Paying for fastpass in 2006?????

[YoHo]

I'd be all for larger dole whips.



Having said that, you make an excellent point. Until now, Onsite perks can be said to exist only up to the park gate. Once in the park, all guests are equals.

 

[bicker]

Sorry, I disagree: EMH as a far greater discrimination: "You there -- you can't go on this ride now, but that person over there can." They don't forcibly eject off-site guests from the park at closing time -- they simply prevent them from going into the attractions.

I understand that folks who typically stay off site are concerned, and even a little upset, about the extending of priority to Disney resort guests. The objective of doing so, though, is specifically to make staying at Disney resorts more attractive. That's a positive trend, IMHO, even at the expense of a limited number of off-site guests deciding to not visit WDW at all. The profit from keeping the hotels full, at very high premiums, is that great.

 

[YoHo]

but if EMH weren't happening that night, then they still wouldn't be allowed on the rides, but wouldn't be kicked out either.

If we want to go down that path, I'm not entirely sure I like that kind of descrimination with EMH at all. It's different in the mornings when you can keep people from entering the park.

 

[Another Voice]

what's next, special seating in the Tiki Room?

Don't laugh, that's been talked about - special ride access or reserving the "better" seats for resort guests. But there's greater pressure to bring in more cash than it is for tiny, marginal incentives to stay at a Disney-owned hotel. So for the moment the "special access" has stayed with people willing to fork over the big bucks for 'Fantasmic!' Dinners and the like.

There's also the internal politics of all of this. Each theme park and each resort is operated as if they were an individual business. Each manager's bonus and their accumulation of brownie points are tied to how well their location is doing. The suit running the park doesn't care if you're staying at the Grand Floridian or the Grand Cypress; you're just a wallet to be picked. So it's difficult to get the parks to incurr costs that would only benefit the hotels at the expense of off-site guests.

Early Extraordinary Extra Magically Magical Magic Hours are different because they bring in lots of wallets all at once and increases that day's total attendance. But giving a "free" Fast Pass to someone from the Caribbean Beach Resort and taking it away from the guy staying at The Grand Cypress just means one more ticked-off guest. And it doesn't earn a dime for the park (even though it may cause someone to change hotel plans). Look at what happened to package delivery - it was a big benefit to the resort guests but cost the parks a lot of labor hours to store, sort and deliver all those packages. The parks figured it would save more in costs by cutting the service than it would loose in sales - and who cares about what the resorts think.

 

[Lord Fantasius]

I guess I see EMH a little differently, then, in that I view it as an open party set aside for resort guests, similar to the cheerleaders renting out MG for a few hours after regular operating hours are over. It doesn't reduce the accessibility of a ride during regular hours for non-resort guests nor did Disney reduce the normal operating hours when they introduced EMH. Effectively, they just apportioned a certain percentage of a resort guest's room cost to cover the expenses of operating a park for those additional hours.

Unlike the cheerleaders' party which kicks everybody out of the park and then lets in only cheerleaders, it would be logistically impossible to do the same every night at one of the parks. Also, I don't think Disney, Inc., wants the non-resort guests out of the parks since they can still spend money for those extra hours. And I think if Disney could regulate the non-resort guests from enjoying the attractions more effectively and limited them to only purchasing food, souvenirs, etc., they would let them in at the same time as resort guests during morning EMH's.

It's strange that even after maintaining the FOL pass system, Universal Studios saw an 8.5% decrease in attendance in 2005 over 2004...umm.

-R

 

[Lord Fantasius]

Look at what happened to package delivery - it was a big benefit to the resort guests but cost the parks a lot of labor hours to store, sort and deliver all those packages. The parks figured it would save more in costs by cutting the service than it would loose in sales - and who cares about what the resorts think.

When did they cut this???? Gee, a guy doesn't visit WDW for 15 years and then they take away this benefit...I'm stunned!

O.k., seriously, when did they do this? I've been out of the loop for too long obviously!

-R

 

[raidermatt]

There are similarities with EMH. Some guests will be told they can't ride while they see others can.

But the posted closing time and the way parts of the park do shut down gets most of them out of the park without even knowing there is this special "perk" for some.

Changes like those described with FP would be all the time and any guest who reads any of the promotional materials will know it.

So, when it comes to guests being treated differently, yes, EMH is the greater "discriminator". However, its less "in your face" than some of these FP changes would be.

Regardless, the more of these "discriminatory" practices there are, the greater potential for that to become an issue.

 

[patsal]

Look at what happened to package delivery - it was a big benefit to the resort guests but cost the parks a lot of labor hours to store, sort and deliver all those packages. The parks figured it would save more in costs by cutting the service than it would loose in sales - and who cares about what the resorts think.

