FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[pdude81]

I’m aware of your views around this.

However you can’t deny that we have some people here who really do find things out long before they’re made public. Of course, maybe they’re all just “lucky guesses” going back two decades or more.

It's been a couple months since the popcorn post. I often misread the cryptic clues but I took that to mean that they were getting close to announcing something. But then there was that covid blip and they shuffled Rat to October.

What I can say is that people are getting frustrated with the current procedure and I think people's high from getting out of their house will wear off and weigh heavily on guest satisfaction. If they aren't going to put out FP soon to manage the lines, they better get to opening up more shows to add capacity.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It's been a couple months since the popcorn post. I often misread the cryptic clues but I took that to mean that they were getting close to announcing something. But then there was that covid blip and they shuffled Rat to October.

What I can say is that people are getting frustrated with the current procedure and I think people's high from getting out of their house will wear off and weigh heavily on guest satisfaction. If they aren't going to put out FP soon to manage the lines, they better get to opening up more shows to add capacity.

Fair.

the “maybe something…but I’m not saying” cryptic stuff is hard to track…so it requires more commitment than most will tolerate.

I think there is an operational issue here. They simply can’t put the crowds back to where they have been for over ten years with no crowd management.

it’s numbers game and the numbers won’t work. Even with “park pass” and more upfront control

 

[HauntedPirate]

My guess: They aren’t ready to let the Genie out of the bottle just yet.

 

[Padraig]

Here is my thoughts on what will happen:
1 FP a day for those staying in Value or Disney Good Neighbor hotels
2 FPs a day for those in Moderates
3 FPs a day for those in Deluxe and Deluxe Villas

If you want more (or if you are staying off property and want them) you can pay $___.

This is essentially what was available in DLP when we were there in 2019.

IIRC:
1 FP for a club room. (our friends had this in NPB, while we got nada in the family room in DLH)
Unlimited FP for the suite levels in DLH (not sure if this was exclusive for that Hotel)

A few different tiers you could purchase separately, ranging from 1FP for an assortment of 3 rides, rising up to unlimited FP.

Covid aside, I'm amazed it hasn't made it over to Orlando.

 

[Roy G. Dis]

We need to have a game where whoever correctly guesses the future FP+ replacement gets an no-expenses paid trip to Disney Springs*.


*The escalators are broken.

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

If the escalators are broken again (still?) I’m not playin’.

 

[nickys]

It's been a couple months since the popcorn post. I often misread the cryptic clues but I took that to mean that they were getting close to announcing something. But then there was that covid blip and they shuffled Rat to October.

Your timeline seems odd. Rat opening date was announced back in March. The post about Shanghai Access was after that and both were well after Covid.

This is essentially what was available in DLP when we were there in 2019.

IIRC:
1 FP for a family suite. (our friends had this in NPB, while we got nada in the family room in DLH)
Unlimited FP for the club levels in DLH (not sure if this was exclusive for that Hotel)

A few different tiers you could purchase separately, ranging from 1FP for an assortment of 3 rides, rising up to unlimited FP.

Covid aside, I'm amazed it hasn't made it over to Orlando.

DLP pretty much identical to Shanghai, with a few tweaks. Mostly it’s buy on the day with some exceptions, also there are so few rides with FP at DLP that there are only three groups - family, thrill and all. And then the ride once and unlimited options.
So the same system, and easily adaptable to WDW.

 

[HauntedPirate]

It’s kind of obvious what’s likely coming. Token “free” Fastpasses for most on-site guests. Pay-to-play after that. My guess is they are banking, quite literally, on guests seeing or experiencing long standby lines and suddenly… MAGICALLY!!!… The Genie will pop up on their mobile device and offer them FastPasses, for a price. He may even offer them a package deal for the rest of their trip.

 

[pdude81]

Your timeline seems odd. Rat opening date was announced back in March. The post about Shanghai Access was after that and both were well after Covid.

DLP pretty much identical to Shanghai, with a few tweaks. Mostly it’s buy on the day with some exceptions, also there are so few rides with FP at DLP that there are only three groups - family, thrill and all. And then the ride once and unlimited options.
So the same system, and easily adaptable to WDW.

I think you're thinking about a different post. You are right that it appears this is after the Rat announcement though:

Rumor - Version of MaxPass coming to WDW in May?

