FastPass Policy - For Resort Guests Only

[ses1230]

No, I think it is fine the way it is.

 

[Welcome Home]

We will go to Universal Studios in a couple of years. We will absolutely stay on-site there to get the front of the line privileges. However, I don't think FP should be limited to on-site guests. One FP per ride per person in the room at check-in would be great though.

 

[epcot.girl]

I just posted this on another thread, but I think it would work and is a GREAT idea...

I've suggested this before... I'd try to in some way do what Universal does for guests staying on-site - the alternate entrance. I realize Disney cannot do exactly what Universal does w/ the amount of resorts they have compared to the amount Universal has, but they could possibly break it up, like they do EMHs. It could be something like "on Mondays, Value resort guests can use those lanes in all 4 parks", then Tuesdays would be Moderate resort guests, Wednesdays Deluxe resorts guests, Thursdays DVC resort guests... something like that. Where all 4 parks are participating, and each category of resorts gets 2 days a week possibly. This could just be the fastpass lane. I don't think it would tie up the fast pass lanes too much, because it would be spread across the 4 parks, and only 1 category of resort guests are using it each day. So it's not like ALL the value guests will say "we have to go to MK today because it's our day there for the fastpass lane"... they could go to any park. The cm's are already there working the fastpass lane, checking fastpass times and dates. They'd simply have to check your room key too. What a GREAT perk for staying on-site. We LOVE Universal for this.

The problem with this is:

- The sheer number of guests staying in each category is surely much more than all the guests staying at Universal hotels.

- Why should Deluxe guests be as limited as Value guests as they're paying much more per night? And DVC guests are paying maintenance fees all year - surely they should have unlimited FP access?

- It will inevitably result in a FP system which is tiered according to resort category (I believe Disney has already filed a patent relating to this), and this will alienate guests further.

- It's all very well saying that 'today, ALL Value guests can access FP in ALL parks' but there is no guarantee that they'd be split equally between the parks and it would make a complete mess of 'predicted wait times' for the queues because at no point would Disney know how many guests will be using (or planning to use) each FP line. It would be a nightmare to organise and plan for.

(There are probably more issues but this is all I could think of for now!)

 

[crashbb]

The problem with this is:

- The sheer number of guests staying in each category is surely much more than all the guests staying at Universal hotels.

- Why should Deluxe guests be as limited as Value guests as they're paying much more per night? And DVC guests are paying maintenance fees all year - surely they should have unlimited FP access?

- It will inevitably result in a FP system which is tiered according to resort category (I believe Disney has already filed a patent relating to this), and this will alienate guests further.

- It's all very well saying that 'today, ALL Value guests can access FP in ALL parks' but there is no guarantee that they'd be split equally between the parks and it would make a complete mess of 'predicted wait times' for the queues because at no point would Disney know how many guests will be using (or planning to use) each FP line. It would be a nightmare to organise and plan for.

(There are probably more issues but this is all I could think of for now!)

- the math doesn't work. There are four "types" of resorts and only 7 days in a week (how could they each get two days per week?)

- people with short trips (up to three days) may stay on site but still never get to use this fastpass system (if their three days happened to fall on days when the other three "types" of resorts were able to use the system

To add just two more problems.

 

[doconeill]

There is already enough confusion regarding the "privilege" of Fastpass, without actually making it a privilege.

It is seriously doubtful this would ever come to pass. The only rumor currently on the board is that resort guests may have the ability to get FPs in advance (and even that may be extended to all guests, like ADRs).

 

[epcot.girl]

- the math doesn't work. There are four "types" of resorts and only 7 days in a week (how could they each get two days per week?)

- people with short trips (up to three days) may stay on site but still never get to use this fastpass system (if their three days happened to fall on days when the other three "types" of resorts were able to use the system

To add just two more problems.

Imagine how infuriated you would be! Especially if you were paying Deluxe prices.

 

[KellyNY]

There is already enough confusion regarding the "privilege" of Fastpass, without actually making it a privilege.

Right on a point!

 

[seashoreCM]

Would this work?

Resort guests could get fastpasses at their resort before heading to the park but with some conditions added.

