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View Full Version : How about another Fastpass question



gerald72
05-25-2008, 12:25 PM
I haven't seen this one asked before:

Here's the scenario: Your family decides to sleep in. You go to the parks early. Can you take their passes along and get fastpasses for them while they sleep, and then meet them at the park entrance?
Does entering the park "activate" your pass to use for fastpasses?

Polynesian Dweller
05-25-2008, 12:49 PM
I haven't seen this one asked before:

Here's the scenario: Your family decides to sleep in. You go to the parks early. Can you take their passes along and get fastpasses for them while they sleep, and then meet them at the park entrance?
Does entering the park "activate" your pass to use for fastpasses?

Can't say I've seent that one asked quite that way before either. Interesting question.:mickey:

My answer would be based on a couple of things I've seen. I've certainly seen one family member putting several tickets through for the fast pass machines so, setep 1, yep 1 person can put the tickets for their entire family.

Second step, you can leave a park with a fastpass and come back later to use it, so you don't have to be in the park. That would imply that the actual entry time doesn't matter.

Third step, the fastpass machines are clearly tied into a central computing system to determine when you got your last fastpass (I have been denied when I was 1 minute early). So, it would seem to me that the system would know that you have a valid ticket for that day and are in the window you can get a pass. I, therefor, can't imagine that you couldn't do what you are suggesting.

Ok, that's my logic. I would say you can and that 'activation' is not an issue. It will be intriguing to see if the logic is wrong. I wouldn't think so.

Seasonscraps
05-25-2008, 02:15 PM
I am not sure but my gut instinct is saying this won't work. I am pretty sure the pass needs to be used for admission that day before you can use it for fastpasses.

DizneyRox
05-25-2008, 02:26 PM
Nope, doesn't work... Park TIckets MUST be used at the turnstyle to register in the fast pass machines as valid. I've tried it, it doesn't work. If everyone wants a fastpass, they will need to wake up early like the rest of us.


I've certainly seen one family member putting several tickets through for the fast pass machines so, setep 1, yep 1 person can put the tickets for their entire family.
Correct, one person can use all the families tickets, it makes the lines visibly shorter.


Second step, you can leave a park with a fastpass and come back later to use it, so you don't have to be in the park. That would imply that the actual entry time doesn't matter.
Incorrect, entry time diesn't matter as long as it's BEFORE you put the ticket into the fastpass machine. The ticket must have been used for admission on that day prior to it giving you a fastpass. Yes you can come and go on that day and the fastpass system doens't know when you leave or if you have left, but it does know that you COULD be in the park and you MUST be able to be in the park.


Third step, the fastpass machines are clearly tied into a central computing system to determine when you got your last fastpass (I have been denied when I was 1 minute early). So, it would seem to me that the system would know that you have a valid ticket for that day and are in the window you can get a pass. I, therefor, can't imagine that you couldn't do what you are suggesting.
See #2 above. Yes, it's all tied to a central computer system and it tracks which rides you get fastpasses for, etc. Part of that lookup is also that the ticket has been used for admission however.

I have not tried going into Epcot, then hopping over to MK with a pack of tickets to get a fastpass, I'll have to try that next time and se how it goes. One park though, it works as I have described it.

mel
05-25-2008, 02:31 PM
You know i dont know if you can use a fastpass that way or not. I think I remember getting my daughter a fastpass one day when she wasnt in the park at that time. The best way to know is just try. :mickey:

DisneyDudet
05-25-2008, 03:22 PM
For the fastpass machine to register, you must first use your ticket at the turnstile, at least from what I understand. Now that we all have to use biometrics to get in, you can't just put it through the turnstiles. So, in actuality, you need the whole party that is wanting a FP to enter the park.

Now, if they are on an attraction you aren't keen of, and can get another FP, you most certainly can walk on over to get FPs for everyone. We do this, especially on RnRC and ToT. My mom does not ride RnRC, but loves ToT. We'll give her our passes while riding RnRC, and she'll get FP for ToT. Works out well.

While I haven't gone to one park, get an FP, and then leave to go to another park to get other FPs, I have left the park. The month that Soarin opened (May 2005), we came up with a plan. We would be at MGM (DHS) and walk or ride the boat over to Epcot, cut through from the Int'l Gateway, and snag FPs for Soarin, since we were planning on going there that evening, after a hotel break and dinner. Since it was early afternoon, the FPs were for near park closing, so it worked out PERFECTLY, and we did this at least twice. There was nothing wrong with doing it, and I can't see any reason why you can't get another fastpass at another park, as long as you are eligible to obtain another (either your window has started, or its been 2 hours).

As far as going into one park as a group, then going into another, solo, to obtain a FP for everyone, I cannot tell you. I honestly don't know of anyone what has done it, but you could always try. Just remember not to get upset about it. Personally, it seems like a lot of work just to not stand in a line. For that amount of work, I would just wait or take my chances.

FP is a wonderful system. I would hate to see it change.

