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

[DizneyFreak2002]

RFID/NextGen FP machines are currently being installed at Space Mountain... They will appear at Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, PhilharMagic, and Haunted Mansion, if they haven't already... The machines are about 4 feet tall and are scanners... These machines will be located at the FP entrance where the CM takes your FP ticket...

I'm not sure how the testing will be handled, but Jim hill (yes, that Jim Hill) and Stitch Kingdom say Disney will select people via email (I'm assuming those who are booked to vacation during May 1 - May 15th) to test out the xPass/NextGen system... you'll be able to plan every minute of your itinerary and will receive a FP/xPass card... And then, let the testing begin...

[Fangorn]

I have seen the official advisory to CMs as well as the list of questions/answers to prep CMs for guests reactions (it's quite lengthy - 15 questions - most advisories only have 3 or 4 Q/A).

This test will begin on May 1.


Jim hill (yes, that Jim Hill) and Stitch Kingdom say Disney will select people via email (I'm assuming those who are booked to vacation during May 1 - May 15th) to test out the xPass/NextGen system... you'll be able to plan every minute of your itinerary and will receive a FP/xPass card...

This isn't exactly the way I read the advisory. The way I read it, guests have probably been identified as possibile participants and will be asked if they'd like to participate upon their arrival. Email only comes into the picture because Disney will be sending an email confirmation to the guest (but the guest does not need to have access to email while at Disney). When the guest registers for the trial, it appears they get to select the attractions and time frame they'd prefer. They will then be issued a FastPass card (which has an RFID chip). The confirmation email will notify the guest of the attractions and FastPass return times that have been assigned. This information can also be obtained by using the FastPass card at one of the new FastPass machines or from City Hall.

It doesn't appear that any of the existing FastPass rules change - just the medium of the FastPass itself and the method of distributing them. And, of course, the method of letting you into the FastPass line.

To me, and granted the only info I have is from the CM advisory, it seems like they're testing the RFID technology to determine the feasibility of using it to replace (augment?) the paper FastPass system. It doesn't sound like the idea is to have guests plan every minute of their trip 180 days out.

Personally, I think I'd enjoy being able to get to a park, go up to a kiosk, select 3 or 4attractions and rough time frames I'd like and receive a card with those FastPasses on it. Even better if I can do this at my resort before I even get to the park. The only real difference between that and the existing system is the medium (plastic vs. paper) and not having to go to each location to get a FastPass. :thumbsup:

While Disney has done some pretty stupid things lately IMHO, I'm going to remain optimistic on this one that Disney will maintain the overall structure, rules and limits of the FastPass system, as they attempt to give guests a better experience.

And BTW, the advisory says more than once:

We often test systems or technologies in our parks as part of our ongoing innovation process to make the entire Guest experience even better. The actual configuration we are testing may or may not end up in our parks.

Steve

[DizneyFreak2002]

Thanks for the info Steve... That's why I made sure to preface it by saying what their sites said, not what I heard since I didn't even hear about the testing... I'm really interested to see how this works out...

Is the machine truly a scanner of some sort or does the guest use the new RFID/Fastpass card to generate a paper fast pass???

[Fangorn]

I don't know for sure. in one of the answers to potential guest questions, they reference the RFID scanners as similar to the ones they tested at Epcot a while back. The Fast Passes are on the card, so I suspect the new machines are scanners, and read the info on the card -possibly opening a turnstile to allow access to the FastPass line? But again, I don't really know.

Steve

[WDWdriver]

The information for CMs on the Portal is still a bit unclear about how the new FastPass card is to be used to access the attraction. Here is what is clear, at least to me:

> Guests will be selected to participate in the test before their arrival at WDW. They will be able to create an itinerary of MK FastPass attractions and desired ride times. They will receive an email confirmation and a special FP card (plastic with the RFID chip).

> Once in the MK park guests will use their FP card to access the rides WITHIN THEIR WINDOW.

