A change in the Fastpass system?

[blestmom]

I would hate to see Fastpasses for on-site guests only. With 5 kids, we can't always afford to stay onsite. Since we've gotten Fastpasses on previous trips, it sure would be hard to explain to the kids that we aren't eligible for them anymore because we can't afford to stay onsite. I think it would be hard to take away something they've already offered to everyone for free. Now, if they added extra Fastpass perks for onsite guests, that would be better, I think.

 

[princess22]

We all PAY good, hard earned cash for staying at Disney whether onsite OR off! I can stay at a value, but I instead stay in a villa offsite which costs much more that staying at the value. It's a choice and we all get to make it.
I don't think it's fair that only Disney guests get fastpasses, yes it would be good for getting more rooms booked, but it sends the wrong message.
The EMH didn't take away anything from people that don't stay onsite, it gave an added benefit to those that do. I agree that if you get an extra fastpass or two for staying onsite that wouldn't be too outrageous.

I completely agree. People who are staying offsite are forking out a lot of money too! Everyone is still paying a lot of money to spend a day in a park! I don't think it would work if you gave out extra fastpasses to resort guests either. They need to keep the ratios of how many fastpasses are going out each hour, and giving out more to resort guests, would make the fastpasses be distributed earlier (all fastpasses would be g one by noon or one on a busy day). You can't change the ratio, or the standby line would wait TOO long.

Once you are in the park, you are an equal. It doesn't make you any better if you are staying on property as to offsite. Just like it doesn't make you any better if you are staying in a deluxe to a value (so giving more perks to the deluxe, isn't fair).

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

Apparently they have an "enhanced" Fastpass at Disneyland. Has anyone used this before? It seems to only be available with Triple A packages, though. Here's the link:

http://groups.google.nr/group/rec.a...hread/c8243d00cc459ff1/57a1af36c69a0e33?hl=en

Yes, they do. We've had AAA for years. In 2003 we got the tickets through AAA and enjoyed unlimited fastpass except you can't get a fastpass for the same ride until the first one has expired. In 2004, we made the mistake of booking through a "cheap" internet deal. Well, we didn't save much money to begin with, and the loss of unlimited fastpass meant longer lines. So, Disney already has the technology in place to implement something like this. Limiting fastpass to onsite guests is not good business, but I could easily see them offering unlimited fastpass to onsite guests.

 

[seashoreCM]

RE: Keeping Magical Express while imposing limits on Fastpass --- Magical Express is never sold out. Fastpass does get sold out.

RE: Unlimited Fastpass for resort guests versus limiting Fastpass to resort guests -- The result would be almost the same, Fastpasses for day guests would become sold out much more rapidly.

The problem is not Fastpass but rather the problem is the World itself, just plain too crowded at times.

By the way you can already see obnoxiously long waits in line with "unlimited Fastpass for resort guests only". Just attend an evening EMH when no Fastpass machines are in operation Everyone is a resort guest.

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

 

[cocacolamom]

Thanks everyone for all your input on this. I can now finally answer my DH about this question. I kept telling him "no", but he kept asking me to post it on here and see what everyone else said. Thanks!!!

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

What about standard free FP's for everyone (one every few hours,etc.) and unlimited free FOTL passes for onsite guests?

 

[DOOM1001]

If they did something like give Disney resort guests 5 extra FP's a day per person that they could use whenever/wherever that would be fine, but They can't or shouldn't even DARE, or even think about changing the FP system that's in place now, I used to go to Universal VERY often and lately I've seen some things that are very anti-customer friendly such as taking away free universal express, heck I didn't even use it as often as I use Fastpass, but just knowing that it's not there for me to use makes me mad and I haven't been going nowhere near as often as I used to.

 

[harumph]

People who are staying offsite are forking out a lot of money too! Everyone is still paying a lot of money to spend a day in a park!

But people who are staying offsite aren't paying alot of money to Disney. Like it or not, Disney is in the theme park business to make some money.

Disney continues to have to work hard to fill rooms at WDW resorts, with increasing competition from Universal and themed offsite resorts. Free Dining is a great example of this. Enhancing the FastPass system for WDW Resort guests would be a great to add value to staying onsite, thus helping Disney to fill those rooms year round, without resorting to giving away things like Free Dining.

It's not all bad...like I said, it adds value, making the Disney onsite resorts seem a little less overpriced.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I wonder how they would work it if it did happen- you would have to use your room key instead of your pass, I guess? (Since a lot of us have AP's that aren't on the same card as the room key?)

But then I don't see how that would work out either- if I'm staying solo, and ask for two keys to my room, then I could use both to get fastpasses at the same time?

