Fast Pass to become "Pay for Play"?

[Mister Disney]

I'm really not sure. I think # of buses is determined by # of guests at the different hotels. But, like I said, I can't be sure.

In any case... this is a different issue.

But what about my spanking?

WHHAAAAAA

(kidding....a little levity in our debate....)

 

[ophie]

But what about my spanking?

WHHAAAAAA

(kidding....a little levity in our debate....)

c'mere then!

 

[lllovell]

I'm really not sure. I think # of buses is determined by # of guests at the different hotels. But, like I said, I can't be sure.

In any case... this is a different issue.

FPs are available to everyone who buys a park ticket. If people want to upgrade their tickets to include more FPs, great! You get what you pay for. But attaching it to resort categories as a perk is a bad bad idea.

I swear I am not trying to be obtuse, but how it is different for people to pay for a nicer hotel if they want to or to pay for extra FP if they want to?

Do you think that EMH is wrong since its not open to everyone that buys a ticket, but only for those staying onsite?

 

[ophie]

I swear I am not trying to be obtuse, but how it is different for people to pay for a nicer hotel if they want to or to pay for extra FP if they want to?

Do you think that EMH is wrong since its not open to everyone that buys a ticket, but only for those staying onsite?

Here's the difference... FP has always been available to all guests... not just resort guests. EMH was started as an onsite perk, so that's how it is. But let me ask you this, do you think it would go over well if EMH were changed to provide more EMH opportunities to Deluxe guests vs. other guests? It's the fact that they're talking about taking something that was equal and fair and making it biased toward those who can pony up the dough that bothers me...

 

[ucfsweetie82]

First of all I apologize if anyone takes offense to this but I feel if they start making fastpass only for the resorts that is just wrong. Being a Florida resident all my life, my parents and I have both spent a lot of our hard earned money at WDW. Sometimes we stay and play for a few days, other times its a short day trip. Either way we are there 10-15 times a year, and have aps. We always have pss and aps. I use the fastpass but I think making it for resort guests only is rediculous, just because I don't pay to stay in a resort because I live 45 minutes away means I should not get to use fastpass??? Resort guests already have EMH and every time I have gone to EMH the waits have been very minimal. All the big rides are open that have waits during the day and if you don't want to use a fastpass wait and do them at EMH.

 

[Pedler]

One other thought on how Disney is changing things to benefit resort guests is the doing away with E nights. If I understand it correctly it used to be that anyone, with a limited number, could pay extra for an E night. It wasn't limited to on site guests. Now they seem to have done away with E nights and have EMH for resort guests only. While definitely not the same as E nights it still is an extra perk on site guests that off site can not use.

Or to put it another way a on site guest could pay the same ticket price as an offsite guest but be able to spend more time in the parks.

Its not the same as a change in Fast Pass but it is along the same lines of offering a park benefit to on site quests only. If you are against the idea of changing fast pass to benefit only resort guests then my guess is the idea of EMH bothers you as well.

 

[pamlet]

Disney is probably one of the most savvy companies out there when it comes to PR... I highly doubt that they would take away fast pass options all together.

I also think that they are doing whatever it takes to get people to stay onsite because there are SO many options outside the park that offer better accomodations for less money... Disney knows EXACTLY where the level of tolerance is... probably minute by minute.

Disney also NEEDS those offsite properties during the busy seasons - because they DO fill up.. did you notice the little comments in the patent app that referred to being able to change season by season? Every bit of it is supply and demand ... like ANY company's product it is somewhat a "class system". I would LOVE to shop at Neiman Marcus all the time - but there are times financially that it's not feasibly... then there are times that it IS feasible when they have a sale... of course then there are times that I buy things I could buy at Neiman Marcus on Ebay... (used - not much wear).

Disney knows how far they can push things - they know the AVERAGE vacationer isn't MANIC about their Disney trips like the folks here... When you call to make a reservation or inquire about rates the onsite "perks" are rattled from memory... (my FAVORITE is "free parking" ..what is it.. 8.00 a day? Adding 8.00 a day for a 6 day stay is less than 50.00.. I can rent an offsite 2 bedroom condo for 100.00 a night ... ok 7 nights.. thats 750.00 for the week with the parking... That's approx 107.00 a night. What does that get me onsite... a VALUE resort.. 300 sq feet - 2 double beds.. people tripping over each other..)

It all depends are where people want to put their money... Yep - I'd LOVE to stay onsite - I've already decided I'm not going to do it unless I can stay at the Poly, Beach Club or Boardwalk... I'm with Mr. Disney .. I'm not riding the busses.. The fastpass option goes in.. it makes it even MORE enticing.. It may be another 6 years before I go back.. but I WILL go back.

 

[justcruisin]

gotta add my 2 cents ...