If one fastpass was ordered then there would be a 2 hour delay after entering the park before being able to get a fastpass inside the park. If two fastpasses were ordered then there would be a 4 hour delay after entering the park before being able tog et a fastpass inside the park. Etc.

 

[willowsnn3]

It would be nice, but I think so few understand the current policy, doubt a change would make a difference. I often wonder why all those people in the standby line do not get FP's.

Maybe like us they get a FP then get in line.......Or they have FP's for something else at that time.

 

[MoonFaerie]

Would this work?

Resort guests could get fastpasses at their resort before heading to the park but with some conditions added.

If one fastpass was ordered then there would be a 2 hour delay after entering the park before being able to get a fastpass inside the park. If two fastpasses were ordered then there would be a 4 hour delay after entering the park before being able tog et a fastpass inside the park. Etc.

I would love that idea. Since we'd have our FP, we'd ride stuff standby in the morning at RP. Then in the afternoon we'd see shows and stuff, and then use our FP in the evening. No worrying about a FP runner.

 

[dragonfly57005]

We only stay on property, but I still don't think they should limit it to just us. We all pay for a ticket to the parks so we all should be able to take in what interests us.

 

[keypooh90]

We always stay onsite, but I don't think a change in policy would be practical.

 

[joy13]

This may have been said already, but people using Fastpasses can be in the shops spending money or getting food instead of standing in line. From a financial standpoint, they are better off keeping it as is.

 

[Mama Who]

What I'd like to see, would be for each quest staying at a Disney Resort, to receive a free FP in their check-in package. Just one per quest, it wouldn't cost Disney anything, but would be a nice perk for staying at Disney.

I like this one. Small perks for onsite guests are nice but not doing away with FP for everyone else.

 

[goofyernmost]

I don't understand this comment - why would they disappear?

I love fastpass and always stay onsite, so this change wouldn't adversely effect me. I never feel guilty walking pass people waiting in the standby line at Disney. They made their choices and I made my choice to use a fastpass. On our only trip to Universal, we stayed onsite for the FOTL pass. I did feel guilty when we went past the same people to ride Men in Black three times in a row.

I'ld be favor of more perks for staying onsite, but I'm not sure about this one. When we were at Disneyland Paris, we got an extra fastpass per day to use at any time at any fastpass attraction. It was a nice perk, but I don't think it would work at WDW because of the large number onsite guests.

You basically asked and answered the question by yourself.

Just the shear volume of people that go to Disney would create a hell storm like you have never seen before. I can just imagine the uproar that this system would create. It's bad enough now, with that it would be shear wall to wall anger. I don't have access to the numbers, but just judging by the number of rooms that Disney has available compared to the actual number of guests that visit the parks daily...I'd say that the ones without would be overwhelming. Universals kinda works because they have way fewer hotel guests on property and I think that they do allow you to buy front of the line passes if you want. It's abuses of privilege like the one that I highlighted, that cause the problems with the system. Three times, really. When they hadn't been able to get on once? Seems like you should have felt a little guilty.

I know its allowed but is it the right thing to do? I don't think so. Enjoy it while you can because I still strongly believe that it will eventually become such a large pain in the butt to management that it will be gone. If you only go to Universal or Disney because of FOL or FP, then you probably won't go again if it's gone, however, if you are like most of the guests, they go for other reasons and that is only a minor perk when it comes to deciding where to go on vacation. Both places were doing quite will before it ever came into existence.

 

[CIA]

You basically asked and answered the question by yourself.

Just the shear volume of people that go to Disney would create a hell storm like you have never seen before. I can just imagine the uproar that this system would create. It's bad enough now, with that it would be shear wall to wall anger. I don't have access to the numbers, but just judging by the number of rooms that Disney has available compared to the actual number of guests that visit the parks daily...I'd say that the ones without would be overwhelming. Universals kinda works because they have way fewer hotel guests on property and I think that they do allow you to buy front of the line passes if you want. It's abuses of privilege like the one that I highlighted, that cause the problems with the system. Three times, really. When they hadn't been able to get on once? Seems like you should have felt a little guilty.

