Fast Passes shut down

[jonmar]

We went to Animal Kingdom today as our daughter loves the Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest. We were quite upset to see the fast pass machines covered and shut down for the day, with the exception of Special Exchange cards at Kali Rapids. Anyhow, the line at 10 a.m. being 10 minutes I didn't think it was too big a deal and the guy at the entrance said they wouldn't need it today as crowds would not be too high. Fast forward to noon, and the wait was at 40 minutes. I asked if they were going to start using them and I was then told they had all been given out for the day, which of course was total crap. I told them I got there when the park opened and they had not been in use at all, and further the 'times guide and new information pamphlet says Fast Pass would be available for Kali on Tuesday, and that today was in fact Tuesday. Anyhow, given we only bought base tickets, we couldn't go to another park, and were really upset that Disney just decided to revoke a feature that is 'included' in your ticket price. It wasn't a 'dead' day at the park, in fact lines for most rides were over 20 minutes, some, like Kali in excess of 40. I understand not using it for days that are 'dead', but why can't they adjust once they realize lines are getting pretty long? Just send a guy or girl down to the machines, and take the covers off.

On our way out I went to guest services and told them I felt cheated a bit considering what the guide says and that with a base ticket we couldn't go to another park. The first words out of her mouth were 'oh, all the fast passes had been used up for the day, that's why it was closed...' I just turned and walked out. The 'Magical' feeling rubs off pretty quick when it becomes apparent Disney lies first, addresses the real problem later.

 

[doconeill]

There is no guarantee that Fastpass will be in use on any attraction on any given day. Kali River Rapids is one of the first at AK to not use it based on expectant crowd levels. It generally requires additional CMs to manage the FP queue.

I'm sorry you felt cheated by it, but it really is the case that it isn't always used. Why they were telling you they were gone for the day is bizarre...I doubt KRR is EVER out of FPs by noon. Only TSM and (on busier days) Soarin' usually achieve that distinction.

It will generally be stated on the times guide for the park for that week if it is in use or not, if the attraction manager had made the decision in time for publishing. In general, if it is listed for use that day, it WILL be in use barring technical issues (of course there may be exceptions). If it is NOT listed, it MIGHT be in use but it is unlikely.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

when did you leave? I am showing reports of FP available as late as 730 on multiple wait time applications I frequent and never show a wait above 20 minutes all day (peaking around 3pm).

Plus there is EMH there tonight you can usually get on EE during pm EMH pretty easily and with a base ticket you can re-enter the same park during the same day would it be possible to return for that?

 

[Tiger926]

Sorry you felt cheated, but Disney doesn't have to use Fastpasses, as Doc mentioned above.

CMs have been telling people that the FPs have been given out, when in fact, they have not, for awhile now. We've been hearing this line for at least 2 years.

You are lucky the wait was only 40 mins., as in July, it gets up to 2 hour waits for Kali! 20 - 40 mins is a pretty average wait, and indicates that crowds aren't too bad, so Fastpasses really wouldn't be warranted in that situation.

Hope you were able to enjoy some other AK activities, Tiger

 

[doconeill]

when did you leave? I am showing reports of FP available as late as 730 on multiple wait time applications I frequent and never show a wait above 20 minutes all day (peaking around 3pm).

If you are looking at Touringplans/Lines, they base stuff mostly on predictions (albeit very accurate ones), so if the Fastpass line was not actually in operation, the info could be incorrect.

 

[NonScents]

Want some cheese?

A 20 minute wait for a main attraction is basically, a "dead" day.
Forty minutes is busy but typical for the middle of the day.
I would have just done one of the other hundred things in the park.

 

[okeydokey]

The wait times don't sound too outrageous, but I hate being lied to. It sounds pretty obvious that the machines were put our of service. Guests could see that they were, so why put a bad paste in the mouth of guests by making up a lie?

 

[Planogirl]

That lying or ignorance, whatever it was, would irritate me too. I sympathize.

 

[doconeill]

The wait times don't sound too outrageous, but I hate being lied to. It sounds pretty obvious that the machines were put our of service. Guests could see that they were, so why put a bad paste in the mouth of guests by making up a lie?

Well, I'm not sure what a "put out of service" kiosk looks like specifically. I'm pretty sure it looks no different that they do when they actually have dispensed all the FPs for the day - they get covered. The difference being that if they are not used at all, they never get uncovered.

In the CMs defense, they may have assumed that they WERE in use, but were covered when they ran out. But they wouldn't have run out that early, and ideally they would know if they were in use at all that day or not...like from the lack of guests actually USING Fastpasses...

 

[Lou Holtz]

They shouldn't have been expecting a dead day on an EMH night. That's just dumb planning if that's the real reason. I doubt it though. I only go during non crowded times and have never seen fast pass machines closed due to it being a slow day. You're right to be upset and just ignore the people telling you 40 minutes is not a long time to wait. For people who tour efficiently to avoid lines, that's twice as long as you'll ever wait.

 

[Ryansdad0727]

If the fastpass machines were not in use that day and there were no fastpasses issued that day then you can say that all of the fastpasses for the day had been used. It's a standard line that CM are told to say. I can see where it may be aggrevating but a 20 to 40 min wait for KRR is not too bad.

 

[Tiger926]

They shouldn't have been expecting a dead day on an EMH night. That's just dumb planning if that's the real reason. I doubt it though. I only go during non crowded times and have never seen fast pass machines closed due to it being a slow day. You're right to be upset and just ignore the people telling you 40 minutes is not a long time to wait. For people who tour efficiently to avoid lines, that's twice as long as you'll ever wait.

