With Fastpass+, visitors staying at one of Walt Disney World's on-site hotels can make ride and show reservations in advance of their visit to the Walt Disney World Resort. Guests not staying on-site can make reservations the day of their visit, using kiosks located throughout the park.
Unlike the old Fastpass system, you don't get a paper ticket with a return time when you make a reservation at one of these new kiosks. Your return time now is associated with your park admission ticket (or MagicBand, if you're staying at a Disney hotel) in a central database. So you just touch your ticket or MagicBand to the Fastpass+ stanchion at the attraction's entrance at your designated return time, and you're good to go.
That means that some visitors using admission tickets they bought years ago will need to swap their old tickets for the new chip-carrying ones. Even if you're not planning to use the Fastpass+ system, you'll need the chip-enabled tickets to get past the parks' new entrance system. So if you're using old no-expire tickets for your next Walt Disney World visit, plan to arrive earlier to make that switch at any park ticket booth.
Two other big changes from the old Fastpass system: You can select (and change!) your return time — it's no longer the take-it-or-leave-it next-in-order time that Fastpass gave you; and (here's the big one) you're limited to just three reservation return times per day. Right now, all three Fastpass+ reservations have to be in the same park, but that's expected to change eventually. But the new three-reservations-per-person limit will change the way that many experienced Disney visitors will go through the parks.
Under the old system, you could get just one Fastpass per admission ticket when you entered the park. You could get another Fastpass two hours after that (or less, if your Fastpass return time was less than two hours in the future). By devising or following sometimes complicated schedules through the park, many well-informed Disney visitors could get half-a-dozen to a dozen, or more, Fastpasses during the day.
Since it's a change from the familiar, Fastpass+ might seem more complex than the original Fastpass system. But since you're limited to just three FP+ reservations per day, and can make them all at once, the new system actually simplifies a Disney World visit considerably. Forget about sending one member of your party ahead with a handful of your admission tickets to go get Fastpasses for everyone, several times a day. If you're staying at a Walt Disney World hotel, you can make all your reservations online, before you leave home. And if you're not, you can take care of all your reservations for the day at once, when you enter the park. You don't need to keep track of when you're eligible to get another Fastpass, or hike all the way across the park to get the Fastpasses for the ride you want reservations on next, either. You can make or change Fastpass+ reservations at any Fastpass+ kiosk, or, if you're staying on-site, with Disney's My Disney Experience mobile phone or tablet app.
Even though you can use only three Fastpass+ reservations per day, but that doesn't mean you can only make three reservations. Remember, you can change Fastpass+ reservations. So if you get to a location where you have a Fastpass+ return time, and see that the ride or show is a walk-on, don't waste one of your three return times by using it then. Look for a nearby kiosk, or cast member with a iPad, and switch that reservation to another attraction — one with a more substantial wait time.
For visitors, the point of Fastpass+, like Fastpass before it, is to save you time waiting in line. So you'll want to use your three reservations on things that otherwise would have demanded a long wait time during your visit. In addition to popular rides with traditionally long waits such as Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Soarin', Test Track, Midway Mania, and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, consider spending your Fastpass+ reservations on things such as reserved viewing spots for the Magic Kingdom fireworks and slow-moving character meet 'n' greets, if those time spots are available.
If you're not staying on-site, you'll improve your chances of getting these most useful reservations is you go to one of the Fastpass+ kiosks as soon as the park opens. Here's where you will find the kiosks:
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Keep in mind that you might find a shorter wait to use the kiosks by heading to the back of the park, if you're not among the first in to use the ones nearest the front.
If you are staying on-site, you might think that you don't need to get up early to beat the crowd any longer, now that your Fastpass+ reservation times are secured in advance. You could sleep in, but you'll be missing what might become an even better time to ride the park's most popular attractions, as Fastpass+ pulls many "day visitors" straight to the kiosks first thing in the morning, keeping them from the attraction queues.
Over the next months, we'll learn how Fastpass+ affects guest flow through the parks, as hard-core Disney fans are now limited to three reservations, and Disney keeps fine-tuning the distribution of Fastpass+ times among hotel guests and day visitors as well as how much capacity to leave for visitors in stand-by lines.
Our question for you is this: Which system do you think you will prefer? Would you rather have seen Disney stick with the old, take-it-or-leave-it paper Fastpass system, or more flexible, online, but limited-to-three-total Fastpass+ system?
We're pushing the leaners here, with no options for "Neither" or a Universal-style unlimited front-of-line pass. We're asking you to pick one or the other, based on your experience and what you've read about the systems.
