For $2 Billion Disney could have built 16 major attractions instead of fast pass+

[BrianL]

Makes me wonder why they didn't beta MM/FP+ in that park first, since queuing conditions sound similar but it would have been a somewhat smaller scale with a more tolerant and possibly willing guest population.

It's probably because they don't own operate the Tokyo parks. They are a licensed partnership type deal, where Disney provides the Imagineering but the owners pay for everything. I'm sure if they wanted to buy the MM+ tech form Disney to implement they could, but they're likely too smart to buy it before testing.

 

[ghtx]

Hey everybody, FP+ didn't actually cost $2 billion.

 

[jade1]

Don't bet on it. I think they are already proving to themselves that they didn't have as much yield margin as they thought they did. They would almost have to double the amount of resource choices with meaningful additions just to get to 5.

One only has to look at the ridiculous assortment of FP choices available for a 4th selection by noon to see that.

Sorry I missed this one.

Then they can charge for the new attraction/s FP+, making it a 4th (or 5th etc) selection or else use SB.

 

[jade1]

It's probably because they don't own operate the Tokyo parks. They are a licensed partnership type deal, where Disney provides the Imagineering but the owners pay for everything. I'm sure if they wanted to buy the MM+ tech form Disney to implement they could, but they're likely too smart to buy it before testing.

Maybe they will be buying the technology from WDW for $3 Billion.

 

[Andtototoo]

I have no problem with FP+. In fact, our family loves it and I'm glad Disney did this.

Like someone else mentioned, you can't just build more and more attractions and be stuck in the past. It just doesn't work that way in business. You have to "keep moving forward" as Walt says.

Look at what has happened with newspapers, in-home telephones, black and white TV's, hand-cranked cars, etc etc etc. You can't just let your business be stuck in the dark ages of technology. That is how you die. SO many businesses die because they can't keep up.

I'm sorry, but your $2 billion for 16 attractions argument just doesn't fly with me.

Doubters, just face this hard fact: You're afraid of change.

And one more thing: FP+ and MyMagic+ is here to stay. Get used to it.

An actual hard fact is that not everyone who hates FP+ is afraid of change.

There are those of us who truly expected that Disney spent all this money to create something effective, useful, and that would actually work.

Another actual hard fact is that in our experience, the system did not work for us at the basic level of getting into our rooms, getting into the parks, etc.

Between my immediate family members, we have been to WDW three times since the implementation of FP+. The system only worked "correctly" for one of those trips and even then we could ride 30% less rides. Maybe that's Disney's intention, but it's not a positive change and therefore I'm not a doubter, I am disgusted by increasing costs with decreasing value.

The other two times the system was a total failure for us, causing stress, wasting LOTS Of time, and causing us to miss park time.

In my dd's case, she and her friends (all of them current or former CMs who had all been trained in the Magic Bands and FP+) missed their entire first day in the parks (but for one hour) due to the utter failure of their Magic Bands. The bands failed first at the hotel (that took several hours to resolve and the staff refused to give them paper tickets to go to the parks), then at the parks when the "fixed" bands still did not work. By the time it was resolved, the park was closing in one hour. Their ticket costs was refunded -- only after the demanded it. But the reality is that they didn't come to Disney to spend hours waiting for staff to fix Disney's system and give them what they paid for and to which they were entitled. At no time, did any CM apologize to them for the delays and problems and hassles. They were all shocked by the system failure and the uncaring attitude which they encountered at every turn.

If that's the kind of change that's here to stay, people who are willing to put up with it are welcome to spend their money on it. We don't intend to.

