Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[BroadwayHermione5]

If they do add fastpass in an option like max pass or express pass we will add it but I think they should do a basic structure like 3 for annual passholders, 4 for value, 8 for moderate, 12 for deluxe etc. My biggest fear is that they will add it before my trip and it will be a scramble

 

[Jrb1979]

If they do add fastpass in an option like max pass or express pass we will add it but I think they should do a basic structure like 3 for annual passholders, 4 for value, 8 for moderate, 12 for deluxe etc. My biggest fear is that they will add it before my trip and it will be a scramble

That's too many given away. At best you will see 3 free ones. To keep short FP wait times they need to limit how many are available.

 

[cakebaker]

Just looking at wait times this morning at HS and even more convinced a trip isn't happening without FP. If I were there today, I'm looking at over 4 hours standing in line just for the 4 rides I want to ride. There's not a chance I'm spending the kind of money it takes to stand in line for more than 1/3rd of the time a park is open.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

If they are going to bring back fast pass in a soon matter, it’s going to be 4th of July weekend. If not by then, no clue

 

[GoingSince1990]

Just looking at wait times this morning at HS and even more convinced a trip isn't happening without FP. If I were there today, I'm looking at over 4 hours standing in line just for the 4 rides I want to ride. There's not a chance I'm spending the kind of money it takes to stand in line for more than 1/3rd of the time a park is open.

If Disney actually is intentionally inflating wait times so that people in the parks are pleasantly surprised when their actual wait time is less, they should also bear in mind that there are people like you who are looking at the inflated wait times and deciding not to visit at all.

 

[NJlauren]

If Disney actually is intentionally inflating wait times so that people in the parks are pleasantly surprised when their actual wait time is less, they should also bear in mind that there are people like you who are looking at the inflated wait times and deciding not to visit at all.

They have always slightly inflated wait times. But also recently it was to account for if you hit a cleaning cycle, if they were cleaning rides every hour they have to add that into the wait time in case you hit one.

Now I’m not sure how often they are cleaning rides anymore.

 

[cakebaker]

If Disney actually is intentionally inflating wait times so that people in the parks are pleasantly surprised when their actual wait time is less, they should also bear in mind that there are people like you who are looking at the inflated wait times and deciding not to visit at all.

I don't believe Disney intentionally makes their parks look unbearable so that you'll be happy once you're there. I've seen as many reports that lately wait times are accurate as I have they are over inflated. Either way, I don't spend lots of money to take my chances. It's really simple for us, FP or we wait.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If Disney actually is intentionally inflating wait times so that people in the parks are pleasantly surprised when their actual wait time is less, they should also bear in mind that there are people like you who are looking at the inflated wait times and deciding not to visit at all.

Wait times and intention inflation has been talked about for years. Sometimes it was due to the old card system they used and wait times not being updated as quickly, then it was phased out but the higher wait times stayed around even with FP+/MDE/Smartphone tracking. I also don't think they do it so people are happier when they get there (that means the average person is actively downloading the app in the first place as the average person doesn't normally consider TP or other sources). Some reasons include ride malfunctions with getting the ride back on after that, late at night (since you can join the line up until park closing) and as another poster said cleaning during COVID era.

 

[ST1TCH]

Directly from the Disney website, FP+ is described as riding "with little or no wait." That's one of the reasons the ratio of FP:SB heavily favored the FP line and often made SB have to wait longer.

If Disney starts charging for FP+ (or lightning pass, or whatever they end up calling it), they will have a lot of backlash if buying it doesn't result in riding "with little or no wait." If you pay for priority access and still have to wait for a long time, that will change the equation with regards to customer satisfaction of FP+.

If they start charging for something that used to be free, let's at least hope that FP++ is as good of a product as the free FP & FP+ were.

Interesting point. I've not been to Universal since they started their paid "skip the line" or whatever it's called.....I wonder how that works there for the big attractions? Is it still little to no wait? I guess they may only sell a certain amount of them each day to control the lines... Same goes for Maxpass at DL I guess.

