Fast Pass question I've never asked...

[robinb]

Was this an EMH where they were not issuing Fastpasses, and the Fastpass was for a regular hours time? A lot of times they do not issue Fastpasses during evening EMH, and Fastpass line may not technically be open any longer...

Sorry! I don't remember. The FP line was still open as the CM at the start of the FP line was still there and let us into the FP line. It was the CM at the "merge" that stopped us.

 

[robinb]

First, the standby time is measured by those red cards they occasionally give out to guests entering the line.

We call those our "Get to the front of the line " ... big pause .... "eventually" cards. The CMs seem to get a kick out of it.

 

[peterandlisa]

We have been to WDW several times and have neer been turned away with Fast past's that are passed the time, we have travelled and used them in peak times and had no problems.

 

[Tinkerbell10403]

We have never tried to use the FP outside of the return time. While I am sure most CMs may allow them to be used all day...this really does defeat the FP system if you think about it. If everyone had the thought that they would just use their FP at the end of the day...then the line would back up. The return time designates a certain amount of people to be in the line at a certain time. So it keeps the FP line manageable...and not insanely long. I think it is a good system.

 

[kaybird]

Only once were we turned away, had a dinner ressie that went much longer than anticipated, missed the window for Soarin' by about 20 minutes and were turned away. We didn't make a big deal of it, and the cast member asked if we wanted to see a manager, which we of course declined. Wouldn't have probably tried it, but was our last day.

 

[Traveliz]

Only once were we turned away, had a dinner ressie that went much longer than anticipated, missed the window for Soarin' by about 20 minutes and were turned away. We didn't make a big deal of it, and the cast member asked if we wanted to see a manager, which we of course declined. Wouldn't have probably tried it, but was our last day.

You should have asked for a manager - you would have surely gotten to go on. You even had a "good" reason for missing the time.

Liz

 

[mom2rtk]

We were initially turned down with FP's for Splash Mountain a couple of years ago. We had gotten them in the AM, left the park for a while, then returned to use them late afternoon. We had to argue at length with the CM at the gate, but she finally let us in.

I think occasionally you can just run across a new CM who doesn't really understand their policy.......

 

[PrincessTiffany]

We have never tried to use the FP outside of the return time. While I am sure most CMs may allow them to be used all day...this really does defeat the FP system if you think about it. If everyone had the thought that they would just use their FP at the end of the day...then the line would back up. The return time designates a certain amount of people to be in the line at a certain time. So it keeps the FP line manageable...and not insanely long. I think it is a good system.

There have been numerous CMs that have posted on this matter. They are trained to accept late Fastpasses. Accepting late Fastpasses has hardly any bearing at all on the flow of the park or the wait times for anyone. Yes, you could argue that if everyone held their fastpass for 1 hour then flooded the ride, there may be some fluctuations in wait times, but that is simply not realistic. Additionally, if everyone did that, many more standby riders than normal would get to ride earlier. If there's an influx at a Fastpass line, the CM is able to adust the number of riders at a time so, how or when you use your FP does not affect the number of people in the park or how many people ride the ride. Remember, FP's are not intended to move you to the front of the line, they are to allow you to spend your waiting time somewhere else (like buying food or merchandise). Disney is a business and people can not spend their money in line. FP is a win-win idea that reduces your standing in line time. When you use it does not affect the flow of the ride or the dynamics of the wait for ANYONE else.

 

[NYDisneyKid]

It is a Disney policy to accept same-day FP any time after the Return Time is reached.

Had an on going issue about what I do when at the parks....was told about the so-called "policy" that prohibits it and when I asked them to produce the "policy" they couldn't so I walked away and still continue to this day doing what their so-called "policy" says I can't do.

 

[doconeill]

Had an on going issue about what I do when at the parks....was told about the so-called "policy" that prohibits it and when I asked them to produce the "policy" they couldn't so I walked away and still continue to this day doing what their so-called "policy" says I can't do.

Do we have to go down this path again?!?

I am actually confused by what you are saying here. You asked them to produce the policy (I don't think we need to get into the formal definition of policy - lets call it Disney Standard Operating Procedure) that says you CAN'T use a Fastpass after the return time? Was this when you got turned away somewhere?

The DSOP, as most clearly defined as us non-CMs can get and as told to us by CMs, is that late Fastpasses, issued the same day, are to be accepted, unless the attraction manager on duty says otherwise. Why they would do that is a completely separate debate, and we don't need to know the reason - it is up to the manager. Now they supposedly have guidelines with regards to this, and if it happens it is rare - and typically only at Soarin', and perhaps TSM. Mechanical issues is NOT one of those reasons, because the CMs will in fact announce that the Fastpasses ARE valid any time that day in those cases - not because of the issue, but because it is the DSOP.

