No More Fastpass for Parades and Fireworks?

[manning]

I think you mean "Magic" toilets don't you?

Only if the paper is better.

no one has yet come up with an invention that does everything for you. Now that would be magical.

 

[Rylie Grite]

I never liked FP+ for the daytime parade or for wishes, I found times when we had the FP+ I switched it on my phone because we found a "free" spot just outside the FP+ area. While everyone is speculating on why this is happening let me ask a question...

I've heard that we will soon be able to book 4th FP+ on our phones.
Could the removal of parades and fireworks from FP+ just be for future days and we would be able to book FP+ for parades and fireworks the day of the event? This would give a lot of people the opportunity to book wishes and parades as a 4th FP.

 

[DisOrBust]

This is unfortunately a reflection of our new economy following the meltdown. My DD is a marketing major and they are now learning that marketing is to target the top income earners basically because what is left of the middle class has no extra disposible income Everything she has been taught is being applied by Disney. Is it greedy, of course, but it makes sense. Foe those of use on a reasonable budget feel nickeled and dimed to death, but for the top earners this is nothing to them to pay extra for what once was free. Just look at the upcharges the past few weeks with, EMH( night and morning), ticket prices etc. IMHO Disney is making huge mistakes and it will catch up to them. My DD was also a CP and regularly talks to her full time friends. What was once a group of "magical" cps are now very disallusioned with the cutbacks and have been using #thanks shanghai. If I was Universal, I would be going in for the kill, which maybe they are already doing with 2 new hotels and a new HP area. Will Universal ever take over Disney I doubt but they could cause WDW to bleed.

 

[Mac30188]

This is unfortunately a reflection of our new economy following the meltdown. My DD is a marketing major and they are now learning that marketing is to target the top income earners basically because what is left of the middle class has no extra disposible income Everything she has been taught is being applied by Disney. Is it greedy, of course, but it makes sense. Foe those of use on a reasonable budget feel nickeled and dimed to death, but for the top earners this is nothing to them to pay extra for what once was free. Just look at the upcharges the past few weeks with, EMH( night and morning), ticket prices etc. IMHO Disney is making huge mistakes and it will catch up to them. My DD was also a CP and regularly talks to her full time friends. What was once a group of "magical" cps are now very disallusioned with the cutbacks and have been using #thanks shanghai. If I was Universal, I would be going in for the kill, which maybe they are already doing with 2 new hotels and a new HP area. Will Universal ever take over Disney I doubt but they could cause WDW to bleed.

While it is rather depressing, it is probably the smart play. The bet is being made against the US middle class and they have 20 years of data to back it up. In the global economy, the odds on the US middle class making a recovery is slim. The more likely scenario is the evolution into a mild South American style economy where a small and very affluent upper class is supported by a very large lower class. You already are seeing this to an extent with the growing difference between the declared "middle class" income point and the "comfort point" where a family is no longer strained to meet base expenses. The idea that the middle class will be able to afford Disney 15 years from now is not likely. I would expect Universal will continue to grow for 5-6 years and then crash like a rock, while Disney continues to pivot to target the right market to survive.

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

This is unfortunately a reflection of our new economy following the meltdown. My DD is a marketing major and they are now learning that marketing is to target the top income earners basically because what is left of the middle class has no extra disposible income Everything she has been taught is being applied by Disney. Is it greedy, of course, but it makes sense. Foe those of use on a reasonable budget feel nickeled and dimed to death, but for the top earners this is nothing to them to pay extra for what once was free. Just look at the upcharges the past few weeks with, EMH( night and morning), ticket prices etc. IMHO Disney is making huge mistakes and it will catch up to them. My DD was also a CP and regularly talks to her full time friends. What was once a group of "magical" cps are now very disallusioned with the cutbacks and have been using #thanks shanghai. If I was Universal, I would be going in for the kill, which maybe they are already doing with 2 new hotels and a new HP area. Will Universal ever take over Disney I doubt but they could cause WDW to bleed.

A lot of CMS I used to work with are also now very unhappy with Disney' decisions. They are still getting cut hours and struggling to make rent.

 

[Puffin]

Does anyone know if Fastpass reservations for the Parades and Wishes that were made a few weeks ago are still valid in the coming months?