Let's hear your thoughts about Fastpass+, in the comments.
That being said, I have to agree that I, much to my surprise, voted for Fastpass+. On the face of it, if it works as described, it actually sounds much more relaxed and less frantic than the old Fastpass system that I HATED. We'll see....
So having FastPass+ lets me reserve my favorite rides (the popular ones, let's just say) and take my time enjoying the park. I don't have to rush around. It's relaxing.
Of course, this is for the times I take a Staycation and treat myself to an on-site hotel (usually Port Orleans: Riverside).
FastPass is great, but I really prefer FP+, honestly.
I just wish Premium Pass holders would get 4/day. And heck, allow those $1000 gold passes 5/day. Why not? I know this may be outside of the guidelines there at the end, but I still think at a certain price point, you can surely get one extra Fast Pass. Surely.
Don't call me Shirley. :p
As far as I could see this wee, all the FP+ is doing is creating yet another line to wait in to use a terminal to know when to go wait in a different line.
They spent how much for this turkey? Just think how many new or refurbished attractions they could have had for the same money.
Where's my newspaper? (rolling it up) Bad executive! Bad Executive! Go sit in your corner!
I do agree that the best solution would be removing FP completely and just going to straight stand-by. Even when you waited a while, the lines would move consistently. The problem is that Disney hasn't built ride capacity to keep up with demand, so they have to use tricks instead of building new attractions.
Here are a few things I loathe about this new money waster:
* There will be an insane cluster around the handful of kiosks every day. In the old days, people were distributed around the park at rope drop, some in line, some getting fast passes. Now they'll be fighting over the measly few kiosks in order to make their reservations. Plenty of people will hold up the line for long minutes while they mull over their options, whereas in the old days, they would have gotten their FPs in seconds. What a mess.
* Disney charges us extra for the park hopping option, but now it will be impossible to get any FPs for your second park of the day. Enjoy all those 90 minute waits at the most popular rides! This system is set up as if park hopping didn't exist; I guess incorporating it into the system was just too much trouble for the programmers, so they said "screw it, just leave it out." Oh, gee, thanks.
* Being limited to three FPs per day is a joke. FP +? It's more like FP -.
* Very few people see the joy in micro-planning your day weeks or months in advance. This is a vacation, not a workday.
And last, but not least...
* Disney has reportedly put projects on hold because of the tons of money that this system has already gobbled! So enjoy it, because this is what we're getting INSTEAD of what we really want, i.e. new or plussed rides and attractions!
So true! Hell, I would take just a functioning Yeti over this garbage any day!
We are going with a family of about ten people at once this May. How hard is it going to be to go to a kiosk (we are not staying on site) and get all ten of us the same three rides and return times? I'm concerned that this new system could cause me to go on and get like five of us reserved for something and then when I start the next five the times are not available or something. It will be important that this new system allows people in big groups the ability to all ride together (because what fun is it if I get a fastpass for something that the rest of the group does not).
On vacation/holiday I really don't want to have to plan everything, we have to do that at work, I just want to chill and relax. Admittedly, I do use fastpass (if it is made available then you are silly not to!) and I can see that being able to get them all at one location is easier than having to hike about the park getting them from various locations throughout the day. Though what will the queues be like at the fastpass+ kiosks, I agree with Sylvain - surely with all that choice people will take ages deciding the time/attractions?
One question - I could easily see myself forgetting which time was booked for which three attractions - do you have to remember those times? refer back to the kiosks if you forget (and queue)? or are you given some kind of printout?
The one thing I do not like is the three attraction limit. If that was the case, we would have all our fastpasses done by noon and get on less rides. I hope they change this part.
They should give people an option to print a receipt to remind them of their FP times. I do think the tickets are a waste of paper. Most times, one ticket per party should have been enough.
You're paying for customer service here. You're well within your rights as a consumer to take advantage of that, and ask for a human being to help you with this.
For example, in the old days, a family with kids could get one fast pass after another for Peter Pan, a ride that is notorious for long lines. Under this system, that is impossible. Other posters have provided plenty of other examples.
To all those who complained on this thread, thank you for expressing your concerns. But is Disney reading this? I urge you to complain to the Walt Disney Company directly. They are the ones who are shoving this system down our throats, without consulting their fans and guests. They are the ones who spent a fortune on this instead of new rides. They need to hear from us that we hate this system.
