Fastpass - What Do You Think?

[MiceysBestPal]

I have never supported FP and wish WDW would go back to the original system (that worked for nearly 30 years) where guests waited in fast moving, well themed lines.

I used to wait over an hour for PotC in Disneyland.
I used to wait for up to 2.5 hours to ride Splash Mountain in Disneyland.

FP has been able to change all that.
To say otherwise is to be ignore the facts.

I can get a FP and go and have fun elsewhere in the park (heck, even ride the TRAIN) instead of languishing in a "fast moving" line for over an hour.

Lots of things worked for 30 years... and then they were supplanted by availability of newer technology.
I have several reel-to-reel tape decks and boxes of 45 rpm records.
They were real spiffy in 1970. I have no use for them now.

Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest use computer technology to create a ride experience that was unheard-of in years past.
FastPass uses computer technology to make riding them a less constrictive experience.

 

[bob0012]

I used to wait over an hour for PotC in Disneyland.
I used to wait for up to 2.5 hours to ride Splash Mountain in Disneyland.

FP has been able to change all that.
To say otherwise is to be ignore the facts.

I can get a FP and go and have fun elsewhere in the park (heck, even ride the TRAIN) instead of languishing in a "fast moving" line for over an hour.

The exact problem people tend to have with fast pass is you can "go and have fun elsewhere". So now your in two lines. For you, the holder of a fast pass, yes you will experiance a shorter line on the attraction you have a fast pass too, however you'll also experance longer lines on every other attraction, increasing your wait time there. Why? Because everyone else is in two lines too. IF everyone uses it to the max, it'll basicly double the number of people in the park that day, but not add any extra capacity to the rides, making all the lines longer.

In your example of having to wait an hour for POTC (you'd still have to, no FP on that one) but if it did the line would prob be closer to two hours. And when the standby line goes up, so does the return time on the FP.

 

[pintraderpayee]

there are the value resorts that Can't cost that much more than off property hotels. and in the grand scheme of things EMH is the only perk you do not have to pay for. I think that the FP should be for on property and for annual pass holders. Because if you are going to WDW and feel it is too expensive to stay on property then you should have to pay for certain PERKS. Point is this is a vacation place no room for penny pinchers:brick:

There is a park in Orlando that does this very thing It only gets one of our five days in Orlando on our annual Easter field trip (and then only under extreme pressure from our accompanying students). Every person who stays off-site is not a penny pincher. Read some of the old posts that cover this subject on this site.

To the OP: I have found fastpass to be an incredible time saver, especially with school groups of 20-25. Some of my students will visit WDW only once and fastpass has made and will make it even more enjoyable and memorable.


74 days until we are Orlando bound on a school bus for 930 miles of smiles:sohappy:

 

[CleveRocks]

Why oh why, if I could get a FastPass (barring restaurant reservations, illness, show times, or any other reason people don't choose to get one), why wouldn't I? When I could grab lunch, go see a less popular ride, then come back and my total time of line/riding the ride would be 15-20 min. total?

Just confuses me, that's all...

Don't let Bob0012 confuse you. No offense to Bob, I don't disagree with him much, but he's taking the view of the park as a whole and not of individuals.

Frankly, when I'm on vacation, I don't care how the rest of the vacationers are faring. As long as I'm playing by the rules and not cheating and not taking advantage, then it doesn't matter to me if it somehow gums up the system. If it works for my kids and me, and I'm playing by the rules, then I'm on it.

ALL OF US are overthinking this. As a park guest, FASTPASS will greatly aid you if you use it effectively.

As for whether or not it helps the park as a whole, that's an interesting intellectual discussion, but not one that I personally am interested in.

 

[Siege898]

PS: The only complaint I have is that I wish there were fastpasses available on the popular attractions for guests arriving later in the day.

Finally, someone else experiences my pain. As an AP and an Orlando Resident, I usually come in the parks for the last 3-4 hours of the day and do not want to wait an hour for rides. They should have a system. Let's say that the park is open from 9am to 9pm for example's sake. From 9-10am they distribute fastpasses that have times from 10-11am. No fastpasses are distributed between 10-11am. Then from 11-12, they distribute fastpasses for 12-1...you see the pattern. This way there are fastpasses available at all times of day, and the line is not so clogged at times. Any reason why this wouldn't work?

