Fastpass Enforcement coming?

[BNM]

But WHY would this be necessary for nextgen? I thought the point of that was to improve the guest experience. I think that their nextgen initiatives (whatever those are) will allow them to more precisely track the guest's experience. Since most do use the FP in the window, I don't see the new policy changing the standby wait times significantly. And to those on this board, I urge you to complain (politely, but continually)! Disney will see tremendous pressure from the tour groups and return guests to abandon this policy. For the occasional visitor it will make no difference, so who is pushing for it?

Look at how many times the typical dis board poster is going to wdw. Dozens of trips. Some must spend ALL their vacation time and dollars there. You can't tell me that, if enough of those guests and AP holders complain, that it doesn't get their attention. Especially when enforcing the times doesnt improve things for anyone else!

 

[miprender]

Yeah, but did you see fine print where it says you have to guarantee your return with a credit card and pay a $10 pp fine if you're late?

I can channel my football anger into this thread

It's a sad day in NE

 

[Dan in AL]

Why? Can you give a reason why this will be an improvement?

The current system of accepting late FP rewards people for knowing what they are doing and working to acquire the FP because they ride more and rarely wait in lines. People who think that enforcing the deadlines does anything to benefit the non late returners just don't understand basic math.

Dumbing things down is never a good idea. All this does imo is make it easier to be lazy - shouldn't we be rewarding people for making an effort, especially when it does nothing to harm the experience of the general public?

The only improvement is that I will no longer have to be the fastpass runner. But man am I gonna miss the no return time policy.

 

[DVCLuver82]

I will tell you - this will probably mean the end of doing Disney every year for me. We use the late arrival almost exclusively. We ride standby all morning, collecting fast passes, then we go back to the resort and relax, returning later in the day to ride using the fast passes we've collected. They certainly are within their rights to do this, but for me, it will take away from our enjoyment enough that the money we spend to go to the parks will no longer be justifiable. I'll just go to the beach instead!

Seriously?! You're going to stop going to Disney because they are finally enforcing the guidelines that people have been taking advantage of? Were you dropped on your head?! That's like saying you're never going grocery shopping again because they won't accept your expired coupons! I've gone to Disney at least once a year since I was born and I've never had a problem getting on all of the rides while following the fast pass windows. I understand that in their handbook they have a section that states that they should let people in past their window, but that was placed in as a courtousy for people who ran into an issue and absolutely couldn't make their time. The point of it was to help make someone's experience magical, not for people to store up on fast passes like a squirrel stores up on nuts and use them at the end of the day. I have no problem with the new rule and in fact I'm excited that they will finally be enforcing it as it will finally allow the fast pass system to work that way that it was meant to.

 

[SolPlyr]

The big thing that I'm seeing with this is the possibility of the FP line getting overloaded with people. Yes, those with FPs are supposed to get through quicker (and before those in the standby line), however we know that that doesn't always happen. They also don't let all FPs through all the time; they let a certain number through, then make the FP line stop while they let some of the standby line through.

Why do I think this? Each FP ride gives "X" number of FPs for a certain return time (for argument's sake, let's say you are there at rope drop and get the first return time of 9:45 and that there are 120 available FPs per return time). Once the 120 FPs are distributed, the increment changes by 5 minutes (I think a couple do it in 3-minute increments). So, now you have your FP and you return at 9:45 to get on the ride. As the rule is now, the 120 people that have a window of 9:45 - 10:45 can return ANY TIME between 9:45 and park closing, 120 more people can return ANY TIME between 9:50 and closing, etc. Right now, you'd probably get right on if you walked up with your 9:45 FP return at 9:45. Now, if the rigid enforcement takes place, there are 120 people that MUST return between 9:45 - 10:45, 120 people that MUST return between 9:50 - 10:50, etc. This could create a bottleneck in the FP line with everyone trying to return at the same time because they are forced to. Not to mention that it goes against Disney's original intent to allow people the freedom to spend $$$ at other places.

Maybe if they added more FPs to a return window, but then also made the gaps bigger. In other words, maybe give 200-250 FPs at 9:45, but then make the next return window 15 minutes later.

 

[mjp12831]

I didn't say it would be an improvement I just said I would like it. I believe they say to return between a certain time span, so you should return in that time span. You can use any logic or method to defend the late arrival "policy" but it doesn't matter to me. I feel if you get a fastpass for 10:50-11:50, you either use it by 11:50 or you lose it. After all you were the one that couldn't do the basic math that was needed to get back to the attraction at the right time.