Being a Disney cast member and actually working in The Magic Kingdom, I'd have to say that although I'm not a fan of the new system, it is definitely forward thinking. Sure your options are limited now, but just wait. Anything new always has it's fair share of bugs and needs tweaking. I expect 2014 to be a trail run of the new system the way it is now but come 2015, major improvements and issues that need to be fixed will be addressed. One of them being the limit of fast passes. I believe that Disney resort guests should have no limit, they are giving more money to Disney anyways. But rather, only off-property guests should have limits. I also very much dislike that online reservation deal. I believe that just takes the fun out of it. But as upset as most of you are, don't worry, things are going to change and improvements are going to be made to the system in the coming months. Disney had no way of knowing how the system would do without testing it out first so they could find the bugs. There's nowhere to go but up from here! This system obviously isn't leaving anytime soon. And considering Disney spent over a billion U.S. dollars, you know that they had the guests best interests in mind for the long run. They wouldn't implement and spend that much money on something if it wasn't an improvement and provided guests with a better, more convenient experience. And as a cast member, I know that guest satisfaction is of utmost importance and is the most strongly stressed value that any cast member learns during training. We care about your experience and we just need you to trust us on this one. So just be patient, as soon as the bugs are worked out, the system will be the best in the world, there's no doubt!
Here are a few choice phrases in quotation marks, and my responses:
"Sure your options are limited now, but just wait. Anything new always has it's fair share of bugs and needs tweaking."
Wait for how long? We are planning a WDW visit this year. So because we have the misfortune of landing on the year that this crap is being installed, we have the choice of either putting off our vacation, or just grin and bear it? Gee, thanks.
If the system has too many cramping limitations and bugs in it, why not leave the existing Fast Pass system in place and give people the option of choosing which system to use, until all those bugs have been ironed out? Maybe they're afraid that EVERYONE will just use the old system, and that would be just too embarassing after they committed so much money to forcing this crap on all of us?
"I expect 2014 to be a trail run of the new system the way it is now but come 2015, major improvements and issues that need to be fixed will be addressed. One of them being the limit of fast passes."
You expect? We're supposed to take the word of a supposed CM? Does that make you an insider who actually makes decisions? These supposed major improvements will really address everyone's concerns and complaints? Do you have a bridge to sell us, too?
"There's nowhere to go but up from here!"
That's because this thing is so awful that it can't possibly get any worse. I hope.
"And considering Disney spent over a billion U.S. dollars, you know that they had the guests best interests in mind for the long run. They wouldn't implement and spend that much money on something if it wasn't an improvement and provided guests with a better, more convenient experience."
Funny how such blind faith comes from an employee, whereas even the biggest Disney fans never expressed such sentiments, in any of the FP+ threads I've read. Don't be fooled, people, this has nothing to do with improving the guest experience. This system was implemented because it allows Disney to track our spending in the parks, and makes it easier for guests to spend in the shops and restaurants. It's all about Big Brother and selling more merch.
"And as a cast member, I know that guest satisfaction is of utmost importance and is the most strongly stressed value that any cast member learns during training. We care about your experience and we just need you to trust us on this one."
This is just too much. By all appearances, guest satisfaction was the last thing on their minds when they decided to put this in place. Were any real guests actually surveyed when this system was being designed? I've answered many guest surveys, online, on the phone and in the parks, and they never asked about FP+. Did anyone ask us a variation on the following question: "as a guest, would you prefer that the company spend a billion dollars on a new, high tech reservation system, or spend that same billion on new and plussed attractions?" By many accounts, their investment in FP+ HAS resulted in slashed budgets for future lands, attractions, and the 60th anniversary of Disneyland (a landmark event that is apparently raising nothing but yawns among the Disney suits).
"So just be patient, as soon as the bugs are worked out, the system will be the best in the world, there's no doubt!"
No doubt? I hear lots and lots of doubts expressed in this and other threads, and with good reason. When a company clearly cares about nothing but the almighty dollar, I have lots of doubts. It is certainly very hard to believe that this system will be "the best in the world" when it's already so heavily flawed coming out of the gate.
The irony is this: if they cared about something besides money, they would make lots more money. If they cared passionately about reinvesting in their parks, maximizing their potential and making them all world class destinations, their parks would enjoy a level of wild success that they can't even imagine today. They could increase their admission prices and prices for APs, and no one would care, because the parks would be worth every penny (as an example, Tokyo Disney Resort charges higher prices, but most agree the quality is worth it).
They wouldn't have to bribe people to come, with endless series of discounts and free dining plans, because people would be dying to come back again and again. And the parks would have the ride capacity to handle the crowds, because they would be chock full of great attractions, not just a handful of good ones and not-so-good ones, plus lots and lots of shops and restaurants.
