Slightly overwhelmed by FP+

[JanetMegan]

Been awhile since I have been to WDW and I have a couple questions about FP+. Does everyone on the same reservation have to make the same choices? Is it easy to connect multiple reservations? We have a fairly diverse group headed down in Sept and I'm more than overwhelmed trying to figure it out. Keeping everyone happy is tough!

[Strmchsr]

No everyone in your group does not have to make the same choices. As you're picking you choose which people on your account you're selecting for. Is it easy to connect multiple reservations? Not really, but it's definitely possible. You just have to be able to figure out how to navigate through the steps. It's not extremely complicated, just a few steps to jump through that aren't always very apparent.

[Melanie]

No everyone in your group does not have to make the same choices. As you're picking you choose which people on your account you're selecting for. Is it easy to connect multiple reservations? Not really, but it's definitely possible. You just have to be able to figure out how to navigate through the steps. It's not extremely complicated, just a few steps to jump through that aren't always very apparent.

Is this something they've changed, Chris? If so, wonderful!

[AndrewJackson]

We were able to do this as well. I have connected my Mom and Dad who are on a separate reservation. We have a total of 7 in the party. We are able to have different FastPasses.

[Melanie]

We were able to do this as well. I have connected my Mom and Dad who are on a separate reservation. We have a total of 7 in the party. We are able to have different FastPasses.

Great news! That was one of my big complaints.

[Strmchsr]

Is this something they've changed, Chris? If so, wonderful!

Yeah, when you go to the selection site you just check the box of the people you are selecting for. That enables you to do different fastpasses for different people in the group. That part of the process is actually pretty simple. If they'd up the limit to 5, allow multiple parks and do away with the tiers I'd be pretty happy now.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Great news! That was one of my big complaints.

Mel, we were able to select different FP+ options for different members in our party back in November. I didn't realize there was a time you couldn't do this. I heard of people saying they couldn't, I just assumed they didn't know how.....

[Melanie]

Mel, we were able to select different FP+ options for different members in our party back in November. I didn't realize there was a time you couldn't do this. I heard of people saying they couldn't, I just assumed they didn't know how.....

Well, maybe I'm wrong, but I thought initially that was one of the big complaints.

[LittleRoosMommy]

[ If they'd up the limit to 5, allow multiple parks and do away with the tiers I'd be pretty happy now. [/QUOTE]

Amen!! I'm so frustrated with out upcoming trip in April! I don't understand why they put so many of the popular rides in the same tier and then only allow "1" choice from that tier! And not being allowed to use FP at multiple parks on the same day is completely frustrating too! Keeping my fingers crossed for our trip during Spring Break!

[AgentC]

If they'd up the limit to 5, allow multiple parks and do away with the tiers I'd be pretty happy now.

Agreed. FP+ worked extremely well for us last weekend, those enhancements would make it so much better.

[yankeesfan123]

I do think those were some of the initial complaints, but not for the reason of it being impossible to do.

What I heard numerous times were adults complaining about having to go to Disney with their children.

The adults wanted FP+ for Space, Splash, and BTTMRR. The kids couldn't ride those, and wanted FP+ for a meet and greet, Peter Pan, and Little Mermaid. (This is just an example).

Is this possible? Yes, it is. The adults could go use their 3 FP+ on the "adult" rides while their kids use their 3 FP+ on their "kid" rides.

Is this realistic? No, no, and no.

So, the adults were stuck using their FP+ for the kid rides, complaining about waiting standby in the adult rides, which caused a lot of animosity.


Letting everyone in a group choose their own FP+ works great if your family consists of teens, adults, and seniors. But if you have little kids, the parents are gonna be left out to dry because they can't realistically choose different FP+ than their kids even though it's possible.

I guess the parents are just gonna be forced to enjoy the time with their families instead of riding Space Mountain alone.

[yjgirl32]

We have a group of 12 with 3 rooms and was able to link all our reservations. Wasn't too hard. I'm very very glad to hear the fastpass+ was easy to make different choices. I have a while till I need to do that. Tomorrow is our 180th day!!!!

[buzznwoodysmom]

Well, maybe I'm wrong, but I thought initially that was one of the big complaints.

Maybe so. Perhaps when it first rolled out. I do know I have seen these complaints from guests who visited after our November trip. I know as of Thanksgiving week you could pick different FP for different members in your party. Maybe that's what caused me to think some people simply didn't know you could do that.

[Keneva]

If they'd up the limit to 5, allow multiple parks and do away with the tiers I'd be pretty happy now.

This gets really really close to what needs to happen, especially the second and third point. Need more than three but not sure how many, 5-6?

[yankeesfan123]

But they need to make sure they account for everybody. By only allowing 3 FP, and doing the tiers, they assure that everyone has a fair shot.

Disney doesn't release official attendance numbers, so it is difficult for outsiders to do the math on the system.

But, if they let everyone who is at a resort book 5 FP, would there be any left for guests who stay off site and have to wait until they are in a park to book?

By tiering at Epcot, they are able to assure that there will be FP available for both TT and Soarin. If they let guests choose both, then both would have double the FP+ bookings than they do now and there may be none available on the day of.


