Fastpass Weirdness

[kaytieeldr]

The OP can't now, but this is exactly the kind of situation where I'd suggest stopping in at Guest Services to discuss the problem.

 

[seashoreCM]

A reasonable solution is to allow you to exchange that fastpass for another ride's fastpass whose window has already arrived but not expired. But if you have to trek to Guest Relations to accomplish that they should give you two for one.

 

[quantumottle]

Unfortunatly that does sound right to me. A fastpass gets you to the front of the line, but if its already full they can't let you in. Its not a ticket to see the show, its a ticket to line jump. <snip>

It seems you may be a bit misinformed on what a fastpass is pugluver31902. The Fastpass line IS the regular line at any Disney Park. The other line is called STAND-BY because that's exactly what it is - stand by. Just like the folks at the airport waiting for an open seat. By using a FP you are not "line jumping" in the least, you are simply using the regular line offered by Disney.

Obviously the bugs are not worked out of the new system at AK, hopefully they will correct this error soon.

 

[Mom2PrincessK]

This situation reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Jerry has a reservation for a rental car, but when he arrives, all the cars are gone. Do you know the one? It was a funny episode, but certainly not funny here if you had your whole day planned around the show.

Yep...they know how to take the reservation...they just don't know how to hold the reservation...and isn't that really the most important part of the reservation? I love Seinfeld

 

[gone2disney]

Maybe this explains the reserved section we saw when we attended Nemo yesterday. My husband ask about the section and the CM said the seats were reserved "for now". A little closer to the show, they were opened up. They were pretty good seats, though off to one side, and some people came down from up higher to grab them. They also used them for what I thought were the last standby guests to be admitted.

Sheila

This could also be the section for the Tusker House Lunch with Nemo tickets. IMO the fast passes should be handled just like the lunch passes with a reserved section up to a certain time.

 

[doconeill]

With a Show FASTPASS Guests are supposed to be GUARANTEED admission to THAT show as lomg as they are WITHIN the FASTPASS window.If not there would be no purpose for a Show FASTPASS.Show FASTPASSES are handled differently than continuous attraction FASTPASSES.

It sounds like they started seating in the reserved area FAR to early. They should NOT have seated any standby guests until the window for the FP holders was up. Someone screwed up, and the OP unfortunately paid the price. And I'm very surprised they didn't receive any sort of recovery.

So, as I understand it, they were offering show-only Fastpasses at a central location? Was this just because of the unusual crowd levels perhaps?

 

[kaytieeldr]

This situation reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Jerry has a reservation for a rental car, but when he arrives, all the cars are gone. Do you know the one? It was a funny episode, but certainly not funny here if you had your whole day planned around the show.

"Sir, we know what a reservation is".

Jerry: "No, I don't think you do... you know how to take the reservation - you just don't know how to keep the reservation"!

 

[doconeill]

It seems you may be a bit misinformed on what a fastpass is pugluver31902. The Fastpass line IS the regular line at any Disney Park. The other line is called STAND-BY because that's exactly what it is - stand by. Just like the folks at the airport waiting for an open seat. By using a FP you are not "line jumping" in the least, you are simply using the regular line offered by Disney.

I can honestly say that I have never, ever, heard of Fastpass being thought of this way...

My Fastpass philosophy is that it is NONE of the following oft-argued things: Front Of The Line, Line Jumping, "I am better than you", or (now) the "regular line".

It is a line reservation system. There is ONE logical line. You can choose to enter the line now (via the standby line), or opt for a deferred, reserved position in line by taking a Fastpass. When your "virtual" position in line comes up (your first available FP return time), you can choose to take you position in line right then and there (or at least "next available"), or defer it even further until you are ready (and as some would argue, up until your FP return window closes ).

In that sense, it is more like a restaurant taking reservations, but not necessarily holding a table exclusively for you while others wait. Instead, you are seated at the next available table after you arrive.

 

[quantumottle]

It seems you may be a bit misinformed on what a fastpass is pugluver31902. The Fastpass line IS the regular line at any Disney Park. The other line is called STAND-BY because that's exactly what it is - stand by. Just like the folks at the airport waiting for an open seat. By using a FP you are not "line jumping" in the least, you are simply using the regular line offered by Disney.

Obviously the bugs are not worked out of the new system at AK, hopefully they will correct this error soon.

I can honestly say that I have never, ever, heard of Fastpass being thought of this way...<snip>

I'm not at all surprised, as virtually everyone thinks of the stand-by line as the regular line - which is exactly why the system I have been taught works so very well. Remember: It is called "stand-by" for a reason, and that's the name Disney gave it, not me.

