Next Generation Fastpass?

[Batphobic]

seriously...not even a 6 night in the Contemporary with an MK room with conceirge will cost you $4,000.

You can stay 6 nights at AKL and WL for as low as $1,150, and at Saratoga or Key West for as low as $864 for 6 nights.

Unless you're getting a suite of some sort or staying conceirge during Holiday season, I'm not sure how you're getting $4,000....

OK - forgive me - perhaps another thread to explore this might be helpful... but I need to inquire further.

My family and I will go in September for our 3rd trip in 18 months. Each time we stay in POR because it's cheap. I would love to stay somewhere else just for variety's sake...

How in the world are you getting these prices for these other resorts?? I just looked and a 7-night stay for Boardwalk is $2,700!! Please please share. Many thanks.

 

[devoy1701]

OK - forgive me - perhaps another thread to explore this might be helpful... but I need to inquire further.

My family and I will go in September for our 3rd trip in 18 months. Each time we stay in POR because it's cheap. I would love to stay somewhere else just for variety's sake...

How in the world are you getting these prices for these other resorts?? I just looked and a 7-night stay for Boardwalk is $2,700!! Please please share. Many thanks.

Keep in mind 2 things:

1) Boardwalk is one of the most expensive Deluxe resorts
2) Wilderness Lodge and AKL are the cheapest of the Deluxe resorts

Do you have APs? I'm thinking that you might since you have taken so many trips in the past 18 months. If you do then you can get the same rates as I do. Also, I regularly get Studio Villa offers for $144/night at OKW or Saratoga. The cheapest i've ever booked WL was either $177 or $185/night...I don't remember which!

Anyway...hunt around on the Passholder website if you have an AP, otherwise you can reach out to one of the Kingdom Konsultants on here (such as MasterYoda) and he can run a couple different scenarios for your travel dates to show you different rates.

I'm telling you right now though, since you're traveling in September there should most definitely be Deluxe rooms cheaper than $385/night.


EDIT: I don't have my AP on me so I can't log onto the website to check my rates on there, but I just did a basic FL Resident discount search and it gave me a rate of $191 for Wilderness Lodge Courtyard room, so my AP price would probably be about $175ish. For 7 Nights that would put it at $1225.

 

[Master Yoda]

OK - forgive me - perhaps another thread to explore this might be helpful... but I need to inquire further.

My family and I will go in September for our 3rd trip in 18 months. Each time we stay in POR because it's cheap. I would love to stay somewhere else just for variety's sake...

How in the world are you getting these prices for these other resorts?? I just looked and a 7-night stay for Boardwalk is $2,700!! Please please share. Many thanks.

If you are looking at rack rates (regular prices) your $2700 figure would be correct. However, there is a promotion running through early October that will get you the exact same room for $1600. There is little to no reason you should ever pay rack rates at Disney. PM me your September dates and I will see what is available so you can possibly rebook what you have at lower rate or upgrade it to something better.

 

[Batphobic]

Keep in mind 2 things:

1) Boardwalk is one of the most expensive Deluxe resorts
2) Wilderness Lodge and AKL are the cheapest of the Deluxe resorts

Do you have APs? I'm thinking that you might since you have taken so many trips in the past 18 months. If you do then you can get the same rates as I do. Also, I regularly get Studio Villa offers for $144/night at OKW or Saratoga. The cheapest i've ever booked WL was either $177 or $185/night...I don't remember which!

Anyway...hunt around on the Passholder website if you have an AP, otherwise you can reach out to one of the Kingdom Konsultants on here (such as MasterYoda) and he can run a couple different scenarios for your travel dates to show you different rates.

I'm telling you right now though, since you're traveling in September there should most definitely be Deluxe rooms cheaper than $385/night.


EDIT: I don't have my AP on me so I can't log onto the website to check my rates on there, but I just did a basic FL Resident discount search and it gave me a rate of $191 for Wilderness Lodge Courtyard room, so my AP price would probably be about $175ish. For 7 Nights that would put it at $1225.

Thanks for the reply devoy1701. I'm neither an AP holder (at 2 trips per year it about evens out) nor a Florida resident. Does that mean I'm stuck to rack rates posted on the disney website? Sounds like those are the sources of the discounts you mention.

 

[devoy1701]

Thanks for the reply devoy1701. I'm neither an AP holder (at 2 trips per year it about evens out) nor a Florida resident. Does that mean I'm stuck to rack rates posted on the disney website? Sounds like those are the sources of the discounts you mention.

No that's not what that means! As Yoda said, no one should ever be stuck paying rack rates at Disney World. Notice his comment where he said he can get you that same room you were mentioning at the Boardwalk for about $1,000+ cheaper than your $2700 figure.

Send Richard (Master Yoda) over a PM with your travel dates and he'll find something for you. There are plenty of offers available, especially for September!

 

[SleepingMonk]

Yup, I don't think we've ever paid more than $300 for a deluxe resort room at Disney.

And many times that included club level.

