I think Disney should start enforcing end times on fastpasses

[neoavatara]

Have always been clear.

Now, if you want to change the rules, convince Disney. I think so far, they think the system works just fine.

 

[mom2rtk]

Obviously they couldn't have because they were late. Many of them wouldn't have gotten FP's to begin with because they knew they weren't going to make their return time. But then on the other side of the coin, that means there would have been (more, earlier) FP times available which probably would have been taken by other people, so it may be a wash in the end. But the bottom line is, people should follow the rules, and not just the rules that are convenient to them.

I think you answered your own question. X number of fastpasses are distributed throughout the day. On most headliners, those will be gone in the course of the day. One way or another X number of fastpass people have to feed through that line in a given day. If they aren't then it's a moot point because that only happens on slow days anyway.

I would go one step further and say them taking late fastpasses helps shorten your line. If they did NOT take late FP's then people would be more meticulous about being there at the appointed time. Because I can go later in the day, I pick up FP's throughout the day and ........ shocker.......... SOMETIMES I don't use them at all! Now, generally we try to gift them to someone else, but honestly, there have been a few times we didn't get it done........... resulting in fewer bodies in line that day.

I'm actually pretty big on following the rules. But when it is Disney policy to accept them, then it's not a rule in my book.

That of course varies greatly with what you can "get away with".

You can argue from here til the cows come home about parking in a monorail resort and going to the MK. Or about using late fastpasses. My gauge is this........ walk up to the CM in charge of the area you are in. Ask them point blank if you can do what you intend to do. "I'm going to park here and go to the MK for the day. Is that OK?" Or....... "My FP said I needed to be here hours ago. Can I still use it?"

On most occasions you will get very different answers to these 2 questions. One because it IS against Disney rules (I'm not talking about valet parking) and the other because it is NOT against Disney rules.

If you disagree, then I suggest you follow the rules you have written in your head. I have no intention of doing so. And......... I will still sleep well.

 

[nytimez]

Let me put it another way. On Space mountain, if there are 800 people in the stand by line and 200 in the FP line and 50 of those came in after there FP time expired, that means there are 50 people standing in front of me that shouldn't be. Over the course of an entire day, considering all of the other FP attractions that I would have used, quite a bit of my time has been taken standing behind people that shouldn't be there, and time that I could be enjoying other attractions.

Shouldn't be there? Sorry... but if Disney allows them into the line, they "should" be there. And if you come after them, you "should" be behind them. Period.

 

[JimmyV]

Let me put it another way. On Space mountain, if there are 800 people in the stand by line and 200 in the FP line and 50 of those came in after there FP time expired, that means there are 50 people standing in front of me that shouldn't be. Over the course of an entire day, considering all of the other FP attractions that I would have used, quite a bit of my time has been taken standing behind people that shouldn't be there, and time that I could be enjoying other attractions.

The flaw in this logic is that the FP system is a "closed" system. There are a finite number of FPs, not an infinite number. So the 50 people who join the FP line in your example are 50 people who did NOT join the FP line during their stated time. So had you been in line at SM during the allotted time of those 50 people, the line would have been shorter because they weren't there. Sometimes you are the beneficiary of a shorter line and sometimes you might have a longer line. It all evens out. Simply stated, a longer line at time "A" equates to a shorter line at time "B". Since the system is closed and finite, you can never have a situation where the line is longer all the time. Also, while you are in line with the 50 people who do not "belong" there, it is equally possible that 50 additional people who "should" be there, are not. So the line might not be longer than it should at all. It might be the same length. Or it might be shorter. While the 50 people are in line at the "wrong time", if in fact 75 people who should be in the line are NOT, then you are actually coming out ahead.

The only time the system breaks down is if 100% of the people with FPs for a set time are in line, and additional people who are past their time join the line. But the probability of this is close to zero. In reality, the number of people in line who are past their time is offset by the number of people who are in the time window who do not get in line.

 

[k^2]

The flaw in this logic is that the FP system is a "closed" system. There are a finite number of FPs, not an infinite number. So the 50 people who join the FP line in your example are 50 people who did NOT join the FP line during their stated time. So had you been in line at SM during the allotted time of those 50 people, the line would have been shorter because they weren't there. Sometimes you are the beneficiary of a shorter line and sometimes you might have a longer line. It all evens out. Simply stated, a longer line at time "A" equates to a shorter line at time "B". Since the system is closed and finite, you can never have a situation where the line is longer all the time. Also, while you are in line with the 50 people who do not "belong" there, it is equally possible that 50 additional people who "should" be there, are not. So the line might not be longer than it should at all. It might be the same length. Or it might be shorter. While the 50 people are in line at the "wrong time", if in fact 75 people who should be in the line are NOT, then you are actually coming out ahead.