What's wrong with courting those with deep pockets?

There's a reason Victoria and Alberts is in the GF.

Do you think a concierge making PS gets priority over regular joe?

Those flying first class get on the plane first and the airline give them priority service.

We live in a class society --- maybe we should include MYW passes for those who have saved and saved for a once in a lifetime chance to stay at a value?

Kiss you kids, hug your SO, count your blessings and thank God we even have the chance to go to Disney.

diana

 

[lllovell]

double post

 

[lllovell]

Ophie - ok - I get your point now. My answer to your question about EMH is "not if they used what they have now as a starting point and then gave others MORE benefits". That is how I also feel about this Fast Pass issue. If they somehow take AWAY priviledges that people staying at the values already have, then it would not work for me. I just don't see them doing that as I have stated because those hotels hold soooooooooo many people and Disney wants every room filled!

If they cut back EMH and then allowed deluxe and/or moderate guests to stay longer, doesn't seem right to me.

 

[lllovell]

First of all I apologize if anyone takes offense to this but I feel if they start making fastpass only for the resorts that is just wrong. Being a Florida resident all my life, my parents and I have both spent a lot of our hard earned money at WDW. Sometimes we stay and play for a few days, other times its a short day trip. Either way we are there 10-15 times a year, and have aps. We always have pss and aps. I use the fastpass but I think making it for resort guests only is rediculous, just because I don't pay to stay in a resort because I live 45 minutes away means I should not get to use fastpass??? Resort guests already have EMH and every time I have gone to EMH the waits have been very minimal. All the big rides are open that have waits during the day and if you don't want to use a fastpass wait and do them at EMH.

I realize we have no idea how or if this will be implemented, but I dont see Disney forgetting about Florida AP holders. Of course, its all speculation right now, but I see you getting perks as well.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Sometimes it feels like Disney is out to punish the value customers for not spending more.

My Mom was surprised that there was no coffeemaker in our ASMo room. I haven't stayed at another Hotel in 20 years that didn't have a coffemaker.

The checkin line May 6 at 3:45 for ASMo was more than an hour long. Only 3 clerks for checkin.Again my Mother who has gone to many conventions had never experienced such a long line just to checkin.

 

[Disney Gator]

I realize this discussion has been going for a while, but did anyone read the wording of the actual patent application? The author of the piece makes a few exaggerations. It does not say anywhere that FPs will only be available for resort guests. It also does not say that deluxe resorts will be able to get all the FP's they want.

It sounds to me like it could be FP's available to everyone still and limited to 3 per day, but resort guests would be able to get them early from their room, with deluxe resorts having higher priority for the 3 they want. The author of the piece takes several liberties with the application and makes it seem a lot worse than it really is.

 

[Briarmom]

What about people who live in the area? The people who don't NEED a hotel room and just go whenever they feel like it. Or AP holders?

I wasn't going to respond, because we don't even know if it is going to happen, but then I started thinking about Shades of Green. Will my family get more FPs than an Enlisted person but less than a Colonel? When my dh's rank goes up, do our FP amounts go up too, or do we not get this option? We get EMH's (or did when we were there in Dec-then EEs).

The military doesn't pay enough for us to stay at a $500 per night hotel.

 

[ms.ojo]

I know this board is here for us to discuss Disney...but this seems like it belongs in the rumor section.

My Dad always told me 99% of the things you worry about never happen. This is something we really have no control over....and...it hasn't happened! Yet people are donning flame suits, getting upset about elitists and making vast generalizations in some cases which are really upsetting others.

Maybe I should don a flamesuit too....but my take is....Disney is a business, they're exploring a patent option....they've offered a few special perks to consierge guests and specials at Disneyland BUT ... we have no idea what is next for WDW, Disneyland or any of the other Disney theme parks worldwide. To talk about something and speculate is fine....but it just seems this topic is getting many people really hot under the collar.

I just wanted to say, let's relax a little. Life is too short. I suppose I am overly sensitive right now as my parents are undergoing some major health issues and I realize how fragile life can be...and this topic just seems so trite in comparison. I just had to make a posting and try to lighten things up. ....this is just a lot of negative energy.

 

[pamlet]

Excellent point.

It's the fact that they're talking about taking something that was equal and fair and making it biased toward those who can pony up the dough that bothers me...

VERY excellent point.

Disney IS for those who can pony up the dough.... I think it's wonderful they make it as affordable as they do when you think about it... of course that goes back to market value... the new ticketing method made it MORE affordable for us to go this year... while we are NOT staying onsite - we actually added a night on in Orlando just to make use of the tickets for 7 FULL days instead of a partial day... That means I'll be eating Disney food... probably buying more Disney souvies... adding to Orlando's bottom line for an extra 24 hours... So really did we save any money ... no .. but initially we did... then as we saw we could add the day we did... Every bit of it is about MONEY... that is life!!

