A Modest Proposal - Fast Pass(+) for Resort Guests

[All Aboard]

On one of my visits shortly after Fast Pass debuted, I found that my room key (All Star) could fetch Fast Passes independently from my park pass, thus giving me twice as many fast passes as an off site guest.

Along with Miami Metro Rail passes, old park passes, parking lot tickets, anything with a magnetic strip. Not that I know this from personal experience, of course.

Oh, and of course the "magic button" on the backs of the machines.

 

[crusader]

Bstanley-

After looking at the numbers I would agree something more can be offered. Why not an ultimate FP for one day which would have a minimum length of stay attached exclusive to onsite guests.

 

[DisneyKidds]

As per Screamscape, looks like Disneyland is moving forward with some kind of enhanced FP...................

Park News - (4/18/03) Awhile back Disney introduced a new kind of Enhanced FastPass option for guests who made their vacation plans with AAA. This new kind of FastPass would allow them to go around the park and swipe their cards for FastPasses at every single FP attraction in the park all at the same time without waiting for one to expire first. A reader tells me that this option is now available as an option for anyone booking through Disney’s Travel Company (714-520-5050) and for about $135.75 you’ll get a 5 day park hopper with a bunch of extras, one of which is “Enchanced Fastpass”.

 

[KNWVIKING]

Based on the number of on-site guests DL has, a system similar to US/IOA is a possibility. As I stated earlier,the trip package we had at DL included four wildcard type FP tickets.

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> Along with Miami Metro Rail passes, ... . Not that I know this from personal experience, of course...

Anyone actually tried a non-Disney card and succeeded in fetching a Fast Pass?

 

[wdwguide]

I know that Disneyland tickets, Phantasialand tickets and Disneyland Paris tickets did not work - probably because they either used a barcode system instead of a mag stripe, or the mag stripe was in the wrong place. But then I had almost a dozen expired tickets lying around... Those were good times

 

[emmagata]

Originally posted by C.Ann
I don't like the concept of Fast-pass anywhere - period.

Whether one stays on-site or off is irrelevant.. As long as everyone is paying the same admission to get into the PARK itself, then everyone should have to wait in the same line..

I disagree.

I think the current FP system works great. I don't understand why more people don't use it.

I think the reason the FP system works so well is that it helps balance the demand for an attraction and gets people to visit less popular attractions.

I REALLY don't want to see them implement a FOTL system like US/IOA on site guests. There are many other perks that they can give out to entice people to stay on site that doesn't have a negative effect on off-site guests.

I think that once you've paid the admission to the park, each guest should have an equal shot at getting onto an attraction.

And that does happen with FP.


I don't even like the idea of offering an enhanced FP system were for a small (yea right!) you can use the FP entrance without waiting any period of time.

 

[morphi]

morphi, that will absolutely kill off-site visitor business. Think about it. If Fastpass is limited to onsite guests, all offsite guests will be forced into the stanby lines that are being made longer already by Fastpass. The offsite guest will either 1) decide, "boy I gotta stay onsite next time" or more likely 2) say "screw this, this sucks".

I'm not sure it will kill it all together. But any loss in off-site visitors may be made-up for by on-site guests. Plus, if FastPass is limited to on-site guests, the FP system will not be so overwhelmed because there will be fewer guests in the virtual queues. This means that stand-by lines can actually DECREASE (for off-site guests).

With ALL guests in the FP system, say a ride (like Pooh) allocates every other car to FP guests so that 50% of ride capacity is dedicated to FP guests and the other 50% to stand-by guests. If FP were changed to be open only to on-site guests, then only 25% of ride capacity could be reserved for FP because there would be fewer guests eligible for the FP system. This will cause the stand-by lines to move 50% faster and be more amenable to the off-site guests.

Also, many of the off-site guests are locals who have annual passes. These people would have access to FastPass as well.

As far as creating a caste system goes, I think that is not so much of an issue now that WDW has a wide spectrum of resorts for all budgets. If there were no value resorts, then maybe FP being only open to onsite guests could be accused of creating a caste system. However, I doubt that many families at all can afford to come to Disney for vacation but cannot afford at least the All-Stars (especially if they look for discount codes, etc.). If they choose to stay off-site for their own preferences, that is a choice not forced onto them and giving up access to FastPass would need to be part of their decision-making matrix.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by emmagata
I disagree.

I think the current FP system works great. I don't understand why more people don't use it.

I think the reason the FP system works so well is that it helps balance the demand for an attraction and gets people to visit less popular attractions.

I REALLY don't want to see them implement a FOTL system like US/IOA on site guests. There are many other perks that they can give out to entice people to stay on site that doesn't have a negative effect on off-site guests.

I think that once you've paid the admission to the park, each guest should have an equal shot at getting onto an attraction.

And that does happen with FP.


I don't even like the idea of offering an enhanced FP system were for a small (yea right!) you can use the FP entrance without waiting any period of time.

----------------------

My mistake.. I thought this thread was referring to FRONT OF THE LINE passes.. Guess that's what I get for trying to respond to threads when I'm down with the flu.. Duh!

Carry on.............

 

[All Aboard]

Anyone actually tried a non-Disney card and succeeded in fetching a Fast Pass?

The "not that I would know this from personal experience" was injected as a wink, wink. I shamefully admit to using several non-pass items in the very earliest days of FastPass. But, with the first software upgrade in 2000, that ability was eliminated. Now, only passes that were actually used in the turnstiles are good for snagging FastPasses.