I think they have a very strategic plan here. I don't think we will ever know the exact ins and outs or their precise reasoning. However, I do think they have a reason for doing what they are doing, and it's not with evil intent to make people wait in lines.

I also think that if it is shown during the testing phase that they can accommodate allowing 5 FP+ a day and still keep same day FP available, we will see that change.

[LittleRoosMommy]

[QUOTE=yankeesfan123;2403196]But they need to make sure they account for everybody. By only allowing 3 FP, and doing the tiers, they assure that everyone has a fair shot.

Disney doesn't release official attendance numbers, so it is difficult for outsiders to do the math on the system.

But, if they let everyone who is at a resort book 5 FP, would there be any left for guests who stay off site and have to wait until they are in a park to book?

By tiering at Epcot, they are able to assure that there will be FP available for both TT and Soarin. If they let guests choose both, then both would have double the FP+ bookings than they do now and there may be none available on the day of.
/QUOTE]

This goes back to the original argument of "if it's not broke, then don't fix it!" My family and I were always able to get 5-6 Fps per day, regardless of whether we stayed on or off-property. Not exactly sure why they thought, this was a good thing! I liked being able to decide what we wanted to ride when we got to the parks.... by making FP+ choices weeks in advance of the trip, it takes the spontaneity out of the vacation! I am going over Spring Break this year and am really dreading the lines! Oh well! I guess we'll see what happens...

[yankeesfan123]

I think, in part, it was broke! Not completely, but it was flawed. Is FP+ any better? I think it alleviates some concerns while creating others unfortunately.

One of their major complaints has always been the length of lines.

FP did not alleviate the lines for certain major attractions.

Thousands and thousands of guests each day could not get a FP for an E ticket attraction unless they were in a park before 11 am and headed straight to the ride. Even then, the FP might be useless if it is for 8pm or later depending on the party.

Now, everyone has an opportunity. Not everyone wants to hit the park like a crazed commando (not that you are).

[Bruegge]

I think, in part, it was broke! Not completely, but it was flawed. Is FP+ any better? I think it alleviates some concerns while creating others unfortunately.

One of their major complaints has always been the length of lines.

FP did not alleviate the lines for certain major attractions.

Thousands and thousands of guests each day could not get a FP for an E ticket attraction unless they were in a park before 11 am and headed straight to the ride. Even then, the FP might be useless if it is for 8pm or later depending on the party.

Now, everyone has an opportunity. Not everyone wants to hit the park like a crazed commando (not that you are).

How true... it WAS broken... with families talking here about 40 fp's a day and all.... and I can't get a fp for Space Mtn. At 1:00 pm??

And they wonder why it changed????

This is not supposed to be Super Market Sweep. It's a freaking vacation...And it's not poor planning.. it's just not Attack Park Behavior.

Look .... we pick our hotels 6 months out.. our favorite restaurants... is it so hard to pick the rides we want to ride in advance too??

Just because you can't ride Space mountain 3 times in one day ... get over it ... That ship has sailed.

[Strmchsr]

I'm fairly amazed at the rudeness of some of these attitudes. You can't do Disney your way anymore, I can do it my way, so get over it. Wow. How gracious.

For those who like the FP+ system, great. Enjoy it. But don't slam those who like to enjoy the parks a different way. Just because my kids liked to ride Test Track 3 times and didn't care about a fastpass for any other attraction doesn't make that way of doing Disney any more wrong than people who don't care about any rides and just want to walk around the parks. The point of the old system was that people could enjoy the parks the way they wanted it. Fastpasses, except for Toy Story Mania and sometimes Soarin, rarely ran out or were a problem to get, even for those who showed up in the afternoon. We park hop and almost always were able to get a fastpass in the afternoons for our favorites. So saying this new system is fair because it allows everyone a shot without having to be "Disney commandos" is baloney. TSM was the only one where that was ever an issue (and, again, sometimes Soarin).

So, what's the solution? I don't know. Disney has created a colossal mess out of this and they know it. The old management honestly expected people to just deal with it with no complaints and they messed with something they really shouldn't have messed with. There's new management in now, but they don't have a great strategy they're working. They're trying to figure a way out of what they've been stuck with.

[Bruegge]

I'm fairly amazed at the rudeness of some of these attitudes. You can't do Disney your way anymore, I can do it my way, so get over it. Wow. How gracious.

For those who like the FP+ system, great. Enjoy it. But don't slam those who like to enjoy the parks a different way..

I realize I came off rude... and for that I apologize... It's (for me) the few times we've gone...All the planning, dinner, hotel, flight and daily park picking was complicated by the frustration of trying to get that E-ticket ride without waiting 120 min.

I've found that fp was tricky, and hard to plan around.. a true variable in a pre-planned vacation. So as I went on trying to get FP's for the times I wanted (avoiding ADR's, Shows, naps) and finding them gone or too late etc... it left a bad taste... so to speak.

Then I read posts of people "we got 40 FP's a day" ..etc.. You can't help but wonder if that aggressive acquisition of fp's didn't lower the fp pool.. thus causing the problems I've faced in the old FP world.

Yes, I know I could have done the same thing.. Nobody broke any rules.

But now, that the rules have changed and everyone (for the most part) hates being limited... and it's not a good thing to be limited ... it does however make me feel like I have a chance to use FP and not find it so stressful.