I know its allowed but is it the right thing to do? I don't think so. Enjoy it while you can because I still strongly believe that it will eventually become such a large pain in the butt to management that it will be gone. If you only go to Universal or Disney because of FOL or FP, then you probably won't go again if it's gone, however, if you are like most of the guests, they go for other reasons and that is only a minor perk when it comes to deciding where to go on vacation. Both places were doing quite will before it ever came into existence.

The Fast Pass system will never be done away with. It's almost necessary at this point. Back in the early days, Disney was doable without it but the human population continues to explode while the size of Disney World will always stay the same. So getting rid of FP would be an absolute catastrophe!

 

[Planogirl]

It's not too difficult to deal with Universal without fastpasses if you plan wisely. It's just two parks worth of stuff and only three resorts that get FOL and beyond Harry Potter people are pretty evenly distributed. Plus rope drop is very useful at Universal.

I don't see it the same way at WDW. There are fewer attractions that people seem to head for in each park. Plus you have a ton of resorts and all of those people getting fastpasses automatically would really change things IMO.

I personally would no longer go to WDW if I couldn't get fastpasses. I know how to tour now and I wouldn't stand in those standby lines for anything.

 

[DebbieT11]

Reddy this idea is *brilliant*! It leaves the current FP system intact for all guests... but provides resort guests (or annual passholders, or DVC members, or any affinity group) a perk at NO extra cost to Disney once the initial configuration is complete.

So, instead of waiting for the usual 2-hour window to open for my next FP.... I , as a member of that group, would be eligible to get my next FP in one hour - huge perk, small outlay. Brilliant.

DISNEY, ARE YOU LISTENING HERE????

I don't think they should not let the other people get them but maybe have it where the resort guess can get the next in an hour instead of the 2 hour wait
or whatever is the half time of the others

 

[dobtia]

We leave in less than a week for our 7th trip to our happy place.

We always stay off-site as our timeshare is paid for and is very reasonable per year for maintence fees. This allows us to return each year.

We still eat a couple of tables each trip, we several counters each trip, we buy a lot of pins and legos and other stuff while there. We go to DTD at least two times. We normally play one of the Disney mini-putts too. We pay to park. We are good with all this.

We never, ever, never intrude on EMH hours. We dont even slow walk out of parks because that is not our perk.

Just dont take our fastpasses. We know how to use the system and we use it well. If they were to do this they would still us, but not every year. It would be more like every 3rd or 4th year. I am sure one family of 3 would not kill Disney. I do bet that others would cut back on their times in the parks too if we lost this perk.

 

[tinkerpea]

I will always stay on property now i have my own children,But when i went with my parents we needed the fast passes to get through the day, I was the only child but i was old enough to do the rollercoasters on my own that my Parents bless them would never do!
If it wasnt for that fast pass i would spend my whole holiday away from them whilst they waited for me to que and ride, this im sure would be the same case for many familys that have diffrent ages, at least with the FP i could choose a ride, then go watch a show or do a calmer ride with my parents whilst waiting to get my next sloted time for the ride I wanted to go on!

I would hate to see this privalige dissapear for non property stayin g guests,
I do how ever think that the best thing they could do would be every guest the AUTOMATIC FP that you get given( if you choose it) for going through the DVC talk and show round, when we did this we was given 6 FP for each member of our family so that totalled 3adults 3Kids, we was able to show the card at the FP entrance and go straight on the ride,(no waiting for the next sloted time) we just used them 1 after another till they was gone( we used them on the longest ques times)So something along thes lines forguests staying on Property would be a fab perk without taking away from non Resort guests!!
They could hand these out with your package and you could use them for your entire stay like the Universal privalige passes, since they already have a bunch of these for the DVC thankyou for looking at us insentives and the CM already know how they are to be used i dont think it would cause a huge problem to the park or other guests, Also you wouldnt have to give out diffrent stuff for Value Mod or Deluxe property guests,Failing that you could just gibve each person a card per guest for number of nights stayed at the resort and it could be your choice if you used them all in one day or spread them out over your stay!

What do you think, I reckon that would be a cracking idea