No standby for Toy Story Mania this week?

[Terra]

I think what bothers me is that there are people who NEVER see anything as positive. Likewise, there are those who NEVER see anything as negative. I personally dislike both extremes.

Look my WDW trip last week had bumps in the road, which I posted, but we also had great parts as well (I love VGF!). I acknowledge the problems, but not without pointing out the good. As I said, I will not let one thing/ride/encounter make or break my vacation.

Yes this. You put it into words better than I. I don't think I'm relaying my question properly. I have read a few people on here say they will never go back. I guess that's where I don't get staying on a pro-disney site [not that discussion can't take place, but I'm assuming Intercot is Pro-disney].
However, maybe I'm one of those pixie faced laced fans who may be looking at it wrong.

When I made my comment the discussion was shifting to FP+ in generally and how it is the end of mankind as we know it. I dont think any ride should be exclusively FP+. My point was that to say FP+ ruines sponteniaity is wrong. You book three rides-that's all. And if you do t want to use it you don't have to.

I do get a chuckle out of all the outrage about a ride going exclusively FP+ though (again I am absolutely against it 100%) because from reading this board it seems like many of you will only ride a ride if you have a FP for it. You are allowed to wait more than 30 minutes in a line. What do you do when you go to your local amusement park?

Agree. I say go back to 100% standby as well.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I think what bothers me is that there are people who NEVER see anything as positive. Likewise, there are those who NEVER see anything as negative. I personally dislike both extremes.

Look my WDW trip last week had bumps in the road, which I posted, but we also had great parts as well (I love VGF!). I acknowledge the problems, but not without pointing out the good. As I said, I will not let one thing/ride/encounter make or break my vacation.

Of course there are extremes on both sides, much like there is with everything... I think Intercot members are rather fair and balanced, with very few on either extreme end... Other sites though, ugh, can't even bother reading them... it is either 100% negativity over silly things or 100% positivity over, again, silly things... Oh and forget ever mentioning Universal on those 100% positive sites... You would think you just praised ISIS if you dared praised Universal.. Or even uttered the word...

I've just had it with members who want people to be banned, edited, or forced to leave a site cause they cannot handle anything negative (or even positive for that matter) stated about WDW...

[NJGIRL]

Well put. Really if it's that bad that one thing will make a break it then maybe it's time to step away.
Don't get me wrong, I get being miffed over it. I'm not a fan that I can't do BOG of lunch unless I stay on property. I don't think that's "fair" since it is in a park and I have a pass.
At the same time, life isn't fair and it is what it is.

What I don't understand is the extreme reactions. I know people don't like when I ask this, but I ask in all sincerity with no malice.
For those who are truly done with Disney and believe in their opinion they have nothing left to offer and won't go back, then why continue on a Disney board where in the end we are promoting the wonderful magic of Disney?
If someone is finding it harder and harder to say anything in a good light, then in all honesty maybe we need to ask ourselves is it time to move on from Disney and forum alike.
Again, I mean no malice by the question, just an honest observation.

This isn't about being fair. It's about getting what you are paying for and the last time I looked my park ticket is for ALL of the attractions and not just for some.

Also, we are all allowed to have an opinion and state it here as long as being respectful. This is what the site is here to do, this is not a promo board but a discussion board. No one should be telling anyone else that they should either like it or move on. Just my honest observation.

[RunDMV]

Though I realize this particular thread is about a no standby line, I 100% agree with you on the over all issue. People make it more stressful than it needs to be.


Well put. Really if it's that bad that one thing will make a break it then maybe it's time to step away.
Don't get me wrong, I get being miffed over it. I'm not a fan that I can't do BOG of lunch unless I stay on property. I don't think that's "fair" since it is in a park and I have a pass.
At the same time, life isn't fair and it is what it is.

What I don't understand is the extreme reactions. I know people don't like when I ask this, but I ask in all sincerity with no malice.
For those who are truly done with Disney and believe in their opinion they have nothing left to offer and won't go back, then why continue on a Disney board where in the end we are promoting the wonderful magic of Disney?
If someone is finding it harder and harder to say anything in a good light, then in all honesty maybe we need to ask ourselves is it time to move on from Disney and forum alike.
Again, I mean no malice by the question, just an honest observation.

