Fastpass Article?

[grandma jan]

Has anyone else read this report?




Disney May Provide FastPass For A Price
(CBS) ORLANDO Walt Disney World may be creating an electronically available FastPass that could provide visitors the opportunity to skip the long lines at Disney’s favorite attractions.

According to the Web site JimHillMedia.com, the Walt Disney company filed a patent on Aug. 30, 2007 that would create an electronic, paperless FastPass system.

Guests would be able to download the line-skipping FastPass through a cell phone text message.

An additional entry in the patent discusses allowing guests to use their television and remote in their hotel room to get a FastPass prior to their visit to a park. Then the FastPass information would be downloaded directly onto that guests’ cell phone.

In addition, the technology would allow Disney to give preferential FastPass treatment to those guests who spend the most money at Walt Disney World resorts and restaurants. That part of the plan may not be popular with guests who aren’t staying at a Disney property.

The technology is still in the research stage.


(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

 

[DizneyDreamin']

If this is true than it's wrong, people shouldn't be put down because they dont stay in the top resort or if they don't eat 100.00 worth of food.

 

[Robo]

Has anyone else read this report?



...According to the Web site JimHillMedia.com,

Jim Hill rumors are often indistinguishable from TROLL posts.

BTW-
Disney has had these kind of patents since early-on in FP creation.
Its been discussed for years... never happened.

 

[Cool-Beans]

While it is true that Disney has thought about it and patented it...nothing has come to fruition.

I think it will happen eventually. It is my personal belief that this YOAMD dream fastpass thing is a trial run, where they're trying to find out how many of these things they can give out and still keep the FP lines moving. But I didn't get that info from anywhere, I just pulled it out of my hat.

I really wish they'd start selling the FPs, like Uni does or (better yet!) give them to me with the hotel, like Uni does. But, nothing yet.

 

[Shorty82]

I really wish they'd start selling the FPs, like Uni does or (better yet!) give them to me with the hotel, like Uni does. But, nothing yet.

Why? One of the things that I and my family love about WDW FastPasses is that it doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, stay on or off property, you can use them. To use Universal's ExpressPass you have to have enough spare cash to buy them or stay in one of their hotels, neither of which a number of people can't or won't do.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Ah, you don't give yourself enough credit, Cool-Beans. Out of one's hat is sufficient support

 

[Robo]

Ah, you don't give yourself enough credit, Cool-Beans. Out of one's hat is sufficient support

Maybe its just the wrong hat.

 

[doconeill]

I've found sometimes that Jim Hill is spot on, sometimes he's out in right field (DQ has been closing for two years now), and sometimes he reports old news as if its new (no free picture at MVMCP). I usually wait until I hear it from an independent source, but all my other sources are quoting Jim...

Disney has had a number of patents for a few years about possible Fastpass enhancements - but the system has yet to change. Even this one has been reported as being recent - yet there is a two-year old thread about the same thing, so its not really new news. I don't know why its suddenly being reported as a "recently filed patent", unless Disney has filed a similar one to the previous...

Note that a patent filing does NOT mean there is an intent to implement. A patent is a protection on an "invention" - the definition of which is currently pretty broad. If accepted and held up in a challenge, it means that no one else can implement that invention without a license or royalty to the patent holder.

So, it doesn't mean anything is changing. However, with the recent updates to the existing fastpass system, and all the chatter now coming about, it does seem likely that something may be coming...