Before you pick up the torches to burn me at the stake for the earlier post that merely pointed out the EXACT flaw in Disney’s poorly engineered app, this post requires no multi-step processes, no need to print 20 pages and no high level MDE degrees. Easy Gaston, easy boy. Put down the club.
First.
I noticed that the Morning Extra Magic Hour crowd wasn’t allowed to retrieve Fastpasses for Toy Story Midway Mania until 9:00 a.m. and those paper Fastpasses were gone completely by 9:25 a.m. I saw people lined up in a queue to get said FP before 9:00 a.m. (I could show you a photo, but I’m too lazy to post it right now.) I’m not sure how long they had been there, we had a breakfast ressie and didn’t make it over there by that time. I got my paper FP at 9:12 a.m and they ranged from 4:30 to 4:45 p.m. Each time I stuck in an Annual Pass, it went up 5 minutes or more!
Second.
Last night I went to book THREE (Only 3, relax) Fastpass+ for Hollywood Studios. Our goal was to do Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror and Star Tours via FP+. The app had a listing for 7:00 p.m. TSMM FP+, so I just decided to wait until morning to see if anything else would appear. Before the park opened, the app stated “Stand by Only” next to TSMM, so I waited. After the park opened I booked my ONE Tears 1 FP+ and TWO Tears 2 FP+ (Down flamers down! I didn’t go there to “game the system” or cheat poor handicapped children or any of the other silly stuff I’ve been accused of today. Just went to have a nice day with my girls like Walt would have done). After park opening a series of times miraculously appeared for TSMM that weren’t available the night before or even before the park opened. I would deduce that they are holding a certain number of FP+ for guests visiting with no prior plans. I booked a 9:45 a.m. TSMM FP+ and later exchanged my Tower of Terror over to the Great Movie Ride (Fully okay with the Disney morality police from what I’ve heard). We had a nice time and met a number of characters and rode some rides together. The kind of things that families WANT to do at Walt Disney World. If I had booked the FP the night before I would have ridden at 7:00 p.m. If I tried to book prior to park opening, nada. If I waited patiently I could choose from a series of times that might fit my touring desires.
Third.
As I was exiting, my oldest and I wanted to check out the changes to Sid Cahuenga’s over to some sort of My Disney Experience dance zone or something. We were pretty shocked as we entered. Not because the $6000 Paulie Shore autographed photos were gone, but because a WDW guest was berating MDE to an apologetic Cast Member (Tough job!) and all it’s problems. Something about how she paid good money for the vacation and the dining plan she can’t even use and is having to pay out of pocket for food or something, and couldn’t even use Fastpass machines because she’s staying at Pop Century. You’d think I’m making this stuff up, but alas I’m not. Not the quality experience that we became accustomed to back in 2003 when we started coming multiple times a year to play and meet characters. It was so easy back then. Stick in your park ticket and out comes a Fastpass (In best Samantha Brown voice).
When someone posts issues to MDE on their blog, a newspaper or nails it to a door, perhaps they are calling for change in the EXPERIENCE part of My Disney Experience. The app is still in “testing,” maybe they can still fix this mess and stop restricting its guests from having a quality DISNEY experience. How about just using the same, exact system they currently use, but digitally. Get one at 9:00 for 9:40. Get one at 9:40, another at 11:40, 1:40 etc. When the great ones are gone, they are gone. I never missed any sleep over TSMM being out of FP when I arrived at 1:40 p.m. Early tourist gets the Fastpass.
There’s always going to be someone who disagrees with you. What’s that saying… haters gonna hate?
Anyways, I appreciate you. We’re going to HS today, using FP+ for the first time in this park. It was nice to skip the Jingle Cruise lines at MK the other day!
Are you all headed to MVMCP this year? I’ve been wondering if the characters sign autographs ’cause they don’t at MNSSHP. This is my family’s first holiday season living in Florida so we’re new to all the Christmas stuff.
Only the Villains at the show and dance party characters didn’t sign for MNSSHP. All the characters except dance parties sign this year. I hope to go to the Christmas party at the beginning of December. I’ve worked a lot of overtime lately and the day I picked for this week rained. It’s not a lot different than previous years though.
My daughter wanted Pooh to sign her cast at the Halloween party but a cast member told us that there are no character signings. So we went to Animal Kingdom a couple days later and got the job done.
Strange. I guess they were pushing people through the lines faster?
