FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[GoofGoof]

I think giving one for free tempts people to want to pay the upcharge.

I also think we should be very careful talking about dynamic pricing as if it were an acceptable situation. I'm ok with tiered pricing but dynamic pricing I don't think I could deal with. There is a limit to how much Kool Aid I can drink.

So if they want to charge $20 for SDMT, Tron, Splash, and then 10 for Buzz or Pirates, go for it. But if too many people buy passes on 10/1 and they want to charge $50 to ride the Haunted mansion.... forget it. Everybody has their own line in the sand.

I’m curious to see how a bundle or a package would work for multiple day tickets. That may be the only way I’d pay.

I hate to say it but it seems to me that the only “free“ option will be standby line and then when that gets crowded the standby pass. That isn’t much different than the old FP system pre-FP+ where your options were get in the standby line or pull a FP and come back later. In this case it sounds like it won’t be an option though and depending on how many passes they distribute the wait on returning could be longer than FP was. The upside is it’s using the Max pass concept of allowing you to schedule your standby pass online vs pulling a paper ticket with FP.

The paid option should in theory only be allocated a small percent of capacity but if Disney gets too greedy or if they start offering tons of deals and packages they could allocate more. If they keep it relatively small and exclusive it’s likely to have a smaller impact on the average guest.

 

[pdude81]

haha I mean theoretically all they bought was a timeshare.

I've seriously looked into buying a few times, but time and time again I keep seeing 'don't buy for the perks, because they can change at any moment', and in the end it just doesn't make financial sense for us without the discounted AP tickets.

People keep saying don't buy for the perks... yet they are still here 25 years later. If you go multiple times per year then the AP savings are pretty decent. But if you don't live in FL and want the gold pass the math gets better more quickly.

Still isn't for everybody, but without the perks they'd have a hell of a time getting anybody to pay these lofty prices.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don’t disagree. I know people who went to WDW during moderate busy time and did their 3 FPs a day and that’s all. Decided it wasn’t worth waiting in a line.

I think we all did that ALOT.

and Disney views that as a fail…because we leave…we don’t spend the other 9 hours of the operational day in the gift shops or at the food and wine kiosks.

so we all pass go/lose $200 dollars.

iger promised “monetization” to the street with the network upgrade…errr…”fastpass+/my magic”…

…they don’t forget. Time for Bob 2.0 to pay.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

Will this be a replacement for, or work in tandem with, the virtual queue they use for ROTR?

I imagine each park would likely have 1 headliner you wouldn’t be able to get a “standby pass” for- FOP, ROTR, Tron, and Ratatouille. Maybe Mine Train. Most of the big rides (Tower, Safaris, Everest, Rock n Roller Coaster, Space, Soarin, etc.) seem to have standby lines that should be able to accommodate everyone except on the busiest days.

 

[RobbinsDad]

I don't think Disney will bring this exact system to WDW but if they did bring something similar over, the devil would be in the details and the implementation. I could either love it or hate it.

Some pros:

1) Spontaneity returns. I despise searching for FP in advance of a trip. it makes it less of a vacation. I'd enjoy figuring out what I'm doing same-day.
2) A middle tier level of add-ons without having to jump up to VIP tours or skip-the-line group tours. Maybe I'd be willing to spend 200 extra but not 500-5000 extra.

The return of spontaneity is welcome in theory, but I'm kind of anxious about the idea of making virtual and/or paid attraction choices in a place that already demands so much of your attention in the moment. I don't envy the folks at Touring Plans right now.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

haha I mean theoretically all they bought was a timeshare.

I've seriously looked into buying a few times, but time and time again I keep seeing 'don't buy for the perks, because they can change at any moment', and in the end it just doesn't make financial sense for us without the discounted AP tickets.

That “theoretical” line might be even a bridge too far for Disney. The reason they sold those was because it would attract those that would spend beyond on low overhead/high profit stuff.

careful where you pee

 

[RobbinsDad]

Will this be a replacement for, or work in tandem with, the virtual queue they use for ROTR?

I imagine each park would likely have 1 headliner you wouldn’t be able to get a “standby pass” for- FOP, ROTR, Tron, and Ratatouille. Maybe Mine Train. Most of the big rides (Tower, Safaris, Everest, Rock n Roller Coaster, Space, Soarin, etc.) seem to have standby lines that should be able to accommodate everyone except on the busiest days.

I wondered this too. With increased capacity at DHS + a paid and/or free virtual queue system, will there be a need for boarding group reservations?

 

[LittleBuford]

Spontaneity returns. I despise searching for FP in advance of a trip. it makes it less of a vacation. I'd enjoy figuring out what I'm doing same-day.

