Fastpass needs an Update bad.

[buzzCMlightyear]

As nobody is sure of how the new fastpass from home system will work yet, a huge fastpass overhall is in need along with the update.

Most people know how fastpasses work. Obtain a pass with a hour time slot for you to return during for a minimal wait time. What most people don't know, and a lot debate over, is whether or not the CM's will let you in late if you do not make it during your hour. Well just to clarify, you can use your fastpass any time during the day issued, after the start time of your hour, even hours late. Now this sets off the number of people that each attraction is expecting, resulting in a longer FP line, and longer wait for standby, especially after parades/fireworks. I understand why FP's are accepted late, reservations, parades, fireworks ect. But this is a huge flaw in the FP system.

Now the following is just my idea, there is no inside information in this at all, and I would love feedback and others ideas on what you think would help the problem.

My idea to fix this is to, instead of an hour timeslot, make the timeslot you can come back during 2 or maybe even 3 hours, and no longer accept FP late. Making the time slot a longer duration would let guests account for their reservations to eat, time to watch a parade and see fireworks. I also only think the online fastpass system will only work well if guests are not allowed to return late, but we'll see what happens with that.

Also another need is new FP distribution machines. Barcode scanners are a must. Way to many people keep their phones with tickets, causing the magnetic strip that the machines read to become worthless.

I know its long but if you have stuck with me this long than thanks for reading

 

[Figment632]

It should be two hours but also taken away from the following attractions.

Buzz
Peter Pann
Pooh
Jungle Cruise
Toy Story Mania
All shows
Living with the Land.

 

[kamik86]

It should be two hours but also taken away from the following attractions.

Buzz
Peter Pann
Pooh
Jungle Cruise
Toy Story Mania
All shows
Living with the Land.

I understand most of those, as I have never seen many of them where they needed a fast pass to get on in a reasonable amount of time, buy why toy story mania?

 

[Figment632]

I understand most of those, as I have never seen many of them where they needed a fast pass to get on in a reasonable amount of time, buy why toy story mania?

It doubles the wait in DL where TSM has no FP on the busiest of days TsZm gets a 35 minutes wail at the most.

The rid loads fast and doesn't need it IMO.

 

[skier_pete]

First off, I don't think the issue is as big as you think. I think most people don't know enough to use the FPs late, my guess would be less than 20 % know this trick. Heck, I would guess a third of all the people going to Disney don't even understand the FP system enough to use it. The only time I have run into really bad FP lines are on Space Mountain, and that was when it had broken down several times during the day, and immediately after the fireworks.

That said, I think your idea has merit. A longer FP window (say three hours) and enforcing the timeframe would be more effective at spreading out the crowds. However, I think Disney has in a way dug its own grave here. The reason that they started allowing the late FP in the first place was to avoid conflict with guests and keep them happy. While it's easy to say to a guest "Oh no, you have to come back later to use that FP", it's a lot harder to say "No, you can't use it at all." With so many people knowing that they can use FP late, they would come into a change system and still want to use their passes late, and Disney would likely still feel that they have to back down and let them.

I don't know how the rest of the Disney-going public feels - but the current system works very well for ME...so I am fine with them keeping it as is.

SkierPete

 

[TisBit]

The counter argument to the "it creates a longer standby wait time" is that if people are using them late, that means at some point earlier in the day, the lack of returning fastpasses caused a lesser wait for the standby.

The same number of people will ride the attraction throughout the day, if it is offset at one time and made up for at another, it will generally balance out and not create a noticeable effect. It could actually mean that instead of fluctuating between a 30 minute standby wait earlier in the day and having a 1 hr wait later in the day, you would end up with a 45 minute wait all day (using static numbers of course).

I don't think I see Disney really cracking down on the return window or they would at least have a huge grace period...the guests already get upset when they return 5 minutes early and can't ride, now combine that with the guests who were 2 or 3 minutes late. I have had to wait several minutes because of guests not understanding they were early, or had to barge through a crowd that was waiting for their "magic" time to show up and get in line.

 

[nytimez]

I think FP works beautifully as is. Could it be tweaked? Sure. But a major overhaul? No way. And I don't buy the argument that late returns hold up the line.

There are so many real issues in the park to fix. This ain't one of them.

 

[Figment632]

Does it work yes but it should not be on certain attractions.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Personally I would like for Disney to do away with Fastpasses entirely.

First of all, the parks was designed with the expectation that a certain percentage of Guests would be in lines for attractions; having FPs changed this.

Second, the FP actually is a failure from what was expected; Disney had thought that if people were not in lines for an attraction they would be spending more money on food and merchandise, but there was no uptick in sales other than price increases. It just drove people to other lines.

And third, without Fastpasses the lines will actually move faster.

 

[flyslyw]

LOL living with the Land has a fastpass? Talk about useless, you might as well install a FP for Carousel of Progress

 

[Virtucomp]

I like to compare the Queue lines at WDW to lines at Six Flags in NE. If you pay a standard admission to the park and it is a typical summer day at Six flags you are lucky to ride 3 or 4 big rides during the entire day. Thats open to close.

Since WDW included SOME fast passes in you standard admission you get to experience more rides or at least feel like your not standing in line all day. You leave the park remembering the rides you went on and the shows you saw and not the hour you waited for Splash Mountain because you didn't get a FP. You accept the hour wait because you used you FP on SM instead.

If you take away the FP completely you have more visitors leaving with the feeling that they waited in too many lines. WDW sets the number of FP issued to limit how many people can jump the standby line. Thats why the FPs quickly disappear in the morning for the most popular rides. You can only have one active no mater what the attraction is.