 

[jade1]

Jade1, I'm with you...I've been a LOYAL Disney customer since 1976...probably before some of these posters were even born. I personally love the idea of FP+...it allows us to do other things in the morning besides rush to the park of the day for RD and a continuous trek criss crossing the park to get FP- tickets OR show up later in the day and have little chance at any FP- and spend lots of time waiting in lines. We leave in 3 days for Disney and I'm pretty pumped that I can play golf on Tuesday morning and still go to a park in the afternoon at do 3 attractions of my choice with little wait. That's awesome!! All my years going to WDW for a vaction, I could never understand the idea that it was only successful if I did lots of rides over and over to get as much done as I could. What kind of vacation is that? And what evidence is there that more people want to rush around and ride rides than relax and have a chance to do a few things they really want to do? It's all a Journey into Someone's Imagination that they think everyone else thinks like them...because 1 tenth of 1 percent of Disney guests have posted a negative comment about FP+ on some site

I don't buy the myth that what we say on message boards is somehow irrelevant. We may not represent the average Disney guest, but we do represent the most loyal, repeat customers. In other words, Disney's core clientele, the ones who will come back and are not just making a "once in a lifetime" or "once every ten years" pilgrimage to the mecca of theme parks.

I've met countless people who tell me they went to WDW 10/15/20 years ago, and have no intention of going back because they've "been there, done that." Those aren't the people who keep Disney afloat; we are.

See this is exactly the disconnect you have with a "3rd group" of Loyal WDW visitors.

1) Your group-Loyal do every attraction as many times as possible even over and over, the "core client".

2) The "unloyal group" -as you say once in a life time been there done that.

3) Our group-just as Loyal,(also a "core client") but parts of WDW fall into the been there done that. These are the attractions that hold zero interest or minimal interest, that even as walk ons we never do. But we love FP+ because the headliners are available to us later in the day with no wait-yes even QTY 1 is an improvement, much less 2 or 3.

Somebody mentioned Living with Land like 5 times in a day-have never gone back to that in 30 plus trips, there is a list of these mid level attractions we never go on anymore.

More importantly to us, are other non attraction events like night shows, parades, fireworks, dining, drinks etc.

Furthermore, many non park activities are way higher on our list as well, always WDW Deluxe resorts, swimming, lunch at the pool, golf, fishing, dining, drinks, shopping, and yes-stay out late and sleep in some days (have closed MK at 3AM many times, FP- was off the table the next day) etc.

These "non park" activities can be done cheaper and better at other places-but not cheaper if we need to do 2 separate trips, one to WDW and one to a warm golf resort.

Plus we like to "blend" these 2 types of trips together-and WDW does a fabulous and effortless job of it.

And the warm golf resort does not have 4 WDW parks next door to go into for our evenings.

 

[Laketravis]

In my dd's case, she and her friends (all of them current or former CMs who had all been trained in the Magic Bands and FP+) missed their entire first day in the parks (but for one hour) due to the utter failure of their Magic Bands. The bands failed first at the hotel (that took several hours to resolve and the staff refused to give them paper tickets to go to the parks), then at the parks when the "fixed" bands still did not work. By the time it was resolved, the park was closing in one hour. Their ticket costs was refunded -- only after the demanded it. But the reality is that they didn't come to Disney to spend hours waiting for staff to fix Disney's system and give them what they paid for and to which they were entitled. At no time, did any CM apologize to them for the delays and problems and hassles. They were all shocked by the system failure and the uncaring attitude which they encountered at every turn.

This made me think of something that some might consider ridiculous but maybe I'm just sensitive in a caveman sort of way.

But can you imagine how a little kid must feel who doesn't understand why he or she is getting Blue Mickeys? We would enter/leave the parks A LOT as we hopped each day, and DS9's finger read would fail probably half the time. I finally figured out it was because he usually had a case of sticky-fingers and just needed to clean his hands, but up until that point he almost dreaded having to go thru the process because it might mean the evil Blue Mickey would appear and someone with an iPad looking like an authority figure would then interrogate him and he felt like he was doing something wrong but didn't know what.

Just sayin'

 

[SCDisneyfanatic]

Jade1...I think we would enjoy touring together. Here's how our trip is planned (starts 13 Dec):

Check in around 3:00 at SOG (right by the Magnolia and Palms so love it)...head to DTD to meet friends that live locally...have a few drinks...ADR for 10 at Raglan Road at 7:15.

