New Fast Pass PLUS converting paper tickets and passes

[LaurenT]

Originally Posted by tinkerbell1984

I may be wrong but I read it as this:

IN ADVANCE you can book up to 3 fast passes at one park.

Key words being in advance. It really only makes sense that once you scan your band at the park entrance and are in the park you can book more fast passes. It would make sense and keep people from booking 5 rides on TSM before they are even there and work similar to the fp-, with the added benefit of 3 in advance w/o having to run at rope drop, therefore "enhancing your experience".

As for offsiters, it says you will be able to participate with a card or add a band for a cost. Makes sense. The band will come with MYW packages and if you don't have that then you can use the card or buy a designer band.

I also think this is where it's headed. It'll be great if this turns out to be the case. I'm a RD person, but for people who aren't, they can book TSM well in advance for a 2 pm slot and not have to worry about dragging everyone out of bed. That'll make it even better for me because the parks will be even less crowded for RD than they are now!

[pigletto]

Originally Posted by tinkerbell1984

I may be wrong but I read it as this:

IN ADVANCE you can book up to 3 fast passes at one park.

Key words being in advance. It really only makes sense that once you scan your band at the park entrance and are in the park you can book more fast passes. It would make sense and keep people from booking 5 rides on TSM before they are even there and work similar to the fp-, with the added benefit of 3 in advance w/o having to run at rope drop, therefore "enhancing your experience".

As for offsiters, it says you will be able to participate with a card or add a band for a cost. Makes sense. The band will come with MYW packages and if you don't have that then you can use the card or buy a designer band.

I hadn't thought of that at all but boy do I hope you are on to something here. 3 a day just wasn't going to cut it as we like to ride certain things over and over and other things never. We do use rope drop so we should be able to get in Soarin' and Test Track fairly easily on our Epcot day for example. But it would be nice to be able to do them again without the huge lines that go with them.

Anyway, I have heard nothing to indicate that will actually be the case (being able to book more than your allotted 3) but it would be really nice if we could.

[eliza61]

Would some one link the description of the new fast pass system. I've been pretty much staying out of the fray but I'd like to at least know what's going on. LOL

Oops never mind, I found some thing.

[Cheshire Figment]

The technical issue is that the fastpass machines do not have any capability of reading a RFID chip. They are only capable of reading a magnetic stripe. The bracelets do not have a magnetic stripe.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Originally Posted by tinkerbell1984

I may be wrong but I read it as this:

IN ADVANCE you can book up to 3 fast passes at one park.

Key words being in advance. It really only makes sense that once you scan your band at the park entrance and are in the park you can book more fast passes. It would make sense and keep people from booking 5 rides on TSM before they are even there and work similar to the fp-, with the added benefit of 3 in advance w/o having to run at rope drop, therefore "enhancing your experience".

I was also hoping this was the case, but I don't think it is.

When you're in the park, and you realize one of the FP+ you picked is no good, you can exchange it for a better time (pending availability). If you could get additional FPs once in the park, then there would be no need to exchange the one you don't want for a new one (unless it's for the same ride, and there's that limit of 1 FP for each ride).

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Originally Posted by Cheshire Figment

The technical issue is that the fastpass machines do not have any capability of reading a RFID chip. They are only capable of reading a magnetic stripe. The bracelets do not have a magnetic stripe.

Yes, but they could set it up so that those with RFID get virtual FPs instead of paper FPs, but they all come out of the same pool.

[tinkerbell1984]

Originally Posted by PrincessArlena'sDad

I was also hoping this was the case, but I don't think it is.

When you're in the park, and you realize one of the FP+ you picked is no good, you can exchange it for a better time (pending availability). If you could get additional FPs once in the park, then there would be no need to exchange the one you don't want for a new one (unless it's for the same ride, and there's that limit of 1 FP for each ride).

