Do CMs at attractions actually look at fastpasses?

[Grim Grinning Marathon Runner]

The last time we were there, a group of teenagers were in front of us on one of our favorite attractions. They were being sort of rowdy and carrying on with each other about figuring out a way to cheat the system.

What they did was gather a stack of invalid or expired fastpasses, and then when they got to the CM taking the passes, they handed them to her upside down and zoomed right on ahead.

I'm not advocating this at all, and it actually ticked me off, enough that I told the CM what happened and see if she was going to do anything, but she just shrugged.

Is this common, for the CM to not actually verify the fastpasses? Or is this maybe more the case of somebody thinking they can cheat the system and trying to get away with as much as they can?

[trackbarroness]

I do check the fast passes even if I'm at merge point. Mainly because it isn't fair to guests standing in the standby line to have other guests attempt to get ahead of them with not valid fast passes. Did they start in stand by before moving over to fastpass? If they show the backs of the fastpasses we will check the fastpass face to make sure it's valid before they enter the fastpass que and that includes fastpasses that have a later time on it.
There are 2 points that guests pass that a CM, the first CM check the fast pass the second CM takes them, and yes we do check them at merge point. And my favorite guests in the fast pass que without fast passes. I'll send them back outside to enter the standby line at the back of the line.

[dmosher]

Yes, from what I have seen they tend to be quite diligent about checking them. I have seen people try to cheat and fail... I love it when they get caught and sent out. I have heard people applaud the CM's for this, so... yep they check them!

D

[SBETigg]

Yes, from what I have seen they tend to be quite diligent about checking them. I have seen people try to cheat and fail... I love it when they get caught and sent out. I have heard people applaud the CM's for this, so... yep they check them!

D

This has been my experience as well. I've never seen a CM not check every single Fastpass. I'm sure it can happen, but it's not common practice to not check to my experience.

[merlinmagic4]

Yes, I think they do read them and strictly enforce the return time, too. Quite a few times I heard them holding people back until it was EXACTLY the return time on the pass

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

I know in my experience they checked them. I wasn't paying attention going to SOARIN last year and thought it was time for me to go... I was 3 minutes early and they had me wait... which was fine, I shouldnt be able to go before it's time... I was embarassed, but got past it once I smelled the orange trees!

[joanna71985]

I would say, 99% of the time the CMs are good about checking the dates on FP (if not more).

[JavaDuck]

During our trip last August, the CMs were checking fast pasts. We arrived at the RNR coaster one minute before our scheduled FP time and the CM made us wait the one minute. We were totally fine with it, just stood off to the side and waited for the clock to change.

[dtootsie42]

Yes, they do check them...we had to step aside one time and wait the two minutes till it was our time. Did not bother us but boy did the family next to us get angry....they could not understand why they had to wait the two minutes and in their opinion what difference did it make. I just did not understand why they had to be rude and continue to complain to the CM who was just doing his job.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I've never seen a CM NOT check! More than once I've seen people turned away, or asked to wait a few more minutes until their time

[WDWdriver]

Yes, we check each and every one. Most guests are understanding and don't complain if they have to wait a few minutes.

The more difficult guests are those that have never used FP before and don't really understand how it works. They sometimes get their FP from the distribution machine and then proceed straight to the entrance holding out their FP, which isn't valid for another hour. We then have to hold up the line while we explain the process.

There are guests who try to cheat by flashing an invalid FP or line jumping into the FP queue. These are almost always caught at the merge point and directed to the back of the standby line.

[Daddy Mouse]

Everytime, it has been a few years, the fast passes were always checked. I'm sure the cm's expect some people to try and sneek thru. It is their job.

[JPL]

I don't think I ever seen FPs not being checked although there was a few occaisions that the CM never took my FP at the merge point even after I tried to give it to them.

[Grim Grinning Marathon Runner]

Well that's great news, it's unanimous that the CMs check the fastpasses. From what I understand, it seems like these kids were trying to pull one over on the CM who pretty much knew what they were doing. This seems to be much more the case of some kids trying to cheat the system.

Sort of like the old urban legend about the college student who is finishing his exam and the professor calls time, saying that any exam not now handed in automatically receives an F. The student says "this is such a large class, do you know every student by name?", and when the professor says no, the student puts his exam in the professors hand, knocks ALL the exams to the floor, scatteding them all, and runs off.

[Kathy Jetson]

What is an invalid fastpass?

[tjstrike]

What is an invalid fastpass?

I guess technically, it's the ones you get when you already have a FP for another ride and it's not time to get another one yet. It says right on the FP "invalid" but OP was probably refering to a FP that's the wrong time or date.

[BigRedDad]

My experience is that they check the time and date. Even if the fastpass has expired from the 1-hour window, they let you on. However, they do stop you if it is not your time.

We did have a CM check, initially turn us down, and then let us on the Safari 10 minutes early. My DD was about to fall asleep and he saw it too.

[Brownie54]

I know in my experience they checked them. I wasn't paying attention going to SOARIN last year and thought it was time for me to go... I was 3 minutes early and they had me wait... which was fine, I shouldnt be able to go before it's time... I was embarassed, but got past it once I smelled the orange trees!

Don't be embarassed, its an easy mistake. At least you waited to the side. I get POed when people clog up the entrance waiting for their fastpass to become valid. One of my pet peeves.

[estein80]

What they did was gather a stack of invalid or expired fastpasses, and then when they got to the CM taking the passes, they handed them to her upside down and zoomed right on ahead.

I'm not advocating this at all, and it actually ticked me off, enough that I told the CM what happened and see if she was going to do anything, but she just shrugged.

Not that this is any better, but is it possible that the CM figured she would let the kids wait in line until the merge point where they would then be kicked out of line and sent back to stand-by? It might make more of an impact.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Oh yes, they check them. My son was 90 seconds early and they CM made him wait