Anyone there now that can comment on FP enforcement

[Wadecool]

OT, but can you please tell me the exact date that the FLE phased opening with BatB and VotLM will open? You know, since you obviously have an in with upper Disney management.

Maybe it's an incognito Iger?

 

[Missyrose]

So for the people who have first-hand experience in WDW in the last few days, are the CMs consistently allowing the rumored 15-minute grace period before turning people away?

And if they do allow it, is it accompanied by an admonishment to be on time in the future?

(I'd just like to know if we can count on being allowed the grace period, or if it is more of a "maybe" thing.)

The CMs I encountered treated the grace period as part of the window and never said anything to me about being "late." It's pretty safe to say you can count on the GP, it's printed right on the FP. Hope this helps!

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

I would think it might be the opposite, speaking as a local and a passholder. We aren't usually there with a touring plan because we can always come back. It's the people who are trying to "maximize" their limited vacation time who I think are having to make the adjustments.

This is how we feel about it as well.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Who said it was morally wrong to question things?

Try re-reading the pages 11 and 12. Below I've quoted more of the post that I quoted above. (It's on page 11)

Why is a logical question to ask? The rules were clearly posted, it leaves no questions. ...

I've never had a reason to suspect that the FP return sign, and the ticket, and the web site, and the TV channel were actually wrong and that I should ask what the "real" rules were.

But then again, I've never had any reason to believe I should ask about other things that may not be enforced as they are published. Should I ask the front desk if check out is really at 6pm and not what's posted on the reservation and the back of the door? Should I ask what the real price is of stuff marked with a price tag? I suppose anything is possible, but what reason would most people have to ask about any of those things?

"Morally wrong" is my wording- not this poster.

I apologize for getting off topic. But I thought the examples given were kind of funny, since I've been exposed to both situations in the last week, having just come back from WDW. Even at WDW, there are merchandise discounts.

I am kicking myself that there were several times I neglected to mention my AP and AAA status - and would have saved 10%!

No way is the staff going to ask me if I qualify for a discount- you nearly always have to be proactive if you want to get the discounts.

 

[vacationclub]

Why is it morally wrong to ask questions? Sorry I just don't get why you find the idea offensive?

Who said it's morally wrong to ask questions? I asked the reason why people would just naturally ask about something that was perfectly clear to begin with....such as the price on a price tag, or the speed on a speed limit sign.

I've been at WDW many times when the check out time was questioned by nearby guests. Check out is at 11am, Magic Express is picking them up at 11:30am, they ask if they can leave their bags in the room for that extra half hour. I'm guessing you don't want to know the Disney answer. Many hotel chains have clearly posted rules about late check out, (it has a name) most often it involves a small fee that the resort is happy to collect - especially when that room is going to be vacant. Also, plenty of folks have meds they need to stow safely - i.e. out of the heat. It's a pretty basic question to ask if you have meds - ie. what can they do to help you keep your meds at a safe temperature. So there's two good, non-offensive reasons why someone would ask about late check out.

This is interesting, but I'm not sure what it has to do with my post. You're proving my point...that unless you have a reason to ask about an exception to a rule (like all the ones you just stated) you'd have no reason to know about it.

Yes, you should ask if the price of the object is the real price. At least half the time I buy clothes, staff tell me there is a discount, coupon, or a sale is coming tomorrow. Companies near me are CONSTANTLY sending me coupons of various sorts. Between mail and email I get at least twenty offers a day. Many have 36-24hour windows.

If you aren't looking or asking, you are paying too much. But hey, if you think it's morally wrong to ask, keep paying full price.

Why do you keep saying I think it's morally wrong to ask questions? And why do you think that unless you question every single printed statement, you're somehow getting screwed? Maybe I should check my own address...perhaps I don't really live there. Am I really me? I should look into this.

So now I've given you several good reasons why I ask these questions and more. I just don't see how it's wrong to be informed.

I don't either. But you're talking about something I didn't talk about.

