DVDizzy Forum

Yeah, I'm sure you heard about it and that they're planning a new Fastpass+ system, which has more cons than you think they would.

And I quote:

"As part of Disney World’s new FastPass+ system, Disney will be getting rid of traditional FastPasses at all WDW parks by the end of January. The pros of this system are the ability to schedule FastPasses before your trip, and of course not having to deal with all of the paper of traditional FastPasses. But let’s look at some of the less known cons…

Only 3 per day: Gone are the days of grabbing pass after pass as soon as they are available. With the new system you pick three… and done.

Tiered system: Want passes to Soarin’ and Test Track in the same day? Nope. What about Rock N’ Roller Coaster and Toy Story Mania? No way. With FastPass+ you can pick one big ticket ride and two small rides per day. So if you want to go on Soarin’ you can use your remaining passes on rides like Captain EO and Turtle Talk (yes they are both options now)

One park per day: Once you use your first FastPass of the day you are stuck in that park. You can still hop to other parks, but you will have no ability to obtain a FastPass there."

As a response to the idea of the traditional Fastpass system most likely getting the axe, I've made these two petitions to hopefully save it. Please sign and share them both by any means necessary.

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/disney ... by=8132969

https://www.change.org/petitions/thomas ... ass-system

I'm not too happy about it either, but I don't think petitions are going to make a difference. Disney makes their decisions based on a lot of research. They're pretty sold on this to be going through with it, even though it sounds terrible. Plus, the WDW fastpass system has some real issues. It needs to be fixed somehow. I'll wait and see how things pan out.

I have to at least try to make an effort. It would mean a lot to me if the word were spread.

And by the way, what problems did the traditional Fastpass system have (besides the paper thing) that the "flawless" new Fastpass+ doesn't?

What I view as a problem might be normal to other people. At Disneyland, if you use the Fastpass system correctly and choose the right times for certain rides, you can get on every ride in one day without using single rider. At WDW, there are so many more people. The lines are longer, Fastpasses run out (something I'd only ever heard of happening with World of Color), and you have to spend several days (and a lot more money) at each park to experience everything. That's not because there IS too much to do in a day. There's not. It's because of lines and Fastpass problems. Or maybe rider capacity. Small rides like The Many Adventure of Winnie, which shouldn't be very hard to get on, or even shows like the Laugh Floor have fastpasses at WDW. And yet, it doesn't help much in the end.

That's how I think of it anyway. Maybe it's actually a problem with building attractions big enough to accommodate guests or letting too many guests in at once. At any rate, they need to try something to fix it. If Disney has enough faith in the new fastpass system, I think we should at least see how it works before petitioning.

Linden wrote:The lines are longer, Fastpasses run out (something I'd only ever heard of happening with World of Color), and you have to spend several days (and a lot more money) at each park to experience everything. That's not because there IS too much to do in a day. There's not. It's because of lines and Fastpass problems. Or maybe rider capacity. Small rides like The Many Adventure of Winnie, which shouldn't be very hard to get on, or even shows like the Laugh Floor have fastpasses at WDW. And yet, it doesn't help much in the end.

It certainly does not help that some of the really popular attractions are located far from each other, and in hot weather, it can be very tiring, very quickly, as you try to get them out of the way.

Have to wait and see how this new Fastpass system will work out, but it will definitely be a problem in the first few months (if not longer) with the new system in place, as I am sure, Disney will have to work out the kinks. Unfortunately, it will be at the expense of the people who are spending buttloads of money and time there.

I'm probably in the minority, but I like the new system.

I grew up going to Disneyland all the time. When they introduced FastPass there, it seemed like the lines just got longer and longer for everything. Prior to FastPass, on a very busy summer day, you might wait 50 minutes for Splash Mountain. The only time it was longer than that might be the week before and after Christmas. I was even there on the official opening day for Splash Mountain and the line was no more than an hour.

However, once they rolled out FastPass, the lines got longer all the way around. Last year, I took my son to Disneyland in May. It was a slow day, and we waited probably 70-80 minutes for Splash Mountain because they kept closing the line to let all the FastPassers through.

Sure, FastPass is great when you have one, but it sucks when you have to use stand by.

Time will tell whether these limits will smooth things out a bit. But when I was at WDW a few weeks ago, the standby lines were all pretty light (15-20 minutes) except for Soarin, Peter Pan and Toy Story Midway Mania (all of which we FastPassed).

RyGuy wrote: It was a slow day, and we waited probably 70-80 minutes for Splash Mountain because they kept closing the line to let all the FastPassers through.

