...

[waymickey]

Disney cruise line here I come! Crowds are limited to the number of rooms and no FP+ needed. The ocean view is the same for everyone all you need to do is head to the top deck. Restaurant reservations are made automatically and it is always all you can eat. Low stress High Fun! Just embark onto the ship and let Disney do all the rest. Magic oozes out of every porthole. And I don't wake up 180 days before my cruise in a cold sweat. If they change the cruise line I will hang up my ears!

[bxrluv]

I have been checking the boards again as I always start doing several months out before our next trip. This is the first that I noticed this issue. I absolutely love the planning stage of vacation especially to WDW but this seems more like work without the fun

This will be only our second trip during peak time due to my second daughter coming with the Marching Band.
There is no way any group of kids deciding to venture out for the day is going to be able to have a FP with this system. How do you get several teens to decide and stick with a plan 60 days in advance? They usually split up into groups less than 6 but, of course, that group could and will change. They are already rushed enough by their chaperones/leaders trying to cram too much into short period of time.
I feel bad for this daughter. At least the rest of us will be able to attempt to use this system.
The only positive I see from this is not standing behind representatives from a Brazilian tour group of 60 people who are taking up all the FP machines!

[DizneyFreak2002]

Disney cruise line here I come! Crowds are limited to the number of rooms and no FP+ needed. The ocean view is the same for everyone all you need to do is head to the top deck. Restaurant reservations are made automatically and it is always all you can eat. Low stress High Fun! Just embark onto the ship and let Disney do all the rest. Magic oozes out of every porthole. And I don't wake up 180 days before my cruise in a cold sweat. If they change the cruise line I will hang up my ears!

Wait until you need a FP+ to board the ship.. BOOK 60 DAYS IN ADVANCE TO MAKE SURE YOU GET ON THE SHIP FIRST.. ok, no, they won't do that.. Maybe they will just make you buy FP+ to book cruise experiences LOL...

**joking and in jest of course...

[DizneyFreak2002]

I have been checking the boards again as I always start doing several months out before our next trip. This is the first that I noticed this issue. I absolutely love the planning stage of vacation especially to WDW but this seems more like work without the fun

This will be only our second trip during peak time due to my second daughter coming with the Marching Band.
There is no way any group of kids deciding to venture out for the day is going to be able to have a FP with this system. How do you get several teens to decide and stick with a plan 60 days in advance? They usually split up into groups less than 6 but, of course, that group could and will change. They are already rushed enough by their chaperones/leaders trying to cram too much into short period of time.
I feel bad for this daughter. At least the rest of us will be able to attempt to use this system.
The only positive I see from this is not standing behind representatives from a Brazilian tour group of 60 people who are taking up all the FP machines!

I give Disney garbage, but at the same time I have to say, i don't think they are that daft as to not think about tour groups like this, and how FP+ will affect them... I'm sure they have something planned for situations such as you described... But, the question you have to ask is, how much MORE will this mess with people when tour groups wind up factored into the equation.. Right now, we are only factoring in regular guests, not tour groups, and already we see a disaster in the making...

[Cheshire_Girl]

I'm so confused... I read through this entire thread and no one is talking about what this mean for AP holders once FP + is on line. Are we forever stuck in standby? Are we going to be allowed so many per month that we "schedule" on line? Is there going to be an allotment of FP's fir APH's so we actually have a chance at getting any? No local AP is going to schedule their FP 6months in advance and if we don't have an alotment just for us we will never be able to get any good ones
Seems like Disney doesn't want Florida Pass Holders to visit the parks regularly anymore
I haven't been to Universl in 12 years. My Ap is up in October. I will going to Universal so I can decide where my fun money goes for next yr... I'm really feeling like it won't be Disney

[Bethis26fan]

Between this, the new mug & adr's my vacation is becoming more work than my actual job.

I'm think this maybe my last Disney trip for sometime. It's just more stress & not as much fun as it once was. I like to think of Disney as a happy place but right now all I am seeing is stress level going up.

[bxrluv]

I give Disney garbage, but at the same time I have to say, i don't think they are that daft as to not think about tour groups like this, and how FP+ will affect them... I'm sure they have something planned for situations such as you described... But, the question you have to ask is, how much MORE will this mess with people when tour groups wind up factored into the equation.. Right now, we are only factoring in regular guests, not tour groups, and already we see a disaster in the making...

I really hope they figured this in!

[DizneyFreak2002]

I really hope they figured this in!

Honestly, groups are the one thing I never read about or hear about discussed with this new system... Someone mentioned one time that groups would not be included... But then all went silent on that front...

[GoBlueLacheta]

If it was really about getting people to stay on property, why not just do what Universal does with their EXpress line?

It will take some time for Disney to be fiscally hurt by this. People still go in droves. I do think you'll find more people spreading their time all over Orlando or other parts of Florida rather than going to Disney exclusively for a week.

People are going to plan 3 day trips and then relax somewhere rather than have to WORK to essentially plan a vacation. Handing out excel spreadsheets to their children with Itineraries that rival the busiest work schedule.

Maybe there will be a Shock option on the Disney Cuffs to alert you when you forgot about a FP, ADR, or that you were due in the Dole Whip line 20 minutes ago.

[Opus X]

We always stay at WDW one week and buy 6 day myw base w/no park hopper.
I have each day planned accordingly...say...day one A.k. day two M.K. and so on...those days do not change. I pick them by using a web site that shows historical attendance averages...and to this day...it works perfectly.
If F.P.+ turns out to let me pick up to 3 or more fast pass. by staying at a Deluxe or Mod resort...then GREAT.
Planning for WDW is easy..and planning a Fast Pass is even easier..I think it will be nice to know on each day..when you can have a F.P. for a given attraction...and, Add even more while you are there...(no one knows exactly how it will work)
But, As for F.P. choosing in advance....I WISH THAT WAS AVAILABLE IN 1985!!! I remember going for my 15th birthday....2 hour wait for any major attraction. Well, not all but the main ones..I look forward to F.P.+ I also look forward the the BEST value in a vacation destination....WDW and our next trip in 2015.
Vegas is a close second...but no kiddos allowed on that getaway!!
But this response if to those who think planning is stressful or work...I mean, what do you do for a living...?
Disney planning is extremely easy and picking a ride or a time of day to ride..is like pushing the "easy" button. No different than ADR's..Never an issue there..pick a day, pick a restaurant...pick a time and eat. The further out..the better time.
One little caveat...We goto WDW in early May, Honestly...F.P. isnt really needed much then.
I mean, 20 min was maximum wait time...except for Peter Pan and Toy Story Mania.
Those ALL had MINIMAL lines close to closing. So, thats when we did them.
But...as for picking a fast pass in advance...Oh, that will be nice.