Fast Pass Future? Predictions...

[heresabe]

There is really no reason, once the pandemic is over and close contact is not an issue that things could not just return to what they were before the pandemic.
If it was working for Disney why would they change it.

I think it will take a long time for Disney to recover the financial loses incurred during the health crisis.

 

[kwdw]

I really hope it doesn't become a "if you can pay more" for what we used to get for free. This is why I despise Universal. If you don't pay for their Express Pass - which can be QUITE expensive - you are a second class citizen - very, very obviously. Yes - Disney has add-ons now for those who can pay - but with the exception of VIP tours - those extras happen outside of regular park hours. Main hours of the parks - everyone is the same if a resort guest - 3 free FP. Feels like an equalizer.

Sure - Disney is reaching more and more to attract only wealthy guests. I just hope they don't leave middle-class folks behind. (They are already too expensive for many)

 

[kevgraub]

I really hope it doesn't become a "if you can pay more" for what we used to get for free. This is why I despise Universal. If you don't pay for their Express Pass - which can be QUITE expensive - you are a second class citizen - very, very obviously. Yes - Disney has add-ons now for those who can pay - but with the exception of VIP tours - those extras happen outside of regular park hours. Main hours of the parks - everyone is the same if a resort guest - 3 free FP. Feels like an equalizer.

Sure - Disney is reaching more and more to attract only wealthy guests. I just hope they don't leave middle-class folks behind. (They are already too expensive for many)

I completely agree with your view on what we hope happens. However, Disney has shown a willingness to give guests in Deluxe resorts better perks than those in Value resorts - just look at the evolution of free dining. It used to be everyone got the regular dining plan. Now it is a tiered benefit depending on what level of resort you are at. So it would not completely surprise me to see something where guests in Deluxe resorts get more free fastpasses than those staying in Value resorts. I hope not, but would not surprise me.

 

[Disneylover99]

I completely agree with your view on what we hope happens. However, Disney has shown a willingness to give guests in Deluxe resorts better perks than those in Value resorts - just look at the evolution of free dining. It used to be everyone got the regular dining plan. Now it is a tiered benefit depending on what level of resort you are at. So it would not completely surprise me to see something where guests in Deluxe resorts get more free fastpasses than those staying in Value resorts. I hope not, but would not surprise me.

While I hope fp’s continue to be free, I would also not be surprised to see a tiered system with deluxe guests getting the most free ones and value guests getting the fewest.

The big question is how much would the additional fp’s cost and how much money is too much for the average family.

 

[jeffmw]

While I hope fp’s continue to be free, I would also not be surprised to see a tiered system with deluxe guests getting the most free ones and value guests getting the fewest.

The big question is how much would the additional fp’s cost and how much money is too much for the average family.

I don't believe Disney will draw distinctions between different types of resorts as it pertains to FastPass access. As much as Disney is doing to cater to its more wealthy guests that just seems way too overtly classist.

 

[DLgal]

I really don't see Disney doing anything as complex as a tiered FP system for different levels of guests. That would be far too complicated and it would cause so much confusion. An across the board paid system that anyone can opt into (a la Maxpass) is the way forward.

I CAN forsee them simply including Maxpass into certain hotel packages with tickets as a perk.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I don't believe anything is free at Disney.....Magical Express and Magic Bands. They can tell you it was free all they want, it was just built into your cost.

 

[disneyseniors]

I know I am in the minority here, but I hope they don't come back.
What you are experiencing in the parks now is how it was before fast pass. Everyone waited in the same lines, but the time went quickly because there was no extra fast pass line, and we visited with others to pass the time. If I didn't want to wait in the line, I would just skip it and go back later.Everyone was equal that way.
You can just wander where you want to, not where you have to be, and do what you want. No pressure to get to a certain area for a certain pass. No stress and more freeing, IMO. So, I hope it never returns.

 

[GoingSince1990]

I really don't see Disney doing anything as complex as a tiered FP system for different levels of guests. That would be far too complicated and it would cause so much confusion. An across the board paid system that anyone can opt into (a la Maxpass) is the way forward.

I CAN forsee them simply including Maxpass into certain hotel packages with tickets as a perk.

A "tiered FP system for different levels of guests" was precisely what existed pre-Covid. The three tiers were off-site hotels (30-day booking window), on-site hotels (60-day booking window), and concierge level (90-day booking window, 6 FPs instead of 3, upcharge). Maxpass is much more appropriate for DLR where most of the visitors are locals, many dropping by on the spur of the moment, as opposed to WDW where the majority of guests are on long-planned vacations where they have decided their itineraries well in advance.

 

[vacationer1954]

Disney has invested billions in the system, and the last thing they want is news headlines attacking them for abolishing “free” Fastpasses.

I agree. What would be more likely is to bring back what was, but just provide a paid service on top of it that gives better access. They already have offered more FPs to club level guests. It's only a small leap from there to holding aside a separate inventory of FPs and Boarding Group space for Disney Genie subscribers.

It will work better for Disney if they can charge people and make some money.

Yes and the pandemic gives them the opportunity to make changes with less friction than otherwise.

 

[Jonfw2]

Hey, I just want to send a big shout-out to me for starting a great thread! Good job, me!

