Future of Express access for onsite guests?

[joe]

Hate to bring up a sore subject but with the Royal Pacific
opening soon is there any word yet on the future of express access for onsite guests?

 

[h20jag]

hey joe (where you goin' with that express pass in your hand)!
Sorry, couldn't resist.

I'm of the opinion that it's got to change. Knew the question was coming, might as well discuss it now.
I think on-site guests should be able to get a certain # of express passes from their hotel. Use them for whichever rides they choose. It really isn't completely fair to have unlimited rides on all rides all day long. (though I've certainly been enjoying that up to this point)

I also feel that AP holders should have more Express entitlement than the 1 day ticket.

Who's next to lay their head on the chopping block?
Jim

 

[CPM]

Well, I guess in some people's minds it might not be fair but it is in fact the perk for staying on site. I for one will not stay off site as long as they let you have free reign! So as long as it fills the rooms, I personally think they might just keep it. Look it's better then closing resorts like Disney. And at least they have made their resorts some what affordable with some deep discounts affording them to a broader amount of people. when I booked HRH for $99.00 it was less expensive then most of the hotels in the direct area.
Okay I'm done.

 

[h20jag]

Well CPM,
You don't have to sell me on the fact that it's "the perk" right now.
Topic is more about the future & if / when it might change. I just think that "free reign" days will certainly be modified.
Jim

 

[Humpbacks1962]

I booked at the HRH believing we'd have express access to rides. Does this thread mean we won't??? It is just an issue at the Royal?

Wanda

 

[gschmerl]

Wanda,
Right now you will have express access. This thread is asking if that will continue when another hotel filled with guests opens. Who knows, if they keep it the same as it is now, the express lines may get way too long with all the additional people.
Are they still installing scanning machines???

 

[robvia]

Nope, no scanning machines, unless they are just put away for now. I should have looked at the ground near the queue entrances last week to see if there we're any covered plugs.
There are no permanent machines there now that I could see.
The best tip is to enter the park of your choice when the gate opens and go on all the big rides first.
Do lunch, shows, and exploring in the afternoon.
Then hit more rides during the last hour the park is open.

 

[Earl]

This subject has been done to death. No more comments from me on this one. Does anyone remember the old thread?

 

[Humpbacks1962]

The problem is, when you can't even use the board's search function, it is polite to address concerns like these in a courteous manner,especially to those who may have missed the previous threads for whatever reasons. We haven't all been USF board regulars for months!

Hope the function will be activated again soon.


Wanda

 

[CPM]

Originally posted by h20jag
Well CPM,
You don't have to sell me on the fact that it's "the perk" right now.
Topic is more about the future & if / when it might change. I just think that "free reign" days will certainly be modified.
Jim

I hear ya h20jag! But I guess we'll see what happens when RP opens. Honestly I also think the lines will most likely be longer, they have to be RP is a large hotel. But then again like when we were there in May, Oct. & Jan. there wasn't a soul in those express lines so maybe they can handle the extra people. It will obviously be during the busier times such as holidays & summer that it's a problem.

 

[Robinrs]

Originally posted by Earl
This subject has been done to death. No more comments from me on this one. Does anyone remember the old thread?

Boy, do I remember THAT thread!

 

[rangebob]

Does anybody know roughly when it was discussed. I will go back and find it to see what was discussed. I love the express pass, but what will happen when it just gets too bad with the lines for the express pass.

 

[SnowWitch]

I don't think anyone really knows how long it will continue! When we were there last June we literally walked right on to everything except MIB. There was hardly anyone in the express lines so I really don't see the addition of the RP being an issue.

 

[ChibiJones]

Robert, I believe it was sometime over the summer that the subject was discussed.

As for the topic at hand, the only reason I would ever consider spending what on-site hotels charge is for FOTL access. If they do away with that, I'll stay off-site. I'm not picky & I could probably get a decent place through priceline.

I've never stayed on-site at Disney since I can't justify the difference in price. I take public transportation to/from work everyday. When I'm on vacation, I don't want to wait around for a crowded bus so we always rent a car.

