FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[Sirwalterraleigh]

This. And even saying they get 1 is a bit far fetched in my opinion. 2 or 3 as a cap off and then pay like everyone else.

Then that’s the current, crappy logjammed fastpass+ in many ways.

what indications have you seen that they want to preserve that?
they turned it off like a switch when it would have worked BETTER last summer and fall than it ever had before…

 

[aaronml]

I think - to our own detriment - there ARE no bridges too far…

that’s on US…the customers.

Yup…. look no further than the success of Boo Bash despite providing less value than MNSSHP at the same / higher price point.

 

[flynnibus]

Prior to Covid and the reduction of benefits to on site stays vs off site, I would agree with you. But as the benefits to staying on site (earlier FP or Dining reservations, free parking, Magic Express Access, purchase delivery, ect) started to be removed the choice between on site/off site became less. We have always stayed at the Contemporary due to proximity and on site benefits. Our latest trip when we were bumped off the Contemporary due to the refurbishment rather than moving the reservation in time, we moved to the Marriot World Resort. Its a generalization but I would guess many individuals who are booking the more expensive deluxe rooms are employed at jobs which do not have the highest level of flexibility in off time. Taking that into account, along with children's school schedules, ect., the timing of vacation is going to be a primary concern, as long as on site benefits don't drastically outweigh off site stay.

I appreciate your example.. but the jist was actually back about park access... like if they can't get the park reservation they want somehow people are going to go somewhere else instead of WDW or have a meltdown. The hotels was just an example of where there is finite capacity today and people adapt... and try to make things fit... not immediately just say "well we won't goto Disney then"

 

[threvester]

Still Doesn’t change much. All “slower” times now

the person i quoted said that the hotels were bursting and they were charging top dollar...this was not about if its a slow time or not

 

[Jrb1979]

Then that’s the current, crappy logjammed fastpass+ in many ways.

what indications have you seen that they want to preserve that?
they turned it off like a switch when it would have worked BETTER last summer and fall than it ever had before…

I've been saying that forever. It's a big reason that I haven't been in a hurry to go back. Too many people have FP and it's not limited enough.

 

[ctrlaltdel]

For DLR I would agree. For WDW to go from 3 free to all paid seems like a bridge to far IMO.

I would agree. they definitely could mitigate backlash by giving 3 free to on-site (which is the ultimate stay on-site encouragement imo) and not give any or 1 to off-site/day guests/APs.

I would agree the situation is a little different in WDW than the other parks just comparing the sheer amount of hotel rooms, but that probably is just wishful thinking on my part.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yup…. look no further than the success of Boo Bash despite providing less value than MNSSHP at the same / higher price point.

…gotta say no sometimes.

ill never get it…
The only time in my life where I got that swept up to not say “no” was usually on weekends in college when I was hoping that no one would ever say “no”

 

[Jeff4272]

I would agree. they definitely could mitigate backlash by giving 3 free to on-site (which is the ultimate stay on-site encouragement imo) and not give any or 1 to off-site/day guests/APs.

I would agree the situation is a little different in WDW than the other parks just comparing the sheer amount of hotel rooms, but that probably is just wishful thinking on my part.

I would say WDW needs to cut FP availability at least in half in order to make the standby lines better..........SO by making 50% less available AND wanting to monetize it, they will not be able to give free FP to all groups (AP, Value, Moderate, Deluxe) like they did before..........They will have to Tier them and then charge for anything beyond that

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

the person i quoted said that the hotels were bursting and they were charging top dollar...this was not about if its a slow time or not

Very true…that was an exaggeration

case in point…If rooms were “bursting”…they’d have been open by now

 

[ctrlaltdel]

I would say WDW needs to cut FP availability at least in half in order to make the standby lines better..........SO by making 50% less available AND wanting to monetize it, they will not be able to give free FP to all groups (AP, Value, Moderate, Deluxe) like they did before..........They will ahve to Tier them and then charge for anything beyond that

I agree and I think that is partly why they are doing this.

I just think it's gonna be a half-measure any number of ways and will primarily be about revenue generation. And there is a way they can smartly generate revenue with this and decrease FP usage, it's just that I'm not convinced they will go in a dynamic pricing route.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I would say WDW needs to cut FP availability at least in half in order to make the standby lines better..........SO by making 50% less available AND wanting to monetize it, they will not be able to give free FP to all groups (AP, Value, Moderate, Deluxe) like they did before..........They will have to Tier them and then charge for anything beyond that

I agree and I think that is partly why they are doing this.

I just think it's gonna be a half-measure any number of ways and will primarily be about revenue generation. And there is a way they can smartly generate revenue with this and decrease FP usage, it's just that I'm not convinced they will go in a dynamic pricing route.

Lemme get this straight:

so now this is about “fixing” fastpass? Not really monetizing it?

wow..:full circle indeed

 

[Waters Back Side]

Then that’s the current, crappy logjammed fastpass+ in many ways.

what indications have you seen that they want to preserve that?
they turned it off like a switch when it would have worked BETTER last summer and fall than it ever had before…

The reason FP caused crowded lines is the over abundance of them. It was not necessary (whether the system allowed it or not) for people to have to grab 2 and 3 and 4 more fast passes. Disney can cap off the amount of times people wait by closing stand by lines right now if they wanted to. I like the idea of queuing people up to cone later and stand in standby. That could work. They can limit the amount of free Fast passes that are made available and they can prioritize them for the guests filling their hotel rooms.

