Just writing out my FP+ shenanigans

[Buttercup]

I just wanted to write this out so the next time I have to talk to Guest Services I have all the details written out and I don't forget anything. I wonder if any of you can commiserate?

JANUARY TRIP (marathon weekend) - BOARDWALK INN:
Took this trip with my sisters Jenn and Kelly. When I went to schedule my FP+ reservations, I was given only one or two choices per park... And not very good choices.
So my sister Kelly logged in and had hundreds of great choices and ride times! So we just had her make our FP+ reservations since I was getting nowhere with what was offered to me.

FEBRUARY TRIP - one day only, came as a local so no resort stay:
Had no trouble - showed up, made my choices first thing in the morning with a helpful CM, had a great day.

LATE FEBRUARY:
Chatted online with a CM about whether or not only resort guests could make FP+ ressies in advance. I wanted to know if that would change for my next trip or if it would always be resort guests only can book these in advance.
Was told by cast member Yalanda Aikens that "it didn't matter whether I stay at a resort or not". She said that instead, FP+ is "only available to some guests, not all, during this rollout period, regardless of whether or not the guest stays on site."
I said I didn't think that was correct. But she said again and again it had nothing to do with staying at a Disney resort, and Oh By The Way, you're not eligible to use FP+ at all, Carolyn.
???
I ended that chat because she had no idea what she was talking about.

MARCH TRIP - OFF SITE VACATION HOME:
This is where I am now.
My family of 4, as well as my sister Jenn and her family of 4 are having a heck of a time with the app. We make our FP+ selections each morning at the parks. (***note: if you aren't there to make your selections within an hour of park opening, you're basically stuck with Captain EO or Imagination)
Throughout the day, our FPs mysteriously disappear from our app. Sometimes it says only 4 or 5 of our group of 8 have FP's and the others have nothing. This is frustrating because if we want to change FP selections from our phones, we aren't able to change everyone in our group if they aren't all showing up!!! This means long lines at the FP kiosks to repair this.
Other times, our dining reservations disappear from the app. We are still accepted at the restaurant so we must still be in the system but the app doesn't show all our ADRs.

So today I went to a My Magic Plus customer service counter at Epcot and explained all the glitches we've been facing. I kid you not, this is what I was told by the cast member Janie:

"Because you are not staying at a Disney resort, you shouldn't be using the app. It is only for resort guests. You should just use a pen and paper to make note of your reservations. Also because a couple of people in your group have Annual Passes and the rest of the group have regular park tickets, that will also cause problems. And even though your Annual Pass is on a magic band you really shouldn't be using that, but rather just the Annual Pass card itself since the Magic band is probably messing things up as well."

IS THERE ANYTHING SANE ABOUT WHAT THIS CM IS SAYING?!?!

So, I called a woman named Larissa at central guest relations who I have spoken to a long time ago and seemed helpful. She was shocked (or at least seemed so) at all the misinformation I've been given. She is going to talk to Janie's supervisor, and is trying to get IT to look into our app issues. So far, our apps seem EVEN WORSE as now our group of 8 seems to be broken into 3 groups, some of whom have FPs and others don't. I'm hoping as the IT department looks into it, this all fixes itself but it's not looking promising.

I am so, so, so DONE. This is a vacation. Why am I spending it in customer service queues, on the phone with guest relations and dealing with an IT department???

If they expect people to turn in unused FPs when the app doesn't work and their cast members are telling people they shouldn't use the app at all, they are crazy.

[AndrewJackson]

We are heading down in a couple of weeks. I checked the App on Friday, and all sorts of issues were occurring. No names, no pictures, FPs not listing all the people, etc.

I called support, and she verified all of our FP+ and ADRs. She said the system was having issues with the "display" but assured me all was fine.

It's just not "assuring" when stuff keeps disappearing.

[Buttercup]

That is unacceptable. If part of the whole FP+ system depends on people returning unused FPs so that other people can use them, then having a "display issue" that makes this impossible is unacceptable.

And the fact that some CM's know this, while others say the app isn't for offsite guests is also unacceptable. They should all be providing the same answers.

This last trip has been the most "work" since I started coming in the late 70's.

[faline]

They still have a lot of kinks to work out!! I had issues with disappearing fastpass+ reservations on our last trip as well (And we were a party of 2!!) - hoping for better on our next trip.

[AndrewJackson]

That is unacceptable. If part of the whole FP+ system depends on people returning unused FPs so that other people can use them, then having a "display issue" that makes this impossible is unacceptable.

And the fact that some CM's know this, while others say the app isn't for offsite guests is also unacceptable. They should all be providing the same answers.

This last trip has been the most "work" since I started coming in the late 70's.

They definitely have some serious CM training issues. Too many different "answers" to questions.

I'm not sure I understand your comments about guests turning in "unused" FPs.

[Buttercup]

What I mean is, if you decide you don't want your FP for Soarin this afternoon, they want you to cancel it so that other people can then make use of it.

The way to cancel (or "turn in") an unused fastpass is to go into the app and cancel it. Or, change it to a different ride. Presumably then, my Soarin fastpasses will then be available for other people to get... And my family should be able to select a new ride.

