Jumping in here.
This is why Disney is making it all Magic Bands and FP+ by the end of the month. When I spoke to Disney today they said that people have been finding ways around the 3 per day limit with the old machines and stuff so come the end of the month it will be only 3 per person per day to make it fair for everyone. The only advantage is for people staying on site...they can do their FP reservations 90days ahead. The day people get theirs when they get there from what is left.
Hmmm, that CM you spoke to makes it sound like it's our(the guests) fault that people found their way around the 3 per day limit, taking no responsibility for setting things up that way in the first place. Disney was the one if charge at all times. They could have limited things in any way they chose, and chose not to. Now they are talking about fair? They haven't been fair in any number of ways in getting this all going. How is it fair that offsite guests can pull any amount of FP in any park, but those forced to test FP+ were restricted to only 3 FP in one park only? And if things malfunctioned it took valuable park time to fix or it was just too bad. And if they are all about fair, how is it fair that some people can book 60 days ahead, but others, who now feel like second class can only book whatever may be left over on the day of their visit. Seems to me that fair was when everyone had the same chance each day, and when they were gone they were gone but everyone started out the day with the same chance.
And that's all besides the fact that numerous CM's told guests to use the kttw's to pull FP-!!
Funny, on our last visit we stayed at 4 different resorts. When we were there several CMs at check in gave us the KTTW cards and said "you can us these for paper Fp". Two didn't say anything and I asked if we could use them for paper Fp and the answer was always yes. No one mentioned anything about it being unfair any more than it was unfair that off site guests could pull as many FP- as time and old rules would allow.
On site guests can do their FP+ choices 60 days in advance.
This is what bothers me the most I think - I spoke to very many CM's in the months prior to my trip, and a few on my Dec trip. Not once did any of them tell me I shouldn't use Kttw to pull any FP-. In fact, they encouraged me to use the cards to pull extra FP if I needed to aid in park hopping as they put it, or supplement if I needed more FP's. Several told me it was specifically set up that way, for FP- use to help those who were helping Disney to test the FP+. I also asked if this was considered fair or was it cheating in any way, always they said it was fair and not cheating. Even on my check in, when i hadn't talked to a CM in a number of weeks, (I asked going along to see what their stance was on this as so many were up in arms here), I asked the check in CM if I could use my Kttw card to pull FP- and he said yes, it will help if you are hopping and need FP in the other park. I ended up using it two or three times over 9 park days.
I can't for the life of me understand why I should feel as though I cheated in any way or am behaving immorally while listening to a number of Disney CM's - people who spoke on Disney's behalf in what was allowed. And I also find it very insulting that Disney CM's are now taking to insulting guests who were told that using kttw cards was ok and even encouraged. That's just plain wrong and had they talked to me that way I've have complained very, very loudly for sure.
I don't understand why people think they're entitled to FastPass as part of their park experience. Disney could take the whole system away and go back to the days when you stood in line for 2 hours, and people would still flock to the parks in droves.
I'm just guessing, but it might be because Fastpass has been part of Disney Parks marketing now for some time.
Exactly, the FP system has been in place for over 15 years(don't know the exact no.), it is something guests have come to expect as part of the value they get for their dollar. Guests are entitled to feel they get equal value for the dollars they hand over. Disney has shown guests that part of that value was getting to use FREE FP for all guests, with an equal chance each day to secure FP's. They continue to raise prices every year and now are taking away the value of the FP by taking away things that were a standard of the FP system - spontanity, unlimited, use in any park which makes using park hoppers keep their value and more. Disney said this was part of the value they give to all, of course guests got to feeling entitled to have the FP system Disney got them used to and was part of the value of the dollars they paid.
P.S. sorry this is so long!