Fastpass Enforcement coming?

[WillAustin]

And as a side note, there is no reason why a guest would be able to ride so many more times just because they ran to FP machines (when they're not supposed to anyway) when the next guest is denied access to FP (as they are out) ... both guests paid the same kind of money, why would one stock up on FPs just because they were in earlier than the next guest ?

The FP system as a whole is inefficient, so let's try to make it more fair. And enforcing the policy partly gets the job done.

Everyone currently has an equal opportunity to get FastPasses. If you choose to skip rope drop and sleep in, that is your choice. There is nothing unfair about FastPasses being gone when you arrive later.

Why not just hand out 5 FastPasses to everyone as they walk in the gate? Because then the FastPass becomes something that isn't so fast anymore.

The changes aren't designed to promote fairness.

If anything, I'd bet the new system will favor those who stay on property, those who plan months in advance, and maybe even those who stay in the deluxe resorts.

 

[mesaboy2]

I've said this before in other threads, and I'll reiterate here as I follow a PP's lead and exit.

On any ride that operates at capacity, all I am doing by returning after the window is letting people in the virtual queue go ahead of me. I fail to see how this makes anyone else's experience worse.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Does anyone besides me hear Whitesnack "Here I go again" opening bars everytime you see this topic?

And I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time.....
Here I go again....



LOVE that song, hate this topic.

 

[doconeill]

While I agree that using a FP after the window doesn't (apparently) affect the lines, what then is the benefit of FP at all if people can essentially get in the FP line whenever they want? Why not just have a central FP kiosk where you can get 1 passes per person every x number of hours or per ride and then use them however the person wants? Rhetorical question of course...the answer is that the overwhelming majority of folks will come back during the time stamped window. Otherwise we'd have a mob scene at the central FP machine every am and then the FP line at say TSMM would be an hour long every morning.

May be rhetorical, but bears answering - they can't get in whenever they want. They have to get in at or after the return time starts. The benefit is that this person is deferring their ride time to later in the day, in exchange for not having to actually wait in the standby line. So the standby line benefits earlier in the day.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I look at this as just a number of changes on a long list that Disney has made or is making. Some of the changes or good, others not so good. We have found that we are starting to look at other places in the world (not Disney World) to spend our hard earned money. Will we stop going to WDW? No, but it won't be our primary vacation spot anymore.

I hope, Iger doesn't continue to throw, the baby out with the bath water.

While, some of the changes may be good, I'm not happy about others (food and merchandise quality, reduction monorail hours, overall attitude) All these improvements at once, makes things a bit chaotic. I've been unhappy for some time, but thought I'd ride the wave. Unfortunately, the crest is nowhere in sight. Last night, DH said, maybe we should forget Disney for a while. We have only one trip this year...none planned for next. Hooefully, this mess will settle and we'll come back. The question is to what? Meanwhile, I'm planning vacations to other parts of the world.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

If anything, I'd bet the new system will favor those who stay on property, those who plan months in advance, and maybe even those who stay in the deluxe resorts.

That would be AWESOME!

 

[dvcmom72]

I only had the patience to read through the first 10 pages of this. I don't normally contribute to the more "heated" threads but this one is making me nuts. What did all of you do before Fastpasses existed? I know what I did...same thing I do now...I just ENJOY being at WDW. If I want to ride something, I get in line. If the line is too long and the fastpasses are available for a time that I can come back for it, I get one, if not, I don't, and move on.

If I PAID for a fastpass and missed my time and was told I couldn't use it, then yeah I'd be pissed. But these are FREE. Why is everyone all up in arms over a free perk Disney gives us?

Honestly, I think they should do away with the whole system. You want to ride something? Get in line.

As for the people threatening to never vacation at WDW again because of this? I say good...shorter lines for the rest of us.

I would absolutely HATE to be a cast member if/when this goes into effect...they are going to get slammed by all the guests who are angry about not being able to use the FREE fastpasses they horded.

 

[Metro West]

Speaking as a local and someone who doesn't bother with FP except when family/friends visit, I think Disney should consider a couple of options.

First...simply get rid of return times and let people come back and ride whenever they want...Universal's Express Plus pass works that way. I don't see why that would be an issue to anyone. No one would miss a precious ADR if they could return on their schedule.