> If guests want to review their itinerary while in the park they can do so at Guest Relations or at the card reader machines located at FP distribution for: The Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, Mickey’s PhilharMagic and Stitch’s Great Escape. This is where the RFID chip comes in.

So far I have seen nothing about a separate turnstile or FP reader at the attraction entrances. So I'm guessing that the special FP card is to be used in the existing FP machines to produce a standard FP ticket which will be valid immediately. That system already exists for holders of DVC complementary cards.

[Butters]

I think this sounds promising, I'll wait and see before making a judgment

[DizneyFreak2002]

Thanks for chipping in guys... I'm really interested to see how this all plays out and how it fits into the final product... This system would be perfect if they have a centralized place for the FP machines instead of at each individual ride...

[shadowden]

Sounds interesting, as long as they limit the amount of advanced FPs that people can get in each park, per day.

Its hard enough trying to score some FPs for high frequency rides the day of, let alone if people can tie up time blocks days / weeks in advance...

[Ian]

Sounds interesting, as long as they limit the amount of advanced FPs that people can get in each park, per day.

Its hard enough trying to score some FPs for high frequency rides the day of, let alone if people can tie up time blocks days / weeks in advance...I'm actually fine as long as they come out of the existing block of FP's and aren't some additional, above-and-beyond block of reservations that will further drive stand-by wait times through the roof.

[Fangorn]

I'm actually fine as long as they come out of the existing block of FP's and aren't some additional, above-and-beyond block of reservations that will further drive stand-by wait times through the roof.

Exactly. If it's just another (hopefully better) way of implementing the same basic system we have today, it's not a big deal and could just be considered as a refurb of FastPass.


The information for CMs on the Portal is still a bit unclear about how the new FastPass card is to be used to access the attraction.

True, it is a bit sketchy, but there are a number of clues. Why install new RFID scanners at the FastPass entrances and use RFID in the cards if they're only going to use the cards to generate paper FastPasses. That doesn't seem logical to me. To me, it seems much more likely that they're testing how well the scanners pick up the RFID info in the card. Plus the indication is that the card replaces the paper FastPass, and isn't just another way to get a paper one.

But again, you never really know.

Steve

[WDWdriver]

True, it is a bit sketchy, but there are a number of clues. Why install new RFID scanners at the FastPass entrances and use RFID in the cards if they're only going to use the cards to generate paper FastPasses.

Steve

I guess I agree, but I'm wondering exactly where these scanners are being placed and what they will do when a card is "read". If they are installed at the FP Return entrance and somehow signal that a valid card has been presented, then that's fine. But if the card is invalid (outside the window?) then the scanner is going to have to display the reason why.

My attraction is not involved in all this yet, but I'm picturing myself at the FastPass Return position and guests are coming at me - some with cards and some with paper FastPasses. If any are invalid the guests immediately want to know why. This could get complicated.

I'm working Wednesday so I'll try to get more info.

[Ms. Mode]

I find this very interesting and not quite as bad as it first sounded. Do you think they plan to offer this to people who stay on property and buy the Magic Your Way packages? That would limit the number of people who could use the advance system.

[the real Alice]

We are going June 2nd, I wish they would test then and I could volunteer to be part of the testing. I'd love to try it out. I'm one that isn't a fan of planning 180 days out or even a few weeks out for rides. But selecting this at the parks wouldn't be bad.

[Aurora]

> If guests want to review their itinerary while in the park they can do so at Guest Relations or at the card reader machines located at FP distribution for: The Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, Mickey’s PhilharMagic and Stitch’s Great Escape

Hoping that if this goes through, that list will be expanded so people aren't hovering over those few machines trying to figure out their "itineraries." (Yuck -- hate using that word when talking about riding rides.)


Sounds interesting, as long as they limit the amount of advanced FPs that people can get in each park, per day.

Its hard enough trying to score some FPs for high frequency rides the day of, let alone if people can tie up time blocks days / weeks in advance...

I agree -- limit the number of FPs per guest and the total number of advanced FPs distributed per day so there will still be plenty of FPs for people who want to get them same day.

