Would you discontinue FastPass?

[Yert3]

Yes. From my personal experience and observations, it makes the standby time a lot longer than it would be because they halt it to let the FP people go. I'd say that stand by lines would decease at least by half if Fastpass was abolished. I could be wrong though. If there wasn't fast pass, the lines would be way shorter, yes, but many more people would probably get in line, making it the same wait time regardless. But with that said, I would still get rid of FP.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I enjoy using the fast pass system. I would never stand in a 90 min line to ride a ride, with fp I get to kip the line

The lines would almost never, ever reach 90 minutes if Fastpass didn't exist. But since it does, 90 minute is common for the highest demand rides like Toy Story, RnRc, Test Track, Soarin', Space Mountain, etc.

 

[sgtmgd]

No, its original intent was to make money, not make your life easier. It especially wasn't designed to make the life of a Cast Member easier. Talk to the folks who were on the frontlines when this first rolled out. They'll tell how savage it was.

You experience at Walt Disney World and quality of Cast Member would definitely change if Fastpass was gone. There would be a release of tension caused by not having to constantly juggle the two lines and all the drama that goes alone with them.

I realize Guests don't care about what Cast Members have to deal with or feel, but they should care about the quality of service and the people behind it. Many Cast Members are turned rabid rather quickly by the Fastpass system. I've talked to many old timers (started in the 70s and 80s) and they will tell you darn quickly that Cast used to be all about the Guest and themeing.Think of that next time you hear a CM yelling like a Commando "THIS IS FASTPASS ONLY!!! "IF YOU DON"T HAVE ONE, THE REGULAR LINE IS THERE!" or the next time a poor International Cast Member from China is being ridiculed by a Guest at Merge, so they let more Fastpass go through because they are scared of being yelled at. If only you knew how many Cast Members cry because of merge points.

Now, Ops Cast are all about NUMBERS! CLEARING FASTPASS LINES! and LOADING AT ALL COSTS!

Not sure how Fastpass makes money..its included in the ticket unlike Universal..and as I posted its not about making a Cast Members life more convienent its about making the paying customers life easier..again I respect Cast Members..I respect all working class people..I certainly wouldnt do a Cast Member job for the poor income it pays. That being said..dealing with unhappy consumers is part and parcel with a job like that..if it wasnt the fast pass system it would be another issue people complained about..

 

[sgtmgd]

On the first day of operation for the new Mermaid attraction, it had a 45 minute wait at worse.

The next day--when Fastpass was available-- it became a 2 hour wait.

Before that, Pooh got rid of Fastpass for a week and it had 20-25 minute waits.

With Fastpass, 40-60 minutes waits.

What about any of this makes things better?

No one said the Fast Pass sytem was perfect, but Disney doesnt make money on it..there is an entire infrastructure behind that system with analysis and statistical data that would suggest your comments will play out differently over a 365 day period. I understand why a CM would get tired of repeating themselves daily..but then again most CM jobs are redundent..the CM's that works the moving platform at the Haunted Mansion dont seem overly happy yelling the same thing to folks trampling onto doom buggies..you cant make everyone happy..and generally employees concerns are the last to be considered.

 

[wdwfan100]

OK, let's say that, hypothetically, a particular ride will handle 10000 people per day. Now let's for the sake of fun say that 10000 people show up wanting a Fastpass for that ride at exactly the same time. The machine will only issue 3000 Fastpasses for that ride, so 7000 people that tried to get a fastpass, using the same criteria as everyone else, will NOT get one. I know that is an extreme and impossible event to happen but it underlines what I am trying to say. There are many reasons why a person cannot get there in time to get a FP. All of them with legitimate reasons, they will be in the, so called, Dopey line through no wish or desire of their own. They didn't create the situation that would theoretically allow 3000 others ahead of them, but never the less, there they are. I'm not talking about those that don't know how to use FP, they don't know what is available to them, but, there are, in this example 7000 people that do know how to use it, where to get it and still will not be allowed to have one. How is that not unfair to those people. Any system that is only worthwhile for 30% of the customers of anyplace, is a faulty system that can and does create way more displeasure then pleasure.