Fortunately, you are in the majority doconeill, very few people appear to think of the stand-by line as exactly what it is, a stand-by line.

 

[Luis Rodriguez]

Thanks for all the great feedback, everyone! I think I will dash off a quick email to Disney to let them know about our experience. Like they say: if you can't measure it, you can't manage it.

By no means did this ruin our day, but it was an aggravation. To recover from this, we forced ourselves to eat too much at Yak&Yeti's before one more spin on Expedition Everest.

Hope your recovery method did not mean too much suffering for you (Loved Yak & Yeti and EE!)

Regards,
Luis

 

[doconeill]

I'm not at all surprised, as virtually everyone thinks of the stand-by line as the regular line - which is exactly why the system I have been taught works so very well. Remember: It is called "stand-by" for a reason, and that's the name Disney gave it, not me.

I don't know what you mean by the "system you were taught"...if you are simply talking about using Fastpass every time, that's fine - that's a perfectly valid use strategy. It's difficult to achieve in practice I think.

They had to give it a name. "Stand by" makes more sense than "regular" when people are trying to understand which line is which. However, the "stand by" line functions just as it always has, even before there was any other line and didn't have a different name, and therefore it was de facto the "regular" line. Your analogy to to an airline flight doesn't work because in that case there is a VERY real probability that a standby person isn't getting on that plane. There is zero chance (unless the attraction breaks down and will not recover for the remainder of the park day) that a person in the standby line isn't getting on that attraction.

But you are free to consider them any way you want.

 

[quantumottle]

<snip>... Your analogy to to an airline flight doesn't work because in that case there is a VERY real probability that a standby person isn't getting on that plane. There is zero chance (unless the attraction breaks down and will not recover for the remainder of the park day) that a person in the standby line isn't getting on that attraction.<snip>

You make an interesting point, that a person waiting in an airline stand-by line may not actually get on the plane. As far as I know, the people in the WDW stand-by line may never get on the ride, hehe (Especially TSM, but that's another topic). At least, if they do, it's long, loooong after my family and I.

<snip>... But you are free to consider them any way you want.

Thanks!
As are you.

 

[pugluver31902]

It seems you may be a bit misinformed on what a fastpass is pugluver31902. The Fastpass line IS the regular line at any Disney Park. The other line is called STAND-BY because that's exactly what it is - stand by. Just like the folks at the airport waiting for an open seat. By using a FP you are not "line jumping" in the least, you are simply using the regular line offered by Disney.

Obviously the bugs are not worked out of the new system at AK, hopefully they will correct this error soon.

Sorry, I do know what a fastpass is, we go to Disney every year. With a fast pass you skip to a shorter line, not the regular stand-by line. Guess I didn't explain that well. I was half typing half telling my 18month old to stop feeding the dog lol. I also didn't know that show fast passes were garunteed for seats. When we were there we were told they worked the same as a ride fast pass, with the exception that if the seats were filled before I got there, they were filled. That I could come up tp the fastpass line with my fastpass once they opened the doors, but they would be filling the seats if I didn't get there when the doors opened. Guess I, as well as the CM were misinformed

 

[doconeill]

You make an interesting point, that a person waiting in an airline stand-by line may not actually get on the plane. As far as I know, the people in the WDW stand-by line may never get on the ride, hehe (Especially TSM, but that's another topic). At least, if they do, it's long, loooong after my family and I.

Just so you know, WDW policy is that if you are in the line before park close, you get to ride. The exception would be if there was a problem that wouldn't be corrected before closing or required an evacuation of attraction.

 

[quantumottle]

Just so you know, WDW policy is that if you are in the line before park close, you get to ride. The exception would be if there was a problem that wouldn't be corrected before closing or required an evacuation of attraction.

A very good policy indeed, however, I was not aware of it. My family and I have never been in a situation where we needed this policy, but it is nice to know it's available. Thank you.

 

[Princess Sleepy]

I've seen a lot of silly arguments here, but this one takes the cake. You all know what a FP line is, you are just arguing semantics. What difference does it make?

 

[Robo]

I've seen a lot of silly arguments here, but this one takes the cake. You all know what a FP line is, you are just arguing semantics. What difference does it make?

Does too!








Does not!

 

[Princess Sleepy]

I'm just going to call it the "Line that shall not be named."

 

[quantumottle]

I've seen a lot of silly arguments here, but this one takes the cake. You all know what a FP line is, you are just arguing semantics. What difference does it make?

It seems I have recently developed a small group of folks that like to follow my posts only to disagree with me, seemingly regardless of what I say. I am trying to stop feuding with them, but sometimes I exercise self control better than other times.

I am posting less lately, hopefully the stalking will calm down soon...