Well it's a good thing it at least worked correctly for the rides that really need FP.
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FastPass+ Chaos at MK today
- Thread starter Arty Cordova
- Start date
SnarkyMonkey
Well-Known Member
Did you just light switch rave all up over this place? Nice.
Is this a constant problem with the FP+ system? I'm assuming by all the comments that it happens all the time?
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RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
I installed that light switch so you could turn the light off and on... not so you could throw light switch raves.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
Has it been discussed in this thread yet how Fastpass+ has increased standby wait times almost across the board? Despite what Disney's PR statements say ("we've seen a 2% reduction at major attractions!" or whatever), Fastpass+ and advanced booking ensures that the popular attractions will always have a steady flow of Fastpass+ users, regardless of the crowd level for that day.
Attractions like Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Toy Story Mania may not have seen much of an increase, or maybe even a slight decrease, because they were already seeing a constant full demand of returning Fastpass holders. The biggest affected are the attractions that used to be a secondary Fastpass choice. For example, Tower of Terror usually averaged only a 20-30 minute wait, so most people would opt to obtain a Rock 'n' Roller Coaster or Toy Story Mania paper Fastpass and wait in the ToT standby line. While Toy Story Mania and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster would distribute all of their paper Fastpasses early on, Tower of Terror and other "secondary Fastpass" attractions would still be distributing their paper Fastpasses well into the evening, because either it wasn't needed, or they were already blocked out from obtaining one due to having a higher priority one already. With advanced booking, those same guests now have a Rock n Roller Coaster Fastpass and a Tower of Terror Fastpass (again, regardless of how crowded the park actually is), so the same guests that would previously just wait in a quick ToT standby line are now using Fastpass instead, artificially inflating the standby line to the full 80% Fastpass/20% standby minimum merge ratio at all times.
Also I want to state that in the "we're testing!" phases of Fastpass+ I was defending it on here, but now, a year later, seeing the full extent... I take it all back. A year later and the system still has constant issues - and I'm not just referring to this thread but from my own experience, word of mouth, and accounts from CM's - it's constant errors and confusion. And now it's become quite clear just how much this was calculated to keep a steady demand at all attractions, and the end result for the guest is that you have to do even more work to ride the same amount of attractions as before.
Attractions like Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Toy Story Mania may not have seen much of an increase, or maybe even a slight decrease, because they were already seeing a constant full demand of returning Fastpass holders. The biggest affected are the attractions that used to be a secondary Fastpass choice. For example, Tower of Terror usually averaged only a 20-30 minute wait, so most people would opt to obtain a Rock 'n' Roller Coaster or Toy Story Mania paper Fastpass and wait in the ToT standby line. While Toy Story Mania and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster would distribute all of their paper Fastpasses early on, Tower of Terror and other "secondary Fastpass" attractions would still be distributing their paper Fastpasses well into the evening, because either it wasn't needed, or they were already blocked out from obtaining one due to having a higher priority one already. With advanced booking, those same guests now have a Rock n Roller Coaster Fastpass and a Tower of Terror Fastpass (again, regardless of how crowded the park actually is), so the same guests that would previously just wait in a quick ToT standby line are now using Fastpass instead, artificially inflating the standby line to the full 80% Fastpass/20% standby minimum merge ratio at all times.
Also I want to state that in the "we're testing!" phases of Fastpass+ I was defending it on here, but now, a year later, seeing the full extent... I take it all back. A year later and the system still has constant issues - and I'm not just referring to this thread but from my own experience, word of mouth, and accounts from CM's - it's constant errors and confusion. And now it's become quite clear just how much this was calculated to keep a steady demand at all attractions, and the end result for the guest is that you have to do even more work to ride the same amount of attractions as before.
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DisneyCane
Well-Known Member
Of course your example guest (which was pretty much exactly what I'd do at DHS) now waits less time for ToT because I have a FP for it. My overall time standing in line for RnR and ToT is lower although it may take me a longer part of the day to do it.
Where it really sucks for me as an AP is if I booked FP+ at Epcot and after spending a couple of hours there, hop over to DHS. Now I have to wait on the longer standby lines because even if there are FP+ still available, they are usually for later than I want to stay there.
I really wish one day they will make it that if you have a park hopper ticket (or AP/SP that includes hopping) that you can book your 3 selections at different parks. Or, at least let you book the additional FP+ via the app after you use your first 3.
