fastpass.. for it or against it?

[tirian]

Fastpass is fine, for the attractions that need it. There are a ton of rides that have FP that don't need it.

MK
Peter Pan's Flight
PhilharMagic
Jungle Cruise
Buzz Lightyear
Stitch

EPCOT
Maelstrom

Studios
Toy Story Midway Mania
Indiana Jones

DAK is fine, but all those attractions I've listed don't need FP.

I agree 100% with this list! All of these attractions are crowd-absorbers that simply don't need FP, which works best on attractions that aren't omnimovers. I'd add Pooh and Star Tours to the list, too. TSMM needs it for now because it's the only popular attraction in that area of DHS; but as soon as Pixar Place gets another ride, FP will artificially inflate wait times (like at PP's Flight).

 

[SleepingMonk]

This is the only thing Universal does better in my opinion.

Make FastPass free for deluxe resort guests, make it a pay option for everyone else.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I agree 100% with this list! All of these attractions are crowd-absorbers that simply don't need FP, which works best on attractions that aren't omnimovers. I'd add Pooh and Star Tours to the list, too. TSMM needs it for now because it's the only popular attraction in that area of DHS; but as soon as Pixar Place gets another ride, FP will artificially inflate wait times (like at PP's Flight).

Yes! That ride loads at least 5-10 FP guests to every 1 stand-by rider, it's a joke. You can easily be in line for 10 minutes and not move an inch.

 

[goodtimes5286]

This is the only thing Universal does better in my opinion.

Make FastPass free for deluxe resort guests, make it a pay option for everyone else.

they DID make it free. Now it's $25 per person per day. So you, your spouse, and 2 kids have to pay an extra 100 bones a day to do this, even if your going to another park that day. $700 extra a week, good for uni, BAD for the public

 

[SleepingMonk]

they DID make it free. Now it's $25 per person per day. So you, your spouse, and 2 kids have to pay an extra 100 bones a day to do this, even if your going to another park that day. $700 extra a week, good for uni, BAD for the public

According to their website it's still free for resort guests.




"As a Universal Orlando on-site hotel guest you’ll get the superstar treatment with UNIVERSAL EXPRESSSM ride access*. Just present your hotel room key card at each ride and attraction’s express entrance and you can bypass the regular attraction lines!

This is an exclusive benefit reserved for guests staying at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel - Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, or the Portofino Bay Hotel. The only other way to get Universal Express benefit is by purchasing it at the theme parks or online. But why pay for Universal Express when you receive the benefit free for staying on-site with us! "

 

[muteki]

So this is a general question I have had in my head for a while, and it concerns fastpass and wait times so perhaps I will pose it here.

Me and my family used to go a lot when I was younger, almost every year from 94~99 in July. July 99 was our last trip before I went this past February. Point is, Fastpass didn't exist back when I used to go.

What I distinctly remember, particularly with attractions such as Splash Mtn, Haunted Mansion, ToT, Space Mtn, Big Thunder Mtn, etc, was that wait times were always in excess of an hour, often 2 or 2 and a half. It always seemed that way.

Now with my last trip this February, I saw nothing of the sort. Longest wait I saw was 50 min at Soarin, vast majority of other things were 20min or walk on. And this was on a weekend. I thought it was only February, but what got me really thinking, was seeing wait times posted for this past easter, and the biggest I saw (that was posted here) was 70 min.

So here is my question. Is my experience due to the institution of FastPass? Lower attendence? Some other reason? I am really amazed at how less busy it seems now compared to when I was a kid.

And just to add to the topic, I don't mind FastPass. It took us a while to figure it out, but once we got the hang of it we really liked it.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

So this is a general question I have had in my head for a while, and it concerns fastpass and wait times so perhaps I will pose it here.

Me and my family used to go a lot when I was younger, almost every year from 94~99 in July. July 99 was our last trip before I went this past February. Point is, Fastpass didn't exist back when I used to go.

What I distinctly remember, particularly with attractions such as Splash Mtn, Haunted Mansion, ToT, Space Mtn, Big Thunder Mtn, etc, was that wait times were always in excess of an hour, often 2 or 2 and a half. It always seemed that way.

Now with my last trip this February, I saw nothing of the sort. Longest wait I saw was 50 min at Soarin, vast majority of other things were 20min or walk on. And this was on a weekend. I thought it was only February, but what got me really thinking, was seeing wait times posted for this past easter, and the biggest I saw (that was posted here) was 70 min.

