Fastpass return or replacement?

[perpetualplanner]

This sounds awful to me. Hoping it's just a rumor but seems WAY too detailed for that.

 

[DVCcurious]

Universal will have our future business if Disney can’t figure out how bring the magic back without costing an arm and a leg.

"For my next magic trick I'll make your arm and leg disappear!"

Now THAT"S Disney Magic!

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

The more I think about this the more I believe that there will be some free options for onsite guests. If not it makes way more sense to stay offsite and purchase the lightning pass with the savings. Disney can't be that stupid not to recognize that.

 

[persnickity]

I'm still unsure how the extra evening hour will work for Deluxe guests. We know that people get in lines at park close and still get to ride, so if queues are long how will this benefit the extra hour for Deluxe Guests?

I'm assuming it will be just an hour.

They do now, but it sounds like this new system would make it a lot easier for them to cap those lines so that they don't go much beyond closing time. Taking away another "free" chance to make sure you squeeze one of the most popular rides into your park day.

More and more, I just feel like we're being priced out of even once a decade trips. It's not that we don't have the money to upgrade to Deluxe for extra hours, or buy party tickets for a less crowded experience, or now, to pay to make sure we ride the headliners at all. It just doesn't feel worth it, if we have to do that. We're already paying 40% more to replace our March 2020 trip, and that's before adding any of this.

 

[jujubiee4]

People keep saying the magic is gone or going away. Not really. The ability to watch your hard earned
dollars disappear at an even faster pace will remain.

 

[Rowlf the Dog]

As I - as an European - possibly can not come this year as well as last year, I just booked my most expensive trip for 12/18-1/7 with WL at my resort for the first two weeks. But if these rumors are true, I will cancel it.

I stayed moderate or deluxe in the past, after I learned FP+ in my first trip at POP (note this was spontaneous and 35 days out and over Xmas, but I still had a blast), because with the favourite rides booked via FP+ I spend less time in the lines, so I used this freetime for the amenities at the resort as well as the bars and lounges, going shopping or dining.

 

[malba2366]

But from what they were alluding to on the podcast is that the rides that use Boarding passes would have that as the only option on how to ride. Once they decide to move the ride off boarding pass system it would then move into the new convoluted multi-tier system. I don't believe the idea was it would be Boarding groups PLUS all of the other options.

That may be their plan to allow everyone to access the newest rides without upcharges. Universal did this as well with no express passes initially at the harry potter ride.

 

[Kmedders]

I feel like this is the replacement for free dining. You book a package and now you get X free lightning passes. Way cheaper for Disney than even "giving away" meals.

Great point - I hadn't thought of this

 

[bookgirl2632]

If this plan is put in motion, my October trip will be my last for a long while. I just can’t justify the cost any longer.

 

[kevind2112]

We've been to Disney 5 times. This December will be our 6th trip. If this new system is put into place as outlined here, we're absolutely done, and may even cancel our Xmas trip this year. I love planning our trips, and understand a Disney vacation is much more complex than hitting the beach. But, this is just getting ridiculous.

I've spent a ton of money for flights, and an insane rate for a value resort & park passes because it's Xmas. We are thousands into this trip without even talking about food, and now apparently without even talking about getting on any rides. All this money spent just for the "privilege" of walking into a park would be the last straw for me. No special value for staying onsite anymore (30 minutes extra in the morning? Please). How many hundreds of dollars per day am I going to have to spend for the privilege of getting on a few rides?

Honestly, bring back FP+ for me. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it worked for us.

(Here's hoping my rant is completely unfounded, and that these rumors are just that! )

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I feel like this is the replacement for free dining. You book a package and now you get X free lightning passes. Way cheaper for Disney than even "giving away" meals.

I always thought of "free dining" as one their biggest gimmicks. It really wasn't free - it was more 'included' in an expensive package!

 

[ItsMEH]

I wonder if Disney drops these things in the rumor mill so we all stew and get ticked and then what they actually release is a better toned down version, so we all go "oh, that's not so bad"

 

[Sakiki]

DW and I have a trip booked with our TA for late-November-into-December 2022, with flights, car and offsite villa already in place (postponed from December 2021 due our good friend COVID-19 and the unknown factor of when the US border will reopen to the UK). It’s bad enough that we’re required to buy park tickets and then hope there are park reservations available, and choose our park days months ahead and without the opportunity for spontaneity that the Florida weather can dictate, but all this stuff about charging extra for ride access is utterly ridiculous. I’ll watch the boards for the next few months but I can genuinely foresee us cancelling our trip altogether and going somewhere else. It’s finally getting to the point where the game is no longer worth the candle…

 

[Bibbobboo2u]

I wonder if Disney drops these things in the rumor mill so we all stew and get ticked and then what they actually release is a better toned down version, so we all go "oh, that's not so bad"

If they actually pay attention to these boards, I hope they get the clear and resounding message "don't even think about doing this!"

 

[BrianL]

If they want to go back to just charging for rides, that's fine, but the price of entry needs to be drastically reduced if that is to be the case!

Disney is becomming a victim of their own success, but they are not taking the steps needed to actually alleviate the issues and sustain the growth. I mean, they have been to some degree, and I have defended their pace of building before - COVID threw a wrench in it too - but current crowd levels/demand are unprecidented and they simply cannot allow it to be that crowded with nothing for everyone to do except refresh their phones. Getting back to full capacity in rides and entertainment would help though - I can't believe they increased guest capacity without some of these things in place. DHS NEEDS those crowd-eating shows badly!

 

[cdurham1]

Yeah, I am not much for complaining, but if I get stuck on a ride or it malfunctions after I just paid $xxx for a lightening pass, I am definitely going to talk to a cast member about it.

 

[cdurham1]

If they want to go back to just charging for rides, that's fine, but the price of entry needs to be drastically reduced if that is to be the case!

Disney is becomming a victim of their own success, but they are not taking the steps needed to actually alleviate the issues and sustain the growth. I mean, they have been to some degree, and I have defended their pace of building before - COVID threw a wrench in it too - but current crowd levels/demand are unprecidented and they simply cannot allow it to be that crowded with nothing for everyone to do except refresh their phones. Getting back to full capacity in rides and entertainment would help though - I can't believe they increased guest capacity without some of these things in place. DHS NEEDS those crowd-eating shows badly!

Why bring bad crowd eating shows now? Unveil this system and see how many people will pay to skip the lines. Oh, unless they actually want a good guest experience...

 

[StarrySkye21]

If they want to go back to just charging for rides, that's fine, but the price of entry needs to be drastically reduced if that is to be the case!

I agree so hard! Why not a simple system like:

$89/day with no fast pass
$129/day with 3 fast passes
$199/day with unlimited fast passes

Everyone wins!

 

[BrianL]

I agree so hard! Why not a simple system like:

$89/day with no fast pass
$129/day with 3 fast passes
$199/day with unlimited fast passes

Everyone wins!

That wouldn't work because too many people will pay for the highest tier - a LOT of people would. That's the problem with any paid system - right now, people WILL pay for it, and you know what they say: If everybody has a fastpass, then NOBODY has a fastpass!

 

[DefnotDLav]

I agree so hard! Why not a simple system like:

$89/day with no fast pass
$129/day with 3 fast passes
$199/day with unlimited fast passes

Everyone wins!

Price point is way too low for the above to work.

Maybe $499 for unlimited, $199 for 3, and $129 for none.

And that may still be too low, honestly.

I don't see any unlimited option ever existing.