Fast passes

[Adam Snider]

I don’t know if this has been talked about but what do people think of fast passes? I like them when I have them but when I get in a stand by line I feel like we never move. The last trip we took seemed like every line was longer because they felt like they needed to get the fast pass people through. And even the fast pass lines were getting long.
My thought is what if they just got rid of them? I feel as if the lines would get shorter and it would seem like the lines would move quicker making it seem shorter?
What are your thoughts?

 

[spacemtnfanatic]

I don’t know if this has been talked about but what do people think of fast passes? I like them when I have them but when I get in a stand by line I feel like we never move. The last trip we took seemed like every line was longer because they felt like they needed to get the fast pass people through. And even the fast pass lines were getting long.
My thought is what if they just got rid of them? I feel as if the lines would get shorter and it would seem like the lines would move quicker making it seem shorter?
What are your thoughts?

The old system worked well and had a nice balance. Now they are a requirement to experience anything and with the limitations how how many you can get they essentially dictate you do not spend the day experiencing attractions but instead spend it walking around waiting for your times.

 

[Master Yoda]

I remember the days before fastpass when nothing but MK and Epcot existed and you were thrilled when the line for Space Mountain was under 2 hours in the summer. I have zero desire to return to those days.

 

[mergatroid]

I remember the days before fastpass when nothing but MK and Epcot existed and you were thrilled when the line for Space Mountain was under 2 hours in the summer. I have zero desire to return to those days.

Whilst I remember that too, I think the best system was the paper FP system with them only available on the day at the attraction (with less attractions having them).

 

[Master Yoda]

Whilst I remember that too, I think the best system was the paper FP system with them only available on the day at the attraction (with less attractions having them).

My opinions are a bit mixed between the two. I liked the simplicity of the old system, but I like the convenience of the new system.

Back in the old paper fastpass days I would find myself running to one attraction first thing in the morning to get that first faspass only to have to run to the other side of the park to meet up with my family to go on our first attraction. I don't miss that ritual one bit.

I don't really care for the tiered system with the new fastpass, but I get why it is needed. I am also not super hip on attractions that really do not need faspass having it, but again, I get why they do it. I do love being able to change things on the fly and not having to go to an attraction or an info board to see if I can get a fastpass for an attraction.

 

[Myth Maker]

I think a big difference between the old (paper FP) and the new FP+ is the sheer number of fast passes being distributed. I think that also has changed the game in the way things are experienced.

 

[mergatroid]

My opinions are a bit mixed between the two. I liked the simplicity of the old system, but I like the convenience of the new system.

Back in the old paper fastpass days I would find myself running to one attraction first thing in the morning to get that first faspass only to have to run to the other side of the park to meet up with my family to go on our first attraction. I don't miss that ritual one bit.

I don't really care for the tiered system with the new fastpass, but I get why it is needed. I am also not super hip on attractions that really do not need faspass having it, but again, I get why they do it. I do love being able to change things on the fly and not having to go to an attraction or an info board to see if I can get a fastpass for an attraction.

Agree with nearly all that my friend. My wife won't do any Mountains or fast rides so we used to get two from the FP machines (both for me) or she'd walk and get me one elsewhere whilst I'd use one. It worked well for us as she'd happily shop whilst I rode stuff but I can see problems if in a group like yourself.

 

[LaughingGravy]

I liked the older system better for two reasons. One, a printed souvenir Two, not needing to plan practically every hour of every day for the privilege of waiting on a shorter line on basically three attractions. It should be enough to book a trip for an amusement park with rides running all day to get in and just be able to do them.
As it is now, maybe my preference is to walk the parks clockwise. If the only available fastpass 30 days out( or whatever your window happens to be) in the am (before noon) for Space Mountain, is at 9:30 am, I can't really do that. I need to do all kinds of extra planning including checking back through an app or website multiple times to see if I can book a fast pass for when I might want to actually go on the ride without an hour plus wait time.

On our last trip, I did just that. I had everything planned out for me and DW. Upon arrival, after purchasing the magic band and having it activated, all my fastpasses were somehow cancelled, but we didn't know that until we showed up at the first fast pass. I knew my first fasspass was for Splash at 11:00 o'clock based on memory and being told I was all set by the cast member upon purchase and activation of the magic band.
Why would I question it? Castmember told me I was all set. They took my money with a smile.
We showed up at Splash at 11:05 only to be turned away and told to go back to the Town Square at the foot of Main st. where they had special castmembers to help us. It was only because DW chose to not get a magic band, that her ticket still had the scheduled rides as evidence, since she is my DW that the special castmember was somehow able to re-schedule MOST of my fastpasses to be within 20 min. of those of DW, with some changes. As a result, we were instructed to both go in together only after both fastpass start times had started.
I know it's a complex system, but at the time, it had been up and running for at least a year.
Add to all of this that my Mom was down and wanted to kind of plan with us, but still do her own thing, so we provided her with our "scheduled" fastpasses weeks before and she scheduled her own rides on the fast pass system based on meeting up with us when our rides had ended. With the snafu of our fastpasses the day of, we needed to scramble to meet her since our schedules were now different than originally planned.
It's just not as much fun, anymore.
Did it all work out? Kind of. It wasn't the end of the world, but it forces a lot of planning for rides that go on all day for a system that can ultimately boot you out through no fault of yours after all of the strongly recommended planning.
It's not like these are excursions off a cruise ship with local sub-contracted providers at ports of call.

