FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Still waiting......... Not booking a trip until we know what it will be like. My money is sitting out till then. Wonder how many other are in the same boat? We were going to do BLT or GF Villa, but if there is no benefit we will stay off-site, pay for fast passes, and still probably save money.

So what money is Disney missing??

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I feel like it has to be a holdup on the IT end, although that's just my guess. I can't imagine they want to debut a new system on or right before the 50th begins - if there are problems that leaves them very little time to regroup. If they don't introduce it by then crowds and lines will be insane.

1. I agree it’s IT lag
2. I agree they want something either before or long after the end of the year
3. In regards to the highlighted statement…what are you basing that stance on?

 

[DisneyHead123]

1. I agree it’s IT lag
2. I agree they want something either before or long after the end of the year
3. In regards to the highlighted statement…what are you basing that stance on?

Statements I’ve seen on these boards saying the resorts are full for the 50th. No idea how people know such things but going on the assumption they are correct. If not, my bad.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Statements I’ve seen on these boards saying the resorts are full for the 50th. No idea how people know such things but going on the assumption they are correct. If not, my bad.

No…I get you.

I’m looking at it this way: they still have hotels closed…that is an overall indication of a still soft situation.

and now they show us whats really going on…with the “park reservations”. They’re still wide open for all but a day or two…and that can’t really be misinterpreted this close in.

remember also that off property provides a significant head count each day…and it’s likely delta has crushed that more than on property rooms. We saw the opposite effect in Orlando in July…when people “showed up” and caught the town flat footed based on the better covid conditions in the late spring/early summer.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Wow, is this thread finally running out of steam? I don’t even have WDW plans, but would really like to know what the new program is going to be, too…

They've moved to the Genie thread.

Go there and don't forget your pitchfork!!

 

[Hugh Jazz]

So what money is Disney missing??

Nothing to them. Makes me feel better keeping it in my bank.

 

[Purduevian]

The real problem is the virtual standby queue..........For eg.

you get to HS at 11am and every ride you want to go on (Mil Fal, SDD, Toy story mania, ToT, RnR, ROTR) is in Standby queue because its busy.............You can only have 1 standby queue at a time.......you enter SDD and return time is 3:30........What do you do until then? all other rides (other than Swirling saucers and star tours) are also in standby queue so you cannot even enter the line...................your only option is to pay for FP


Disaster

I think what you are missing here is the VQ should be about the same time as a standby line, maybe a little inflated but not double. Imagine 2 scenarios.

1)Current system standby only. You get to SDD at 11am and enter a 120 min line. You get off the ride at 1pm after standing in the sun for over an hour and a half
2)VQ system. You get to SDD at 11am and enter the virtual standby line which is a 120 minute return time and a 30 min wait once called back. You spend 2 hours exploring the rest of the park, not allowed to go on rides. You walk through one mans dream, watch the mickey shorts show, play with the "data pad" in galaxy's edge, and get a lunch at woody's lunch box. At 1pm you get in your 30 min and are off the ride at 1:30pm.

I know which system I would prefer.

 

[jpinkc]

I think the only reason its slowed down is waiting to hear something from TWDC. I would not be surprised if its all quiet til next year. They want to be perceived as the White Knights riding in to save us from the problem they created (IE Capacity issues) in the long line waits and if they let it get bad enough we will take whatever they shovel at us to help with line issues

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think what you are missing here is the VQ should be about the same time as a standby line, maybe a little inflated but not double. Imagine 2 scenarios.

1)Current system standby only. You get to SDD at 11am and enter a 120 min line. You get off the ride at 1pm after standing in the sun for over an hour and a half
2)VQ system. You get to SDD at 11am and enter the virtual standby line which is a 120 minute return time and a 30 min wait once called back. You spend 2 hours exploring the rest of the park, not allowed to go on rides. You walk through one mans dream, watch the mickey shorts show, play with the "data pad" in galaxy's edge, and get a lunch at woody's lunch box. At 1pm you get in your 30 min and are off the ride at 1:30pm.

I know which system I would prefer.

It sounds great…but wdw doesn’t have the ride capacity to pull that off in a 2019 crowd level…is my sneaking hunch.

and I hope Im wrong.

 

[jpinkc]

No…I get you.

