Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[TinkB278]

It's not a lack of empathy, it's reality. The system that gave you the ability to get on to rides quickly also made the standby lines terrible for everyone. There has to be a balance.

Not going to go back and forth on this anymore because it goes both ways. You having relatively shorter lines while parks are at restricted capacity due to a pandemic makes others who only went on rides using fast pass to have to wait longer than they would wait. That’s also reality. What’s good for some isn’t good for others despite all your beliefs about the harm done by FastPass and how no one who thinks it’s a good benefit can possibly have a point.

 

[TinkB278]

Good grief, this is about waiting in lines at a theme park. FP+ had negative impacts on overall wait time efficiency.

You can’t wait more than 10 minutes for a ride? This seems like pretty unreasonable expectation, IMO. We’ve had FP+ return lines longer than that.

And yeah, on our last 5 trips in 6 years my kids were 1, then 1 & 2.5, then 2 and 3.5, then 2.5 and 4 and 3.5 and 5. I’m pretty familiar with going to the parks with small kids. In the big picture, FP+ is not a great system and IMO they could do a better job of getting more people on rides in an efficient manner without it.

My small KID can’t wait more than ten minutes. That’s my whole point. Maybe they should just make Disney world into a place for older kids and adults.
Sounds like you’re the expert at theme park operations and know exactly what works and doesn’t work. I guess the rest of us are just imagining that our trips with fast pass worked great. Couldn’t possibly be true since a select few people on here seem insistent on making sure we all know how horrible FastPass was and made the Disney experience.

also, I really don’t appreciate the personal attacks on my kids ability to stand in line and whether we should be going to a children’s theme park. Sorry he’s very active and bright, not just some lazy kid addicted to screens.

 

[Eric Smith]

Not going to go back and forth on this anymore because it goes both ways. You having relatively shorter lines while parks are at restricted capacity due to a pandemic makes others who only went on rides using fast pass to have to wait longer than they would wait. That’s also reality. What’s good for some isn’t good for others despite all your beliefs about the harm done by FastPass and how no one who thinks it’s a good benefit can possibly have a point.

My small KID can’t wait more than ten minutes. That’s my whole point. Maybe they should just make Disney world into a place for older kids and adults.
Sounds like you’re the expert at theme park operations and know exactly what works and doesn’t work. I guess the rest of us are just imagining that our trips with fast pass worked great. Couldn’t possibly be true since a select few people on here seem insistent on making sure we all know how horrible FastPass was and made the Disney experience.

It sounds like you just want a system that works for your very specific situation.

 

[TinkB278]

It sounds like you just want a system that works for your very specific situation.

That’s what it sounds like YOU want. You want a prehistoric Disney world with few guests and no FastPass. Guess what, when this pandemic is over you aren’t going to have your “short lines” just because there could maybe possibly potentially be no fast pass.

you want no FastPass but there are a great many that do want fast pass. It’s not like I’m the only person on the entire Dis board that wants FastPass to return. Get real!

 

[MickeyWaffles]

My small KID can’t wait more than ten minutes. That’s my whole point. Maybe they should just make Disney world into a place for older kids and adults.
Sounds like you’re the expert at theme park operations and know exactly what works and doesn’t work. I guess the rest of us are just imagining that our trips with fast pass worked great. Couldn’t possibly be true since a select few people on here seem insistent on making sure we all know how horrible FastPass was and made the Disney experience.

This is just a discussion board. No need to get worked up over it.

Some ignore the issues with FP+ because it worked well for them. That’s fine! I’d personally like to see them shift to something that works more efficiently for more people.

It’s ok to disagree and discuss ...

 

[TinkB278]

This is just a discussion board. No need to get worked up over it.

Some ignore the issues with FP+ because it worked well for them. That’s fine! I’d personally like to see them shift to something that works more efficiently for more people.

It’s ok to disagree and discuss ...

I was discussing when insulting and judgmental comments were made by you and the other poster regarding my very young child’s ability to stand in a line. Don’t think I’m not going to get worked up by saying things like it’s “ridiculous” that he cant stand still for more than ten minutes. All I was doing was sharing our personal situation and YOU thought it was appropriate to attack.