Or...just get rid of FP all together. I remember plenty of trips prior to FP and I always had a good time.

My suggestion to Disney...as if they cared...would be to get rid of return times completely and just issue a FP for a certain date...not time.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

I hope, Iger doesn't continue to throw, the baby out with the bath water.

While, some of the changes may be good, I'm not happy about others (food and merchandise quality, reduction monorail hours, overall attitude) All these improvements at once, makes things a bit chaotic. I've been unhappy for some time, but thought I'd ride the wave. Unfortunately, the crest is nowhere in sight. Last night, DH said, maybe we should forget Disney for a while. We have only one trip this year...none planned for next. Hooefully, this mess will settle and we'll come back. The question is to what? Meanwhile, I'm planning vacations to other parts of the world.

What I enjoy most about this post is how I can read it in a Captain Kirk inner voice based on your comma placement.

 

[mesaboy2]

What I enjoy most about this post is how I can read it in a Captain Kirk inner voice based on your comma placement.

Spock! Get, ahold, of, yourself!

 

[Jennasis]

May be rhetorical, but bears answering - they can't get in whenever they want. They have to get in at or after the return time starts. The benefit is that this person is deferring their ride time to later in the day, in exchange for not having to actually wait in the standby line. So the standby line benefits earlier in the day.

Wouldn't lines get worse then as the day goes on?

 

[mom2rtk]

I've said this before in other threads, and I'll reiterate here as I follow a PP's lead and exit.

On any ride that operates at capacity, all I am doing by returning after the window is letting people in the virtual queue go ahead of me. I fail to see how this makes anyone else's experience worse.

But if that's all you're doing...... how can I make you out to be a selfish fastpass-hoarding line-cutter? Where's the fun in that?

 

[mesaboy2]

But if that's all you're doing...... how can I make you out to be a selfish fastpass-hoarding line-cutter? Where's the fun in that?

By not thinking very hard. Ciao!

 

[chicagoshannon]

Will rider swap passes also have an enforced return window?

This is my main worry too. We uaully manage to make it in our assigned return window with the exception of rider swap. The rides that use rider swap typically have 20 minute or more waits even in the fast pass line. So the baby will already have to wait 20 minutes for the person to make it through the line and then (in the case of Splash) another almost 20 minutes for the ride. So waiting a total of 1 hour 20 minutes to move on is a long time for someone under 4 years old.

Because of this we typically use our rider swap a few hours after we initially ride so the baby doesn't have to wait so long.

If they returned rider swap to how it used to be, waiting at the exit and immediately hopping on the ride after the first person got off it wouldn't be so bad. If not then they really need to let rider swaps return anytime that day.

 

[Victoria3]

The entire purpose of the fp program was to deal with crowd control and lines. The whole concept was that you picked up your fps and came back at a later, scheduled time. People took advantage of the fact that most cast members wouldn't give the actual fps a second glance.

The fp system was designed to make money. If people are standing in lines for acttractions then they're not spending money.

 

[KellyNY]

Based on this and other threads, not all Disers use FPs late and I highly doubt general public(non Disers) even know about it, so considering such a tiny number of people, why would they change things, just don't understand it.

 

[doconeill]

Wouldn't lines get worse then as the day goes on?

Yes, they can and do. In the end, it MUST be zero-sum. so the benefit to the standby line of people deferring to take their place in the line is better much earlier in the day, and then dwindles to zero by the end of the day as all of the FP holders have taken their place.

The difference between enforcement and non-enforcement is that with allowing late FP use the reduction in the benefit to the standby line is lower earlier on as some defer even further (and therefore the standby line is benefitting even more), in exchange for a faster equalization at the end of the day due to those holding out until the last minute, and thus a longer perceived stagnation of the standby line.

Of course, no one has ever quantified how many people in the last half hour, say, actually are using their FPs past the window, vs. just a random chance that its a bunch of people who's return time happens to fall in that window.

 

[RodBelding]

I don't see the point in getting upset about this policy "enforcement". FP's clearly have a RETURN time window with which to use them. I think it's great and about time Disney finally started enforcing the return times and allow better queue management of the rides.

Agree.

