I'm guessing our family is done with Disney

[redrosesix]

Just finished our first day of fp+ and it can be summed up in this quote from my DD14 "lets just not use them". I agree with her. When we were at AK this morning we used none and in 2 instances the SB line was faster than the fp line by 10 am. Esp the safari which was only 15 minutes at 10 am. I heard the cm at the firat fp checkpoint say guests had a 20 minute wait from there.

They worked great for the Cinderella meet and greet and cut our wait for bttmrr from 40 minutes to 15. But...

We had to reschedule one and the app wasn't working properly while we were on break at our resort so had to get the concierge to do it. The WiFi didn't work in mk this evening for more than a few minutes at a time and we realized it was stupid to do a ride and then have to wait for 45 minutes for the next one. You don't really have time to do another ride. Most rides at mk didn't need a fp for most of the evening and most were walk ons after 7:30. We had a boat to ourselves on PoTC. That was very cool. The ride is very different when you're alone

So we will probably just tour the way we always have. EMH, RD and stay late.

 

[Planogirl]

Bowling! Disneyquest! Mini-golf! Shopping at DTD! Waterparks! Anything but rides! But please stay on Disney property!

I'm horrible at bowling and prefer to shop in the parks. We don't like waterparks any more than pools except once in a blue moon but mini-golf is OK. Now those drinks someone mentioned is a consideration.

I saw that quote about people spending more time with Disney is Disney gets them to plan more. I still see just the opposite. Do stuff offsite and go to a Disney park late in the day. You'll have your FP+ so why not?

 

[pilferk]

I think that this is the rant. http://www.reddit.com/r/WaltDisneyWorld/comments/1xkosg/your_hatred_is_petty_and_hurts_you_more_than_it/

I've never heard that we can't post a link to these so I'll take my chances. It's interesting.

I'll add that I don't disagree with the CM except that I think that he's seeing things in a very narrow way. True that things will change but that doesn't help someone who recently went. Also true that the uninformed had trouble getting fastpasses but that wasn't the fault of those who followed the rules and did get fastpasses. I also don't see much addressing the worries of the offsite visitors.

I'll stick to my plan to wait until everything is in place before potentially dealing with any of this.

Thanks.

That's a great example of some of the things I've talked about in regards to CM's not really knowing or understanding the system, and Disney not doing a good job at educating them. It's either that or they're parroting the marketing speak which is, very obviously, not true. And much of the information they gave in the rant and subsequent responses (no wait time more than 45 min on TSMM since FP+ launched??!!) is incorrect or half-truth.

There are certainly ways for the "on the ground" CM's to argue in support of FP+....and I definitely get why they'd be frustrated with all the guest dissatisfaction "on the ground" right now...but the above rant isn't a good example of either. It's just another hodgepodge of rumor and speculation cobbled together from disparate sources, and then posted by someone who happens to work for Disney. Even some of the "facts and figures" are a little suspicious.

Basically...nothing different than we have here, already. From ALL sides of the debate (including me).

 

[pilferk]

.......we have known for a really long time that getting our visitors to Walt Disney world, to make decisions about where they spend their time before they leave home, is a powerful driver of visits per guest. When they get into the Orlando market and their time isn’t yet planned, they can be subject to everything you see down there which is a lot of in-city marketing for all the many products that people have put there to basically bleed off the feed that we fundamentally motivate. So if we can get people to plan their vacation before they leave home, we know that we get more time with them. We get a bigger share of their wallet. So that’s one thing for you guys to think about.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/walt-disney-companys-ceo-discusses-002803058.html

And there you have it, again.

FP+ (and MM+ in general) is about getting people to hang around the resort more and Disney being able to figure out, with crazy amounts of accuracy, where they will be and what they will be doing.

I know that's not nearly as verbose, or elegantly phrased, as my heuristic explanation earlier in this thread....but that is what this is about.

Entirely.

