Rumor: Huge FastPass Change (Both Parks Linked Starting April 6)

[lcp9]

As someone above pointed out, eliminating the current "one FP for each park" totally devalues the park hopper vs. one park per day for us. We have 3 little kids - cars land is pretty much the only thing they care about at DCA. So we spend most of our time at DL, and on our last trip pulled evening FP for RSR every single day. Also did ToT a couple of times. We would be much less likely to park hop, and also less likely to spend an equal # of days at DCA.

 

[DDhunter]

I don't think Disneyland will ever make fast passes so you can book them 60 days in advance. It wouldn't work for what is essentially a "locals" park. It seems far more likely the MaxPass plan of having to actually be present in the park to make FP reservations digitally will be the long term plan for Disneyland. It does seem pretty obvious that at some point in the not to distant future FP will be an extra charge, just like they are at pretty much any other theme park.

I always grab fast passes from both DCA and Disneyland, so I am definitely not pleased with the "linkage" of the two parks. The parks are so close together it was too easy to go first to DCA and get a RSR FP and then jump right over to DL and grab one for either Indy or Space.

 

[agamble]

As an annual pass holder, I could not disagree more.

People staying on site, or using a multi-day hopper, should get massive, MASSIVE, MMAASSSSAAVVEE advantage over us AP holders who are paying WAY, WAY less per day to be there.

I have long thought AP holder should have a pretty strict limit on FPs, like max 4 or 5 per day, and never more than 1 per day for any single ride. Oh.... AP holders shouldn't be able to get an FP if the return time is more than 2 hours out!

Hmm...I don't know. I think APs are kind of DL bread and butter. They make a ton of money off of those pass holders. They wouldn't sell them if they didn't. Also, not all AP holders are locals. Many people, including our family, buy Deluxe or higher APs every other year or so rather than purchase 5 day hoppers every year because the cost is about the same but you get a better feeling of value out of having an AP and the added benefit of being able to visit again (adding to more money for Disney and Anaheim businesses). We would not buy the DAP if we felt that the value we got was less than buying 3-5 day tickets. As it is we don't get a MM, which I see as a value loss but one we can manage without. With our upcoming passes we plan to visit a minimum of 6 times each trip varying from 2-6 days. If we didn't buy them we would only go once each summer for about 4 days each visit. That amounts to a lot of hotel and food expenses earned by Disney and neighboring businesses. I can only imagine how someone who lives more locally and can visit multiple days a month adds to that income for Disney. They don't want to push the AP population away.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

As an annual pass holder, I could not disagree more.

People staying on site, or using a multi-day hopper, should get massive, MASSIVE, MMAASSSSAAVVEE advantage over us AP holders who are paying WAY, WAY less per day to be there.

I have long thought AP holder should have a pretty strict limit on FPs, like max 4 or 5 per day, and never more than 1 per day for any single ride. Oh.... AP holders shouldn't be able to get an FP if the return time is more than 2 hours out!

As an AP holder for most of the last decade I completely disagree with you! Often times we stay onsite, but even if we didn't, except for the cost of the ticket, we spend just as much as a family on park hoppers. However, since we go down multiple times in a year, I'm willing to bet over the course of a year, we spend way more than said park hopper family. You have to remember that many passholders are not locals and treat each trip like a vacation, just like anybody else.

 

[Susie63]

1) committing to a schedule 30-60 days in advance, often before hours are final.
2) no rerides in those 3
3) tiering
4) Did I mention tiering?
5) Having certain rides "sold out" before the park even opens
6) Having FP added to rides that didn't need it previously makes standby slow down
7) Can't count on having headliners available after you have used your first 3

Honestly, it comes down to me just not being a fan of scheduling a 2 minute ride so far in advance. How can I schedule Splash when I don't even know if it will be warm enough to ride that day? Some with small kids don't know if they will pass the height measurement. Some don't know if their kid will be brave enough to ride. I just like making my decisions on the spot and having a blank slate each morning.

And for all of those reasons we will never go back to WDW. Once was more than enough.

 

[MommyLove]

1) committing to a schedule 30-60 days in advance, often before hours are final.
2) no rerides in those 3
3) tiering
4) Did I mention tiering?
5) Having certain rides "sold out" before the park even opens
6) Having FP added to rides that didn't need it previously makes standby slow down
7) Can't count on having headliners available after you have used your first 3

Honestly, it comes down to me just not being a fan of scheduling a 2 minute ride so far in advance. How can I schedule Splash when I don't even know if it will be warm enough to ride that day? Some with small kids don't know if they will pass the height measurement. Some don't know if their kid will be brave enough to ride. I just like making my decisions on the spot and having a blank slate each morning.

Amen, sister!

As an AP holder for most of the last decade I completely disagree with you!... You have to remember that many passholders are not locals and treat each trip like a vacation, just like anybody else.

We have Signature APs for the family but are not local. We'll take about 6 full vacation style trips in that year (4 - 8 days in the park each trip). So yeah, I'd also be pretty livid about restrictions on FPs for AP holders.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

DIS is reporting it as well. In addition, they say TSMM FP starts Thursday too.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories...-at-toy-story-midway-mania-starting-thursday/

 

[707MickeyGirl]

DIS is reporting it as well. In addition, they say TSMM FP starts Thursday too.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories...-at-toy-story-midway-mania-starting-thursday/

This makes me sad! I'm going to have to change my strategy.

