Fastpass Enforcement coming?

[Tomh]

Many thanks are deserved by ChesireFigment for providing us with the official goods, and explaining Fast Pass, and so many other things time and time again. Cheshire is an amazing asset to this community!

Thanks also are deserved by doconeill, both for explaining things time and time again, an for his patience.

My take is that this is largely about the number of people who collect fast passes intending to use them much later in the day, and how many of those fast passes ultimately go unused. I may be very wrong about this, but I don't think Disney is really THAT concerned with late returns, the problem is the number that do not return at all!

Every fast pass that is distributed, and not used equates to another person that never gets the chance to have a fast pass. With the current system, because that guest COULD return with that fast pass any time during the day, and Disney needs to control the number of fast passes distributed, if that person doesn't return, the pass is wasted.

By enforcing the return window, if say 100 fast passes are issued for return between 10:00 am and 11:00 am, and only 75 return by 11:00 am, then Disney can issue an additional 25 fast passes, knowing that those 25 are now invalid.

For those who are counting on this decreasing the standby lines . . . I expect it will have the opposite effect! Currently, some percentage of distributed fast passes never get used. Say, for arguments sake, that is 10%. With the new system, Disney can reissue that 10% to new guests, theoretically increasing the number of guests actually returning to the fast pass line by 10%, which should equate to a (slightly) longer standby wait.

At any rate, I guess this will put an end to collecting BTMRR fast passes in the morning, and using them during Evening EMH (yup, guilty as charged). Time to adjust my touring plans a little

 

[MELSMICE]

I may be very wrong about this, but I don't think Disney is really THAT concerned with late returns, the problem is the number that do not return at all!

Every fast pass that is distributed, and not used equates to another person that never gets the chance to have a fast pass. With the current system, because that guest COULD return with that fast pass any time during the day, and Disney needs to control the number of fast passes distributed, if that person doesn't return, the pass is wasted.

By enforcing the return window, if say 100 fast passes are issued for return between 10:00 am and 11:00 am, and only 75 return by 11:00 am, then Disney can issue an additional 25 fast passes, knowing that those 25 are now invalid.

For those who are counting on this decreasing the standby lines . . . I expect it will have the opposite effect! Currently, some percentage of distributed fast passes never get used. Say, for arguments sake, that is 10%. With the new system, Disney can reissue that 10% to new guests, theoretically increasing the number of guests actually returning to the fast pass line by 10%, which should equate to a (slightly) longer standby wait.

I agree with this.

For those that didn't know that you could return later than your window & discarded their FP's, it meant that someone else went without one. That's just too bad.

We always give our FP's away when we can't use them. We've even been within our window but just didn't feel like staying in the park & we would give our FP's away on the way out. If it was after the window we'd explain that they were still valid until the end of the day.

I've always felt like we were passing a long a bit of the WDW "magic". Little did I know there are some that felt I was being unfair to other guests.

 

[mom2rtk]

We always give our FP's away when we can't use them. We've even been within our window but just didn't feel like staying in the park & we would give our FP's away on the way out. If it was after the window we'd explain that they were still valid until the end of the day.

I've always felt like we were passing a long a bit of the WDW "magic". Little did I know there are some that felt I was being unfair to other guests.

I'm guessing if you were giving THEM the fastpasses, they might have a different opinion. After all, we've already established that it's all about how it affects them.

 

[electricsoup]

That's a key difference between fastpass and the other examples posters have been bringing up about Disney not enforcing policy. Using fastpass after the printed window was actively (not kind of) promoted and encouraged by CM's.

Honestly not trying to argue, but having gone 6 times in the past 9 years we've never once had a CM promote or encourage this behavior at all. In fact, we've been turned away post our time, and only once did a cast member let us go after our time - and it was presented to us as a gracious thing, not as an expected behavior. Just my experience!

 

[MELSMICE]

I'm guessing if you were giving THEM the fastpasses, they might have a different opinion. After all, we've already established that it's all about how it affects them.

I certainly know that now.

 

[doconeill]

By enforcing the return window, if say 100 fast passes are issued for return between 10:00 am and 11:00 am, and only 75 return by 11:00 am, then Disney can issue an additional 25 fast passes, knowing that those 25 are now invalid.

