Disney guests to skip ride lines with new plan

[nunzia]

Wonder what this would mean for DVC as well...

Ditto..I only stay in DVC villas and currently have an AP...does that mean I don't get MM or anything else? Odd reasoning here.

 

[jetskigrl]

You gotta remember that Tom Staggs is president of ALL Disney Parks and Resorts, so what he is planning is not necessarily happening at Disneyland! In fact this is the kind of stuff that is needed at that mess they call WDW! At WDW you HAVE to plan everything... You HAVE to book your dining reservation 6 months in advance, or you are doomed to cafeterias and counter service... It only makes sense that you have to reserve your seat on rides in the place where you have to reserve everything else! With only 3 on property hotels I just cant see this happening at DL even if it is a success at WDW!

I actually heard this for the first time this morning on our local news where it was reported the changes were coming to Disneyland. Of course, as soon as I got on the computer, I came here to find out more.

I am curious to see if this new "vacation fastpass" system is in addition to or a replacement of the current fastpass system. I fear that they may eliminate the traditional fastpass and make this option only for those with vacation packages or even those that just pre-book their times online. Like many passholders, we enjoy having the ability to head to the park on a whim. Having to reserve our fastpasses online prior to leaving will definitely take away from the experience.

I guess I just have to wait and see how this all plays out.....

 

[Sherry E]

For the parks I think it would definitely take away the spontanity of going to an amusement park and enjoying the day whichever way it takes you.
As for the reservation changes, How is this going to affect the Good Neighbor hotels and those packages?

erikamj - I agree about the ride reservations thing. Many people can't even really commit to planning a time to eat and make a reservation for that because they feel it's too hard to predict what they will want to eat and when.

I think that it will be even more difficult to get people to use a ride reservation system. Locals who go a lot will certainly not use it. We all know that sometimes our best laid plans don't go according to schedule and we may not want to be in NOS at 5:45 p.m. to get on Haunted Mansion Holiday or whatever. Things kind of organically evolve throughout the day. Having a bit of wiggle room and spontaneity is a good thing. I don't know. If they do end up implementing this at DLR, it will be interesting to see how many people start using it and how many ignore it!

As for how the reservations systems' changes would affect the Good Neighbor hotels...the survey I did seemed to be specifically about staying onsite at the Disney hotels. It may have no impact on the Good Neighbors at all. In fact, one of the questions was something like 'did you use any kind of discount for the Disneyland Resort hotel you recently stayed at?' (I'm paraphrasing, but it was something close to that.) And I had used a discount (PIN code offer) when I stayed at PPH in December. All of their questions to me were based on the number of nights I stayed at PPH (3), and what I would or would not pay for 3 nights with all the privileges or without the privileges. For others who stayed at DLH or GCH, I'm sure the prices shown were different, and the number of nights would be different.

So I think Disney wanted to run all these scenarios past recent DLR hotel guests - maybe even targeting the ones who used some sort of discount - to get feedback on the things they are considering for the onsite hotels and how the prices would vary. In fact, we don't even know how many of the options they listed - both the thing they would be adding and the things they would be taking away - will be implemented for the onsite hotels. As I said earlier, some of these options may never see the light of day. They may only pick one or two things to add/remove.

Right now, I guess, Disney is getting the feedback to find out what the people want/don't want...so the outcome may not be as extreme as it seems if they get a lot of responses from people who hate all of their options! And they may not put any of this stuff into effect until next year or late this year. We just don't know yet.

Sherry,
I was sent the survey as well, and that is what I took away from it--that if you wanted to stay on property but wanted to pay less, then they would pick your hotel. If you pay a higher rate, then you get to pick your own hotel. I thought the survey was interesting, but I like picking my own hotel!

Lisa - I like picking my hotel too! Chances are, there would probably be less of the scenarios in which people who wanted PPH rooms ended up at GCH, and instead, probably lots of folks who wanted DLH or GCH rooms would end up at PPH - and would not be happy about it!

I just didn't care for any of the 'lower cost'/discounted room scenarios. I don't always have $600 or $700 or $800 or whatever it would be to pay for my room up front. That's why a one-night deposit is good. And if, for some reason, I ever did have to cancel, I would want a full refund. I wouldn't want to bank what I paid towards a new reservation (even if I planned to stay onsite in the future). I would want the money back.

