ANyone at Animal Kingdom? Fast Pass Machine locations?

[WDW1st-timers]

You could just ask a person in front of you what return time they're distributing. Not perfect, but for the time being, and in the absence of addressing this issue, there's a way around the lack of info. I agree, I want to know the time on the FP before I take it, especially for the big draws.

That's what I was thinking!!!

 

[chartle]

I see a lot of problems with this system, most of which have been mentioned: Much larger crowds in the fast pass area, longer lines for the fast passes, constantly needing to return to one location to get a new fast pass when you can only get one at a time, confusion from people when they can only get one at a time but they are all in the same location, people grabbing fast passes when they might not be needed, fast passes running out much earlier in the day, not knowing return times to make an educated decision about which fast pass to grab, and probably a few I haven’t thought of.

With so people not getting the concept FP at all. How many groups of people will go up to the machines and say OK you get a FP for ****, I'll get a FP for **** and you get a FP for ****? Now we now have FP's for three rides.

And speaking of crowds, how would it work at a park with an attraction like TSM.

 

[mydisneykids]

It is a shame they couldn't adapt something like what Universal used to have before they switched to purchasing Express passes or staying on site.
I remember putting my ticket into a machine that was located in between two rides. When you inserted the ticket you picked which of the two rides. It then gave you a choice of available return times and you picked it and it printed out your ticket. Once a certain number of return times were filled, it no longer offered that time. It was a bit longer of a process to get it so it may not work with Disney crowds, but I remember being pretty impressed by it.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't like the idea of special FastPass locations at all. It would just cause congestion wherever they are placed. I like the way it is right now except Soarin' needs a better location.

 

[rt2dz]

That's what I was thinking!!!

Except, to ask the person in front of you means waiting in line for how long first? And then putting you that much further behind if it isn't an acceptable time for you when you get in another line. Yes, you could go ask the person in the front before you get in line, but we all know how it could change dramatically by the time you get your turn in line.

Heck, the day after Thanksgiving, I waited in line for over 20 minutes to just get a FP for TSM and our return time was after 3 PM. When I got in line, return times were for around 10 AM something. I, personally, was getting 17 FP for our grand gathering group while they were off riding ToT and RnR via stand-by. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has ever traveled in a big group and gotten a large amount of FPs at one time. You don't know who that person is.

It's a valid idea, just flawed.

 

[doconeill]

I was there on Thursday. We went to ittbab at opening but the machines weren't open yet. We rode Dinosaur, got fastpasses at everest, came back and then the machines were open. (9:15 ish) I think they delay opening them so that the crowds have been dispersed and the machines are not overwhelmed. As soon as our everest time came up we got some for the safari. There are 2 machines for each: everest, safari, Dinosaur. There are pictures on the machines so you know for sure which attraction you're getting. We didn't know the return time till we got the passes but it was less than an hour away, even with large groups in the park. CMs have a lot of work explaining it to guests, though because people don't realize you can only get one at a time.

Thanks for the update!

I agree if they were to go with something more permanently, they would add in a tips board or two to list both standby times and FP return times. This is experimental to see if it would work, and what it would take to make it work better.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I don't like the idea of special FastPass locations at all. It would just cause congestion wherever they are placed. I like the way it is right now except Soarin' needs a better location.

I am in agreement with you. I think Soarin's FP location should be outside the Land bldg period! It is smack near the entrance which is where the esclator & stairs are talk about congestion & confusion..... No matter what, that is where my party always gets seperated.. if we are coming or going....

 

[missnanse]

I did not see this here yet so I am posting it. Sounds good.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Testing New Centralized FASTPASS Distribution
It’s being reported that from opening until 3 pm for the rest of the week, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is attempting a new FASTPASS distribution system where guests can obtain a FASTPASS for any attraction from one location in particular, the machines at It’s Tough to Be A Bug.

Guests who are unaware of the testing will not be affected as other FASTPASS machines will be operating at this time as normal

 

[Robo]

I did not see this here yet so I am posting it.

There are two threads running.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2238881

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2235588

 

[Robo]

You could just ask a person in front of you what return time they're distributing.

That assumes that there IS a person in front of you at the FP machine for ride you want.

 

[Robindianne]

I said where it's located. and when it ends. see above.

Yikes! That's a bit snarky. If you're going to bother posting a reply, why choose that one? Why not just repeat ITTBAB till 3? Clearly you need some disney magic right away.

Here you go

 

[rapriebe]

Yikes! That's a bit snarky. If you're going to bother posting a reply, why choose that one? Why not just repeat ITTBAB till 3? Clearly you need some disney magic right away.

Here you go

I was just going to post a reply to his comments also. Kinda' over the top, if you ask me. Hope your pixiedust worked!!

 

[thunderbird1]

I always thought that the Soarin fastpass machines should have been outside the land pavillion. It just seems to me it would so much easier to have the mad-dash crowd outside the building as to the current dash through the building and down the stairs.

Well, yeah, that was just incredibly poor planning. Folks in wheelchairs or scooters have to wait for the elevator (one or two at a time), and families with strollers have to leave them outside and drag their babies and toddlers through the building. A truly terrible design.

I haven't seen anyone post that they've seen it yet to know how it works...if they are using the existing kiosks, I'd expect that they'd have to dedicate one kiosk per attraction since there is no way to select what attraction you want. Imagine the line for the sole EE machine just after rope drop, blocking the way to actually GET to EE...

