FastPass Enforcement

[Sammie]

We always stuck to the return window, I knew eventually the "come back whenever" would be stopped.

 

[smidgy]

OK, why does Fastpass return enforcement make it hard if you don't have a smartphone? This is the first I've heard of this...

(I'm NOT talking about FastPass+, only the current system)

The current Fastpass doesn't really require a Smartphone. Rumor has it that when Fastpass + as part of the NextGen change over allegedly will require a Smartphone for ease of use.

we visited with my son and DIL, since the change. with her smart phone, we saved a lot of criss crossing.. she could see right awayif it wold be senseless to run all the ay across DHS to get TOT fastpasses, since the return time conflicted with out prime time ADR.. so anyone (like me)iwith just a phone that was made to . um.. make phone calls would have had to run all the way acroos the park to find that out,, wasting valuable time.

and NO!!! I shouldn't be have to pay over $100 for a phone and who knows how much more for a contract, just to use the services availabe at a disney park.. these services should be available to ALL ticket holding (ie. paying) guests!!!


and when they introduce Next gen; X gen (whatever) those of us without "smart" phones will be even at more of a disadvantage.

not to mention, as robo said, all the people running into us cause they are staring down at their stupid phones all day

 

[kitkat2704]

Eh. It kinda sucks to have to be watching the clock. and it sucks when your in line and realize that you have to be back to the other ride. luckly it hasnt happend other then a few times. After those times, I set my phone alarm and keep a close eye. Plus using the disney application on my phone for wait times really helps..

 

[pepe of ohio]

We always stuck to the return window, I knew eventually the "come back whenever" would be stopped.

Ditto, we rarely use FP's but when we did, abided by the printed return time... So we have no issues with present practices!

 

[ashley0139]

I just feel it has made the whole vacation much more stressful. I don't like having to be on a specific time table like that. I hate being on a ride and wondering if I'm gonna get off in time to use the fast pass. Where's the fun in that? I'm not enjoying the ride that I'm on. I don't want to rush through a meal, and I don't want to look at my watch and realize I'm in Frontierland when I need to be at Space Mountain. So much more stressful.

 

[Cais]

we visited with my son and DIL, since the change. with her smart phone, we saved a lot of criss crossing.. she could see right awayif it wold be senseless to run all the ay across DHS to get TOT fastpasses, since the return time conflicted with out prime time ADR.. so anyone (like me)iwith just a phone that was made to . um.. make phone calls would have had to run all the way acroos the park to find that out,, wasting valuable time.

and NO!!! I shouldn't be have to pay over $100 for a phone and who knows how much more for a contract, just to use the services availabe at a disney park.. these services should be available to ALL ticket holding (ie. paying) guests!!!

and when they introduce Next gen; X gen (whatever) those of us without "smart" phones will be even at more of a disadvantage.

not to mention, as robo said, all the people running into us cause they are staring down at their stupid phones all day

There will be multiple kiosks in the park with a guest relations cast member that will allow you to modify your fastpasses without needing a smart phone.

Staring down at phones? Honestly, people with strollers and ECVS are way more of a problem.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[TLSnell1981]

.

Staring down at phones? Honestly, people with strollers and ECVS are way more of a problem.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Mmmm...don't know about that. We were surprised at the number of cell phones out. We definitely noticed an increase. I can't wait for the threads to come!

 

[Jennasis]

There will be multiple kiosks in the park with a guest relations cast member that will allow you to modify your fastpasses without needing a smart phone.

Staring down at phones? Honestly, people with strollers and ECVS are way more of a problem.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Sorry...they really weren't. The morons glued to their phones while trying to walk and text/post/surf were out of control this past weekend. I can't count the number of times someone walked right into me or would just stop rght in front of us to check their phone. Insanity.

Hardly saw any ECV's all weekend and had no issues with strollers.

 

[PeterPanic]

I just feel it has made the whole vacation much more stressful. I don't like having to be on a specific time table like that. I hate being on a ride and wondering if I'm gonna get off in time to use the fast pass. Where's the fun in that? I'm not enjoying the ride that I'm on. I don't want to rush through a meal, and I don't want to look at my watch and realize I'm in Frontierland when I need to be at Space Mountain. So much more stressful.

You are partially correct, but, it wasn't enforcement of Fastpass times that made a vacation more stressful, it was FASTPASS itself. There was no stress before Fastpass, there was no stress before 180 day ADR's. The only stress was not really a stress at all, and it was being in line, first come, first served previous to all that "time saving garbage". It didn't matter when you were in line, you either ate before getting in the line or after, no watching a clock. No cris-crossing the parks, you just went to one at a time, saw it and then moved on.

Even when they started Fastpass, they enforced the windows and at the time people that, for some reason which I have never understood, thought that they were saving time by using them, were nearly wetting there pants with joy. All day usage started out really as an abuse of the system. People came back with absolutely amazing excuses why they couldn't make the window, it tied up lines and, because that was how they did business in those days, Disney wanted everyone happy so they allowed them to ride. Over time people got savvy to that system and it generally got worse and worse until, at some point, Disney threw it's collective hands in the air and gave up. Just let them in was the battle cry that went out to CM's.

