Fastpass Disappointments

[texaslover]

I love Fastpass and use it in every park, all day. Can't imagine going to Disneyworld if they discontinued it, call me spoiled but I don't wait in lines for more than 10 minutes. Our yearly trips would be much more few and far between without it.

Having said that, I have a serious question. Someone upthread said that it has been proven that everyone cannot get Fastpass. Why? I'm really curious. And, if it bugs you that people storm the Fastpass entrance at the end of the day why not just use yours before that time? We noticed that it was more crowded an hour or two before early closing times (the late times didn't seem to be effected) and just planned accordingly. Can someone enlighten me as to why Fastpass isn't "fair"?

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Having said that, I have a serious question. Someone upthread said that it has been proven that everyone cannot get Fastpass. Why? I'm really curious. And, if it bugs you that people storm the Fastpass entrance at the end of the day why not just use yours before that time? We noticed that it was more crowded an hour or two before early closing times (the late times didn't seem to be effected) and just planned accordingly. Can someone enlighten me as to why Fastpass isn't "fair"?

I'd like to know why someone said that too. Anyone with valid theme park admssion is able to use Fast Pass. So if you aren't able to use Fast Pass because you don't have valid admission, then you wouldn't even be in the park anyway.

 

[Metro West]

Should WDW offer what Universal offers: If you stay in one of their hotels, you get front of the line access for each ride. You just show your hotel card and walk to the front of the line. Is this option even possible with the amount of WDW resort guests?

No..Disney has too many onsite guests for FOTL to work.

 

[andy_fish]

(And for what it's worth, I LOVED the E-Ride nights and would gladly pay if they would bring them back! Wishful thinking, I know...)

"BamaFan I agree with you 100 percent. Bring back E-Ride nights!!!! I would be more than happy to pay the $12 extra per person to enjoy an empty park. EMH at the park is way too crowded."



We actually plan our trips to be nowhere near the park after with Evening EMHs after 1 PM or so...the park just gets so rediculously crowded begining in the late afternoon. Our trick is to go the that park in the morning and then a different park in the afternoon.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

No..Disney has too many onsite guests for FOTL to work.

I agree. Universal has three hotels. Disney has more then 20.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Space Mountain at DL Paris has a maximum theoretical capacity of 2400 guests per hour. I couldn't find the numbers on the one at MK.

Presuming they are the same (and I don't believe they are, I think the DLP version has a HIGHER theoretical capacity) .. to get 3500 guests past the OP in 90 minutes, it would be virtually impossible for almost ANYONE else to get on the ride BUT the FP users. This would also mean the ride would have to work at 100% of optimum meaning no delays whatsoever, including any guests needing special boarding assistance.

Seems the 3500 number might be high. But the point is well taken. It can be frustrating at times when you see all those people moving past you.

The trick would have been to get your FP earlier in the day if you intended to use it for EMH.

Knox

 

[southernbohemian]

Wow. It never, ever would have occured to me to be "angry" that some people had fastpasses while I was waiting in line. I just do not get that line of thinking. I had a choice of whether or not to get a fastpass, and I had a choice of whether or not to get in that standby line. Why should I resent those who made a different choice?

And so I got to the park late and missed the fastpasses for whatever ride...well, I got there late. Tickets sell out. I just do not understand why anyone would get worked up about something like that.

Angry at yourself for not planning ahead or sad that your plans went awry but why be angry at Disney because you had the same opportunity everyone else did? Maybe people who stay off property should be angry for getting thrown out of the parks, which they paid the same price for as anyone else, while resort guests are allowed to stay.

Just like I don't understand why anyone can't just ignore joking political comments and joking comments about kids. Guess I just don't belong on this planet. It's all just so silly to me.

I wouldn't get mad either because I understand how the system works, however I've gotten a lot of angry looks while using the Fastpass too (especially when it first started). Most people who go to Disney don't do their homework like us DISers, they just show up. Everytime I've gotten a nasty look I wanted to stop and say, "Can I please tell you how Fastpasses work?" so they'll stop hating on me.

 

[Missish]

For me, there's NO ride in WDW worth waiting more than an hour for (and even that's a stretch!), so I don't get it when people choose to wait in endless lines, then complain about waiting in line.

I completely agree!

One day we went to Animal Kingdom in the morning, and then to MGM in the afternoon (and can I just say, we will NEVER do this again!). By the time we got to MGM, all of the FastPasses for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (my favourite ride) were gone, and the queue was an hour and a half long. So I just didn't go on the ride. Sure, I was disappointed, but it was our fault for not getting to the park sooner.

I can't understand why anyone would think that the FastPass system is a bad idea Where's the disadvantage in being able to bypass a huge queue? Yes, CMs do need to be more strict about enforcing the times on FPs, but besides that, the whole system is excellent, IMO.

 

[MassMom94]

Which attractions have people noticed a lot of problems with huge FP lines slowing up the standby lines? And at what time of the year was this?

We go the last week of August and the only time I've seen (and actually been in) a long FP line was for Test Track. Enforcing end return times for that ride would be a problem, in my view, because it goes down so much for either weather (rain) or mechanical problems. Sure Disney could do it ("Sorry it broke down during your return window, but too bad") but the result would be a lot of really unhappy guests.

I have also heard (on this board) about problems with Soarin', which makes sense since that's a cycle ride and doesn't have the throughput of some of the other FP attractions. I've never seen a long FP line for Space Mountain, but I haven't been to evening EMH at the MK.

 

[tony609]

. I counted 3,500 fastpass users

By the time you counted these people you could have riden the ride of your choice. Who takes time away from there family,friends etc at WDW to count people?????? That is such a waste of time.

