Additional Disney FASTPASS Locations and New Disney MaxPass Coming to Disneyland Resort

[mickEblu]

Don't you think a dining/show package with preferred seating is different than upcharging outright? I'm not giving dining packages a pass, but it's not the same.

Ehhhh. It's a gray area.

 

[RandomPrincess]

This is another thing like the dining plan where you have to do math and figure out if it saves money or not. For 2 people who are already using photopass this would benefit my son and I.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Because Disney is offering a much more robust and technically advanced FP system at it's 4 Florida parks for free. It's indisputable that Disney can charge whatever it wants, and usually I go along with it, but this is one of those times where it's hard to understand the justification.

But wouldn't you say that's only fair if Disneyland were implementing that same system in it's entirety and then charging for it? Disneyland is basically releasing an App with the ability to make your Fastpass selection anywhere, versus at the kiosks all around the parks. You pay for the convenience. The system is the exact same, just digital. They still offer the free version, you just have to walk a bit more.

I would except the argument if we were getting WDW's system and then were charging to use it, but they are not.

 

[yookeroo]

One way to get a good deal out of it would be for one person to get it for one day and then get a boatload of ride and in park photos. But I always take a picture of the monitor after the ride is over with my phone and am happy enough with the results.

Yeah. I wound think it's well worth $10 if you have any interest in Photopass.

I don't really know enough about MM+ to form a valid opinion but I know I don't like the thought of reservations for rides 3 months out.

I loved this. And there's only a few rides that need this lead time.

It's free at WDW...

Photopass has never been free at WDW. You can think of this as a Fastpass offer with Photopass thrown in. Or you can think of this as a Photopass offer with Fastpass features thrown in. It's potentially a real good deal for Photopass users.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I'm more upset about Matterhorn and TSMM getting the FP option than this mobile FP option they're offering.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I'm more upset about Matterhorn and TSMM getting the FP option than this mobile FP option they're offering.

Me too.

 

[180º]

I'm more upset about Matterhorn and TSMM getting the FP option than this mobile FP option they're offering.

I'm mad about that too, but that's just stupidity, and something I hope they learn in time the same way the previous management did. The paid Fastpass thing is sheer, remorseless greed and that bothers me a little more. Before this news I was actually looking forward to app-based Fastpass. It's all a bummer.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I'm mad about that too, but that's just stupidity, and something I hope they learn in time the same way the previous management did. The paid Fastpass thing is sheer, remorseless greed and that bothers me a little more. Before this news I was actually looking forward to app-based Fastpass. It's all a bummer.

Oh, no doubt this mobile FP crap is another cash grab from the Disney Dummies. Since the traditional FP option is still available, for now, I'm not as angry as I could be. I couldn't care less about Photopass and I have no problems walking around the parks for my Fastpasses. I'll be damned if I pay $10 when I can kindly walk for an FP for $free.99. Seriously, the walks between the attractions aren't even bad. A walk from Splash to Space would take 5-10 mins. It never takes me more than 15 minutes to get from attraction to attraction.

 

[Californian Elitist]

@raven24 When are you gonna make the Disney Dummies thread?

Coincidentally, I was actually thinking of doing just that tonight lol.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

But wouldn't you say that's only fair if Disneyland were implementing that same system in it's entirety and then charging for it? Disneyland is basically releasing an App with the ability to make your Fastpass selection anywhere, versus at the kiosks all around the parks. You pay for the convenience. The system is the exact same, just digital. They still offer the free version, you just have to walk a bit more.

I hear you, and I see your point, but my main issue with this is that Disney now has one virtual queuing service that is free and one that is not. Regular FP is a convenience perk, so why not charge for it too? The advantages of the new system aren't so beneficial that people appear to be running out to pay for them without hesitation. Bottom line is there's no legitimate reason I can see for charging for this new service other than Disney looking for an easy way to upsell.

 

[BrianLo]

For folks upset about Matterhorn and TSMM, do any of you currently ride either attraction consistently more than once in a day? I'm trying to understand what you guys personally hate about FP on those attractions.

