Should CMs allow you to return after your Fastpass time expired?

[dxwwf3]

Thanks for the info markc

 

[imamouse]

Thanks, Markc. I'm glad to hear that this is the FP policy, as it has always been my experience.

 

[jsfra209]

I may be the only person to be challenged about being late with a FastPass. I went from Splash Mountian to Pooh in about 10 minutes with 2 kids in tow. It was 10 minutes after my FastPass time had expired. I was told by the CM that I was too late. I had to convince her to let us go through the FastPass line. It was the first time I had ever heard about not getting on for being late.

I would have asked for a manager in that situation. I am not usually one to complaine, but I think being 10 min late (with 2 kids) is totally reasonable. I don't think that CM was being fair.

 

[skippykitty]

When I get fast passes, I never even try to use it early - that just causes an unwanted entrance blockage. If I get there a couple minutes early - I take that time to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom or something. But when it comes to using them later than the time posted - always. It's hard to plan things so that you are free in an exact time frame. But I've never tried to use it for the next day. If I dont use it the day I get it - then oh well we can get another one the next day :animwink:

 

[MagliteL13]

Your own policy making may run the risk of you have a clash with your manager then. Guest Relations openly and commonly tell all guests that Fastpass policy is anytime AFTER the return time...if there's a delay..for whatever reason, they can be redeemed at any time later in the day. If you don't allow a guest to return, despite Guest Relations saying otherwise, then you definitely open yourself up to the possibility (and extreme likelihood) of the guest complaining at Guest Relations, and then having your manager berated by hss bosses that you were being a pain in the you know what.. and making up your own policies. I'm not pulling this out of my behind either; I have 3 Guest Relations hosts sitting in my living room right now after watching the super bowl who are all saying this is what they are told to tell guests. The only thing CMs' are trained on and told to enforce is not letting people in before their window starts. There's nothing in your attractions training that says you can not let in people after their window ends.

Just like any situation there are sooooo many exceptions, but nothing says that CMs HAVE to admit guests after the time. There are times that when, say Splash Mountain is down, CMs will be told to take Splash FPs. The CMs, of course, know when their own attraction is down and honor the FPs from the downtime. Allowing guests after the time isn't required, but mearly a courtesy. Therefore CMs have to weigh the courtesy and efficiancy aspects of it. If a guest with a FP from 10am comes to the attraction around 5pm, it would be courteous to admit him but it would also be courteous to not admit him (therefore being courteous to those already waiting in the standby line). I'll be one of the first to say that it's a very gray area.

Just one more little tidbit found on the back of every fastpass.
"Please enter the Fastpass entrance at the attraction between the times noted on the other side."

As for using the FP on another date:
"Valid only on date printed."

EDIT: Corrected mispelling.

 

[TiggersPooh]

many times when an attraction will go down for the remainder of the day the guests are told that their Fastpass for that attraction can be used at any fastpass location.

It doesnt take any extra effort by the CM...and we are there to make the guest happy.

 

[markc]

...

 

[BeckyLSawyer]

Does Guest Relations Work Ops Now?

Your own policy making may run the risk of you have a clash with your manager then. Guest Relations openly and commonly tell all guests that Fastpass policy is anytime AFTER the return time...if there's a delay..for whatever reason, they can be redeemed at any time later in the day. If you don't allow a guest to return, despite Guest Relations saying otherwise, then you definitely open yourself up to the possibility (and extreme likelihood) of the guest complaining at Guest Relations, and then having your manager berated by hss bosses that you were being a pain in the you know what.. and making up your own policies.

Well, as a trainer at Disney, I would like to state that there is absolutely no official standing on fast pass times and/or wait. I would also like to add that as a trainer, if a manager in Park Ops wants CMs to do something collectively, I would be one of the first people to know, as I would be one of the few that would be explaining the new procedures to CMs.

The fast pass is a priviledge, not a right, and the time is the same. It is a tool used by Disney to allow a minimum wait for guests in lines so that they may be able to see more. Now, that said, I bet you're one of those people who complains that you can only have one at a time too, huh? Oh, sniffle.

