FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If you had read what I said, I said I maybe spent a couple of minutes while in line. Hardly the whole day or even the majority of my time in line.

My wife is very adverse to the idea of staring at phones all day - believe me if that's what I was doing, it wouldn't last. But out of whole day, I probably spend at most 20-30 minutes looking for FPs if you add it all up. Probably less. It works for me and my family. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine.

Look I am not trying to argue that the system is great. It has its plusses and minuses (I prefer the MaxPass system tbh). I'm not trying to say that everyone should do it this way, or even want to. I'm just pointing out that a) it isn't that hard, and b) It can be done most times of the year, even very crowded days. (To be fair, I haven't attempted Christmas or Easter - but pretty much every other time has worked for me...).

so you spent “as couple of minutes” securing “10+” fast passes while maintaining little if any attention to the process?

it could work. Could.

 

[mikejs78]

so you spent “as couple of minutes” securing “10+” fast passes while maintaining little if any attention to the process?

it could work. Could.

Pretty much. A couple of minutes per fast pass. Refresh until I get something I want.

 

[Chomama]

I can’t express how much I don’t miss having my phone out all day refreshing and trying to get a better pass. I was a master and we never waited in line. Now I actually get to talk to my kids and give them memories that don’t involve mommy saying “hold on. Let me check again”. To each their own but I hope it never comes back. Phones have really cut down on the experience for me

 

[CosmicRays]

Excuse my ignorance but how did you get 10 FP +, I thought it was capped at 4? Or was it from park hopping?

 

[marni1971]

Enlighten us

Take a look in the main thread discussing this:

Rumor - Version of MaxPass coming to WDW in May?

Also, with the ability to book for up to 10 days after check-in when staying on site, they encouraged longer stays that help get those harder to get FP. 14 days.🙂

forums.wdwmagic.com

 

[matt9112]

I used to be fine waiting an hr plus in standbys- but at a certain point when you have been on several vacations and ridden the same rides, thinking about waiting in a line for an hr for anything is a hard no. Only if its a new ride and only if its maybe my first/second time on it.

In an ideal world that would be the best of option. We know that's not happening so the best option right now is pay more for shorter waits. I don't really understand the hate for paying high prices for FP? Unless it's due to being priced out of the happiest place on earth.

People dont like paying more for less.....it used to be free now its not....its not some new idea. Its like the resort parking. (I still never paid that invoice) it rubs people the wrong way if it was free yesterday and now its not when the item hasn't changed. But i have accepted being priced out to a degree. This forum doesn't want to bunp into the poors on there vacarion anyway

 

[Kevin_W]

That's another thing -- the FP+ queues tend to skip the queues that were intricately designed/detailed and thus skip part of the experience (YMMV how much that matters, of course). I've only ever been on FoP with a FP and didn't even realize the regular queue had so much in it. The queues at EE and Kali River Rapids are as good or better than the rides themselves (for better or worse).

Even when they don't skip the regular queue entirely, they usually bypass part of it and people are generally moving through quickly and not paying attention to anything around them anyways.

That's a good point.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Normally I would agree but I have to give it to Disney, they have marketed their product better than anyone I know.
Disney vacations are now almost a right of passage, I mean seriously to the point where people feel as if they are bad parents if they don't take their kids to the world.
So instead of the feeling that they it was "doable" it's now more of the feeling "what must I do at all cost to give Jimmy and Jane this experience".

Next I do think they know that even if people complain they are coming. we see it here, folks start threads flat out complaining about Disney and then saying they have their next trip book. they try to justify it with things like "oh I'll stay offsite" or "we've stop buying the extras" but the bottom line is the constant complainers who revel in the glory days are still going and giving the company their money. So they aren't worried about taking a big hit because well they're really not going to take a big hit.

you’re misinterpreting this, Liz

“right of passage” was always a thing...at least for the eastern US in Orlando. They just had a wider “door” for people to fit through.

you can get a small sedan for the Cost of a week now...

whether or not it’s “good” for their longterm business remains to be seen. But every move by stockmarket Bob was done to push an “envelope”

and then he left. That was always the problem Disney defenders don’t appreciate enough

 

[Goofyernmost]

I mean, it's not that hard. I've also routinely gotten 10+ FPs in a day, on very crowded days (Presidents Day Week 2019 was my last trip and it was rated a Crowd Level 10 most of the week by Touring Plans), and I certainly did not spend hours trying to get FPs. Often I would grab my next one while I was waiting in the FP return line. Yeah, I had to refresh a bit but only for a minute or two. It wasn't rocket science nor was it very time consuming. It's also not some big secret or hacking the system, it's just using the app.

Well, all I can say is that you should continue to do that as long as you can. I don't know the future of this system, I hope it disappears and everyone finds out how much fun there is to be had in the parks without ones nose attached to their phone. I'd be happier without that feature, others might not.

 

[castlecake2.0]

I'm of the opinion that a vacation destination shouldn't require research of forums, blogs, and social media groups in order to fully enjoy the destination. The company providing the vacation destination should be providing all the details you need.

Agreed, but Disney does offer most of this information on their website and vacation planning videos. People then migrate to social media to get all the cheats and “secrets”.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Agreed, but Disney does offer most of this information on their website and vacation planning videos. People then migrate to social media to get all the cheats and “secrets”.