I’m looking at it this way: they still have hotels closed…that is an overall indication of a still soft situation.

and now they show us whats really going on…with the “park reservations”. They’re still wide open for all but a day or two…and that can’t really be misinterpreted this close in.

remember also that off property provides a significant head count each day…and it’s likely delta has crushed that more than on property rooms. We saw the opposite effect in Orlando in July…when people “showed up” and caught the town flat footed based on the better covid conditions in the late spring/early summer.

Also we have no idea what Capacity they are allowing into the parks. I thought they were supposedly still limiting overall capacity, have they ever said they arent anymore?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Also we have no idea what Capacity they are allowing into the parks. I thought they were supposedly still limiting overall capacity, have they ever said they arent anymore?

That’s the suspicion around here…but it’s not confirmed. They haven’t said…they are just ramping up and letting Wall Street/customers assume what they want.

delta may have impacted that…but since they’re open, tied for Florida and California and don’t want to go back…they’re not gonna get in front of that.

 

[jpinkc]

Yeah from the way people have been talking about the lines growing day by day it seems, I assumed it was back to the Wild Wild Wild West on park admittance.

 

[DisneyDodo]

It sounds great…but wdw doesn’t have the ride capacity to pull that off in a 2019 crowd level…is my sneaking hunch.

and I hope Im wrong.

This certainly isn't going to address the capacity issue, but I don't see how they're related. The number of people on rides at any given time will remain the same. However, the number of people physically standing in line would go down, with a corresponding increase in the number of people walking around the park.

 

[hopemax]

So has attendance really crated with kids going back to school + Delta concerns?

We are going to AK tomorrow, and I was looking at the app today to figure out if we really needed to rope drop or not. It's 11:15 and FOP is 40 minutes and Navi is 45 minutes. Safaris is 20, and everything else is less. So needless to say, we aren't going to rope drop and wake up at a more reasonable hour before heading over.

 

[UNCgolf]

I think what you are missing here is the VQ should be about the same time as a standby line, maybe a little inflated but not double. Imagine 2 scenarios.

1)Current system standby only. You get to SDD at 11am and enter a 120 min line. You get off the ride at 1pm after standing in the sun for over an hour and a half
2)VQ system. You get to SDD at 11am and enter the virtual standby line which is a 120 minute return time and a 30 min wait once called back. You spend 2 hours exploring the rest of the park, not allowed to go on rides. You walk through one mans dream, watch the mickey shorts show, play with the "data pad" in galaxy's edge, and get a lunch at woody's lunch box. At 1pm you get in your 30 min and are off the ride at 1:30pm.

I know which system I would prefer.

The second scenario sounds nice, but that's not how it will work in practice. It's not like everyone else is still waiting standby while you're free to roam around -- everyone else in the VQ system will also be roaming around. All of the things you mentioned will be absolutely slammed with people, at least on the busier days. It will not be a pleasant experience to add thousands of additional people to the walkways, shops, etc. at any given time.

It will just shift the lines to other places (you may be waiting in line to watch the Mickey shorts, e.g.) because of the overall lack of capacity. Smaller rides like Winnie the Pooh could easily end up with 60+ minute standby waits if all the main headliners are VQ/standby pass.

 

[Purduevian]

It sounds great…but wdw doesn’t have the ride capacity to pull that off in a 2019 crowd level…is my sneaking hunch.

and I hope Im wrong.

I think the system only really works if all rides (or at least all E/D tickets) are in the virtual queue system. In my scenario above, The guest wasn't using any extra ride capacity, however they were clogging up some of the not ride experiences.

The system works at Volcano Bay, but they also have massive "people eaters" that are always ride anytime. 2 lazy rivers, a massive wave pool, a "lagoon"/pool, beach, trails, and of course just relaxing on a beach chair.

Magic Kingdom has some, but would need more of Tiki Room, Country Bears, Tom Sawyer, Casey Jr., Philharmagic, dumbo playground, ect

EPCOT is probably best suited to move to this over any park, because world showcase can soak up tons of people waiting for their return time.