[Frog]

Has anyone already been selected? Would love to hear first hand how it goes!

[PopPhan]

A couple silly question about the RFID xPass cards....

If the FastPass (xPass) times are coded on the card, what happens if you forget your assigned xPass time(s) and don't get to the FastPass machine to get your FastPass within your window?

OR

If the xPass RFID card IS your FastPass, will they be stamped with your rides and times?

[Fangorn]

A couple silly question about the RFID xPass cards....

If the FastPass (xPass) times are coded on the card, what happens if you forget your assigned xPass time(s) and don't get to the FastPass machine to get your FastPass within your window?

OR

If the xPass RFID card IS your FastPass, will they be stamped with your rides and times?

Again, I have no specific knowledge of how this will work, but I suspect that:

1) the same thing will happen that happens now if you lose your FP - you're out of luck. Now, with this system there does appear to at least be the possibility of replacing the card if you lose it since they will have a complete record of your "itinerary".

2) the information so far seems to indicate that the card will NOT have the rides/times stamped on it. That's the point of the email and your ability to read the card at those kiosks.


Steve

[shadowden]

Hoping that if this goes through, that list will be expanded so people aren't hovering over those few machines trying to figure out their "itineraries." (Yuck -- hate using that word when talking about riding rides.)

Would be nice if they tied it into the Mobile Magic app...

[Disney Doll]

We were selected to participate in the testing. They were asking for volunteers at the Magical Express counter when we arrived at MCO. We were asked which day we plan to be in MK and were then given a list of participating fp attractions. We were to pick 4 from the list. We got one card per person and the return window for each attraction is emailed. We'll use the fastpasses in the MK Friday so we'll see how it goes.

[Fangorn]

DisneyDoll -

Great! Now we'll have some real data/experiences to work with. I'm looking forward to your report. Thanks.

Steve

[Frog]

Can't wait to hear how it goes! So, you already have your rides picked out, right? Did they let you also pick your time window that you wanted to ride?

[DizneyFreak2002]

Saw pictures on twitter of the machines... YUCK :ack:... Glad these are only in testing which allows them to theme the machines once they go live...

[Gator]

So when do I get a fastpass to get to the front of the line where I pick out all my fastpasses?

Probably only years away from having to schedule all my BMs.

[Melanie]

Saw pictures on twitter of the machines... YUCK :ack:... Glad these are only in testing which allows them to theme the machines once they go live...

They look just like the RFID readers they used at Epcot a few months ago when testing at the entrance. :confused:

I personally think they are cute. Tap your ticket - Mickey's head lights up. :mickey:

[DizneyFreak2002]

They look just like the RFID readers they used at Epcot a few months ago when testing at the entrance. :confused:

I personally think they are cute. Tap your ticket - Mickey's head lights up. :mickey:

The blue works for an entrance... but in front of an attraction, I think they will stand out...

[goofy89]

Saw pictures on twitter of the machines... YUCK :ack:... Glad these are only in testing which allows them to theme the machines once they go live...

Who posted these pics on twitter? I am curious to see them.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Who posted these pics on twitter? I am curious to see them.

Check your PM...

[Melanie]

The blue works for an entrance... but in front of an attraction, I think they will stand out...

Hmmm. Have you seen them in person? What exactly do you want to see theme wise that you think will make them 'blend' in?

Although, as I think about it a bit more, the ones I saw on Twitter were in the Space Mountain area and were exactly like the ones I saw at the Epcot entrance. Yes, those two areas (Epcot and Tomorrowland) would seem to blend together fine, but how would that same reader look say, in front of Splash? Granted, not a good look for Frontierland. Yes, they'll need to 'theme' these to the attraction.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Hmmm. Have you seen them in person? What exactly do you want to see theme wise that you think will make them 'blend' in?