 

[GoingSince1990]

I know I am in the minority here, but I hope they don't come back.
What you are experiencing in the parks now is how it was before fast pass. Everyone waited in the same lines, but the time went quickly because there was no extra fast pass line, and we visited with others to pass the time. If I didn't want to wait in the line, I would just skip it and go back later.Everyone was equal that way.
You can just wander where you want to, not where you have to be, and do what you want. No pressure to get to a certain area for a certain pass. No stress and more freeing, IMO. So, I hope it never returns.

There was plenty of stress in the pre-FP days, but it involved getting up extremely early and getting to the parks for rope-drop, and then rushing around the popular rides before the lines got too long. Which for a non-morning person like me was much more stressful than booking our FPs 60 days before arrival and then being able to sleep late on our vacation.

 

[disneyseniors]

There was plenty of stress in the pre-FP days, but it involved getting up extremely early and getting to the parks for rope-drop, and then rushing around the popular rides before the lines got too long. Which for a non-morning person like me was much more stressful than booking our FPs 60 days before arrival and then being able to sleep late on our vacation.

I can see how that could be stressful, but we are morning people, so it never bothered us. I remember that we got there when we got there, with no early morning rush. When the paper fp's came along, then yes we made sure to get there at opening. It was just an easier way to do the parks, relaxing.. Kind of like Universal is now. with their EP"s you can go where you want, when you want and use the EP's or you can go standby. We always get EP"s, but find we don't really need them for most attractions but they came with the resort room.
But I see where you are coming from

 

[DLgal]

A "tiered FP system for different levels of guests" was precisely what existed pre-Covid. The three tiers were off-site hotels (30-day booking window), on-site hotels (60-day booking window), and concierge level (90-day booking window, 6 FPs instead of 3, upcharge). Maxpass is much more appropriate for DLR where most of the visitors are locals, many dropping by on the spur of the moment, as opposed to WDW where the majority of guests are on long-planned vacations where they have decided their itineraries well in advance.

But you didn't have to make advanced fastpasses and it was still available to everyone free of charge day of. There were plenty of trips where we didn't make advanced FP or canceled them when we changed plans and we didn't suffer for it. We just made new FP+ reservations in the parks and did what we wanted.

 

[DLgal]

I agree. What would be more likely is to bring back what was, but just provide a paid service on top of it that gives better access.

Psst...Maxpass is exactly that. There are still FP machines and people can use those FREE to get Fastpasses the "old" way. Or, you can pay $15 for the day for the better access of the digital system.

 

[vacationer1954]

Psst...Maxpass is exactly that. There are still FP machines and people can use those FREE to get Fastpasses the "old" way. Or, you can pay $15 for the day for the better access of the digital system.

My point in saying, "in the same way as MaxPass in DL is a better way to get attraction access but Disney Genie will work differently (both because they're not calling it MaxPass and because they've already shown up some screenshots of what it will look like)" was that it would work differently. It would have the same end-effect, but would work differently.

 

[dez1978]

WDW where the majority of guests are on long-planned vacations where they have decided their itineraries well in advance.

People only plan that far in advance bc you have to if you want to be able to eat a a specific place or ride the big name rides. I love planning things, but I absolutely hate the extra details that you have to plan 6 months in advance at WDW. This next trip has been my absolute favorite to plan bc I literally did not have to do a thing prior to 60 days out. Does any one really enjoy planning meals 6 months out? Like, I don't even have tonights dinner planned. Much less 6 months from now

 

[JakeAZ]

A "tiered FP system for different levels of guests" was precisely what existed pre-Covid. The three tiers were off-site hotels (30-day booking window), on-site hotels (60-day booking window), and concierge level (90-day booking window, 6 FPs instead of 3, upcharge). Maxpass is much more appropriate for DLR where most of the visitors are locals, many dropping by on the spur of the moment, as opposed to WDW where the majority of guests are on long-planned vacations where they have decided their itineraries well in advance.

Exactly.

The Club level was a test for what was going to eventually come out to the masses. Maybe not in the same form, but Disney made a calculation that people who spend more for the club level, would spend even more to get more ride access. They were right. There is no chance they will not continue to proceed with monetizing FP (or whatever they call it, when it comes back).

 

[DLgal]

My point in saying, "in the same way as MaxPass in DL is a better way to get attraction access but Disney Genie will work differently (both because they're not calling it MaxPass and because they've already shown up some screenshots of what it will look like)" was that it would work differently. It would have the same end-effect, but would work differently.

Disney Genie was in the works before the pandemic, though. I don't think we can assume it will go forward as planned. They could very easily scrap the whole thing and start over.

 

[vacationer1954]

Disney Genie was in the works before the pandemic, though. I don't think we can assume it will go forward as planned. They could very easily scrap the whole thing and start over.

More likely, they'll revise their plans for it to better leverage what extra degrees of freedom the pandemic affords them, while also adapting it to the aspects of physical distancing that they anticipate living on after the pandemic. From what I've heard (take this with a grain of salt) they are still working on it, now focusing on leverage iBeacon technology. That should let Genie subscribers to walk through the turnstiles and onto the FastPass lines of the attraction without touching a Magic Band or card to a sensor and without taking their smartphone out of their pockets.