FASTPASS Before Arriving

[jade1]

I can see it now getting on TSM will be like getting an ADR for Le Cellier....So I go to book my ride on TSM 85 days out...5 days later than the 90 and to my surprise all FPs for TSM are gone 85 days away from my visit....not good...and waiting in TSM line is like getting a walk up for Le Cellier....can you imagine the planning that would go into ur vacation

Yea that's a good point. There has been a lot of discussion on exactly what the plan may be. It's possible they will only allow every other FP to be reserved ahead of time. That way 1/2 of TSM (or whatever) will run just as it currently does. That way you can still do as you do now to be sure and get there early-"if" they are gone online. Also the rope drop group should be smaller (maybe way smaller) because why rush through that if you already have TSM passes for later that day.

Also possible if you participate and reserve the max allowed-your park pass wil be locked out of any more FP's. I believe if they allow just 1 then this wont be the case, but maybe 3 (or even 2?) would lock you out. I would be fine with that.

 

[PetLoopers]

I think they should allow RESORT GUEST get one fastpass per day instantly for each ride. Like as soon as they get to the fast pass machine for that ride. No come back time on your first one for that ride.

By my wacky calculations (included below) that would mean over half a million fastpasses reserved for/given to on-site resort guests each day. Do they even issue that many in a day now?

21 FP rides at WDW
Assume a guest can do 5 FP rides per day (given the fact that there is no return time and no wait time to get another FP)
25,333 Disney owned hotel rooms (not including SOG, Swan, Dolphin, campsites, etc.)
Assume average of 4 guests per room
101,332 guest per day at full occupancy
Number of FPs issued to resort guests per day: 506,660 (101,332 x 5)

Obviously the number is high because they won't have full occupancy every day and not everyone will get 5 FPs every day. But still.....

 

[kerplop]

I think it should be an option, not a requirement. There are a few rides/shows we know we definitely want FP on, but after that I'd like the choice of whether I get one for another ride/show or not.

 

[jade1]

I think it should be an option, not a requirement. There are a few rides/shows we know we definitely want FP on, but after that I'd like the choice of whether I get one for another ride/show or not.

Maybe if you select only 1, your park pass works as usual for the rest-if you select 2 or 3 you are locked out. That may be good because if you wait too long and find TSM is gone the day you want to go to DHS, but say RNR has a 3PM to 4PM available-you may want to take it, and then on arrival go early and get a TSM in the current fashion.

 

[jade1]

By my wacky calculations (included below) that would mean over half a million fastpasses reserved for/given to on-site resort guests each day. Do they even issue that many in a day now?

21 FP rides at WDW
Assume a guest can do 5 FP rides per day (given the fact that there is no return time and no wait time to get another FP)
25,333 Disney owned hotel rooms (not including SOG, Swan, Dolphin, campsites, etc.)
Assume average of 4 guests per room
101,332 guest per day at full occupancy
Number of FPs issued to resort guests per day: 506,660 (101,332 x 5)

Obviously the number is high because they won't have full occupancy every day and not everyone will get 5 FPs every day. But still.....

I also think it needs to be reserved to keep some kind of control-if everyone in the park went up to TSM knowing they will get an instant FP, it could get over run very quickly IMO.

 

[disneydad1]

like a couple others have noted - this idea stinks, but you'd have to get them early b/c if you didn't, you risk they'll all be gone.

there's already an amazing inability to be spontaneous b/c of crowds and ADR's 180 days ahead of time - this would stomp it down even more.

hope they don't adopt this policy.

 

[Mary T in PA]

I wonder if Disney is giving more serious thoughts to selling a Fast Pass that is good for the day, similar to what Universal does. I have mixed feelings about that idea but from a business perspective there is certainly a huge demand for Fast Pass with the potential of some good revenues. In my opinion it would have to be priced high enough and/or sales limited to prevent full Fast Pass lines. Also need to allow guests at the park to get free Fast Passes.

THisis my thought too, the time is coming where we will need to pay for the FP option. And I bet it starts around the time the FantasyLand expansion is officially complete. Just me thinking aloud.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I would support a system like that used at Universal, but not one that ties me to a specific park on a specific day. In fact, if they go the ADR route, it might very well keep me from going to WDW again.

I am a casual vacationer. When I lose my ability to ride the rides that I want to ride because of my travel preferences, I will stop going. I have all but stopped eating at table service restaurants because of the ADR craziness. This would probably remove WDW from my list of viable vacation options.

