Will New Fastpass System Even Things Out? About This Page:

[disneyfan2000]

The new fastpass system will allow you to get fastpasses way in advance, online, correct?

I've been thinking about it. I believe it will even things out between the hardcore teens/adults and families. I've been on both sides. I've gone to Disney World with just my brother and we had alot of fun and got to do alot of rides. I've also done Disney with my little kids and wife.

For the most part, single teens/adults can take advantage of fastpasses way more often than families. There is noone slowing you down, you have a much better chance of executing your plans, you usually take advantage of fastpasses.

Families, however, have a totally different experience. Kids happen, and 9/10 you don't get fastpasses. Or, sometimes, when you do get them, something happens and you cannot use them.

I think getting fastpasses online will even things out. Families will be better able to plan out the trip and take advantage of fastpasses they normally wouldn't have time to get.

What do you think?

[kellensmom]

As a mom who often travels with two kids under 6, I hope so. We often only do half days, rushing out at the crack of dawn, so bring able to reserve our favs on fast pass+ and not have to rush each morning is something I am looking forward to.

[LizCatMom]

I know when I first heard of the idea of being able to reserve a few FPs, I thought "what a great idea!" Yes, we fall into that "Have small children" category and it actually winds up being DH that crisscrosses back and forth all over the park grabbing our FPs for different attractions and, while he has never complained, it takes away from his touring time while I take the girls and we usually hop on something while he is gone. We also take a mid-afternoon break for naps and usually by the time we've returned the park, FPs are gone for the more popular attractions. Not terribly long ago, a friend of mine posted that he had gotten some FPs for Toy Story after riding it for the sole purpose of giving them away to a complete stranger on the way out, as a means of spreading his own Disney magic. On one hand, I thought it was a nice gesture, but on the other hand, I thought that it wasn't fair in a way. If lots of people start grabbing up FPs to be handing out to other people, seems like you'll have more folks disappointed because FPs were already gone for the day by the time they get to the park. I was wondering what other people's thoughts may be on this.

[disneyfan2000]

will the new fastpass be a barcode or an rfid signal?

[Dave Marx]

RFID.

[Dave Marx]

Originally Posted by LizCatMom

...Not terribly long ago, a friend of mine posted that he had gotten some FPs for Toy Story after riding it for the sole purpose of giving them away to a complete stranger on the way out, as a means of spreading his own Disney magic. On one hand, I thought it was a nice gesture, but on the other hand, I thought that it wasn't fair in a way. If lots of people start grabbing up FPs to be handing out to other people, seems like you'll have more folks disappointed because FPs were already gone for the day by the time they get to the park. I was wondering what other people's thoughts may be on this.

In some regards, this is a chicken-and-egg situation. If FPs were easy to get regardless of the time of day, then folks wouldn't think to do this. At the same time, if fewer people took FPs "on spec" (whether for their own possible use, or as an act of random kindness), the supply of FPs wouldn't run out quite so soon.

I feel this kind of behavior simply shifts a benefit from one person to another. It gives the individual a chance to spread a bit of semi-random magic, but that feel-good moment comes at the expense of someone who is disappointed to arrive at the FP machines and find they're all gone.

I don't think this happens often enough to have a meaningful impact on the operation of the FP system as a whole, but it certainly has a negative impact on someone.

[disneyfan2000]

I think by being able to get fastpasses way in advance and seeing the availablility, we will quickly start to see what the most popular times are to ride certain rides. And, as with all scarce resources, everyone will have to adjust to this and make sacrifices and ride some rides at non-popular times. But I think this is going to be great for people like me, with kids, who normally doesn't get to get in that mix of fastpass users.


Although, what if it rains or some other unforseen event happens that throws off your whole schedule for the day? Does the new system allow for any adaption?