There are many areas of crying need in Disney parks, but, instead of addressing them, they spent a fortune on FP+. Epcot has long-shuttered pavilions, and the World Showcase needs more rides. Several lame and unpopular "attractions" (e.g. Stitch, Sounds Dangerous, The Backlot Tour, Journey Into Imagination, and some of the aging stage shows, etc.) badly need to be replaced. And the Yeti needs to be fixed! All of these and more are being ignored, but FP+ and Magic Bands? Full speed ahead!
That being said, I would like to see the following changes to the system to make it both more appealing and closer to Fastpass:
-Total reservations are not restricted, but you may only have three active reservations at a time. Once you have used a reservation, you may go to a kiosk and make another reservation from those remaining for that day.
-You may use Fastpass+ at multiple parks on the same day, but advanced reservations may only be made for one park per day and your total active reservations across all parks is limited to three.
-All visitors may reserve times up to a month in advance of their visit provided they have already purchased admission tickets.
-Visitors staying on property receive extra perks including the ability to make reservations further before their visit, additional active reservations and/or ability to reserve attractions at multiple parks on the same day.
People, you just paid nearly $100 to get in the gates! You shouldn't need a frigging fighting chance to see ANY attraction. I am going into this as open minded as I can, but we have all of our family coming down in April and they are staying offsite at a vacation home, but already have $13K invested in this vacation between lodging, airfare, and park tickets.
If this new FP+ is not available to them or makes their experience any less enjoyable this is one family that will never renew their Premium Passes ever again.
Technology is supposed to make your life and vacation easier, not the other way around. Like I said....open mind with consequences prepared. We can do other things with the significant amount we spend each and every year at Disney.
Step 1. You walk all the way over to an attraction you want to get a fastpass for
Step 2. Go kill time doing other things until your window opens.
Step 3. Go to another attraction to get the next fastpass you may want.
Step 4. Walk halfway back across the park to use your first fastpass at the first attraction.
Step 5 Repeat until closing time.
Or fastpass+
Step 1. Get 3 fastpasses (either before you arrive, or worst case scenario, on the morning you get to the park)
Step 2. Use when the time is due.
Done!
Sounds like fastpass+ gives you more time to enjoy the park rather then racing around the park commando style trying to get the most out of the day. I hope that the person who threatened to not renew their passes if their day was inconvenienced by fastpass+ takes into account how their now not being inconvenienced by regular fastpass.
I assume that they decided to limit it to 3 passes each because that's how many passes the average person actually gets, so it's a more level playing field for everyone. But even then, theme park insiders will know which rides are worth pre-booking (Splash, Space) and which are probably not (Pirates, Mansion) so the mega fan can't be to pissed about this since they'll still have their advantage, but the average visitor will still end up getting more out of the system.
People worried about park hopping needn't be either, because it's likely to be no different from when you park hop now and all the desirable fast passes are gone late in the day.
I got taken in too when all the fan sites were saying "You have to book your wait times months in advance!" "It's the end of the spontaneous holiday!" "It's 9/11 all over again!" but the reality of the system seems really promising.
The one thing I do not get is what is the bottom line for Disney? How is this going to make them more money. I am going to start a question in the discussions about this, but what is this going to solve. We are big WDW fans and we are still going to go, but it would make me think that they are actually going to cause us to use less money (weird, isn't it?)
Under the old Fastpass system, it was possible to get Fastpasses for Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain and Peter Pan all in one day. Seeing those four attractions in one day is no longer possible under Fastpass+ (unless you're willing to wait in insanely long lines for each ride).
Fastpass+ offers a lower quality product for the same amount of money. Therefore, Fastpass+ is a hidden price increase.
We are scheduled for a trip next month. Now we will get 3 FP+, not 6. And only one (or 2) of those will be for a "tier 1" attraction. So I anticipate at least 4 more trips to the standby line than we are used to doing. I don't like that.
The technology sounds great. I just don't like the limit of 3 FP and the tiering.
Would it be so hard to say off-site guests get 3 per day, value guests get 4, moderate guests get 5, and deluxe get 6?
Also, annual pass holders should get 3 as well. They can go any time. They have 365 days per year to ride whatever ride they want, and I'd like to see most of the fast passes reserved for those out of town guests who have to save, plan, and take time off work or school to experience Disney parks.
But as was also mentioned, it's all moot if they don't fix, replace, and/or add new rides. Especially at DHS and EPCOT.
Great idea. How about it, Robert?
