FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

So if they’re bad at IT…and they took out the previous system…what happens now?

Durp that's why I don't think they will change the overall system THAT much.

 

[danlb_2000]

"By choosing Disney Premier Access, guests have the option for more flexibility in planning their day and will be able to spend even more time enjoying attractions, shows and so much more."

What's not to love about this.

 

[themarchhare]

You have to wonder if there is a breaking point with all this upcharging for a lesser product.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

30 minutes is 30 minutes. By the time you walk to a ride, the rest of the park is open, but THOSE people still have to make their wait to the rides too. You act like the EMH people have to take time to walk to a ride, but the non-EMH people magically teleport to their rides, negating the head start.

Oh we’re back on this?

30 minutes is nothing..:most gobbled up by transit.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You have to wonder if there is a breaking point with all this upcharging for a lesser product.

The customer always “folds”…they’ll have to “hold” at some point

 

[monothingie]

With all due respect, I don't think you know what you're talking about on this issue. The post-COVID staffing crisis is real, and it's severe.

Disney does not operate in a bubble. Pre-pandemic Disney was terrible with CM wages and benefits, now that there is a labor shortage, even with the sign on bonus (with restrictions), it is still too little to compete with the alternative of government assistance.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

You have to wonder if there is a breaking point with all this upcharging for a lesser product.

I wish it were only upcharging. If they just... raised the prices of tickets and hotel rooms (more than they're doing already), I'd be much more comfortable with that than this convoluted nonsense.

 

[ParentsOf4]

In many ways, this is a return to the separate admission and attraction tickets Disney sold until they went with an all inclusive ticket when Epcot opened in 1982.

I would be ok with this if a WDW admission ticket was not already the most expensive amusement park ticket on the planet.

Back in the days before the all inclusive ticket, theme park admission was today’s equivalent of about $24. I’d be ok with paying $24 to experience the park without attractions.

The crazy part is charging someone more than $110 to get in, with no assurance that they’ll be able to experience a single attraction!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I feel like I’m about 2 trips from Disney asking on the mobile ordering system if I would like my Casey’s hot dog 5 minutes faster for an additional up charge.

Uber Eats already does this - for literally 5 minutes faster.

 

[Splashin' Ryan]

You have to wonder if there is a breaking point with all this upcharging for a lesser product.

If there is one we're definitely getting closer and closer

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

"By choosing Disney Premier Access, guests have the option for more flexibility in planning their day and will be able to spend even more time enjoying attractions, shows and so much more."

What's not to love about this.

At chase Manhattan bank?

…nothing

 

[ctrlaltdel]

the problem of unlimited virtual standby is unless there is something you give up for entering the queue there is no disincentive to join the queue… “why not?”

this will greatly increase the size of the virtual queue and increase no shows… making reliable estimates really hard.

it also makes it very hard to turn the virtual wueue back off once enabled.

people will have to give “something” up… like being limited to one virtual queue at a time at least.

I did think @marni1971 said that this was the case unless I misunderstood. One virtual line at a time.

If that is the case, well I do wonder how crazy lines for some attractions will get. Even if you can go in non-VQ line in the meantime, I do worry that because of the complex nature of the system, you could easily see a 4-5 hour line form since 3/4 of those people don't have to wait and not having much to do otherwise. Unless of course, you are willing to pay to jump in front of the line.

 

[themarchhare]

I wish it were only upcharging. If they just... raised the prices of tickets and hotel rooms (more than they're doing already), I'd be much more comfortable with that than this convoluted nonsense.

Yeah, I was definitely being generous with my description (just for brevity's sake).

 

[FigmentFan82]

This absurdity is so on brand for current management. I got some flack in another thread about my gripe with the Deluxe Resort access perk but if this comes to WDW, it is even more proof that Disney does not want middle class income families to be regular park guests anymore. I know they have always been in the business of subtly separating me from my money, but they now have no issue blatantly doing it in such an aggressive manner....

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They could offer you a coupon or something

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Oh we’re back on this?

30 minutes is nothing..:most gobbled up by transit.

It's not.

If you're getting in at 8:30 and it takes you 15 minutes of transit time, you're not left with "just" 15 minutes of benefit, because the people getting in at 9:00 ALSO have 15 minutes of transit time. Maybe your benefit isn't 8:30 to 9:00, but it's still 8:45 to 9:15.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It's OK if something works for our style and not yours. lol

Don’t strain your shoulder

 

[flynnibus]

I have a bit of a hard time seeing how a change like this could break even - let alone turn a profit. It would require a ton of development and marketing just to get the basics off the ground. I can’t imagine the cost of running this at scale. Disney generally has never been able to pull of a parks IT project that would meet this level of sophistication.

What makes you think its so complicated?

 

[Waters Back Side]

I don't really follow this. Presumably if a similar system were rolled out in the US and people were asked to pay for Fastpass: fewer people would be using Fastpass. Fewer people using Fastpass would basically be a return to normalcy for Standby queues and a return to that level of spontaneity in the pre-Fastpass times... no?

I don't think the end goal here is to milk more money out of people, as much as it is to prevent so many people using/abusing Fastpass.

Ok. Fair. So then how about limiting HOW MANY fast passes you get instead of charging to even get 1??

I'm inclined to boldly state that even if it's not everyones most ideal choice, they would deal with 3 FP a day free like it was but any more you have to pay. Then Disney is still making money on something that they at one point were not profiting from (directly at least). Its called a Happy medium and most people would use the 3 to ride what they wanted to. Hence the other rides would run smoother as well.

You should be allowed to skip a few lines as a benefit and incentive to buy theme park tickets. EVERYONE should. There are ways they could have made money on FP without this new system.Especially at WDW.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I mean, this company charges their own hotel guests to park at their own (not inexpensive) hotels. This can't be too much of a surprise.

I just hope it's worth it. If it has this kind of "surge pricing" scenario, that makes me skeptical - unless admission ticket prices go down. (Ha!)

I envision a lot more customer complaints about nothing to get the once pooh-poohed "free fastpass" as compensation.

 

[Jrb1979]

Of all the things they have cut or changed since Covid paid FP is one I don't have an issue with. IMO the less availability for FP the better it works. I know there was a limit before with how many were available. Now if you charge for it as well, the less people will have it.