Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[jade1]

Value guests get 1 free FP/Day, Mods get 2 free FP/day. Deluxe gets 3 free FP/day

That was the common guess on here 9 million years ago, but b4 your time and still could be correct one day.

 

[cdurham1]

I’m absolutely with you. As someone who has always been very loyal to the brand and also VERY firmly in the camp of on-site or bust, I would definitely be rethinking how we do Disney if fastpass were to be an upcharge for resort guests. I do understand that this is a somewhat controversial topic, but my family is not local and we spend thousands of dollars to vacation in Disney. Fastpass has been our guarantee that that money is not being squandered on long lines and a marathon mentality. Because we like to take things at a relaxed pace, we typically stay longer than a week and splurge on resorts that have easy park access. I am absolutely not tacking on an extra $400-ish a day for my family to have fastpass. I love Disney but it’s too much. Over the course of a 10 day vacation that amounts to $4000. Yeah, no. Not happening. That’s my breaking point I think. At that point Disney just stops being the right vacation for my family. It’s not about being resentful or nit-picky, but our vacation time is valuable and I’m not going to spend it somewhere that doesn’t really fit with what we’re looking for, especially when it comes at we we would consider an exorbitant price.

If that is the route Disney opts to take, we’re likely to skip Disney all together from here on out aside for maybe a quick off-site trip in a few years so that our youngest doesn’t feel like he missed out. We can spend our vacation dollars elsewhere. And granted, Disney doesn’t care where I spend my vacation dollars as an individual, but I’m sure I wouldn’t be alone in my thinking. From what I’ve read, the largest demographic of Disney World patrons are *not* the ultra rich, so you’d think that they’d have some incentive to not alienate the rest of us who are among the upper-middle, middle, and working class.

I agree with you. Disney may be calculating right now their projections on decreased attendance versus increased revenue per guest.

Here are 2 places I will be considering as an alternative - Dollywood in Gatlinburg, TN, and Holiday World in Southern Indiana (i think). Maybe we need a separate thread for "alternatives in case we get killed on fastpass prices"

 

[jade1]

That was the common guess on here 9 million years ago, but b4 your time and still could be correct one day.

I take it back, I posted slightly different numbers on here 15 years ago (not 9 Million).

Thread https://www.disboards.com/threads/paying-for-fastpass-in-2006.978512/page-3#post-11077215

Maybe 2 for Value and 3 for moderate at "NO CHARGE", Deluxe would get 4. Simple.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

I agree with you. Disney may be calculating right now their projections on decreased attendance versus increased revenue per guest.

Here are 2 places I will be considering as an alternative - Dollywood in Gatlinburg, TN, and Holiday World in Southern Indiana (i think). Maybe we need a separate thread for "alternatives in case we get killed on fastpass prices"

Obviously Disney’s financial people would know better than I do what will turn the biggest profit, but I still have a hard time believing that a steep upcharge for fastpass wouldn’t alienate more people than not. I guess it would just force guests into shorter stays or staying offsite in order to be able to afford the fastpass upcharge.

I’m sure a lot of people would be just fine with that, but I’m not paying for flights for my entire family to only stay a few days, or to stay off site. Neither of those are great choices for me, which is why i would probably just go elsewhere all together. We live within driving distance to Hershey Park in PA, and have a weekend trip planned for there this year. If that goes well and FP goes down the tube without a suitable replacement, I could absolutely see my family spending a few days at Hershey for a theme Park fix and then using our remaining vacation budget to do something completely non-theme park, like an all-inclusive or what have you. That would be a sad day for me considering I love Disney, but at that point I’m not their target demographic anymore and it can’t be helped. We have a trip planned in spring 2022, and I have a feeling that trip will be the determining factor on how we do (or don’t) approach Disney in the future.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

That was the common guess on here 9 million years ago, but b4 your time and still could be correct one day.

 

[glocon]

What if they did the tiered free FP by resort level (3 free for deluxe/dvc resort stays, 2 free for moderate resort stays and 1 free for values) then charged those that stayed off site for FP or for those that wanted extra FP? At least there would be a way to get some free FP. Or better yet, everyone on site gets 3 free FP then charge for extra and for those staying offsite.

 

[ChipnDale79]

If it mirrors MaxPass and is at a somewhat affordable price, then I think it’s worth it. Was a HUGE fan of MaxPass and loved that I could go back to the hotel in DL and still reserve a FP. If it’s MaxPass and it’s something like $100/day, that’s gonna be a little too much.

I mean, we'd have to cut our trip down big time for my family to do that. our yearly (guess its actually not yearly anymore either) trip is 7 to 8 days...so that would add an extra $2800-$3200 to our trip. That would be a hard no from us....

Then at the same time, im not going to shell out 5-7k for a week to stand in a long line for everything while other's have access to a fast pass system for pay that costs that much. Id find somewhere else to go.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

What if they did the tiered free FP by resort level (3 free for deluxe/dvc resort stays, 2 free for moderate resort stays and 1 free for values) then charged those that stayed off site for FP or for those that wanted extra FP? At least there would be a way to get some free FP. Or better yet, everyone on site gets 3 free FP then charge for extra and for those staying offsite.

