"The FastPass Question"

[MisterPenguin]

I agree with you that C-ticket attractions are the greater priority for the tipping point problem. Disney has been exacerbating the issue with cuts meant to save money in the short run -- reducing parades, reducing entertainment. Reducing hours (spreading guests over more hours helps to reduce lines).

So my disagreement with you in minor -- A new e-ticket to MK may bring a few more guests, but it doesn't bring 15,000 new guests per day. What was the last new popular attraction at MK? Maybe the Mine Coaster... 2014... If you look at annual attendance at Magic Kingdom from 2010 to 2019, you see an upward trend every year, but no sudden spike connected to the Mine Coaster.

MK attendance by year:
2012: 17,536,000
2013: 18,588,000 (6% increase)
2014 -- Mine Coaster opens in May -- 19,332,000 (4% increase)
2015--20,492,000 -- (6% increase)
Then notably, attendance at MK was basically flat from 2015-2017 -- While you can argue the Fantasy Land expansion (starting in 2012) might have brought more guests, the most popular attraction, the Mine Coaster, just continued the trend. Then you had increased MK attendance in 2018-2019, despite really no new attractions of note.

Now, MK operates differently than the other parks, because of the number of attractions as you cited. In terms of number of "great" attractions... e-tickets, whatever you want to call them, the difference is even more stark.
Nothing noteworthy has been added since 2016, with Frozen Ever After. With Soarin and Test Track, you really only have 3 attractions that people feel they must-do. Leads to people spending limited time at Epcot, or even passing on Epcot entirely because "there is so little to do." (if you are going primarily for E-ticket type attractions).
Open Cosmic Rewind -- Yes, lots of guests will show up just for that. And where will those guests come from? AP holders for the newest attraction.. and some guests may convert a MK/DHS/AK day into an Epcot day. Because that's a big addition relative to the entire park. (But I don't think it creates a massive boost to out-of-town visitors.... rarely do people plan a trip because of 1 tide).

Next example -- Star Wars Land and ROTR -- And same can be said for Toy Story -- I said it's rare that people will plan a trip because of just 1 ride. But Star Wars has a huge base of hard core fanatics, and Toy Story is probably the most popular Pixar property over generations.

Now, compare it to a Tron Coaster -- I dare say most people under 45 don't really have much of a memory of Tron. The more recent remake wasn't a huge hit. People aren't going to rush out of their homes for Tron branding. In a park that already has 3-4 coasters (depending what you define as a coaster), it adds another. People that love coasters will want to try it... they will add it to their itinerary along with BTM, SM, etc.. AP holders may stop by for an extra day to try it. But I don't think you'll have lots of people saying, "oh.. I was planning on skipping Magic Kingdom.. but now that they have the Tron Coaster, I'll go."

One of the big mistakes of FP+ was to promise every guest 3 FPs, but then not have enough attractions to really warrant a FP. (less a problem at MK, more a problem at the other parks).

Basically... long way of saying, anything that increases capacity is a good thing. I agree the need for C-ticket items, parades, shows, etc... is greatest. But adding e-ticket is not a *bad* thing either.

So even if an E-Ticket doesn't bring in 15K more per day.

What if it brought in 2K more?

At any one time, the queue and the ride will be occupying 500 of those 2K.

Where will the other 1.5K go?

 

[havoc315]

So even if an E-Ticket doesn't bring in 15K more per day.

What if it brought in 2K more?

At any one time, the queue and the ride will be occupying 500 of those 2K.

Where will the other 1.5K go?

But that's just it.... doesn't bring in 2k either. It might for the first few weeks, but not in the long term, not at Magic Kingdom. (it might in other parks). 2k per day would be a boost of 730,000 people per year. Looking at the attendance patterns, I don't think you'll find any evidence of a single ride at Magic Kingdom being the cause of a 730,000 person increase.

And even if it brought in an extra 2k people.. Let's say the ride operates for 10 hours... so 200 of those extra guests per hour. So 1300 spots per hour, for people that were already going to be in the park. So yes, those extra 2k people will be lining up for other things. But people who would have been on line for the other things will be lining up for the new e-ticket.
Overall... that's a win for lower lines and capacity -- An extra 2000 people, but also an extra 15,000 ride slots.

