Big changes coming to FASTPASS in March

[puntagordabob]

Not a fan of this... there are so many variables that can disrupt your ability to return during the window..... ranging from ride breakdowns to almost any other delay you can imagine.... If they are serious about the windows then they need to greatly expand them....or allow you to pick your return time window frm a list of those windows not currently locked.

 

[menamechris]

I can not believe in anyway shape or form that they "endorse" or "encourage" late arrival.

They have. Sorry you missed it. There are several links in this thread to cast members informing crowds of people. You missed those too.

 

[CoasterKing]

This is wrong. Most FP trips see a 20 minute wait. Heck, it is 15 from the glasses pick alone.

We typically go during offseason times (if their is such a thing anymore). We usually never wait more than 10 minutes and probably closer to 5 when using TSMM FP's. Maybe during the summer months it will back up longer.

CoasterKing
:king:

 

[markc]

Stupid stupid stupid stupid idea Disney. Not only is the idea pointless (as KevinYee pointed out, late arrivals do NOT affect the overall wait times at attractions...it all evens out), but you're going to deal with a helluva lot of ed off guests during their busiest time (Spring Break) as this is rolled out.

How much do any of you want to take bets that this rather thoughtless idea is pulled back a week later?! If the angry guests wont be the sole catalyst that will do it, it will be the frazzled cast members who will refuse to put up being abused by guests who get upset over this.

 

[CoasterKing]

They have. Sorry you missed it. There are several links in this thread to cast members informing crowds of people. You missed those too.

No, I read them. But none of those posts said anything about the CM's speaking aloud to the crowds around the FP machines or at the ride entrance. The way I read the post was they just spoke to them. I have never heard a CM encourage anyone while I was getting Fp's, nor has any CM specifically encouraged me as we made small talk while I was in line.

So the fact that they arbitrarily only tell certain guests and not others seems fair to you?

CoasterKing
:king:

 

[CoasterKing]

Or it could be that the ride broke down for awhile. :shrug:

True, I guess it could have been a ride breakdown.

CoasterKing
:king:

 

[menamechris]

No, I read them. But none of those posts said anything about the CM's speaking aloud to the crowds around the FP machines or at the ride entrance. The way I read the post was they just spoke to them. I have never heard a CM encourage anyone while I was getting Fp's, nor has any CM specifically encouraged me as we made small talk while I was in line.

So the fact that they arbitrarily only tell certain guests and not others seems fair to you?

There are videolinks in this thread of cast members announcing fast passes are valid past the hour window.

It's not an issue of fairness. Is it fair that Disney doesn't advertise that you have to make a reservation to eat at the castle 6 months in advance? No, it's your responsiblity to find that information out. Disney doesn't have to spend advertising dollars to inform guests of any policies. If guests want to find these things out - there are ample resources. Or like most people, learn by word of mouth or experience. Clearly, that worked just fine in this instance....

 

[Thrill Seeker]

Well, if this is true, I should hear all about it when I go back to work on Wed... This is news to attractions CMs because I hadn't heard about this until now.

 

[WDW1974]

I know I'm in the minority here, but if you ask me, that's EXACTLY the same subject.

Minority because you're (relatively) sane or because you've put out a few books in your time?

First time visitors were always at a disadvantage to regulars because they were told "it didn't matter... use FP or not, it's up to you."

First timers in ANYTHING are always at a disadvantage, though. Would we have so many teen pregnancies and STDs otherwise? (another MAGICal subject but the point is valid).

You learn by experience and very few first-time WDW visitors are going to be able to compete with regulars/APers/locals/etc. in much of anything.

And at the risk of giving Disney kudos, I would say that they should be aiming at the largest amount of guests possible (that's their convenient excuse when they do dumb stuff so why not here?) ... most guests at Disney parks on a given day are not first-timers.

This isn't Shanghai.

The reality is, not using FP meant going on 3-4 fewer rides per day. We've had a de facto class system in place for 12 years.

Is this the class warfare the GOP is talking about? I say we go after everyone that's worth over $54.23. Who's with me?

That's even WITHOUT the 'abuse' (as you call it) - which isn't really abuse when Disney endorsed the practice.

Is it abuse if you avoid the line with 10 people at the main entrance and go to the line with one person?