Let's hope DLR finds a happy medium in there somewhere after they collect and assess all of the feedback they are getting, where that the discount room guests don't get stripped of every convenience and advantage while the higher priced room people get everything but the kitchen sink. A nice balance would be good.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

We couldn't really believe that Disney would forever watch places like ridemax and touring plans get the cash for these "plans" and not eventually want to get in on it. If they stick to something like this along with having the opportunity to get shows etc in that those services don't cover then those that already use these services will use their money at Disney. I would like to be able to get a PS for whatever shows I wanted to see just like we do PS for dining.

As far as the hotel thing goes though here is what would likely happen for us. Everyone knows I dream of an onsite stay at the DLH so if to get the "perks" and/or pick our own hotel we had to pay the rack rate then instead of spending our whole vacation at the DLH we would likely spend 1-2 days at the onsite resort and then move to something off site for the rest of the week. That's just me, but what good is a discount if you get less?

 

[DahliaRW]

I think I know exactly how it would affect good neighbor hotels, they'd get more people using them!

Our last trip was our first staying onsite. And we were willing to pay extra for that to be immersed in the magic and for the perks like MM. MM was a HUGE pull for staying onsite since we were there for 6 days in the parks. Without that (and without the discount, we used the 35% off special), I probably would stay across the street. And DH would only stay onsite at the DLH, so if you can't choose, then we wouldn't be staying onsite at all. Let's hope Disney gets the message from those of you with surveys that these changes are not desired and they won't happen.

 

[Sherry E]

We couldn't really believe that Disney would forever watch places like ridemax and touring plans get the cash for these "plans" and not eventually want to get in on it. If they stick to something like this along with having the opportunity to get shows etc in that those services don't cover then those that already use these services will use their money at Disney. I would like to be able to get a PS for whatever shows I wanted to see just like we do PS for dining.

As far as the hotel thing goes though here is what would likely happen for us. Everyone knows I dream of an onsite stay at the DLH so if to get the "perks" and/or pick our own hotel we had to pay the rack rate then instead of spending our whole vacation at the DLH we would likely spend 1-2 days at the onsite resort and then move to something off site for the rest of the week. That's just me, but what good is a discount if you get less?

True, Sherri. Having a PS for shows is not a bad thing. I think that would be a more feasibale scenario than booking times for rides. But I could be totally wrong in that tons of people may decide to go with the ride reservations? I've been surprised before.

Yes, you're right about getting a good discount and getting less (so much less!). Less flexibility with booking. Fewer perks. And I will definitely have to weigh it all out when and if they implement any of these changes and see if it is still worth it to me to stay onsite. Part of what I have loved about staying onsite includes all of the things that I guess I have taken for granted.

I think I know exactly how it would affect good neighbor hotels, they'd get more people using them!

Our last trip was our first staying onsite. And we were willing to pay extra for that to be immersed in the magic and for the perks like MM. MM was a HUGE pull for staying onsite since we were there for 6 days in the parks. Without that (and without the discount, we used the 35% off special), I probably would stay across the street. And DH would only stay onsite at the DLH, so if you can't choose, then we wouldn't be staying onsite at all. Let's hope Disney gets the message from those of you with surveys that these changes are not desired and they won't happen.

DahliaRW - You're absollutely right! Very good point! That IS the main way that the Good Neighbors would be affected (assuming nothing changes with their reservations system and all that too) - increased bookings!

They did give us many options in this survey (two boxes per page, and there were many pages with different combos of things) - and then there was a third box we could check that said "I don't like either of these options"!! I checked that box a few times!! I just was not happy with most of the 'one extreme or the other' scenarios they were showing. I hope they just do some modifications if they have to but not anything really drastic that will scare us off.

 

[cloudconnected1039]

I can see the ride reservations working out for some parties, but not all. A group of older riders might find it useful and worth their while, while on the other hand, a group with younger children would rather have the spontaneity. Not every group is going to fall in these respective categories, but that's just a general idea. And if they're free, what harm would there be in reserving your place on a ride?? I personally wouldn't reserve rides, but I know groups that would.

Also, the hotel topic is pretty obviously flawed. I don't want to get lose any perks from staying in a discounted onsite room, but I also don't want to pay astronomical rates for those perks either

Now that all of the negatives have been posted about the possible changes coming up, what about some of the positives???

For me, online dining reservations would be a WONDER I always get disconnected from the Disney Dining phone service or I get a rude CM. Not to mention, that would most likely cut the time I spend getting the reservation in about 1/4 So I completely advocate them doing that.

 

[HydroGuy]

OK, put on the brakes every one!

