Burner FP+ No More?

Walt Disney World
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I saw this report on reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/WaltDisneyWorld/comments/cjbvvn/if_you_miss_your_scheduled_fp_time_does_it_count/) about burner Tier 2 FP+ no longer working. For example, on my upcoming trip in a few weeks, I have a FP+ booked for Imagination from 9a-10a that in all likelihood I will not use. I then have Spaceship Earth from 10-11 and Test Track from 11-12. Previously, even if I did not use the Imagination FP+, once I scanned in to Test Track I would be free to book the 4th FP+ for my group, including booking a Tier 1 since my initial three FP+ would have been used/expired.

Has anyone had any recent experiences with this? There are reports on Twitter that conflict with the accounts on that Reddit thread, so I’d like to hear from anyone who has experienced this recently so I know if I need to adjust any of my plans for my upcoming trip. Thanks.

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You must be in the park during the FPP window for it to fall off.

The example on Reddit had one in the morning while they were in another park. That won’t work.

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Wow, that is a good to know.

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Can someone explain why this happens?
Is it set up so that you actually HAVE to go to all your FP attractions?

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most people report that if you are in the park and miss the window it will count as used

I’m guessing the requirement to be in the park is tied to the loophole being closed where people would schedule extra FPP for people who weren’t going to be at the park that day.

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Does anyone know what happens if we leave before our third is used, let’s say, and go to another park. Like if you travel during the FP window?

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they don’t know when you have left the park

But if you go to a new park you could modify that third FPP to smoother ride in the new park anyway.

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In June I had two FPPs for DHS that weren’t used because our plans changed due to rain. I was in the park during the windows and they never fell off. Didn’t try getting a 4th so I don’t know if they would’ve prevented it, but they were still showing when we left after the park closed.

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It does happen, but I think most people have them go away on their own

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Are your RD-ing soarin’? Why not book LWTL as your tier 2. Then you can stop by to tap without going out of your way.

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What if in this situation we didn’t get to the park until after 10 am? So, we’re in the park that day, but just didn’t get there in time to use the FP+. Tentative plan wasn’t to rope-drop but get a little later start, arrive at the park around 10:30, do Spaceship Earth and Test Track and then hope to grab Soarin’ as a 4th FP+ for later in the day, or just wait in line towards the end of the day.

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I believe that’s the situation most people have trouble with, when they arrive at the park after the window.

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All my “Burner” FPP are rides/shows I want to ride/see anyway and might as well use the FPP to try and get a day of for hard to get FPP, if I don’t get them when booking in advance. Its a “Plan B” scenario in my TP’s.

For example I have 2 versions of my Epcot Day, because Soarin’ and Frozen are Tier 1, I plan on getting a FPP for Frozen, since the wait time for Soarin’ at RD is 22 mins.

If I can’t get Frozen, I will try for Soarin’ and make sure Nemo and LwtL are booked as my FPP Tier 2 for the day, and early, so that I can shoot for a modify before I go or day of 4th FPP for the day.

Then I wont run the risk of not having the chance to get a Day Of because I didn’t use a Tier 2/Burner.

My 60 day out is 8/26 (my bday!) and SO much could change before then because of SW:GE so this whole 2 versions of a plan may change when I find out my Epcot day has to change to a HS day!

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Whether something officially expires when you are out of the park is hit or miss. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt. There are lots of different reports. No matter what, the expired FPP will often still show up in your feed. Ignore it and try to add your 4th. Do not modify the one in your feed unless you are being blocked from adding a 4th. Then modify into something near by that you can tap into to burn it.

Two weeks ago we skipped our 9:00 MS, rode TT, did Pixar and scheduled an FEA while waiting for Pixar. I was in the park, but note the MS did not disappear however I had no problem adding a 4th.

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I have never had this happen to me ever, in the like 15 times I’ve gone to Disney (including 5 weeks ago!). Note, I’m not implying that because it has never happened to me that therefore it has never happened - we all know that Disney’s technology is, well, spotty, so I am not at all shocked to hear that people’s FPs don’t fall off after the one-hour window. However, I have booked FPs for early mornings when I know I won’t be at the park yet (because I’m sleeping in, have breakfast plans outside the park, whatever) so that once I get to the park I can actually do what I want to do, then get 4th 5th etc. Never been an issue for me.

So, all that to say, I believe it is possible to make FPs for times you aren’t in the park, barring technological hiccups - I’ve also made FPs for one park while I’m in another (of course, this assumes I don’t have any more FPs booked for the park I’m in at the time)

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So, back from the trip. Not sure if my experience answered this question at all, but it does highlight some issues with the FP+ system, so I thought I’d share to see if this can be helpful to anyone.