R W B
Well-Known Member
Did the ticket system at the front gate cost billions and suppose to be state of the art technology? I understand "stuff happens" but the amount of trouble this system has is a complete joke for the amount they've spent on it.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Do you know what portion of the whole NextGen project cost was associated with FP+?? Here's a hint, it's not the total cost everyone wants to throw around. Your post highlights the hyperboyle used and fixation people have on FP+ because they don't like the program.
and I'd be fairly certain the biometrics and electronic ticketing implemented was quite expensive on its own before NextGen too
And it went down so frequently people just stopped talking about it going down, or how unreliable the card readers were, or inconsistencies with biometric reading, etc, etc, etc. This isn't Disney's first rodeo.
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
I think Space Mountain has seen one of the greatest decreases, but @lentesta over on Touring Plans did a piece on this that's worth reading:
http://blog.touringplans.com/2014/06/23/fastpass-lowering-waits-disney-world-popular-rides/
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
But it makes a 2nd or 3rd ride much more unlikely since the standby queue will remain artificially inflated. I'm using ToT as an example because it was notorious for usually being a very manageable wait, and often a walk-on. Now it seemingly almost always has a full queue.
I'd like to see another current study done, using numbers from the past Thanksgiving and Christmas week. What I'm seeing is the highest demand attractions (that were previously "must Fastpass" have seen no significant decrease in standby wait times, while "second tier" attractions have seen significant increases.
If the "must Fastpass" attractions have an average standby wait that is ~10 minutes less than before, that isn't enough to offset attractions that previously had minimal to manageable wait times and now have moderate wait times.
Buried20KLeague
Well-Known Member
I find it so funny that what you describe is what many of us said is exactly what would happen way more than a year before all this mess was implemented. We saw it coming like a freight train, and we were absolutely dead on.
What that tells me is one of two things. Either:
1. We know as much (and sometimes more) about the parks and crowd movement and management as those in charge.
Or...
2. Those in charge also knew this was going to be the result, and it was their desired outcome for one reason or another.
Common sense tells me it's mostly #1... But I can't help but think that it's really more #2, and that we just don't know the ultimate reason of WHY they want this outcome. To directly monetize FP+ in the future? To further make the parks an elite experience for those willing to continue to pay the ever increasing costs?
Don't know. I still fear that the other shoe has yet to drop on this whole thing.
And the more the other resorts resist implementing this new system, the worse it will get at WDW, I believe. The longer WDW shoulders the costs that the bean counters (I'm sure) were planning on the other resorts sharing, the more desperate it will become. (IT layoffs, anyone?)
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
^ I'm guessing it was a mix of option 1 and 2. The idea behind advanced Fastpass reservations seems to be the same as ADR's - guaranteeing filled seats at all times. To outsiders reading this, option 1 is going to make this forum sound really smug, but the truth is, the folks who make these decisions rarely, if ever, step foot in the parks and usually have had no first hand experience operating attractions.
lincolnryan
Member
When we were waiting for Star Tours, I swear the ratio between standby and FP's they were putting on the ride was like 25 to 1
lincolnryan
Member
I would be curious how it would look if they did one of 2 things:
1) only allow fastpass plus (current form) to people staying on a Disney property. Everyone else does a kiosk fp (one at a time) while In the parks.
2) just do away with the whole 60 days out reservation process and allow people to get a single fastpass at a time via the app or kiosk.
My last trip was the first since 2008 and I thought it was kind of stressful to have to schedule stuff so far out.
1) only allow fastpass plus (current form) to people staying on a Disney property. Everyone else does a kiosk fp (one at a time) while In the parks.
2) just do away with the whole 60 days out reservation process and allow people to get a single fastpass at a time via the app or kiosk.
My last trip was the first since 2008 and I thought it was kind of stressful to have to schedule stuff so far out.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
They knew waits would be longer, that's why interactive queues were supposed to be an integral park of the Next Generation Experience. Less attractive wait times would push people away from rides and into shops and eateries, the goal of the original FastPass.
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
thats about right
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
The interactive queues of course got cut (to 'make the numbers') and because of cost cutting the few that DID get built did not have the durability needed for the park environment.
The dining and shopping would have worked IF there was unique retail and enough dining but since cost cutting has placed cookie cutter merchandise in all the shops and you need to reserve dining 180 days out people do not just wander into a restaurant like we did in the 80's and 90's or check out all the shops with unique stuff in them.
Victor Kelly
Well-Known Member
Oh wait till they start charging for FP+ like Universal did. Elitism come on down.
MagicHappens1971
Well-Known Member
No cast members asked for a screenshot it just went green.
MagicHappens1971
Well-Known Member
You can, as long as you don't fill up the whole cup the screen has a cup which shows how much is left for THAT refil