 

[Birdflu]

I'm not so sure about this. I know Disney, at least Pixar, is tight with Apple, but Google is pushing into that arena and they own the Android system which is taking off. I'd bet Disney would want to make such an app as universal as possible.

"tight with apple" aka apple CEO Steve Jobs is the largest shareholder of all of Disney and a member of the Disney board of directors due to the acquisition of Pixar which he was CEO of when Disney acquired it. Jobs had bought Pixar for $10M from Lucasfilms in 1986. In 2006 Jobs and Iger announced that Disney would acquire Pixar in an all-stock transaction worth $7.4 billion. Once the deal closed, Jobs became The Walt Disney Company's largest single shareholder with approximately 7% of the company's stock.

As for this only working with iPhones, as was mentioned what with the Android phones and other smart phones it basically would probably geared towards most smart phone systems. What wouldn't work is if you dont have a smart phone because your phone simply probably wouldn't have that sort of internet and processing capabilities.

As for the possibility of deluxe resort guests receiving a priority that just seems like it would offend the majority of people who can't afford a deluxe resort. It would probably be much smarter for them to make it an extra possibility to purchase from a fast pass tier system (2 per hour vs. 1 per hour vs. 5, whatever, for different prices) regardless of your resort, like park hopper.

 

[SleepingMonk]

As for the possibility of deluxe resort guests receiving a priority that just seems like it would offend the majority of people who can't afford a deluxe resort.....

Universal has a great system with their resort key/ExpressPass.

No riots in the streets over there lately.

 

[erasure fan1]

And the whole thing about extra fp perks going out to deluxe guests is still bull to me. Once you walk through the turnstyles at any of the parks, it should all be fair game. You shouldn't get extra fastpasses because you choose to pay more for a hotel, the ammentities you get, should be exclusive to that particular hotel, such as monorail transport and a better pool. But this all depends on what kinda fp "perks" they would plan on offering.

Thats just how I feel too. They can and should make A LOT of improvements to the current system but this would just be a bad idea to me. I wouldnt support it either but I would prefer a system that gave anyone the opportunity to get the fast passes. Make an add-on to the ticket for more money, although I hate it, its more fair.

 

[RSoxNo1]

For the most part though, Disney World handles Fastpass far more effeciently than Disneyland.

How so?

The merge points for Fastpass in Disneyland aren't as far into the line on Space Mountain and Indiana Jones. Although both rides came into existence before Fastpass, I don't think modification of the merge points would have been too difficult. The result is that the indoor queues that are better themed than the outdoor switchbacks go by unappreciated. Additionally, the wait for Fastpass guests is typically longer than it is in Florida.

The bigger problem is queuing in general in Disneyland. For the most part, the indoor queues don't hold that many guests, and the result is unthemed switchbacks at every attraction. While I'm in favor of more attention paid to the rides than the queues, many of the queues reach out into the paths.

Disneyland has more attractions on less acreage, so it's going to feel congested regardless, but I hope that when they start building new E-Tickets they address the issue with these new queues.

 

[the-reason14]

The merge points for Fastpass in Disneyland aren't as far into the line on Space Mountain and Indiana Jones. Although both rides came into existence before Fastpass, I don't think modification of the merge points would have been too difficult. The result is that the indoor queues that are better themed than the outdoor switchbacks go by unappreciated. Additionally, the wait for Fastpass guests is typically longer than it is in Florida.

The bigger problem is queuing in general in Disneyland. For the most part, the indoor queues don't hold that many guests, and the result is unthemed switchbacks at every attraction. While I'm in favor of more attention paid to the rides than the queues, many of the queues reach out into the paths.

Disneyland has more attractions on less acreage, so it's going to feel congested regardless, but I hope that when they start building new E-Tickets they address the issue with these new queues.

I think i know what you're talking about. I remember at ToT giving our fastpasses to the bellhop pretty much right at the entrance. Think about the cms at wdw that check to make sure it's the right time, instead of checking he just took them. I think I remember them changing where they took them on some rides like Cali Screamin. And Indy and Space mt. the fastpass merges with the regular line right before you go inside the main line, so if it's a long wait in there, then you're in for a long wait regardless of fastpass.

 

[chwilson88]

I would totally be in favor of a tiered system where deluxe-type resort guests get preferential priviliges. I for one work hard to earn enough money to stay in deluxe accommodations at Disney and would therefore not feel badly at all that other guests felt left out. It's just capitalism.:shrug:

 

[drossjr]

I like this idea. That's a real incentive to have people stay on property as opposed to trying to get those people who are already staying on property to stay at a more expensive resort.

Thank you! Never made sense that people that come for one day and I dont mean AP holders! :wave:

 

[Master Yoda]

I like this idea. That's a real incentive to have people stay on property as opposed to trying to get those people who are already staying on property to stay at a more expensive resort.

It would also be a great incentive to no longer go to WDW.

