Here now: Will fast passes resume this evening?

[Wilcojoe]

Kids are still napping but I just checked app and it is showing fast passes are not available for most of the major attractions. It's currently 6:45pm and DCA closes at 10pm and DL at midnight. Is this an app error or will these not likely become available again tonight? Parks have been packed all week (more on that later) though lines haven't been too terrible. But right now the wait times are by far the highest they have been all week. If we can't do fast pass then we may not bother going back tonight as we are all pretty pooped.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Kids are still napping but I just checked app and it is showing fast passes are not available for most of the major attractions. It's currently 6:45pm and DCA closes at 10pm and DL at midnight. Is this an app error or will these not likely become available again tonight? Parks have been packed all week (more on that later) though lines haven't been too terrible. But right now the wait times are by far the highest they have been all week. If we can't do fast pass then we may not bother going back tonight as we are all pretty pooped.

I think once fast passes are fully handed out, they're done for the day. Have you heard that they open up again after being closed?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Kids are still napping but I just checked app and it is showing fast passes are not available for most of the major attractions. It's currently 6:45pm and DCA closes at 10pm and DL at midnight. Is this an app error or will these not likely become available again tonight? Parks have been packed all week (more on that later) though lines haven't been too terrible. But right now the wait times are by far the highest they have been all week. If we can't do fast pass then we may not bother going back tonight as we are all pretty pooped.

Yes, most major attractions are probably out of FP for the day.

It will also be very crowded because it's Friday night during Halloweentime and AP days, so a lot of local passholders will be there.

 

[Wilcojoe]

Yes, most major attractions are probably out of FP for the day.

It will also be very crowded because it's Friday night during Halloweentime and AP days, so a lot of local passholders will be there.

That's not good news. It's been way more busy than I imagined, the great weather has brought out the locals in droves. I will reserve my feelings on that for another post.

 

[SMD]

That's not good news. It's been way more busy than I imagined, the great weather has brought out the locals in droves. I will reserve my feelings on that for another post.

Hey, my friends and I were debating if we should go tonight or just wait until tomorrow. What rides do your kids want to do most? I'll be sure those are the ones we loop tonight!

 

[mom2rtk]

Hey, my friends and I were debating if we should go tonight or just wait until tomorrow. What rides do your kids want to do most? I'll be sure those are the ones we loop tonight!

Huh?

 

[Wilcojoe]

Hey, my friends and I were debating if we should go tonight or just wait until tomorrow. What rides do your kids want to do most? I'll be sure those are the ones we loop tonight!

It's not the locals I have the issue with (I am a native Californian) but rather Disney for issuing the AP at such an affordable rate. It's a no-brainer purchase at that rate, but puts them in the same league as Six Flags or your local zoos. It's a huge problem that has been addressed by many and I just happened to witness it firsthand this week.

 

[choomTOP]

Were there specific rides you were looking at? Because while some of the major ones (IJ, RSR and Soarin') look to be out, there are still some available for rides like BTMR, Buzz, and Splash, with a current return time of around 9pm. When I checked a couple of minutes ago, there were even some FPs for Space Mountain, with a return time of 11:55, so those probably won't last long.

If everything is showing as unavailable, you might want to refresh the app or make sure you have the most current version.

 

[ParkHopper1]

They have been doing something funky with the fast passes the past few weeks. LOTS of times they were out and should have been no where close to "sold out" for the day. Our gang's guess was that they are manipulating the FP distribution in a different manner for some reason for testing of the FP+ or just see how lines move in different scenarios.

But no, it is not just you...the FP distribution system is being messed with different than normal once they went to off season hours.

 

[DLgal]

It's not the locals I have the issue with (I am a native Californian) but rather Disney for issuing the AP at such an affordable rate. It's a no-brainer purchase at that rate, but puts them in the same league as Six Flags or your local zoos. It's a huge problem that has been addressed by many and I just happened to witness it firsthand this week.