 

[Chipndalenut]

Our family likes the Fast Pass just the way it is. And I know SEVERAL families in our area that choose Disney over Universal because you don't pay extra for a FP at Disney. Just like us, they don't want to be so "time managed" while they are on vacation....that's EXACTLY what all of us are getting AWAY from and on vacation for in the first place So many time-related pressures at work for everyone now-a-days that "time management" on vacation is the LAST THING anyone would want !!

Please leave well enough alone...IF IT'S NOT BROKE, DON'T FIX IT

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I voted that I would, but only because I wouldn't want to get to the parks and have no more FPs be available. Having everything planned sounds kind of stressful to me, but so is running from fp machine to fp machine to collect the fps the day of.

 

[Goofypop]

I have been saying that I cannot wait for this system. But I will only like it if the current FP system stays in place and allows you to get FPs for your rides as you always have been but still be able to "book" rides months out. If I were only able to book the Fps for rides online and then get to the parks and be prevented from getting them at the machines I would hate it.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I said probably not b/c people would find a way to manipulate and abuse the system. Sell FP's on ebay before trips or in the parks same day if you can't pick them up until then, make multiple FP 'reservation's in differnet parks b/c they dont know which park they will be in that day (sound familiar with double booked ADR's), etc.

I think if you have to haul your behind out of bed and get to the parks to get them there is less sketchy activity going on around them. Most con people looking to make a few $ on ebay aren't going to go thru the hassle of the TSM morning dash to try to get a few bucks.

 

[jade1]

I have been saying that I cannot wait for this system. But I will only like it if the current FP system stays in place and allows you to get FPs for your rides as you always have been but still be able to "book" rides months out. If I were only able to book the Fps for rides online and then get to the parks and be prevented from getting them at the machines I would hate it.

Well said-that's why I picture only 1/2 being allowed for reservation-that leaves the current system in place for anyone who chooses.

 

[jade1]

I said probably not b/c people would find a way to manipulate and abuse the system. Sell FP's on ebay before trips or in the parks same day if you can't pick them up until then, make multiple FP 'reservation's in differnet parks b/c they dont know which park they will be in that day (sound familiar with double booked ADR's), etc.

I think if you have to haul your behind out of bed and get to the parks to get them there is less sketchy activity going on around them. Most con people looking to make a few $ on ebay aren't going to go thru the hassle of the TSM morning dash to try to get a few bucks.

Folks will try all right-but again if 1/2 stay in the current system, why buy on ebay when they are still free and available at the parks?

 

[jade1]

I voted that I would, but only because I wouldn't want to get to the parks and have no more FPs be available. .

Know the feeling all to well-in the current system.

Having everything planned sounds kind of stressful to me,.

Sleeping in or enjoying breakfast with a couple FP's in the back pocket sounds a lot less stressfull to me than the mad cattle rush at rope drop.

but so is running from fp machine to fp machine to collect the fps the day of.

Exactly.

 

[magicluvinmom]

http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_c...ls-that-fastpass-for-pay-is-not-far-away.aspx

Ok I am new so I don't know if that worked but this is an article I read years ago and it includes disney's patent # for some propose ideas. I especially like the part about Disney contacting u through your phone and offering different choices for fastpasses in the event that the ride u have a pass for breaks down. Disney is trying to compete with universal's resort guest policy without copying it because it definitely has it's problems. Last time my sister was there she was in line for a really long time as resort guests had backed up and were being admitted 10 to 1 over day guests. Lastly let's try to remember that these are the men who make the magic ( and the money, I know) but I bet there were people who questioned what would happen to the regular lines when the current system was employed, but it works well and was provided free, a first I do believe. One last thing, I have heard stories of people waiting 2 or more hours to eat at popular restaurants before the current system, I would rather be told no you can't eat here than left to waste 2+ hrs. Of my park time. Also one of the mad dashes in the morning used to be to guest relations in Epcot to secure reservations for that day. The improvement or not depends on how u look at it

 

[Eeyore98]

Haven't read the whole thread yet, but from the first page it seems like this is NOT popular with most of you. I guess I'll have to be the lone voice of dissent (or one of the few, if others showed up in pages 2-4).

This change would be unfair to those who don't want to plan a few rides in advance. BUT the current system is already unfair to those who don't want to drag their families out of bed before dawn on vacation just to have a shot at those precious few FPs before they run out.