Sunday...head to AK around 9:00 or so...do our 3 FP+ and a few shows, head over to EPCOT mid afternoon to do our Drink Around the World Showcase Passports...around 8:00 take boat to HS to see the Osborne lights.

Monday...late breakfast at Kona Cafe (9:50)...tee times on Magnolia at 1220...dinner at Jiko at 7:15...no park that day.

Tuesday...9:15 tee times at Palms...head to MK at 4:00 for some park time before we do the MVMCP. Plan to stay out late for that.

So late start on Wednesday...but will still have 3 FP+ for HS late in the day, just before we see Lion King and then Fantasmic...end Wednesday with ADR for 8:20 at Whispering Canyon.

Thursday...head to MK around 9:00 or so...do few rides/shows...have FP+ for all 3 Mountains...leave around 3:00...relax a while at the resort...have a few cold adult beverages...late show at Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue

Friday...spend the day at EPCOT...do FP+ for 3 attractions...dinner at 5:25 for the 8:15 Candlelight Processional...watch illuminations...EMH night so get in line for Soarin' and have a good time laughing it up until we get to ride...do the same for TT... head back to resort.

All the while we shall have 10 of us just having a good time being together and having the enjoyment of all the Christmas decorations to look at. Should be a wonderful trip with little or no stress!!!

 

[jade1]

Jade1...I think we would enjoy touring together. Here's how our trip is planned (starts 13 Dec):

Check in around 3:00 at SOG (right by the Magnolia and Palms so love it)...head to DTD to meet friends that live locally...have a few drinks...ADR for 10 at Raglan Road at 7:15.

Sunday...head to AK around 9:00 or so...do our 3 FP+ and a few shows, head over to EPCOT mid afternoon to do our Drink Around the World Showcase Passports...around 8:00 take boat to HS to see the Osborne lights.

Monday...late breakfast at Kona Cafe (9:50)...tee times on Magnolia at 1220...dinner at Jiko at 7:15...no park that day.

Tuesday...9:15 tee times at Palms...head to MK at 4:00 for some park time before we do the MVMCP. Plan to stay out late for that.

So late start on Wednesday...but will still have 3 FP+ for HS late in the day, just before we see Lion King and then Fantasmic...end Wednesday with ADR for 8:20 at Whispering Canyon.

Thursday...head to MK around 9:00 or so...do few rides/shows...have FP+ for all 3 Mountains...leave around 3:00...relax a while at the resort...have a few cold adult beverages...late show at Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue

Friday...spend the day at EPCOT...do FP+ for 3 attractions...dinner at 5:25 for the 8:15 Candlelight Processional...watch illuminations...EMH night so get in line for Soarin' and have a good time laughing it up until we get to ride...do the same for TT... head back to resort.

All the while we shall have 10 of us just having a good time being together and having the enjoyment of all the Christmas decorations to look at. Should be a wonderful trip with little or no stress!!!

Love it.

Although I would still be sneaking in a park visit on arrival etc with FP+.

What is sad is, over all these years I have talked many family members and friends into visiting WDW (including FP- details, sometimes with super touring detail) and almost all of them come back with "we couldn't get anything done" type of trips.

They end up falling into that same "average" guest arrival is around noon, often because they are similar to us in many ways-including having kids so they had to visit busier times because of school/activities, limiting FP- headliner availability.

1) Stayed out too late for a variety of reasons on some nights, then retired too early on other-missing night shows.

2) Walked forever and just completely wore out.

3) The Dad golfed a morning or 2 so he was instantly not impressed by the time he got to the parks-just a big waste of money.

I am back on track with a few of them now with FP+.

They are in the "I will believe it when I see it" mode-but after our experiences-I am not at all worried.

Setting up golf, fishing, EPCOT wind down type stuff with no worry about getting them on at least some great headliners with no worry.