I still think the 3 is the limit for advanced booking only. You can change your time if it doesn't work. Meaning yes, maybe you will only be allowed one fast pass per day per ride. Which really makes sense. They don't want one family of 15 riding TSM 15 times and using all the fast passes. OR they could just word it that way assuming if your time doesn't work you would want to exchange your time, not forget it completely and go about booking other things. This would also allow that time slot to open for someone else instead of you just skipping it over and holding that spot for nothing.

I find it very hard to believe 3 is it. Esp with the consistent wording of 'in advance' or 'prior to your trip' that accompanies the 3. Again, I could be wrong, but to me, this thinking just makes much more sense.

[Cinderumbrella]

Correct, it appears you can book 3 in advance.

The problem is the verbiage about not being able to use the current FP system once you convert to RFID tickets (as stated in the T&C). Why? Because of Cheshire Figment's post that the current FP machines can only read an actual ticket, not an RFID.

The answer we need is will the current FP attractions also get a RFID reader/issuer for use once inside the park.

[Disney Addicted]

Originally Posted by tinkerbell1984

They don't want one family of 15 riding TSM 15 times and using all the fast passes.

Ok, 15 times is a little extreme but this is one of the things I have been trying to figure out. If the alloted 3 FPs HAVE to be for different rides/attractions. At the other three parks, no problem!

However at DHS, the only ride our family is interested in getting FPs for is TSM. Having 3 FPs for TSM would be great! We don't do ToT or RnRC. Not sure what else we would use a FP for in DHS.

[SaraJayne]

Originally Posted by hmillerbarilla

And, does this mean once I convert my AP that for every trip I'm stuck with FP+ and not regular fastpass?

Yep.

[JDUCKY]

Originally Posted by Cinderumbrella

Correct, it appears you can book 3 in advance.

The problem is the verbiage about not being able to use the current FP system once you convert to RFID tickets (as stated in the T&C). Why? Because of Cheshire Figment's post that the current FP machines can only read an actual ticket, not an RFID.

The answer we need is will the current FP attractions also get a RFID reader/issuer for use once inside the park.

So, for people like us (of which there are many around here) who live nearby and have APs, why can't Disney allow us to keep the paper ticket to use in the regular FP machines *and* be able to create FP+ reservations? I can see the problem with having to have two tickets in the park (both would have to be scanned to be activated for that day, right?) but being able to reserve ahead of time while still being able to use the regular FP system *should* be very doable for Disney.

As I'm reading this now, us switching to FP+ would be STUPID!

[tinkerbell1984]

Originally Posted by Cinderumbrella

The problem is the verbiage about not being able to use the current FP system once you convert to RFID tickets (as stated in the T&C). Why? Because of Cheshire Figment's post that the current FP machines can only read an actual ticket, not an RFID.

In what I'm thinking. Yes, the 3 are in advance but once you are there in the parks you won't need your regular paper fast past because you can book more (maybe only a certain amount) once in the park so the paper fast pass would be useless.

Again, only my assumption. I just can't see them saying this '3 in advance' over and over like it's a good thing if you aren't able to go to the kiosk and add more when in the park. You won't need an actual ticket because you have the kiosk and app, etc... This is what, to me, would enhance my disney experience. I may be totally off here, but it's the only thing that makes sense..

I picture it like this. I do my 60 day online check in and book me a ride on Little Mermaid at 11:00 AM on Wednesday because most of us already have an idea of which days we will be where. This is why we check out crowd prediction calendars. I'll want to head over to PP next and then Space Mtn. These will be my advanced bookings. Then I head to Pooh. 45 min wait. UGH! What I'm thinking is then, with FP+ I can log in and just chose what time I want to ride pooh later today. With regular FP I'd then head over the Pooh. 45 min wait with a return of 5pm. That's no good because I'll be at my ADR at CP. And if I come back later the return time will be 9 and that's no good because I want to watch Wishes. So I'm stuck waiting. Make sense?