 

[Kbrb]

The answer is very clear to me they will strip everything that costs them money from free dining to magic bands to magic express, why stay in a Disney hotel? Well you get front of line passes how many depends on your level of hotel. It will cost them nothing to put in place.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Interesting point. I've not been to Universal since they started their paid "skip the line" or whatever it's called.....I wonder how that works there for the big attractions? Is it still little to no wait? I guess they may only sell a certain amount of them each day to control the lines... Same goes for Maxpass at DL I guess.

Most of the attractions IIRC at Universal have a separate line for Express Pass (EP) they were built that way (which is a difference to WDW and DL where lines were not quite so) and I've often seen loading for rides specifically done with riders for EP. Like for example I remember on Men In Black ride they loaded the right side (IIRC) with EP people and the Left side for others. Don't quote me on the sides lol. And with the MIB ride the queues are separated by metal railings and they feed into the loading zones. Just using MIB as an example. The waits are designed to be less, I can't remember exactly but I fell like half the standby time is generally quoted as the goal but don't quote me on that lol.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

I got my magic bands in the mail and it’s sad how the boxes look now. I remember years ago the boxes were designed so beautiful and I was so happy to get them. Now they are generic as hell

 

[merry_nbright]

The answer is very clear to me they will strip everything that costs them money from free dining to magic bands to magic express, why stay in a Disney hotel? Well you get front of line passes how many depends on your level of hotel. It will cost them nothing to put in place.

Universal does something like this. The “premium” resorts get free Express Pass.

 

[cakebaker]

The answer is very clear to me they will strip everything that costs them money from free dining to magic bands to magic express, why stay in a Disney hotel? Well you get front of line passes how many depends on your level of hotel. It will cost them nothing to put in place.

Free Dining doesn’t cost them money. They make a fortune off it. You pay rack rate, they’ve dumbed down menus and artificially inflated prices and it really does “feel like” you’re saving money.

That said, if they implement a paid FP system and make it a perk of say Deluxe and DVC, that is an improvement on the old perk of early access because the demand will undoubtedly be lower. I’m all for that one.

 

[mercuryvenus]

I got my magic bands in the mail and it’s sad how the boxes look now. I remember years ago the boxes were designed so beautiful and I was so happy to get them. Now they are generic as hell

I really liked the boxes we got last year. Are they different now?

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

I really liked the boxes we got last year. Are they different now?

It just a little white box that says nothing on it. When you open it is has some Disney stuff on the inside cover

Many years ago, the whole box they sent in was designed really nice, top to bottom, inside and outside

 

[BrianL]

It just a little white box that says nothing on it. When you open it is has some Disney stuff on the inside cover

Many years ago, the whole box they sent in was designed really nice, top to bottom, inside and outside

They trimmed down the packaging to be more eco-friendly. They did that a while ago. They aren't as nice, but they are effective.

 

[SL6827]

Free Dining doesn’t cost them money. They make a fortune off it. You pay rack rate, they’ve dumbed down menus and artificially inflated prices and it really does “feel like” you’re saving money.

That said, if they implement a paid FP system and make it a perk of say Deluxe and DVC, that is an improvement on the old perk of early access because the demand will undoubtedly be lower. I’m all for that one.

I wonder if paying "rack rate" will be a requirement for the fast passes in the future?

 

[mercuryvenus]

It just a little white box that says nothing on it. When you open it is has some Disney stuff on the inside cover

Many years ago, the whole box they sent in was designed really nice, top to bottom, inside and outside

Oh that’s the same box we got. I thought it was pretty. No reason for them to be spending more on packaging when they’ve lost a lot of money on park-related things over the past year.

 

[SL6827]

Oh that’s the same box we got. I thought it was pretty. No reason for them to be spending more on packaging when they’ve lost a lot of money on park-related things over the past year.

Well they did this well before Covid.