I like how you use an impossible situation to back up your point. I can not recall a time when fast passes didn't work for us. It is not perfect, but it is something we utilize to its fullest potential. It is fair. It is like a general admission event. First come, first served. You don't get much more fair than that.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Not sure how Fastpass makes money..its included in the ticket unlike Universal..and as I posted its not about making a Cast Members life more convienent its about making the paying customers life easier..again I respect Cast Members..I respect all working class people..I certainly wouldnt do a Cast Member job for the poor income it pays. That being said..dealing with unhappy consumers is part and parcel with a job like that..if it wasnt the fast pass system it would be another issue people complained about..

That one is easy...they want you out of the line and into the gift shops and snack carts. That's was why they started it, but, it didn't work out the way they wanted it too. By then it was too late to do anything about it. Even though "dealing with unhappy consumers" is part of any public job, it doesn't mean that it is ok to force a situation that make consumers unhappy if they don't have too. Yes, people complained about waiting in line before fastpass, but they understood why it was that way and really didn't hassle CM's about it, other then possibly a few off hand remarks about aging in line or the like. Any company should never put itself in a position to deliberately make people angry. That is especially true in what is supposed to be a fun Theme Park. If that was a non-anticipated side effect, then they needed to correct it sooner rather then later.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I like how you use an impossible situation to back up your point. I can not recall a time when fast passes didn't work for us. It is not perfect, but it is something we utilize to its fullest potential. It is fair. It is like a general admission event. First come, first served. You don't get much more fair than that.

My point was only to stop the foolishness of people constantly making the statement that "EVERYONE CAN GET ONE". I was trying to illustrate that NOT everyone can get one simply because of the limited numbers being given out. I also stated that it was not likely that my scenario would ever actually happen, but that wasn't the point of the post.

Why is it fair that someone that gets there earlier gets the perks and not those that arrived later. They paid the same amount for admission. There was no discount for only using part of the day. It's how the system works, not how fair it is, because it truly is not fair. Universal is massively more fair. If you can afford to buy an Express Pass you can have one. No provision other then pay the extra. Doesn't matter when you show up, it only matters that you are willing to trade off money for a pass. If not, well that was your choice. It isn't my choice when WDW runs out of FP's before I arrive. Not only that but it is an across the board Express Pass. One pass does all the EP attractions for a one time ride on each. No running from attraction to attraction to get one once every two hours or so, just buy it once use it when you want. In Disney there is nothing about it that is free or fair, unless you think that you didn't pay for it in your admission fee.

 

[sgtmgd]

That one is easy...they want you out of the line and into the gift shops and snack carts. That's was why they started it, but, it didn't work out the way they wanted it too. By then it was too late to do anything about it. Even though "dealing with unhappy consumers" is part of any public job, it doesn't mean that it is ok to force a situation that make consumers unhappy if they don't have too. Yes, people complained about waiting in line before fastpass, but they understood why it was that way and really didn't hassle CM's about it, other then possibly a few off hand remarks about aging in line or the like. Any company should never put itself in a position to deliberately make people angry. That is especially true in what is supposed to be a fun Theme Park. If that was a non-anticipated side effect, then they needed to correct it sooner rather then later.

The attendance figures dont hold that Disney Makes people angry..and fast passes werent created to get people in the shops or snack carts it was beacuse the park capacity was such and wait times became issues Disney had to do something to ensure that all guests had a resonable chance to hot all the attractions in one day. Look Im not saying its a perfect system..but in visiting WDW since it opened on more trips and stays than I can count..I see far more angry guest when rides break down unexpectently..or in the case of Splash Mountain over Labor Day when it was taken off the Evening EMH ride list BUT some Cast Members werent told and ther was a huge issue with a crowd of folks already in line when mangement came out and shut it down..Im sure since Disney stopped honoring expired fast passes that would have caused issues for cast members as people used to getting one then using regardless if it was an hour past the report time..I certainly dont have any less fun because I utilize the fast pass system...

