Fastpass a Disney Gimmick?

[Shooby doo]

Hi all ,I'm slowly working/digesting my way thru' the latest UG when I got to the part titled " Disney Don't know No Status Quo". Basically WDW as been awarded US Patent for some new "additions" to the system,on first read,you think wow some great ideas......but then you read on & you get to the quote from WDW "Spending per guest at hotels can determine different hierarchies of access to Fastpass.Thus,the more that is spent by a patron,the higher the priority can be for Fastpass " So all "men" were created equal & then you stay at the GF!!
Now we looked at staying on-site for the first time next year,but it would only have been a "moderate" as the family would have to sell any body part that we have two of to fund a deluxe for 3 weeks! But as much as we would like to be immersed in Disney,we like to have a bit of space.
So would more Fastpass features make you upgrade?
SD aw:

 

[pic22]

Hi all ,I'm slowly working/digesting my way thru' the latest UG when I got to the part titled " Disney Don't know No Status Quo". Basically WDW as been awarded US Patent for some new "additions" to the system,on first read,you think wow some great ideas......but then you read on & you get to the quote from WDW "Spending per guest at hotels can determine different hierarchies of access to Fastpass.Thus,the more that is spent by a patron,the higher the priority can be for Fastpass " So all "men" were created equal & then you stay at the GF!!
Now we looked at staying on-site for the first time next year,but it would only have been a "moderate" as the family would have to sell any body part that we have two of to fund a deluxe for 3 weeks! But as much as we would like to be immersed in Disney,we like to have a bit of space.
So would more Fastpass features make you upgrade?
SD aw:

I don't know what the UG is telling you, but ther is "no" preference for fastpass, you go up to a machine and put your ticket in and it gives you an hour to come back to get on a shorter line. It is like being able to wait in two lines at once. As for individuals staying in a deluxe being upgraded, I know nothing about it, as I have stayed in a deluxe and did not receive preferential treatment for it. There are reasons to upgrade to a deluxe, but IMHO the fastpass is not one of them. Enjoy your trip.

 

[egoldber]

I don't know what the UG is telling you, but ther is "no" preference for fastpass,

There's a paragraph in the UG that explains several FP features for which Disney has obtained a patent. Having the patent does not mean that they have to use those features, it just means that they hold the patent for them. Looking at patents is one way to see products or services that companies may or may not use in the future.

And apparently some of these features (like an automatic, all day front of the line FP) are being used by Disney on a very limited basis. That doesn't mean they plan to roll them out park wide.

 

[pic22]

There's a paragraph in the UG that explains several FP features for which Disney has obtained a patent. Having the patent does not mean that they have to use those features, it just means that they hold the patent for them. Looking at patents is one way to see products or services that companies may or may not use in the future.

And apparently some of these features (like an automatic, all day front of the line FP) are being used by Disney on a very limited basis. That doesn't mean they plan to roll them out park wide.

Very interesting, you learn something new everyday, my original post was to the using of fastpass and I was not aware of these exclusive features. I could see Disney doing this but staying in a Deluxe does not mean you will be given this exclusive pass, and you must either know someone or be a person of stature to recieve this pass, and as it is on a very limited basis, I see no reason for OP to upgrade due to fastpass.
By the way, anyone know how I could get one - :

 

[gatour]

If this is implemented, then I think it would become common knowledge fairly quickly unless it is so exclusive that only a few groups are eligible. For a non-vip (like a celebrity or corporate titan) they would have to almost treat this like the casino clubs where they track your betting or in this case your purchases. They could do this with the room key cards but I wonder how many people use their keys cards for all purchases while on property.

 

[NotUrsula]

The onsite hotels at DL have on occasion given out "universal" fastpasses to their guests; they are given at checkin, and are good for any ride w/ FP on any day of your stay. However, you only get one or two per person per stay, and they are surrendered when you ride, just like a regular FP.

The "perk" in these is being able to have this FP at the same time you have an ordinary FP, thus letting onsite guests have one or two "free" FP rides when you do not have to respect the multiple FP time restrictions or wait for your time to come up.

