Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[Liquidice]

...but they are bringing back AP's like nothing changed(sarcasm). Still will cost $1000 to go every single day of the year if you want, just like old times. rigggggght.

People are going to be in for a very rude surprise when they announce what is going on with AP's at WDW. Brace yourself boys and girls, gonna be a bumpy ride.

Others have clarified that this is an After Hours event which means they will sell less tikets (MNSSHP had 20,000 tickets per night, supposedly Boo Bash will be more like 3000-5000 tickets - although I don't know this for a fact, it is backed up by the fact that they're calling this an After Hours event). The pricing for After Hours events are $129 - $155, so the pricing is not that much different except for Halloween.

Don't disagree with you though that AP changes are definitely possible. I haven't heard any rumors on what the changes will be for Disney World yet though - only Disneyland. My guess is that AP changes for WDW may be further out after they see what the reaction is for the AP changes in Disneyland.

 

[Disturbia]

Tusker house will be opening June 20th, so I guess Disney is expanding things using the official ‘summer’ date for the northern hemisphere. Happy Father’s Day!

Fast passes will probably follow similar timing. Too bad for those of us going in the next few weeks.

 

[New Mouse]

I see many are against paying for FP because it used to be free. What if became those that stay on property get 3 free ones per park day. After that you pay for them.

Sure...decrease the prices and I would agree to that. Paying for fastpass isnt the issue. The issue is...

Increase hotel prices
Increased parking prices
Increased ticket prices
Decreased services at the hotels
Decreased offerings at the parks
Increased food prices
Increased merch prices
Decrased time in the parks
Increased airport transportation costs
Decreased perks in the parks

...and this was all within the past 6 months.

 

[Rivergirl2005]

Tusker house will be opening June 20th, so I guess Disney is expanding things using the official ‘summer’ date for the northern hemisphere.

Fast passes will probably follow similar timing. Too bad for those of us going in the next few weeks.

I have a feeling that your right and we leave the 22nd...ugh time will tell though

 

[New Mouse]

Yeah, I guess nobody has confirmed it - but I've read comments from others who have said the Boo Bash will be limited to 3,000-5,000 guests versus MNSSHP which was limited to 20,000 guests per night. That alone justifies the price difference as you could probably walk onto every single ride in the park. If that is the way the Christmas party is, I'll definitely pay up for it.

MNSSHP attendance was significantly raised over time. It used to feel like 3k to 5k at a reasonable and relatively low price... they now got rid of that exclusivity factor and charge you more for the privlege

Yet, they have convinced you that you are getting a good deal for a level of exclusivity now lasting a shorter period of time. You used to pay $60 for that exclusivity just a few short years ago.

 

[scottmel]

Yeah, I guess nobody has confirmed it - but I've read comments from others who have said the Boo Bash will be limited to 3,000-5,000 guests versus MNSSHP which was limited to 20,000 guests per night. That alone justifies the price difference as you could probably walk onto every single ride in the park. If that is the way the Christmas party is, I'll definitely pay up for it.

Do you happen to know what the villans attendance was? i did that in March 2019 and for sure fewer people but I wouldn't say complete walk on....curious of the difference

 

[jhglassman]

You said "these days" which is around NOW and not months in the future or in the past. I went last week which is pretty much "these days" and that is the timeframe on which I am basing my opinion. My other point is that the general crowd level was the same in May 2021 as it was in October 2019. Yes, Disney limited the crowd to 50% (Covid restriction) but that's about what the crowd level would be in May and October when many kids are still in school anyway. My waits in May 2021 (no FPs) were significantly less than the waits in October 2019 (with FPs). FWIW, I have been to WDW when the crowds are at 90%+ (Christmas and NYE) and neither trip was anywhere near that level. Sure, FPs around Christmas/NYE/Spring Break are handy for a couple of rides but again the FPs grind the standby lines down to a crawl. So, you may have a short wait for a couple of rides but every other ride will have wait times off the charts.

Hey, don't just take it from me. I chatted with a few CMs at attractions and every one who commented about FPs said they were happy there were no FPs. These are people who work the attractions every single day. When I mentioned the short lines (25-30 minutes) as I entered the line, I had more than one who told me that the line would be at least twice as long with FPs.

Cast members are happy about no FPs because it makes their job easier and because they don't have to try to stop cheaters which leads probably the most unpleasant interactions they have. They don't care about wait times.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

My fast pass and firework prediction better come true tomorrow or I'll never trust myself again

Game day

 

[Disturbia]

I don’t understand what fast pass cheating is (actual math says otherwise and Disney knows this as they track everything with MBs). The cast members were never well trained in this and hence the confusion and illusion of cheating. With inflated wait times, I waited 1.5+ hours to ride MMRR (posted was 60, actual maybe 45) and ROTR (ROTR ride breakdown meant I had to wait extra 30 mins for ROTR after already waiting 40 in the am-takes longer to evacuate). How about giving the waiting parent a fast pass if ROTR breaks down (no shaded area to sit; no nearby food or AC).

We used to ride 15+ rides with all riders together vs only 7-8 with fast pass+rider switch. Personally I like the universal system better. Disney missed an opportunity to create an immersive Big Thunder mountain type playground in avatarland.

