The CAD $ and the possibility of a PAID FastPass+

[Carolynleanne]

Thinking a lot about this today... I know many are speculating that when FastPass+ returns, it's going to cost us. I really hope it'll be a similar price to Disneyland in California if that's the route they take. If they go the Universal route and charge $100+ per person, per day, it will be unattainable for our family of five

 

[TommyJK]

If they bring it back as paid but it's the same as they used to do it (i.e. 3 FP+'s, or similar to how Disneyland's works) then they won't charge a lot I wouldn't think. Universal's costs a lot because it's for pretty much every ride (not just picking 3) and they heavily limit it overall (just for the 3 Deluxe Resort guests, and a limited number they sell).

To justify charging that much Disney would have to vastly expand it to be for all attractions, without having to pre-book them, and heavily limit how many they sell. Otherwise I don't see them being able to charge a ton to do it the same we it was before.

I just don't picture Disney trying to go that route and either it will be similar to DL's implementation, or perhaps they re-teir it in some way i.e. everyone gets 1 free, 3 free if your at a lower level Disney Resort or say $20 for off-site. 5 Free if at an upper level resort or something.

 

[mshanson3121]

This is such a hard guess, because Universal's FP+ system is so different. It includes all (participating) rides, either for one ride on each ride, or unlimited depending how much you want to spend, no reservations necessary. This honestly sounds like a much better system, though for us, would be absolutely unaffordable.

I honestly don't see them doing the exact same thing as Universal, so I think it'll be something different. My guess, they try and work with the system they already have and do something like:

Off-Site: no FP+ included, must buy. Purchase 3 for X$ and then add additional for Y$ each.
On-Site: depending on what level you are, you'll get FP+ included (maybe 1 for value, 2 for mod, 3 for deluxe) with the option to purchase for more a set price. I could see the price per extra FP+ being less for the upper levels.

I can also see them allowing better booking times, so similar to how it is now: off-site 30 days, value 45 days, mod 60 days, deluxe 75-90 days etc...

 

[deedubb]

I love MaxPass at Disneyland. It is so superior to FP+. However, the max # of park days is 5 at Disneyland. You can easily spend 8-10 park days at WDW. When you start charging $20/person/day x 10 days, it soon becomes extremely costly. I don't mind paying for FP+, but it has to be reasonably affordable and not just for the elite.

 

[TammyLynn33]

Maxpass worked well for big kid and I when we went for two days but it was just the two of us and two days.
If family of 5 goes it’s another $100 day another $700 a week. On top of the roughly $500 usd a day admission . It adds up fast . That said it includes photopass in DL but we never really use .

 

[Carolynleanne]

This is such a hard guess, because Universal's FP+ system is so different. It includes all (participating) rides, either for one ride on each ride, or unlimited depending how much you want to spend, no reservations necessary. This honestly sounds like a much better system, though for us, would be absolutely unaffordable.

I honestly don't see them doing the exact same thing as Universal, so I think it'll be something different. My guess, they try and work with the system they already have and do something like:

Off-Site: no FP+ included, must buy. Purchase 3 for X$ and then add additional for Y$ each.
On-Site: depending on what level you are, you'll get FP+ included (maybe 1 for value, 2 for mod, 3 for deluxe) with the option to purchase for more a set price. I could see the price per extra FP+ being less for the upper levels.

I can also see them allowing better booking times, so similar to how it is now: off-site 30 days, value 45 days, mod 60 days, deluxe 75-90 days etc...

I’d be totally cool with this!

 

[mshanson3121]

I’d be totally cool with this!

If I had the pockets most here do I would be too lol, but unfortunately we don't, so we'll become another one of those priced out families.

Someone else suggested, and I can see this, that if they monetize it, they'll eventually offer promos like free dining, only instead it'll be free FP+ included etc...

 

[TammyLynn33]

If I had the pockets most here do I would be too lol, but unfortunately we don't, so we'll become another one of those priced out families.

Same and I’m DvC. I almost foresee a couple nights booked around special event parties moving forward and renting out the rest of our nights and staying offsite or staying onsite and going elsewhere on our trips.