 

[tpoly88]

When a new E-Ticket opens, it gets lines... long lines. Which means it's past its tipping point.

So if a new E-Tick opens and has a throughput of, say, 1,500 people per hour, and the park is open for 10 hours, then the ride handles 15,000 people per day.

But, as we've seen, when a new E-Ticket comes online and has a huge line... the other attractions in the park also remain busy with their own lines. When FoP opened, the Safari and Everest didn't become walk-ons. When RotR opened, Slinky and Mania didn't become walk-ons. The big E-Tickets attract more people than they can handle and make the rest of the park busier.

Attractions... *attract*. They attract more people into the park. When 15,000 people show up for the new E-Ticket, there's only about 500 people in the queue and on the ride at any one time. Let's say it's a super-queue that can hold a thousand people... where are the other 14,000 people going to go for the rest of the day? On the other rides and make them even more overcrowded.

Give or take a ride (and not counting other types of attractions), the MK as 27 rides. The other three parks each have 9 rides. There's why the MK is more crowded. For a long time, people complained that DHS and DAK were "half-day parks." And that was because of their dearth of rides. How can MK *not* be so popular when two of the three other options are just "half-day parks"?

MK does need more capacity, but with more C-Ticket rides... which will get the scorn of the forums for not being E-Tickets, even though everyone says WDW needs more C-Ticket rides. A C-Ticket ride will sop up the people in the park without generating significantly more people choosing that park over the others.

The other parks need more rides such that they're not just barely more than a half-day park.

the other argument for why Mk gets so busy is that there are a still lot of people that come for the day and they feel a single day ticket to MK is a better value for the amount of attractions even though its more expensive.

 

[StarshipDisney]

Since I'm a tech savvy planner who stays at a Disney resort planned months in advance... FP+ has been kind to me. Especially knowing the tricks of system, like immediately moving your next FPs to an earlier time every time you tap into a ride's queue and then grabbing a new FP+.

Talk about hitting the nail on the head. I love FP+ and hope it comes back just as it was. Both FP+ and the reservation system were (repeat were) a nice advantage for resort guests. If paying to stay on property, knowledge, and heavy planning get us a better vacation, then I see no reason not to take advantage of that.

Like you said: "FP+ has been kind to me." Thus, I like it.

But I will agree Disney must do something soon. As it stands now, I see no reason to pay for that Magic Kingdom view room at the Contemporary. With no fireworks it is simply not worth it. Just like staying on property is not worth it right now unless Disney gives some advantage back to doing so. 30 minutes early into any park (alone) does not cut it. I may was well get a nice suite on International Drive for 1/5 the cost and perhaps visit Disney, Universal, and Sea World...heavily planned of course.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I guess I don't understand the visitor who doesn't do at least a little planning. It's a vacation--and let's all admit, for a lot a people, an expensive vacation. Why would you spend all that money and not do a little reading on what to expect with FP+. There really is no excuse this day and age when you have groups ad nauseam on FB, blogs, groups like this, etc. Heck, even the ol' paperback on WDW generally gets updated every year. If you were going to Europe, one would likely spend some time researching. Or going to a national park?? I really don't feel all that sorry for those who can't figure out how to work FP+. Our family figured it out real quick and made it work to our benefit, especially when we would park hop. We were able to find FP+ availability for FoP fairly soon after it opened for a group of 5 the day of, just by checking back frequently and hopping to the park when we did find availability as it was something we really wanted to do. My issue is generally the planning of your day months in advance when we are liking to be more spontaneous the older we and our kids get.

Simple answer... Because many first time people are completely unaware that any planning would be necessary other then sleeping accommodations to go to a damn Theme Park. They don't know things like this board exist and even if they did they wouldn't really know what they would need to "prepare" for until they actually get to the park. Does anyone plan and re-plan for a trip to 6 flags? Or any other park that they might have easy access too? No, just reserve a place to sleep and just wing the rest of it.