 

[wdwfan100]

My point was only to stop the foolishness of people constantly making the statement that "EVERYONE CAN GET ONE". I was trying to illustrate that NOT everyone can get one simply because of the limited numbers being given out. I also stated that it was not likely that my scenario would ever actually happen, but that wasn't the point of the post.

Why is it fair that someone that gets there earlier gets the perks and not those that arrived later. They paid the same amount for admission. There was no discount for only using part of the day. It's how the system works, not how fair it is, because it truly is not fair. Universal is massively more fair. If you can afford to buy an Express Pass you can have one. No provision other then pay the extra. Doesn't matter when you show up, it only matters that you are willing to trade off money for a pass. If not, well that was your choice. It isn't my choice when WDW runs out of FP's before I arrive. Not only that but it is an across the board Express Pass. One pass does all the EP attractions for a one time ride on each. No running from attraction to attraction to get one once every two hours or so, just buy it once use it when you want. In Disney there is nothing about it that is free or fair, unless you think that you didn't pay for it in your admission fee.

It's fair because those people that got their early made the conscious decision to make the extra effort to do so. Why is it fair for you to stroll in whenever you feel and expect to be treated like a king. If you show up late for a cook out do you expect everyone to wait for you to arrive before they eat? The admission price is irrelevant because opportunity is the same for all admission holders. For someone who mad reference to the haves and the have nots. I am stunned that you feel that paying extra is more fair than first come first serve. But even with that scenario. What happens when the allotted number of fast passes sell out. Is it still unfair because you didn't buy one in time?

 

[LaughingGravy]

The only issue I have with the fastpass system is how certain rides will sell out(so to speak) of fast passes in the very early part of the day, and then when you get to use the fast pass, if you are lucky enough to get one, that it is not exactly fast(TSMM and Soarin').
I do wish they would have more single rider lines. They have a lot at DL. That really does help with the lines at DL.
I have to say I like the model at Universal that I have heard about, where you can get an express pass for one of each ride per day. But, At $30+ per person, it's on the steep side, especially if you would be mixed in with the other "free fast pass" people and need to wait. Family of 4, that's a lot of money, unless it's a really fast pass.

 

[Belowthesurface]

The attendance figures dont hold that Disney Makes people angry..and fast passes werent created to get people in the shops or snack carts it was beacuse the park capacity was such and wait times became issues Disney had to do something to ensure that all guests had a resonable chance to hot all the attractions in one day.

What is wrong with you? Multiple RELIABLE sources have confirmed FP was created to make people spend more money.

@Lee, @marni1971, @WDW1974... can you please help?

 

[MattC]

Lol, everything Disney does is to make money or spend less money. We benefit when Disney invest in new attractions, shows, etc... But the ultimate goal of the investment is making more money.

 

[sgtmgd]

What is wrong with you? Multiple RELIABLE sources have confirmed FP was created to make people spend more money.

@Lee, @marni1971, @WDW1974... can you please help?

Look the benefit of people not standing in line is that they have more time to spend money, its a by-product of the system..just as controlling labor costs is a by product of the system..but the system was created to lessen the wait times in attractions that regularly had long wait times ensuring guest could hit each attraction in a single trip.

 

[Lee]

What is wrong with you? Multiple RELIABLE sources have confirmed FP was created to make people spend more money.

@Lee, @marni1971, @WDW1974... can you please help?

You're kinda both right.
Yes, the original concept for FP was to shorten the length of time guests were spending in line.
Why did they care? Two reasons.
1. Guests complained about spending literally hours each day waiting on a 3min ride.
And
2. A guest in line is a guest who isn't spending money.

FP addressed both issues. It raised guest satisfaction and increased guest spending.