 

[sknydave]

If they only gave out fastpasses at certain times of the day you would end up waiting in a line to get a fastpass, which would enable you to wait in a line.

 

[CleveRocks]

Finally, someone else experiences my pain. As an AP and an Orlando Resident, I usually come in the parks for the last 3-4 hours of the day and do not want to wait an hour for rides. They should have a system. Let's say that the park is open from 9am to 9pm for example's sake. From 9-10am they distribute fastpasses that have times from 10-11am. No fastpasses are distributed between 10-11am. Then from 11-12, they distribute fastpasses for 12-1...you see the pattern. This way there are fastpasses available at all times of day, and the line is not so clogged at times. Any reason why this wouldn't work?

I feel your pain. Unfortunately, the system you prescribe wouldn't work ... well, it could work, but it would result in a different sort of pain.

FASTPASS is designed as a virtual queue. You're waiting in line, you're just waiting in line somewhere else. For any given ride/attraction, they give a certain number of FPs per hour window (for example, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.). The idea is to sprinkle FP returns throughout the day, so there are no gigantic "clumps" of FP returnees at one time. The reason FPs run out is because they only wish to accommodate a certain number of returnees per hour (in order to not make everyone's wait any longer than it has to be), and once they run out of hours, well, there's nothing more they can do.

So, rather than allowing FPs to sell out for the day, if they only dispense FPs for the next hour, instead of FPs selling out by mid-afternoon they will sell out near the top of every hour. As a result, you'd get people lining up at FP machines so they can be the first to get FPs when the new hour starts and the FPs are available again. This would cause a small mob scene, because everyone's clamoring for the same thing at the same time. It would also cause FP users to vex themselves with a new type of FP math: "How long is it worth it to wait in line for the top of the hour to come, just to get FPs that will save me time later on." It would be the perversity of waiting in line in order to avoid a line.

Kind of reminds me of an old Yosemite Sam cartoon. He's stranded on an island, his pirate ship out in shark-infested waters. He has a rowboat on the beach which he could use to row to the ship rather than risk swimming in the shark-infested waters, but then he remembers that he left his oars on the ship. He swims to the ship (dodging sharks), retrieves the oars, swims back to the beach (again dodging sharks for maximum comic effect), and then rows the boat back across the water to his ship, safe and sound.

 

[MiceysBestPal]

So now your in two lines. For you, the holder of a fast pass, yes you will experiance a shorter line on the attraction you have a fast pass too, however you'll also experance longer lines on every other attraction, increasing your wait time there.

That's PERFECT.
That's what I WANT.
A bit longer waits in the less popular attractions (which lines, even then, would still be pretty short) which then allows a lot shorter waits in the very popular attraction that have the FP.
Otherwise, I'd be spending ALL my waiting time in the LONG lines of E-ticket rides and never get a chance to enjoy the C-ticket rides.

That's the beauty of the FP.

 

[basas]

I used to wait over an hour for PotC in Disneyland.

I used to wait for up to 2.5 hours to ride Splash Mountain in Disneyland.

FP has been able to change all that.
To say otherwise is to be ignore the facts.

I can get a FP and go and have fun elsewhere in the park (heck, even ride the TRAIN) instead of languishing in a "fast moving" line for over an hour.

Lots of things worked for 30 years... and then they were supplanted by availability of newer technology.
I have several reel-to-reel tape decks and boxes of 45 rpm records.
They were real spiffy in 1970. I have no use for them now.

Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest use computer technology to create a ride experience that was unheard-of in years past.
FastPass uses computer technology to make riding them a less constrictive experience.

If this was true, then why did Disneyland remove Fastpass on their version of POTC? The fact was that the line was so fast moving and the attraction had such a high capacity that FP was not needed. When they ADDED FP, the standby lines skyrocketed and the overall experience went down. When they took away FP, the lines once again flowed nicely and quickly and now, even when the wait may look like it's hours long, most often you're on the attraction in 30 minutes or less. Same goes for Haunted Mansion, Star Tours, and a host of other DL attractions that have had FP removed. As for Splash Mountain, as far as I can remember, except on the VERY busiest of days (in which, of course, long lines are to be expected) the line very seldom was above 60-90 minutes (and most often much less). Now, the DL Splash line is rarely less than that even on quiet days.