That's the thing though...a vacation shouldn't be that complicated to successfully plan.

 

[Jrb1979]

That's the thing though...a vacation shouldn't be that complicated to successfully plan.

There is a reason many say a Universal vacation is more relaxing

 

[MJM]

I literally ride most of the rides using only FP+. Yes there are some standby lines but those lines usually aren’t worth wasting a fast pass on because the wait is 30 minutes or less. If you only go once every 5-10 years then that’s even more of a reason to learn to play the game and plan that much more. And that’s the other thing....you’d be surprised how many people don’t know FP+ is free and or you can get more than 3 per day. So at the end of the day it’s not really my problem that a family had 5-10 years to plan a vacation and then failed miserably by not doing the research and planning they should have. I can literally do everything in MK in a day while taking a pool break at lunch time. We do it every year with no problems. If I can do it then I’m sure others can too......

Our family does the same! It’s not my fault you don’t understand FP and haven’t done the research to score your own major attraction FPs- it can be done and has been done by many. Including us every summer. We have also been able to ride every single ride at MK in a day because of FP+ and without it that can’t be done. Maybe it can at 35% capacity but that’s changing rapidly so Disney needs to bring it back . We also take a break midday to swim at the resort like Coles post above and we skip over Winnie the Pooh and others when their lines exceed 30 mins and go ride something with less of a wait time, return to WTP later in the day when waits are shorter. You just have to know what you’re doing. Not my fault you don’t know how to plan accordingly

 

[MJM]

Yea, good luck getting a 7 dwarfs fp unless you are first on the phone and staying onsite. But, you are one person out of thousands. I have never been able to get one of those. I have ridden it three times without a FP and walked on. Twice during the parade, and once after breakfast at "Be my guest".

It doesn't matter how many people are in the park, as a general good for all situation, FP sucks. It slows down the "other" line and unless you are planning on going only on FP obtained rides you are going to lose that time on the others. You guys can kid yourself forever and ignore the thousands of others that are unable to obtain all those additional FP's because of numerous legitimate reasons, but its existence is unfair and frustrating to all those other people. That may not be of any concern to you right now, but as years go by and the inevitable slowing of new visitors starts to take its toll, it will make a difference. Remember all those businesses that were thought to be to big to fail that you do not see around anymore. That can happen to Disney as the word of the delays and frustration gets transmitted to the general public. And it become the famous saying... "no one goes there anymore, it's to crowded". And it will be the reason.

FP+ takes research in advance of your trip and then persistence. Eventually you will get that FP. You have to be willing to work for it. But that’s something many don’t want to do so if that’s the case then maybe to you it would seem “unfair” but it was equal opportunity with FP+ for any resort guests because it was free so just because you don’t have the persistence and patience to score a FP doesn’t make the entire system unfair. That’s ridiculous. Because it was offered free to all resort guests, there is a absolutely nothing unfair about it. Bring it back Disney!

 

[FantasiaMickey2000]

That's the thing though...a vacation shouldn't be that complicated to successfully plan.

It’s not complicated.
Step 1. Before trip, select 3 fastpasses.
Step 2. Use said 3 fastpasses.
Step 3. Open app, find new fastpass.
Step 4. Use new fastpass.
Step 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until park close.

I have never gone on a vacation that I didn’t have to research. Where to stay, where to eat, what to do while I’m there, etc. Fastpasses make it so you never have to stand more than an hour in line for any attraction. And if you keep getting them throughout the day as the system is designed, you will be able to ride a handful of rides more than if there were no fastpass system at all.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

It’s not complicated.
Step 1. Before trip, select 3 fastpasses.
Step 2. Use said 3 fastpasses.
Step 3. Open app, find new fastpass.
Step 4. Use new fastpass.
Step 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until park close.

I have never gone on a vacation that I didn’t have to research. Where to stay, where to eat, what to do while I’m there, etc. Fastpasses make it so you never have to stand more than an hour in line for any attraction. And if you keep getting them throughout the day as the system is designed, you will be able to ride a handful of rides more than if there were no fastpass system at all.

I'm not just talking about fastpasses.

 

[Jrb1979]

It’s not complicated.
Step 1. Before trip, select 3 fastpasses.
Step 2. Use said 3 fastpasses.
Step 3. Open app, find new fastpass.
Step 4. Use new fastpass.
Step 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until park close.

I have never gone on a vacation that I didn’t have to research. Where to stay, where to eat, what to do while I’m there, etc. Fastpasses make it so you never have to stand more than an hour in line for any attraction. And if you keep getting them throughout the day as the system is designed, you will be able to ride a handful of rides more than if there were no fastpass system at all.

You know what is less complicated? Universal's system. No booking required, just get in line.

 

[FantasiaMickey2000]

You know what is less complicated? Universal's system. No booking required, just get in line.

You ready to pay for that though?

 

[MisterPenguin]

You know what is less complicated? Universal's system. No booking required, just get in line.

...really long lines in queues with overly loud and repetitive soundtracks.

You can do that, too, in WDW. But before anyone complains about the FP line-cutters making their wait longer than it has to be... Universal also has line-cutter options which make your wait in their stand-by lines longer than it needs to be.

Don't know how anyone can really say the Universal model is significantly better from the point of view that one just "gets in line."

 

[jinx8402]

You ready to pay for that though?

He wants to pay 200 per person per day for the right to do that