Start paying for Fast-Pass?

[Vernonpush]

I mean isn't this kind of like a GPS system where you plug in "I like Italian Food" and it shows you the italian restaurants w/i a 20 mile radius! I mean I think as long as your phone # doesn't get sold to another company, like so many places do, then whats the big deal! I mean the only thing I would worry over is what if someones phone doesn't have picture messening then how would they have their passes? And I mean would you only have to carry one phone per party and the picture will say this FP accounts for a 5 member party? I mean there are so many question but not enough answers...

What do you really MEAN?:lol:

As an AP holder, I would not like this system at all. One of the main problems is that some of the most popular attractions have low capacity. Soarin for exaple holds 99 people at a time. 2 concourses x 99 ppl = 198. 198 x 6 shows an hour is 1188 ppl an hour. Thats very low. For the 12 hours its open that's 14256 ppl. Less than half the guests on a good day. When we go sometimes later in the day I know we have no chance of riding Soarin because all the fastpasses are gone and the wait is like 80 minutes. Plus no matter where you stay you should have equal opportunity to ride any ride.

How would the FastPass system know where (Deluxe, Mod. , Value or offsite) an AP holder is staying? We have a cell phone for travel (emergencies) and it stays in the car, we have enough to bring into the parks each day (water bottles, cameras, rain ponchos, etc). We are AP holders and usually stay at Deluxe or Moderate resorts, how will the "system" know that we have paid for a "better room" than the AP holder staying at a Value resort?

 

[DisneyJoe]

I remember when you could go on vacation and do what you wanted when you wanted.

Every time someone says that is how they want to handle their WDW vacation I cringe - a little.

Case in point - 4 families traveled together in June a few years ago, we had a few meetings to discuss what we wanted to do and when, just so we could do somethings together - no commando touring, just basic group planning.

3 of the families understood that we should do a little planning (we planned 1 group event and 1 group meal per day) - the 4th wanted to "do what they wanted when they wanted"...

Guess what? We never saw them, except for one day when the meal was guaranteed with a credit card, and they were always complaining about long lines, long waits for buses etc.

They have since realized that a WDW vacation involves a little bit more planning then the average vacation.


And re "personal vacation assistant" ? There are at least a dozen Disney-specialist travel agencies that I know of that do just that - Kingdom Konsultants is your sponsor here on these boards....and there are many others too.

 

[Lickwid]

What do you really MEAN?:lol:


How would the FastPass system know where (Deluxe, Mod. , Value or offsite) an AP holder is staying? We have a cell phone for travel (emergencies) and it stays in the car, we have enough to bring into the parks each day (water bottles, cameras, rain ponchos, etc). We are AP holders and usually stay at Deluxe or Moderate resorts, how will the "system" know that we have paid for a "better room" than the AP holder staying at a Value resort?

Just keep it fair for everyone. Keep the EMH, keep the fast pass system and let everyone enjoy the park whether they stay on-site or not.

 

[davper]

If Disney decides to use this wireless technology, I hope they use it smartly.

Imagine you are given a small wireless device as you enter the park. As you enter an area of the park, you are given staggered FastPass times for each attraction in that area. If you get off one ride and know that you have 15 minutes before the next attraction, you might kill that time shopping.

Use it for crowd control:
It could send a message to the crowded Tomorrow Land visitors, who have been there the longest, letting them know that Fantasy Land is not so crowded.
The same can be done to let visitors in one crowded park know that another park is much less crowded.

Send a message stating that the restaurant you are coming up to has seating available. Or a message that says an ADR was canceled and they now have seating at your favorite Restaurant. Click here to reserve.

This technology should be used to create value for their guests to encourage repeat visits instead of trying to wring out every dime they can from guests.

While they are hooking up all these wireless antennae, RFID tags to put on children before they get lost. Know instantly where your child is.

