WDW Should Charge EXTRA for FastPass+

[disney obsessed]

I will probably never use this feature. And I am so grateful that I do not have to. We have been there enough to go with the flow. If we were a young family who could not go often and have to plan so much, I NEVER would have become an addict.

Vacation is for relaxing. I do not want to be "pushed around" either. I have made one advanced dining reservation in my 34 trips.

Remember when it was easier to go to disney? I miss those days.

[gratuspater]

Yes, I too hate running into the park at opening to those FP machines. And I'm not going to knock the new FP+ if I haven't tried it yet. But I would be super upset if we had to actually pay MORE for FPs. Not just for my family but for all the families that can barely afford the admission ticket let alone extra ride privileges.

I agree, and WOULD NOT pay more for fast passes, and if it came to that we certainly wouldn't make Disney a yearly trip, anymore! The prices go up every year anyhow, if not ticket prices, it's our dvc annual dues. I don't think it's fair for a family who can barely afford this trip once, but want their children to experience it, to have to spend more time waiting in line just because they have less money than someone else. Outside of Disney, the influence of big money and the division it brings, is painfully obvious. I would hate to see that divide brought inside the parks, and take away a little more of the magic. There are plenty of pay to play experiences at Disney (parasailing, boating, tours (some of which I think get you onto some rides faster?), preferred fireworks seating). Just to name a few. The parks have became busy enough year round, that I do have to be at rope drop, to ride certain rides, and I will do that but when I have to pay extra, just so I don't have to stand in line for 2 hours, then I will be rethinking my vacation choices. Matter of fact, just had a GREAT weekend get away to a regional 4 star westin resort, slept in every day, then got up played tennis and swam all day (there are lots of other local attractions, but that is what our young boys wanted to do), then had very nice dinners at the hotel. I could easily exchange a week of that, for the hustle and bustle of Disney, especially if we would have to pay extra for fast pass. And I would save money all around, no airfare, no park tickets, cheaper room rates. I doubt we are the only people that feel this way, LISTEN UP TDO!

[Hammer]

I'm not sure if I would pay extra for Fastpass +. Personally, I don't believe in setting an alarm clock on vacation, so I can count on both hands with fingers to spare the times I've been there for park opening. We get to the parks around 10:30-11:00. Consequently, I've only gone on TSM twice, and one of those times was when they had a single rider line when it first opened. So if I can schedule afternoon fastpasses in advance for the few FP rides we want, I would be very happy. I'm going to wait and see what the program will actually be when it is officially rolled out to the general public before I make a decision.

Also, I've seen a lot of people quoting that it will be booking 180 days out, like dining. I don't think it will be like that. I think people will have the ability to book Fastpasses 60 days out, like resort check in. While 60 days is not great, it's better than 180 days!

[Stu29573]

As I love getting up early and getting to the parks at rope drop, FP+ means nothing to me. Also, I dont even take my phone to the parks. I like to wander and be free without an electronic chain around my neck... But thats just me...

[MrPeetrie]

As opposed to paying extra for FastPass+, I think Disney will go in the way of enhanced benefits for those staying on property versus off site. .

Maybe on-site guests can login online at 4:00 am and make their reservations, while off-site guests will need to wait until 7 am to speak to a Cast Member.

Or maybe on-site guests receive more flexibility than off-site guests.

I'm just hypothesizing, but I think Disney wants to encourage (coerce) its guests to stay on location.

[MargaretMessler]

I refuse to be pushed into planning every moment of my vacation, and being stressed b/c I have to make a certain FP time. We already feel that way about meals, I do NOT want to feel that way about rides. Blech.

Amen to that! Vacations shouldn't be like work. Dinner reservations, fine. (Though 6 months out is pushing it.) Tours, fine. But rides? No way!

[MargaretMessler]

I just don't see why it's that difficult to use the current system. Get a FP, ride a few not so high demand things, use the FP, and then get another.

Me either. I always say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I wouldn't mind some tweaking of the system as to how soon after getting one FP you can get another...like maybe you can be allowed to have two at once, but don't have to wait to grab another...but other than that, this works fine.

[Arielfan98]

I just don't agree with the FP+ system at all I feel like the first come first serve idea with regular FPs are good enough. My family is not made of morning people and yet we still get to the parks around 12 and still end up getting FPs for 99.99% of the rides we want to go on...except for TSM. But besides that we are happy to either wait or go on a single rider line if there is one. Whether Disney plans on charging eventually for FP+ or not I don't see the value in it because no one will know the EMH that early in advance and my family builds around that.

[MickeysBestPal]

All of the "six months in advance" discussion should be tempered with the info that FP+ reservations look to be earliest available at the 60-days-before check-in date.

I'm no fan of FP+, but planning attractions for 60 days in advance is a little better than trying to plan them for 180 days out.

Now, with that said...

Let's say that you already HAVE done your meal ADR's at the 180 day (or so) mark, pre-trip.

Then, the 60-day FP+ date comes, and you then find that you can't get the FP+'s that you want at the same park(s) (or the correct times) as your ADR meals...

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

[Giggy]

Disagree with the suggestion of paying for FP. They already do this at Universal and we just refuse to use them. WDW shouldn't treat some guests as second class citizens because they can't afford to pay extra of stay on site.

[Eric87]

I think they are way over thinking this system and wish they would just do away with fastpass as a whole. What ever happened to just waiting in line for a ride and talking to new friends while the anticipation builds.

[MickeysBestPal]

I think they are way over thinking this system and wish they would just do away with fastpass as a whole. What ever happened to just waiting in line for a ride and talking to new friends while the anticipation builds.

