Fast passes still “fast”?

[brockash]

The longer wait recently has zero to do with the new fastpass system, there are just more people in the parks. The new system just distributes the fastpasses differently, it doesn't create more people.

That's fine if that's your opinion, it's not ours and I was just posting our opinion. It probably does have to do with the fact that the distribution is different. I also think more ppl. now use fastpass where before they didn't understand etc., so for an experienced Disney goer who used to have an "upper hand" so to speak because they understood the flows/system etc., then yes their wait times in lines have probably gone up since the new system started, nor necessarily due to the attendance.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

That's fine if that's your opinion, it's not ours and I was just posting our opinion. It probably does have to do with the fact that the distribution is different. I also think more ppl. now use fastpass where before they didn't understand etc., so for an experienced Disney goer who used to have an "upper hand" so to speak because they understood the flows/system etc., then yes their wait times in lines have probably gone up since the new system started, nor necessarily due to the attendance.

My guess is you were a "collector".

 

[lvdis]

I think it may also have something to do with more rides having fp+ that never had fp before. Seems like a lot of these rides never really needed fp, you could pretty much ride them whenever you wanted with little wait. Now that they are in the fp+ selection, people may have more tendency to select them as their next fp+ and ride them when they might have bypassed them in the past. I don't know? Just my speculation of something that may have added to longer wait times across the board.

I just made my fp+ selections for our upcoming May trip and picked some rides I would have never thought of using or needing a fp for, but you have to pick your first 3 so you can later get a 4th to possibly ride another tier 1 or repeat a ride you love.

 

[Lady Hiss]

We waited in the KS fast pass line for 45 minutes today, not moving. Perhaps an animal was in the middle of the road or something. My issue with that: inform us so we can understand what's going on. Not knowing the reason for long, long FP lines makes for crabby guests. We felt deserted by cast members as no one would even look at us, much less talk to us..

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I think it may also have something to do with more rides having fp+ that never had fp before. Seems like a lot of these rides never really needed fp, you could pretty much ride them whenever you wanted with little wait. Now that they are in the fp+ selection, people may have more tendency to select them as their next fp+ and ride them when they might have bypassed them in the past. I don't know? Just my speculation of something that may have added to longer wait times across the board.

I just made my fp+ selections for our upcoming May trip and picked some rides I would have never thought of using or needing a fp for, but you have to pick your first 3 so you can later get a 4th to possibly ride another tier 1 or repeat a ride you love.

My understanding is it has more to do with the fact that guests are no longer sitting in hr+ lines. They’re now free to get in another line so basically people are getting more done and are able to go on rides they might have not gone on in the past because doing 3 headliners would take them more than 3 hours. It dispersed the crowds.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

For the safari it was probably an animal in the road. Our safari truck driver was stared down by an ostrich for a good 10 minutes before it moved out of the way.
It was hilarious. Even the truck driver started laughing.
We were also slowed down by a giraffe walking across the road in front of the truck.

FP+ definitely is slower nowadays. But it's still way faster than the standby lines.

 

[bdarling]

The worst I saw was on Splash Mountain last year. We went on within the first hour of opening and got stuck to the point we were walked off out a back lot door. We were given FP anytime passes for that ride. As were every FP user for the next 6 hours! The ride responded around 2pm. It was so crowded every time we checked the apps or went over between Thunder Mountain FP Times. We finally decided to give the FP line a go around 6pm but still waited more than a half hour - but standby was 2 hours for the rest of the day.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

Waiting 20+ minutes for a ride with a FP is due to either:

• the ride breaking down (currently breaking down or broken down earlier, so that more people are crammed into a later FP window to "catch-up"),
• the popularity of a brand-new ride,
• having the bad luck to enter the line behind a huge tour group, or
• multiple other top-tier rides being down, funneling FP holders into just one or two top rides for that park

20+ minute waits with FPs do happen, but they aren't normal, even on very busy days. We were there the day after Christmas this year and didn't wait for 20+ minutes with a FP.

We found 15-20 minute wait for FP in January to be quite common. Using FP we waited close to 20 minutes for Big Thunder, Space, Buzz (almost every single time), EE, Safari, ToT, Soarin, TT.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

My understanding is it has more to do with the fact that guests are no longer sitting in hr+ lines. They’re now free to get in another line so basically people are getting more done and are able to go on rides they might have not gone on in the past because doing 3 headliners would take them more than 3 hours. It dispersed the crowds.

I find this really interesting as during our latest trip, we definitely found we got much less done compared to other trips. Outside of our FP, we didn't jump into many lines because they were far too long (I'm not waiting 60 minutes for Big Thunder or 30 minutes for the Tea Cups)

 

[DVC_Dad_Canada]

That's fine if that's your opinion, it's not ours and I was just posting our opinion. It probably does have to do with the fact that the distribution is different. I also think more ppl. now use fastpass where before they didn't understand etc., so for an experienced Disney goer who used to have an "upper hand" so to speak because they understood the flows/system etc., then yes their wait times in lines have probably gone up since the new system started, nor necessarily due to the attendance.

Whatever fastpass system is used, it doesn't create more people attending a given attraction. If there are less people at an attraction at any given time, the number of fastpass users allowed through before a regular line user is allowed through is less. Everyone moves quicker. The new fastpass system didn't sprout people in line spontaneously, more people entering the park did.

 

[tlmadden73]

The issue with FP lines is there is no way to predict them.

What if EVERYONE who has a FP window of 10-11am shows up at 10:30 am? What if the also if EVERYONE who has a 10:30am to 11:30 am FP window ALSO shows up?
That will explode the FP line really quickly.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

For those that are shocked how long the FP+ waits have been during what they would consider an off peak time I've got news for you... busy times have changed.
Disney keeps xmas decorations up longer than they used to and marathon weekend has turned into a whole week of crowds.
Meanwhile many have decided they won't care to visit in the dead middle of summer.
I feel like some people start to feel entitled the more times they've gone or the more money they have spent and when you get that way it may be time for you to move on if you cannot adapt to changes.

 

[Linkura]

FP lines were great this week for the most part. Only a few minutes at most rides. Only one that was somewhat long- maybe 15 minutes- was Jungle Cruise. But the ride was super backed up for some reason at just 11am- 65 minute wait when I went in, 85 minutes after I left and the lines were overflowing into the main Adventureland walkways.

 

[Shanti]

We found 15-20 minute wait for FP in January to be quite common. Using FP we waited close to 20 minutes for Big Thunder, Space, Buzz (almost every single time), EE, Safari, ToT, Soarin, TT.

I said 20+ was uncommon, not 15-20.

 

[Elle23]

I wonder if the CMs giving fastpasses out like candy and throwing them at any problem or complaint has caused longer FP wait times?

(How on earth did CMs deal with problems before fastpass?)

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This happened to us on Spaceship Earth too, but the ride broke down atleast 4 times when we were on it, so maybe that’s why. Peter Pan, Mission Space, Star Tours and Jungle Cruise. We’ve never had this experience with FPs, usually we wait a few minutes if that. I know there was “talk” that the new offerings at the club level would flood FPs, didn’t know if we were seeing this so soon.

We had a wait for Spaceship Earth. We only knew what was going on because we were right where you can load if we were further back we wouldn't have known what occurred. It was a guest needing extensive assistance to get out of the ride vehicle; several minutes trickled by just for that reason alone. We had used a FP to get into it (though truly the FP wasn't really needed it just got us ahead of other people coming up the line).