WDW too much hassle?

[TheVBs]

I would prefer not to have to book TS and FP so far in advance. But, the truth is, it really hasn't been that much of a problem for us. On a 10 day trip we'll have 3-5 TS meals at the most. That's all we're interested in, and we can usually book what we want.

We have always laid out a (flexible) plan of which days we'll be in which parks, just to avoid the "where do you want to go?" thing first thing in the morning. So, knowing what park we'll be in, how we typically walk through the park, and roughly when we'll be in each section, makes it fairly easy to choose FPs.

On our last trip we left our last few days completely FP free and had just as much fun.

[RunDMV]

It is going to get better, it will just take some time.

You win the award for the funniest post on the internet.

its only going to get worse. wait until they start using all the data they are collecting to squeeze even more pennies out of your pocket.

[RunDMV]

Hang in there.....enjoy what you can and don't let the system ruin your vacation. If you are a frequent WDW traveler, get those one or two important rides/attractions at each park that you must do and then go from there. I like the parks, but enjoying WDW for me is much more than that....the restaurants, the resorts, the family time, etc.

I hope it all works out for you and enjoy your trip.

That just sounds ridiculous. Pay top dollar for a subpart experience and be happy about it? seriously?

[NJGIRL]

I love WDW and I love to plan...but the FPP just seems like the last straw.

I have been unable to commit in advance for a variety or reasons, but have been thinking about going to WDW and/or Universal this fall and it just seems like a trip to Universal seems so much less stressful. Book a room. Show up. Go to the head of the line. Enjoy lots of great restaurants without making reservations months in advance.

Planning a trip two months in advance at WDW seems ridiculously impulsive and practically irresponsible. Is that really how a vacation should be? Maybe I am getting old.

Thoughts?

Feeling the same way.

[DizneyFreak2002]

It is going to get better, it will just take some time.

Happy for your optimism but it isn't going to get better... it will only get worse...

[Dulcee]

We've done the fast pass + system twice now. We've really, really enjoyed it both times. Perhaps we are in the minority but we enjoyed not having to run for fast passes. With a 1 year old now we REALLY enjoy not having to split up to grab fast passes then backtrack to an attraction. We like knowing we will get on our favorite attractions without issue even if we can't make it into the park until 11am. Even with the early glitchy app we didn't have issues moving around fast pass plus reservations the day off even just an hour or two before ride times.

I've been going to disney world since 1987 and this has made our trips better.

We just started planning a trip for 6 in december. I won't lie, I'm a spreadsheeter. For a 7 day trip we made 8 ADRs without hassle, at 130 something days out. We'll pick tentative fast pass plusses at 30 days. We're excited to do it. For our style of vacation the whole my magic plus system works.

[Brooklynos]

We actually enjoy the planning. We go yearly so starting about three months after we come home we look at traffic calenders and menus. six months out we book dining and activities like Pirates League. We then can talk amongst our family to see who is most excited for what and it helps with our 4 year old to show her youtube videos of rides and restaurants(she likes to see where she is going to go and helps with preparing her for things that might scare her like haunted mansion). 60 days out we get fastpasses for our cannot miss attractions but we feel like all the preplanning helps.

It takes the confusion out of who wants to do what each day as far as park and food goes. We have time inbetween meals to do what we want. We also utilize the fourth, fifth and sixth etc fastpass after we use up our must dos and let our daughter decide whatever they have available that she wants to do. For us it's nice to have something Disney to do all year and to have the decisions made before we go on stuff that most don't agree on "on the fly". But I can see how some would get aggravated. It's a lot, we just happen to enjoy our Disney fix by planning.

[minnie04]

I was a little skeptical with booking things in advance. I loved the fact that we could go and ride what we liked. We never used the old FP paper days. BUT now I wouldn't have it any other way. I plan a trip and ask the kids "what do you really want to ride?" than I book that park with FPP for the day and get what they really want. I book at times I know we will be up and ready (nothing early morning) I know how the kids are and I would never make it in the parks before Noon. The best part of FFP is you know exactly what you are riding and when. after they are gone we just wing it for the rest of the day. As for dinner we really never make reservations because the kids like to eat when ever and where ever, so we play that one by ear.. Trust me I was really against the whole FP+ when it came out, but give it a chance and you will see. It makes the day go better. Knowing you are going to get the rides you want.

