FP just for deluxes??? What!?!?

[TweetieSC4]

I was at Barnes and Nobles today and looking at the different Disney Guides. In one (can't remember which) it was describing FP and saying that Disney might begin limiting it to the Deluxe Resort guests sometime in 2006. Has anyone heard this before???? This was totally out of left field to me. Someone please tell me this is a major mistake on the part of the guide. (I found mistakes in some others, so I'm hoping)

 

[XOoOoVEEoOoOX]

I really hope not! But you know Universal Orlando went this route..their version of the FP called "Express Pass" is only available for guests who stay on site- and to guests willing to pay $30 a pop for a book of one time use ride passes!

 

[emma'smom]

I read somewhere (in one of the guidebooks) that the plan is to offer different levels of fast past privileges to different guests depending upon the resort. So if you are in a deluxe, you could get multiple fast passes at a time (without limitations)...if you are in a value- just one at a time. Mods must be someplace in the middle..

 

[marybet]

I really hope not! But you know Universal Orlando went this route..their version of the FP called "Express Pass" is only available for guests who stay on site- and to guests willing to pay $30 a pop for a book of one time use ride passes!

I think express passes are still available. If you stay on site you get front of the line for all rides that offer express pass, as often as you want. I did see that during peak times they could limit the number of times you could go on one ride.

 

[TXMommy]

Would the DVC resorts be considered Deluxe?

 

[Beca]

Would the DVC resorts be considered Deluxe?

Yes...in all probability. When CRO books DVC rooms, they are booked at the deluxe prices.

I'm not sure if WDW is really implementing this or not. However, they did receive patents to do this about a year ago. It was part of a program where you "sign up" for your fast passes using the tv in your room. That way you can "plan out" your day via the fast passes.

It could be that the guide books learned of the patents and assumed WDW would be implementing this, while WDW might have just obtained the patents as a "what if" kind of thing....or, it could be going into effect. The full details of the patents were published on the dis about a year ago. If I remember correctly, concierge guests were to receive unlimited fast passes, and the scale went down from there.


Beca

 

[WaltD4Me]

This is really just a rumor. When Disney obtained the patents the guesstimators and Disney pundits went wild about why and how they would use the technology.

While Disney might do something with FP's for on-site guests, there is no official word on it from Disney so I highly doubt it will be in 2006...and maybe not at all. Companies and individuals apply for patents all the time, sometimes you see the product used, sometimes not for years, sometimes never and sometimes not at all in the way you would think.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

This rumor has been going around for at least 2 years that I know of and nothing has come from it yet. It is always a possiblity but with resorts being full most of the time, they don't need to do much else to keep people coming.

 

[Kristina]

I have discovered the joy of Podcasts and listen to the one that can be found at the wdwtoday.com website. They covered this during one of the shows and I believe Len Testa or one of the other guys called Disney about this rumor and specifically the issue of the Birnbaums Guide that someone had seen it in and written in about.

It turns out that, according to the Disney company at this time, that Birnbaum had printed an error, and it is in fact the Magical Express service that Disney will probably charge for one day soon. The wdwtoday.com site is down for me right now, otherwise I would have tried to find the exact episode for you in which this was discussed, but you can go to the site and they have all the topics and answers listed for each show.

Now of course Disney may very well go and charge for fastpasses one day. I am sure if they ever did I would be very unhappy and cancel if I had a trip planned!

 

[seashoreCM]

Universal no longer has free Express Passes, that worked almost the same as Disney's Fast Passes.

Birnbaum is the official unofficial guide to Disney, right? And they made this grievious error about Fast Pass?

When it gets to the point (it does sporadically) that Fast Passes become "sold out" early in the day (and then the system behaves no differently than a pay for play system to someone on a tight budget) you cannot help but think that Disney would start charging for them, perhaps allowing some discounts or freebees to deluxe resort guests.

