Forget Fastpass+, Fastpass in General Needs a Major Overhaul. Period!

[baldburke]

The current Fastpass system is so ineffective. It makes lines for the regular folks so slow and brings what could be a bearable wait to a grinding halt. They should either just do away with the system completely or offer Fastpasses for everyone. Disney obviously has no understanding of the theory of constraints!

[Tekneek]

I think another issue is when the decision is made to add capacity to an attraction. I believe they should try to be ahead of the curve, but management appears to choose intentionally to be well behind it.

[etibbetts]

I wish they would just get rid of Fastpass and Fastpass +. You are correct, the standby line becomes unbearable. It seemed so much worse during my November vacation then in years past. Looks like they are giving out way too many fast passes.

[seanyred]

The current Fastpass system is so ineffective. It makes lines for the regular folks so slow and brings what could be a bearable wait to a grinding halt. They should either just do away with the system completely or offer Fastpasses for everyone. Disney obviously has no understanding of the theory of constraints!

But FastPass is available for everyone.

[Tekneek]

But FastPass is available for everyone.

Yeah, not sure what was meant by "regular folks." I just assumed they meant people who did not get a FP. Ultimately, I think 30+ minute waits for attractions that aren't running at full capacity is bad, personally.

[Reedy Creek Buccaneer]

My question is why do people wait in line when Fastpass is available? I just don't understand the lunacy of waiting!

[gerald72]

If those fastpass people weren't in the fastpass line, they'd be ahead of you in the standby line.
And it is available to everyone.
If you don't like the standby line- get a fastpass. Easy solution.

[joonyer]

Well, I can remember when there was no Fastpass for any WDW attractions. And what was the number one complaint of guests? You guessed it: "The lines are tooo LOOOONG. I don't like waiting so long for one ride." :mad: :( :fit: :rant: :cry: :down: :shake: :pout:

So what did Disney do? They created a system where you could hold you place in line "electronically" so you could do something else during the two-hour wait (yeah, I know the cynics say it just so you can spend money while waiting your turn). Now they are fine-tuning that system and it remains to see how guests will like it. Still, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, BTMRR, etc. all handle the same number of riders per hour that the did 20+ years ago, before FastPasses. Only so many people per hour can ride, no way around that.

A few people will always complain about anything. But if WDW did away with Fastpasses, everybody would complain. We learned how to effectively used the Fastpass system, and have never waited more than 20-30 minutes for any attraction, even during peak seasons. We haven't used Fastpass+ yet, so I can't comment yet on how user-friendly it will be.

[Disneyfirsttimer]

Excuse my ignorance, but we haven't been to WDW since September 2011. I know they were changing the FP system so you had to use the FP during the actual return time (not hours later).

What exactly is FP +?

Thanks!

[Anthony007]

Originally I did not like the concept of fastpass+, however, as I am in the middle of my vacation, I love it! With regular fastpass we don't have a choice of when to return, which makes it difficult when travelling with a 2yo. With fastpass+, I can choose exactely when to return. It makes those afternoon naps and ADRs more maneagable.

I do think that booking fastpasses 6 months out is redicuously, that would be my only hange.

[GoBlueLacheta]

With the amount of money and resources poured into FP+ by Disney, there is absolutely 0% chance that they will go back to the old system once FP+ is fully implemented. This overall is not just to see whether or not it will "work best" for guests, but rather if it "works best" for Disney and its' stockholders.

They may tweak certain elements as much of this is still testing and trial and error. The problem with some rides is the amount of visitors they can process per hour. Toy Story Mania, Soarin, Test Track, and Space Mountain are fairly slow compared to other major attractions in the Orlando area and beyond.

Timing elements also dramatically impact Tower of Terror and RnRC when churning out guests.

[baldburke]

But FastPass is available for everyone.

At certain attractions a full day of Fastpasses are gone within an hour of the park opening. What's the sense of that?