Although, as I think about it a bit more, the ones I saw on Twitter were in the Space Mountain area and were exactly like the ones I saw at the Epcot entrance. Yes, those two areas (Epcot and Tomorrowland) would seem to blend together fine, but how would that same reader look say, in front of Splash? Granted, not a good look for Frontierland. Yes, they'll need to 'theme' these to the attraction.

Exactly... I don't think a blue pole would look right in Frontierland... Would look way out of place... if they made it to look like a tree log or something along those lines, it would blend in with the surroundings better...

Haunted Mansion, they can just paint them black... Would blend in with the gate and fence... Every area they can be themed around something..

But, these are only test machines so hopefully they are planning a theme with the real machines...

[Christine]

So this is only for guests staying on property?

[Ed]

Here's what the plastic Fastpass cards look like ~~

[Mrs Bus Driver]

interesting, can't wait to hear more about this.:mickey:

[waymickey]

The idea is growing on me but I am still on the fence as to whether this is something I like or do not like.

Anyone hear if this is going to come with a fee or if it is for just resort guests?? :confused:

[DANAM]

We are going at the end of the month and I would love to test this out. I do a lot of the FP leg work around the parks while my DH and kids ride. This would make my life a little easier!

[joonyer]

Someone posted this quote on another thread and I though ti was applicable to this situation as well. We all would do well to remember it.

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things....and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." -Walt Disney

Aren't we all glad that Walt thought this way? otherwise we wouldn't even have WDW in Florida, much less Epcot and other parks. the innovations that have come with progress in technology have for the most part, made visiting theme parks a more enjoyable experience. (Less time waiting, more time experiencing attractions). Yeah, it costs a lot more now, (along with everything else), but I remember visiting in the 70's when there was no FastPass system at all, and in fact you had to buy a ticket a for each attraction. I don't hear anyone wanting to go back to that system, although I'm sure there were some who complained about it at the time it was changed. It's our nature to want things to stay the same, even though looking back, we all would agree that progress is a good thing.

[ChipNDale79]

Someone posted this quote on another thread and I though ti was applicable to this situation as well. We all would do well to remember it.

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things....and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." -Walt Disney

Aren't we all glad that Walt thought this way? otherwise we wouldn't even have WDW in Florida, much less Epcot and other parks. the innovations that have come with progress in technology have for the most part, made visiting theme parks a more enjoyable experience. (Less time waiting, more time experiencing attractions). Yeah, it costs a lot more now, (along with everything else), but I remember visiting in the 70's when there was no FastPass system at all, and in fact you had to buy a ticket a for each attraction. I don't hear anyone wanting to go back to that system, although I'm sure there were some who complained about it at the time it was changed. It's our nature to want things to stay the same, even though looking back, we all would agree that progress is a good thing.

I'm not necessarily sure the problem most people have regarding Xpass is change, its time management. The rumors (which Disney has failed to squash) are guests will be able to reserve rides months in advance. Many of us don't want to plan every single second of our vacation out months in advance. If we dont, are we not going to be able to ride our favorite ride? What about the people that don't stay on property, or live close by and just decide to go on a random Saturday?

I'm all for change at Disney, in fact I want a lot of changes to make things better, but sometimes change isn't always for the better. IMO, in this case, the change isn't for the better.

[DizneyRox]

...I remember visiting in the 70's when there was no FastPass system at all, and in fact you had to buy a ticket a for each attraction. I don't hear anyone wanting to go back to that system, although I'm sure there were some who complained about it at the time it was changed.
Devil's Advocate, how far are we really away from the old ticket system? If they charge for xPass, I think we'd be right back there, or pretty close. Especially in terms of many of the very popular attractions, like Toy Story Mania, where you can pretty much forget riding if you don't have a Fastpass.

[DizneyFreak2002]

We may have to start using FastPass+ since that is now the new name being tossed around on internet sites... xPass isn't, well, very friendly lol...

[Gator]

Devil's Advocate, how far are we really away from the old ticket system? If they charge for xPass, I think we'd be right back there, or pretty close. Especially in terms of many of the very popular attractions, like Toy Story Mania, where you can pretty much forget riding if you don't have a Fastpass.