 

[DisneyLovingPreacher]

Does anyone know if Fastpass reservations for the Parades and Wishes that were made a few weeks ago are still valid in the coming months?

I would guess you would be grandfathered in but I am not sure. Did you make them before this announcement came out?

 

[rteetz]

Does anyone know if Fastpass reservations for the Parades and Wishes that were made a few weeks ago are still valid in the coming months?

Yes they should be what are your dates?

 

[Puffin]

I would guess you would be grandfathered in but I am not sure. Did you make them before this announcement came out?

Ok! And yes, a few weeks before this announcement we made a reservation for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. It still shows up in MyDisneyExperience so fingers crossed...

 

[malba2366]

My issue with it, if it does in fact turn out to be a new VIP viewing area, is that this used to be something that everyone had access to without an extra charge. I think this is a lot of my issues with Disney lately. A Disney vacation is quickly becoming the vacation of the haves and have nots.

I get the whole "it's a capitalist society" thing I do. But just because you CAN charge more, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

I wish they would make more VIP areas in Disney. I would happily pay a good amount of money to get access to this area without having to make reservations on fastpass months ahead of time. I also wish for a VIP fastpass just like the one at Universal. The reservations system is horrible in that you have to sit at a computer months ahead of your vacation and make reservations, the only people that benefit from this are the people that have the time to sit there and figure out how to game the system to get the most fast passes. The scheduling aspect also, in my opinion, takes away from a vacation as it regiments the whole day....when Im on vacation I just want to relax and not be forced to run around a theme park on some schedule. Disney would be much better off by selling VIP fastpasses; they would attract a better clientele that would actually spend more money elsewhere in the parks with the saved time.

 

[lugnut33]

I wish they would make more VIP areas in Disney. I would happily pay a good amount of money to get access to this area without having to make reservations on fastpass months ahead of time. I also wish for a VIP fastpass just like the one at Universal. The reservations system is horrible in that you have to sit at a computer months ahead of your vacation and make reservations, the only people that benefit from this are the people that have the time to sit there and figure out how to game the system to get the most fast passes. The scheduling aspect also, in my opinion, takes away from a vacation as it regiments the whole day....when Im on vacation I just want to relax and not be forced to run around a theme park on some schedule. Disney would be much better off by selling VIP fastpasses; they would attract a better clientele that would actually spend more money elsewhere in the parks with the saved time.

I'm curious, how much would you be willing to pay for a VIP fastpass to the Magic Kingdom?

For me I'd pay up to $59, but I'm pretty sure they could get $299 per person per day.

 

[malba2366]

I'm curious, how much would you be willing to pay for a VIP fastpass to the Magic Kingdom?

For me I'd pay up to $59, but I'm pretty sure they could get $299 per person per day.

I would pay up to the price of a park ticket...maybe more when my kids get a little older and want to do all the rides. For me, the ability to do the rides quickly then enjoy a relaxing meal/drink or being able to relax by the pool at the resort is worth a good bit of Money.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I wish they would make more VIP areas in Disney. I would happily pay a good amount of money to get access to this area without having to make reservations on fastpass months ahead of time. I also wish for a VIP fastpass just like the one at Universal. The reservations system is horrible in that you have to sit at a computer months ahead of your vacation and make reservations, the only people that benefit from this are the people that have the time to sit there and figure out how to game the system to get the most fast passes. The scheduling aspect also, in my opinion, takes away from a vacation as it regiments the whole day....when Im on vacation I just want to relax and not be forced to run around a theme park on some schedule. Disney would be much better off by selling VIP fastpasses; they would attract a better clientele that would actually spend more money elsewhere in the parks with the saved time.

I see your point but just don't forget that USO Express Pass is can be equally frustrating:

1) It can be very pricey especially in relation to the cost of the ticket to get in.

2) Many complain about the elitist atmosphere EP creates: because people PAID for the privilege to have little or no wait USO operates in that they don't put a stop to how many people in the EP line are paused in order to allow Stand by riders through (at least generally in not a good enough ratio). This means a person could (and it does happen) go again and again and again on a ride and not be stopped to wait for the Stand by people to go.