[Zippy 1]

We have been to DW 3 times. In 2003, 2007 and 2012. In 03 and 07 we went in November. In 2012 we went in February. We have never waited more than 30 minutes in any line. I did my homework before we went and learned all about fast pass and which rides were important to use it on. In 2003 we were there for Thanksgiving, it was our first trip and we had no problems with long wait times. We just did a little planning before we went. I love FP and can't wait to try out FP+.:mickey:

[joonyer]

At certain attractions a full day of Fastpasses are gone within an hour of the park opening. What's the sense of that?

If the alternative is to do away with fastpasses for that attraction, then those guests who get to the park early will still enjoy the shortest wait times. Early bird gets the worm! Either that or wait until right before park closing when the lines may finally get short again.

[DisneyDawgette]

The FastPass system, which is available for everyone, works fantastically if used correctly. And I don't understand the logic behind standby lines being longer if people have FastPasses- we use FastPass like it's going out of style and really only wait in one or two standby lines a day. And I'm perfectly fine waiting for 30 minutes or so twice if I'm not waiting for anything else.

Trying FP+ in October- excited to see how it works. :)

[Opus X]

The current Fastpass system is so ineffective. It makes lines for the regular folks so slow and brings what could be a bearable wait to a grinding halt. They should either just do away with the system completely or offer Fastpasses for everyone. Disney obviously has no understanding of the theory of constraints!
110% disagree.
We use at least 5-6 fast pass per day. Hardly ever wait and the attractions like POTC never wait more than 10 min via stand by. H.M. also.
I dont think the O.P. has a clue as to actually utilize fast pass. or plan for that matter.
:confused:
I just dont understand the OP. here at all. Fastpass is a godsend. F.P. + i am also looking forward to.
I have waited in line for BTMRR in the stand by line and maybe waited 25 min. Thats not that bad at all. Just depends on time of day.
I also dont get "regular folks" You mean the ones with 1 heart and a brain? Fast pass is a free opportunity for all to take advantage of...If folks choose not to...thats their bad call.

[Opus X]

The FastPass system, which is available for everyone, works fantastically if used correctly. And I don't understand the logic behind standby lines being longer if people have FastPasses- we use FastPass like it's going out of style and really only wait in one or two standby lines a day. And I'm perfectly fine waiting for 30 minutes or so twice if I'm not waiting for anything else.

Trying FP+ in October- excited to see how it works. :)
Agreed.

[CaptSmee]

The current Fastpass system is so ineffective. It makes lines for the regular folks so slow and brings what could be a bearable wait to a grinding halt. They should either just do away with the system completely or offer Fastpasses for everyone. Disney obviously has no understanding of the theory of constraints!

Fast pass IS available to anyone in the park...

[disneynarula]

Personally I love FastPass the way it is. With careful planning it can make a fairly easy day of it. We usually go in October and find that using FastPass we never wait in a long line.

[Anthony007]

Fastpass+ only allows 3 FPs per day (4 for MK). If you are using a magic band, you cannot use the regular fastpass.

[1DisneyNut]

What the problem really is, is that it requires you to a lot of logistical thinking while you are on vacation.....run here grab this first fastpass, go ride these two rides/see shows, go grab second fastpass, go use first fastpass, eat, go ride/see something, grab third fastpass, run across park use second fastpass, go back and ride a couple of rides and so on.

You really have to stay mindful of when you can get a new one, when you can use the one you have, and what you can get done in between to utilize the fastpass system efficiently. I really don't like having to keep up with all of it while I am on vacation because I deal with scheduling and logistics all day long every day with my business but it does help you get more done. Probably what makes it work so well is the fact that so many people either do not understand, don't want to or simply can't utilize it efficiently which allows those of us who can to realize great benefit.

With all of that said, I personally don't want to have to plan fastpass+ 6 months in advance but I am a planner and if that is what it comes to, you can bet I will have every detail worked out in advance. I always do itineraries for what parks we will visit on what days and other activities months in advance anyway. I am sort of concerned about fastpass+ advance reservations because we found that we despise ADR's hanging over our heads every day while in the parks. We never plan dining in advance.

[seanyred]

At certain attractions a full day of Fastpasses are gone within an hour of the park opening. What's the sense of that?