True we won't be able to use the regular fast pass paper ticket thing, but, all the benefits of the fp will be in our bracelet. It's wishful thinking I guess. But I just don't see Disney saying 3 and that's it

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Originally Posted by tinkerbell1984

In what I'm thinking. Yes, the 3 are in advance but once you are there in the parks you won't need your regular paper fast past because you can book more (maybe only a certain amount) once in the park so the paper fast pass would be useless.

Again, only my assumption. I just can't see them saying this '3 in advance' over and over like it's a good thing if you aren't able to go to the kiosk and add more when in the park. You won't need an actual ticket because you have the kiosk and app, etc... This is what, to me, would enhance my disney experience. I may be totally off here, but it's the only thing that makes sense..

I picture it like this. I do my 60 day online check in and book me a ride on Little Mermaid at 11:00 AM on Wednesday because most of us already have an idea of which days we will be where. This is why we check out crowd prediction calendars. I'll want to head over to PP next and then Space Mtn. These will be my advanced bookings. Then I head to Pooh. 45 min wait. UGH! What I'm thinking is then, with FP+ I can log in and just chose what time I want to ride pooh later today. With regular FP I'd then head over the Pooh. 45 min wait with a return of 5pm. That's no good because I'll be at my ADR at CP. And if I come back later the return time will be 9 and that's no good because I want to watch Wishes. So I'm stuck waiting. Make sense?

True we won't be able to use the regular fast pass paper ticket thing, but, all the benefits of the fp will be in our bracelet. It's wishful thinking I guess. But I just don't see Disney saying 3 and that's it

I agree what you're describing would be GREAT

But, from what they've released about it, I fear it's wishful thinking. Nothing from Disney even implies this to be the case.

Why wouldn't they tout this as one of the great things about the program? They wouldn't need to include specifics (time between passes, or max numbers, or limits on particular rides), but just the concept would be a MAJOR selling point.

Also, we don't know the avg number of FP/person that currently are used, including the guests who don't use any FP. With FP+, the idea is that most everyone will use them. It's very likely that with 3/guest, there won't be any left for extra day of FP+

Now, with both systems in place, and guests must choose one or the other, the guests who opt out of FP+ will, essentially, have their allotment of FPs available through the old method.

[awoogala]

Originally Posted by JDUCKY

So, for people like us (of which there are many around here) who live nearby and have APs, why can't Disney allow us to keep the paper ticket to use in the regular FP machines *and* be able to create FP+ reservations? I can see the problem with having to have two tickets in the park (both would have to be scanned to be activated for that day, right?) but being able to reserve ahead of time while still being able to use the regular FP system *should* be very doable for Disney.

As I'm reading this now, us switching to FP+ would be STUPID!

Yes. They are, according to most reports, phasing out of fp completely. It will be fp+ or nothing, eventually. Data collection is not helpful if half your guests can opt out.
RFID will be for everyone. FP+ is all you get. Right now they are training us by letting us pick, but when you get there and get penalized because everyone else picked their fp+ 6 mths ago, then you will be convinced (hopefully) that you must jump on the fp+ bandwagon.

[mainedis]

I'm also now wondering if having my annual pass already added to my online disney account will "automatically" opt me in for the electronic ticket and FP+. My annual pass # is in my disney account because I use it for making online AP discounted resort reservations. Once FP+ rolls out, will they just see your AP in the online profile and "poof" you're FP+ whether you want it or not? Unless they change the FP+ "one park per day" limitation OR allow use of regular FP, I don't want any part of it... Stand-by lines will be much worse because people won't know they were somehow "automatically" transferred to FP+ or didn't schedule in advance.

As the plan stands now, Annual Passes should now be advertised as "one park per day" plus additional parks in stand-by lines only. The only way for this NOT to be the case is preventing AP holders from some of the nice benefits of the new system by staying with "only" the old FP system with park hopping. Maybe Disney is trying to lower the number of annual passholders? Seems crazy but I'm starting to wonder.