WDW Resort Guests & Fast Pass Idea

[wen8jr]

My DH brought up a great idea that I think WDW should adopt!

We decided to do a split stay and tack on Universal to the end of our trip...we are doing 7 nights Disney and 2 Universal, staying onsite at both. So...while discussing all the resort benefits for Universal and how relieved we will be to have express pass, which we absolutely love, during what we expect to be a busy time...my DH said that WDW should at least give ONE Fast Past ticket per FP ride at each park to every WDW onsite resort guest in the room that would be good for the length of the resort stay.

It would save a resort guest time and effort and make a more relaxing trip in which folks can sleep in, enjoy the resort amenties, go to a spa, shop, dine, etc...maybe spend more money because they would have more freedom to do other things and still ride all the major attractions at least once.

I'm sure he's not the first to think of this...but I wonder why Disney hasn't offered something similar. I know that when we won our dream passes during our trip in '07, it made a once in a life time trip for us, no racing to FP machines and we ending up spending less time focusing on "getting it done" and spent more time doing a carriage ride at POR, walking through the shops at MK and took more time in DTD...doing what...spending money!

 

[ccgirl]

My DH brought up a great idea that I think WDW should adopt!

We decided to do a split stay and tack on Universal to the end of our trip...we are doing 7 nights Disney and 2 Universal, staying onsite at both. So...while discussing all the resort benefits for Universal and how relieved we will be to have express pass, which we absolutely love, during what we expect to be a busy time...my DH said that WDW should at least give ONE Fast Past ticket per FP ride at each park to every WDW onsite resort guest in the room that would be good for the length of the resort stay.

It would save a resort guest time and effort and make a more relaxing trip in which folks can sleep in, enjoy the resort amenties, go to a spa, shop, dine, etc...maybe spend more money because they would have more freedom to do other things and still ride all the major attractions at least once.

I'm sure he's not the first to think of this...but I wonder why Disney hasn't offered something similar. I know that when we won our dream passes during our trip in '07, it made a once in a life time trip for us, no racing to FP machines and we ending up spending less time focusing on "getting it done" and spent more time doing a carriage ride at POR, walking through the shops at MK and took more time in DTD...doing what...spending money!

Disney offers EMH (extended magic hours) to their onsite guests. I believe there are many more onsite hotel rooms for WDW than Universal. In that case, the lines would still be very packed if they did what you are suggesting with the FP's. IMHO, I think the FP works great as is.

 

[MrRomance]

I think you have a very valid idea but I think Disney's view is that Disney Guests get the EMH's and so there is a "benefit" for WDW guests staying on-site. I think in the longer term that Disney might want to rethink their "benefits" because I've read hundreds of posts across all the forums of people doing a split stay to get the benefits at Universal. This doesn't really fit with the strategy that Disney employ to try to "monopolize" visitors stay in Orlando.

Current benefits don't fit with their strategy and I think the draw of the HPW attractions is leading more and more people to split stay. Could be time for Disney to rethink!

 

[chartle]

I think you have a very valid idea but I think Disney's view is that Disney Guests get the EMH's and so there is a "benefit" for WDW guests staying on-site. I think in the longer term that Disney might want to rethink their "benefits" because I've read hundreds of posts across all the forums of people doing a split stay to get the benefits at Universal. This doesn't really fit with the strategy that Disney employ to try to "monopolize" visitors stay in Orlando.

Current benefits don't fit with their strategy and I think the draw of the HPW attractions is leading more and more people to split stay. Could be time for Disney to rethink!

But how does giving on site guests enhanced access to FP keep people from doing a split stay?

People will only stop doing split stays when either US stops their program or US stops being popular.

Disney can't control the first and can do very little to effect the second.

 

[wen8jr]

Disney offers EMH (extended magic hours) to their onsite guests. I believe there are many more onsite hotel rooms for WDW than Universal. In that case, the lines would still be very packed if they did what you are suggesting with the FP's. IMHO, I think the FP works great as is.

EMH is not convenient in IMHO, you have to be a night owl or an early riser or both to get those benefits. We've done it and don't like it much, especially with the crowds it draws on a specific morning or night for that park. It really limits your options.

I personally don't think it would impact the lines to give a resort guest one FP per ride because you will have guests that wouldn't even use them and those that do would most likely be riding the ride anyway with a FP, it just takes more effort to do so. If the FP was good throughout the stay, they would not have to go in the "window" of the return time which would spread out the use of FP with the resort guests.

