Lack of FP+ options

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Just a fyi, no 90 day paid FPs are happening right now, so that isn't the reason for less fastpass availability.

A lot of people feel they limited the number of FPs, and with the rumors of BGs and FPs only at opening, (no standby lines) it makes sense.

Keep checking, people may cancel/more may release-good luck!

How can they do no standby lines? Everyone just experiences three attractions with fastpasses and that's it? I don't see that happening either. That would be a lot of unhappy guests. I guess they could use virtual lines, but that would require big changes to MDE.

I am so curious to see how they handle everything.

I really do think that fastpasses are limited right now. Maybe they open up more later. That is not unheard of, either. If they intend to release their full set of fastpsasses, could they be holding some back for release in case the people from May have to move their trips to June? Or holding some back for purchase for Disney Signature Services?

 

[e_yerger]

How can they do no standby lines? Everyone just experiences three attractions with fastpasses and that's it? I don't see that happening either. That would be a lot of unhappy guests. I guess they could use virtual lines, but that would require big changes to MDE.

I am so curious to see how they handle everything.

I really do think that fastpasses are limited right now. Maybe they open up more later. That is not unheard of, either. If they intend to release their full set of fastpsasses, could they be holding some back for release in case the people from May have to move their trips to June? Or holding some back for purchase for Disney Signature Services?

Virtual queues most likely, similar to ROTR.

 

[AmishGuy91]

Virtual queues most likely, similar to ROTR.

I wonder the logistics of it though.....can only reserve at a certain time when you are in the parks like ROTR, or can reserve in advance....how many will you be allowed to obtain at once...etc

 

[e_yerger]

I wonder the logistics of it though.....can only reserve at a certain time when you are in the parks like ROTR, or can reserve in advance....how many will you be allowed to obtain at once...etc

I would assume the virtual queue system would work similarly to DLs Maxpass system - you can pull another virtual queue in x amount of time. With Maxpass, I held 4+ fp’s at one time before.

 

[DisneyinPA]

I loved DLs maxpass I really wish they would implement that system in WDW. Unlimited fastpasses if you complete your prior one. The down side is it is $15 per person per day.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

But how are the virtual queues or FP queues any better than standby lines? Maybe I'm missing something. If someone has a time to ride, they are still going to get into a line with scores of other people. And you've seen how people with a FP that might be 15 minutes from their arrival - how they all wait in a crowd around the entrance until they can enter. I don't see BG or FP helping much, at least not in the form Disney currently has them in at WDW.

And they certainly can't do boarding groups like they've been doing for ROTR - with thousands of people crammed together near the entrance to get the passes. I don't have the answers, but until we're back to more 'familiar' social norms after the pandemic crisis passes, I'm not sure I see how we'll handle places with large crowds.

 

[e_yerger]

But how are the virtual queues or FP queues any better than standby lines? Maybe I'm missing something. If someone has a time to ride, they are still going to get into a line with scores of other people. And you've seen how people with a FP that might be 15 minutes from their arrival - how they all wait in a crowd around the entrance until they can enter. I don't see BG or FP helping much, at least not in the form Disney currently has them in at WDW.

And they certainly can't do boarding groups like they've been doing for ROTR - with thousands of people crammed together near the entrance to get the passes. I don't have the answers, but until we're back to more 'familiar' social norms after the pandemic crisis passes, I'm not sure I see how we'll handle places with large crowds.

If capacity is limited, then it will not be a madhouse like you're painting.

I'm also a believer that there isn't going to be hoards of people rushing to WDW when it opens. Us Dis-ers are a unique breed of Disney fan, and I think it causes us to view things in a vacuum.

 

[Sarahslay]

My FP day is tomorrow. I know this trip isn't happening but I'm still going to do it anyway. I'm curious about the reduced availability of FP though. Does anyone know if this happened to those who did FP for May before they stopped accepting reservations and removing them?

If you know 100% you aren't going then why are you bothering with it and taking FP away from people who are actually going? I had no issue getting my May FP, I even had to waste time and call in to book since my AP expires a week before that trip was going to happen and I haven't renewed it yet. I just don't get why all the people are saying "I know I'm not going but I'm going to do my FP anyway", it's just making the situation worse for everyone else.

 

[ryman471]

My guess is since no one knows, is they will definitely have standby lines. They will just be severely limiting the size of those lines and there will be a max amount of people in them. If maxed out, you move on and cant stand around and security will move you on. same with half capacity of fast-passes.

