FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[CosmicRays]

But it's true! The last two trips I had to try and coordinate fast passes for people arriving on 3 different dates. Let alone all of them asking for different restaurants, some wanted to eat dinner at 5, some didn't want to eat dinner before 7. People wouldn't answer what rides were "important", so I just chose the rides and of course people complained the day we were there...
It was a pain in the butt and I got no thanks I tell ya!

Maybe no fast pass is a blessing in disguise...

(yes I know these aren't "real" problems and I'm not really that worried)

Ughhh flashbacks to all the early morning dining planning lol.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Nothing I suggested is new or apparently unpopular (or unprofitable).

The only BG that would likely be difficult to get is RotR. But that is an issue that already exists and you have offered no fix for that I observed. (My idea at least dilutes the pool of people trying on a daily basis. )

Which is interesting. You always depict TWDC on the edge of a precipice with no way out like some 'to be continued' old school TV serial. (Ex. Disney Springs could never keep tenants) Yet time and again your predictions of doom never materialize. Who is actually punking people here?

But do keep going, it is truly entertaining if nothing else.

no...you suggested lowering expectations/value yet again...and throwing more money at them to do the same stuff as a standard.

I gotta recommend you travel somewhere other than wdw...you need some perspective

 

[Po'Rich]

See, I’m freaking out about our planned trip for the opposite reason. With the uncertainty as to what park capacity will be and crowds will be, I have no idea what to do in terms of planning to make sure we can experience attractions with reasonable waits. If standby lines are reasonably short, great, but I’d feel so much more comfortable if I could have some FP+ in my pocket for FoP, 7DMT, Slinky, etc.

But I’m a planner in general when it comes to vacations. I’m much more relaxed knowing we have a semblance of a plan rather than just “winging it”

I completely agree. While there are many here who do not like FP+, I liked that I was assured to ride at least a couple of the big rides. I've also been at WDW at Christmas time when even It's a Small World needed a FP to ride in a reasonable amount of time. I don't mind preplanning my day, but I really hate spending the entire day just waiting in one line after another.

I think they'll need to bring back something or guest satisfaction will drop, especially as capacity increases.

 

[disneygeek90]

I completely agree. While there are many here who do not like FP+, I liked that I was assured to ride at least a couple of the big rides. I've also been at WDW at Christmas time when even It's a Small World needed a FP to ride in a reasonable amount of time. I don't mind preplanning my day, but I really hate spending the entire day just waiting in one line after another.

I think they'll need to bring back something or guest satisfaction will drop, especially as capacity increases.

At the same time, it’s been proven time and time again that FP+ increases the wait time for standby. With no FP+, the standby lines should move quicker, and have a lower average wait time.

 

[Po'Rich]

At the same time, it’s been proven time and time again that FP+ increases the wait time for standby. With no FP+, the standby lines should move quicker, and have a lower average wait time.

And yet when I look at the wait times in the app, I'm still seeing long wait times for the bigger rides. In my opinion, 60-90 minutes is too long to wait for any ride. FP+ provided a means to ride those rides without a long wait.

 

[Jrb1979]

I completely agree. While there are many here who do not like FP+, I liked that I was assured to ride at least a couple of the big rides. I've also been at WDW at Christmas time when even It's a Small World needed a FP to ride in a reasonable amount of time. I don't mind preplanning my day, but I really hate spending the entire day just waiting in one line after another.

I think they'll need to bring back something or guest satisfaction will drop, especially as capacity increases.

If you go to any other park you spend most of your day in one line after another.

 

[marni1971]

And yet when I look at the wait times in the app, I'm still seeing long wait times for the bigger rides. In my opinion, 60-90 minutes is too long to wait for any ride. FP+ provided a means to ride those rides without a long wait.

What was the usual average standby wait for those bigger rides?

 

[UNCgolf]

So torpedo a large part of your daily business catering to hotels you stopped building (more or less) since the 90’s?

a third of the rooms timeshares?

Well that’s one idea

Which is exactly why I said I don't see that happening.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Honest opinions. What do you feel the reaction would be if Disney copied Universals completely?

Deluxe hotels grant you unlimited fast passes per day.
Then for the rest, you had the option to say increase your ticket per day by 50 bucks to get 1 fast pass per ride. Or 85 per day to get unlimited.

I'd be OK with that, because those folks have already been squeezed to the max and it only seems right that if you pay that much to stay in a 3 star hotel and have to eat highly overpriced food, that you should get something for free. That would also be the same as paying for one. On top of that there automatically is a limit to how many passes will get passed out because the hotels only have so many people in them. Moderate, should be allowed one free Mickey Bar per day and economy should actually have to take out their own trash for the privilege of staying onsite.

