New Fast Pass Testing at Splash Mountain?

[Obi]

just a thought, but what about the bracelets that has been rumored?

if the bracelets are monitored as to adrs, checking the stores that have been gone into, which rides were rode, wouldn't they know the times that they were at?

for instance, say you get a fastpass for 4:00pm. you don't show up until 11:00pm to ride using your fastpass. wouldn't they have information on where you were at by the bracelets location? thus, telling a lie would not work? saying you were at dinner during that time, but the bracelet shows that you were in stores during that time...

wouldn't this make it so that they could start to enforce those return times?

 

[G00fyDad]

I don't see them enforcing the return times. I mean especially when your window for return is 5 hours away. I mean come on they expect you to alter your dinner plans or whatever to make sure you get back within the window. Doubt this will happen.

No. They expect you to look at the FP return time above the machines and to not get a FP for the same time as an ADR. That's why that sign is up there.

When people say that Disney should appeal to everyone, they really mean everything should appeal to them.

 

[BigTxEars]

If I was asked why I was late for my FP time, I'd say I was stuck on Test Track.

The day Disney starts enforcing returns times is going to be a magical day for guest services.

I think the guest service windows should have those trap doors in front of them so when some knucklehead was going off about how it was not their fault they missed their FP time by 6 hours the CM could pull that handle and the complainer would drop out of sight :ROFLOL: With some cool cartoon sound effects no less!

I am for legit complaints but I would think that a huge amount of what guest services has to deal with is silly and deserving of a good ole whack upside the head of the folks who are suppose to be relaxing on vacation :ROFLOL:

I think a time buffer window will always be part of the process, but with all of the new upcoming tech (RFID, smart phones etc) the FP process will change someday for sure Heck I just recently booked 8 days in Disney w/tickets, 8 ADRs, 8 nights of rooms, air and rental car and I never spoke to a human being. I think the tech that Disney is studying now to use in the near future will be amazing and really change the way we go to the parks.

Some type of allotted time system to ride certain rides is something I think will happen at some point and that will include start and stop times that will be enforced IMO. In a way it is not much different than an ADR. You miss it you miss it :shrug:

 

[G00fyDad]

How is the reservation for FP system going to work? Not sure I want that much planning going into my day :ROFLOL:

I wouldn't want to use it for our entire stay but we always do the same thing on the first 5 days of our trips, in the morning anyway.
Day 1 - DTD (No FPs needed)
Day 2 - MK (FP for SM, BTMRR, SplM, and PotC)
Day 3 - AK (FP for EE, Dinosaur, Kali, Kilimanjaro Safaris)
Day 4 - EPCOT (FP for Soarin', TT, MS)
Day 5 - HS (FP for ToT, RnR)
That way we can get reserved FPs for those rides first thing in the morning and then relax and do what we want for the rest of the day.

wouldn't this make it so that they could start to enforce those return times?

No. The bracelets will only have a specific alphanumeric sequence that is transmitted. The CM would have to compare it to a database in the Disney servers to see where the guest was going. They aren't going to go through all of that. More likely the CM will be able to blame the bracelet when the light doesn't turn green at the ride FP entry by saying "I'm sorry but the system has denied you entry. The return time for your FP must have expired."

 

[wdwfan100]

I think the guest service windows should have those trap doors in front of them so when some knucklehead was going off about how it was not their fault they missed their FP time by 6 hours the CM could pull that handle and the complainer would drop out of sight :ROFLOL: With some cool cartoon sound effects no less!

I am for legit complaints but I would think that a huge amount of what guest services has to deal with is silly and deserving of a good ole whack upside the head of the folks who are suppose to be relaxing on vacation :ROFLOL:

I think a time buffer window will always be part of the process, but with all of the new upcoming tech (RFID, smart phones etc) the FP process will change someday for sure Heck I just recently booked 8 days in Disney w/tickets, 8 ADRs, 8 nights of rooms, air and rental car and I never spoke to a human being. I think the tech that Disney is studying now to use in the near future will be amazing and really change the way we go to the parks.

