After some info on history

[Goofyernmost]

That wasn't always the case. There was a time I would always keep the previous KTTW card in my wallet. On one trip I took that one out instead and the kiosk spat out a ticket. Needless to say, on my subsequent trip a few months later, I may have brought some previous cards. That loophole lasted about a year from the time I did that the first time.

Yes, I vaguely remembered that it had a short life, but I wasn't there during that time and wouldn't have done it that way anyway. We all moved together and most of that time I traveled solo.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

You could have only one Fastpass at a time unless the return window was more than two hours after you’ve made the reservation in which then you could make a second one after two hours. Fastpass was free for all guests, no special treatment for on property guests and as stated above it was at a more limited set of attractions. Disneyland largely uses the original system today, although There is now an option to reserve electronically for a small fee.

You could indeed have two paper fastpasses. Read the paper FP someone else posted.

In the morning, if you arrived early you'd get a paper FP with a return time of like 9:20am. At 9:20am (start of your FP time window), you could collect your 2nd FP. People ONLY had to wait two hours (between FP) IF their RETURN time was more than 2 hours from when they obtained that FP.

As the day progressed...the time you collected the FP, and the time you could use your paper FP got further.

Also, if yo got a paper FP for a very popular ride, the early return time FP went very quickly. For TSM, if you pulled a FP at 9:05AM you might get a return time of 10:30am. if you pulled your FP just a few minutes later, you might get a return time of 1pm. If you slept, and only arrived at HS at 10:30am, you likely weren't getting a TSM FP at all, unless it happened to be a slow HS day.

On a slow day, if nobody was pulling FP, then the return window times might also get close for less desirable FP. One could often pull a FP for something like Livin' with the Land that opened up a few minutes later. (just time to have a snack, and spend a little $.)

The FP image above shows that FP was pulled at 6:27pm, with a return time of 7:06pm. That must have been a slow day. This person would have been able to pull another FP at 7:06pm, assuming anything was left at that time. Since the person never used this FP, it was likely they didn't return to Soarin' or when they returned, the standby line was very short. (that how I still have my own stack of paper FP).

As someone else stated, for a number of years, CM's were a bit lax. One could never use a FP before the start of the time window, but WDW has never been super reliable on their end: buses that didn't arrive, ride breakdowns, seating people WELL past their ADR times, very slow meals. Most CM's would allow late FP.

I'm pretty certain that's how we discovered the loophole. Space Mtn was down, and CM said no problem. then it happened again at Splash. the only ride that tended to be VERY strict was Soarin'.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

To answer OP's question....

You are saying you went in October 2001, so that would be just after 9/11, at a low crowd time of year. So lines would have been very short for every attraction. If you had stayed club level in that time you would have been given a gold Key to the Kingdom card.

Around that time, WDW offered premium packages. They were always priced above what I was willing to pay, so I don't recall specifics, but they were kind of all-inclusive. Generally, they were priced as though one could be three places at once. So you REALLY had to run around to even begin to do everything that was included. Like water parks, parks, eating four big meals, para-sailling, pony rides, archery, regular golf, etc. I think the top level was called golden package or something. It may have had a in-park FP portion. I never bought it, because it sounded exhausting, and above what I was willing to pay.

I'm not sure they included the perk you describe though, but maybe because I never did it.

Disney has used club level over the years too, to try and introduce/sample new 'premium' perks ideas. Before they introduced paying for extra FP, they sampled a program where CL guests could text a CM and the CM would book extra FP. There was another one too, where people were given a computer in their hotel room to book extra stuff, but both were short lived trials.

 

[Kane88]

You could indeed have two paper fastpasses. Read the paper FP someone else posted.

In the morning, if you arrived early you'd get a paper FP with a return time of like 9:20am. At 9:20am (start of your FP time window), you could collect your 2nd FP. People ONLY had to wait two hours (between FP) IF their RETURN time was more than 2 hours from when they obtained that FP.

If you read my post, I did say one fastpass at a time. I never said you could only make one for the entire day.

 

[bdearl41]

Yeah, I remember the paper tickets very well. Back before all this hi-tech nonsense.

Disclaimer: Before any of you want to respond with "OK boomer" just know I'm 34. lol

I’m about the same age. Yea the old fast pass system was much much better.

 

[PurpleMan]

I’m about the same age. Yea the old fast pass system was much much better.

I'm old fashioned.

 

[bdearl41]

I’d prefer they do away with all fast passes frankly. Then everything would have a line that moves quickly.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I’d prefer they do away with all fast passes frankly. Then everything would have a line that moves quickly.

Wait all lines moved quickly prior to Fastpass? I can recall waiting 90 minutes for many of them which really sucked for my mom that did not want to ride things like Splash, Space, Thunder, TOT...

 

[bdearl41]

Wait all lines moved quickly prior to Fastpass? I can recall waiting 90 minutes for many of them which really sucked for my mom that did not want to ride things like Splash, Space, Thunder, TOT...

well in early May they weren’t bad lines. That’s always when we went. 30-45 usually for best rides back then.

 

[Jon81uk]

Wait all lines moved quickly prior to Fastpass? I can recall waiting 90 minutes for many of them which really sucked for my mom that did not want to ride things like Splash, Space, Thunder, TOT...

But the same number of standby people in what was a 90 minute line with no FastPass would be a 4 hour standby line with it as the FP holders would slow the line down. But it wouldn't actually get that long as some of the guests would now have a FP so they wouldn't need to join the standby. No FastPass wouldn't mean shorter waits, just quicker moving lines.

But a standby line will move quicker with 100% of capacity is dedicated too it, that doesn't mean the wait will be low, as a lot of guests will want to ride, but it will keep moving quicker as no-one gets to "jump the line".

 

[bdearl41]

But the same number of standby people in what was a 90 minute line with no FastPass would be a 4 hour standby line with it as the FP holders would slow the line down. But it wouldn't actually get that long as some of the guests would now have a FP so they wouldn't need to join the standby. No FastPass wouldn't mean shorter waits, just quicker moving lines.

But a standby line will move quicker with 100% of capacity is dedicated too it, that doesn't mean the wait will be low, as a lot of guests will want to ride, but it will keep moving quicker as no-one gets to "jump the line".

Plus when you’re constantly moving in the line at least you feel like you’re getting somewhere instead of folks non stop walking by you.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

If you read my post, I did say one fastpass at a time. I never said you could only make one for the entire day.

And again, this is incorrect, because you could indeed have two legitimate paper FP at a time (in less than 2 hours), as I explained in my earlier post.

 

[Kane88]

And again, this is incorrect, because you could indeed have two legitimate paper FP at a time (in less than 2 hours), as I explained in my earlier post.

At the start of the redemption window. I apologize that I assumed that people redeemed their FastPass first. My family would often show up at the 10 minutes before the window began. technicalities...