The only time the system breaks down is if 100% of the people with FPs for a set time are in line, and additional people who are past their time join the line. But the probability of this is close to zero. In reality, the number of people in line who are past their time is offset by the number of people who are in the time window who do not get in line.

You, sir, think like an engineer! and I like that.

 

[juliebug1997]

In all honesty, the only time during the day that you're going to see the people who should be there when they are "supposed" to be there, is that last hour. Could be why Peter Pan still has a 45 minute wait at 9:30 at night.

 

[skater]

What's the purpose of the whole Fast Pass system? Why not let people in early? If you have a FP ticket, why don't they let you in at any time? It's called a Fast Pass, because it's suppose to be Fast. When you walk up to a FP machine, it tells you what the return time is. If you have dinner reservation that will make it impossible to return at that time, too bad. You should have come earlier, or you need to come back another time, or enjoy the stand-by line.

Respectfully, your logic makes no sense to me. I should not have come earlier - I'm following Disney's policy. I'm not breaking any rules. And my vacation is better for it. And if its Disney's policy, then I am also meeting the purpose of the FP system. And I don't have to "enjoy" the standby line - again, I am following the rules according to Disney. If you decide not to enjoy this flexible system, that's fine, but it doesn't make you any more a rule follower than I am.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

The flaw in this logic is that the FP system is a "closed" system. There are a finite number of FPs, not an infinite number. So the 50 people who join the FP line in your example are 50 people who did NOT join the FP line during their stated time. So had you been in line at SM during the allotted time of those 50 people, the line would have been shorter because they weren't there. Sometimes you are the beneficiary of a shorter line and sometimes you might have a longer line. It all evens out. Simply stated, a longer line at time "A" equates to a shorter line at time "B". Since the system is closed and finite, you can never have a situation where the line is longer all the time. Also, while you are in line with the 50 people who do not "belong" there, it is equally possible that 50 additional people who "should" be there, are not. So the line might not be longer than it should at all. It might be the same length. Or it might be shorter. While the 50 people are in line at the "wrong time", if in fact 75 people who should be in the line are NOT, then you are actually coming out ahead.

The only time the system breaks down is if 100% of the people with FPs for a set time are in line, and additional people who are past their time join the line. But the probability of this is close to zero. In reality, the number of people in line who are past their time is offset by the number of people who are in the time window who do not get in line.

Of course this is true and I agree 1,000%.

People's problems seem to stem from perception more than anything else. It seems like FP-ers are slowing me down, ergo, I don't like it and it should be stopped.

It's similar to the queue jumping debates...and why people refuse to view attraction queues as a reservation type system when they view similar queues and waiting experiences exactly that way. So if I am on hold for customer service and put the phone down and walk away to do a load of laundry no one says I lost my spot in the queue and must call back, but pity the fool who wants to do something similar in an attraction queue......

 

[iheartdisney]

Of course this is true and I agree 1,000%.

People's problems seem to stem from perception more than anything else. It seems like FP-ers are slowing me down, ergo, I don't like it and it should be stopped.

It's similar to the queue jumping debates...and why people refuse to view attraction queues as a reservation type system when they view similar queues and waiting experiences exactly that way. So if I am on hold for customer service and put the phone down and walk away to do a load of laundry no one says I lost my spot in the queue and must call back, but pity the fool who wants to do something similar in an attraction queue......

This might be the most intelligent thing I have read all day! Bravo!

 

[photo_chick]

If you have an 5:30 pm reservation at a restaurant and show up at 9:00pm are you likely to get a table?

I think FP times should be enforced. But I also wonder if maybe they were in the past and it caused other problems.

 

[sam_gordon]

So if I am on hold for customer service and put the phone down and walk away to do a load of laundry no one says I lost my spot in the queue and must call back, but pity the fool who wants to do something similar in an attraction queue......

Good analogy. But it breaks down if you think about what happens if a customer service rep picks up your call when you're gone (in other words "missing your turn"). Then you have to go to the back of the queue because the rep would have disconnected you.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

If you have an 5:30 pm reservation at a restaurant and show up at 9:00pm are you likely to get a table?