For those who are counting on this decreasing the standby lines . . . I expect it will have the opposite effect! Currently, some percentage of distributed fast passes never get used. Say, for arguments sake, that is 10%. With the new system, Disney can reissue that 10% to new guests, theoretically increasing the number of guests actually returning to the fast pass line by 10%, which should equate to a (slightly) longer standby wait.

Two problems with that:

1) They don't track the actual FPs used normally...they stuff them in a box. So they don't know real-time what has and hasn't been used. Although part of the NextGen stuff might include having to scan Fastpasses for entry, there hasn't been much rumble in that area. If X-Pass completely replaces Fastpass, that could change.

2) If you re-issued FPs for those that weren't used, they'd need to be for a later time - and that means more people at the later times, which would be just the same thing as allowing them to be used late in the first place.

And since the topic of giving FPs away has come up...you do know you're not allowed to do that, right? Says right on the Fastpass, "Non-transferable"... *ducks*

 

[doconeill]

Honestly not trying to argue, but having gone 6 times in the past 9 years we've never once had a CM promote or encourage this behavior at all. In fact, we've been turned away post our time, and only once did a cast member let us go after our time - and it was presented to us as a gracious thing, not as an expected behavior. Just my experience!

CMs vary. Not all communicate well. We are also not saying that they all day announce at the top of their lungs that you can use them later in the day. But they have, and when asked, would tell you.

Your experience on being refused, unfortunately, is by far the exception rather than the norm.

 

[angelmav]

For those that have been reading up on other sites, has any information leaked out on when the new Fast Pass plus is likely to be introduced?

It will be interesting to see what tune those sing who think it's an unfair playing field now, when they are locked out of a future system by design.

 

[doconeill]

For those that have been reading up on other sites, has any information leaked out on when the new Fast Pass plus is likely to be introduced?

It will be interesting to see what tune those sing who think it's an unfair playing field now, when they are locked out of a future system by design.

I have not seen any reliable reports on a time frame. One would think that they'd try to introduce during a low period - perhaps after Easter, and if not then probably August - but then again Disney has done strange things during peak periods as well.

 

[kguenther8]

We are going in late March, so I definitely want to know if this is being enforced...we do usually stack two fastpasses, or grab one, with no worries of WHEN we will use it, just that we will that day...so now we will have to be much more careful, if indeed, this comes to pass. I won't argue it, but I would like to know beforehand, so I can adjust my touring plans if necessary...

 

[sbell111]

Honestly not trying to argue, but having gone 6 times in the past 9 years we've never once had a CM promote or encourage this behavior at all. In fact, we've been turned away post our time, and only once did a cast member let us go after our time - and it was presented to us as a gracious thing, not as an expected behavior. Just my experience!

The mere fact that one CM failed to follow established policy doesn't mean that the policy doesn't exist.

 

[vicki_c]

Relying on what Disney published in their memo to the CMs about the reasoning behind this is naive, at best. Just because they wrote that, it does not mean that is the reason. It may be, it may not be - I really wouldn't purport to know which.

But the mere fact that they wrote that means NOTHING about their intentions. All large companies will spin things however they want, whether internal or externally communicated.

If I had a $1 for every piece of communication my company puts out about "why" they did something that was not even close to the real truth, I would have enough money for a nice trip to Disney. Spin is spin.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Did you actually say "ressie"? If so, they may have just let you in because they were trying to keep you from seeing them crack up.

...says the grown woman with a Tinkerbell crush.

 

[KellyNY]

Where exactly does that internal memo back you up? You have created your own conclusions of a memo that has been posted numerous times. Nothing earth-shaking, just more conjecture.

What's with the crusade against Doconeil? From what I can tell he has been fairly objective and neutral in this debate. I for one appreciate his willingness to continue to explain the FP system over and over again.

As for being neutural part, NOBODY on this thread is neutural, everyone took side and explains things from their point of view.

Memo said nothing about XPass, it literaly speaks of present FP system and this is what she tried to say.