That's about logistics and capacity. There has to be a limit of fast passes otherwise the benefit of the fastpass would be nullified. What I mean is that everyone has the opportunity to participate if they choose to do so and there is no additional cost. Now it might require getting to the parks early but that comes with each person choice.

With FastPass+ theoretically late starters will be able to get the Fastpasses they want assuming they are willing to use MyMagic+.

[jclightchasr]

Fast pass works great the FP plus is puzzling to me. Last I heard you could electronically schedule your day in the parks up to months in advance. If this is still the case it seems as though the time slots would be filled up so quickly by those ahead of the learning curve that any newbies would have to go the whole day via standby lines. Someone please shed some light here.

[Tekneek]

Fastpass+ only allows 3 FPs per day (4 for MK). If you are using a magic band, you cannot use the regular fastpass.

Yep. Gone will be the days of 5 or 6 FP. You get your 3 or 4, and the rest will be good ol' standby regardless of when you get up or how well you know your way about.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Fast pass works great the FP plus is puzzling to me. Last I heard you could electronically schedule your day in the parks up to months in advance. If this is still the case it seems as though the time slots would be filled up so quickly by those ahead of the learning curve that any newbies would have to go the whole day via standby lines. Someone please shed some light here.

You book FP+ 60 days in advance... Only 3 attractions/experiences... MK may allow 4 attractions/experiences... If you snooze, you loose... So don't try to book a spur of the moment trip... It is Stand By city for you if you do...

[Aurora]

I just realized something. If all this turns out to be true in the end, it won't eliminate the crazy rush in the morning at all for attractions like Toy Story Mania. It's just that instead of everyone making a mad dash for FPs, they'll make a mad dash to go to the standby line. Especially if they weren't lucky or organized enough to plan to get FPs for it 60 days in advance. :crazy:

[waymickey]

My question is why do people wait in line when Fastpass is available? I just don't understand the lunacy of waiting!

Sometimes you have no choice but to wait if you want to see an attraction. For Example: I want to ride TSM I get a fastpass at 9am for 230pm. I can only hold one fastpass so now if I want to see or ride an attraction before 230 pm I must wait in the standby line.

I also commented on how stinking long the standby lines were when I was there this month. Standby Lines were out of control. I don't want to see Fp to go away just to go back to what worked in the past.

[NewDVCowner]

Sometimes you have no choice but to wait if you want to see an attraction. For Example: I want to ride TSM I get a fastpass at 9am for 230pm. I can only hold one fastpass so now if I want to see or ride an attraction before 230 pm I must wait in the standby line.

I also commented on how stinking long the standby lines were when I was there this month. Standby Lines were out of control. I don't want to see Fp to go away just to go back to what worked in the past.

Correct me if I"m wrong, but the Fastpasses have something on them that says you can get a new fastpass at X:XX time and often that time is 2 hours after you get the first fast pass if the new fast pass return time is longer than that. At least that's the case in Disneyland. So, if you get a fastpass at 9:30 and the return time is at 2:30, you can get another fast pass at 11:30.

[badjujue]

The fast pass system makes wait times go up. With fast pass + coming on board you think the lines are long now just.wait. Really what dose disney care once you get into the park after paying all that money to get in and to park they got the bulk of your money. Why would they care how long you wait. 95 $ to get in plus tax so what you get to see 3 to 4 attractions out of 20

[waymickey]

Correct me if I"m wrong, but the Fastpasses have something on them that says you can get a new fastpass at X:XX time and often that time is 2 hours after you get the first fast pass if the new fast pass return time is longer than that. At least that's the case in Disneyland. So, if you get a fastpass at 9:30 and the return time is at 2:30, you can get another fast pass at 11:30.

Not when I was there a few weeks ago. We could not get another fast pass until the time to go on the ride.

[MickeysBestPal]

Correct me if I"m wrong, but the Fastpasses have something on them

1- that says you can get a new fastpass at X:XX time and

2- often that time is 2 hours after you get the first fast pass

3- if the new fast pass return time is longer than that.