So we should sit down and be quiet? I want the powers that be at disney to understand how many people hate the new system. You know as well as i that they monitor these boards. Writing letters is just not enough,

[1DisneyNut]

The old saying "The squeaky wheel gets greased" comes to mind. Sometimes you just have to voice your displeasure.... In the end everyone benefits, even the ones with really really thick rose colored glasses.

I give them praise when praise is due. WDW is still my favorite park but I have been holding out on going because of these recent changes. In my opinion, WDW was much more enjoyable 10 years ago.

[mickeyman42]

I do get a chuckle out of all the outrage about a ride going exclusively FP+ though (again I am absolutely against it 100%) because from reading this board it seems like many of you will only ride a ride if you have a FP for it. You are allowed to wait more than 30 minutes in a line. What do you do when you go to your local amusement park?

I will preface this by saying that I will never be "outraged" over anything Disney related, confused maybe, but not outraged. Also, I am 32 years old, and don't consider myself to be from the "instant gratification" generation. I don't need everything in 1 minute or less, I don't have a facebook account, and no desire to share everything about myself to everyone all of the time.
that said, I would never wait longer than 30 mins for anything, and would rather a pay fp system (like at universal, and I have gone into detail before on this in other threads so I wont here) than standby only. I would not want to go to WDW if there was no fp system, and no, I didn't get to go to WDW before there was fp. I have done Universal without express pass and hated the waiting experience. would I do rides at WDW without fp, yes, but I would rather have one, and I like booking 3 fp's ahead of time. do I love it? no, but its better than running to the park at 9am just to get to do the ride that day, as was the old fp way. we like to take our time, sleep in, get breakfast and then do our rides. we did this just this past Aug and at the end of the day probably got 7 fp's a day, 3 ahead of time and 3-4 more at kiosks after that. we never once arrived at a park before 11 am and not once got shut out of a ride. I wouldn't wait more than 30 mins because nothing at a theme park is worth that to me, nothing.

we don't have a local amusement park to go to, but in my life with other things, when possible, I would rather reserve my spot ahead of time than wait in any line, of any length.

[Stu29573]

Easy... In the end we are all fans of Disney.. We want Disney to be the best it can be... And right now, in Orlando, they are far from it... And some of us hold Disney to their own high standards, standards they no longer hold themselves to.. Why? Cause of the fan reactions: WELL IT IS DISNEY THEREFORE IT IS AUTOMATICALLY PERFECT... That is why TDO has been allowed to let WDW become watered down, let maintenance falter... Let show die... Where money and the bottom line become the driving force instead of show... There were times when rides would be taken offline to fix an issue cause show trumpeted all (other than safety)... Now money trumps show, safety, efficiency... TDO and Disney look at guests as personal ATM machines... They treat guests like idiots...

TDO cuts, cuts, cuts but they don't add, unless forced to by Burbank... Yet, prices go up and up and up... You pay more for less... Yes, you have less to do today than you did 10 years ago (in the parks)... Entertainment gets cut or replaced by cheaper pathetic acts... But, people defend it... That is why they keep getting away with it... WDW does not have a voice like Disneyland did (Al Lutz)... He held TDA accountable... He became the voice of the Disneyland fan who were upset with management... He took them to task... And lo and behold, Disneyland turned things around under new management... WDW does not have that voice.. So the monkeys running WDW can continue to strip away without fear of ridicule...

And it is only cause of what has been happening in Universal which woke up Burbank and made them realize something needs to be done in WDW.... TDO was not doing it...

And we are not here to promote Disney... Disney has a PR team, they have a social media team, they have a marketing team whose job it is to promote Disney... It isn't my job to promote them... We aren't here to promote anything... We are here to discuss Disney, good and bad... If people cannot handle the bad, then oh well.. there are plenty of pixie dust laced fansites out there where not one negative word is allowed... Some should go there instead of a site where the owner and mods allow all talk (positive and negative) to occur...