Call me old fashioned, but I'm also not a fan of everyone looking at smartphones all the time and this whole FP+ only seems to require it.

 

[BrittanyRose428]

I don't even use FastPass half the time I'm in the parks because I end up going so last minute and I don't really have too many issues with long lines. I usually do some of the big attractions that would have long waits in the morning and late at night and it's fine. FastPasses help but in general if I don't want to wait I just get there early.

 

[larandtra]

I am a planner by nature, very detailed. But I also find a good balance between spontineity and planning. The FP system works extremely well if you understand what you want to do and have a plan. And then just do whatever sounds great at the time. Every vacation involves planning. WDW just requires a bit more.

 

[HwdStudio]

I remember the days before fastpass when nothing but MK and Epcot existed and you were thrilled when the line for Space Mountain was under 2 hours in the summer. I have zero desire to return to those days.

Amen!!

 

[wendysue]

I liked the older system better for two reasons. One, a printed souvenir Two, not needing to plan practically every hour of every day for the privilege of waiting on a shorter line on basically three attractions. It should be enough to book a trip for an amusement park with rides running all day to get in and just be able to do them.
As it is now, maybe my preference is to walk the parks clockwise. If the only available fastpass 30 days out( or whatever your window happens to be) in the am (before noon) for Space Mountain, is at 9:30 am, I can't really do that. I need to do all kinds of extra planning including checking back through an app or website multiple times to see if I can book a fast pass for when I might want to actually go on the ride without an hour plus wait time.

On our last trip, I did just that. I had everything planned out for me and DW. Upon arrival, after purchasing the magic band and having it activated, all my fastpasses were somehow cancelled, but we didn't know that until we showed up at the first fast pass. I knew my first fasspass was for Splash at 11:00 o'clock based on memory and being told I was all set by the cast member upon purchase and activation of the magic band.
Why would I question it? Castmember told me I was all set. They took my money with a smile.
We showed up at Splash at 11:05 only to be turned away and told to go back to the Town Square at the foot of Main st. where they had special castmembers to help us. It was only because DW chose to not get a magic band, that her ticket still had the scheduled rides as evidence, since she is my DW that the special castmember was somehow able to re-schedule MOST of my fastpasses to be within 20 min. of those of DW, with some changes. As a result, we were instructed to both go in together only after both fastpass start times had started.
I know it's a complex system, but at the time, it had been up and running for at least a year.
Add to all of this that my Mom was down and wanted to kind of plan with us, but still do her own thing, so we provided her with our "scheduled" fastpasses weeks before and she scheduled her own rides on the fast pass system based on meeting up with us when our rides had ended. With the snafu of our fastpasses the day of, we needed to scramble to meet her since our schedules were now different than originally planned.
It's just not as much fun, anymore.
Did it all work out? Kind of. It wasn't the end of the world, but it forces a lot of planning for rides that go on all day for a system that can ultimately boot you out through no fault of yours after all of the strongly recommended planning.
It's not like these are excursions off a cruise ship with local sub-contracted providers at ports of call.

Call me old fashioned, but I'm also not a fan of everyone looking at smartphones all the time and this whole FP+ only seems to require it.

We only have dumbphones..therefore hate the new system.

 

[Leigh51]

Go way back to the E-ticket days.Before 1982.It worked,however archaic it might seem now.There are a lot more people now.I don't know any system that would be perfect.

 

[Mjt5126]

I definitely like the old system better. You could really benefit from it if you made the effort to go get passes after you used one. A lot of people did not to do that. Now, everyone is using the app and it’s hard to get ones for e-ticket rides later in the day.

I figured out pretty quick you can do pretty well if you only look for FP for one person on the app in the afternoon but with 8 people in my group, it wasn’t always as successful.

 

[NelleBelle]

I definitely like the old system better. You could really benefit from it if you made the effort to go get passes after you used one. A lot of people did not to do that. Now, everyone is using the app and it’s hard to get ones for e-ticket rides later in the day.