Now, since we all know rumors, possible changes and partial info, we of course come to conclusions of what is NOT in memo and even that memo does not reflect truth at all. Is any of it actual true or just speculations?

I also find it sad but funny that this memo is not taken seriously but print of FP inner rules is taken as a proove how system is meant to work. So, nobody questioning what were actual reasons behind this paper? Such a double standarts if you ask me.

Also, nobody questioning Chershire when he speaks of tickets, he is one of the most knowledgeable people on this board but now when he speaks of something that is not popular nobody listens, he is not reliable, he is not telling truth while he ALWAYS does?

 

[W.E.D.]

Man, 108 pages of this....stuff...so far.

"I'm right!"

"No, I'm right!"

Really accomplishing a lot here.

Mods, is it time for a lock yet, or is this just to entertaining to close?

 

[Wadecool]

As for being neutural part, NOBODY on this thread is neutural, everyone took side and explains things from their point of view.

Memo said nothing about XPass, it literaly speaks of present FP system and this is what she tried to say.

Now, since we all know rumors, possible changes and partial info, we of course come to conclusions of what is NOT in memo and even that memo does not reflect truth at all. Is any of it actual true or just speculations?

I also find it sad but funny that this memo is not taken seriously but print of FP inner rules is taken as a proove how system is meant to work. So, nobody questioning what were actual reasons behind this paper? Such a double standarts if you ask me.

Also, nobody questioning Chershire when he speaks of tickets, he is one of the most knowledgeable people on this board but now when he speaks of something that is not popular nobody listens, he is not reliable, he is not telling truth while he ALWAYS does?

Huh? Who has been bad mouthing CF or anything he says?

Drdisneymd (who you are apparently speaking on behalf of) quoted CF's memo in an attempt to make his/her own conjecture seem more valid than other posters conjecture. It didn't work.

 

[doconeill]

I certainly am not disbelieving what CF posted. He's also not the only CM to have posted that memo. And I'm not disbelieving the memo either (other than the last part, as it conflicts with other internal CM documents). There is nothing in that memo that contradicts anything I've said about the change being a prep move for X-Pass. It neither proves or disproves either position, actually.

I've actually met CF as well. We met up at F&W a couple years ago and did a quick food tour before I had to run to a Syfy event over at Universal. Great guy and takes the knowledge of his job seriously.

 

[KellyNY]

Huh? Who has been bad mouthing CF or anything he says?

Drdisneymd (who you are apparently speaking on behalf of) quoted CF's memo in an attempt to make his/her own conjecture seem more valid than other posters conjecture. It didn't work.

I did not say someone bad mouthing CF but was not what he posted questioned?

Drdisneymd posted to show official Disney explanation, nothing else, so what exactly did not work? You may or may not take it as official, but so is FP print out and this is double standarts then. Either take it all in or reject all of them, but you cannot be really selective here. That is my point.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

I did not say someone bad mouthing CF but was not what he posted questioned?

Drdisneymd posted to show official Disney explanation, nothing else, so what exactly did not work? You may or may not take it as official, but so is FP print out and this is double standarts then. Either take it all in or reject all of them, but you cannot be really selective here. That is my point.

I hereby interrupt this thread to post the following announcement:

kelly kelly kelly kelly kelly kelly kelly , k e l l y......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hJjx7jTHA8

 

[KellyNY]

I certainly am not disbelieving what CF posted. He's also not the only CM to have posted that memo. And I'm not disbelieving the memo either (other than the last part, as it conflicts with other internal CM documents). There is nothing in that memo that contradicts anything I've said about the change being a prep move for X-Pass. It neither proves or disproves either position, actually.

I've actually met CF as well. We met up at F&W a couple years ago and did a quick food tour before I had to run to a Syfy event over at Universal. Great guy and takes the knowledge of his job seriously.

It specifically points that the reason is MORE people using it and therefore a need to make it fair. We do not even know exactly how XPass will work and what will be needed for preperation. So we can only take memo as is, and in this case it is infact a proove that current system does not work well anymore.

You wanted to see official Disney explanation that something is wrong, she showed the best we have so far.

While you and me as well may see it as sort of experiment, we speculate all the way here, while reasons were stated in black and white.