Why the excessive pessimism? Off-site guests can still use Fastpass+, but they are restricted to 3 per day. The on-site guests get 3 per day, but they get to reserve much earlier. The restriction to 3 FP per person per day means the On-site guests have no numerical advantage to getting FP.
Off-site and On-site guests can both use the dining reservations system. On-site guests are allowed to enroll in the Dining Plan, but there is debate on whether it is worth it.
As I see it, there is no clear-cut advantage that On-site guests have aside from advance FP+ and the Dining Plan. The Magic Bands make things easier and I see this as a long term plan to add more services like a cruise ship where inclusive and pre-paid services are included with the trip. Convenience will encourage more spending.
Once On-site guests are acclimated to the program, it can easily be transferred to the off-site guests with the Annual Passholders as the first in-line to get the service. Then the Off-Site mult-day passholders get their chance. The single park day tripper is the last in line to get the MB or not at all since their spending is most restricted.
I certainly hope more attractions are developed for such an expensive MagicBand program doesn't make sense without more rides to take advantage of FP+.
Oh and it means I can actually watch the fireworks from a better vintage point. I am actually happy with this. Waiting in line for 20 - 30 minutes with an amazing theming throughout the queue? Also, it mea s that I can totally control with restaurant reservations WHEN I will ride something (so many times I ended up rushing through my lunch or dinner because of that Fastpass that I had 3 hours prior that was just about to run out).
Do I think 3 is limiting? Perhaps. But I also don't think that riding Expedition Everest 20 times in a day is normal. But if that's what you want to do, use the single rider line.
Anyways… I will be using this system in May. I can't wait to see how it actually works i reality… and i am always staying at a Disney resort, so I will be able to reserve in advance.
My family recently traveled to Orlando during peak season. I wish I could take my family in the offseason when the parks aren't as crowded, but parents get in big trouble nowadays for letting their kids ditch school even for special occasions like this vacation.
We spent four days at Disney and one day at Universal Studios. We bought Park Hoppers for Disney and Park to Park access for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. We didn't buy the Front of the Line passes at Universal.
The longest day we spent at Disney was 16 hours. The only day we spent at Universal was 10 hours. But in that 10 hours, we were able to experience 21 rides, including all of the highest rated rides. We never came close to riding 21 rides at Disney in any single day there, even though we spent multiple 16 hour days at Disney as compared to only a single 10 hour day at Universal.
Guess which day my family enjoyed the most? If you said Universal, you guessed right!
The Disney rides are great, but there are not enough great rides to satisfy the multitude of people that Disney attracts. How do wait times for Disney rides get to be 3 hour longs? Do 3 hour wait times happen by magic or by accident? Or do 3 hour wait times occur when a company doesn't reinvest enough money in adding new rides and expanding capacity for the most popular rides?
If Disney does not have enough money to invest in new rides and new capacity, how on earth do they have enough money to invest over a billion dollars in Fastpass+ and Magic Bands?
Epcot still has regular fast passes and then fastpass plus for resort guests only. We tried to get a soarin fp around 10:30 am, again sold out for the day and 2 hr waits. We are moving to a disney resort for the 2nd half of our stay so I tried to use their disney experience app to book my fastpass+ for tomorrow for the high demand rides. System glitches wouldn't allow me to link my tickets and I had to spend 1/2 an hour on the phone with disney to manually do this and have them book our 3 fp+ only to find out Epcot has the tiered system so you can only book 1 "column A" aka in demand ride. The "column B" rides you would never need a fastpass for anyway. Things like the Frozen meet and greet fp+ is not offered and that was a 4 hour wait! I expressed my opinions to Disney over the phone and they really don't seem to care, some of the reactions from cast members to frustrated guests in the park were bordering on hostile. Not the happiest place on earth today!
We visit disney yearly and I'm pretty sure we will not be returning now for a number of years, the parks are so overcapacity now even in the "off season" and this just adds hassle and frustration. On top of that the parks are dirtier than I have ever seen them, particularly the washrooms - absolutely shocking for Disney. What a difference I'm seeing since our last visit only 9 months ago. Apparently the fp+ system cost came out of the custodial budget.
I have always liked the park hopper passes. I like to visit one park and just to another park to see an evening show (such as Fantasmic). I'd like to be able to book a ride (Fastpass+) in the second park, ahead of time. That's not what I'm reading here.
After my vacation in April, I'll probably have a love or hate opinion of the new system.
George
How did we get conditioned to believe that 2 to 3 hour wait times for rides are acceptable and normal?
