Change in HS FP+ tiers as of Aug 29

[skeeter31]

Hopefully this is temporary. It means people with avoid the park altogether unless they want to do SWGE. So I guess that's one way to keep the crowds manageable.

That’s what we’ve been doing for years. Hasn’t been anything worthwhile to do in HS for years now

 

[Remy is Up]

Personal opinion is this is fine by me since this will spread out the Tier 1s and possibly make Refresh work even easier in Studios. And since the majority of guests dont understand refresh or the FP system in basic form, get a tier 1, use it, then burn two tier 2s quickly, which should be easy using refresh, and then start refreshing the tier 1s remaining. The same concept works well at Epcot and AK. For the guests who understand FPs and refresh this is likely beneficial, to Disney in order to spread the crowds, this is beneficial. Who this hurts is the once a year or less guest who doesnt quite understand the FP system and how to use it.

 

[SteveDude]

Yeah I can understand why this might suck, but personally I'm fine with it and I get it. ToT will always get my Fastpass but now, this might be a good chance for me to use it for Slinky and actually stand in the standby line for Tower. I think everyone should experience that standby queue at least once since it is absolutely phenomenal and rarely jumps above 45 minutes. It's relatively shaded and usually has misters going so it's honestly a much needed break even if you are standing.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Personal opinion is this is fine by me since this will spread out the Tier 1s and possibly make Refresh work even easier in Studios. And since the majority of guests dont understand refresh or the FP system in basic form, get a tier 1, use it, then burn two tier 2s quickly, which should be easy using refresh, and then start refreshing the tier 1s remaining. The same concept works well at Epcot and AK. For the guests who understand FPs and refresh this is likely beneficial, to Disney in order to spread the crowds, this is beneficial. Who this hurts is the once a year or less guest who doesnt quite understand the FP system and how to use it.

I've never tried this but it makes sense. With so many Tier 1's there should be lots of FP's available since everyone can only really get 1, not 3. Not to mention, for infrequent visitors, Fantasmic is so tempting which shuts you out to getting additional FP's.

 

[OSUZorba]

really, you think they'll close the whole land off for the entire day? I thought by mid afternoon, it would be easier to get in.

For at least the first week, I think a virtual queue would fill for the entire day within an hour of opening. Of course, depending on how they set it up. There is no skin in the game to "wait" in a virtual queue, so everyone will sign up for it.

 

[jkh36619]

HS has better Tier 2 options than EPCOT.

 

[Moliphino]

HS has better Tier 2 options than EPCOT.

Depends on what you like. There's plenty in Epcot's tier 2 that I always ride (SSE, Nemo, Living With the Land, Mission Space). The only thing at DHS in tier 2 now that I would want to bother with is Star Tours.

 

[old feller]

Personal opinion is this is fine by me since this will spread out the Tier 1s and possibly make Refresh work even easier in Studios. And since the majority of guests dont understand refresh or the FP system in basic form, get a tier 1, use it, then burn two tier 2s quickly, which should be easy using refresh, and then start refreshing the tier 1s remaining. The same concept works well at Epcot and AK. For the guests who understand FPs and refresh this is likely beneficial, to Disney in order to spread the crowds, this is beneficial. Who this hurts is the once a year or less guest who doesnt quite understand the FP system and how to use it.

please exp!ain burn off by using refresh...thanks

 

[toonaspie]

HS has better Tier 2 options than EPCOT.

This probably won't be the case anymore once TOT moves to tier 1. TOT and ST were no brainers as far as what tier 2 FPs to pick.

I dunno why Alien Saucers is still in tier 1. Is it really still that popular to warrant it?

 

[CarolynFH]

<snip> get a tier 1, use it, then burn two tier 2s quickly, which should be easy using refresh, <snip>

Please educate me - I'm familiar with burning rides quickly (tapping in then leaving) but how would that work for shows, which take longer than rides? Do you mean schedule just the tier 1 in advance, then when you arrive at DHS schedule one tier 2 show, tap into it, then schedule another tier 2 show and tap into that? Or are you talking about scheduling a tier 1 ride and 2 tier 2 shows in advance?

 

[Lumpy1106]

I assume Remy means that you would just schedule your 1 tier 1 and any 2 tier 2's VERY early in the day. Once the 3'rd FP is in the time window you can try for a 4'th, any tier on the MDE app. You don't have to go to the show or even scan your magic band. I mean, that's how the paper FP's work at DL.

Sound about right Remy?

 

[OSUZorba]

Please educate me - I'm familiar with burning rides quickly (tapping in then leaving) but how would that work for shows, which take longer than rides? Do you mean schedule just the tier 1 in advance, then when you arrive at DHS schedule one tier 2 show, tap into it, then schedule another tier 2 show and tap into that? Or are you talking about scheduling a tier 1 ride and 2 tier 2 shows in advance?

I'd book them all early, and then try to move up the tier 2s as soon as I could. So like 9 am show, 10:30 SDD, 11:30 show. Tap and ditch the 9 am show, move up the 11:30 show to a 9:20 show, tap and leave. Hit SDD at 10:25, start refreshing. I personally would put my Tier 1 at ~ 9:30 (assuming regular hours) and the tier 2s after then start trying to move them up as soon as I tapped into the Tier 1.