So here is my question. Is my experience due to the institution of FastPass? Lower attendence? Some other reason? I am really amazed at how less busy it seems now compared to when I was a kid.

And just to add to the topic, I don't mind FastPass. It took us a while to figure it out, but once we got the hang of it we really liked it.

There's your answer. You didn't go in July.

 

[figmentisgreat]

I really love fastpass. I hate fastpass abuse.
I would support FP being only for resort guests...another "perk" for people staying on property, especially since people are so misguided with their beliefs that staying off-site is better.

*disclaimer* I know I seem like a jerk for calling others beliefs about staying off property "misguided," but it is a point that I really don't understand. It seems to me that the prices of a value are just as cheap as off-site (maybe a teensy bit more) plus there are so many perks that not staying off-site seems ridiculous!

 

[muteki]

There's your answer. You didn't go in July.

That doesn't explain how, with phase 4 closures, wait times didn't get anywhere near what I experienced years ago. :veryconfu

If its as busy as I described in July now then that verifies my experience. However, I was under the impression from discussions here that the phase 4 closures were a rarity and indicated significant attendance, yet wait times were relatively low compared to what I experienced. Were people just wandering around aimlessly not riding anything?

 

[hardcard]

Getting a fastpass for 30 minutes from the wait time, and the stand by is 5 mins = You Fail.

Getting a fastpass for 30 minutes from the wait time, and waiting for 30 minutes outside the fastpass entrance (BLOCKING THE DAMN STAND BY ENTRANCE!) = You Fail.


Getting a fastpass for 10:30am and using it at 9:30pm = You Fail, and you should burn in hell for it.


Are my opinions questioned ?

 

[tirian]

I really love fastpass. I hate fastpass abuse.
I would support FP being only for resort guests...another "perk" for people staying on property, especially since people are so misguided with their beliefs that staying off-site is better.

*disclaimer* I know I seem like a jerk for calling others beliefs about staying off property "misguided," but it is a point that I really don't understand. It seems to me that the prices of a value are just as cheap as off-site (maybe a teensy bit more) plus there are so many perks that not staying off-site seems ridiculous!

I used to think that too, until my friends came to visit me and stayed at a vacation house near DAK instead of on property. They paid $150/night for a HOUSE. This was during off-season too, so EMH meant nothing.

 

[ihatefastpass]

Getting a fastpass for 30 minutes from the wait time, and the stand by is 5 mins = You Fail.

Getting a fastpass for 30 minutes from the wait time, and waiting for 30 minutes outside the fastpass entrance (BLOCKING THE DAMN STAND BY ENTRANCE!) = You Fail.


Getting a fastpass for 10:30am and using it at 9:30pm = You Fail, and you should burn in hell for it.


Are my opinions questioned ?

haha i like ur opinions.. well its not going anywhere.. the only thing i can suggest is what another poster suggested.. and thats to maybe open it up every few hours so it gets distributed to people that dont go to the park when the gate opens.. i think thats fair.. also maybe they can hold up on how many fast pass people go in at a time.. i feel that if the wait is 80 min that fast pass should wait 20 min, and not 5..

 

[DisneyJoe]

I used to think that too, until my friends came to visit me and stayed at a vacation house near DAK instead of on property. They paid $150/night for a HOUSE. This was during off-season too, so EMH meant nothing.

Don't forget to add in the $12/day for parking and possibly the car rental...

 

[Animaniac93-98]

That doesn't explain how, with phase 4 closures, wait times didn't get anywhere near what I experienced years ago. :veryconfu

If its as busy as I described in July now then that verifies my experience. However, I was under the impression from discussions here that the phase 4 closures were a rarity and indicated significant attendance, yet wait times were relatively low compared to what I experienced. Were people just wandering around aimlessly not riding anything?

The phase 4 closings happened for a bit in April, you went in February. It's a slow month besides President's Day weekend and so there wern't that many people there.

 

[goodtimes5286]

According to their website it's still free for resort guests.

"As a Universal Orlando on-site hotel guest you’ll get the superstar treatment with UNIVERSAL EXPRESSSM ride access*. Just present your hotel room key card at each ride and attraction’s express entrance and you can bypass the regular attraction lines!