Now they ask me to "make sure you get this ride or that ride" months in advance.. It's nice knowing when we get there we are a sure thing for the ride we want..And not rushing to make it before the crowds or FP is gone..

[joonyer]

Is it a "hassle" to have to book these details in advance. Well, yeah, no question it's a bother that has to be dealt with. And there are a few people who seem to enjoy it, nothing wrong with that, if it floats your boat. But for the rest of us, the real question is: "Is it worth the "hassle"?

Disney seems to be betting really big that most guests will find that it is worth it to have the benefits that come from extra planning.

For us, visiting this past Christmas week with free dining (first and only time we've been to WDW since FP+ was started) we found that the advantage of having FP's for attractions like 7DMT and TSM (we saw standby wait times as long as 180 minutes) and getting ressies at the places we wanted to dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was definitely worth the hassle of being up at midnight months before to book them.

At different times of year, your mileage may vary.

[minnie04]

The thing is when you book a vacation in advance you are always going to have to make some sort of reservations. Hotel , car rental, flights, meals (if you want to eat at certain places) etc. etc. so really what is the hassle of booking 3 rides you really want in a day. Or a couple restaurants you love to eat at. In everyday life you have to either "call ahead" or wait at least 30 minutes when you get to a restaurant you want to eat at. At least in Miami you do. There is no more walk up and sit. When you go to a movie you purchase tickets ahead of time to avoid the lines. So why not do a little planning before you actually go and when you arrive its all good.. To me it takes the hassle out of planning. because I can sit at the computer and plan without the craziness. I have my next trip in Sept. and all the days and rides are picked. No rushing to make those times. If we get there we get there and if not then hey we don't ride. (it has happened a few times) When you choose to go to a place with so much to offer and so many people want the same thing. I think it's better to plan ahead. Trust me Disney is the ONLY place I plan ahead..lol I don't do it for everything and sometimes I wish i could. We have tried for 2 weekends in a row to go to The Keys for lunch and just hang out, and every time we head that way we hit a major traffic jam just trying to get in the lower keys. We have had to turn around both times. If there was a way to book the trip down and not hit traffic I would do it in a heart beat. I know it takes the fun out of being spontaneous, but that's the way things are these days. That's why I love my winter trips to the mountains...nothing is planned every day is just wing it and go...

[RunDMV]

Disney seems to be betting really big that most guests will find that it is worth it to have the benefits that come from extra planning.
.

I disagree. I think that Disney gives a rats patootie about repeat and return guests. There are literally millions of single time or once in a lifetime visitors who are in line to replace me and others like me. They dont care that I've been making 1 or 2 trips a year for over 2 decades and I am not coming back as long as FP+ is there.

[TheVBs]

I do have to admit that knowing we can ride 7DMT and TSM without a really long wait is great. We used to always pass up TSM because of the wait. But we finally rode it on our last trip because we'd booked it with FP+. Gotta give a big thumbs up for that!

[i'm grumpy]

We booked last minute and maybe we didn't spend as much time in the parks, but FPP stinks!!!

[Luv4WDW]

I LOVE the new FastPass+. It has made our trips so much more relaxing. I never understood the people who were upset they would no longer be able to obtain 10+ fastpasses per day. I can't imagine the amount of running around that would entail. I don't really think it takes more planning. I know it's easier for me because I've been so much, but even if you haven't been a lot, it's not hard to find out what the most popular rides are. You know you'll want to ride those, so get a fastpass for those for sure. We have our list of must-do's for every time we're in a park, so we book our FPs for those, and it works out great! I prefer to park hop so now we can book evening FPs where as before we never had a chance. In terms of booking dining 180 days out, you're just picking a restaurant, not what you're eating. I always have a list of restaurants I want to try so I'll be happy with whatever we have reserved for that day. I've never felt like, "Ugh, I'd really rather eat this TOMORROW than today". You want to talk about ridiculous? How 'bout being asked what meal choice you'd like at a wedding two months from now. THAT I can't decide so far in advance. So, very long story short, I think it's more planning in advance, but less park strategy/planning while you're there, so my family prefers the new system.