I think Disney should start enforcing end times on fastpasses

[YodaGirl]

Please. Make. It. Stop.

Anyone want to start a petition to the mods requesting a FastPass-only FAQ sticky? My glass-half-full mindset wants to believe it would reduce the sheer volume of FP repetitive threads.

Does this motion require a second? If it does...

SECOND!

All in favor say 'aye'?

Last year we were plagued by Brazilian tour groups of kids. Nice kids but some one in there group would get fast passes for everyone, 30 or more. I'm sure that after 30 fast passes plus people at other machines got fast passes times changed. Not all of those 30 people got the same fast pass times. Here is my point fast pass and standby lines got swamped when these groups got in the fast pass line. I think fast pass works when times are used correctly.

Wow. You resurrected this thread and managed to discuss FPs, FP runners, Brazilian tour groups, and FP return times all in one post. Most impressive.

I'll bite.

While not all of them had the exact same time frame, I'm sure they all had at least one overlapping time.

As for coming back after return times, Disney doesn't care if they are used "late" or not. Wording on the back has been done so that the only enforced time is the beginning time.

 

[Shir Kahn]

We quite like the FP system the way it is. Horrible idea by the OP in our opinion!

 

[Brian Noble]

Unfortunately, that's just Soarin'. Even from the merge point (i.e. with no line of waiting FP holders), it can take nearly that long to make it on.

 

[Planogirl]

My reasoning (which is probably wrong) is that it's good for us if many people save up fastpasses and use them later in the day. We generally return during the stated return time and I hope that the fastpass line is shorter since not everyone with that stated return time will be there until later. Actually I hope that a LOT of people wait until evening!

 

[Wadecool]

My reasoning (which is probably wrong) is that it's good for us if many people save up fastpasses and use them later in the day. We generally return during the stated return time and I hope that the fastpass line is shorter since not everyone with that stated return time will be there until later. Actually I hope that a LOT of people wait until evening!

That's the spirit! Its a win win for everybody!

 

[AllieV]

Is it just expired ones that are a problem or do people also go in early? I'd think they'd turn you away for that. Otherwise, you could get a fast pass at 10am that says "2pm" and walk right onto the ride at 10am. Now that might be a problem.

 

[iheartdisney]

Is it just expired ones that are a problem or do people also go in early? I'd think they'd turn you away for that. Otherwise, you could get a fast pass at 10am that says "2pm" and walk right onto the ride at 10am. Now that might be a problem.

No, they will not allow someone to enter early, which starts a whole new problem... the mass of bodies within 15 minutes of their return window who find it acceptable to block the Fastpass entrance until their window opens.

 

[fla4fun]

The typical argument presented is that it doesn't matter when the FP people get in line because they would have been ahead of you in line anyway. But that's not the problem. The problem is that if the FP times were enforced, the standby line would move at a regular pace as well. When you see a standby time sign that says 30 minutes, and you get in line, you expect to wait approximately 30 minutes. But if you get in line and (just for the sake of argument) half the day's FP holders get in line at the same time, then your wait time is astronomically increased where it would not be increased in the same way if those FP riders had been spaced out through the day. It's as much about time management as it is crowd management. The idea is to have a smooth and continuous flow of FP guests throughout the day. That's not what is happening. It can also be frustrating if you DO have a late in the day FP time, and you expect to walk in with little to no wait, and you end up in a line of people who could have ridden hours ago. It negates the benefit of FP in the first place when that happens, as the whole point is to minimize the wait time.

Personally, it doesn't affect me so much because I travel during the least crowded periods, and I don't like thrill rides. Soarin is about the only place I use FP on a regular basis, and I make an effort to return during my window so I don't inconvenience anyone else.

 

[progroupie]

If I'm not mistaken isn't the delay for the standby line that comes from the fastpass line being let through already factored into the wait-time that's displayed?


I honestly don't think enough people realize they can use an expired fastpass to actually cause much of a problem.

 

[sam_gordon]

If I'm not mistaken isn't the delay for the standby line that comes from the fastpass line being let through already factored into the wait-time that's displayed?

