FastPass+ Disappearing on Some Attractions?

[UNCgolf]

You’re not following what I said. I said that FP+ cuts the wait times WAY down when you consider only the 3 or 4 major attractions for which you use them. Not everyone spends all day at a park and tries to ride every ride in the place. There are plenty of times in which we hit a park for just a few hours. We walk around, get some food, see a show, and hit our 3 or 4 FP+ selections. In those situations, the value of FP+ cannot be overstated.

I definitely followed what you said; I'm not sure you understood my point.

Almost all of the parks (EPCOT potentially excluded, although that will change in the next couple of years) have more than 3 or 4 major attractions, which is why I said it's especially bad at DHS or Animal Kingdom where nearly every attraction is busy all the time. Magic Kingdom definitely has more than that number of major attractions, they just have a lot of smaller attractions to help balance it out. Even at the MK, though, a lot of those smaller attractions have wait times twice as long as they would have if FP+ didn't exist.

More importantly, you're in a small minority of Disney guests. Of course FP+ is helpful for specific people like you -- it's helpful for me too, because there are a lot of attractions I don't care about. I can just get an FP+ for those that do interest me and not worry about all the artificially long wait times at the other rides. It's terrible for the average Disney guest and the overall guest experience, though. The majority of Disney guests do need to get in as many rides as possible because they don't have unlimited time or unlimited trips.

I imagine that's one of the reasons Disney wants to mostly eliminate it.

TLDR: Of course being able to skip the line for 3 or 4 attractions is fantastic if those are the only 3 or 4 attractions you're going to ride that day. Most Disney guests don't have that luxury.

 

[JusticeDisney]

I definitely followed what you said; I'm not sure you understood what I said.

Almost all of the parks (EPCOT potentially excluded, although that will change in the next couple of years) have more than 3 or 4 major attractions, which is why I said it's especially bad at DHS or Animal Kingdom where nearly every attraction is busy all the time. Magic Kingdom definitely has more than that number of major attractions, they just have a lot of smaller attractions to help balance it out. Even at the MK, though, a lot of those smaller attractions have wait times twice as long as they would have if FP+ didn't exist.

More importantly, you're in a small minority of Disney guests. Of course FP+ is helpful for specific people like you -- it's helpful for me too, because there are a lot of attractions I don't care about. I can just get an FP+ for those that do interest me and not worry about all the artificially long wait times at the other rides. It's terrible for the average Disney guest and the overall guest experience, though. The majority of Disney guests do need to get in as many rides as possible because they don't have unlimited time or unlimited trips.

I imagine that's one of the reasons Disney wants to mostly eliminate it.

I don’t disagree with a lot of what you just said. But again, none of that is what I was saying when you initially responded to me and claimed that what I was saying wasn’t true.

 

[UNCgolf]

I don’t disagree with a lot of what you just said. But again, none of that is what I was saying when you initially responded to me and claimed that what I was saying wasn’t true.

I said it wasn't necessarily true because of the numbers involved -- it wasn't an attack on you or saying you were wrong -- because I thought you were talking about the overall effect of FP+ on wait times park-wide. There wasn't any way for me to know you were only talking about rides for which you had a FP+ on any given day.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

Trust me, I’m trying to understand your perspective. I promise you, I have zero problem admitting when I am wrong about something. And yes, that happens far too often for my liking, lol! I just don’t get how you feel like a sense of entitlement is at play here. I get it if you simply don’t like the system. But entitlement??? Anyway, as you said, agree to disagree. Have a great rest of your night, my friend!

LOL! I'm used to not winning arguments in this house. Arguments here usually don't end civilized though. I try that "agree to disagree", but that don't fly because I MUST be made to understand that my opinion is incorrect, and for the exact illogical reason why. Have a great night!

 

[marni1971]

You go online at the 60-day mark and book what you want. I’m sorry, but you’re wrong when you say people get an advantage. Everyone pays the same price to get in and everyone has the same exact opportunity to book a fast pass.