If you have no desire to be informed, why post on the DIS?

Who said anything about no desire to be informed?

I said that it's quite possible that people can go to Disney and not know about something that they don't tell you. Seems pretty logical to me. I also said that the reasons people find out is either by stumbling across the info, or by discovering it when they tested the theory because of some reason to test the theory. I, and perhaps the majority of others who never tested this theory, never had a reason to. The ticket said come back before 1:30...I came back before 1:30. Simple. Gosh, maybe my 10 day park hopper is really a 12 day. I should ask.

WDW has long been in the game of not informing every customer of every policy. Doing so would overwhelm most guests. Just telling them the basics overwhelms many folks.

So, you're saying that Disney decided to tell people they need to come back inside a window instead of simply saying "come back any time after this time", because it's too much information for people? They purposely told them a more complicated version, and created clocks and print outs to go along with it, because it's easier than just telling people to come back anytime after X?

Years ago, Disney used to offer e-nights. They were not widely published. I think we discovered it because there was a sign posted in front of GR on Main St. It was not very specific, just that this was where you went to get the bracelets. We had to ask CM's what it was. Turns out for $10,you got an extra three hours in MK. That was just ONE things I've learned by asking questions when I don't know an answer.

Great. But that example has nothing to do with FP. There was a sign to tell you about it which is how you found out about it. As opposed to the fastpass loophole that had no published information.

 

[vacationclub]

Try re-reading the pages 11 and 12. Below I've quoted more of the post that I quoted above. (It's on page 11)



But I thought the examples given were kind of funny, since I've been exposed to both situations in the last week, having just come back from WDW. Even at WDW, there are merchandise discounts.

I am kicking myself that there were several times I neglected to mention my AP and AAA status - and would have saved 10%!

But a AAA discount is not a secret. It's published on the AAA web site. You know this because you have AAA and they tell you the discounts. Again, this has no comparison to anything I said about people not knowing about something that wasn't published by Disney. People weren't derelict in their duties to read the signs, tickets, web sites and TV shows posted by the company that's providing the service. They did that. That's how they understood how it worked.

Nothing you quoted above, or on pages 11-12, has anything to do with what you're talking about. Please understand the context of the paragraph, who and what it's responding to, before extracting conclusions that have to do with morals, or objections to information.

 

[jo-jo]

slightly off topic


tour groups that have perhaps 150 -200 people, would it still be possible for that size group to get it at one time? Does the math work out with so many tickets per 5 min units? I would think if some passes were late in the window and others were early in the window, there would be enough overlap, but I'm just guessing.

 

[mesaboy2]

But a AAA discount is not a secret. It's published on the AAA web site. You know this because you have AAA and they tell you the discounts. Again, this has no comparison to anything I said about people not knowing about something that wasn't published by Disney. They aren't derelict in their duties to read the signs, tickets, web sites and TV shows posted by the company that's providing the service. They did that. That's how they understood how it worked.

I tried this with another poster in another thread, but they refused to answer.

Is there any parallel in your mind between intentional late FP use to intentionally shopping in a park after it closes--what is arguably the printed "end time" for the day? There is to me, and I'd honestly love to hear your take on it. Just curious today, I'm not in an argumentative mood.

 

[vacationclub]

I tried this with another poster in another thread, but they refused to answer.

Is there any parallel in your mind between intentional late FP use to intentionally shopping in a park after it closes--what is arguably the printed "end time" for the day? There is to me, and I'd honestly love to hear your take on it. Just curious today, I'm not in an argumentative mood.

I know your really interested in this store closing analogy. You weren't, by chance, referring to me were you? Because we talked about this before.

Which aspect of this are you asking about? Before you were asking if the people who did this were rule-breakers. I said then, and I'll say now that I don't think people doing something that Disney lets them do are rule breakers, whether it's FP late returns or shopping in a store that you think is apparently closed (even though the doors are wide open, the lights are on, guests are seen shopping inside, and there is no "closed" sign posted).