 

[Frozenfingers]

On one of our trips, we visited USO where they allow more than one pass to be actrive at a time, and as a result the vending stations were emptied very early and we did not get to see some of the more popular attractions. Those we did see required a very long (like over an hour and a half) wait! We were cold, wet, and miserable, and that experience of missing what we came to see turned us off from visiting again! We spend way too much $$$ to come to FL to stand in line to watch others circle us (gettin off the attraction and immediately reentering). I don't have a good opinion of USO (obviously) and I think it would be a huge mistake for Disney to start "park perks" based upon where the GUEST happens to be staying.

WDW does have FOTL privies tho... we took the DVC tour and were given two passes each that allows access to fastpass return line. Didn't use them though.. you meet (and see) the most interesting people in line...

 

[eclipseSD]

I don't want to meet freaks and weirdos, I want to get on the ride.

 

[emmagata]

Originally posted by eclipseSD
I don't want to meet freaks and weirdos, I want to get on the ride.

We don't either so move along.

 

[seashoreCM]

Would Disney increase profits by offering an "anti travel hassle" package? There would be no extra cost and there would actually be rebates here and there. Guests who arrive late due to security hassles at the home airport would not have to pay for missed items such as the first night's resort stay, and also be given extra Fast Passes to make up for the inconvenience.

The idea is to get more guests who are undecided about coming to come.

*******

>>> [Fast Pass] vending stations emptied

Has anyone gotten a refund or raincheck after entering a park, finding it too crowded, and leaving? (This would mean walking the entire park and surveying most of the ride lines and then returning to the entrance within say one hour.)

 

[emmagata]

Originally posted by seashoreCM
Would Disney increase profits by offering an "anti travel hassle" package? There would be no extra cost and there would actually be rebates here and there. Guests who arrive late due to security hassles at the home airport would not have to pay for missed items such as the first night's resort stay, and also be given extra Fast Passes to make up for the inconvenience.

The idea is to get more guests who are undecided about coming to come.

*******

>>> [Fast Pass] vending stations emptied

Has anyone gotten a refund or raincheck after entering a park, finding it too crowded, and leaving? (This would mean walking the entire park and surveying most of the ride lines and then returning to the entrance within say one hour.)

Are you sure you're posting in the right topic?

 

[carone0318]

As written by Frozenfingers:

I don't have a good opinion of USO (obviously) and I think it would be a huge mistake for Disney to start "park perks" based upon where the GUEST happens to be staying.

DW already has "park perks," essentially that's what e-nights are and EE. Basically it is for resort guests.

My thoughts on an advanced FP would be maybe allow resort guests the ability to hold 2 FPs at once as opposed to having to wait till a certain time to obtain the 2nd.

 

[stitch22]

please do not change the fastpass system! i am so tired of hearing guests complain about it when EVERYONE is able to obtain one. can you imagine the unhappy feelings toward something that is as mean as bypassing the entire standby que, causing them to wait even longer, and not allowing everyone to be entitled to this perk??? trust me, as a cast member working fastpass at two of the most popular attractions at wdw, this is just not a good idea. not all families can afford to stay on property and fastpass is something that is a treat for everybody! i know that disney people who are loyal and love the company want special perks, but think of something that is not gonna cause bad feelings between on site and off site guests. the last thing that i wanna do is tell every person in standby who i have to cut off to let fp through that you have to be staying on disney property to take advantage of the system. just last week i was almost punched for letting fp go ahead of a 70 min wait of stdby ppl. sorry...just my two cents. thanks!
q

 

[emmagata]

Originally posted by stitch22
please do not change the fastpass system! i am so tired of hearing guests complain about it when EVERYONE is able to obtain one. can you imagine the unhappy feelings toward something that is as mean as bypassing the entire standby que, causing them to wait even longer, and not allowing everyone to be entitled to this perk??? trust me, as a cast member working fastpass at two of the most popular attractions at wdw, this is just not a good idea. not all families can afford to stay on property and fastpass is something that is a treat for everybody! i know that disney people who are loyal and love the company want special perks, but think of something that is not gonna cause bad feelings between on site and off site guests. the last thing that i wanna do is tell every person in standby who i have to cut off to let fp through that you have to be staying on disney property to take advantage of the system. just last week i was almost punched for letting fp go ahead of a 70 min wait of stdby ppl. sorry...just my two cents. thanks!
q

Exactly!!!!

I don't mind anyone getting something special as long as it doesn't come at the expense of others.

EE didn't put any other park guest at a disadvantage.

Suprise mornings didn't either.

 

[colleen costello]

I recently finished reading a link that discussed actual deaths at Disneyland. Most were accidents (Matterhorn smushing, river-drowning, etc) but two were murders. I think making some kind of "front of line" access for the priveleged (whoever Disney might decide they be) is asking for trouble when thousands of people are crowded into lines in the Florida heat. Fastpass as it is now is fair, and offers you the choice of "waiting in line" somewhere other than in line, be it bathroom, food stand or souvenir shop. It's not broke; don't fix it!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

I would also like FP to be available for everyone. I think if it were offered for resort guests, it would help bookings but guests may not need to stay as long as they could "see" the parks in less time. Also not all families can stay on-site. Many of the families that could only afford the All Stars can not stay there because they are a family of 5.