My question was why?

Why would you like something that significantly detracts from the park experience?

 

[stitchlovestink]

That is a situation where I can see not making it for your return FP time. The world is not perfect and things will come up that are beyond your control. I just don't understand collecting a FP when you have no intention of using it during the return time.

Well, we have had at least one time on every trip where our ADR is what I would consider unreasonably late...meaning we are not seating for 45 min or more beyond what our scheduled time was. And then if service runs kinda slow...well... I mean I love our Disney dining experiences. But sometimes, you run into time issues and I should not be penalized because they didn't keep up on their end. I didn't pitch a fit because I had to wait extra to get seated for my meal. You should take that into consideration and accept my FP. And the other issue is very ofter standy by wait times are NOT accurate!! Ever had that one happen? So you have waited all that time and are next...and you're supposed to leave that line because your FP is about to expire. I mean come on you're supposed to sit around and twiddle your thumbs and do nothing until your FP window pops up?? I understand enforcing them, but I think they should make them 2 hour return windows! that would alleviate alot of problems.

 

[Ed5781]

Seriously?! You're going to stop going to Disney because they are finally enforcing the guidelines that people have been taking advantage of? Were you dropped on your head?! That's like saying you're never going grocery shopping again because they won't accept your expired coupons! I've gone to Disney at least once a year since I was born and I've never had a problem getting on all of the rides while following the fast pass windows. I understand that in their handbook they have a section that states that they should let people in past their window, but that was placed in as a courtousy for people who ran into an issue and absolutely couldn't make their time. The point of it was to help make someone's experience magical, not for people to store up on fast passes like a squirrel stores up on nuts and use them at the end of the day. I have no problem with the new rule and in fact I'm excited that they will finally be enforcing it as it will finally allow the fast pass system to work that way that it was meant to.

I agree with you 100%. I think a lot of people posting have been dropped on their heads.
No wonder why Fastpass waits are 30 min.

 

[savannahcat]

I will tell you - this will probably mean the end of doing Disney every year for me. We use the late arrival almost exclusively. We ride standby all morning, collecting fast passes, then we go back to the resort and relax, returning later in the day to ride using the fast passes we've collected. They certainly are within their rights to do this, but for me, it will take away from our enjoyment enough that the money we spend to go to the parks will no longer be justifiable. I'll just go to the beach instead!

I agree with this. We have gotten so accustomed to touring this way that it will be hard to go back - especially in the busy summer months. We have two trips planned right now, but after that, we may not return for awhile. (I didn't think I would EVER say that! ) Really glad right now that we've never followed through on the idea to purchase DVC.

 

[SashaFarce]

Seriously?! You're going to stop going to Disney because they are finally enforcing the guidelines that people have been taking advantage of? Were you dropped on your head?! That's like saying you're never going grocery shopping again because they won't accept your expired coupons! I've gone to Disney at least once a year since I was born and I've never had a problem getting on all of the rides while following the fast pass windows. I understand that in their handbook they have a section that states that they should let people in past their window, but that was placed in as a courtousy for people who ran into an issue and absolutely couldn't make their time. The point of it was to help make someone's experience magical, not for people to store up on fast passes like a squirrel stores up on nuts and use them at the end of the day. I have no problem with the new rule and in fact I'm excited that they will finally be enforcing it as it will finally allow the fast pass system to work that way that it was meant to.

I raise my Dole Whip to you.

 

[FozzieFan]

Wow, seriously?

Sometimes it's not about math, it's about life. A line at a store that takes longer then you thought, a character who popped out that you want to see, a dinner that ran late, a FP line that ran long, a parade you didn't anticipate, a bathroom break that you needed to take, a distraction (which Disney furnishes in abundance) that you wanted to take part in, a show a kid wanted to see and got picked to particpate in, a break that needed to be taken... Or, frankly, the desire to be on a vacation and enjoy the park as the experiences pop up, using the FP system as it was intended (because in the end it makes more $$$ for Disney to give me the option to go wander around as opposed to wait in a line), and not be one of those families who do Disney under duress with the promise of very scheduled, perfectly planned out moments where enjoyment can, will, and should occur.

None of those examples take an hour... if you plan accordingly you'll make it back to use your fast pass within your window. If not, there's always next time.