 

[EpcotServo]

Wow...sounds like a REALLY great way of screwing WDW Passholders even more...
:lol:

 

[NewfieFan]

this sound over engineered (cell phones acting as some sort of GPS monitor to alert for broken rides sounds silly and impractical). but looking at the underlying idea here, i think its genious. those who dont appreciate it are the off-site guests obviously but there needs to be more of a premium to resort guests. for what resort guests pay to stay at disney this sort of privilege seems very reasonable. Taking it a step further, I agree someone choosing to pay 100$ a night at All Stars shouldnt have the same privileges as someone paying 400$ a night at the Poly. The Poly guest is willing to pay 4 times as much because of the proximity of the resort, it amenities, etc.. why cant that carry over into their park experience as well. Right now in the park the resort guests are treated like every other person in the place while they are willingly sacrificing much more, money-wise, than the person who chooses to stay at the Red Roof on international drive. For every off-site person who would get insulted because they cant do what the next person can, think of the people paying $400 a night to see some youth group of 40 snag all the fastpasses for Soarin by 9 AM. Upgrades to the park experience needs to be an option, tying it to resort selection is a great idea. Theres 2 sides to every equation.

I gotta agree here! And before somebody accuses me of wanting everything thats coming to me - I stay at a value resort. I say why not? If you spend more you get a better hotel, better service, better food, better beds, etc. Why not get a better FastPass system if you're spending the money$$$!?!

 

[jasondiff]

They could implement such a tiered FP system and most people wouldn't even know it.

Instead of inserting your ticket, you are told at checkin at your Disney resort to insert your KTTW card into the FP machines.

Then the FP machine will know you are a resort guest, and also which resort. You will get a better return time if you are staying at a more expensive resort.

Non-resort guests can still use their tickets, but will get a later return time. They won't even know that resort guests are benefitting.

AP holders can insert their AP and get a better return time than day guests but not as good as resort guests.

Still free to all.

Jim's point with his article title isn't that Disney is going to charge for fastpasses, it's that to get the best benefits you'll be paying for a Disney resort room.

And for those thinking into this, to eliminate double-dipping (resort guests getting a FP with their KTTW card then inserting their tickets to get an extra one), the resort front desk will swipe your ticket/AP and link it to your KTTW card. An unlinked KTTW card will not work in FP machines, and a linked ticket won't work either.

 

[comics101]

I didn't read the article. BUT...I am very keen on the idea of fastpasses becoming available only to onsite resort guests (and the DTD resorts). While shopping at the Emporium a couple weeks ago, I noticed somone had left their stack of unused fastpasses by a register, it was for a family of 5 and there must have been 4 or 5 different attractions in the pile!

I'm sure there are many people that get fastpasses and don't use them and I think it's rediculous! The scanners should be make to read YKTW cards instead of park tickets... Then the "come back times" will only be an hour or 2 away and the lines for fast pass won't be so long.

I'll start writing my ideas so I can put them on my application when I go to apply for Manager of All Things Walt Disney World. =)

As good as this works for Uni, I have to wonder if it would work for Disney. I don't think it would, mainly because I'd be willing to bet that the majority of guests the go to WDW stay on property. This is just a guess, so forgive me if I'm wrong.

 

[hcswingfield]

This sounds like a giant step backward. Next thing you know they will be selling "E" tickets for the most popular rides, and "D" tickets for the next tier down, etc.

 

[jasondiff]

Disney has 26 onsite resorts (counting Dolphin, Swan, and SOG) with a total of 28,378 rooms. Disney has 4 theme parks.

For arguments sake, lets assume 100% hotel occupancy, and 3 guests per room, evenly distributed among the parks:

- Disney - 28378 rooms x 3 guests per room = 85134 guests / 4 theme parks = 21,284 resort guests per park that get front of the line access.......

As good as this works for Uni, I have to wonder if it would work for Disney. I don't think it would, mainly because I'd be willing to bet that the majority of guests that go to WDW stay on property. This is just a guess, so forgive me if I'm wrong.

Using DisneyJoe's calculations, a max of 21,284 guests in each park are Disney resort guests. Even on slow days the parks average well above that number, so I'd disagree. And on the slow days the resorts aren't at 100% occupancy.

 

[Tim G]

*sigh* Jim Hill...

 

[BRER DAD]

I think making FP available for guests staying on Disney property is a great idea, I however think charging for one is crazy. I just got back from WDW and only used a FP 3 times (I was there 13 days).

 

[TinkerBelle8878]

I think that WDW should do away with the Fast Pass System altogether. It causes more problems than it solves and then everyone gets up in arms. They should implement a single rider line for rides, like Soarin, for people who just want to ride and don't care with whom.