 

[Vidia2]

And there you have it, again. FP+ is about getting people to hang around the resort more and Disney being able to figure out, with crazy amounts of accuracy, where they will be and what they will be doing. I know that's not nearly as verbose, or elegantly phrased, as my heuristic explanation earlier in this thread....but that is what this is about. Entirely.

While I understand your reasoning, I don't really get why they want us hanging around our resort. We spend way more at the parks and are less likely, while there, to head to McDonald's for a bite. I thought the point was to keep us in the parks where they can keep an eye on us.

 

[Laketravis]

It's almost word for word a combination of responses from various points in this thread. I doubt that this was even written by a CM. It sounds more like a poster from this thread, oddly enough.

Yeah, imagine that - somebody complaining about everybody complaining about FP+ and it's not even on the DIS.

 

[pilferk]

While I understand your reasoning, I don't really get why they want us hanging around our resort. We spend way more at the parks and are less likely, while there, to head to McDonald's for a bite. I thought the point was to keep us in the parks where they can keep an eye on us.

I'm not saying the half day park phenomenon is the intended outcome....I don't know one way or the other. I know my post was sort of smack dab in the middle of that conversation, but it actually wasn't meant to address it. It was more meant to address their overall motivations for the system changes.

But, that being said....even if you're only in a park for a half day, you're likely not leaving for Seaworld or IOA or Ripley's or Legoland or...whatever.

So..MAYBE (and I'm just spitballing here) getting a half day of you in the park, and a half day rumbling around the resort (either in your hotel or at DTD or playing mini-gold...whatever) equates to more revenue than you skipping out at 8 AM, heading to I drive, and spending a FULL day there.

Or, MAYBE, the operational efficiency they realize by pulling you in for a half day is combined with the fact that, when you leave, you now have a family replacing you (with their evening FPs) who will also spend a day on their ticket, and money in the parks.

And they still have the ability to "track you", because I'd bet they find that a good chunk of their resort guests are getting TS meals for dinner, somewhere....and they're hoping you're using that MB to pay for your shopping/bowling/mini-golf/pool bar tab.

There are tons of scenarios where they can still get their data mined, even outside the ones above, but (MAYBE) just the fact you stepped foot in A park, on property, that day is enough to ensure (a high enough % of outcome probability) that your dollars aren't walking off property

 

[Laketravis]

While I understand your reasoning, I don't really get why they want us hanging around our resort. We spend way more at the parks and are less likely, while there, to head to McDonald's for a bite. I thought the point was to keep us in the parks where they can keep an eye on us.

Or at least on property.

Like others have mentioned, DTD or TSR's or resort bars or poolside cabanas' - I suppose it's easy for bean counters to look at profit centers on a property wide basis and rationalize how it makes sense to create an economic bubble from which no one will want to or can escape.

But I think we are actually seeing several things develop before our eyes; the rumblings have no doubt reached a level that Disney can no longer ignore.

They are and will be making changes to FP+ to attempt to minimize the rumblings. They see things we can't and before anyone else can even smell, like cancelled bookings or decreased guest spending or less time on property - and they may actually be thinking a very large and collective "Uh oh" right now.

 

[Vidia2]

They are and will be making changes to FP+ to attempt to minimize the rumblings. They see things we can't and before anyone else can even smell, like cancelled bookings or decreased guest spending or less time on property - and they may actually be thinking a very large and collective "Uh oh" right now.

I hope you're right!

 

[surferdave]

And there you have it, again.

FP+ (and MM+ in general) is about getting people to hang around the resort more and Disney being able to figure out, with crazy amounts of accuracy, where they will be and what they will be doing.

I know that's not nearly as verbose, or elegantly phrased, as my heuristic explanation earlier in this thread....but that is what this is about.

Entirely.

You beat me to it again, and it sounded better from you anyway.

They don't know yet where to herd us for maximum profit, they just know it's on WDW property. The data will tell them more later.

 

[kbelle8995]

Or at least on property.

