Fastpasses - Free or Paid? What is your opinion?

[giovanni2231]

I know Disney is toying with the notion of charging for Fastpasses once Star Wars opens up, i myself like the idea of it being a true upgrade and paying (i find myself paying anyway now even with free fastpass service because i often buy Early Morning, After Dark, Tours, etc...). I know Universal and Seaworld don't see anywhere near the same volume of people, but them charging you seems to keep the volume numbers down a bit on their front of the line access lines. And like Universal, Disney could still offer it free when staying in a premium resort (monorail resort) or to AP Holders, DVC Members or something.

I feel the way the fastpass system is set up right now, it is failing. The popular rides are timing out on MDE at the 60 day mark. You make dining at the 180 days, when the 60 day mark arrived to make fastpasses and the times don't jive or plans change, you often find yourself trying to shuffle dining around fastpass times or vice versa and cant make it work or have to alter your plans completely. Also, as your trip gets closer or once you are there, it is nearly impossible to change a time or an attraction. It does not allow you to plan for multiple parks ahead of time. You see people making 1 fastpass for 3 or 4 people and the attraction attendant scans them all through... So, people like that often make 3 per person with each person choosing a different attraction. Hard to stop because MDE does malfunction. How do you weed out these people? These are just some of the frustrations I find with the fast pass system once i am on property.

Should you be shut out of lets say Avatar at the 60 day mark or have to wait on a 5 hour line or not go on the ride at all after all your planning for months and money spent to make your vacation as seamless as possible? Does that seem fair?

So, what is this thread about...

Just wondering what your thoughts are on how to change the fastpass system? What you think of paid vs. free with a hotel reservation or paid ticket? Should Disney offer a Unlimited type Fastpass where it counts for the day at the park? Any other ideas?

Or do you like it just the way it is?

Like myself who is leaving today for my 3rd trip to Orlando in the last 4 months plus 2 more to come this year, there are many Disney vets on here that should have some great insight into this problem... That is if you see it as a problem....

 

[anorman]

I, for one, absolutely hate the FP+ system. There is just too much planning in advance involved and takes away from the spontaneity that should be part of any vacation. I think they should absolutely keep FPs free to all guests, whether onsite or off, but I would like to see them go back to the old system where you could avail of the FP system on the day of your visit from within the park only. Things are just too regimented with Disney these days.

 

[Tink_83]

So I don’t go with the frequency you go, and most on here would say the way I tour Disney is insane... but I’m someone who, when I visit family, will plan a day or 2 in Disney as a small treat for the kids. I’ll stay on-site because 60 day out is needed for FP, and it’s fun for the kids to stay in a themed hotel room.

But on these trips, especially because of the short duration, I find it irritating to not get certain FP because you need to stay on-site for longer times then I do so at the end of your trip you can see a headliner. Also, I actually hate planning the trip down to the last details like rides months in advance. Even restaurants, I’d like to walk around Epcot and decide that I’m actually in the mood for Mexican or Italian not decide that out months in advance...

So yes, I’m in camp pay for them and in camp you only get them day of.

 

[Miffy]

As someone who always stays onsite, I'd have to say that I'm already paying for FP+s, or at least for better access to them. Because without the 60-day window, I'd be shut out of the FP+s I want most. And because a WDW resort probably costs more than I would pay offsite.

OP--Do you work for Disney? I feel like this thread and others like it were started by WDW employees in order to get a feel for how hard-core WDW fans feel about paying for FP+s in the future.

Frankly, I'm not a fan of having to book reservations for rides 60 days in advance of my trip. But I'm also not a fan of waiting in line for more than 30 minutes or so, so I'm not anti-FP+. To me, the unfortunate thing about the FP+ system as it currently is, is that it's made rides--SE comes to mind immediately--that previously had minimal wait times into FP+ musts. I find that extremely annoying.

 

[starry_solo]

If it works the same way that Disneyland's Max Pass works (pay to reserve them on the app; free if you go walk to the attraction), then yes. But I have a feeling they did away with FP machines/kiosks at WDW...so that would require some IT changes that the person with the ticket/magic band would be able to tap on the band thing at the entrance to "reserve" the FP.

 

[Moliphino]

I like it the way it is and think going back to same day fastpasses would be horrible. Those who actually like to rope drop might prefer it, as they'd have a jump on all the good fastpasses, but I'm not a morning person and I'm not waking up at the crack of dawn on vacation.

 

[TreeFalls]

Here are some possible changes that I think would improve things (could do one or both):

1. fastpasses for certain rides (the most popular ones) can't be modified or deleted, so you need to be really sure you want the ride at that time (and that park on that day) before you get it.
2. you can't hold more than one FP at a time for a popular ride (even on two different days).

I'm not sure if fastpass hoarding is an issue, but one or both of the above restrictions would cut down on people making several days of reservations for a certain ride just because they found availability.

 

[Sara_H]

I see both sides to this issue. I do enjoy having fastpasses and being able to bypass the lines at least 3 times a day. However, in some ways, having NO fastpasses anymore would be nice. That puts everybody in the same boat. Plus for certain rides, having fastpasses makes it worse. For instance, on Space Mountain, they tend to only let the fastpass riders use the right side while standby is only allowed on the left. That means that if no fastpass people are coming up, that line is empty while the standby line barely moves. It is tough to stand there barely moving while you see that the other side is empty. If they would allow standby on that side when there is no fastpass people that would help lessen the wait time.

The planning that is needed with fastpasses can be very stressful too. Especially with all these new popular rides...if you prioritize incorrectly, then you may have screwed up your chances of getting other rides.

