Big Changes for FASTPASS

[WaltD4Me]

Originally Posted by Avalanche
IThere should be more perks for staying at the deluxe resorts, but the only perk you can count on is a bigger room with bigger beds. Not worth the extra $$$$.

I agree...you don't HAVE to stay in a deluxe if you don't feel it's worth the extra $$$. Many people feel it is. Purely your choice!

I also think you get ALOT more than bigger rooms and beds at a Deluxe.
Just staying on the monorail line is a big perk, as is being within walking distance to Epcot and MGM in the case of the YC or BC. You also have nicer pools, with more extra things for the kids, nicer restaurants and a nicer resort in general, ect, ect...


I myself, just can't bring myself to pay a Deluxe room rate, but that's just me. I do however go for the moderates and feel that I get my share of perks staying in one of them to make them worth the extra $$$.

Would it be nice to get FP's for staying in a moderate on property? Sure!
Do I think FP's should be limited only to on-site guests? NOPE! I think FP's should stay the way they are and be accessible to every guest, on-site or off.

 

[denecarter]

My only question is that why do I always see people waiting for certain rides for over an hour ... ie Peter Pan? Wouldn't you expect more people to just get a fastpass and come back?

Here are a few reasons off the top of my head.
1. They already have a fastpass for something else.
2. The fastpasses are all for times much later and they have other things to do "later".
3. The fastpasses are all gone for the day.
4. They have a chronic case of cranial anal disorder.

 

[Starrin]

denecarter that is funny ... lol ... !!!!

I just remember going last January and using fastpass ... parks were not too busy ... I am just shocked to know that people would wait in line that long with it available to them. Here I always thought it was because it was not available to them.

Now I just have respect for their dedication ... thing is that we always get on all the rides we want ... we just use fastpass and look for low line levels.

I hope it is not busy the last week of Sept ... now that I know it is available to everyone ... everything will seemingly take longer

 

[poohluvr]

How about rickshaws pulled by people staying off-site.

As someone who stayed offsite, I take offense to that! I am sooooo sick of people acting as if people who stay offsite are a lesser form of life or something. The reason I stayed offsite was so I could spend more days in the park which in turn meant spending more money in the parks! I paid for myself and 3 kids to go, sorry but not everyone has the means to stay 7 nights in a Disney Resort when they're flitting the bill for 4 people. I'm really furious right now, don't even know if I wanna come back to these boards with all these "I stay at Disney so I'm better than you attitudes" just makes me sick!!

 

[The SS Girls]

Do you have to pay for FAstPasses? or is it some type of lottery? I have no idea how it works. I tried reading it, but it came across like some legal document. Thanks

 

[jann1033]

poohluvr...hey we do stay onsite( used to camp at Fw when the kids were little, now stay at the lowly value better known as "pean hotel") and still aren't among the "chosen few" in some's eyes but really isn't that THEIR problem??? i took the rickshaw comment to be sarcasm aimed at the "entitled ones", not a put down of people staying off site.

funny, disney keeps building more and more hotels of all types so maybe they don't feel anyone who can only afford $90 a night is dirt like some do

 

[seashoreCM]

Do you have to pay for FAstPasses? or is it some type of lottery? I have no idea how it works. I tried reading it, but it came across like some legal document. Thanks

More:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/fastpass.htm

Fastpass is free for all park guests.

Your Disney experience is not complete until you have used Fastpass at least once.

The idea is that instead of waiting in line for a long time now you can get a coupon to come back later and have a very short wait in line. In a vague sense it is like taking a number at the meat counter, going off to do other things, and coming back when your number is called or also a little after your number is called.

You do not avoid all lines. For the most part you can only get one Fastpass at a time, but if the park is busy and the time to come back is far off, you can get another Fastpass no more than about two hours after you just got a Fastpass.

 

[opal]

I don't think it would be fair to reward "Deluxe" guests with more fps. We tend to stay in "Deluxes" now but that wasn't always the case. We had many wonderful trips staying at CBR. Just staying onsite made us feel special! A caste system woundn't be fair to those people who, because of the size of their family, have to book multiple rooms at a value or moderate. It would be penalizing a family just because they had more than 2.5 children. It is hard enough for large families to swing a WDW trip as it is. Disney has and always should be about kids and kids at heart. It that were to change, it would loose some of its magic. (btw, I only have one child). Fast Passes should be about crowd management, not a reward for $$$ spend.