That was the thing I noticed when waiting in the standby line for Peter Pan's Flight, and got really annoyed, as there seemed to be a neverending line of people coming in the Fastpass line. I thought, why can't they alternate between the 2 lines. It's also what annoys me about the single rider line, as that plays 3rd fiddle to the standby and Fastpass lines.

RyGuy wrote:Time will tell whether these limits will smooth things out a bit. But when I was at WDW a few weeks ago, the standby lines were all pretty light (15-20 minutes) except for Soarin, Peter Pan and Toy Story Midway Mania (all of which we FastPassed).

What I don't understand is why in the world is there always such an obnoxious line for Peter Pan? I absolutely love the ride but the line always seems excessive for that one in particular. Winnie the Pooh is also one that surprisingly has shockingly long lines.

Sorry, DisneyJedi but the traditional system has failed many rides like Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, and Toy Story Midway Mania. Toy Story Midway Mania is an interesting one. If you don't get to Hollywood Studios right when it opens, not only is the standby entrance wait excessive but the fastpass line (to receive the fastpass for later on in the day) is just as long and the daily amount of fastpasses available for the ride is distributed within a half hour of the park opening. Something is VERY wrong there. The new way prevents that so while not a perfect system, that's a plus 1 for Fastpass+ and a minus 10 for the Traditional Fastpass System.

Walter wrote:

RyGuy wrote: It was a slow day, and we waited probably 70-80 minutes for Splash Mountain because they kept closing the line to let all the FastPassers through.

That was the thing I noticed when waiting in the standby line for Peter Pan's Flight, and got really annoyed, as there seemed to be a neverending line of people coming in the Fastpass line. I thought, why can't they alternate between the 2 lines. It's also what annoys me about the single rider line, as that plays 3rd fiddle to the standby and Fastpass lines.

See, I think the single rider line is the most ingenious idea they came up with for lines. I was able to go on a ride by myself (usually I want to do a ride no one else in my party wants to), not wait in an obnoxious line when it's just me going on so I don't hold my party back, and my appearance in the line didn't hinder the standby wait. They merged me in right along with them. There's usually very few single riders getting on at a given time. Most people go on with parties. The real line stoppers for standby wait is the fastpass line as I've seen them let in 30+ people at one time in the fastpass entrance.

At least all fast passes are free in Disney parks; in all the regular UK parks over here, you have to pay a vat amount of money to have them on top of the ticket price.

We usually only use one and rarely use 3. If you get Soarin' which are the lesser rides. Would The Seas with Nemo and Friends be one of them or what about Living with the Land or the rides in Norway and Mexico in World Showcase.

Nala wrote:We usually only use one and rarely use 3. If you get Soarin' which are the lesser rides. Would The Seas with Nemo and Friends be one of them or what about Living with the Land or the rides in Norway and Mexico in World Showcase.

I actually went to Epcot a couple of weeks ago, so I can answer this!

Soarin' is indeed a part of Experience Group 1, which is where the big rides go to. Of the rides you mentioned, the Seas with Nemo & Friends and Living with the Land are a part of Experience Group 2, the lesser section, while the Maelstrom is in Group 1. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros isn't a part of Fast Track at all.

Avaitor wrote:

Nala wrote:We usually only use one and rarely use 3. If you get Soarin' which are the lesser rides. Would The Seas with Nemo and Friends be one of them or what about Living with the Land or the rides in Norway and Mexico in World Showcase.

I actually went to Epcot a couple of weeks ago, so I can answer this!

Soarin' is indeed a part of Experience Group 1, which is where the big rides go to. Of the rides you mentioned, the Seas with Nemo & Friends and Living with the Land are a part of Experience Group 2, the lesser section, while the Maelstrom is in Group 1. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros isn't a part of Fast Track at all.

So if we get Soarin' we could get Living with the Land as well as The Seas with Nemo and Friends?

Nala wrote:

Avaitor wrote: I actually went to Epcot a couple of weeks ago, so I can answer this!

Soarin' is indeed a part of Experience Group 1, which is where the big rides go to. Of the rides you mentioned, the Seas with Nemo & Friends and Living with the Land are a part of Experience Group 2, the lesser section, while the Maelstrom is in Group 1. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros isn't a part of Fast Track at all.

So if we get Soarin' we could get Living with the Land as well as The Seas with Nemo and Friends?

Absolutely.

That's really interesting that Maelstrom is considered a Group 1. At another park, I don't think it would be. Did you like the new FastPass system, Avaitor?

Linden wrote:That's really interesting that Maelstrom is considered a Group 1. At another park, I don't think it would be. Did you like the new FastPass system, Avaitor?

Yeah, it's kind of surprising to see the Maelstrom be a part of Group 1. It's never that busy, even though (or especially because?) it was right next to Anna and Elsa's meet and great.

