Fastpass changes are coming

[DCTooTall]

Expect lots of yelling at poor cast members if Disney really does restrict the use of Fast Passes.

The ONLY way I see this working is if it is implemented at the same time as other dramatic changes to the Fastpass system. (ie. the "pre-booked Fastpass" system... or whatever they decide to call it.).


I really don't think a simple update to the Current Fastpass system w/ a hard expiration added would gain either the upper management support, or the understanding/buy-in of the public at large...(at least without MAJOR *****ing). It would hard for most people to understand or accept the change without thinking Disney took something away from them. (admittedly... it wouldn't be the first time.).

Now, if they created a new system to replace the existing Fastpass System, introduced new features/perks, and just happened to have a hard expiration... It would be much easier to get everybody's support as it would be easier to see and explain as a new system with it's own quirks.

In a way.... Think of it this way....

Disney tickets used to all be non expiring Parkhoppers back in the "Passport" days. (Not including 1 day tickets). If they had kept the existing ticket structure but removed the Park Hopper and Non Expiring options, There would've been a lot of complaining.

But rather than Strip the 2 features off the old WorldPassports (And charge more for those features.), Disney Introduced the Magic Your Way tickets.


These were tickets you could get and customize any way you wanted with all sorts of add on options. By themselves, they were pretty stripped down. One park, one day. But you could add more days for an extra cost... (And less per day the more days you added)... You could add the Park Hopper if you wanted it... or even the Non Expiration if you wanted it. (at an extra cost, of course).... and you could even add extras like the Water Parks, or Disney Quest, etc.


So rather then people having to buy into losing their park hopper and non expiration features of their Disney Tickets, They had a whole new Disney Ticket scheme and structure that didn't include these features you took for granted, but you could add them if you wanted.



make sense?

 

[Lewisc]

I don't think your "normal" guest would even think to use a FP pass past the stated return time. This is a case of a subset of guests who are able to take advantage of a loophole.

I don't think the public at large uses "expired" FPs. I think posters are living in another world if they think there will be widespread uproar if this change is implemented.

The CM would have to keep track of ride shutdowns during the day. I'd hope a person who showed up during his return time only to find the attraction temporarily closed would be allowed to return later in the day.

What's changed? Maybe an increasing, but still small, number of internet educated guests are using "expired" FPs.

JMO but the "plan your day with FPs issued at your resort" screams out as an added cost perk. Maybe not if Disney thinks this is a way to further promote their resorts.

Our old park tickets didn't expire. The current FPs have a return window. It's just not enforced. BIG DIFFERENCE.

edited to add: CMs won't let you enter the attraction even a minute before your window opens but will let you enter the attraction hours after your window has ended. It never made sense to me.

 

[DizCaptain]

Yes there are flaws in the system but it's tricky to change. As said, people are forbidden to go before their time but are allowed hours after, which I have no problem with if it's just 2 or even 3 hours since dining reservations can eat in the way. However, then there are those who get say, Soarin passes for 10 AM and don't use them until 6 at night... That's a little unforgivable. I am not in favor of booking fast passes either, to me that's a mess and can cause alot of problems.

The only way to change FP to me is to improve the ease of its use, which is extremely easy to seasoned and even average guests, but to those new to it they need more information on it I think. Theyre doing a better job of it but it's tricky to explain to people several times over how the system works...

And then there are those blocking the FP entrance waiting for their time to come...an hour later, I hate that.

 

[Max Rebo]

If Disney goes to the "Get a FP before you leave your room" strategy, has there been any talk of HOW guests will obtain those FPs?

By telephone?
By computer?
By smartphone?
By custom kiosks?
At the resort front desk?

Whatever the method, I'm a little skeptical. As it is now, with a single FP distribution site for each attraction, there's only one machine that can break down, and if (when) it does, all guests are more or less affected equally.

But if they start distributing FPs to each guest hotel rooms, there are any of a number of technical gaffes that can wreak havoc, from overwhelmed phone lines to outages in wi-fi or 3G networks. At whatever time in the morning when they open the system for FP reservations, the network will get slammed with users.

It also seems like you wouldn't be able to plan your day until you find out for sure if you are able to secure the FP times you want, which would be the day you visit that park. That would be a negative for all levels of trip planners.

 

[DCTooTall]

It also seems like you wouldn't be able to plan your day until you find out for sure if you are able to secure the FP times you want, which would be the day you visit that park. That would be a negative for all levels of trip planners.

All levels? Really?

Considering I seldom even know which park I'm going to go to before I wake up, let alone how I'm really going to tour the park, i can't say that would really impact someone at my level of planning.

 

[tjkraz]

If Disney goes to the "Get a FP before you leave your room" strategy, has there been any talk of HOW guests will obtain those FPs?

Smartphones and other hand-held Internet devices are a top option. That is exactly why Disney is rolling out wifi service to its resorts AND that's why the service is free.