Yes, this.
And I have a feeling that if issues were not brought up, it would be worse than it is now. WDW has a wonderful history, and we don't want those standards (or the memory of them) to die. Think it can't happen? Four words; "Six Flags Over Texas."

[baldburke]

So we should sit down and be quiet? I want the powers that be at disney to understand how many people hate the new system. You know as well as i that they monitor these boards. Writing letters is just not enough,

Good luck moving that mountain! The train has left the station my friend!

[Daisy'sMom]

[QUOTE=Terra;2436655]
Really? Huh, I live an hour away and don't really have issues getting FP+. Living closer like we do I will sometimes book some FP+ 30 days ahead and as it gets closer if I know I'm not going I just cancel.

So, you are really contributing to the problem by booking fast passes with just the possibility of using them. Each time you do that, you are taking it away from someone that tries to book and can't, because they are basically stand by in case you decide to use it.

[DizneyRox]

Really? Huh, I live an hour away and don't really have issues getting FP+. Living closer like we do I will sometimes book some FP+ 30 days ahead and as it gets closer if I know I'm not going I just cancel.

So, you are really contributing to the problem by booking fast passes with just the possibility of using them. Each time you do that, you are taking it away from someone that tries to book and can't, because they are basically stand by in case you decide to use it.

Yes, that happens all over. That's why there's a credit card required for dining now. Any time a system can be abused, people will do it. Their check on this is to require a ticket linked to your account. You never have to actually use the ticket though, so even a one day ticket linked to your account gives you the ability to snag fast passes.

This is why many think the old system was better, you actually needed to go into a park to start using it. But, Disney can't plan staffing based on that model, which is a big reason we have what we have now.

[Hammer]

Really? Huh, I live an hour away and don't really have issues getting FP+. Living closer like we do I will sometimes book some FP+ 30 days ahead and as it gets closer if I know I'm not going I just cancel.

So, you are really contributing to the problem by booking fast passes with just the possibility of using them. Each time you do that, you are taking it away from someone that tries to book and can't, because they are basically stand by in case you decide to use it.

Actually, this poster is NOT contributing to the problem because they DO cancel their fastpasses. It is the people who do not cancel their fastpasses which are the problem. You had this with the old FP system, too. I would pick up a fastpass sometimes and then my plans change and I never used it. The spot was gone and never used. At least now I can cancel a FP and it goes back into the pool.

[RunDMV]

Good luck moving that mountain! The train has left the station my friend!

You might be right. And i dont plan on getting on the train.

[RunDMV]

[QUOTE=Daisy'sMom;2437651]

Really? Huh, I live an hour away and don't really have issues getting FP+. Living closer like we do I will sometimes book some FP+ 30 days ahead and as it gets closer if I know I'm not going I just cancel.

So, you are really contributing to the problem by booking fast passes with just the possibility of using them. Each time you do that, you are taking it away from someone that tries to book and can't, because they are basically stand by in case you decide to use it.

Thats a probem Disney created.

[mrte62]

Enjoy, and if you can, please let us know your observations... Interested in hearing from someone who is actually there...

BTW, do you have a FP for TSMM?

***As for today, couldn't seem to confirm if they did, indeed, open stand by... some people were saying yes, some were saying no...

I will give this a shot:

5 of us from 10/3 through 10/13. DW and I plus three of our young adults 26, 24 & 21. We stayed off site.

10/4 AK, 10/6 EPCOT, 10/7 MK/EPCOT, 10/8 EPCOT, 10/9 BB/MNSSHP, 10/10 EPCOT, 10/11 HS and 10/12 AK/EPCOT

Overall FP+ impressions:

1) Overall, neutral to negative and depended on the park.

2) In declining order: MK, AK, EPCOT and HS.

3) As mentioned elsewhere, FP+ really highlights the need for more E ticket attractions. Also as previously noted, there are now lines at attractions that in the past had little or nor waits.

