Happy Fall Y'all! TCD's September 2013 Not So Scary TR

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

The woman next to me at Everest last week was putting every credit card in her wallet into the fast pass machine. She said it was taking anything with a magnetic strip. I did double dip a couple of times by using our tickets and our room cards, but I couldn't go that far.

 

I've heard about this, but didn't try it this trip.  I should have.  But, I don't like the idea of letting Disney have access to the magnetic strip on my credit card. 

 

It is true that way back when FP's first were introduced years ago, you could use anything with a magnetic strip to get one.  And I did.

 

TCD

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

Now, why is that box there? Doesn't seem Disney like to miss something obvious like that. It has to be there for a reason.

 

Agreed. I am very curious. Did they just use the box and some CM thought the writing should be visible? I would assume when seeting something like this up they would have strict guidelines on how it should be laid out. 

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

This is awesome!

 

We need to have a geek/nerd gathering one Star Wars Weekend.

 

TCD

 

I think I would be down for that. I havent been to SWW yet. 

[devores 382]

I think I would be down for that. I havent been to SWW yet. 

 

Im down for that. Let me know when.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Agreed. I am very curious. Did they just use the box and some CM thought the writing should be visible? I would assume when seeting something like this up they would have strict guidelines on how it should be laid out. 

 

This whole display was weird.

 

It was very elaborate.

 

Why do they have it there?  I've never seen them decorate the outside of the restaurant this much- and then to go to all that trouble with hay, pumpkins and even a scarecrow, and then just have a random Star Wars box?  Makes no sense.  Not very Disney-like.  I wonder if there was some kind of special event here?

 

 

I think I would be down for that. I havent been to SWW yet. 

 

 

Im down for that. Let me know when.

 

The Fiend women have WWW.

 

Can the Fiend men have Geekfest?

 

Count me out.  But y'all have fun.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

OK, I have this can of worms to open, and I'm going to do that here.

 

I'm going to make this a short post just on the subject of Fastpasses and FP+ and Magic Bands.  We can discuss it, then we will move on, because this is supposed to be fun.  And I'd rather look at Food and Wine Festival photos than kvetch about FP+.

 

After pulling those Soarin' FP's, I walked directly to TT.

 

I arrived at 9:14 am. The park had only been open for fourteen minutes.  The standby and other lines were nonexistent.  It would be a walk-on now for anyone who wanted to ride:

 

 

Just like at Soarin', there was nobody at the FP machines getting FP's.  That's unusual at this time of morning:

 

 

I guess it was the camera setting that made the return time display not come out in the photo, but I could see it quite well.

 

And I was shocked.  Remember, it was 9:14.  The return time?  4:25 to 5:25!

 

WTF?  How could the return time be that far out- nobody was even getting Fastpasses!

 

We weren't planning to be in Epcot that late, but I was here, and still wanted to see if the KTTW cards worked, so I tried, and they did.  I also got a FP with my pass, just to make sure the use of the KTTW cards didn't disqualify my pass.

 

So, I've been in the park 15 minutes, and the good news is that I am simultaneously holding FP's for the two major attractions in the park.  The bad news is the return times:

 

 

So here's my polite complaint:

 

I'm just a nobody Annual Passholder.  I haven't stayed in one of the WDW resorts during the MB/FP+ testing period.  I'm not a CM who gets unlimited MB's to test.  I'm not a DVC member (they all have MB's now too).  I'm just a nobody who likes to visit WDW with my kids.  My pass wasn't cheap, and I always spend money on food and other stuff like expensive shower curtains.  I also frequently stay at Fort Wilderness, where I dare say, they've extracted more money from me than some of these Yankees who come and stay at the All Stars.

 

I got here at rope drop, and I wanted to get FP's for a couple rides that I could ride some time that morning, and then move on to the Food and Wine Festival, where I will happily fork over a pocket full of cash for some small plates of food.

 

And, this is what I get?

 

Everyone with a MagicBand arrived at the park with three FP's already loaded on their bands.

 

I didn't get a chance to do that.   I wasn't one of the chosen.