It's a WHOLE NEW WORLD for our groups going forward.

 

[Laketravis]

I totally get what you are saying, and walking into Epcot at 8pm on a Friday night with an FP for Soarin' or TT is great. But at what cost?

Like I said previously, beyond that you've got two FP's for rides/attractions you never needed them for.

For some reason I can't get as worked up over that scenario as you do.

 

[JanaDee]

I have no problem with FP+. In fact, our family loves it and I'm glad Disney did this.

Like someone else mentioned, you can't just build more and more attractions and be stuck in the past. It just doesn't work that way in business. You have to "keep moving forward" as Walt says.

Look at what has happened with newspapers, in-home telephones, black and white TV's, hand-cranked cars, etc etc etc. You can't just let your business be stuck in the dark ages of technology. That is how you die. SO many businesses die because they can't keep up.

I'm sorry, but your $2 billion for 16 attractions argument just doesn't fly with me.

Doubters, just face this hard fact: You're afraid of change.

And one more thing: FP+ and MyMagic+ is here to stay. Get used to it.

*sigh* This same old tired response again?

An actual hard fact is that not everyone who hates FP+ is afraid of change.

There are those of us who truly expected that Disney spent all this money to create something effective, useful, and that would actually work.

Another actual hard fact is that in our experience, the system did not work for us at the basic level of getting into our rooms, getting into the parks, etc.

Between my immediate family members, we have been to WDW three times since the implementation of FP+. The system only worked "correctly" for one of those trips and even then we could ride 30% less rides. Maybe that's Disney's intention, but it's not a positive change and therefore I'm not a doubter, I am disgusted by increasing costs with decreasing value.

The other two times the system was a total failure for us, causing stress, wasting LOTS Of time, and causing us to miss park time.

In my dd's case, she and her friends (all of them current or former CMs who had all been trained in the Magic Bands and FP+) missed their entire first day in the parks (but for one hour) due to the utter failure of their Magic Bands. The bands failed first at the hotel (that took several hours to resolve and the staff refused to give them paper tickets to go to the parks), then at the parks when the "fixed" bands still did not work. By the time it was resolved, the park was closing in one hour. Their ticket costs was refunded -- only after the demanded it. But the reality is that they didn't come to Disney to spend hours waiting for staff to fix Disney's system and give them what they paid for and to which they were entitled. At no time, did any CM apologize to them for the delays and problems and hassles. They were all shocked by the system failure and the uncaring attitude which they encountered at every turn.

If that's the kind of change that's here to stay, people who are willing to put up with it are welcome to spend their money on it. We don't intend to.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Love it.

Although I would still be sneaking in a park visit on arrival etc with FP+.

What is sad is, over all these years I have talked many family members and friends into visiting WDW (including FP- details, sometimes with super touring detail) and almost all of them come back with "we couldn't get anything done" type of trips.

They end up falling into that same "average" guest arrival is around noon, often because they are similar to us in many ways-including having kids so they had to visit busier times because of school/activities, limiting FP- headliner availability.

1) Stayed out too late for a variety of reasons on some nights, then retired too early on other-missing night shows.

2) Walked forever and just completely wore out.

3) The Dad golfed a morning or 2 so he was instantly not impressed by the time he got to the parks-just a big waste of money.

I am back on track with a few of them now with FP+.

They are in the "I will believe it when I see it" mode-but after our experiences-I am not at all worried.

Setting up golf, fishing, EPCOT wind down type stuff with no worry about getting them on at least some great headliners with no worry.

It's a WHOLE NEW WORLD for our groups going forward.

I find it funny that golfing and fishing are such a large part of your Disney vacation. I personally prefer to do things at Disney that I can't do here at home (Minnesota). But it's great it works for you! I really do think, though, you overestimate how important those non-park activities are to the vast majority of Disney guests. I know dozens of families who have visited Disney, and not one has even asked about golf or fishing.