 

[gottalovepluto]

My guess is since no one knows, is they will definitely have standby lines. They will just be severely limiting the size of those lines and there will be a max amount of people in them. If maxed out, you move on and cant stand around and security will move you on. same with half capacity of fast-passes.

Security would have to be stationed outside of every single medium-major ride to tell people the line is full, keep moving, you can't wait here, etc... Tell a guest that at two different rides and you're gonna have an angry guest. Multiply that by hundreds of guests and you have an angry mob... That is not a viable solution purely from a security stand point.

 

[havoc315]

There is a whole thread about the difficult fastpass availability.
To some degree, this could be an expression of pent up demand, but that can't really explain much of it.
We are now 60 days out from mid-June. A realistic scenario is Disney *might* be open but with precautions in place by then. Under normal operations, mid-June crowds should be a fraction of peak-level crowds. And even peak-level crowds have far more fastpass availability than we currently see.

The most obvious explanation -- Disney is anticipating running rides at greatly reduced capacity, and therefore offering far fewer fastpasses per ride. Reduced capacity may mean keeping empty seats between parties -- may also include more disinfecting between guests, slowing down the rides for a wipe down after each ride.

using the Dibb availability....
I'm posting this on April 14... I'm looking at June 15th, 62 days out. Touringplans projects this day as a 7. Under normal operations, a crowd-7, 62 days out, should have plenty of FP availability. FOP, Mine Coast, and the new DHS rides would normally be the only rides with real limits on availability. But we see some interesting things:
Magic Kingdom: Mine train has no availability, no surprise. But Big Thunder Mountain? It has NO availability until the 65 day mark, and that's limited evening availability. It has no morning availability until JULY 1 -- the 78 day mark!!! So either they aren't even planning on running Thunder Mountain in the mornings (in June), or they have reduced the capacity by so much that its booked so solid.
Further suggesting some rides wont even be operating in the morning: Monster's Inc Laugh Floor -- No morning availability. In June or July.
Epcot: Pretty standard, nothing "sold out." But Mission Space, Soarin, Test Track, and Frozen are all "afternoon only." Typically, you'd have morning availability plentiful at 62 days out. So again, a suggestion of more limited FP distribution than normal.
DHS: The height of absurd. 62 days out, there is no morning availability for any ride except Muppets. Saucers and TSM have very limited availability.
The earliest you can get any of the Tier 1 rides are 65 days -- No Runaway train, but evening availability for Slinky and Falcon.
The EARLIEST Tier 1 morning availability is 68 days!!!! How many guests are there that even have the capability to be booking 68 days in advance?!?!?! it must be very very limited FP distribution.

Animal Kingdom: Not shocking to see FOP sold out. But almost everything else is evening/afternoon only. No more more Safari available, no morning River Rapids or Expedition Everest or Na'vi. The only morning FPs are Dinosaur and Bug movie.
Want a morning safari FP? 64 days!
FOP -- 66 days for afternoon or 67 days if you want to ride in the morning!!


The point of this analysis..

Under our nose, Disney is indeed making plans for alternative operating procedures. They are clearly putting in place plans for the parks to operating at reduced capacity. All (or most) rides will be operating based on reduced capacity.

This creates a piece of the puzzle we haven't seen hints of yet:
With FPs disappearing 65+ days out... there will be extremely limited FP availability for offsite guests. If "attendance" is normal, and such limited ride capacity, you'll be looking at lines far far worse than Christmas.
But a crowded queue would defeat the whole purpose of coronavirus precautions. Plus make a miserable guest experience.

Seems inevitable that they will have to tightly restrict attendance.
Such restrictions will have to come in different possible formats:
1. Keep some resorts closed, cancelling those people trips, and thereby cancelling their attendance at the parks.
2. Keeping resorts open, but limiting attendance to on-site only, or on-site plus AP..
3. Like Christmas, have levels of closure, that are triggered at much lower attendance than Christmas. When 12,000 people enter MK, limit to on-site only. When there are 15,000 in MK, close MK entirely. (numbers are examples only).

Only with tight limits on attendance can they keep people moving through the amusement parks, when operating at reduced capacity and without clogging up the queues.

Thus, I see the limited FP availability as strong evidence that they are anticipating strict attendance limits.