 

[JKMJ441724]

I would prefer a longer window - but not because 60 minutes would not be long enough for me to get there, but to keep me from having to zigzag so much across the park. It stinks to have a FP for SplashMountain at 3:30 and a FP for Space Mountain at 4:00. If I had a longer window, I would do everything in Frontierland before sprinting over to fantasyland. Especially with my tweenage children in tow.

 

[KellyNY]

It is interesting how many people witness late returns right now and did someone notice if anyone was wearing lime green ears? I think it shows how word was spread and that many people knew and used FP late. Does it mean it became a problem? Who knows, but we definitely can say not only tiny number of Disers knew. BTW, none of us is Iger, so none of us really know why they do it right now, Xpass is just as good guess as system was broken.

 

[magicbob]

...to most guests there is no change. I doubt that they want to reveal to the majority that never knew about the loophole that it existed to begin with. They can't post a sign declaring a change in policy when, publicly, there is no change in policy. Only for those that knew the secret is there a change.

Good point. It could be bad PR for milions of guests to find out that all of these years, they COULD have used their FP late, but Disney kept this secret hidden from them. Much better PR to throw late FP users under the bus (or monorail, if you prefer) and cite that they are "cracking down on rampant abuse." That makes Disney the good guy rather than the villain.

I asked one of the managers that was by Star Tours responding a complaint of a guest why they made the decision to change. She told us that they were trying to keep a commitment to guests that Fastpass wait times be no longer than 10 minutes, and that by allowing late Fastpass returns, often times the Fastpass line can be as long as the Standby line.

Now, I have not personally ever found that to be the case, but we usually travel during less busy times of the year.

Interesting. I've never seen the FP line longer than about 10 minutes either and I've been there at the BUSIEST times of the year! Tour groups showing up together would be a more likely reason for that to happen than late FP use. Odd that this lone CM has expressed this reason. Could just be interjecting his/her own interpretation. It's also curious that WITH enforcement the FP line was LONGER than standby at Kilimanjaro Safari a few days ago. This would seem to contradict that rationale.

 

[JessicaKnits]

I'm sure it has been mentioned already, but I will throw my two cents in anyway. We were there from 3/3 - 3/11. On 3/6 there was no mention of any new Fastpass guidelines, and we used several Fastpasses late. On 3/7 we arrived at the park, and there was a reminder about Fastpass printed on the Times Guide when you entered the park, placards above all Fastpass machines and a reminder on the Fastpass itself.

I asked one of the managers that was by Star Tours responding a complaint of a guest why they made the decision to change. She told us that they were trying to keep a commitment to guests that Fastpass wait times be no longer than 10 minutes, and that by allowing late Fastpass returns, often times the Fastpass line can be as long as the Standby line.

Now, I have not personally ever found that to be the case, but we usually travel during less busy times of the year.

On the 2nd day of Fastpass reinforcement, we ended up with a Fastpass for Tower of Terror that conflicted with a reservation we had. I knew we would be about 10 minutes late. I figured if they said no, then no big deal. We were allowed on to the ride, but given a reminder that we needed to adhere to the window on our ticket. The CM said they were able to give 15 minutes of leeway.

 

[mesaboy2]

I know your really interested in this store closing analogy. You weren't, by chance, referring to me were you? Because we talked about this before.

Which aspect of this are you asking about? Before you were asking if the people who did this were rule-breakers. I said then, and I'll say now that I don't think people doing something that Disney lets them do are rule breakers, whether it's FP late returns or shopping in a store that you think is apparently closed (even though the doors are wide open, the lights are on, guests are seen shopping inside, and there is no "closed" sign posted).

Ah, you're right--we've discussed this before. My bad. And you are not the poster I was referring to. Forgive me if these FP threads run together in my head!

 

[origin62]

I tried this with another poster in another thread, but they refused to answer.

