FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[brettf22]

So while they are paying more per day, their time is more efficient.

As other have intimated, I’m wondering if the whole goal this (outside the ultimate goal of making more money) is to decrease length of stay, but compressing the same spending into fewer days. If my family plans a visit for 6 days, but with this new FP system, we can purchase Lightning Passes each day, we can cut our trip down to only 4 days. I’ve essentially transferred my two extra days’ expenditures into Lightning Pass expenditures.

I have no doubt Disney has dissected the data every way possible. Maybe they’ve determined they can increase daily per guest spending by compressing trips and squeezing more people (at a higher per day spending rate) into the same space as before.

 

[flynnibus]

If they offer the exact same product, with the exact same expectations, exact same attachment rate, exact same pricing... Then guess what --- Then it is the same!

No

As pointed out already

- FP and Express Pass had different target attach rates - intentionally
- Express Pass Unlimited a la carte pricing is priced high and dynamically
- Most Express Pass Unlimited Users are not buying it a la carte
- Those that do buy it a la carte are not buying it for an extended stay - they buy it so they can get through everything they want in a SHORT stay
- The visiting pattern of UNI is typically < 3 days

What has the same as all of the above out there today or in the past? And were contrasting with UNIs offer?

You can't point out the lack of uproar from a non-existent population.

 

[flynnibus]

As other have intimated, I’m wondering if the whole goal this (outside the ultimate goal of making more money) is to decrease length of stay, but compressing the same spending into fewer days.

No way. Disney's biggest stick for doing that is ticket prices. And Disney wants you to stay more nights for hotels and F&B - where the real money is made.

People that commando the parks in 3 days would never be the type to spend money at the pool bar, do a backstage tour, do the BBB for their kid, etc.

No, Disney want you there. Disney is just monetizing your desire to not wait in a line. Disney can price it so that is either a 'perk' or a 'splurge'... we have to wait to see which way they go with it.

 

[Jedijax719]

As other have intimated, I’m wondering if the whole goal this (outside the ultimate goal of making more money) is to decrease length of stay, but compressing the same spending into fewer days. If my family plans a visit for 6 days, but with this new FP system, we can purchase Lightning Passes each day, we can cut our trip down to only 4 days. I’ve essentially transferred my two extra days’ expenditures into Lightning Pass expenditures.

I have no doubt Disney has dissected the data every way possible. Maybe they’ve determined they can increase daily per guest spending by compressing trips and squeezing more people (at a higher per day spending rate) into the same space as before.

Or simply to have smaller crowds but have those smaller crowds pay more. That seems to be what it is all about to me. It may be a better profit producer for Disney (we'll see) but it surely is a less family friendly business model.

Again, though, how much shorter would stand-by lines actually be as a result of this steep FP cost? Will there really be much of a difference or are they counting on crowds to be smaller all around?

 

[Incomudro]

That is what I did. We hit the park early, walked on most rides (maybe a 10 minute wait as we got closer to 11am, used my 3 FPs per day between noon and 4pm or 5pm and then rode stand-by the rest of the day.

That was our strategy, and it worked great.

 

[matt9112]

It wouldn't be $300 all the time. That would be more on high attended days.

What high attendance days? I think they want to manipulate attendance kind of forever going forward with the parks pass system.

 

[matt9112]

Disney holds all the cards - and Disney doesn't want the game to end. So you basically never want to give the consumer completely unrestricted access because then you've completely devalued the idea of 'skipping the wait'.

Disney WANTS lines - the point is lines need to be managable.

If a Disney park had no lines, you blow through everything there is to do in 4hrs and then say "now what???" - thus creating demand for MORE attractions. That's not in Disney's favor.

Disney knows there is value in 'skipping lines' - but selling that has operational impacts as well so there is always a balancing act.

As others have pointed out, Disney has already set the bar in many examples of what a paid FP is worth. The dining options for F!, desert parties, Club level, etc. Most of those examples have set a price of $20+ for a SINGLE FP. Disney has set examples where they've charged basically double the park admission price for admission to a lower admission park. I think that suggests anything that would involve a 'full day' perk is going to be at a minimum the park admission price.. and probably much higher.

But again, giving 'unlimited' is a real danger... both pricing and operationally. It's far easier to commoditize and manage the pool if you sold things on a per use basis. Sell bundles... etc.

They are probably exploring both options. A far cheaper pay per use FP or bundle of FP say "these three rides once " and that package is 80 but i am sure they will offer some kind of absurd 300 per person per day unlimited item. As lkng as that item is inherently not common it shouldn't ruin the system much. To be not common is to be expensive as heck. Its switched from how many cows can we fit in the pen to why dont we just keep bigger cows?

