Fastpass return or replacement?

[malba2366]

If I have to end up paying $50 for RoTR in order to ride it at all I probably will, just to experience it once in a lifetime. But this will likely be our last Disney vacation for a long long time. Universal will have our future business if Disney can’t figure out how bring the magic back without costing an arm and a leg.

Its a pretty cool ride...but I wouldn't pay $50 a person to ride on it. It really isn't that hard to get the boarding group...just do it exactly at 7am, we got it both days with no problems. I can see them doing boarding groups and very expensive fast passes for ROTR, Tron and the Guardians of the Galaxy ride.

 

[malba2366]

THIS IS ALL UNCONFIRMED!!!!

However, the following is out there from a couple of sources that the new version of FP for WDW will be announced soon (this month). Supposedly the implementation will be October 1st or soon after.

All of these options will be implemented at the same time as a replacement to fastpass:

Lightening Pass - Paid entry into the fastpass line (much like the Paris model)

Lightening Pass Plus - Costs more than LP but straight to the front of the line

Genie Basic - Free but only allows you to book a time to join the standby line. Once in the standby line you have to wait the same as everyone else.

Genie Favourite Attractions - Free and allows you to identify a specific number of favourite attractions. You then 'may' receive an alert informing you when the standby line is low. Only some folks will receive that message though so the attraction isn't overloaded.

Genie Plus - Paid customised touring plans, much like those already offered by the Touring Plans website.

Standby - (most but not all attractions) - traditional walk up and wait.

Boarding Groups - Will continue for ROTR and will be the only way to ride Ratatouille when it opens.

I think this is pretty spot on...I don't see them doing the Lightning and Lightning plus though, it is too confusing and makes it seem like an even bigger money grab. I think front of the line will be reserved for the VIP tours. How would Genie Basic work? Would that replace the walk up and wait line on the busiest rides?

 

[Kmedders]

Its a pretty cool ride...but I wouldn't pay $50 a person to ride on it. It really isn't that hard to get the boarding group...just do it exactly at 7am, we got it both days with no problems. I can see them doing boarding groups and very expensive fast passes for ROTR, Tron and the Guardians of the Galaxy ride.

I agree - there isn't a single ride worth paying this. If it were a once in a lifetime trip, maybe. But I still don't think it would be worth this to pay for each member of a family.

 

[yaya74]

After listening to today's Disney Dish podcast, there might be some "truth" to the rumor about all these versions of FP+. Len DID NOT emphasize the fact that this information was based on "rumors" and stated at the end of that segment that this information will be released this month for Oct 1st..

I am just happy that (1) my family rode ROTR twice during our trip so we can save that $50 pp on perhaps Guardian of the Galaxy or Tron and (2) not planning to go back to WDW until at least 2023......

Hopefully Disney offers some breaks for folks who stay onsite.

 

[Lashed34]

I would definitely pay $50 for RotR simply to get on, enjoy it and get on with my day in the park. Waiting around for boarding groups is a painfully drawn out process, last time I just couldn't relax as you have to keep checking.

This is how I feel generally about virtual queues, I want to enjoy a day in a park, not be checking my phone every 5 minutes.

 

[TommyJK]

If I have to end up paying $50 for RoTR in order to ride it at all I probably will, just to experience it once in a lifetime. But this will likely be our last Disney vacation for a long long time. Universal will have our future business if Disney can’t figure out how bring the magic back without costing an arm and a leg.

This is me. While I enjoy Disney I am not a "Disney as a Lifestyle" type guest that goes every year (or multiple times a year). I would go maybe every couple of years but that stopped a few years back as I was done with the always packed parks, playing stroller frogger, being forced to stay on-site if I wanted a less stressful way to try and get FPs for the biggest headliners etc. I've been all-in on Universal since that time.

Planning one more eventual visit to go to Galaxy's Edge and have a guaranteed way to ride ROTR. This will likely give me that chance.

 

[bookgirl2632]

Well, if any of what I’m seeing is true, lots of people at Disney need to be fired. That is way too complicated for the average guest. I’m a border “uber planner” and I found all of the Lightning, Lightning Plus, and Lightning Venti to be way too much. My vacation in October is going to be interesting. I hope I have enough time to figure out the mess.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

I would definitely pay $50 for RotR simply to get on, enjoy it and get on with my day in the park. Waiting around for boarding groups is a painfully drawn out process, last time I just couldn't relax as you have to keep checking.

This is how I feel generally about virtual queues, I want to enjoy a day in a park, not be checking my phone every 5 minutes.

There's going to be a bit of a free access death spiral here as well. The more people who are willing to pay $50 per boarding group to guarantee access, the fewer free boarding passes there will be, the harder it will be to get a free boarding pass, the more people who are willing to pay $50 per boarding group to guarantee access. Disney could effectively go to an almost all-paid access requirement for Rise given the demand they have for it.

 

[Pens Fan]

But the thing I was addressing in my post is free.