I’m sorry for all the ridiculous comments on lines… After a certain point (the Hiroshima point), I just had to laugh. So many liners are so over-the-top. You’re reporting information, not advocating dropping the atomic bomb or abusing the gac system. They need to get off their high-horses. It’s so easy to be obnoxious over the internet!
My brother said it ended with Sharnado or something. Too funny! I just reported the news. They can determine if they are pious enough to use this or not use this and it’s up to Disney to fix a poorly engineered system.
I will be using the wrist bands for the first time when I go down on 12/15 as I previously hadn’t been selected. When I was down in October I noticed too that I was one of the first people to get to TSMM fast pass area and I got 5 PM return. I was ok with that but was a little shocked. I have planned my FP+ experiences for my trip so I’m going to cross my fingers. Thanks for a great article.
Thanks KtP! Thanks for all the insight on this very murky system. It is costing us a lot of $ to visit WDW from out of state. We specifically plan to visit at low crowd times. If there are a few tips I can pick up that will let my kids ride TSM or Soarin an extra time, then heck yeah! I am going to do it!
Have to exchange paper tickets upon arrival (upgrading a prior 10 day NE PH), but ticketing told me we would get actual new tickets. So any fp+ I book now will be voided, and will have to be redone. So, no advance planning for us , but thanks to you, feeling like I will have some options!
Have a great voyage through the murky waters!
You were so kind to share the loophole you found when you certainly didn’t have to. I bet the flamers will try it out so they can spend more time in line at Guest Services to complain about their non-magical vacation. We love everything you do to make our Disney experience the best it can be! We’ve got lots of love for you, KtP!
Thanks Katie.
Wow Kenny! I can’t believe anyone would have a bad thing to say about you! We love what you do. Your blogs are extremely helpful. And we love your app. My kids are still looking forward to meeting the celebrity “Kenny the Pirate”. Maybe someday we can make that happen. Rock on!
Celebrity lol. Hopefully our paths will cross and we can say hello. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing Kenny! Sorry you have gotten so much backlash from just pointing out a flaw in a system. I appreciate all the research you do and knowledge you share with us. Please keep the good info coming!
Major problems today with dining plan and magic bands. Had to pay cash as well. Not a magical night for me right now. Spent too much time in guest relations at mk and then trying toget my room correct.
Sorry to hear you had a lousy day. Hope tomorrow is much better for you and your family!
Today is going much better — at Epcot
We are “Disney people” and visit at least once a year. My GF makes a chart, we call our ressies in ahead, and we made our fast pass + ressies the moment the option was opened to us. We are visiting WDW mid December and consider you the #1 character guru and all around guy to follow on all things WDW. I know it must be hard opening yourself to so much criticism when you’re only trying to help out those of us who “get it.” I applaud you on everything you’ve added to the Disneyverse and wanted you to know we support you 100% and would geek out (and ask for a picture) if we met you. :) Haters are gonna hate, so just keep on doing what you do so well.
-Sean
Thanks Sean. I just keep rockin on my friend. I’m not phased, just thought I’d use a bit of humor :)
We’ll, I’m judging you, but my judgement says you’re awesome for sharing all this information with others :-). Love reading your stuff and appreciate all you do to make others’ experience in the parks even better!
I agree about making FP+ the same as FP but digital. But I think that makes too much sense and wouldn’t have costed a billion Mickey dollars. And you do a great job. You give up your spare time to share knowledge with people you dont even know! Don’t listen to the doofuses. (I know you don’t, just wanted to use the word doofuses.)
Thank you for helping me plan my one & only WDW trip. I feel confident I can see all the characters my 5-yr. old cares about while also having time to relax. I’m so glad I found you.
Have a great trip Mary! Disney can be a lot of fun but does require a bit of planning.
No judging here, Kenny! You are a very down to earth and extremely helpful Disney aficionado. Keep ignoring anyone who thinks differently, especially if it is online, anonymously, from behind a device.
Thanks Kim. Just having a little fun with it all.
Thank you for all of your extra time and work in the parks, and for sharing your observations to try to make our expeirences better. It is greatly appreciated by me.
Thanks Barbara!
Anyone that wants to burn you at the stake obviously doesn’t know you very well. Thanks for all you do Kenny!!
Thanks Fred. We’ve met one another and have tremendous respect for one another. Those that haven’t met me can judge from a distance. I’m still happy and have a great life!
Nicely said! I support your efforts!
Thanks Jen!