FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[DisneyCane]

Some like 2 fast passes included per each day ticket. With the option to buy, say 3 more, if available based on capacity, only after the first two are used. Fast pass reservations only available to reserve 1 week prior to day of use.
Have the extra passes, either one, two, or, three, be a perk of staying on property based on the resort you stay at.
The problem with saying to go to standby ( single rider line) is that if you are like me, who is traveling with an eight year old by myself, I can't be split up to ride, she would freak out.
I'd say use the virtual queue system, but after hearing all the issues with the new star wars attraction, I'm not sure that is the answer.
I hope they keep the reservation system and some park capacity reduction. Waiting 2 hrs to ride is ridiculous.

I just spent two days and visited DHS, Epcot and AK. This was my first crowded but with no fastpass visit and I wish they would just eliminate it forever. It is so much more tolerable to wait in a long standby line that actually moves continuously. This morning I waited a little over 60 minutes for FoP. I clocked it with my phone from when we got on the end of the line to when we were assigned the final hallway.

I could not believe it had actually been that long. It didn't seem like more than maybe 35-40 minutes and all because we were continuously moving through the queue.

It will be absolutely horrible for them to add a paid FP option which will then make the lines for any of the top attractions intolerable for the peons that don't want to double their admission cost or more.

Just raise admission prices, cap daily capacity and go back to the old days before some genius thought that people would buy food and merchandise while in a virtual queue and not just get on line for something else.

 

[Chicken Head]

Anyone have any idea how people are currently getting fast passes? I’ve been in the parks this week and we’ve been surprised how many people are scanning their bands and entering the fast pass line. Nothing too crazy, but seems like more than just people stuck for ride closures, especially since we often see it first thing in the morning too.

 

[Bullseye1967]

Anyone have any idea how people are currently getting fast passes? I’ve been in the parks this week and we’ve been surprised how many people are scanning their bands and entering the fast pass line. Nothing too crazy, but seems like more than just people stuck for ride closures, especially since we often see it first thing in the morning too.

They are currently using the fast pass lines for disability pass return times.

 

[disneyfreak0710]

Anyone have any idea how people are currently getting fast passes? I’ve been in the parks this week and we’ve been surprised how many people are scanning their bands and entering the fast pass line. Nothing too crazy, but seems like more than just people stuck for ride closures, especially since we often see it first thing in the morning too.

No one is getting "FP+". What there are however are VIP guests, DAS users, and people getting comp passes for breakdowns.

 

[WDWTrojan]

Anyone have any idea how people are currently getting fast passes? I’ve been in the parks this week and we’ve been surprised how many people are scanning their bands and entering the fast pass line. Nothing too crazy, but seems like more than just people stuck for ride closures, especially since we often see it first thing in the morning too.

As others have said its DAS users, VIP guests of varying sorts, service recovery (eg ride break down) and child swaps.

 

[Chicken Head]

As others have said its DAS users, VIP guests of varying sorts, service recovery (eg ride break down) and child swaps.

Thanks, that is what I told my kids it probably was. Just surprised how frequent it seemed, especially today in HS.

 

[WDWTrojan]

Thanks, that is what I told my kids it probably was. Just surprised how frequent it seemed, especially today in HS.

You'd be surprised how many have DAS.

 

[nickys]

Thanks, that is what I told my kids it probably was. Just surprised how frequent it seemed, especially today in HS.

VIP tours are incredibly popular right now. They are booked solid and people have even found booking at 60 days out can be difficult to get one.

 

[MisterPenguin]

No Friday news dump as some thought would happen...

 

[lewisc]

No Friday news dump as some thought would happen

The term news dump is used to describe how a business hopes to bury bad news by releasing it Friday after the close of business.

Disney might market this as a plus. Guests can now decide how long a line they want to experience. Regular, express or lightning.

 

[DisneyCane]

One other thing I noticed without FP in operation. Having people in queues all the time seemed to make the walkways less crowded.

Something that was surprising was how much linear queue space (with no social distancing) a short wait requires. For EE, a 20 minute wait filled the entire former standby queue, part of the former FP queue plus a supplemental switchback in front to the old FP distribution area with the line starting past the first set of steps down towards the exit.

If the wait was 40 minutes (which is still a very reasonable wait for an E ticket), the line would have extended to Dinorama.

For some attractions, some kind of virtual queue will be needed. Not to skip the line but to get into the line just to keep all the walkways from being turned into queues.

 

[G00fyDad]

I am still willing to bet that we hear nothing today.

Called it.

 

[Chomama]

One other thing I noticed without FP in operation. Having people in queues all the time seemed to make the walkways less crowded.