The link given by the OP and the one I gave are not "the 100% certain future of Disney parks" but a glimpse into how Disney is thinking - and those ideas may change a lot between now and then. A bit like an Al Lutz article.

Fun for speculation and Disney forum geeks? Definitely. Worth getting worked up about? Not for a minute. Not until it becomes more fully formed.

 

[DahliaRW]

I agree, online dining reservations makes a ton of sense. Most restaurants around here have them. Even my doctor has online scheduling! It's about time Disney caught up technology wise there!

 

[jernysgirl]

I can only imagine that this is going to make the stand-by lines even longer on rides. I think that it has the possibility to take a lot of fun out of the whole experience. At least with ridemax, it is structured so that it gives you a general idea of where you should be and when.

But the way the new Disney reservations sound to me, is that everything has to be booked on your computer at home before you even get there. And if for some reason you booked something that didn't work out or you couldn't make it to, you were going to pretty much be out of luck and stuck in standby lines. Those who make last minute trips (or locals who go on the weekends or after work) would be kind of stuck, because the rest of us who booked our reservations 6 months ago for the teacups and Peter Pan, have taken all of the reservations.

And what will they do with the regular fastpass machines? Will they be used in conjunction with this program or eventually phased out like we have been hearing might happen for some time now? If they were used together, could you imagine carrying around a schedule trying to determine whether your reservations would allow for a fastpass?

So many possibilities...... I think that while the intentions may have been good, the implementation is going to be less than welcomed.

 

[jernysgirl]

OK, put on the brakes every one!

The link given by the OP and the one I gave are not "the 100% certain future of Disney parks" but a glimpse into how Disney is thinking - and those ideas may change a lot between now and then. A bit like an Al Lutz article.

Fun for speculation and Disney forum geeks? Definitely. Worth getting worked up about? Not for a minute. Not until it becomes more fully formed.

I totally agree with you, and the fact of the matter is is that this announcement was made to investors, and Disney is a business whose ultimate goal is to make money while providing their guests with a great experience. So obviously, this is going to benefit them in the long run. As Tom Staggs said in his presentation (from your link) that it really is about getting the guest into the parks faster (which to me means get them onto property faster so that they can spend more money).

And I am sure that Disney is smart enough to watch online and see what the reactions are going to be to this on all of the Disney forums. But unfortunately I, as it seems that many others, don't really like the feeling behind this idea.

Hopefully Disney is watching and decides not to make this new plan to rigid.

 

[Sherry E]

I think online dining reservations would be great. I also think an online check-in for hotel guests would be great too. Who wants to stand at the front desk for 30 minutes, waiting to be checked in? I don't think everyone will utilize those tools, but it would be nice to have them for those who want to.

I also agree with cloudconnected1039 that the ride reservations system could work very well for certain groups of people but not others. And I agree with jernysgirl that locals would probably not be a group for which the ride reservations would work. I thought about the locals when I first read the OP. The folks who go to DLR once a week or 2 times a month, etc., probably will not use that system (if it happens). I also just think that a lot of people won't take the time to book all of their rides and shows online. Lots of folks don't want to be bothered with mapping things out that rigidly.

So then I wonder if people who do not choose to book these things online - IF this ride reservations thing happens - will have to wait in hideous lines (like lines the way they were back in the '80s)?

 

[nunzia]

You know, one possibility would be people staying onsite getting a permanent fastpass card, or unlimited fastpasses (I remember AAA packages used to allow you to get unimited fastpasses..that was great), and I think that could sway people on the fance about staying onsite..also MM..only for onsite? MM is so ridiculously packed we actually have done better just being on time for a regular opening. Maybe the discounts questions are to see what types of packages they could offer for each price range of onsite hotels..such as: this level gets Fantasmic dessert, MM, unlimited FP, early reservations ability at the restuarants...this lower level gets MM, unlimited FP, PS at shows, whatever..lowest level (most discounted rates) gets MM, one day of unlimited FP..etc. I can't imagine Disney is dumb enough to send people TO off site hotels..I would think that they would do what they could to take away from off site perks and add to on site and then bring the costs a little closer to get more people to take the plunge to onsite...I do enjoy marketing..maybe that should have been my major and not my minor....

 

[Brancaneve]

I just made online table service ressies for wdw so I know that exists already. But it's not the case for DL. I only agree to online check in and online dinner reservations. But that means potential layoffs for Disney employees. I always enjoy talking to CMs on the phone as I believe it adds to my excitement and the magic. Hmmm...should be interesting.

