FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[disneygeek90]

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.

Isn't this virtually how a normal standby system works, just not regulated by Disney? People look at a MMRR queue posted at 80 mins, pass it by, and then return later when they stop by again and it's at 50. There will always be people willing to wait or not wait any given line, I don't know why Disney needs to control when you arrive in a standby line.

 

[jpinkc]

Anyone expecting a Friday afternoon news dump?

No, if anything they will try and sneak it out on a Saturday or Sunday when they think we arent looking. I hope to be proven wrong.

 

[SpykeYs]

Just hope FastPass (paid or free) will be back for my next trip in March... I guess March is far enough... I wonder about Oct 1st though ?

 

[pdude81]

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 go 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?

Then they'd need a place to put all those people. They want you to be on line, just not on line for 2 hours and complaining on social media about it. They want you there long enough to purchase food, and have a good enough time that you purchase a souvenir. So they are looking to manage how long you are in line, not eliminate lines completely.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

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

I would bet the opposite.

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

But it’s not coming back as it was…so no need to rehash it

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+

Or they could say “wait in lines…or pay?”

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I thought that Marni said there WILL be a FREE option.
This is why I feel like we are not moving in the same direction as the foreign parks.
Something that is a FP+/Maxpass hybrid is coming.

 

[pdude81]

Just hope FastPass (paid or free) will be back for my next trip in March... I guess March is far enough... I wonder about Oct 1st though ?

It seems like it's needed now. And with more hotels coming online soon I'm not understanding what's taking so long. Martin has said the system has been battle tested, so I'm wondering what the hold-up is. Nobody has been dropping hints about when it might arrive

 

[ctrlaltdel]

I thought that Marni said there WILL be a FREE option.
This is why I feel like we are not moving in the same direction as the foreign parks.
Something that is a FP+/Maxpass hybrid is coming.

I think the free option he heard about was the Standby Pass

 

[ctrlaltdel]

It seems like it's needed now. And with more hotels coming online soon I'm not understanding what's taking so long. Martin has said the system has been battle tested, so I'm wondering what the hold-up is. Nobody has been dropping hints about when it might arrive

Maybe waiting for even more rooms to fill up/open up?

 

[pdude81]

I thought that Marni said there WILL be a FREE option.
This is why I feel like we are not moving in the same direction as the foreign parks.
Something that is a FP+/Maxpass hybrid is coming.

I don't remember anything definitive. Last I saw was that they should have a free component, but that could mean his preference and not that a free component was planned.

I think the free option he heard about was the Standby Pass

That could be. So many posts in this thread and the Maxpass one earlier

 

[ctrlaltdel]

Standby pass is free. I was expecting perhaps something free per guest for the old Fastpass line - key word is expecting. I’ve heard nothing about resort guests getting anything more. But as always I don’t know nearly everything.

From earlier this week.

 

[Jedijax719]

Wait times are pretty long right now at WDW and are getting longer each day it seems. That is without FP. If they were, hypothetically, to eliminate FP, the lines would still be as long. However, NOBODY would have the opportunity to get on quicker. That helps nobody. Same is true if they make FP unaffordable and less people use it than before.

 

[flynnibus]

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...............

If 1-2 hour lines for the MOST POPULAR thing in a park is unacceptable to you - the only answer is line skips or radically reducing crowds.

But 1hr+ is not that abnormal in big theme parks for popular attractions... if you find that unacceptable, then you're not in sync with norms.

 

[Florida Man]

Does anyone know if this paid fastpass thing will count as an in-app purchase where Apple will be taking 30% of the cost? Or does this get exempted?

 

[Waters Back Side]

I think the free option he heard about was the Standby Pass

I also thought he was talking about DPA and specifically DLP.

 

[pdude81]

From earlier this week.

I don't read that to exclude the possibility of a free component for each ticket though. Certainly not hinting that there will be, but more clearly stating that he hasn't heard of any more perks for on-site guests relative to off-site.

 

[flynnibus]

Isn't this virtually how a normal standby system works, just not regulated by Disney? People look at a MMRR queue posted at 80 mins, pass it by, and then return later when they stop by again and it's at 50. There will always be people willing to wait or not wait any given line, I don't know why Disney needs to control when you arrive in a standby line.

Yes you could argue lines should self-regulate... but what is difficult in that situation is 'returning at a good time' and without having to keep checking that.

A line limit with deferral eases that for the user by giving them a return time with basically a max expected wait... and without them needing to keep checking back, etc.

The line cutoff effectively puts a cap on lines and makes it easier to get in under that cap as a user. Otherwise, you'd have people just hanging around waiting for a line to open up... now creating basically two lines... which you don't have staff or space for.

If Disney sets a line limit at say 2hrs... that keeps people from 'self regulating' the line up to 4hrs, etc.

 

[ctrlaltdel]

If 1-2 hour lines for the MOST POPULAR thing in a park is unacceptable to you - the only answer is line skips or radically reducing crowds.

But 1hr+ is not that abnormal in big theme parks for popular attractions... if you find that unacceptable, then you're not in sync with norms.

Agreed there. I go to Cedar Point somewhat often and their crowds and lines for their most popular coasters are essentially Disney-level from Memorial Day through Labor Day. It's just something you have to deal with in popular parks (unless you pay).

 

[pdude81]

Yes you could argue lines should self-regulate... but what is difficult in that situation is 'returning at a good time' and without having to keep checking that.

A line limit with deferral eases that for the user by giving them a return time with basically a max expected wait... and without them needing to keep checking back, etc.

The line cutoff effectively puts a cap on lines and makes it easier to get in under that cap as a user. Otherwise, you'd have people just hanging around waiting for a line to open up... now creating basically two lines... which you don't have staff or space for.

If Disney sets a line limit at say 2hrs... that keeps people from 'self regulating' the line up to 4hrs, etc.

I just wonder what happens if too many people surge to the line at the same time and it got past the cutoff again (overlapping return windows). Sometimes these surges would happen at FP lines randomly and the wait could be 25 minutes instead of 5.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

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.

The reason fastpass+ didn’t work is that attendance exceeded ride capacity…because they didn’t add to/vary their parks for 20 years…and the prebooking system exposed that.

I think you’re hoping for some type of middle ground that doesn’t cost everyone…and I think we’re past that…

prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Not heading that way, however