News Gotta Pay2Play: Paid FP on the way!

[Coaster Lover]

Can't say I didn't see this coming. Theme parks (in general) have been on this trend of allowing people who have the means to pay slightly more on an a la carte basis to get an experience slightly (or in some cases significantly) better than those who are unwilling to pay. Six Flags has offered premium parking, premium seating at in park concerts,and various tiers of Flash Pass (their alternative to Fast Pass) for quite some time. One would think that, as you are already paying a premium rate to go to Disney to begin with, that everyone going would be entitled to the same premium treatment at no additional cost, but clearly their other recent trials of having premium "upgrades" have proven that people are willing to pay. Doing something like this costs Disney essentially nothing meaning that any customer that adds this upgrade is more or less pure profit for Disney.

I would think/hope that the number of people that utilize this option would be minimal enough that it shouldn't have a significant impact on Fast Pass availability, but I'm just thinking about how difficult it was to get Fast Passes for the Pandora attractions when that first opened or for Seven Dwarfs when that first opened realize that it will be than much more difficult when Star Wars land opens to get Fast Passes for any of those attractions for anyone restricted to getting Fast Passes 30 days in advance when you have these folks now able to get the passes 90 days in advance.

 

[carnini]

no shocker on this one, all the expensive hotels are included.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

So how do you time that? What about the WDW resort guests that don't roll out of bed until 11am to go to the parks, or the convention goers that don't get to a park until after 4pm? What if they have already allowed enough outsiders in to hit their max for the day?

If you're a WDW resort guest, you get in. Basically you really just want to limit the maximum number of outsiders, possibly including AP.

 

[becca_]

I would think/hope that the number of people that utilize this option would be minimal enough that it shouldn't have a significant impact on Fast Pass availability, but I'm just thinking about how difficult it was to get Fast Passes for the Pandora attractions when that first opened or for Seven Dwarfs when that first opened realize that it will be than much more difficult when Star Wars land opens to get Fast Passes for any of those attractions for anyone restricted to getting Fast Passes 30 days in advance when you have these folks now able to get the passes 90 days in advance.

100%, plus I think now those who are having a "once in a lifetime" trip will splurge on club level if this continues. This is going to be a disaster in terms of FPs available to those who do not get to choose 90 days out.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

If everyone's in the FP+ line, does the FP+ line become the standby line?

Eventually there won’t be a Stand by line - all fast passes. Plan your whole day out...........for a price$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[MrPromey]

Not surprised at all.

I could see them keeping this to just Club Level guests. I'm not sure how much capacity they have to start offering it to everyone.

I would argue that for the in-demand attractions, they don't have enough capacity to manage fastpass and day guests as it is. This is just an upcharge perk for those willing to spend that further diminishes the value of a $100+ ticket for everyone else.

 

[LAKid53]

Fixed that for you.

And it has to be at their top 3 resorts - Hard Rock, Portofino Bay and Royal Pacific.

 

[MrPromey]

That's definitely true, but the rooms are still competitive to Disney's rooms and it's unlimited access to all rides rather than three planned 60 days in advance. Universal definitely has the edge here.

Universal can get away with it because by-and-large, capacity and demand are at a good level. From a guest perspective, I don't believe there is an obvious impact most of the time to what they do. Disney on the other hand, has a lot more people to manage both staying in guest rooms and off-site.

It doesn't seem practical for Disney to ever be able to offer what Universal does unless a lot changes with their capacity.

 

[RustySpork]

Universal can get away with it because by-and-large, capacity and demand are at a good level. From a guest perspective, I don't believe there is an obvious impact most of the time to what they do. Disney on the other hand, has a lot more people to manage both staying in guest rooms and off-site.

It doesn't seem practical for Disney to ever be able to offer what Universal does unless a lot changes with their capacity.

They (Disney) would have to change a significant portion of their operating model. Universal seems to have a good balance, although I've also been at UO during at capacity days and it looks just like MK during at capacity days.