Disney didn't endorse the practice so much as ignore it and allow CMs to do likewise ... so maybe they did!

Oh, and as stated I love walking in front of dozens of people who simply don't understand that a green arrow means 'ENTER HERE DIMWIT!'

I would much rather that Disney do away with ALL ride reservations. I saw the problems back in 1999 on the very first gol'darned test of the system in 1999: http://www.wdwmagic.com/Other/fastpass/News/02Apr1999-Ride-Reservation-System.htm

On a completely unrelated matter and one I was gonna stick in the Social Media thread, but do you know Josh Hallett from Voce and how much influence he wields with the Celebration Place Social Media Cabal?

~That dude is scary!~

 

[muteki]

My prediction is that April 2012 will look a lot like April 2011 in the standby line. The late return people is a great scapegoat until you think on a 'system' level.

If they didn't return at 3pm for a 3pm-4pm fastpass, then that means the 3pm standby line was moving fast! (and yes, it means the 9pm standby line was moving slowly)

If you enforce return times, you speed up the 9pm standby line... but slow down the 3pm standby line.

I'm not expecting a big difference on this count.

The bottom line is, you have a certain number of people that are going to be placed ahead of Standby on a given day. The way the current system works, a larger amount of those people are going to return later in the day (and not just 8pm+, the 8-9am FPers are going to return at 11am, the 10am at 2pm, etc). In the current system, there is a greater chance any one person will use their FP because they have all day to do it.

In the new system, the certain number of people that will be placed ahead of standby will be forced to even the load throughout the day, or don't ride at all. In this system it is more likely that any one person may not use their FP because they missed it.

Even amount of FP returns throughout the day + less overall FP returns is better IMO than an uneven distribution with more FP returns.

Another example: If I get in standby at ride X at 4pm, then the possibility exists that the FP returns for that hour of time + all previous returns could get in front of me. In the stricter system, if I got in standby at 4pm, I would be competing with that hour of time and only that our of time for a space in line. Now, sometimes that may make a difference, sometimes it may not, but I would rather be put in the latter situation than the former.

 

[figment5002000]

First off I would like to thank everyone one for a good laugh. Readding all 16 pages worth was a good laugh. The excuse for using fast pass after its time was very funny. The time for comming back for the fastpass is posted so you should no before hand it it during your ADR and if you can make it back in time.

All this about cast membner saying it okay to come back when ever you want with the fast pass is just stupid. Just because a castmember tells you something doesn't mean it right or that you should do it. If a castmember said to jump from astro orbiters whould you?

Most of this is common sense. I think being strick with the time window on the fast pass is a good thing. Weather it will make the line move faster or be shorter on the fast pass side and stand by lines only time will tell.
:lol::lol::lol::ROFLOL::ROFLOL:

 

[CoasterKing]

There are videolinks in this thread of cast members announcing fast passes are valid past the hour window.

It's not an issue of fairness. Is it fair that Disney doesn't advertise that you have to make a reservation to eat at the castle 6 months in advance? No, it's your responsiblity to find that information out. Disney doesn't have to spend advertising dollars to inform guests of any policies. If guests want to find these things out - there are ample resources. Or like most people, learn by word of mouth or experience. Clearly, that worked just fine in this instance....

I found one videolink of one "Streetmasphere" actor saying it. He was not a CM around any FP machines nor at a ride entrance, nor even near a ride. The only way you would have known that little tidbit about FP would have been to be luckily walking by him at that exact quick 10 second moment he mentioned it.

"Disney doesn't have to spend advertising dollars to inform guests of any policies." Really, you're going with that. So what about the park maps with guidelines and policies. What about all the signage in front of the park explaining what you can and can't take in the parks. What about all the signs explaining height restrictions on various rides. What about all the brochures you get when checking in the hotels explaining the various policies. I'll stop there, but everywhere you see some sign or brochure explaining many of Disney policies.

And when I get a FP ticket that clearly states "Arrive between 1:00 and 2:00PM, the first thing that comes to my mind is not "Yeah, it says between 1:00 and 2:00 clearly, but is that what it really means. I think I need some clarafication on what between 1:00 and 2:00 means." What I think is "Well if I intend to use this FP later today, I better be there sometime between 1:00 and 2:00."