Disney spent more than a billion dollars on Fastpass+ and Magic Bands. They could have built another theme park with that money.
I forsee fastpass plus to only be offered to guests spending over $X per day. Maybe if you spend $2000/day in shopping/lodging/dining will you get some fast passes. If you're off site. You don't spend a ton of money. You're going to be stuck.
More vacation clubs. More hotels. Less attractions. More stores. Lower quality goods, food and services. THAT is the future of Disney as much as it breaks my heart.
1. It is all a test. Clearly, people are pissed, and the feed back will be taken into consideration when finalizing all the features. For example, the limit if 3 passes and no park hopping was probably a transition policy. When both Legacy and Fastpass + were used at the same time, they flat out had to limit the passes. But now that there are no paper tickets, then once the system is working, and the rest of the permanent kiosks are installed ( there will be plenty), expect more passes and flexibility.
2. Time selecting passes in park now, in reality, roughly equates to the collective time spent acquiring passes before. Now you just wait all at once, in one line, to select them. And as more kiosks open (And all the rapid construction site pop ups indicate that more will), time spent setting up passes will reduce greatly. These things can't happen over night.
3. If there are less passes going out, wait times will be shorter. Subtract all the GAC cards from the equation too. Sometimes our understanding can be narrow minded. If there are fewer passes, or tiered passes, lines will be shorter and better distributed. Think of it this way, it will be more like it was before there was Fastpass. I hear reports at work that wait times have dropped 18% at DAK, while guest still use an above average amount of Fastpasses that guessed used on Legacy Fastpass. Even if we bump it up to 4 passes, all the lines everywhere will go down. Ultimately in, in Magic Kingdom for example, guest expectations are to ride 8.5 rides. Disney takes this surveyed average and uses it as their goal. IT happens all the time, when parks are busier than expected, park hours will extend to make sure most guest get those 8.5 rides in. But, with Fastpass+, it seems that not only are guest hitting the 8.5 in an average 8 hour visit, they pass it.
4. Legacy Fastpass gave the illusion of saving time, and too was built for profit. There's nothing more satisfying than feeling like you saved time. With Legacy, you were gambling that there would be a long line when you returned. More often than you think, an old fashioned Fastpass wasn't worth it relative to queue times. Any ride with a wait under 30 minutes was a waste of a pass. Fastpasses only saved time with attractions that had wait times approximately 45 minutes or longer the entire time you waited to return and at your return. Most guest used Fastpass when there was almost no advantage in the mornings or at night. Also, consider all that time you stood around waiting for your time to come up. You may not realize it, you you probably spent more time shopping or eating to fill time up between return times. Again, you never realized it, and that was the idea. Lastly, remember all those times you would walk across the park to get a Fastpass to only realize that the return time would not work because of meal plans, flights to catch etc? Also, how often did you collect a Fastpass and never use it because you were tired, or it rained? More often than you would ever imagine.
5. The average guest only used 2.5 Legacy Passes a day in an 8 hour day. Despite what you may think, most folks still get those 8.5 rides in on the old system. So with that 3 pass, you can fit more in.
6. The cost of the system is forward looking. In future installations in all the other Disney resorts, the cost of development and testing will be gone. It wasn't just an investment for Disney World, it was for everywhere. So those 10 supposed E Ticket attractions you would rather have? They would be split up with less than one in beach Disney park, considering Shanghai will also use this technology. Also, Universal is filing patents for similar technology. It's the way theme parks, and perhaps the world as a whole, will operate, using customizable RIFD technology. The investment would be inevitable, meaning it would happen now or later. Further proof, industry wide surveys show that guest want more interactivity with their cell phones and high tech interactive experiences.
6. If you fail to comprehend these points and still insist on hating change like this, you are in a vocal minority. Most guest ( and people on sites like this do not make the majority of the millions of visitors) don't even know what Fastpass is until they arrive, with both new and old Fastpass. Despite the emails, the videos, the websites, the announcements on busses and monorails, most guest show up, find out Faspass exist only after going through turnstiles. If you decide to postpone or take your business elsewhere, it would hardly change attendance numbers. But ultimately realize that the new technology is well received in surveys, with gust who arrive with a blank and open mind about their experience. Just like the DAS cards, the ones who hate it come in wanting to hate it.
He makes all kinds of specious claims in his post, but here are just a few that stand out.
"If you fail to comprehend these points and still insist on hating change like this, you are in a vocal minority."
Is that the same "minority" who voted 65% against this crappy new system?
"Industry wide surveys show that guest want more interactivity with their cell phones and high tech interactive experiences."
