Disney is starting to crack down on those who beat the FP system

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

12 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

That could be.  I read Doug's post as meaning that they book FP's to the AP of a friend who is not visiting the parks that day, and use those.  Perhaps I read it wrong.  I don't understand all of the ins and outs of the MDE system, accounts, the way things are linked, etc.  

There was one more step Doug mentioned- on MDE, you can re-assign a FP+ from one guest to another.  This allows you to assign a FP+ from a guest who never entered the park to someone who is in the park.  Or it used to.  They added this function with the most recent update, so I am guessing that they left it alone.  Before the alleged changes, if you had your friend's MB, you could just use that.  We used to do that all the time with our MB's. I always book FP's for all of us, and if a smaller number went we would sometimes use the MB's of the family members not with us to cash in FP's.  That apparently is being stopped now, since they would not have scanned in to the park.  But, I believe that I will still be able to reassign their FP's once I'm in the park and have used my FP's.

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

53 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

There was one more step Doug mentioned- on MDE, you can re-assign a FP+ from one guest to another.  This allows you to assign a FP+ from a guest who never entered the park to someone who is in the park.  Or it used to.  They added this function with the most recent update, so I am guessing that they left it alone.  Before the alleged changes, if you had your friend's MB, you could just use that.  We used to do that all the time with our MB's. I always book FP's for all of us, and if a smaller number went we would sometimes use the MB's of the family members not with us to cash in FP's.  That apparently is being stopped now, since they would not have scanned in to the park.  But, I believe that I will still be able to reassign their FP's once I'm in the park and have used my FP's.

TCD

So how is that closing a loophole?  If you can still use more than the 3 FP's that Disney intended everyone to be able to use, despite the AP of someone who never entered the park that day being used to book them, it still seems to go against the spirit of what Disney is trying to accomplish here.  

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

5 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

So how is that closing a loophole?  If you can still use more than the 3 FP's that Disney intended everyone to be able to use, despite the AP of someone who never entered the park that day being used to book them, it still seems to go against the spirit of what Disney is trying to accomplish here.  

I don't think anyone said it's closing a loophole. If anything, they apparently intentionally created a new loophole by allowing FP+'s so to be assigned.

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Just now, Tri-Circle-D said:

I don't think anyone said it's closing a loophole. If anything, they apparently intentionally created a new loophole by allowing FP+'s so to be assigned.

TCD

I just meant that they are working to close FP+ loopholes in general with the steps reported above, not with this particular item.  Again, I'm no expert on the system.  It's too complex and makes my head hurt....one of many reason's the parks have lost their magic with me.  But I just don't understand why they would be trying go close loopholes, but allow something like this.  And to be clear, I'm not criticizing anyone on here who uses that tactic....it certainly seems that Disney allows and provides for it.  I just don't understand it.  

[ThemeParkCommando 81]

5 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

I just meant that they are working to close FP+ loopholes in general with the steps reported above, not with this particular item.  Again, I'm no expert on the system.  It's too complex and makes my head hurt....one of many reason's the parks have lost their magic with me.  But I just don't understand why they would be trying go close loopholes, but allow something like this.  And to be clear, I'm not criticizing anyone on here who uses that tactic....it certainly seems that Disney allows and provides for it.  I just don't understand it.  

Disney still has to make allowances and concessions for minor emergencies that may arise.   If a family of 4 books their FP+ at the 60 day mark, but the day of their visit, one of the kids gets sick, and one of the parents stay behind to care for the child,  this allows the parent with the well child to move the FP+'s over for their use,  instead of losing them entirely.   I think that is a good thing,

[weekender 5]

After reading the article and all the comments the only way to close all the loopholes is to do away with the Fast Pass System on the Magic Bands.  You know that will not happen however as Disney loves to plan, track, detail everything about the guest via the Magic Bands.  Also I think people will always find loopholes whether good or bad. 

I for one miss the old paper system as I could look what time was available and get one or not get one if I liked the return times. 

[djsamuel 322]

43 minutes ago, weekender said:

After reading the article and all the comments the only way to close all the loopholes is to do away with the Fast Pass System on the Magic Bands.  You know that will not happen however as Disney loves to plan, track, detail everything about the guest via the Magic Bands.  Also I think people will always find loopholes whether good or bad. 

I for one miss the old paper system as I could look what time was available and get one or not get one if I liked the return times. 

Even if they would go to a system of kiosks where once you were in the park, you would tap your magic band and obtain a fast pass in a manner similar to the paper fast passes.

[Travisma 1,317]

I think it should be if the band/ticket isn't scanned into the park (showing admission), then the FP shouldn't work.

I have a butt load of people on my account because of admission to the Fort, and some of them are AP holders.  

But we never include them when making  FP reservations if they aren't coming to the park.

So all this time we could've been using their MBs to make extra FP reservations, then just bring one of the extra bands with us to go one different rides?  Wow, didn't know that.

Geez, what an asinine system.

