Apparently I dislike FP+...alot

[tj4disney]

Am going to be at Swan/Dolphin first weekend of December on business. When those trips have happened in past, have always taken one day to visit one park on my own since it's just right there...doesn't get any easier (or cheaper) than that.

This time around though I'm not going to any parks, and it's 100% due to FP+. The hassle and restrictive nature of it would not provide the experience I want, so it just isn't worth it for me. I've been saying for some time that my family vacations there may be coming to an end, but I'm actually a bit surprised at my decision in this case...which is why I'm sharing. I realize others would feel/act differently, and many others really don't give a rip what I do.

 

[BigAlsGal]

Am going to be at Swan/Dolphin first weekend of December on business. When those trips have happened in past, have always taken one day to visit one park on my own since it's just right there...doesn't get any easier (or cheaper) than that.

This time around though I'm not going to any parks, and it's 100% due to FP+. The hassle and restrictive nature of it would not provide the experience I want, so it just isn't worth it for me. I've been saying for some time that my family vacations there may be coming to an end, but I'm actually a bit surprised at my decision in this case...which is why I'm sharing. I realize others would feel/act differently, and many others really don't give a rip what I do.

It's your life man.

 

[Minnie368]

Have you been there since FP+ was fully rolled out? If not, maybe it's worth giving it a try since you won't have a lot of $ invested in it anyway. You never know...

 

[Planogirl]

I can understand how you feel but will you really be able to resist going at all? Like you said it'll be right there.

 

[Suvadoo]

I understand how you feel. As I get closer to my next Orlando vacation I am becoming increasingly ambivalent about WDW. I keep asking myself if WDW is worth the hassle any more. In the past, these thoughts never would've crossed my mind.
I agree that some people really don't care what other people decide to do, but I think there are quite a few fans who are going elsewhere for their vacations.
Have you thought about visiting Universal instead?

 

[PEC]

IT would be a great opportunity to enjoy much of the non theme park activities that WDW offers. As I get older and it is just my wife and myself I could see us doing that.

 

[lustergirl]

No way I could be in Orlando and not visit any of the Disney parks. There is a lot more stuff to do than the fast pass attractions. As long as I don't need a fast pass to get into the tequila bar in EPCOT I am good to go

 

[flatlandcycle]

No way I could be in Orlando and not visit any of the Disney parks. There is a lot more stuff to do than the fast pass attractions. As long as I don't need a fast pass to get into the tequila bar in EPCOT I am good to go

That's a $100.00+ cover charge. No thanks.

 

[Suvadoo]

That's a $100.00+ cover charge. No thanks.

Yeah, since Epcot is turning into a large shopping mall with restaraunts, maybe they should stop charging theme park admissions.

 

[flatlandcycle]

Yeah, since Epcot is turning into a large shopping mall with restaraunts, maybe they should stop charging theme park admissions.

Need we mention $10 bucks for a Dixie Cup of beer? Forgive the hyperbole.

To get to the OP's quest, or lack there of. There is plenty to do for free on property, holiday decorations tour at the Deluxe Resorts for starters, free monorail and boat rides for another idea.

 

[LoraJ]

Yeah, it will be so inconvenient to book 3 FP's right before you enter. Man that sounds worse than being back in 'nam.

Most likely if Epcot they would be for Figment, Captain EO and Nemo when the standby lines are less than 10 minutes. I agree with the OP.

 

[smitch425]

Yeah, it will be so inconvenient to book 3 FP's right before you enter. Man that sounds worse than being back in 'nam.

FP+ is so flexible! We had to do early package ticket pick up on Fri. Oct. 17. We picked up our tickets around 2:45pm and scheduled Living With the Land, Spaceship Earth, and Figment. When we got to the Land, the standby was only 10 minutes. I checked the app to see if I could change it, and we were able to get Test Track. It took less than 30 seconds for the whole switching process. We find FP+ to be MUCH better than legacy FP for our family. Less work involved and less time involved. We used 7 at MK on Friday, and the park was only open until 7:00.. It was great!

 

[Suvadoo]

FP+ is so flexible! We had to do early package ticket pick up on Fri. Oct. 17. We picked up our tickets around 2:45pm and scheduled Living With the Land, Spaceship Earth, and Figment. When we got to the Land, the standby was only 10 minutes. I checked the app to see if I could change it, and we were able to get Test Track. It took less than 30 seconds for the whole switching process. We find FP+ to be MUCH better than legacy FP for our family. Less work involved and less time involved. We used 7 at MK on Friday, and the park was only open until 7:00.. It was great!

Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth and Figment never had or required legacy FP. All of these attractions were walk ons before FP+.

 

[smitch425]

Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth and Figment never had or required legacy FP. All of these attractions were walk ons before FP+.

And they were still walk ons. It would be stupid not to pick 3 FPs when they are available to get.

 

[danjoan14]

FP+ is so flexible! We had to do early package ticket pick up on Fri. Oct. 17. We picked up our tickets around 2:45pm and scheduled Living With the Land, Spaceship Earth, and Figment. When we got to the Land, the standby was only 10 minutes. I checked the app to see if I could change it, and we were able to get Test Track. It took less than 30 seconds for the whole switching process. We find FP+ to be MUCH better than legacy FP for our family. Less work involved and less time involved. We used 7 at MK on Friday, and the park was only open until 7:00.. It was great!

That's wonderful. We're going Thanksgiving Day/Weekend and staying off site. I was nervous about having to wait for each 30 day mark to schedule our FP+. However, I was able to get everything that we wanted. Hoping everything goes as smooth when we get to the parks to use them.

 

[Suvadoo]

And they were still walk ons. It would be stupid not to pick 3 FPs when they are available to get.

Why bother getting FP's if you don't need them? This doesn't make any sense. Even if it only takes 3 minutes, it's still 3 minutes you don't need to spend obtaining FP's.

 

[smitch425]

Why bother getting FP's if you don't need them? This doesn't make any sense. Even if it only takes 3 minutes, it's still 3 minutes you don't need to spend obtaining FP's.

I picked the tickets up at POP. I made the FPs while I ate lunch. I had no way of knowing what the wait times would be when we arrived. It was a Friday night during Food and Wine. Again, it would be stupid not to utilize a perk that takes next to no time and very little effort.

 

[johde]

Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth and Figment never had or required legacy FP. All of these attractions were walk ons before FP+.

Living with the land did have legacy FP and lines could get long for it at times. This was especially true around noon.

The same is true for Spaceship Earth. Lines would grow at RD. but by evening the ride would be a walk on.

Now, that is now to say that FP hasn't made the standby waits longer on spaceship earth. It certainly has but on the other hand, almost every time I've looked there have been same day FP+'s available for these rides late into the day for pickup as a 4th or 5th FP+.

 

[cakebaker]

Living with the land did have legacy FP and lines could get long for it at times. This was especially true around noon.

The same is true for Spaceship Earth. Lines would grow at RD. but by evening the ride would be a walk on.

Now, that is now to say that FP hasn't made the standby waits longer on spaceship earth. It certainly has but on the other hand, almost every time I've looked there have been same day FP+'s available for these rides late into the day for pickup as a 4th or 5th FP+.

We found the same to be true for legacy.

I happened to be looking at touringplans website and read their assessment of the standby lines after fp+. Made for an interesting read:

The results indicate FastPass+ is not causing significant changes to standby wait times:

Wait times are increasing less than 1 minute, on average, across all attractions at all parks
Super-headliner attractions have seen a small drop (under 1 minute) in standby waits

They go into great detail on the inner workings of fp+, explaining why some waits are longer than they should be, etc., but all in all found it really interesting.

http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/fastpass#

 

[Suvadoo]

Living with the land did have legacy FP and lines could get long for it at times. This was especially true around noon.

The same is true for Spaceship Earth. Lines would grow at RD. but by evening the ride would be a walk on.

Now, that is now to say that FP hasn't made the standby waits longer on spaceship earth. It certainly has but on the other hand, almost every time I've looked there have been same day FP+'s available for these rides late into the day for pickup as a 4th or 5th FP+.

At non-peak seasons, Living with the Land's FP machines weren't open. I'm lucky, I don't have to visit WDW at peak times. Spaceship Earth's long line at RD was caused by it being the 1st attraction in the park. As you said, the line shortens later on.
I am not going to get FP's for rides just because they're available. FP's have no value to me unless it's for a ride I really want to experience. I would never wait for Figment, Living with the Land, or Spaceship Earth because I know the lines wax and wane. I'd just come back later or skip them.