Like others have mentioned, DTD or TSR's or resort bars or poolside cabanas' - I suppose it's easy for bean counters to look at profit centers on a property wide basis and rationalize how it makes sense to create an economic bubble from which no one will want to or can escape.

But I think we are actually seeing several things develop before our eyes; the rumblings have no doubt reached a level that Disney can no longer ignore.

They are and will be making changes to FP+ to attempt to minimize the rumblings. They see things we can't and before anyone else can even smell, like cancelled bookings or decreased guest spending or less time on property - and they may actually be thinking a very large and collective "Uh oh" right now.

I hope your right too. PR is going to have to work overtime at the very least.

 

[lugnut33]

I know Josh from EasyWDW has said FP+ doesn't really make a difference in regards to attraction wait times, but it appears Touring Plans isn't quite agreeing with him. I found this on their blog:

Some park levels surprised us this week, especially at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and more specifically at attractions other than the super headliners. This may be a symptom of FastPass+ integration throughout the resort since guests can not repeat super headliners as easily in a given day.

 

[lovethattink]

Just finished our first day of fp+ and it can be summed up in this quote from my DD14 "lets just not use them". I agree with her. When we were at AK this morning we used none and in 2 instances the SB line was faster than the fp line by 10 am. Esp the safari which was only 15 minutes at 10 am. I heard the cm at the firat fp checkpoint say guests had a 20 minute wait from there.

We saw this at AK on Monday afternoon. But I made sure we used our FP+ even if I had to change it to another attraction because I was afraid underusing them would show Disney that many FP+ weren't needed for AK.

We found SB at Dinosaur to be shorter than the FP+ line on Monday. I think the reason was it was faster for people to walk through the standby line than it was to stop and scan their band. Those scanners sure hold up the queue!!

We rode Safari SB and changed our FP+ to the Nemo show, though not really needed. We were sent ahead of the FP+ line while a family was scanning their bands. Our only hold up was the w/c line.

It took me a long time to change our FP+ to Nemo. I kept getting the message "there's a blip in the system". It eventually worked while we were enroute to Nemo.

We had to reschedule one and the app wasn't working properly while we were on break at our resort so had to get the concierge to do it. The WiFi didn't work in mk this evening for more than a few minutes at a time and we realized it was stupid to do a ride and then have to wait for 45 minutes for the next one. You don't really have time to do another ride. Most rides at mk didn't need a fp for most of the evening and most were walk ons after 7:30. We had a boat to ourselves on PoTC. That was very cool. The ride is very different when you're alone

So we will probably just tour the way we always have. EMH, RD and stay late.

Low crowd levels sure help. We had so many cheerleader groups in AK when we first got there, but as time went on there were less and less of these large groups.

But I think we are actually seeing several things develop before our eyes; the rumblings have no doubt reached a level that Disney can no longer ignore.

They are and will be making changes to FP+ to attempt to minimize the rumblings. They see things we can't and before anyone else can even smell, like cancelled bookings or decreased guest spending or less time on property - and they may actually be thinking a very large and collective "Uh oh" right now.

I think so too. Especially after the questions that were asked on the 3 surveys that were sent to me.

 

[pktbMouse]

boy I just cant wait till the hight of summer when the parks are near at capacity for the FP+ and SB line time comments to come on the boards can you? lol

 

[rastuso]

boy I just cant wait till the hight of summer when the parks are near at capacity for the FP+ and SB line time comments to come on the boards can you? lol

YeAh, I wonder how long the FP+ lovers will hold on to their hopes of more than 3, even though 3 is awesome, right?

I think any day over a 5 out of 10 will simply be a disaster for anyone who knew a thing or two about FP-.

Jason

 

[redrosesix]

YeAh, I wonder how long the FP+ lovers will hold on to their hopes of more than 3, even though 3 is awesome, right?

I think any day over a 5 out of 10 will simply be a disaster for anyone who knew a thing or two about FP-.

Jason

Tbh I really think you can't compare how veterans and newbies tour the parks. When those busy days come you will know what to do with or without any kind of fp.