 

[BriannaRuth]

What's tiering?

 

[DLRExpert]

I would still recommend Toy Story Midway Mania as the first attraction to do at DCA park opening. No need for a FP this way. Plus you will have 40 minutes before any FP is valid to be used.

Only think about using a TSMM FP if you are not there at park opening.

TSMM FP should allow for more FPs to be available for everything else.

ME

 

[Khokhonutt]

What's tiering?

Do an internet search on fastpass+ tier and you'll get more details, but in short for EPCOT & Disney Hollywood Studios, it further limits your fastpass options to specific ride tiers. You basically have to choose between a couple of the tops rides (or show fastpasses) because you can only get one Tier 1 fastpass and 2 Tier 2 fastpasses for your initial 3 fastpasses.

I'm as amazed that people now prefer fastpass+ as they are that some of us hate the concept. It's the single biggest reason we have not been back to WDW since it's inception and are willing to drive cross country to go to DLR this year.

 

[mom2rtk]

What's tiering?

Basically tiering is ride rationing.

Rides are grouped into categories and you can only select 1 or 2 from each category. At WDW you can schedule 3 in advance. But you can only choose 1 from the group that includes Soarin, Test Track and Frozen Ever After. You can get more after you use your 3 that day, but headliners are often gone. It's very hit or miss getting a headliner as a 4th or subsequent FP at any park other than the MK.

Do an internet search on fastpass+ tier and you'll get more details, but in short for EPCOT & Disney Hollywood Studios, it further limits your fastpass options to specific ride tiers. You basically have to choose between a couple of the tops rides (or show fastpasses) because you can only get one Tier 1 fastpass and 2 Tier 2 fastpasses for your initial 3 fastpasses.

I'm as amazed that people now prefer fastpass+ as they are that some of us hate the concept. It's the single biggest reason we have not been back to WDW since it's inception and are willing to drive cross country to go to DLR this year.

AK will be lightly tiered when Pandora opens. You can only schedule 1 of the 2 new rides.

 

[Frozen2014]

Right now, for things that are actually using FastPasses and currently showing, World of Color is the only FastPass not connected.

Haven't read all the posts yet, but I think I read that Fantasmic FP will also be disconnected (when it returns)?

 

[mom2rtk]

Haven't read all the posts yet, but I think I read that Fantasmic FP will also be disconnected (when it returns)?

I suspected that would be the case, but where did you read that? I hadn't heard anything on it yet.

 

[Xenorye]

Haven't read all the posts yet, but I think I read that Fantasmic FP will also be disconnected (when it returns)?

That's the assumption -- but until we have an announcement or clarification from Disney, we won't know for sure.

 

[Frozen2014]

I suspected that would be the case, but where did you read that? I hadn't heard anything on it yet.

Starting to do research on FP and read it here: https://mickeyvisit.com/disneyland-fastpass/

 

[mom2rtk]

Starting to do research on FP and read it here: https://mickeyvisit.com/disneyland-fastpass/

I still don't think Disney has made an official announcement on this.

I suspect they will remain disconnected, but I think anything is possible until it's announced by Disney.

 

[Frozen2014]

1) committing to a schedule 30-60 days in advance, often before hours are final.
2) no rerides in those 3
3) tiering
4) Did I mention tiering?
5) Having certain rides "sold out" before the park even opens
6) Having FP added to rides that didn't need it previously makes standby slow down
7) Can't count on having headliners available after you have used your first 3

Honestly, it comes down to me just not being a fan of scheduling a 2 minute ride so far in advance. How can I schedule Splash when I don't even know if it will be warm enough to ride that day? Some with small kids don't know if they will pass the height measurement. Some don't know if their kid will be brave enough to ride. I just like making my decisions on the spot and having a blank slate each morning.

Same here. Have yet to try FP at Disneyland, but really liked WDW FP+. Before you even arrive, you have 3 FastPasses booked. I supposed too that I wonder how FP on the spot will work at DL since we won't have a data plan....so we might walk all the way to one of the machines for 2nd or 3rd FP of the day only to find out it's sold out. With WDW, you also don't feel like you have to run to a FP first thing entering the park.

 

[StormyCA]

I don't think there will be tiering at DL. From what I understand, there won't be advanced reservations either*. It's basically the same as now except that instead of walking to a machine, you pull out your phone. One FP at a time, just like now. I think the only change may be that there will be no more FP running with everyone's hopper to the other park and back

*I can see a 'one per day' AR possibly being an onsite perk, though.


I really liked FP+ at WDW, too. It really worked well for us! That being said, it just would NOT work at DL at all!!

 

[DLgal]

This all means nothing to me. Why? Because no matter what they do, you'll still shuffle through Tomorrowland and Adventureland with the countless masses. Build a freaking third gate, for crying out loud. There's no more room in DL. Send some of those people to a different park for a day or two each week. They can build a luxury hotel, a new parking area, a new entrance area...but nothing that actually fixes the huge problem of DL capacity.

Or they could just start capping attendance at a reasonable number.