Disney says guests will be able to reserve ride times from home

[Killer Fish]

I just got back from Disney last week - on what I was hoping was going to be a relax and go with the flow trip. Yes - it was Spring Break and myself and the rest of the state of Texas was there.

The crowds were SO incredibly bad - I have NEVER seen Disney that bad at all. Fastpasses were the only way to go. Only we couldn't get them for many rides after 11 AM. We watched as every popular ride had a 75 to 120 minute wait time. I will NOT wait 2 hours in line for ANYTHING!

As we left I just thought - you know I paid all that money to book online in advance - stay on Disney property - and then everyone else showed up on the side. I decided that Disney needs to add another perk to resort guests - those of us that pay a premium to stay on property only to find the parks so overcrowded we can't ride anything. So crowded you cant use photopass or barely walk on a sidewalk for all of the people.

My idea is a Fastpass que in the resort lobby itself - resort guests can choose 2-5 fastpasses - from the hotel - no more than 24 hours before the day you use them - that way you dont hog fastpasses like restuarant ressies. Insert your KTTW - get your fastpasses and go to the front of the line! I would pay for Disney property for that.

The only way we got to ride anything this past week was fastpasses and we stayed until 1AM - 3 AM in the parks on the EMH for resort guests.

Then there are parks like AK where we spent the whole morning collecting fastpasses and yes rode the high ticket rides but never got to see a show because we were trying to time the hour intervals for fastpasses racing from one side to the other.

I think advance fastpasses would be AWESOME - and a great perk for resort guests.

I think that is only necessary though for Spring Break/Winter Holidays.

 

[DaniBeems]

I do not like this idea. My family is very fly by the seat of our own pants. We change our minds all the time so this would be very inconvenient for us. I think it would just make it more confusing, and just not a very good thought out plan.

 

[Donut23]

yeah this! This is how we do it now too and my gosh we enjoy the parks so much more! We don't do offsite since we ME in to the resort so we do have the issue of the ADRs but otherwise it is like it was when I went in '72.....just go with the flow and where you feel like being at the time. Vacation!

Thanks!

....another really good thing? If it's just the two of you, it's sooooooo much more romantic this way! 3 cheers for romance!

 

[Donut23]

I hope they have a alternative for those who don't want to wear a wrist band during a 1 week plus vacation. Maybe a badge with a radio chip! therefore I could but the badge in my wallet.

EUWWWWWWW. Nasty plastic wristband for a week in hot August? No thank you. I'm a grown up. My days with plastic wristbands for an entire week...HAHAHAHAHAHA.....sooooooo over.

 

[Southern Bell]

I am a fan of the fast pass but... I don't think I will like making reservations for rides at home! I have enough problem with trying to decide where to stay in 6 months or eat in a 100 days. I can see it now... no one can get on the rides thats at Disney or get a fast pass, because of all the empty seats of everyone that didn't show up who made reservations to ride! Just like the dinner reservations you can't get sometimes! I guess they'll have walk ins! Sometimes you can have to much of a good thing! :>)

 

[doconeill]

I am a fan of the fast pass but... I don't think I will like making reservations for rides at home! I have enough problem with trying to decide where to stay in 6 months or eat in a 100 days. I can see it now... no one can get on the rides thats at Disney or get a fast pass, because of all the empty seats of everyone that didn't show up who made reservations to ride! Just like the dinner reservations you can't get sometimes! I guess they'll have walk ins! Sometimes you can have to much of a good thing! :>)

I don't think anyone is expecting it to work like an ADR, where they are going to hold your place for a certain amount of time. It will likely work just like Fastpass (so much so that they will essentially be the same thing), and the standby line will benefit from no-shows just like with FP.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I just gotta wonder when - at some point - enough is going to be enough.

Can we just go to a park and play it by ear? We live very anti-personal lives at home at this point with 9 wifi equipped gadgets strapped to us at all times...do we need another way to electronically micromanage a vacation and take more of the casual element outta it?

I'm not techno-phobic or progress resistant...but there are limits to everything.

Disney's desire to force advance management of vacations rubs me wrong and will forever...and their motivations are clear: to pack more people in and to eliminated workers...as it always is.

 

[jimsanfilippo]

What a terrible idea!