I guess this would depend on how the pricing would be. Because that opens up the possibility for a value stay + fastpass costs to be equal or close to equal to a deluxe stay with included fastpasses.

I mean, we'd have to cut our trip down big time for my family to do that. our yearly (guess its actually not yearly anymore either) trip is 7 to 8 days...so that would add an extra $2800-$3200 to our trip. That would be a hard no from us....

Then at the same time, im not going to shell out 5-7k for a week to stand in a long line for everything while other's have access to a fast pass system for pay that costs that much. Id find somewhere else to go.

This is the same for my family. I think if they did something like this, it would wind up encouraging shorter stays, no? Could be that shorter stays with people paying for fastpass works out better for them financially than guests just paying for longer stays in on site rooms. Who knows? Or maybe fastpass will remain an onsite perk with paid options for offsite guests. For families like mine who fly in, a shorter stay is less than ideal. I don’t love the idea of paying for flights and dealing with the hassle of flying with young kids for just a few days in Disney. If I’m paying for flights and dealing with the hassle of air travel, I want to stay awhile. If Disney is aiming for shorter, more expensive stays for guests then Disney may just not be the right fit for my family, or for lots of other non-local families with small kids.

 

[ChipnDale79]

This is the same for my family. I think if they did something like this, it would wind up encouraging shorter stays, no? Could be that shorter stays with people paying for fastpass works out better for them financially than guests just paying for longer stays in on site rooms. Who knows? Or maybe fastpass will remain an onsite perk with paid options for offsite guests. For families like mine who fly in, a shorter stay is less than ideal. I don’t love the idea of paying for flights and dealing with the hassle of flying with young kids for just a few days in Disney. If I’m paying for flights and dealing with the hassle of air travel, I want to stay awhile. If Disney is aiming for shorter, more expensive stays for guests then Disney may just not be the right fit for my family, or for lots of other non-local families with small kids.

we drive in...but i'm less willing to spend a 2-3k thousand for 2-4 day stay, than i am for 5-7 for a full week. so if my trip to disney HAS to be cut down, then id' just cut it out completely and find something different to do.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

we drive in...but i'm less willing to spend a 2-3k thousand for 2-4 day stay, than i am for 5-7 for a full week. so if my trip to disney HAS to be cut down, then id' just cut it out completely and find something different to do.

absolutely. I feel like the difference between a few days in Disney and a full week in Disney is the difference between a mad-dash marathon and a bonafide vacation. And I am looking for a true vacation, especially when it involves any kind of travel whether it be airfare/airports/long drives. I do think if Disney starts charging the same kind of rates that say, Universal does, for fastpass, then the average trip length is going to shorten by quite a bit because the vast majority of Disney World patrons are not the ultra rich. People will either adapt their planning and go for shorter trips, or forgo Disney all together.

whatever the outcome, I really just want them to make an announcement.I’m tired of all the speculation and wondering. I feel like it’s starting to border on bad business practice that they just won’t give any information. I’m sure they have their reasons but people put so much planning into their Disney vacations and it would be nice to know what the deal is.

 

[Bearval]

What if they did the tiered free FP by resort level (3 free for deluxe/dvc resort stays, 2 free for moderate resort stays and 1 free for values) then charged those that stayed off site for FP or for those that wanted extra FP? At least there would be a way to get some free FP. Or better yet, everyone on site gets 3 free FP then charge for extra and for those staying offsite.

You forgot to add that for you to get ANY fast passes for a DVC stay you have to either make it a cash stay or have a blue card..........

 

[Garyjames220]

Any guesses to when we will hear something About fasspass

 

[JakeAZ]

I know it's just speculation, but these posts suggesting $100 per day for some type of expedited line access are wishful thinking. We've all see the Universal pricing, right? Try finding EP for less than $200pp this summer.

Yes, they "give them away" with premier hotels, but Disney can't do that. There's too many Deluxe rooms.

Also, we all see what VIP charges and that, for the most part, is just a human FP. Even if you max out at 10 people in your group, you are paying (at min) $450 per hour for 7 hours. So $3150 or $310pp. That is for 7 hours and you have to have the guide.

When Disney starts to charge, not if, they have to limit the passes. Otherwise if the FP lines are long, the complaints will be through the roof, once people have to start paying.

Like millions of posts before, I believe there will be some sort of "included" passes with on-site stays. They have to offer something to incentivize those stays. As of now, and especially after DME is gone, there isn't really anything to justify it.

After that, everything else will be paid (as an add-on to tickets or APs).

 

[JakeAZ]

Any guesses to when we will hear something About fasspass

I'd be surprised if they don't start to monetize by the time the 50th rolls around. The resorts are packed from then through the end of the year with rescheduled trips from 2020. Time to cash in.

 

[Drew729]

I am excited to see what summer at WDW looks like. Increased capacity with no word on fast passes(paid or not). Will there be trams running in the parking lot? Fireworks? Enough restaurants open? Annual passes available? Typhoon Lagoon opening?

Hopefully we can find some things out soon. However it’s not soon enough for us. Universal for us this year, we bought APs and booked Portifino Bay not because we like it more but I feel better knowing what I am getting for my money.