CMs are supposed to be trained to understand that late FPs are ok - but we also know that some CMs understand that or remember it better than others, as well.

Now, as in an earlier case - if it is evening EMH, and they are not issuing Fastpasses during EMH, you may or may not be able to use a Fastpass from earlier in the day...because the Fastpass line itself may be closed. I have not checked on this myself - I'm usually far too tired to make it to an EMH these days...

 

[Day-Day]

Having the standby wait time be nowhere near reality is not unusual, and rarely has anything to do with the Fastpass line.

First, the standby time is measured by those red cards they occasionally give out to guests entering the line. They are read by a proximity reader at the front, the CM hands them to the guest, and then the guest carries it to another CM at the other end, who scans it again. The time is recorded and the updated on the clock. I don't know if they do some funky math with those times, but I suspect it simply updates to be the time it took that card to get through the line, rounded to the next 5-10 minutes. So, says it says the wait time is 30 minutes, and I get a card as I enter, and I get through the line in 40 minutes and hand in the card, the clock is updated to 40 minutes - how long it took ME to get through the line. But a large group of 100 Bohemian Football Pep Squad Gymnasts got in line behind me. Is the guest after them going to have a 40 minute wait?

Second, maintenance issues. Especially at Splash Mountain. It shut down no less than three times while we were there - once while we walking by, and then twice while in line, and we didn't get to ride that day. But it went from a near walk-on to 60 minutes.

I understand the part about the red cards. I had these handed to me a half dozen times last week in standby lines and FP lines. I don't know if Disney does any additional math to the estimated wait times during certain periods based on historical data or if they go strictly from the data provided from the current card scans.

I know what I saw regarding FP entries at Splash Mountain was nuts. At times, the FP line backed up from where the ride is loaded all the way up the "tunnel", around the "balcony" area and down the stairs leading back outside; large numbers of people were constantly filing into the FP line. Maybe this was a peak time for FP with guests coming back to the park for the evening parade and fireworks and guests wanting to ride before the parade made it to Frontierland. If this is normal, Disney probably has statistics on it.

 

[Day-Day]

Had an on going issue about what I do when at the parks....was told about the so-called "policy" that prohibits it and when I asked them to produce the "policy" they couldn't so I walked away and still continue to this day doing what their so-called "policy" says I can't do.

What is it you do at the parks? Or do we not want to know?

 

[maganda]

Do we have to go down this path again?!?

I am actually confused by what you are saying here. You asked them to produce the policy (I don't think we need to get into the formal definition of policy - lets call it Disney Standard Operating Procedure) that says you CAN'T use a Fastpass after the return time? Was this when you got turned away somewhere?

The DSOP, as most clearly defined as us non-CMs can get and as told to us by CMs, is that late Fastpasses, issued the same day, are to be accepted, unless the attraction manager on duty says otherwise. Why they would do that is a completely separate debate, and we don't need to know the reason - it is up to the manager. Now they supposedly have guidelines with regards to this, and if it happens it is rare - and typically only at Soarin', and perhaps TSM. Mechanical issues is NOT one of those reasons, because the CMs will in fact announce that the Fastpasses ARE valid any time that day in those cases - not because of the issue, but because it is the DSOP.

CMs are supposed to be trained to understand that late FPs are ok - but we also know that some CMs understand that or remember it better than others, as well.

Now, as in an earlier case - if it is evening EMH, and they are not issuing Fastpasses during EMH, you may or may not be able to use a Fastpass from earlier in the day...because the Fastpass line itself may be closed. I have not checked on this myself - I'm usually far too tired to make it to an EMH these days...

Great info - thx for sharing!

 

[NYDisneyKid]

What is it you do at the parks? Or do we not want to know?

the latter

 

[NYDisneyKid]

Do we have to go down this path again?!?

my my,,,having a bad day are we?

 

[doconeill]

my my,,,having a bad day are we?

Oh, don't start with me...I'm going to SWW in the morning, and don't want to spoil the mood

 

[abandcsmom]

I have been told my CM's never throw out your FP's if not used in the hour, they are good for the whole day. Last year I probably gathered 9 sets in my morning venture to MK, the we went back to the room, went swimming, had dinner and went back at night and used all the FP's when the lines were long. It was great!

We were told pretty much the same thing by one of the CMs outside Splash Mountain last year. We had no idea it was "legal". The next day we did the same as you, gathering FP after FP for whatever and then used them up after we had been back to the resort for a break.