FP Strictness

[TubaGeek]

How strict do you think CMs should be enforcing FP return times (this is, of course, assuming that CMs actually read all the FPs and bothered to enforce them)?
In my opinion, anyone using an FP from a different day should be asked (very nicely) to turn over all other old FPs or be kicked out.
If it's an FP thats time hasn't come yet, send them away til later.
If its an FP that expired earlier that day... take it and let them keep going. I know, that would cause a bit of a late-day flood, but I think a lot of first-timers don't anticipate just how long something could take, so they wind up late... a lot.
My 2 cents. Any thoughts?

 

[Captain Hank]

In my opinion, anyone using an FP from a different day should be asked (very nicely) to turn over all other old FPs or be kicked out.

Then, the CM would be accusing the guest of cheating the system. Technically, the CM has to assume that it was the guest's mistake and that they didn't understand the system properly (but they still aren't let in the Fastpass line...in theory).

If it's an FP thats time hasn't come yet, send them away til later.
If its an FP that expired earlier that day... take it and let them keep going. I know, that would cause a bit of a late-day flood, but I think a lot of first-timers don't anticipate just how long something could take, so they wind up late... a lot.
My 2 cents. Any thoughts?

In my experience, this is usually how things work.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Guests trying to use FPs from previous days should be turned away. Simple as that.

 

[CommandoDisney]

i agree, FPs from previous days should not be counted. i also think that the CMs should stick pretty closely to the time frame. exceptions could obviously be made if lines are short, but if there is a constant stream of people flowing into the FP line of people with legitamate passes and a family of 6 has a handful of passes that start in 10 minutes, i think the family can wait. i know people have problems with FP but if the system is truly executed like its supposed to then its great, but when its not, it can be a mess... you know, like democracy! haha

 

[elizs77]

How strict do you think CMs should be enforcing FP return times (this is, of course, assuming that CMs actually read all the FPs and bothered to enforce them)?
In my opinion, anyone using an FP from a different day should be asked (very nicely) to turn over all other old FPs or be kicked out.
If it's an FP thats time hasn't come yet, send them away til later.
If its an FP that expired earlier that day... take it and let them keep going. I know, that would cause a bit of a late-day flood, but I think a lot of first-timers don't anticipate just how long something could take, so they wind up late... a lot.
My 2 cents. Any thoughts?

In my experience, this is usually how things work.

Yep, I agree with Captain Hank, this is how things usually work. We found out in 2006 from a CM that they will honor FPs the rest of the day once your time has past. So, we almost never end up using the FP in the actual window. The time is on there to spread the crowd, but you still have only a limited number of FPs issued all day, so the crowds in the FP line will only be *so* bad.

If someone uses an old FP, it would be really wrong to make them turn over all their old FPs or get kicked out. I have met enough clueless people at WDW to not be surprised if people do this innocently because they don't get the system. And I could totally see just getting an old FP from the day before or so mixed in with a new batch from that day as well. CMs look at FPs pretty carefully. I had mine looked at on some rides multiple times before the final CM actually took it. The idea in the OP about kicking people out just wouldn't work.

 

[raven]

Another Fast Pass thing that ticked me off: We were at the rope drop at EPCOT a few weeks ago and there was a rush to Soarin. We were about 20th in the crown but we first headed to the FP machines first knowing that we would never be able to ride it again that day without a long wait. We were behind a kid who had at least 20 park passes that was getting passes for his whole group. While I don't mind this practice I think it's still a little rude to take all that time when guests are waiting behind you. The worst part is that after the kid got the passes he went ahead of everyone in line to catch up to his party. That's very rude. They didn't want to wait to get the passes so they sent someone else and then he skipped the line to get to them.

I also saw people using expired park tickets to get a Fast Pass and they worked. I don't know how it would have happened but it did.

