Frustration with Lack of Spontaneity

[Basket Mommy]

My family of 6 traveled to WDW November 20-25th. I did all the ADR and FP+ planning at the appropriate times, trying to use different crowd planners to help me target the parks that were supposed to be less crowded on the days we were there. I know those planners are never 100% accurate, but I use them anyway. Here's my beef: I planned a day at the Studios on Sunday the 22nd because the MK was supposed to be like a 7 or 8 for crowds (out of 10) and I've always been told that weekends at MK are a no go because all the locals come in (although our waiter at 1900 Park Fair dispelled that theory. Turns out MK on a Sunday is a great idea!) I got the prized FPs (TSM, Star Tours, ToT) for DHS locked in at 60 days and planned to do MK on the Friday we arrived and on Tuesday. Tuesdays are supposed to be great at MK, right?

When we got up and got going on Sunday, I started checking wait times on the MDE app for both DHS and MK. Of course MK wait times were spectacular and DHS times were already through the roof. Hubby and I discussed throwing the DHS plans out the window and going to MK and taking our chances with FPs and standby lines, but didn't want to give up our TSM FPs since none were available for other days of our stay. We ended up going to DHS. We were able to do our 3 FPs and stood in a 45-minute line for Great Movie Ride, but never even got close to riding RnR (100+ minutes). We did see Osbourne Lights and then called it a day after being there from 10 am until dusk. I continued to check MK wait times throughout the day, and honestly, we would've ended up better if we'd gone there. But we were locked in at DHS and felt trapped. This is what I HATE about planning so far in advance. If I had been able to switch our FPs around successfully, I would've chosen to go to MK and had a relatively productive and stress free day. Our MK day on Tuesday was awful since it was 2 days before Thanksgiving (we went the Tuesday before T'giving last year and practically had the park to ourselves from opening to around noon!) That day all we got to ride were our 3 FP rides plus the carousel and teacups. Everything else was ridiculously long. There was a chained off queue for People Mover, if that tells you anything. I've never waited for People Mover, not even at that time last year. I know I chose a crowded time to go, but I feel like if I'd been able to be more flexible and not all tied up with FP and ADR choices made months in advance, I would've enjoyed the experience much more. We go a couple of times a year, so riding every ride every time isn't a must, but being able to ride more than 3-5 things would've been nice.

Off the soapbox.

[Zippy 1]

I agree with you! Having to plan each day so far out and kinda being licked into it takes some of the fun away. We haven't been back in severeal years and do not have a trip planned anytime soon. (financial reasons). But not in a real hurry to get back due to changes and all the construction going on.

[1DisneyNut]

I totally agree with you as well. We were there thanksgiving week and ran into the same dilemma. We ended up changing plans and not even using many of our FP's. I may start a thread on our trip when I get a chance.

The first couple of days we found ourselves just running all over the park we were in trying to get to FP's and then running around trying to do rides in between. I started keeping up with the time we were spending trying to do each ride and it turns out we would walk across the park fighting through crowds for 15 minutes, get in the fastpass line which typically wasn't so fast because of the number of FP's they give out and we waited around 15 minutes to get on the ride and then usually had to go back across the park to our next ride we were going to do or get back to where the wait times were lower which took another 10 to 15 minutes walking. So if you do the math, we had around 45 minutes in each ride we used a FP on and the standby wait times for many rides were 30 minutes. My point is, we were getting less rides done per day by using the FP+ system.

The only time a FP+ is handy is for one of the rides you know you want to do and you know 100% for sure the wait time is going to be extremely long such as soarin. Outside of that, don't waste your time with them and just go with the flow like old times and you will enjoy your vacation much much more.

[RunDMV]

Y'all obviously don't know what you are talking about. Tom Staggs HIMSELF said the FP+ creates more spontaneity. {sarcasm off}

[1DisneyNut]

Y'all obviously don't know what you are talking about. Tom Staggs HIMSELF said the FP+ creates more spontaneity. {sarcasm off}

Yeah, I laugh every time I read that in their press releases and advertisements. I would like to sit down with the marketing knuckleheads that write that stuff and get them to explain how in their minds that something that locks you down to specific dates, times, places and experiences months in advance results in spontaneity.

[Patricia]

I have no desire to use the new Fastpass+, but I haven't been there since it was implemented. I'm one of those people that doesn't even make ADR's. We decide where we are going when we wake up and eat at whichever restaurant lets us in when we are hungry. The only time I know where I'll be, at any given time, is if I'm attending a hard ticket event, like MVMCP or I'm at an Icot meet. My planning is centered on getting a good deal on my resort and a cheap car rental, if we even get a car. The rest of it has to be spontaneous or I don't feel like I've been on vacation.