Actually, yes, I did! Part of me does wish that there was a way to switch out your two Group 2 choices for another Group 1, but that would be a problem at Epcot, since everyone would just use their Fast Passes for Test Track and Soarin', and make the FP lines even longer. But I'd think that this would be more beneficial at Magic Kingdom, which as more must rides. Still, it's a good policy that I was glad to use.

So has anyone used the new Fastpass system in the Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios? How was it in those parks so far?

Linden wrote:That's really interesting that Maelstrom is considered a Group 1. At another park, I don't think it would be. Did you like the new FastPass system, Avaitor?

Whenever we went to Maelstrom, it was crowded and a very long line to get on.

Walter wrote:So has anyone used the new Fastpass system in the Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios? How was it in those parks so far?

Magic Kingdom here. We reserved our Fastpasses at a kiosk in Tomorrowland, where a Cast Member quickly explained the system and suggested rides and times. Went on Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean (there is no tier system in place in Magic Kingdom, or at least when I went) with the system. Haunted Mansion was the earliest ride, and by far the longest wait. When we got there around 3-ish, the Fastpass line was mobbed with entire tour groups who had just arrived at the ride before we did and had no clue how to use the system. The line in front of the turnsiles where you scan your ticket/Magicband ended in the middle of Liberty Square, sparking complaints from people who were just walking by the ride. That's what the biggest problem with this system is, I believe. People don't understand how to use it without being briefed by a Cast Member or researching before getting into the park. Heck, even I'm still somewhat confused by it, and I'm a Disney fan who tries to update herself on these things. There was at least one group who wandered into the line without a Fastpass reservation (probably assuming that the longer looking line was the one to join) and that held us back. Thankfully, the bottleneck was smoothed out professionally by efficient and calm Cast Members, and once we got through "the pre-line line" after about 10 minutes of waiting the entire Fastpass line was swallowed at once into the stretch room pre-show area ahead of the normal line. The normal line hardly seemed to move during those 10 minutes in favor of sorting out Fastpass users, from what I could tell.

POTC and Space Mountain went on without a hitch, probably due to our later reservation times (around dinnertime for Pirates and just before Wishes for Space Mountain). We walked through the lines and were seated immediately.

Overall, the biggest con of Fastpass+ is it's efficiency during peak times, which will probably improve once Cast Members and guests become more used to the system. A huge con for those who are not relying on the Fastpass+ system seems to be longer wait times, since Fastpass+ guests are a huge priority. Expect to wait for an entire line of Fastpass+ guests to be let on a ride at a much faster and higher rate than the normal line guests, but that shouldn't be a surprise. The original Fastpass had that problem too on it's more popular rides. Now, there's just more rides on the system, and less Fastpasses are allowed. Fastpass lines should usually be shorter now, which I guess is a big pro for both people in the Fastpass and normal lines.

Tangled wrote:Overall, the biggest con of Fastpass+ is it's efficiency during peak times, which will probably improve once Cast Members and guests become more used to the system. A huge con for those who are not relying on the Fastpass+ system seems to be longer wait times, since Fastpass+ guests are a huge priority. Expect to wait for an entire line of Fastpass+ guests to be let on a ride at a much faster and higher rate than the normal line guests, but that shouldn't be a surprise. The original Fastpass had that problem too on it's more popular rides. Now, there's just more rides on the system, and less Fastpasses are allowed. Fastpass lines should usually be shorter now, which I guess is a big pro for both people in the Fastpass and normal lines.

The part I bolded is my biggest problem with the new system.

Under the original system there were only 9 attractions on the system at the MK (and only about 6 or 7 of those were realistically needed on most days). A savvy parkgoer like myself who loves to "open" parks at rope drop and stay to close could easily make sure they were able to get one for each attraction on the system if they wanted, and still get repeats on faves. On a typical MK full day, it was not uncommon for me to use 10 or more FPs, usually using 3 or 4 for Space Mountain re-rides alone!

I NEVER rode a FP attraction under the old system without having a FP, unless it was early in the day or late at night and the ride was a walk-on.

This means the only queues I had a potential long wait in were those for attractions not on the system, but only a few of these ever reached more than 30 minutes in my experience unless you hit them in the midday "peak window" of a very busy day. Most attractions not on the system were usually short waits to walk-ons.

Under the new system, you have, as you said, fewer FPs allowed per person, but with MORE attractions on the system. This means that the savvy parkgoer who NEVER had to use standby under the old system for anything on the system will have to get used to longer standby waits for attractions they are used to using FP for; but ALSO the standby waits for rides they never used to need a FP for (such as Dumbo, Barnstormer, Small World, Pirates, Mansion, Speedway, etc), will now obviously be longer waits then they were before they were added to the system.

