Next Generation Fastpass?

[munkgirl]

"cellphone based service"

That means iPhone

That means anyone who doesn't have one can go eat a worm.

/sigh

 

[SOLISIMO]

All I said was to group the FP machines in one location in each land and for the popular rides at the gates of the park so that when you walk in, instead of running to Space mountain etc you just get your ticket and head to another ride. That plan wouldnt change anything inthe current system except having to run from ride too ride in one area to get a ticket when you need to. And its the same system as the current FP. You get one ticket. My plan only groups the machines and makes it easier to get your ticket. And it would only update the machines.

I think its beneficial for some people to walk for their fast passes Im sick of this country making everything easier.:goodnevil

 

[NadieMasK2]

"cellphone based service"

That means iPhone

That means anyone who doesn't have one can go eat a worm.

/sigh

Or it may me anyone who doesn't have Verizon go eat a worm, like their current phone app for wait times, maps, etc.

 

[stlbobby]

"cellphone based service"

That means iPhone

That means anyone who doesn't have one can go eat a worm.

/sigh

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.

 

[blackthidot]

We'll wait and see on this one. It's a good idea in some sorts but people will be getting FP's left and right. At least now you have to earn it and go get it.

 

[Uncle Lupe]

Then the next step will be making ride reservations 180 days in advance.

 

[raven]

I think its beneficial for some people to walk for their fast passes Im sick of this country making everything easier.:goodnevil

Not like the person in front of me at the FP machine at Kali River Rapids yersterday? He had a stack of park tickets the size of a deck of cards to get FP's for. :brick:Wish they had another way of doing this. Possibly the CM in that area could get them what they need without feeding them through the machines.

 

[mickey2008.1]

This is tough. I agree completely with fp's for onsite vacationers. I also think ap's could pay extra to get the fp's. Everyone else, too bad. US charges for fp's, and a alot, which i would never do. I stay at all the resorts varying on the year and who's in my party. I do not want to see an advanced fp reservation like ADR, that would be the end for wdw for us. The current system woks very well, get your butt there and get it. The only one we never get is TSMM, and thats at 10 am, how do you fix that?

 

[Rush2112]

You know if we can get tickets barcodes for concerts on our phones now, why not do the same for fast pass. Have like a reservation system where you can do it before you even enter the park. I think that would be cool, it would make people mad but sometimes it's frusturating to go into a park an hour after it opened and it be sold out. There should be a limit though on how many you can do per day.

 

[zweltar]

I would hate this if I am at a value resort.
I would love it if I could afford a deluxe resort.
Hey, I'm just being honest.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Not like the person in front of me at the FP machine at Kali River Rapids yersterday? He had a stack of park tickets the size of a deck of cards to get FP's for. :brick:Wish they had another way of doing this. Possibly the CM in that area could get them what they need without feeding them through the machines.

Back in February we had FP for Big Thunder Mountain, and when we returned we saw a crowd of at least 100 South American tourists (it looked like a group of High School kids. They all had Fastpass, and the person that held the Fastpasses for the entire group was handing them out one by one around the entrance. She wasn't standing at the entrance, and having everyone come to her, she was walking around to everyone and handing them out one by one. We were able to sneak in before most of them, but still got behind about 30 or so. When we got down to the load area, the CMs were pulling their hair out, so we felt absolutely awful. The kids presumably didn't understand English, or at least the directions they were given. To the CMs credit, she told us, "You guys have an option, you can go down there and wind up in whatever row they don't take, or you can wait a train and sit in the back.

We waited for the back, but the point of all this is that large tour groups can really disrupt the flow of Fastpass. I would say though that they are definitely entitled to use the system just like all of us. I would also say that asking a CM to give them 100 Fastpasses without scanning the tickets isn't an easy solution either because then they could do that at every attraction as their tickets wouldn't show they have a pending Fastpass.

Perhaps if there was a system for groups over a certain # (say 20 or more) they can have their regular park tickets not work in the machines, but then get a ticket that will be good for Fastpasses in the entire group. Again... Disney, I'm available.

 

[GrumpyFan]

We waited for the back, but the point of all this is that large tour groups can really disrupt the flow of Fastpass. I would say though that they are definitely entitled to use the system just like all of us. I would also say that asking a CM to give them 100 Fastpasses without scanning the tickets isn't an easy solution either because then they could do that at every attraction as their tickets wouldn't show they have a pending Fastpass.

