No more legacy fastpass at AK starting next week!

[rteetz]

"FastPass+ is moving into new territory next week as for the first it will be available to all guests visiting Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Starting December 18 2013, the latest test will allow all guests to use FastPass+, including those staying offsite and not in a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. During the test, regular paper FASTPASS will not be available, giving guests the choice to use FastPass+ or the standby line.

Non-resort guests will not be able to make FastPass+ reservations ahead of time, or using My Disney Experience. Mirroring the functionality provided by FASTPASS, offsite guests will need to visit a FastPass+ kiosk to make the reservations on the day they visit. MagicBands will not be available for non-resort guests. Instead, they will use their RFID enabled ticket media to access the FastPass+ kiosks and touch sensors.

Resort guests will continue to be able to make advance reservations using My Disney Experience. As with current testing, guests will be able to secure 3 FastPass+ reservations for that day.

The attractions available for FastPass+ are:
Character Greeting at Adventurers Outpost
Expedition Everest
DINOSAUR
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo – The Musical
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Primeval Whirl
It's Tough to be a Bug!
Kiosk locations are at:
Kali River Rapids
Primeval Whirl
Expedition Everest
Outside at Disney Outfitters
Outside the service center located at Creature Comforts"
This is from WDWMagic.com

 

[Hoodie]

 

[GSUJillybean]

This is exactly how I feel. I loved FP+. As long as there are plenty of kiosks for everyone, I think it's a GREAT idea.

 

[wiigirl]

Hmmm....

 

[15isto2]

Interesting timing for a new phase of the trial, coming up to the busy chrstmas and new year period.

 

[beer dave]

and people can stop saying off site guests will get the shaft.

 

[Alice Royal]

Will have to try this out when I am there in early January. We are locals and AP holders, so I've been holding out for MagicBands to be released to us. Looks like we won't need to wait for the major functionality for offsite guests (FP+) to be available!

 

[KYMickey]

By the way they are implementing it, it certainly likes they are using this as a way to get everyone to stay on site. If every guest staying on-site can make FP+ reservations ahead of time they're not going to be many (if any) available times on a given day for those trying to make reservations when they arrive. Sounds like there will be a major revolt by those staying off-site if this is the way it will be done across the board, although I don't suppose Disney would really care.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Not that it would affect Animal Kingdom at all...

 

[DPCummerbund]

If every guest staying on-site can make FP+ reservations ahead of time they're not going to be many (if any) available times on a given day for those trying to make reservations when they arrive. Sounds like there will be a major revolt...

Well, expecting a major revolt is perhaps a pessimistic way of looking at it.

Alternately, you could look at it this way:

"FastPass+ is moving into new territory next week...

We really have no idea how this test is going to turn out. It has never happened before. We have no idea how many FP+ there will be - one would assume that there would be MORE FP+ if the FP- machines get turned off. We also have NO IDEA how many pre-bookers will want to change their FP+ the day of their trip, making the whole system more flexible for everyone.

Of course, if you're really wondering whether there would be a revolt, you could look back at the introduction of EMH, and see whether offsite guests revolted over the idea that resort guests got into the parks an hour early, even though they spent the same amount of money on their tickets as offsite guests did. No revolt then? Perhaps there will be a revolt now, if people are more revolting than they used to be.


And of course, you could look back 20 years ago, when everybody waited in standby lines all the time, and there was no revolt by anybody.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

For the kiosks at the selected attractions will each machine be converted to kiosks?

 

[beer dave]

if people are more revolting than they used to be.

people are definitely more revolting than they used to be.

 

[taterheads]

I'm actually glad this is happening. I don't think this means there won't be FP+ for people who have to reserve the day of onsite. It is the same number of FP there always was. There won't be FP- any more so there will be no double dipping, which makes me believe it may actually be easier for every one to get their picks. The only draw back I can see is that now you will have a larger pool of people who are unhappy they can't have more than three FP a day. There is no steering around the system any more. I hope the test goes well and this bandaid that has been getting ripped off painfully slow will finally be done with so we can all just adjust to the new way of seeing WDW and be done with it. I know, this isn't a popular view, I'm sure. My philosophy is that we have to pick our battles and this is one that Disney is unwilling to lose after all they've invested, so, we might as well lick our "I don't want change" wounds and deal with it.

 

[doconeill]

I think AK makes a perfect guinea pig for this...because there are only 4 attractions that use FP with any regularity, and one of which isn't going to be hugely popular on cold days, having a limit of three right now won't be so bad.

Plus, just not as many guests.

I still don't believe on-site guests will be limited to day-of selections in the end...that's just how they are handling it right now while they still sort out MDX issues, ticket linking, etc. But no matter what they'll need to be able to support day-of-only guests to a great degree as there will still be many who aren't aware of it, don't want to bother ahead of time, etc.

 

[bcrook]

We really have no idea how this test is going to turn out. It has never happened before. We have no idea how many FP+ there will be - one would assume that there would be MORE FP+ if the FP- machines get turned off. We also have NO IDEA how many pre-bookers will want to change their FP+ the day of their trip, making the whole system more flexible for everyone.

We kind of know that not many FP- were held back for same day because off site guests were finding headliners wiped out by an hour after park opened.

Of course, if you're really wondering whether there would be a revolt, you could look back at the introduction of EMH, and see whether offsite guests revolted over the idea that resort guests got into the parks an hour early, even though they spent the same amount of money on their tickets as offsite guests did. No revolt then? Perhaps there will be a revolt now, if people are more revolting than they used to be.


And of course, you could look back 20 years ago, when everybody waited in standby lines all the time, and there was no revolt by anybody.

I don't know if your two examples effect the outside group that much.

With everybody waiting in standby there were no haves and have nots. Everybody was in the same boat.

With EMH. You have two possibilities :

1. Early EMH, - the on site guests can pull only one fastpass before the off site gets in the park. The current DAK situation allows all the on site guests to pull three fastpasses before the off site guests can get in there. Also this will happen every day, not just one day a week. If you are an off site guest you have the choice to avoid the early EMH park, this DAK change is unavoidable (unless of course someone skips the park completely).

2. Evening EMH gets everybody a fresh shot at the day.

An off site guest entering DAK on Wednesday has quite a few disadvantages that will cause tempers to flare.

1. On site guests were able to eat up a significant portion of the fastpasses days in advance.
2. Off site guests will have to deal with long lines at the kiosks simply to make their reservations - and kiosks are not user friendly.
3. Off site guests won't be able to make changes on their phones.

With only about 7500 Kilimanjaro Safari FPs available it will be remarkable if an off site gets one. There have been reports of these fastpasses being gone shortly after opening.

Everyone pays the same admission prices and there was no advance warning for this situation. The off site guests are being blindsided. Where revolt might be a strong word, frustration levels will rise.

I wonder how on site guests will feel about being restricted to just three. This is the first time the three and done policy will be enforced for all guests - on site or not.