We live in a capitalistic society - not a communist society... or even a socialist society.. so business is business and Disney does a great job of offering fairly affordable vacations to a VERY large number of people every year...

As I said earlier - I bet they don't change the current FastPass at ALL.. they'll just introduce this as yet another perk of staying onsite.

 

[lllovell]

I realize this discussion has been going for a while, but did anyone read the wording of the actual patent application? The author of the piece makes a few exaggerations. It does not say anywhere that FPs will only be available for resort guests. It also does not say that deluxe resorts will be able to get all the FP's they want.

It sounds to me like it could be FP's available to everyone still and limited to 3 per day, but resort guests would be able to get them early from their room, with deluxe resorts having higher priority for the 3 they want. The author of the piece takes several liberties with the application and makes it seem a lot worse than it really is.

lol no more liberties than everyone else speculating on it.

Yes, I read it. I think the things you say could be true, but I took it to mean a bit different system.

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

I haven't read all ten pages, and, I can't find where the article itself it.

I thought Fast Passes were designed to help reduce overall waittimes for major rides. Everyone who wanted to ride a particular ride had the option of waiting in line at the moment or waiting until 'later' to do the ride. Since you could only get a second FP after a certain period of time or use of the first FP, it wasn't the same as FOTL passes at Universal.

I read here that the execs thought that people would spend more money on food and shopping if they weren't standing in line...and even tho the accountants say that hasn't happened, I personally don't trust those figures. (Since 9/11, since gas prices have skyrocketed, since the economy recessed..people aren't spending as much per day period and that wasn't taken into account. I think if you are standing in line, you can't spend money. That's pretty clear.

The delayed time wherein you had to return to get into the fastpass lane made sense because it was equal to or more than the time you would have stood in line. Usually, people who use the fast passes, spend the time EITHER spending money or riding rides without a line....so essentailly for the park, it facilitated movement which was better for everyone...even the people standing in the long lines because the lines were less long than they would be without fastpasses.

I think the system could be less expensive for the bean counters if they automated the fastpass line instead of needing one or two CMs to take your fastpass.

The part of hooking it to your expenditures bothers me in that it doesn't take into account that the high roller might not be interested in any of the 'big' rides and might not need fastpasses. If they wanted to 'throw in' some perks like nonspecific time fastpasses for nonspecific rides, I don't think it would mess too much with the system in place, as long as they kept the system that is in place intact. It might be that the 'perk' is to save the high roller from running all over the park to get a fast pass here and then walk over there and then hike back to the original ride. If so, it really wouldn't effect that many people. Lots of people dont bother with fast passes, either lack of knowledge or it just isn't worth the extra planning/walking.

I choose to visit when I hope there won't be crowds. Sure, if I'm walking past SpaceM I will pick up a fastpass if the line is too long. Before fastpass, I 'd just go do another ride and check the line again later. I make ample use of single lines too. Not sure what I'd 'get' as a perk with DVC ownership and AP...they already have my money. I'm sure DVC and APers would gripe and get some sort of concession. I hope that even tho they might perk onsite and high rollers, that the fast pass machines in the parks will still be used for everyone else. In other words, we all get some benefit from fast pass, just some of us get more than others. And that would be fairer than out and out discriminating between on and off site guests.

All in all, this is one of those things that we have to see in practice before we can critique it. Disney is toying with all sorts of ideas to one-up the competition and keep people onsite. Some things work, some don't...and I think it is pretty much trial and error right now.

And, like Forest, that's all I'm going to say about that!

 

[WDWendy]

This is a little off-topic, but I have always been in favor of being able to pick times for Fast Passes ahead, I hate that the FP kiosks just spit out the next available time, what if I don't want to come back until later? I am sure plenty of people here have ended up with Fast Passes that they were not able to use due to the timing.

If done right, it could be a good thing. Imagine making your lunch reservation to coincide with the last ride you have a fast pass for or actually planning your ride schedule ahead so you could be free to see shows or shop or whatever. Of course we all know which road is paved with good intentions, so maybe not.

 

[missypie]

This is a little off-topic, but I have always been in favor of being able to pick times for Fast Passes ahead, I hate that the FP kiosks just spit out the next available time, what if I don't want to come back until later? I am sure plenty of people here have ended up with Fast Passes that they were not able to use due to the timing.

If done right, it could be a good thing. Imagine making your lunch reservation to coincide with the last ride you have a fast pass for or actually planning your ride schedule ahead so you could be free to see shows or shop or whatever. Of course we all know which road is paved with good intentions, so maybe not.

No no please no! Can you imagine being behind an indecisive couple in the fast pass line who have to discuss or debate what their return time should be? My head would explode!