CoasterKing
:king:

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

And when I get a FP ticket that clearly states "Arrive between 1:00 and 2:00PM, the first thing that comes to my mind is not "Yeah, it says between 1:00 and 2:00 clearly, but is that what it really means. I think I need some clarafication on what between 1:00 and 2:00 means." What I think is "Well if I intend to use this FP later today, I better be there sometime between 1:00 and 2:00."

CoasterKing
:king:

Not even the new policy will address your concern, and I doubt Disney will start advertising that you can use FP's 5 minutes early. I'm afraid you'll just have to deal with it.

And by the way, if you ever decide to use a fastpass early now, you'll be a total hypocrite, since it contradicts this 'fairness to the uninformed guest' that you so passionately advocate. IMO, that's worse than being a 'scammer' who follows Disney's policies.

 

[Pseybert]

Completely. I had a unfortunate feeling that this would be the next step after the dining reservation credit card guarantees. However, I also hope this means that when I take a serious concern to guest relations the answer won't always be "here's a FastPass.." It is personally offensive to me that management feels a FastPass cures all complaints - as opposed to actually addressing a problem...

Can you provide an actual example, and a reasonable response to what you would rather have been given or had done rather than receiving FastPasses?

 

[CoasterKing]

Not even the new policy will address your concern, and I doubt Disney will start advertising that you can use FP's 5 minutes early. I'm afraid you'll just have to deal with it.

And by the way, if you ever decide to use a fastpass early now, you'll be a total hypocrite, since it contradicts this 'fairness to the uninformed guest' that you so passionately advocate. IMO, that's worse than being a 'scammer' who follows Disney's policies.

Actually this new policy will address my concerns, for if you read all my posts, you would have known that the problem is the hoarders who have no intention of keeping their FP times. The casual person, who truly intended to keep his time window, but honestly came up a few minutes late, I can see exceptions made. And this new policy will prevent the hoarders from accumulating them all day and trying to use them all at once at night. Does it not??

And for your information, I don't plan on using my FP early, so I'm not a total hypocrite, nor am I contradicting the "fairness to uninformed guests".

But if you were to start going around shooting and killing people, then that would make you a murderer. IMO, being a murderer is much worse than being a "scammer".

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Actually this new policy will address my concerns, for if you read all my posts, you would have known that the problem is the hoarders who have no intention of keeping their FP times. The casual person, who truly intended to keep his time window, but honestly came up a few minutes late, I can see exceptions made. And this new policy will prevent the hoarders from accumulating them all day and trying to use them all at once at night. Does it not??

And for your information, I don't plan on using my FP early, so I'm not a total hypocrite, nor am I contradicting the "fairness to uninformed guests".

But if you were to start going around shooting and killing people, then that would make you a murderer. IMO, being a murderer is much worse than being a "scammer".

I was using the word 'scammer' because I'm pretty sure you used it in reference to people following Disney's current FP policy. I'd rather be a 'scammer' in your eyes than a hypocrite based on your unnecessarily strict judgment on when it's okay to use a fastpass.

What's with these bizarre parallels between using a fastpass early/late and beating people (TalkingHead) and murdering people? Wow. If murder is what comes to mind when you're discussing Disney World with someone, I'm very happy I don't know you in person.

 

[menamechris]

Can you provide an actual example, and a reasonable response to what you would rather have been given or had done rather than receiving FastPasses?

FastPasses are often used to "shoo" you away. Since FP began, there have been instances where I have gone into guest services to mention concerns or problems in the parks. Now, the cast member sometimes won't even write down (or type in) what you are saying...they will simply reply "I am so sorry to hear that...can I get you a FastPass for your inconvenience?" It has taken the place of actually handling problems. Many people on vacation are probably more than thrilled with that result. As a local, I find it insulting. Like so many other things, Disney's line of thinking is more "This person won't be back in 5 years anyways..." and that needs to stop.

 

[menamechris]

Actually this new policy will address my concerns, for if you read all my posts, you would have known that the problem is the hoarders who have no intention of keeping their FP times. The casual person, who truly intended to keep his time window, but honestly came up a few minutes late, I can see exceptions made. And this new policy will prevent the hoarders from accumulating them all day and trying to use them all at once at night. Does it not??

