Fast Pass Booklets

[raidermatt]

I don't mind the "extra" FastPasses showing up as parts of packages, or for certain resort guests. This seems much less crass than just charging for them at the front gate.

Personally, if I think its a good value, I'll buy them, but that doesn't mean I'd agree with the philosophy.

Make them a "perk" instead of just a plain old product.

 

[lrodk]

Does anyone really think Disney would only charge $20.00 for this perk?

Currently Universal Studios is charging $21 plus tax, and IOA is charging $25 plus tax. The booklet has one Express Pass for each of the rides in the park.

Given the prices that US is charging, it wouldn't be a stretch for Disney to charge somewhere in the same ballpark, especially if US's booklets prove popular. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[RandyJ]

See the attached article for more information on what the competitors are doing. I have never tried to post a link before, so accept my apologies if it does not work.


http://slate.msn.com/?id=2067672

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by RandyJ
See the attached article for more information on what the competitors are doing. I have never tried to post a link before, so accept my apologies if it does not work.


http://slate.msn.com/?id=2067672

I saw the article the other day; it's not really new information though. Universal has been having the VIP tours for a few years now. By the way..you can get a guided tour at Disney as well if you have enough money. Seems that Universal is faulted for making it affordable in this case. FOTL access for the on-site guest is well known. Funny how they say Fastpass is free but don't say that Express pass at Universal is free also (which it is unless you willing to buy the Express pass books they have been selling on a limited basis for the past year or so). Remember you can still get an Express pass with your ticket for a future return time. Seems the writer was a little confused on all the options but who could really blame him

 

[Bstanley]

I predict the Universal hotels will become a literal goldmine for Loew's as soon as people notice that they can save $80 - $100 a DAY for their family of four by simply staying at one of the Universal hotels (FOTL privilege) instead of buying the Express Pass booklet.

Make your reservations NOW - before they stop giving out discounts!

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by Bstanley
I predict the Universal hotels will become a literal goldmine for Loew's as soon as people notice that they can save $80 - $100 a DAY for their family of four by simply staying at one of the Universal hotels (FOTL privilege) instead of buying the Express Pass booklet.

Make your reservations NOW - before they stop giving out discounts!

There has been talk that once the Third Hotel was finished and all the Hotels start running at full capacity to limit the FOTL access to a reasonable number per day. Some of the rumors were once per hour per ride, or some other number. I guess only time will tell. As attendace picks up I see these two options disappearing at Universal as the FOTL and Paid for Express passes wreck wait times in the Express lines.

 

[All Aboard]

Europa, I wonder about that myself. It seems as though FOTL + booklets (two instruments that Universal has no control of flow - other than the limit on numbers) could become a big monkey wrench in the whole Express system. Nothing prevents several hundred guests from choosing to use their FOTL or ride coupon for Spidey at the same time. The more guests roaming around the parks with the privelege, the greater the possibility becomes.

BStanley, that does sound like an excellent selling point for the on-site hotels. Book the RPH and just about make up for your room rate it in FOTL savings. Heck, the room's "free" with the Entertainer rate of $99 for a family of 4! Plus, you aren't limited to one coupon per attraction, you can go as many times as you want. If nothing else, the offer of these booklets benchmarks the value of the FOTL privelege.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I don't really see how you could make paying for booklets work at Disney...not without severely restricting them. However there are some really nice variations disney could do.

1. Ever check out the prices they charge for the tours? Disney could do a Fastpass/Commando tour where you pay $80 above the park entry fee...you get a tour guide, lunch & exit entry to the E-ticket rides you are touring. The $80 would be per park not per day....and they would get it.

2. Or...Disney could set up a Fastpass reservation plan. Check into your hotel then get a limited number of Fastpasses scheduled at your convenience just as you would make restaurant reservations. This allows them to give a perk to hotel guests and still manage the fast pass line flow. The additional benefit to the hotel guest is that they should still be able to use the normal fast pass system...doubling their benefits.