3) It's can frustrating depending on when you go: pre-purchase only to realize you didn't need it because the lines weren't too long, get pressured tons by the people selling tickets into getting into the park can leave a sour taste in your mouth, look at the pricing online ahead of time only to realize when you actually got to the park the price went up because the demand/crowd level caused that or better yet the tons of people on review sites who said it's darn near impossible to escape the lines without buying EPs. Yes they say this about Disney's FP but at least currently they are included in park admission (I personally hope they don't go the route of paid FP).

These are things from my own experiences (though I don't buy any sort of pass that allows for quicker lines at any amusement/theme park) as well as through other people's experiences on review sites, blogs and web forums.

 

[Planogirl]

I see your point but just don't forget that USO Express Pass is can be equally frustrating:

1) It can be very pricey especially in relation to the cost of the ticket to get in.

2) Many complain about the elitist atmosphere EP creates: because people PAID for the privilege to have little or no wait USO operates in that they don't put a stop to how many people in the EP line are paused in order to allow Stand by riders through (at least generally in not a good enough ratio). This means a person could (and it does happen) go again and again and again on a ride and not be stopped to wait for the Stand by people to go.

3) It's can frustrating depending on when you go: pre-purchase only to realize you didn't need it because the lines weren't too long, get pressured tons by the people selling tickets into getting into the park can leave a sour taste in your mouth, look at the pricing online ahead of time only to realize when you actually got to the park the price went up because the demand/crowd level caused that or better yet the tons of people on review sites who said it's darn near impossible to escape the lines without buying EPs. Yes they say this about Disney's FP but at least currently they are included in park admission (I personally hope they don't go the route of paid FP).

These are things from my own experiences (though I don't buy any sort of pass that allows for quicker lines at any amusement/theme park) as well as through other people's experiences on review sites, blogs and web forums.

Good points all but I'll just say that we haven't had to buy EP yet and we have been during Spring Break and the Christmas holidays. Just like the WDW of the past you have to follow a good touring plan but I admit that Despicable Me is still a problem we haven't solved.

I sometimes think that I'd prefer the old playing field before any kind of fastpasses appeared. I remember running into people using the same UOG touring plan and how well we all thought it worked. Of course crowds have increased dramatically so these plans probably wouldn't work so well any more.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Good points all but I'll just say that we haven't had to buy EP yet and we have been during Spring Break and the Christmas holidays. Just like the WDW of the past you have to follow a good touring plan but I admit that Despicable Me is still a problem we haven't solved.

I sometimes think that I'd prefer the old playing field before any kind of fastpasses appeared. I remember running into people using the same UOG touring plan and how well we all thought it worked. Of course crowds have increased dramatically so these plans probably wouldn't work so well any more.

I agree completely and on the part I bolded I didn't speak to that aspect because the poster said they didn't like to "run around a theme park on some schedule"..if you follow a touring plan it is a schedule which is meant to maximize your time spent in a park and to lower your chance of being in a long line. Often the thought running through my head when I read horror stories regarding the lines as USO and feeling forced into buying EPs due to the lines was because of they likely just decided to wing it-I've got 3 days of park to park to take the time to explore USO and for me my max standing in line is 2 hrs others however have a max of 30 mins or less. And really I get it-you're on vacation so there are people who don't want to plan and I do even agree Disney is a bit too much planning involved nowadays.

I'm glad to hear you haven't had to buy the EPs yet

In Sep 2011 my husband and I used Legacy FP twice the entire 5 days (w/hoppers) we were at WDW-Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. Either the FP were gone by the time we got to them (as was the case all the time with TSMM) or we felt like we didn't need them usually because the current wait time versus the time the FP return time was listed just didn't work out for us; you could def.say we did not utilize our time wisely but then again it didn't really affect us much to wait in line. This next trip=completely different plan and that's moreso because crowds have increased too much since our last trip.

I have often wondered what the lines (not crowds but just lines) would be like if there was no FP program at all in today's crowd levels. I feel like Disney is already in too deep to get away with removing it entirely and not just because of the MM+ with the MB integration but also because people constantly compare USO and WDW "get ahead of the line" passes.

 

[Planogirl]

I agree completely and on the part I bolded I didn't speak to that aspect because the poster said they didn't like to "run around a theme park on some schedule"..if you follow a touring plan it is a schedule which is meant to maximize your time spent in a park and to lower your chance of being in a long line. Often the thought running through my head when I read horror stories regarding the lines as USO and feeling forced into buying EPs due to the lines was because of they likely just decided to wing it-I've got 3 days of park to park to take the time to explore USO and for me my max standing in line is 2 hrs others however have a max of 30 mins or less. And really I get it-you're on vacation so there are people who don't want to plan and I do even agree Disney is a bit too much planning involved nowadays.

