Got harassed twice yesterday about expired fastpasses

[jetskigrl]

It should not be at the CM's discretion to enforce the rule or not. That is poor customer service. Either they all enforce it or they all don't enforce it. That is a corporate/management issue, not one with the individual CM unless the CM knows it's supposed to be allowed however decides to ignore the unwritten "rule".

I don't even believe this is an unwritten rule. I think it is a situation of differing rules in order to provide the best experience for the guests. Someone a while back (I don't recall if it was this message board or another) posted a copy of the employee manual where it was clearly printed what CM's should do if the party returned outside of the return window. If before the window, they should explain the return time, suggest another ride while waiting, etc, but could not accept the FP. But they should accept the FP if the party arrives after the printed end-time.

Disney is all about the rules. We all know there are printed rules that guests see (no outside food, etc) and actual operating rules (allow outside food, but with some exceptions like no sandwich fixings, only pre-made sandwiches, etc).

I don't believe for a second that CM's allowing people to use FP after the return time is a judgement call by the CM. If Disney wanted the time enforced, then those CMs would be reprimanded for not following the rules. As people have experienced, it is way more common to be allowed in after the end-time, than to be refused. So I have no doubt that the CMs have been informed (in writing) that they should let people do it.

Why leave it printed on the FP then? My guess is that they know most people will use it during the printed time so they leave it on there. But just like the security CMs know that they can allow food to come in, ride CMs know that they call allow FPs to be used after the end-time. That may change soon, to follow WDW's lead, but I think we will see the same signs, etc on the FP machines before or when it happens.

 

[narsel]

just returned from 3 days in the parks. We didnt use our fast passes during the window, ever. Always saved them for later in the day. No problem from cast members, as a matter of fact, on 2 separate occasions, the cast member told people in front of us who had asked, that fast passes can be used anytime after the initial time printed, they will gladly accept "late" fast passes.

 

[BoltzNBrew]

We went to WDW a couple weeks after they started enforcing FP times and I gathered FP's and used them within the printed time for 5 full days and never once did I feel it was an inconvenience or feel rushed. The thing there now is you have to have a rock solid touring plan as I did. All 5 days went off without a hitch with the exception of a couple FP return times being a little later than planned but since I block the rides in that area around the FP return time it was easy to just do the next ride then hit the FP ride when the window opened.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Just returned. We were never questioned about our return. My husband is the King of FP collecting and we used to s during our four days in the parks.

 

[DarthMole]

We went to WDW a couple weeks after they started enforcing FP times and I gathered FP's and used them within the printed time for 5 full days and never once did I feel it was an inconvenience or feel rushed. The thing there now is you have to have a rock solid touring plan as I did. All 5 days went off without a hitch with the exception of a couple FP return times being a little later than planned but since I block the rides in that area around the FP return time it was easy to just do the next ride then hit the FP ride when the window opened.

This is exactly what I liked about our trip this time. With the exception of the morning Carsland routine and our early morning at DL, we didn't have a set schedule or a strict touring plan. Knowing FP return times were open ended gave us the flexibility to tour at our pace, not the pace set by a schedule and a FP machine. Nobody is doubting the ability to have a successful trip if FP times are enforced. It just takes a lot of the spontaneity out of the trip, which for me would be a bit of a bummer.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but right after WDW made a big announcement about enforcing the FP window, they began testing their new Xpass or whatever that new FP tech is called now. I wonder if they had to do it in order to bring in the new tech. I haven't heard any rumors about DL even thinking of doing this yet. So maybe they won't enforce the window until that time. If they use it at all.

 

[s232271]

Just returned. We were never questioned about our return. My husband is the King of FP collecting and we used to s during our four days in the parks.

when collecting FP do you have to wait till the time it states on the ticket, "you can get your next fastpass at XXX time" or can you collect unlimited FP at anytime of the day, not having to wait to get the next one??

hope that made sense....hard to put into words.

 

[momsquad]

Before you can acquire another FP, you have to wait for:
1) the start time window listed on your current fast pass, or
2) Two hours since you received your current FP

whichever comes first.

At this moment, DLR does not enforce the return times, so you can gather multiple FP's over time. (This is not the case at WDW)

 

[Eeee-va]

Before anyone who's going soon has a heart attack, the first post on this thread was in August.