Explain to me what exactly Disney would accomplish or hope to accomplish by pricing large families completely out or lessening their experience.

Even at $8 dollars a day per guest per ride..a family of 4 is a little less then $100 dollars a day to go on 3 rides. That is comparable to the theme park ticket price.

When something is not working you do not resolve one problem by creating another. You try to find a way to keep the guest base satisfied so they continue to come back, so you continue to get them spending money on all different segments..food, merchandise, upcharge events etc. You do not cripple them and charge them for using the amenities that were at one time included with admission.

When cable tv increases they might go from 200 to 230 dollars. Not 200 to 400. They might charge for channels that were once free. But not EVERY one.

You are completely ignoring the impact this type of change would have if it came identical as DLPs over to WDW.

 

[Jeff4272]

I agree and I think that is partly why they are doing this.

I just think it's gonna be a half-measure any number of ways and will primarily be about revenue generation. And there is a way they can smartly generate revenue with this and decrease FP usage, it's just that I'm not convinced they will go in a dynamic pricing route.

I truly believe occupancy will be affected if they remove free FP for resorts.......Might not happen right away b of pent up demand, DVC use it or lose it, 50th, etc.....but after that is over, I really do not see people paying for a Deluxe resort to stay at MK once a week for an extra 30 mins as a big enough incentive

 

[Jeff4272]

Lemme get this straight:

so now this is about “fixing” fastpass? Not really monetizing it?

wow..:full circle indeed

I like FP+.....I dont think it needs to be fixed....I wish they'd leave it alone.....knowing i can get on 3 rides before i even arrive is a HUGE incentive for me and my family.....That's why i hate MaxPass and paper FP and likely Premier Access

 

[ctrlaltdel]

Lemme get this straight:

so now this is about “fixing” fastpass? Not really monetizing it?

wow..:full circle indeed

Well as I said, I think the primary goal is to generate revenue. Decreasing FP usage is a side benefit.

 

[pdude81]

I would say WDW needs to cut FP availability at least in half in order to make the standby lines better..........SO by making 50% less available AND wanting to monetize it, they will not be able to give free FP to all groups (AP, Value, Moderate, Deluxe) like they did before..........They will have to Tier them and then charge for anything beyond that

Agreed. But by dropping from 3 free to 1 that still cuts down quite a bit and allows for purchase over the top. On site guests are used to paying the ransom and honestly I don't think they would be ed if everybody got one free. They would, however, be ed if paying more to stay close and the only tangible benefit was 30 extra magic minutes.

 

[Jeff4272]

Lemme get this straight:

so now this is about “fixing” fastpass? Not really monetizing it?

wow..:full circle indeed

FOP right now is 115 posted (Len has actual at 101 minutes).......TT is 116 minutes...............and there's no Fast Passes and its not even a holiday or a weekend day..................That's unacceptable...............I do not think the standby line's will go down without FP............I know there's less attraction/shows right now but there's also reduced capacity and people in the park....I think the stand by lines only gets worse, not better..........


I think today is the PERFECT example of why having FP+ is better than not having FP+

 

[rkleinlein]

If lines are the worst part of Disney and Disney would rather have people shopping or eating than standing in lines, would it be possible to have only virtual queues for all attractions? I have no idea if this would be possible; what the logistics or upsides and downsides would be. Just wondering. Somebody, please explain. Is this possible? Why or why not? How could it be done? Should it be done? Why or why not?

 

[Waters Back Side]

I truly believe occupancy will be affected if they remove free FP for resorts.......Might not happen right away b of pent up demand, DVC use it or lose it, 50th, etc.....but after that is over, I really do not see people paying for a Deluxe resort to stay at MK once a week for an extra 30 mins as a big enough incentive

It will. All the rooms they are selling now. Imagine Christmas and New Years shoulder to shoulder in Disney like years past with the guests who often loyally come back at those times. Now if they do not want to PAY to go on a ride the only option for those times of the year is to stand in line for 60 to 90 minutes. and I don't care what anyone thinks...Disney is so busy those times that even a working queue system will require an hour or more long wait. Oh but wait...you are staying in one of the hotels...so ill offer you the ability to BUY your way onto a few attractions so you can enjoy at least a semblance of memories with your family, after already spending thousands of dollars.

 

[ctrlaltdel]

If lines are the worst part of Disney and Disney would rather have people shopping or eating than standing in lines, would it be possible to have only virtual queues for all attractions? I have no idea if this would be possible; what the logistics or upsides and downsides would be. Just wondering. Somebody, please explain. Is this possible? Why or why not? Should it be done? Why or why not?

Probably not, I think that could create a disaster on the walking paths. That's why I think it would only be select lines for the standby pass (like in Paris) and only when they reach a certain length.