My first trip had only two things even looked at before leaving. The first was acquiring tickets from a travel agent and second make a hotel reservations for the duration of the stay. Fortunately, at the time I first went, that was all that was necessary. But, if I were to go, for the first time now, I doubt I would know anything else would be necessary. Heck a few years ago I went to Dollywood and didn't have tickets or reservations. Wasn't a problem at all.

I went to Europe about 5 years ago. That required some planning because we were going to a number of different cities and ending up on a trans-Atlantic Cruise to come back home. One day during that month long venture we went to Disneyland Paris. Nothing else was required other than tickets which we bought when we got there. We really shouldn't assume that just because we have all had experiences at WDW (mostly) that others know anymore about it other then Walt Disney had something to do with it. That blessing of size has turned into a nightmare of size for the casual tourist.

 

[jaklgreen]

Simple answer... Because many first time people are completely unaware that any planning would be necessary other then sleeping accommodations to go to a damn Theme Park. They don't know things like this board exist and even if they did they wouldn't really know what they would need to "prepare" for until they actually get to the park. Does anyone plan and re-plan for a trip to 6 flags? Or any other park that they might have easy access too? No, just reserve a place to sleep and just wing the rest of it.

My first trip had only two things even looked at before leaving. The first was acquiring tickets from a travel agent and second make a hotel reservations for the duration of the stay. Fortunately, at the time I first went, that was all that was necessary. But, if I were to go, for the first time now, I doubt I would know anything else would be necessary. Heck a few years ago I went to Dollywood and didn't have tickets or reservations. Wasn't a problem at all.

I went to Europe about 5 years ago. That required some planning because we were going to a number of different cities and ending up on a trans-Atlantic Cruise to come back home. One day during that month long venture we went to Disneyland Paris. Nothing else was required other than tickets which we bought when we got there. We really shouldn't assume that just because we have all had experiences at WDW (mostly) that others know anymore about it other then Walt Disney had something to do with it. That blessing of size has turned into a nightmare of size for the casual tourist.

I also am from the generation before the internet when you just booked a hotel room(maybe) in advance and went. Things are completely different now and there is no excuse to NOT do research when you go anywhere. Even "back in the day" we would buy tour books to get information. It is only a fool that does not do research before they go anywhere that they are not familiar with. Using that it's "only a theme park" is not a valid excuse. If people are too lazy to take the time to do research, then more fool them. But that does not give them any kind of a valid excuse for not doing so. And I, for one, do not feel bad for people who go places without doing their due diligence. Mainly because of safety and practical reasons.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Taking an enjoyable spontaneous trip is all about adjusting expectations. That said, in the past if ever I thought about taking a spontaneous trip myself, I generally chose Universal over WDW. And i know both parks. I have added a last minute WDW day if I can get FP (and have a WDW AP.)

One glitch in the why not add a last minute day to WDW is the structure of WDW tickets. Unless you have an AP, people are mostly locked in to specific days.

Mostly, I agree FP isn't all that complicated, except perhaps when you consider all the choices a first time WDW visitor has to make about a place they've never seen. Not only do you have a choose what hotel, but also the room view/size, type of tickets. How many days to visit each park? To hop? Water park? Mini-golf? Golf? Disney Springs? Resort only day? Offsite day? Transportation? Where to eat?

Just eating a meal was fairly challenging at WDW if you wanted to actually eat a table service meal. If you were not staying at AKL, but wanted to eat at Boma/Sanaa, transportation from any other hotel was a two step process via WDW's transportation system.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

That is correct it is the average of the two. Which means that as far as the time standing in line it is absolutely no different then if it was just one continuous moving line. The same number of people will ride in an hour. There is a point where a FP will save time waiting for a ride for anyone that happens to hold a FP. If you don't and you want to see the attraction you have to use standby. Since FP and that was even with the original paper pass, the standby line is a LOT longer. So those of us with a FP would smugly rush up the FP line and internally, and sometimes externally, laugh at those stuck in Standby. The part that they don't seem to remember is that there will be that they will find themselves in that same line with a much longer wait while others smugly passed by them. The amount of time will average out to be the same as if every attraction just had one steady line. On top of that since the times don't always work out FP's create a situation where you don't have the time to go on another attraction so lets add up a few more hours waiting for your window to open therefore causing you to not see as many things overall than you would have if all were that same.