 

[samsteele]

WDW will need to tread carefully. I doubt many of the pre-pandemic perks like included Magical Express and Extra Magic Hours will ever be returned to onsite guests. WDW can't be seen to be exploiting the pandemic to gut the future onsite guest experience. Many of us are already questioning whether staying onsite - even at a value like All Stars - is worth the $. I've been checking out Universal's resorts and ticket package. I may also look at Disney's neighbour hotels programs if I can convince myself that the basic hotel shuttle is dependable and will work.

Watch the UK trip planning forum when any info about tweaking FP or the dining plan is released. Pre-pandemic, UK guests had a complete package including dining plan because of the length of their stay. Shaving back their perks, will get a reaction and we'll know about it. Like the canary in the coal mine. The UK travel market is much more lucrative than the Cdn or Australian. If WDW shorts the Brits, we'll know what's in store for the rest of us.

I agree that any relaunch of FastPass will likely include a paid upgrade but will still provide an 'included in the price of your onsite resort" minimum of 2 FP. Whether those FP attractions will then be tiered with some less busy classics like Pirates and Dumbo included but hyper popular headliner rides like FOP, Tron and Guardians a paid option only is a real possibility.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

I can’t see WDW offering unlimited FP for a set price per person per day. That would cannibalize their private tours option. I’d gladly pay $100 per person for 2-3 park days vs paying $500-$700 per hour for a guide for one day.
Hard to predict what they will do. Hopefully they’ll return some benefit to on-site guests via FP availability, booking priority, number of passes, etc.

 

[azrivest]

We'll be willing to pay any amount if it means waiting less in line. We paid for MaxPass for the 4 of us for our 4-day tickets at DLR, which we are hoping to use this summer if we can travel.

I think staying on-site has lost most of its advantages, except for on-site transport. So I'll pay less to stay off-site, and use that money to pay for MaxPass or FastPast++ or whatever they start offering.

 

[hdrolfe]

Interesting idea. I hope it doesn't come to this. However, when I'm looking at booking Universal I look at one of the Deluxe resorts that will give me the unlimited fastpass equivalent. I hope Disney doesn't do that, allow it with the higher priced resorts? Though I'd love to stay at one of them again, they are pricey!! Also, not sure if I would pay for 3 FP, we usually are able to use those and then add on others over the day. All speculation at this point I guess, but I hope there is still a short cut line because some of the waits are crazy and simply not something my family will do.

 

[pigletto]

I agree that it will be included for resort guests at some level. The deluxe resort prices are obscene as it is.. they better still include free fastpasses.

I remember following the implementation of fastpass plus years ago very closely and there was a lot of talk back then of a tiered system within the resorts.. with dvc and deluxe resorts getting the most included fastpass, less expensive resorts getting fewer. They were messing around with paid and extra fastpasses for club level pre-pandemic. I think this was always the plan for the evolution of fastpass.

Regardless they will have to give something to their onsite guests to keep paying those prices. Or at least I would hope people would demand it. EMH are gone, nighttime parades are gone, fireworks are gone, magical express is gone , magic bands are gone.. it’s just too much.

 

[Donald - my hero]

I'm not sure how I feel about this personally but we were talking during our trip last January that we would be going to ONLY hard-ticketed after hours events this year (you know the one that didn't happen ) so Not sure what we'd do.

We do need to remember that this is a bit of an echo chamber, a forum to discuss travelling to Disney (toss in Universal for good measure now as well) and how to save money & get the biggest bang for our $$ while doing that. However, Disney always has and more than likely will continue to get most of their money from the "once & done" trips. People who pay whatever it costs to do what they've seen on TV, book every single big meal, extra event, pay rack rate (and never watch for discounts to be applied), buy all the souvenirs , you get the idea. They either go to a travel agent who just books whatever they are told or call Disney direct and agree to all the upgrades that are pushed. They drop tens of thousands of dollars and they never return. Disney is a business and they will charge whatever people are willing to pay and not give much thought to those of us who feel out-priced (is that a word?) It's not uncommon for resorts to be filled to capacity, we don't pay someone else will.

