FastPass distribution location

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Okay, this is a vent from someone who is still nursing the blisters from our recent trip. Please be gentle as you all come up with the thousands of reasons why this wouldn't be a good idea...

Why do the FastPass distribution locations need to be next to the ride they're for. If you're getting a FastPass, you know you're not going to be riding the ride then, you're going to be coming back to it later. Having the distribution at the ride itself just forces more walking.

Instead of having FastPass machines at each ride that print out the FastPasses for that particular ride, why not have machines throughout the park where you can pick the ride for which you want a FastPass. The machine could have a computer screen that showed the return time of each FastPass-enabled ride, and you'd press the one you wanted.

So, if you're in Tomorrowland and decide you want to use your available FastPass for Splash Mountain, you could get a Splash Mountain FastPass right there in Tomorrowland. There'd be no reason for "dad" to collect all the tickets and run to the opposite end of the park to get the Splash Mountain FastPasses, then run back to Tomorrowland to figure out which ride everyone else had gotten in the line for.

If I had to guess, I'd say our FastPass collecting probably doubled the amount of walking we had to do in the parks on any given day. Animal Kingdom is where it really kills you.

 

[ZebraDomeCrazy]

As the one in our party who always gets chosen to go get the fastpasses for the group, and then run to catch up with them at the next attraction, I'M WITH YOU!!!!!! What a great idea!!

 

[mickeysaver]

I would love to see this be made available. Since we are a touring party of two, it doesn't make much sense to send just one person ahead, so both of us suffer. Now, granted, FP is a wonderful idea and it saves us lots of time, but it does cause some additional wear and tear on the tootsies.

I hope you heal up soon. After our last trip, I had a toes that didn't recover fully for more than 2 weeks. Maggie

 

[mmmears]

I agree with you, especially since some rides are waaaaay off at the end of a park with nothing around it for us to do. This would save so much time for everyone! We would use fastpass more often if this were the case. (And I totally sympathize with you about the blisters!)

 

[Mickey's Goofy Gal]

While I agree that FP is wonderful, I also agree that it would be a wonderful improvement to have a choice at the machines. We went for a day trip this past July to take a teen that had never been so we wanted her to experience as much magic as possible, but my feet were killing me when the night was over. Now it was my choice to be there with 2 teens from opening to closing (actually about the 7th car in the parking lot), but we made many steps just to get a FP for a popular ride and then walk half way around the park to another section. Without a FP, she probably would not have been able to do a lot of the things that she got to do.


One thing that we did to help with the walking: We kinda worked through a couple of sections that were close at the same time. If we saw lines were shorter for an attraction while enroute to/from the FP machine in the section right next to the one we were getting a FP at, we would do that attraction and that seemed to work well....until......we had a FP for Splash Mountain very close to the beginning of the fireworks. When we got off Splash Mountain, we had to run (well a fast trot) to get to the castle before they started. I wanted her to see Tink fly from the top of castle (again my choice), but w had to use that FP!!!

You better believe when we got back to the motel in Daytona that night, our feet soaked in the hot tub, but while we sat there, we relived every step we took and soon came to realize that it was worth every step we took!!!!

 

[notnothin]

Can you imagine the traffic jam this would cause if there were a centralized fastpass distribution location? ... It would be mass chaos. I feel like they are located next to their respective attraction in order to ensure that the crowds are dispersed evenly throughout the parks.

 

[Kimberly815]

Can you imagine the traffic jam this would cause if there were a centralized fastpass distribution location? ... It would be mass chaos. I feel like they are located next to their respective attraction in order to ensure that the crowds are dispersed evenly throughout the parks.

I have yet to decide what I think about the actual idea. . .but I was thinking the same thing. Even if they put a centralized fastpass distribution in every land- each one would be so busy it would be crazy. I have had a hard time getting FPs at a single ride like Splash Mountain before becuase of huge crowds, I can't imagine what it would be like if there was one place for all!

 

[dance2874]

I think the locations are fine, but change the way they operate so you can get a FP for other attractions as well as the one it is next to. There is no need to have just a few FP dist. spots...keep the ones they have but change what they are capable of doing. I have always thought that would be better than the way it is now.

 

[JulielovesDisney]

The crowds at the FP spots would be a problem, but if they had enough of them, it would still work. If they only had 2 or 3, then it would be a major headache. But it is still a great idea. I'd love to have that. I also had feet problems with this past trip from running from one side of the park to the other

Hope your blisters heal soon!!

 

[declansdad]

While I can sympathize with the amount of walking this can cause, I like the current system.