Is there any parallel in your mind between intentional late FP use to intentionally shopping in a park after it closes--what is arguably the printed "end time" for the day? There is to me, and I'd honestly love to hear your take on it. Just curious today, I'm not in an argumentative mood.

If it helps at all, there's this: The shops at WDW are open beyond park closing by design. It has been this way since 1971. (I can only speak to the MK Main Street area, but I suppose the other parks do the same.) It just makes sense to capitalize on all those exiting visitors who may make one last purchase before they go. The little shops at the TTC used to remain open late too-I'm not sure if they still do.

So, yes, the stores are open beyond published park closing hours, and guests who stay and shop are not doing anything wrong by lingering. The CMs in those areas are not being held up, nor are they incurring overtime because people are not leaving. They know that they will not be going home until 60-90 minutes after the park closes.

That said, the shops in the "backlands," (Frontierland, for example) ARE supposed to close at the published park closing time. So they will quickly close their doors as soon as possible.

 

[WDSearcher]

The CMs I encountered treated the grace period as part of the window and never said anything to me about being "late." It's pretty safe to say you can count on the GP, it's printed right on the FP. Hope this helps!

But also remember that, like height requirements, the line has to be set somewhere.

So if your FP end time is 10:15 and you get there at 10:31, don't expect to ride. You can say, "Oh come on .... it's only one minute past the grace period!", and it may not seem like that big of a deal. But, again ... line's gotta be set somewhere.

So while you can count on the grace period, don't start looking for a grace period for the grace period!

 

[origin62]

I'm sure it has been mentioned already, but I will throw my two cents in anyway. We were there from 3/3 - 3/11. On 3/6 there was no mention of any new Fastpass guidelines, and we used several Fastpasses late. On 3/7 we arrived at the park, and there was a reminder about Fastpass printed on the Times Guide when you entered the park, placards above all Fastpass machines and a reminder on the Fastpass itself.

I asked one of the managers that was by Star Tours responding a complaint of a guest why they made the decision to change. She told us that they were trying to keep a commitment to guests that Fastpass wait times be no longer than 10 minutes, and that by allowing late Fastpass returns, often times the Fastpass line can be as long as the Standby line.

Now, I have not personally ever found that to be the case, but we usually travel during less busy times of the year.

On the 2nd day of Fastpass reinforcement, we ended up with a Fastpass for Tower of Terror that conflicted with a reservation we had. I knew we would be about 10 minutes late. I figured if they said no, then no big deal. We were allowed on to the ride, but given a reminder that we needed to adhere to the window on our ticket. The CM said they were able to give 15 minutes of leeway.

Excellent feedback!

 

[ftballfan7]

why is this still such a big issue. Yes, for a few years the system has allowed you to get a pass and come back whenever though on the pass it stated a specific time. Now they are holding people to it. Not a big deal if you followed the rules from the beginning. In fact it is that very reason they are now coming down hard on the time.

Incorrect.

 

[origin62]

The only signs I saw during my stay from March 3-8 were signs that said, "Please Return during the one hour window printed on your Disney FASTPASS ticket". Unless there is a different sign posted, I wish folks would quit saying that the signs at the FP machines state the FP's cannot be used late or that they must be used during the time window. The sign that I saw did not specifically warn guests that a change in policy was taking place nor specifically state that FP's cannot be used late or must be used during the time window.

We knew about the policy change and did not try to use any late FP's on March 7. Also,we were warned about the policy change on a couple of occasions when we used late FP's on the days just prior to March 7.

I'm sorry. I just don't understand what more you need to see/hear. The signs you saw at the machines, WERE your warning. That, along with a half dozen other FP indicators, all tell you what you need to know. If you cannot intuit that the words on those signs = No Late Admits, then you will be disappointed when you try to ride "late." I guess Disney messaging is just to subtle for you.

Would you prefer that Imperial Stormtroopers be present at the FP machines and entrances, describing the consequences for not abiding by their polite request?

 

[vacationclub]

Incorrect.

Which part and why?