Unless you’re offsite. In which case not everyone is equal.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I don't understand the general sense of entitlement regarding FP+. "I love FP+ because I like to plan every step of my vacation months in advance and then I don't have to wait in ridiculously long lines." Ummm, those waiting in the standby line aren't inanimate objects, or cattle. Because you win, they lose meaning every person who walks in from FP is a person who has to wait a little longer and all because they like to plan months in advance. Those standby folks are people who paid to get into the park as well and also want to ride the ride. What makes one person so much better that they get to ride it with a 15 min wait, and most others have to wait 3 hrs? I'll never understand the logic and sense of entitlement of why people think that "FP+ is so great because I don't have to wait with all the losers in standby." Btw, I'm not quoting anyone. I'm just adding that for dramatic effect.

With that said, if one would argue that everyone has the same ability to book FP, so if everyone does it everyone is equal, that would be disingenuous because the argument is that it makes the parks more enjoyable and that could only be true if there is a win to be had from the system.

How do you feel about people who zoom up the fire lane or shoulder in traffic to shoehorn themselves in front of a whole line of cars? I realize one is considered an accepted and legitimate part of the system, but it is the same sense of entitlement. Why should I wait in that long line?

Everyone has access to FP+. My skill in using the system is no different than a young couple with no kids getting to do more rides than me because they walk faster, or someone who has been to the parks many times not needing to stop to look at a map.

 

[ilovelabs2021]

I also mean no disrespect, but I’m pretty sure you don’t understand the meaning of the word entitlement. There is simply nothing entitled about choosing to participate in a system that is open and 100% equal for every person.

By your “logic,” someone who scores tickets to a sold out concert would be “entitled” because they knew to get online and keep hitting the refresh button the second tickets went on sale, while someone else might not have been aware enough that they had that option.

I totally agree with you. I am an English teacher and believe me, the word entitlement is not being used correctly in this scenario by this poster. One can dislike the system and not think it's fair that some get certain rides and others don't, but that is just the luck of the draw; no one has an "advantage" or "works the system." That is hogwash.

 

[ilovelabs2021]

Unless you’re offsite. In which case not everyone is equal.

But that is choice that one makes and knows in advance of booking a WDW trip.

 

[marni1971]

But that is choice that one makes and knows in advance of booking a WDW trip.

For many there’s no choice.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Unless you’re offsite. In which case not everyone is equal.

Yet, we pretty much pay the same admission fee but are unable to have equal access to the attractions because of the offsite portion. I still come out ahead, but then again I have been going there for 38 years so I have seen most everything at least once, others multiple times. My gain is in overall costs. I know that the moderate and top end Disney resorts are very nice places to stay, but when at WDW I am only using that room to sleep in. Approximately 1/3rd of my day. However, that 1/3rd will cost me up to 6 times what it cost to just go to a park where all the entertainment and reason for being there happens to center. Food is another item that is at least 2 or 3 times more expensive and although good, it isn't that much better than any of the chain eating establishments found offsite.

For a newbie, paying the long price for a room is the only way to even partially equal the playing field but without the knowledge of experience they will still be holding the short end of the stick. If by some chance they only think of WDW as a fancy theme park that doesn't require all that much advance commitment and decide to stay offsite, because that is what they have always done in other places, they will be up the proverbial creek with no paddle. Their problem? Sure, but they will probably never return and no business, no matter how good its past reputation will survive without the customer with genuine excitement about going again and again to experience the positivity of a Disney Park. All they experienced is frustration, anger, fatigue and confusion. The entitlement factor may not be real, but it feels the same to someone on the outside looking in.

 

[JusticeDisney]

Unless you’re offsite. In which case not everyone is equal.

Great point, I wasn't even thinking of that. However, I still maintain that there is absolutely no sense of entitlement on the part of someone who stays onsite and takes advantage of how the process works. Again, anyone can feel free to dislike the system, but there is simply no entitlement at play here. None.

 

[JusticeDisney]

Yet, we pretty much pay the same admission fee but are unable to have equal access to the attractions because of the offsite portion. I still come out ahead, but then again I have been going there for 38 years so I have seen most everything at least once, others multiple times. My gain is in overall costs. I know that the moderate and top end Disney resorts are very nice places to stay, but when at WDW I am only using that room to sleep in. Approximately 1/3rd of my day. However, that 1/3rd will cost me up to 6 times what it cost to just go to a park where all the entertainment and reason for being there happens to center. Food is another item that is at least 2 or 3 times more expensive and although good, it isn't that much better than any of the chain eating establishments found offsite.