[Seals 111]

17 hours ago, ThemeParkCommando said:

Disney still has to make allowances and concessions for minor emergencies that may arise.   If a family of 4 books their FP+ at the 60 day mark, but the day of their visit, one of the kids gets sick, and one of the parents stay behind to care for the child,  this allows the parent with the well child to move the FP+'s over for their use,  instead of losing them entirely.   I think that is a good thing,

The point of the FP+ reservation is for those other two people who had the FP+ reservation to enjoy the attraction. They still aren't enjoying the attraction, the other family members are enjoying it twice.  It's not like they paid $$ and would be losing the tangible $$ if no one used the FP+.   The family members who ride twice can't transfer their enjoyment to the two that stayed behind so that they can experience it too.  "Hey, Johnny -- we got to ride Mine Train twice while you were back at the campsite throwing up." "Wow, Suzy, that makes me feel so much better knowing my place in line didn't go to some stranger."

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I know everyone has opinions on this, but my personal opinion is that every person who actually enters the park that day should be able to book 3 FP's ahead of time on the ticket they are using to enter the park.  If someone doesn't enter the park, I don't understand why someone else should be able to use FP's that were booked on their ticket.  That just seems counter to the intentions of the system, IMO, and leads to longer standby wait times for the majority of folks who don't play those games.  But again, I'm far from an expert on the MDE system....the complexity of which leads to problems like this, so if I am misunderstanding something feel free to say so.  

[keith_h 420]

It shouldn't be that complicated to ensure entrance for FP's. Unless Disney's IT folks really screwed up on their database design it should just be a column or two in some table/s that tie the two together and indicate status.  When the ticket is used at the entrance activate the FP's. 

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

54 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

I know everyone has opinions on this, but my personal opinion is that every person who actually enters the park that day should be able to book 3 FP's ahead of time on the ticket they are using to enter the park.  If someone doesn't enter the park, I don't understand why someone else should be able to use FP's that were booked on their ticket. 

Agreed, and I honestly thought that was how it worked. Before MBs you couldn't get FPs from the machines without inputting a ticket that had been through the turnstiles of that park that day, no?  

I'm not sure how the current MB system (assuming it was actually designed that way and this isn't just a mistake/oversight in the programming) works better than that.  Especially since it seems to have opened the flood gates for folks like the paid tour guides, to get lots of FPs they shouldn't be entitled to (and in their case, making $ off them). 

Since new Fantasyland and now Pandora, people are relying more and more on FPs (as Disney seems to have intended). Let's just hope they sort out the flaws/loopholes before Star Wars Land. Because if you think a 400 minute wait is long...

[ependydad...Doug 176]

 

23 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Actually, what Doug is talking about may still be allowed, because you can assign a FP+ to the account of someone who is in the park with a valid ticket before it's used.  If that is still allowed, then the FP+ will be used by a guest who is in the park with a valid ticket. 

I think that is still going to be OK.  They don't care who actually uses the FP.

TCD

 

22 hours ago, DaveInTN said:

That could be.  I read Doug's post as meaning that they book FP's to the AP of a friend who is not visiting the parks that day, and use those.  Perhaps I read it wrong.  I don't understand all of the ins and outs of the MDE system, accounts, the way things are linked, etc.  

TCD said what I meant (just you know- understandable). My wife will use a friend's Annual Passes to book the FastPasses in their names. Then, after we have used our 3 FastPasses per person, she'll switch the riders from our friends to us. At that point, they're our FastPasses and we use our bands.

[Travisma 1,317]

16 minutes ago, ependydad...Doug said:

 

 

TCD said what I meant (just you know- understandable). My wife will use a friend's Annual Passes to book the FastPasses in their names. Then, after we have used our 3 FastPasses per person, she'll switch the riders from our friends to us. At that point, they're our FastPasses and we use our bands.

Are they in the parks with her/you and they don't want to go on rides?

Or are they sitting home and you are using their MBs to get on rides?

If they crack down, seems like that loophole will be gone.

[ependydad...Doug 176]

6 minutes ago, Travisma said:

Are they in the parks with her/you and they don't want to go on rides?

Or are they sitting home and you are using their MBs to get on rides?

If they crack down, seems like that loophole will be gone.

Neither. They're at home, but we are not using their MBs.

Since the accounts are linked in MDE, my wife can make them FastPasses (as if they were going to a park for a day).

Once we use up our 3 FastPasses, she's able to switch the riders on their 3 FastPasses from them to us. (As if we had all gone together and they decided they didn't want to ride; instead of switching MagicBands- you can switch the riders on the FastPass).

We then use our MBs to get onto the ride.

 

[Travisma 1,317]

35 minutes ago, ependydad...Doug said:

Neither. They're at home, but we are not using their MBs.

Since the accounts are linked in MDE, my wife can make them FastPasses (as if they were going to a park for a day).

Once we use up our 3 FastPasses, she's able to switch the riders on their 3 FastPasses from them to us. (As if we had all gone together and they decided they didn't want to ride; instead of switching MagicBands- you can switch the riders on the FastPass).

We then use our MBs to get onto the ride.

 

OK.  But if they really implement the MB having to show an admission, would that still work?  Would it block you from transferring the pass from a non admission band to an admission band?

[ependydad...Doug 176]

23 minutes ago, Travisma said:

OK.  But if they really implement the MB having to show an admission, would that still work?  Would it block you from transferring the pass from a non admission band to an admission band?

No idea.