 

[LAKid53]

So, if I stay in the cabins at Copper Creek, using my DVC points, will I be allowed to purchase the extra 3 FP+? Or is this perk only available to cash paying guests?

 

[MrPromey]

Freebi for night time show? The fastpass option for Wishes/Happily Ever After was removed though?

I can't for the life of me understand why this isn't offered to everyone? Makes no sense.

It just seems so...gross...that the chance to purchase - key word here - extra fast passes is only offered to Club Level guests.

They don't have the fastpass inventory to offer this to everyone.

 

[matt9112]

Possibly because they have not increased prices enough.

Make an AP $2k and one day ticket $250 and go up from there and the crowds would die down.

lol your right I would never visit again! lol

 

[larryz]

One very expensive, special program is not the same as every offering being split into varies monetized levels.

Slippery slope...

 

[matt9112]

If you're a WDW resort guest, you get in. Basically you really just want to limit the maximum number of outsiders, possibly including AP.

so the only people worthy of going to Disney world are Europeans on two week vacations?

 

[punkabella]

Possibly because they have not increased prices enough.

Make an AP $2k and one day ticket $250 and go up from there and the crowds would die down.

However, if the crowds die down, they again would limit the number of trains, tracks, sides, etc. open and available, which would still lead to longer lines.

I could see this trickling down to letting DVC members or others purchase additional fast passes as well, but I don't see this as something that would be available to the 'average' family staying at a Disney value or moderate resort for a one off vacation. They wouldn't even have a clue about this possibility, as it still occurs for families to get there not knowing anything about fast passes or magic bands.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Off Property - 1FP
Value Resorts - 2FP
Moderate - 3FP
Deluxe (maybe DVC?) - 4FP
Concierge (maybe DVC?) - 5FP

I thought this is what might eventually happen... but I guess they thought of a way to make more money so...

How would you like to be in concierge, pay for extra fastpasses... and then go to book them and most are full already that you want (especially since they just opened up 60 days for Disney springs hotels too)

 

[MrPromey]

They (Disney) would have to change a significant portion of their operating model. Universal seems to have a good balance, although I've also been at UO during at capacity days and it looks just like MK during at capacity days.

Agreed.

Busy is busy, regardless of where.

Sometimes I wonder how Universal is doing financially when I see how easy it is to get on some of their stuff and how most of the time, the parks don't seem stuffed to the gills with people. I wonder if that is just me conditioned to things being semi-miserable like that on a regular basis at Disney because of the crowd levels and/or what fastpass has done with people's time in the parks or if Universal just isn't getting enough guests.

They keep expanding though so they must be doing ok, I guess.

I like what Disney offers by-and-large way more than Universal (having a young child, doubly so) but a day at Universal nearly always feels like a better value and a lot more stress-free to me.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

so the only people worthy of going to Disney world are Europeans on two week vacations?

No, of course not. But people staying at a resort (and to some degree AP) should have priority over GenPop.

 

[larryz]

Off Property - 1FP
Value Resorts - 2FP
Moderate - 3FP
Deluxe (maybe DVC?) - 4FP
Concierge (maybe DVC?) - 5FP

I thought this is what might eventually happen... but I guess they thought of a way to make more money so...

How would you like to be in concierge, pay for extra fastpasses... and then go to book them and most are full already that you want (especially since they just opened up 60 days for Disney springs hotels too)

Why give away what people are (apparently) willing to pay extra for?

 

[Coaster Lover]

while the concierge person is having to burn through their Nemo and Imagination Fastpasses.

Unless they allowed what the current/new system seems to be allowing where the Fastpasses can be booked across multiple parks... Book Flight of passage for 9 am, Everest for 10 am, Kilimanjaro Safari for 11 am, Soarin for Noon, Mission Space for 1 PM... could really utilize your Fast Passes for just the top tier attractions... and book them 90 days in advance... the article also says that it has the ability to book "multiple-top tier attractions"... so even if you stayed in one park, possibly you could book Soarin, Test Track, GotG, Frozen, and Ratatouille...