I think I'm notable in that I was someone who LOVED the idea of FP+ when it was first introduced. I went and pulled all the patents, poured over every detail, and thought it sounded like the Best Idea Ever! I argued with the naysayers early on. And over time, my opinion has changed. The devil is in the execution, not in the idea. I think the idea itself is fabulous, but it would work so much better if there were more headliner-type attractions to spread guests around to. I still can't believe that there are people here who don't seem to acknowledge that ultimately, Disney has a capacity problem in Orlando. As they like to point out, MK keeps setting record attendance levels every year--yet the number of net attractions hasn't risen at the same pace. This should be universally unacceptable to us, and it's baffling that it's not. No matter whether you like, dislike, or are agnostic about FP+, we should all be able to agree that adding more attractions would be the best overall guest benefit. No matter what they do to FP+, I don't think my overall satisfaction with it will go up until it can do what was described in those patents, and the fact is it will never be able to do that without more a capacity. Those patents envisioned a world where guests could make FP+ selections freely throughout the day. In reality, that just doesn't work well if there are any types of crowds in the parks because availability is lacking for the "good" stuff.

FWIW, even though I'm not a fan of FP+, I've learned to deal with it. I do think it decreases the overall value of my personal park experience, though there are some positive aspects to it. I don't think it's going away, ever. FP+ simply provides too much valuable guest information to ever be discontinued. That doesn't mean I won't complain about the "good 'ole days" of FP-, though.

 

[jade1]

I totally get what you are saying, and walking into Epcot at 8pm on a Friday night with an FP for Soarin' or TT is great. But at what cost?

Like I said previously, beyond that you've got two FP's for rides/attractions you never needed them for.

For some reason I can't get as worked up over that scenario as you do.

Like I have said (and by the way you often bring up EPCOT and not the other parks oddly enough, we all know EPCOT needs help in the attraction arena) if you want to use EPCOT for your example-what other attractions are there? We don't care about any of them, at least in comparison to not having to wait 120 minutes for both TT and Soarin. Be interesting what they do when Frozen opens (and if it's any good of course).

Even Soarin we have skipped for at least the last 5 years-finally went to it last month as we had an open evening and it was available.

For us an EPCOT evening with TT in hand is a huge improvement, as most of our time is in WS.

More than once we have rounded everybody up and stepped into EPCOT through IG late AM, so that one of us could take all the now activated park passes, and walk all the way across to TT in order to obtain a TT FP- for that evening before they ran out. The rest of the group went back to SAB to enjoy the time and lunch there. It was the dumbest but only solution to not wait 2 hours for TT when we wanted to go into EPCOT for the evening.

But use your example for:

Arriving in the evening at DHS for ST/TOT/RNR-we did ST/TSM/TOT as well, we just usually skip TSM as its not that great for us.

Or MK for BTMRR/7DMT/Space.

Or AK for EE/Safari/FOTLK.

 

[Sandy Fisher]

Without reading all 11+ pages of this thread, I'm going to stick my neck out and risk being bombarded by technical facts (?) that I don't care about. I swore months ago that I wasn't going to comment on FP+ again. But here we go.
For DH and myself, FP+ is a big fail. And we've been doing Disney since 1982, through many changes -- some we liked some we really didn't.
I realize Disney wasn't trying to make the customer experience more positive, but that's how they pitched it. You'll be able to this, that and something else and benefit from it.
Wrong.
Even if there isn't room for 15 or 16 or however many new attractions, there are so many areas that could have and should have been improved. There's so much deterioration in quality of merchandise and food, and that's just two items. Imagine all they could have done.
They didn't. More's the pity.
I could come up with a few dozen things that would have been greatly improved, but no one asked me.

 

[Laketravis]

But use your example for:

Arriving in the evening at DHS for ST/TOT/RNR-we did ST/TSM/TOT as well, we just usually skip TSM as its not that great for us.

Or MK for BTMRR/7DMT/Space.

Or AK for EE/Safari/FOTLK.