I'm guessing that if the system adds onsite perks, this is what those perks will be. I think it is likely that the number may vary based on category: 3 universal FP's for a deluxe/HAFH, 2 for a mod, 1 for a value ... or something along those lines. It's a nice little perk, but would not overload the system like emulating USIOA's FOTL for onsite; WDW just has too much room capacity to do that without causing riots.

 

[mikey13v]

There has been threads about this before, and I did read the patent request.

The idea is that you could plan your day the night before from your resort hotel. There would be an interactive channel on your tv in your hotel room, and you would be able to request fast passes for different attractions using your remote control. The amount of fast passes and the times you would be able to use them MAY be determined by the type of hotel your staying in. You would then pick up your itinerary in the morning and head to the park with a plan in place. Your day would be planned with your fastpass ride times, dining plans, parades, and evening fireworks/shows(no special passes needed for parades/fireworks). You can go on non-fastpass attractions, or attractions that you do not have fast passes for, to fill in the gaps in your itinerary. It would be assumed that there would still be standby lines on all attractions.

This was a heavily debated topic on the DVC board. Mainly on how DVC members would fit into the mix. Would they be considered equil to deluxe or not?

This is all speculation, and there may be no difference between value and deluxe, or there may be a vast difference. Would off-site guests be able to participate? Who knows? It's possible that this program will never be put into place, and if it does it might not be for a very long time.

So far Disney hasn't classified it's guests too much, or made anyone feel that they are a less valuable guest. This system, or something like it, could be a good thing, or it could be very elitest, and turn some of their loyal guests to spend their vacation dollars elsewhere.

You would hope that this corporation would remember what Walt would want, and make the right decisions.

Just remember, this patent request may not even have anything to do with what Disney wants. This could just be a way to disrupt plans that another theme park would like to do. I doubt that Universal would like to have machines that say "Head to the front of the line of Shrek 4D with Disneys day planner!"

 

[Schmeck]

And apparently some of these features (like an automatic, all day front of the line FP) are being used by Disney on a very limited basis. That doesn't mean they plan to roll them out park wide.

Are you referring to the GAC, which does not get you front of the line, or some other pass I've not hears about?

 

[seashoreCM]

Yes Fastpass was a Disney gimmick, but Universal mimicked.

Currently Disney does give all day unlimited front of the line privileges to Make A Wish guests.

While (on Oct. 24 after Hurricane Wilma) Disney opened two theme parks after noon for nearly the length of a normal business day, how would or should a future emergency resulting in late opening be handled? Do nothing special? Restrict the few open parks to resort guests? Comp the admission for resort guests but not for day guests? Offer unlimited fast pass privileges to all resort guests but have no fastpass machines operating for day guests?

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/fastpass.htm

 

[lark]

FWIW, I don't think disney has actually received the patent yet. I think it's just an application at this point.

 

[2Xited4Disney]

Front of the line passes are also offered to people (and families) with mental disabilities. My roommate's sister is wheelchair bound because of her Mental disability. She has an annual pass so her, mom, dad, sisters, as well as dogs all get front of the lines. Some of you might have seen her... She says she stands out more than anyone in Disney because she is the only one sitting in Le Cellier with a two dogs asleep at their feet

 

[Schmeck]

It's not front of the line, it's a Guest Assistance Card - see the wonderful, helpful people over at the DISabilities forum to get a better understanding of the GAC.

By the way, how do the dogs ride on Soarin' etc? What if someone on the ride is allergic to dogs, like my cousin's son?

 

[egoldber]

It's not front of the line, it's a Guest Assistance Card - see the wonderful, helpful people over at the DISabilities forum to get a better understanding of the GAC.

By the way, how do the dogs ride on Soarin' etc? What if someone on the ride is allergic to dogs, like my cousin's son?

Actually, I wasn't talking about a GAC. There are fastpasses that Disney occasionally gives out to certain guests (I have no idea who, when or why) that when you put it in the FP machine it spits out a FP for the current time. This was also described in the UG.

And as someone else pointed out, Disney may have applied for a patent for certain FP features for the sole reason of preventing another park (like Universal) for coming out with one with those features. Again, this is a VERY common business tactic.