DHS has the least to do: Data Pad, One Man's Dream, and Launch Bay (I assume shows would be limited with your standby quene)

AK would have the animal/Discovery trails and Rafiki's

 

[Purduevian]

The second scenario sounds nice, but that's not how it will work in practice. It's not like everyone else is still waiting standby while you're free to roam around -- everyone else in the VQ system will also be roaming around. All of the things you mentioned will be absolutely slammed with people, at least on the busier days. It will not be a pleasant experience to add thousands of additional people to the walkways, shops, etc. at any given time.

It will just shift the lines to other places (you may be waiting in line to watch the Mickey shorts, e.g.) because of the overall lack of capacity.

Really Depends where they cut off the lines. Looking right now (~11:15am) at DHS.

Attraction	Wait Time	Approximate People In line	People Dumped into the park if wait was reduced to 30 mins	People Dumped into the park if wait was reduced to 45 mins
Alien Swirling Saucers	30	294	Queue Open	Queue Open
Millennium Falcon	60	1500	750	375
RnRC	45	1350	450	Queue Open
SDD	70	2520	1440	900
Star Tours	15	514	Queue Open	Queue Open
TSMM	40	1440	360	Queue Open
TOT	40	1222	305	Queue Open
Total		8840	3,305	1275

The streets, shops, and other things would all for sure get more crowded, no doubt. But if I am able to say wait in a 30 min line for Mickey shorts instead of waiting those 30 minutes in the SDD line and still have 40 mins to go. Ill take the Mickey shorts.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think the system only really works if all rides (or at least all E/D tickets) are in the virtual queue system. In my scenario above, The guest wasn't using any extra ride capacity, however they were clogging up some of the not ride experiences.

The system works at Volcano Bay, but they also have massive "people eaters" that are always ride anytime. 2 lazy rivers, a massive wave pool, a "lagoon"/pool, beach, trails, and of course just relaxing on a beach chair.

Magic Kingdom has some, but would need more of Tiki Room, Country Bears, Tom Sawyer, Casey Jr., Philharmagic, dumbo playground, ect

EPCOT is probably best suited to move to this over any park, because world showcase can soak up tons of people waiting for their return time.

DHS has the least to do: Data Pad, One Man's Dream, and Launch Bay (I assume shows would be limited with your standby quene)

AK would have the animal/Discovery trails and Rafiki's

Still don’t think there’s enough seats for butts

roughly 2000 level capacity with 25% more peeps in the normal environment

and likely to get worse

 

[DisneyDodo]

Really Depends where they cut off the lines. Looking right now (~11:15am) at DHS.

Attraction	Wait Time	Approximate People In line	People Dumped into the park if wait was reduced to 30 mins	People Dumped into the park if wait was reduced to 45 mins
Alien Swirling Saucers	30	294	Queue Open	Queue Open
Millennium Falcon	60	1500	750	1125
RnRC	45	1350	450	Queue Open
SDD	70	2520	1440	900
Star Tours	15	514	Queue Open	Queue Open
TSMM	40	1440	360	Queue Open
TOT	40	1222	305	Queue Open
Total		8840	3,305	2025

The streets, shops, and other things would all for sure get more crowded, no doubt. But if I am able to say wait in a 30 min line for Mickey shorts instead of waiting those 30 minutes in the SDD line and still have 40 mins to go. Ill take the Mickey shorts.

For MF, the 45-min column should read 375

 

[DisneyDodo]

The second scenario sounds nice, but that's not how it will work in practice. It's not like everyone else is still waiting standby while you're free to roam around -- everyone else in the VQ system will also be roaming around. All of the things you mentioned will be absolutely slammed with people, at least on the busier days. It will not be a pleasant experience to add thousands of additional people to the walkways, shops, etc. at any given time.

It will just shift the lines to other places (you may be waiting in line to watch the Mickey shorts, e.g.) because of the overall lack of capacity. Smaller rides like Winnie the Pooh could easily end up with 60+ minute standby waits if all the main headliners are VQ/standby pass.

These are valid concerns. In terms of your last point, the rule really should be that you can't ride anything while holding a Standby Pass - if all of those people just get into other lines, it kind of defeats the purpose. There are things in the parks that operate at less than maximum capacity (e.g. many shows, walk-throughs, play areas, etc.) Ideally, that is where these guests would end up. Or, for the longest lines, out of the park entirely (e.g. at the hotel). But of course, that wouldn't jive with Disney's real goal - they want the restaurants and shops to be packed.