shark6495 Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 It's a test. A test I doubt will be successful. You can't fault the management for trying something, even if it is something this ludicrous. Standby lines are not going away any time soon. Disney has been a leader in theme/amusement park operations. Some of their stuff works brilliantly, while others fail. There is a reason this is being tested in Florida versus California. Disney feels this is the best way to make the day better for most people in the parks, while also improving their bottom line. When Fast Pass was recently renovated, it was not to ruin a few people's days but to help make everyone's days better. Maybe the fun of the park for some people is the walking around and picking and choosing which ride to go on. Some people enjoy having a set schedule and following that. If you can tell me, Joe Customer, that I have to schedule my rides for my family, but can guarantee that once I get in line, I will be able to get my ride in less than 60 minutes, I think thats awesome. I think back to the Harry Potter Ride. We waited almost 2-2.5 hours to ride that ride the first time. It was awesome, but that was a long long wait for 1 ride. If you would have told me, that I could have scheduled the ride for me to get in line at 1230 and by 130 I would be riding it, that would have been awesome. That would have been another BUtter Beer I would have drank. Or another ride on Jurassic Park. Maybe we would have spent more time at Lunch and ordered a desert or another drink. Personally, I enjoy that the regular old line is now called "Stand By." For a long while, Parks seemed to cater to the enthusiast. Bigger rides, quicker lines (for Pay), etc. It seems like a set up like this it may be tailored more towards the family. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voicetek Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 My wife and I are going down to Disney World next weekend. Last night we went ahead and linked our Magic Kingdom tickets to our MagicBands and selected our FastPasses. We even downloaded the mobile app so that we can manage our accounts from our phones. Within the mobile app there is an "Attractions" tab that lets you know the wait times of all the attractions in the park. If those wait times are correct, then I don't think we'll even need FastPasses since most of the waits were only 10-20 minutes. The longest wait in the park was the new Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train which was 50 minutes. Since the park is open from 9am to 11pm, there should be plenty of time to do everything even without FastPass. That being said, I think it's a horrible idea to make some rides FastPass only rides. I think it's still good to have a normal "Stand By" line for guests who weren't able to FastPass the ride. If someone wants to wait 2 hours or more to ride something, then that's their business. It might be the only time they're going to be able to come to Disney, so to them it's worth it. You don't know the circumstances and it's not right to tell people they can't ride if they didn't book it 6 months in advance. That's crap. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 This was tested a few months ago on Soarin'. It didn't stick because folks rioted. "What do you mean it was either reserve a ride a month ago or miss it entirely?" Imagine the confused hordes running to the ride first thing only to find that it's "reached capacity for the day.." mere moments after opening. At least Soarin's test replaced stand-by with a paper return-time ticket (like... you know... old FastPass...) Is your vacation easier yet? More fun? Less stressful overall? All Fastpass+ does is shift the planning from throughout your trip to before. There are very sincere benefits to that - no more FastPass runners, for example. There are very sincere detractors. If you think this system's primary goal is to make people's trips more fun, you're not looking at the big picture. Not that Disney shouldn't pursue profit. But don't misunderstand this is a giant, billion-dollar favor. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Count this as one happy former FastPass runner. I book our FastPass + next Monday... Consider me very excited. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel_SoB_fan Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 I'll start using FastPass+ tonight. Stay tuned. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Article about the whole Toy Story Mania Fast Pass test. I think this guy is thinking about this way too much... http://www.themeparktourist.com/news/20141008/29380/5-questions-raised-disney-s-newest-fastpass-test-disney-s-hollywood-studios 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgoble3 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 ^ On the contrary, I think she's asked the right questions. If, as I fear, WDW eventually requires FP+ reservations like this for all attractions, you can bet money that I won't be returning. I enjoy Universal more anyway. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTD-120-420 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I doubt that happens, but I agree with you on the Universal thing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Have ya' been to the California Disney properties? If you have, and still prefer Universal Orlando, that's another story.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I still like the idea of booking a few main attractions before I ever show up to the park and then once in the park I can experience that attraction in 10-15 minutes compared to 2-3 hours. Then I can take those remaining hours, experience different attractions, shops or characters. Once again as a parent of a young girl who loves meeting the princesses being able to schedule Anna & Elsa prior to arrival instead of making a mad dash at rope drop to either get in an hour long stand by line or a 30 minute fast pass distribution line for a return time. I will take the first option and rather than that morning madness I can go ride other attractions and show up to Anna & Elsa later in the day. California and Florida are very different animals and comparing the 2 resorts is not quite fair. Seeing as how California gets more locals compared to Florida and the non stop tourists, plus quite a few more visitors overall. Remember this is just a test, don't get all worked up till its official. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Tests are meant to test. Getting worked up is probably in the best interests of those who are. Silence is acceptance. No, thanks. I'm glad it works for you. As for me, vacations are a way to escape the endless planning the rest of my life entails. