Fastpass Changes In March

[Figment!]

FastPass works best for everyone when the calculated number of Guests show up inside their allotted time window. If more Guests enter the FastPass queue than the calculated number (plus a small margin), it makes the FastPass and Stand-by wait times longer than intended.

What is the next gen fastpass going to be like? I

If the two new Fantasyland queue's are a hint, the Next Generation queue's may be queue-less.

It's been anticipated that (at least) part of the "Next Gen" project is to create a queue where groups of Guests are released into an area, have some form of interactive expereince, and then proceed to the ride.

For this type of system to work with FastPass, it would require the calculated number (or less) of Guests to show up in each window to keep a constant flow.

[ChipNDale79]

I will be okay with this....IF they allow you to pick a later time when you get the FP. For example, if we're in Tomorrowland at 10 AM, and the FPs for Buzz are at 1 or 2 (during our son's nap time), I would like the option of picking a later time when I get my FPs.
I am starting to worry that the "privileged" FPs are coming. You can pay a certain amount for certain FP perks, or only resort guests can get them, what have you. And if they do go back to a type of Ticket Book (which is essentially what paying for FPs leads to), they better lower the gate price.

This would work for me, I'd love to be able to pick a later time if I had the option.

[FriendsofMickey]

It's one of the perks that makes Disney what they are, if I have to stand in line for 2 hours every time i want to ride something, then I wont go as often.

I've got a Theme Park less than 5 miles from my house, yet I drive 8 hours to go to Disney. Disney is heads and shoulders above other theme parks, and the FP system is one of the things that sets them aside from others.

But they are not getting rid of the Fast Pass, they are still going to have the Perk. They are just going to enforce the end time policy. The enforcement of the end time should be something that is rarely needed in reality. I have never gotten a fast pass with the mission of ignoring the end time. It has happened that I was late, but it is rare and now if it happens I will just accept the fact that I missed out.

It is the same as if I had dining reservation and my child got sick, I cannot expect the restaurant to accept yesterdays reservation for today, because I had reservations the day before.

[FriendsofMickey]

FastPass works best for everyone when the calculated number of Guests show up inside their allotted time window. If more Guests enter the FastPass queue than the calculated number (plus a small margin), it makes the FastPass and Stand-by wait times longer than intended.



If the two new Fantasyland queue's are a hint, the Next Generation queue's may be queue-less.

It's been anticipated that (at least) part of the "Next Gen" project is to create a queue where groups of Guests are released into an area, have some form of interactive expereince, and then proceed to the ride.

For this type of system to work with FastPass, it would require the calculated number (or less) of Guests to show up in each window to keep a constant flow.

This sound very interesting! I cannot wait to witness it first hand!

[Stu29573]

I have to vote in favor of the change. I can count on one hand the times I've used a Fastpass beyond the window...and even then I felt a little "funny" about it! I think this might actually help for those attractions where the Fastpasses are gone instantly in the morning , but maybe not...

[MrPeetrie]

I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around what precipitated the NEED for a change in the first place. Was there an outcry for stricter times? Were people unhappy with the current system? I thought it was perfect.

On our prior trips, we always tried to adhere to the window. Sometimes, with young children, our plans would get changed. If we showed up after ou time slot, I would always ask "Is my FastPass still good?" if they were to say no, I'd have no problem. But when they'd say yes, subconsciously I'd say "Gotta love Disney. They accommodate their guests first." Why change that without a hue and cry for it?

[DizneyFreak2002]

To me it seems that Disney is headed in the direction that everything has to be planned out before you hit the park, that doesn't sound like a lot of fun to me.

The system works great as it is now.

Disney are heading in that direction... The NextGen part of Fastpass will include reserving ride times at home when you book your vacation... Think of it as ADRs... And this enforcement (and it is about time too!!!) is to make sure this new NextGen Fastpass works the way it is supposed to.. Right now, FP does NOT work right... And yes, it is Disney's fault for not enforcing the time frames from the beginning...

So i guess everyone is ok with having to plan every detail of your trip out.

I don't like the direction disney is going with "windows" and ADRs. You already have to make ADRs 6 months in advance to make sure you get what you want.

I think the window option will work on things like BTMR, or SM. Its TSMM or Soarin that i can foresee a problem with. If you get there at park opening and get back to the FP machines the first option to get a FP may actually be 4 or 6pm in the afternoon.

To me that tells me something isnt right with the system, if I want to use my FP then I literally have to plan the rest of my day around that window.

Either way, I know i'll get flamed for my opinion on this, this is a very sensitive subject to some people.

No flaming... I don't like having to plan every minute of my vacation either... I hate the 6 month out window... Here is the great thing about this though, you don't have to use it... You can still choose to enjoy your vacation on the fly...

Once the ADR version of FP is implemented, I hope Disney puts restrictions on it... I hope they only allow 1, maybe 2 at the most FP reservations...

[jetsdc]

Let's not forget - the whole point of FP is to get you to skip the line when you return. If you come late, it throws the whole system off b/c more people will be accessing the queue than intended. This is one of the reasons WHY we often have to wait longer than expected even if you HAVE a FP.

It doesn't make sense to argue that this is being done to favor Disney at the guest's expense. If anything, it should enhance the guest experience if in fact you get through the FP line more quickly, as originally intended. I do agree that they will need to do a very good job of communicating the change, though.

[ChipNDale79]

No flaming... I don't like having to plan every minute of my vacation either... I hate the 6 month out window... Here is the great thing about this though, you don't have to use it... You can still choose to enjoy your vacation on the fly...

