Disney to enforce FastPass times...1 hour only

[Numismatist]

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/03/08/disney-cracks-down-on-fastpass-enforcement/?intcmp=features

This sucks. Now you'll have to abandon mid-line another ride to race over to your FastPass ride OR abandon the FastPass ride...

Makes lunch/dinner reservations much more difficult too. Suppose your AM FastPass get gives you 12-1 block for the ride but that's when you had reservations?

 

[Skittles1]

That XPass that they spoke of sounds like it could be a real nightmare! There is already SO much planning that goes into a Disney trip, that often leaves little room for spontaneity. If in the future, I have to make reservations for rides in advance, I think my head may explode!

 

[Numismatist]

That XPass that they spoke of sounds like it could be a real nightmare! There is already SO much planning that goes into a Disney trip, that often leaves little room for spontaneity. If in the future, I have to make reservations for rides in advance, I think my head may explode!

No kidding! It takes about an hour to get from one ride to another sometimes, then another hour wait in line, then the ride. A man's gotta eat in between somehow?!!

They better start serving hotdogs in line if I'm gonna make it...:hysterical:

 

[kool_kat]

Don't worry, they will figure out a way to get your money for their food squeezed in there.

 

[Numismatist]

Don't worry, they will figure out a way to get your money for their food squeezed in there.

:rofl: I just give all my cash to the first Cast Member I see, that's seems easier...:hysterical:

 

[Big Matt]

Just buy stock in Disney

 

[mrsg00fy]

We consider ourselves to be disney pros......and didn't realize for years that you could return after the hour was up.....to us.....it is not a big deal. However, the whole Xpass thing scares me. It is hard enough trying to make dining reservations months in advance......

 

[spencersmama]

I was at Hollywood Studios yesterday, and I am sad to report they have signs above the fastpass machines saying something to the effect of, "Please return within your one hour fastpass allotted time frame." This makes it extremely difficult in Magic Kingdom or EPCOT during crowded peak times to plan your day when you have to worry about getting across the park and through the crowds. I'm not sure how much leeway the cast members will give on the fastpass return. :annoyed:

The funny thing is that I was already contemplating giving up my annual passes next year. I renewed my pass and DH's pass yesterday. I renewed the kids' passes last month. They have gotten so expensive and my family's weekend and summer time is getting more and more booked up. We could do a nice week-long cruise in the summer for the same price as the Disney passes. My kids are adamant about keeping them, but I think because it's been such a part of our lives for the last 15 years. I'll have to wait and see how much I use them this year.

 

[Big Matt]

It has become very difficult to justify the costs lately. Five years ago you could get a 10 day pass with no expiration and with 10 pluses it could last you a very long time for a good price. It's very clear now that they want to have you come for a week or two and buy the tickets each time you come. Buying a 10 day ticket without expiration is a great deal and staying on site makes it even better with extra magic hours. However, that doesn't work at all for us. I like my Marriotts and like eating in the timeshare. My kids are getting older too and I think it has run its course for us. I have three days left and some plus days. We'll enjoy them one last trip.

I think the fast pass within an hour just makes it harder. In Animal Kingdom it will be very difficult. Epcot will require you to split the park into sections to take advantage of it. Studios and MK shouldn't be an issue. Nothing is very far apart at either place.

 

[Sea Six]

I rarely bother with Fast Pass - too much back tracking. I waste more time coming back to rides than I save by having a Fast Pass ticket.

 

[Talent312]

We once used xpasses to do Soarin' three times in one day:
-- rushed in at opening, grabbed a pass, got in the regular line
-- came back at the appt'd time, and got another pass for use on the way out.

It may take a little more planning, but with a little strategy, its manageable.

 

[hypnotiq]

Yeah, we often do the whole "grab a fast pass", wait in line and ride right then, and then come back later after a nap or something. Works out well.

Its my understanding that they are only doing this @ WDW and not DL.

 

[ScubaKat]

Been to Disney so many times and usually have tour plans figured out before going to the parks.. I had no idea you can use fast passes out of window.. With dd still so young we usually finish all we want to ride before nap time and we hang out in the resort pools in the afternoon..

 

[Twinkstarr]

We once used xpasses to do Soarin' three times in one day:
-- rushed in at opening, grabbed a pass, got in the regular line
-- came back at the appt'd time, and got another pass for use on the way out.

It may take a little more planning, but with a little strategy, its manageable.

That is my standard operating practice with Soarin, along with Space Mountain and Expedition Everest.

The using fp's outside the given return time was the big tip from places like Tourguide Mike. We've always done that, the CM's were always looking at the start time to see if you weren't trying to get in early.

 

[GeorgeInNePa]

And though it will affect regulars who know how to use the leniency to their advantage, most Walt Disney World guests already do return during the designated time window and likely won't notice much of a difference," writes Ricky Brigante of Inside the Magic.

Then why the change? What's the problem?

This just convinces me that I'm right to go during the slower times. I'm glad I have smart kids and a week off doesn't affect them in school...

 

[spencersmama]

Then why the change? What's the problem?

My guess is that the non-fastpass wait times have gotten too long at certain points in the day so they want to even it out. Maybe? Or maybe they will start selling premium fastpasses in the future, similar to what they currently give as timeshare sales bonuses.

 

[Twinkstarr]

This is all the start of the next generation of fastpass. They will keep the old system, which is why they need to enforce the entry times.

New system is rumored to be free for Deluxe hotel(and hopefully DVC'ers) and for a fee for people staying at Moderates/Value.