 

[Nickp1983]

Even if they build more rides, which would be awesome. I'd imagine the parks would most likely have to be expanded in many cases, which in turn would increase capacity.
Even building a 5th gate, I'm sure it would come with a few more hotels. The demand is just too high and when the pandemic is over, we are going to see probably a giant increase in people traveling ans the return of international travelers.
Outside of a giant price increase... I think long lines aren't ever going to change.

I remember 10 or 11 years ago we took our son to WDW for the first time.
He was only 2, so we didn't have to pay for him outside the flight.
But for 3 flight tickets from Milwaukee to Orlando... a 6 night stay at Riverside with park tickets. It was about 2300. Plus we got a 500 dollar gift card for coming. Man... those were the days. Amazing how the prices have continued to shoot up... but so has the demand.

 

[The Aracuan Bird]

I would welcome a return to the legacy Fastpass rules with day of only reservations at significantly fewer attractions. Alternatively, I would welcome the complete elimination of Fastpass.

Either or for me.

1. If it’s cheap, everyone buys it...lines clog...people are livid because they’re paying more for it.
2. Too expensive? Few buy it and you’re left with an extreme version of “have and have nots” where the standby lines don’t work. The attraction slate hasn’t been increased in enough volume since dak opened to maintain comfortable stand by lines.

but Bob was “so great”

there has to be some kind of hybrid system...and the “genie” or whatever people leaked about better not have been misdirection/crap. They need maxpass at a minimum and probably a free option for some as well.

And this is why I have a hard time envisioning a good alternative to the old system or nothing at all.

 

[Goofyernmost]

And yet when I look at the wait times in the app, I'm still seeing long wait times for the bigger rides. In my opinion, 60-90 minutes is too long to wait for any ride. FP+ provided a means to ride those rides without a long wait.

I never experienced 60 to 90 minutes waits for any ride before FP. Even Space Mountain, which was the run to attraction of the era, was not that long a wait. Unless there was a breakdown, 45 minutes tops and that was unusual. I'd say 30 minutes was about average. People are looking at wait times in standby based on the current times with FP. I have heard very little complaining since the FP has been withheld recently. If you saw a line that extended past the reasonable time you just went past it and came back later. It is not as foreboding as it has been made out to be. But, I guess we are operating on full on fear mode all over these days so I guess I can understand why there is the concern. It's just that this is a fun and popular theme park. No matter how many occasional short FP lines you get, it will catch you somewhere along the line because capacity remains the same. Just so many per hour. What you save in one will be staring you in the face on the next one.

 

[The Aracuan Bird]

It doesn't. It's a myth that's out in the community for no good reason, IMO.

The FP+ system was built and yes it's repurposed for park reservations, but bolting on a FP+ with park reservations make it seem like we sending a rocket to Mars.

The code has been done and can be repurposed.

It’s possible that they altered the source code beyond restoring to create the park reservation system.

I won’t say it was probable.

 

[George]

The real issues they’re having is with marketing the name of the new ride reservation system. “Slow Pass^3” and “PITA (I believe this stands for Paid InTo Attractions)” are the 2 leaders. I would’ve thought the popularity of the delicious bread product would make this a slam dunk.

 

[plkkak]

It’s possible that they altered the source code beyond restoring to create the park reservation system.

I won’t say it was probable.

Version control. Not that hard to rollback the code. Operational whiplash is much harder.

 

[Dayma]

Version control. Not that hard to rollback the code. Operational whiplash is much harder.

Yup. This notion that the code went anywhere or can't be used again is not representative of how development works.

 

[peter11435]

It’s possible that they altered the source code beyond restoring to create the park reservation system.

I won’t say it was probable.

They wouldn’t have altered the only version in existence

 

[Kevin_W]

Other parks do it. Charge $200 a person per day for FP with no scheduling involved. Most won't go for it and those that do will have low waits. Win win.

How is this a win-win? It's a win for those wealthy enough to afford the extra $200 and a lose for those that aren't.

 

[Jrb1979]

How is this a win-win? It's a win for those wealthy enough to afford the extra $200 and a lose for those that aren't.

It's a win win in that those that do buy it will have low wait times. Those that don't will have few people in FP queues to affect you wait times. I'm guessing many people don't visit other parks that have a paid system.

Yes you pay more but IMO it's a far better system. Being able to have low wait times and a high possibility of getting multiple rides on attractions makes it worth the money.

 

[The Aracuan Bird]

Version control. Not that hard to rollback the code. Operational whiplash is much harder.

That’s why I said not probable. There are, however, instances of video game companies losing source codes to games due to poor backup or lack of care.