But those first timers and non-planners who are thinking all they need is their 3 advance fp's are going to be the ones filling the SB lines and they are just going to be angry.

 

[onelugnut]

funny how the last few months we debated over FP, it always ended with "its not that bad" and "wait till you do it, before you judge it".
Now I used FP+ for 7 days and KNOW how bad it is and the defense is, "but they will probably change it"

 

[onelugnut]

BTW;
one time i was expressing my displeasure with FP+ to the CMs at the FP- locations, I had him on the rails and I apologized for taking it out on him.
He said not to worry, that Disney is very interested in our views and that especially because I was there during the first weeks of full FP+ and no FP-, that they were going to be asking me for my thoughts at the end of my trip.

Guess what? its been a week and I was never asked for my opinion, no survey, no nothing.

that leaves only one way to let them know.

2015 $$$$ to universal or maybe a cruise.

I just know in my business, that you dont want loyal customers trying other things.
Many times they find something they like better and are gone for ever.

I hope their "experiment" with my family of 5, 2014 vacation was worth it to them, because, it wasnt to me.

 

[gpittman14]

Just returned this week and FP+ works fine. We didn't get to have our unlimited paper fastpasses like we're used to, but we did rope drop at MK rode everything we wanted to ride that day by 1 and still got on TSMM that evening with our FP+. We moved around our FP+ reservations in the parks with the app throughout the days without any problem.

Overall FP+ let us go to DHS in the afternoon and still ride one of the most popular rides at WDW without waiting in the stand-by line. That is a win for me.

 

[vinotinto]

For the first time since our first trip as a family back in 2009, Disney is not in the top five vacations that we would like to take in the next couple of years. That should make those in this forum that always respond with: "that's great, more space for me" super happy. However, I would like to think that we are a bit of an ideal "poster family" with the right demographics for Disney to want to attract (I'll explain in a minute what I mean by this). So, if they cannot attract us, then something is not quite going right.

What I mean by the demographics that Disney wants to attract is that when we have visited WDW, we have stayed on site the entire time, and we eaten 100% all of our meals on site.

We spend money: we stay deluxe, spend money in the pool area, eat at signatures and TS, hang out at Epcot and buy souvenirs at the WS, order a bottle of wine with dinner, etc.

We stay between 4 and 8 nights, with most trips being around a week long.

We have brought additional family members (my mom - on a separate, connecting, room), and had talked about bringing siblings, and other grandma.

We have 2 children who are at perfect ages for Disney - 6 and 9 (their packages often talk about 2 adults, 1 junior and 1 child, plus extended family members - that would have been us in the next year).

So, why is it that we do not currently have WDW in our vacation list, even though we had been WDW poster children and WDW had been in our vacation list for the prior 4 years?

It's not just the FP+ issue. It's that the changes being made, made our last vacation not feel very "vacationy." Here are some reasons, all stemming from changes in the last few months:

I completely disliked having to select in advance times for FP+. We only used 1-2 FP+ per day, but used FP 3-5 times per day that trip. Now that FP is defunct, we would need to go with FP+ times.

I could not change my FP+ times, because MDE would block hours blocks around my ADRs. With 2 ADRs per day, most of my day was artificially blocked.

The cc guarantee for all restaurant reservations is extremely inflexible. You should be able to cancel up to 1 hour in advance without penalty. Trust me, they would fill those tables.

Their ADR system will not show reservations unless you are at least 2 hours out. So, if you suddenly have the desire to eat, you better plan 2+ hours in advance.

Not enough not being made in new rides, or truly new experiences.

We got the impression they are cutting down on non-ride experiences and parades. The week we were there, MSEP was cancelled a few weeks prior for the Monday. That left only 2 days that week to watch the parade. Guess what? It rained and we could not see the parade. I think they got rid of the daytime parade too.

Overall, it just seemed like the WDW vacation has taken a turn towards scheduling in a way I don't care for on vacation. With so many other things my family can do for the $$, we will likely wait a few years before thinking whether we want to return.