FastPass+ must be coming soon

[BrotherCraig]

So I'm scheduled to go from CT to FLA on 6/25 then return on 7/3. The original res had me leaving Orlando at 520pm arriving Chicago Midway 710pm then changing planes to leave at 835pm from Midway to Hartford. The geniuses at Southwest changed my 520pm to 445pm into Midway at 630pm with no connecting flight to Hartford. I guess they want me to take a bus home from Chicago.

Still a 120 wait to speak to a southwest rep on the phone as of 5pm today. Does anyone know their customer service hours?

Wow. That is insane. Since they changed the flight on you, they should put you on the direct flight at 8:40 out of MCO. They also have the 1:15 PM one too. They also have the one stop BWI one.

Their customer service hours are 24/7. You can also direct message them on Twitter and they will call you.

Update: I just called and got the message where the wait is 39 minutes or you could press to have them call you. I would have them call you. No reason to waste time waiting like that. Time is precious.

 

[DebbieB]

You should be able to change your flight online. I had a non-stop flight at 10:10am PIT-MCO. It was changed to 7:50am. Instead of moving me to that one, they put me on a one stop through Fort Myers at 8:50. I went online and changed to the 7:50am non-stop, I had the red message at the top that said I could change with no fee.

 

[Newbie500]

My update: Success!

I called after I read BrotherCraig's post. Wait time announced at 55 Minutes. So I waited while I drove home from work, went food shopping, and on my way home, at 29 minutes waiting, a very courteous rep named Ginny answered and got me ( 3 of us ) on the nonstop 840pm from MCO into BDL. She apologized and informed me that my Chicago to Hartford flight had "dropped off the system".

Problem solved. Now I don't have to take the bus.

Until the next email from Southwest with another flight change.

Thanks BrotherCraig!

 

[dmband]

I know I’m in the minority, but I hope you’re right! I think this is one thing that Universal does WAY better than Disney, and I’d happily budget for a paid FP+ option and/or a deluxe hotel stay that includes FP+ perks. 100%.

I personally don’t like when places use the “deluxe stay” perk for example.
There are many reasons people don’t stay deluxe. One being they can’t fit room capacity limits.
Many families are forced into value resorts because those are the only family suite options

 

[CarolynFH]

I personally don’t like when places use the “deluxe stay” perk for example.
There are many reasons people don’t stay deluxe. One being they can’t fit room capacity limits.
Many families are forced into value resorts because those are the only family suite options

Larger families who want to stay deluxe have the option of booking the DVC villas (sleep up to 8).

 

[ScubaCat]

My update: Success!

I called after I read BrotherCraig's post. Wait time announced at 55 Minutes. So I waited while I drove home from work, went food shopping, and on my way home, at 29 minutes waiting, a very courteous rep named Ginny answered and got me ( 3 of us ) on the nonstop 840pm from MCO into BDL. She apologized and informed me that my Chicago to Hartford flight had "dropped off the system".

Problem solved. Now I don't have to take the bus.

Until the next email from Southwest with another flight change.

Thanks BrotherCraig!

I've been on a dozen or so southwest flights since covid and they get changed 3-5 times on average. On the bright side, you can just book the cheapest and then use the inevitable free change to swap to the one you really want.

 

[dmband]

Larger families who want to stay deluxe have the option of booking the DVC villas (sleep up to 8).

Yeahhhhh completely different imo

 

[CarolynFH]

Yeahhhhh completely different imo

In what way? Just wondering, not wanting to start a fight!

 

[dmband]

In what way? Just wondering, not wanting to start a fight!

Those are like deluxe plus IMO and they cost almost four times the rate as Art of Animation based on my experience
if fact the same dates that I am paying $322/night (w/discount x3 rooms) at AoA was $1562 at villas (would only need 1 there though)

my point about FP is you shouldn’t be forced to pay that much different just to be able to access FP

 

[CarolynFH]

Those are like deluxe plus IMO and they cost almost four times the rate as Art of Animation based on my experience
if fact the same dates that I am paying $322/night (w/discount x3 rooms) at AoA was $1562 at villas (would only need 1 there though)

my point about FP is you shouldn’t be forced to pay that much different just to be able to access FP

Ah, thanks, I misunderstood. I thought you meant larger families couldn’t access deluxe resorts because of family size as opposed to budget.

 

[yaywatermelons]

Southwest changed my return flight from Orlando to Hartford CT by way of Chicago (yes change planes in Chicago) and after the change has left me in Chicago without a connection to Hartford. Their customer service line currently has a 2 hour wait to speak to a rep.. I haven't waited that long to talk to Disney!!!

United turned my summer non-stop from Orlando to San Francisco flight into a one stop in Newark, NJ. It's been a nightmare to try and reschedule. I can handle a one stop if I must, but could it at least be in the general direction of home?

(Travel time from 5 hours and change to 14 hours and change)

 

[DL1WDW2]

I just received 2 different flight changes w/ SW and the change always eliminates the nonstop with a random weird choice...The email did give me the option to use Southwest.com/rebook3 so I did not have to make a phone call. It also automatcally credited back point credit since my selection was at a better price.