What? Affordable? My AP was $850...

The cheapest annual pass is $329. Six Flags most expensive pass is $139.

Regardless, "locals" have every right to go every day if they want. Don't be one of "those people" up on the high horse. It's very unbecoming.

 

[bumbershoot]

That's not good news. It's been way more busy than I imagined, the great weather has brought out the locals in droves. I will reserve my feelings on that for another post.

I really hope you tell us exactly how you know they are "locals" for every single instance you talk about. I've always been curious about the criteria people use to determine "locals".

My brother and his wife could get SoCal passes. They don't. They buy single day tickets as visitors want them to go. The most expensive way you can do it. But they are locals. How confusing.

 

[Wilcojoe]

I really hope you tell us exactly how you know they are "locals" for every single instance you talk about. I've always been curious about the criteria people use to determine "locals".

My brother and his wife could get SoCal passes. They don't. They buy single day tickets as visitors want them to go. The most expensive way you can do it. But they are locals. How confusing.

I don't get why so many "locals" get offended when "out of towners" like myself complain about the AP issue. If I lived in SoCal, I would purchase one as well. For some, the price may seem high but in reality it's pennies on the dollar for a family that plans on getting good use out of it.

I know it's not a scientific poll but I probably spoke with about 25 different families over the last four days and I would say 20 of them were from SoCal (including San Diego). The rest were from NorCal and Washington (lots of folks in town for the Seahawks-Rams game) and a couple families from Australia. I also spoke with the staff at the DLH who also confirmed that the great weather was a huge factor in bringing so many AP's to the park. The sea of Dodger blue was also a subtle hint as well. However unlike most Dodger fans, they came early and stayed late (sorry, couldn't resist the baseball joke).

I can't blame Disney for making a smart business decision. I would be willing to bet they would be struggling mightily if not for their "local" fan base. That doesn't mean I can't voice my frustration over it.

 

[JABRacingOne]

I wish I were local to either DLR or WDW me and AP would be best friends!

 

[SMD]

I don't get why so many "locals" get offended when "out of towners" like myself complain about the AP issue. If I lived in SoCal, I would purchase one as well. For some, the price may seem high but in reality it's pennies on the dollar for a family that plans on getting good use out of it.

I know it's not a scientific poll but I probably spoke with about 25 different families over the last four days and I would say 20 of them were from SoCal (including San Diego). The rest were from NorCal and Washington (lots of folks in town for the Seahawks-Rams game) and a couple families from Australia. I also spoke with the staff at the DLH who also confirmed that the great weather was a huge factor in bringing so many AP's to the park. The sea of Dodger blue was also a subtle hint as well. However unlike most Dodger fans, they came early and stayed late (sorry, couldn't resist the baseball joke).

I can't blame Disney for making a smart business decision. I would be willing to bet they would be struggling mightily if not for their "local" fan base. That doesn't mean I can't voice my frustration over it.

It's because you're complaining about the crowds and blaming locals. That implies that your time, money and experience are more important than others. They're not. Even if an AP goes every day and therefore spends less per day than you spent per day on a ticket, your experience does not take priority. Disney knows how often APs are going, and they haven't stopped them. They're holding AP Days right now encouraging them.

If locals and/or APs are such a problem, why are you asking for help with FPs? Ask a CM, they would know if there are any hidden FPs that will be released.

 

[Malcon10t]

I don't get why so many "locals" get offended when "out of towners" like myself complain about the AP issue. If I lived in SoCal, I would purchase one as well. For some, the price may seem high but in reality it's pennies on the dollar for a family that plans on getting good use out of it.

I think because you appear to be blaming APs for your issues. My AP is $1400. Considerable more than Six Flags or the area zoos. I don't live local. And I know from visiting at Christmas, many state it is APs hogging the park, when in fact the numbers showed last year during Christmas the park was an average of less than 20% APs and 80%+ non-APs. How can you tell the difference? I can't other than the obvious ones who can't figure out where the bathrooms are, or who are by Toontown looking for Screamin'....

