New Fast Pass + is a money grab

[Joe Dirt 1972]

All this does is drive more people to stay at Disney resorts. I know I wouldn't stay offsite and hope I can get on rides and hope there is fast passes when everyone staying at a Disney resort can book their fastpasses 60 days prior to their visit. I would spend the money to stay onsite to ensure my kids get on 3 rides a day especially during peek seasons, but most people cant afford the extra and are going to be disappointed with not being able to get on rides with out along wait. I already know 12 families that are no longer going as a result because they can only afford to stay offsite.

You will see offsite hotels close down over the next few years as a result

At least with the old system if I didn't use my fast passes I could give them off to someone else. Now if I don't use them they are wasted and besides I will be surprised if Disney down the road does charge you a fee when you don't use the pre booked fastpasses, like they do for missing dinner reservations.

I don't like having plan every aspect of my trip. I better schedule my bathroom breaks

 

[Joe Dirt 1972]

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[MonkeyDishwasher]

I know! I can't believe a mega corporation would try to drive business into their own properties! How could they?!

But seriously. Isn't it practically the same as Universal offering the same system for staying onsite over there? Why aren't people up in arms about that?

 

[scooter7487]

Well disney has finally destroyed a system that was working. Then on top of that they now have tiered the rides at dhs and Epcot. We were there over the holidays and had the opportunity to discuss/express our concerns about this system. The lines were crazy to sign up to schedule your fast passes. So now you have to wait in line to wait in line to schedule your 3 whopping fast passes. My biggest concern was park hopping and I told the supervisor working the line to sign up that I can't imagine why anyone that is not a ap holder would waste money to park hop as they are limited to one park for their fast passes. She said that has been the biggest complaint by everyone. Someone else mentioned greed and they are absolutely correct. Let's say you are at ak where let's be honest the dinner restaurants are not great disney will make money as you will buy a park hopper just so you can have a nice dinner. Won't be able to ride any rides unless you don't mind waiting for 2 hours but hey what does disney care they got your additional 50-70 bucks to park hope right. Disney world has gone down hill with customer satisfaction since we went in 2004. Bought into the. Dvc thing but now wonder if we should sell it is obvious that Disney is catering to those that go once in awhile vs those that go annually. Disappointing is the only word I am allowed to use as I don't want to get flagged. Bad call Mickey bad call!

 

[Joe Dirt 1972]

Universal offers a ride pass for a small charge to skip the lines

All this does is drive away repeat customers.

 

[Joe Dirt 1972]

I really don't understand why people are bashing people for using the old fast pass system. I have been to WDW 4 times since the fast pass system was put in. Before going I did my homework understood how to get the most fast passes and maximise my families joy in the parks. But for all the people that did what myself and many others have done to get the most fast passes these methods and tricks of the trades were available to every guest so we lets be fair

Also one thing that I like about the old fast pass system was if you couldn't use the fast pass or someone else couldn't use theirs it was a matter of handing it off to someone else and they could enjoy the ride. There were times where something came up and we couldn't use our passes and we gave them to people with their kids standing in line and it brought a smile to their faces.

It is herding and more planning the only thing I ever planned or booked was my restaurants because we were on the dining plan , but this year we are not getting the dining plan because it cut in the day too much because your whole day revolved around your dinner reservation. Same as the new fast pass + will cause more headaches because you are tied to that time at least with the old fast pass system if you couldn't make it or were on another ride you could just had it off to someone else.

Why spend the money on a park hopper?

 

[DOOM1001]

I love Disney as much as anyone but what they charge for hotels is silly,I stay onsite occasionally for special events like the marathon but 3/4 of my stays are offsite and I probably go about 10-12 times a year.I just paid $120 a night at Pop Century to hear flushing toilets and neighboring rooms showers all night.Even with those annoyances I enjoy staying there but it's just way overpriced.In Christmas I stayed at the Rosen Shingle Creek,a huge convention style resort that honestly had a Christmas event that was more impressive than just about every Disney hotel and I paid like $60 a night.Other times I'll book offsite rooms that have free breakfast that many times is better than the bounty platter I got at Pop that had half the items cold.As far as FP+ and magicbands I don't think it's all bad as I might be able to actually ride TSMM since I'm rarely at that park early in the day to get a paper FP.However if the system doesn't improve allowing more than 3 a day and the ability to use at multiple parks they should just scrap it,also the website is junk so even if you have the ability to book FP+ before coming to the park it's a pain to do so.I guess it's better than to stand in a line at at FP+ kiosk as I can only imagine those lines are huge with people looking at their options for the rides and return times.Overall I see more negative with the FP+ than positive.The magicbands are fine,you don't have to be taking out your tickets to enter the park or to enter your room if you're staying onsite but the FP+ portion needs a lot of work.I have a feeling Disney is going to feel it a little bit as all they've been doing is upsetting people lately with this new system,Universal is actually doing the right thing and spending money on rides with the new Potter area opening in May that's possibly going to be even more popular than the original area.There's also markers spotted at Islands of Adventure for what appears to be a new King Kong ride along with a bunch of new restaurants at Citywalk and a new hotel.