I can tell you there were two rides we went standby on (usually because we were waiting for FP times to come up on other rides) where the standby time DOUBLED. Jungle Cruise was listed as a 20 minute standby line... 45 minutes later we got on a boat.

M:S was listed as a 15 minute standby for Orange. 40 minutes later we got into the briefing room.

You can't tell me FP didn't have SOME affect on those standby wait times.

 

[imthatgirl]

I can tell you there were two rides we went standby on (usually because we were waiting for FP times to come up on other rides) where the standby time DOUBLED. Jungle Cruise was listed as a 20 minute standby line... 45 minutes later we got on a boat.

M:S was listed as a 15 minute standby for Orange. 40 minutes later we got into the briefing room.

You can't tell me FP didn't have SOME affect on those standby wait times.

Have you ever seen those little red cards that they hand out to keep the time on the line. yup....so not scientific. It's a guess. Sure and educated guess, but still a guess. Of course with the jungle cruise you can easily see the line. So if it says 20 minutes you can look at it yourself and realize the red thing hasn't gotten there yet because it looks more like 40 minutes.

 

[sam_gordon]

Have you ever seen those little red cards that they hand out to keep the time on the line. yup....so not scientific. It's a guess. Sure and educated guess, but still a guess. Of course with the jungle cruise you can easily see the line. So if it says 20 minutes you can look at it yourself and realize the red thing hasn't gotten there yet because it looks more like 40 minutes.

I get that it's not purely scientific, but for the wait time to double (and more), somethings wrong.

And I disagree that you can see the line. You can see the END of the line, yes, but unless you know how they have the line configured, you can't tell that it's a 20 minute wait vs. a 40 minute.

 

[imthatgirl]

I get that it's not purely scientific, but for the wait time to double (and more), somethings wrong.

And I disagree that you can see the line. You can see the END of the line, yes, but unless you know how they have the line configured, you can't tell that it's a 20 minute wait vs. a 40 minute.

Well I can tell. I think many of the people on here can tell.

You're right something is wrong, and it's more likely a CM who hasn't sent the red card through soon enough.
Jungle cruise is a tough one too because of the way the load the handicap/wheelchair guests. At times this holds up the line tremendously.

 

[lizzyb]

I might be the only oblivious one but I didn't know you could use the passes if they had expired. You learn something new everyday on DIS

 

[Wadecool]

I might be the only oblivious one but I didn't know you could use the passes if they had expired. You learn something new everyday on DIS

It is one of the best kept secrets at WDW.

 

[seashoreCM]

There needs to be more predictability for the posted standby wait time; this would probably stop all the arguments about late fastpass usage.

The red card on a lanyard tells how long the person who had it waited. It doesn';t help with a subsequent deluge of people entering the fastpass line.

Another idea is to have two standby wait times denoting a range as opposed to just one "estimate". One of the two would be fed with historical data for example if Fantasmic always lets out at a given time, a larger number would be reported at all rides. THe other number would be fed using lanyard data. For example if you got to Tower of Terror at the beginning of Fantasmic the wait time might say 20 - 30 minutes but if you got there 15 minutes before Fantasmic let out the wait time might say 20-60 minutes.

 

[skater]

Flexible FP return times make me happy .

 

[k^2]

I regret starting this thread and wish it would die.

This made me

PS, OP, you can change your thread title to something like "Mods - please lock/delete" ... and hopefully they will oblige!

 

[wcpamotm]

My recent experience, on the other hand...

We waited standby for BTMRR. Toward the merge point, we could see that the attraction was being slammed with Fastpass arrivals, and watched as three - four dozen were directed through ahead of us.

And our wait was still less than the time posted outside.

 

[bitohoney]

I'm gonna squeeze in here and put in my 2 cents. I think fast passes should be for the time on the fast pass. No earlier, no later. That's the reason for the fast pass. Period. Why have fast passes if you can use them whenever. I wish it were enforced. You can see what the return time is before you get the fast pass...if you don't think you can make it, don't get the fast pass. I don't want to use my fast pass properly and have to wait 20 minutes because the people in front of me are 6 hours late. There. I'm done.