 

So, I'm stuck with this.

 

And, if I didn't have the extra KTTW cards, I would only have one FP, and wouldn't be eligible for another until after 11, when all the good ones would be gone.

 

I texted Twin #1 and told her what happened.  Told her to take her time, as we had no immediate FP return times to worry about.

 

And, frankly, I stewed.

 

This was not how I planned it.

 

So, you know what I did?

 

I decided I would go and complain.

 

Let Disney have a piece of my mind.

 

It's not fair that they are running this testing, and giving people who don't have MB's the shaft.

 

So here goes:

 

 

The last time I came in here to complain about something was when one of the those Plaid Vest A-holes and a bunch of rich people cut me in line twice at the Sum of All Thrills attraction.  I saw the Plaid Vest A-hole give the CM something which she initially refused, but ultimately took and put in her pocket after the Plaid Vest A-hole insisted.  This happened right in front of me, and I got everyone's names off their names tags and committed them to memory, and went to Guest Services.  The CM there listened intently to what I said, and then basically said, sorry, but there was nothing she could do about it.  Didn't ever write up a report or anything.  That was a total waste of my time.  So, I wasn't expecting much here, but I wanted to give somebody a piece of my mind about the unfairness of the situation today.

 

I spoke with a nice young man on the college program.  He was about my oldest daughter's age, and I decided that I would not give him a hard time.  I told him about my complaint, and showed him my TT Fastpasses.  (I left out the part about the Soarin' FP's and using my old KTTW cards).  He didn't understand why the return time was so late.  He looked at the FP's and saw that they had been issued at 9:14, and he said he would fix it.  Then he went into the back room.

 

I got to admire this picture, which I like very much:

 

 

That lake you see up at the top is Bay Lake. 

 

After about 10 minutes, the CM finally came out from the back.  He still had my FP's in his hand. He said that he had spoken to his manager and learned that the return times are going to be like this for now because of the use of FP+.  I told him, fine, but what about guests who don't have access to FP+?  He said he understood, and that they were working on that.  I had already committed to not being rude to this kid, so I said I don't like it, and I hope that he would at least make a report of that.  He said he would.  Then he said, let me give these to you.  I thought he was handing me back my FP's, but they were actually those re-entry passes that are good at any time for any attraction. 

 

Win!

 

So, I got over, but that doesn't mean that the current system doesn't stink.

 

Look at this. The wait time display at 9:46 am, not even an hour after the park opened:

 

 

TT is already a 45 minute wait, and the FP return times are 5:25-6:25:

 

 

Soarin' is an 80 minute wait, and the FP return times are 4:40-5:40.

 

 

If you don't have a MagicBand, you're screwed.

 

How can Disney seriously think this is acceptable?

 

For me, it's not that big a deal, because I know it can't possibly always be this bad.

 

But what about the family on a budget who can't afford to stay on property, and are here for a once in a lifetime vacation?

 

What about all the poor schmucks who are paying customers at Fort Wilderness, and were not included in the MB testing because they are just measly campers?

 

Bottom line:

 

Fastpass as we knew it is gone.

 

We can rant about it, but that's not going to change a thing.

 

Adapt or die.

 

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

 

Adapt or die.

 

 

Adapt or die? 

 

:rofl2:

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

 

Count me out.  But y'all have fun.

 

TCD

 

That was harsh. It was your idea. LOL

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Adapt or die? 

 

:rofl2:

 

You're laughing just like the dinosaurs did when the cavemen told them this.

 

You know how that turned out for them, right?

 

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

You're laughing just like the dinosaurs did when the cavemen told them this.

 

You know how that turned out for them, right?

 

TCD

 

I know how it turned out, but I had never heard that lack of Fastpasses killed the dinosaurs. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

That was harsh. It was your idea. LOL

 

I was just funnin'

 

I am a nerd, but I don't have Star Wars geek status.  I enjoy SWW, but I'm sure more that half of the cool details are lost on me.

 

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

If only he had taken the time to grab a fastpass instead of killing his friend....