Universal doesn't have as many resorts, but they don't have as many parks either and I'm not sure but I feel that their parks are smaller w/ less rides. Even so, we never waited over 2 minutes to get on a ride with Express pass and we were there during a moderate crowd time.

I think Disney could work something out like this as an added benefit to a resort guest and keep EMH as well.

 

[tobikaye]

I personally don't think it would impact the lines to give a resort guest one FP per ride because you will have guests that wouldn't even use them and those that do would most likely be riding the ride anyway with a FP, it just takes more effort to do so. If the FP was good throughout the stay, they would not have to go in the "window" of the return time which would spread out the use of FP with the resort guests.

If by "window" you mean days, then maybe, but you would have more guests staying one or two nights to get all of the FPs so that they could utilize all of the FPs. There are already many who stay offsite, but reserve a room for one night so that they can use the EMH hours two days in a row. Other than MK, where most people stay all day, many people only spend 1/2 days in parks like AK and DHS if they are only interested in the rides. In this case, you could have in a matter of four or five hours thousands of WDW resort FP holders wanting to ride these same rides.

Plus, WDW would have to come up with a system where the KTTW was scanned at the entrance to allow the guest to access the FP line. If they gave out individual FPs, you would have people selling the FPs for the rides they will not use. Plus, since each resort reservation is considered separate, they would have to change the way they reserve rooms. If not, you would have a guest that was planning to stay for seven nights, dividing up their stays so that they would get more FPs after they used up the others at the beginning of their trip.

Universal doesn't have as many resorts, but they don't have as many parks either and I'm not sure but I feel that their parks are smaller w/ less rides. Even so, we never waited over 2 minutes to get on a ride with Express pass and we were there during a moderate crowd time.

US only has about 2400 rooms; whereas, WDW has about 26,500. This number will increase to over 27,000 with the opening of AoA. So, even though WDW has four parks to US's two, the average guest staying onsite is still over 10 times more than those staying at US.

I think Disney could work something out like this as an added benefit to a resort guest and keep EMH as well.

I think what will happen more likely is that WDW will change the way it works fast pass to where only those staying onsite will have access to FP. This way, even if a guest is staying onsite, they would still have to get to a FP machine and get the return time. They would have to work it so that the KTTW card can get the FP instead of a park ticket in the case of WDW resort guests who have APs or other tickets not attached to their KTTW card.

Actually, with WDW's rumor for allowing guests to reserve FP times from home, it may just be a matter of time that the FP machines at the actual parks are done away with.

 

[kaligal]

He's not the first. It's been discussed a lot around here. Some people are super-duper in favor of it and wish they could get the FPs. Some people get all mad because they don't stay in Disney hotels and "that's not fair."

Disney has thought of it, too. They've patented stuff, they've done trial runs. There is a rumor they'll implement something.

Nothing yet.

 

[Lynne M]

WDW should at least give ONE Fast Past ticket per FP ride at each park to every WDW onsite resort guest in the room that would be good for the length of the resort stay.

Problem is, there are roughly 25,000 resort rooms on Disney property. They run near capacity most of the year. Assuming 4 people in each room (and many resort rooms hold more guests), you're talking about up to 100,000 people loose in the parks with fastpasses for every ride.

The whole point of the FP system is to control access to the ride, by spacing out riders into time periods throughout the day. Let's take a headliner ride like Soarin'....how many people do you think will descend on Soarin' in the first hour after they enter the park, fastpass in hand? Hundreds. On a super busy day, potentially thousands. Fastpass ain't so fast anymore.

Universal can do front of the line access for their resort guests because they only have 3 resorts. Far, far fewer resort guests.

 

[Technosavant]

US only has about 2400 rooms; whereas, WDW has about 26,500. This number will increase to over 27,000 with the opening of AoA. So, even though WDW has four parks to US's two, the average guest staying onsite is still over 10 times more than those staying at US.

US also has much less variety in their resorts... theirs are all priced well over the WDW "Moderate" level. They aren't providing their benefits to people paying $80/night, they're giving them to people paying over $200/night. That's a bit of difference. I imagine there would be much complaining if Disney tiered their benefits so that the Value resorts received a meager one, Moderates received more, and Deluxe/DVC received even more yet.

