More Fastpass 2.0 Info

[marius97]

I have only partially followed some of the "new" fastpass rumor threads, so I apologize if some of this has already been posted. DW just finished a WDW survey about what we'd be willing to pay for our next trip to the world. It had the basic scenarios of different base ticket prices with different option prices. (I realize that this was just a survey, but Disney would only ask questions about ideas that they are at least thinking about implementing. We'll see what happens in the future.) Here is what I found noteworthy:
-All the base ticket options gave you three fastpasses per day. You could reserve them online in advance or at the park. It sounds like that is all you could get though. More attractions would be apart of Fastpass...including SHOWS, PARADES, and FIREWORKS. (I hadn't heard that rumor before.)
-All tickets would be on a wristband that would be like the KTTW card. That would hold tickets, fastpasses, money
-They had an option that cost between $75-125 depending on the scenario that you could add various packages. Some things included having access to all photopass pictures, ride pictures, ride scores, all on the wristband. You would OWN THE PICTURES and not have to pay more for them. They could also be interactive with some rides/attractions where they would know who you were and what your scores have been. Also characters would interact with the kids by knowing their name, and things of note...i.e. Pirate Jack would know how you are progressing in a pirate game. You would also get 2-4 more fastpasses per day with this option.
-Lines would be turned into interactive areas with games to play, i.e. Dumbo's circus arcade. (this may fit in with the rumored Fantasyland remodel.)

What are your guys thoughts on these? As a family of five, I would find it hard to justify a $75+ add on where all you get is a few extra fast passes and the ability to interact in a cool way with characters/attractions. The price was like a park hopper...$75 one time fee, not per day.

 

[Padrepride]

This is getting ridiculous. Raising prices for features that are currently free in a recession is a pretty bad idea. It seems like Disney is turning into a fair and maybe they should just go back to selling individual tickets for each ride.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

This is getting ridiculous. Raising prices for features that are currently free in a recession is a pretty bad idea. It seems like Disney is turning into a fair and maybe they should just go back to selling individual tickets for each ride.

Actually if its marketed well, its easy to do and is a wise business move. Think about it, the items are low cost to operate, can be rolled into a package price and be invisible to guests who won't sacrafice their vacation over a $75 - $100 a person (I know I wouldn't).

That said the survey's are there to see if the market would support a drastic change to the format of operations. Disney like all businesses is looking to expand its revenue and profit and tweaking their method of delivery their product is a great way to do it without killing their business.

 

[kmk1180]

I agree it would be a good business idea as long as it was optional.
personally I don' see our family spending on it.

As for the other options, if they include fast passes with your package reservation that would be cool. avoid waiting in lines and waiting for them to expire..just use them when you want them when they are gone they are gone.
As long as it's not based on how much you spend.
People who visit from in a value should be treated equal to those paying to stay in a deluxe.
In other words, how much you spend shouldn't determine how you are treated.

 

[marius97]

I don't mind them tweaking the fastpass, all business change at times, but personally, I don't like the idea that you can't get additional fastpasses in the park. I don't think that people who bust there butts running all over the park to get fastpasses should be penalized in any new system...and I am not one of those people that plan my day around what fastpasses I can get.

I also didn't think that there was enough value in what was offered in the survey. $75-125 for 2-4 more fastpasses and the opportunity to have cool interactions with characters that know your names already and things happening during rides...just isn't enough. I would want more like 7-10 fastpasses for $100. I could probably justify that.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

...In other words, how much you spend shouldn't determine how you are treated.

But you already are in many, many ways.

 

[marius97]

As long as it's not based on how much you spend.
People who visit from in a value should be treated equal to those paying to stay in a deluxe.
In other words, how much you spend shouldn't determine how you are treated.

As far as this survey went, there was nothing in regards to staying on property. These options were for any MYW ticket.

 

[jade1]

I would want more like 7-10 fastpasses for $100. I could probably justify that.