Note that if you have a FP for an attraction and the window hasn't opened yet, you can't get one for the SAME attraction. So if I get a FP for Space Mountain at 10 AM with a return time of 4 PM, I can't get a second FP for Space Mountain at noon. I can get one for any other ride at Disneyland at noon, though.

 

[lsulindy]

Enforced FP times are coming. And, I was so looking forward to our open-ended return times next summer.

http://micechat.com/14004-miceage-disneyland-christmas-extra/

Use it or lose it…

Another required piece of the coming NextGen program will roll out next month at both Disneyland and DCA. That’s when Cast Members at attractions will insist that anyone using Fastpass must return during their assigned one hour window, and they will stop letting people show up hours late for their Fastpass time. This change has already occurred at Disney World, and after a decade of ignoring the rules it was a tough message to deliver even though most of their visitors are tourists.

Extra signage and as much communication as possible will be used to try and get the word out at Disneyland and DCA, but the goal is to roll this out by Thanksgiving and then end the grace period of bending the rules by this Christmas. Wish those CM’s luck! As if they didn’t have enough problems with parking and cancelled Christmas parties and trying to carve out a little respect from TDA suits, they’ll be forced to play the role of Grinch this year and not let anyone show up late for their Fastpass appointment.

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

Came back from DL a couple weeks ago, and used a couple of FPs well after the window had expired. On Star Tours, the CM barely looked at my FP. On ToT, the CM side-eyed me a little and finally said, "Okay, I'm going to let you on anyway, because your hat is awesome." (I was wearing my new steampunk ear hat.)

I personally wouldn't mind if they started enforcing FP times. I'd just have to adjust my collection of FPs so that the times worked for when I thought I'd want to come back to the ride. Admittedly, we're not as ride-oriented as some, and more flexible because we're both adults. Our touring plan is essentially: Get up early. Go on Peter Pan. Go on Haunted Mansion. Go on Pirates. Breakfast? Maybe Toon Town? Or there was that one thing in that one store I wanted to look at?

 

[igomezkailua]

So what I'm hearing you say is that if a CM actually enforces a rule (the FP clearly has a usage time listed on it), then they are showing poor customer service. I have to disagree. This is the problem (at any establishment) when some enforce rules and others don't.

Suppose you have gone to a store and made a return before and the employee did not ask for a receipt. The next time you go to the same store and are told you cannot return an item without a receipt, you will get mad at the employee who is actually following the policy, when in reality that employee is the one doing the right thing

Fastpasses have a use window. If the cast member at the FP return line is not enforcing it, that's your lucky break. If they do, they are not doing something wrong. They are enforcing a rule.

They certainly are not harassing anyone or providing poor service.


Wow. I think your post is very condescending towards cast members who are doing their jobs. "CMs would get less confused extremely fast" - Who says they are confused? They are following a rule. "Wanting to feel a little more "in control than they actually are." Actually, if they are in charge of that line at the moment you pass through, the ARE in control. THey are not making up a rule. They are enforcing an existing policy that is written right on the FP itself.




Actually, the rules as they stand are for the FPs to be accepted within the window printed on them. The CM has the flexibility to accept them late if they so choose.

- Dreams

I totally agree with you. I mean i think it's only fair to abide by what the fp says, arrive between "10:00am-11:00am". Whats the point of having a fastpass with an allotted time if they don't enforce the rules. It also makes the line no shorter

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Note that according to Al Lutz, the policy on fast passes is changing. They will be enforcing the return times in much the same type of transition as happened over at WDW.

 

[Eeee-va]

Enforced Fastpasses are almost certainly coming at some point, and they very well could come on the timeline Al Lutz stated. But he does not work for Disney and his rumors are not official news. For instance, months ago his report was that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad would be down very shortly, certainly during my trip in November. And yes, BTMRR is going down for refurb, but not until January. He's been saying Alice in Wonderland's refurb was imminent for several months now...it has to happen at some point (I think Disney may have said as much!), but who knows when.

Anyway, while Al has a good track record overall, not everything he predicts happens, and not everything he predicts that does happen, happens on his timeline.

But I was mostly saying that the original post here is months old, and there's not even a rumor of FP enforcement coming in October or early November, which was my definition of going "soon."