That being said, I'm not a fan of having to pay more for fastpasses. Disney is expensive enough and then if you want the perks that used to be free, now you have to pay more? You know there would be people that would be able to afford it and then there is the large group that works hard just to save for the trip and wouldn't be able to afford it and they would be stuck standing in lines.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

Here are some possible changes that I think would improve things (could do one or both):

1. fastpasses for certain rides (the most popular ones) can't be modified or deleted, so you need to be really sure you want the ride at that time (and that park on that day) before you get it.
2. you can't hold more than one FP at a time for a popular ride (even on two different days).

I'm not sure if fastpass hoarding is an issue, but one or both of the above restrictions would cut down on people making several days of reservations for a certain ride just because they found availability.

There's no real way to hoard FP as it is. Everyone gets 3 to start with and they all have to be in one park initially and then you have to use those or let them expire before making more selections (on the app or at a kiosk). You have to have a valid park ticket to reserve FP. It's not like dining where I can book eight meals at BOG knowing I'm only going to one and plan to cancel the others. I'm not under the impression that most people book several days of FP just because they find availability.

The most popular rides at every park except MK are tier one, so you can only have 1 FP for those. At AK for example, you can have FP for FoP OR Navi but not both (unless you get one as your 4th or later FP). At Epcot you can have Test Track, Soarin', Frozen, Character Spot, or Illuminations but not all of them. I suppose they could add tiers at MK. As it is, I can't have 3 reservations for 7DMT in one day but I could have one on Monday and one on Friday and I don't see where that's part of the larger issue.

Making it so you can't have more than one popular ride at a time across all 4 parks would cause some larger issues. If I'm booking a trip and I want to go on the "headliners," I should be able to try my luck at getting FP for those if I choose and not have to decide between FoP OR Test Track OR Slinky Dog OR 7DMT. If that became the case, some would choose to skip a park entirely and Disney is not looking to lose that revenue.

To the original question, I'm in camp "no pay."

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

I personally like the Disneyland method of MaxPass. Especially because you're paying for not just FP, but also photos too. I loved it.

 

[Gehrig1B]

Fast pass combined with park hoppers works fine for us. Hope they don't change anything. We rarely encounter the problems you suggest are rampant...maybe we have been lucky. MaxPass would add $75/day for our family, on a typical 10 day visit...you can do the math.

 

[LSUmiss]

I’d be willing to pay extra only if it allowed you to override the tier limits. Like pay a flat fee per day & get maybe 2-3 extra FPs that don’t follow the tier structure.

 

[Moliphino]

I'm not sure if fastpass hoarding is an issue, but one or both of the above restrictions would cut down on people making several days of reservations for a certain ride just because they found availability.

Why is that a problem? If I get two FOP fastpasses on my trip it's because I want to ride it multiple times.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I like how it is but also like the idea of being able to pay for additional.
I am not willing to pay for anything Star Wars related personally.
I have actually been toying with the idea of CL FP for my next trip though but ultimately I think we've decided that since we know how to use FP to our advantage we didn't need to spend the $150+tax minimum per person.
However if buying those additional FP's were offered to lower onsite resort categories I would definitely consider it for a future trip especially in the next few years with so many new attractions opening.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I’d be willing to pay extra only if it allowed you to override the tier limits. Like pay a flat fee per day & get maybe 2-3 extra FPs that don’t follow the tier structure.

And you can do this now if you stay club level.

 

[TreeFalls]

Why is that a problem? If I get two FOP fastpasses on my trip it's because I want to ride it multiple times.

I'm thinking more about whether people get a FoP FP for every day of their trip with the intent to drop most/all once they decide which days they are going to AK. Or an AP looking for available FPs when they aren't even sure whether they'll go to the parks that day. If people are holding on to lots of FPs they don't intend to use, then fewer are available for those who want them. Like I said, I don't know if people do this, but if a lot of FP inventory is tied up in people who will change them later, it makes it harder for others to book them.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

I'm thinking more about whether people get a FoP FP for every day of their trip with the intent to drop most/all once they decide which days they are going to AK. Or an AP looking for available FPs when they aren't even sure whether they'll go to the parks that day. If people are holding on to lots of FPs they don't intend to use, then fewer are available for those who want them. Like I said, I don't know if people do this, but if a lot of FP inventory is tied up in people who will change them later, it makes it harder for others to book them.

Largely people do not do this, because it would mean they can't book FP in any other park ahead of time. If I book FoP every day, I can't book attractions at any other park for the rest of my visit.

ETA: AP holders can only book 7 days worth of FP at a time, and only 30 days out unless they have a resort reservation. That's also not the problem here.

 

[JETSDAD]

I think the FP system is fine the way it is. Stop asking Disney to charge extra for various things...they're pretty good at managing that on their own.

 

[TheConsciousness]

I think the FP system is fine the way it is. Stop asking Disney to charge extra for various things...they're pretty good at managing that on their own.

I agree. Disney uses money as a way to gatekeep people from "flooding" a particular service. This is one area that I think is a slippery slope, because if it isn't planned perfectly it will negatively affect non-payers experience, and will ultimately be implemented permanently and then we'll all be forced to pay for passes.

 

[KellyHonos]

I really don't know what the answer is to this. I know some people are saying that choosing your FP+ options months in advance is stressful, but personally, the planning part of traveling to WDW is part of the fun for me. My sister and I haven't really had any issues with FP+, but I will agree with @anorman that having to plan a lot totally sucks all spontaneity out of your trip. Also, if Disney began charging for them, then everyone would just end up buying them, I think. No one is going to spend thousands of dollars on a trip to just stand in line all day and get on 3 rides. I think in person Fp+ might have been the better system. Why did they start offering them so far out in advance, anyway?