You will be able to program ahead of time your fast pass entry for rides(I believe it's 4-6 per day, my head hurts when I try to read the threads on the DIS, pages of bickering to find out a small nugget of information).

The new system will use RFID technology, that's why all these boxes are appearing before the rides. Wave your bracelet or room key. Disney has been doing some tests on the cruise line with this technology as well as some online surveys for DCL past users. Disney is planning on using this for more than just fast passes it seems.

Also rumors have if you go with the "new system" there will be special viewing sites for the parades and fireworks if you have the next gen fastpass.

Lots of rumors and stuff on the DIS board-Theme Park strategy thread. This has been talked about for about 18 months-2 yrs that this is coming just didn't know when.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Disneyworld ought to dump Fastpass altogether. In Disneyland, only a few rides have it, and it's not even necessary there, if you just go to the headliners at the early part of the day. We rode Star Tours five times in just an hour at DL.

Toy Story Midway Mania at DL has a max 30-minute wait pretty much all the time. There is no Fastpass for the ride in DL. We were in line three times in a row during the busiest time of day, mid-afternoon, and we waited about 1 hour total. The Fastpass keeps the line longer in DW. Very unnecessary.

At Epcot, Soarin' has the long lines most of the day, no matter the time of year, and DL has no line most of the day.

Peter Pan always had a long line, and a 20-minute wait at DL. Pooh had no line at all, and neither did Pinocchio, Snow White, and Wild Toad. Alice always had a 20-minute wait, but not more than that.

The Mermaid ride in California Adventure is a great ride, even better than Nemo in DW, but somewhat the same because it constantly loads and has clam shells for vehicles.

DW definitely needs more of the fairy tale rides. I hope they add Alice and Pinocchio to DW. Love those two rides. I have no idea what is going to be in the addition to that area, but I hope more rides, or it's a waste of space. We don't need more restaurants, and I know the restaurant opens before the rest. UGH! More so-so food for high prices.

 

[jlwquilter]

We've gone fairly often to WDW the past several years. I get the FPs but sometimes we don't end up using them as we try to go during slower times of the year. However it was very nice to have the FPs and not worry about them 'expiring' because you can be in the middle of a line wait or see that Cosmic Rays isn't so busy and grab food then or whatever.

This change in FP usage is just another 'no' tick in the 'do we even really want to go again' column. But not as big a tick 'no' as the food prices for yuck food and rides that just aren't that exciting anymore.

My sister was there a few weeks ago - prime February week - and said the place was dead.

 

[am1]

Give everyone a certain amount of fast passes per day. Useable at any time of day or limit the ours to more of the middle.

But then I guess the secondary market on them starts.

Or Disney sells it at a premium. Like I recall Universal had.

I was at DL during their million dreams era and we got fast passes or express passes for the popular rides. It was great.

 

[spencersmama]

Peter Pan always had a long line, and a 20-minute wait at DL.

Peter Pan always had a long wait at DW, even before fastpasses.

I think there are advantages to both having fastpasses and not having them. For instance, when I go to DW, I let each kid choose one ride that is their priority and we get fast passes for it. That way they each get at least one thing that they want to do, regardless of how busy it is. For the most part we are pretty flexible and stick to the less busy rides and activities.

Does DL get the foreigners like DW? I've noticed attendance by visitors from foreign countries seems to have really increased over the last 5 years or so, especially South America. Maybe due to an improving economy? Between that and the special activities, (Not So Scary Halloween Party, Food and Wine, Pirate and Princess Party, etc) I don't think there is as much slow time as there used to be.

 

[spencersmama]

UGH! More so-so food for high prices.

But not as big a tick 'no' as the food prices for yuck food and rides that just aren't that exciting anymore.

Interesting you both don't like the food that much. For the most part, I like the food at Disney. Although I do have my favorite restaurants and like certain things on the menu in those restaurants.

 

[MichaelColey]

I don't think there is as much slow time as there used to be.

Disney has done an INCREDIBLE job the last several years of running promotions (like free dining) and doing special events to keep their hotels and parks as full as they can year-round. I would agree that there are very few "slow" times. Just "less busy" times.

 

[hvsteve1]

Universal has had premium Fast Pass-type programs for years. We stayed on site and our room key got us in a special express line, similar to Fast Pass. We haven't been back as we didn't enjoy it nearly as much as WDW (guess we're too old for Universal) but did feel we got special treatment as hotel guests.

 

[rickandcindy23]

After being at Disneyland for four days this past week, I have found new love for it. There are more cute rides, like The Little Mermaid, which is brand new. They kept Wild Toad and have Alice in Wonderland and Pinocchio, too. They even have the Nemo ride, which used to be 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea. For the little kids, they have the Storybook boats and the Circus Train.

DW lacks cute little rides, which makes the lines longer for the Fantasyland rides. Spread the crowds into another four or five rides, and you have shorter waits for everything. That's what I am saying.

DL is adding a Cars area, and there will be three rides there, including a cute Mater ride with tractors pulling wagons with people in them. The tractors will square dance. So cute. The will also bring back the original DL flying saucer ride, but these will be tires that will bump into one another. Then a ride through a canyon on cars is the one I look most forward to. Some say it will be similar to Test Track, but I don't know. DL has a preview area in California Adventure that's not to be missed. They replicated the town from the Cars movie.

There are a few restaurants that have decent food for a decent price, but their hamburgers, ick! I cannot stand much of their fast food at all.

We did eat at Blue Bayou in DL for my birthday. That was wonderful but expensive. $72 with tax is a lot of money for the food. We ate at Katella Grill with a Restaurant.com coupon and spent about $20 for a dinner that was just as good.