MaxPass / Digital Fastpass - Discussion Thread

[mom2rtk]

Which hotel are you in? I assume you're staying on site?

Good question. Being able to book from outside the parks is surprising.

If you can book from outside the parks, that could prove problematic as this moves forward. At the very least I hope the ticket has to have been scanned for entry before it can be booked on that day.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

CMs were very clear in emphasizing to me that guests would not be able to book FPs from the hotels (any hotels), but only from the parks and esplanade. So, if MP does actually allow multiple FPs to be booked from hotels, then I can see this becoming a problem in the future - especially since only a set percentage of FPs per day are set aside for MP. If those can be booked up by people who aren't even in the parks, how is Disney going to justify the introductory-soon-to-increase-fee?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

So they'd better not be planning a price increase on the Signature passes anytime soon, now that they've eliminated one of the main reasons to upgrade to it.

I'm getting nervous about this because of the increases to food costs in the parks, e.g. Monte Cristo and Fried Green Tomato Sandwich prices increased recently. Usually when food and beverage prices go up, ticket/AP prices aren't far behind.

 

[Laz]

If they do not want people to book FPs outside the park, they will have to find someway to determine if you left the 2 Park area. Right now they really don't know that you left the park area at all.

 

[mom2rtk]

CMs were very clear in emphasizing to me that guests would not be able to book FPs from the hotels (any hotels), but only from the parks and esplanade. So, if MP does actually allow multiple FPs to be booked from hotels, then I can see this becoming a problem in the future - especially since only a set percentage of FPs per day are set aside for MP. If those can be booked up by people who aren't even in the parks, how is Disney going to justify the introductory-soon-to-increase-fee?

Agreed. I would love to be able to book from my hotel. But I also know that could ruin the system so hope there are safeguards in place. Can you imagine if APs are able to book before they get there?

And do we know for certain there is a separate pool for MaxPass?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... And do we know for certain there is a separate pool for MaxPass?

Don't remember exactly where I read that (Ha, it was probably somewhere in that monster thread on this forum!), but I think someone was quoting a spokesperson from Disney who was answering questions on the AP twitter or FB page. Reserving a certain percentage for MP leaves another percentage for regular FPs.

 

[Meldev]

Yes. This for sure, I hope I can still have a good experience without spending another $300

 

[KatieCharlotte]

I'm sure that, as always, a ticket can't be used to get a FP until it has been scanned into one of the parks that day, regardless whether it's an AP or single/multi day ticket. So no booking FP when you're getting ready to go in the morning, or at work if you have an AP.

However, after the ticket has been scanned, there's no way to know that you have left, except by GPS tracking on the AP. That's very feasible technology, but the question is whether Disney set it up that way.

I thought that there were conflicting reports about whether a certain percentage was reserved for MP.

 

[PatMcDuck]

DL is also weird right now with their FP, even without this new app.

Last week, we were able to book "instant" FP, over and over. Including for Matterhorn, Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear, Soarin', California Screamin'etc. The lines would be 30-45 minutes, yet you could get a FP and walk right onto the ride. There is no way all those people had outstanding FP for other rides like Guardians, RSR.

i kept asking other guests at the Expo over the weekend, "don't you people understand the way FP works??" and they would laugh and say "WELL, no".


PS the RSR FP are much more normal, with them being available well into the afternoon. Probably a factor with that, is the draw of the new Guardians overlay on ToT (which is GREAT!)

 

[NorthernCalMom]

Reserving a certain percentage for MP leaves another percentage for regular FPs.

Wouldn't that mean, however, two separate return windows, depending on the ratio of MP versus non-MP FP users, which would vary from day to day, especially towards the afternoon & evening when those differences would be cumulative & most pronounced (which is not what I'm seeing)?

 

[bdiddy]

Can you get Maxpass and still be able to pull from the machines? I was waiting to hear if once you get the Maxpass if that's the only way to do it.

 

[mom2rtk]

Can you get Maxpass and still be able to pull from the machines? I was waiting to hear if once you get the Maxpass if that's the only way to do it.

I posted a tutorial video on one of these threads yesterday showing someone doing just that. She pulled a FP from the machine with her park ticket and it was automatically added online. Very smooth.

 

[bdiddy]

I posted a tutorial video on one of these threads yesterday showing someone doing just that. She pulled a FP from the machine with her park ticket and it was automatically added online. Very smooth.

Ooh ok thanks! I must have missed that but will go look now.

 

[bethannie203]

If your group is split up I believe you have a couple options:
1) Teach MIL to use the app. It appears to be pretty straightforward. You can link the accounts together (like Family and Friends list for WDW).
2) Have MIL and FIL do the basic "paper" FP when they are split off from you. People are still able to use their park tickets to pull passes even if they have MaxPass. It will show up in your app though so make sure you don't accidentally redeem theirs!
3) Have them text you when they want FPs booked thru the app. They can then use their tickets to redeem.

THANK you so much! I had heard a rumor that once you have maxpass linked to your ticket you couldn't do paper fastpasses anymore, so maybe we can go that route!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Wouldn't that mean, however, two separate return windows, depending on the ratio of MP versus non-MP FP users, which would vary from day to day, especially towards the afternoon & evening when those differences would be cumulative & most pronounced (which is not what I'm seeing)?

No, I think Disney is trying to prevent MP users from grabbing all/most of the FPs before other guests can get to the machines. It just levels the playing field. No one is reporting so far that there is a big discrepancy between the MP and regular FP return times.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Someone posted in another thread that she was able to get 3 FPs via MP while in her hotel room (after leaving the parks for a break). Can anyone else confirm whether it is possible to do this? On site? Off site, but close by? How far out does the service go?

 

[PaintsWithAllTheColors]

Someone posted in another thread that she was able to get 3 FPs via MP while in her hotel room (after leaving the parks for a break). Can anyone else confirm whether it is possible to do this? On site? Off site, but close by? How far out does the service go?

I can't confirm but have heard the downtown Disney area works, but only after you've already entered a park. Was this person on-site?

 

[Lesley Wake]

Someone posted in another thread that she was able to get 3 FPs via MP while in her hotel room (after leaving the parks for a break). Can anyone else confirm whether it is possible to do this? On site? Off site, but close by? How far out does the service go?

A Disney blogger was able to book FPs all day even after he went home. I think the location services aren't working like they planned, so once you scan in the first time it lets you book FPs the rest of the day

 

[Skyegirl1999]

No, I think Disney is trying to prevent MP users from grabbing all/most of the FPs before other guests can get to the machines. It just levels the playing field. No one is reporting so far that there is a big discrepancy between the MP and regular FP return times.

The speculation that there would be a different pool for MP seems illogical, though, because the return times WOULD move differently - either slower because fewer people are using MP, or faster because more are. The fact that they didn't seems to confirm that there are not separate pools. (We chatted with a couple using MP and their return times on the app showed exactly the same as mine - no MP).

In addition to being a logistical mess with the option to actually penalize MP users, it would not make sense to have two different sets of return times happening when you're sure to have groups where some have MP and some do not.

 

[az4boys]

We even booked 3 over the course of our break in the comfort of our hotel room!

I didn't see where you had already answered this: Was your hotel on-site, or off? I was wondering if you were able to book from your hotel because of close proximity or because the system can't tell when you've completely left the area.