I’m working on code that looks at both the current FP+ inventory and predictions for your day of travel, to make realistic FP+ recommendations.
So far it looks like the best process is to optimize the touring plan without FP+ at all, then add some advance FPs, then do day-of.
That looks like it’s going to take 60 to 90 seconds to complete, for very large (30+ steps) touring plans.
Do y’all think that’s too long to wait?
Given all it is trying to do, that sounds like a reasonable amount of time to me. Especially given that when I do FPP planning using my method it involves many re-runs so the whole process takes far longer than that, and that does not take into account “day of” FPPs.
A couple of questions:
For optimize that seems reasonable as long as people know to expect it will take that long.
I’m curious though if will take as long when evaluating? I use that far more than optimizing.
I wouldn’t think that this will affect evaluating at all, as it is making no decisions whatsoever, just looking up the current wait time projections for your plan.
Nope. Just for making FP+ decisions.
Yeah, we can make it an option. It might be ‘on’ by default, but you can turn it off.
In-park re-optimization will use the actual FP+ inventory to make suggestions. So it’ll be a more accurate set of recommendations.
The next step after this is to just make the FP+ reservations for you, automatically, as the plan is being created.
Sweet heavens. That would be awesome. This would be a linchpin for TP for sure.
How would you reconcile the login for MDE with logon for TP?
It would be awesome but also a little scary if it has the rights to overwrite existing FP’s.
I was thinking the same thing. But for the initial run, it would be cool. It would need an off button though for us freaks that like to play around. Or even if in the parks… Hmmmm. That would be scary to lose an A&E while in the parks and optimizing …
Yes the Pearl clutching and backlash would be EPIC if someone lost an A&E!
As for the original point, I don’t think 60-90 seconds is too long, but perhaps a little heads up verbiage would be in order for those expecting a quicker response time.
We might have a “don’t delete this FP+” setting. Good point.
This is a feature I would love to see. I am currently making PTP for 11/29 through 12/5. I was anxiously awaiting today for the new FP availability page to open up for MK on 11/29. I was so excited to see A&E and SDMT availability since I haven’t been able to get those through frequently checking MDE. However, when I went to MDE, they aren’t actually available for my group of 3. Maybe I missed the window, or maybe my group of 3 is too large. Anyway, it would be awesome for the PTP to show me actual availability for my group while planning. I would definitely wait longer for optimizing, especially with the flexibility others already mentioned.
I believe he said the current FPP window page searches for a party of 1. You could try booking three separate but close together fpp’s for 1 each or try to make 1 and see if the copy feature will get it to the other two in your party.
OK, I’m just trying to visualize how a full implementation of this would work:
Prior to 60 days out (or 30 days - you need to have a switch for on-site/off-site stays), you run the optimizer and it will come up with a plan with optimal FPP reservations (the ones you should try to get). It will also incorporate additional “day of” FPPs based on projected availability.
After 60/30 days out you run the optimizer and it will come up with a plan with the best available FPP reservations (leaving alone any current FPP reservations you have designated “don’t touch”) AND it will be able to book them for you. It will also incorporate additional “day of” FPPs based on projected availability. In-park re-optimizations will also work in the same fashion.
The one “super bonus” feature I can think of would be to have the optimizer automatically run when your FPP window opens and and make your bookings for you. It will first try to get the optimal FPP reservations, and if they are not available then it would get the best of what is out there. You just wake up in the morning and check your e-mail for what “Len” was able to book for you.
I assumed my problem was in trying to get 3 passes instead of 1. I know a couple other people mentioning that in the thread last week. Awesome feature, and looking forward to the different party sizes! Thanks for the tip on booking one at a time and looking for overlapping availability! I’ll give that a try.
No issue with the time required.
The day of/4th FPP factor is very cool, but I think the user should be able to togglr it off - or have the subroutine run ONLY when the TP date equals the calendar date. This would be a useless feature for someone optimizing a plan at home weeks/months prior to a trip.
Talking about “what I wish for” is an option that “forces” TP to use entered existing FPPs. and not do an optimization with a note saying that the FPP for (fill in the blank) was not used because it might result in a longer wait. I realize that the goal of optimization is to provide the shortest possible wait - but there are factors, other than lines, that may drive the decision to get a FPP at a specific time (e.g. wanting to do Kali last before leaving park, timing a FPP to align with a near-by ADR, etc).
I’d like to see TP approached in a way similar to my Nikon; On full Program, the camera will select the optimal combination of ISO, f-stop, shutter speed, and flash adjustments. On full manual I have to set each of these individually. And there are several other semi-automatic modes in between. There are times that it would be awesome to enter the attractions you want to see, push a button, and 2 minutes later have a full TP and all of your FPPs booked. But there are times that I would want to be able to have manual control over each ster pf the process.
Actually, I think that it would be a very useful feature. If you think about it, that is how the optimizer worked with “Legacy FP” - it would add steps for getting and using FP based on projected availability. Except now you do not have to go all the way to the attraction in question to get your FPP, you just have to go to the nearest kiosk.
I got a Nikon camera; I love to take a photograph
winning
Or showing my age…