Feeling Nostalgic about the Fastpass System

[wishing4PA]

Does anyone else yearn for that time before fastpasses - where you got there at park opening and raced to the most important ride on you list and just waited for it. Now we get there at park opening and race to the fast pass machine and then find something else to do until our window....

Nope! I can still do that at Space Mountain - difference is I may skedaddle past a FP machine on my way (well, slightly out of my way) in or out.

Not at all. I find that FP has increased my enjoyment of the parks immensely.

Yes! I don't remember my teen years all that well anymore, but I do have firm and not fond memories of 1-2 hour Space Mountain waits, and waiting forever for POTC - though in that case it was mostly to get into the A/C. On my most recent trips, the closest we got to that was at Soarin' - I'm not sure why we didn't FP. I think we FP one time and SB another? Anyhow, the line experience is not all it's cracked up to be. Rushing in first thing in the morning only works well once a day.

What I miss is first thing at Epcot opening is racing to the bottom of Space Ship Earth to try and make a reservation at one of Epcot's restaurants for that day. Good times. Who needs this new fangled making reservations online months ahead of time?

The beeline to the castle for lunch reservations! I do miss that!
Never really did the race to SSE for EPCOT ressies.

 

[fla4fun]

I don't think it's about FP vs. no FP - for me it's a yearning for a time when the parks were more spontaneous. You didn't have to have a plan a year ahead of time to have a fabulous trip. You could walk into a restaurant and be seated in a reasonable amount of time. I don't ever remember waiting in long lines back then - certainly not as long as the standby lines are today. Of course, a lot of my nostalgia comes from the fact that I feel the mid to late 80's was a golden age for WDW. From the time they started the big Eisner building spree it was like the innocence of the earlier days was gone and it was now all about packing in as many people as possible and making as much money as possible, and less about the quality of the guest experience. That mode of thought has continued in many respects up to the present day (although the detail going into the new FLE has given me hope that quality is not dead yet).

Don't get me wrong, I still love going to WDW. But if I could get in a time machine and go visit Epcot to ride the original Imagination, to ride Horizons, to ride the Skyway in MK and go 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I would do it in a heartbeat. I suppose 30 years from now we'll be looking back at these days with the same nostalgia . . . .

 

[TowMater92]

Don't get me wrong, I still love going to WDW. But if I could get in a time machine and go visit Epcot to ride the original Imagination, to ride Horizons, to ride the Skyway in MK and go 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I would do it in a heartbeat. I suppose 30 years from now we'll be looking back at these days with the same nostalgia . . . .

I wish they still had the Skyway at the MK, I remember riding it when I was 12 my first trip in 92 and a couple trips after then the next trip it was gone. Does anyone know why they took it out? I know they closed DL's Skyway because of structure problems but there is no reason given for them closing the Skyway's at Tokyo DL or WDW?

 

[bedogged]

Does anyone else yearn for that time before fastpasses - where you got there at park opening and raced to the most important ride on you list and just waited for it. Now we get there at park opening and race to the fast pass machine and then find something else to do until our window....

Just wondering....

I'm old enough to remember DL before WDW and before fastpass. I remember them putting up signs for the Bob Sleds and Space Mountain that said two hours from here and it was not the end of the line! Please give me fastpass!

 

[CurlyJo224]

Nah, I don't miss the days of two hour (or more) waits on Space Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain, and NO other option. I'll take the Fastpasses if you don't want them.

 

[angelbear425]

I like FP, but I also agree that they take the spontaneity out of the experience. I think FP+ is going to add to that. I don't want to have to schedule my rides in advance.

 

[LucyBC80]

Nope!

I'm glad we don't need to wait 30+ minutes to ride something.

Posted from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Jennasis]

Nope. I don't miss it at all. FP is a terrific perk.

BTW, in case anyone has forgotten, FP use IS NOT REQUIRED. Feel free to go about the park like old times...waiting in lines a mile long.

 

[disney_girl123]

Love Fastpass too! And if you stand in-line for another ride while you are waiting for the window, you are virtually standing in line for two rides at the same time. Time saver for sure!

The only small downside I find with Fastpass is that there are a few ride queues that I used to love to walk-though that you can't enjoy as much, but I'd still trade that for a shorter wait anyday.