They can tweek the system by changing the number of FPs given and the time to wait for another one. I'm sure they do it now. Maybe another idea is to offer fast passes for additional attractions which would cause more people to use up their FP allotment sooner.

 

[Figment632]

LOL living with the Land has a fastpass? Talk about useless, you might as well install a FP for Carousel of Progress

COP does have FP during busy months.

 

[Daisy Duke]

My biggest issue with fast passes is how they are all made available in the morning. For example, when we attended DHS last year (in May and Dec) TSM fast passes were usually gone for the entire day within 1-2 hours of park opening. That means people were getting passes for the afternoon and evening at 7 or 8am. How many of these passes are wasted? I think fast passes should be offered throughout the day - maybe in four hour blocks or so. At least that way, there's a greater chance that the holder of the fastpass will actually use it. Also, it would be more fair to the people that show up at the park later in the day.

 

[nytimez]

My biggest issue with fast passes is how they are all made available in the morning. For example, when we attended DHS last year (in May and Dec) TSM fast passes were usually gone for the entire day within 1-2 hours of park opening. That means people were getting passes for the afternoon and evening at 7 or 8am. How many of these passes are wasted? I think fast passes should be offered throughout the day - maybe in four hour blocks or so. At least that way, there's a greater chance that the holder of the fastpass will actually use it. Also, it would be more fair to the people that show up at the park later in the day.

You want a Fastpass, get there early. If they start releasing them throughout the day, people will line up to wait for the next batch of Fastpasses. Kind of defeats the purpose.

In any case, TSM and, to a lesser degree, Soarin', are outliers -- most attractions, even major attractions, have FPs available well into the day on most days. I wouldn't change the system simply because they go quick for one or two rides.

 

[Faldred]

The counter argument to the "it creates a longer standby wait time" is that if people are using them late, that means at some point earlier in the day, the lack of returning fastpasses caused a lesser wait for the standby.

The same number of people will ride the attraction throughout the day, if it is offset at one time and made up for at another, it will generally balance out and not create a noticeable effect. It could actually mean that instead of fluctuating between a 30 minute standby wait earlier in the day and having a 1 hr wait later in the day, you would end up with a 45 minute wait all day (using static numbers of course).

Completely agree. It balances out in the end, precisely because the number of FastPass tickets are limited to a set amount at each attraction. There may be statistical blips throughout the day, but on the whole, when they are used is less important than how many are used.

I also agree with those who suggest removing FastPass from certain attractions, specifically shows.

 

[buzzCMlightyear]

Also GR needs to change the way they give out GAC's.

 

[Cobra B.]

My idea... text FAST PASS to a predetermined code and let the system generate a time back to you. This way you could text before leaving for the park and start to coordinate your day around it. Take your phone up to the CM to show your timeslot and enter the line. This also give Disney a marketing tool once you opt-in.

Or... create an App for it.

 

[ASteelersMidget]

I personally like the current FP system. The fact that you can go anytime past the original start time is nice. For example. You get in line for Space Mountain at 1:50 in the afternoon, the standby line time says 30 minutes. You also have a Splash Mountain FP for 2-3. You wait in line for Space but do to "technical difficulties beyond our control" You wait in line and get off the ride at 3:15. You have now wasted a fastpass. The other major point IMO, is that you fastpass say splash again, but you are in Tomorrowland, it is a pain to walk to Frontierland Just for Splash and go all the way back.

It should be two hours but also taken away from the following attractions.

Buzz
Peter Pann
Pooh
Jungle Cruise
Toy Story Mania
All shows
Living with the Land.

On this note figment I agree on some of these.

In order,

Buzz: I don't think this needs a fastpass, but at the same time, there aren't many attractions in MK i would give a FP over this that doesn't already have one

PP: This does need a fastpass IMHO. If it didn't have a FP you either ride it first thing in the morning, during a parade, or you wait 45 Minutes +

Pooh: I believe that pooh needed a FP when it was Brand new. Not as much now.

Jungle Cruise: See Pooh

All Shows: I agree NO Show needs a FP

Living with the land: Should never have been given a FP to begin with.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I'm rarely the optimist....

but fastpass is one of the FEW things they've rolled out at WDW in the last 15 years that i've agreed with.

And i like the fact that it's still not an additional charge (can't expect that much outta your $86 tickets)...which is nice for the bloodsuckers...errr...i mean "team disney" to allow to stand.

If i were to tweak it...i would perhaps not allow the fastpass machines to progressively release each window in rapid succession in the morning....that way perhaps those that don't run to MGM at 9 am can be in a position to get one later in the day/ evening if they are doing something else in the morning...which disney encourages on its approximately 2 billion advertisements they bombard you with while you're on property.

Perhaps a four hour window would be released...then 3 hours later the next "set" could be released...something like that. though that would perhaps clog the shopping/ eating lanes...which was the point of fastpass in the first place - to give you nothing else to do but shop and eat at certain times.

But again, if i want to take my kids to typhoon lagoon...then go to a park...i'm screwed. And i'm just following what they encourage me to do.

I dunno...its been a pretty good thing overall - with some exceptions such as Peter Pan.

 

[robertdangelo]

My biggest issue with fast passes is how they are all made available in the morning. For example, when we attended DHS last year (in May and Dec) TSM fast passes were usually gone for the entire day within 1-2 hours of park opening. That means people were getting passes for the afternoon and evening at 7 or 8am. How many of these passes are wasted? I think fast passes should be offered throughout the day - maybe in four hour blocks or so. At least that way, there's a greater chance that the holder of the fastpass will actually use it. Also, it would be more fair to the people that show up at the park later in the day.

I agree... We have seen TSM FP is often sold out by late morning. They should close the FP distribution temporarily, then re-open later in the day.