With wifi, anyone with an iPod Touch could obtain the electronic FastPass. The pass's bar code will be read right off the device at the attraction entrance.

But if they start distributing FPs to each guest hotel rooms, there are any of a number of technical gaffes that can wreak havoc, from overwhelmed phone lines to outages in wi-fi or 3G networks. At whatever time in the morning when they open the system for FP reservations, the network will get slammed with users.

That's why testing on the network has already begun. It may not be flawless but Disney (wisely) isn't going to let an inability to create a 100% foolproof system stand in the way of advancement.

It also seems like you wouldn't be able to plan your day until you find out for sure if you are able to secure the FP times you want, which would be the day you visit that park. That would be a negative for all levels of trip planners.

Don't really see how this is any worse than the current system of choosing a park pretty much blindly and not knowing what FP return times will look like until you walk up to the machine.

As I understand it, all guests will still be able to obtain a FP in the park as they do now (or very similar.) If that is your preference, it will remain an option.

 

[doconeill]

Having been without power for several days, I'm in no condition to "infiltrate" Disney management and give math lessons I'm lucky I can find anything right now...

I'd bet none of these changes are to "correct an issue" with Fastpasses as they are used now. They are being driven by other changes (nextgen stuff) that may require alteration of how FP is used in general, and they may want to roll it out early to acclimate the guests in the new system before then clogging it with a sudden influx of people having troubles with nextgen-obtained FPs...

 

[RescueRanger]

Having been without power for several days, I'm in no condition to "infiltrate" Disney management and give math lessons I'm lucky I can find anything right now...

I'd bet none of these changes are to "correct an issue" with Fastpasses as they are used now. They are being driven by other changes (nextgen stuff) that may require alteration of how FP is used in general, and they may want to roll it out early to acclimate the guests in the new system before then clogging it with a sudden influx of people having troubles with nextgen-obtained FPs...

THIS^^^.... I agree. If this comes to fruition, it will be because they are preparing us for nextgen. In order for the rumored FP reservation system to work, they will have to enforce the window. However, you are going to get the FP police who are going to try to say that the enforcement is because the current policy is not working. When in truth, it is just paving the way for the Nextgen FP reservation system.

 

[nytimez]

Having been without power for several days, I'm in no condition to "infiltrate" Disney management and give math lessons I'm lucky I can find anything right now...

I'd bet none of these changes are to "correct an issue" with Fastpasses as they are used now. They are being driven by other changes (nextgen stuff) that may require alteration of how FP is used in general, and they may want to roll it out early to acclimate the guests in the new system before then clogging it with a sudden influx of people having troubles with nextgen-obtained FPs...

That would be my guess too... whatever comes next may be more time-sensitive than what they have now. It may also be the case that maybe they've found a way to get more FPs to more people for more rides without increasing waits if they can influence the overall agendas of the days of at least some portion of the people -- ie by giving out FPs to multiple attractions at once to the same group of people, knowing then how those people would proceed from one attraction to the next, etc.

Sort of like Touring Plansm but on a grander scale -- and one that would work to maximize efficiency at most rides even if only XX percent of the people followed it.

Again, that's just a guess. Who knows what they're really up to...

 

[ThurlFan]

Will be interesting to see if we still get slips of paper for our FP. Occasionally we will get a FP and be unable to use it, but we hang on to it and it goes in the scrapbook page about that attraction, land, day in the park, etc.

Not a heartbreaker if we won't have them anymore, but they are fun and cheap souvenirs...

 

[cropman]

Ok, so I'm confused. I'm an avid user of FP and have been so for a number of years. Go to WDW 3 or 4 times a year. You mean that some people would get upset if Disney enforced the rules, (ie, the actual times printed on the FP's)? Posters on here call it a loophole, or being educated to the system, I think it's Disney trying to be nice to people, not trying to cause a scene. Maybe, the whole thing would work better if we quit trying to figure away around the program and Disney started doing what they should. Ok, I'm a big boy, let me have it.

 

[doconeill]

Ok, so I'm confused. I'm an avid user of FP and have been so for a number of years. Go to WDW 3 or 4 times a year. You mean that some people would get upset if Disney enforced the rules, (ie, the actual times printed on the FP's)? Posters on here call it a loophole, or being educated to the system, I think it's Disney trying to be nice to people, not trying to cause a scene. Maybe, the whole thing would work better if we quit trying to figure away around the program and Disney started doing what they should. Ok, I'm a big boy, let me have it.

No sense in debating it yet again. It is what it is, and it may be changing.

 

[mesaboy2]

THIS^^^.... I agree. If this comes to fruition, it will be because they are preparing us for nextgen. In order for the rumored FP reservation system to work, they will have to enforce the window. However, you are going to get the FP police who are going to try to say that the enforcement is because the current policy is not working. When in truth, it is just paving the way for the Nextgen FP reservation system.

You sure got that right.