 

[cinder1]

I think changing FP so that deluxes get more FPs would be highly elitist. Also many families choose a mod or value so that they can spend more on food and souvenirs. I have friends who went to Universal as day guests when they were staying at Pop. They won't go back because of the way their system favors those staying onsite. We have 4 kids. The youngest is only 15 mths. We go in Jan, but that is likely to be the last time we stay deluxe. We will need 2 rooms. We will not be spending less than a deluxe family--2 hotel rooms, food, tickets (the oldest needs an adult ticket and the 2nd will soon). My hope is that if WDW considers such a thing that after reflection, they won't do it. They don't have a problem filling rooms without such an elitist proposal.

 

[BensMom]

I love the rickshaw idea!

Sorry, flame me, too, but I'll take concierge anyday! When you go to Vegas, the majority of people don't get comped because they don't spend the money. We spend the money - we want comps! All where your priorities are.

 

[jann1033]

i have an idea ..everyone who checks into deluxe gets a genuine sword in the stone sword and is legally allowed to wack off the heads of all the lowly and go to the front of the line , or maybe a "royal " garment( defintely no tank tops ewww business or resort casual Pa-lea-sse!) and everyone else has to stay 2 ft away from them...no need for fp that way

 

[daisy_77]

How about this then....

Why doesn't Disney base your number of fast passes you are given based on your last stay?

First trip to Disney - well, you would be "just a nobody" who hasn't spent enough to earn any ears (so to speak). You have to "prove" what you are worth to Disney during this trip for your "priviledges" that you will be "rewarded" on your next vacation to Disney.

Example:

Trip 1 - YOU and your family are on your own. NO Priority Seating - NO fast passes - NO nothing.

You do have to keep all your receipts on every dollar you spend at Disney. You do not get credit if you do not have a receipt...so keep them all. Remember to even get one from the popcorn and ice cream vendors, those mickey bars can add up. Don't forget to keep the locker rental receipts too!

Once your trip is done and you have completed your express check-out, Disney will "reward" you with an allotment of fast passes and priority seating reservations and you might get lucky to get a Dasani water thrown in. You would then need to "redeem your rewards" within a 3 year time frame. "Rewards" will not be eligible for roll-over, each trip you have to make enough qualifying purchases for your next trip.

Are you kidding?

 

[WedwayRocks]

How about this then....

Why doesn't Disney base your number of fast passes you are given based on your last stay?

First trip to Disney - well, you would be "just a nobody" who hasn't spent enough to earn any ears (so to speak). You have to "prove" what you are worth to Disney during this trip for your "priviledges" that you will be "rewarded" on your next vacation to Disney.

Example:

Trip 1 - YOU and your family are on your own. NO Priority Seating - NO fast passes - NO nothing.

You do have to keep all your receipts on every dollar you spend at Disney. You do not get credit if you do not have a receipt...so keep them all. Remember to even get one from the popcorn and ice cream vendors, those mickey bars can add up. Don't forget to keep the locker rental receipts too!

Once your trip is done and you have completed your express check-out, Disney will "reward" you with an allotment of fast passes and priority seating reservations and you might get lucky to get a Dasani water thrown in. You would then need to "redeem your rewards" within a 3 year time frame. "Rewards" will not be eligible for roll-over, each trip you have to make enough qualifying purchases for your next trip.

Youv'e got to be kidding. Then after they hire all the people it would take to audit and keep track of all these receipts they can raise ticket prices to insane amounts to compensate for the hundreds, maybe 1000's, of people it would take to handle that task. No, they need to just leave the fast passes as they are. The only thing I always think of when I go to change, is that they should allow you to get fast passes from a central location. i.e. If you want to ride Haunted Mansion, they should offer machines in front of cinderella's castle that allow you to get your fast pass there instead of walking all the way to haunted mansion and then walking to whatever other ride you may choose. That is my only change.

 

[lillygator]

I think FP's should be available to onsite guests only. JMO.

I think so too...I know I am getting the WDW "magic" by staying onsite but as an on site'r - I would like to see some perks!

