fastpass return time shortened

[dwd bound]

I know the are enforcing the return time shown but it looks the those return times have changed and are now sooner. We always saved our fast passes for the end of the day and I am sure hundreds of others did too. Do you notice any change in the pattern for return times? Last visit was two years ago, will be ther two weeks. Been looking at return times on the dw app.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Return times have always been on a "first come, first serve" basis. There was never a guarantee that you'd have a certain amount of time between getting your FastPass and your return time.

 

[dwd bound]

Return times have always been on a "first come, first serve" basis. There was never a guarantee that you'd have a certain amount of time between getting your FastPass and your return time.

Very familiar with fast passes. This will be our 7th visit. Just seems the return time pattern has changed since they started enforcing return times. Always looking for a pattern.

 

[luv]

Do you mean that window was shorter or that the time wasn't far later in the day?

 

[Cosmic Commando]

If you notice that your return window is closer to when you get your fastpasses, it probably means that people are getting fewer fastpasses if they know they won't use them or you could just be going at a slower time of year than you're used to.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Isnt return time based on demand? So if you say go to get a fastpass for TSMWM as soon as the park opens, you will get a return time very quickly, but if you wait for a couple of hours its pushed out further in the day depending how many others have gotten fastpasses before you?

 

[rct247]

There has been no specific changes made to Fastpass Return Times. As previously stated, they are just available on a first come first serve basis.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Very familiar with fast passes. This will be our 7th visit. Just seems the return time pattern has changed since they started enforcing return times. Always looking for a pattern.

There is no pattern. It's just on what is distributed. They give out so many for a time slot and then move on to the next time slot.

 

[DisneyWall-E]

@lazyboy97o is correct. Also, since they started to really crack down on the return time has the "wasting" of Fastpasses stopped or declined at all. Or has there been no change at all.

 

[bethymouse]

It would be nice if fewer people were using fast passes! @ cosmiccommando.

 

[Rob562]

There *is* a minimum amount of time that the return window will be for. Generally it's been about 40 minutes ahead of the current time. (i.e. with a 9am park opening, the very first ticket printed out for each FP attraction would say 9:40-10:40)

So if it's a slow day or you're getting a FP for an attraction that's been slow to distribute them that day, the FP Return window will advance forward even if no one is getting FP's, keeping that 40-minute buffer between the current time and the FP Return Time being printed.

Perhaps that is what the OP was talking about. Has that 40-minute minimum been reduced?

-Rob

 

[Tom Morrow]

^ It hasn't. The number of fastpass tickets given out per "window" has increased over the years, though, which also contributes to the return times being sooner.

 

[rct247]

What has happened is that Fastpass Return Lines are the same if not sometimes worse during the midday when Fastpass usage is at it's peak. At the same time though, the early morning and especially the later Fastpass Return Times are much less busy since people aren't saving their Fastpasses for later in the day or night.