4- At least that's the case in Disneyland.

5- So, if you get a fastpass at 9:30 and the return time is at 2:30, you can get another fast pass at 11:30.

1- Correct.
2- It's usually just for the very popular rides.
3- Correct. If the current FP Return Time is longer than 2 hours away, you will be able to get another FP at the 2-hour mark from time of
current FP pick-up.
4- And, at WDW.
5- That is correct.


Not when I was there a few weeks ago. We could not get another fast pass until the time to go on the ride.

You must not have been looking very closely.
The "2 hour rule" is how the "regular" FP system has worked for over a decade.

[TheHD]

FP has been great to me every trip. I recently got back from a trip in mid-July. There were often wait times of 120+ minutes for major rides. I even saw It's A Small World with a wait time of 50 minutes. With that being said, the longest wait I did was 40 min to allow my daughter to meet Gaston and rope drop (caught the bus at just the right time). The second longest wait was 30 min to meet Wreck It Ralph. I was able to ride every ride, major ones especially, several times thanks to FP.

[Opus X]

1- Correct.
2- It's usually just for the very popular rides.
3- Correct. If the current FP Return Time is longer than 2 hours away, you will be able to get another FP at the 2-hour mark from time of
current FP pick-up.
4- And, at WDW.
5- That is correct.



You must not have been looking very closely.
The "2 hour rule" is how the "regular" FP system has worked for over a decade.
110% correct

[Jared]

How I wish Disney would just eliminate Fastpass altogether. The system is used considerably less in Disneyland, and park operations seem to run so much smoother.

Toy Story Mania is the obvious example. It doesn't have Fastpass at California Adventure, yet the line is rarely long. Even when it is, it's about half of the peak wait time of Toy Story Mania in Florida.

Granted, there are other reasons for this phenomenon, but Fastpass is certainly a major contributing factor.

[Mickey91]

Sometimes you have no choice but to wait if you want to see an attraction. For Example: I want to ride TSM I get a fastpass at 9am for 230pm. I can only hold one fastpass so now if I want to see or ride an attraction before 230 pm I must wait in the standby line.

Actually, when you get a fast pass with such a late time on it from the time you received it, it will usually give you an earlier time to get another one. We a lot of times get to DHS around 9:30 - 10:30 and TSM already has passes timed anywhere from 2:00 - 7:00PM depending on the day. When this happens there is a note on the bottom that reads "your next fast pass will be available after 11:30" or about two hours after the issue of the TSM fast pass. :mickey:

[MickeysBestPal]

How I wish Disney would just eliminate Fastpass altogether. The system is used considerably less in Disneyland, and park operations seem to run so much smoother.

Toy Story Mania is the obvious example. It doesn't have Fastpass at California Adventure, yet the line is rarely long. Even when it is, it's about half of the peak wait time of Toy Story Mania in Florida.

Granted, there are other reasons for this phenomenon, but Fastpass is certainly a major contributing factor.

I agree that TSM does not offer FP at DCA.
But, I must disagree that the lines are shorter BECAUSE it does not offer FP.
Definitely not a "major" contributing factor to its shorter wait time.

To understand that FP is a positive factor in queuing for DL attractions, one only needs to remember the 3 hour-plus waits for Splash Mountain before FP, and look at the (formerly needed) massively-long (and entertaining) entrance queue that was built for Indy.

FP works.

If they dropped FP at DHS' TSM, you would not suddenly see short lines for the attraction.

[Jared]

FP works.

If they dropped FP at DHS' TSM, you would not suddenly see short lines for the attraction.
Short lines? No, certainly not. Shorter lines? Yes, absolutely.

Toy Story Mania's immense popularity in Florida is artificial, exaggerated by the fact that the park has virtually no other family rides. That isn't the case at California Adventure. Put Toy Story Mania in the Magic Kingdom, and the lines would immediately drop to something more manageable.

Whatever you think about Fastpass -- and I will always argue that it is a bad thing for park operations -- we can agree on this: All Fastpass does is redistribute the supply-and-demand chain. How about Disney fixes its increasing "demand" problem by expanding the "supply."

