Rumor Version of MaxPass coming to WDW in May?

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I just see it as more nuanced. They Early Entry is likely to be a win for most on-site guests, an improvement over morning EMH.
The effects on the night, it will indeed benefit some guests, not others. (and ultimately, perhaps not most).

Nobody wants block pricing...not in a Disney park. $500 days will kill the place

 

[aliceismad]

They used to sometimes add EMH depending on anticipated crowd levels. Isn't there a chance that Early Entry stays 30 minutes in January and gets extended to an hour during holidays or Spring Break?

 

[mikejs78]

They used to sometimes add EMH depending on anticipated crowd levels. Isn't there a chance that Early Entry stays 30 minutes in January and gets extended to an hour during holidays or Spring Break?

I highly expect that this is what's going to happen.

 

[pdude81]

They used to sometimes add EMH depending on anticipated crowd levels. Isn't there a chance that Early Entry stays 30 minutes in January and gets extended to an hour during holidays or Spring Break?

I assume it's easier and more cost effective for them to extend evening hours, unless of course there are nighttime ticketed events already planned.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

30 minutes really isn't enough. It's almost laughable. But for the time being, given capacity limits and having to stagger transportation to the different parks, having an hour or more extra benefit at fewer parks could lead to transportation issues and poor guest satisfaction when off-site guests struggle to have any chance at getting the EMH park on their chosen day. A better solution for the consumer would be an extra hour each morning instead of a half hour. But that's as much or more extra time then they were giving us when there were no restrictions... so it ain't happening. Not at 35%.

I am curious how they are planning to let people into the parking lot when this starts, as they will either need dedicated lanes for on-site guest cars or risk a lot of people congregating at the entrance if they let everyone in at the same time.

I think an hour costs them more overhead...where’s you can shift/stagger/hide a half hour

 

[aliceismad]

I assume it's easier and more cost effective for them to extend evening hours, unless of course there are nighttime ticketed events already planned.

I assumed that it's a given that paid nighttime events will not only continue, but will increase. It seems those were much more successful than the paid morning events. Half the draw of a paid nighttime event is having short lines (like FP) to that park's rides (at least the ones that are available). How much was DAH? $129 for 3 hours? Perhaps dropping nighttime from Early Entry is, in part, designed to push people toward those paid events.

 

[pdude81]

I think an hour costs them more overhead...where’s you can shift/stagger/hide a half hour

Plus they are already doing this right now for all guests. Somehow later it will become an on-site perk just like the finished Rat ride is a 50th anniversary perk.

 

[nickys]

I am curious how they are planning to let people into the parking lot when this starts, as they will either need dedicated lanes for on-site guest cars or risk a lot of people congregating at the entrance if they let everyone in at the same time.

Remember they used to do EMH? It’ll work just the same, they’re not reinventing the wheel here.

And the lines waiting outside the tap points is why this won’t be introduced until they can relax the distancing. IMO.

 

[pdude81]

I assumed that it's a given that paid nighttime events will not only continue, but will increase. It seems those were much more successful than the paid morning events. Half the draw of a paid nighttime event is having short lines (like FP) to that park's rides (at least the ones that are available). How much was DAH? $129 for 3 hours? Perhaps dropping nighttime from Early Entry is, in part, designed to push people toward those paid events.

Definitely more events, but when? We don't have any announced dates for night events, shows during regular hours, or early theme park entry. I agree that it makes more sense to just do the early stuff and then monetize after-hours or seasonal parties. I'm just saying that for now without those things on the books, they seem to extend hours uniformly based on crowds.

 

[JakeAZ]

So, if they did offer ride packages, do you guys think it would be park / ride specific like Paris?

IMO I don't see it going this way, since Paris is 2 parks and WDW is 4.

I'd love to see something like X number of FP that can be used on any ride that is deemed FP eligible, at any park, at any time. Let us choose when we want to use them. They have the park reservation system now, so that's how they can track expected park activity.

