new blog: I Just Spent $20 on FastPasses! Would You?

[LeahZ]

For quite some time now, Disney Parks fans have been discussing the possibility of purchasing FastPasses to attractions and entertainment experiences. Rumors have circulated for years that this would be the next direction Disney would go in whether it be done directly by buying an allotment of passes or indirectly based on the hotel tier a guest reserves accommodations at. Now that FastPass+ has come to fruition, the conversation has died down…that is, until today, and I was immediately sucked in.

Read more here:

http://blog.wdwinfo.com/2014/07/07/i-just-spent-20-on-fastpasses-would-you/

 

[figment_jii]

It was an interesting article...I'm not quite sure whether I'd want to give up 2.5 hours of my day for this tour. I suppose it might be more attractive if you get to pick the FPs, but from previous reports, it sounds like they are for specific rides (I think I saw someone mention that their's were for Star Tours and Soarin'). Although, some of the other perks also sounded useful/interesting (especially the collectible pin), but it's still 2.5 hours, which could be spent doing other things.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I'd love to hear somebody's review of this tour. We've never even considered it because I thought it was for first time park goers. The VIP seating to Aladdin actually has me interested, as well as which two rides you go on and which ones you get FP for.

 

[ImTooExcitedToSleep]

I'd love to hear somebody's review of this tour.

We reviewed it for the podcast last year. There's a link toward the bottom of Nikki's blog.

 

[whoever]

For $20, probably. I doubt I'd really get anything out of that specific tour though... would be for the FP, and I don't know that I'd want to spend 3 hours on that tour.

 

[Rubygoose]

To me, it kind of seems like paying $20 for something you can get for free. It's my understanding that the Aladin viewing is just that they let you in a couple minutes before they open the doors to everybody else, and you get first choice of seating. So, instead of taking a 2.5hr tour, I'd just wait in line for 15 minutes and there will be lots of seats available to choose from. I'm not much into pins, so I don't know how much they cost, but I think for $20 you could probably choose a nice one, and maybe a lanyard too.

We did the Discover the Magic tour for DD's 6th birthday last summer and really enjoyed it. We didn't get any extra FPs, but we got to go on 3 rides through the exit and also got to meet Mickey. It was a lot of fun for a special occasion and I would consider it a "splurge" that I don't think we'll do again.

DH and I have been going back and forth on whether we'll do the Fantasmic dessert seating for our 10 year anniversary trip. Right now, we're leaning towards saving the money, since we don't mind arriving early and sitting on the ground in order to save the $220+ it would cost for the 4 of us to get seats. It's kind of the same thing... why pay for something that you can get for free?

 

[luulu1999]

To me, it kind of seems like paying $20 for something you can get for free. It's my understanding that the Aladin viewing is just that they let you in a couple minutes before they open the doors to everybody else, and you get first choice of seating. So, instead of taking a 2.5hr tour, I'd just wait in line for 15 minutes and there will be lots of seats available to choose from. I'm not much into pins, so I don't know how much they cost, but I think for $20 you could probably choose a nice one, and maybe a lanyard too.

We did the Discover the Magic tour for DD's 6th birthday last summer and really enjoyed it. We didn't get any extra FPs, but we got to go on 3 rides through the exit and also got to meet Mickey. It was a lot of fun for a special occasion and I would consider it a "splurge" that I don't think we'll do again.

DH and I have been going back and forth on whether we'll do the Fantasmic dessert seating for our 10 year anniversary trip. Right now, we're leaning towards saving the money, since we don't mind arriving early and sitting on the ground in order to save the $220+ it would cost for the 4 of us to get seats. It's kind of the same thing... why pay for something that you can get for free?

I agree! That is why we decided against F! dessert package, everyone says you still have to stand in line at least an hour early to pick your seat, Ill just take my chances at the free seating lol

 

[Kittyskyfish]

I think this is a great idea for Disney muggles, infrequent visitors or first-timers who plan on spending only 1-2 days at the park. For an extra $20, guests can get a brief tour and hit a lot of great rides, get VIP seating for a show, and see WOC that evening. That is something they probably couldn't accomplish on their own if they're like the usual newbie. Meaning they don't research, they show up to buy tickets at the booth, then walk around with a map figuring out at that moment what to ride.

