Using FastPass+ Means You Can't Get A Regular FastPass?

[cgulls]

This whole FP+ is just dumb! I don't want to schedule my time months in advance especially when I have a 4 ad 2 year old and plans always Jane with such young kids!

Also it seemed to me that still a lotnofbpeople dont know how to even use the regular fast pass! I really hope normal fast pass stays

It looks like you'll be able to start booking FP+ times 60 days out. I would think this would be a benefit as an option for parents with young kids (like me). It's one more way to avoid waiting in line.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It looks like you'll be able to start booking FP+ times 60 days out. I would think this would be a benefit as an option for parents with young kids (like me). It's one more way to avoid waiting in line.

Except for the longer ones you'll be waiting in after you've used you set number of passes.

 

[lebeau]

It looks like you'll be able to start booking FP+ times 60 days out. I would think this would be a benefit as an option for parents with young kids (like me). It's one more way to avoid waiting in line.

I think the opposite. 60 days out I didn't know what my kids would or would not ride much less what they would want to ride. Until my kids were standing there looking at the attraction, I didn't know for sure whether or not I could get them to get in line.

In general, kids don't handle this level of rigid scheduling very well. They see something that appeals to them, they want to do it. Something they agreed to 60 days ago may be a no-go when they see it in person.

 

[psychosia]

I am hoping for a similar system to what we have now
they could do a similar system to universal or even have a fast pass unlimited or ultimate with an up charge which gives unlimited front of line access or say 10 passes per day per park for those who choose to pay for it (they have to re-coupe the cost of all this tech somehow) or maybe the savings on paper pass will pay for it in the long run depending on the ROI timescale also as more people move to smart phones which have Near field communication (not sure if this is the same as RFID) In them they can do away with paper tickets completely and have one family's park tickets Fastpasses and room charging all tied to 1 smart phone and integrate it with the Disney day app all booked online

 

[G00fyDad]

Isn't the FP+ designed to allow you only one or two popular rides and then a bunch of lesser rides? What I got to MK want to schedule SpaceM, SplashM, BTMRR, HM, PotC, and JC?? Am I stuck with getting a FP to only one or two of those and a bunch of lesser rides for my only FP's that day?

 

[muteki]

It looks like you'll be able to start booking FP+ times 60 days out. I would think this would be a benefit as an option for parents with young kids (like me). It's one more way to avoid waiting in line.

From the sounds of it, it isn't one more way to avoid waiting it line, it will be the only way. And much more limited at that.

 

[wedenterprises]

But won't adding Fastpasses to attractions that don't currently use/need FP mean slower moving stand-by lines?

hmmm yeah good point. But if fewer FPs are given out overall, maybe the slow stand-by lines are spread out a little.

 

[wedenterprises]

This is the part that is hard. Will there be less? I think its hard to say..

Now, access to them will be more controlled.. but one could say 'a key benefit is to ensure FP doesn't run out'. I'm sure Disney hears lots of complaints about how Soarin' FP or TSMM FP are out by midday, etc. By having a more regulated FP+ distribution, along with strict enforcement - this may solve the 'all FPs out for the day'. Because the FP impact on the line will be more regulated, in theory you can get a higher utilization of FP then previously. The net result may be FP are more 'accessible' - you just can't do 'all you can eat' like you could previously.

I'm gonna speculate.. the end result is accessibility to getting a FP+ is going to go WAY up.. but of course your overall usage of it in volume will go down.

Stand-by I think is gonna be a wash in all of this. If anything I expect standby to go up simply because more people will be forced into standby because they can't get a FP+ for their second or third ride, etc.

But the rest.. I mainly agree with. I think FP+ will directly address many of the existing complaints about FP. Now it introduces NEW complaints for some people.. but there are some gains here.

Honestly the more I read the more optimistic I get. Of course I don't represent the first time guest, so I'm biased and selfish.

 

[wedenterprises]

That's all well in good if everything was not already booked up two months in advance.

I could see them creating a "wish list" where you select something like "I'd like to ride Space Mountain this afternoon" and it alerts you when you can go if a spot opens up. Could be cool, but also attaches us to our phones more.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I could see them creating a "wish list" where you select something like "I'd like to ride Space Mountain this afternoon" and it alerts you when you can go if a spot opens up. Could be cool, but also attaches us to our phones more.

Then you have to give up something else that was planned months earlier or purchase an additional FastPass+.

 

[wedenterprises]

Then you have to give up something else that was planned months earlier or purchase an additional FastPass+.

Sorry I meant in addition, and as a perk for staying on property or something. Sort of like a waiting list, or a morning wish list. It's a bad idea though lol

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

Why would you be roaming instead of using the free in-park WiFi?

I just mean that I wouldn't be bringing it with me since most of the time I can't get a hotspot when I'm traveling around Florida and I wouldn't want to have to pay any roaming fees. Also, I don't have an interest in having my phone with me anyway since it's primarily a work phone and don't want to feel tethered to work all the time. Also, my Mom doesn't have a smart phone and is not likely to get one so I want to know what the disadvantages would be for us.