In theory, yes that's correct. However, if you get a return time that's 3-4 hours away, it's 100 degrees in the shade and everything you want to ride has gone into Genie Basic / virtual queue mode it's going to be very tempting to pull out the wallet and grab a Lightning pass. That's what Disney is counting on.

The main point of my post was that Disney created this problem of standby lines snaking throughout the park by forcing everyone but a select few into standby lines that were only designed for a much smaller number of people. They've basically let their guests bake in the hot sun all summer in these lines hoping that now we'll be happy for anything that eliminates them. It's genius, actually - well make that evil genius .

 

[StarrySkye21]

Its a pretty cool ride...but I wouldn't pay $50 a person to ride on it. It really isn't that hard to get the boarding group...just do it exactly at 7am, we got it both days with no problems. I can see them doing boarding groups and very expensive fast passes for ROTR, Tron and the Guardians of the Galaxy ride.

yes my plan is to do it exactly at 7 AM like I have practiced. But my worry is that if they offer a paid option the amount of free reservations will be drastically reduced making the availability at 7 am to be 0.3 seconds instead of 3 seconds.

 

[TommyJK]

yes my plan is to do it exactly at 7 AM like I have practiced. But my worry is that if they offer a paid option the amount of free reservations will be drastically reduced making the availability at 7 am to be 0.3 seconds instead of 3 seconds.

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.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

yes my plan is to do it exactly at 7 AM like I have practiced. But my worry is that if they offer a paid option the amount of free reservations will be drastically reduced making the availability at 7 am to be 0.3 seconds instead of 3 seconds.

I don't see how this doesn't happen. They're not increasing capacity on the ride... Any inventory they set aside for the lightning passes is less inventory for the free ones.

 

[Marionnette]

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.

It's two hours. Epcot (Mondays) and MK (Wednesdays) only.

 

[Leight19]

I had previous post about how I hope this is priced so high most don’t use it. While recent posts are just rumors and we don’t know exactly what will happen, this seems to be worst case scenario. Rather then having single system they seem to be going with multiple paid options so they maximize revenue from each guest.

If you are willing to pay for fast pass, you can use lightning pass to book fast pass for later in day. If you don’t want to wait and have plenty of disposable income, you can pay extra to book it to ride immediately.

If you don’t want to pay, don’t worry you can do standby line still. Except now since queues aren’t built for this model you don’t fit so you have to use genie basic to get in virtual line to wait in line later. This doesn’t sound too bad in theory until you read the plus option of this is also paid. This option isn’t as clear but I’d guess the true value of “trip planning” is you can pay to prebook all your standby line waits. The inverse of this to me likely implies the basic option only lets you book one at time rather then queueing all your standby lines which likely means your return time will be much later then a typical stand by queue as your waiting for all the lightening pass+, lightening pass, and genie+ guests to go through before you.

I guess I’ll wait to see how this is all implemented before final judgment but this really sounds like they are trying to make it impossible to ride rides without paying extra one way or another. I’m dvc so I doubt I skip Disney forever but if this plays out I see future of resort only/universal stays for me until something changes.

 

[vicarrieous]

How about paying 50 for a ROTR ride and it not working correctly? The last few times we rode, it was slightly different each time with certain areas not working. I know we will not pay $50 for any ride. Ouch.

 

[PaladinButters]

I guess I’ll wait to see how this is all implemented before final judgment but this really sounds like they are trying to make it impossible to ride rides without paying extra one way or another.

There's going to be a cap. Balance between one side thinking paying is the only way so they are willing to pay whatever the amount is, and the other side needing to think they always still have a chance to ride free or they would avoid the parks all together. Disney already put more money than I care to think about into finding out where that tipping point is and will fine tune as they go.

 

[PanchoX1]

I had previous post about how I hope this is priced so high most don’t use it. While recent posts are just rumors and we don’t know exactly what will happen, this seems to be worst case scenario.

I guess I’ll wait to see how this is all implemented before final judgment but this really sounds like they are trying to make it impossible to ride rides without paying extra one way or another. I’m dvc so I doubt I skip Disney forever but if this plays out I see future of resort only/universal stays for me until something changes.

ditto. was planning on buying an AP when they become available. now that looks like its gonna be a universal ap. I have no issue with staying on property and visiting LEGOLAND, SeaWorld, Universal, Icon Park and skipping Disney parks altogether.

 

[emilymad]

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.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

I guess I’ll wait to see how this is all implemented before final judgment but this really sounds like they are trying to make it impossible to ride rides without paying extra one way or another.

I mean, this has been said a lot in this thread and on this board for some time, but this really is the upshot. Disney is returning to the days of pay per ride. Except now you also have to pay an exorbitant fee to get into the parks in the first place, and the price per ride is similarly outrageously exorbitant. Disney took a look at the way other lesser parks are profiting off of line skips (almost always with a pay one price all-inclusive line skip option), and said "hold my beer," and somehow came up with a system that is way worse for the guests then even what is at six flags, and costs way more.

 

[maya213]

Disney is (was?) supposed to be a family place… if these rumors are true, then the magic is gone for us.