 

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

It's official. Fastpass+ has jumped the shark.

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

If only he had taken the time to grab a fastpass instead of killing his friend....

 

 

:rofl2:

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

I've never been a fan of the fast pass system.

I'm not a planner and before I discovered a GAC I had to wait in line because I physically couldn't run to one side of the park to get a fast pass and then back to the other side to ride another ride. If I have to wait in the stand by line for an hour it's because they let 10

People with fast passes go thru for ever 10 people in the stand by line. If there was no fast pass the stand by time could be basically cut in half. Or am I missing something. If I am

Please educate me.

[fortpartyof4 108]

Thanks TCD!  I really wish we had said hello.  We  almost did a couple times, but travelling in Disney with 5 kids is kind've a preoccupying exercise, and besides we were a bit bashful.    I would love one of those FWRR spikes!  My parents say I rode on that as a child but I don't have memory of it.  I do have memory of going many times throughout my childhood.  We did the tent thing until one year we got flooded out of our tent at 2am.  I remember standing in the laundry room at the comfort station at 3am waiting for our things to dry, and my mom "gently suggested" an upgrade to a pop-up.  Actually she said if he wanted to ever go camping again he'd better get shopping for a pop-up.  We had the biggest '79 Jayco available in short order.  It didn't fit all of us though, so my brother and I slept in the conversion van that was the tow vehicle...

 

FW is without a doubt still my favorite place on the planet.  Second place is Maui in case you're wondering.  

 

 

Yep!  We were on the 300 loop after staying at AKL with my parents, all 7 kids, 6 spouses and 10 grandkids.  Celebrating my parent's 40th wedding anniversary.  It was an unforgettable trip.  other than the ear infections, influenza B, and all that kind of fun stuff of course.  :)

Here's a pic of a memorable moment after my dad "proposed' to my mom again.  We were happy she still said yes on her second chance.

 

 

Oh, one other note. my parents were with us at the Not So Scary, and they tied into our theme too, can you guess who they were?  

 

I just love this.  I am so glad you brought this person out of lurkdom, TCD.  What a great family!  Look at the Mom - she raised 7 kids???  She looks AMAZING!

 

My MIL planned, and made everyone go on, a very low budget cruise for their 40th anniversary many years ago.  My husband and I were the only ones that didn't have children at the time and were assigned the only cabin that had twin beds that could not be pushed together.  Our tiny cabin flooded every time we showered.  If one family wanted to do a shore excursion the others didn't want to, or wanted to go to the casino or club on their own after dinner, my FIL got very angry with all of us and scolded us.  

 

Your trip sounds like a lot more fun and I am making a mental note to do something similar when ours rolls around!  If the Fort and all that it is, is still there!

[Memphis 105]

Just for S&G  I checked this morning (Friday) for FP+ for Soarin' and test track for Saturday and the earliest I could get was 130 for S and 255 for TT. I also checked for time today and could get 905am and 1000am.  Checked for the day after Thanksgiving and got 1140am and 240pm.  Tried to check Christmas Day but it will only let me go out to 12/23 right now. 12/22 a Sunday still had early times.  So it looks like if you are going on a busy day you better book early. last minute shoppers are going to be SOL on busy days. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

If only he had taken the time to grab a fastpass instead of killing his friend....

 

 

Exactly.

 

Glad to see you understand.

 

It's official. Fastpass+ has jumped the shark.

 

Truth.

 

Fonzie was never the same after that.  The FP system that we have all grown familiar with since 1999 is no more.

 

I've never been a fan of the fast pass system.

I'm not a planner and before I discovered a GAC I had to wait in line because I physically couldn't run to one side of the park to get a fast pass and then back to the other side to ride another ride. If I have to wait in the stand by line for an hour it's because they let 10

People with fast passes go thru for ever 10 people in the stand by line. If there was no fast pass the stand by time could be basically cut in half. Or am I missing something. If I am

Please educate me.

 

You're not missing anything.

 

Every ride has a certain limited number of guests that it can accommodate at a time.

