Time to bring back fast passes!!!

[wilkydelts]

I think each day we had hours at the end where we could go back and ride again things we loved.

That is one thing I think is more true now. I think with all standby people who are done or completed what they wanted leave especially with no nighttime festivities. Many people used to be forced to hang out all day just to use their FP+.

 

[dreamer17555]

The fastpasses will not help the current crowding. They need to find a way to bring back socially distanced shows and meet and greets. No hug from the princess but stand there for a picture and talk to them one on one. Right now is when it really is a shame that the Main Street theater got scrapped because it would have helped a lot at MK.

Indiana Jones and beauty and the beast have huge outdoor spacing... they should be running. They would help at DHS. Nemo as well at AK even though it is indoors.

 

[JakeAZ]

They will come back, but it's not a bother to us that they are gone for now.

I bet you'd feel differently if you were going towards the end of March, or this summer, or after the 50th starts or as the 2021 holidays roll around (assuming FP isn't back by then).

Last August "crowds" are a thing of the past.

 

[wilkydelts]

I bet you'd feel differently if you were going towards the end of March, or this summer, or after the 50th starts or as the 2021 holidays roll around (assuming FP isn't back by then).

Last August "crowds" are a thing of the past.

This is not true either. Wait times are still not ridiculous and it isnt going to get that much worse. I monitored all President's Day weekend and nothing on the Touring Plans Line App was "un-waitable". Most were still under or around an hour.

 

[dez1978]

I feel like if they would just run all the rides at capacity, and open all the shows up, it would make it better. I've read numerous reports of ToT only running half the ride, SDD not running all the trains etc. That would help 100x more than FP

 

[dez1978]

I bet you'd feel differently if you were going towards the end of March, or this summer, or after the 50th starts or as the 2021 holidays roll around (assuming FP isn't back by then).

Last August "crowds" are a thing of the past.

I am going the end of March and I'm ok with it.

 

[dreamer17555]

If the parks are really at 35% then how much can it matter if on spring break or not? 35% is 35%- waits should stay within this range with some blips here and there.

 

[slpybeartx]

I bet you'd feel differently if you were going towards the end of March, or this summer, or after the 50th starts or as the 2021 holidays roll around (assuming FP isn't back by then).

Last August "crowds" are a thing of the past.

Maybe. We are taking the fam back in early June.

We went back in August when they opened up reservations for more capacity. That weekend HS was crowded enough you had a hard time walking the streets with all the people and almost all the main attractions were rotating between 40-60min wait times. Some got up to 70min. MK was the same if not worse. We monitored and moved "against the crowd" as best we could. FP will get you one ride with a shorter wait, but then you still are waiting in lines until a FP renews. We can hack 40 min waits.

And we have been when it is completely packed before. I'll gladly trade no FP to skip days where I cannot walk down the paths of AK or MK without constantly pushing through masses of people. Or will trade for standing in queues with Social distancing in place where I don't touch everyone else in line. YMMV

 

[JakeAZ]

If the parks are really at 35% then how much can it matter if on spring break or not? 35% is 35%- waits should stay within this range with some blips here and there.

35% of max capacity, which was never (rarely) hit. I'd check out some recent reports from President's Day weekend...

 

[dreamer17555]

I really think the major issues the Disney is being creative with that 35%. Every time they add an attraction or an inch of space in a restaurant or wherever they’re counting that in towards capacity and I have a feeling that’s part of what they’re doing with the longer hours as well. I could be wrong but it’s the only thing that really makes sense about longer wait times when everything is at 35%.

Otherwise DHS waits should pretty much haves stayed steady since they have been maxed out almost everyday...

 

[JakeAZ]

I am going the end of March and I'm ok with it.

I'd love to hear about your experience. Please come back and post. This isn't sarcasm haha. I'd really be interested in your thoughts. We're scheduled for a very crowded week so the more reports of actual experiences, the better.

Curious, are any kids going with you? If so, what ages?