 

[Liquidice]

Do you happen to know what the villans attendance was? i did that in March 2019 and for sure fewer people but I wouldn't say complete walk on....curious of the difference

I can't find any numbers on Villains After Hours, but I would expect it to be similar to the regular After Hours events. The 5000 number is just an estimate though, not really sure if that is accurate, and Disney could change the number w/o ever telling anyone. We'll see when the first Boo Bash events occur how crowded they seem!

I did a MK After Hours Event (not Villains) in February 2020, probably was not sold out - that might be the difference in experiences since you don't know whether it was sold out or not. I know when I went though that the lines started off longer because park guests were still in line for their last ride of the night - but after that 7 Dwarfs was a walk on and I rode it twice, same with Space Mountain - although Space Mountain had a long line outside of the ride with confused people trying to get on the ride w/o the hard ticket.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Cast members are happy about no FPs because it makes their job easier and because they don't have to try to stop cheaters which leads probably the most unpleasant interactions they have. They don't care about wait times.

How do you cheat fast pass +? You either have a fast pass, or you dont.

 

[robinb]

Cast members are happy about no FPs because it makes their job easier and because they don't have to try to stop cheaters which leads probably the most unpleasant interactions they have. They don't care about wait times.

Sorry, that doesn't hold water. The CMs still have to police the FP lines to stop cheaters from line jumping. The FP lines are legitimately being used by VIP tours, DAS returnees and rider switch. They are still using the FP+ tapstyle at the FP+/stand-by line merge to validate the people in the FP+ line.

 

[Liquidice]

How do you cheat fast pass +? You either have a fast pass, or you dont.

I assume on some rides where the Fastpass+ reader is only when you get on the ride, you could jump the line (especially in the areas where there is a pass through "door" or a chain) from the standby side to the Fastpass side and if there are no CMs around, they wouldn't know. However, people in the standby line might make a stink to a CM - and now CMs have to deal with a situation.

Many rides now have a reader right before you get on the line, so if you did jump the line, you have to scan again - and that prevents jumping in line like that.

I know on Flight of Passage they have this - and it really sucked when we did a rider switch and the CM did not properly program the rider switch onto my wife's Magicband - so when she went to get in line, the CM at the front let her go (I guess it was the same CM and he remembered her) - but when she got to the front, it didn't work - creating a really crappy situation - even though we didn't do anything wrong, it immediately raised suspicions with the CM at the front.

 

[bernina]

How do you cheat fast pass +? You either have a fast pass, or you dont.

Jumping into FP queue from standby when no one is looking, using FP+ on magic bands that weren't used for park entry that day (l think they finally blocked this). I'm sure there are other ways.

 

[jhglassman]

I assume on some rides where the Fastpass+ reader is only when you get on the ride, you could jump the line (especially in the areas where there is a pass through "door" or a chain) from the standby side to the Fastpass side and if there are no CMs around, they wouldn't know. However, people in the standby line might make a stink to a CM - and now CMs have to deal with a situation.

Many rides now have a reader right before you get on the line, so if you did jump the line, you have to scan again - and that prevents jumping in line like that.

I know on Flight of Passage they have this - and it really sucked when we did a rider switch and the CM did not properly program the rider switch onto my wife's Magicband - so when she went to get in line, the CM at the front let her go (I guess it was the same CM and he remembered her) - but when she got to the front, it didn't work - creating a really crappy situation - even though we didn't do anything wrong, it immediately raised suspicions with the CM at the front.

People jump the line and then claim when they get to the second scan that it must be technical prob. Apparently some people occasionally get irate.

 

[robinb]

I don’t understand what fast pass cheating is (actual math says otherwise and Disney knows this as they track everything with MBs). The cast members were never well trained in this and hence the confusion and illusion of cheating.

How do you cheat fast pass +? You either have a fast pass, or you dont.

I think the poster is talking about when people jump out of the stand-by line and into the FP line. They are caught at the FP+/stand-by line merge when they are asked to tap in. I can imagine that the interaction between cheaters who are caught and the CM who caught them is not pleasant, but they still need to do that now so the poster's argument is irrelevant.

 

[jhglassman]

Sorry, that doesn't hold water. The CMs still have to police the FP lines to stop cheaters from line jumping. The FP lines are legitimately being used by VIP tours, DAS returnees and rider switch. They are still using the FP+ tapstyle at the FP+/stand-by line merge to validate the people in the FP+ line.

Significantly less. Do you really think cast members are thinking about whether your family waits 20 vs 30 minutes?

 

[jhglassman]

I think the poster is talking about when people jump out of the stand-by line and into the FP line. They are caught at the FP+/stand-by line merge when they are asked to tap in. I can imagine that the interaction between cheaters who are caught and the CM who caught them is not pleasant, but they still need to do that now so the poster's argument is irrelevant.

It's obviously not irrelevant. How many negative interactions with guests per week is affected.

Not just cheater either. Apparently people fairly frequently yell at the CM at the merge when they let in FP people. People who claim to be 10 minutes late for their FP as well.

 

[robinb]

It's obviously not irrelevant. How many negative interactions with guests per week is affected.

Your argument was that the CMs don't like FP+ because it causes conflicts in the FP+ line. Your point is irrelevant because the FP+ line is still being used and conflicts can still happen .

 

[jhglassman]

Your argument was that the CMs don't like FP+ because it causes conflicts in the FP+ line. Your point is irrelevant because the FP+ line is still being used and conflicts can still happen .

K but Big Number > Small Number.