For a newbie, paying the long price for a room is the only way to even partially equal the playing field but without the knowledge of experience they will still be holding the short end of the stick. If by some chance they only think of WDW as a fancy theme park that doesn't require all that much advance commitment and decide to stay offsite, because that is what they have always done in other places, they will be up the proverbial creek with no paddle. Their problem? Sure, but they will probably never return and no business, no matter how good its past reputation will survive without the customer with genuine excitement about going again and again to experience the positivity of a Disney Park. All they experienced is frustration, anger, fatigue and confusion. The entitlement factor may not be real, but it feels the same to someone on the outside looking in.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a company offering incentives based upon different factors, such as staying onsite. It is smart business and it happens everyday with just about every company in some form or another. That’s life. Just be happy that WDW hasn’t put into play a “pay” FP system, ala Universal’s express pass. Yet.

 

[durangojim]

It's interesting, I used to pray at the church of Fast Pass+ because I liked not having to stand in line and am a planner by nature, however after having been at WDW 3 times in the past 10 months (July, Oct/Nov, and last week), I have to say I'm not missing it. My wife and I are commenting that our trips are much more relaxed and we feel we can go at a pace we want. There have not been any rides that we wanted to do that we didn't get on, and yes we had to wait 80 minutes in line for Slinky, but it was actually nice spending that time with my family talking about things and people watching. It really won't bother me if FP+ doesn't come back.

 

[marni1971]

Great point, I wasn't even thinking of that. However, I still maintain that there is absolutely no sense of entitlement on the part of someone who stays onsite and takes advantage of how the process works. Again, anyone can feel free to dislike the system, but there is simply no entitlement at play here. None.

I never mentioned entitlement. I think that’s someone else’s quote

 

[JusticeDisney]

I never mentioned entitlement. I think that’s someone else’s quote

Oh, I know you didn’t. I was just carrying my discussion and thoughts over to here. Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to imply that you thought people were entitled.

 

[JusticeDisney]

It's interesting, I used to pray at the church of Fast Pass+ because I liked not having to stand in line and am a planner by nature, however after having been at WDW 3 times in the past 10 months (July, Oct/Nov, and last week), I have to say I'm not missing it. My wife and I are commenting that our trips are much more relaxed and we feel we can go at a pace we want. There have not been any rides that we wanted to do that we didn't get on, and yes we had to wait 80 minutes in line for Slinky, but it was actually nice spending that time with my family talking about things and people watching. It really won't bother me if FP+ doesn't come back.

That’s a really awesome perspective! I hope my family and I feel the same way on our next trip this summer.

 

[ilovelabs2021]

For many there’s no choice.

Going to Disney isn't a right. I get that some cannot always stay on site, but you can't then complain about a perk of staying on site just b/c you can't. Perks are things that some people get and some don't. I don't call people who work at companies that have perks of free tickets to a say a concert entitled just b/c I am a teacher and I never get those perks.

 

[Chi84]

There are a lot of multi-generational families that visit Disney. Many include older adults who are mobile enough not to need a scooter or wheelchair, but would have difficulty standing in hour-long lines for several rides. Young children can also present an issue. When we visited WDW many years ago with my older mother and our two young kids, Fastpass did not exist, so we skipped the rides with long lines. Fastpass made the parks much more enjoyable.

My husband and I visit WDW a couple of times a year (sometimes with our kids and looking forward to taking our grandson). We don't need to go on many rides, but I like knowing that we can get on SDD or FOP on our terms - don't have to get to the parks first thing in the morning or waste time in lines. There are a lot of us - Disney knows this. No one can say for sure, but my bet is that some form of ride reservation system will always be available.

 

[marni1971]

Going to Disney isn't a right. I get that some cannot always stay on site, but you can't then complain about a perk of staying on site just b/c you can't. Perks are things that some people get and some don't. I don't call people who work at companies that have perks of free tickets to a say a concert entitled just b/c I am a teacher and I never get those perks.

I didn’t call anyone entitled.

 

[ilovelabs2021]

I didn’t call anyone entitled.

I know, that’s wasn’t directed at you. Just a reference to another post. I stand by my point though. If you can’t stay onsite, you can’t complain about not getting a perk of staying onsite.