Being that school is in full swing in most Southern cities, I would assume that Disney wasn't too busy today, EMH or not. But, I'm wondering, if you only go during non-crowded times, then how do you know if 40 mins is a long wait or not? I am a teacher, so can only go during peak seasons: March Break, Christmas/NYE and summer, and 40 mins for major rides like Kali is not long at all. During these time periods, you'll typically see waits of 100-180 minutes for major attractions. BTDT! You don't even want to know what the wait was for Toy Story Mania last month!

Disney has been closing the FP machines much more as of late...cost cutting, perhaps? We've seen the machines closed lots during busy times even, so Disney must be cutting staff for FP machines.

They shouldn't have lied about the machines though, but like I said, we've heard this line being used a lot as of late, Tiger

 

[doconeill]

I only go during non crowded times and have never seen fast pass machines closed due to it being a slow day.

Really? I've seen FP not used at KRR on quite a few occasions, most recently this past April. Same for Primeval Whirl.

It actually doesn't matter if it is a slow day or not. If they don't want to use it that day, they won't use it, crowded or not.

I'm still not saying that lying to the guest was right...

 

[Lou Holtz]

Seriously...if you only go during non-crowded times, then how do you know if 40 mins is a long wait or not? I am a teacher, so can only go during peak seasons: March Break, Christmas/NYE and summer, and 40 mins for major rides like Kali is not long at all. During these time periods, you'll typically see waits of 100-180 minutes for major attractions. BTDT!

Huh? How do I know if 40 minutes is a long time? Because it's a long time to stand in line. I don't care what time of year you go, if you know how to tour, you're not waiting 40 minutes in any line. You are stating what the standby wait time is during the height of the day. That's not how long you wait with fastpass, for the first hour or more, and the last hour or more. Unless you love standing in line, if you're standing in a 40 minute line, your planning is lacking.

 

[serene56]

ok- so if we are going the end of September--which is a low month.
Can I expect FP machines NOT to be up and running?

 

[Lou Holtz]

ok- so if we are going the end of September--which is a low month.
Can I expect FP machines NOT to be up and running?

Fastpass machines run every day. Sometimes, the lesser fastpass rides will close down fastpass in lower crowd times. Kali is more rare than some to be closed down. The headliners will all have fastpass open 365 days per year at each park.

 

[doconeill]

ok- so if we are going the end of September--which is a low month.
Can I expect FP machines NOT to be up and running?

You can't exactly predict it. The main "E-ticket" attractions should be using it all the time unless there are issues. The lesser attractions may not. But it is a decision made by the attraction manager.

The ones most likely to NOT be using it on any given day, even in moderate crowds:

Living With The Land
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
It's Tough to Be a Bug
Primeval Whirl

 

[Tiger926]

Huh? How do I know if 40 minutes is a long time? Because it's a long time to stand in line. I don't care what time of year you go, if you know how to tour, you're not waiting 40 minutes in any line. You are stating what the standby wait time is during the height of the day. That's not how long you wait with fastpass, for the first hour or more, and the last hour or more. Unless you love standing in line, if you're standing in a 40 minute line, your planning is lacking.

I never stand in 40 mins lines for anything. But in July, many people stand in lines way longer than that. Why? Because it's very busy, and FPs have been all given out by mid morning for some attractions. So, the stand by lines are typically at peak wait times pretty much the entire day. It doesn't matter if you think that 40 mins is long to wait in line...during peak season, it's not a long time to wait based on the crowd patterns.

I guess I'm just confused how someone who doesn't travel during peak seasons, can know how busy the parks should be for wait times?

Tiger

 

[doconeill]

Fastpass machines run every day. Sometimes, the lesser fastpass rides will close down fastpass in lower crowd times. Kali is more rare than some to be closed down. The headliners will all have fastpass open 365 days per year at each park.

OK, I agree with that. Fastpass AS A WHOLE will not be shut down except in extremely rare circumstances (and by extremely rare, I don't think it has occurred at WDW once since inception).

Fastpass at a single attraction may be closed down.

If you want to ride an attraction, and the wait is 40 minutes, and there is no Fastpass, you wait 40 minutes, or take your chances coming back later to see if it is shorter. You can have a touring plan that may get you there earlier, or during a lull, but they are not guaranteed either.

 

[Tiger926]

Really? I've seen FP not used at KRR on quite a few occasions, most recently this past April. Same for Primeval Whirl.

It actually doesn't matter if it is a slow day or not. If they don't want to use it that day, they won't use it, crowded or not.

I'm still not saying that lying to the guest was right...

Primeval Whirl was closed the entire time for FPs the whole 2 weeks we were there, during the several days we were @ AK. Asked the CMs, as the standby line was long, and she said they hadn't been using the FP machine in awhile. Sure enough, remembered back to our March Break trip, which was the busiest I have ever seen the parks in my entire time of vacationing there, and Primeval Whirl FP was closed then as well. Confirmed this when I checked my photos, as we had one right in front of Primeval Whirl.

Fastpass machines run every day. Sometimes, the lesser fastpass rides will close down fastpass in lower crowd times. Kali is more rare than some to be closed down. The headliners will all have fastpass open 365 days per year at each park.

During the week of July 4th, Kali FP was closed several times, and not because they had already given out all FPs. On the contrary, on the one day we were there, there was only a 10 mins stand by wait for Kali. Have never seen this in July, much less on July 4th! Now, the park was pretty empty, for July standards, as most guests were at the other 3 parks. I am assuming the attraction manager could see the park was pretty empty, and didn't open Kali at all that day, despite crowds picking up later in the morning.

Tiger