State of Fast Pass Return (or replacement)

[DJJimmy9]

I get it that the paid FP system may not be ready, but if Disney can issue recovery passes, why can’t they sell “recovery” FP at Guest Services or at Hotel Concierges.

I’m going in mid-August and I know I would be willing to buy a few FP each day just to break-up waiting in these ridiculous lines.

I mean if they are not wanting to relaunch the free system because they know a paid system is imminent once the IT is solved, couldn’t this be an interim option?

 

[Dis Dragon]

I get it that the paid FP system may not be ready, but if Disney can issue recovery passes, why can’t they sell “recovery” FP at Guest Services or at Hotel Concierges.

I’m going in mid-August and I know I would be willing to buy a few FP each day just to break-up waiting in these ridiculous lines.

I mean if they are not wanting to relaunch the free system because they know a paid system is imminent once the IT is solved, couldn’t this be an interim option?

This would blow up Guest Services, they're always busy as it is.

 

[ziravan]

This would blow up Guest Services, they're always busy as it is.

require then to be bought at your resort. as in not avail at the parks

 

[cakebaker]

I get it that the paid FP system may not be ready, but if Disney can issue recovery passes, why can’t they sell “recovery” FP at Guest Services or at Hotel Concierges.

It's not just as simple as putting a price tag on them and selling them. A much simpler solution is just open up FP+, but they aren't going to. And for those who think they don't have the staff.....they'll have it the day the paid system is ready to roll. But, looks like they've dug in their heels and everyone will wait until they finally figure out how to make their pay system work. From Remy's last postings, that could be a good long while. But no worries, summer is only another month or so and then crowds will drop to a mildly miserable level instead of intolerable.

I'm not at all sure they really want to drop it as a shiny new toy for the 50th, but I've seen them sell worse things as a perk before.

 

[CSLucas]

I get it that the paid FP system may not be ready, but if Disney can issue recovery passes, why can’t they sell “recovery” FP at Guest Services or at Hotel Concierges.

I’m going in mid-August and I know I would be willing to buy a few FP each day just to break-up waiting in these ridiculous lines.

I mean if they are not wanting to relaunch the free system because they know a paid system is imminent once the IT is solved, couldn’t this be an interim option?

I also wonder this - I realize it might be a little bulky, but could they not just add them as an ecommerce item just like booking a magical experience and let people purchase them in the app? If people can book Droid Depot and lightsaber building, surely they could let them book rides until the tiered system with all the integration was ready. Plus this would make it look like more of a perk if the full system later includes some number of free passes for on-site guests.

 

[vincep]

'Ok, one more thing. It's funny that people were complaining about paid fast pass but will pay $150 to stay 3 extra hours.' So true and I think paying $150 to stay 3 hours is insanity. Back in the day(10 years probably) I spent $77 on the Not so Scary party for 5 hours and it was truly limited as in 20 minutes for rides like Peter Pan and short lines for candy. Now they crowd in frightening amounts of people.

I really doubt it's a staff shortage for anything but money as said before. Remember when Chapek was cutting back on performers and he infamously said our cast members are our entertainment. He is one of these deranged psychopathic CEOs.

 

[cakebaker]

I really doubt it's a staff shortage for anything but money as said before. Remember when Chapek was cutting back on performers and he infamously said our cast members are our entertainment. He is one of these deranged psychopathic CEOs.

I don't think entertainment has anything to do with staffing except for they haven't bothered to try and staff and could have started months ago. I wouldn't go so far as to say Chapek is deranged, he's not. He's very good at what he does, slashing costs, increasing profits and making shareholders happy.

 

[Wandering Oaken]

Phone CM's know literally nothing but are very good at disney-speak. What you were told was really nothing at all and if they had said they'd be back tomorrow, I wouldn't believe it.

I'm just amazed that you got on the phone to Disney this morning and aren't still on hold. Our call yesterday at opening was a 3 hr wait until we heard a real human- then another hour on hold while they figured out how to fix our problem.

PREACH!!

I have been getting 90-120 minute waits lately. That is nuts!!

 

[vincep]

If he's so good at what he does why do people complain about staffing shortages, the lack of entertainment, a boo bash that lasts 3 hours and people complaining about how dirty the parks are. Believe me back in the day this was impossible to even conceive.
And you're ignoring what he said about the cast members being entertainers. That is pure nuts.
During the height of the pandemic he reinstated full obscene salaries for execs, gave the CFO an 11 million dollar BONUS bought a 10 million dollar home and then makes 10s of millions a year. This to me is a power mad CEO. Give quality for a buck and customers that don't complain about overflowing trash bins and bathrooms as if they were in NY's Pennsylvania station.

 

[Karin1984]

I get it that the paid FP system may not be ready, but if Disney can issue recovery passes, why can’t they sell “recovery” FP at Guest Services or at Hotel Concierges.

I’m going in mid-August and I know I would be willing to buy a few FP each day just to break-up waiting in these ridiculous lines.

I mean if they are not wanting to relaunch the free system because they know a paid system is imminent once the IT is solved, couldn’t this be an interim option?

I also wonder this - I realize it might be a little bulky, but could they not just add them as an ecommerce item just like booking a magical experience and let people purchase them in the app? If people can book Droid Depot and lightsaber building, surely they could let them book rides until the tiered system with all the integration was ready. Plus this would make it look like more of a perk if the full system later includes some number of free passes for on-site guests.

If you want to do this, you need to do a marketing campaign on it. People need to know about it. As soon as people know about it, everyone willing and able will be flocking as lines are long and there are no alternatives.

After that it will be hard to go back to FP +

 

[Karin1984]

PREACH!!

I have been getting 90-120 minute waits lately. That is nuts!!

