If it was a wristband that I could just use like a fast pass that I could use when I want if I want I wouldnt mind that. But I cant see picking out what time I want to go on soarinect months in advance. What if If my child decides he/she doesnt want to ride. Will it come to that I will be charged a fee because they didnt show up for thier reservation like the table service has started doing? I mean I can see it becoming like those who used to make 8 ADR's for the same time at various table service making AFP ( Advancedfastpass) all over the place.
There is ZERO reason to think you'd be charged for not showing up to an attraction. ADRs are different - not showing up for an ADR takes money away from Disney and the CMs. They might be able to make up part of that from walk-ups, but by the time they know a table will be open it's later than the original reservation - they can't make it all up.
Missing a ride reservation doesn't really hurt anyone, except a person who might have wanted that reservation instead, but they still have other options, like Fastpass (assuming it is not completely replaced) or standby. And not showing up basically means everyone else gets on faster.
As for the article, I'm usually the first to say to take what JHM says with a grain of salt, but a lot of what he says fits in with a lot of the testing that took place recently. The "Fastpasses" for the parade viewing, the new queue work being done at The Seas (does it REALLY need a Fastpass queue?), the Fastpasses for shows at AK...testing the "experiences" that might become part of xPASS.
I think some aspects of it will come sooner than 2013 though. Some things might take a lot longer (room key/room charge, for example, might be a ways off).
What nobody knows is what kind of limitations the attraction system will have. If the wait time effects are to be as limited as they say, there must be some interesting limitations on what you can do - like only choose X of Y "experiences", etc.