 

[pigletto]

I'm not sure how I feel about this personally but we were talking during our trip last January that we would be going to ONLY hard-ticketed after hours events this year (you know the one that didn't happen ) so Not sure what we'd do.

We do need to remember that this is a bit of an echo chamber, a forum to discuss travelling to Disney (toss in Universal for good measure now as well) and how to save money & get the biggest bang for our $$ while doing that. However, Disney always has and more than likely will continue to get most of their money from the "once & done" trips. People who pay whatever it costs to do what they've seen on TV, book every single big meal, extra event, pay rack rate (and never watch for discounts to be applied), buy all the souvenirs , you get the idea. They either go to a travel agent who just books whatever they are told or call Disney direct and agree to all the upgrades that are pushed. They drop tens of thousands of dollars and they never return. Disney is a business and they will charge whatever people are willing to pay and not give much thought to those of us who feel out-priced (is that a word?) It's not uncommon for resorts to be filled to capacity, we don't pay someone else will.

While I agree that new travellers will keep paying it I’ve never completely subscribed to the “someone else will” train of thought with Disney because at some point the value won’t be there for the new traveller at those prices either . I don’t think they would be investing so heavily in new DVC if the repeat traveller wasn’t an integral portion of their profit . There’s got to be something in it for them to keep building as they have been .

 

[Carolynleanne]

I'm not sure how I feel about this personally but we were talking during our trip last January that we would be going to ONLY hard-ticketed after hours events this year (you know the one that didn't happen ) so Not sure what we'd do.

We do need to remember that this is a bit of an echo chamber, a forum to discuss travelling to Disney (toss in Universal for good measure now as well) and how to save money & get the biggest bang for our $$ while doing that. However, Disney always has and more than likely will continue to get most of their money from the "once & done" trips. People who pay whatever it costs to do what they've seen on TV, book every single big meal, extra event, pay rack rate (and never watch for discounts to be applied), buy all the souvenirs , you get the idea. They either go to a travel agent who just books whatever they are told or call Disney direct and agree to all the upgrades that are pushed. They drop tens of thousands of dollars and they never return. Disney is a business and they will charge whatever people are willing to pay and not give much thought to those of us who feel out-priced (is that a word?) It's not uncommon for resorts to be filled to capacity, we don't pay someone else will.

I tell people this all the time. We're obviously major Disney lovers here, but I always have to remind myself that they don't actually care about me personally... they just want my money.

 

[mshanson3121]

While I agree that new travellers will keep paying it I’ve never completely subscribed to the “someone else will” train of thought with Disney because at some point the value won’t be there for the new traveller at those prices either . I don’t think they would be investing so heavily in new DVC if the repeat traveller wasn’t an integral portion of their profit . There’s got to be something in it for them to keep building as they have been .

And they're already there. I see it a fair amount in the "real world" - people who price out a Disney vacation, and are shocked at what it costs, and can't afford to go. Or, who decide to spend that money and travel the "real" world instead. They (Disney) just haven't hit that tipping point yet.

 

[Jrb1979]

I personally think when it comes back it will be similar to Shanghai's system. There is no free FP but you pay for a package of rides. For 8 attractions it's about $66 a person.

 

[Carolynleanne]

We were seriously thinking of becoming DVC people in the future. Things like no more Magical Express, FastPass+, etc, are all things that have made us realize that we really have zero control over the changes Disney brings in and out. Therefor, we are not comfortable putting our money into that kind of unpredictability.

 

[von Monster]

We were seriously thinking of becoming DVC people in the future. Things like no more Magical Express, FastPass+, etc, are all things that have made us realize that we really have zero control over the changes Disney brings in and out. Therefor, we are not comfortable putting our money into that kind of unpredictability.

We're DVC, but bought when the dollar was more than par and points on the resale market were running for <$70 at SSR and the current resale restrictions weren't a thing. I'm not sure we would now.

More to the point I fully expect Disney to replace the Magical Express with 'something'; the value of ensuring guests don't rent a car and stay (and spend) on sight are probably worth more that the cost of the bus. I do think they are looking to replace Mears though.