You get a certain allotment based on things like day guest, AP level, on-site level "included". Once you use them, they are done. Everything else is a paid add-on.

This way everyone gets something "for free" and if you want more, it will cost you.

Wishful thinking, I know.

Edited

 

[_caleb]

You basically disagreed with me by agreeing with me.

I vote for this as WDWMagic’s new slogan.

 

[nickys]

So, if they did offer ride packages, do you guys think it would be park / ride specific like Paris?

IMO I don't see it going this way, since Paris is 1 park and WDW is 4.

I'd love to see something like X number of FP that can be used on any ride that is deemed FP eligible, at any park, at any time. Let us choose when we want to use them. They have the park reservation system now, so that's how they can track expected park activity.

You get a certain allotment based on things like day guest, AP level, on-site level "included". Once you use them, they are done. Everything else is a paid add-on.

This way everyone gets something "for free" and if you want more, it will cost you.

Wishful thinking, I know.

DLP has 2 parks.

No reason why there couldn’t be packages for each park, you choose which package(s) you want.

I have no doubt every possible option has been discussed by now. What they go with is unknown. But at the start of this discussion the plan seemed to include limited free FPs plus paid options, possibly with packages for the “new, shiny” rides.

 

[Dranth]

That walking to the old fast pass podiums was just too inconvenient...having to book laugh floor 58 days before you leave was much better.

I know a lot of people liked the old FP system but for anyone who doesn’t like being there first thing in the morning it sucked. So yes, sitting on an air-conditioned couch with my wife in the comfort of our own home on an iPad planning out a few fast passes for a vacation we are looking forward to was FAR better than waking at the crack of dawn, getting to the park, speed walking to which ever park location has the fast pass you were looking for and still ending up with a return time sometime late that afternoon.

I’m not saying FP+ didn’t/doesn’t have some serious drawbacks as well but a lot of people do prefer FP+ over the old FP system.

FP+ really would have been fine if they had kept staffing to handle the crowd load instead of trying to bare minimum their way to cost savings. That and adding additional capacity as crowds continued to grow would have kept things manageable.

 

[flutas]

I assume it's easier and more cost effective for them to extend evening hours, unless of course there are nighttime ticketed events already planned.

Or Genie+ hours.

 

[Naplesgolfer]

My prediction on all of this: Fastpass+ returns for all guests, but is now limited to 2 advanced reservations (plus the current rolling unlimited). On Site guests still get a time advantage for booking these.

Without a ton on advertising outside of Delux resorts and near park entrances, Disney starts selling Fastpass+ Unlimited and Fastpass+Packages.

Fastpass+Unlimited works just the same as Universal express pass Unlimited. Packages give you FP access to a group of rides only once for a smaller price than the Unlimited. Think a MK classics package with Pan, small world and HM,. Fatansy Land special with 7D, Pooh, and Dumbo.

From Disney's side they now divide the current FP+ Availability as they see fit to meet the current FP+ distribution(~75% per ride), but now it is split into 3 buckets of general population (100% controlled), Packages (100% controlled), and leaving a certain allocation for the unlimited. As they learn where the unlimited go, they can tweak these %s as they please and can even do it day of by dropping extra general population passes.

Advantages:

• General population doesn't feel like they lost too much (still get my 2 FPs!) even though the inventory for all attractions is significantly reduced.
• General population has no idea how many people are actually cutting by paying vs using the free system
• Packages tier allows revenue for those that wouldn't spring for unlimited
• Packages can also drive people toward smaller attractions by tiering it with other rides
• An unlimited pass for those willing to drop the big $$, without wanting to have a plaid CM

You could very well be correct. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I think Disney's problem is how to sell Fastpass but not make the fastness line any longer by selling too many. Also they wouldn't want to cannibalize VIP and club 33 for less money. Also they don't want to make standby any worse. Hopefully a little better. They want that extra revenue for sure but they need to keep everyone at least marginally happy. They will need to find a balance or this will lead to many unhappy guests.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I know a lot of people liked the old FP system but for anyone who doesn’t like being there first thing in the morning it sucked. So yes, sitting on an air-conditioned couch with my wife in the comfort of our own home on an iPad planning out a few fast passes for a vacation we are looking forward to was FAR better than waking at the crack of dawn, getting to the park, speed walking to which ever park location has the fast pass you were looking for and still ending up with a return time sometime late that afternoon.