Ok, so I'm confused. I'm an avid user of FP and have been so for a number of years. Go to WDW 3 or 4 times a year. You mean that some people would get upset if Disney enforced the rules, (ie, the actual times printed on the FP's)? Posters on here call it a loophole, or being educated to the system, I think it's Disney trying to be nice to people, not trying to cause a scene. Maybe, the whole thing would work better if we quit trying to figure away around the program and Disney started doing what they should. Ok, I'm a big boy, let me have it.

Nah, I don't feel like it. I'll just leave it at "I disagree" because I don't feel like debating it for the hundredth time.

 

[William33032]

It's a billion dollar project that will allow u to book ride times from home

 

[DCTooTall]

Ok, so I'm confused. I'm an avid user of FP and have been so for a number of years. Go to WDW 3 or 4 times a year. You mean that some people would get upset if Disney enforced the rules, (ie, the actual times printed on the FP's)? Posters on here call it a loophole, or being educated to the system, I think it's Disney trying to be nice to people, not trying to cause a scene. Maybe, the whole thing would work better if we quit trying to figure away around the program and Disney started doing what they should. Ok, I'm a big boy, let me have it.

If you spend any time on the DIS, You'll quickly discover that there are always people who will end up getting upset if Disney makes ANY changes, even if that change is something that has always been a posted rule that maybe just doesn't actually get enforced on a regular basis. (Example: Resort mugs being used on repeat trips / parking at resorts / etc).

 

[krb2g]

Will be interesting to see if we still get slips of paper for our FP. Occasionally we will get a FP and be unable to use it, but we hang on to it and it goes in the scrapbook page about that attraction, land, day in the park, etc.

Not a heartbreaker if we won't have them anymore, but they are fun and cheap souvenirs...

OT to the thread, but we always take pictures of our FPs before we use them (by way of souvenir/scrapbooking).

 

[MVC1225]

We are at Disney World right now. This morning at TSM a guest (clearly a first timer) asked a CM if the FP meant that they returned between 10 and 11 which was the primed time. The CM said that so long as she was back after 10 she could go in any time. When a guest overheard and asked a second CM, his response was they are basically good for the whole day after the first time shown.

HOWEVER, 40 minutes ago on Expedition Everest, a CM told a guest in front of us that they are taking late fast passes now but this was changing in the near future.

 

[kevvvvv]

I'm new here, and don't want to overstep my boundaries as a newcomer but.....

I did hear a similar thing from someone I trust, mainly about a complete overhaul of main gate admission/fastpass where tickets and fastpasses would by integrated into a single electronic...something or other and would be scanned. Clearly, this system would inhibit any "late abuse."

That said, I'm not sure that it really makes a whole lot of sense to stop accepting late fastpasses and redo the policy....for a few reasons:
1) if they have upcoming plans to redo the whole system, why would they spend so much effort implementing a new policy about late returns, dealing with all the complaints?
2) as it stands, in a system where late returns are never questioned, fastpass lines (with the exception maybe of Soarin' (because of its obscene inefficiency), occasionally Splash, and yeah thats it, are never really too unmanageable, so it doesn't really make sense in that regard
3) the end of the day fp exchange doesn't sound like it would work because a lot of guests would just complain and be like "oh we're leaving in 10 minutes...."

but again, im new here, and i dont know your source. those are just some things that occurred to me

 

[doconeill]

I'm new here, and don't want to overstep my boundaries as a newcomer but.....

I did hear a similar thing from someone I trust, mainly about a complete overhaul of main gate admission/fastpass where tickets and fastpasses would by integrated into a single electronic...something or other and would be scanned. Clearly, this system would inhibit any "late abuse."

There is no "late abuse". The system could allow changes (or no changes) in FP policy that are electronically enforced, and at least take the enforcement somewhat out of the hands of CMs, who don't always follow policy.

That said, I'm not sure that it really makes a whole lot of sense to stop accepting late fastpasses and redo the policy....for a few reasons:
1) if they have upcoming plans to redo the whole system, why would they spend so much effort implementing a new policy about late returns, dealing with all the complaints?
2) as it stands, in a system where late returns are never questioned, fastpass lines (with the exception maybe of Soarin' (because of its obscene inefficiency), occasionally Splash, and yeah thats it, are never really too unmanageable, so it doesn't really make sense in that regard
3) the end of the day fp exchange doesn't sound like it would work because a lot of guests would just complain and be like "oh we're leaving in 10 minutes...."

but again, im new here, and i dont know your source. those are just some things that occurred to me

I'd certainly add Test Track to the list...

Anyways, for all the reports of "things are going to change" that came out in a single week, including reported "spot testing" where they announced that they would not accept late FPs at the rides and yet still did accept them, absolutely nothing has changed and absolutely no reports of anything credible since about them changing, testing, or telling anyone.

 

[mbrogers98]

Wow. I didn't think they had a grace period in the first place. We always made sure we were back by the end of our time frame.