I don't really know the show schedules well enough to know how early they start, though, so that might be an issue.

 

[mshanson3121]

This probably won't be the case anymore once TOT moves to tier 1. TOT and ST were no brainers as far as what tier 2 FPs to pick.

I dunno why Alien Saucers is still in tier 1. Is it really still that popular to warrant it?

Honestly it was still pretty popular when we were there in May, and it wasn't even that busy. Posted wait time averaged 30+ minutes.

 

[CarolynFH]

I'd book them all early, and then try to move up the tier 2s as soon as I could. So like 9 am show, 10:30 SDD, 11:30 show. Tap and ditch the 9 am show, move up the 11:30 show to a 9:20 show, tap and leave. Hit SDD at 10:25, start refreshing. I personally would put my Tier 1 at ~ 9:30 (assuming regular hours) and the tier 2s after then start trying to move them up as soon as I tapped into the Tier 1.

I don't really know the show schedules well enough to know how early they start, though, so that might be an issue.

Thanks!

 

[wareagle57]

Personal opinion is this is fine by me since this will spread out the Tier 1s and possibly make Refresh work even easier in Studios. And since the majority of guests dont understand refresh or the FP system in basic form, get a tier 1, use it, then burn two tier 2s quickly, which should be easy using refresh, and then start refreshing the tier 1s remaining. The same concept works well at Epcot and AK. For the guests who understand FPs and refresh this is likely beneficial, to Disney in order to spread the crowds, this is beneficial. Who this hurts is the once a year or less guest who doesnt quite understand the FP system and how to use it.

One can hope, but I'm worried crowds might be so large that ALL the tier ones are booked by the day of. I would imagine that's why they are moving them there so everyone can book one "top" attraction. I also wonder how early it will even be possible to burn your tier 2 FP since Star Wars is the only ride, and the shows typically don't start until later in the day. What time to Mermaid and Muppets start operating? Those might be the earliest and "best" fp to book to you can try to book another tier 1.

 

[tlmadden73]

Tiering is awful for the guest experience, but the problem isn't tiering, it is just the lack of "good" attractions that guests WANT to skip the line for. You don't need to skip the line for a show .. there is no line .. you just wait for the show to start. DHS and Epcot should NOT have FPs for shows. Period. But that can't happen until there are more ride attractions (which those parks have been sorrowfully lacking since Day 1).

Hopefully once MRRR and Rise of Resistance opens, DHS may only need tiering in SWGE. There should be enough high demand attractions between MRRR, Star Tours, TSMM, Saucers, SDD, ToT, and RnRC that they all can't be gobbled up as Tier 2.

The only reason that Epcot and DHS has needed tiering all these years is because they only had 3 attractions you need a FP for. At Epcot, without tiering, everyone would just go for at least two (if not all) of the big three .. which leaves no availability for non-resort guests probably. So I think this may help giving some GOOD attraction availability to those making FPs at 30 days. And even 4th FP availability.

While it seems bad on the surface (and hard to grasp after years of skipping the lines easily at your favorite attractions at DHS) .. maybe by spreading out the FPs, that means the standby line goes faster for the super popular ones like SDD and TSM. As it stands now .. unless you plan your DHS day for like day 4+ of your trip, you probably aren't getting a SDD FP .. and the only 4th ones regularly available is things like the Muppets.

It will be curious to see how the lines go for the Falcon without a FP. It may show just how much FPs make standby lines that much longer. I mean .. i doubt FoP would see 2-3 hour waits times if there was no FP.

 

[jkh36619]

Depends on what you like. There's plenty in Epcot's tier 2 that I always ride (SSE, Nemo, Living With the Land, Mission Space). The only thing at DHS in tier 2 now that I would want to bother with is Star Tours.

EPCOT has T1 rides and everything else is near walkon. Outside of holiday weeks of course

 

[Moliphino]

EPCOT has T1 rides and everything else is near walkon. Outside of holiday weeks of course

The same is true for the new tiers at DHS. At least at Epcot I actually want to do the tier 2 attractions I don't really need a FP for.

 

[tlmadden73]

EPCOT has T1 rides and everything else is near walkon. Outside of holiday weeks of course

And that's the problem with tiers.

You basically are getting only getting 1 "useful" FP at DHS and Epcot. The rest don't count because MOST of the time they are a walk-on OR a show (where the FP doesn't really make a difference). So getting 3 FPs there is just an illusion and creates longer standby-lines as people skip the line at unpopular attractions like Living with Land and Journey into Imagination.

I've said for the longest time they should have just combined DHS/Epcot (when it comes to making FP reservations) ... and allowed free hopping between the two. That would help spread out crowds and solve tiering problem (plus they are so easily connected via walking/boats and now Skyliner).

Now with SWGE and the upcoming big attractions at Epcot, they don't need to do that . .but these two have been suffering for a decade or more.

 

[gottalovepluto]

So this is for sure happening?