Fast Passes - 2008 Forward

[Gonz Of Lancashire]

If any new idea makes it any harder to get a FP or participate in an attraction, I might reconsider my yearly AP renewal.

My argument over Universals paid Express Pass was how it would affect locals who attend the parks on a regular basis, but at least at Universal you can just pay the $15+ dollars for the perk (still wrong IMO). If to get a Fastpass at Disney you have to stay onsite, that's isolating all the local park users, which is a bit of a kick in the teeth and showing disrespect for any loyalty this group has shown over the leaner times at WDW.

 

[jade1]

Just done a bit of number crunching.

2 adults in January stopping at the Grand Floridian for two nights with park tickets - $1531

2 adults and 2 children stopping at the ASM resort for 14 nights with park tickets - $2898

Now the couple may eat at Victoria and Alberts both nights they are there, they may not, but I bet their food expenses don't run to the same as the family of fours. They may buy items from the stores in the parks, but I reckon the family of four will spend more there too. So, who does this business really value?

Thats true but I bet WDW would rather get $1531 every 2 nights than $2898 every 14. Also if the Value gets 2 FP per day and the Deluxe gets 4, that would be 16 FP and 112 FP.

 

[Gonz Of Lancashire]

Thats true but I bet WDW would rather get $1531 every 2 nights than $2898 every 14. Also if the Value gets 2 FP per day and the Deluxe gets 4, that would be 16 FP and 112 FP.

We are not talking about about valuing a hotel room, we are talking about valuing a customer. The couple I mentioned are going to be treated better than the family even though the family could be spending twice as much money. The perk of deluxe over value is 200ft more square feet in your room, location and amenities, and that should be it.

 

[jade1]

We are not talking about about valuing a hotel room, we are talking about valuing a customer. The couple I mentioned are going to be treated better than the family even though the family could be spending twice as much money. The perk of deluxe over value is 200ft more square feet in your room, location and amenities, and that should be it.

I'm not so sure, you make an excellent point on the amount of money spent overall being more by one group in this scenario and receiving fewer FP's per day (other than 4 in a room would actually give you the same). I just feel that WDW from a business perspective would prefer to obtain more money per day in all cases. Your example is one group spending $765 per day and one at $207. Now if the GF group checks out and the room sits empty for the next 12 days-then yes it's not good business. That's not actually what happens though.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

The deluxe guests should obtain more service over their stay...they are paying for it. Whether or not that should be Fastpasses...I'm not so sure. I was over at Universal at New Years and waited in a very long line for The Mummy. All that time I spent waiting was time I might have chosen to stop in and have a bite to eat, visit a shop or otherwise spend money. In other words Universal lost more than just the cost of the premium pass I elected to not purchase because they tied me up in a long wait on line.

I think this is what would happen at Disney if they went that route. Their daytrippers and value guests would wind up tied up in line, choosing to eat counter service and skip browsing the stores because time would become more precious. Of course I do that anyway since Disney doesn't have the more interesting merchandise they used to have.

 

[Gonz Of Lancashire]

The deluxe guests should obtain more service over their stay...they are paying for it. Whether or not that should be Fastpasses...I'm not so sure.

I liken the debate to that of flying. If you pay for First Class you get a bigger seat, leg room, better food, better drink selection, choice of films and even massages, and no-one will argue that you deserve that because you've paid for it. If you pay for Economy you get none of these things but your flight cost so much less, but the end result is that you all take off together at the same time and land together at the same time. The airline does not let off First Class passengers and then let Economy wait for an extra two hours because they paid less.

 

[phyllis1966]

I liken the debate to that of flying. If you pay for First Class you get a bigger seat, leg room, better food, better drink selection, choice of films and even massages, and no-one will argue that you deserve that because you've paid for it. If you pay for Economy you get none of these things but your flight cost so much less, but the end result is that you all take off together at the same time and land together at the same time. The airline does not let off First Class passengers and then let Economy wait for an extra two hours because they paid less.

Very well stated and a perfect comparison, I think...as I posted earlier in the thread, as a deluxe guest I would love some extra perks, and there are many people (concierge, etc.) who spend much more than we do who would therefore have even more perks. I just don't think the fastpass thing is fair to those families who can't or don't spend as much.

 

[Gonz Of Lancashire]

Very well stated and a perfect comparison, I think...as I posted earlier in the thread, as a deluxe guest I would love some extra perks, and there are many people (concierge, etc.) who spend much more than we do who would therefore have even more perks. I just don't think the fastpass thing is fair to those families who can't or don't spend as much.