Our Epcot day was planned for Friday, 8/30. Seven in the group. Here were our pre-booked FP+:
Imagination 9a-10a
Spaceship Earth 1030a-11:30a
Test Track 11:30a-12:30p.

Complication 1: I got sick and didn’t go to Epcot. Plan was for me to help try to get FP+'s on the app from the room once the other six people in the group went through the initial 3.

Complication 2: My family did not arrive at the park before getting a message at 9:30 that Imagination was down and the FP+ would be converted to an anytime FP+ that didn’t include Tier 1 attractions. Let’s call this the Tier 2 Anytime.

Party arrives at Epcot, uses the Spaceship Earth FP+ without issue.

Complication 3: At 11:27, get message that TT is down. That FP+ converts to an anytime for anything except Frozen. Let’s call this Tier 1 Anytime.

I get on the app right away and am able to grab a Soarin’ FP+ for the entire party (not me) for 2:25-3:25 (maybe because of the 11:31 drop).

Party goes on with their day, eating lunch and going on attractions until Soarin’ FP+ time. Test Track remains down during this time (even though it showed wait times on the app during various parts of this day). Party does not want to use the Tier 2 Anytime FP+ because they don’t need it on any of the rides they were going on, and were worried that if they used it, it would use up the Tier 1 Anytime, which they wanted to save for TT. Did not think this would be an issue at all because I was able to immediately book a Tier1 FP+ (Soarin’) right after the TT FP+ became an anytime.

Party goes on Soarin’ at 2:30. I try to book a new Tier 1 FP+ and am not allowed to do so. Get message that they have already booked an experience from the list. At this point, party has used a Tier 1, a Tier 2, and had a Tier 1 and Tier 2 cancelled and converted to an anytime.

I call MDE customer service and get a helpful phone rep who tries to figure out what to do. After some time, he says the Tier 1 Anytime is causing the problem. Once they use that, should be able to book a new Tier 1.

I call family. Family goes on TT using Tier 1 Anytime now that TT is up and running again. Still can’t book Tier 1 FP+.

I call MDE help desk again. Get someone who is not at all helpful on the phone who offers no solutions other than having family go to guest relations at the park. I hang up.

I think maybe it is the Tier 2 Anytime that is still out there causing the problems. I call my wife, tell her to have everyone just scan into Mission Space, even though everyone who already wanted to get on it did. She does that. At this point, family has used FP+ on two Tier 2 attractions (SE and MS) and two Tier 1 attractions (TT and Soarin). Still cannot book a new Tier 1 FP+, get same error message.

At this point, I get a text message from someone from the Walt Disney World Guest Experience Center (Caitlin). She asks if we are still having problems with booking FP+. I respond yes, explain the situation, she says it’s fixed but she doesn’t see any Tier 1’s available. I then go to check, find a FP+ for Character Spot, and still can’t book it. I tell her it’s not fixed, getting same error. She then just issues family a new anytime FP+ that they can use on Frozen Ever After and says they’ll look into what’s causing the problem in the future.

So, I have no idea if burner FP+ still work anymore, but I do know that anytime FP+'s can cause problems with trying to book Tier 1 FP’s. If I had to guess, I think the Tier 2 Anytime didn’t register as using my original Tier 2 FP+. I think if we had booked and used a useless Tier 2 FP+ during that time, so that we used two Tier 2 FP+'s that were assigned to actual rides and a Tier 1 that was assigned to an actual ride, we would have been OK. If there’s anything to take from this, other than that the FP+ system is a mess, it’s to not assume that using an Anytime FP+ will count as using a pre-booked FP+ to give you access to book additional Tier 1’s.

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Thank you for that report. The FP system can be frustrating.

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It wasn’t the anytimes that we’re causing you the issues though.

The group had only used one regular tier2 FP. When the other tier2 FP was converted to an anytime one, they still needed to book and use/tap/burn a second tier2 FP before being able to book a further tier1 ride.

The anytimes don’t count towards the 2+1 rule for tiered parks. If you use them, you must still book and “use” two tier2 FPs before booking another tier1.

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You know, @Nicky_S, you should hire out your services to Disney guests in real-time. Basically telling them what they should do next with what FP so that they can get the most of the day. You seem to just understand this all! Kind of like a personal FPP tour guide! :wink:

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So you’re saying I’m obsessed??? :joy::joy::joy: :face_with_monocle:

But thank you. I like trying to help. And I do try to understand the system.