At the expense of new and plussed attractions?? Did anyone ever ask us which we would prefer? As I said before, I answered lots of surveys, and no one ever asked! Why are new Disney projects on hold to offset the ridiculous cost of this unneeded reservation system?
"Just like the DAS cards, the ones who hate it come in wanting to hate it."
Patently unfair statement. We've heard from many people who express legitimate complaints because the system simply failed them, failed to answer the needs of their group. They arrived with an open mind (not "blank" in your phrase -- another insult) and the system failed them miserably. They didn't come "wanting to hate it"; they came hoping that it would work for them. It didn't.
"If there are less passes going out, wait times will be shorter."
Allegedly. So why are people in this thread (and many others) still complaining about wait times? Maybe because Disney should have spent money to improve ride capacity instead of forcing this crap on us?
"So those 10 supposed E Ticket attractions you would rather have? They would be split up with less than one in beach Disney park, considering Shanghai will also use this technology."
Is that the new math? Even if Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai each got one of those ten, that would leave seven new rides to be distributed between six state-side parks. Let's see, what would most guests prefer? New rides in every park, or a buggy reservation system that cramps the availability of Fast Passes? Hmmmm...
As I said before, I would take a functioning Yeti any day over FP+. Mr. Disney P.R. guy, tell us why show takes a backseat to RFID and tracking guests like Big Brother? The values of the company founder are just a joke to you guys, isn't it?
Since everyone has access to the internet, we don't represent some vocal minority. We represent theme park fans, pure and simple.
Let's be reasonable here. Even if they don't take the time to write on theme park message boards, is it reasonable to claim that the average park guest would PREFER a new reservation system instead of new rides? Why do guests come to a park? To tinker with a reservation system, or to enjoy rides and attractions?
And yes, there are many indications that the company robbed Peter (new rides and projects) to pay Paul (MyMagic, FP+).
Why has there been nothing new announced for Epcot, DHS, and the entirety of the Disneyland Resort? Why have budgets been hacked and slashed for the 60th anniversary of Disneyland (the anniversary is next year; surely they would have made splashy announcements by now, if there was a new nighttime parade coming, for example).
Would they reinvest as much in the parks if they hadn't spent well over a billion on a new reservation system that so many dislike? Why are unpopular, universally panned attractions and shuttered pavillions still sitting there, doing little but take up space?
Views on this site are, in fact a vocal minority. Nothing about this site, or anything on MiceChat is scientific or represents the average theme park guest. Polls, reviews and ratings on sites like this are specifically asking small group of people who are impassioned about the theme parks they love. I'd like to also mention any reference to the unfounded, un sourced article on Micechat about projects being cancelled due to Fastpass+ is as biased, unfounded and unsourced as said article.
Has it occurred to none of you that...
1. It is all a test. Clearly, people are pissed, and the feed back will be taken into consideration when finalizing all the features. For example, the limit if 3 passes and no park hopping was probably a transition policy. When both Legacy and Fastpass + were used at the same time, they flat out had to limit the passes. But now that there are no paper tickets, then once the system is working, and the rest of the permanent kiosks are installed ( there will be plenty), expect more passes and flexibility.
2. Time selecting passes in park now, in reality, roughly equates to the collective time spent acquiring passes before. Now you just wait all at once, in one line, to select them. And as more kiosks open (And all the rapid construction site pop ups indicate that more will), time spent setting up passes will reduce greatly. These things can't happen over night.
3. If there are less passes going out, wait times will be shorter. Subtract all the GAC cards from the equation too. Sometimes our understanding can be narrow minded. If there are fewer passes, or tiered passes, lines will be shorter and better distributed. Think of it this way, it will be more like it was before there was Fastpass. I hear reports at work that wait times have dropped 18% at DAK, while guest still use an above average amount of Fastpasses that guessed used on Legacy Fastpass. Even if we bump it up to 4 passes, all the lines everywhere will go down. Ultimately in, in Magic Kingdom for example, guest expectations are to ride 8.5 rides. Disney takes this surveyed average and uses it as their goal. IT happens all the time, when parks are busier than expected, park hours will extend to make sure most guest get those 8.5 rides in. But, with Fastpass+, it seems that not only are guest hitting the 8.5 in an average 8 hour visit, they pass it.