But, to each their own. I might think differently if I had a young child to contend with though.

 

[lookingforward]

Take this for what it is worth, but when I was speaking to a US supervisor last week he said that when the new hotel opens they plan on keeping the express pass for onsite guests. He also said that the system will be evaluated when the fourth hotel opens. I asked him when that is and he said it was in the "pipeline". Who knows!

 

[ClareH]

I've just been looking through some of the UK holiday brochures and they say 'express line access' - not front of line. They do say you get in an hour before the general public but 'express line access', it also says that not every ride has 'express line access' and those that do you shouldn't have to wait more than 15 minutes.

 

[robvia]

This just proves why USF needs to make an official statement on the subject on the web site. I'll be brave and give an opinion. To do it, I have to reset what happened last year, and what we're seeing now, and what I think will happen in the future. Yes, it's alot to read, feel free to comment, or skip it if it's too much.

Last year.
FOTL became very popular during the summer months, so much that 20 minute lines we're forming. They couldn't call it that anymore. In an effort to not false advertise, they did these things.
Multi-Day ticket holders had early entry taken away, it was later discontinued period. Multi-day ticket holders also had thier express passes reduced from 3 out at a time to 1.
FOTL was changed to the name Express Pass. Meaning, you we're not guaranteed Front of the Line. But, these people could get into the express lane by showing their magic key.
During the fall months, there was talk about them limiting the number of express passes for hotel guests by installing card readers at each ride. It was rumored that each guest would get 1 express pass per ride. They didn't come on line last year.
Many on this board screamed about this because they had already made reservations based on getting FOTL, and now the rules we're changing in the middle of the summer.
But the summer months ended, everyone went back to school, crowds died down, and it didn't matter any more, because 9-11 happened.

Take us to now.
Everyone is used to express pass, it's the same as last year. You show your magic key, go into a seperate line, and the wait is usually shorter than the regular queue. You can do this as much as you want for each ride (with some exceptions). The only thing now is that they want each person to have a room key.
It was rumored that AP holders would only get 1 express pass out at a time, but on a trip in December, I was able to get 2 out at a time. We're still not sure if this is a computer bug, or if AP members will get more than 1 out at a time. Many people like myself bought the special Florida AAA AP.
As for multi-day ticket holders, flex pass, or other types, I'm not sure because I don't have that this year. I think they will get 1 express pass out at a time.

The future.
No announcement from USF on the subject. No card readers we're seen at the rides on a recent trip in December and Feb 8th. If no card readers are installed, then express pass will stay the same, meaning, you flash your magic key as much as you want.

Opinion.
USF needs to make an announcement so people aren't worried about what will happen. And it needs to happen now. Parks make announcements during the winter months. IE, Six Flag just announced Lo-Que. Otherwise everyone will be wondering what is going to happen when they visit during the busy summer months.

We know what the rules are now, but don't know if they will change. And judging from the response last year, changing them during the summer months, is a bad idea.

This year.
Hopefully no changes to the current rules. Even with the RP opening in the summer months, it will only be open for approximately 2 months (July, Aug) during the busy season, then it won't matter that much.

Express pass is still a huge perk. You flash your key, and get in the express pass line all day. Whereas, anyone else must get a ticket from a machine, and they run out of tickets by mid afternoon.

 

[Earl]

I wish someone could find the old thread, but here is the short version. Keywords are in CAPS.

It's NOT going away.

It MAY, yes MAY, be modified, with some sort of time limit for on-site guests to prevent the system from being OVERLOADED.

That would PROBABLY mean something LIKE once per hour for an attraction. That means that you could only do the SAME attraction once per hour using Express. That's just ONE of the ideas.

It will NOT be any more restrictive than necessary in order to make sure the system is FAIR FOR EVERYONE.

 

[BarryHom]

I'm not Miss Cleo and I don't have a Magic 8-Ball, so I don't know the future until it occurs, but right now, if you flash your hotel key card and it has valid dates on it, then you can go through the Universal Express lines as much as you want.