I think Disney should start enforcing end times on fastpasses

[juliebug1997]

Respectfully, I disagree with the premise that line apps significantly affect wait times (or park crowd levels). Even the ones who make the apps believe a very small % of guests are using them, and an even smaller % make park choices and attraction choices based on them.

This was discussed in a previous thread here.

I have a couple of those apps but, last year, my iPhone didn't work too well in the parks so I don't know how much I'll be using it this year.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

If a group gets FastPasses instead of getting in line, they are in a virtual line. If their FastPasses say to come back and 1 and they come back at 5 instead, that means they let all the people in the line between 1 and 5 go "virtually ahead" of them.

So while you may feel like you are in a longer line because now the FastPass people came back after their window closed, the people who were in line earlier in the day were in a shorter line because those FastPass people didn't come back when their window opened.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Soarin really is a poor ride to judge the system by. The running time of the Soarin video is 5 minutes. Add into that the pre-show, seating, seatbelt check, lift, descent, unbuckling, unlooading & exiting time and the ride cycle is at LEAST 10 minutes. So you basically waited through 3 showings of Soarin before you got on.

I have waited 60-80 minutes in standby, and over 45 in FP.

It also depends on whether they were running one theater or two.

I don't think that using expired FastPasses is as common a practice as we tend to think here on the DIS. There are only 358,000 members here.

47 million people visited the 4 WDW theme parks last year. As a percentage, DISboard members make up less than 1% of the annual attendance at WDW.

And how many DISboards members KNOW that you can use expired fastpasses?

It is a teeny tiny % overall.

 

[TGaines107]

I really hate to admit this but I'll find expired fastpasses laying on the ground and will use them fully well knowing that the time wont make a difference. I guess people get them, throw them away assuming they didnt make their window not knowing that 90% of the time, they'll still let you through. I know, thats really bad. With a family of younglings, they dont want to do the "big" rides so I'm a single rider. If I find a pass for a Mountain, ToT, RnR, Soarin, I'll use it in a heartbeat and usually get away with it. I know, I know, its bad bad bad.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

WDW didn't have to contend with Line Apps when they created the FP system. Now that a significant percentage of park guests have smart phones with a line app, the crowds can very quickly shift toward the short stand-by wait times. This can skew the actual wait times very dramatically compared to the posted wait times.

except in my experience the stand-by times really never change appreciably...i.e. there are no "omg the line at Peter Pan dropped from 45 mins to 10 mins!" moments.

 

[walkdmc]

I really hate to admit this but I'll find expired fastpasses laying on the ground and will use them fully well knowing that the time wont make a difference. I guess people get them, throw them away assuming they didnt make their window not knowing that 90% of the time, they'll still let you through. I know, thats really bad. With a family of younglings, they dont want to do the "big" rides so I'm a single rider. If I find a pass for a Mountain, ToT, RnR, Soarin, I'll use it in a heartbeat and usually get away with it. I know, I know, its bad bad bad.

I just think you're lucky!

 

[angelmichelle]

I really hate to admit this but I'll find expired fastpasses laying on the ground and will use them fully well knowing that the time wont make a difference. I guess people get them, throw them away assuming they didnt make their window not knowing that 90% of the time, they'll still let you through. I know, thats really bad. With a family of younglings, they dont want to do the "big" rides so I'm a single rider. If I find a pass for a Mountain, ToT, RnR, Soarin, I'll use it in a heartbeat and usually get away with it. I know, I know, its bad bad bad.

I don't see anything wrong with it.

Kudos to you.. I'd do the same.

 

[Wadecool]

I really hate to admit this but I'll find expired fastpasses laying on the ground and will use them fully well knowing that the time wont make a difference. I guess people get them, throw them away assuming they didnt make their window not knowing that 90% of the time, they'll still let you through. I know, thats really bad. With a family of younglings, they dont want to do the "big" rides so I'm a single rider. If I find a pass for a Mountain, ToT, RnR, Soarin, I'll use it in a heartbeat and usually get away with it. I know, I know, its bad bad bad.

More like 99%, and that's not really bad, it's really really good.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

I don't see anything wrong with it.

Kudos to you.. I'd do the same.

Except Fastpasses are nontransferrable!

 

[nytimez]

I really hate to admit this but I'll find expired fastpasses laying on the ground and will use them fully well knowing that the time wont make a difference. I guess people get them, throw them away assuming they didnt make their window not knowing that 90% of the time, they'll still let you through. I know, thats really bad. With a family of younglings, they dont want to do the "big" rides so I'm a single rider. If I find a pass for a Mountain, ToT, RnR, Soarin, I'll use it in a heartbeat and usually get away with it. I know, I know, its bad bad bad.

Nothing bad about that! Enjoy.

 

[TGaines107]

Thing is, its happened to me enough times that I posted about it. I've found them underneath tables I've sat down to eat at. I've found them in bathrooms I've used and on three seperate occassions, even had them given to me.

Although these are supposed to be non transferable, I find the cast members who take the tickets only give them a cursory glance. I have been refused twice due to the window.

The two occassions they were "given" to me both happened the same day at ToT over at DHS. The ride was shut down for some reason, people came streaming out of the FP line. Once in the morning, once in the afternoon, both times I used the tickets with no issue. That was really cool and greatly appreciated for those folks to hand a stranger their pass.

My greatest experience was several years ago at MK. Did Peter Pan first thing in the morning and coming off the ride, imagine my and my families delight to see a cast member and a shirt handing out Dream FastPasses at the bottom of the ramp! Still have mine although all the tickets are broken off. Great day of FP everything.