Okay, let's move out of Epcot then and use your examples for the other parks.

HS: RnRC, okay. But ST and ToT? I have vivid memories as recent as last week walking into the ST FP queue at the same time another guest entered the SB queue, and they got in line in front of me because I had to stop at the 2nd reader. ToT? Most times in the evening we could catch it with a 15 minute SB wait. So what is your net gain in HS? One FP ride on RnRC.

AK: Seriously never needed FP in that park before, and it isn't one that you are going to show up to at 8pm on a Friday evening, so I don't really think it's relevant.

MK: Again, the most popular attractions in this park are fortunately also high capacity rides - with the exception (for now) of 7DMT. Which also helps explain why this park does not suffer from tiering. So on MOST nights, walking into MK and being able to ride BTMR or SM with one FP for each might save you a total of: 45-60 minutes? Great! But you'll now find yourself spending that much time in line to do anything else you may want to do. Oh, wait - you say you have an FP for 7DMT? Well, if you got it that day then obviously you didn't need FP for anything that night because there must not be anyone there. Besides, I think the popularity of that particular attraction will soon wane just like it did for Under the Sea, which now has 10 minute wait times even on heavy park days. We were at WDW for 15 days and only rode 7DMT once even though we had FP's for several days. It just didn't do anything for us.

Look at MK another way - I can walk into that park tomorrow night if I want to and I'll be able to do Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree, Carousel of Progress, Mickey's Philharmagic and maybe even People Mover with minimal waits. WITHOUT an FP. You are probably about excited with that as I am you get to go play golf and ride SM once with an FP

Like I said before, and I'll use MK as an example this time - I don't disagree it's nice to be able to walk into MK at 7pm and knock out SM, then HM, then BTMR. We did it several times last week and the week before. But once we knocked them out, then what? All we were left with were the ones I mentioned above, because everything else had 45-60 minute waits because a bunch of other people had FP's for them too! Not to mention that in years past during that time of the year, many nights we would still be able to pull FP's for SM and BTMR. Didn't need them for HM because HM didn't have them!

I'd expect much more bang for the buck for $2B.

 

[jade1]

I realize Disney wasn't trying to make the customer experience more positive, but that's how they pitched it. You'll be able to this, that and something else and benefit from it.
Wrong.

Your opinion is very relevant and shared by many.

But the above statement should have some sort of "for everybody" attached to it IMO.

It has vastly created a more positive experience for many of us, and we have benefitted from it greatly already.

 

[jade1]

Okay, let's move out of Epcot then and use your examples for the other parks.

HS: RnRC, okay. But ST and ToT? I have vivid memories as recent as last week walking into the ST FP queue at the same time another guest entered the SB queue, and they got in line in front of me because I had to stop at the 2nd reader. ToT? Most times in the evening we could catch it with a 15 minute SB wait. So what is your net gain in HS? One FP ride on RnRC.

AK: Seriously never needed FP in that park before, and it isn't one that you are going to show up to at 8pm on a Friday evening, so I don't really think it's relevant.

MK: Again, the most popular attractions in this park are fortunately also high capacity rides - with the exception (for now) of 7DMT. Which also helps explain why this park does not suffer from tiering. So on MOST nights, walking into MK and being able to ride BTMR or SM with one FP for each might save you a total of: 45-60 minutes? Great! But you'll now find yourself spending that much time in line to do anything else you may want to do. Oh, wait - you say you have an FP for 7DMT? Well, if you got it that day then obviously you didn't need FP for anything that night because there must not be anyone there. Besides, I think the popularity of that particular attraction will soon wane just like it did for Under the Sea, which now has 10 minute wait times even on heavy park days. We were at WDW for 15 days and only rode 7DMT once even though we had FP's for several days. It just didn't do anything for us.