The point being made was that no cast member is going to stand at the FP dispensers yelling..."You can come back 5 minutes before your window, or 15 minutes after!!" According to what you previously posted, that would be the only way that policy would be fair. It probably also won't be in the Times Guide or park brochure. The point being...Disney creates its own policies. Up until this March, the policy has been a certain way. Now it will be different. But there are MANY policies that are not advertised. Who are we really kidding...Disney scams its customers far more than anyone could ever "scam" a FP system. Holiday pricing seems to immediately pop to mind....

 

[Timekeeper]

The bottom line is, you have a certain number of people that are going to be placed ahead of Standby on a given day. The way the current system works, a larger amount of those people are going to return later in the day (and not just 8pm+, the 8-9am FPers are going to return at 11am, the 10am at 2pm, etc). In the current system, there is a greater chance any one person will use their FP because they have all day to do it.

Based on your proposed hypothetical, there will always be a handful of people that "return later in the day." That, in itself, would work against the "uneven distribution" that you're afraid of. The standby queue would not be noticeably impacted because the 1-2pm person that returns late at 4pm is only taking the spot of the 3-4pm person who returns late at 6pm, and so on.

There's no secret conspiracy among hundreds and thousands of complete strangers to all return late at the same time just to delay your standby wait time.

In the new system, the certain number of people that will be placed ahead of standby will be forced to even the load throughout the day, or don't ride at all. In this system it is more likely that any one person may not use their FP because they missed it.

And this is a good thing? I can see the press release now, Disney provides a feature that's been in use for a decade and then implements a policy which seeks to decrease the number of guests who can successfully make use of that feature... I surely hope that's not the angle that Disney PR decides to take on the matter. There always have been, and always will be, guests who do not use their FastPasses. I'd hate to think that there's a ploy to increase that.

Even amount of FP returns throughout the day + less overall FP returns is better IMO than an uneven distribution with more FP returns.

As stated above, so long as some guests always return late for any given attraction throughout the day, there will be no "uneven distribution." There is no conspiracy, I promise. :lookaroun

A

Another example: If I get in standby at ride X at 4pm, then the possibility exists that the FP returns for that hour of time + all previous returns could get in front of me. In the stricter system, if I got in standby at 4pm, I would be competing with that hour of time and only that our of time for a space in line. Now, sometimes that may make a difference, sometimes it may not, but I would rather be put in the latter situation than the former.

All previous returns will get in front of you? There's a better chance of me winning a night stay in the castle suite ...on my birthday.

Repeat after me, "There is no conspiracy... There is no conspiracy.. There is no conspiracy..."

 

[draybook]

I've seen it happen...*cough*Braziliantourgroup*cough*

And where are your pictures or video of those Brazilians tickets to show that they were late for their FP time?

Irrelevant. That's no longer policy.


7:00-8:00. Not 7:00-come back whenever you'd like.


These excuses people are coming up with are ridiculous. Like most people said, the average guest will not know any different. After going for over 15 years (the past 6 years going once a month at the minimum), I've never, not once heard a CM say "you can come back after the allowed time". Not saying it hasn't been said by a CM. But it's not like everyone who goes up to get a FP is being told to come back as they please.

I see little ripple effect because of this, and I hope it stays.

Uh, did you read the article? They're not enforcing it until the 7th of March, hence it is still possible to show up 4 hours late for your FP window. And how is the "excuse" of Disney PROMOTES their CM's to allow it is ridiculous? You say you've never seen a CM do that, well I've posted a picture on here before of FP's that some DVC CM's gave me for TSMM. They gave them to my son and I around 8:30pm and the FP's were for like 7:30AM-8:30AM. How do you explain that one, considering the park isn't even open until 9am, or 8am on a EMH day?

Yes, it's about time !! :sohappy::sohappy:

Finally, justice for all you scammers.

CoasterKing
:king:

You clearly have no understanding of the word "scam".






Gotta get ready for work so I'll have to stop at page 10. But to recap, Disney is NOT officially enforcing it yet and the FP's do have a window but the FP itself says NO early arrival but NOTHING about tardiness. I'll catch up on this thread on break!