3) Did not like that once you used your 3 FPs, you could only add the next one at a kiosk, in the park you were at. Saw more than one family realize that if you had a FP for Fantasmic or Illuminations, you were done with FP for the day.

4) The MDE app made the crowds move like the old days at Kmart chasing the Blue Light Special. Once it showed a wait time of 20 minutes or less, an entire heard would descend on that attraction.

5) CMs were quite helpful in the Kiosk lines which moved quickly.

6) Found ourselves crossing parks just to use that precious FP.

7) We did appreciate how the green glowing mickey stopped most of the abuse of the system and the CMs. Multiple times a day you would see some group upset that they could not see why they wouldn't be let through the FP line. "So what if our time doesn't start for another 15 minutes, I paid good money to get on this ride."

8) We really did feel over planned.

9) Could never get a DMT FP - had to wait to 11 pm on the 9th (30 minutes) during MNSSHP to ride.

10) Had FPs for Toy Story on the 11th. Standby all day was at least 75 minutes.

11) No, we did not spend any more $$$ because all of the "free time".

12) We were constantly being asked to participate in surveys about everything from food, to shows, special events and attractions. Not one question about FP+.

Did we have a great time? Of course. Did we feel rushed and waited in longer lines? Yes.

[NJGIRL]

I will give this a shot:

5 of us from 10/3 through 10/13. DW and I plus three of our young adults 26, 24 & 21. We stayed off site.

10/4 AK, 10/6 EPCOT, 10/7 MK/EPCOT, 10/8 EPCOT, 10/9 BB/MNSSHP, 10/10 EPCOT, 10/11 HS and 10/12 AK/EPCOT

Overall FP+ impressions:

1) Overall, neutral to negative and depended on the park.

2) In declining order: MK, AK, EPCOT and HS.

3) As mentioned elsewhere, FP+ really highlights the need for more E ticket attractions. Also as previously noted, there are now lines at attractions that in the past had little or nor waits.

3) Did not like that once you used your 3 FPs, you could only add the next one at a kiosk, in the park you were at. Saw more than one family realize that if you had a FP for Fantasmic or Illuminations, you were done with FP for the day.

4) The MDE app made the crowds move like the old days at Kmart chasing the Blue Light Special. Once it showed a wait time of 20 minutes or less, an entire heard would descend on that attraction.

5) CMs were quite helpful in the Kiosk lines which moved quickly.

6) Found ourselves crossing parks just to use that precious FP.

7) We did appreciate how the green glowing mickey stopped most of the abuse of the system and the CMs. Multiple times a day you would see some group upset that they could not see why they wouldn't be let through the FP line. "So what if our time doesn't start for another 15 minutes, I paid good money to get on this ride."

8) We really did feel over planned.

9) Could never get a DMT FP - had to wait to 11 pm on the 9th (30 minutes) during MNSSHP to ride.

10) Had FPs for Toy Story on the 11th. Standby all day was at least 75 minutes.

11) No, we did not spend any more $$$ because all of the "free time".

12) We were constantly being asked to participate in surveys about everything from food, to shows, special events and attractions. Not one question about FP+.

Did we have a great time? Of course. Did we feel rushed and waited in longer lines? Yes.

This is exactly why so many people are getting frustrated with Disney. I was there a year ago this week and it was bad then and seems nothing has changed since. Over a year of people being frustrated is not good for business.

[Cinderelley]

However, if it is because of FP+ I think that's crazy. It's not worth it? You know you are allowed to ride rides without a FP, right? Just like the old days, just like our local parks. It seems like FP has spoiled a certain sector of Disney fans who think they can't wait in a line that's longer than 20 minutes.

That's just it. They weren't letting people on without the FP+.

[Cinderelley]

What? Outrage? I don't know. Yes there are some things that I may not care for, I may even voice my opinion to to Disney.
But cries of outrage? Over a themepark?

When I think of outrage, I think of my mom who has cancer and is having a mastectomy tomorrow. I think of my father who has long cancer and less than a year to live. I think of my father in law who has cancer and less than a year to live as well.

