Start paying for Fast-Pass?

[Thiger]

I think its rather rediculous:
a) who wants to carry their cellphones around w/ them (esp for splash mountain, river rapids etc?)
b) what about people visiting from outside the US? My roaming charges would be through the roof

But you're right. a 3 year old doc suggests that they scrapped this idea. Lets hope it stays that way

 

[Hummer1676]

Its the same idea behind what the casinos use. The more you spend the more amenities you get for free, be it dinner, shows, fastpasses, or whatever. I personally don't like it. Its like having a nicer bathroom for people who pay more. Everyone poops and pees just have a bathroom.

 

[beefog]

I say cool for the pay for play thing, as long as they take in account the amount of money I spent on DVC then sure got for. Why shouldn't Disney reward those people who spend more money in the park then some who spends nothing. Vegas & A.C does it already with comps, why not Disney.

GO FOR IT DISNEY, I am all for it

 

[majortom1981]

SIX flags already does this.

First off. Six Flags already has you pay for their version of the system.

At great adventure its a popular option.

Second, Why can't disney just have a device that gets rented out instead of people using their cell phones? Take a deposit that gets returned when you return the device? Six Flags also does this with no complaints.

Its not a bad system and if it works at six flags I am sure it would work even better at disney.

 

[MissM]

I wouldn't stress just because there's a patent for something!!

The Pal Mickey patent for example mentions all kinds of things that were never implemented in any way. (Like having Pals talk to each other and introduce the name of their owners to other Pals or being able to program Pal to inform your kids of your upcoming vacation plans.)

Just because they write it down and patent it doesn't mean it's going to get used. Companies frequently patent ideas that aren't used just to ensure they have rights to the concept.
-m

 

[maggiegrace1]

On the plus side, I like that the future seems to hold better ideas for virtual queueing. I would love to make my reservations for rides a day in advance and spend less time running from one end of the park to the other trying to keep up with fastpasses.

That seems so weird to me..:shrug:

 

[ClemsonTigger]

First off. Six Flags already has you pay for their version of the system.

At great adventure its a popular option.

Second, Why can't disney just have a device that gets rented out instead of people using their cell phones? Take a deposit that gets returned when you return the device? Six Flags also does this with no complaints.

Its not a bad system and if it works at six flags I am sure it would work even better at disney.

The biggest difference there is that Great Adventure/Six Flags implemented their FP system as a pay for use system from the beginning. With it being free for so long at Disney, I think there would be a much bigger problem trying to initiate paying for it. If anything, Disney goes the other way (like providing "free" bus service to/from the airport).

I thing the "FP device" is a good one, and seems to have been tested out with certain hand held devices issued for special events at Disney. I think that is a real viable option if this were to become reality.

 

[jt04]

Yeah, and if that happens Disney will lose me and my family as customers.

See I am just the opposite. Instead of an AP, I would plan on a longer stay at a Deluxe Resort every year. I love the idea of "value added" benefits for the customers that are paying more. It just makes since that you should get more for spending more of your hard earned money at Disney. That is only fair after all.:wave:

 

[HauntedPirate]

Considering the source....

SALT!

 

[jerrysliljess]

If they are going to have people start paying for FastPass, then they better have it like Universal has it but without paying extra for each park (maybe a flat fee?). My hubby and I tried Universal passes and thought it was a great value because we didn't have to wait an hour and just by-passed the line right there. Unfortunately, on some rides (Revenge of the Mummy, Spiderman 3-D ride to name a few) they mark it so you can only use the pass once and wait in regular line the next time. However, not all the people did it so we could use it more than once. We were able to go hit all the rides at both Universal parks in one day.

If Disney plays their cards right, I may invest in that. When I went last week, we waited in line for an hour and a half for Rockin' Rollercoaster--and that was in the Fastpass line!

 

[nibblesandbits]

First off. Six Flags already has you pay for their version of the system.

At great adventure its a popular option.

Second, Why can't disney just have a device that gets rented out instead of people using their cell phones? Take a deposit that gets returned when you return the device? Six Flags also does this with no complaints.

Its not a bad system and if it works at six flags I am sure it would work even better at disney.

Yes, Six Flags has a pay version. But I've worked at a Six Flags before. Very few people wanted to pony up the money to buy their version of FP. Instead, I'd say 90% of people...maybe even 95% of people just simply waited in line.

 

[ann0d1]

On the plus side, I like that the future seems to hold better ideas for virtual queueing. I would love to make my reservations for rides a day in advance and spend less time running from one end of the park to the other trying to keep up with fastpasses.

On the negative side, I don't think that giving fastpasses to resort guests only is a good idea at all. All these "incentives" to stay on property are starting to get irritating. Dining plans, extra magic hours, etc...they kinda make things miserable for people who live locally or don't always stay on site. If they want this type of system I think they should also make fastpasses available to annual passholders.

I totally agree with this!

 

[jerrysliljess]

I'm sure there are many people that get fastpasses and don't use them and I think it's rediculous! The scanners should be make to read YKTW cards instead of park tickets... Then the "come back times" will only be an hour or 2 away and the lines for fast pass won't be so long.