 

[dreamfinder]

most likely the experience for your average customer won't change. They wouldn't take any current fastpass "rights" away from anyone if they were smart about it. They would probably do something along the lines of people with Deluxe accomodations would only need to have a hour between FPs or be able to have 2 at a time in the same window or something of the sort to where they do get an added benefit but it wouldn't have a negative affect persay to everyone NOT staying in Deluxe Resorts. I doubt Disney would do anything that would make the "perks" obvious to your average park guest. My opinion only.

even if nothing changes from your current use of the FP system if you were staying at a Value?

chances are most other guests or day visitors would have no idea of the "extra FPs" that a deluxe guest received should they decide on using a tiered system.

Except by definition, any changes made to the FP system will affect everyone. The FP system reserves spots for a defined number of guests during each time slot. So say a ride takes 500 guests an hour, of which 300 are FPs. Under the current system, those 300 FPs would go to different guests due to the time restriction between FPs. But say this deluxe program lets you get 5 at once, and then wait your 2 hours. Well, now a family of 4 takes up 20 of those 300 FPs. So that is 16 less guests who can use the FP program. The same applies if they let deluxe FP guests get say 1 FP at a time for each ride. Well, each of those is one less FP that a regular guest can get. Any way that work it, people outside the deluxe program get affected. Either they allocate more FPs for the deluxe FP guests outside the existing ratio, making stand by wait longer, of they allocate them from the existing ratio, letting less people get FPs in the first place.

 

[devoy1701]

Except by definition, any changes made to the FP system will affect everyone. The FP system reserves spots for a defined number of guests during each time slot. So say a ride takes 500 guests an hour, of which 300 are FPs. Under the current system, those 300 FPs would go to different guests due to the time restriction between FPs. But say this deluxe program lets you get 5 at once, and then wait your 2 hours. Well, now a family of 4 takes up 20 of those 300 FPs. So that is 16 less guests who can use the FP program. The same applies if they let deluxe FP guests get say 1 FP at a time for each ride. Well, each of those is one less FP that a regular guest can get. Any way that work it, people outside the deluxe program get affected. Either they allocate more FPs for the deluxe FP guests outside the existing ratio, making stand by wait longer, of they allocate them from the existing ratio, letting less people get FPs in the first place.

I don't think there will be much of an issue considering that there is:

a) a fair percentage of people/day visitors still don't know how the FP system works
b) a large percentage of FPs aren't used within the given window
c) a large percentage of FPs that aren't used at all because people collect them, forget about them, leave the park before their window, think they can't use them past the posted window (which they shouldn't be able to but that's just my opinion).

You're always going to have a FP capacity issue for attractions like PP or TSMM or Soarin, but on those attractions we're already used to no FPs available or FPs available 7 hours out.

 

[Master Yoda]

I don't think there will be much of an issue considering that there is:

a) a fair percentage of people/day visitors still don't know how the FP system works
b) a large percentage of FPs aren't used within the given window
c) a large percentage of FPs that aren't used at all because people collect them, forget about them, leave the park before their window, think they can't use them past the posted window (which they shouldn't be able to but that's just my opinion).

You're always going to have a FP capacity issue for attractions like PP or TSMM or Soarin, but on those attractions we're already used to no FPs available or FPs available 7 hours out.

The same point was brought up when US went to a resort guest only and pay system. Removing a free unilateral fastpass system has made US almost completely unenjoyable during moderate or greater crowds unless you stay onsite or pay for the fastpass. For this very reason I have not been to US in years. I would hate to see the same thing happen at WDW.

 

[SleepingMonk]

The same point was brought up when US went to a resort guest only and pay system. Removing a free unilateral fastpass system has made US almost completely unenjoyable during moderate or greater crowds unless you stay onsite or pay for the fastpass. For this very reason I have not been to US in years. I would hate to see the same thing happen at WDW.

So why not stay on site and enjoy the perks?

Resident rates are always around $150 per night, which is close to what a regular hotel on I-Drive would run I would guess.

 

[devoy1701]

The same point was brought up when US went to a resort guest only and pay system. Removing a free unilateral fastpass system has made US almost completely unenjoyable during moderate or greater crowds unless you stay onsite or pay for the fastpass. For this very reason I have not been to US in years. I would hate to see the same thing happen at WDW.

I would be completely against a Resort only FP system or Pay system like Uni's. But I don't have a problem if they run one parallel to the current system with the resort guests having some extra perks.

Some people argue that they should get rid of the system all together though. Do you not fall into that crowd Yoda? I would imaging that they capacity of onsite hotels at Uni are not enough to throw a kink in wait times for regular guests (pre Potter crowd levels atleast). 60 minutes wait for Hulk and 90 for Spidey have always been normal during busy seasons, havent' they?

 

[SleepingMonk]

If they kept the current system in place it wouldn't make any sense to have an additional pay tier.

The FastPass lines are already long enough as it is. Not much value in a pay system when you have to stand in line with the people who got a FastPass for free.

I say axe the free passes, make a total pay system like Universal and offer unlimited FastPass to deluxe resort guests staying on the club levels.