I guess some of you are local and your visit probably looks very different than mine. If you never are there for opening, I think this make your visits significantly worse than mine that it likely makes significantly better.


Also for me it's not just about the park traversal. I'm usually pretty good about positioning myself for my next FP as soon as it opens. For me the big thing is planning the shows around FP kiosk retrieval. Now I don't have to delay seeing one of the fantasy faire shows if my FP window opens five minutes before it starts. Booking a FP from a line, or restaraunt or show or gift shop will make my days infinitely more enjoyable and less strategic. That's worth 10$ (for me specifically), but it will make absolutely zero difference in the number of FP I obtain as I already maximize that consistently.

I understand most people don't do that now that, and it makes it easier for those who pay. But it's not like the rules have changed in any way for those of us already Sauvy enough to 'work the system'. I work it hard as is. This doesn't allow me to work it more than I already do, it's just more convenient.

 

[mickEblu]

For folks upset about Matterhorn and TSMM, do any of you currently ride either attraction consistently more than once in a day? I'm trying to understand what you guys personally hate about FP on those attractions.

I guess some of you are local and your visit probably looks very different than mine. If you never are there for opening, I think this make your visits significantly worse than mine that it likely makes significantly better..

I go to the parks about 12x per year and I don't ride Matterhorn or TSMM more than once every 2-3 trips. Probably because they don't have FPs. In the past, TSMM was more of a priority for us but not recently. So are you implying that FPs for both of these attractions will run out in the morning/ early afternoon?

 

[BrianLo]

I go to the parks about 12x per year and I don't ride Matterhorn or TSMM more than once every 2-3 trips. Probably because they don't have FPs. In the past, TSMM was more of a priority for us but not recently. So are you implying that FPs for both of these attractions will run out in the morning/ early afternoon?

Yours is a visiting pattern that I kind of think FP helps. That's why I'm curious. If someone likes riding TSMM four times a day this is going to suck. But if you ride it once or even less infrequently, why care if the standby line is crappy if we never have to actually go through standby anymore.

I can't predict how fast they'll run out. I think they will be on the more desirable end, but DCA/DL are in a much better FP consistency positions than SDMT or TSMM are in MK/DHS. So hard to totally say. There are some rides I've literally never been through the standby queue of... I'll probably now add TSMM to that list, and that's really not something I'm upset about.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Yours is a visiting pattern that I kind of think FP helps. That's why I'm curious. If someone likes riding TSMM four times a day this is going to suck. But if you ride it once or even less infrequently, why care if the standby line is crappy if we never have to actually go through standby anymore.

I can't predict how fast they'll run out. I think they will be on the more desirable end, but DCA/DL are in a much better FP consistency positions than SDMT or TSMM are in MK/DHS. So hard to totally say. There are some rides I've literally never been through the standby queue of... I'll probably now add TSMM to that list, and that's really not something I'm upset about.

I just don't think TSMM has the capacity to support FP. So although DCA has a better situation then DHS, I imagine the FP availability will be limited, and run out fast.

 

[mickEblu]

Yours is a visiting pattern that I kind of think FP helps. That's why I'm curious. If someone likes riding TSMM four times a day this is going to suck. But if you ride it once or even less infrequently, why care if the standby line is crappy if we never have to actually go through standby anymore.

I can't predict how fast they'll run out. I think they will be on the more desirable end, but DCA/DL are in a much better FP consistency positions than SDMT or TSMM are in MK/DHS. So hard to totally say. There are some rides I've literally never been through the standby queue of... I'll probably now add TSMM to that list, and that's really not something I'm upset about.

I agree with you. I think I'll ride both of these attractions more now.

I don't think Matterhorn FPs will run out that early. If it's me, I'm still running to a Space Mountain FP when I get to the park to avoid that hour + line and boring queue. Matterhorn is on a second tier priority list for most guests behind Space, Splash, Indy, Star Tours etc.