In no way trying to argue, just wondering why you think this...bad experiences with FastPass?

Thanks!

I’ve probably had about the same bad experiences as anyone in the last 10 years. Every so often I’ve been stuck in the Test Track, Soarin’, or Peter Pan standby line and watched as hundreds of Fastpass guests are herded into the boarding area ahead of me. Mind you, I’m not complaining- they’re being smart and getting FP’s and they have every right to do so. I don’t like the system, however, because I guess I just appreciate the more relaxed way of touring the park. I don’t like to plan my day and hop all over the park from attraction to attraction, but rather like to do one land at a time. Similarly, once I’m into World Showcase at Epcot, I don’t like to have to go all the way back to Future World when I reach Japan to use my Soarin’ FP. Now, although its not a problem for me, annual pass holders and other guests arriving in the afternoon or evening are also put at a disadvantage as FP’s are often already distributed for the day.

The other thing I don’t like about it is that it just seems to ‘rush’ the whole experience. I’ve always thought of ‘waiting in line’ as a certain ‘part of the experience’. Now, I know 2 hours lines and such are not fun, but on average-moderate days pre-FP, waits on most attractions generally topped at 45-60 minutes in the afternoon which I find to be a very reasonable time (they’re much higher nowadays due to FP). The lines were constantly moving, they were always well themed, and each queue had you slowly progress through the story until reaching the loading area (think ToT, Splash, DL Indy, etc). With FP, guests either rush right on to the ride, or standby guests sit and wait 10 minutes at a time, move a few feet, and repeat the process. It makes for a much more tedious experience.

Finally, I guess I should say that many attractions are simply not designed for FP. Low capacity dark rides like Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh have too small capacities to operate FP effectively, while Philharmagic has such a large capacity FP is completely un-necessary. I think its safe to say the wait times at both Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh have skyrocketed since FP was added and many guests simply cancel out the time they save by waiting in other longer standby lines, and backtracking through the park. Similarly, Buzz Lightyear is another example of a queue which moved unbelievably fast before FP was installed. If you’re ever at an attraction that’s not running FP for the day and the wait is 20-25 minutes, you’ll be amazed at how fast everything moves and how nice the line-experience is.

Anyway…just my little rant. There are some occasions where FP can save time, but more crowded paths, longer and more tedious standby waits, and other issues are not worth it to me. Maybe I’m completely wrong but I think the FP-craze is slowly dieing out. DL has done away with several FP attractions (and others are on a very restricted schedule), Universal has done away with free Express, and new rides like DL’s Nemo subs, Laugh Floor, etc have not been given FP (which I’m sure they would have 5 years ago when everything they could find was being thrown onto the FP schedule). Again, just my opinion. Others are free to disagree…

 

[mrtoad]

I agree with what others are saying, it can really work for you if you do it right. Some times more than others. Last year we got to Epcot when it opened and I went right to Soarin while my wife took her time with my daughter. I hit the fastpass right away with all 3 of our tickets and then went right in on the regular line and was on in about 10 minutes. Later on when the fast passes were due my wife went on and stayed with our daughter. The intention was for me to go again and my wife to go again as my daughter would not do it. We realized we did not have time to do it again so we gave our two spare fastpasses to somebody esle. On a side note, sometimes it can be hard to give them away. Some people look at you like you have two heads and that you are trying to pull something funny. Not sure why but more times that not that is the reaction I get when I try to give fastpasses away.

On the 2nd question, no I don't think it is necessary to provide just for people staying at WDW. I don't see that as being fair. I thouht I read that Universal offers something like that for those staying over there but never stayed so can't say for sure.

 

[bob0012]

Don't let Bob0012 confuse you. No offense to Bob, I don't disagree with him much, but he's taking the view of the park as a whole and not of individuals.

Frankly, when I'm on vacation, I don't care how the rest of the vacationers are faring. As long as I'm playing by the rules and not cheating and not taking advantage, then it doesn't matter to me if it somehow gums up the system. If it works for my kids and me, and I'm playing by the rules, then I'm on it.

ALL OF US are overthinking this. As a park guest, FASTPASS will greatly aid you if you use it effectively.