I think FP times should be enforced. But I also wonder if maybe they were in the past and it caused other problems.

To me, that analogy is a classic apples and oranges comparison. Most FP at WDW are for high capacity, high turnover rides with hundreds, if not thousands of guests accommodated per hour. Each guest is typically done with the ride/attraction itself in four to twenty minutes. A dining reservation is for a very low capacity low turnover dining experience that can take 45 minutes to 2 hours per guest.

Again, if you think that an ending FP time should be enforced (the beginning time is already strictly enforced), then I suggest writing directly to Disney as to how it adversely affects your vacation. Disney is in the business of making as many guests as possible happy. If the majority of guests are adversely affected by the existing FP policy, I believe they would change it. However, if the majority of guests have their vacation experience improved by the existing FP policies, then they will leave it as is. Disney will continually changes its policies based on guest feedback.

 

[Lou Holtz]

If you have an 5:30 pm reservation at a restaurant and show up at 9:00pm are you likely to get a table?

I think FP times should be enforced. But I also wonder if maybe they were in the past and it caused other problems.

What an awful analogy. Plenty of people have provided in depth explanations of why 200 people showing up late while you are in line does NOT make your wait longer. If they had shown up two hours earlier, YOU'RE STILL WAITING THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT OF TIME! Some people just refuse to think and understand.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Good analogy. But it breaks down if you think about what happens if a customer service rep picks up your call when you're gone (in other words "missing your turn"). Then you have to go to the back of the queue because the rep would have disconnected you.

I was mixing apples and oranges actually...that analogy is for queue jumping and yes, if you miss your turn, you miss your turn and those are the breaks of course.

For the FP debate your "turn" is open ended so you never miss it but as JimmyV laid out nicely (I thought) it doesn't matter. To me anyway.

 

[hookedonears]

Where is this rule that you have to use FP's during the allotted hour published?

TIA!

Because that's what's printed on your FP. The FP doesn't say come back between 1:30 and when ever you feel like it.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Because that's what's printed on your FP. The FP doesn't say come back between 1:30 and when ever you feel like it.

That is a curiosity, no way around it. On the back it says "Please enter the FASTPASS attraction between the times front" not you MUST enter during those times, but even so I agree it's curious why the FPs don't just flat out say "come back after xx:xx".

I can only conclude that WDW does not wish to advertise this policy. They definitely HAVE the poilicy....they just don't want to advertise it.

Why? Why doesn't WDW advertise the policy of allowing late FPs?

That is the enigma facing the pro-late FP crowd (like me).

 

[sam_gordon]

Because that's what's printed on your FP. The FP doesn't say come back between 1:30 and when ever you feel like it.

But why does Disney (on the fast pass) say "Cannot accept early arrivals" but NOTHING about late arrivals?

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

But why does Disney (on the fast pass) say "Cannot accept early arrivals" but NOTHING about late arrivals?

Indeed.

Why does it say nothing?

Why not say "late arrivals happily accepted"?

ETA - I like the late FP policy. I just don't understand why WDW doesn't specifically state the policy on the FP itself.

 

[skater]

Indeed.

Why does it say nothing?

Why not say "late arrivals happily accepted"?

ETA - I like the late FP policy. I just don't understand why WDW doesn't specifically state the policy on the FP itself.

Guess I'm bad, but I kind of like it that they don't state the policy .

 

[brymolmom]

Indeed.

Why does it say nothing?

Why not say "late arrivals happily accepted"?

ETA - I like the late FP policy. I just don't understand why WDW doesn't specifically state the policy on the FP itself.

It's because WDW, like any business, has to offer good customer service. Can you imagine the delays and complaints when FP return person after FP return person starts with "but by MY watch I AM on time...your watch is 5 minutes too fast" or "But Little Johnny accidentally had milk and then puked all over his shirt so we had to go buy him a new one and we ran back here and tried to be here on time" or "We would have been on time but the standby wait time for Splash Mtn said 40 minutes but then turned out to be 60, so it is WDW's own fault that I'm late so you can't hold it against me and need to let me in"? And this is entirely different than stating no early arrivals, because they haven't 'voided' your benefit of using your FP, just made you wait a bit longer to use it. If they enforce the end time - they would be taking away a huge perk from the customer, and that customer is going to fight tooth and nail to keep it.

I, too, like going in to FP's late...but it is extremely OBVIOUS to me why Disney doesn't specify it one way or the other on the pass itself. It would leave the door way too open for customer service nightmares.