Correct, you do NOT get the bonus days, for that you’d have to book more nights. It’s as PT said, you get 60 and 60+1 for your first two nights, then it’s each day at 60 days.
2 Likes
Oh yes. Ok. This. Yes. I knew this. But if you want to put a hard to get FP+ park (or dining) at the end of your trip you need to have the longer reservation.
1 Like
No.
Maybe. But what if it was more? Say $150 for the total party? Maybe $300? The amount is not totally important, it’s the concept that Disney would charge for FPP access if you are staying offsite.
It has always been like this. New tickets may have additional issues?
You don’t need magic bands though.
Thing is, the MAIN DRAW of staying on site is the 60 day FPP. (Well, for those who fly, it is also the use of Disney Property transportation.) So, if they officially offered such a “feature”, they would likely lose a LOT of on-site guests…and therefore revenue. So, keeping the “secret” method of booking throwaway rooms they will allow.
3 Likes
I don’t understand why anyone staying off site wouldn’t do this, as long as you don’t have a moral problem with it. It’s not just the FPP benefit, it’s up to two days free parking for two cars, and up to ten magic bands. You’re SAVING money in your case Ryan. You have the perfect scenario.
Currently the only thing you can’t get is SDD, everything else is sitting at 60 day availability, although FOP is up and down.
2 Likes
'Tis true. We’ve never had them in any of our visits. It would be kind of nice, but I’ve been too cheap to consider it in the past.
2 Likes
I don’t think I like that idea. Those staying onsite should get some other benefit than just being in the bubble.
3 Likes
I understand that, but if Disney don’t care, I sure don’t. I’ve paid thousands of dollars to them for tickets, and I’m using a legitimate way the system works to take a little bit of the pain out of the crazy parking charges which they’ve put up 40% in a year.
Even as this thread shows the number of people who know about this is very small. You could raise similar objections to all kinds of the FPP tricks we use in parks, it’s just a matter of opinion. Ultimately if Disney don’t want this happening, they’d stop it.
1 Like
Not actually. For us the main draw is being in the bubble.
I was so struck last June when I spent a night just outside of the bubble for a one day visit at AK before going to Tampa by how immediate and sharp the transition is from in the bubble to back out into the ordinary world. I felt it. I didn’t like it.
I love the theming of the resorts. I love the convenience of not driving a single mile during vacation.
There are a lot of reasons we stay on site and the imperative nature of makinng 60day FPP did not become a thing until after we had been doing so for a while. It’s actually a bit down the list of reasons to stay onsite for me.
6 Likes
Perhaps they could offer other features, or make up for it in some other way. Maybe it would be a revenue producer for Disney. They could raise parking rates to $50/day for example. They could offer lower food prices in park for onsite guests than they do offsite guests. They could allow onsite guests to bring in food and disallow it for offsite guests. The possibilities are endless how they could entice you to stay onsite even if they offered the ability to buy FPP while staying offsite.
Yes. True. I guess I was being a little too free with my statement there! I mean, I remember how awesome it was on our honeymoon to be in the bubble and feeling like the rest of the world no longer existed for that week. We don’t get that same feeling staying off site.
1 Like
It seems to me that there are two issues here.
First, what do you actually want to achieve?
I booked my Christmas trip on property but within even the 30 day window, so I had no advantage at all. I went the week before Christmas, which was probably CL8 on some days.
I had no difficulty pre-booking FPPs for pretty much everything I wanted except 7DMT, FOP and SDD (which were impossible to find) and BTMRR (which I found after endless attempts over a number of weeks of checking).
Of course, I was only looking for a single FPP each time as I was travelling solo.
(I also got every ADR I wanted despite being a long way away from the 180 day window, even BOG and Candlelight Processional dining package.)
Once on property I got some perfectly acceptable day-of FPPs as my fourth, fifth and sixth FPPs at MK.
So I believe it is possible to get a reasonable set of FPPs at the 30 day window. But some will be difficult and some will be impossible.
The second issue is: what can (and should?) you do to improve your situation.
Last summer I booked a single night’s stay at an All Star for my first night in Orlando (I was staying off-property at a friend’s house). This opened up a rolling 60 day window for the entire duration of my stay. So each day I booked three FPPs for sixty days hence. It therefore took a week to book them all. I got everything I wanted.
I felt no guilt at doing this. I broke no rules. I cancelled the reservation as soon as I felt it was safe to do so without losing the FPPs (i.e. once I’d reached 30 days). Because of the UK terms and conditions this cancellation cost me £50, so Disney made some money for nothing. As I said, I can’t believe the All Stars are ever fully booked, so I don’t think I was screwing anyone over.
My understanding is that a single room for a single night is all you need. You can umbrella in your entire party, and you’ll get the rolling window.
What you still won’t get are FOP and SDD, which require 60+ days.
My solution to this at Christmas was to buy my way in using DAH. Obviously that’s ruinously expensive for families and large parties.
There are same-day FPP drops for SDD and there have been plenty of reports of people being successful in getting them. And sometimes extra FPPs are released nearer the date of your arrival because park hours change. That’s how I got SDD on Day 2 of TSL opening — and that was well within 60 days of arrival. I also got a ton of FOPs last year and the year before (very shortly often Pandora opened) this way, too.
1 Like
We are still at a disadvantage too, we only get 60+1 FPP for this, you’ll get 60+5 or more, so for me it balances out, onsite guests have a big advantage there. I’m sitting at my desk 11.55am every day ready to pounce, that take a lot of time and effort compared to those who have a longer stay who can just book it all in one go.
This is all good information. Of course, I definitely have issues with the making a reservation and then cancelling once less than 30 days out. But your other information is reassuring. I’m still just worried about SWGE. It isn’t even about the new rides that will be in SWGE, but that all of HS will be so busy it will be a waste of a day (no FPPs available at all at 30 days). I hate to skip HS because we love ToT, RnRC, Star Tours, etc. But, I might be fearing for nothing.
For me I’m $37 better off through parking and MagicBand savings I’d have paid otherwise, and I’ve got the FOP passes I’d dreamed of, plus been absolutely able to maximise my touring plans as I’ve had loads of flexibility in times that I’d not have had at 30 days. It’s made the whole thing much more enjoyable. It’s been great, one of the best ‘tricks’ besides Touring Plans I’ve found to make it the trip of a lifetime.
1 Like
In terms of Disney selling FPPs, they now do exactly that to Club Level guests at Deluxe properties: $50 for three FPPs per day, minimum of three days. So $150 per person for nine FPPs.
It’s frustrating that we just don’t know how that whole thing is going to work. I guess we’ll get a first glimpse when it opens in California.
Personally, I’m not that excited about SWGE. I’ve never really been into Star Wars as an IP. Both Pandora and TSL are much more attractive propositions for me. (And WWOHP at UOR.)
That being said, I’m sure it’ll be incredibly immersive and the rides will be cool.
I won’t be going back to WDW this Christmas. Partly because I can’t afford it. My July trip is pretty much emptying all my bank accounts. If I did, I think I’d regard SWGE as a write-off. But not necessarily DHS.