FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[Jeff4272]

Its like no one remembers all the huge mobs outside the FP return entrance... or when FP+ lines snaked all outside the attraction... or when FP returns soared to nearly hour waits.

Lesson are:
1) Don't take the 'hey we just started something totally new!' as evidence of how things will go later
2) Don't take a few pictures taking at one point in time as the full story
3) FP isn't immune to these things under certain conditions as well.. so Glass Houses

Let's get a bit more data than a single twitter post and the comments on that post (worst freaking kind of article ever...) as reporting on how things are going.

I agree that you need to see how it plays out............

That being said, this new system is going to be a disaster and everyone knows it whether they want to admit it or not

FP and FP+ was very effective since the allotted return times had a limited amount of passes allocated to that said time frame.........So if the FP line was long, it was 100% the exception and not the rule

Never once did i ever see FP returns "soared to nearly hour waits"........ever (i wasnt there for when FP debuted......But I was part of FP+ testing phase and that was awesome and ran very smooth)

 

[mikejs78]

I agree that you need to see how it plays out............

That being said, this new system is going to be a disaster and everyone knows it whether they want to admit it or not

FP and FP+ was very effective since the allotted return times had a limited amount of passes allocated to that said time frame.........So if the FP line was long, it was 100% the exception and not the rule

Never once did i ever see FP returns "soared to nearly hour waits"........ever (i wasnt there for when FP debuted......But I was part of FP+ testing phase and that was awesome and ran very smooth)

My hope is that it is such a disaster in Paris that Disney scraps it for WDW...

 

[pdude81]

Fp waits got ugly when tour groups used passes all together after the window. That's one aspect of original fp i hated

 

[drizgirl]

My hope is that it is such a disaster in Paris that Disney scraps it for WDW...

Off to a rocky start.

https:///2021/07/stand-by-pass-crowds-ad1/

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

I never had any issues with FP+. I'll be very upset if it does not come back.

 

[Jeff4272]

I never had any issues with FP+. I'll be very upset if it does not come back.

Very good chance it is not coming back.....and when i say very good, i mean pretty much guaranteed it will not return in its previous form

 

[G00fyDad]

Very good chance it is not coming back.....and when i say very good, i mean pretty much guaranteed it will not return in its previous form

Maybe it will be close.

 

[Jeff4272]

Maybe it will be close.

I hope you're right but i am not counting on that

 

[Missing20K]

People complain all the time on these forums.......you should probably not read them then

and theres nothing wrong expressing dissatisfaction with WDW for making things worse on their customers......

Can this be pinned to the top of every thread here?

The Standby Pass is actually a lot worse than the old paper FastPass. The paper FastPass was still a line skip the same as FP+.

With Standby Pass, they just close the standby queue and give you a return time. But when you return, you have to go wait in the normal standby queue with everyone else. It's not designed for you to be able to walk on the ride or only wait 5-10 minutes at your return time -- you will generally still have a 45-60 minute wait in line when you return at your scheduled time.

Its only purpose is just keep the standby queue from becoming 2+ hours and spilling out into walkways.

So hurry up and wait so you can hurry up and wait later.

For all the headliners I can’t help but wonder if Standby Passes will also get released at 7:00:00 (or whatever time) and be entirely gone 7:00:07 like RotR. When they release afternoon Standby Passes, will they last 13 seconds? Are we to check our phone every hour to see what standby passes open up if they release them throughout the day? I can only surmise that once the algos determine there are no Standby Passes left, then the ride is effectively closed for all other guests no?

This all seems far more convoluted than just building another people eater (2000 OHRC or more) and another 1200+ capacity, hourly or 1.5 hour show in each park. But I’m not an MBA so what do I know.

 

[Jedijax719]

Standby pass sounds like a Godawful cluster @#$%. Doesn't seem to be anything good about it.

FP+ for $9 or $10 isn't awful. It's actually better than most of the models thrown around. What would be better is if you could do it before hand rather than in the park or even do it in the line itself through a magic band or app.

But it doesn't seem to be helping DLP at all. Very long lines due to the SB+, people on their phones trying to get rides, tons of people standing around in crowds. Seems like an awful time the place that is supposed to be the happiest!

 

[Hawg G]

so Disney isn't modifying the kiosks to accept credit cards as temporary solution

Those were the days, when any barcide would get a FP to spit out. I'd take a stack of cards to collect FPs with no return times.

I agree that you need to see how it plays out............

