Staying Off Site FP+ Beta Testing

[Speedy1998]

I am staying offsite in two weeks, and I am not an annual pass holder. Yesterday Disney contacted me about beta testing the fastpass + system for my upcoming trip. It is based on my dining reservations, and the fact that I linked my tickets to the My Disney Experience app.

They say I will be able to start making Fastpass + selections on Friday March 7. I will post again this weekend to let everyone know how it went.

[Bruegge]

I am staying offsite in two weeks, and I am not an annual pass holder. Yesterday Disney contacted me about beta testing the fastpass + system for my upcoming trip. It is based on my dining reservations, and the fact that I linked my tickets to the My Disney Experience app.

They say I will be able to start making Fastpass + selections on Friday March 7. I will post again this weekend to let everyone know how it went.

So, the 7th is not your first day at a park??

I'm staying onsite in late June. I'll make my fp's 60 days out but I know a park change will occur sometime on the trip.

I would be very interested in how many options were left when you hit the park and make your FP changes on the fly (at a kiosk or on the MDE app).

With crowds picking up and all the FP's being grabbed by on-site folk 60 days out I wonder how flexible the choices will be during park hours once the park opens and the off-site folk arrive and grab their FP's

If you do make changes during any given day for certain times I/we would love to hear how you thought your options were.
Were any E-ticket ride FP'S all gone? Were any of the fp's offered during the day too late, too inconvenient?? Did you feel that you had enough choices that it wasn't totally frustrating?? (my fears)

I realize I'm asking you to be a FP "Guinea Pig"
but I think the masses here would love to hear a review of changes made on the fly when the park crowds are more than a 3 out of 10 as they have been lately.

That Info would be great to have and help a lot of us plan ahead

Thanks for posting, good luck with the Beta test

They/We Owe you a

Scott

[Speedy1998]

My first day in the park is March 16th. The first day I have a dining reservation for is March 17th.

So I guess the first thing I need to figure out is will it let me get FP+ before I get to the park for the 16th even though I do not have a dining reservation for that day.

Sometime between Saturday 8 and my lunch hour Monday 10 I will log in and let everyone know how the initial selection went.

[yankeesfan123]

This sounds great and makes sense.

If an off-site guest has dining reservations, they are almost guaranteed to be in the park that day.

I wonder what would happen if you canceled an ADR after booking the FP+?

I wouldn't test that part though!

[AndrewJackson]

I'm glad they are doing this. It is the right thing do to. Everyone, regardless of on-site, off-site, or the cost of the resort, should have equal access to FP+.

[joonyer]

I'm glad they are doing this. It is the right thing do to. Everyone, regardless of on-site, off-site, or the cost of the resort, should have equal access to FP+.

I agree, and I hope that it comes to pass and stays that way. But many of Disney's competitors, including the big one across town, don't see it that way. I fear that Disney will see too much extra revenue to be made to keep it that way for long.

[Bruegge]

I agree, and I hope that it comes to pass and stays that way. But many of Disney's competitors, including the big one across town, don't see it that way. I fear that Disney will see too much extra revenue to be made to keep it that way for long.

I'm afraid they will just offer packs of 6,8 or 10 FP's for $149.99 to On site guests...

Sort of like a E-ticket booklet (remember them) but STILL with a full price admission like now.

[yankeesfan123]

They didn't do it before, they won't do it now.

Just my opinion. Hopefully I'm proven right.

[Euby]

I am staying offsite in two weeks, and I am not an annual pass holder. Yesterday Disney contacted me about beta testing the fastpass + system for my upcoming trip. It is based on my dining reservations, and the fact that I linked my tickets to the My Disney Experience app.

They say I will be able to start making Fastpass + selections on Friday March 7. I will post again this weekend to let everyone know how it went.

I got the same email from Disney Destinations. Our first day in a Disney Park will be March 19th. Since I work nights, I plan on making my FP+ reservations around 4am on the 7th during my "lunch break". I'll post here and let everyone know how it goes.

[Speedy1998]

Ok folks, when I logged into my account last night to link the final two tickets from our party, it was already setup for me to add Fast Pass +.

A little background, everyone in my party is staying in a condo offsite. We all have 6 day MYW base tickets. We setup 3 ADRs over the 6 days that we will be visiting WDW.