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Agreed, If you use it and don't like it. Say so. Which is why the Soarin Test was cut short. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 And, if I don't go to WDW because of the need for endless planning, the places I go instead will appreciate the business. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Well lets be honest, Disney is wonderful because it can offer different things. There is a reason they never closed Disneyland. WDW always seemed more glitzy, touristy, and rushy compared to the California park. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upstop Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 The whole concept has NEVER been to enhance guest experience but to enhance sales...and they have every right to do that. I buy food occasionally when there, and I do not buy souvenirs on property as a rule mainly because of the perpetual increases in admissions/resort costs eats into my budget. There is nothing that Disney can do that will convince me to buy anything from them on their property while my money is tied up in resort and ticket costs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Well lets be honest, Disney is wonderful because it can offer different things. There is a reason they never closed Disneyland. WDW always seemed more glitzy, touristy, and rushy compared to the California park. Your last sentence makes crystal clear why I so very much prefer the California resort. Less glitzy, less touristy, and more laid back. Yeah. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gad198 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I'm glad it works for you. As for me, vacations are a way to escape the endless planning the rest of my life entails. And, if I don't go to WDW because of the need for endless planning, the places I go instead will appreciate the business. This sums up my thoughts perfectly. I'm in Central Florida once or twice a year on average, and despite that I haven't been to WDW in over 20 years. I've made plenty of trips to Universal, Busch Gardens Tampa, and Sea World during that time and none to WDW. I did have a very enjoyable time at WDW when I last visited - and I'd really like to go back at some point - but I don't want to feel as though I need to read through a 400 page guide to feel like I'm getting the most out of a visit there. When you go to a theme/amusement park it's really nothing more than making choices. What to ride, what to eat, what shows to watch, etc. Disney is trying to make things easier for their most coveted visitors - the multi-day stay on-site families - to have a good time there. What it seems like what's happening though is that Disney is forcing guests to plan out their visits weeks if not months in advance in order to feel like they're "not missing out on anything". I can't even imagine the chaos that must ensue there when it rains and everyone rushes towards an indoor attraction! Study after study has shown that in the more choices you're presented with the lower your satisfaction with the choices you make - all things being equal. I simply cannot imagine that anywhere near a majority of guests are trying to visit Disney planning every minute. Disney is a business out to make profit - and they should - but it seems like they're going about it in a way that may actually be counterproductive to most of their guests being able to enjoy themselves. It's an interesting experiment. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 The whole concept has NEVER been to enhance guest experience but to enhance sales...and they have every right to do that. I buy food occasionally when there, and I do not buy souvenirs on property as a rule mainly because of the perpetual increases in admissions/resort costs eats into my budget. There is nothing that Disney can do that will convince me to buy anything from them on their property while my money is tied up in resort and ticket costs. I disagree. If it was solely based on a way to enhance sales, Disney would have found a way to keep people in line, but bring purchasing options to the line. Food Vendors, lines that snake through gift shops, waiters to bring you food in line, etc. I personally feel this is a way to both increase the guest experience AND enhance sales. To many many people, waiting in line is one of the worst things about amusement parks. Disney lines can last 2-3 or more hours. Disney has added interactive displays in some lines previously. To many people with young kids, being able to plan out a trip and avoid long lines is a God send. Of course they wouldnt invest the money if it wouldnt see an increase in sales, but that doesnt mean its the wrong answer for the park. I think you would be surprised at how many people plan out a Disney vacation. Either from doing it on the website or going to a travel agent. Heck, one of my good friends runs a side business from her home where all she does is plan Disney vacations for people. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgoble3 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Have ya' been to the California Disney properties? If you have, and still prefer Universal Orlando, that's another story.... No, I have not been to Disneyland. I was hoping to go next April, but that fell through due to budget constraints. Maybe at some point in the future I'll get out there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Booked out FastPass+ reservations early this morning and it went very smooth. Here is what I was able to book. Anna & Elsa - even during slow times it still has a 2 hour line 2 FP+s for Seven Dwarfs Rapunzel & Cinderella Enchanted Tales with Belle Splash Mountain Toy Story Midway Mania Frozen Sing Along Star Tours Test Track Spaceship Earth Killamanjaro Safari Expedition Everest Dinosaur This is pretty awesome when you think about it. 60 days away from arrival and I know we will experience these attractions while waiting in a 10 minute line or less. The time and stress this will save me and my family in the park is pretty awesome. Honestly Rope Drop is no longer a must, no sprinting to Toy Story Midway Mania or Anna & Elsa. No longer being a Fastpass Runner and leaving my family to journey throughout the park collecting paper tickets. Im done! That is the most amazing part and now I just show up and go. Say what you will but this system is going to allow me to spend more time with my family in the park and enjoy a much more leisurely pace at Disney. Anyone that has ever been a FP Runner knows what I mean. