FP+ Test at Animal Kingdom

[WDWdriver]

This has already been discussed in the News & Rumors forum, but here are the details:

Beginning this Wednesday, December 18th, the traditional paper Fast Passes will no longer be available at AK. The FP distribution machines will be covered. Access to the FP queues will be by:
(1) MyMagic+ wristbands that have been encoded with FP selections.
(2) Plastic park admission cards with an imbedded RFID chip which has also been encoded with FP selections.

Disney resort guests will have the wristbands, and they can make FP reservations ahead of their park visit through the My Disney Experience (MDE) app.

Offsite guests and daytrippers will have the plastic admission cards. They can make same day FP reservations at FP+ kiosks located throughout the park. Every attraction that offers Fast Pass service will have a FP+ kiosk or a CM with a mobile device. In addition, a new MyMagic+ service center will be open inside the Creature Comforts store. Guest Relations CMs will be available throughout the park to assist guests having problems with their FP+ selections.

The basic rules remain as they have been in recent weeks:
(1) Guests can make up to 3 FP selections per day.
(2) The FP selections can be made for only one park (no park-hopping option).
(3) Guests can make or modify FP selections at any FP+ kiosk in the park.
(4) Guests must arrive at their selected attraction within their time window or risk being denied FP access.

While this is being billed as a test of FP+, Disney has not announced an end date for the test. Stay tuned!

[Donald Duck]

Is Disney trying to make it hard for their guests ?

Why would you do something like this now ?
Next week is the busiest time of the whole year.

Why limit each guests even more than you already with these ridiculous new rules:

only 3 fp+ per day
only one park per day
different tiers of rides

We're going 2 days after Christmas, and I'm getting worried. 3 fp+ per day is not enough for the busiest week of the year !

I made my reservations almost year ago.
If I had known Disney was going to impose all these new restrictions, I never would have gone at this time !

[ransam]

I still dislike this whole planning your fast passes that far in advance. Heck, I don't know what park I'm feeling like when I wake up in the morning, much less more than a month in advance.

[WDWdriver]

Update: the first day of testing appears to have gone well. Park attendance was about normal for this time of year. I am not aware of any significant backups at the FP+ kiosks or in the FP queues. Standby wait times were normal, rarely exceeding 30 minutes for any attraction. Dinosaur reached 50 minutes briefly, but that may have been due to a ride stop.

I would like to hear from some offsite guests who could not make FP selections until they were in the park. What was your experience like?

Disney should be pleased with today's results. But the big crowds hit next week, and the test experience may be different then.

[Sylvia]

WDW Driver/Ron -

We most likely will never use FP+ (we rarely used FP), but I just wanted to thank you for providing information on FP+ and for reporting on status in AK. It's most helpful to be provided information by someone who is "in the know" and deals with it on a daily basis.

Thanks again.

[Dulcee]

Wait times appear to still be on the low side again today. I hope this means good things ahead for how the system works out.

[CU Tiger]

We rather not have to be on a schedule while on vacation. This sounds terrible. I do not understand the reason for this. If it is not broken, don’t fix it! FP is not perfect, but it works well in my opinion. We do not like to stand in lines over 45 minute, thus, there goes the chance of riding a good ride two or more time a visit! FP let us pick and choose the rides we want to ride and when.

[indytraveler]

We won't be attending AK next week, but I just hope they won't get too far ahead of themselves since this is the busiest time of the year. I will be an off site guest and if this is implemented while I'm there, (EPCOT, MK, Studios), I guess I'll roll with it but won't be too happy.

I was the one who used my FP's during the time they were issued and always was looking to see when I was going to be getting my next one. It was flexible and so was I. I'll wait to comment until after I have to stand in a line at the beginning of the day to get my FP's for that day.