The spontaneity argument really puzzles me. The new system, however it's implemented, would also entail making plans, except on the day itself rather than ahead of time. True spontaneity means doing whatever takes your fancy, free of external factors or pressures, but that isn't what's being discussed at all. Quite the opposite.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

haha I mean theoretically all they bought was a timeshare.

I've seriously looked into buying a few times, but time and time again I keep seeing 'don't buy for the perks, because they can change at any moment', and in the end it just doesn't make financial sense for us without the discounted AP tickets.

My average cost for a standard room in a “deluxe” hotel is around the $200 a night range and doesn’t change much…

so I bought for that “perk”

but the ship sailed

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I wondered this too. With increased capacity at DHS + a paid and/or free virtual queue system, will there be a need for boarding group reservations?

There’s no need for that boarding group

 

[DisneyJoe]

So families with young children now have to Uber to Disney after landing (possibly very late at night), then pay hundreds of dollars more to avoid sitting in a 1-2 hour line with their impatient kids?

If they do this it will most definitely impact attendance. Fast pass and magical express were half the reason many of my friends went. It just makes the trip much easier when you have little ones.

Disney will continue to sink in the vacation rankings, and rightfully so.

Don't forget Mears Connect that is replacing Magical Express. We don't know the pricing yet.

 

[VJ]

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

What's not to love about this.

fixed that for ya

 

[RobbinsDad]

Well Disney is certainly getting roasted on social media, and this is from the fans only reacts. Just waiting to see how badly they get ratio'd when something official comes out and generates waves of negative attention.

They'd better pay their social media influencers extra when that happens.

But that won't change anything. Full speed ahead I guess.

I'm of a different mind - I think this will be heralded by the Alexa set (who mostly make up their prime target market right now, parents with young children). Plan nothing in advance but what park you're going to, then let the Genie or whatever make customized day-of decisions just for you. It will be a smash hit.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I'm of a different mind - I think this will be heralded by the Alexa set (who mostly make up their prime target market right now, parents with young children). Plan nothing in advance but what park you're going to, then let the Genie or whatever make customized day-of decisions just for you. It will be a smash hit.

Millennials?

how much are their parents giving them each day for spending money on vacation?

 

[IanDLBZF]

Hong Kong doesn't have paid FP as of yet.

I stand corrected. They do have paid FP at HKDL, known as Disney “Priority Special” and Disney “Priority Special+”. They both work like Universal Express.

 

[ctrlaltdel]

The spontaneity argument really puzzles me. The new system, however it's implemented, would also entail making plans, except on the day itself rather than ahead of time. True spontaneity means doing whatever takes your fancy, free of external factors or pressures, but that isn't what's being discussed at all. Quite the opposite.

I do agree, though I think not having every major swaths of the day planned months in advance is freeing for some, and upsetting for others. In reality, if you want to do a lot, you likely will have to game plan now more than ever.

I'm sure if you are willing to pay to skip the line, there will be moments of relative arbitrage value gained (in terms of time gained in your day vs. price in the new reality) once this has settled in and patterns emerge. I'm expecting a lot of people here will get savvy on what's a good price when, when it's not worth to buy, if you should enter a Standby Virtual Queue, etc.

 

[RobbinsDad]

Millennials?

how much are their parents giving them each day for spending money on vacation?

Most 30-something parents are of the millennial generation, and the ones going to Disney with their pirates or princesses have as much disposable income (or high credit card limits) as the previous generations.

 

[monothingie]

I'm of a different mind - I think this will be heralded by the Alexa set (who mostly make up their prime target market right now, parents with young children). Plan nothing in advance but what park you're going to, then let the Genie or whatever make customized day-of decisions just for you. It will be a smash hit.

I guess if they're good with crippling debt, then sure why not.

 

[Andrew M]

The spontaneity argument really puzzles me. The new system, however it's implemented, would also entail making plans, except on the day itself rather than ahead of time. True spontaneity means doing whatever takes your fancy, free of external factors or pressures, but that isn't what's being discussed at all. Quite the opposite.

I always hated people saying that too. I guess it makes sense if you have an AP and can go multiple times a year, it doesn't matter what rides you skip.

If we're taking our only trip down for the year, and 'spontaneity' means we're not going to be able to ride Tower of Terror because the posted wait is 120 minutes long, that means we're not gonna ride it for atleast another year. I love the advanced planning because then I know ok, we're guaranteed to at least ride these rides on this day, and then play it by ear after.

Especially with no EMH I can't justify spending over 10% of the time the park is open waiting in line for one ride when that's our only day in that park for the next year+.

 

[pixarprincess]

Millennials?

how much are their parents giving them each day for spending money on vacation?

You know the oldest millenials are now in their 40s...right?