Fast-Track: A Better Genie+

[Lord Fozzinator]

One could say that the current state of Disney’s “Skip the Line” service is in the gutter or the imaginary garbage can, and, well, they’re right. Disney has priced out the Middle Class of a once free service, but I think we are recollecting the original FastPass through rose tinted glasses. While FastPass was free, it was a notoriously flawed experience with it being very hard to understand and making your vacation feel like you’re in charge of logistics during WW2. The point is, both Genie+ and FastPass are incredibly flawed systems that doesn’t really help the common guest enjoy their stay at Disney parks. So, how do we fix this issue? Fast-Track is my answer. Fast-Track takes all the good qualities of other “Skip the Line” systems such as FastPass, Genie+, ExpressPass, and others. Let’s get started!​

Fast-Track Tiers​

Fast-Track, like many other systems, has 2 tiers. The 1st we’ll go over is the standard version which takes inspiration from the original FastPass. For this system, we’ll use Magic Kingdom as an example.

Tier 1: Fast-Track
Fast-Track would be free to all guests as soon as they enter the park, much like the original FastPass except this version would be easy to understand. This tier would have a variety of features included such as:​

• Guests Have 3 Attraction Reservations​

For Magic Kingdom, on days that aren’t packed, guests have 3 Fast-Track reservations for every attraction in the park. Reservation numbers vary from park to park. Guests can either go on the Disney app OR the attraction that they want to go to. Once a guest is at the attraction, a Cast Member will give a paper FastPass (much like the original ticket system) with a posted time for the guest to come back. This is for the guests that either don't want to use their phones or doesn't know how to use the current system.​

• 10-25 Minute Reservation Windows​

Once guests arrival time starts, they will have 10-25 minutes to get to the attraction. This allows guests to finish whatever they might be doing during that time such as dinner or another attraction. If guests do not reach the attraction in time, a person in standby will take their place.​

• Guests Only Have 1 Reservation at a Time​

As soon as guests enter the park, they can book their reservation but they can only hold one at a time. As soon as guests enter the attraction, they will be able to book a reservation for another attraction. This prevents hoarding of attractions and keeps a constant flow of Fast-Trackers.

Tier 2: Fast-Track+
This would be the Genie+ to Fast-Track with it being the paid version of the service. In order to keep profits from going in the gutter, the prices per person will go up... for non-Disney resort stayers. Let's go over the features of this service.​

• Price of Fast-Track+​

For guests staying at a Disney resort, guests will pay $7-$10 per person. For guests not staying at a Disney resort, the price will be increased to $12-$15 per person (god I hate making this so expensive but I'm trying to make this realistic). This encourages guests to stay at a Disney resort to get a cheaper version of Fast-Track.​

• Guests have 5 Attraction Reservations​

Instead of the base 3 reservations for the free version, guests that have Fast-Track+ will get 5 reservations for any attraction of their choice. The process to get the reservation is the same as the free version with guests either using the app or in person kiosks.​

• 30-40 Minute Return Window​

Guests that use Fast-Track+ have a much longer return window. This allows users of the system to have a full on dinner in the return window. Of course, that isn't recommended but it's a nice thought.​

• Earlier Reservation Time​

Unlike standard users, who can only make a reservation when they enter the park, guests that use Fast-Track+ can book their 1st attraction reservation 30 minutes before the opening of the park. This just adds another perk to this version of Fast-Track.​

How Guests get a Fast-Track Pass?​

As previously stated before, guests will have 2 ways to get a Fast-Track.

The 1st is through the Disney app and it works exactly how the current system works. Guests will go to the Fast-Track section of the app, click on an attraction, see if it's available through a color coded system (green for full availability throughout the day, yellow for booked for certain parts of the day, and red for booked fully throughout the day), and book their reservation.

The 2nd is in park kiosks. This method of getting a Fast-Track Pass is very similar to the original FastPass. These kiosks are placed at the entrance of both the park and the attraction. Once guests have chosen their 1st attraction, a cast member will hand them a paper Fast-Track Pass with a printed date, time, and attraction.
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How Does Fast-Track Affect the Park Experience?​

Unlike Genie+, which increases the standby wait time by a lot, Fast-Track only slightly increases the wait time for standby guests. The reason why it won't be much longer is because their is hard limits on how many Fast-Track passes are given out per day. The attractions capacity is split into 3 percentages with standby taking up 75%, Fast-Track taking up 15%, and Fast-Track+ taking up the final 10%. Since the way to get a Fast-Track is not strictly online or in park, the learning curve isn't that large and will be easy to understand for both young and old guests. The features of this system will make it less stressful for guests going to the park.​

Conclusion​

So, that is the end of Fast-Track. Let me know what you guys think about this idea?​