 

[elizs77]

i agree, FPs from previous days should not be counted. i also think that the CMs should stick pretty closely to the time frame. exceptions could obviously be made if lines are short, but if there is a constant stream of people flowing into the FP line of people with legitamate passes and a family of 6 has a handful of passes that start in 10 minutes, i think the family can wait. i know people have problems with FP but if the system is truly executed like its supposed to then its great, but when its not, it can be a mess... you know, like democracy! haha

I didn't see a CM allow anyone early entry on my most recent trip this past week. At Soarin', we had FPs for 3:00. At 2:55, we just kind of hovered near the entrance. The CM asked what time the passes were for, and I told him. He let us in about two minutes early. But the time we meandered down to the entrance, it was 3 anyway.

Also, every single FP we received had in larger font "Valid on XXX only." CMs aren't supposed to take ones from different dates no matter what. CMs have some responsibility in this, too, not just guests.

 

[elizs77]

I also saw people using expired park tickets to get a Fast Pass and they worked. I don't know how it would have happened but it did.

Just wondering - how did you know they were expired?

 

[Wilt Dasney]

In my opinion, anyone using an FP from a different day should be asked (very nicely) to turn over all other old FPs or be kicked out.

Unless you're going to have security rummage through people's pockets or purses to prove they have old FP's, this sounds impractical. Beyond that, it's just too "big brother" for my taste. As long as CMs are checking the dates, it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[TheDisneyMagic]

Just wondering - how did you know they were expired?

Thats what I was thinking, they may of had an old design on them or something, but even so there could have been remaining days left on them. I am pretty sure the current system doesn't accept a pass that hasn't been through the entrance turnstiles, this used to be an issue though.

 

[CommandoDisney]

also, i would imagine if your party is 5 minutes after your time window, then CMs could be cool to let you on. obviously if you are like an hour late, thats another story. we usually hover around the entrace to FP (out of the way, of course) a few minutes before our window, and yes sometimes the CMs have let us on and other times theyve made us wait. both are reasonable to me.

probably one of the dumbest things ive seen, and i strongly encourage anyone to defend it, is when people try to use INVALID FPs. you know, the ones you get when youve allready used your ticket to get one? the thing says INVALID on it. and its always out of ignorance, too, im not talking about people who are trying to trick the CMs. i mean the people who walk up to the CMs and hand them a handful of INVALIDs and are perplexed as to why they dont work. i understand not being familiar with how FP works, i understand not being familiar with WDW, i understand not being familiar with amusement parks... but i do not understand how people misinterpret the world "INVALID".

im not angered by this, just bewildered. i just wanted to spell out my defense before people start posting things like "well they probably didnt know"

 

[raven]

Just wondering - how did you know they were expired?

Because they we talking about it to each other while at the machine. "Try this one. It's expired but it should still work." And it did. They didn't use them to gain admission to the park but had it in their wallet.

 

[sarabi]

Ooooo... hot topic.

Fastpass will not work unless it's adhered to pretty closely. That said, I think a 10 minute window around the start and end time should be allowed just as a courtesy (that hopefully would not throw things off much) but coming back hours or days later than your return window throws the entire system off and should not be allowed.

 

[lpet11984]

Guests trying to use FPs from previous days should be turned away. Simple as that.

(There was a farmer had a dog...)

Bingo.

If they're previous days, turn 'em away. If they're from today, let 'em stay.

 

[WDWTrojan]

When I was an attractions manager at WDW, we actually coached the cast members to allow guests who return late to enter the Fastpass return queue. However, guests who arrived even one minute early were asked to wait.