However, it is safe to say that the idea would have never been implemented were it not for the near certainty that the increased spending would pay for the system and then some.
Bottom line, like everything else...it's all about the $$$.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It's fair because those people that got their early made the conscious decision to make the extra effort to do so. Why is it fair for you to stroll in whenever you feel and expect to be treated like a king. If you show up late for a cook out do you expect everyone to wait for you to arrive before they eat? The admission price is irrelevant because opportunity is the same for all admission holders. For someone who mad reference to the haves and the have nots. I am stunned that you feel that paying extra is more fair than first come first serve. But even with that scenario. What happens when the allotted number of fast passes sell out. Is it still unfair because you didn't buy one in time?

This isn't a situation where I get treated like a king because I get there at the crack of dawn. It's because I paid for admittance to a park that implied that I would be treated like a king. Not were you are the king and I am a pawn. If I get there at noon, I paid the same admittance as someone that arrived at rope drop. It doesn't always have to do with extra effort, it has to do with situations where one is not in control of circumstances that create the possibility of having to arrive late. This is especially true when dealing with young families and older people and those that have to travel from other locations. Do they not deserve the same treatment as any other park guests?

Let's explore the haves or have nots. How many families do you suppose cannot afford to even visit any theme park, much less worry about FP? The world is made up of haves and have nots. If you can afford a trip the caliber of WDW then you can budget a few extra bucks to pay for a FP. If you can't then you have to resign yourself to not getting one, just as those that can't afford to go at all, resign themselves to not being able to go to Disney World. It doesn't seem fair does it. You are a have and they are a have not. Thus is life.

I don't think they do run out when they are paid for because more people opt to not have one. They have kiosks that sell them all over the place...I have never seen one closed.

 

[Gabe1]

In a heartbeat! Heck, I've waited 20 minutes when I had a FastPass on some attractions. Once the FP machines were out of order for the day for Soarin. We all walked the stand-bye, you couldn't really play the interactive games on the wall because the line never really stayed put, the cattle kept moving forward.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The attendance figures dont hold that Disney Makes people angry..and fast passes werent created to get people in the shops or snack carts it was beacuse the park capacity was such and wait times became issues Disney had to do something to ensure that all guests had a resonable chance to hot all the attractions in one day. Look Im not saying its a perfect system..but in visiting WDW since it opened on more trips and stays than I can count..I see far more angry guest when rides break down unexpectently..or in the case of Splash Mountain over Labor Day when it was taken off the Evening EMH ride list BUT some Cast Members werent told and ther was a huge issue with a crowd of folks already in line when mangement came out and shut it down..Im sure since Disney stopped honoring expired fast passes that would have caused issues for cast members as people used to getting one then using regardless if it was an hour past the report time..I certainly dont have any less fun because I utilize the fast pass system...

That's because the attendance records do not reflect how many are repeat customers. None of us have that information in any solid way, but what built WDW or Disneyland is loyalty. It was how many people you can get to return. How many had such a wonderful experience that they couldn't wait to get back to it. I think you are seeing a huge number of first time guests and that the number of people that go again, after the first trip, is diminishing and will eventually be a problem, even if not now. If this is your first time at WDW and you are not well versed on the workings and you find that the majority of the time you are feeling anger, frustration or confusion, how quick do you think you are going to make a return trip. I say, not often!

You may not have seen the anger, but I certainly have. It is a subdued anger and only shared with a few people surrounding them. It becomes a visible anger when the ride breaks down and people are already on edge. Otherwise they would have no reason to be concerned or angry about an unavoidable chance breakdown. The anger isn't always justified and sometimes it is simply because they didn't understand how FP works, but it's the very presence of FP that creates that situation. Without it...the problem doesn't exist. As I have stated before Fastpass creates the very problem that it is supposed to take care of. It's like perpetual motion and is just a big continuous circle. I have been going there for many years as well. Over half the time Fastpass didn't exist. There was no anger, no upset if something broke (at least not anger, frustration sometimes yes). When the ride starts up again after a breakdown, Fastpass jumps in there to make the situation worse then before...fun idea don't you think?