Best advice Do not delay searching after you receive Notice of Flight Change... SW limits to 3 days and other fine print... and read the entire email. Otherwise I would have never realized I could check availabilty to repair their decision with their special rebook3 link, online w/o a phone call...

 

[Grasshopper2016]

my point about FP is you shouldn’t be forced to pay that much different just to be able to access FP

As DisneyFive noted earlier, it would be hard to make a Universal Express Pass model work at Disney World, because so many people would be willing to buy it that it would defeat the purpose. That would be especially true if Disney gave them out to anyone who stays at a deluxe resort (let alone expanding that to other resort categories). There are way too many rooms, which means way too many fastpasses.

I think Disney is far more likely to go the route of selling extra fastpasses, either individually or in packages, rather than selling skip-the-line-on-all-rides passes. But if they do decide to sell the equivalent of a Universal Express Pass: (1) I can't see them giving them away, even as a Club Level benefit (remember that, pre-covid, they were selling just 3 extra fastpasses to club level guests for $50, with lots of requirements and limitations); and (2) they would cost an extraordinary amount of money --- somewhere on the order of $500 per person per day, I imagine.

 

[g3pak]

I can see WDW implementing a FP system with some similarities to Dollywood. DW has one resort hotel and all guests there get a Time Saver pass good for 8 rides per day. Other park guests can buy either an 8 ride pass or an unlimited pass but they do not have many of either for purchase. IMO this is frustrating as a DW guest because the only reasonable way to ride a couple of their rides is to get one of these passes. Our family could pay another $50 per person per day, spend a ridiculous amount to stay at their resort, or stand in line forever for their headliners as we watch the ride being filled almost exclusively with Time Saver holders. I get it- they have to justify charging so much for their resort, but the rest of us wait forever or pass on their most popular rides.

I can see WDW giving deluxe resort guests an advantage- maybe 5 or 8 rides per day? Let a select few purchase a FP for the same number of rides as deluxe guests, and the rest of the guests wait in lines like now.

Bottom line- if Disney can figure out how to make money off of it, they will do it

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

I can see WDW implementing a FP system with some similarities to Dollywood. DW has one resort hotel and all guests there get a Time Saver pass good for 8 rides per day. Other park guests can buy either an 8 ride pass or an unlimited pass but they do not have many of either for purchase. IMO this is frustrating as a DW guest because the only reasonable way to ride a couple of their rides is to get one of these passes. Our family could pay another $50 per person per day, spend a ridiculous amount to stay at their resort, or stand in line forever for their headliners as we watch the ride being filled almost exclusively with Time Saver holders. I get it- they have to justify charging so much for their resort, but the rest of us wait forever or pass on their most popular rides.

I can see WDW giving deluxe resort guests an advantage- maybe 5 or 8 rides per day? Let a select few purchase a FP for the same number of rides as deluxe guests, and the rest of the guests wait in lines like now.

Bottom line- if Disney can figure out how to make money off of it, they will do it

But as capacity increases, so will lines, and regular folk will not likely return soon if all lines are 90 minute plus. That’s not a good plan for Disney in the long run (imho)

 

[Lindaleeann]

I live in New York City.

I live in New York City.

I fly out of NYC too. Delta recently added back a ton of flights that had been canceled due to covid.

 

[Dug720]

I fly out of NYC too. Delta recently added back a ton of flights that had been canceled due to covid.

Well, I have had enough bad experiences with Delta (and they are always more expensive) I don't fly them.

American and United are cutting.

 

[g3pak]

But as capacity increases, so will lines, and regular folk will not likely return soon if all lines are 90 minute plus. That’s not a good plan for Disney in the long run (imho)

I completely agree since I am one of the regular folk, but I can see Disney trying it to make an extra buck.

I think DW's model will backfire on them. Right now they are limited park capacity but some rides operate at 100% capacity. Those are the rides that fill up with Time Saver holders while the rest of us stand in line forever. It shouldn't take an hour to get to a ride when there are less than 100 in front of you. It will only be worse when park capacity increases. You can spend a fortune to stay at their resort or buy a Time Saver weeks in advance since they sell about 100 per day. If you decide the day before to run over to the park, you are in long lines even when the park is not crowded because by then their Time Savers are sold out and you are not staying at Dreammore.

Oh well, this isn't a DW board, it is WDW, and I hope WDW looks at DW and says "they are really messing up here."

 

[NicholeB630]

.
Dollywood no longer requiring guests to wear face masks outdoors Dollywood no longer requiring guests to wear face masks outdoors (attractionsmagazine.com)

I think I need to make a trip to Dollywood

 

[NicholeB630]

Fast passes are not coming back anytime soon. They have no way to social distance between the FP line and the standby line- with the limited use of that line now for DAS and the others using it the social distancing is able to be done. We all know Disney IT is horrible.

I find it odd and amusing they can’t figure it out. Every other theme park in America I’m aware of is still implementing their express passes etc. universal, Dollywood, smaller parks. I’m not sure why Disney can’t. It would shorten the regular line