As one who was a park veteran for years before FP, I don't have the desire to talk to new friends for 3 hours every time I want to ride Splash Mtn., Space Mtn., and Indy Jones Temple.

[MNNHFLTX]

I go on vacation to get away from deadlines, not to add even more of them. Not a fan of Fastpass+. I also think they should go back to being more lenient about the Fastpass return time. When we went to Disneyland Paris in May, they still allowed people to come back at any point after the return time. It was great!

[DisneyDawgette]

As opposed to paying extra for FastPass+, I think Disney will go in the way of enhanced benefits for those staying on property versus off site. .

Maybe on-site guests can login online at 4:00 am and make their reservations, while off-site guests will need to wait until 7 am to speak to a Cast Member.

Or maybe on-site guests receive more flexibility than off-site guests.

I'm just hypothesizing, but I think Disney wants to encourage (coerce) its guests to stay on location.

I tend to agree with this thought...I wouldn't completely write off FP+ being a paid item, but there are also other options to consider. At the end of the day, it's all speculation and there isn't anything we can do about it.

However, it is sad to me to see how impatient we have become. To "refuse" to wait more than X number of minutes is kind of silly to me- if that's the case, I would never ever ride Soarin', even with a FP. The last time we got a FP for Soarin' (which was gotten by 9:45am, and the time slot wasn't until 5:30pm), we still ended up waiting almost 40 minutes. We can't anticipate lines, with or without a FP. And it's vacation at a very busy location- how can you expect to not wait for anything? Even when you use FP as it is now, you will inevitably wait for something until your FP comes available, or you just won't ride much.

However, I think that FP+ needs to be implemented before I take a huge stance on it. It saves me from running to the back of the park to grab a FP and even allows me to set a later time if I know I want to sleep in. But, there is also the flexibility of the system to consider, and I think it will be very dependent on how easy obtaining the FP is up to the date of your visit! There is also the concern of whether or not you will have to shell out for the special system. We will have to wait and see!

[Mrs Bus Driver]

I have been going back and forth on the FP+, so I guess I'll have to wait and see. On the one hand I don't mind 60 days out getting fp's so I don't have to run around so much. On the other hand being limited to 3 a day in one park could be a problem. What is the point in having a parkhopper if I can't use at least 1 fp in a different park? I may start my day at MK and then hop over to DHS, so why can't I get a fp for toy story that afternoon and only use 2 fps at MK? So if their are any Disney executives reading this board please answer my question. If you want me to obsessively plan my trip then why can't you give me more flexibility?

[MrPeetrie]

If you want me to obsessively plan my trip then why can't you give me more flexibility?

Well said!!!!!

[merciantinkerbell]

I don't quite understand this Fastpass+. Correct if I'm wrong but it seems to me that, say, lots of people book Splash Mountain 6 months in advance, if I go without "booking" its a possibility that the ride is booked up for the day and I can't get on? If so, that seems very unfair on those who either can't or don't want to be that regimented. I've only been once to Disney World once but we had an idea of want we really wanted to do in each park, and went with the flow the rest of the time but Fastpass+ could stop that spontinaity

[Scrappy2]

I'm not a fan of booking fast passes 180 days in advance. We ended up with some extra money and doing a long weekend trip to Disney before our Ap passes expire. Since their just a few days not getting my first choice in dining is ok. But if I cannot get fast passes to most popular rides I would pick a different destination.

[ANG]

I tend to agree with this thought...I wouldn't completely write off FP+ being a paid item, but there are also other options to consider. At the end of the day, it's all speculation and there isn't anything we can do about it.

However, it is sad to me to see how impatient we have become. To "refuse" to wait more than X number of minutes is kind of silly to me- if that's the case, I would never ever ride Soarin', even with a FP. The last time we got a FP for Soarin' (which was gotten by 9:45am, and the time slot wasn't until 5:30pm), we still ended up waiting almost 40 minutes. We can't anticipate lines, with or without a FP. And it's vacation at a very busy location- how can you expect to not wait for anything? Even when you use FP as it is now, you will inevitably wait for something until your FP comes available, or you just won't ride much.

However, I think that FP+ needs to be implemented before I take a huge stance on it. It saves me from running to the back of the park to grab a FP and even allows me to set a later time if I know I want to sleep in. But, there is also the flexibility of the system to consider, and I think it will be very dependent on how easy obtaining the FP is up to the date of your visit! There is also the concern of whether or not you will have to shell out for the special system. We will have to wait and see!

I "refuse" to wait no longer than 20 minutes for almost any ride. And not because I'm impatient. It's because I know there are tons of other fantastic rides and attractions I could be doing instead of standing in a crowded line. Waiting in line for over an hour for ANY attractions is the silly part to me. I'm also not the type of person who will find a spot for Wishes an hour ahead of time. I'm so tickled to be at WDW in the first place. Being anywhere you can basically see the fireworks is just fine for me. I go to WDW with a very calm attitude and yes I realize there will be a lot of waiting in total.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I don't quite understand this Fastpass+. Correct if I'm wrong but it seems to me that, say, lots of people book Splash Mountain 6 months in advance, if I go without "booking" its a possibility that the ride is booked up for the day and I can't get on? If so, that seems very unfair on those who either can't or don't want to be that regimented. I've only been once to Disney World once but we had an idea of want we really wanted to do in each park, and went with the flow the rest of the time but Fastpass+ could stop that spontinaity

The FP+ system will allow you to book a FastPass for Splash Mountain 60 days, not 180 days (6 months)... If you don't book your FastPass, yes, there is a chance the FP availability will "sell out"... You won't be able to get a FP but can still ride Splash Mountain if you want to stand in the stand by line queue...

As for the spontaneous trip goers, I do believe this will kill those spontaneous plans...