If they charged for it, I wouldn't return. Ever. I like going in the off-season because I can get more bang for my buck with more rides in the same amount of time. If they charge per/ride or per/fastpass, I'd have to pay more for going in the off-season.

[Disney Doll]

Can't wait to hear how it goes! So, you already have your rides picked out, right? Did they let you also pick your time window that you wanted to ride?

They asked us if we would be in the park morning, afternoon, or evening. Based on that they just assigned times. That was on Tuesday when we arrived at the airport. I usually have a general plan for which day we will spend at which park, but we also do a lot of hopping. I had planned to be in mk Friday morning, but we had some time on our hands Thurs evening so we headed to mk stayed for wishes and had a late night. Consequently we decided to let the kids sleep in missing our fp times on Friday. We value flexibility over fastpasses and that to me is the downside of this new system. For us it wasn't a good fit. We leave the parks for naps and play it by ear a lot of times. We also don't use fp much at all. My kids are too little for the bigger thrill rides that use fp and we generally hit fantasyland early at least once and do everything before fastpasses are needed.

I think it would be better once instituted if you could do it online before you leave on vacation. The airport is a stressful place and I wasn't prepared to plan my mk day 4 days in advance on the spot. Other than that I guess I'm okay with the new system, but since we aren't heavy fp users I really don't have a strong opinion.

[Snow's Mom]

I like the idea of not having to run all over the parks to pick up passes, but don't like the inflexibility. (And I don't want to have to pay extra.)

It's a little like when my nephew rode Soarin'...I got everyone to the park before it opened, sent them to the Living Seas while I braved the crowd to gather FP's for everyone...and as soon as we got off the ride he wanted to go AGAIN.

Looking for more reports on the new system before I pass judgment.

[Frog]

Disney Doll-
Can you tell us how large the return window was for your Fast Pass + choices??

[Disney Doll]

It's the standard one hour return window. There were 10 attractions to chose from divided on a card with 5 on the front and 5 on the back. We were asked to select two from each side of the card for a total of 4 fastpasses. I can't remember exactly which side of the card each attraction was on, but they seemed to be divided by location. The 10 attractions we selected from were:

Haunted Mansion,
Pooh,
Buzz Lightyear,
Jungle Cruise,
Peter Pan,
Splash Mt,
Space Mt,
Philharmagic,
Princess meet and greet in Expo Hall,
Mickey meet and greet in Expo Hall,

I guess it was a good time for a test because it wasn't overwhelmingly crowded, but another reason we didn't make more of an effort to use the passes was because you didn't really need fastpasses. I won't wait more than 10 minutes for anything and we did more than half of these "select" attractions without a fastpass.

[Main Street Jim]

Kind of odd that Haunted Mansion is on that list, since they don't have FastPass at all any more. <?>

[Nascfan]

In its current form described by Disney Doll, this is completely useless to my family. Unless wholescale changes are made we will certainly skip this.

[harlowandthemermaid]

I definitely don't like to wait in line so we rarely do anything that requires more than 10-15 min of waiting, which is why we go off season. However, we like to be spontaneous so I'd hate to see it be impossible to get "into" certain rides like it is with certain restaurants. We typically don't plan our trips more than a few months out so I'd hate to be penalized for that. I would think if they still keep the numbers the same that this wouldn't happen but I remember in trips past we would typically just go ride the things that get long lines right at the beginning of the day before the parks get crowded. I'm wondering if this will redistribute the crowds and make rides more crowded in the morning, which is typically when rides are close to a walk-on?

[Disney Doll]

Kind of odd that Haunted Mansion is on that list, since they don't have FastPass at all any more. <?>

And from what I can tell they don't need fastpass on HM. It was a walk on last week and usually is each time we go. We haven't been during the summer in a very long time so maybe summers get busy enough to make this useful? IDK, but I thought it was odd too.