If they're using the existing kiosks, that explains why they're using the ones at ITTBAB. Not only because they're centrally located, but also because when was the last time anyone ever got a FP for ITTBAB?!?

Another potential fundamental flaw in this design:

I know a lot of people run to the FP machines and get one and just go back when their FP return time comes up, but many of us go to the attraction first to see if we need one or if we can just get on in a reasonable amount of time and ride. I suspect intentions are to ultimately remove the FP machines at the attractions proper if this system works. This, again, goes against the principle with which many of us use the FP System to begin with.

Conceptually, the new deal sounds fine on the surface but when you drill down (at least in my mind), the logic is just fundamentally flawed (centralizing it).

It's the old "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" thing. I don't understand what's broken.

There really isn't any reason why they couldn't have a centrally located set of kiosks as well as kiosks at the attractions themselves, right? The FP machines' are already all linked together (because they know whether you have a FP for another attraction, and when you can get a new one). So there's no reason why you couldn't get a FP for EE at either the central location or in front of EE.

To take that thought one step further, why couldn't you have one or two FP kiosks dedicated to each attraction at each attraction? Does that make sense--instead of 6 FP machines for EE in front of EE, have two for EE, one for the Safari, one for Dinosaur, one for Primeval Whirl, etc (go ahead and put one for ITTBAB there, too. Just make sure you have a CM dust it occasionally). They wouldn't even have to put in new equipment because the kiosks are already there.

It's brilliant because you're usually at the attraction you currently have a FP for when your window opens; which is also when you can get your next FP. So you could grab a FP for the Safari just before you ride EE. It might even make it more feasible for people to actually return during their one hour window. The more I think about it, the more I like this idea.

 

[Christine]

I was there yesterday and saw this. I wish I had seen it before I traipsed across the park to get safari fast passes and then all the way back to ride EE. Sheesh.

Yes, there is a place were all the machines are there. There are CMs helping everyone out and someone did ask what the return time was on one of the rides. The CM said that he was seeing "3:00" pop out recently. So they were trying to help out in that regard.

 

[zippehsmom]

I went to AK yesterday and arrived at 10:30. There did not seem to be that much of a back up at the centralized FPs machines. We got FPs for Everest with a return time of 12. What surprised me was that I was able to get my next set of FPs at 11:25. Which was less than an hour after I got my first FPs.

They also had a cm randomly giving out fps to the 6 pm Nemo show.

 

[princess63]

Sounds like a great idea to me!

Haven't been there since they started the FastPass system, but I hate to think of spending my time running around to different attractions to get them. I'm sure it's worth the trouble (especially on busier days), but I think it would be so much easier if you could get the ones you wanted all at one time and at one location!

Who knows-- maybe if it works well enough at AK, they'll continue it and do the same thing in the other parks as well.

 

[Robo]

I think it would be so much easier if you could get the ones you wanted all at one time...

You still can't do that, regardless.

You can only get ONE pass and not get another until the time
that will be printed on the bottom of the current pass.



to the DISboards, princess63!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Disney's test of centralized FastPass distribution at Animal Kingdom

Posted by Dewayne Bevil on Jul 24, 2009 10:59:42 AM
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/fe...kingdom-fastpass-test-expedition-everest.html

Disney currently is testing the concept of centralized FastPass station at Animal Kingdom. When I visited yesterday afternoon, there were six machines in operation in the area that once was the FastPass distribution area for It's Tough to Be a Bug. Three attractions were available at two stations apiece. You could get passes for Dinosaur, Expedition Everest and the Kilimanjaro Safaris. You could still get FastPasses at those individual attractions as well.

Remember, this is a test and a work in progress. Certainly, signage would be better and it would be listed on guide maps were it to become reality.

Another bugaboo, to me, was that you could not tell what time you were going to get BEFORE you put your ticket into the machine or what the current wait time was at that attraction. (The cast member there was happy to tell me the times it was currently distrubting, but that's labor-intensive.).

I liked that the machines were designated by logo of the attraction, although the Dino Institute design doesn't scream DINOSAUR like the Everest or Safaris signs. And they were low to the ground and hard to see if someone were actually using the machine.

FastPass is confusing enough to newbies, and the cast members spent a lot of time there explaining how it works and how this test is working. Of course, there were people trying to get FastPasses for It's a Bug's Life there still.

I got a FastPass for Everest, and it told me to arrive at 12:40 p.m. I think I walked over to Everest, which took five minutes or so, and the FastPasses there were being distributed for 12:55. Made sense.

I'm not a huge FastPass fan, though my fellow Rangers can't live without it. What exactly Disney is testing for is not clear. However, a front-line cast member pal of mine is totally in favor of centralizing FastPass. He says he spends untold hours at the entrance explaining to guests how FP works (and measuring the height of kids, but that's another problem, one that he wants to wristband kids for.)

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've merged several similar threads together.

 

[Sandy321]

Thanks for merging the threads I like having one place to get info on the topic!!

It does sound like its working - but I wonder if by centralizing the FP system its not more of a way to cut out a CM position? It does sound like it has merit - interesting article on the sentinal that said the centralized FP and the attraction FP were both still working - giving out different times - wonderous things computers!!