They've done this for years at Test Track and it makes sense to people waiting on the main line. The single riders aren't cutting. They're just seat fillers for otherwise empty spaces.

All that being said, thankfully my favorites at the parks are probably never going to go under the FastPass system. Doesn't seem to be much run on TTA or Spaceship earth.

Long live the OmniMover!:ROFLOL:

 

[KingStefan]

They could implement such a tiered FP system and most people wouldn't even know it.

...

And for those thinking into this, to eliminate double-dipping (resort guests getting a FP with their KTTW card then inserting their tickets to get an extra one), the resort front desk will swipe your ticket/AP and link it to your KTTW card. An unlinked KTTW card will not work in FP machines, and a linked ticket won't work either.

I thought of this, too. Many guests have their MYW park tickets right on the KTTW cards as well, which would make implementation a lot easier.

For some reason, there are many circs where you can't to that. For example, on my last trip, I stayed offsite the first two nights, and needed tickets before checking in at the resort, and I couldn't have the entitlements moved over - go figure. But this could be fixed, no doubt.

Another problem that would have to be solved is a sitch where there is one AP holder in a family, with plain MYW tickets for everyone else. Especially if staying off property. The passes would come out diffierent times.

Another difficulty is the display of return times. You'd probably want to avoid a FP display that had return times displayed for Tier 1-5 - that would make everyone feel bad if there was a big difference - but you want the more priveleged guests to know what their return time will be before getting the FP. I'm sure there are ways to overcome this. Certainly the handheld device would solve this problem. Maybe a more discrete display to the side or something.

Most importantly - the priveleges of the top tier versus the bottom should be kept small, so that there is a perception of added value to the deluxe resort guests, but doesn't make everyone else angry.

 

[KingStefan]

...When HM had FP, I waited in 45-60 minute queues. Now that FP has been removed, I have never, in my 10 WDW visits over the past 2 years (including Christmas, August, as well as slower periods) seen the posted wait time above 20 minutes (which usually means 10). Similarly, Stitch rarely uses FP anymore, but I have seen it functioning with a queue of 60 minutes (which you will never, ever get back ). During Spring Break, and also the beginning of August when I visited MK, FP was not functional, and the wait time was 5-10 minutes (obviously not as good an example as HM because this well....isn't as popular, to put it nicely; however, I think it still speaks volumes about FP)...

You have to be careful not to confuse cause and effect here. While there is no doubt that FP makes the standby lines longer (simple math), there is also the effect that when FP is deemed unnecessary because the demand is down, it is not used. So lower demand causes the managers to turn the FP off, or eventually take it out.

In other words, when demand is down, the wait times are short, and so FP is not used. Not the other way around.

 

[Northernlad_UK]

FastPass needs to evolve!!!

If the FastPass system is to stay it will need to evolve and like every at Disney World thing are changed (refurbed/enhanced). The patent has two main statements;

1.) To encorporate wireless technology into the FastPass system and then all the "consumer/sales" benefits of having all those details in a database.

2.) To encorporate an allocation system that would allocate a FastPass ticket based on your accomodation location. So for example if 1000 people can ride Expedition Everest ever hour... 300 would be allocated to those staying in a Deluxe Disney Resort. 250 would be allocated to those staying in a Moderate. 200 for those staying in a value resort and so on......

More an incentive scheme to stay in a higher priced hotel then having to pay for a sepcific FastPass like at Universal.

Here in the UK we have been using Mobile ticketing systems for the past few years and more and more venues are using systems where you recieve a Multimedia message on your wireless phone and that is then scanned by the ticket system at the venue you go to.

Disney shout and make a point that Fastpass is free for all visiting guest and this patent just looks like just playing around with ideas to EVOLVE the Fastpass system.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

On the plus side, I like that the future seems to hold better ideas for virtual queueing. I would love to make my reservations for rides a day in advance and spend less time running from one end of the park to the other trying to keep up with fastpasses.

On the negative side, I don't think that giving fastpasses to resort guests only is a good idea at all. All these "incentives" to stay on property are starting to get irritating. Dining plans, extra magic hours, etc...they kinda make things miserable for people who live locally or don't always stay on site. If they want this type of system I think they should also make fastpasses available to annual passholders.

