FastPass+ Most Certainly Not Coming Back As It Was

[MisterPenguin]

What form it shall take is unknown. But signs point to: Not being revived to pre-pandemic form.

For quite a while. The dissembling of FP+ due to the current situation may accelerate plans / force their hand.

The Fastpass back system was butchered to create the park pass system. Obviously a new one could be created if they wanted to but there’s nothing left to just flip back on.

I would still be surprised if Fastpass as we knew it came back. I wouldn’t surprised if a limited amount of “free” passes were available to soften the blow and then a selection of paid pass options to be sold instead. At least one of these may be heavily limited.

This would be news to me. I don’t think they have adequate staff yet. Perhaps they could announce 6/1 that it is coming back 9/1 with bookings starting 7/1 (or 7/3, I guess), however. I don’t think it will return as it was, though. So this is purely theoretical.

FP+ will not be coming back anytime. And not for the reason some people think.

 

[Jrb1979]

I love that its probably coming back as a paid version. Just wish they would drop the scheduled FP and make it similar to every other park.

 

[PaulZ]

As long as it’s not anywhere near as high as Universals, I’d be ok with paying for it sometimes. What I don’t want is them to oversell these like they did the nighttime parties so you felt like you were actually paying for something other than waiting for 30 minutes in a different line.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Very hard...but they’re up against it now.

you simply cannot reset the dial to 1998 and have no distribution system. Anyone not taking into account the natural rise/expansion of everyday crowds is delusional.

can’t wait

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I mean didn't we already establish that in the previous FP threads?

I do still stand by my previous opinion that some form is coming back sooner than others think.
No insider info here I just have a hunch especially with how quickly other things have changed.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

As long as it’s not anywhere near as high as Universals, I’d be ok with paying for it sometimes. What I don’t want is them to oversell these like they did the nighttime parties so you felt like you were actually paying for something other than waiting for 30 minutes in a different line.

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.

 

[Nickp1983]

I love the Universal system. We always stay at the Portofino so we get free fast pass.

I make sure to wear my tuxedo when I go to the park... and look at the peasants in disgust as I ride MiB for the 10th straight time.

 

[RSoxNo1]

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.

 

[TalkingHead]

Scheduling FP+ added value for local APs who could pop in to a park for a couple hours and quickly get on some E-tickets. Assuming that goes away, the AP looks less attractive for locals, but maybe that’s by design.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It's better for the general public to overcharge then under. If the FP lines stay short, the standby lines will move quicker and everyone will be happy. The rich can smerk and the poor can not be nearly as frustrated. So charge away Disney.

 

[BaconPancakes]

I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with scheduling fast passes for my trip this summer. It relieves so much anxiety.

 

[mattpeto]

I'm going to go full tinfoil on you:

The rapid reversal of the pandemic might save FP+. Hear me out...

Whatever long-term solution was in the works (MaxPass Lite, integration with Disney Genie etc.) was no doubt part of their long-term plan.

Now you have increased capacity and you still don't have everything back from pre-pandemic. People eaters can balance out the rising capacity, but they simply won't come back fast enough to balance out the capacity demands. All the M&G and their queues are still closed, headliner shows (Indy, Nemo, BatB, VoyLM) have quiet theaters, and not all restaurants still aren't open. Some of these will take a month or two to return...

Disney has the queues and the technology means to add FP+ back into play. If they add FP+ it just buys them time until they are ready to roll out whatever the successor is.

 

[WDWTrojan]

I'm going to go full tinfoil on you:

The rapid reversal of the pandemic might save FP+. Hear me out...

Whatever long-term solution was in the works (MaxPass Lite, integration with Disney Genie etc.) was no doubt part of their long-term plan.

Now you have increased capacity and you still don't have everything back from pre-pandemic. People eaters can balance out the rising capacity, but they simply won't come back fast enough to balance out the capacity demands. All the M&G and their queues are still closed, headliner shows (Indy, Nemo, BatB, VoyLM) have quiet theaters, and not all restaurants still aren't open. Some of these will take a month or two to return...