If you are looking for limiting the lines, do a VIP tour. Those are seriously great.

 

[DLgal]

"The weather" is not bringing locals to the parks in droves this week. This is the kind of weather we have 95% of the year. There is nothing remarkable about the weather this week. In fact, it is too hot for going to Disneyland this week, in my local opinion. I have lived less than 15 miles south of Disneyland for over 15 years.

What IS bringing locals to the parks is AP days. DISNEY is luring us there. Take it up with them.

I kinda wanted the pin this week. But it's too hot for me to bother. I went swimming at my pool instead.

 

[smartlabelprint]

One of you can go get FP while the kids are sleeping.

 

[mom2rtk]

If locals and/or APs are such a problem, why are you asking for help with FPs? Ask a CM, they would know if there are any hidden FPs that will be released.

I don't recall the OP asking for help from locals only.

 

[grnflash]

It's not the locals I have the issue with (I am a native Californian) but rather Disney for issuing the AP at such an affordable rate. It's a no-brainer purchase at that rate, but puts them in the same league as Six Flags or your local zoos. It's a huge problem that has been addressed by many and I just happened to witness it firsthand this week.

I don't get it. You have issue with a business for attracting particular customers? Do you go to MK, which is just as crowded, but have no issue with those customers because they are primarily vacationers? Isn't crowded crowded? Or it's the demographic of the crowd that is the "huge problem"?

So let's say they get rid of the SoCal AP's and the CA resident payment plan - cut out what is estimated to be a healthy majority of passholders (albeit Disney does not release figures.) But anway, let's cut these things off and wean out hundreds of thousands of customers. Then what? I'm wondering where the customers come from.

The US population is 319 mil, only 74 mil in the Western US. Of those 74 mil, over half are in CA (39 mil.) But we just priced out a huge portion of them. So where ya gonna get your customers? There's relatively no people in the West outside of CA. And many of them are already your customers. You already have a park on the East Coast. People in the middle can flip a coin. You don't have any nearby continents to draw from. Ya got zip frankly. And in that scenario, there is indeed a huge problem.

 

[Wilcojoe]

I don't get it. You have issue with a business for attracting particular customers? Do you go to MK, which is just as crowded, but have no issue with those customers because they are primarily vacationers? Isn't crowded crowded? Or it's the demographic of the crowd that is the "huge problem"?

So let's say they get rid of the SoCal AP's and the CA resident payment plan - cut out what is estimated to be a healthy majority of passholders (albeit Disney does not release figures.) But anway, let's cut these things off and wean out hundreds of thousands of customers. Then what? I'm wondering where the customers come from.

The US population is 319 mil, only 74 mil in the Western US. Of those 74 mil, over half are in CA (39 mil.) But we just priced out a huge portion of them. So where ya gonna get your customers? There's relatively no people in the West outside of CA. And many of them are already your customers. You already have a park on the East Coast. People in the middle can flip a coin. You don't have any nearby continents to draw from. Ya got zip frankly. And in that scenario, there is indeed a huge problem.

I basically said the same thing in my last post. If not for the AP's Disneyland would likely be in a world of hurt. The part that has always irked me is that those "people in the middle can flip a coin" tend to always go to Disneyworld. I always thought Disney did a poor job of makerting Disneyland to anyone east of the Rockies. Don't believe me, just watch the post Super Bowl commercials in any major Texas city or other metropolis in the Midwest and you will likely hear the "I am going to Disneyworld" tag line.

The cost of doing business is far less in FL than in CA, so they will always push those in the middle to FL. The biggest issue I have is the high propensity of AP's will always lead to much more unpredictability in crowds at DL versus DW. Contrary to what others above have stated, the temps in the first part of this week were 15-20 degrees below normal, prime weather for local park visiting in mid September, leading to higher than normal walk up crowds.