FastPass Enforcement

[eyeheartgoofy]

I would say that we used the majority of our fastpasses within the normal window, but there were always one or two per day that we used outside of the window. So this new enforcement did affect our trip. It wasn't that bad, but it did make the trip less relaxing.

It can be hard to judge how long an attraction will take ... In AK, we thought we had plenty of time to experience ITTBAB before our Safari FP expired, but we wound up literally running to make it to the Safari within our window. We completely missed our window for Kali River (but a rainstorm scared a bunch of people away so standby was only 20 minutes or so).

The experience in AK led us to be cautious with our FP's in the MK b/c we definately didn't want to miss our windows for Splash and SM ... we spent a lot more time looking in gift shops and just killing time while waiting for a FP to be valid b/c we were afraid to get into any lines (character or attraction) that might push us past our FP window. In years past, we would have just gotten in line and if we were a few minutes late for our FP it didn't matter. We used fewer fastpasses as well.

I'm really curious to see what happens when FP+ rolls out. We always go during really busy times so FP has been invaluable - I think the time of year you visit might affect how much you use Fastpass. Our next trip is over Easter ... I was sort of hoping they would have FP+ ready by then.

 

[skier_pete]

I voted that I adapted without difficulty, even though I haven't been yet, and here's why:

We've been using FP's late since we found out about it in 2007. The trip before we used them on time. Using them late is slightly more convenient...it wasn't a problem for us to go back to the resort in the afternoon and miss our window...but it just will take a new strategy.

My bigger concern is FP+. We would often get 6-8 sets of FPs in a day, and I don't see an issue with us continuing to do so. However, I like the idea of FP+ and pre-booking my FPs, but I am concerned if I now only get say 3 FPs in a day and can't use the regular FPs. It's so far looking like if you choose to use one system, you won't have the option of using the other. I guess I am really waiting to see what the new FP+ system allows. If I am allowed 4 or 5 a day, then I would probably go with FP+, but with only 3 a day, I am not so sure. (We've often had 5 sets of FPs by noon at MK.)

 

[UNCFanatik]

Better get used to THAT, I'm afraid, if you intend to use FP's after the "new and improved" FP+ comes on-line.

And, get ready for thousands upon thousands of guests with their heads down looking at their
smart phones.
Ubiquitous near-misses and full-on crashing into other guests is in everyone's future.

Thousands and thousands of guests already do that with the touring apps that people currently use. And the teenagers will always have their phones out texting away these days.

I would rather be run into someone looking at their smart phone then plowed into by an unruly child because of no parenting which I had more problems with in June.

 

[KingofSwing3000]

Not a fan. I think it's having the opposite effect: both lines are now getting longer.

 

[mom2rtk]

You left out "Yes, but we have reluctantly adapted, with all the changes in strategy that it required."

I too looked for that option and came up short. The story of my life......

 

[CarolynU]

I've saved money because I don't want to be juggling FP return times with ADR's especially with being seated late, so it's now counter service for me and my family. That way I only have one thing to clock watch for. Last Summer it was a much more relaxing vacation despite no late FP returns. If we got fed up with counter service we'd cross the parks all day until we had done everything we wanted and then we'd leave and eat offsite.

 

[mom2rtk]

Not a fan. I think it's having the opposite effect: both lines are now getting longer.

I actually see it as the FP line getting longer and the standby line getting slower.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

We've been twice since FP enforcement began. I admit that I was upset when I first read about FP being enforced. But I did find one advantage to it. Often when we would get FPs the return time would be many, many hours after we got the FP. So that we would end up not using them or giving them away. After enforcement, the return times were doable for us and we didn't see that many attractions running out of FPs.

But we went during slower times, late April and late September. Heading back in July and anxious to see how this will impact crowds.

 

[mom2rtk]

We've been twice since FP enforcement began. I admit that I was upset when I first read about FP being enforced. But I did find one advantage to it. Often when we would get FPs the return time would be many, many hours after we got the FP. So that we would end up not using them or giving them away. After enforcement, the return times were doable for us and we didn't see that many attractions running out of FPs.

That change is more likely a result of additional FP slots being added to the system at the same time in preparation for FP+ rollout.

 

[DougEMG]

I used FP late quiet a lot, so was definitely negatively impacted by the change.

 

[g-dad66]

You left out "Yes, but we have reluctantly adapted, with all the changes in strategy that it required."

Count me as Vote #2 for this option (actually maybe I'm vote #4 or 5, based upon some of the PP posts).

 

[DisneyFive]

As others said, there needs to be another option. "Yes, it negatively impacted our experience". Without it, the poll is meaningless, IMO. (no offense).

I chose "other" because that option was missing.

While we still used FP's this past fall, it had us criss crossing the park more and messed with our touring style, especially in the evening when we used to be able to use FP's that we had grabbed earlier in the day.

Dan

 

[VikingInMouseEars]

Count me as another who regularly used FPs after the time window. Enforcing the times took some getting used to and we missed a couple of windows and had to do more walking rushing back to use a FP before it expired. By the end of the trip we had realised that we needed to plan things out a bit more we were adapting. But over all I am not a fan. Maybe when we can start getting FPs in advance it will make things different.

 

[bittybabygrower]

We were there this past weekend and the fastpass lines were crazy at times !! We were in line for toy story with a 40 minute wait and a huge surge of fastpass people came in near the end of the window and our wait jumped to about 2 hours. It was ridiculous. It seemed they were only letting fastpassers in and no standby.

At space mountain, the fast pass line was so long we couldn't figure out where the end was.

 

[2Tiggies]

I used FP late quiet a lot, so was definitely negatively impacted by the change.

We were there last September; our first visit since the return time enforcement and to be quite frank, by midway through the trip we used very few FPs because we found we got less done in a day being restricted to a certain part of the park to be there for a return window.

 

[ilovemk76]

I would vote - We sometimes used them late but mostly within the window. No big change for us.

 

[disneynanacat]

You left out "Yes, but we have reluctantly adapted, with all the changes in strategy that it required."

ditto. don't like it but will adapt

 

[Hooked On The Mouse]

I can't vote, because although it somewhat negatively effected our touring and although we definitely didn't like it, it was not the end of the world. It worked out great for the German family that got our extra Toy Story fastpasses instead of a 120 minute wait!

 

[doconeill]

I said "Yes but adapted", although we RARELY used them late by intention - even with the knowledge that we could, we had little problem using them when the window came. We did on a couple of occasions receive past-due FPs from CMs due to issues with the attraction (apparently they didn't have re-entry passes available).

 

[Lizard Valley]

I opted for the dramatic response, but just because there was nothing else that suitably identified how it negatively impacted us.

The change happened midway through our trip last year. I found myself "front-loading" our park days to take advantage of the old rules and minimize the number of days we spent in the parks having to work around return times.

HS was the hardest - calculating FP times around shows and ADR's is really complicated and frustrating.

MK was the next hardest. Way too much park crossing. I also didn't spend any time in the shops because I was always aware that I needed to be somewhere else.

This year's touring will be different. I don't have as many table service restaurants planned, and I won't come back to the parks in the evenings to use my fastpasses. The positive side is that I can already see that my spending will go down. I'll spend less on food, less on souvenirs, and less on Disney tickets. It was also enough of a change that I have decided to rebel and check out the other parks in the Orlando area since I can't continue to tour in the effortless manner I was accustomed to.