Look at MK another way - I can walk into that park tomorrow night if I want to and I'll be able to do Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree, Carousel of Progress, Mickey's Philharmagic and maybe even People Mover with minimal waits. WITHOUT an FP. You are probably about excited with that as I am you get to go play golf and ride SM once with an FP

Like I said before, and I'll use MK as an example this time - I don't disagree it's nice to be able to walk into MK at 7pm and knock out SM, then HM, then BTMR. We did it several times last week and the week before. But once we knocked them out, then what? All we were left with were the ones I mentioned above, because everything else had 45-60 minute waits because a bunch of other people had FP's for them too! Not to mention that in years past during that time of the year, many nights we would still be able to pull FP's for SM and BTMR. Didn't need them for HM because HM didn't have them!

I'd expect much more bang for the buck for $2B.

Have never traveled off peak, only XMAS week, Easter and a number of years back made some summer trips, finally did Thanksgiving week for the first time last month.

Rework your numbers for those weeks.

 

[jade1]

http://www.easywdw.com/waits/?park=mk

 

[famy27]

I find it funny that golfing and fishing are such a large part of your Disney vacation. I personally prefer to do things at Disney that I can't do here at home (Minnesota). But it's great it works for you! I really do think, though, you overestimate how important those non-park activities are to the vast majority of Disney guests. I know dozens of families who have visited Disney, and not one has even asked about golf or fishing.

I think I'm notable in that I was someone who LOVED the idea of FP+ when it was first introduced. I went and pulled all the patents, poured over every detail, and thought it sounded like the Best Idea Ever! I argued with the naysayers early on. And over time, my opinion has changed. The devil is in the execution, not in the idea. I think the idea itself is fabulous, but it would work so much better if there were more headliner-type attractions to spread guests around to. I still can't believe that there are people here who don't seem to acknowledge that ultimately, Disney has a capacity problem in Orlando. As they like to point out, MK keeps setting record attendance levels every year--yet the number of net attractions hasn't risen at the same pace. This should be universally unacceptable to us, and it's baffling that it's not. No matter whether you like, dislike, or are agnostic about FP+, we should all be able to agree that adding more attractions would be the best overall guest benefit. No matter what they do to FP+, I don't think my overall satisfaction with it will go up until it can do what was described in those patents, and the fact is it will never be able to do that without more a capacity. Those patents envisioned a world where guests could make FP+ selections freely throughout the day. In reality, that just doesn't work well if there are any types of crowds in the parks because availability is lacking for the "good" stuff.

FWIW, even though I'm not a fan of FP+, I've learned to deal with it. I do think it decreases the overall value of my personal park experience, though there are some positive aspects to it. I don't think it's going away, ever. FP+ simply provides too much valuable guest information to ever be discontinued. That doesn't mean I won't complain about the "good 'ole days" of FP-, though.

I feel the same way. I pay so much for park tickets, I'm going to use the heck out of them. We don't even take afternoon breaks. It's park time all the way.

I also liked FP+ the first time I used it. We went in October 2013 (prior to tiers and while paper was still available). Not everyone was on the system, so there was so much same-day flexibility. I liked that we rode Soarin and TT on our arrival night. I liked not having to do FP running or to get to HS for the running of the bulls for TSMM. It was like paper FP, but better. But the tiers and bringing everyone onto the system wiped out almost all of the benefits for us.

 

[Laketravis]

I included Thanksgiving week in my comments (bolded below).

Have never traveled off peak, only XMAS week, Easter and a number of years back made some summer trips, finally did Thanksgiving week for the first time last month.

Rework your numbers for those weeks.

Like I said before, and I'll use MK as an example this time - I don't disagree it's nice to be able to walk into MK at 7pm and knock out SM, then HM, then BTMR. We did it several times last week and the week before. But once we knocked them out, then what? All we were left with were the ones I mentioned above, because everything else had 45-60 minute waits because a bunch of other people had FP's for them too! Not to mention that in years past during that time of the year, many nights we would still be able to pull FP's for SM and BTMR. Didn't need them for HM because HM didn't have them!

I'd expect much more bang for the buck for $2B.