The fast pass clearly states to return between those two times. Now, most CMs are kind enough to allow guests in within a certain window. HOWEVER, it is not mandatory. In fact, I've watched a GSM actually tell a man that his fastpass was indeed expired, and that he would have to get another one. Yes, a Manager in Park Ops.

And while I have the utmost respect for Guest Relations and the job that they do, I have to say that most GR CMs that come up to fast pass have printed tickets without inserting a ticket, therefore cheating the system and ignoring the rules of the entire process. Therefore, I wouldn't believe anything they said about FP anyway.

So, if you must rant about how GR is right, and Park Ops is wrong, perhaps you should look into the OGs of those Park Ops, and make sure your information is correct.

 

[markc]

The fast pass is a priviledge, not a right, and the time is the same. It is a tool used by Disney to allow a minimum wait for guests in lines so that they may be able to see more. Now, that said, I bet you're one of those people who complains that you can only have one at a time too, huh? Oh, sniffle.

No, I don't complainin about not being able to get more than 1 fastpass at a time..don't make assumptions here. Heck, when I go to the parks for leisure, I may make it on one ride and even then I don't even use Fastpass.

I have to say that most GR CMs that come up to fast pass have printed tickets without inserting a ticket, therefore cheating the system and ignoring the rules of the entire process. Therefore, I wouldn't believe anything they said about FP anyway.

You're missing the point; of course GR CM's "magically" get Fastpasses whenever they need them for their "special" guests..have we not forgotten that these are the same CM's who "escort" d-list celebrities to the front of the lines, defeating the whole purpose of a line to begin with?! Please don't get me wrong when I say this (I'm not acting as if GR CM's are gods) however, they generally have the final say over attractions hosts and even Ops trainers. I'm only posting based on what I've seen happen and things I've seen in the past where almost always GR has had the final say in issues like that and are more "attuned" to what's "procedure" and what's not. Any CM knows the extent of the training that GR folks get and the level of information they are privy to. Safety and general operating issues aside..GR Cm's know more (or should know more) than any other CM and get their information directly from the top.

 

[BeckyLSawyer]

You're missing the point; of course GR CM's "magically" get Fastpasses whenever they need them for their "special" guests..have we not forgotten that these are the same CM's who "escort" d-list celebrities to the front of the lines, defeating the whole purpose of a line to begin with?! Please don't get me wrong when I say this (I'm not acting as if GR CM's are gods) however, they generally have the final say over attractions hosts and even Ops trainers. I'm only posting based on what I've seen happen and things I've seen in the past where almost always GR has had the final say in issues like that and are more "attuned" to what's "procedure" and what's not. Any CM knows the extent of the training that GR folks get and the level of information they are privy to. Safety and general operating issues aside..GR Cm's know more (or should know more) than any other CM and get their information directly from the top.

Basically, you're "assuming" that GR is higher up than Ops, and that's wrong. We're all cast members. And Guest Relations NEVER has the final say over Ops. Hate to say it, but we can say whether or not they skip that line or not. We can deny the right to allow GR jumps the line, or waits in it. NO ONE is given the right to hop lines, even Cast Members with D-list celebrities. The coordinator or manager has the final say with that. I've seen a coordinator tell a GR CM that he couldn't skip the line because we had too high of a wait. It is a priviledge, not a right. There is nothing printed in ANY aspect of our training and/or handbooks that states that GR CMs are always right.

In fact, I've corrected a few myself.

My argument remains the same. It is a PRIVILEDGE, not a right. And no matter what your final answer is, the power remains in my hand to allow or deny guests through the fast pass line. Because no matter the argument, the fact remains that there is no "higher" literature on this subject. It's a free for all with CMs. It is not trained to let them in whenever they return, no matter what GR says.

 

[MrNonacho]

It's a free for all with CMs. It is not trained to let them in whenever they return, no matter what GR says.

It is in some areas.

 

[MagliteL13]

You're missing the point; of course GR CM's "magically" get Fastpasses whenever they need them for their "special" guests..have we not forgotten that these are the same CM's who "escort" d-list celebrities to the front of the lines, defeating the whole purpose of a line to begin with?!