As for whether or not it helps the park as a whole, that's an interesting intellectual discussion, but not one that I personally am interested in.

Yea, I am kind taking the overall view. But a good example of how fastpass mucks things up is the Pooh ride. I was there one busy day, line was 60 mins, and FP return times were running 3 hours out. I was there anothe day, it was just about as busy, but FP was down on pooh, the line was 40 mins. Now I know, that still removes the option of coming back in 3 hours and waiting 10 mins, but that's with all the other FP machines still up, so people in the pooh line were prob also in another line.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I love FP, but I want to address a rumor going around for a bit now. How would people feel about a FP that had more options depending on the level of hotel you were staying at? Stay at a Deluxe, get more priviledges with FP. Everyone gets the basic still, however. This has been brought up by many people, and I am curious to see everyone's opinion. I would hate it personally, but that's just me....

 

[SarahBella82]

I've only used the FastPass once, in 2004. My sister and I FastPass'd Splash Mountain because the wait was 70 minutes. We rode Big Thunder, HM, and ate lunch at the Liberty Tree Tavern before our time came, but when it did, we walked right onto Splash. So the timing worked out. I'm not the kind of person who likes to rush from point A to point B, criss-crossing the parks, otherwise I would probably use FP more often. In the case above, we stayed in the general vacinity of the ride we'd FP'd, so it made sense to do it.

 

[MiceysBestPal]

Yea, I am kind taking the overall view. But a good example of how fastpass mucks things up is the Pooh ride. I was there one busy day, line was 60 mins, and FP return times were running 3 hours out. I was there anothe day, it was just about as busy, but FP was down on pooh, the line was 40 mins. Now I know, that still removes the option of coming back in 3 hours and waiting 10 mins, but that's with all the other FP machines still up, so people in the pooh line were prob also in another line.

And the standby wait was also 40 minutes at some point (probably MANY times) on the day you sited the 60 minute wait, so your point doesn't hold up.

FP does not cause fewer people to be able to ride.
Don't equate a longer standby line to fewer riders per given length of time.

If guests choose standby, they must wait their turn in relation to those who chose FP.

 

[mrtoad]

I love FP, but I want to address a rumor going around for a bit now. How would people feel about a FP that had more options depending on the level of hotel you were staying at? Stay at a Deluxe, get more priviledges with FP. Everyone gets the basic still, however. This has been brought up by many people, and I am curious to see everyone's opinion. I would hate it personally, but that's just me....

I think there would be more outrage with that over just letting guests who stay on property to use it. At least with that one it can be a perk for those staying on property same as a perk is you get extra magic hours. But to give those staying at one of the deluxe resorts a different FP option over one staying a moderate or value would be viewed as a tactic to get people who are staying at a lower resort to pay more money and stay at a deluxe. Which really would not work anyway as all of them fill up and then you may have guests waiting to go at a later date so they can get a room there. We are going end of this month and staying at the Wilderness Lodge. When we heard that the pool was being refurbed we decided to see if something was available at either the Contemporary or the Poly and to see if there was any way we could afford to upgrade. Both are fully booked and this is an off period. So in the end you would have guests who could not take advantage of the proposed FP system even if they wanted to.

 

[Tramp]

I love FP, but I want to address a rumor going around for a bit now. How would people feel about a FP that had more options depending on the level of hotel you were staying at? Stay at a Deluxe, get more priviledges with FP. Everyone gets the basic still, however. This has been brought up by many people, and I am curious to see everyone's opinion. I would hate it personally, but that's just me....

To the extent that wealthier people can afford the luxuries of the deluxe hotels, Disney should not engage in the business of separating families by economic class. I like the idea that once inside the park, the poorest and the richest among us are indistinguishable and share in the same experience without consideration to status or position in the outside world.

Giving privileges of fundamental elements of the park to select, park guests based on an ability to pay seems so anti-Walt to me. :wave:

 

[amykissangel]

To the extent that wealthier people can afford the luxuries of the deluxe hotels, Disney should not engage in the business of separating families by economic class. I like the idea that once inside the park, the poorest and the richest among us are indistinguishable and share in the same experience without consideration to status or position in the outside world.