Some type of allotted time system to ride certain rides is something I think will happen at some point and that will include start and stop times that will be enforced IMO. In a way it is not much different than an ADR. You miss it you miss it :shrug:

Now this a good post. Very funny. :sohappy:

 

[KingdomofDreams]

I think the guest service windows should have those trap doors in front of them so when some knucklehead was going off about how it was not their fault they missed their FP time by 6 hours the CM could pull that handle and the complainer would drop out of sight :ROFLOL: With some cool cartoon sound effects no less!

I love this idea!!! :ROFLOL:


Seriously, Disney gives guests FastPasses for free and gives them a generous return window and they tell you what that window is going to be before you commit yourself and take the tickets. Then people are going to get angry because they show up after that return window clearly printed on the ticket is expired and they're told the FP is no longer valid? Really?! :hammer:

 

[Krack]

I don't see them enforcing the return times. I mean especially when your window for return is 5 hours away. I mean come on they expect you to alter your dinner plans or whatever to make sure you get back within the window. Doubt this will happen.

They expect you to figure out where you want to sit down to eat 6 months ahead of time; 5 hours of planning doesn't seem so bad in comparison.

 

[BigTxEars]

I wouldn't want to use it for our entire stay but we always do the same thing on the first 5 days of our trips, in the morning anyway.
Day 1 - DTD (No FPs needed)
Day 2 - MK (FP for SM, BTMRR, SplM, and PotC)
Day 3 - AK (FP for EE, Dinosaur, Kali, Kilimanjaro Safaris)
Day 4 - EPCOT (FP for Soarin', TT, MS)
Day 5 - HS (FP for ToT, RnR)
That way we can get reserved FPs for those rides first thing in the morning and then relax and do what we want for the rest of the day.



No. The bracelets will only have a specific alphanumeric sequence that is transmitted. The CM would have to compare it to a database in the Disney servers to see where the guest was going. They aren't going to go through all of that. More likely the CM will be able to blame the bracelet when the light doesn't turn green at the ride FP entry by saying "I'm sorry but the system has denied you entry. The return time for your FP must have expired."

We are just now using RFID where I work to track inventory as it arrives. The way our system works is the new inventory has a RFID chip (for lack of a better word) in it or attached to it. We have handheld units that we use to count this inventory. The old (pre RIFD) way is that we used these handheld units to scan the labels of each of these pieces of inventory. Took a long time sometimes. Now we just stand about 5-6 feet away and turn the handheld unit on and hit one button to start the scan. The handheld unit send out a signal and it "bounces" (think radar) off of the RFID "chips" on the inventory back to the handheld. The handheld units then sorts that info and count the inventory by type. It use to take us say 15 minutes to count 100 pieces scanning each one, that now takes less than 30 seconds. And minus the human error of scanning a label twice or missing a label and not scanning it. Amazing industry changing tech where I work as it will spread to more and more uses.

Not sure about what WDW has but our RFID "chips" do not really emit any signal but just react to the signals from our handheld units. I would see this as you waved it near the monitor to enter a ride using your wrist FP it would read and see if that bracelet had a legit and valid FP attached to it. Not sure if it could then erase that FP so you could then "load" a new FP on it.

Still pretty new tech and the bugs are being worked out (around steel warehouse racks at work it can confuse the signal somewhat) but has wonderful potential as it matures. I am sure Disney is planning all kinds of cool stuff with it

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I love this idea!!! :ROFLOL:


Seriously, Disney gives guests FastPasses for free and gives them a generous return window and they tell you what that window is going to be before you commit yourself and take the tickets. Then people are going to get angry because they show up after that return window clearly printed on the ticket is expired and they're told the FP is no longer valid? Really?! :hammer:

It has to do with precedent more than anything. For years, the official rule has been that people can use fastpass after their window ends. With a change in that policy comes a reduction in flexibility. It's something that people can get used to, but people are allowed to be frustrated at first.

But even ignoring precedent, I don't like feeling that everything has to be perfectly planned out. Wake up at 7:00, get on bus at 8:00, ride Space Mountain from 10:30-11:30 (even if you felt like being in Frontierland or Adventureland at the time), lunch at 11:50, etc. Yes, you can always say "fastpass is a free service, you don't have to use it" but you could say the same thing about ADR's: in both cases, it seems like your experience will suffer if you don't use the system (because you won't be able to get into certain restaurants or you'll have to do standby for rides).