 

[GrumpyFamilyof5]

this is all so confusing, really bums me out.. don't think in all the years I've went, we have ever had more then 2 fast passes a day, but not the point. Point is, now that people can make ressies for fast passes if they stay onsite, really sucks, it pretty much means that rides that already had long lines or ran out of fast passes quick, will be nearly impossible to get on. For example, we always had to run to Toy Story Mania just to think about getting on it later with fastpass, now with this you might not get one at all.... so no to the one who mentioned it above, this is not like Universal, they give the option that if you stay onsite you can go through the express line, or you can buy the express line pass, that gives you 1 per ride.. with this new fastpass system your only allowed 3 per day and your going up against ones who stay onsite and already made ressies for fastpass... totally different to me, but then again I'm tired and this all upsets me. Hope it's not confusing,lol...
as for me and Disney, I will always be a Disney freak, I love the magic(when it is there), but like most companies, seems like money has taken front stage...will I still go, sure,but now not as often, as I'll have to save more to stay onsite or otherwise I risk not riding some of our favorite rides

 

[Planogirl]

Universal's system isn't the same because there only three resorts with access to the free Express while tons of resorts at WDW are pushing the 3 per onsite visitor. We've haven't often found particularly long lines if we plan carefully. Universal isn't the problem here.

I don't doubt that Disney will charge later on for some aspect of this. I doubt that people would ever be penalized for NOT using a FP+ though.

 

[Mad Hattered]

I love Disney as much as anyone but what they charge for hotels is silly,I stay onsite occasionally for special events like the marathon but 3/4 of my stays are offsite and I probably go about 10-12 times a year.I just paid $120 a night at Pop Century to hear flushing toilets and neighboring rooms showers all night.Even with those annoyances I enjoy staying there but it's just way overpriced.In Christmas I stayed at the Rosen Shingle Creek,a huge convention style resort that honestly had a Christmas event that was more impressive than just about every Disney hotel and I paid like $60 a night.Other times I'll book offsite rooms that have free breakfast that many times is better than the bounty platter I got at Pop that had half the items cold.As far as FP+ and magicbands I don't think it's all bad as I might be able to actually ride TSMM since I'm rarely at that park early in the day to get a paper FP.However if the system doesn't improve allowing more than 3 a day and the ability to use at multiple parks they should just scrap it,also the website is junk so even if you have the ability to book FP+ before coming to the park it's a pain to do so.I guess it's better than to stand in a line at at FP+ kiosk as I can only imagine those lines are huge with people looking at their options for the rides and return times.Overall I see more negative with the FP+ than positive.The magicbands are fine,you don't have to be taking out your tickets to enter the park or to enter your room if you're staying onsite but the FP+ portion needs a lot of work.I have a feeling Disney is going to feel it a little bit as all they've been doing is upsetting people lately with this new system,Universal is actually doing the right thing and spending money on rides with the new Potter area opening in May that's possibly going to be even more popular than the original area.There's also markers spotted at Islands of Adventure for what appears to be a new King Kong ride along with a bunch of new restaurants at Citywalk and a new hotel.

Not only Kong, but a new addition to Jurassic Park....and lets not even begin to speculate what all that new ground they bought up might turn out being.

 

[DOOM1001]

Disney isn't going to be penalizing people for not using FP+,that's insane!!!Yeah I'm really going to rush to make it out to that 3:40-4:40pm Maelstrom slot.I have to imagine that close to 40%-50% of all FP+ reservations are not being used.The day Disney charges you or penalizes you for not using them I'll be the one with the picket sign on World Dr.,but I'm 99.9% certain that won't be happening.

 

[joelkfla]

Universal offers a ride pass for a small charge to skip the lines

All this does is drive away repeat customers.

$35-$90 a day, depending on the type of ticket & expected crowd level -- not what I would call a "small" charge.

At least at Disney guests have a shot at a FP for 1 headliner at no charge. Off-site guests will be able to make advance FP+ selections when the system is fully implemented in the future, although the window has not been announced.

 

[fairyprincess88]

I know! I can't believe a mega corporation would try to drive business into their own properties! How could they?!

But seriously. Isn't it practically the same as Universal offering the same system for staying onsite over there? Why aren't people up in arms about that?

Because what you get staying onsite at Universal compared to what you get staying onsite at Disney is like comparing a BMW to a Pinto.

The Express Pass for onsite guests at Universal is nothing at all like FP+ in that the only regulations on it are that there are a couple of rides that do not have Express Pass access. That's it. There is no limit to how many times you use it, or if you park hop. You want to ride Spiderman 10 times in a row? Go for it, just keep showing your room key and go right back in. No need to schedule or plan months in advance, just ride what you want to ride when you want to ride it without waiting in long lines.

