Disney to increase the number of FastPass+ entitlements per day and include park hopping

[PrincessMia]

I am excited by this but still feel I'll be kind of out of luck if my FP+ are pre-booked in the afternoon. I still have to do only stand-by in the mornings. So- do I want to go to my preferred park in the morning and take my chances for FP+ in the afternoons? Hmmm, will need to think more about it (and read the rest of this thread as I'm sure lots of people have the same question).

 

[Slowjack]

It was very clear to most that this was *always* the plan. And of course now people are claiming it is because of their incessant whining that this is happening. "Disney is listening". No, Disney is implementing a complex, multi-year IT system that has to be phased in over time. Park Hopping and >3 elements have *always* been the plan and to believe otherwise is absolutely a reflection on your own cynicism, not them. After being chided and derided so many times about this, it feels good to finally be vindicated.

(emphasis added) Wait a minute. Scaggs is publicly saying these additions are in response to guest comments, not part of the original plan. It seems to me that accepting the truth of his words would be the non-cynical position here, and assuming he's lying would be the cynical position.

 

[flynnibus]

(emphasis added) Wait a minute. Scaggs is publicly saying these additions are in response to guest comments, not part of the original plan. It seems to me that accepting the truth of his words would be the non-cynical position here, and assuming he's lying would be the cynical position.

Assuming he has anything to do with the words in general I would call naive. Don't think for a minute the chairman sat down for an hour last night and drafted up this blog post. Be it press releases or blog posts... these are manufactured bodies of work from staff that they review and have their name attached to.

The question is more of.. is this a pivot? Or simply the next steps in the rollout. Considering they have yet to address all audiences... I'm leaning towards 'incomplete' and not purely 'guest satisfaction'.

 

[awilliams4]

It was very clear to most that this was *always* the plan.

If that is true, they are hanging out at some other board. All the ones that hang out here are the ones that insist Disney is ruined, FP+ is the worst thing ever and they are never coming back. Then a day later, they remind everyone they aren't coming back....rinse and repeat over and over again.

 

[awilliams4]

After being chided and derided so many times about this, it feels good to finally be vindicated.

You should go back to all the hater posts that chided you and reply with a link to this thread.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Happy for this much needed decision, the only downside to this is everyone who vacationed from late January up until this change that was restricted to 3 at one park per day and could not add or modify on their phone. They were the "test dummies"

 

[Obi]

is it possible, with the magicbands now being sold retail, that somewhere down the road the people who stay onsite would have access to every fp line, for the rides, without needing to have fp's to get in line while the people who are staying offsite, that purchase a magicband when they get to the park, still have to get fp's to use the fp line? As in it being an extra perk for those staying onsite or have ap's.

 

[bhg469]

I guarantee that the roll out of additional days and adding park hopping is just preceding the up charge for such perks. Give it a few months of the roll out and you will start to hear rumblings of it.

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

While reading the blog post, I just kept expecting to read this new option was available for only $19.95. Lol

An interesting way to get some money out of this would be to offer advanced planning for any FP+ attractions over the initial 3 for only $5 each. I just can not see WDW failing to capitalize on this somehow (in addition to the data mining benefit, of course)

There is just too much capital involved in FP+ to let this slide by. It may not happen during the "test period", but it will happen.

 

[Crafty]

I believe that the original plan was for Disney to charge for FP+. I also believe that that is still the plan. Once everyone gets used to using them and planning their days in advance, then the additional costs will come. The longer wait times on B and C level rides will push people into buying lots of fastpasses.

I have never known Disney to give something away free if they could charge for it. Under the legacy system, they couldn't charge for the fastpasses because no system was in place. Now the system is almost in place.

Multi-day park tickets used to automatically include park hopping and were non-expiring. Now you pay extra for both those perks. The fastpasses could shortly be another option in the MYW tickets.

 

[orky8]

I believe that the original plan was for Disney to charge for FP+. I also believe that that is still the plan. Once everyone gets used to using them and planning their days in advance, then the additional costs will come. The longer wait times on B and C level rides will push people into buying lots of fastpasses.

I have never known Disney to give something away free if they could charge for it. Under the legacy system, they couldn't charge for the fastpasses because no system was in place. Now the system is almost in place.

Multi-day park tickets used to automatically include park hopping and were non-expiring. Now you pay extra for both those perks. The fastpasses could shortly be another option in the MYW tickets.

Why? Disney could have easily charged under the old system for an unlimited FP card, or for X number of "golden" FPs that were good at any attraction. But they didn't. Can we maybe not complain about them charging for FP+ until they actually, you know, charge for FP+?

 

[monothingie]

Nope, just purple. Its absence was really the only thing that had me scratching my head when this whole thing started.

 

[kap91]

Can we maybe not complain about them charging for FP+ until they actually, you know, charge for FP+?

Nope. Not here on this board.

 

[AndyS2992]

Perfect. Remove the tiers, if haven't done so already and it will be just like the original FastPass, in fact even better. Very happy with this

 

[olinecoach61]

Sounds like a good modification to me.

 

[Lord_Vader]

Nothing really, but there were some unexpected side effect from the prototypes.

And yet they managed to get blue to work without the negative side effects!

 

[flynnibus]

I have never known Disney to give something away free if they could charge for it

Magical Express? And lots of others... transportation, FP, EMH, etc.
They could have sold the old FP system... but chose to make it free (there is no reason the FP machines had to be free to use..).

If they will change going forward is yet to be seen (my money is on no.. but maybe they can offer higher levels for a price).

 

[alissafalco]

When will we be able to do this?

 

[Karenb64]

Can anyone tell me about current availability of day-of fastpasses? It seems I read early on that off-site guests and those who didn't pre-select were frustrated by lack of availability. Is this still the case. What time in the morning do fps run out for TSM or Soarin? I'm wondering if the best strategy might by to skip pre-selecting all together so I have the whole day open for grabbing fps.

 

[LucyK]

Will we be able to reserve a FP+ for rides we previously used a FP+ for? What about tiers? Can we select a tier one FP+ more than once?