 

[JakeAZ]

I am excited to see what summer at WDW looks like. Increased capacity with no word on fast passes(paid or not). Will there be trams running in the parking lot? Fireworks? Enough restaurants open? Annual passes available? Typhoon Lagoon opening?

I think summer is going to be pretty miserable there (and not just because of the weather). IMO, they've written it off as they prep for the 50th and get the college program / hiring new CMs up to speed. My guess is that once the 50th rolls around, we'll start to see the new "normal" at Disney.

Hopefully we can find some things out soon. However it’s not soon enough for us. Universal for us this year, we bought APs and booked Portifino Bay not because we like it more but I feel better knowing what I am getting for my money.

Makes complete sense. Universal has to stay ahead of Disney for a competitive edge. So far, they have done well.

 

[Drew729]

I think you have a valid point and hopeful that later in the year we see the new normal. The uncertainty is what bothers me currently.Our family likes to plan ahead due to school, work, etc. so the more in advance we have the info the better.

I assume that Disney is either unsure as to what is happening which is why there have been no announcements or they know but don’t want to discourage visitors this summer. Sure seems like many people are paying a lot for the “hope” things are back this summer.

 

[JakeAZ]

don’t want to discourage visitors this summer. Sure seems like many people are paying a lot for the “hope” things are back this summer.

It's very likely this is the case and yes, they are still charging a premium price for a watered down product.

 

[Liquidice]

I know it's just speculation, but these posts suggesting $100 per day for some type of expedited line access are wishful thinking. We've all see the Universal pricing, right? Try finding EP for less than $200pp this summer.

Yes, they "give them away" with premier hotels, but Disney can't do that. There's too many Deluxe rooms.

Also, we all see what VIP charges and that, for the most part, is just a human FP. Even if you max out at 10 people in your group, you are paying (at min) $450 per hour for 7 hours. So $3150 or $310pp. That is for 7 hours and you have to have the guide.

When Disney starts to charge, not if, they have to limit the passes. Otherwise if the FP lines are long, the complaints will be through the roof, once people have to start paying.

Like millions of posts before, I believe there will be some sort of "included" passes with on-site stays. They have to offer something to incentivize those stays. As of now, and especially after DME is gone, there isn't really anything to justify it.

After that, everything else will be paid (as an add-on to tickets or APs).

Well I think the quoted estimates were $100-$300 per day (that came from the MickeyViews video) - If you look at Universal Express, the price can be as low as ~$60 per day during non-peak season but as high as $250 per day during the peak season like summer time.

I still think Disney could either give them away or provide some kind of limited amount of "skip the line" passes to Deluxe guests if you consider that even though there are more resorts - WDW is a larger resort with 4 parks vs. 2 for Universal. Total size doesn't equate to number of rides, but just to give you an idea - Universal Studios Orlando is 125 Acres, Islands of Adventures is 110 Acres. Magic Kingdom is 105 Acres, HS is 135 Acres, Epcot is 300 Acres and Animal Kingdom is 500 Acres.

It depends on how Disney is planning to treat the future of Fastpass though, do they want it to be a luxury "VIP lite" like experience where you have almost no wait but not a lot of people opt-in and they will charge a ton of money for? Then maybe it wouldn't be free for Deluxe guests but discounted.

If they are planning for it to be more like the Fastpass+ system - maybe something like others have mentioned where Deluxe guests get 3 "free" fastpasses could work.

Agree though that there is a higher expectation of short waits if you're paying for it.

In my mind, virtual queues for free solves the problem of long wait times though - the biggest complaint of waiting in line isn't necessarily the time, but the time spent in the line. If you could spend that time doing something else instead of waiting - it would be a lot better. Virtual queues solves this problem (although it isn't perfect) but then allows the Fastpass side of the line to be monetized and if Disney wants, they could turn it into a VIP-lite type experience.

 

[Disturbia]

We just came back 3.5 hours earlier than planned at HS and we cancelled Oga’s which we had at 7 pm (I had worked so hard to get that one), Those lines in the heat are brutal. I was dizzy despite sipping cold water continuously. In Toy Story land there was no shade (all occupied; in Nov we had waited at Woodys lunchbox area which was decent covered seating) so for rider switch I had to walk to droid depot area (sleeping baby). You couldn’t just order at Woodys as mobile ordering was full for 1.5 hours (you could preplan an order to get a seat).

I heard many kids complaining about the lines and wanting fast passes. Younger kids were either screming in pain from being in a stroller or passed out in one. Our 4 year old asked why we are not going back to the airport (this was our first day). We did 5 rides in HS and 3 in Epcot. To Top it off Gondolas shut down while we were near them and we had to walk to the front and take buses (added 2 hours to get back).

I would rather shorten the trip by a day and spend that $1,500-2,000 on a fast pass if it meant 15-20 min waits. We’ve done so many trips with fast passes and it was relaxing and we could opt to do additional rides or not; or just join some of our party with the younger kids on the evenings (book some evening passes).

We are trying to make the best of it and Cast Members seem happier and calmer which really makes a difference even if we encounter issues.