 

[dreamer17555]

Also my question is what will you do with that extra fast pass time? Disney loved fast passes because it got people out of lines and in the shops and restaurants and spending money. Considering you now have to lineup to get into most shops, mobile order ahead, and ADRs are hard to come by there’s not a lot of ways for fast passes to help Disney increase guest spending. There aren’t even the fountains and water attractions that the kids like to play in available.

It would just migrate the standby crowd to another attraction

 

[dez1978]

35% of max capacity, which was never (rarely) hit. I'd check out some recent reports from President's Day weekend...

From what I've read 35% is about what MK is during "normal" times. More than that during holidays and spring break, and MAX on Xmas and NYE. So 35% is what it would be in say May, but without fp, shows etc to eat up the crowds. So 35% will def feel busier than usual.

 

[JakeAZ]

Disney loved fast passes because it got people out of lines and in the shops and restaurants and spending money

From what I read, this was what Disney wanted, but not what actually happened. I have read quite a bit on the history of FP, so maybe that was just one opinion, but I seem to remember it coming up quite a bit. D* invested billions in the system (FP, Magic bands etc) and it just wasn't the cash cow they had hoped for.


But your point is very valid. Where do people go if they are not in lines?

I would also argue (not with you, but in general) that social distancing is non-existent at the parks based on the pictures I've seen of holiday weekends. Sure, maybe it's somewhat there in the lines, but nowhere with crowds walking around.

Things are closed for one reason only...to save money.

 

[JakeAZ]

From what I've read 35% is about what MK is during "normal" times. More than that during holidays and spring break, and MAX on Xmas and NYE. So 35% is what it would be in say May, but without fp, shows etc to eat up the crowds. So 35% will def feel busier than usual.

This makes sense. But they are not hitting 35% everyday. My guess is they hit it or got close over President's Day weekend and will do the same for the 2 week SB window.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

There are blogs stating that Disney will make fast passes a separate cost. Right now, there are pictures of crowds and long lines and with no fast passes and limited attractions it makes for a not so great day. Yes, people will still come. Just like turning a huge cruise ship it will take loyal followers some time to see that the old Disney isn't coming back and there are better vacations elsewhere. When that happens, Disney will still be solvent and make money but something special will have vanished. Its a shame.

The old Disney did not have fast pass. In fact, without fast pass, the regular lines are shorter than they would be if they were stand-by lines. Fast pass lines increased the wait times on all stand-by lines by allowing them in front.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Fasttpass isn’t returning until social distancing goes away.

I was in WDW recently and I understand completely why FP and the FP lines can not be accommodated. Until social distancing is a thing of the past, I don't see FP, as we knew it, coming back.

 

[JakeAZ]

The old Disney did not have fast pass. In fact, without fast pass, the regular lines are shorter than they would be if they were stand-by lines. Fast pass lines increased the wait times on all stand-by lines by allowing them in front.

While all of that is true...it's not an apples to apples comparison. Pre-FP attendance was nowhere near what it was maxing out at pre-pandemic.

 

[JakeAZ]

I was in WDW recently and I understand completely why FP and the FP lines can not be accommodated. Until social distancing is a thing of the past, I don't see FP, as we knew it, coming back.

I get this but I still think an amusement park (on the scale of Disney) even attempting social distancing policies is hilarious. Very few people truly concerned with social distancing are going to the parks right now. All guests have accepted a higher level of risk, either consciously or subconsciously. Disney is doing their best, and it's admirable, but we've all seen the pictures of the walkways on big weekends or heard the reports of people who don't follow the line guidelines or try to skirt the mask rules (below nose or off for pictures). None of that is surprising. It's human nature.

But, the FP lines are being used by VIP, DAS, guest recovery, Club 33 etc. If it's truly a mitigation strategy, those lines would be 100% closed.

My guesses for why it hasn't come back yet:
1. Saves money by requiring less cast at each ride
2. They haven't finalized what is replacing it or are waiting to launch it closer to the 50th
3. Gives the appearance of "mitigation" which is good press for attracting the current flow of guests

 

[nickg420]

My guess is they will rollout a newer version of Fastpass when they rollout the new Genie App...Whenever that happens...

As an anecdotal example, we have been at least 4 times since reopen and have not had any issues completing everything we wanted to including RoR.