Do you realize that these GR people also (for the most part) abide by the FP system? While there D-list celebrity is on an attraction, the GR host/hostess is off somewhere getting a FP for them. They do not jump to the front of the line. They have to wait for the time alotted to come around as well--they just do not use the admission tickets to obtain a FP (that's the only difference). If an attraction has a 30min wait and FP isn't running for that attraction, the GR CM and their D-list celebrity are going to wait in line whether they like it or not. GR CMs are not the 'ticket' to the front of the line but mearly a day planning tool. When to do which attractions, when to eat, where to eat, etc...

 

[BwanaBob]

Guests are allowed to enter any time after their initial time on the fast pass. The second time has never been enforced . As long as its from the same day you are fine. This policy works fine as it is and shouldn't be changed. Everyone is on vacation there is no reason to make everyone rush all of the time. The parks are suppose to be relaxing. However, even though it is not allowed I know many people save their fast pass tickets for future visits. The date is extremely small and CMs rarely check the date. I never understood whey they printed the date so small. In DL the date is very large.

Verrrry interesting!

 

[rainfully]

Your own policy making may run the risk of you have a clash with your manager then. Guest Relations openly and commonly tell all guests that Fastpass policy is anytime AFTER the return time...if there's a delay..for whatever reason, they can be redeemed at any time later in the day. If you don't allow a guest to return, despite Guest Relations saying otherwise, then you definitely open yourself up to the possibility (and extreme likelihood) of the guest complaining at Guest Relations, and then having your manager berated by hss bosses that you were being a pain in the you know what.. and making up your own policies. I'm not pulling this out of my behind either; I have 3 Guest Relations hosts sitting in my living room right now after watching the super bowl who are all saying this is what they are told to tell guests. The only thing CMs' are trained on and told to enforce is not letting people in before their window starts. There's nothing in your attractions training that says you can not let in people after their window ends.

Well someone needs to tell this to the CM at Safaris today... we used a fastpass that was expired, and she didn't want to let us on... got all huffy and gave us a look of death. She goes "well I'll let it slide this time but there's someone else up there that will collect your tickets and they might not let you on"

 

[shmmrname]

I think the FP system only works to an optimal degree if ALL the rules are followed. There are always special circumstances that can sway a CM's judgment, and I am not saying there aren't a TON of reasons why the rules should be bent. However, if you're holding a FP, I would hope you wouldn't think the times are suggestions. Your window of opportunity is an hour, in MOST cases, that should be more than enough time.

PS - I let 10 FP's for Soarin' expire on our last trip because of a longer-than-expected wait for a table at Beaches and Cream Soda Shop. We were so excited to ride it back-to-back (we were a group of 5), but I knew we were taking a risk by leaving EPCOT for some lunch and a Kitchen Sink.

 

[bsandersjr]

While visiting MGM Studios last month, we went to use our RnRC fast passes, and the CM told us that we should just go through the stand by line because it wasn't crowded. He said we had until park closing to use our passes even though the time on them was 2:35pm.
I thought it was a use it or lose it thing.

 

[vfxpro]

Most of us can agree that once the starting time on your fastpass comes along then you can enter the ride. However, should CMs clamp down on whether you try to use your fastpass after it has expired? Such as if your time is between 1:00PM - 2:00PM and you return at 2:30, maybe 3PM or even 4PM.

There are a few things left open here such as getting a time during say an ADR (advanced dining reservation) or an unexpected trip to your hotel to take care of personal business.

When I worked at WDW I was told to always honor all late fast passes, no matter what. I'm sure this angers the stanby guests even more, but if the time was 1pm and I was given a fastpass for 10am I was obligated to let the person in. They always had some reason, I never asked for it. I just let them in and kept going.

 

[Mr.Pickles]

Mr.Pickles has indeed used late fastpasses, and he did not feel too guilty about it at all. Mr.Pickles has also on one occasion used a fastpass 7 months old without any problem. But Mr.Pickles wants to inform that using the old fastpass was a mistake and did not do it intentionaly, but it was excepted none the less.

 

[Main Street Jim]

Yes, we accept FastPasses late, but that's usually the exception; very few guests will show up late for a FastPass time. When I worked out at Splash, I accepted late FPs at FP Return. There may be extenuating circumstances: you got held up by breakfast/lunch/dinner; got held up by the parade(s); the attraction is down for whatever reason; etc. So yeah, we *will* take them late, just not early