But that isn't the worse thing. I went many years before FP and yes the lines "seemed" long, but it turns out if you keep moving the time is faster and all of us had a good time in the switchback laughing about our plight, BUT, it was part of the overall experience. We would talk with people, laugh and joke and when we got to the ride WE GOT ON NEXT. There was no group of people all of a sudden coming up and "legally" cutting line while you cooled your heals waiting. I can honestly say that when FP was introduced it was the first time in all my years of going there that anger was part of the line. It never was there before that, some bi tching, but no anger. The argument was always "well, everyone can get a FP". That was a crock of crap then and it still is. Everyone is eligible, but not everyone CAN get one. If they could the FP line would become the single, like the old days, attraction line. Disney lost a lot of magic when what seemed like a good idea just made things worse for everyone.

Back in the 80's, just after EPCOT opened that was it. Two parks, EPCOT and MK. The parking lots were full and the crowds were as heavy with only two parks to go to, as they are now. I would start by turning left at the end of Main Street and start experiencing the attractions one after the other. No running across the park a dozen times to get the freaking FP time. If the line seemed longer then we wanted to go, we just went to the next one and came back later if we wanted to see it that bad. That bottleneck is where it is now, in the area of Peter Pan and Small World. It took the same amount of time to see it all as it does now, but was a lot less stressful. In my mind FP was one of the most over glorified and under performing idea that the big buck guys ever came up with.

I agree with everything you said, Goofyernmost!
I enjoyed standing in the lines and visiting with others. Sometimes the kids played with other kids, in line games that is. The lines always seemed to keep moving. The Big thing with no FP's was that EveryOne was equal. We all stood in line and waited. There was no anger as you mentioned. No one was "better" than anyone else. The paper fp's were ok, but if you are mobility challenged like us, it was difficult to run and get the passes. One time I literally ran to get the hard to get TSM ones. When I finally got to the fp stand, I was red faced and out of breath. The CM standing there felt so sorry for me that she gave me extra fp's. Now I couldn't do the run.
Now with fp's, it seems that,,we get our 3 per day, use them, and that's it! It isn't worth it to wait for a long time for standby to do more. We don't get the full experience at disney. For us, it doesn't matter much because we have been coming to disney for many years and have done it all. But for those who are on their first trip or once in a lifetime trip, it would be very disappointing and frustrating.
So, I vote for no more fast passes.
I think that they will go to paid fp's now anyway. That will make more money for them and make it easy for those who want to pay for it. I miss the days when we were all equal in disney's eyes.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I also am from the generation before the internet when you just booked a hotel room(maybe) in advance and went. Things are completely different now and there is no excuse to NOT do research when you go anywhere. Even "back in the day" we would buy tour books to get information. It is only a fool that does not do research before they go anywhere that they are not familiar with. Using that it's "only a theme park" is not a valid excuse. If people are too lazy to take the time to do research, then more fool them. But that does not give them any kind of a valid excuse for not doing so. And I, for one, do not feel bad for people who go places without doing their due diligence. Mainly because of safety and practical reasons.

Yes and no. Pre-pandemic, I visited multiple cities in 2019 with almost no plan or research. The fun is in the discovery. I did not worry about my safety.

I actually feel a little sad for 1st time WDW visitors who watch ride videos before they visit WDW, and try to plan/predict how they will spend every minute. Reminds me of Big Bang Theory's Sheldon insisting that daily bathroom usage must be pre-planned when at home.

The entire premise of Tom Sawyer Island is exploration and discovery! And like, IMO, that was the premise of most of WDW: Space discovery, fantasy discovery, Exotic location discovery, history discovery. Pretend was a game children used to play, like the Lost Boys. Sometimes you played pirate, princess/knight/king, or space explorer, or you pretended your backyard was a jungle or the Wild West.