 

[HuskieJohn]

Deleted

 

[randumb0]

They will not be implementing a virtual queue unless it is something that has been planned for a long time. At the moment I doubt they have the staff to create and implement such a change

 

[yulilin3]

I don't think they will go to all VQ or all fp. I think, operations wise it'll be pretty much the same as it was. They will also not limit capacity
I think we will see mandatory masks, mandatory hand sanitizer as you enter an attraction/show/restaurant and probably when you leave as well
In order for Disney to open it has to make sense financially for them, they won't limit capacity. We might see lower crowds but that's the decision of each family to not come
But we really don't know and not this one or the other threads open on the news and rumor and theme park community forums can give as a real answer

 

[HuskieJohn]

I was planning on a FP+ for BTM for 60+2 but seeing it unavailable on Dibbs at 60+6 right now we will change up the plan to RD instead.

Hopefully EMM will still happen otherwise our day will be nuked.

 

[HuskieJohn]

I don't think they will go to all VQ or all fp. I think, operations wise it'll be pretty much the same as it was. They will also not limit capacity
I think we will see mandatory masks, mandatory hand sanitizer as you enter an attraction/show/restaurant and probably when you leave as well
In order for Disney to open it has to make sense financially for them, they won't limit capacity. We might see lower crowds but that's the decision of each family to not come
But we really don't know and not this one or the other threads open on the news and rumor and theme park community forums can give as a real answer

Masks really would be worthless in the FL heat/sweat. Also they would have to keep the water parks shut down along with the few water rides.

If WDW wanted to be serious about any kind of real safety they should just limit the parks to resort guests only and do CoViD testing and anti-body testing before they check in.

 

[yulilin3]

Masks really would be worthless in the FL heat/sweat. Also they would have to keep the water parks shut down along with the few water rides.

If WDW wanted to be serious about any kind of real safety they should just limit the parks to resort guests only and do CoViD testing and anti-body testing before they check in.

yeah, that's not happening. (to your last sentence)
Disney is not going to try and keep you safe, YOU, as a guest have to do that. Disney will provide the tools available but they won't go with limited entrance.
Disney will do what it can to avoid PR problems, limiting access to the parks to people staying on property will be a PR disaster, opening with mandatory masks, hand sanitizer and hand washing stations and a visible custodial force will be the best option
But like I said, none of us know

 

[havoc315]

They will not be implementing a virtual queue unless it is something that has been planned for a long time. At the moment I doubt they have the staff to create and implement such a change

You're over-thinking it.

Watch... I'll design a virtual queue system in under 15 seconds:

"Shut down all standby lines. All (or almost all) attractions are now fastpass only."

Done. That's all Disney has to do, to implement a universal virtual queue system.

Take another few minutes to maybe program a few more changes into the FP system,.... But that isn't even necessary.

 

[rteetz]

I don't think they will go to all VQ or all fp. I think, operations wise it'll be pretty much the same as it was. They will also not limit capacity
I think we will see mandatory masks, mandatory hand sanitizer as you enter an attraction/show/restaurant and probably when you leave as well
In order for Disney to open it has to make sense financially for them, they won't limit capacity. We might see lower crowds but that's the decision of each family to not come
But we really don't know and not this one or the other threads open on the news and rumor and theme park community forums can give as a real answer

Rumors have suggested an increase in virtual queues. I don't think it will be all rides but I definitely could see them using it more.

 

[havoc315]

Disney will do what it can to avoid PR problems, limiting access to the parks to people staying on property will be a PR disaster

Comes down to what's the least bad option.

Which is the worst PR disaster?
Telling people in advance that the park is limited to on-site guests only? Or, on-site guests showing up, but they aren't allowed into the park at 9:15 am, because it already hit the attendance limited at 9:00 am?

Attendance limits will be absolutely critical. We are seeing the a piece of that puzzle with the limited fastpass availability. Rides will not be operating with 100% capacity... Meaning, the parks won't be able to manage 100% attendance (or anything remotely close).
So which is the worst PR nightmare:
1 -- Guests told in advance that park limited to on-site guests
2 -- On-site guests who spend thousands on hotel, can't get into the parks
3 -- Don't limit attendance, but with limited capacity, "Disney re-opens to 4 hour lines at every attraction, crowded queues become concern for virus spread"

Disney already limits the park to on-site guests at numerous times: Phase 1 closures, EMH, etc. So limiting the park to on-site guests is actually a tried and true way to limit attendance.