 

[st_claire]

I really don't think the idea of selling fastpass tickets is a good one. I mean the parks are so expensive already, and the booklets costs almost half the price of going to the park. What about some not so well off family who saves for years just to take their kids on this one vacation so that they can experience some magic too, only to have to wait in an extra long line because all these other people get to walk right on. I know that even with the free fastpass system, the regular line wait times have significantly increased. Doesn't seem very fair to me.

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by st_claire
I really don't think the idea of selling fastpass tickets is a good one. I mean the parks are so expensive already, and the booklets costs almost half the price of going to the park. What about some not so well off family who saves for years just to take their kids on this one vacation so that they can experience some magic too, only to have to wait in an extra long line because all these other people get to walk right on. I know that even with the free fastpass system, the regular line wait times have significantly increased. Doesn't seem very fair to me.

Life isn't always fair.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by st_claire
I really don't think the idea of selling fastpass tickets is a good one. I mean the parks are so expensive already, and the booklets costs almost half the price of going to the park. What about some not so well off family who saves for years just to take their kids on this one vacation so that they can experience some magic too, only to have to wait in an extra long line because all these other people get to walk right on. I know that even with the free fastpass system, the regular line wait times have significantly increased. Doesn't seem very fair to me.

Life isn't always fair.

Anne

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by ducklite


Life isn't always fair.

Anne

Very true. However, if enough people decide to quit going to Disney because of this (sale of Fast Pass booklets), it will end up costing Disney $$.

I do not believe we will see widespread sale of FP access, because if it is not very, very carefully managed and promoted, lines will increase to the point that attendance will decrease. IMHO, the most that will happen is Disney will make add'l FP access (beyond what is available to general public now for free) one of the hotel package or park tour perqs.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Life isn't always fair.

Very true, and Disney is a business. The Company does not exist to be fair to everyone - it exists to make money, as does any company. However, fairness is something that Disney, more so than other destinations IMO, has to concern themselves with. Part of Disney is it's squeaky clean image, its appeal and targeting to families. I think Universal and others can get away with doing something like this that may not be 'fair' and not get too much heat from the press. However, Disney would get lambasted, more so than other companies, for putting Walts dream beyond the reach of many. I know, many can't go anyway. However, fairness isn't really an issue for Disney right now. I don't think it would be in their best interest to make it one - even for a short term jump in the bottom line. I think that Disney instituting an 'unfair' practice could hurt them in the long run. Most of us who dabble on these boards would still go and shell out the extra bucks, but would it turn off some potentially new customers who might be on the fence?

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

I think that Disney instituting an 'unfair' practice could hurt them in the long run

I'm not sure I understand you. Are you saying that offering a higher level of service in exchange for more money is "unfair?"

How is offering extra FastPass access in return for extra money over park admission any different than offering extra hotel facilities in return for the extra money charged by the Deluxe resorts over the Value resorts?

Isn't that just the nature of capitalism... in general, getting more is going to cost you more?

I agree that American capitalism is hugely flawed and distinctly unfair, but that's really another conversation, entirely...

-WFH

 

[DisneyKidds]

Brrr, it's cold.

Call off the dogs....

Someone else indicated it may be unfair. If you notice, I use 'unfair'. See those little marks on either side? As I indicated, I'd more than happily take advantage if they offered fastpasses for money. If someone else can't afford it - well, that's not my problem. It is the way our capitalist society works and if I work my a** off and can afford it it is something I earned and it may not be unfair that others can't have. As ducklite said, that's life.

However, I do believe that implementing something that is PERCEIVED as unfair could get Disney some negative attention that they might not want. I could be wrong.

 

[All Aboard]

I've been strongly opposed to this concept since it first started circulating on the web shortly after Fastpass was introduced. However, I'm not sure I would use the phrase "unfair" to describe it.