The mere thought of having to reserve ride times in advance has sent me into a blind panic! It's bad enough having to plan meals in advance. In fact we've given up on the dining plan for this reason as it was taking away the fun, having to plan everything around meals.

I take it this would also mean the end of the fastpass in its current form. So if you hadn't booked in advance there would be no alternative to long lines. Or even worse, would it mean that if you hadn't booked and the park was busy, you wouldn't be able to ride at all!

We like to go with the flow. We've been going to Disney since 1994 and never had a problem with this. If the lines are long we get a fastpass or we do something else and come back another time. No big deal!

If they introduce advance ride booking then I don't think we would be going back to Disney which would also mean selling our DVC.

I do hope they think this through properly.

"It's bad enough having to plan meals in advance. In fact we've given up on the dining plan for this reason as it was taking away the fun, having to plan everything around meals." I agree completely. We obviously need more details on how they plan to implement this in order to make a final judgement, but the idea of planning to such detail with small children is not practical. I would refuse to go throughout WDW with an itinerary we must keep to.

 

[jimsanfilippo]

I don't know. Disney can't make a website or online system worth a can of soup. How they expect to pull this off I don't know. Some of the most poorly designed and implemented systems I've ever seen. Makes me think whomever is responsible knows where the bodies are buried or is related to a higher up. Either way, they would not have a job in my company.

Amen to that!

 

[jimsanfilippo]

Let's hope they have a 180 day window like for dining !!!I'd still rather scramble from home than do the TSM dash!!!

Just think about what you just wrote. Planning what you are going to ride and when 6 months in advance? That's just getting a little crazy.

 

[jimsanfilippo]

I just got back from Disney last week - on what I was hoping was going to be a relax and go with the flow trip. Yes - it was Spring Break and myself and the rest of the state of Texas was there.

The crowds were SO incredibly bad - I have NEVER seen Disney that bad at all. Fastpasses were the only way to go. Only we couldn't get them for many rides after 11 AM. We watched as every popular ride had a 75 to 120 minute wait time. I will NOT wait 2 hours in line for ANYTHING!

As we left I just thought - you know I paid all that money to book online in advance - stay on Disney property - and then everyone else showed up on the side. I decided that Disney needs to add another perk to resort guests - those of us that pay a premium to stay on property only to find the parks so overcrowded we can't ride anything. So crowded you cant use photopass or barely walk on a sidewalk for all of the people.

My idea is a Fastpass que in the resort lobby itself - resort guests can choose 2-5 fastpasses - from the hotel - no more than 24 hours before the day you use them - that way you dont hog fastpasses like restuarant ressies. Insert your KTTW - get your fastpasses and go to the front of the line! I would pay for Disney property for that.

The only way we got to ride anything this past week was fastpasses and we stayed until 1AM - 3 AM in the parks on the EMH for resort guests.

Then there are parks like AK where we spent the whole morning collecting fastpasses and yes rode the high ticket rides but never got to see a show because we were trying to time the hour intervals for fastpasses racing from one side to the other.

I think advance fastpasses would be AWESOME - and a great perk for resort guests.

I REALLY like that idea.

 

[Southern Bell]

Thankyou for explaining, I know its not going to work like ADR! :>) I was just trying to make a point of over planning. I like a little planning but not my rides before I get to disney! Its just my own opinion but...Going and getting a fast past for the morning of the day you are there and knowing your childs and everyones mood that morning (you went to bed early & had enough sleep)and deciding , Yes it is a good morning for Magic Kingdom, Lets Go Get a Fast Pass! Is alot different than trying to decide DAYS in advance what park you are going to be in and what time and what your going to ride. I don't care if its with small children or adults in our family I think it would be difficult for us personally! We have appointments to keep and places to be in our everyday life and that is why a vacation is so nice! You can do what you want and when you want to do it! We want to smell the roses on vacation! Thats what we enjoy! Thats one reason we like to go to the beach so much! Some days you just have to take a break and sleep in after those days you stayed out late, or swim or relax in the room for awhile! Or maybe one day I don't feel like Magic Kingdom I want to go to Animal Kingdom! Maybe we'll be tired of the parks one morning or evening and we'll want to shop and eat out of Disney at the Cracker Barrell! I could not plan what Park to be in and what ride we would want to ride before I got to Disney(thats why I get the park hopper) We just never know!
Did any of that make since? LOL!