Now if the number is thrown out for effect?????? Then You can't say I counted.....you estimated.........its not fact.

I have never had a problem with the FP system, sorry just my expirence. Also remember you went during Disney's busy time as well.

As for life not being fair...I agree. The main difference is that I go to Disney to get away from "life". I expect all things within the confines of the Disney property to be fair. If not, I can get the same experience at home. Why spend all that money when I can be frustrated at home for free.

Following this reason I should be mad that I didn't Alice in Wonderland until last year. She should always be out since she is a character available at most times there in the confines of Disney property.It's not "fair" It took me a few years to see her......LOL

Give me a break!

 

[Laz]

Which attractions have people noticed a lot of problems with huge FP lines slowing up the standby lines? And at what time of the year was this?

When I was at WDW last week, FP was not in operation for any night EMH at any park. The lines seemed to flow in a faster, more efficient manner. I noticed this waiting for Soarin, Test Track, Space Moutain, Thunder Mountain, and Splash. Does overall que line efficiency reduce with the use of Fast Pass? Don't get me wrong, I love FP. We include it in our plans for enjoying each park. Is the problem with the FP idea, improper management of the system, or failure of park guests to use the system to their best advantage?

 

[CanadianGuy]

FP works well with a reasonable distribution of the FP's.

But.. if large, LARGE groups of people (working as a group or just a bunch of individuals it doesn't matter which) come to the park in the morning and horde FP's , then return in the evening to use them during an EMH, the system falls apart for those few hours.

It sounds to me like the tour groups plans of hoarding FP's (noted in another thread) may have been thrwarted in this approach last week by the removal of FP's for the evening EMH's.

Conversely however, if this is what was going on, the FP lines throughout the day would have been wonderfully short..

Knox

 

[BamaFan121s]

Which attractions have people noticed a lot of problems with huge FP lines slowing up the standby lines? And at what time of the year was this?

Splash Mt, about a week ago. The FP line was just as long as the standby line. We waited in the standby line which moved at a snail's pace and the FP line continually flowed. While waiting in the standby line, we saw the same family have time to come through the FP line twice. When we got to the front where the lines 'merged,' the CM was letting through approx 20 FP holders to 5 people in standby.
Not that I'm complaining--we could have just as easily gotten a FP for that attraction. Just letting you know we noticed it there.

I didn't pay attention at every EHM at every park to see if FP were opened. I did notice them open for Peter Pan on a MK EHH night, but that was the only time I noticed.
Also noticed that during an Epcot EMH night, they were not allowing ANYONE with a FP to enter through any line BUT the regular standby line.

 

[tasha99]

I don't have a problem with using Fastpasses after their return times, and I don't see how it makes much difference. Every guest that comes through late didn't come through earlier--making the standby line go faster at that earlier point. If everyone did it (and this may be the problem with large tour groups) then your fastpass line would become like the standby line, but for the most part, it seems like there would be some give and take between the standby and fastpass line times that would even out in the end.

 

[skitsbits]

For the record, I love Fast Pass. It never occurred to me to save mine until late in the day. That explains the huge crowds we experienced on a lot of the rides at the Magic Kingdom even as late as 1am. I did see people waiting at Splash Mountain and BTMRR for the Fast Pass machines to be reset for the after hours crowds. That wasnt the case at Epcot or MGM that I saw.

 

[MassMom94]

While waiting in the standby line, we saw the same family have time to come through the FP line twice.

Not that this is any consolation to you, but what probably happened with this family is they were part of a bigger party that included people who didn't want to ride Splash. It wasn't because you waited so long that another FP window opened up for them. For example, last trip DD and DS didn't want to do EE, but we got four FP. DD and I rode it once with FP, then got right back in the FP line (within our return window time, though!) and rode it again.

 

[SGMCO]

I just LOVE the FP and won't wait in lines.
I kinda feel bad for the people waiting in the lines
whenever I zoom by them with my FP but I figure
they could have gotten a FP also and quickly forget about them.

Wait a moment while I put on my Flame Suit
OK, I'm ready!!

 

[kabbie]

I just LOVE the FP and won't wait in lines.
I kinda feel bad for the people waiting in the lines
whenever I zoom by them with my FP but I figure
they could have gotten a FP also and quickly forget about them.

Wait a moment while I put on my Flame Suit
OK, I'm ready!!

I dont think you should be flamed at all! I completely agree! We love fastpass and always use it to cut down wait times. When I do wait in stand by line, I never feel any ounce of jealously at those in FP lines. All I think was I should have gotten a fastpass.

As John Stossel would say, "Gimme a break".

 

[BamaFan121s]

Not that this is any consolation to you, but what probably happened with this family is they were part of a bigger party that included people who didn't want to ride Splash. It wasn't because you waited so long that another FP window opened up for them. For example, last trip DD and DS didn't want to do EE, but we got four FP. DD and I rode it once with FP, then got right back in the FP line (within our return window time, though!) and rode it again.

I understand that. What I meant was, both FP and standby lines were about the same...however, the FP line moved so much faster than the standby line, that people could ride twice w/ a FP before we could even ride once without one. Someone had asked if anyone had experienced a case where a large # of FP people actually slowed down the stand-by line. In this case, yes, they did.

 

[solgent]

The way I think of it is, our family loves WDW and other people happen to also love it for most of the same reasons! If they didn't, if it was something that only a select few enjoyed, then they wouldn't make much money and it wouldn't be the huge great place that it is. What can you do?? The more fun it is, the more popular it's going to be. This leaves the following choices:

(1) Go during a less crowded time. Perfect if you can do it, but my job makes that pretty impossible.
(2) Spend time in line. This works but I'd rather not.
(3) Arrive early, use FPs, and be savvy about what you ride when and how often.