I think Peter Pan is one I would actually grab before Space Mountain because that's a once a year ride for me currently.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Disney could end up charging per individual Maxpass. The big rides cost more, smaller rides cost less. Kind of like A-E ticket system.

Just a thought.

 

[Travel Junkie]

For folks upset about Matterhorn and TSMM, do any of you currently ride either attraction consistently more than once in a day? I'm trying to understand what you guys personally hate about FP on those attractions.

I guess some of you are local and your visit probably looks very different than mine. If you never are there for opening, I think this make your visits significantly worse than mine that it likely makes significantly better.


Also for me it's not just about the park traversal. I'm usually pretty good about positioning myself for my next FP as soon as it opens. For me the big thing is planning the shows around FP kiosk retrieval. Now I don't have to delay seeing one of the fantasy faire shows if my FP window opens five minutes before it starts. Booking a FP from a line, or restaraunt or show or gift shop will make my days infinitely more enjoyable and less strategic. That's worth 10$ (for me specifically), but it will make absolutely zero difference in the number of FP I obtain as I already maximize that consistently.

I understand most people don't do that now that, and it makes it easier for those who pay. But it's not like the rules have changed in any way for those of us already Sauvy enough to 'work the system'. I work it hard as is. This doesn't allow me to work it more than I already do, it's just more convenient.

One issue is that those rides are terrible choices for FP. They are are slow loaders and the already slow standby line will come to a screeching halt. It will make it really hard to justify waiting for them if you do not have a FP. The other issue is that generally speaking FP is for DLR. DCA can soak up crowds better, but DL needs people standing in queues so they aren't in the walkways. Even if I am not riding Matterhorn I am fighting through other people who should be in the Matterhorn queue but aren't because they have a FP. Also in Matterhorn's specific case, the way the line is set up is a recipe for crowd control disaster once FP is implemented.

As has been said before they tried adding more FP options to DL before and failed horribly.

 

[BrianLo]

One issue is that those rides are terrible choices for FP. They are are slow loaders and the already slow standby line will come to a screeching halt. It will make it really hard to justify waiting for them if you do not have a FP. The other issue is that generally speaking FP is for DLR. DCA can soak up crowds better, but DL needs people standing in queues so they aren't in the walkways. Even if I am not riding Matterhorn I am fighting through other people who should be in the Matterhorn queue but aren't because they have a FP. Also in Matterhorn's specific case, the way the line is set up is a recipe for crowd control disaster once FP is implemented.

As has been said before they tried adding more FP options to DL before and failed horribly.

TSMM shouldn't be that dissimilar to Soarin' though. Soarin' doesn't seem to give DCA too many problems having fast pass.

I think where FP is a disaster is if you take a attraction that already has borderline terrible lines without FP and then add FP to it. Specifically Peter Pan. Or a moderate-low capacity attraction in an under-served park like Epcot/DHS.

To give them credit, this seems a cautious approach. Adding a single attraction to FP to each park seems an ok strategy of re-testing the boundaries of sustainability. The worry was they could role it out at 4-5 additional DL attractions in one go.

Although perhaps the parks would be more equitable to all guests if FP didn't exist at all.

 

[mickEblu]

Although perhaps the parks would be more equitable to all guests if FP didn't exist at all.

Maybe. But I remember very clearly having to wait 45-60 minutes for all of the E tickets pre FP. I remember on a moderately busy day, we would be able to do a solid 10 attractions at a moderate pace including sit down lunch etc. I think thats still about the average number of attractions folks can realistically get on, even if they don't get there at rope drop or stay late enough for a last little furry of rides before park closing.

So flash forward, I can still get my 10 rides but here's the trade off. Instead of waiting 1 hour for Splash or Space I have to deal with the extra crowded walkways. As an AP who has been able to cherry pick great days (non crowded) to visit DLR, the FP system works better for me.

On another note, Splash and Space have to be the perfect FP rides. The usual FP wait times are like 5 minutes and the side effect (Stand by wait times) don't usually go over 45-60 minutes on a moderately busy day. I definitely don't miss waiting an hour To ride these attractions.