I think that centralized machines would create such a crowd that WDW would need to start to post wait times to get to FP machine. I also think that more attractions would have their FP for the day used up much quicker this way.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Suppose you're a family of 4. Right now you stick the card in, out pops a fastpass. You've already presumeably looked at the return time posted above and accept it. But with the centralized system, you stick in the card, then you select the ride, then you would have to look at the return time for that ride, be prompted whether you really wanted it, and then finally you get your fastpass out. And you'd then have to do the same thing for all your other members in your party. Oh and guess who's going to get behind the guy that just can't make a decision and just can't get straight what he's going to do. I can picture it now. Beep Beep Beep Ring ring ring. Hello. where are you. Over in fantasyland. Luv you smooziepoo. I'm at the kiosk. Oh no, it wasn't too long a walk Say honey, how many did we want? Does little jim still want to ride. Oh it's 6 o'clock what times our dinner ressie.? Oh ok. ring ring ring. Hey honey, now it's 6:05 what do I do? Oh go ahead and get one for everyone. Even though one says 6 and the rest all say 6:05? Well ok.

Meanwhile, behind him. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Click Click PULL!!!!!!!

 

[Karnak]

Well, now, then, there, hummm .... I think the OP has an outstanding idea, and it sure would be nice if the Disney folks would read some of these comments and take them to heart. When I make my personal plans for touring a park solo (as I will be doing just after Thanksgiving), my first, and overriding, concern is to avoid almost all backtracking over the park. That means that the fastpasses are of very little use to me, because I will not run back and forth across any of the parks.

Banks of fastpass machines that could be used for any fastpass attraction in the park, and located in several key areas throughout the park, would be a real blessing.

Shouldn't be too difficult, or expensive for WDW to set up such a system either.

By the way, it seems to me like I did see a fastpass machine for Malestrom located near the main enterance to Epcot once upon a time. Or did I just dream that?

Enjoy.

 

[caegan]

While I can sympathize with the amount of walking this can cause, I like the current system.

I think that centralized machines would create such a crowd that WDW would need to start to post wait times to get to FP machine. I also think that more attractions would have their FP for the day used up much quicker this way.

I think this is EXACTLY why the FP system is set up the way it is. I like the current system too.

I don't have trouble with bisters (because I wear Crocs to the parks ), and the extra walking is good for me. I just enjoy a few more attractions on the way.

 

[DLR29]

I think the locations are fine, but change the way they operate so you can get a FP for other attractions as well as the one it is next to. There is no need to have just a few FP dist. spots...keep the ones they have but change what they are capable of doing. I have always thought that would be better than the way it is now.

Yeah. Like have a little computer screen and you can touch the screen to choose which attraction you want the FP for. That would be GREAT!

 

[clonetothebone]

Suppose you're a family of 4. Right now you stick the card in, out pops a fastpass. You've already presumeably looked at the return time posted above and accept it. But with the centralized system, you stick in the card, then you select the ride, then you would have to look at the return time for that ride, be prompted whether you really wanted it, and then finally you get your fastpass out. And you'd then have to do the same thing for all your other members in your party. Oh and guess who's going to get behind the guy that just can't make a decision and just can't get straight what he's going to do. I can picture it now. Beep Beep Beep Ring ring ring. Hello. where are you. Over in fantasyland. Luv you smooziepoo. I'm at the kiosk. Oh no, it wasn't too long a walk Say honey, how many did we want? Does little jim still want to ride. Oh it's 6 o'clock what times our dinner ressie.? Oh ok. ring ring ring. Hey honey, now it's 6:05 what do I do? Oh go ahead and get one for everyone. Even though one says 6 and the rest all say 6:05? Well ok.

Meanwhile, behind him. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Click Click PULL!!!!!!!

Sounds like the same person that stands in line at a counter service for 10 minutes then waits to look at the menu when he gets to the counter!

 

[BlindTyldak]

Love you too, schmooziepoo! *cough* Um . . . . .

No, I have no idea who that person is, it was a joke.

Think I'm going to de-bling my schmooziepoo.

ANYWHOO!

Part of the reason you need to go to each ride to get the FP is simply because it increases the amount of time that you spend in the park, since it wears you out or you waste time waiting for your FP time to roll around. or it does for the other 95% of the population who don't have the shortest route between any two points memorized. as a matter of economics, making the patrons backtrack just makes good business sense. EE, KS, and Dino aren't on opposite corners of the park because it was convenient.

 

[nightowlky]

Esp. since the parks have major attractions at opposite ends!

 

[Mickey's Goofy Gal]

I have read some good points that made me think again after I first posted. What about possibly keeping the FP machines as they are now but add a couple in each section in a central location that have the other attractions on them. Have them linked to the other machines and post all return times on a board above them. That would have good points and bad points too. It would cut down on walking for instance if you were at Splash Mtn and wanted to ride Space Mtn again and wanted a FP. The bad point would be that FP may get used up quicker for that day. It make work okay since the system doesn't allow you to get more than one at a time unless your wait time is a long time away and it will allow for a second FP prior to that return time.

Really - we should just be glad the FPs are free of charge and expect to walk a lot. I may have to try Crocs next time, but my blisters were on the bottom of my toes instead of my heels when I wore tennis shoes.

 

[rigs32]

Such a change would also increase FP usage early in the day, making late risers even more agitated and increase the need to arrive at opening. The 1st hour the park is open, most top rides are less than a 15 min wait - virtually walk ons. With centralized FP machines, people wouldn't even bother checking wait times; they'd just get FPs. While some people already ride once AND get a FP, this pratice would likely skyrocket.