WDWdriver
05-25-2008, 05:37 PM
Nope. If you try to get a FP with a park ticket that hasn't been used at the turnstiles on that day, you will get an invalid FP that says "Ticket not used for park entry".

As far as getting FPs for attractions in different parks, you CAN do that. Each park has its own FP distribution computer, which is not linked to the computers in the other parks. But again, each ticket must have been used to get into both parks.

Young@Heart
05-25-2008, 05:49 PM
Like others have said, I'm sure your park pass has to be activated in order to get a FP

We are one of the families who send a "runner" to get FP's while we stroll toward another attraction. I've never understood why this bothers some people. The runner just meets up w/ us somewhere, then we get in line-we don't line up first. ;) No one ends up getting cut off b/c of us.

wendy*darling
05-25-2008, 08:54 PM
As has been said- the passes MUST be used at the turnstiles that day in order to get Fast Passes.
We tried it. Didn't work. :(
My friends and I wanted to ride Soarin' before heading over to MGM(DHS). DH did not want to ride Soarin'. So, we thought- let's send him on ahead with our passes and he can get the FPs for TOT or RnRC, then we'll meet him at the entrance after we are done on Soarin'.

Sounded good to us. Doesn't work though.
We had not entered that park yet that day, so our passes were not valid for FPs yet. Once we did meet up with him and put our passes through the turnstiles- all was fine.

DizneyRox
05-25-2008, 09:43 PM
Nope. If you try to get a FP with a park ticket that hasn't been used at the turnstiles on that day, you will get an invalid FP that says "Ticket not used for park entry".

As far as getting FPs for attractions in different parks, you CAN do that. Each park has its own FP distribution computer, which is not linked to the computers in the other parks. But again, each ticket must have been used to get into both parks.

I'm not sure if this is accurate either. We had a FP at Epcot for TT I believe later in the day. We decide dto head to MK as the return window was like 4 hours from "now". Upon entering MK, we were unable to get a FP for I think it was Buzz Lightyear as our window to get another ticket had not yet been reached.

With that, I do believe the system is one central Fastpass system and all parks ARE linked with respect to the return windows, etc. It is not something that I would imagine many folks do, but it's an easy enough loophole to fix, and I believe it does not work that way.

From a technical perspective, I can't think of any reason why the fastpass systems would be different for each park. The expense in having seperate servers, codebase, etc. just doesn't make any sense to me. Each attraction has it's set of criteria, operating hours, throughput, etc and you're done. No real need to complicate it by adding the particular park to the mix.

PirateLover
05-25-2008, 10:32 PM
Back in 2002, we tried this very thing. Every time we went to Epcot, Test Track passes "sold out" very early on, and lines were 2+ hours. My mom woke up early and tried to get fastpasses for all of us, and it didn't work. There was a nice CM at the machines who explained everything to her, and actually did give her FPs for all of us, but I'm sure this is not a common practice.

WDWdriver
05-25-2008, 10:41 PM
From a technical perspective, I can't think of any reason why the fastpass systems would be different for each park. The expense in having seperate servers, codebase, etc. just doesn't make any sense to me. Each attraction has it's set of criteria, operating hours, throughput, etc and you're done. No real need to complicate it by adding the particular park to the mix.

Redundancy would be a good reason.

I have assisted guests using the FP machines for about eight years. I have not once seen a guest denied a FP because they already held one for an attraction at another park.

However, I have seen occasions when ourFP server went down. As you might expect, chaos resulted at every FastPass location in our park. But there was no simultaneous downtime or disruption at the other parks.

DizneyRox
05-26-2008, 11:03 AM
Redundancy would be a good reason.

I have assisted guests using the FP machines for about eight years. I have not once seen a guest denied a FP because they already held one for an attraction at another park.

However, I have seen occasions when ourFP server went down. As you might expect, chaos resulted at every FastPass location in our park. But there was no simultaneous downtime or disruption at the other parks.
Redundency over cost? We're talking about Disney here. One clustered system to cover all parks instead of 4 individual systems without redundency is still cheaper. Like I said, it doesn't make sense...

Also, if you get some time, check out he FP situation and report back. I do think you'll be surprised. Like I said, I've done it, and was surprised at the rejection. I didn't think they were that smart.

There are many other reasons for one park to be down instead of all 4, networking issues between the parks and the data center would be a big/common one.

irish1967
05-26-2008, 08:58 PM
I would imagine it is one system for all four parks but...

the first question the computer program asks is : has this ticket been used last to enter this park?

If the answer is "no" ... fastpass denied

If the answer is "yes" ... the computer program asks: is this ticket eligible for another FP at this time? (No matter which park the FP was issued in.)

I know for a fact that the first question is asked - I put my DB's ticket in the FP machine accidently at SM one year after he left for the airport and was denied the FP

(he left his ticket with me so we could use up his snack credits from the dining plan at the resort before we left to drive home:mickey:)