In general, I agree with the Cryonoggin's points. But, I disagree with his comparison of paid Fastpass to levels of resorts. The fact that someone can afford to stay at the Grand Floridian and get all of the amenities that come with the purchase does not have a negative impact on the quality of stay that I have at Dixie Landings. However, a program such as the one described here could very easily have a negative impact on the experience others (non-afforders) have in the theme parks. I'm reluctant to toss out "fair" as a descriptor, but it could potentially be the introduction of life as a "have" or "have not" in the theme parks. Especially if restriction to Deluxe Resort guests or very high coupon book prices were the basis for purchase.

 

[seashoreCM]

Ordinary fastpasses are issued so that only a limited number can be used during any given hour.

But all of these new variations of fastpasses don't have time constraints for when they can be used. There must always be severe limits on how many of these new untimed fastpasses exist otherwise the fastpass line will get long if too many show up at a given ride at a given time. The idea of making appointments ("PS's for rides"?) at a resort or at a park kiosk can help with keeping too many people from showing up at one place at one time. You choose your times in advance, pay your fee, and a custom made fastpass book is printed up on the spot thanks to modern laser printers. (And the computer can keep track of how many fastpasses were issued for each hour.)

>>> I really don't think the idea of selling fastpass tickets is a good one.

I cannot fault Disney or Universal for offering something that makes more money. In the short run, if books of fastpasses sell well, they are a success from a business point of view. The only drawback is scaring away the less rich folks causing a corresponding drop in overall revenue.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[HorizonsFan]

Very true. However, if enough people decide to quit going to Disney because of this (sale of Fast Pass booklets), it will end up costing Disney $$.

In my experience, most people don't bother to do any research at all before booking a WDW vacation. They just pay the money and show up. If they don't bother to buy a guidebook or surf the net for tips, they won't blink at the sale of FP booklets.

There must always be severe limits on how many of these new fastpasses exist otherwise the fastpass line will get long if too many show up at a given ride at a given time.

There probably won't be any limit to the new (extra charge) FP's, the limit will probably be on regular FP's which will just be gone earlier than they are now.
I don't know if it's a good idea or not, only time will tell.

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

The fact that someone can afford to stay at the Grand Floridian and get all of the amenities that come with the purchase does not have a negative impact on the quality of stay that I have at Dixie Landings.

I don't know... it seems to me that if a person is the sort who would get cranky that some folks were FastPassing them in line, when the FastPasses are available for use by anyone; that they might also be the sort of person who would wonder why they have to walk an extra quarter mile to the Values' bus stop, or why they're kept out of Stormalong Bay, or why they have to go to another resort to eat at one of the nicer restaurants.

I guess I'm coming at it from the opposite direction as you--I don't think it's logically defensible that someone be upset by others using FastPass, free or paid, when that option is available to them, too.

I mean, the basic problem with the FastPass issue is one of jealousy: I don't want to wait in this line right now, and I'm jealous of that person that didn't have to, even though I was presented with the same options. How hard is it to imagine: I don't want to ride this crowded bus, and I'm jealous of that person with a whole row to himself on the Wilderness Lodge boat, even though I could have stayed there?

I just don't think Disney will see this "perceived unfairness" as a compelling business argument against pay-for-play FastPasses.

-WFH

PS: DisneyKidds, my last line is the reason I responded to your post instead of st_claire's. st_claire's post struck me as being a personal statement of how the poster felt about the pay-for-play FP. What I was curious about was your statement that it might be a bad business move based on that 'unfair'ness. I think there's a significant difference between saying "I don't like X" and "Disney should make business decisions based on X not being liked." I wanted to find out more about where you were coming from on that, and what you meant.

My mistake.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by HorizonsFan

There probably won't be any limit to the new (extra charge) FP's, the limit will probably be on regular FP's which will just be gone earlier than they are now.
I don't know if it's a good idea or not, only time will tell.

I'm sure they would love to charge everyone...but the problem with the generic Fast Pass issue is with crowd managment. There is no way for Disney to predict when a guest will use them. Yes I know this has been said before (by me) but I think it's a major problem and why I don't think this should be or will be a huge money maker for Disney. The must limit the number of these type of passes or crowd contorl is impossible or near to it.