With FP+...well, yeah, Express Pass it is not.

Now of course Universal has only three onsite resorts so it can offer this without mass chaos but considering their deluxe hotels are usually priced on par with a Disney moderate and you get unlimited Express Pass, not many are going to be "up in arms about it". It truly is a perk. Plus, they do offer the public not staying on site a chance to purchase a limited Express Pass or even the Unlimited Express Pass if they so desire, so no matter if you are staying off site, you still have the same option to have the exact same benefits if you want them.

 

[Joe Dirt 1972]

I already changed my days onsite from 11 down to 6 and will spend more time at Universal, SW and maybe lego land. Already bought the express pass for Universal

 

[Dannek]

Because what you get staying onsite at Universal compared to what you get staying onsite at Disney is like comparing a BMW to a Pinto.

The Express Pass for onsite guests at Universal is nothing at all like FP+ in that the only regulations on it are that there are a couple of rides that do not have Express Pass access. That's it. There is no limit to how many times you use it, or if you park hop. You want to ride Spiderman 10 times in a row? Go for it, just keep showing your room key and go right back in. No need to schedule or plan months in advance, just ride what you want to ride when you want to ride it without waiting in long lines.

With FP+...well, yeah, Express Pass it is not.

Now of course Universal has only three onsite resorts so it can offer this without mass chaos but considering their deluxe hotels are usually priced on par with a Disney moderate and you get unlimited Express Pass, not many are going to be "up in arms about it". It truly is a perk. Plus, they do offer the public not staying on site a chance to purchase a limited Express Pass or even the Unlimited Express Pass if they so desire, so no matter if you are staying off site, you still have the same option to have the exact same benefits if you want them.

1) Except for the fact that you'll have to wait behind all the other people in the express line who have the same idea.

2) And herein lies the problem, from what I'm thinking. If everyone goes to Universal instead of Disney, and the majority either stay at the deluxe resorts or buy the "unlimited express" passes, then what happens to the "express" lines? See what' I'm saying? With huge crowds, come huge standby lines. I don't think Universal has any form of FP system..? And if they start selling mucho amounts of "unlimited express" passes, then the express lines become as long as the standby lines.

And if you think that Universal would limit the amount of "Unlimited Express" passes that they sell, well that would be a good laugh. They are a corporation looking to make as much profit as possible and long lines to them would be a sign of success. So as I posted in another thread, how long before we start seeing threads complaining about the long (express and standby) lines and huge crowds at Universal? It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out...

 

[Joe Dirt 1972]

1) Except for the fact that you'll have to wait behind all the other people in the express line who have the same idea.

2) And herein lies the problem, from what I'm thinking. If everyone goes to Universal instead of Disney, and the majority either stay at the deluxe resorts or buy the "unlimited express" passes, then what happens to the "express" lines? See what' I'm saying? With huge crowds, come huge standby lines. I don't think Universal has any form of FP system..? And if they start selling mucho amounts of "unlimited express" passes, then the express lines become as long as the standby lines.

And if you think that Universal would limit the amount of "Unlimited Express" passes that they sell, well that would be a good laugh. They are a corporation looking to make as much profit as possible and long lines to them would be a sign of success. So as I posted in another thread, how long before we start seeing threads complaining about the long (express and standby) lines and huge crowds at Universal? It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out...

They do limit the amount of express passes they issue and they charge different prices depending on the day to help limit the amount. I had to change my dates to Universal because the express passes were gone or too much for the day I wantd

 

[DOOM1001]

Express pass at Universal is expensive,a vast majority of visitors are not shelling out the money for express.Also Universal has a lot of rides with single rider lines,you use those in combination with making some standby waits you can get a lot done.

 

[mummabear]

I know! I can't believe a mega corporation would try to drive business into their own properties! How could they?!

Time will tell if we sell an actual money grab with Disney selling additional FP+'s
I don't have an issue with Disney providing perks to onsite guests, they always have and the perks they were providing have been slowly withdrawn bit by bit.
I do think EMH was a "fairer" way of doing the perk though, it meant that during park hours all guests were equal which I like. Sadly life is not fair and I am sure the cost of EMH was not worthwhile for Disney

 

[magicbob]

At least at Disney guests have a shot at a FP for 1 headliner at no charge.

Under the legacy FP system, Disney guests had a shot at a FP for all the headliners plus every other ride that offered FP (at no charge). Just sayin'.

Off-site guests will be able to make advance FP+ selections when the system is fully implemented in the future, although the window has not been announced.

This is yet to be seen. I originally believed this would be true. Now I'm not so sure. I even started a thread asking about this very thing. Considering the current chaos with the conditions being that a huge percentage of the population CANNOT pre-book (not to mention that the marketing blitz for FP+ has not really cranked up yet), it will be pure bedlam if/when EVERY guest can pre-book.

 

[wiigirl]

Universal offers a ride pass for a small charge to skip the lines

All this does is drive away repeat customers.