xPass (Or whatever it will be called ) Testing In May

[Tinkermom]

From what I have read the Fastpass+ will be available when you book your stay. Possibly depending on how far in advance you book will determine how many Fastpass+ you are eligible for (not sure if this is still the way it will work). My question is has anyone heard how this will work for DVC members?

[DisnIse]

When I first read about the new xPass, I was thoroughly annoyed. We have APs and we like to just meander through the parks, grabbing fast passes along the way without much thought... and I love being able to just decide on the fly.
xPass seemed like too much overthought and I thought it was a control freak's dream. I actually ranted about it several times.

BUT.... we're now planning a trip next summer to Disneyland and DCA. I have never seen DCA and haven't been to DL since maybe 1997. NOW I get it! I know DL is smaller; I know it's not nearly as overwhelming as WDW and yet I want to master the layout and figure out all of the important things before we go. I can TOTALLY see why the xPass would be good for the "once in a lifetime" WDW guests.

So I officially take back my ranting!

[thrillme]

So, here's my problem with this new system. As someone mentioned above one of the uses of this was so you could plan your day 180 days out.

Why?

That just seems so ridiculous to me. Why would you not only want to plan where you're staying, which parks you're going to, where you're eating and exactly which rides you're riding at which 1 hour window of the day? Why does it have to be that structured? What ever happened to spontaneity? I just feel, we as a country, are too d!@% scheduled!

I love Disney... I love going and walking around the park. Yes, there are certain rides that we just have to do. There are certain rides that we will get fast passes to because we have to (can we please talk about Toy Mania and the craziness that is???) but to schedule each and everything just seems too much...

I have visions of us scanning our ticket and being moved from one thing to another as the park operators see fit... I know it's an exaggeration but I'm afraid that's where we're going to end up if we keep on with this totally scheduled mentality.

so... devil's advocate here. You decide to go to Disney. You don't plan which rides you want to ride around where you want to eat around where you're going to stay and which parks you're going to go to and you decide to go to MK. You get there and find out that you can't get on Buzz Lightyear for 2 plus hours and that turns into 3 hours because all the fastpasses have been scheduled and book out times. What if you do book your time and can't make it. Now you're forced to "wait in line" with the slackers who didn't see fit to schedule 180 days out.

What's so wrong with the process as it is right now?

Why is it that Toy Story sells our fast passes in 30 minutes and you STILL have to wait for hours to get on the ride? Is it because there are too many fast passes being given out? We were able to get fast passes last time and we STILL waited 45 plus minutes after we were in the fast pass lane...and the people not in the lane were waiting HOURS to get on, so why is that not working?

I'm sorry, I don't mean to be Debbie Downer but the thought of having a totally scheduled vacation doesn't sound like much of a vacation to me.

I'm trying to remember the days before fast passes. It's been a while. Where I do rather like being able to get on a ride quicker...when my parents and I went after graduation and I went and my late husband and I went on our honeymoon...there were no fast passes. Both times we went in the midst of summer and I just don't remember the lines being impasssible. They were long...yes... but we rode everything. I do rather enjoy the "fast passes" but it's so cumbersome to run all over the park like a maniac scheduling which fast pass to get at which time and when to go back when...etc. I don't know how I'd feel with the new system. I kinda "like" being able to ride everything and not have to collect fast passes but I'm not really crazy about everything being on such a locked down schedule. And yes I kinda think the standby line has gotten a bit more difficult.

I really HATE the "dining reservations". We USED to go to the Epcot ball and make reservations the day of. You could easily "walk in" to any resturant waiting no more than an hour maybe 2. Only BIG groups got reservations ahead of that. Now...if you don't have reservations 180 days out...you may NOT get into any resturant.

I "liked" when they had the "magic" nights where you paid $12-13 for the ticket. It was GREAT. But then when it went FREE...it sucked. Way way too many people. Way to many tired, grumpy little kids. $12-13 wasn't that expensive but I guess when you had several family memebers they just didn't want to pay it.

I miss Disney. I haven't been back in a while now...the crowds are becoming a bit wearing. I'm kinda waiting for some changes. So much talk too about how bad the economy is but oh my...there seems to be soooooo many more people there than ever before. We'll be going in 2014 (my son will be a senior and it'll be his last band trip)...we'll see how it goes then.

[disneynarula]

I am really NOT hating this idea. Since we have to book ADRs out so far in advance anyway we might as well plan out the key attractions as well.I just don't think this is the horrible thing that everyone seems to think it will be.

[Cinderelley]

I am really NOT hating this idea. Since we have to book ADRs out so far in advance anyway we might as well plan out the key attractions as well.I just don't think this is the horrible thing that everyone seems to think it will be.

Planning one meal isn't so bad. You have the rest of your day to do whatever you want.

Planning out multiple fastpasses is a bit trickier. For example, say you picked a fast pass for Space Mountain at 10 am. Then one for Big Thunder at 12 noon. Your plan is to finish up Tomorrowland and then head over to Big Thunder for your fastpass. You ride SM, CoP, Stitch, the TTA, and then hit Buzz Lightyear. Then, oh my goodness, your kid LOVES buzz and wants to ride it multiple times. Do you disappoint the kid and make your Big Thunder fastpass or do you watch the joy on your child's face and miss out on Big Thunder's time? I know what I would choose, but I would rather not be in the position to choose.

[joonyer]

Planning one meal isn't so bad. You have the rest of your day to do whatever you want.

Planning out multiple fastpasses is a bit trickier. For example, say you picked a fast pass for Space Mountain at 10 am. Then one for Big Thunder at 12 noon. Your plan is to finish up Tomorrowland and then head over to Big Thunder for your fastpass. You ride SM, CoP, Stitch, the TTA, and then hit Buzz Lightyear. Then, oh my goodness, your kid LOVES buzz and wants to ride it multiple times. Do you disappoint the kid and make your Big Thunder fastpass or do you watch the joy on your child's face and miss out on Big Thunder's time? I know what I would choose, but I would rather not be in the position to choose.

But the same thing could happen even if you didn't get your FastPass until earlier the same day, so the Xpass system (as we are all assuming what it will encompass) doesn't really create that problem.

[Cinderelley]

But the same thing could happen even if you didn't get your FastPass until earlier the same day, so the Xpass system (as we are all assuming what it will encompass) doesn't really create that problem.

Maybe, but only if you ran from one land to the other. If you finish out tomorrowland, then go to frontierland and get your fastpasses, you're already there.

My kids are grown up, so I don't have to deal with that scenario. I was just feeling a little sympathy for those who do. For me, the issue of 180 days out vs. that day is the fact that we all work nights and are not park commandos. I never know what time we will be heading out to the parks. It isn't worth it to me to rush everyone out the door to make a fastpass time. It would be worth it to me to stop everyone at a kiosk as we enter and say "what times do we want to do these?".