 

FP was just a genius way of reshuffling the deck.  Those who knew how to use it got to take advantage of those who didn't.

 

The new system doesn't change that fact.  It just changes the way the informed can take advantage of the uninformed.  Dummies who don't research and plan are going to hate it.

 

I just love this.  I am so glad you brought this person out of lurkdom, TCD.  What a great family!  Look at the Mom - she raised 7 kids???  She looks AMAZING!

 

My MIL planned, and made everyone go on, a very low budget cruise for their 40th anniversary many years ago.  My husband and I were the only ones that didn't have children at the time and were assigned the only cabin that had twin beds that could not be pushed together.  Our tiny cabin flooded every time we showered.  If one family wanted to do a shore excursion the others didn't want to, or wanted to go to the casino or club on their own after dinner, my FIL got very angry with all of us and scolded us.  

 

Your trip sounds like a lot more fun and I am making a mental note to do something similar when ours rolls around!  If the Fort and all that it is, is still there!

 

Great post.  I agree.

 

Hey, at least your in-laws took you on a trip.

 

I also need to remember this.  I hope that I will one day be blessed with an extended family like this and lots of grandkids.  It would be awesome to be able to take them all to the Fort. I'm sure even Mrs. TCD would come along for that.

 

Just for S&G  I checked this morning (Friday) for FP+ for Soarin' and test track for Saturday and the earliest I could get was 130 for S and 255 for TT. I also checked for time today and could get 905am and 1000am.  Checked for the day after Thanksgiving and got 1140am and 240pm.  Tried to check Christmas Day but it will only let me go out to 12/23 right now. 12/22 a Sunday still had early times.  So it looks like if you are going on a busy day you better book early. last minute shoppers are going to be SOL on busy days. 

 

Interesting.

 

So, according to the intel Dave D. provided, that would mean that for this coming Saturday, guests who arrive at Epcot at opening without MB's will face the same situation I did.  The only FP's they will be able to get for the two main attractions will be for afternoon.  And, those times will probably be bumped out further as guests with FP+ continue to book slots over the next 24 hours.

 

This appears to be the new normal. 

 

TCD

[fortpartyof4 108]

 

See the tall CM on the left?  She has worked in that TP for a while.  She is hearing impaired and little difficult to understand.  Once I had a problem with the internet kit and had to go get a new one.  To be honest, she was not the friendliest, but let me tell you, she is by far the most knowledgeable in that place.  And she works a lot harder than most of them.  If she sees a line, she will quickly go to the other register and begin ringing up guests' purchases instead of making them wait.  A couple of times when I have been in there and had to go find a CM to come help when there is a long line.

 

 

 

We do the look a like thing too.  Did the Miley freak wannabe know you were taking her picture?

 

I guess I'm an old fuddy-duddy, but I really don't get why pretty young girls do things like shaving half of their hair, wearing ridiculous clothing, or piercing up their faces.  And the younger guys who put those spacer things in their ears….those just gross me out.  I like to think I'm pretty open-minded, but stuff like that just puzzles me.

 

Really enjoying all of the fort photos as always.  

 

Doug and the other Disney suits, if you're reading, please stop changing our beloved campground.  Improvements to what is there and additions that will enhance our fun are welcome.  Removing things isn't.  Except the freeloaders.  They can go.

[fortpartyof4 108]

Not sure about the writing or the re-porposed box, but there was wood in Star Wars. It's a different galaxy, more so than just space. There were trees on Endor and Dagobah, others I'm sure, but I favor the original trilogy, and know very little past 1983.

 

 

Oh, MD.

 

So many potential comments.  So little time.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

 

See the tall CM on the left?  She has worked in that TP for a while.  She is hearing impaired and little difficult to understand.  Once I had a problem with the internet kit and had to go get a new one.  To be honest, she was not the friendliest, but let me tell you, she is by far the most knowledgeable in that place.  And she works a lot harder than most of them.  If she sees a line, she will quickly go to the other register and begin ringing up guests' purchases instead of making them wait.  A couple of times when I have been in there and had to go find a CM to come help when there is a long line.