Trust me I'm not a planner and even when forcing myself to use my FP within the given window all the time I can still have a relaxing vacation. Just enjoy the fact that Disney bent the rules for the past couple years. I think we only see stage one of the bigger next gen plan with this change.

 

[mom2rtk]

My question was why?

Why would you like something that significantly detracts from the park experience?

Because they prefer that you hate the new policy enough to not get a fastpass leaving more for them later.

 

[i*heart*minniemouse]

I agree with you. Even though we go to WDW fairly frequently, I have never used a FastPass outside of the printed time window. We look at that time when we go to pick them up, and if it doesn't work for us, we don't get the FastPass. It is not hard to tour that way at all.

We do the same and it works out for us also. We know the times to come back and do so within that window.
I guess there are reasons they have return times on the fastpasses and in order for the system to work correctly, the passes have to be used as intended.
I am okay with the enforcement.

 

[Ed5781]

I agree with this. We have gotten so accustomed to touring this way that it will be hard to go back - especially in the busy summer months. We have two trips planned right now, but after that, we may not return for awhile. (I didn't think I would EVER say that! ) Really glad right now that we've never followed through on the idea to purchase DVC.

So you break the rules, and now that it's enforced...you're going to throw a fit? Really?

 

[MVC1225]

Seriously?! You're going to stop going to Disney because they are finally enforcing the guidelines that people have been taking advantage of? Were you dropped on your head?! That's like saying you're never going grocery shopping again because they won't accept your expired coupons! I've gone to Disney at least once a year since I was born and I've never had a problem getting on all of the rides while following the fast pass windows. I understand that in their handbook they have a section that states that they should let people in past their window, but that was placed in as a courtousy for people who ran into an issue and absolutely couldn't make their time. The point of it was to help make someone's experience magical, not for people to store up on fast passes like a squirrel stores up on nuts and use them at the end of the day. I have no problem with the new rule and in fact I'm excited that they will finally be enforcing it as it will finally allow the fast pass system to work that way that it was meant to.

You will probably get grief for this reply but I for one

 

[vicki_c]

Wow - people creating new DIS IDs just so they can personally attack other posters? That's really low. That's when I wish the DIS would engage in some banning based on ISP addresses (which they can and do sometimes, I believe).

 

[pigletto]

Meh, I can't say I love it, but I will adjust. It wasn't that often that we collected fast passes in the morning and used them in the evening but we have done it.
We'll just tour differently now. No big deal.
However, I feel just awful for the cast members who are going to have to enforce this policy on guests unaware of the change. I think they are going to deal with a lot of petulant meltdowns and verbal abuse for this policy change.

 

[doconeill]

None of those examples take an hour...

Clearly, you don't eat at tables services enough, or been in line at Test Track enough, to have experienced a problem (I am teasing, but I have had TS reservations and not gotten seated on time, and I am NOT going to rush my meals because of their issues...and I HAVE been stuck in the queue at Test Track for nearly an hour...and stuck on an attraction without any option to leave for nearly half an hour...

We do the same and it works out for us also. We know the times to come back and do so within that window.
I guess there are reasons they have return times on the fastpasses and in order for the system to work correctly, the passes have to be used as intended.
I am okay with the enforcement.

If enforcement was needed for the system to work correctly, I guess the system has been broken for many, many years...

 

[i*heart*minniemouse]

I agree with this. We have gotten so accustomed to touring this way that it will be hard to go back - especially in the busy summer months. We have two trips planned right now, but after that, we may not return for awhile. (I didn't think I would EVER say that! ) Really glad right now that we've never followed through on the idea to purchase DVC.

We have owned DVC since 1997...best decision ever...and that was before fast pass. No regrets

I guess if families really feel this way(not going because of fastpass enforcement), the crowds should more manageable for the rest of us.

 

[i*heart*minniemouse]

Clearly, you don't eat at tables services enough, or been in line at Test Track enough, to have experienced a problem (I am teasing, but I have had TS reservations and not gotten seated on time, and I am NOT going to rush my meals because of their issues...and I HAVE been stuck in the queue at Test Track for nearly an hour...and stuck on an attraction without any option to leave for nearly half an hour...



If enforcement was needed for the system to work correctly, I guess the system has been broken for many, many years...

It may have been broken...ever see the stand by wait times for Soarin' before park closing?