But, if I go on my app, and i can't see that FP at all, then i can't change it to something else.
Or, what's been happening even more this week is that I can only see 3 of my group of 8 family members on there then I can only change/cancel 3 of our fastpasses. Not all 8.

That means we can't put those Soarin fastpasses back into the "pool" for other guests AND it means I can't select something new for myself either.

[John]

Hate to say it - but it sounds like our experiences on the podcast. My trip was kind of a nightmare. Spend almost 3 hours on and off trying to clear up FastPass+ problems both in the room and in the parks. Me being an AP holder didn't help & then when we got the problems fixed, we found one of the cards wasn't linked. Swiping it worked and tapping it didn't. Cool huh?

Oh, and we didn't use the App because - THERE ISN'T ONE FOR WINDOWS PHONE! That means I had to take a picture of the screen at the hotel so I had something to remind me when I was supposed to be going somewhere.

As you so correctly said - I am supposed to be on vacation - not talking to an IT Department...

[disneynarula]

UGH


Sorry this was so frustrating for you and your party.


And what was wrong with the old system?

[Melanie]

Yes, much like John, we had issues over marathon weekend as well, since we were technically 'offsite' being at Shades of Green. Wow, you've really been through it this week. I'm continued to be amazed at the inconsistency amongst the CMs. What you were last told is so, so wrong.

I'm going in a few weeks and starting and ending my trip onsite, with an offsite stay in between. Should be a breeze.

[princessesmom]

We were there last month staying offsite at the Dolphin. I was told the first morning we booked FP+ in the park that the app would not work if we were staying offsite. I was instructed to take a screen shot of my selections from the kiosk in the park so I would remember. I was a little shocked at first, but this actually worked out okay. I was on the app each day to verify ADRs and noticed that sometimes the FP+ choices were showing up, but sometimes they were not. So I just stuck with the photo. One day we had an issue with my husband and son's FP+. I had booked all the same rides and times for all 5 in our party. My 2 daughters and I worked no problem, but somehow my husband's and son's were gone. The CMs were very nice at the FP+ entrances and always let them on as well. They had some way of overriding the system and getting the tickets to work. But no one had an explanation for what was causing this and it only happened the one day.

[Buttercup]

I think that must be another case of different CM's telling guests different stories.
From the lady (Larissa) I spoke to on the phone at central guests relations, the app is for EVERYONE regardless of whether you stay on site or not. It is meant to help ALL guests keep track of dining reservations, fast-passes, queue times, etc. In her words, being told that the app isn't for off-site guests is "absolutely, completely false".

PrincessesMom: We were also told to take a picture of the iPad screen when making our FP selections -- not because of the reason you gave, but just because it's faster to quickly look at a picture on your phone rather than logging on to the app to check our fastpass times.

Anyway, the trip was fine and everything... it was just a bit of a headache when we were TRYING to do what we are supposed to do (returning unused fastpasses so others can have them... using the app to make changes or monitor or reservations, etc.) but we just can't! It's not for lack of trying!

[Imalismom]

...and this is why, for the very first time ��in my life, I am DREADING going to WDW, and will for the first time, give universal my money on my next trip to Florida....����

[yankeesfan123]

Once it's out if testing phase, hopefully everything will be a lot more user friendly.

All the changes and updates are very difficult for the cast members to keep up with as well.

Their excuse is, obviously, that it is in testing phase (which is true).

I've said this before, but once it is officially rolled out in all it's glory, there will still need to be a short amount of time for a learning curve of sorts.

This will become second nature to us, travel agents, and cast members shortly after it's completely rolled out and there will no longer be difficulties.

However, I do think that while they are in testing phase, they should cut guests some slack elsewhere. If we are forced to put up with glitches during the testing, they should be offering discounts up the wazoo.

But the big picture is that if you don't vacation there, someone else will, so it's no loss to them.

[princessgirls]

I am shaking my head in disbelief at why the higher-ups would ruin Disney this way.

WHY WHY WHY?????


I want to go back to Disney, I really do, but I just can't schedule and be bothered dealing with the right hand not knowing with the left is doing, and IT issues. I have enough of that in my "real" life.

Julie

[yankeesfan123]

I am shaking my head in disbelief at why the higher-ups would ruin Disney this way.

WHY WHY WHY?????


I want to go back to Disney, I really do, but I just can't schedule and be bothered dealing with the right hand not knowing with the left is doing, and IT issues. I have enough of that in my "real" life.

Julie

This was a positive FP+ and MDE thread.

The IT issues are becoming less and less (it is still in testing phase after all).

If you don't want to plan like this, don't.

You can still go and enjoy the parks. You can chose your FP+ on the go (even though choices might be limited). Or, just go.

Maybe try going at a slower time of year to have more choices on the day of?

Do you made ADRs? Even just a few days before? If so, it will be easy to make a FP+ choice or two around that time.


Many people have made adjustments to their vacation planning just fine to accommodate the new system.

I am confident Disney will be just as magical even if guests need to make small adjustments.

We've always adjusted.

We adjusted when legacy FP was introduced. We adjusted to make ADRs 180 days in advance. We adjusted to higher crowds.


It can still be magical, just make the adjustment.