So here are my thoughts on the experience:

First the good:
1. For the most part it was straight forward to book a fastpass+ ticket for our entire party.
2. I like the idea that I already have fastpasses, and do not have to run ahead of the rest of my party. (I can actually take my time and enjoy the park when I enter it )
3. I was able to book the FP+s for everyday that we will be there, even the 3 days that we do not have ADRs.
4. RnR' and TT are different tiers, I thought I was only going to get to do one this year.

Now the bad:
1. Book fastpass + for only some of the group and getting a different FP+ for others in the group was not self explanitory. Once I figured out how to do it, it seemed to work well though.
2. I do not like the tier system, IMHO the popular rides are the only ones worth getting a FP for most of the time.
3. I do not like that I can only get 1 FP per ride, why can't I use all 3 of my choices on the same attraction if I choose?
4. On one day because of time constraints (ADR limit our time in the park) I only picked 2 FP+, the system assigned a 3rd to Mission Space, which makes me . I have not figure out yet how to delete that FP+
5. I can only see the FP+ that are tied to my ticket on the app. I have to go to the full website to see the FP+ that I setup for everyone else.

[Speedy1998]

I got the same email from Disney Destinations. Our first day in a Disney Park will be March 19th. Since I work nights, I plan on making my FP+ reservations around 4am on the 7th during my "lunch break". I'll post here and let everyone know how it goes.

You may want to check you account today, they let me get my FP+ last night.

[Speedy1998]

I forgot to mention, it seemed like the FP+ system pushes you to later times (late afternoon, early evening) in the day on the initial selection. For most of my FP+ I was able to change the times to early in the day.

[yankeesfan123]

You likely won't need a FP early in the day. Crowds don't really start filling up til 10:30ish.

IMHO it's a waste to get a FP earlier than that because the lines will be short, while much longer after noon.

[Bruegge]

Thanks Speedy,

Really do appreciate the information.

[Euby]

You may want to check you account today, they let me get my FP+ last night.

WOOHOO - Got my fastpasses!

[Bruegge]

WOOHOO - Got my fastpasses!

If you had any different experiences than Speedy ... I think we would love the hear about them.... What and when did you get...

[Speedy1998]

You likely won't need a FP early in the day. Crowds don't really start filling up til 10:30ish.

IMHO it's a waste to get a FP earlier than that because the lines will be short, while much longer after noon.

The times it was initially giving me for fastpasses were like 2, 3, 5. As this was for Animal Kingdom I was planning on being long gone by 5.

IMHO it is better to get fastpasses between 11 and 3. Unless you are in the park with EMH, the crowds start to diminsh after 4.

I have found that unless you are there during a peak season, by roughly 6 all but the most popular attractions have short waits.

[Euby]

If you had any different experiences than Speedy ... I think we would love the hear about them.... What and when did you get...

I found that initially the times were for earlier than 2pm. However, it is very easy to change the times and it even indicates if you overlap with any ADRs.

I left the selection of attractions up to my niece.

Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin
Jungle Cruise

EPCOT
Test Track
Journey into Imagination with Figment
The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Animal Kingdom
Dinosaur
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris

I didn't post any times, because I'm still playing around with them. I am also still trying to make FP+ at DHS on a day we are park hopping, but haven't quite gotten it to cooperate yet.

[2MuchWDFun]

Thanks everyone for the great information.

Euby--you definitely won't need a fast pass for Figment as it is always a walk on. Your niece may want to cancel Figment and make another fast pass choice.

[mickeyman42]

On one day because of time constraints (ADR limit our time in the park) I only picked 2 FP+, the system assigned a 3rd to Mission Space, which makes me . I have not figure out yet how to delete that FP+

This is what I don't like. I don't think the system should make you have 3 FP+'s. If I only want 2, let me have 2. I had the same thing happen, we have a day when we only plan to go to epcot in the evening, mostly for dinner after we go to a spring training game. So I decided to get a FP for soarin' since we're going to be there anyway. Now I have no intentions of going on anything else, but I have a FP for nemo and mission space, that I will not use, and am basically taking that Fp away from someone else who may be looking for a FP for those attractions. I know I can probably dump them after the fact, but even so, if I can dump the FP's after it makes me take them , just let me only have 1, or 2, to begin with.