I figured out pretty quick you can do pretty well if you only look for FP for one person on the app in the afternoon but with 8 people in my group, it wasn’t always as successful.

This is my fear for when we go in June! We are a party of 7 and figure we will likely have a tough time finding FP for rides together. Really miss the legacy FP system!!!

 

[Mjt5126]

This is my fear for when we go in June! We are a party of 7 and figure we will likely have a tough time finding FP for rides together. Really miss the legacy FP system!!!

Best way to go is try them individually or maybe two. We were usually able to get them over lapping or at least close enough it would be within extra time usually allotted

 

[Javier Antonio Nisa Avila]

I prefer the new FP system. My Reasons are very simple. The new system, avoids having to train to be a runner. In the past, you had to be running all day for FP. The current system helps to have everything more planned. At first, it may seem more entertaining and absurd, but when you understand its operation and apply it with common sense, it is much more optimal. I give some examples.

In the MK exists some rides that without fastpass is very difficult to enjoy, as Peter Pan, Big Thunder or Seven Dawrfs, others depends of regular line is quickly or medium and other is faster as Bears or similar atractions. I classify for example them into three types;

Magic Kingdom

1. Long lines in Stand by and hard to find FP after the first three fastpass. (Peter Pan, Big Thunder, Seven Dawrfs, Splash, Princess Characters)
   
2. Queues less than 1 hour on average and fastpass with relative ease of finding if you look every 15 or 20 minutes the application. (Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Orbit)
   
3. Queues of less than 30 hours and constant fastpass in the application (The rest of the park)

In the first time, before arrive I classify all atractions in this three types. Once classified by each park and taking into account the number of days of stay in the parks, I distribute the first three FP of each park depending on whether I repeat or not repeat in that park. Then I take first the FP of group 1 from the furthest from the entrance of the park to the nearest, so that as I run out the third FP I'm in the area with more attractions and I can choose FP near where I am while I enjoy in attractions of the third group.

If I go one day I can see all the attractions of the third group, all of the second group and 50% of the first group, and if I go two days in two days distributing the first group, I see 100% of the attractions.

In the same way, if lunch and dinner are delayed or advanced one hour and fastpass is sought once the first three are spent for that hour gap, the possibilities of finding FP for the attractions of group 1 and 2 are increased. They look for the same thing around the half hour before and after street events in each park.

For each park you can do the same.

Thanks for all guys!!!!

 

[thomas998]

I remember the days before fastpass when nothing but MK and Epcot existed and you were thrilled when the line for Space Mountain was under 2 hours in the summer. I have zero desire to return to those days.

And I actually remember when you have the paper tickets A thru E, I would kind of like to see a return to those days just to see how it would work with the greater number of guests per day.

 

[thomas998]

I don’t know if this has been talked about but what do people think of fast passes? I like them when I have them but when I get in a stand by line I feel like we never move. The last trip we took seemed like every line was longer because they felt like they needed to get the fast pass people through. And even the fast pass lines were getting long.
My thought is what if they just got rid of them? I feel as if the lines would get shorter and it would seem like the lines would move quicker making it seem shorter?
What are your thoughts?

I think the reality is whether you have a fastpass system or not a ride can only handle X number of guests per hour, that number doesn't change. As the fastpass lines have gotten longer the only real benefit to Disney is that having the new fastpass system give them another item they can use to try and justify the higher prices for their resorts. Stay at Disney we'll let you sign up for fastpasses earlier, give you extra magic hours blah blah blah... The more they can claim you get for you over priced room the more likely they are to get people to pay for them.

But whether you had a fastpass or not the number of people riding any ride on a given day is not really going to change.

Some people think they are benefiting from the fastpass+ system, but I rarely think I benefit from it because if you want to get maximum fastpass utilization you have to try and cram your first 3 in as early as possible. Which means you don't always have a lot of choice as to what rides you will use them on, which often means you end up having to walk back and forth across the park to use them... Otherwise you end up having to spread them out over 5 or 6 hours or god forbid the only time for the ride you really want is at night, well then you've insured that you will likely only get 3 fastpasses during the entire day while under the old system you had more of a shot of getting much more than 3 fastpasses on any given day.

As for the lines getting shorter... I don't think that would happen. With the fastpass and non-fastpass lines you basically have two lines, eliminate the fastpasses and those two line would just merge into one longer line. Although the longer line would move at a fast pace so in the end you probably wouldn't be standing in line any longer than before if you were just using a standby line.

 

[Master Yoda]

And I actually remember when you have the paper tickets A thru E, I would kind of like to see a return to those days just to see how it would work with the greater number of guests per day.

A non-zero number of people can't grasp the concept of scanning a Magicband or the dining plan. I would hate to be a CM if they ever went back it A-E tickets.