Free fastpasses if you're Important!

[slappy magoo]

That's not quite true. Disney informed him that they laready had a Santa and that he needed to change (i.e., shave his beard) or leave. This is what the man claimed (and not entirely out of the realm of probability): "'They told me I either needed to alter my appearance or I needed to leave the park because I was impersonating Santa Claus. They told us that Santa was considered a Disney character,' said Worley." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,236796,00.html

Sorry I didn't include the tidbit about WDW not wanting to confuse the kids who thought HE was Santa when "the real Santa" was elsewhere in the park. But it wouldn't have been an issue except, as I said, a: he was letting people believe he was Santa and b: he was generating attention from the guests. WDW nipped it in the bud before it got out of hand, but he was generating crowds.

 

[figmentmom]

Ultimately, I'm more worried about you pool-hopping a-holes then whether or not Brad Pitt gets cutsies. :lol:

:ROFLOL:

 

[figmentmom]

Is that why the people who pay to have personal tour guides don't have to wait in line????

They pay MAJOR dollars for Guest Relations to escort them around the park. Whenever I've seen groups like that, the Cast Member has gotten fastpasses for them fair and square.

 

[SpenceMan01]

One time at Universal Orlando, we were in the preshow of the Hanna Barbara ride when it broke down. We were issued no-wait return passes for any ride in the park. The wait on Back to the Future was in the neighborhood of 80 minutes, and the longest in the park. We used our passes to bypass the huge crowd of people waiting in line. While waiting on the ramp just before you enter the preshow, we looked down into the mass of people below us and saw the mayor of Minneapolis waiting in the huge line. We had a nice laugh and felt special, if only for a few minutes.

I think that issuing line-skipping passes to people in the public eye is a good idea, just to keep some order and make things a bit more enjoyable for them. In the grand scheme of things, 5-10 people skipping in line ahead of you isn't going to affect you in the slightest...unless of course they're met by the Dream Squad on their way out and win the Castle Suite stay... then I'd be royally ticked! :fork: :lol:

 

[WDWTrojan]

Is that why the people who pay to have personal tour guides don't have to wait in line????

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this is not true most of the time. Having been a VIP tour guide, I can tell you that a lot of people who get VIP tours (About $125/hour, with a 4 hour minimum), are quite upset when they learn the tour does not include priority access to attractions. Such access is only given when the guest is high-profile enough to where it could become a security issue.

That being said, many tour guides skirt around the rules if they like the family/guests enough. Many guides have friends at various attractions, carry around re-admission passes, or most frequently they use an excuse to get multiple fast passes, etc.

The perk for the guests taking a tour with out a PEP Card (the card issued to tours with VIP guests) is that the tour guide can go obtain Fastpasses to another attraction, while the tour guests ride something else and the guide can plan their day out effectively.

 

[WDWmom64055]

It's not what you think, it it's what I think...

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-fastpass1008apr10,0,5369377.story
I really like the following statement:
"We also have heard from security teams traveling with these high-profile guests that they would prefer they not be in the midst of large crowds or in any one place for an extended period of time."

.....so what are they doing at Disney?:veryconfu

My sister's exSIL has a job and personal connections that put her in the position to be able to get freebies throughout Southern CA.

Mind you, my sister and her kids have something seriously wrong with them :ROFLOL:and only took advantage of this once. They got free day passes for the park and VIP badges that allowed them to move to the front of the handicapped lines. They didn't have to wait in line for anything the entire day.

I didn't go to the article, so maybe it is talking about celebrities. I guess it would be more of a hassle for Disney to deal with the chaos that would bring about than it is to let them cut to the front of lines.

Or, it may be people with an overdeveloped sense of self-worth!!!

 

[Senderella]

Hm, that's kind of an interesting article. It isn't so much about celebrities but elected officials. Of course if people see Johnny Depp walking around Disney they're going to recognize him and mob him, but some random senator? I kind of doubt they're in any danger aside from major politicians like presidential candidates or someone of that nature. I don't think I'd recognize my state represenative if I saw them on the street, much less Disney World. It seems to me in this case it's more a matter of Disney trying to please a high powered guest, not so much them looking out for their safety as with celebrities. Although I can't say I blame them.

That was my initial thought when I read the article. For security reasons, I can see why elected officials would benefit from this sort of thing, but unless it was the president or someone running for president, I wouldn't be able to identify them NOR would I care.

I agree, because a few celebrities have offered money to stay in Cindy's castle and been told no. If Disney really wanted to cater to the rich, they would have taken those offers.

Also, my brother was in a long line once behind a Backstreet boy & his wife when they were more popular. I guess not all celebrities get to line jump - probably only those that request it, or that are causing scenes by being mobbed. Not many people were bothering the "boy", maybe because he was w/his family.

You know.. I have more respect for the celebs who'd rather stick it out in line like everyone else (if they're that rank of celebrity and CAN do that) than the others who demand special attention. Over on the Celebs in WDW thread, I really had to admire the story about the Rock at CRT being asked if he'd like to jump to the front of the line and he declined. It would make me sick to see some self important little prat like Paris Hilton demanding all of this special attention because she considers herself that special. LOL I can imagine most people seeing her in the park and steering their kids in the opposite direction! I can see it for someone who really would get mobbed like Johnny Depp or Robin Williams.

 

[unkadug]

In a way, this is good news.

This basically guarantees that fast pass will never become a paid for perk or used as an incentive for people staying at the deluxe resorts.

Disney maintains that the passes have no monetary value and so are not restricted by government ethics laws and do not have to be reported either as gifts to public officials or as a lobbying expense......


But several ethics experts told the Sentinel that, on other governmental levels and in other branches, rulings from specific ethics committees would probably be needed if anyone wanted to determine for sure whether line-jumping passes such as Disney's have any reportable value.