Pilot Program to Add New FastPass+ Benefits for Guests Booking Club Level Rooms

I have to agree with you on that one, Lynn. Are they trying to help out those hotels?
Not sure why they changed this as well since it again dilutes overall FP+ availability.

VWL Mom;2510084 wrote: I actually have less of a problem with this than them allowing Disney Springs hotel guest 60+ FP and EMH.

:ditto: How many Club Level guest are there on property at any one time? If they did this for ALL Deluxe and DVC visitors, it may be a problem, but offering 60+ days for 'good neighbor' hotels when there are problems getting FP+ for those staying in actual Disney resorts is much worse. It almost seems like they are trying to get their resort occupation numbers DOWN!

baldburke;2510079 wrote: So the ideal state would be that walk up to an attraction and not have to wait more than 10 to 20 minutes to participate...and that you be able to do this on the turn of a dime and at your will and convenience. It would be like a utopia.

In reality Disney is asking us to plan up to 45 days ahead of time where we might be during a given window of time at a specific park. You cannot factor in things like weather, health, restroom breaks, moods, etc. The technology just is not there yet to accommodate this utopia and if it was then your ticket would probably be much more that about $100 per day.

I look at the fast passes as a nice to have but not necessarily a need to have. Are there days when we use them all and add more...yes! Are there days when we miss a bunch because we changed our plans, got busy doing something else or the weather maybe did not cooperate...yes! Do we hold it against Disney or did it diminish from our stay...absolutely not! Just my two cents...

Weak, strawman reply. But you knew that.

baldburke;2510079 wrote: So the ideal state would be that walk up to an attraction and not have to wait more than 10 to 20 minutes to participate...and that you be able to do this on the turn of a dime and at your will and convenience. It would be like a utopia.

In reality Disney is asking us to plan up to 45 days ahead of time where we might be during a given window of time at a specific park. You cannot factor in things like weather, health, restroom breaks, moods, etc. The technology just is not there yet to accommodate this utopia and if it was then your ticket would probably be much more that about $100 per day.

I look at the fast passes as a nice to have but not necessarily a need to have. Are there days when we use them all and add more...yes! Are there days when we miss a bunch because we changed our plans, got busy doing something else or the weather maybe did not cooperate...yes! Do we hold it against Disney or did it diminish from our stay...absolutely not! Just my two cents...

Strawman reply. But you knew that.

RunDMV;2510096 wrote: Weak, strawman reply. But you knew that.

Wow...that's not cool on Intercot!

The very first time we went we had no idea that fast passes existed. We stood in stand by and watched people breeze by us, wondering how much more they spent on those tickets to get them to the front of the line. Heck, we'd walk by those FP machines and didn't give 'em a second thought. I remember thinking the next time we come, I'm going to have to find out how to get those "faster to the front of the line passes" .... looking back on how overwhelmed we were on that first trip, how much we missed makes me laugh now. So, new guests now will never know how GREAT Disney was. I still love it there and pine away thinking over our next trip, but I can't see how new guests ever want to return. Everything seemed "better" ... the busses were fun, the CM's played games with us while waiting ..... it is truly all about the money, as it was back then too, but now it is over-the-top obvious. Change is inevitable with everything, we simply tend to hold Disney to a higher standard as to not hurt us in any way ... we are a customer and they're a business. We are a number to them and as long as we keep heading back, why would they want to change back ??

The very first time we went we had no idea that fast passes existed. We stood in stand by and watched people breeze by us, wondering how much more they spent on those tickets to get them to the front of the line.

I am still amazed at how many people still don't know about this. My DCP DS told me that a majority of visitors ask about FP+ with no clue it is free and available to everyone.

VWL Mom;2510084 wrote: I actually have less of a problem with this than them allowing Disney Springs hotel guest 60+ FP and EMH.

good point.

How did this ever turn out? Did they wind up permanently implementing it?

Cinderelley;2523080 wrote: How did this ever turn out? Did they wind up permanently implementing it?

It is still in use... Not much of a pilot program... It is full head on PAY FOR FP+... just a matter of when it is rolled out for the rest of the unwashed masses....

I think they are still using it and still calling it a pilot program, but they've taken a couple of the benefits out of the offering. For example, it no longer includes special access to viewing areas for fireworks and shows - unless it's via a fast pass offering (like Fantasmic or Rivers Of Light).

I guess time will tell if they decide to expand and roll it out to other guests to buy. Or they could go the other way and just cancel it - but if guests are buying and they're making money, that doesn't seem likely. In some ways, folks have already been paying for FP for many years now - by paying the price of staying onsite at a Disney resort, you get the 60-day option. This bumps that up a notch.

DizneyFreak2002;2523083 wrote: It is still in use... Not much of a pilot program... It is full head on PAY FOR FP+... just a matter of when it is rolled out for the rest of the unwashed masses....

Of course. Create an artificial scarcity of demand for a product with an inelastic demand and watch profit margin increase exponentially.

RunDMV;2523097 wrote: Of course. Create an artificial scarcity of demand for a product with an inelastic demand and watch profit margin increase exponentially.

Well, that is Disney.

RunDMV;2523097 wrote: Of course. Create an artificial scarcity of demand for a product with an inelastic demand and watch profit margin increase exponentially.

And it works... Disney is the best in making people feel that HAVE TO do something in order to enjoy WDW... Disney is the best in making parents think they HAVE TO take their children to WDW or else they are bad parents... Disney is the best in pick pocketing their guests...

I have placed the blame on Disney for nickle and diming us for ever... But truth is, we, the guests, are at fault... If we could only resist their marketing schemes, and if only we could resist their ploys...

But as long as Disney lives, we'll be coerced into paying for things that, well, in all honestly, should be "free" and I put free in quotes cause, in reality, nothing is ever truly free... We pay for it one way or another... It is the EXTRA costs that really get me...

Thankfully, my last 4 trips have cost me minimal amounts of money...

I cannot say that I would be against paying more to get more / better access to rides / shows / attractions. I mean lets face it that is what we are as a society in America. Money talks. With this said....I still loath the Fastpass + system and I still refuse to book any trip to Disneyworld regardless of how many Fastpass's they throw at me since they would still require me to plan a two minute ride experience months in advance and given the demand of planning on what used to be a simple trip....I do not see the value in the system.

To add to my thoughts above....I am perfectly fine with it. Not going to Disneyworld yearly has allowed me to see a lot more of the real world with my family and I believe we are better because of it.