I think it is good that WDW is complicated. Choice and variation are a big part of the draw. It is good there is more to see and do at WDW than I can do in a week. I really enjoy getting to stay at a hotel that is new to me. It doesn't even have to be fancy. Just the variety of trying something new.

But I also don't feel guilty for knowing my way around. If anything, I've helped many people tour WDW if they ask me a question on the bus or while standing in line or they want to know where I bought my ice cream bar.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I also am from the generation before the internet when you just booked a hotel room(maybe) in advance and went. Things are completely different now and there is no excuse to NOT do research when you go anywhere. Even "back in the day" we would buy tour books to get information. It is only a fool that does not do research before they go anywhere that they are not familiar with. Using that it's "only a theme park" is not a valid excuse. If people are too lazy to take the time to do research, then more fool them. But that does not give them any kind of a valid excuse for not doing so. And I, for one, do not feel bad for people who go places without doing their due diligence. Mainly because of safety and practical reasons.

A fool? Really? How about a person that probably foolishly thinks that a vacation/holiday should not be more work than actually working. Not everyone is connected at the hip to the internet or feel the need to research something that they feel they already understand. Something like a theme park! Yes, it is necessary, but actually the only theme park in the world that requires an intensity of planning to this level would be WDW. Not even DLR requires this much detail. My daughter (now in her late 40's) has planned her every Disney trip to WDW on a spreadsheet. Why because she enjoys it. You apparently enjoy it. I do not! That doesn't make me a fool if I didn't realize that much effort was necessary for a vacation trip. There are millions and millions of people in the world, not all are going to expect that the experience is going to be much more complicated then going to the old roadside carnivals. Everyone traveling into the area must make a hotel reservation unless they are staying with friends or relatives, so they research that. If they start by checking out prices on the property or off property they will see a substantial difference in housing costs. If they decide based on budget or whatever, that offsite is the logical way to go, they will not really get into any additional planning because nothing will clue them to do so. If they decide to stay onsite there will be automatic triggers that might cause them to do a little look see. Disney does a really good job of listing things but is light on emphasis. They may see things like ADR's or even FP's, but unless they have actually experienced the place the will not necessarily look at those things as anything other then an option.

I can go with minimum amount of planning because I have been so often that I know what I want, what is needed and decide how much planning I am willing to do. I can assure you it is very minimal. Guess what! I still have a great time, see everything I want to see and generally I only plan on what parks to go to on what day and that is based on there I have made my initial FP's (morning) because usually by afternoon I will have hopped to a different park and I will pick up what FP's I can for that. Since I have gone alone starting in 2000, I can be massively flexible. I just checked my Quicken website and other then the big all family trip I paid for in 2008 I have never paid more then $1900.00 for any trip and that one was two weeks based in the Kissimmee area but only going to WDW four of those days. Half of those trips were from Vermont. The last half were from North Carolina which I will admit was considerably less expensive.

What I'm trying to say is that everyone looks at life differently and that goes for what makes a vacation a vacation. You feel it is perfectly acceptable to plan a vacation down to the second, I do not and many others also do not and wouldn't even think that going to a place known for fun would require so much angst and precision.

 

[jaklgreen]

A fool? Really? How about a person that probably foolishly thinks that a vacation/holiday should not be more work than actually working. Not everyone is connected at the hip to the internet or feel the need to research something that they feel they already understand. Something like a theme park! Yes, it is necessary, but actually the only theme park in the world that requires an intensity of planning to this level would be WDW. Not even DLR requires this much detail. My daughter (now in her late 40's) has planned her every Disney trip to WDW on a spreadsheet. Why because she enjoys it. You apparently enjoy it. I do not! That doesn't make me a fool if I didn't realize that much effort was necessary for a vacation trip. There are millions and millions of people in the world, not all are going to expect that the experience is going to be much more complicated then going to the old roadside carnivals. Everyone traveling into the area must make a hotel reservation unless they are staying with friends or relatives, so they research that. If they start by checking out prices on the property or off property they will see a substantial difference in housing costs. If they decide based on budget or whatever, that offsite is the logical way to go, they will not really get into any additional planning because nothing will clue them to do so. If they decide to stay onsite there will be automatic triggers that might cause them to do a little look see. Disney does a really good job of listing things but is light on emphasis. They may see things like ADR's or even FP's, but unless they have actually experienced the place the will not necessarily look at those things as anything other then an option.