I only had the patience to read through the first 10 pages of this. I don't normally contribute to the more "heated" threads but this one is making me nuts. What did all of you do before Fastpasses existed? I know what I did...same thing I do now...I just ENJOY being at WDW. If I want to ride something, I get in line. If the line is too long and the fastpasses are available for a time that I can come back for it, I get one, if not, I don't, and move on.

If I PAID for a fastpass and missed my time and was told I couldn't use it, then yeah I'd be pissed. But these are FREE. Why is everyone all up in arms over a free perk Disney gives us?

Honestly, I think they should do away with the whole system. You want to ride something? Get in line.

As for the people threatening to never vacation at WDW again because of this? I say good...shorter lines for the rest of us.

I would absolutely HATE to be a cast member if/when this goes into effect...they are going to get slammed by all the guests who are angry about not being able to use the FREE fastpasses they horded.

Well said.


Seems to me this is a rehash of the reusable mugs argument. They're really not changing any "rules", but just enforcing them. Instead of being upset about not being able to use FPs late anymore, be happy you were able to do so for all these years.

 

[brerrabbit]

There are so many rumors and opinions on this subject that who knows what's true and what's not.

Here is what I do know, Disney drives it's business model on the basis of facts, figures, and tons of guest surveys. I get asked questions entering or exiting parks at least three to four times every trip and asked to do follow up on line surveys a least once every trip. They know the things we can only speculate about such as the percentage of late returning FP's used, ride popularity, capacity, number of FP's issued, etc. I don't. Any move they make or circulate a rumor about is in an effort to drive more spend per guest or enhance the guest's perceive value or enjoyment.

So if they do make a change then they do it with those goals in mind. The other huge variable I have no knowledge of is what percentage of guests are the highly educated/ motivated, DIS Board or other such planning site participant. Who involved in this discussion cannot quote the mantra: Get there at rope drop, ride these first, collect FP's, eat lunch at X:XX o'clock, return to resort, take a nap, come back refreshed and utilize all the FP's collected in the morning, have fun, avoid EMH parks, Animal Kingdom is a half day park, ADR windows are X days, etc.

Because if the number of people who strictly adhere to such suggestions are small then the problem is not that big and Disney would not care. But the reality is certain people (and we all know a bunch of them) don't plan much at all. They wind up stayin out late today and tomorrow they sleep late and don't get to EPCOT till 11:00 am. FP's for Soarin are almost completely gone, TT has a return time of 8:00 pm and quite frankly the park is packed. Now if Disney enforces return times for a while and it becomes the new reality then a year from now when you show up at EPCOT late what will the return time be for Soarin and TT? Will it be earlier? Will that offer everyone a better experience? Who knows, but at least it may be worth a shot.

Because I read this baord I currently know I can get FP's and use them any time the same day and I do. If that changes then I will read first hand accounts here and change my behavior. I won't get upset either way because we love going and that is not going to change because of the FP policy one way of another.

 

[MACfamily4]

With all due respect, I have to believe that those who don't fully use fastpasses within the currently allowable guidelines are not having the same quality experience that those of us who do are having. Is it "doable", as so many have suggested? Of course, but many of us have enhanced the quality of our park time by carefully strategizing the nuances, including how and when to use FP. DH and I are both teachers -we have to go in the summer and almost always go during the week of July 4th. It is terrifically crowded and blasted hot. We tour very strategically and have never waited in a line for more than 13 minutes in five trips (really...I've timed it). We ride all the big headliners at least twice, and make ADR's for when and where we want to eat. I am not arguing Disney's right to change their policy; I'm not arguing whether the return window should or should not be enforced; I'm not arguing whether or not this will make lines short/longer/etc; I'm simply saying that for those of us who tour strategically, at the busiest times of year, in the dreadful heat of summer, this change has the potential to significantly detract from our park experience. To suggest we have been "dropped on our heads" (and the like) for being less than thrilled about it is not only unkind, but unnecessary. We love Disney and will adapt if required, but one should not judge those of us for whom this DOES make a huge difference, particularly when I have to believe those folks may not really get if they're not fully using fastpasses in the manner currently allowable anyway.

I eagerly await reports from people who tour like we do before judging whether or not the Disney vacation dollar continues to be worth the experience.