 

[helenk]

The only thing I always think of when I go to change, is that they should allow you to get fast passes from a central location. i.e. If you want to ride Haunted Mansion, they should offer machines in front of cinderella's castle that allow you to get your fast pass there instead of walking all the way to haunted mansion and then walking to whatever other ride you may choose. That is my only change.

I second that! I was thinking that on my last trip, it would be nice to have a central location for the fast machines for each ride in the park as well as the fast passes machines near the attractions. If there were a sign near the central location showing the wait times for each attraction then you could decide right there if you wanted a fast pass.
I've often wondered as well, in this computer age, why they could not have fast pass machines where you could just input what ride you wanted your fast pass for. You know, say you are at Fast Track and have a short wait, fo to the fast pass machine and key in that you want a fast pass for Soarin, get your fast pass, go on Test track and then make your way around the park on other attractions and be at Soarin for your fast pass time!

 

[marcyinPA]

Time to put on my flameproof suit.......

I like the idea of it given out by class of resort. I think that offsite shouldn't get the FP, values 3, moderates 5 and deluxes/DVCs 7. I think it would add an extra incentive for people wanting to stay at deluxe/DVC.

Just my opinion......

Are you kiddin' me??? That is a terrible idea! Just because we can't afford to or choose not to stay in a more expensive resort doesn't mean we should be treated like second class citizens!! I'm spending over $2000 on our trip at a VALUE in September...and I deserve just as many fastpasses as you do!

 

[Clare]

I'm always interested to read these "debate" threads, but I rarely post because I'm afraid of being flamed. But I'm making an exception this time.

We stay on-site every time we go to WDW. I LOVE all the perks associated with being a WDW resort guest & I'm willing to pay the Disney premium for those perks. And.....if FastPass had been introduced as a resort-guests-only perk, I'm sure I would want it to stay that way. Having said all that, I'm appalled that a few people have commented that it should be changed to a resort-guests-only benefit.

As on-site guests, we (by we, I mean my family) have the benefit of extra magic hours, which already allows us extra time to visit attractions. The very idea of taking that perk away from off-site guests seems completely ridiculous. We don't deserve FastPass more than they do!! When FastPass began, one of the things that impressed me most was that it was available to everyone at no extra charge - - unheard of!!!

Folks who choose to stay off-site are STILL WDW guests when they enter those park gates & they shouldn't be treated like second class citizens who can only ride the rides and eat in the restaurants as long as there aren't too many on-site guests already using them. I know that's an extreme way of putting it, but I think we all need to remember that most people who visit WDW are just trying to have a memorable vacation for their family.

Just my opinion.

 

[Missy1961]

I'm always interested to read these "debate" threads, but I rarely post because I'm afraid of being flamed. But I'm making an exception this time.

We stay on-site every time we go to WDW. I LOVE all the perks associated with being a WDW resort guest & I'm willing to pay the Disney premium for those perks. And.....if FastPass had been introduced as a resort-guests-only perk, I'm sure I would want it to stay that way. Having said all that, I'm appalled that a few people have commented that it should be changed to a resort-guests-only benefit.

As on-site guests, we (by we, I mean my family) have the benefit of extra magic hours, which already allows us extra time to visit attractions. The very idea of taking that perk away from off-site guests seems completely ridiculous. We don't deserve FastPass more than they do!! When FastPass began, one of the things that impressed me most was that it was available to everyone at no extra charge - - unheard of!!!

Folks who choose to stay off-site are STILL WDW guests when they enter those park gates & they shouldn't be treated like second class citizens who can only ride the rides and eat in the restaurants as long as there aren't too many on-site guests already using them. I know that's an extreme way of putting it, but I think we all need to remember that most people who visit WDW are just trying to have a memorable vacation for their family.

Just my opinion.

I agree 100%. And as many have already said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Tweak it maybe, but don't take it away.

 

[afc104]

I had started a similar post before I saw this. I am one who loves what Universal does and while I realize the same can't be done at Disney I do not see a reason onsite guests cannot be given a number of Fast Passes based solely on the number of nights you stay at one of their resorts, regardless of which one you stay at or how much you spend. I think one per person per night's stay would be a nice extra and not really create a lot of problems IMHO.

 

[bennnie]

One improvement that I would love to see is if the fast pass was good for whatever fast pass ride you wanted. From what I understand Disney does a lot of research into how people que for rides. Maybe having a such a pass wouldn't work well but it would save a lot of crisscrossing the parks.