 

 

 

We do the look a like thing too.  Did the Miley freak wannabe know you were taking her picture?

 

I guess I'm an old fuddy-duddy, but I really don't get why pretty young girls do things like shaving half of their hair, wearing ridiculous clothing, or piercing up their faces.  And the younger guys who put those spacer things in their ears….those just gross me out.  I like to think I'm pretty open-minded, but stuff like that just puzzles me.

 

Really enjoying all of the fort photos as always.  

 

Doug and the other Disney suits, if you're reading, please stop changing our beloved campground.  Improvements to what is there and additions that will enhance our fun are welcome.  Removing things isn't.  Except the freeloaders.  They can go.

 

Good comments.

 

I recognize that CM too.  I never noticed her hearing impairment.  There are several CM's who have worked in the Meadow TP for years.  None of them have ever said anything to me directly, but I think that some of them read ff.net.  Just something about the look of recognition that they have.  It would surprise me if FW CM's did not read message boards.  Wouldn't you if you worked there?

 

You do sound like a fuddy-duddy talking about the trends followed by the young.  It has always been that way, hasn't it?  The younger generation is always trying to distinguish itself from the older.  I have to agree with you that the piercings, tattoos, and other body modifications by today's youth are much more extreme than dying your hair or the other stuff young people did back in my day.  A jacket with a lot of zippers and wearing one sparkly glove was considered to be counter-culture back when I was young.  Kids would laugh at that today.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

OK, let's move on.

 

I don't like what's going on with FP+.  But, I did have better luck later in the MK. I'll share that at the appropriate time.

 

First, we need to finish our Sunday morning in Epcot.

 

Here's some news.  Earlier in this thread, Lonestar asked about whether the self-serve drink machines in the Electric Umbrella were retrofitted with the new Rapid Fill/RFID technology.

 

Since I had some time to kill until Twin #1 showed up, I took a look in the Electric Umbrella.  The drink machines don't have the new RFID trays on them:

 

 

 

So that means you still can't use your refillable mug there, but you can apparently have as many refills as you would like as long as you buy a drink there.

 

I was hanging around in Innoventions since it was a very warm morning, and the AC was good.  But, there's not very much to see and do, so I thought about where else I could go.

 

Then I remembered that I hadn't visited the Food and Wine Festival Center yet.

 

I headed there.

 

This CM was getting set up for some kind of performance.  I think he was going to bang some pots and pans together and such.  I didn't wait around to find out:

 

 

Squirrel!:

 

 

On my way to the Festival Center, I walked over to TT so I could take a photo showing how bad the FP return times were now, but the times do show up in the photo.  Trust me, they were bad:

 

 

But note that guests are not lined up to get the FP's.

 

Here's the path to the Festival Center:

 

 

This used to be the Wonders of Life pavilion.  It wasn't the most exciting pavilion in Epcot, but we used to visit here.  It had Body Wars, and Cranium Command, and lots of interactive exhibits.  Plus it was all inside and climate controlled.  They just decided to shut the whole thing down a few years ago.  I have never heard of any plans to renovate and reopen it.  In the modern way of Disney thinking, it's perfectly OK to just shutter and attraction with no plans to replace it.

 

Now, guests can only access it during the Food and Wine Festival or the Flower and Garden Festival.  Which, combined, means several months each year.

 

Everything you can do in there for the Food and Wine Festival is listed here on the sign:

 

 

Doesn't really sound too exciting does it?

 

Well, it's not.

 

And that's why there are very few guests who go to the trouble of going in.

 

But, I'm going to.

 

If you read TCD TR's you know one of my things is to take photos of any of the signs they have identifying the landscaping around WDW.  Like this one:

 

 

Here's an Eastern Redbud, in case you're interested:

 

 

They used to have signs just like this in River Country and on Discovery Island.  I always liked them.  Sometimes I wonder what a tree or plant is, and I appreciated the little tidbits of information these signs provided.  For a long time, signs like this were rare in the parks.  Now, I notice them more and more.  I think they're putting new ones out.  I certainly don't remember ever seeing this one before.