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voicetek Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Part of the problem with this new system is that it is only catering to those people (mainly families) who schedule their Disney trips months and months in advance. Well you know, some people just can't do that, so unfortunately, they miss out. I've posted this on here before, but I'm going to use it again as an example. Last year my wife and I were staying in Hilton Head for our honeymoon. I'd booked a villa there for the whole week and had everything planned. When we arrived, I realized that we were only 4 hours away from Disney. Well, being the Disney nut that I am, I couldn't stand being so close and not visiting. So, my wife and I decided to be spontaneous and drive down to the Magic Kingdom for one day. Yep, just one day. Now if we would've tried to schedule any sort of FastPass+ at this time, we wouldn't have been able to because they would've been all filled. Thank God that the old "swipe your card and get a ticket" system was still in place. Even though the crowds were extremely light, we still took advantage of the old FastPass system on a couple of rides. Now, if Disney had switched all the attractions over to FastPass only, then we would've have gotten to ride anything and it would've been devastating. That's the problem I have with systems like this. And what's worse, people who stay on property get to schedule their FastPasses earlier than people who don't. I feel this is wrong. Why should you be punished if you can't afford to stay on Disney property? You shouldn't. It's almost like turning Disney into some sort of exclusive club for the rich or something like that. What would Walt have thought about that? The scheduling of FastPass+ should be available to everyone regardless of where you're staying, period. There shouldn't be any exclusive windows of opportunity, it should be equal in my opinion. Also, stand-by lines should ALWAYS remain an option regardless of how long they are. That might be the only way for some people to get to ride those rides. Think about this, what if Cedar Fair up and decided one day that you could ONLY ride their rides if you buy a FastLane wristband? It would suck, wouldn't it? Yep. So Disney needs to think about what their doing before they do it. I'm hoping that the test they ran on Toy Story Midway Mania last week was a huge fail and opened up their eyes to just how bad an idea that was. If their attractions ever go to a FastPass+ only system, I will no longer be visiting and neither will my future kids. And that will be money lost for them. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way too. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectrum91 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Why should you be punished if you can't afford to stay on Disney property? You shouldn't. It's almost like turning Disney into some sort of exclusive club for the rich or something like that. What would Walt have thought about that? Why should someone be punished if they can't afford an admission ticket to Magic Kingdom? That's unfair - just because they don't have the money, why should they be unable to visit the park? KICentral has dove into this discussion time and time again. And the truth always pops up: The more money you have, the more experiences and the better treatment you can afford. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voicetek Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Why should you be punished if you can't afford to stay on Disney property? You shouldn't. It's almost like turning Disney into some sort of exclusive club for the rich or something like that. What would Walt have thought about that? Why should someone be punished if they can't afford an admission ticket to Magic Kingdom? That's unfair - just because they don't have the money, why should they be unable to visit the park? That's a ridiculous statement that wouldn't apply to anything and that's not what I was talking about. Of course you need money to visit the Magic Kingdom and many people do. I'm talking about those people who are already shelling out hundreds of dollars in tickets for their family to visit the park and then being told that they can't schedule FastPass+ as early as these other people because even though they had lots of money, they didn't have enough money. I feel like if you're already paying money to get into the park, then everyone who has paid for admission should have access to the same features when it comes to riding the attractions in the park you just paid for. Now, buying something extra like dinner with the characters or the VIP Tour or something like that, yes, not everyone is going to be able to have the same experience due to the money issue. And I wouldn't argue that just because someone doesn't have the money to eat with the Princesses or to take a VIP Tour doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to. Of course they shouldn't, because these are additional "premium" experiences that require additional upcharges - such as Cedar Fair and their FassLane. Just because you bought an admission ticket to Kings Island does not mean you are entitled to a FastLane wristband. This is a premium, upcharge experience. My opinion is that if you've bought admission to the park, then scheduling an attraction should be available to you. You should not have to wait to schedule just because you're not staying on Disney property. A Disney hotel has nothing to do with a ride at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot or wherever else. If I paid my admission to that particular park, then I should be able to access the scheduling for that park's attractions along with everyone else at the same time regardless of where you're staying. It's pretty simple really. Everyone who buys a ticket has equal access to schedule a FastPass+ on a first come, first serve basis. It's so simple it's scary! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectrum91 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Why should you be punished if you can't afford to stay on Disney property? You shouldn't. It's almost like turning Disney into some sort of exclusive club for the rich or something like that. What would Walt have thought about that? Why should someone be punished if they can't afford an admission ticket to Magic Kingdom? That's unfair - just because they don't have the money, why should they be unable to visit the park? That's a ridiculous statement that wouldn't apply to anything and that's not what I was talking about. Of course you need money to visit the Magic Kingdom and many people do. I'm talking about those people who are already shelling out hundreds of dollars in tickets for their family to visit the park and then being told that they can't schedule FastPass+ as early as these other people because even though they had lots of money, they didn't have enough money. I feel like if you're already paying money to get into the park, then everyone who has paid for admission should have access to the same features when it comes to riding the attractions in the park you just paid for. Now, buying something extra like dinner with the characters or the VIP Tour or something like that, yes, not everyone is going to be able to have the same experience due to the money issue. And I wouldn't argue that just because someone doesn't have the money to eat with the Princesses or to take a VIP Tour doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to. Of course they shouldn't, because these are additional "premium" experiences that require additional upcharges - such as Cedar Fair and their FassLane. Just because you bought an admission ticket to Kings Island does not mean you are entitled to a FastLane wristband. This is a premium, upcharge experience. My opinion is that if you've bought admission to the park, then scheduling an attraction should be available to you. You should not have to wait to schedule just because you're not staying on Disney property. A Disney hotel has nothing to do with a ride at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot or wherever else. If I paid my admission to that particular park, then I should be able to access the scheduling for that park's attractions along with everyone else at the same time regardless of where you're staying. It's pretty simple really. Everyone who buys a ticket has equal access to schedule a FastPass+ on a first come, first serve basis. It's so simple it's scary! No, it is not a ridiculous statement. You're complaining that it's "unfair" that someone can't do as much (reserve rides earlier, etc.) as someone with more money. But that's how things work, just like someone with some money can visit Magic Kingdom, while someone with no money cannot. The same rules apply inside the park, which you noted: someone with more money can dine with Cinderella, someone with less cannot. Similarly, someone with more money can pick Space Mountain 90 days early, someone with less cannot. And as an incentive to stay on property, or to spend more, Disney is giving priority scheduling to those who do, versus those who don't. Which is a fair, logical business decision. It's a simple decision actually. It's so simple it's scary! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Whats funny is people continue to make this argument about on-site guests getting benefits over off-site. I have never once heard anyone scream that both Disney and Universal should stop this practice. Yes that is right if you stay at one of Universal's Deluxe hotels each park paying guest gets Universal Express, which allows guests to skip the lines in both parks all day. But if you want to save a bit of money stay at Cabana Bay or off-site and you don't get this benefit. Lets be honest, the cost of the 60 day FP+ window, Magic Express, Disney Transportation, location and EMH is all factored in to the cost of staying at a Disney Property. Just like the cost of free soft drinks is calculated in to the price of admission at Holiday World. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 This is always a ridiculous convo. If you stay on property then this is a perk. Not a slight for those not staying on property. Is it fair for people to make reservations to a popular restaurant months in advance? I'm paying to stay on property because of the perks. The previous set up harmed the guests and families that may only get to go to Disney 1 time in their life. They may not know about the FP system of running around. This makes it fair, while yes it does hurt some of the spon visit people it rewards people who plan their trip out in advance. Also, the CF example is silly. WDW is not making anyone "buy" a special ticket. Just giving a perk to those staying on property by allowing them a perk over others not staying on perk. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 ^^^ Don't you get ERT when you stay at Breakers regardless if you have a Platinum Pass or not? I've never stayed there and haven't been to the Pointe in years, but I thought I've read that on here. If that is the case, then CF already practices a similar (though obviously not identical) scenario as Disney. The downside of all of this, as far as I can tell, is it limits the opportunities of the "spontaneous" guest. The person staying in Sarasota or Tampa for the week, knows they want to surprise their children at Disney for a day, but are not sure which day will work best until they get there, if any day works at all. Or the person staying 4 hours away who suddenly decides they want to make the drive. Eventually time will fix this as more people become aware, but imagine the mess they'll create next summer when little Johnny visits Grandma in Clearwater, they find a free day all of a sudden then they surprise him with a trip to Disney, only to find out that some rides are unavailable because they didn't plan a month in advance for a little spontaneous family fun. Really though, the bottom line is there is no "perfect" system. Inevitable someone gets left out, or is left running out ahead of the group to secure advanced tickets, or shells out a decent chunk of change to guarantee that they get to see everything they want to see... The nice thing about Kings Island, is that it doesn't take a ton of planning. I've never been on a day where for the price of admission you couldn't get on everything you wanted (I'm sure those days exist, but they're days I avoid). Now KI is certainly not Disney, and I doubt there are many people who plan a trip to KI for multiple years like some do with Disney, but it makes you appreciate what I have in my "backyard" a little more. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTD-120-420 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Not just Breakers. All of the CP resorts gets you ERT. (Not sure about Breakers Express) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Ultimately this is a smart move by WDW. You get more people to stay at your hotels. Then more demand than spots mean higher prices..... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 And you get a DC guy to visit California instead of Florida. Exclusively. For now. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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