I hope they don't do this- I usually hit the parks with friends that live in Orlando, so it would be hard if I could get fastpasses and they couldn't. And of course the question of if Swan & Dolphin counted would come up, too!

 

[harumph]

It would seem to me that a master marketing GIANT like Disney would be ADVERTISING this perk if it were to start soon -- they'd be adveritising it to boost their occupancy rate in their resorts, know what I mean. This leads me to believe that a new system being implemented in just a few months is a rumor and nothing more.

Universal did this with almost no warning.

 

[HydroGuy]

The thing about Enhanced FastPass at DLR is that DLR only has three hotels. Thus the number of people who could potentially use it at the parks each day is fairly limited.

With the twenty some Disney hotels at WDW, you now have many more people staying at Disney than in California, even with the four parks instead of two. So the impact of such a thing at WDW would be much more significant.

 

[bicker]

we can't always afford to stay onsite

I have some friends who cannot ever afford to visit WDW at all.

Once you are in the park, you are an equal.

That isn't true. Disney resort guests enjoy EMH privileges. AAMOF, my suspicion is that we won't see these FastPass enhancements for Disney resort guests until they do something like get rid of EMH (just like they got rid of Surprise Mornings, several years ago).

 

[CleveRocks]

Universal did this with almost no warning.

Now now, you really don't want to compare Universal to Disney, do you? I didn't say every company would do it right, for maximum financial effect, I simply said that DISNEY would do it that way.

 

[brer rabbit 28]

I am feeling a real "them and us" situation on this thread between on site and off site people.

As one of the many people who can only afford to travel to Orlando evry few years,and only then to stay offsite,i think it would be highly unfair of disney to remove the FP benefit from off site visitors.I am still paying the same as eveyone else for my park admission.I am also spending just as much inside the parks.
On site stayers already gey EMH and free transport around disney.I think it would be fine to offer a few extra FP as another on site perk,but please don't penalize day guests who save just as long and hard as everyone else.

 

[bicker]

While I'm sure there is some "them and us" I think there is more to it that than. Disney's preference would be that we all stayed on-site. They would like to have enough rooms (and could have more if the market was ready for them) and would like to have enough guests ready, willing and able to fill them, at Disney's premium prices.

please don't penalize day guests...

From a business perspective, every guest who stays at Days Inn for $69 per night instead of Pop Century for $78 per night is "penalizing" Disney. (I wouldn't use the word "penalizing" but I mean it in the same way it is used in brer rabbit's message above.) If it better serves the objectives of the enterprise to provide greater incentive to get more off-site guests to become on-site guests, then that's what they "should" do.

 

[Matt'sMom]

On site stayers already gey EMH and free transport around disney...

The use of Disney transportation (monorail, boats, buses) is free for ALL guests who hold a valid park admissions ticket. It is not a perk reserved for use by onsite guests only.

 

[Shooby doo]

It seems to me that the general consensus is that only on-site guests are spending their hard earned,it costs us approx $7500 for our vacation & that's before spending a dime! We looked at staying on-site but for more money than staying in LBV ,in a suite,seperate bedrooms,fully fitted kitchen... we could stay at CBR,CS or PO-no privacy & a fridge! So Fastpass versus all the xtras....no brainer!
I have nothing against extra perks for those staying on-site but don't take away a perk just because I choose to stay off -site, just think how much fun it will be all those of you who can afford to stay at GF or Y&BC when you get your FOTL ,all day every day, & can look dwn on the riff-raff in the standby line!
SD

 

[bicker]

It seems to me that the general consensus is that only on-site guests are spending their hard earned

I haven't seen any messages like that. It is important to keep in mind the distinction between how much you're spending and how much you're giving to WDW specifically. That might help in understanding the points some folks have been making in this thread a little better.

So Fastpass versus all the xtras....no brainer!

This is a good point: There are advantages to staying off-site. Enhancing FastPass for Disney resort guests is one way Disney could work to make what they offer more attractive, to better compete against the places you found preferable.

 

[EpcotQueen]

How about a kiosk located in each Disney resort that allows resort guests, with their resort key, to receive a given number of fast passes (?5) in advance for a specific park? The amount would be deducted from an averaged total of all fast pass locations in that park. The resort acquired fast passes would not have a time assigned.

 

[bicker]

I think that would be too much, EQ. I think, rather, than what they could offer would be a kiosk in the hotel lobby, from which you can get (let's say) five FastPasses, for specific attractions, at specific times, during the day. At the parks, you may or may not be eligible to get FastPasses if you're currently holding one in that park that is due to become valid within the next hour. Some fancy programming would be necessary, but I'd be willing to do the coding.