Disney has the queues and the technology means to add FP+ back into play. If they add FP+ it just buys them time until they are ready to roll out whatever the successor is.

FP+ doesn't add capacity, though. It's just going to take those people who have them and redistribute them elsewhere in the park. Into other queues, etc. It will also bring standby lines to a crawl. One of the big FP+ disappointments was they had assumed, erroneously, people would use the downtime to shop and eat but that didn't happen. They just get into other queues.

The other issue, as has been mentioned here and elsewhere, is the reservations system is still in tact for the foreseeable future. More capacity does not mean it's hog wild back to February 2020. The FP+ system was decimated to create the park reservation system and would require a substantial amount of time + labor to rebuild, unless they got rid of Park Passes, which is not on the horizon.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, they had been wanting to get rid of FP+ for quite a while. The pandemic gave them the impetus to do so.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I love the Universal system. We always stay at the Portofino so we get free fast pass.

I make sure to wear my tuxedo when I go to the park... and look at the peasants in disgust as I ride MiB for the 10th straight time.

that’s hard to equate down the road

 

[Nickp1983]

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.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I'm going to go full tinfoil on you:

The rapid reversal of the pandemic might save FP+. Hear me out...

Whatever long-term solution was in the works (MaxPass Lite, integration with Disney Genie etc.) was no doubt part of their long-term plan.

Now you have increased capacity and you still don't have everything back from pre-pandemic. People eaters can balance out the rising capacity, but they simply won't come back fast enough to balance out the capacity demands. All the M&G and their queues are still closed, headliner shows (Indy, Nemo, BatB, VoyLM) have quiet theaters, and not all restaurants still aren't open. Some of these will take a month or two to return...

Disney has the queues and the technology means to add FP+ back into play. If they add FP+ it just buys them time until they are ready to roll out whatever the successor is.

fastpass+ Did not help with capacity...it actually showed the weaknesses in it.

how did I know? The first day where two parks had “tiers”...

that was an admission that they didn’t have enough to use. The computer doesn’t lie: it only got worse from there

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

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.

they are never giving away fastpass with hotels. No matter what the rates are.

why? Your top ends have this ugly little thing called “DVC” attached.

can’t work.

you can try selling it at $100 a head. It could work?

let’s see: average 7 days x 4 peeps x $100...how are we doing on ticket costs now??

...don’t forget tax

 

[doctornick]

I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with scheduling fast passes for my trip this summer. It relieves so much anxiety.

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”

 

[Jrb1979]

they are never giving away fastpass with hotels. No matter what the rates are.

why? Your top ends have this ugly little thing called “DVC” attached.

can’t work.

you can try selling it at $100 a head. It could work?

let’s see: average 7 days x 4 peeps x $100...how are we doing on ticket costs now??

...don’t forget tax

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.

 

[mattpeto]

FP+ doesn't add capacity, though. It's just going to take those people who have them and redistribute them elsewhere in the park. Into other queues, etc. It will also bring standby lines to a crawl. One of the big FP+ disappointments was they had assumed, erroneously, people would use the downtime to shop and eat but that didn't happen. They just get into other queues.

The other issue, as has been mentioned here and elsewhere, is the reservations system is still in tact for the foreseeable future. More capacity does not mean it's hog wild back to February 2020. The FP+ system was decimated to create the park reservation system and would require a substantial amount of time + labor to rebuild, unless they got rid of Park Passes, which is not on the horizon.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, they had been wanting to get rid of FP+ for quite a while. The pandemic gave them the impetus to do so.

I agree with all of this and know FP+ doesn't add capacity. But what it does it let them operate like 2019 so people aren't aggravated they are sitting in every standby line for 45 minutes or more.

FP is an economy on it's own. They just need to hand out less of them. There's a balance in there somewhere. Distribute only 1 or 2 per guest (one in AM and one in PM) and it won't cause a huge issue with standby.