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

I think the FP reservation portion of this article is more 'pie in the sky' than it is actually eminent. They're going to allow everybody to prebook rides? Issue each person how many FP's per day? Per week? Too many possibilities, not many specifics.

While I have no doubt the idea is possible I am sure this will be the "pay for FP" add on that we've been yammering about for years (and a BIG price tag add on it will be) - if it ever see's the light of day.

C Fig commented earlier that FP was labeled internally a FAILURE in that it didn't add to the shopping and dining bottom line as hoped. This is true, although there actually was a slight bump, as I recall. But he failed to mention the part of FP that WAS a total success according to their pre implementation goals and that was crowd management. The hope was that FP would eliminate many of the staggering, very long lines out past the queue and in this area Disney has been very pleased with FP. So the statement that FP has been unsuccessful isn't entirely accurate.

 

[nicpries]

I'm going to Disney World in May with a at-the-time 9 month old. I can't imagine having Ride Reservations and my daughter needing to be changed. It just isn't practical.

The magic will all be lost. I remember going as a kid and walking past a ride and saying "I wanna go on that!" That will never exist anymore!

Also with You Tube now people can actually "ride the ride" from the POV. I know watching these videos will become even more popular once the RR are in place because who wants to make a reservation for something they know nothing about. The surprise and wonder of Disney World will be gone.

 

[LittleKittyMarie]

Maybe this idea might work for a few select rides like TSM, which I gather is still extremely popular (haven't experienced it yet myself) or shows like BatB or Indiana Jones. But honestly I cannot imagine having to book a spot on every single ride on every single day of my trip! Where is the magic of just seeing a ride and deciding on the spot - hey! let's go on that one next! It's bad enough that characters rarely wander the parks anymore and we have to line up in pre-designated areas (sometimes for hours!) in order for a quick photo.

 

[TisBit]

I think many people are assuming this will be much more detailed than it will be when implemented. I doubt you will get to pick your time/day, etc when you want to ride a ride.

I think the most that it will be is planning what parks you will be in each day. Then Disney will issue some sort of fastpass for the big ticket rides, but they will be spaced out as Disney see's fit. You might get Space Mountain in the morning, while I might get it in the evening. They would still have to implement checks and balances to prevent a black market for these passes from developing, so likely you will have to stay on site and they will be tied to your reservation, etc. Most likely it will be a "limited" service as well, not everyone will be able to make those reservations, only the first X number of people.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

I think many people are assuming this will be much more detailed than it will be when implemented. I doubt you will get to pick your time/day, etc when you want to ride a ride.

I think the most that it will be is planning what parks you will be in each day. Then Disney will issue some sort of fastpass for the big ticket rides, but they will be spaced out as Disney see's fit. You might get Space Mountain in the morning, while I might get it in the evening. They would still have to implement checks and balances to prevent a black market for these passes from developing, so likely you will have to stay on site and they will be tied to your reservation, etc. Most likely it will be a "limited" service as well, not everyone will be able to make those reservations, only the first X number of people.

Your thinking is logical, but I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that it will be a 'pay for' add on.

 

[Southern Bell]

Your right I am thinking VERY detailed about it! You make it sound a little more sensible.

 

[englishrose47]

Just think about what you just wrote. Planning what you are going to ride and when 6 months in advance? That's just getting a little crazy.

I am a planner and I would LOVE to have times for the popular rides 6 months in advance !!But I do like the idea of getting them at thr resortthe daybefore !!

 

[TisBit]

Your thinking is logical, but I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that it will be a 'pay for' add on.

I am not sure Disney wants to go to a "pay for" type of queing system. While Disney definitely sorts its customers into classes (AP holders, fla residents, DVC members, etc) and gives them different benefits, etc....they have always tried to not create a strict economic money incentive. While they have add on services (even personal tour guides for VIP's, etc) it has always been very low key and gives the appearance that a low income family staying off site is on the same terms as a Deluxe Concierge Guest who has bought the Premium Plan while in the parks and during normal times.

I could actually see it being offered only to on site guests or something similar, so they will get their money in a backhanded way and not just someone sliding a $100 bill under the pay window.