Do you think they mean total for a trip, or 2-4 additional each day and each person? If it is 3 up front per day and per person-that may be plenty. If it jumps to 5 to 7 per day per person, for app $100 ea for the whole week for ex, thats not super bad IMO. For a week stay thats about $15 a day each or $4 per pass (might be handy for Fantasmic). Tough call, obviously folks with cash will do it.

 

[ShellyLynn3630]

I am so glad we get to go when we don't need a fast pass.

 

[yitbos96bb]

Yeah... I'm not sure its a good idea to put a kid's easily seen name on anything.

I have only partially followed some of the "new" fastpass rumor threads, so I apologize if some of this has already been posted. DW just finished a WDW survey about what we'd be willing to pay for our next trip to the world. It had the basic scenarios of different base ticket prices with different option prices. (I realize that this was just a survey, but Disney would only ask questions about ideas that they are at least thinking about implementing. We'll see what happens in the future.) Here is what I found noteworthy:
-All the base ticket options gave you three fastpasses per day. You could reserve them online in advance or at the park. It sounds like that is all you could get though. More attractions would be apart of Fastpass...including SHOWS, PARADES, and FIREWORKS. (I hadn't heard that rumor before.)
-All tickets would be on a wristband that would be like the KTTW card. That would hold tickets, fastpasses, money
-They had an option that cost between $75-125 depending on the scenario that you could add various packages. Some things included having access to all photopass pictures, ride pictures, ride scores, all on the wristband. You would OWN THE PICTURES and not have to pay more for them. They could also be interactive with some rides/attractions where they would know who you were and what your scores have been. Also characters would interact with the kids by knowing their name, and things of note...i.e. Pirate Jack would know how you are progressing in a pirate game. You would also get 2-4 more fastpasses per day with this option.
-Lines would be turned into interactive areas with games to play, i.e. Dumbo's circus arcade. (this may fit in with the rumored Fantasyland remodel.)

What are your guys thoughts on these? As a family of five, I would find it hard to justify a $75+ add on where all you get is a few extra fast passes and the ability to interact in a cool way with characters/attractions. The price was like a park hopper...$75 one time fee, not per day.

 

[anthony2k7]

wow these changes have such potential to be contraversial.

Firstly, the suggestion that value guests should be treated the same. Nope! dont agree with that. If you pay more, you should get more. Thats how life works, and certainly how everything else at disney works currently. It will be like free dining - values get the CS version, whilst mods and up get the full deal. For fast passes its a no brainer for disney - they get to make paying more for a deluxe resort much more appealing without it actually costing disney any more.

The problem disney have is putting enough spin on it to make it appealing all year around. On trip last september we didnt bother with getting any Fast Passes at all. The only rides where they may have been of use really were soaring and toy store mania, except they go so quick on these rides anyway!

A few things with this new system are intriguing currently for me. Firstly, how will they allocate the actual time slots? Still first come first served? If so I can imagine a fast pass phone line being like the ADR one where people feel they must phone within minutes of the day they want opening to get an early time slot.

Another thing is how they plan on using fast passes for fireworks. Easily done for fantasmic maybe (allocate a few rows in the center) but what are they going to do for Wishes and Illuminations? Potentially it could get to the point where fast passes are a must have for Wishes depending on what location and the size of it they reserve. Bit worrying.

My comments should maybe bear in mind that I'm from the UK, where apparently our trips to WDW are generally for a minimum of 2 weeks where as most USA visitors apparently visit for shorter times - and so fast passes may be more critical for USA visitors?

 

[ilovethisplace]

So when I told you all this stuff six weeks ago I was totally off my nut, right.

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

As long as we're talking optional, they can do whatever they want! It'd stink for most people if they took the in park fast passes away, but we only go on down times, so we really don't use them. As for making it $75-$100 more per person and it not matter, sorry if I'm offending but for many it does matter. I'm not wealthy by any means, I'm happy to stay at a value resort, all we do is sleep there, if it means I can go. I just changed my full service free dinning to quick service free dinning with no price difference (I know, everyone thinks I'm crazy!) to make our days easier. I'm sure if you are only going once, period, it won't matter, but we have been 3 times in 2 years and will go more if we keep the price close to where it is now. Making it another $400 would end our trips.