You hear on the DIS how the rope drop crew is allowed to stockpile multiple FPs, getting so many they can't even use them all, so they "pixie dust" a few with late return times upon us poor plebes on their way out of the gate. Is it fair that a rope drop family is able to get 2 or even 3 sets of FPs to TSM in a morning if they want, but the night shift worker whose family doesn't make it to the park until 11:30 is screwed every time?

It would be an AMAZING blessing to our touring style (and sleep cycle!) if we were able to get just 2-3 FPs in advance, regardless of our arrival time at the park that day.

We are going this December the week after Christmas - busiest week of the year - so we will HAVE to get up and get there if we want to have any real hope of touring and not just people watching. But it means I will spend the week sleeping poorly and in a mental fog, just as if you had to plan to START your day at the parks at midnight.

 

[TeddiBarra]

I wonder if Disney is giving more serious thoughts to selling a Fast Pass that is good for the day, similar to what Universal does.

It's not about making Fast Pass a paid option. It's all about NextGen, and selling THAT product-whatever they end up naming it- which would be the all encompassing "Plan every single detail of your trip"- INCLUDING probably Character meet n greets too and ADMISSION MEDIA too.

It would be your RFID admission media/ADRs/FP/Meet N Greets/Tickets/maybe even room key(?) All in one. So you'd get to the ride and get "something" scanned to verify you have a boarding time. Same with ressies.

Now that basically is likely to include some TIERING of "planning services" and packages- similar to dining packages QS/Regular/Deluxe. It won't be a "pay per ticket" thing, IMO, or an upgrade per see, but part of WDTC packages ONLY (they want more direct booking business from what I've read) offering this product, a concept courtesty NextGen.

FWIW, blogs say TDA is alot less excited about these possible changes than are the WDW execs, because the DLR works so much differently from WDW.

It may work out to be something more along the lines of "book with us" at the Value resorts and you get 2/3 "prebooked boarding times" per day (per person). Book at a moderate get 3/4 per day. Book at a Deluxe get 6.

Or perhaps some "Space Mt" gets 1,000 Deluxe stayers per day, the mods get 700, the values 300.

IMO fast pass at the gate is going nowhere, though it would probably mean a % reduction fewer passes (Say a given ride had 10,000 a day, that might drop by 25% or so) available on a walk up basis. Or even the addition of another access called "priority boarding".

Don't like that idea? Think it's too much? Don't like the extremely control of so many details? Or the creation of different types of "honorary citizens"? I suggest you all find your way to give that feedback to TWDC, not even sure where...

Personally, I can't stand the way they think the future should look.

The wave of the future is this RFID stuff- and Disney looking to see just exactly all the ways it could be used - from drink cups, to all your vacay details, to costume tagging. Oh, and supposedly, add in a GPS component to this? Creepy! But that's just me.

 

[disneychic]

I think they should allow RESORT GUEST get one fastpass per day instantly for each ride. Like as soon as they get to the fast pass machine for that ride. No come back time on your first one for that ride.

Sort of like the front of the line thing the other place does but only one time per ride per day.

It would encourage people to stay at a Disney resort and not make us micro manage our "Vacations"..

Yes it would use up many for non resort guests but at least we would be getting something for our high priced hotel rooms.

I like this idea

 

[jade1]

Haven't read the whole thread yet, but from the first page it seems like this is NOT popular with most of you. I guess I'll have to be the lone voice of dissent (or one of the few, if others showed up in pages 2-4).

This change would be unfair to those who don't want to plan a few rides in advance. BUT the current system is already unfair to those who don't want to drag their families out of bed before dawn on vacation just to have a shot at those precious few FPs before they run out.

You hear on the DIS how the rope drop crew is allowed to stockpile multiple FPs, getting so many they can't even use them all, so they "pixie dust" a few with late return times upon us poor plebes on their way out of the gate. Is it fair that a rope drop family is able to get 2 or even 3 sets of FPs to TSM in a morning if they want, but the night shift worker whose family doesn't make it to the park until 11:30 is screwed every time?

It would be an AMAZING blessing to our touring style (and sleep cycle!) if we were able to get just 2-3 FPs in advance, regardless of our arrival time at the park that day.

We are going this December the week after Christmas - busiest week of the year - so we will HAVE to get up and get there if we want to have any real hope of touring and not just people watching. But it means I will spend the week sleeping poorly and in a mental fog, just as if you had to plan to START your day at the parks at midnight.

One million percent agree.