That being said, this new system is going to be a disaster and everyone knows it whether they want to admit it or not

FP and FP+ was very effective since the allotted return times had a limited amount of passes allocated to that said time frame.........So if the FP line was long, it was 100% the exception and not the rule

Never once did i ever see FP returns "soared to nearly hour waits"........ever (i wasnt there for when FP debuted......But I was part of FP+ testing phase and that was awesome and ran very smooth)

of course the FP+ testing went smooth. You got to get FP+, yet STILL got to use old FP too.

 

[aaronml]

of course the FP+ testing went smooth. You got to get FP+, yet STILL got to use old FP too.

That was only temporary. They fixed that loophole pretty quickly.

 

[Jeff4272]

Those were the days, when any barcide would get a FP to spit out. I'd take a stack of cards to collect FPs with no return times.

of course the FP+ testing went smooth. You got to get FP+, yet STILL got to use old FP too.

i dont remember since it was almost 10 years ago but what i do remember was how great it was knowing we didnt have to sprint to Soarin to get a return time for 7 hours later

 

[Chip Chipperson]

I agree that you need to see how it plays out............

That being said, this new system is going to be a disaster and everyone knows it whether they want to admit it or not

FP and FP+ was very effective since the allotted return times had a limited amount of passes allocated to that said time frame.........So if the FP line was long, it was 100% the exception and not the rule

Never once did i ever see FP returns "soared to nearly hour waits"........ever (i wasnt there for when FP debuted......But I was part of FP+ testing phase and that was awesome and ran very smooth)

The only times I saw really long FP+ lines was if the ride had been down earlier in the day or if another attraction was down and people used the replacement "Multiple Experiences" option for another E-ticket ride. That's where charging for FP+ (or DPA or whatever name a potential replacement might have) gets really sticky for Disney - especially if the charge is for a specific ride and not just "$10/day gets you FP+." Imagine the line for Guest Services if 7DMT or FOP goes down and FP+ wait times jump when it reopens. I guess they could always offer a Guest Relations FP for a fee. "Of course you can have your $10 back for Pirates. That'll be $7.50 for skipping the line."

 

[drizgirl]

Standby pass sounds like a Godawful cluster @#$%. Doesn't seem to be anything good about it.

FP+ for $9 or $10 isn't awful. It's actually better than most of the models thrown around. What would be better is if you could do it before hand rather than in the park or even do it in the line itself through a magic band or app.

But it doesn't seem to be helping DLP at all. Very long lines due to the SB+, people on their phones trying to get rides, tons of people standing around in crowds. Seems like an awful time the place that is supposed to be the happiest!

But how much revenue is it generating?

Your idea of what makes it a success might be different from Chapek's idea of what makes it a success.

 

[drizgirl]

You got to get FP+, yet STILL got to use old FP too.

Yeah, what's not to love?

 

[Disneydad1012]

I'm still not convinced "Stand-by pass" isn't just covid related in queues that are still spacing people out unlike WDW where they have been removed..

 

[larryz]

New insider rumors are bouncing around that Disney is ready to offer a package of an all-day version of Express Pass for the whole family for an entire week, but because of the labor shortage, they only require in return your first born.

Now, or in 18 years?

 

[flynnibus]

I agree that you need to see how it plays out............

That being said, this new system is going to be a disaster and everyone knows it whether they want to admit it or not

FP and FP+ was very effective since the allotted return times had a limited amount of passes allocated to that said time frame.........So if the FP line was long, it was 100% the exception and not the rule

Never once did i ever see FP returns "soared to nearly hour waits"........ever (i wasnt there for when FP debuted......But I was part of FP+ testing phase and that was awesome and ran very smooth)

fp returns always clogged up after breakdowns and after events like parades or fireworks ending. The system was always susceptible to it because of the long return windows and large number of unregulated passes that could be out there.

Standby pass would have regulated amounts per time just like fp. The whole point is to defer people to a planned spot… not just say “come back in two hours” unilaterally.

the problem highlighted in the photo is the same problems FP had. People hanging around the entrance waiting… and delays trying to scan people in causing overflow issues

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

But how much revenue is it generating?

Your idea of what makes it a success might be different from Chapek's idea of what makes it a success.

It seems like its essentially forcing what they wanted FP to be originally. You're not standing in any line because you're not allowed so you're going to shop and eat?
Sure that may work for first timers but not for multi time visitors and I'd be willing to bet there are more multi timers than first times at the parks on any given day.
I for one no longer buy many souvenirs and often times when I buy park merch its on ShopDisney not in the parks.
Sure I'll wander around for a/c purposes but that's about it.