That is to say, build more attractions.

[Tearin_it_up]

Aw you beat me to it. The best solution for TSM at WDW is for another family attraction in the Studios. Hopefully all the changes coming helps with that:mickey:

[PopPhan]

Fast pass works great the FP plus is puzzling to me. Last I heard you could electronically schedule your day in the parks up to months in advance. If this is still the case it seems as though the time slots would be filled up so quickly by those ahead of the learning curve that any newbies would have to go the whole day via standby lines. Someone please shed some light here.

How is that any different than today? If you don't know about FP and/or how it works, you are still stuck in Stand-By lines.

How many people still visit WDW and believe that FP is a 'paid for' perk or that only those staying 'On Property' are eligible?


Yep. Gone will be the days of 5 or 6 FP. You get your 3 or 4, and the rest will be good ol' standby regardless of when you get up or how well you know your way about.

Unless they decide to up the number of FastPasses (FP+) per hour per attraction, there should be no discernible difference in Stand-By line lengths. This is based on them removing the current FP operation or combining the FP+ and FP amounts to equal the current FP/hour numbers.

Since they clamped down on return windows for FP, how many people are really getting more than 3 or 4 FP in a day and being able to use them? There is no more "Let's collect FP all day and come back at the end of the day to use them all"


For those who have been "Test Subjects" for the FP+ system....Do you still have windows to schedule your FP+ attractions? Say, for example, you schedule TSMM for 9:00, can you then schedule Rn'R for 9:30 and ToT for 10:00, or are you limited to one FP+ per hour? 2 hours? 3 hours? I haven't read any threads that talked about that.


Personally, I can count the number of time I have used FP, in all my trips since 2003, on one hand and have fingers left over. We always went during slower seasons -- Sept., Oct., early Dec., very early Jan., and Valentine's week -- and have never had lines, except for Soarin' and TSMM, that have been longer than 20 - 30 minutes and most of those were actually shorted than the posted times.

[AndrewJackson]

The wait times are so much better at Walt Disney World than they use to be, it's not even comparable.

Those of us who have been going to WDW since it opened will remember waiting in line for 60+ minutes for POTC, or 60+ minutes for the boat rode at Mexico at Epcot.

We were just at WDW last March the week before Easter. We were able to ride everything we wanted, and never waited in line more than 30 minutes.

WDW is so popular, and crowded most of the year. If you use FP, and get to the parks early, the wait times are very manageable. If you go on a busy day, and get in the standby line for Peter Pan at 2:30 PM, be prepared to wait 120 minutes to ride a 3 minute ride.

There is no doubt, FP has lessened the amount of wait time I have experienced ad WDW.

Now, the jury is out for FP+. I have some concerns about it, but really won't know until I experience it.

[Opus X]

Sometimes you have no choice but to wait if you want to see an attraction. For Example: I want to ride TSM I get a fastpass at 9am for 230pm. I can only hold one fastpass so now if I want to see or ride an attraction before 230 pm I must wait in the standby line.

I also commented on how stinking long the standby lines were when I was there this month. Standby Lines were out of control. I don't want to see Fp to go away just to go back to what worked in the past.
Whoa.....not true. You will get another fast pass at 11 am. Or 2 hours after the other fast pass...unless the return time is less than 2 hours.
Its printed at the bottom...when you can get another..often, it will not be the same time as the return time on the ticket.
I.E. your 230 return time when you got it at 9 am. You dont have to wait untill return time. You can get another at 11 am by your example.

[Opus X]

I keep reading this thread and an amazed at the lack of understanding how to get the most out of fast pass..It is a GREAT tool..and everytime we goto WDW/DLR it is used to the max. It appears though that alot simply dont understand it or read on the bottom of the ticket as to when they can get another one.
In my little world of Disney friends...we all LOVE it.
Im looking forward to FP+, it will be nice to book in advance. Also, get to the parks at rope drop. Most of the time...FP isnt needed. We rode S.M. 4 times..within 30 min..
There is this devilish part of me that likes the fact some folks choose not to use it..or doesnt know how...It allows more for the rest of us....I know thats bad..But FP is incredibly simply and works flawlessly.
YMMV- I love it.