Also it seems reasonable to insulate the highest paying resort guests from the vicissitudes of park attendance and crowding but face it, there are times when Disney is so *%^#$ crowded that there just isn't enough pixie dust to go around. Somebody is going to have to move their vacation to less crowded times. Perhaps all the publicity about crowding in the various unoffical guides has indeed limited attendance at least to the point where Pop Century Resort has not opened its second phase.

A more fair way of doing things is to limit Fast Pass to one per ride per guest. This would not mean that each guest got, up front, one Fast Pass for each ride since many rides simply cannot handle that many people in a day.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[Brianne]

Universal's Express Pass ranges from $15/one park up to somewhere around $50/one park, depending on the time of year, if you're not a hotel guest. Plus, it's supposed to limit you on the number of rides you can go on--they'd scan the pass at the entrance to each ride, keeping you from being able to go on it again later on with that pass. However, we were there a couple weeks ago, and we only had ours actually scanned once the entire day.

Personally, we did prefer Disney's FP over Universal's. DH said it felt like he was getting nickled & dimed for everything over there (this isn't a setup for an argument between the two parks, btw--it was just DH's observation!). Both systems have their merits, but I personally don't like having to pay for it.

I don't know how Universal does their pass system with AP holders, so I can't comment on that. I know a lot of Disney AP'ers who wouldn't be happy if it were switched to a hotel only system, unless they were somehow included in it. But nonetheless, I've heard repeatedly that it's only a rumor & that the book was mistaken, so I'm not worried about it.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I highly doubt that this would happen one day. Adding the extra technology would cost just about the same as a price they could charge equaling no sense to the scheme. I honestly can't see Disney segregating the resorts either.

 

[lovethattink]

I've been hearing rumors of a tiered fast pass. I have seen one unlimited fast pass on a guest, I was starting to get the details from her when my family got off Mission Space and were ready to move on, so I didn't get the full story. I think changes are in the works, but I think at this point everything is just rumor and speculation. I'm sure that Disney would not do anything to upset AP holders, DVC or on site guests with their fast pass system.

 

[Soprano]

Its only a matter of time until various charges are added to a new style of various FP's. If Di$ney can find a way for everyone to cough up a few more dollars and get away with it, they will.

 

[Boater]

That would be so awesome if they did this.

 

[airtime]

Perhaps Disney will one day begin charging for Fastpass, but remember: people who are in line for rides are not spending money on food and merchandise. I would think it is in Disney's financial interest to keep Fastpass free. Then again, apparently Universal crunched the numbers and decided they should try it this way. (However, they have not removed the machines yet, so maybe they'll bring the original Express system back. We'll see. )

 

[HydroGuy]

I read somewhere (in one of the guidebooks) that the plan is to offer different levels of fast past privileges to different guests depending upon the resort. So if you are in a deluxe, you could get multiple fast passes at a time (without limitations)...if you are in a value- just one at a time. Mods must be someplace in the middle..

FWIW, Disney already does something along these line in California. If you stay at one of 3 DLR hotels, and book your trip thru AAA, you can get what they call Enhanced FastPass (EFP). EFP is not unlimited. It essentially treats all FPs as if they are disconnected. So if you get a FP for say Splash, and you want to get a second Splash FP, you will have to wait to get another one (at most two hours). With EFP, you can, however, get your Splash FP and then immediately go over to BTMRR and get a FP. You can then walk around and get one for each FP ride without conflict.

Those who do not have EFP can all use regular FP.

 

[Goofy Rulz]

I had called Universal a week or so ago on their Express Passes. They said that currently their machines are covered. You would have to purchase the EP if you wanted them. I asked if they were covered now because it is a slower time. She was kind of vague. I asked if they would be used in the summer (which is when we are going) she said she couldn't say for sure but they probably would be operational. I think they're trying to get $$ from people while they can. Perhaps WDW thought of doing that originally, but now that Universal is doing it and they can obviously see that upsets their visitors, maybe they'll guess again about doing it.