Disney does seem to try to treat guests the same no matter how much you spent on your vacation, so I don't really see them playing the economic inequality game, even if guests at the nicer resorts might prefer "first class" treatment.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I like the Fast Pass system the way it is and dislike Universal's front of the line pass.

 

[scion5220]

DLR had something like this going on this past year, where resort guests got a couple of fastpasses that could be used (once) on any FP ride.

However, as others have pointed out...the number of hotel guests at WDW is astronomical compared to DLR with only three hotels.

 

[dzorn]

My DH brought up a great idea that I think WDW should adopt!

We decided to do a split stay and tack on Universal to the end of our trip...we are doing 7 nights Disney and 2 Universal, staying onsite at both. So...while discussing all the resort benefits for Universal and how relieved we will be to have express pass, which we absolutely love, during what we expect to be a busy time...my DH said that WDW should at least give ONE Fast Past ticket per FP ride at each park to every WDW onsite resort guest in the room that would be good for the length of the resort stay.

It would save a resort guest time and effort and make a more relaxing trip in which folks can sleep in, enjoy the resort amenties, go to a spa, shop, dine, etc...maybe spend more money because they would have more freedom to do other things and still ride all the major attractions at least once.

I'm sure he's not the first to think of this...but I wonder why Disney hasn't offered something similar. I know that when we won our dream passes during our trip in '07, it made a once in a life time trip for us, no racing to FP machines and we ending up spending less time focusing on "getting it done" and spent more time doing a carriage ride at POR, walking through the shops at MK and took more time in DTD...doing what...spending money!

Disney has way to many resort guest to do this. AAA had trivia issue about Disney a while ago. If you stayed in a different disney hotel room each night it would take you 62 or 65 years to accomplish it. If you had your plan the FP line would be longer than the stand by line.

It worked for you with the dream FP because not everyone had them

Denise in MI

 

[TLinden16]

Since this isn't an official Disney suggestion, I'm going to move this to the rumors board to avoid confusion.

 

[zstyles]

I guess ive always thought of FP as a perk, not the norm..so for Disney to do something like this, I don't see that ever happening even if people want to dream about it all day long..its a business, that would cost more money to do for 25,000 people a day...don't see that as a good business decision when they will stay at the resort anyway...

 

[ftballfan7]

US also has much less variety in their resorts... theirs are all priced well over the WDW "Moderate" level. They aren't providing their benefits to people paying $80/night, they're giving them to people paying over $200/night. That's a bit of difference. I imagine there would be much complaining if Disney tiered their benefits so that the Value resorts received a meager one, Moderates received more, and Deluxe/DVC received even more yet.

Disney does seem to try to treat guests the same no matter how much you spent on your vacation, so I don't really see them playing the economic inequality game, even if guests at the nicer resorts might prefer "first class" treatment.

Disney already plays the economic inequality game with free dining. Value resort guests get Quick service plan and guests of moderate and above resorts get the regular dining plan.

 

[ftballfan7]

I like the Fast Pass system the way it is and dislike Universal's front of the line pass.

I don't see how anyone could dislike Universal's front of the line pass unless they aren't staying on site.

 

[ASteelersMidget]

There was already a thread that touched on this a few month's ago

Here it is

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2688970

Nothing is perfect and Disney sees no need to change it otherwise they would have already.

 

[Figment632]

How about you just get rid of FP from attractions that don't need it.

 

[tjkraz]

How about you just get rid of FP from attractions that don't need it.

They have eliminated FP at some attractions and yes, there are a handful more which could probably live without it. Buzz Lightyear SRS is at the top of my own list.

But in general, they do need to keep FP at some attractions which don't really need it in order to preserve the integrity of the system. If FP is limited to a small number of attractions, it puts too much strain on those rides.

Consider Hollywood Studios. You could argue that the only rides that really need it are TSM, ToT and RnR. But look at what already happens with TSM--Fastpasses already gone before 11am many days. That situation would only get worse if FP were pulled from other attractions.

Seasoned guests know that you don't really need a FP for VotLM or LMA, and it has only marginal value at Star Tours. But if they pull FP from those attractions, by 11am when all of the TSM tickets are gone, the 20,000 people in the park are using their FP rights exclusively for RnR and ToT. Not exactly an improvement.

 

[Figment632]

That's what I meant IMO Buzz and TSM don't need it.