I can go with minimum amount of planning because I have been so often that I know what I want, what is needed and decide how much planning I am willing to do. I can assure you it is very minimal. Guess what! I still have a great time, see everything I want to see and generally I only plan on what parks to go to on what day and that is based on there I have made my initial FP's (morning) because usually by afternoon I will have hopped to a different park and I will pick up what FP's I can for that. Since I have gone alone starting in 2000, I can be massively flexible. I just checked my Quicken website and other then the big all family trip I paid for in 2008 I have never paid more then $1900.00 for any trip and that one was two weeks based in the Kissimmee area but only going to WDW four of those days. Half of those trips were from Vermont. The last half were from North Carolina which I will admit was considerably less expensive.

What I'm trying to say is that everyone looks at life differently and that goes for what makes a vacation a vacation. You feel it is perfectly acceptable to plan a vacation down to the second, I do not and many others also do not and wouldn't even think that going to a place known for fun would require so much angst and precision.

With respect, you see things through a man's eyes. It is COMPLETELY different to be a solo woman traveler. It's not OK and "fun" to just go wander around and "figure things out" when you get to a strange city. That kind of thinking can be extremely dangerous for a woman. And yes, it is foolish to do so, even for men. This is not the 70s anymore where you just hop in the car and stop at the nearest roadside motel. And I NEVER said to plan a vacation down to the second, that is a gross exaggeration of what I am saying. I don't do that. But what I do do is find out as much as I can about where I am going. How do things work, where is it safe to go, where to eat, where do I go to get help if needed. That is the smart, responsible thing to do. You can vacation as you like, but that does not mean that having a base knowledge of where you are going is not the intelligent thing to do.

 

[arich35]

I ended up loving Fastpass when we went our first time in 2019. We didn't have more than a 15-20 min wait and the only ride we didn't do is Slinky Dog that we wanted. It was easy to find passes for the most part when we were there.

 

[Dave B]

With respect, you see things through a man's eyes. It is COMPLETELY different to be a solo woman traveler. It's not OK and "fun" to just go wander around and "figure things out" when you get to a strange city. That kind of thinking can be extremely dangerous for a woman. And yes, it is foolish to do so, even for men. This is not the 70s anymore where you just hop in the car and stop at the nearest roadside motel. And I NEVER said to plan a vacation down to the second, that is a gross exaggeration of what I am saying. I don't do that. But what I do do is find out as much as I can about where I am going. How do things work, where is it safe to go, where to eat, where do I go to get help if needed. That is the smart, responsible thing to do. You can vacation as you like, but that does not mean that having a base knowledge of where you are going is not the intelligent thing to do.

If you were traveling into a city alone, your response makes sense, but as a single person, if you don't feel safe at Disney World, there are A LOT more issues you are dealing with

 

[jaklgreen]

If you were traveling into a city alone, your response makes sense, but as a single person, if you don't feel safe at Disney World, there are A LOT more issues you are dealing with

Wow, that is such a man answer. I feel safer at WDW then I do any other place, especially with magical Express. But woman are not safe anywhere, not even our homes. It is always smart to know as much as possible to the place that you are traveling to in order to be safe. I find it rude and offensive that you think that I have "issues" because I have to think of my safety, no matter where I go. You can thank your fellow brothers for making it so we have to live like that.

 

[Stitch826]

I still don’t understand the appeal of eliminating FP. It’s been about a decade since I’ve been to a theme park other than Disney. The last time I went to a major theme park was in the fall, a slower time for business than the peak summer season. I remember waiting in line for one of the major roller coasters for almost 90 minutes. There obviously was no FP option, and the line moved slowly.