 

They had real grapevines growing outside of the pavilion:

 

 

 

Do you see all those grapes?  Those can't be real.  Can they?  I looked carefully.  I would not put it past Disney to stick some fake grapes on some real grapevines.  Whatever it takes.  I walked up and down and tried to find a bunch of grapes that I could reach, but they were all just out of reach.  Probably on purpose.  So I don't know if they're real.  Oh, well, they are probably sour anyway.

 

These miniature roses weren't fake.  And they smelled good too:

 

 

Even thought the Wonders of Life pavilion has been closed for awhile, they at least haven't left it to rot, like has happened at some other places we are well acquainted with.  This display at the entrance is nice and pleasing to the eye:

 

 

If you ever look at the "Where in the World" thread here on ff.net, you may have already seen this next photo of the windows near the entrance.  I think they are a very cool detail that is very consistent with the unique design of this pavilion:

 

 

 You may have noticed that one of the attractions listed on the sign I posted a photo of just a few photos back is the Intermission Care.  That sounds like a nice place.  But, in reality, this is all there is to it:

 

 

This used to be a full quick serve restaurant when the pavilion was open.  We often ate breakfast here. It was kind of a weird place because everything was supposed to be healthy.  So the bacon wasn't real bacon-that kind of place.  But, it wasn't bad.

 

This is the menu now:

 

 

Blah.  They do have a lot of wine though.

 

By the way, this is where they sold the Beet Lollipops for the Flower and Garden Festival.  As you can see, they don't have those on the menu for the Food and Wine Festival.

 

They had this new magazine set out on the empty tables here:

 

 

I've never seen this magazine before.

 

Has anyone?

 

Adjacent to the café, they had a little art gallery with art for sale.  I had time, so I thought I'd take a look.  It's always fun to see some of this art and what they are trying to sell it for.

 

Here's a nice piece featuring Belle and Gaston:

 

 

It's nice.  I am not sure where anyone would hang something like this in their home.  But, I would think a fair price for something like this would be $75 or $100.  It's just a print, not an original painting or anything.

 

Little do I know:

 

 

Next.

 

Here's a print of Tinkerbelle and a plant:

 

 

It's the same size as the Belle one, but it's only $295:

 

 

I don't understand it.  Why is that one $200 less than the other?  They are the same exact size.

 

I liked the technique the artist used on this one and the colors:

 

 

But, it wasn't cheap:

 

 

Now. let's look at a larger piece.  This one has Belle on a horse looking at a castle:

 

 

Big picture equals big price:

 

 

Now, about this Belle on the horse picture.  Isn't that Cinderella's castle?  Not the Beast's?  What is going on?

 

I really wanted to buy this creepy Snow White picture for a certain Fiend who loves Snow White:

 

 

But, I was short about $295:

 

 

There were two different versions of this picture- this one on the wall was $495:

 

 

Right next to it, they had a poster version:

 

 

Maybe that would be cheap-it's just a poster?

 

Nope:

 

 

Oh heck.

 

I'm out of room for photos again.

 

When I come back, we will look at a couple more pictures, and then the other stuff here in the Festival Center.

 

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Am I to understand that you would have been willing to spend $55 on that picture for me?  Cause if you are willing to drop $55 on me, I should point out that I do take checks and cash.  I'll PM you my address. 

[jjbescher 17]

I am a DVC member and a Premium Annual Passholder.  The ONLY reason that I will be getting my magic bands is that I will be staying at the Fort in December.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Am I to understand that you would have been willing to spend $55 on that picture for me?  Cause if you are willing to drop $55 on me, I should point out that I do take checks and cash.  I'll PM you my address. 

 

I guess my comment was misleading.

 

I was merely trying to say that I only had about $50 on me.  Not that I would spend even $1 of it on you.

 

Sorry for the misunderstanding and for getting your hopes up.

 

Plus, who said anything about you?  I said it was for a certain Snow White loving Fiend.

 

Maybe I was talking about someone else.

 

TCD