I competely agree with you not using the park tickets to get FastPasses. They should give you a card that can give you access after you get into the park. When I went we used our old park hoppers (they had the unlimited time frame to come back if we don't use some days without having to pay extra for it) in the FastPass and one worked and the other didn't. One CM told us it was demagitized and we had to go to City Hall to get them looked at.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Again,

With the exception of the article title, nowhere in the content of the story is there any discussion on charging for this "possible" service. Merely statements of potential functionality.

 

[WildcatDen]

Brilliant idea. At some point, when you are doing your ADR's at the 180 day mark, you can then do your ARR's at the same time.

I suppose regular park guests will get a Fastpass with approx. a 2 hour wait until the window opens, a Value resort guest will have their window open at the 1 1/2 hour mark, the moderates at the 1 hour mark, and the deluxe resorts will get immediate access . . .

Even with the sarcasm, I think this has the potential to be a very good idea, especially the tracking thing. The Mouse in the Sky will know that I have stopped at every snack stand that has a certain snack and they can alert me to where the next closest stand is. Or, they will know that I have had 15 bottles of pop and they will be able to buzz in and alert me to the closest rest room.

 

[SallyShine]

The system works at Universal because they only have 3 hotels. I feel guilty for about 5 minutes and then am thrilled that I can get through the park in a fraction of the time. Disney would have to limit such a program to deluxe or maybe deluxe/moderate resorts as there are just too many rooms otherwise.

 

[Grammy58]

fast passes

too bad they wouldnt come up with giving out a few passes aday right at your hotel. each park two fast passes free. Then after you use it your on your own to wait in lines. It is a little pain when you want to go on say soarin and you have to decide. Do you sixty year old run for the passes or do you have your 78 year old mother do it for you. I am sure at some point they will come up with a system that will serve us all well. The thing that I think about alot is when it is busy say at MK. You pay alot of money to get in theparks only to be able to do a few rides cause of wait times. I remember the old days. Gee did all of Mk twice in one day. But like everything else times are a changing. NO matter what they come up with some will be happy some not so happy.

 

[wickedfan07]

Imagine this situation: After a full day in the parks, you are dead tired. After waiting for a bus or monorail, you finally get back to your resort, and all you want to do is get in bed and recharge your batteries for your big day at Epcot tomorrow. But wait! We have to mess around with an automated computer system on our TV so we can actually have a chance to ride Soarin'. After several minutes of very possible frustration trying to use a computer to hold your place on the line for an amusement park ride, you give up and try to accept the fact that you'll just have to be disappointed and skip Soarin because the wait time is atronomical anf the Fastpass system is just way too complicated.

The Most Magical Place on Earth is very quickly becoming the Most Frustrating Place on Earth. If Disney wants to make money off of Fastpass, either charge for its use, or include it in hotel rates and make it a resort-only perk without this reservation mumbo-jumbo. Making a reservation for dinner is one thing, but making a reservation for Soarin' or Space Mountain is just way over the top. Being on vacation is complicated enough, between getting to and from WDW, hotel reservation, dining reservation, budgets, etc. The last thing I want to do is have to make reservations for riding attractions. When did Disney's Guests ever indicate they didn't like the Fastpass system the way it is?

 

[cdunbar]

I mean isn't this kind of like a GPS system where you plug in "I like Italian Food" and it shows you the italian restaurants w/i a 20 mile radius! I mean I think as long as your phone # doesn't get sold to another company, like so many places do, then whats the big deal! I mean the only thing I would worry over is what if someones phone doesn't have picture messening then how would they have their passes? And I mean would you only have to carry one phone per party and the picture will say this FP accounts for a 5 member party? I mean there are so many question but not enough answers...

 

[wdwmomof3]

Imagine this situation: After a full day in the parks, you are dead tired. After waiting for a bus or monorail, you finally get back to your resort, and all you want to do is get in bed and recharge your batteries for your big day at Epcot tomorrow. But wait! We have to mess around with an automated computer system on our TV so we can actually have a chance to ride Soarin'. After several minutes of very possible frustration trying to use a computer to hold your place on the line for an amusement park ride, you give up and try to accept the fact that you'll just have to be disappointed and skip Soarin because the wait time is atronomical anf the Fastpass system is just way too complicated.

The Most Magical Place on Earth is very quickly becoming the Most Frustrating Place on Earth. If Disney wants to make money off of Fastpass, either charge for its use, or include it in hotel rates and make it a resort-only perk without this reservation mumbo-jumbo. Making a reservation for dinner is one thing, but making a reservation for Soarin' or Space Mountain is just way over the top. Being on vacation is complicated enough, between getting to and from WDW, hotel reservation, dining reservation, budgets, etc. The last thing I want to do is have to make reservations for riding attractions. When did Disney's Guests ever indicate they didn't like the Fastpass system the way it is?

I could not have said this better. That would just add something else to stress over.