This is an exclusive benefit reserved for guests staying at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel - Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, or the Portofino Bay Hotel. The only other way to get Universal Express benefit is by purchasing it at the theme parks or online. But why pay for Universal Express when you receive the benefit free for staying on-site with us! "

WOW your right. I know it was free at 1st, thats why my fam n i stayed in uni. Then we went back, and it was 25 per person per day (and we had 6 people in our party) so we were all like no thanx. I'm guessing no one paid for it so they went back. Maybe someone could shead some light on this past payment??

 

[Master Yoda]

WOW your right. I know it was free at 1st, thats why my fam n i stayed in uni. Then we went back, and it was 25 per person per day (and we had 6 people in our party) so we were all like no thanx. I'm guessing no one paid for it so they went back. Maybe someone could shead some light on this past payment??

As far as I know it has always been free for resort guests. They also had a free fast pass service that worked almost identically to the one at WDW. The free fast pass was shuttered several years ago and they implemented the pay for fast pass system currently in place.

One other thing to consider is that the US resorts are fairly high priced even when compared to Disney resorts. After taxes about the lowest rack rate you will find on a room at the Royal Pacific Resort (US lowest end) is in the $240 and up range which is more than double that of a Disney value resort and about $50 more per night that a moderate resort. Granted RP would be comparable to a Disney moderate so comparing it to a value is a bit apple to oranges but the point is that $240 a night is as cheep as you can go at a US resort without a discount.

What does all that mean? The simple answer is nothing is free. Either you pay their inflated resort rates of pay for their fast pass.

 

[SleepingMonk]

I agree, the Royal Pacific is too much like a budget resort, the Hard Rock is too loud, but the Portofino.....ah yes.....just right!

You can still get great prices during the off season. We've had a bay view at Portofino for under $200 several times. They've made changes to the old Loews Club memberships but it will still get you some nice perks.

I realize WDW has many more rooms on property than Universal, which is why I think the free FastPass should be for deluxe resort guests only and a pay option for everyone else.

I think that method would reduce wait times, and create additional revenue for the parks.

 

[Master Yoda]

I agree, the Royal Pacific is too much like a budget resort, the Hard Rock is too loud, but the Portofino.....ah yes.....just right!

You can still get great prices during the off season. We've had a bay view at Portofino for under $200 several times. They've made changes to the old Loews Club memberships but it will still get you some nice perks.

I realize WDW has many more rooms on property than Universal, which is why I think the free FastPass should be for deluxe resort guests only and a pay option for everyone else.

I think that method would reduce wait times, and create additional revenue for the parks.

But also price some people out of a Disney trip and leave others with a really bad taste in their mouth. One of the biggest reasons why I have not been to US in quite some time is due to their nickle and dime, charge for everything practices. I like the level playing field at WDW. Weather I am a value resort guest a deluxe resort guest or just there for the day I know that all the guests in the parks have the same perks and opportunities.

 

[SleepingMonk]

But also price some people out of a Disney trip and leave others with a really bad taste in their mouth.....

I don't see how it would price anyone out of a trip. The ticket price wouldn't change nor would the resort prices. FastPass would simply be an option, not something they were forced to pay for.

I won't get into the sour grapes folks who would complain about deluxe guests having a free FastPass. That discussion always turns into bashfest here.

 

[fosse76]

But also price some people out of a Disney trip and leave others with a really bad taste in their mouth. One of the biggest reasons why I have not been to US in quite some time is due to their nickle and dime, charge for everything practices. I like the level playing field at WDW. Weather I am a value resort guest a deluxe resort guest or just there for the day I know that all the guests in the parks have the same perks and opportunities.

Exactly. And making money off of FPs can cause the Company to get greedier. The local Six Flags by me has two types: the one where it re-distibutes the guests based on the wait time, and the unlimited version which lets you ride anytime you want with no restrictions. They cost almost exactly what a one day admission ticket would be (the unlimited is a bit more). It essentially HALTS the standby line. Disney's system is very fair to everyone. Resort guests already get into the parks earlier or get to stay later. Why stop with allowing only them the use of the FP? Why not prohibit off-site guests from entering the parks? Or dining at any of the resort restaurants? Let's make it as exclusive as we can!

And I disagree with someone's comment about off-site properties. Unless you are staying at a Value (and MAYBE a moderate), the amenities of staying off-site are generally greater (and better value) than staying on-site...even if you are paying for parking and a rental car.