Fast pass situation at GE/DHS

[rwalker1304]

This isn't a reservation system like Disneyland had. This is a queue. Instead of having people waiting in a line across the park people can go about their day and come back when their time is called.

I see. Thanks!

 

[MomOTwins]

Totally disagree.

Look at wait times of MFSR on opening day .. 120 minutes currently in the middle of the afternoon. That seems amazing for a brand new ride in a new land .. simply because there isnt people skipping the line and mucking it up.

Fast passes, in my opinion, are a failure for high demand rides. Unless you have a LONG trip at a resort, your chances of getting a FP for SDD, FOP, SDMT are almost impossible. I booked FPs right at 60 days at 7:00 am for my October trip. On day 2 of my 5 day trip, I could not get a FP for SDMT ..yet EVERYTHING else in the park (for any time) was available. I could only find FOP FPs for my trip at night. I could only get a SDD FP on my departure day (60+5) .. and even then only after noon.

So if you have short trip, not only do you NOT get a FP, but you get an extra long line because of all the people who ARE skipping.

If MFSR had FPs ..they wouldnt be available to most guests, just frustrating that they are not available and frustrating them because the lines are extralong. If something is advertised, but not readily available -- it may as well not even be offered.

Giving everyone equal opportunity is great .. especially for a new ride. They should do this for every new ride for the first 6-12 months in my opinion.

Correction: you can't get ADVANCE FPs for big ticket rides if you have a short stay. However, you CAN often get them same day through refreshing the app as more are released (we've ever had trouble doing this on any of the big ticket rides except SDD, and even that is possible) or you can rope drop and not wait more than an hour. Now, I think what we will see is that rope drop at HS is INSANE because all the people who would ordinarily get a fastpass are going to show up at rope drop to try to get a shorter wait and everyone else will too. Let's not forget that while the wait time is 2 hours now (still too long for small kids), it was 6 hours this morning. So we trade the current that creates at least some opportunity to ride without long waits, for a system where there are insanely long waits in the morning and still-pretty-darn-long waits in the afternoon.

 

[tlmadden73]

Correction: you can't get ADVANCE FPs for big ticket rides if you have a short stay. However, you CAN often get them same day through refreshing the app as more are released (we've ever had trouble doing this on any of the big ticket rides except SDD, and even that is possible) or you can rope drop and not wait more than an hour. Now, I think what we will see is that rope drop at HS is INSANE because all the people who would ordinarily get a fastpass are going to show up at rope drop to try to get a shorter wait and everyone else will too. Let's not forget that while the wait time is 2 hours now (still too long for small kids), it was 6 hours this morning. So we trade the current that creates at least some opportunity to ride without long waits, for a system where there are insanely long waits in the morning and still-pretty-darn-long waits in the afternoon.

Right .. I figure that the 6-9 EMH will really help get the people who REALLY want to do it out of the way and lessen the lines in the afternoon. If you aren't staying at a resort and show up at 9AM and expect to get on the Falcon .. probably not .. but perhaps because the park is open so long the lines won't be so bad in the afternoons/evenings.

And .. yes refreshing the app can get you same day FPs .. but I've never had luck with that. We arrived early last trip and decided to go to AK and I tried to get FP just for Navi River Journey .. but nothing .. I was able to get an afternoon Safari FP using it though (nothing was available .. refresh .. and magically a 3:30 PM safari was open ...
(but to be honest, I don't spend THAT much time in my phone trying to do that).

I just feel the advance fast passes are struggling (and will continue to struggle) under the weight of everyone knowing how to use it (and adding more hotels that can now make 60-day fast passes).

I would suspect more tiering and/or paid fast passes (to make those high-demand fast passes more available) is around the corner.

 

[MomOTwins]

Right .. I figure that the 6-9 EMH will really help get the people who REALLY want to do it out of the way and lessen the lines in the afternoon. If you aren't staying at a resort and show up at 9AM and expect to get on the Falcon .. probably not .. but perhaps because the park is open so long the lines won't be so bad in the afternoons/evenings.

And .. yes refreshing the app can get you same day FPs .. but I've never had luck with that. We arrived early last trip and decided to go to AK and I tried to get FP just for Navi River Journey .. but nothing .. I was able to get an afternoon Safari FP using it though (nothing was available .. refresh .. and magically a 3:30 PM safari was open ...
(but to be honest, I don't spend THAT much time in my phone trying to do that).

I just feel the advance fast passes are struggling (and will continue to struggle) under the weight of everyone knowing how to use it (and adding more hotels that can now make 60-day fast passes).

I would suspect more tiering and/or paid fast passes (to make those high-demand fast passes more available) is around the corner.

We won’t be able to go until after EEMH. I’ve kind of just resigned myself that we are probably not going to ride it this trip. I definitely think you are right about future upcharge for fastpasses—there are people in my facebook group pooling together to get a private tour so they can ride it without waiting so it is already being monetized in that sense.

 

[tlmadden73]

We won’t be able to go until after EEMH. I’ve kind of just resigned myself that we are probably not going to ride it this trip. I definitely think you are right about future upcharge for fastpasses—there are people in my facebook group pooling together to get a private tour so they can ride it without waiting so it is already being monetized in that sense.

So .. your issue is the line will be too long to wait with kids? (how old?). I get that .. traveling with young kids would be more challenging without FP+.

I had the worry too, and I was blessed to be able to go to the Annual Pass preview (waits were probably 20-40 minutes tops) -- because I knew that when we go in October, I won't be able to get the family (wife, 7yo, 2yo, me) up at pre-dawn to use the EEMH and didn't want to wait in a long line since one of us (and my daughter) would not be able to ride the ride. I didn't want half the family waiting around for potentially an hour or two.

