Pirates returning with Fastpass and Maxpass

[HydroGuy]

I guess we have been lucky but I have never waited more than 10 minutes to ride Pirates so I actually am surprised it will have fast pass. I love MP though, I think it's totally worth the price as it just adds so much convenience to the day - one of the main reasons we have put off taking ourselves across the country to WDW is how far in advance you have to book fast passes and that you can only book a certain number per day - to that I say, thanks but no thanks!!

All, it just occurred to me why they are adding FP to POTC. Because like for many of you, it did not really make sense to me.

But it does make sense if you were touring in our group next month. It has been 15 years since I have had to consider rides and suitability for young children. LOL my youngest son just turned 22 this week. But when he was 7 he was deathly scared of Indiana Jones ride!

This trip will my DGD3's first trip. She will be three-and-a-half and 40 inches tall (we have been measuring her height regularly since Thanksgiving when she turned 3, LOL).

Anyways, DLR's FP has been fixated on the headliner/thrill rides for the last 15 years. But that does not cover young children, maybe some of the more senior guests, and in general folks with motion sickness who just can't ride Splash Mtn or GOTG (a lady who works for me and has four young kids would love to ride these but never has because she cannot handle sharp drops - shje does ride Matterhorn, BTMRR, etc., though).

If DLR wants to grow MP, they need to have more rides that are popular but not thrillers for such people. With DGD3, she is pretty fearless which gives us options (but she is scared of "monsters") - we are planning:

- HM - not even going to try it with her
- POTC - definitely will do this, especially since she can sit right next to all of us
- BTMRR - we think she will do fine on this
- Splash Mtn - we think she will do fine on this
- Space Mtn - going to play it by ear based on BTMRR/Splash/POTC, but probably will not tempt fate
- Star Tours - we think she will be fine. On ST she can sit with all of us which is different that Space Mtn.
- GOTG - at this point, not even considering it
- BLAB - no problem
- RSR - we do not foresee a problem
- IASW - Duh, no worries
- Matterhorn/GRR/IJA/Incredicoaster - she is too short and thus not an option

Bottom line is POTC FP gives more options for MP users who are not going to ride BTMRR/Matterhorn/GRR/Space Mtn etc.

 

[Tinkerbell19672]

Seems like PP needs fastpass more, maybe they’ll add it eventually

 

[HydroGuy]

Seems like PP needs fastpass more, maybe they’ll add it eventually

Not enough space so not likely.

 

[Katiebird]

On busy days the line for POTC has frequently been an hour - and the bigger issue with that, is that by then the line wraps all the war around NO Square and up the bridge, grid locking that area. If FP can alleviate that some, I’m all for it.

 

[HydroGuy]

On busy days the line for POTC has frequently been an hour - and the bigger issue with that, is that by then the line wraps all the war around NO Square and up the bridge, grid locking that area. If FP can alleviate that some, I’m all for it.

Yah, but it won't. I totally agree a long POTC line is a PITA for guests to manuever. There is no room. I do not recall seeing 60 minutes but I do recall seeing 45 when the line wraps around and up onto the bridge.

Even so, I cannot think of any cases where FP made SB lines shorter in length. At best the line length will stay the same.

 

[ktlm]

Of course it is. I can be ok with that, but dang, they need to stop there and not make WDW's mistake of adding it to everything.

Ugh- I'm not okay with it. Before they added FP to POTC at WDW, usually it was walk on or a 5 minute wait for us-- I can't recall waiting more than 10 minutes for it in over a decade before FP+ (except maybe the time we went the week between Christmas and New Years). Since FP was added, the standby wait at WDW seems to frequently be 20 or 30 minutes. The standby wait is already longer at DL, I'm worried about what this might do to it. I will reserve judgment, but I'm skeptical.