I’m not saying FP+ didn’t/doesn’t have some serious drawbacks as well but a lot of people do prefer FP+ over the old FP system.

FP+ really would have been fine if they had kept staffing to handle the crowd load instead of trying to bare minimum their way to cost savings. That and adding additional capacity as crowds continued to grow would have kept things manageable.

The problem is they put it on every ride and filled damn near their slots with them. It paralyzed the Park in many ways before you set foot in the place.

 

[aliceismad]

DLP has 2 parks.

I mean, some people would say DLP has 1.5 parks. But those people might also say WDW has 1 park plus 3 half parks, if you go by rides only.

 

[nickys]

I mean, some people would say DLP has 1.5 parks. But those people might also say WDW has 1 park plus 3 half parks, if you go by rides only.

Indeed. But there are rides in both parks with FP in Paris.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

My prediction on all of this: Fastpass+ returns for all guests, but is now limited to 2 advanced reservations (plus the current rolling unlimited). On Site guests still get a time advantage for booking these.

Without a ton on advertising outside of Delux resorts and near park entrances, Disney starts selling Fastpass+ Unlimited and Fastpass+Packages.

Fastpass+Unlimited works just the same as Universal express pass Unlimited. Packages give you FP access to a group of rides only once for a smaller price than the Unlimited. Think a MK classics package with Pan, small world and HM,. Fatansy Land special with 7D, Pooh, and Dumbo.

From Disney's side they now divide the current FP+ Availability as they see fit to meet the current FP+ distribution(~75% per ride), but now it is split into 3 buckets of general population (100% controlled), Packages (100% controlled), and leaving a certain allocation for the unlimited. As they learn where the unlimited go, they can tweak these %s as they please and can even do it day of by dropping extra general population passes.

Advantages:

• General population doesn't feel like they lost too much (still get my 2 FPs!) even though the inventory for all attractions is significantly reduced.
• General population has no idea how many people are actually cutting by paying vs using the free system
• Packages tier allows revenue for those that wouldn't spring for unlimited
• Packages can also drive people toward smaller attractions by tiering it with other rides
• An unlimited pass for those willing to drop the big $$, without wanting to have a plaid CM

That’s too many different “systems” at once. The reason fastpass+ plus doesn’t work is because they didn’t add enough ride capacity to keep pace with the rise in travelers from the late 90’s to present. Then they showed that they hadn’t to every customer by putting it on an app.

Nothing has moved there. What they’re building isn’t “for the 50th”...it was a desperate attempt to put genie back in its bottle.

Now with an aggressive competitor...they lost their advantages of size a good bit. Everyone is waiting for old stuff and noticing that there isn’t more for price that’s bumped twice a year. Barreling to critical mass.

 

[Naplesgolfer]

So, if they did offer ride packages, do you guys think it would be park / ride specific like Paris?

IMO I don't see it going this way, since Paris is 2 parks and WDW is 4.

I'd love to see something like X number of FP that can be used on any ride that is deemed FP eligible, at any park, at any time. Let us choose when we want to use them. They have the park reservation system now, so that's how they can track expected park activity.

You get a certain allotment based on things like day guest, AP level, on-site level "included". Once you use them, they are done. Everything else is a paid add-on.

This way everyone gets something "for free" and if you want more, it will cost you.

Wishful thinking, I know.

Edited

I think a any ride and time type of Fastpass would need to be limited in number so time in line is not much more than 20min or you start losing value in peoples mind.