When did this happen? They were still delivering to resorts in December. Or do you mean the fact that they no longer deliver to your room but only to the resort itself?

 

[annie1995]

If they were to start charging for FP's I would only buy it if were were going during a expected busy time. If we went off season, I would deal with what crowds I encountered.

 

[YoHo]

nor did Disney reduce the normal operating hours when they introduced EMH.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

I guess I agree that they didn't explicitly reduce normal operating hours when they introduced EMH, but sure as Heck did it implicitly. Look at the operating hours of the Magic Kingdom in particular prior to say 1997, then look at them after. I know E-nights were around in 1999 and not prior to 97. They started closing earlier.

As for package Delivery. I believe for a while non-Deluxe resorts had zero package delivery options. I think they brought parts of that perk back due to uproar.

 

[jade1]

So, when it comes to guests being treated differently, yes, EMH is the greater "discriminator". However, its less "in your face" than some of these FP changes would be.
QUOTE]

I dont see that. How would anyone in the parks know that a FP was obtained "that day" or the day before, or a month ago, other than "they sure seem a lot more happy and refreshed than the rest of us?"

Cant say for sure but I think US attendence went up after the first year(s) of FOTL (although this is not FOTL-its the same FP system WDW has now). The attendence is transferring to WDW because of the new ticket structure and conveniences like this will only distance them further. With DVC and AP discounts, cheaper 7 day passes, Dining Plans, EMH etc-WDW is on a roll and will continue to improve services to dedicated guests and this is just another opportunity they are persuing. They dont just want you to come back and visit the parks again someday and stay offsite. They want to keep you from going "anywhere" else in the world (the real one) and capture all your vacation dollars the rest of your life.

 

[annie1995]

I recieved my mousesavers newsletter today, and it was talking about the new ride expedition everest at AK. I caught this little mention on the FP.

Expedition Everest will feature Disney's FASTPASS, which is offered at no charge to park guests and designed to reduce wait times at popular attractions in all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks.

I wonder if they are changing it to be available to just the resort guests then??!! I think universal studios has something similar for their resort guests. I can't say for sure, I haven't been there. Anyway, I just wanted to pass this on.

 

[littlegreydonkey]

The thing that led me to believe that this is going to happen is the fastpass at the MGM motor show - why do you need a fast pass for a show with huge capacity? Unless you're going to put the people who have one closer to the front as per Universal.

As for how it could work - Universal's system for non resort guests is easy. You buy the ticket and you get one 'fastpass' entry for each attraction that day - you use it whenever you like no set times or pre booking. They keep the waits down by simply letting through as many 'fastpass' holders as they need to to keep it to a 15 minute wait - we used it new years eve and, oddly, it actually made going to a theme park like it used to be before we got obsessed with beating the rush (yes I know, we bought the tickets TO beat the rush, but humour me). There was no running from one side of the park to the next to beat queues, we went on every ride, and we got to sit down with a coffee and relax and look in shops now and again! Disney could have guests pick up their daily ticket as they arrive at their park of choice.

Of course, the fact that Disney are putting in individual fastpass machines at the motor show means it's unlikely they'll be using the one ticket/one entry method, but it seemed to work great at Universal.

 

[lillygator]

we'd pay for FP's no doubt....! Can't wait til this is implemented!

 

[seashoreCM]

Expedition Everest will feature Disney's FASTPASS, which is offered at no charge to park guests and designed to reduce wait times at popular attractions in all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks..

This sentence does not preclude offering additional fastpasses to some resort guests and offering some fastpasses for sale.

 

[disneyfan61]

we'd pay for FP's no doubt....! Can't wait til this is implemented!

Wow. Maybe you would want to pay for it-not me. I'm already paying enough
for my park tickets!!! What part exactly are you hoping they implement?? I hope they don't pick deluxes over mod's & value. I'm sorry-I don't think that would be
right. I think FP is fine just the way it is. We've had no problems using it & I hate it when they start comparing people who stay at deluxes and those that stay at mod's & values-verrrrry touchy subject.

 

[micki7337]

Hello

I was just on a few websites that were discussing the same issue of the Paying for FP. So far it is just in discussions on making this a pay feature. and it was in discussions when the birnbaum book was published in October and so far it lloks like there will be NO change as of yet.

 

[mouseketeer]

That would be GARBAGE.

 

[Mari annie]

We go to FL 2x's a year to WDW for nearly 2 weeks each time, so I wouldn't buy any fast passes!

Like every other corp they are looking to up their profit margins--
that's what the investors want............

2 weeks and counting


FL here I come!!!

 

[goalie5hole]

I won't pay.Most of us have been enough that if the line is too long,you don't go on.At least that's how I feel.