 

[matt9112]

Thats why it would be dynamic pricing.
For example… they may set aside 200 “ride now” spots per hour at FOP.
If the line is 2 hours… and they aren’t getting demand at $39.99…. They could instantly drop the price to $29.99 or $19.99. If demand is tooo high at $19.99… raise the price.

It can even be selective… different guests seeing different prices. Genie could see a family that never buys the ride now… they get a “special” notification… ride Mine Train now for just $1.99!!! In the hopes that once the family tries the feature, they start to use it more often.

The goal, I suspect, would be to get another $100-$200 in daily revenue from guests using the system.

Sooooo disney is going to pull an EA....great

 

[MrHappy]

As other have intimated, I’m wondering if the whole goal this (outside the ultimate goal of making more money) is to decrease length of stay, but compressing the same spending into fewer days. If my family plans a visit for 6 days, but with this new FP system, we can purchase Lightning Passes each day, we can cut our trip down to only 4 days. I’ve essentially transferred my two extra days’ expenditures into Lightning Pass expenditures.

I have no doubt Disney has dissected the data every way possible. Maybe they’ve determined they can increase daily per guest spending by compressing trips and squeezing more people (at a higher per day spending rate) into the same space as before.

That would be bad data, and the analytics dept should be fired.

 

[Willmark]

That was our strategy, and it worked great.

Same.

We would typically go 7-12 days (on average).

Rope drop (hence my slogan/quote on my posts) and stay till the “11-AM'ers” rolled in leaving the park to drink back at the resort/kids swim etc) Then head back out for the ADRs, use the FPs at night and stand by until crowds cleared during/after the fireworks. Rinse and repeat. Here is where evening EMH were so much more of a value than morning ones.

 

[Willmark]

Which is a lot like... It's not stealing, it's liberating it. Liberating is much more noble.

Not really.

 

[icc2515]

When Disney does go with a paid system, what do think will happen the DAS program?

 

[LaughingGravy]

As other have intimated, I’m wondering if the whole goal this (outside the ultimate goal of making more money) is to decrease length of stay, but compressing the same spending into fewer days. If my family plans a visit for 6 days, but with this new FP system, we can purchase Lightning Passes each day, we can cut our trip down to only 4 days. I’ve essentially transferred my two extra days’ expenditures into Lightning Pass expenditures.

I have no doubt Disney has dissected the data every way possible. Maybe they’ve determined they can increase daily per guest spending by compressing trips and squeezing more people (at a higher per day spending rate) into the same space as before.

With shorter hours, too!

 

[flynnibus]

When Disney does go with a paid system, what do think will happen the DAS program?

There really is no correlation. DAS does not mean "get the best access possible" - it means to get an accomodation for your disability. The bar is already set on what DAS offers those guests... it will just keep doing that. Getting return times. Disney can't cap it just because some new FP system gives you less FPs without paying.

 

[fgmnt]

Same.

We would typically go 7-12 days (on average).

Rope drop (hence my slogan/quote on my posts) and stay till the “11-AM'ers” rolled in leaving the park to drink back at the resort/kids swim etc) Then head back out for the ADRs, use the FPs at night and stand by until crowds cleared during/after the fireworks. Rinse and repeat. Here is where evening EMH were so much more of a value than morning ones.

Yeah, I'm not going to miss the Fastpass+ system as much as I am missing the old "roll into Magic Kingdom at 8PM, run the EMH until 1AM (I think they even would stay open until 2 AM back in the day when operations was allowed to really fly off the handle), and knock out pretty much every E-ticket available."

 

[threvester]

When Disney does go with a paid system, what do think will happen the DAS program?

There will be a lot more people claiming these, as well as way more people complaining about every little thing to get free ones from guest relations...

 

[Goofyernmost]

Not really.

Yes, really! A rose by any other name is still a rose.

 

[Jedijax719]

It's not stealing when the company in question offers it as a deal.

 

[Incomudro]

Same.

We would typically go 7-12 days (on average).

Rope drop (hence my slogan/quote on my posts) and stay till the “11-AM'ers” rolled in leaving the park to drink back at the resort/kids swim etc) Then head back out for the ADRs, use the FPs at night and stand by until crowds cleared during/after the fireworks. Rinse and repeat. Here is where evening EMH were so much more of a value than morning ones.

That's essentially what we did as well.
It worked very well, and we were quite happy with it.
Booking rides months out was odd, but - we knew we had them, and we knew the times.
It was easy then, to structure our time in the parks around those ride times.

 

[Willmark]

Yes, really! A rose by any other name is still a rose.

Whatever you need to tell yourself.