This is one of the things that bugs me about Fastpass. Too many times, I've seen the CM manning the FP entrance, will just let guests go thru for what seems like for an endless amount of time. While the standby line has to wait forever. I really wish they would manage this more judiciously. For example, they could allow 20 FP guests, then 10 standbys or something to that effect. But, it just doesn't seem right that they allow so many FP guests to go ahead of the standbys and make that line twice as long as it should be. I like Fastpass and we use it whenever we have the chance, but I don't think they necessarily manage FPs and the line in the most efficient manner.

 

[ddbowdoin]

This is one of the things that bugs me about Fastpass. Too many times, I've seen the CM manning the FP entrance, will just let guests go thru for what seems like for an endless amount of time. While the standby line has to wait forever. I really wish they would manage this more judiciously. For example, they could allow 20 FP guests, then 10 standbys or something to that effect. But, it just doesn't seem right that they allow so many FP guests to go ahead of the standbys and make that line twice as long as it should be. I like Fastpass and we use it whenever we have the chance, but I don't think they necessarily manage FPs and the line in the most efficient manner.

They might have fixed this issue. I just returned last month and I noticed that they split up the FB and general lines... at least on HTOT, Rocking Roller Coaster, and the mountains at MK. Did anyone else notice a change?

 

[devoy1701]

I would hate this if I am at a value resort.
I would love it if I could afford a deluxe resort.
Hey, I'm just being honest.

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.

 

[RSoxNo1]

This is one of the things that bugs me about Fastpass. Too many times, I've seen the CM manning the FP entrance, will just let guests go thru for what seems like for an endless amount of time. While the standby line has to wait forever. I really wish they would manage this more judiciously. For example, they could allow 20 FP guests, then 10 standbys or something to that effect. But, it just doesn't seem right that they allow so many FP guests to go ahead of the standbys and make that line twice as long as it should be. I like Fastpass and we use it whenever we have the chance, but I don't think they necessarily manage FPs and the line in the most efficient manner.

They might have fixed this issue. I just returned last month and I noticed that they split up the FB and general lines... at least on HTOT, Rocking Roller Coaster, and the mountains at MK. Did anyone else notice a change?

This is one of my biggest criticisms of fastpass. It should get priority over standby, but the implementation of this isn't consistent. This is because they really can't keep the flow of Fastpass consistent under the current unwritten rule that there is no end to your return window. For the most part though, Disney World handles Fastpass far more effeciently than Disneyland.

 

[Giraffe Lounge]

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

How so?

 

[ddbowdoin]

This is one of my biggest criticisms of fastpass. It should get priority over standby, but the implementation of this isn't consistent. This is because they really can't keep the flow of Fastpass consistent under the current unwritten rule that there is no end to your return window. For the most part though, Disney World handles Fastpass far more effeciently than Disneyland.

I saw it as 60/40 in favor of FP at the loading gates... you waited 10/15 mins in a fastpass line when the general line was showing an 80minute wait.

 

[munkgirl]

The kids presumably didn't understand English, or at least the directions they were given.

I know this is going to bring the heat down on me, but in my mind, that's not an excuse for anything at WDW. You can get the maps in just about any language. They have a tourguide. And furthermore, everyone has stood on a line before, and knows how lines work. Most ride CMs I've seen are well practiced in the universal art of "Stop" and "Go" hand gestures. Beyond that, there is common sense that tells us what is and is not acceptable and safe behavior.

Not all tour groups are "bad" or as I prefer to see it "willfully ignorant", but it's the few that are that make the difference between a good situation and a dangerous situation.

Of course, you can say the same thing about tourists from any country :hurl:

 

[Lucky]

I found an interesting new patent that Disney filed in May, that could point to some big changes in the works for Fastpass at the parks. In it, they detailed a system that could be used on a tv screen or kiosk at a hotel to make advanced fastpass reservations.

Also mentioned in the patent are hierarchy levels where guests staying at more expensive (deluxe) hotels might get more preferential access to advance fastpass reservations compared to those staying at a value.

So I can break into a room at the Poly, turn on the TV, print out some VIP fast passes, and go back to my humble room at the All Stars. No problem.

 

[ddbowdoin]

So I can break into a room at the Poly, turn on the TV, print out some VIP fast passes, and go back to my humble room at the All Stars. No problem.

I'll join you! haha... I havent stayed on site before but if something like this came about it could certainly sway me to spend the extra money (and a free meal plan wouldnt hurt either)