[Main Street Jim]

Well, HM had had FP for a while, but the standy has never been more than maybe a 1/2 hour wait, even at Christmas/New Year's. It's a constant-moving/constant-loading attraction (Omnimover), so I wasn't even real sure why they put FP in, in the first place.

Kinda like I wonder why Buzz even needs FP...

[disneynarula]

I would not mind using this as long as it was free.

[TinkInTraining]

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.

[ChipNDale79]

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.

You're stating what a lot of people have been stating and feel about the X-pass.

If the system is what many of us believe it's going to be, then the system is only built for people that plan their trips out months in advance. What this system will do is take away ride times away from locals who don't vacation at disney.

How many of us here are, or have been Annual Pass holders even though you don't live in Florida?

My wife and I were at one point, and there were a couple of trips that we just decided to drive down to disney for the hell of it and use our passes. This new system will hurt those that do that as well.

IMO, it's a step in the wrong direction. Keep in mind that Disney really hasn't offically released a lot of details about it, so we could all be very wrong about this. However, if we are, than Disney PR needs to put out something to squash the bad PR this thing is getting.

[DizneyFreak2002]

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?

Same reason people book dining 180 out... cause you are pretty much forced to by Disney... I think it is down right insane I have to know where I want to eat 180 days out... I will no longer book dining in WDW for this fact... either counter service or off property unless I can just walk up and in...



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!

Again, look at dining... 180 days out.. I agree with you... Booking so far out for dining or a Fast Pass is insane... Vacation is for relaxation.. Disney is making it stressful...



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...

Well, you won't be scheduling every ride... Only three... And no, you will not be able to book Fast Passes for all three mountains in MK, at least that is what people are saying...



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.

Well, Disney does want to control your every move... Heck part of this NextGen is to study your spending habits...



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.

Hopefully these eases your concern... That won't happen... Or technically, it shouldn't... Nothing about the system in place will change other than you can book your Fast Pass at home instead of in the park at the machine... The same number of Fast Passes will be available as always... This will not increase the amount of FP users... So this will not all of a sudden create 10,000 extra FP users... if 8,000 FPs are the limit per ride per day, then once 8,000 are handed out, that's it... Same as is done 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?

Well, Toy Story isn't really a ride we should use as an example... They problem isn't just FP... it is the horribly designed queue and terrible capacity... And they only made things worse with the air gates now installed... The wait times for TSMM are artificially inflated... Taking FP out may actually help that ride, but not much... They need to start from scratch and redo the queue and capacity issues...



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.

You aren't being a Debbie Downer... you are expressing your concerns over a system that may, as you feel, impact your vacation... The new FP system isn't going to impact you at all... You don't have to participate in it, and you won't be shut out, unlike with dining... You can still vacation the way you always do... Hopefully that makes you feel better...

Now, how this really plays out is anyone's guess... We really don't know everything about the new FP system or NextGen other than it is a waste of a billion dollars... Disney already data mines, why do they need to waste a billion on a more elaborate data mining system is beyond me...

You do have legitimate concerns... Hopefully they think about this (with TDO I don't know if they ever think LOL) and make sure any of these concerns or issues raised never happen...

[Aurora]

Same reason people book dining 180 out... cause you are pretty much forced to by Disney... I think it is down right insane I have to know where I want to eat 180 days out... I will no longer book dining in WDW for this fact... either counter service or off property unless I can just walk up and in...

Well after all this, I will take a deep breath and say... if it works the way dining does, I'm fine. That's because I don't in general book dining in advance. We almost always walk up and see what's available.

We've always found a table service restaurant when we want one. Except for a few restaurants that are so popular I'll never get in there, or so unpopular that I don't want to go there, we'll find a place to eat. We have for the last several trips, and I expect that we will in the future.

Maybe that's the way this will work. Maybe TSM will be like breakfast in Cindy's castle, and Splash Mountain will be like Le Cellier. If you want FPs for those, you have to schedule. Everything else will be fine.

At least I can hope.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Well after all this, I will take a deep breath and say... if it works the way dining does, I'm fine. That's because I don't in general book dining in advance. We almost always walk up and see what's available.