EDIT: I wonder what effect DCA being in existence plays in all of this because I am not exactly comparing apples to apples.

 

[DDLand]

I don't think this is a high crowd time in the parks. And I don't care if it's possible. I want to know that I can count on it. But I don't live near either of the resorts. When we get there, we're not able to go back next week and catch what we missed this week. We are likely to have one day in each of the parks and that's it until next time, which is typically a couple years away.

Then MyMagic+ is perfect for you. If you want peace of mind it's the real deal. Plus you don't have to wake up early either... That itself is spectacular! I did enjoy Shanghai's system of centralized FastPasses though. The systems in Anaheim, Hong Kong, and Tokyo are terribly antiquated.

There are three different discussions at play here that I think everyone is jumbling together.

1) Matterhorn and TSMM getting fast pass.
-Obviously this is going to be a disaster for their respective stand-by wait times. Selfishly these are two of the most aggravating stand by lines in the park. I personally can bypass Matterhorn with single rider, but TSMM is annoying even without fastpass. As it currently functions, it requires either rope dropping and losing out on the magic that is RSR single rider first thing, or waiting in a 30-45 min standby line. TSMM is always the longest ride I wait for in either park, there is just no avoiding it under the current system. Under the new system a fast pass should still be obtainable at rope drop and it's not like I would get on the ride more than once in stand by anyways. So personally it will save me the longest wait of my trip in either park. I'm a bit curious to see how it plays out though, DCA actually has a very high-priority Fast pass in RSR, unlike DHS which was TSMM or nothing.

Selfishly this will improve my DCA experience, but I'm sure it will hamper many others.

2) Electronic fastpass pick up
-This completely ignoring #3 is a good thing. This isn't the FP+ system, this is simply the current vanilla fast pass model without criss-crossing the park when your next window opens and back tracking to your former FP attraction. If anything, for what I would envision, I'd spend less time criss-crossing the park and therefore less time pushing through walk-ways. There is no denying that Fast Pass vanilla with paper tickets gravely changed guest flow and dumped people out of queues. An electronic delivery system, even if it was available to everyone, I honestly think will partially improve the previous damage by eliminating fast pass runners. Will FP run out more quickly? Perhaps. The convenience will allow more guests to adherently book another FP when the next window opens, but I don't see that change massively altering current distribution. I think the addition of a small number of FP via Matterhorn and TSMM would make up for that small bump. Minor changes to the FP window could easily be made if sell-out is truly impacted, which I highly doubt.

3) The 10 dollar cost
This I don't particularly get. You are paying 10$ for convenience. Someone up thread suggested the introductory price could be a way of soft launching the system without every single AP jumping on board day one. But the cost doesn't particularly make sense. $10 for wifi access as well? Ok, as a foreigner I'd see the value in that, I could avoid burning my data and paying my plans 5 dollar US roaming fee. 10$ for my FP solo convenience? I'd probably pay that too. 50$ per day for a family of five? Just get a FP runner. I don't understand the motivation for a cost. As people are worried about, the implications are potentially bad.

Excellent breakdown. I had all that in mind, but it's good to have that simplified. The bolded part in particular is a novel way of looking at the issue. Interesting (and logical) thought process.

My experiences most recently at Walt Disney World have been really good with the digital system. I can easily get 4 or 5 and I believe sometimes 6 FastPasses in a single day using MyMagic+. That was with no park crisscrossing. Compare that to my time at Tokyo on a semi busy day on average I reached 3 FastPasses. Now I'm not greatest FP strategist, but should I really have to be required to strategize? The Disneyland system should ensure better FastPass utilization by more individuals equally.

This change to digital could ultimately hurt the great FastPass warriors who run from attraction to attraction, weaving through the crowds, outsmarting the masses, but help everyone else who doesn't vacation like that. This is a needs of the many outweigh the few situation. This is all assuming that digital will ultimately become the everyday system, which I do.

This is what I would call an incremental step, not a longterm solution.