[mouseketeer1]

I agree with the notion that it might allow for more flexibility for more people, especially for the big headline attractions. I feel like if we are ever going to get a shot at riding Toy Story Mania in DHS, then we would have to get there right at rope drop, which is great and I'm all in to do so, but it does make me feel more pressured into having my trip plannd out each day Exactly "so". "If we are going to do x then we have to do y on this day, which means z has to go somewhere else." Throw in trying to score ADRs, and it feels like a gamble...which I admit makes it all the more thrilling to plan successfully, but I feel it takes some of the ease out of it being vacation. I like the idea that I can plan accordingly for when I KNOW I will be on the ride.

I also made the mistake of splitting up our group on the last day to hit everyone's faves,and in doing so we missed the chance to get FPs for Soarin. Live and learn I guess, but being able to preorder FP times seems like it could help with the curve.

[DisneyBri]

I think it will make them easier to get for families, but I'd be willing that there will be a larger percentage of fastpasses that don't get used because of family issues. (Napping child, meltdown, long meal, etc..)

[NanaTink]

Originally Posted by DisneyBri

I think it will make them easier to get for families, but I'd be willing that there will be a larger percentage of fastpasses that don't get used because of family issues. (Napping child, meltdown, long meal, etc..)

agreed, I think that's going to happen a lot more often than not. And what about people who plan a last minute trip? No joy for them? Right now, APs are not included in the RFID system, though 'once everything is running' the plan is to have them included. That means no FP for them either? We semi-plan, but often we don't finalize until the day before or even that morning. We don't do ADRs every day either. It's just the two of us and we are more go-with-the-flow types. We just did a 'free' trip to shake the doldrums....using miles to fly, Disney Visa dollars for room and food...booked on Monday, flew down on Friday and back on Sunday....no way 'prebooking' rides would have worked for us!!

[Tishypops]

What do people think about the suggestion that FP's should be more available to people staying onsite? Personally I agree that they should be. I know a lot of people argue that they can't afford to stay onsite so why should they loose out. My answer to that is that I save for longer and do not go as often as others do because we want to stay onsite. I never thought I would feel this way but I am starting to favour the universal approach with their 'front of line' pass that you get if you either stay onsite or you buy it. I have lost count of the amount of times I have heard stories with tour groups (particularly South American tour groups) where their group leader stands at the machine and gets 50-60 FPs while the rest of the group are on so ething else which means others can't get them.

[Nova]

I guess this could be helpful, we have done the split up we will go take the kids on a ride while another adult goes and gets fast pass for a ride, but planning that before being in a park may not work out to well for us. To decide before hand what park we will go to each day ahead of time is not something we do. Granted we generally will do Mk as soon as we get there, but then where we go from there is not really planned unless we are doing a char. meal. So not to sure how we would do with this new system. Sounds interesting though.

[Ashli]

Originally Posted by NanaTink

agreed, I think that's going to happen a lot more often than not. And what about people who plan a last minute trip? No joy for them? Right now, APs are not included in the RFID system, though 'once everything is running' the plan is to have them included. That means no FP for them either? We semi-plan, but often we don't finalize until the day before or even that morning. We don't do ADRs every day either. It's just the two of us and we are more go-with-the-flow types. We just did a 'free' trip to shake the doldrums....using miles to fly, Disney Visa dollars for room and food...booked on Monday, flew down on Friday and back on Sunday....no way 'prebooking' rides would have worked for us!!

This is exactly how I feel. We are also very go-with-the-flow and the idea of having to pre-book FPs for certain times would annoy me to no end. We usually don't even decide what park we want to go to on which day until we are there, and we always park hop.

[Disney Franatic]

What I'm wondering is, how are you supposed to check your FP time if you forget it while you're in the parks if the wristbands don't have a screen to read? Will there be monitors in the parks to checks these things or will you have to have a smart phone for that?

[ilovedisney247]

As an Annual Pass holder who lives 15 minutes from WDW--I'm not sure I love the new FP bookings for resort guests. I do stay on property once in awhile, but I spend on average one day/evening in the parks per week. I feel like I'm going to be at a decided disadvantage not being able to book FP in advance when I decide on the spur of the moment to head to a park. I'm going to guess that I spend a lot more money over the course of a year than the average family that comes in for a week, but I'm not getting the same benefits.