 

[Vernonpush]

The biggest problem I have are those that "hover" at the FP entrance with 5 min. until their time (I'm sure elizs77 and CommandoDisney, don't) that block the way to the FP queue, showing their FP's while the CM repeats "not yet", thus not allowing us (who have FPs, soon to expire) to not get there in time. It's almost as bad as those who stop in the exit doorway of an attraction (blocking those behind them) to pull out their park map and discuss with their huddled mass, where they are going next. But that's another thread. :lol:

 

[DivineMadness7]

Another Fast Pass thing that ticked me off: We were at the rope drop at EPCOT a few weeks ago and there was a rush to Soarin. We were about 20th in the crown but we first headed to the FP machines first knowing that we would never be able to ride it again that day without a long wait. We were behind a kid who had at least 20 park passes that was getting passes for his whole group. While I don't mind this practice I think it's still a little rude to take all that time when guests are waiting behind you. The worst part is that after the kid got the passes he went ahead of everyone in line to catch up to his party. That's very rude. They didn't want to wait to get the passes so they sent someone else and then he skipped the line to get to them.

I also saw people using expired park tickets to get a Fast Pass and they worked. I don't know how it would have happened but it did.

That may have been annoying, but I see nothing wrong with it. One person with 20 passes will be faster and more efficient than 20 individual people fumbling with their pass, taking twice as long. Twenty seems a bit excessive, though. My limit for it to be reasonable is around 10. Nothing like being in a long line at a fast pass machine while mom let's each kid put their own pass in the machine. Sure, let the kids try it out, but try to choose a time when 10 people aren't waiting behind you. I'd rather mom took the passes while dad had the kids over, away from the crowd, and quickly got the passes. I often take my groups (8 of us total) tickets and grab the fastpasses. Why not? Especially if they're doing something I don't want to, I offer to go grab fastpasses somewhere, do something else and then catch up with them.

Which brings me to the next part. They may have put these expired tickets in the machine but I guarantee they did not get VALID fastpasses. Why? Again, I had all my groups tickets. My mom was back at the hotel, had decided to spend the morning resting because she was not feeling well. I had forgotten to take her ticket out of the pile and unknowingly put it in the fastpass machine along with the others. Because the ticket had not been used at a turnstile that day, it would not allow me to generate a fastpass. I got an invalid one and then realized why after looking at my pile of fastpasses versus pile of tickets. Of course, I stepped aside to do this, not stood in front of the machine, blocking it, staring at the fastpasses and having a conversation with my family. (It works sort of like the blocking the exit thing mentioned earlier. In front of a fastpass machine is NOT a good place to break out your map.:brick

 

[elizs77]

Because they we talking about it to each other while at the machine. "Try this one. It's expired but it should still work." And it did. They didn't use them to gain admission to the park but had it in their wallet.

I don't know, but they probably received the little papers that say NOT A VALID FASTPASS. I got a few of those when I was trying to get my next round of FPs a minute too early. Just a guess...

The biggest problem I have are those that "hover" at the FP entrance with 5 min. until their time (I'm sure elizs77 and CommandoDisney, don't) that block the way to the FP queue, showing their FP's while the CM repeats "not yet", thus not allowing us (who have FPs, soon to expire) to not get there in time. It's almost as bad as those who stop in the exit doorway of an attraction (blocking those behind them) to pull out their park map and discuss with their huddled mass, where they are going next. But that's another thread. :lol:

:lol: You make me laugh! I only hovered that one time, and it was well to the side! I don't know how many times over the past week I said loudly under my breath, "why are people stopping in the entrance/exit..." But like you said, that's another thread. Oh, and for the record, I didn't ask to be let in early! We weren't even that close to the entrance.

 

[Texas84]

I was there in early May and saw a man & woman enter the Soarin' FP line in front of us. The man had a valid FP and the woman did not. The CM explained the invalid FP and let them through. My GF was about to go off! Didn't really bother me since I have mistakenly received invalid FPs. Each time I caught it, ran my ticket again and got a valid one.

But what set me off was the abuse of the single rider line at TT. The abusers weren't even TRYING to hide being together and the CMs did nothing.

 

[YankeeMouse]

We've been told by CM's that it depends on the attraction, for the "late" times. If you arrive later than the time window on the pass for most attractions you will be let in. But for extremely popular attractions like Soarin', you won't be let in past the time window. That's what we have been told, and I never tried out the theory.