 

[kbelle8995]

I don't see FP returning in pre-pandemic state. They are going to charge for it or have it available for only the higher echelon of their hotels. I think that the FP made lines longer at times made it very difficult to plan. Try to get on a popular new ride. The FP were gone so fast you sometimes didn't have a snowballs chance in heck at them. And if you wanted to wait the standby line ballooned to long queues. Before FP you could walk on Pirates sometimes. After FP not so much.

I think Disney is going to take this opportunity to charge for Fastpasses or redo it completely. I personally would like to see a system that works fairly regardless of being Hotel Guests, AP holders or day guests.

 

[Eric Smith]

That’s what it sounds like YOU want. You want a prehistoric Disney world with few guests and no FastPass. Guess what, when this pandemic is over you aren’t going to have your “short lines” just because there could maybe possibly potentially be no fast pass.

you want no FastPass but there are a great many that do want fast pass. It’s not like I’m the only person on the entire Dis board that wants FastPass to return. Get real!

I don't see why you think that's what I want. There should be some fastpass system but I don't think FP+ is the best one to go with. I think a system like Disneyland where you don't pre-book fastpasses is a much better system. I also think Disney drastically needs to cut down the number of fastpasses that they give out so that the fastpass line doesn't absolutely kill the standby line.

 

[JakeAZ]

I also think Disney drastically needs to cut down the number of fastpasses that they give out so that the fastpass line doesn't absolutely kill the standby line.

100%

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I was discussing when insulting and judgmental comments were made by you and the other poster regarding my very young child’s ability to stand in a line. Don’t think I’m not going to get worked up by saying things like it’s “ridiculous” that he cant stand still for more than ten minutes. All I was doing was sharing our personal situation and YOU thought it was appropriate to attack.

No, I said I thought 10 minutes was an unreasonable expectation. That’s just my personal opinion. No attack there. A simple difference of opinion.

You accused people of not being empathetic and even suggested that people on this thread who hold a different opinion than yours must not have small children, which I took offense to also.

Anyway, none of this matters because Disney will choose their next course of action. I’m happy to disengage. No point in this continuing this further.

 

[kylenne]

I was queen of working the FP+ system (refreshing, timed drops etc) and the lack of it is the one thing I’m really dreading about my first Covid-era trip, but even though I personally benefitted from it a lot, even I could see it caused problems. And yeah everyone could theoretically learn how to do it, but when you have a situation where a small percentage of knowledgable guests game the system to the point we never wait more than like 10 minutes all day long while the vast majority end up in massive lines with atrocious standby waits all day, that’s pretty messed up.

I’m not opposed to a paid system if it makes things a little easier for people who aren’t uber planners, even though I’m hardcore about it. You will always have the clueless people in the parks to some extent but there has to be a better way.

 

[middlechild]

Some years ago a survey was taken. The gist was how many rides at a minimum made a good trip? The answer, three, gave us the fast pass system. Where the parks attendance could be increased by a large amount if they guaranteed everyone three FP to ensure three headliners. That promise led to overwhelming visitor numbers. No, I doubt FP is going away, and with it the large pop in numbers. Instead, how to get more people to think three rides is enough, spread it more evenly to silence dissent. I wonder if the new FP system will include a cupcake?

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Considering they have been recently changing / removing FP+ signs at the parks. It's not a good sign.

 

[Jmljasmine]

If you look at it, waits aren't bad at all right now.

What I was seeing is they are too long for us. Plus, crowds will be much much worse by the time we can go since my 2 and 3 year olds aren't the ones gifted with the ability to mask well. So we have to wait for that requirement to drop.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Considering they have been recently changing / removing FP+ signs at the parks. It's not a good sign.

I believe this was a disproven rumor. The signs were all signs that were changed/coverd up back over the summer.