Giving privileges of fundamental elements of the park to select, park guests based on an ability to pay seems so anti-Walt to me. :wave:

Totally agree; there are so many different types of families out there! Making it into a "Class System" would be a very poor choice on Disney's part.

You've got day trippers, people visiting relatives, families who want a nice big condo for MUCH cheaper that on Disney property, etc...and that's just pretending for a second that Disney seperated on-site/off-site guests.

THEN, you've got our family...we could probably afford a Deluxe resort, but my parents refuse to pay it because it would be a total waste of money, since we're never at our hotel.

Same with folks who have little kids who would rather stay at the "cool sports hotel with big Coke cups" than at the Grand Floridian, which is beautiful but less kid friendly.

It just brings up a whole lot of issues that I don't think Disney would ever want to deal with.

 

[MainSt1993]

To the extent that wealthier people can afford the luxuries of the deluxe hotels, Disney should not engage in the business of separating families by economic class. I like the idea that once inside the park, the poorest and the richest among us are indistinguishable and share in the same experience without consideration to status or position in the outside world.

Giving privileges of fundamental elements of the park to select, park guests based on an ability to pay seems so anti-Walt to me. :wave:

Indeed. Imagine a young family trying to explain to thier children why they could only go on a couple rides a day, having to wait in long lines, while they watched others happily bypassing the standard queue. There are *plenty* of ways to immerse yourself in privellege, while spending an obscene amount of money at Disney resorts (presidential suites, spa treatments, chef's table at the high-end restaurants, butler-served dinner on a private yacht for the fireworks...). The general admission stuff should keep a level playing field.

Otherwise, you're just another Universal or Six Flags.

 

[slappy magoo]

(God, I hope I can explain myself the way I want to. I know how confusing I can be when I'm trying to make a point).

OK, so many of the people who seem to have a problem with Fastpass seem to be looking at it this way:

Sure, I'm waiting on a much shorter line for the attraction I'm waiting for with Fastpass, but then I have to wait on a much longer line for the ride WITHOUT Fastpass! They basically cancel each other out, and you're waiting on line just as long as you would if there were no Fastpasses at all."

That would kinda sorta be true...IF each park only had two rides, and they both used Fastpass. And there was a fixed, finite amount of people in the park all day. And there was nothing else to do.

But the fact is, you've got many rides without Fastpass, you've got lots of eating options, you've got lots of shopping options, you've got parades and outdoor entertainers and various shows, you've got that cool little theater in the Kodak pavilion that shows Disney cartoons all day (which I've never seen crowded and is a great way to beat the heat) and attractions that actually take a long time to complete even without lines (like Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, the Tiki Birds). Not to mention, some people, when given a Fastpass MUCH later then when they picked it up, may opt to go back to their resort or to another park, making lines in general a teeeeeeny bit shorter.

If you're only jumping from Fastpass-worthy attraction (but without a Fastpass) to a Fasstpass-worthy attraction (WITH a Fastpass), I'm sure the lines always seem interminable, because if you're not actually doing something, you're waiting on line to do something. That gets tedious. And time has a way of standing still when you're on a regular line that isn't currently moving, and you see dozens of people strutting past you on the Fastpass line, and you know they'll be far gone before you ever get your turn. But if you're aware of Fastpass' strengths and weaknesses, you can make it work for you far more than against you. While you're just jumping from attraction to attraction, complaining that you're saving no time, someone else is getting a Fastpass to Space Mountain, walking over to Haunted Mansion, having lunch at Crystal Palace, watching the afternoon parade, and picking up a Goofy key chain on the way back over to Tomorrowland, and feeling more relaxed and having more fun as a result. I know, when I first got a FastPass for Soarin', I was able to time it so that, about 90 mintes before our one hour-window began, we went back to The Land, my wife and I rode Living with the Land and ate at Garden Grill (with ADRs), and when we were done, we just walked over To Soarin' and got in the next show, when lines were still over an hour. Most importantly, even if it was just an illusion, we didn't FEEL as rushed.

Now, the naysayers will say "hey, Slappy! Ever stop to think that most people going into the parks are adrenaline junkies who first and foremost want to hit the E-ticket attractions, and everything else is just superfluous? Didja? HUH?"

To them, I say, first, when you talk to me in that tone of voice, it's Mister Magoo, NOT Slappy.