Now they have a new system that requires a more complete control of the Fastpass times, so they are back to staying within the window.

Everyone has an hour to fit into that window. If you picked one up knowing that it was in the middle of your ADR, frankly no one cares whether you missed it or not. We are not supposed to have to babysit everyone. Forget you have a Fastpass and get on another ride instead? Wow, what more needs to be said about that. Must have been pretty important to you that you don't even remember you have it.

No, my friends, the decline in enjoyment at Disney can be traced directly to the day that Fastpass was introduced. It seemed, and apparently still does, that it was a wonderful thing. No one thought out the other side of the story. What was that theory? ..."For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". Disney never did find a way to alter basic physics.

 

[mom2rtk]

You are partially correct, but, it wasn't enforcement of Fastpass times that made a vacation more stressful, it was FASTPASS itself. There was no stress before Fastpass, there was no stress before 180 day ADR's.

You mean there was no stress before crowds got to the insane level they are now. Crowd control measures are a response to the problem. Not the problem itself.

 

[Robo]

There was no stress before Fastpass, there was no stress before 180 day ADR's. The only stress was not really a stress at all, and it was being in line, first come, first served previous to all that "time saving garbage".

Speaking as one who has had much experience with either situation,
I could not disagree with your premise more.

But, that's your opinion and that's fine.
Just know that it is far from being a "universal truth" with all visitors.

 

[PeterPanic]

Speaking as one who has had much experience with either situation,
I could not disagree with your premise more.

But, that's your opinion and that's fine.
Just know that it is far from being a "universal truth" with all visitors.

You're just mad at me because I disagreed with one of your posts! That's it isn't it? Just kidding ya! I remember both too, and I don't remember feeling any stress comparable to what I felt after FP showed up. The slow lines today are mostly at the FP attractions. The question...was FP put in to fix that or did it create it?

 

[mom2rtk]

The slow lines today are mostly at the FP attractions.

That's because FP is only on high demand attractions. You know..... for now.

 

[Robo]

The slow lines today are mostly at the FP attractions.

The question...was FP put in to fix that or did it create it?

That's easy to assess.

The E-Ticket attractions always had long lines.

I have experience spending 3 hours standing in line for Splash Mtn. and 2.5 hours standing in line for Indiana Jones (DLR) before FP was introduced.

 

[doconeill]

You're just mad at me because I disagreed with one of your posts! That's it isn't it? Just kidding ya! I remember both too, and I don't remember feeling any stress comparable to what I felt after FP showed up. The slow lines today are mostly at the FP attractions. The question...was FP put in to fix that or did it create it?

Before Fastpass, I remember waiting in line for 2.5 hours in the hot sun for Splash Mountain in mid July, with everything operating normally.

I've been several times since FP in the same time frame, and never seen the wait time go that high unless there was an issue.

Not exactly scientific proof, but it's my experience. Yours can vary.

Keep in mind - it depends on what you mean by "slow". With the introduction of Fastpass, in theory the standby lines would move slower - but also be shorter. So it is possible for them to be slower yet the wait time could be less.

I think the "stress" comes from those that are trying to manage their Fastpasses to maximize them - and forget to just enjoy the experience.

 

[elaine amj]

I agree. It definetly requires more strategy. For example, we did the Segway tour in the morning and had a lunch reservation in France at 12:00. After finishing the tour around 10:30, we headed over to Soarin to get a fastpass for after lunch. The return time was 12:30-1:30. We didn't think we would make it back by 1:30. So we went over to Nemo and Imagination and then went back to Soarin, by then the return was around 1:30-2:30 so we took it. We barely made it back before 2:30. Before the change, we would have taken the first one and went on our way, not having to worry about the return time.

Ditto. It wasn't too bad for us since we were there at the end of August and didn't have to use FPs a whole lot. However, one time I had to change an ADR because of it. I sent my DD to get a TSM FP forgetting that I needed to pay attention to the return time. She came back with a return time that was about 30 mins - 1 hr too early. Threw my careful plans out the window. I had to juggle an ADR because of it and thankfully managed to get in the restaurant early. Otherwise, we would have skipped using that FP.

 

[khertz]

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

This would have been my answer too if it had been available on the poll!

 

[TLSnell1981]

You are partially correct, but, it wasn't enforcement of Fastpass times that made a vacation more stressful, it was FASTPASS itself. There was no stress before Fastpass, there was no stress before 180 day ADR's. The only stress was not really a stress at all, and it was being in line, first come, first served previous to all that "time saving garbage". It didn't matter when you were in line, you either ate before getting in the line or after, no watching a clock. No cris-crossing the parks, you just went to one at a time, saw it and then moved on.
.
.

I totally disagree. Fast pass made life easier as they increased park capacity. I remember the 2-3 hour waits...ugh. Since the enforcement, we have experienced longer lines..not exactly a "magical day". Although, CM's rarely use that expression anymore.

 

[Day-Day]

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

Selected "other" basically for this reason.

 

[JKMJ441724]

There is a lot of wasted running around the park trying to get back in the allotted time.

I agree. If we must return within a certain time frame, I wish the return time window was a wee bit longer.