Keep your eyes open when you walk around or have a sit down. Now let me tell you about all the money I've found....

 

[skater]

attendance at WDW.

And how many DISboards members KNOW that you can use expired fastpasses?

It is a teeny tiny % overall.

And how many Disboard members won't use them?

 

[suemom2kay]

If a group gets FastPasses instead of getting in line, they are in a virtual line. If their FastPasses say to come back and 1 and they come back at 5 instead, that means they let all the people in the line between 1 and 5 go "virtually ahead" of them.

So while you may feel like you are in a longer line because now the FastPass people came back after their window closed, the people who were in line earlier in the day were in a shorter line because those FastPass people didn't come back when their window opened.

ALL the smart people are from Bethlehem PA!!!

 

[TisBit]

Thing is, its happened to me enough times that I posted about it. I've found them underneath tables I've sat down to eat at. I've found them in bathrooms I've used and on three seperate occassions, even had them given to me.

Although these are supposed to be non transferable, I find the cast members who take the tickets only give them a cursory glance. I have been refused twice due to the window.

The two occassions they were "given" to me both happened the same day at ToT over at DHS. The ride was shut down for some reason, people came streaming out of the FP line. Once in the morning, once in the afternoon, both times I used the tickets with no issue. That was really cool and greatly appreciated for those folks to hand a stranger their pass.

My greatest experience was several years ago at MK. Did Peter Pan first thing in the morning and coming off the ride, imagine my and my families delight to see a cast member and a shirt handing out Dream FastPasses at the bottom of the ramp! Still have mine although all the tickets are broken off. Great day of FP everything.

Keep your eyes open when you walk around or have a sit down. Now let me tell you about all the money I've found....

The legalize on FP being non transferable is to prevent someone from openly trying to sell or swap fastpasses. It is not inetended to keep you from giving your pass to a friend or another guest with no compensation, etc. Many people read way too far into things.

People that feel FP make their wait longer are the same people that feel that call ahead seating hurts them getting into a restaurant. Just because you don't use the system, doesn't mean its flawed....they are just upset because they didn't get to do it themselves. All the people on the Dis that complain about late fastpasses, know full well that they can use it late...so they are not at a disadvantage. The ones that are trying to defend the people that "don't know" are beating a dead horse, what you don't know doesn't hurt you

 

[Wadecool]

Thing is, its happened to me enough times that I posted about it. I've found them underneath tables I've sat down to eat at. I've found them in bathrooms I've used and on three seperate occassions, even had them given to me.

Although these are supposed to be non transferable, I find the cast members who take the tickets only give them a cursory glance. I have been refused twice due to the window.

The two occassions they were "given" to me both happened the same day at ToT over at DHS. The ride was shut down for some reason, people came streaming out of the FP line. Once in the morning, once in the afternoon, both times I used the tickets with no issue. That was really cool and greatly appreciated for those folks to hand a stranger their pass.

My greatest experience was several years ago at MK. Did Peter Pan first thing in the morning and coming off the ride, imagine my and my families delight to see a cast member and a shirt handing out Dream FastPasses at the bottom of the ramp! Still have mine although all the tickets are broken off. Great day of
FP everything.

Keep your eyes open when you walk around or have a sit down. Now let me tell you about all the money I've found....

As much as I love utilizing the late FP, I can't quite make the jump to using FP's I run across in a public bathroom. I take my hat off to you sir or madam, you are hardcore!

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Except Fastpasses are nontransferrable!

That's odd. I've been given FP's at random by characters. How would they know these are our FP's or someone else's??

On our last trip, we gave our unused FP's to random guests entering the queue. The CM at the front of the queue actually told a couple entering the queue to see us for some "magic" to get a FP. He also thanked us for sharing kindness with other guests.

 

[Wadecool]

That's odd. I've been given FP's at random by characters. How would they know these are our FP's or someone else's??

On our last trip, we gave our unused FP's to random guests entering the queue. The CM at the front of the queue actually told a couple entering the queue to see us for some "magic" to get a FP. He also thanked us for sharing kindness with other guests.

We have done the same thing. After our first ride on BTMRR, DD3 decided she didn't want to ride it again, so I gave our FP's to a family while in line for the Magic Carpets.

 

[rmm7e]

If a group gets FastPasses instead of getting in line, they are in a virtual line. If their FastPasses say to come back and 1 and they come back at 5 instead, that means they let all the people in the line between 1 and 5 go "virtually ahead" of them.

So while you may feel like you are in a longer line because now the FastPass people came back after their window closed, the people who were in line earlier in the day were in a shorter line because those FastPass people didn't come back when their window opened.

But nobody cares how short the line was earlier. They care about the line they are in now. The purpose of the window is to space people out so they dont all converge at once.

But arguing about following the rules on this board is clearly a waste of time, whether its fp or pool hopping or mugs or photography.

 

[Lou Holtz]

I found six fastpasses laying on the floor in the briefing room on Test Track (all for Test Track). There were two of us, so I picked up two and was leaving the rest for someone else to pick up if they wanted them. At least half of the room knew they were there and exactly what they were (they were face up and right in the middle of the room when we walked in), but everyone acted like they were diseased or something. So when the room cleared out, I got the remaining four and went on Test Track three more times with the fastpasses. No clue why nobody thought they could or should pick them up.

 

[Lou Holtz]

But nobody cares how short the line was earlier. They care about the line they are in now.

If you would just try to comprehend the logic, you'd see that it is not making the line you are in longer. It's a very basic concept. You are wrong to think it is making your wait longer. The irrefutable fact is that it doesn't.