I'm glad to hear you haven't had to buy the EPs yet

In Sep 2011 my husband and I used Legacy FP twice the entire 5 days (w/hoppers) we were at WDW-Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. Either the FP were gone by the time we got to them (as was the case all the time with TSMM) or we felt like we didn't need them usually because the current wait time versus the time the FP return time was listed just didn't work out for us; you could def.say we did not utilize our time wisely but then again it didn't really affect us much to wait in line. This next trip=completely different plan and that's moreso because crowds have increased too much since our last trip.

I have often wondered what the lines (not crowds but just lines) would be like if there was no FP program at all in today's crowd levels. I feel like Disney is already in too deep to get away with removing it entirely and not just because of the MM+ with the MB integration but also because people constantly compare USO and WDW "get ahead of the line" passes.

I don't like planning either so our touring plans are very rough and loose and we adjust constantly. I think that as you learn how the parks tick that you can avoid a lot of the mobs but of course that doesn't help first timers. Those early UOG plans were worth their weight in gold while in the learning process but I agree that if someone is dead set against them then you can't really do much. I don't see how anyone can really get much done if you balk against all planning though. You'd have to have a lot more patience than me!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't like planning either so our touring plans are very rough and loose and we adjust constantly. I think that as you learn how the parks tick that you can avoid a lot of the mobs but of course that doesn't help first timers. Those early UOG plans were worth their weight in gold while in the learning process but I agree that if someone is dead set against them then you can't really do much. I don't see how anyone can really get much done if you balk against all planning though. You'd have to have a lot more patience than me!

Absolutely

Usually, not always though, the bad reviews come from those who didn't plan at all, showed up after 10 or worse after 2ish at MK and expected the wait times to be really low on all rides, didn't make any FP+ nor any ADRs (but expected to eat at all the places easily-except for QS where it is usually just hard to find a seat to eat your food if busy) and those who just zig zagged around the park (if they complained about the attractions being too far away from each other). Many of those bad reviews come from people who are either 1st timers or ones who haven't gone in a long while-I'm still a firm believer that you really should do research before you go to such a high tourist destination such as WDW and USO.

It will be 16 or 17 years since my in-laws have been when we go in 2017 and they would be the type of people who didn't research at all (like seriously they still call hotels to make reservations instead of booking online it's kinda cute lol and no I'm not bashing those who prefer phone over internet) but they also are the type of people that wouldn't stress over the vacation in fact they prefer to just wing it but when I'm on vacation with them they know that it tends to work out best to make plans thus I'm the defacto "travel agent" of the bunch and while some aspects of WDW are overwhelming for me I still love the planning I just know to leave some flexibility in the plans.

ETA: I'm curious to know how not having the FP+ for the fireworks impacts watching it now from the viewpoint of a person who didn't use their FP+ for them. I haven't been since FP+ was started but in 2011 I was able to watch the fireworks facing the castle with no problem (though I know crowds are higher now), Illumniations I was able to get a good enough spot and we got rained/stormed out of Fantasmic though we were able to get a spot easily inside before they cancelled it.

 

[cmash95]

you still need cms to police the area and the only rumor I have heard is that they may move the desert party from the noodle area to that area but really I have seen where the area is and frankly you can get a better view of the fireworks if you are down at the end of main street near the trainstation. and its not that crowded in that area either

 

[Mousetopia]

I for one hope they bring back the FP for parades and night time shows. With a good tour plan you can do without many for rides. Yes you can find a good spot without one but sooooo nice to not worry if Ill have a good place. or feel the need to run around searching one out. Also hate being so jammed in with the crowd. The limited number in the area was much nicer. Fastpass for parade was at flagpole. The parade came right at us with no obstruction. we sat and relaxed. It was perfect! I also loved FP for Food and Wine concerts! Great seats, no stress.

 

[adam.adbe]

Disney would be much better off by selling VIP fastpasses; they would attract a better clientele that would actually spend more money elsewhere in the parks with the saved time.

Disney is not just a Theme Park company, and running the parks as a country club for the affluent is a stupid strategy.