 

[newmouse82]

As someone who just booked her first trip and is staying onsite the reservation system could definitely change. Calling from Canada gets expensive when you spend so much time on hold. I definitely love the idea of online reservations for the restaurants, and the unlimited fast pass would be very cool. The idea of having everything else so rigid though is not appealing.

 

[cyberjoek]

I'm saying this just from memory so I may be mis-remembering but I thought that when FP first came on scene they said you'd be "reserving a ride time" in descriptions.

I suspect it's a way for folks staying on-property to be able to book out their FPs from home before going to the parks (the end of runners!) and have them waiting in their hotel room when they arrive.

I suspect this won't extend Stand By times but will reduce the number of Fastpasses available to guests staying off-property/locals and increase the delay before they become useable.

-Joe Kavanagh

PS - remember that to most folks outside of communities like this the end times on FPs are hard deadlines and there are many guests who have no clue what a FP is or think it costs extra. Those are the type of people they'd be selling this towards.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

I can see this being successful for a typical WDW vacation. Can't imagine how this would work at DL.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

I'm saying this just from memory so I may be mis-remembering but I thought that when FP first came on scene they said you'd be "reserving a ride time" in descriptions.

I suspect it's a way for folks staying on-property to be able to book out their FPs from home before going to the parks (the end of runners!) and have them waiting in their hotel room when they arrive.

I suspect this won't extend Stand By times but will reduce the number of Fastpasses available to guests staying off-property/locals and increase the delay before they become useable.

-Joe Kavanagh

PS - remember that to most folks outside of communities like this the end times on FPs are hard deadlines and there are many guests who have no clue what a FP is or think it costs extra. Those are the type of people they'd be selling this towards.

This makes a lot of sense.

I don't think there would be plans to remove the Fast Pass system currently in use, only to make it exclusive to Disney Property Resort vacationers. This would be bad business toward the majority of park guests.

It seems a logical step would be to keep all systems "as is" and create a separate tier status for property guests. This would be really nice, as it minimizes running all over the place for FPs. I don't think it changes the timing rules for FPs; in other words, I don't see this system allowing unlimited FP access. Guests who use the system play by the current FP timing and availability rules.

Right now, I can stay for 5 nights at the HOJO with Entertainment Rates or 3 nights at the Fairfield for the price of ONE night at the Disneyland Hotel. I can't justify the price difference when the only perk going for me are the Magic Mornings. It's a smart move to add more exclusive perks for property guests! More perks can help justify the prices.

 

[Sherry E]

This makes a lot of sense.

I don't think there would be plans to remove the Fast Pass system currently in use, only to make it exclusive to Disney Property Resort vacationers. This would be bad business toward the majority of park guests.

It seems a logical step would be to keep all systems "as is" and create a separate tier status for property guests. This would be really nice, as it minimizes running all over the place for FPs. I don't think it changes the timing rules for FPs; in other words, I don't see this system allowing unlimited FP access. Guests who use the system play by the current FP timing and availability rules.

Right now, I can stay for 5 nights at the HOJO with Entertainment Rates or 3 nights at the Fairfield for the price of ONE night at the Disneyland Hotel. I can't justify the price difference when the only perk going for me are the Magic Mornings. It's a smart move to add more exclusive perks for property guests! More perks can help justify the prices.

One of the things that was mentioned in my survey as being "considered" (again, that's the operative word) by Disney for the hotel bookings was "Fast Passes for everyone in the party." They are also "considering" one World of Color Fast Pass for everyone in the party, too. They are also considering a free character meal, a free counter service breakfast, a souvenir mug, choice of hotel, ability to get a full refund upon cancellation, MM, some other stuff I am forgetting, etc. These would all be included with the higher priced rooms or packages, not with the PIN code rooms or anything like that- IF they implement these changes, that is.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

One of the things that was mentioned in my survey as being "considered" (again, that's the operative word) by Disney for the hotel bookings was "Fast Passes for everyone in the party." They are also "considering" one World of Color Fast Pass for everyone in the party, too. They are also considering a free character meal, a free counter service breakfast, a souvenir mug, choice of hotel, ability to get a full refund upon cancellation, MM, some other stuff I am forgetting, etc. These would all be included with the higher priced rooms or packages, not with the PIN code rooms or anything like that- IF they implement these changes, that is.

Oh, I agree we're all ruminating at this point. But extras like you mentioned here are really GREAT ideas for property guests. For their prices, Disney needs to show me "more" to make a stay really magical.