Agree. The strategy is to make it a once in a lifetime experience, and never do it again. The world is too big and fascinating for WDW to be yearly trips for some. That makes no sense when you want to sell timeshare units.

forums.wdwmagic.com

 

[pdude81]

It’s kind of obvious what’s likely coming. Token “free” Fastpasses for most on-site guests. Pay-to-play after that. My guess is they are banking, quite literally, on guests seeing or experiencing long standby lines and suddenly… MAGICALLY!!!… The Genie will pop up on their mobile device and offer them FastPasses, for a price. He may even offer them a package deal for the rest of their trip.

People are already frustrated in lines now. They are setting us up to ask to pay for fastpass.

 

[nickys]

I think you're thinking about a different post. You are right that it appears this is after the Rat announcement though:

Rumor - Version of MaxPass coming to WDW in May?

Agree. The strategy is to make it a once in a lifetime experience, and never do it again. The world is too big and fascinating for WDW to be yearly trips for some. That makes no sense when you want to sell timeshare units.

forums.wdwmagic.com

These:

Did anyone mention Disney Access+ () yet?

Asking for a friend.

It’s likely one or more of the options will offer a selection of grouped attractions (mountains, fanland dark rides etc.)

 

[HauntedPirate]

People are already frustrated in lines now. They are setting us up to ask to pay for fastpass.

The frog doesn't jump out of the pot when the heat is slowly turned up.

 

[flutas]

These:

Dang, I missed this (below) post...

Did anyone mention Disney Access+ () yet?

Asking for a friend.

I guess I could mention it?

Though, I guess marketing got a hold of it and added a "premier" tagline to it. Or maybe I'm mistaken and what I know about is just for Disney+... or maybe it's just for SHDL, or maybe I don't even know at this point.

Disney reuses very similar names for far too many things. Gotta have a magical feel to it of course.

 

[pdude81]

These:

Gotcha. The post I linked is what I was meant when I referenced the popcorn post. But again you're right, we got more specific information and a potential product name again more recently. That was after the "Lightning Pass" video, right?

 

[sup]

It's better for the general public to overcharge then under. If the FP lines stay short, the standby lines will move quicker and everyone will be happy. The rich can smerk and the poor can not be nearly as frustrated. So charge away Disney.

lets see, so far I have booked Movies resort for a week. Tickets to each park. I am into Disney for 2500. I haven't bought plane tickets yet. About 600 I am guessing. No dining, no Halloween tickets, (I refuse). so to sleep, and enter park, 2500. Over 3000 with plane. I am guess you have no idea what a poor person is. Most people save all year for a vacation to Disney at minimal cost. I am a mental health therapist and seek out services daily for poor people living off the government and food stamps. If you can afford to go to Disney you are not a poor person.

 

[CastAStone]

It ended up being a 3. I think the rain and other downtime had something to do with that. We had:

• Astro Orbiter offline for 13% of the day
• Big Thunder 17%
• Haunted Mansion 18%
• Peter Pan 12%
• Pirates 10%
• Space 13%

Plus minor outages elsewhere.

I think people have also forgotten just how busy a 6 or an 8 was Pre-Covid, especially since we all were probably expert level FP refreshers.

Len, I know you guys mentioned at one point pre-Covid that you were thinking about redoing your scale with how many 10s you had in Feb 2020; did that happen / is it in the works?

 

[CastAStone]

Martin has said all along that there will still be a free component.

I don’t recall him ever saying that without also mentioning that that particular part was subject to change.

 

[DisneyCane]

Martin has said all along that there will still be a free component.

I don’t recall him ever saying that without also mentioning that that particular part was subject to change.

For free at Epcot you get a FP to Journey into Imagination with Figment.

 

[Parker in NYC]

That’s not what I’m saying at all…

if this is a revenue stream…which is a safe bet…it’s out of the hands of the sundial building in disney springs and has nothing to do with WDI…which is where 99.9% of “sources” come from…

this is executive level in Burbank…or more likely in an office with moodys, vanguard and blackrock in lower manhattan…I’ll be near there tomorrow…I can wear my Mickey ears and wave.

…who am I kidding? I don’t have Mickey ears

Be sure to wave to a large number of the folks here who undoubtedly work with those executives!

 

[MurphyJoe]

For free at Epcot you get a FP to Journey into Imagination with Figment.

I'm anticipating high-volume attractions to be on the free tier. Things like theater shows and select omnimovers. Disney might also limit attractions by the time of day. For example, maybe there's free FP for The Haunted Mansion, but only after 6 pm.