I can see that from the bottom of your post that you have stayed in the deluxe resorts a few times and I am glad that you feel this way too. The money side of things to me personally isn't an issue, but I know I would feel uncomfortable walking past a queue of people, who have been waiting for over an hour with kids, for every ride I went on just because I'm in the financial position to do so just isn't right.

 

[EUROPACL]

The deluxe guests should obtain more service over their stay...they are paying for it. Whether or not that should be Fastpasses...I'm not so sure. I was over at Universal at New Years and waited in a very long line for The Mummy. All that time I spent waiting was time I might have chosen to stop in and have a bite to eat, visit a shop or otherwise spend money. In other words Universal lost more than just the cost of the premium pass I elected to not purchase because they tied me up in a long wait on line.

I think this is what would happen at Disney if they went that route. Their daytrippers and value guests would wind up tied up in line, choosing to eat counter service and skip browsing the stores because time would become more precious. Of course I do that anyway since Disney doesn't have the more interesting merchandise they used to have.

The old Disney learned this long ago....the Eisner/Iger Disney found it eaiser to just cut back on park hours, cut back on the number of rides offerered, cut back on CMs working, cut back on food quality and quanity, cut back on what is offerened in the shops, cut back on upkeep, cut back on Capital spent in the parks...and just keep raising prices across the board to make up for any money lost by customers standing in a line. In short they just don't care if you stand in line anymore.

 

[TINKERIFIC]

Although I am financially able to stay in a deluxe resort, I choose to stay value or mod...we spend much more money elsewhere this way. I just have a hard time paying a lot more money for amenities I might not use. Anyways...

I do think that deluxe resort guests should get extra perks because they pay more...but I believe it should stay outside of the parks. IMO, once you enter those park gates everyone should be treated equally. At least as far as onsite guests are concerned (EMH). I think the extra perks should be resort specific. Hopefully that makes sense anyways.

 

[Lilolvr]

My wife just told me that Disney is looking at only giving Fast Passes to people that stay at one of their resorts starting sometime in 2008. Anyone else heard this ??? Personally it wouldn't bother me any, just a perk for staying at one of their resorts. Universal Studios/Island of Adventure does this, we paid extra for it last year, but it was worth it. I don't know that Disney would charge extra. Just wondering if anyone else had heard this ???

I hope they do this!! That would be great!!!

 

[Gonz Of Lancashire]

I hope they do this!! That would be great!!!

Better still, charge around $700 per ticket per day and only let 5000 people daily into the Magic Kingdom, this would make the annual spend on MK park tickets roughly the same and make queues smaller for all us wealthy folk.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I liken the debate to that of flying. If you pay for First Class you get a bigger seat, leg room, better food, better drink selection, choice of films and even massages, and no-one will argue that you deserve that because you've paid for it. If you pay for Economy you get none of these things but your flight cost so much less, but the end result is that you all take off together at the same time and land together at the same time. The airline does not let off First Class passengers and then let Economy wait for an extra two hours because they paid less.

Actually the First Class passengers DO get off first! I don't really have a problem with Disney giving people perks because they stayed in a certain location. If you tie something to the high end rooms that people want to have you might be able to decrease the amount of time you have to discount those rooms to get people in them (compare discounted seasons on the deluxe hotels to those of the values...there's a significant difference). The equivalent of FOTL for a limited number of rooms might be the way to have that happen without affecting the existing Fastpass program very much.

 

[DemoBri1]

Instead of giving Fast Passes to those that only stay "on property", I'd rather see a "front of the line" type of deal where those on property guests get that little extra touch of magic.

Personally, with all the available rooms on property, I don't know how they'd implement such a thing, but maybe have two Fast Pass entrances? One for those staying off property and one for on property? This could cause the on property line to extend out further than the off property line, but then what you'd probably end up doing is taking a bit more people at a time from the on-property line than the off property line.

I don't know...just a thought.

 

[bubba's mom]

Personally, with all the available rooms on property, I don't know how they'd implement such a thing, but maybe have two Fast Pass entrances? One for those staying off property and one for on property? This could cause the on property line to extend out further than the off property line, but then what you'd probably end up doing is taking a bit more people at a time from the on-property line than the off property line.

I don't know...just a thought.

While a good thought, that is just like Universal does it... I think the problem is that Disney is SO big and they 'outdid' themselves SO well, that they can't offer the onsite FOTL that Universal does.... Talk about being too good.....

I am curious to see what Disney does and how they are going to 'compete' with the Universal onsite perk of unlimited express.... Be interesting