Be sure they schedule in your bathroom breaks, cigarette breaks for those who smoke, park bench sittings while enjoying a dole whip and spot for the parade too...kinda like I am a robot and just follow oders and am sooo impatient I can't sit back and breathe or wait for anything..... hurry... Hurry.....HURRY!!!!!!!

I don't think anyone shouldn't be allowed Fastpasses. Florida Annual pass holders go much more than twice a year so they should be able to see/ride everything they wish during their yearly pass so if anyone is barred from Fastpass , I can kinda understand it. They visit much more than the average guest and since they live closer they can pick to go at less crowded times to visit. We honestly do not use fast pass all that much during our visits, only used it for Space Mt. and Soarin this year.

Slightly OT, over the past years the one thing that kinda gets to me is the Handicap NO-PASS Fastpass. Before everyone jumps down my throat, what I am saying is I have no problem when Aunt Susie having a broken leg and waiting at the front. But the point is her family should have to wait in the standby line and when they get to loading all can ride. If someone has a legitimate severe handicap that is one thing. But I don't get why by Aunt Susie having a broken leg.... Uncle Joe, cousins Jim, Bob, Dave, Lou, nephews Joey and Chris, nieces Mary,Christine and Gina, stepson, John, daughters Carly and Marianne, Brother George and his crew who are all in perfect healh can just walk right on.:shrug: We saw this a couple of times this trip. Again legitimate handicaps are one thing but obvious abuses should not be allowed. Just a little observation .. that is all.

 

[lentesta]

They could implement such a tiered FP system and most people wouldn't even know it.

Instead of inserting your ticket, you are told at checkin at your Disney resort to insert your KTTW card into the FP machines.

Then the FP machine will know you are a resort guest, and also which resort. You will get a better return time if you are staying at a more expensive resort.

Non-resort guests can still use their tickets, but will get a later return time. They won't even know that resort guests are benefitting.

AP holders can insert their AP and get a better return time than day guests but not as good as resort guests.

Still free to all.

Jim's point with his article title isn't that Disney is going to charge for fastpasses, it's that to get the best benefits you'll be paying for a Disney resort room.

If it's going to work, it's going to work pretty much like that. (There'll be add'l benefits for Disney resort guests, such as the TV thing discussed earlier, but this is the gist.)

The occupancy rates of many Disney deluxe resorts are far below that of moderates or values. It's not uncommon for the values and moderates to be at 99% occupancy, and 100% happens quite a bit. (My all-time favorite: Pop Century at 102% earlier this year. No one's ever explained how that happened.)

The deluxe resorts, especially the non-MK resorts, average around 85-90% occupancy, sometimes lower. My guess is that Disney's going to use tiered FASTPASS as an incentive toward those unsold rooms. Certainly, adding the perk is much more attractive to Disney than constantly discounting the rooms.

Finally, the fact that Disney keeps patenting variations on this idea, along with the business-case language in the descriptions, leads me to believe this is more than just some blue sky concept. We all know the FASTPASS enhancements have already been largely implemented (I've used them) - it's not like they have to do a bunch of software development.

Len

 

[the-reason14]

I think its stupid. Why start charging something that has been free for almost a decade. And the whole if you spend more on a disney hotel you get better perks, thats bs too. Every guest staying at any disney hotel should recieve this perk if it came to be, and they already got EMH's, effective or not thats what it is.

 

[angelfaerie52]

I didn't read the article. BUT...I am very keen on the idea of fastpasses becoming available only to onsite resort guests (and the DTD resorts). While shopping at the Emporium a couple weeks ago, I noticed somone had left their stack of unused fastpasses by a register, it was for a family of 5 and there must have been 4 or 5 different attractions in the pile!

I'm sure there are many people that get fastpasses and don't use them and I think it's rediculous! The scanners should be make to read YKTW cards instead of park tickets... Then the "come back times" will only be an hour or 2 away and the lines for fast pass won't be so long.

I'll start writing my ideas so I can put them on my application when I go to apply for Manager of All Things Walt Disney World. =)

That Key to the World thing is a horrible idea...

Actually, all of this is. I understand Disney wants to appeal to the people who stay onsite, but what about AP holders? We are pumping just as much money and it totally sucks not being able to eat places when I go for a random visit because of free dining and all that.

I was happier with Disney before I moved down here...