Time for a Disney Guest Services Phone Fastpass!

 

[motherof5]

So it’s been a year since WDW reopened and we are still without a skip the line option. There hasn’t been many rumors that have made it out of Fort Disney, but here are some of the major rumors that we’ve heard over the past few weeks:

Multiple posters have indicated that Fastpass+ and a replacement system are in concurrent testing. The FP+ legacy system has passed, but the replacement system has failed in real world testing.

The replacement system has been rumored to be attached to the new Genie system, which would be granting “wishes” to guests that can be used for fast passes or other use cases. Speculation that wishes may be attached to resort tier or payment has been speculated.

There have also been rumors of FP+ being live tested in parks, but these have not been confirmed.

Feel free to track additional updates and rumors here.

I hope they don't do like Universal and charge for fast pass.

 

[Wandering Oaken]

I hope they don't do like Universal and charge for fast pass.

It is almost a guarantee that Disney will start charging for this service. The only questions are "How much?" and "When will it start?".

 

[corinne025]

And of course Disney refuses to pay experienced IT managers what they would make at market rate so their technology roll outs have always been cumbersome and error ridden. What a nightmare for the 50th

 

[corinne025]

We got to experience a short lived “paid fast pass” system during two trips pre-covid.

We stayed on Club Level and were able to spend $50 per person per day to add three extra fastpasses. We also gained access to special firework and parade viewing spots in every park, saved for you by a friendly cast member scanning bands to assure exclusivity. No need to stake out a spot.


Those fastpasses we got to book 90 days in advance and they could be cross-park and ignored tiers (could book both Frozen and Soarin for instance) so basically created a flawless vacation with Disney Signature Services months in advance.

It was only available on Club Level but they were intending to extend it to anyone staying at a 3-bedroom Grand Villa.

I know it is selfish but that is EXACTLY what I want back!!! Once they announced the Grand Villa extension we were planning to pull the trigger on DVC.

Of course then the world stopped.

 

[mercuryvenus]

I don't think entertainment has anything to do with staffing except for they haven't bothered to try and staff and could have started months ago. I wouldn't go so far as to say Chapek is deranged, he's not. He's very good at what he does, slashing costs, increasing profits and making shareholders happy.

Why on earth would Disney simply not bother to try to hire entertainers? That honestly makes zero sense. Unless you’re contending that a multi-billion dollar company is doing things that make zero sense and undercut the core of their brand (aka entertainment)?

 

[mercuryvenus]

We got to experience a short lived “paid fast pass” system during two trips pre-covid.

We stayed on Club Level and were able to spend $50 per person per day to add three extra fastpasses. We also gained access to special firework and parade viewing spots in every park, saved for you by a friendly cast member scanning bands to assure exclusivity. No need to stake out a spot.


Those fastpasses we got to book 90 days in advance and they could be cross-park and ignored tiers (could book both Frozen and Soarin for instance) so basically created a flawless vacation with Disney Signature Services months in advance.

It was only available on Club Level but they were intending to extend it to anyone staying at a 3-bedroom Grand Villa.

I know it is selfish but that is EXACTLY what I want back!!! Once they announced the Grand Villa extension we were planning to pull the trigger on DVC.

Of course then the world stopped.

On our trip in Feb 2020, we were totally spoiled. We did our 3 per day standard FP+, but we also bought DVC on that trip. DVC gave our entire group (including the grandparents, who didn’t go to any of the DVC meetings) 4 complimentary FPs. Then we all got an additional 4 complimentary FPs when we went back and actually bought DVC.

It made the trip incredible. Part of us wants to head over to the DVC offices in November and say, “you got any more of those free FPs you can throw our way?”

We’re staying at a 3 bedroom villa in May 2022 — really hoping they extend those Club level services by then! That would be amazing.

 

[yaya74]

On our trip in Feb 2020, we were totally spoiled. We did our 3 per day standard FP+, but we also bought DVC on that trip. DVC gave our entire group (including the grandparents, who didn’t go to any of the DVC meetings) 4 complimentary FPs. Then we all got an additional 4 complimentary FPs when we went back and actually bought DVC.

It made the trip incredible. Part of us wants to head over to the DVC offices in November and say, “you got any more of those free FPs you can throw our way?”

I know exactly how you feel. My family bought the CL FP+ back in 2018. Having all 6 FP+ lined up before departure it was a stress-free trip. During our recent trip, we visited one of the DVC open houses. I asked the DVC guide if I can get at least one FP+ for checking out the DVC, the guide said no, and that FP+ is a thing in the past...

 

[CSLucas]

We got to experience a short lived “paid fast pass” system during two trips pre-covid.

We stayed on Club Level and were able to spend $50 per person per day to add three extra fastpasses. We also gained access to special firework and parade viewing spots in every park, saved for you by a friendly cast member scanning bands to assure exclusivity. No need to stake out a spot.


Those fastpasses we got to book 90 days in advance and they could be cross-park and ignored tiers (could book both Frozen and Soarin for instance) so basically created a flawless vacation with Disney Signature Services months in advance.

It was only available on Club Level but they were intending to extend it to anyone staying at a 3-bedroom Grand Villa.

I know it is selfish but that is EXACTLY what I want back!!! Once they announced the Grand Villa extension we were planning to pull the trigger on DVC.

Of course then the world stopped.

This sounds like an awesome trip. My husband and I have been saying since our first trip that if there was an option between regular guest and VIP tour we would be all over it - I didn't even realize that was a possibility with club level. I realize I'm in the minority here, but I would welcome some sort of system like this for deluxe resorts (hoping they extend it a little further down than the Grand Villas - I can't see our family of 4 EVER needing one of those)

 

[cakebaker]

Why on earth would Disney simply not bother to try to hire entertainers?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$