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[Krack]

If I prefer a laid back vacation, then it sounds like Disney is moving away from what I enjoy. So IMO, everyone on vacation is "all about them" in that moment. It's just some people will benefit from the change (slightly shorter fastpass line for them) and others won't (attraction itinerary will become much more rigid).

Quite the opposite, imho. I think this change will help the laid back crowd. I consider myself in the laid back crowd and a move to enforcing the return times would have me doing backflips. What will happen is the Disney Commandos who plan their day down to the minute will ... as we all know ... find out that it's impossible to plan a day at Disney World down to the minute because of a variety of factors completely out of their control. This will cause many FastPasses to go unused. This is terrific for the laid back crowd because the standby lines just got a ton shorter. We'll might start to see wait times for the standby lines that were similar to the pre-FastPass days.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Some of you are still missing the point as to why they were asking about people returning late. They weren't "accusing" them or scolding them or anything, it was for data collection.

And, as much as I would hate for this to turn into another "is Fastpass an effective system?" thread, its already on its way there, so... that said, as much as people on here don't want to admit it or take the time to understand it, not enforcing the return window can and DOES grind the standby line to a halt sometimes.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Quite the opposite, imho. I think this change will help the laid back crowd. I consider myself in the laid back crowd and a move to enforcing the return times would have me doing backflips. What will happen is the Disney Commandos who plan their day down to the minute will ... as we all know ... find out that it's impossible to plan a day at Disney World down to the minute because of a variety of factors completely out of their control. This will cause many FastPasses to go unused. This is terrific for the laid back crowd because the standby lines just got a ton shorter. We'll might start to see wait times for the standby lines that were similar to the pre-FastPass days.

I hope you're right. Standby becomes so unpleasant after 11 or 12 in the morning, once fastpass times become active and the crowds have already arrived.

Some of you are still missing the point as to why they were asking about people returning late. They weren't "accusing" them or scolding them or anything, it was for data collection.

And, as much as I would hate for this to turn into another "is Fastpass an effective system?" thread, its already on its way there, so... that said, as much as people on here don't want to admit it or take the time to understand it, not enforcing the return window can and DOES grind the standby line to a halt sometimes.

The data collection is interestingly timed, seeing as cast members are buzzing that pretty soon late FP's won't be accepted. So while it might just be data collection right now, there's likely more to this story that will end up happening regardless of what the data says.

 

[BigTxEars]

It has to do with precedent more than anything. For years, the official rule has been that people can use fastpass after their window ends. With a change in that policy comes a reduction in flexibility. It's something that people can get used to, but people are allowed to be frustrated at first.

But even ignoring precedent, I don't like feeling that everything has to be perfectly planned out. Wake up at 7:00, get on bus at 8:00, ride Space Mountain from 10:30-11:30 (even if you felt like being in Frontierland or Adventureland at the time), lunch at 11:50, etc. Yes, you can always say "fastpass is a free service, you don't have to use it" but you could say the same thing about ADR's: in both cases, it seems like your experience will suffer if you don't use the system (because you won't be able to get into certain restaurants or you'll have to do standby for rides).


Speaking for myself, I look at vacation as "me time" and I want to enjoy myself with my family. Some people (especially commandos) enjoy having everything completely structured and laid out in advance. I don't (with the exception of making a few tough-to-get ADR's). If I prefer a laid back vacation, then it sounds like Disney is moving away from what I enjoy. So IMO, everyone on vacation is "all about them" in that moment. It's just some people will benefit from the change (slightly shorter fastpass line for them) and others won't (attraction itinerary will become much more rigid).

I agree and I am not very commando at all in my planning. I like you want to relax and flow with the day as much as possible to enjoy it. That being said when I take a FP for 2pm -3pm then I have freely chosen to structure that part of my day around that ride. I think I am then obligated (to be fair to the other FP holders) to use it then or not at all. If I do not want to plan that part of the day then I take no FP or if I change my mind I just do not show up between 2p-3p. I am not advocating a rule as such, just stating how I feel and want to set the example for my kids. Not judging anybody else who feels or acts differently.