[waymickey]

1- Correct.
2- It's usually just for the very popular rides.
3- Correct. If the current FP Return Time is longer than 2 hours away, you will be able to get another FP at the 2-hour mark from time of
current FP pick-up.
4- And, at WDW.
5- That is correct.



You must not have been looking very closely.
The "2 hour rule" is how the "regular" FP system has worked for over a decade.

I did not look at all just tried to get another fast pass and it would not let me. I am a regular user of fastpass and have used it for the past decade and had a fast pass for TSM at 130-230. Tried to get a fast pass for ToT and no luck.

[MickeysBestPal]

I did not look at all just tried to get another fast pass and it would not let me. I am a regular user of fastpass and have used it for the past decade and had a fast pass for TSM at 130-230. Tried to get a fast pass for ToT and no luck.

Sounds like you hit a famous GLITCH to me.

[waymickey]

Sounds like you hit a famous GLITCH to me.

Either it was a REAL GLITCH or an intentional GLITCH made by the powers that be during the testing of magic bands. Lines were so wacky; Short standby lines with huge wait times, long fastpass times with 15 minute waits and fastpass machines refusing to give up a fastpasses.

I have traveled to the world during the same week in august for over 6 years now and never have I ever had the problems I did this time at the parks and Transportation. I blame magic bands since that was the one thing that was different this time around.

[Aurora]

Either it was a REAL GLITCH or an intentional GLITCH made by the powers that be during the testing of magic bands. Lines were so wacky; Short standby lines with huge wait times, long fastpass times with 15 minute waits and fastpass machines refusing to give up a fastpasses.

I have traveled to the world during the same week in august for over 6 years now and never have I ever had the problems I did this time at the parks and Transportation. I blame magic bands since that was the one thing that was different this time around.

Actually that wasn't the only thing that was different. A response to this on another thread (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=200775) was made earlier by someone who has a very reliable perspective. I hope WDWDriver won't mind that I repost his response here:


WDW continues to be a dynamic place with many influences on park attendance and attraction wait times. The Disney management bean counters can probably tell you exactly why the parks seem crowded and the lines are long and what effect Fast Pass Plus has had on wait times. I have a much more limited view, but I can at least pass on a few observations.

First of all, the parks seem more crowded than usual because they are. I'm not allowed to discuss attendance numbers, but I can tell you that they are up. Resort occupancy is up, merchandise revenue is up, and dining ADRs are hard to get.

So it's no surprise to me that the attraction wait times are also up. This summer the wait times where I work have often been 90 minutes or more. We have seen many waits in excess of 120 minutes, which was unheard of just a couple of years ago.

So how much of an impact has MyMagic+ and FP+ had on all of this? Not much, as far as I can tell. Remember that FP+ is still in a test phase, and a pretty limited test at that. The only participants so far are those staying at a handful of Disney resorts, and then only those guests who have bothered to set up an MDE account. Will you see guests with wristbands in the parks? Sure, they tend to stand out. But I'm not seeing much of an impact.

Earlier this week I worked the Fast Pass Return position at a major AK attraction. We were running the familiar old FP system and also accepting FP+ wristbands. In an hour's time I admitted perhaps 30 guests with the wristbands, not enough to cause even a small blip in the standby wait time. The only impact that I noticed was that the Fast Pass Return entrance was sometimes jammed up because of problems with the wristbands. So, if anything, the FP line was affected, not the standby.

I can't speak for every WDW attraction, but at ours guests with the wristbands are not given any entrance priority over those holding the paper FPs. There has been no change to the ratio of standbys vs FPs at the merge point.

So far the number of available paper FPs has not been reduced to compensate for those with wristbands. That may change as FP+ users become more numerous. And eventually the paper FPs and their distribution machines will go away completely.

As the CMs know only too well, the only thing constant at WDW is change.