It's not something I would do with my husband as we're veterans and our trips usually last about 8 days. Plenty of time to do everything we want over and over. No need to pay extra.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

I commented under the blog post, but to me it sounds like WDW strategy being applied to DLR. I can understand why a WDW vet would think free Fastpasses would be attractive, given WDW's longer average lines and fewer attractions in each park. But from a DLR perspective, it doesn't seem like that big a deal. I think DLR offers those FPs simply to make up for the time you give to the tours. (So you get back some of the ride time that you've given up, so to speak.)

I also don't think it's "buying" Fastpasses at all. You actually have to attend the tour to get them, unless I'm mistaken. Though I do think it would be nice if WDW offered a FP+ perk on the KttK or BM tours.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

We reviewed it for the podcast last year. There's a link toward the bottom of Nikki's blog.

Thanks. Listening to that, I think I'd get frustrated on this tour. I have to agree, even though $20 sounds great, it doesn't seem worth it to a Disney vet.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

Sorry, I did not read the linked article yet, but I don't think that preferred seating for Aladdin adds any value whatsoever. We just walked in to Aladdin today just as they were closing the line, sat in the balcony, and could see everything - as always. The show is already long; why wait longer to secure preferred seating? And on top of tour time? Not even if they paid me the $20!

 

[zanzibar138]

I think this is a great idea for Disney muggles, infrequent visitors or first-timers who plan on spending only 1-2 days at the park. For an extra $20, guests can get a brief tour and hit a lot of great rides, get VIP seating for a show, and see WOC that evening. That is something they probably couldn't accomplish on their own if they're like the usual newbie. Meaning they don't research, they show up to buy tickets at the booth, then walk around with a map figuring out at that moment what to ride.

I agree, but I don't think people like that would know that this tour exists!

I don't think I'd be that keen on spending 2.5 hours on this tour. I'm sure there'd be some good tidbits, but I think for the most part it would be tedious for someone who's already familiar with the parks.

 

[nunzia]

To me, it kind of seems like paying $20 for something you can get for free. It's my understanding that the Aladin viewing is just that they let you in a couple minutes before they open the doors to everybody else, and you get first choice of seating. So, instead of taking a 2.5hr tour, I'd just wait in line for 15 minutes and there will be lots of seats available to choose from. I'm not much into pins, so I don't know how much they cost, but I think for $20 you could probably choose a nice one, and maybe a lanyard too.

We did the Discover the Magic tour for DD's 6th birthday last summer and really enjoyed it. We didn't get any extra FPs, but we got to go on 3 rides through the exit and also got to meet Mickey. It was a lot of fun for a special occasion and I would consider it a "splurge" that I don't think we'll do again.

DH and I have been going back and forth on whether we'll do the Fantasmic dessert seating for our 10 year anniversary trip. Right now, we're leaning towards saving the money, since we don't mind arriving early and sitting on the ground in order to save the $220+ it would cost for the 4 of us to get seats. It's kind of the same thing... why pay for something that you can get for free?

I get the Fantasmic! Dessert seating often. First..it's a CHAIR and you get nice desserts and snacks and someone to bring you drinks, so it's not really a paid duplicate of a free experience. Did I mention you get a CHAIR!? At my age that's vaslue. Looking at prices for the food in the snack box, plus all the drinks you want, that would propably run $30-$35..so a chair at the end of a long day is worth the difference.

That tour is a huge bargain for $20! But I'd probably not do it. 2 1/2 hours, 2 rides, and 2 FP..ok, but I can work FP to what I want to do already and I'm not so ride focused that can't find fun things to do if lines are long. What I am going to do is the neew DCA tour..that sounds fun and interesting. I'd probably suggest to new visitors the overview tour.