Sometimes if you dont make reservations six months out, its very hard to get the reservations you want. If you don't make reservations for table services, good luck eating what you want to. They are making it very hard to "wing it" now.

[PopPhan]

I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around what precipitated the NEED for a change in the first place. Was there an outcry for stricter times? Were people unhappy with the current system? I thought it was perfect.

There had/have been a number of people who would 'collect' FastPasses (even some - on this site - who proudly proclaimed that this was the way to go) and wait until late in the day, then ride everything they wanted just before closing time.

This meant that the FastPass collection and lines were skewed -- more people in the FastPass lines later in the day. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of the FastPass distribution being used to 'smooth out' the waits for some ofthe busier/more popular rides and attractions.

As an earlier poster stated, this probably should have been enforced from the very beginning...

[dnickels]

If you are going to get a FastPass knowing that you are going to be in a restaurant at a time within the FastPass window, just don't....

This thread is so ripe for a First World Problems parody.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Sometimes if you dont make reservations six months out, its very hard to get the reservations you want. If you don't make reservations for table services, good luck eating what you want to. They are making it very hard to "wing it" now.

Counter service works for me... And there are plenty of places OFF property that are so much better, and cheaper, than a lot of the bland food served in WDW restaurants... I just leave the parks...

[MrPeetrie]

There had/have been a number of people who would 'collect' FastPasses (even some - on this site - who proudly proclaimed that this was the way to go) and wait until late in the day, then ride everything they wanted just before closing time.

This meant that the FastPass collection and lines were skewed -- more people in the FastPass lines later in the day. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of the FastPass distribution being used to 'smooth out' the waits for some ofthe busier/more popular rides and attractions.

As an earlier poster stated, this probably should have been enforced from the very beginning...

I see. Apparently, the system was being abused in a way so now it needs to be corrected or adjusted. Thanks, PopPhan for the explanation.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I see. Apparently, the system was being abused in a way so now it needs to be corrected or adjusted. Thanks, PopPhan for the explanation.

Yes it was being abused... But this is more to getting things under control more for the new NextGen FP system, not so much cause the system was being abused... If Disney were not going to the new NextGen FP, they probably would allow people to continue to abuse the system...

[biodtl]

I think the biggest problem with this isn't the policy itself, it is that Disney allowed the leeway with the end times to begin with.

Exactly - I have never had a problem getting back in the FP window (except once where we were on an attraction that broke down), so to me, it seems like this will be a problem for the CMs more than guests. But it WILL be a problem for even the guests who have no problem with the policy if they are stuck waiting behind someone who wants to argue with the CM about it.

I'm okay with it, too, but here's my thing ... Disney better be smart about this and publicize it well.

Yep - they will need to have signs (and possibly CMs posted at the FP stations) letting people know. And I think that will only REDUCE complaints, rather than eliminate them. I have visions of disgruntled folks complaining to guest services & ending up getting rewarded, which defeats the whole purpose.

The NextGen part of Fastpass will include reserving ride times at home when you book your vacation

This sounds decidedly unfun. I don't have a problem with making ADRs, etc in advance, but this is a little much planning for me.

[gregf71]

Just to clarify, is this for all of the Disney parks? Disneyland and Disneyland Paris, etc. included?

[Ian]

FastPass works best for everyone when the calculated number of Guests show up inside their allotted time window. If more Guests enter the FastPass queue than the calculated number (plus a small margin), it makes the FastPass and Stand-by wait times longer than intended.

If it does, it does so in a very small way. A few people here and there aren't going to make your wait time significantly longer. Not only that, but the one point that people consistently miss is that it also makes the wait times shorter for other people. If I'm not in the queue during my window because I come back later, that means you got on using your FP one "group" faster.

I think the impact from this whole "using FP after your window" brouhaha is DRAMATICALLY overblown.

It's been anticipated that (at least) part of the "Next Gen" project is to create a queue where groups of Guests are released into an area, have some form of interactive expereince, and then proceed to the ride.

I don't get how this is Next Gen anything. This idea debuted about 25 years ago and is called "the pre-show."

You know, that thing just about every theme park goer in the world loathes? I'd rather stand in a queue than be subjected to any type of pre-show.

[joonyer]

Once a policy or rule has not been enforced for a while, many people began to think that they are "entitled" to violate the policy or rule, which can lead to a lot of problems when strict enforcement of the policy or rule is begun. For instance, there's a stop sign on my residential street, where almost none of the residents ever stopped completely)(me, too). For years, the police never patrolled the street or watched the sign. Guess what happened when a new officer decided to write tickets to folks who didn't stop there. Outrage at City Hall. "You should have warned us!", even though the stop sign clearly says "STOP" and everyone knows what it means.

I agree that publicity will be helpful, such as big signs at the FP kiosks which inform users that: "NOTICE: Fast passes WILL NOT be honored after the time printed on the pass"

Of course some will still complain, because even though FastPasses are free (even though Disney could easily charge for them), the rules should not apply to them (insert excuse here).

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

Okay - so they are going to enforce something that should not have been allowed to be abused to begin with. I personally never did have an issue getting back to my FP time window. And if I didn't think that my park plans would match up to the FP times posted, I wouldn't get a FP.

As for the Next Gen FP and having to make FP ADRs in advanced of your trip....well, maybe that will free up the lines for those of us that like to wing it and find waiting in lines a fun, people watching experience.

[Goofster]

I've never been allowed to enter the FP line even one minute early. I've also never tried to use one after the time window, I assumed you couldn't. I've had quite a few expire and I didn't bother to use them.