 

[anthony2k7]

So when I told you all this stuff six weeks ago I was totally off my nut, right.

Yeah but you said that the current fast pass system (in that you go to a machine and put your ticket in to get a FP out) would disappear entirely. This doesnt seem to be the case with the latest rumours - especially with the centralised AK FP distribution point.

 

[marius97]

This particular survey was doing 3 fastpasses per day of your MYW ticket. Then you had the option of the add on feature that would have been 2-4 additional fastpasses per day depending on the program Disney went with. The survey had eight different possibilities and asked which ones we'd be apt to buy into. They varied in price of MYW tickets and price/number of add ons in this new option.

Do you think they mean total for a trip, or 2-4 additional each day and each person? If it is 3 up front per day and per person-that may be plenty. If it jumps to 5 to 7 per day per person, for app $100 ea for the whole week for ex, thats not super bad IMO. For a week stay thats about $15 a day each or $4 per pass (might be handy for Fantasmic). Tough call, obviously folks with cash will do it.

 

[marius97]

wow these changes have such potential to be contraversial.

Firstly, the suggestion that value guests should be treated the same. Nope! dont agree with that. If you pay more, you should get more. Thats how life works, and certainly how everything else at disney works currently. It will be like free dining - values get the CS version, whilst mods and up get the full deal. For fast passes its a no brainer for disney - they get to make paying more for a deluxe resort much more appealing without it actually costing disney any more.

Actually, with this particular survey, resorts were not involved (this may be because DW said that as a family of 5, we'd never try to cram ourselves into a small room or pay the price for one of the few big rooms or two rooms).

I was a bit suprised that there was no question about more fastpasses based on length of MYW ticket. I only go for a day or two at a time. I would think that they would want to encourage longer stays by giving more stuff out.

 

[marius97]

The newly worked fastpasses seem to be the most hotly talked about item in this survey. What about some of the other things mentioned? Does a character knowing your name when you walk up, being able to keep track of scores on various attractions and characters being able to reference your scores; do those things sound like something that would be worth paying extra for?

 

[jade1]

I am so glad we get to go when we don't need a fast pass.

Could you elaborate on this? Just curious on your habits such as what attractions you go to (if any) and what the wait times are, do you go all day, early am's or evening etc. And what time of year you are talking about. We may squeeze a trip in Sept-have never been then. TIA.

 

[ilovethisplace]

Well it seems that marius97 and I took the same survey and since he's spilled the beans I guess I can elaborate on the stuff that was discussed. Everything is controlled by this bracelet that you will wear on your wrist. You can use it as your room key, for charging and it will store your FP info. It also stores the stuff mentioned above like your child's name and scores from various rides. Apparently now when you visit face characters they will be able to address you by name due to the fact that you are wearing the bracelet. I also saw the item about Dumbo's circus arcade, where you and your kids can mess around while you wait to board the Dumbo instead of just waiting in line.

Yeah but you said that the current fast pass system (in that you go to a machine and put your ticket in to get a FP out) would disappear entirely. This doesnt seem to be the case with the latest rumours - especially with the centralised AK FP distribution point.

I specifically asked if this new FP system would be in addition to the current system and they said the current FP system would cease to exist.

 

[dseth]

Yeah but you said that the current fast pass system (in that you go to a machine and put your ticket in to get a FP out) would disappear entirely. This doesnt seem to be the case with the latest rumours - especially with the centralised AK FP distribution point.

that is true as well - all of that as information that was shared by the Disney reps. The machines would go away from outside the actual attractions. They said that would decrease on manpower along with the cost of maintaining the machines. Everything he shared with you I can validate as well. While I disagree with them charging for anything additional, there are many perks to this new system. You just have to be willing to spend a fair amount of time planning your vacation. It's not for people that like to just travel by the "seat of their pants"