I'd be applauding it if I believed it would make a noticeable positive difference, but I'm not convinced of that. Now, my perception could be off, but I don't think that the FP lines at Disney are much longer/shorter waits (in terms of 5 of time saved as opposed to the regular line) than the EP lines at Universal. I feel like they both save you about the same amount of time. So I don't know why/how WDW implementing a Universal style FP system would make the lines any better.
Mind you, we avoid going during the really, really busy times of year, so perhaps during those times Universal's system really is faster than Disney's?? If that's the case then I understand why others see things differently than I do.
Comparing the Universal EP and the current WDW FP+ is like comparing apples to oranges for me. The main advantage is that the Uni EP is good for every ride in the park, (with the tiny exception of newly unveiled attractions in the few months after they first open, when no EP is available for anyone). You don't have to pick and choose at Universal, your EP is good for every ride, you aren't stuck trying to choose from what is left in the inventory for any given day. It may be luck of the draw how much time the EP saves you on any given day, depending on crowd level, but you've always got it in your back pocket if you need it. Considering that I can stay at the top tier Universal on-site hotel for less than half of what a rack rate room at WDW deluxe costs me and get the EP included in my stay, that makes Universal a much better value for my money, but I digress....
Back to the topic at hand, the current FP+ system puts people who do shorter stays at a disadvantage. With a 3-4 day stay I have no chance at certain tier 1 FP's, because anyone arriving within a 10 day window before me gets first access. This is what I've been complaining about for 5-6 years now, or however long we've had this system. Regular, old school paper FP gave everyone visiting the same park on the same day equal access. Granted, it was 1st come, 1st served, but equal, regardless of where you were staying or length of stay. Depending on how they would implement this, if I could buy, say, a Flight of Passage FP if one isn't available for free during my window, (it won't be), at least I have a chance to play now.
Its going to depend very much on how they decide to roll this out, but I kind of hope its at a price point high enough that not everyone will take advantage. That's the kicker, right there. If anyone can pay $10-$15 per person to get out of waiting in a 3-4 hour line for a ride, that is a no-brainer. Anyone with any sense and a budget that isn't super strict will do that, that's the price of one quick service meal per person. Skip a full lunch, buy the FP instead, and have a snack when you are done. Great value. That would be of no benefit to me, because now the FP line is a long as the normal standby, because everyone has bought into the system. Any foolish person who doesn't pay, and chooses standby, now has an infinitely long wait. If they are going to do this and have it be a benefit, they MUST do it at a price point that not everyone will take advantage of. I'm talking starting at $25 per person and going up from there.
Who knows, maybe they'll do a flat fee per park, per day, everyone gets one ride, like at USO. Or, maybe tier 1 and tier 2 FP's will be a different price points. Maybe they will only give you tier 2 attractions for free, and make you pay for tier 1 FP's. No one knows for sure at this point, all I know is that I will pay, and I won't be mad about it.