Now, that being said.. I've been to WDW a lot of times, I help others plan trips and figure out all these systems, have knowledge of what to avoid and I don't mind missing an attraction or two if my day doesn't go perfectly. I feel bad for people that are on a first trip (or an only trip) and have no idea what they are going into. Their bad day can't necessarily be fixed by a soak in a hot tub.

[faline]

Yes, planning so far ahead as to which rides you're going to ride on which day does tend to lock you into a park much more than the old system did. Good for Disney - to know the crowd levels to expect at each location. Not so good for the rest of us who might like to hop to a less-crowded park!! Doesn't look like the current system is going to change any time soon so it is what it is!!

[BrerGnat]

The running back and forth between rides is what I hate the most about it. Last time we went, we spent three days in the parks and I don't remember SEEING anything. It was a mad dash to go from ride to ride because the FP times were right on top of each other. It felt so hectic and disjointed.

[Susan A]

That's why we are not on the dinning plan for our next trip. I don't want to be committed to so many sit down meals.

[RunDMV]

But Tom Skaggs says they can get 5,000 into the parks a day and still have the same experience.

[Basket Mommy]

I have no desire to use the new Fastpass+, but I haven't been there since it was implemented. I'm one of those people that doesn't even make ADR's.

We used to be like that, way back when we could decide in the morning where we were going, call to make an ADR for that park, and be on our way. No problems. Now, to eat at our favorite places (which also happen to be everyone else's faves), we have to do the ADRs. That didn't bother me so much. I could change ADRs if we decide to head in another direction. Then they started making you give your card # for meals so you can't cancel less than 24 hours out if you don't want to be charged. Okay. I got the reasoning there. I thought that would make it easier to get ADRs because it would cut back on people booking multiple reservations to hedge their bets. We never get a dining plan (we do Tables in Wonderland sometimes - not every trip), so I don't *have* to make ADRs. Not a big deal to cancel if plans change, but we have to know a day ahead what we're doing. But now I cannot make myself go without making the FP reservations. We usually go during value season, but the past 2 years we've been at Thanksgiving. If it wasn't for the FPs we had every day, we would never have ridden anything. I refuse to stand in a line that's more than 40-45 minutes. There's no way I'm waiting 2 hours for Peter Pan or RnR or Seven Dwarves Mine Train. At one point that ride was up to a 3-hour standby line (and it hadn't been down all day for any reason!) We have been trying to find a time of year to go that cuts down on missed school days for the kids now that they're older.

[BrerGnat]

But Tom Skaggs says they can get 5,000 into the parks a day and still have the same experience.

WDW executives should all be required to work a shift at Guest Relations once a week. Most of them never even step foot into the parks.

[MNNHFLTX]

WDW executives should all be required to work a shift at Guest Relations once a week. Most of them never even step foot into the parks.

The execs should be required to spend a week as a guest in the parks. Make FP+ reservations in advance, ADR's in advance and then bring their families along to deal with complaints about it being too hot, too crowded, too rigid. Personal experience is the best teacher.

[BrerGnat]

The execs should be required to spend a week as a guest in the parks. Make FP+ reservations in advance, ADR's in advance and then bring their families along to deal with complaints about it being too hot, too crowded, too rigid. Personal experience is the best teacher.

True, but they would probably find a way to spin that experience.

Listening to people complain all day is better punishment.

[TheVBs]

BasketMommy, so sorry about your trip experience! That stinks. It is frustrating to be so conflicted on whether to stick with the plans you hashed out so far before the trip, or improvise when it looks like another park would be better.

For the people who are using too much time getting from one FP to another, my DH came up with a great plan for us and it's worked on each trip. If you already have a touring plan, book your FPs around the park based on the approx. time you'd be there anyway. This made such a huge difference for us! At the MK, we always walk down Main St., hit Adventureland and tour around the park in that direction. We hit each FP without rushing or backtracking and still had time for rides and food in between.

[1DisneyNut]

BasketMommy, so sorry about your trip experience! That stinks. It is frustrating to be so conflicted on whether to stick with the plans you hashed out so far before the trip, or improvise when it looks like another park would be better.

For the people who are using too much time getting from one FP to another, my DH came up with a great plan for us and it's worked on each trip. If you already have a touring plan, book your FPs around the park based on the approx. time you'd be there anyway. This made such a huge difference for us! At the MK, we always walk down Main St., hit Adventureland and tour around the park in that direction. We hit each FP without rushing or backtracking and still had time for rides and food in between.