So, i was resigned to experience the land WITHOUT the ride. After experiencing the land, I will tell you this. The land is pretty cool on its own without the ride -- especially if you are able to splurge on one or both of the experiences (Lightsaber and droids). Unlike say Toy Story land, there is lot to see and do and eat and not just about the ride. There is also (thanks to the Disney Play app) a lot you can do in in the land (and in the Falcon queue) to pass the time.

So while Fast Passes aren't available, maybe it won't be as bad as you think since the line rolls pretty quickly. Just looking at it now .. 9:50 AM - almost 4 hours after the park opened to all on its second official day on a Friday .. on a holiday weekend .. the wait is 95 minutes. That is long, but pretty awesome for a brand new ride compared to FAST PASS rides.

But, I think the decision to not have FAST PASSES for the ride for the foreseeable future was a good one.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

So I'm looking at wait times right now and all of them are decreased from the average. Millennium Falcon is also under 2 hours at this time.

Granted I'm sure Dorian is playing a role in deflated times to some degree, but the extra extra magic hours seem to have helped disperse the crowds. FastPass for MF would have been a mistake. Fingers crossed the extend the EEMH for Rise of the Resistance.

 

[CastAStone]

This ride has Rider Switch. As long as you have a spare adult with you, both adults can ride with only one waiting in line, and your kids don't have to wait in line at all. No it's not as good as FP but it will work. It also has Single Rider, although they didn't use it consistently yesterday. I imagine it will become more consistently used as the CMs become more experienced.

 

[MomOTwins]

This ride has Rider Switch. As long as you have a spare adult with you, both adults can ride with only one waiting in line, and your kids don't have to wait in line at all. No it's not as good as FP but it will work. It also has Single Rider, although they didn't use it consistently yesterday. I imagine it will become more consistently used as the CMs become more experienced.

I’ve heard they turn away people from rider switch though if the kids are above the height limit? The height limit is so low, our very tall preschooler is technically eligible.

 

[CastAStone]

I’ve heard they turn away people from rider switch though if the kids are above the height limit? The height limit is so low, our very tall preschooler is technically eligible.

That totally depends on the CM working, unfortunately.

 

[yulilin3]

This ride has Rider Switch. As long as you have a spare adult with you, both adults can ride with only one waiting in line, and your kids don't have to wait in line at all. No it's not as good as FP but it will work. It also has Single Rider, although they didn't use it consistently yesterday. I imagine it will become more consistently used as the CMs become more experienced.

The single rider line open and closed situation has nothing to do with the experience of the CM, they close it as soon as the line reaches the entrance to the attraction and then re-open it once the line dies down. The SR involves stairs and a very narrow walkway and they are trying not to cram too many people in that type of situation

 

[freshmanjs]

We rode Smuggler's Run today at around 6pm. There were quite a few people going through the fast pass line. A few were handicapped, but most not. Who is getting these fastpasses? They were scanning bands to let people into that line.

 

[CastAStone]

We rode Smuggler's Run today at around 6pm. There were quite a few people going through the fast pass line. A few were handicapped, but most not. Who is getting these fastpasses? They were scanning bands to let people into that line.

Could’ve been VIP tour, could’ve been Rider Switch, could’ve been DAS, could’ve been Disney execs or ops folks. Rider switch in particular scans magic bands and looks like someone using a FastPass.

 

[Rach3975]

We rode Smuggler's Run today at around 6pm. There were quite a few people going through the fast pass line. A few were handicapped, but most not. Who is getting these fastpasses? They were scanning bands to let people into that line.

My son qualifies for DAS based on his autism and other special needs that wouldn't be obvious from looking at him. So when we use DAS, it could very well appear as though 5 people without disabilities were going through the FP line. And yes, we'd first scan our bands as if we were using FPs.

 

[Dis Dragon]

Don’t forget ride times are being affected by the threat of Dorian, not to mention it’s already a lower time of year right now. We just got back yesterday and the parks were very light Thursday and Friday compared to days prior.

 

[fiasco32]

If this turns out very badly, I hope Disney can reverse their decision and change the horrendous FP situation at DHS. Thoughts?

Looks like Disney was right. Again.

 

[AngiTN]

Completely disagree. It’s done wonders in DL and I think it will work here. They need to keep that line moving and no FP does that.

Having everything in Tier 1 in the rest of the park is to help spread out the crowds. Disney knows what they are doing.

And after being there the first 3 days it's working very well.

 

[AngiTN]

We won’t be able to go until after EEMH. I’ve kind of just resigned myself that we are probably not going to ride it this trip. I definitely think you are right about future upcharge for fastpasses—there are people in my facebook group pooling together to get a private tour so they can ride it without waiting so it is already being monetized in that sense.

Can't ride it? Is there something wrong with standing in line? It's not like you have to do it for hours and hours. Stand by waits were avg 90 min. That's not really so bad. It would be way longer if there was a FP line too.

 

[Davey Jones II]

And after being there the first 3 days it's working very well.

What`s the situation later in the day? If you show up in afternoon or later, is GE still at capacity?

 

[CastAStone]

What`s the situation later in the day? If you show up in afternoon or later, is GE still at capacity?

GE hasn’t reached capacity since the day it opened.

 

[Davey Jones II]

GE hasn’t reached capacity since the day it opened.

Thanks.

BTW, for all those who were peddling worst case scenarios ("DHS itself will close for capacity every day", "it`ll be impossible to get into GE if you`re not there at 4:30 a.m." etc.), I told you so.