Something that was surprising was how much linear queue space (with no social distancing) a short wait requires. For EE, a 20 minute wait filled the entire former standby queue, part of the former FP queue plus a supplemental switchback in front to the old FP distribution area with the line starting past the first set of steps down towards the exit.

If the wait was 40 minutes (which is still a very reasonable wait for an E ticket), the line would have extended to Dinorama.

For some attractions, some kind of virtual queue will be needed. Not to skip the line but to get into the line just to keep all the walkways from being turned into queues.

I was very struck by this also. We kept trying to figure out if it was because the fp lines are empty, there is nothing else to do but rides so more people are in lines, or what. The physical lines are way outside of many show buildings and clogging walkways but the wait times are reasonable. Can anyone explain this?

 

[CastAStone]

One other thing I noticed without FP in operation. Having people in queues all the time seemed to make the walkways less crowded.

Something that was surprising was how much linear queue space (with no social distancing) a short wait requires. For EE, a 20 minute wait filled the entire former standby queue, part of the former FP queue plus a supplemental switchback in front to the old FP distribution area with the line starting past the first set of steps down towards the exit.

If the wait was 40 minutes (which is still a very reasonable wait for an E ticket), the line would have extended to Dinorama.

For some attractions, some kind of virtual queue will be needed. Not to skip the line but to get into the line just to keep all the walkways from being turned into queues.

EE (and many others) was built after FP was introduced. With TDO knowing 50-75% of ride capacity would go through the FP line, there was no incentive to spend the money to build long standby queues. An 80 minute standby wait with no FP is 2400 people but with 60% of ride capacity going to FP it’s only 960 people.

 

[Chomama]

EE (and many others) was built after FP was introduced. With TDO knowing 50-75% of ride capacity would go through the FP line, there was no incentive to spend the money to build long standby queues. An 80 minute standby wait with no FP is 2400 people but with 60% of ride capacity going to FP it’s only 960 people.

So what would a realistic solution be? Given how the parks look right now, they need some way to get people out of the standby queue

 

[nickys]

I was very struck by this also. We kept trying to figure out if it was because the fp lines are empty, there is nothing else to do but rides so more people are in lines, or what. The physical lines are way outside of many show buildings and clogging walkways but the wait times are reasonable. Can anyone explain this?

The wait times are reasonable despite the physical long lines Because the line isn’t stopping and starting due to the FastPass line. When 80% of the capacity was for FP+ that’s 2-3 groups from the FP+ line for every one from stand-by. When almost everyone is in one line it’s going to move a lot faster.

 

[mikejs78]

One other thing I noticed without FP in operation. Having people in queues all the time seemed to make the walkways less crowded.

Something that was surprising was how much linear queue space (with no social distancing) a short wait requires. For EE, a 20 minute wait filled the entire former standby queue, part of the former FP queue plus a supplemental switchback in front to the old FP distribution area with the line starting past the first set of steps down towards the exit.

If the wait was 40 minutes (which is still a very reasonable wait for an E ticket), the line would have extended to Dinorama.

For some attractions, some kind of virtual queue will be needed. Not to skip the line but to get into the line just to keep all the walkways from being turned into queues.

I was very struck by this also. We kept trying to figure out if it was because the fp lines are empty, there is nothing else to do but rides so more people are in lines, or what. The physical lines are way outside of many show buildings and clogging walkways but the wait times are reasonable. Can anyone explain this?

Yes - capacity is reduced in the parks. There are far fewer people actually in the parks than was typical pre covid.

Wait until park capacity increases over the coming months with no FP. It won't be 45-60 min waits, it will be 75-100 min waits.

 

[Jrb1979]

Yes - capacity is reduced in the parks. There are far fewer people actually in the parks than was typical pre covid.

Wait until park capacity increases over the coming months with no FP. It won't be 45-60 min waits, it will be 75-100 min waits.

Maybe that's what they are waiting for in regards to announcing FP. Wait til wait times are really high and then announce a paid version. People will be more willing to accept it to avoid waiting that long.

 

[Chi84]

I know there are people who advocate returning to an all-standby system, but does anyone believe that will actually happen? I went to WDW before fast passes of any kind and I have no desire to stand in those long lines again. Disney has had a system that allows people to reserve their place in line for a very long time now, and other theme parks also have those systems in place. I don't see them going backwards in that regard.

 

[Chomama]

Yes - capacity is reduced in the parks. There are far fewer people actually in the parks than was typical pre covid.

Wait until park capacity increases over the coming months with no FP. It won't be 45-60 min waits, it will be 75-100 min waits.

Oh yeah I get that. I was just trying to understand why the lines extend all over the park even without social distancing. They are going to have to do something. It’s really unpleasant