Like I said earlier I am not strongly attached to Disney keeping or getting rid of the return times, if it was a simple yes or no vote I would vote yes, enforce the times but I can live with either option. I just happen to think that as tech advances the times will be very easy to enforce and thus they will do so. Happy guest are guest who do not have to wait in lines, if Disney can use tech to speed up the lines and get people to as many rides as they want in a single day thru tech I think they will do it.

I was not on these forums when ADRs first came into being but I can imagine the debate was much like this, and look at Disney now, ADRs (with reasonably enforce times) are the rule for a large percentage of the visitors. I can see FPs following the same path.

I mean they have to do something before somebody gets killed stampeding to TSM

 

[Mr_Incredible]

I have never, ever, EVER missed my FP window. Why? It is clearly stated way in advanced so I plan around it accordingly. If people are not bright enough to time things correctly and they miss their FP window, then they need to stand in the stand-by line with everyone else. Period.

How is this even an issue? It's not like Disney gives you a FP and randomly pages you like if your waiting for a table at a busy restaurant. The time's are clearly printed, and the times are clearly stated before you even GET your FP. There are no reasonable excuses (unless emergency) to miss your FP time window.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I agree and I am not very commando at all in my planning. I like you want to relax and flow with the day as much as possible to enjoy it. That being said when I take a FP for 2pm -3pm then I have freely chosen to structure that part of my day around that ride. I think I am then obligated (to be fair to the other FP holders) to use it then or not at all. If I do not want to plan that part of the day then I take no FP or if I change my mind I just do not show up between 2p-3p. I am not advocating a rule as such, just stating how I feel and want to set the example for my kids. Not judging anybody else who feels or acts differently.

I use fastpass too, because the alternative is to wait in the often unbearable standby line. If you don't use the system, your experience will suffer. That said, I think it's a bit silly to know exactly what ride you want to be on at a certain time potentially several months away. I hope that (like ADR's) that doesn't become necessary in order to get on the most desirable attractions.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

I use fastpass too, because the alternative is to wait in the often unbearable standby line. If you don't use the system, your experience will suffer. That said, I think it's a bit silly to know exactly what ride you want to be on at a certain time potentially several months away. I hope that (like ADR's) that doesn't become necessary in order to get on the most desirable attractions.

I agree that advanced FP's will be dumb. But getting a FP an hour before your time, when you are at the park, shouldnt be difficult to plan around.

 

[BigTxEars]

I use fastpass too, because the alternative is to wait in the often unbearable standby line. If you don't use the system, your experience will suffer. That said, I think it's a bit silly to know exactly what ride you want to be on at a certain time potentially several months away. I hope that (like ADR's) that doesn't become necessary in order to get on the most desirable attractions.

Agree I do not wan to plan like that either months in advance. I trust Disney to sort it out to the best possible solution. I plan to keep going in Oct or Sept so at least I have somewhat lower crowds going for me, and of course the NSSHP events :sohappy:

 

[TalkingHead]

Didn't they try enforcing return times for the FPs at Soarin' a few years ago?

I assume they don't still do that? Anyone know why? Too many complaints or what?

 

[BigTxEars]

Didn't they try enforcing return times for the FPs at Soarin' a few years ago?

I assume they don't still do that? Anyone know why? Too many complaints or what?

I think Chuck Norris showed up late for his FP...well you can imagine the rest of the story.....

http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/chuck-norris-top-50-facts


:ROFLOL:

 

[Tom Morrow]

I have never, ever, EVER missed my FP window. Why? It is clearly stated way in advanced so I plan around it accordingly. If people are not bright enough to time things correctly and they miss their FP window, then they need to stand in the stand-by line with everyone else. Period.

. As it stands, it is officially not "against the rules" in any way, shape, or form, to show up after your return window has expired.

I'm not sure I can ever see this working. Where do you draw the line of "how late is too late?" or "what excuses can be considered valid and what can't?" The only way I can see them making this work without receiving tons, literally tons of complaints would be to increase the return window - maybe give you two hours instead of one.