Even in a park like Epcot, where one typically only needed FPs for Soarin' and Test Track (and MAYBE Maelstrom and Mission Space, depending on the season and time of day you wanted to ride them), the new system still makes it imposible to utilize the system to the fullest potential of the old system, thanks to the "tier system" in which FPs for Soarin' and Test Track cannot be acquired in the same day.

So who benefits from the new system?

Well, looking at it objectively, any of the resortsters (ie, hotel guests) who liked to sleep late and then complained that the most popular FPs (ie, Soarin, Toy Story Midway Mania) were gone by the time they got to the park can now get theirs early without having to wake up early. And people who didn't do full days at the parks and/or utilize the old system to its fullest potential won't feel the hit of this new system as much as the hard core open-close parkies like me.

For those who DID utilize the original system to its fullest potential, by putting the time in waking up early and "pounding the pavement" doing a full park day, there is no denying that this "socialistic redistribution" of FP benefits by "leveling the playing field" will lead to more time waiting in queues, and fewer attractions experienced per day compared to the standards we have gotten used to in the original system.

I even think its possible that by putting so many attractions on the system (at least in the MK), it is possible that the hardcore open-close parkgoer will experience fewer MK attractions per day in this new system than they could in the days before ANY FP system existed (whereas with the original FP system, there was CLEARLY a significant spike in what you could experience per day, compared to pre-FP days).

All I can say is I am glad my WDW AP expired in 2012 and I don't have to deal with "Magic Bands" (TM) and "Fastpass Plus" (TM).

I'm too busy enjoying Universal and Islands of Adventure, where my Premier Annual Pass gives me a free walk-on "Express" entry to EACH attraction in BOTH parks EVERY DAY to be used whenever I choose. No worrying about times, "reservations", etc, or having to scurry around the park collecting FPs, or having to do it at a kiosk. I just scan my annual pass at each attraction entrance when I'm ready to ride it, and can then enter that attraction's Express Queue. With that AP I also get free PREFERRED parking and a 20 percent discount on food and merch.

I'm also enjoying the benefits of my Sea World/Busch Gardens Platinum Annual Pass, which include "stay seated" RE-RIDES on most major coasters and a few other attractions, reserved seats in all the major shows in the best section of the theatre, free PREFERRED parking, and food/merch discounts of 10 percent that sometimes go as high as 20 or even 30 during certain parts of the year.

In short, both those major Central Florida park operators treat their highest-level Annual Passholders like ROYALTY compared to the perks of a WDW Premium AP (which is even more noticable with the reduction in FP access at WDW).

PS. I am glad that at least Disneyland is still using the original FP system!

Ok, so I got to use more of it in July when I went. What I noticed is there's not enough fastpasses! There were 0 Snow White Mine Train fastpasses available during the week I was there. My family had them on Fastpass+ already but if you didn't do it way before the trip, you aren't getting any fastpasses. I understand it's a new attraction so there's extra demand and all but if there are no fastpasses available for an entire week or more, there's something wrong. I too take advantage of the opening the parks and closing the parks but I understand how that may not work for everyone. Somebody staying at the MK until 12AM or 1AM and then the next day being up bright and early at another park opening at 8AM with extra hours may not be possible for a lot of people. I did it and loved it but that could be too exhausting for some and understandably so. The Fastpass+ allows them to enjoy the park at its fullest while it being at their pace. That is a huge pro.

One thing I never got is how someone can stand in an hour+ line for any attraction. Talk about wasting your day away! Snow White Mine Train had an over 2 hour standby wait as did Soarin'. That's a large chunk of park spending time taken out for one attraction. Why would they do that? I think part of the problem is those people.


I think they also need more flexibility in the tiered system. I too often got fastpasses for attractions I wasn't interested in. That fastpass would have been better going to a person who wanted it. While I understand the big attractions, the less in demand ones I should be able to have more flexibility in choosing them. If let's say I have Toy Story Mania for 9:35-10:35, I should be able to choose any two lesser attractions at the park for after that time frame. I can't. It gives me pre-selected choices and not always for the time I want. I may end up with let's say the Studio Backlot Tour for 9:35-10:35, Star Tours for 11:10-12:10, and Toy Story Mania for 12:35-1:35. If they let us choose, it can help them determine how many fastpasses they need for any given ride. Plus, it allows for substantially less unused and unwanted fastpasses. You know there have to be lots of unused and unwanted fastpasses. People should also be allowed to cancel unwanted fastpasses. If I got on Toy Story Mania and then decide I don't want to do the Studio Backlot tour and Star Tours, why can't I cancel those and let those fastpasses go to people who would want to use those?