 

[Tigger#1]

I really hope they never go with an unlimited FP that you can buy? The way the system works now everyone is equal in the FP lines. If they do this anyone who wants the magical experience Walt had in mind will pay extra.

 

[Rasvar]

I'm not really sure where the old FP is going away is coming from. It's not. It will remain. It will probably go paperless though. The idea of FP+ is to be a mega planner. You plan almost your whole trip. So there should not be a need for a regular FP if you are FP +. I doubt they go to a same day FP + either anytime soon. It will likely be a set number of slots. They are having enough issues getting the computer system working right as it is. The new app and website are still way too buggy. Not too sure the tests have gone as clean as they want. Wireless was already stressing under high loads. Can't wait to see what the holiday crowds do to it. I don't think FP+ will stay on schedule.

 

[GoofGoof]

If you get your TSMM FP at 9am and the return time was for 2pm, you can get your next FP at 11am. If your return time had been 10am, you could get your next FP at 10am. It's not rocket science. Other than Soarin' and TSMM (and on rare occasions Space Mountain and Splash Mountain), I've always been able to get another FP within an hour or so.

My bad. I thought you were saying the maximum your return time could be was 2 hours. I usually only use FP for the big ticket, long wait rides anyway. The most I would probably use in a day is 4 or 5. I guess the new system would be limiting if you typically try to maximize your number of FP tickets by getting a new one every 45 mins or so.

 

[GoofGoof]

I must say that some of this discussion sounds bad, but I don't think the note on the website must be read that way. All it says that once you do FP+, regular FP isn't available to you. I believe that all that means is that if you are using an RFID for FP+, your ticket will not work in the FP machines.

While it's possible that it means more than that, it doesn't have to. So, it is possible that the only change in park is that instead of sliding your ticket in a machine to get a day-of FP like you do now, you'll tap your RFID on the a machine to get a day-of FP, or, even better, you'll go a central kiosk or use your smartphone to load a day-of FP. The system could be set up to know what park you're in (the App already knows this), offer you the available FP times for each location, and let you pick one, informing you as the paper tickets do when you can get another.

In other words, I don't see FP+ as necessarily meaning that only the pre-book style "choose a limited number of experiences" are available. It could by that you get the pre-booked limited number PLUS whatever number of day-of FP windows as you would be able to get now -- you'll just do it through your RFID/smartphone, rather than slipping your ticket in the machine.

This makes a ton of sense.

 

[flynnibus]

I'm not really sure where the old FP is going away is coming from. It's not. It will remain. It will probably go paperless though. The idea of FP+ is to be a mega planner

Because in disney's own material - they say you can not use fp terminals once you go paperless ticket media. And since everything is going to the paperless - who does that leave for fp? Fp+ is intended for use 'day of' as well. There is no room left for traditional fp.

 

[lentesta]

I'm not really sure where the old FP is going away is coming from. It's not. It will remain. It will probably go paperless though. The idea of FP+ is to be a mega planner

The "Converting to Paperless Tickets" section of Disney's Terms and Conditions says these two things specifically:

​

1) You must convert to RFID admission to use FASTPASS+​

2) You become ineligible for legacy FASTPASS once you convert to RFID admission​

So they are mutually exclusive. And it is consistent with what I've heard about legacy FASTPASS being phased out.

I suspect Disney will eventually require all legacy admission media to be converted to RFID prior to use, too.

 

[Rasvar]

Because in disney's own material - they say you can not use fp terminals once you go paperless ticket media. And since everything is going to the paperless - who does that leave for fp? Fp+ is intended for use 'day of' as well. There is no room left for traditional fp.

FP+ is going to be usage limited. Day of use will still be limited to those who will end up paying for it. It is just like Universal has tiers. FP is the free tier, it is not going anywhere. Slot numbers will be reduced. The main reason for the enforcement of the hours is to maintain slot integrity when FP + goes live. Don't bet on it going full production before the summer. It will be a shock if it is ready for Easter as was originally hoped.

 

[Rasvar]

The "Converting to Paperless Tickets" section of Disney's Terms and Conditions says these two things specifically:

​

1) You must convert to RFID admission to use FASTPASS+​

2) You become ineligible for legacy FASTPASS once you convert to RFID admission​

So they are mutually exclusive. And it is consistent with what I've heard about legacy FASTPASS being phased out.

I suspect Disney will eventually require all legacy admission media to be converted to RFID prior to use, too.

Yes, all will be RFID eventually. That is going to take a while. The systems are not able to handle that just yet. If you switch over to a RFID ticket, it is incapable of doing what is currently FP. Eventually both systems will be fully integrated. A day guest version will operate FP RFID using the same system as FP +. It will be less flexible than the added value FP+ and closer to the current FP system. It just may have a more centralized way of doing it but the rules of only having one valid FP at a time will still exist for day guests, it just won't be paper. However, for now, if you use a RFID ticket, they don't work with the FP system. Those terms and conditions will change as the system changes. The paper FP will disappear once the non-RFID ticket system is phased out.