Second of all, the people who run the parks probably know more about crowd dispersment than us, but is seems to me a good chunk of the adrenaline junkies show up in the morning before the crowds get too large. And when the crowds aren't so large, and everyone is jumping from Fastpass attraction to Fastpass attraction, it might seem like you're waiting-in-line time in toto will be about the same. But you will possibly be done or near-done with those E-ticket attractions before things get too busy anyway, and when the lines start getting too long...FASTPASS! And do all the lesser attractions and longer lunches you never could because you were waiting on line.

 

[DizFanatic]

(God, I hope I can explain myself the way I want to. I know how confusing I can be when I'm trying to make a point).

OK, so many of the people who seem to have a problem with Fastpass seem to be looking at it this way:

Sure, I'm waiting on a much shorter line for the attraction I'm waiting for with Fastpass, but then I have to wait on a much longer line for the ride WITHOUT Fastpass! They basically cancel each other out, and you're waiting on line just as long as you would if there were no Fastpasses at all."

That would kinda sorta be true...IF each park only had two rides, and they both used Fastpass. And there was a fixed, finite amount of people in the park all day. And there was nothing else to do.

But the fact is, you've got many rides without Fastpass, you've got lots of eating options, you've got lots of shopping options, you've got parades and outdoor entertainers and various shows, you've got that cool little theater in the Kodak pavilion that shows Disney cartoons all day (which I've never seen crowded and is a great way to beat the heat) and attractions that actually take a long time to complete even without lines (like Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, the Tiki Birds). Not to mention, some people, when given a Fastpass MUCH later then when they picked it up, may opt to go back to their resort or to another park, making lines in general a teeeeeeny bit shorter.

If you're only jumping from Fastpass-worthy attraction (but without a Fastpass) to a Fasstpass-worthy attraction (WITH a Fastpass), I'm sure the lines always seem interminable, because if you're not actually doing something, you're waiting on line to do something. That gets tedious. And time has a way of standing still when you're on a regular line that isn't currently moving, and you see dozens of people strutting past you on the Fastpass line, and you know they'll be far gone before you ever get your turn. But if you're aware of Fastpass' strengths and weaknesses, you can make it work for you far more than against you. While you're just jumping from attraction to attraction, complaining that you're saving no time, someone else is getting a Fastpass to Space Mountain, walking over to Haunted Mansion, having lunch at Crystal Palace, watching the afternoon parade, and picking up a Goofy key chain on the way back over to Tomorrowland, and feeling more relaxed and having more fun as a result. I know, when I first got a FastPass for Soarin', I was able to time it so that, about 90 mintes before our one hour-window began, we went back to The Land, my wife and I rode Living with the Land and ate at Garden Grill (with ADRs), and when we were done, we just walked over To Soarin' and got in the next show, when lines were still over an hour. Most importantly, even if it was just an illusion, we didn't FEEL as rushed.

Now, the naysayers will say "hey, Slappy! Ever stop to think that most people going into the parks are adrenaline junkies who first and foremost want to hit the E-ticket attractions, and everything else is just superfluous? Didja? HUH?"

To them, I say, first, when you talk to me in that tone of voice, it's Mister Magoo, NOT Slappy.

Second of all, the people who run the parks probably know more about crowd dispersment than us, but is seems to me a good chunk of the adrenaline junkies show up in the morning before the crowds get too large. And when the crowds aren't so large, and everyone is jumping from Fastpass attraction to Fastpass attraction, it might seem like you're waiting-in-line time in toto will be about the same. But you will possibly be done or near-done with those E-ticket attractions before things get too busy anyway, and when the lines start getting too long...FASTPASS! And do all the lesser attractions and longer lunches you never could because you were waiting on line.

I totally agree with you, Slappy. Ans I'll say again, Fastpass is great to brak up the lines when you have inpatient kids.
We hit the parks at opening, ride the e-tickets then get a fastpass to our favorite ride of the park. The fastpass has also enables us to kick back and smell the roses. To see lots of hidden treasures that you don't get to see if you run from one line to the next. Yes, getting there early is a major part of that also. If you're interrested, see my trip report on http://dizfanatic.com/trip2006_12.aspx http://DizFanatic.com which talks a bit about the time we had in Animal Kingdom to see some of the extras.
But again, I agree.