Are people truly this upset over Disney that it's interfering with their very lives?

A vacation is more than just a themepark. It is time spent with your family and friends. It is how you will remember people when they are no longer with you. I am sorry that your family is having a rough time. I will say a prayer for you and yours.

I have seen horrific things as an ER nurse, so I know it isn't a life or death situation. I have also been the patient that no on expected to live. I can tell you that the memory of riding Big Thunder Mountain with my oldest son who was halfway across the world in the Navy got me through many, many very rough days. I can also tell you that I remember hearing my three children talking about fond disney memories while they were sitting in my hospital room.

Disney World has become so much more to my family than just a themepark. It is time spent together to laugh, love and not worry about the stresses of the world.

At some point, we will go back to Disney World, but at this stage, I am planning on our family trips being at Disneyland. I don't want or need the stress of trying to deal with this system with a large group of people. Our first trip to Disney World was a group of 11 of people. I'm not herding 11 people all over just to get to this fast pass or that meet and greet at specific times. We enjoyed ourselves when we broke up into different groups and agreed to meet up for one specific meal of the day. The groups could mix and match throughout the day to go do whatever sparked their fancy at that time. I don't think that would work as well now.

[Cinderelley]

What do you do when you go to your local amusement park?

I don't go to one.

[dudeman1975]

The worst part is the Fastpass+ is creating lines for my favorite attractions that I used to do with little or no wait. The Haunted Mansion, Pirates and Spaceship Earth are all becomming long standby times because of guests getting a Fastpass+. Who ever heard of getting a Fastpass+ for Spaceship Earth and yet there were guest in the Fastpass+ line. This is what is making me mad is that the classics now have a long line before you could go on with no waits whle waiting for a ride with a long line like test track. Yes, I will go back but I am not happy with the Fastpass+ system.

[Park Hopper]

This type of thing is really ruining the experience. My family and I love Disney World and go every year. But after our visit last January ('14), it was probably the first time I was not deeply sad to leave. And, to be honest, unlike every other year, I have not been in a hurry to reschedule and plan for the next trip. We will go back (we are DVC members), but we may skip a year.

My deepest wish is that Disney would take some of the energy that they use to figure out how to get every last dime out of you and use it on new rides and entertainment. Think of what they could have done with all the money they have spent on FP+. I realize that they are in the business of making money, but all they have to do is look to their competitor. I think the additions that Universal have made have probably or will do far more to increase their profits than anything Disney has done with FP+.

I just hate the mentality of trying to make money with 'let's fleece our customers for everything they have when they are here," as opposed to , "let's make it such a great experience and keep adding exciting new experiences, to keep people coming back."

Their strategy is very short termed. They have all but ruined the dinning; turning it mostly into industrial grade, generic offerings. They are now seriously hindering the ride experience; making long lines when their used to be none, having to schedule everything, and not adding. The only thing they will have left is the great atmosphere, which is still great, but I have seen declines in customer service and other factors which contribute to this. To me they are losing that special feel, yet you are paying more and more for a vacation there.

I used to think badly of Universal - no reason, I unfortunately am one of those that is overly competitive and my feelings towards them was much in a way you would not like an upstart football team that plays with a chip on their shoulder against your more established team. Now, however, I wish them all the success in the world. They are building and doing things the right way. Making profits the way Disney himself did, by improving the product, not by figuring how to get more out of loyal customers. We actually broke away from Disney as a family for the first time 2 years ago and I was blown away at how great of a ride and how Classic Disney-like the Harry Potter ride was. Universal is becoming more Classic-Disney than Disney World. I believe that the best thing for Disney will be if they start taking a hit from the competition. I believe we have already seen some of this happening with the Avatar land (I am not sure how that will go, but at least it is adding) and other rumored upcoming announcements. I just hope they do things right, rather than trying to do the minimum to keep interest.

Sorry for the manifesto. And, saying this on Page 7 of an old thread is kind of stupid, but I have been getting really frustrated with the whole situation lately.