When Disney’s attendance returns to normal, are people really going to want to wait in 90-120 minute lines during the summer and peak seasons for every major ride? That’s not even considering the top attractions like FOP, which could easily eclipse a three hour wait. Without FP, there would be no chance to skip any line, so your number of attractions visited per day would plummet. The FP system certainly wasn’t perfect, but it’s better than having none at all.

 

[Stitch826]

I also am from the generation before the internet when you just booked a hotel room(maybe) in advance and went. Things are completely different now and there is no excuse to NOT do research when you go anywhere. Even "back in the day" we would buy tour books to get information. It is only a fool that does not do research before they go anywhere that they are not familiar with. Using that it's "only a theme park" is not a valid excuse. If people are too lazy to take the time to do research, then more fool them. But that does not give them any kind of a valid excuse for not doing so. And I, for one, do not feel bad for people who go places without doing their due diligence. Mainly because of safety and practical reasons.

Exactly! When I was a kid and teenager, my mom would frequently be checking Disney tourist books out from the library, even if we weren’t planning a trip anytime soon. There’s no reason why people can’t be bothered to research a trip today in the age of the internet and smartphones.

 

[Goofyernmost]

With respect, you see things through a man's eyes. It is COMPLETELY different to be a solo woman traveler. It's not OK and "fun" to just go wander around and "figure things out" when you get to a strange city. That kind of thinking can be extremely dangerous for a woman. And yes, it is foolish to do so, even for men. This is not the 70s anymore where you just hop in the car and stop at the nearest roadside motel. And I NEVER said to plan a vacation down to the second, that is a gross exaggeration of what I am saying. I don't do that. But what I do do is find out as much as I can about where I am going. How do things work, where is it safe to go, where to eat, where do I go to get help if needed. That is the smart, responsible thing to do. You can vacation as you like, but that does not mean that having a base knowledge of where you are going is not the intelligent thing to do.

I don't see this as a gender issue.

 

[jaklgreen]

I don't see this as a gender issue.

Safety is absolutely a gender issue. Do you worry about walking back to your car and being attacked and raped? I don't know how someone your age can deny that woman have more to fear then men do and that we have to take different steps in order to insure our safety. Have men been raped by their Uber drivers? The answer is NO. Come on, your smarter then that. And for how it pertains to travel planning, knowing how and where you are going in advance is huge when it comes to safety. How are you going to know if the cab driver is taking you where you want to go or just driving you out to a secluded area? I know because I google map every place that I am going to go on my vacations. I know how far my hotel is from where I want to go, the safest way to get there. What time I should be safely back in my hotel at night, etc, etc. If you don't want to do that, that's fine for you because you don't HAVE to. But don't pretend that men and woman have the same luxury of safety.

 

[Shouldigo12]

I don't see this as a gender issue.

How come? Is it because you think men have the same safety concerns as women or that women shouldn't have those concerns?

 

[Goofyernmost]

Safety is absolutely a gender issue. Do you worry about walking back to your car and being attacked and raped? I don't know how someone your age can deny that woman have more to fear then men do and that we have to take different steps in order to insure our safety. Have men been raped by their Uber drivers? The answer is NO. Come on, your smarter then that. And for how it pertains to travel planning, knowing how and where you are going in advance is huge when it comes to safety. How are you going to know if the cab driver is taking you where you want to go or just driving you out to a secluded area? I know because I google map every place that I am going to go on my vacations. I know how far my hotel is from where I want to go, the safest way to get there. What time I should be safely back in my hotel at night, etc, etc. If you don't want to do that, that's fine for you because you don't HAVE to. But don't pretend that men and woman have the same luxury of safety.

Safety is, but exploring a highly protected theme park is not necessarily a safety issue. I am not saying that men don't have the upper hand in many situations when it comes to that but in the context of this discussion but in some instances they are equal and when it comes to WDW queue lines or FP's it has nothing to do with it. That change would have no influence on anything you are talking about.