 

[HydroGuy]

Ugh- I'm not okay with it. Before they added FP to POTC at WDW, usually it was walk on or a 5 minute wait for us-- I can't recall waiting more than 10 minutes for it in over a decade before FP+ (except maybe the time we went the week between Christmas and New Years). Since FP was added, the standby wait at WDW seems to frequently be 20 or 30 minutes. The standby wait is already longer at DL, I'm worried about what this might do to it. I will reserve judgment, but I'm skeptical.

You are right about POTC WDW and everyone is saying that. It seems that the data from a place like Touring Plans makes it sound it is not as bad as everyone is making it out to be and maybe other factors are the casue and not FP+.

However....

DLR is not WDW. And WDW seems to be having longer lines not because FP+ makes it so but because Disney is using pre-booked FP+ data to limit staffing at rides and thus drive up wait times. If that is what is happening, DLR cannot do that because FPs are not pre-booked.

Another factor is ride capacity at a park and operating hours. If a park adds more rides, then all other lines go down. Unless the park is drawing ore people like SWGE will at DL next year.

Hard to know exactly what the cause is of each effect. Too many things are changing.

 

[bethwc101]

Ugh- I'm not okay with it. Before they added FP to POTC at WDW, usually it was walk on or a 5 minute wait for us-- I can't recall waiting more than 10 minutes for it in over a decade before FP+ (except maybe the time we went the week between Christmas and New Years). Since FP was added, the standby wait at WDW seems to frequently be 20 or 30 minutes. The standby wait is already longer at DL, I'm worried about what this might do to it. I will reserve judgment, but I'm skeptical.

POTC at Disneyland can easily be over an hour during peak season. Just on an averagely busy day, it can be 30-40 min during the evening when all the locals come out.

 

[Tinkerbell19672]

Not enough space so not likely.

They could redo the queue, they make space for the long lines

 

[LittleMissMagic]

I wonder what other rides will start getting fast pass/max pass? Maybe Peter Pan?

No, none of the original dark rides will be getting FP anytime soon because it would require bringing the existing queue up to current code - yikes! There isn't enough room in the current queue, it would require a much greater expansion, more of a Fantasyland rehaul.

 

[HydroGuy]

They could redo the queue, they make space for the long lines

They need somewhere to put like 5 FP machines.

 

[Tinkerbell19672]

They need somewhere to put like 5 FP machines.

True, but they could go somewhere else in Fantasyland. It’s just such a slow loader, FP would be nice

 

[HydroGuy]

True, but they could go somewhere else in Fantasyland. It’s just such a slow loader, FP would be nice

Well maybe. Whatever they can or cannot do, it appears to be the case that they are not doing FP at PP.

 

[DizneyMommy]

I do not like this at all honestly. Pirates is what we hop on when other lines are long. An hour is rare and super peak time or lots of other things broken down. 30-45 even is rare except during busy times. I honestly cannot remember the last time we waited more than 20 minutes, usually more like 10. And we ride it almost every time we visit (we are AP’s) 20 is our breaking point on that ride though, we won’t wait if the line wraps outside the arch.

HOWEVER... I do not think that many people will even use it, with the way DL does FP. You cannot prebook and you cannot hold 3 at a time. I think most people are going to be using their FP for bigger stuff and not waste it on Pirates. It just doesn’t need a FP like probably 75% of the time.

 

[DizneyMommy]

I can see this being optics to make MaxPass look more valuable because it adds another ride that can be chosen, even if not needed at all. Maybe the price of MaxPass is heading for an increase and they are planning ahead to justify it.

 

[agamble]

Ugh- I'm not okay with it. Before they added FP to POTC at WDW, usually it was walk on or a 5 minute wait for us-- I can't recall waiting more than 10 minutes for it in over a decade before FP+ (except maybe the time we went the week between Christmas and New Years). Since FP was added, the standby wait at WDW seems to frequently be 20 or 30 minutes. The standby wait is already longer at DL, I'm worried about what this might do to it. I will reserve judgment, but I'm skeptical.

The one time I visited WDW was 10 years ago, pre FP+, and we waited a long time for Pirates. I wasn't crazy about the cave like queue either.