That is exactly what I attempted to do but I ran into problems with that plan. The biggest problem I had was trying to get the popular rides at the times I needed them. I wasn't even able to get one for 7 D mine train. The others that I did get, it was hard to coordinate them with estimated times. The next problem was the crowd flow is so weird now because of FP+. People with little experience get them for attractions that shouldn't need them and they show up in batches typically when the parades or shows end. So you will be going through your normal order trying to tick rides off the list and out of the blue the standby wait times will jump from 20 or 30 minutes to 60 or 90 in just a matter of minutes and it is because a boat load of people with FP+'s all showed up at one time. When this happens, they just funnel them through and the standby line literally STANDS BY!

You end up finding yourself second guessing your attack plan and trying to adjust. So one of two things happens, you either stick with your plan but get behind schedule or you adjust and move to a different section of the park with lower wait times. Either way, the end result is you are rarely near your upcoming FP when it is time to use it and you end up crossing back and forth across the park. This brings up another new problem, the standby wait times might be 15 to 20 minutes on a multitude of rides but there are people everywhere. Some almost running trying to get to a FP, some standing scratching their heads as usual looking at the park map, some walking but looking at the app on their phone constantly and not paying attention to where they are going and running into everyone or cutting them off, etc. One completely unintended result of FP+ has turned out to be very poor traffic/crowd control......people are just running everywhere and it makes the park seem far busier and more difficult to navigate.

[baldburke]

I think we're at a state where we go for the "Disney experience." Yes, we like to ride the new rides and see the updates, but beyond that there's never anything we're looking to accomplish besides enjoying our time at WDW. We usually make one ADR per day to make sure we get "a good meal." And while we do book fastpasses, we don't sweat the small stuff if we miss them due to being in other parks or other places within the park. But then again we've tended to go during "slower times" when the crowds weren't as heavy. With the kids getting older we really enjoy the flexibility.

[TheVBs]

That is exactly what I attempted to do but I ran into problems with that plan. The biggest problem I had was trying to get the popular rides at the times I needed them. I wasn't even able to get one for 7 D mine train. The others that I did get, it was hard to coordinate them with estimated times. The next problem was the crowd flow is so weird now because of FP+. People with little experience get them for attractions that shouldn't need them and they show up in batches typically when the parades or shows end. So you will be going through your normal order trying to tick rides off the list and out of the blue the standby wait times will jump from 20 or 30 minutes to 60 or 90 in just a matter of minutes and it is because a boat load of people with FP+'s all showed up at one time. When this happens, they just funnel them through and the standby line literally STANDS BY!

Reading this does remind me that we did run into the problem of crazy wait times a few times. We were luckily able to get all of our FPs at the times we wanted (late Aug. trip this year). But, we were stunned by the wait times on a few rides we didn't have FPs for. We had at least two days in each park though, and FPs for all the must dos, so we were fortunately able to hit those rides later in the trip.

We also experienced being in the standby line when it was COMPLETELY shut down once to funnel all the FP people through. They should have stuck to the plan of alternating the lines. We were in the standby for Space Mtn. and after the line was stopped for nearly an hour with the FP line breezing through, a couple people made a big stink and they started alternating again.

Thankfully we didn't encounter any weird crowd flow!

[MrPeetrie]

I totally agree with poster on this. We went in September, a time which used to be a slower period. For more than a year before, I began watching wait times to gauge which park to be in on which day. At 180-day mark, I made ADRs; at 60-day mark, I made FPs.

Crowds were heavy in every park we visited, but we were locked into those parks for those days. Halfway through trip, wife wanted to change our plans and go the Animal Kingdom in morning, ride a few rides, and head to Epcot for rest of day to spend time at Food & Wine Festival. I had precious FPs reserved at Magic Kingdom (7DMT among others.) It was Wednesday when we tried changing our Friday planning, but when I wanted to add AK FPs that close in, there was limited availability. Earliest FP for Kilimanjaro Safari was at 3:50. (So much for getting to Epcot early.) Too late to keep old FPs for Magic Kingdom; they were already canceled. Now, we were stuck to spending most of day in AK.

It has become too complicated for me to plan a Disney trip to enjoy it anymore.

[AndrewJackson]

I have been able to adjust the way we visit the parks and take advantage of FP+. I don't like planning so far in advance, but I do like be able to have a FP+ reserved for TSM and some of the other popular rides for whatever time we select, and not have to be there at Rope Drop to get one. In general, with a few exceptions for a few uber popular rides, I have been able to make changes with my FP+ selections as late as the morning of, right before the park opens.

To me, the biggest issue is ADR. It seems out of control.