We've always found a table service restaurant when we want one. Except for a few restaurants that are so popular I'll never get in there, or so unpopular that I don't want to go there, we'll find a place to eat. We have for the last several trips, and I expect that we will in the future.

Maybe that's the way this will work. Maybe TSM will be like breakfast in Cindy's castle, and Splash Mountain will be like Le Cellier. If you want FPs for those, you have to schedule. Everything else will be fine.

At least I can hope.

I'm with you on the dining... I used to always book at 180 days... First thing in the morning, as soon as their phone lines opened... I enjoy planning a trip but I always hated having to figure out where to eat 6 months in advance... 30 days is so much better... I even liked 90 days when they went to that for a short period of time...

But yea, as long as this Fast Pass Plus doesn't interfere with the lines (it shouldn't) I say whatever.... Not how I would have wasted a billion dollars (total cost of this NextGen nonsense)...

[Mrs Bus Driver]

I was just wondering if anyone knows when the nextgen will go into effect? Am keeping fingers crossed for a trip in January. :mickey:

[darthmacho]

Two reasons why I won't complain about this new system:
1. I'm an obsessive planner.
2. There's not much I can do to stop it. It's going to happen whether I like it or not.

One reason I will complain:

1. It's just a matter of time before this becomes a PAID privilege, i.e. either you pay a separate fee to use it, or perhaps people at deluxe resorts will have it as part of their package. Disney will use this to generate $$ somehow...


I can also envision a lot of militant parents that have planned every second yelling at their kids when they have to go to the bathroom...
"Little Jimmy, you're just going to have to hold it in! We have to get on Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and the Tea Cups now, so don't you dare soil yourself!"

[DisneyGiant]

It's the standard one hour return window. There were 10 attractions to chose from divided on a card with 5 on the front and 5 on the back. We were asked to select two from each side of the card for a total of 4 fastpasses. I can't remember exactly which side of the card each attraction was on, but they seemed to be divided by location. The 10 attractions we selected from were:

Haunted Mansion,
Pooh,
Buzz Lightyear,
Jungle Cruise,
Peter Pan,
Splash Mt,
Space Mt,
Philharmagic,
Princess meet and greet in Expo Hall,
Mickey meet and greet in Expo Hall,



So presented with a choice, we would select:

Splash
Space
Haunted (only because its a must do for us - but we usually do it when its less than a 30 minute wait)
And if I had to pick a 4th and BTM or Pirates wasn't a choice - I'd pick:
Buzz (only because sometime there are 60 minute waits there)

Why in the world would you pick a fast pass for Philharmagic - there is never any wait there - EVER.

We go in July all the time - so we know waits! :)

I don't mind picking the dining 180 days out - because that is how we choose which theme parks to visit - but I really think its silly on picking these attractions out - as you have no idea what the standby wait times will be for a given day.......

Oh well, I'll have to experience it I guess.

This should be fun in Epcot - where I fast pass all two majors (that we consider major):
Test Track
Soarin
And we Stand-by everything else because the wait times are usually reasonable.

That is what I always viewed fast pass as - helping alleviate unreasonable wait times. To me - anything over 2 hours is unreasonable.

Any way - just rambling here :)

[potzie]

Just on our way home from our first ever trip in July. The crowds and waits were nothing like I expected. I was not in favor of the fast pass window enforcement in preparation for the enhancements but it actually seemed to work. My wife and I commented on how much quicker we were through the fast pass queue than in the past. The dining reservation changes also seemed to work as we walked up to Via Napoli and got a table for 8 with only a 10 minute wait in July.

[Cinderelley]

I think I would like this if it was set up to be used at the entrance of the park - get into the park, plan your fast passes and go from there.

[ChipNDale79]

I think I would like this if it was set up to be used at the entrance of the park - get into the park, plan your fast passes and go from there.

You wouldnt' get a complaint from me about that, thats a great way to do it.

[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?".