 

[wdwfan100]

This isn't a situation where I get treated like a king because I get there at the crack of dawn. It's because I paid for admittance to a park that implied that I would be treated like a king. Not were you are the king and I am a pawn. If I get there at noon, I paid the same admittance as someone that arrived at rope drop. It doesn't always have to do with extra effort, it has to do with situations where one is not in control of circumstances that create the possibility of having to arrive late. This is especially true when dealing with young families and older people and those that have to travel from other locations. Do they not deserve the same treatment as any other park guests?

That's just it. They are getting the same treatment. Everyone has the same opportunity to get these fast passes. It is not about what you paid for admission to the park and what you think you deserve. Your admission also entitles you to a fire works viewing or a parade. These are at fixed times. Everyone has an equal opportunity to take advantage of this benefit. no one holds up the parade or saves a half dozen fireworks for the late arrivals just because they paid for a ticket. it is a time management issue. Everyone knows that FPs can go quick.. Just like everyone knows the parade will be at 3. You can choose not to arrive for either. But it is not the fault of those that did if you don't get a fast pass, or have a good spot to watch the parade.

Let's explore the haves or have nots. How many families do you suppose cannot afford to even visit any theme park, much less worry about FP? The world is made up of haves and have nots. If you can afford a trip the caliber of WDW then you can budget a few extra bucks to pay for a FP. If you can't then you have to resign yourself to not getting one, just as those that can't afford to go at all, resign themselves to not being able to go to Disney World. It doesn't seem fair does it. You are a have and they are a have not. Thus is life.

Between 70-75 percent of U.S. families vacation every year. Not sure how many of the remaining 25% don't go on vacation because they can't afford it. As to paying for a fast pass. I am not opposed to it. In fact, depending on how it was managed, I would probably be in favor of it. I just thought that for someone to be appealing to fairness, and talking haves and have nots to suggest that paying for something was more inclusive seemed well, bizarre. Some people have been dealt a crappy hand and through no fault of their own and they are struggling But as unpopular as this may seem. Not everyone that can't afford a vacation or go to WDW is a victim. Some people have just made very poor decision and are now reaping the cost of those decisions.

I don't think they do run out when they are paid for because more people opt to not have one. They have kiosks that sell them all over the place...I have never seen one closed.

As I said. I am for selling fast passes. My point was to your fairness statement. One could assume that the max amount of FPs would be about the same whether they are free or paid for. The potential still exists under this scenario for the max amount of FP's to be sold and Disney would then have to tell anyone that came late, sorry it was a first come, first serve opportunity. Everyone still has an equal shot at it.

 

[Belowthesurface]

You're kinda both right.
Yes, the original concept for FP was to shorten the length of time guests were spending in line.
Why did they care? Two reasons.
1. Guests complained about spending literally hours each day waiting on a 3min ride.
And
2. A guest in line is a guest who isn't spending money.

FP addressed both issues. It raised guest satisfaction and increased guest spending.

However, it is safe to say that the idea would have never been implemented were it not for the near certainty that the increased spending would pay for the system and then some.
Bottom line, like everything else...it's all about the $$$.

Thank you!

 

[Tinkwings]

I loooooooooooooove fastpass and we always utilize it and have fun with it. That being said we are thrilled when the standby is low as the queue's are fun to explore, like recently on Ariel's new ride.....AND this year even though they have stated and I have read many were turned away by coming back after the window, we successfully used 3 times, our fastpasses AFTER the window.....just like the good ol' days. I figured we had missed using them earlier due to rain or someone in my family not feeling well so why not try? We don't mind the extra walking and plan around those windows.
What I don't think I will like is having to plan my rides BEFORE I go to parks....goodness I spend enough time planning and usually the weather or our mood dictates what to do on any given day. Please don't take my fastpass away.............