4. Legacy Fastpass gave the illusion of saving time, and too was built for profit. There's nothing more satisfying than feeling like you saved time. With Legacy, you were gambling that there would be a long line when you returned. More often than you think, an old fashioned Fastpass wasn't worth it relative to queue times. Any ride with a wait under 30 minutes was a waste of a pass. Fastpasses only saved time with attractions that had wait times approximately 45 minutes or longer the entire time you waited to return and at your return. Most guest used Fastpass when there was almost no advantage in the mornings or at night. Also, consider all that time you stood around waiting for your time to come up. You may not realize it, you you probably spent more time shopping or eating to fill time up between return times. Again, you never realized it, and that was the idea. Lastly, remember all those times you would walk across the park to get a Fastpass to only realize that the return time would not work because of meal plans, flights to catch etc? Also, how often did you collect a Fastpass and never use it because you were tired, or it rained? More often than you would ever imagine.
5. The average guest only used 2.5 Legacy Passes a day in an 8 hour day. Despite what you may think, most folks still get those 8.5 rides in on the old system. So with that 3 pass, you can fit more in.
6. The cost of the system is forward looking. In future installations in all the other Disney resorts, the cost of development and testing will be gone. It wasn't just an investment for Disney World, it was for everywhere. So those 10 supposed E Ticket attractions you would rather have? They would be split up with less than one in beach Disney park, considering Shanghai will also use this technology. Also, Universal is filing patents for similar technology. It's the way theme parks, and perhaps the world as a whole, will operate, using customizable RIFD technology. The investment would be inevitable, meaning it would happen now or later. Further proof, industry wide surveys show that guest want more interactivity with their cell phones and high tech interactive experiences.
6. If you fail to comprehend these points and still insist on hating change like this, you are in a vocal minority. Most guest ( and people on sites like this do not make the majority of the millions of visitors) don't even know what Fastpass is until they arrive, with both new and old Fastpass. Despite the emails, the videos, the websites, the announcements on busses and monorails, most guest show up, find out Faspass exist only after going through turnstiles. If you decide to postpone or take your business elsewhere, it would hardly change attendance numbers. But ultimately realize that the new technology is well received in surveys, with gust who arrive with a blank and open mind about their experience. Just like the DAS cards, the ones who hate it come in wanting to hate it.
All my points were logical break down of the situation with a little more insight. My personal opinion about things at Disney are mine, but the facts I receive, the daily conversation I have with guest and the daily operation of the parks I witness sure do add more validity than most people who post on here.
Why is it that opinions from people who know something inside and out and work with it daily has become chastised, evil doer cover up PR rep who must, with all conviction, be selling the Disney, even at it's worst? That's paranoia and conspiracy theory crazy talk. If that's the case, isn't it possible that corporate espionage might be the happening, and you and others are from Universal bashing Disney to sell itself?
And did I mention I work for multiple theme park companies? And that I love both, among many other parks around the country?
But you love presenting your opinions as if they were fact...
What ever happened to "the customer is always right"? What I'm reading, in this and many other threads, is that the system is failing the customer/guest. The company can keep insisting that it's doing the right thing for its guests, but the decisions are being made by out-of-touch suits who never or rarely even visit the parks.
And the elephant in the room is still ride capacity. Why does Disney build new parks all over the world while undernourishing its existing parks? Why did they sink so many resources into FP+ when there are so many areas of the parks that badly need improvement (and have been left to stagnate for years and years).
With a straight face, you claim that FP+ will improve wait times. Even if that's true, that's nothing compared to the effect of new rides absorbing the crowds. I will keep harping about improved ride capacity because THAT. IS. WHAT. WE. WANT.
Possible, in some cases. But most of us aren't posting anonymously. And by the way, I live in Montreal (notice my French name?) Guess what? Universal doesn't hire in Montreal.
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I had to convert my non-expiring ticket last October. I was able to get into Animal Kingdom with my old ticket (one of the roaming cast members up front was able to scan it to let me enter), but I was advised to swap it out on my way out of the park. It was a funny experience walking up to the front gates with my old ticket, seeing the new ticket scanners, and thinking, "gee, how are they going to let me in?"
My beef with Fastpass+ is reserving only rides at one park. I like to hop between parks (sometimes going to all four) during the day. True, fastpasses tend to run out for attractions later during the day, but I've never had a problem getting one for Big Thunder Mountain or Space Mountain later during the day. I definitely despise waiting in line at Space Mountain because it is so claustrophobic and dark.
If they are going to limit Fastpass+ to one park, then they need to drop the fee for the Park Hopper Option (which will happen when goats can sing) or at least reduce it.
Robert - Do you know if it would be possible to reserve one or two rides in one park for Fastpass+, then use your third later during the day? Or is it a all or nothing deal?