 

[Jmljasmine]

My small KID can’t wait more than ten minutes. That’s my whole point. Maybe they should just make Disney world into a place for older kids and adults.
Sounds like you’re the expert at theme park operations and know exactly what works and doesn’t work. I guess the rest of us are just imagining that our trips with fast pass worked great. Couldn’t possibly be true since a select few people on here seem insistent on making sure we all know how horrible FastPass was and made the Disney experience.

also, I really don’t appreciate the personal attacks on my kids ability to stand in line and whether we should be going to a children’s theme park. Sorry he’s very active and bright, not just some lazy kid addicted to screens.

I think our kids are much alike. Some people seem blessed with amazingly patient kids. It's actually normal for under 4 and even 5-6 to not wait well in 10+ or 20+ minute lines (this why kids that age aren't supposed to be diagnosed with inattentive and hyperactive diagnoses... If I was less honest, I'd probably get a DAS for normal childhood behavior and not have to worry about crowds and fastpass... Makes me wonder how many will). And I agree with you that it does sound like our kids are being attacked for being typical kids.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I believe this was a disproven rumor. The signs were all signs that were changed/coverd up back over the summer.

This is what I read.. https://**************.net/2021/03/disney-removes-fastpass-ad1/

 

[ellbell]

I think everyone is generalizing fastpass too much. It works for some people and not for others. I originally was just wondering if anyone had heard any rumblings about it coming back, not really everyone's opinions on if it should.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I don't see FP returning in pre-pandemic state. They are going to charge for it or have it available for only the higher echelon of their hotels. I think that the FP made lines longer at times made it very difficult to plan. Try to get on a popular new ride. The FP were gone so fast you sometimes didn't have a snowballs chance in heck at them. And if you wanted to wait the standby line ballooned to long queues. Before FP you could walk on Pirates sometimes. After FP not so much.

I think Disney is going to take this opportunity to charge for Fastpasses or redo it completely. I personally would like to see a system that works fairly regardless of being Hotel Guests, AP holders or day guests.

100% agree.

FP+ made the wait times for headliners outrageous for anyone who didn’t have 60 day FP access or decided to go to a park less than 60 days in advance. Plus even when booking at 60 days sometimes you couldn’t even reserve FOP, Slinky or SDMT until the 5th or 6th day of your trip!

Even though we are DVC and always booked months in advance/always had access to 60 day bookings, I’d love to see a more efficient system that allows more families to experience reasonable waits for headliners, rather than being stuck with the ballooned waits due to FP+. There are better, more efficient ways. We’ll see what happens.

 

[kylenne]

I think everyone is generalizing fastpass too much. It works for some people and not for others. I originally was just wondering if anyone had heard any rumblings about it coming back, not really everyone's opinions on if it should.

Before the pandemic, insiders on other boards were hinting at a paid system being launched at some point. Then the closures and Disney announcing no FP upon reopening. That is all the information we’ve had for the last year. It’s a message board...with no concrete information, people are going to speculate and give their opinions.

No one is generalizing here anyway. People who actually measure wait times at the parks for a living, collecting and analyzing data, have written extensively on the negative impact on FP+ on standby waits. Like with math and everything. This isn’t a debatable subject, it’s demonstrable with hard facts. I loved it from a selfish standpoint because I knew how to work it, but if you didn’t? Oof.

More than that, even the people for whom this broken system worked (the minority of guests who are parks obsessives on the internet, aka me and half the people on these boards), it didn’t work 100% of the time. No matter how many rolling FPs you can get in a day, eventually you’re going to end up in a standby line at some point, being held while 30 people in the FP+ queue get waved through. It contributed to the mad rush at rope drop because people in the know understood there was a very small window to get headliners in before standby waits built to untenable lengths. Local APs and offsite guests, even onsite guests on shorter trips, basically couldn’t ride FoP or Slinky Dog except at rope drop or park close in standby. Not to mention leading up to the closures, even if you knew all the tricks, refreshing was getting harder and harder to do, because of increased crowds competing for FPs, and methods getting publicized. Folks who go regularly had been talking about that for a while before the closures, even.

The system as it was just was not working except for a small minority of people, and was growing untenable even for them, and that’s not a great way to run a theme park resort.