Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[AnnaKristoff2013]

We were at WDW in April. The only ride with a horrible wait was TOT which is because of how lightly they were loading the ride vehicles. We never waited more than an hour for a ride. It was a nice trip.

The trip reports from mid-late May are substantially different then the trip reports from April. They substantially raised capacity without really opening more guest experiences/dining/etc. I booked my July trip based on the reports from February, March & April. That situation has apparently changed.

 

[Miffy]

Just back today from 8 days at WDW. The only rides there were no or short waits for were on the days we rope-dropped. I can't speak for late in the day, because we weren't at any parks after about 4 p.m.

The two days we RD'd were our most successful in terms of not having to wait in long lines.

The days we got to whatever park it was even shortly after official opening? Thirty minutes started seeming like a short wait. Yes, some of the wait times posted are inaccurate and/or exaggerated, but some of them are accurate.

We're veteran FP+ users and we were not in love with the new system. With not being able to hop until after 2 and having to go to the reserved park first--if you didn't know this, you can't hop to another park until you've actually been to the park you have reserved--well, we were not so amused.

Before this visit, I was in the "Pay for FP+? Never!" school of thought. Now I'm ready to pay. I've had it with long lines and standing out in the sun snaking back and forth for forever. At KS and MMRR, the outdoor section of the queue is so long that at a certain point, it's impossible to tell if the people you're seeing to your left or right (or behind or in front of you) are in a section of the queue you've already been in or have yet to get to.

 

[Eric Smith]

The trip reports from mid-late May are substantially different then the trip reports from April. They substantially raised capacity without really opening more guest experiences/dining/etc. I booked my July trip based on the reports from February, March & April. That situation has apparently changed.

I saw plenty of negative reports from April as well. People have unrealistic expectations.

 

[Eric Smith]

I’ve never waited an hour for ANY ride when FP was available. We have always been able to add on multiple extra FPs after we used our first 3. The max waits we encountered using the system or standby in combination the system, a PPO breakfast or rope drop were 15 maybe 20 minutes. We were guaranteed the headliners with little wait with the FP system. We could also schedule the big rides later in the morning/early afternoon if we wanted a day or two to sleep in. Although I am looking forward to my first trip since COVID-I am not looking forward to multiple 1 hour waits with getting up even earlier on vacation to be at the park an hour before opening when they now start letting people in.

You see how this isn’t workable right? Your lack of wait is balanced by an unnecessarily long wait for someone else. The FP+ system was terribly unbalanced and heavily favored people who knew how to exploit the system. That’s not a great way to handle it.

 

[ellbell]

You see how this isn’t workable right? Your lack of wait is balanced by an unnecessarily long wait for someone else. The FP+ system was terribly unbalanced and heavily favored people who knew how to exploit the system. That’s not a great way to handle it.

It wasn't an exploitation. It was how it was designed to be used. Absolutely everybody had the same opportunity to learn how to use it that way. If everyone used it that way then maybe people wouldn't have felt it was unfair and then the people who were using it to it's full advantage wouldn't be accused of exploitation.

 

[kc51570]

You see how this isn’t workable right? Your lack of wait is balanced by an unnecessarily long wait for someone else. The FP+ system was terribly unbalanced and heavily favored people who knew how to exploit the system. That’s not a great way to handle it.

Exploit??? No, I knew how to USE the system. It’s not that difficult. I typically go once a year so am not a veteran or resident pass holder. I figured how to use the system and add a new FP once I tapped into the last FP for the next one. As mentioned above I used the system just as it was designed. Everyone had the same opportunity to get 3 FPs and add more. You did have an advantage to book them earlier if you stayed onsite, but you were also paying a lot more for that advantage.

 

[Jennyf]

I’m not the most savvy but I fail to see how the FP system was exploitative or even confusing. It just works better for people who are willing to skip certain rides if they can’t get a FP for that ride or are more flexible about when they get to ride it. I’m in the camp that wouldn’t ever wait in a 60 minute or longer line for any ride - I’d rather take whatever FP was available then and hope to grab the other ride later.

Disney is at a crossroads here though. Whatever side you’re on, you can see there IS another side. To me, eliminating FP unless there’s a workable virtual que system to take its place, seems like regression.

 

[MyHappyPlace17]

Every major theme park in America has some version of Express/Flash/FP that can be purchased as an add-on to reduce wait times. None of the ones I've seen require scheduling time windows. Not in advance, not day of. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why Disney insists on holding on to the hour by hour scheduling aspect which results in so much unnecessary stress on their guests. Just let guests purchase the priority entry and then enter each attraction as they come to it. As long as Disney meets their commitment of keeping wait times to a minimum, I don't mind paying. It has to be managed properly to maintain low express wait times while not overly impacting the stand by lines and they shouldn't make it so prohibitively expensive that only an elite few can afford it. Make it a fair market value price, limit how many are sold for each date/park, and when they're sold out for a particular day, they're sold out. They don't have to reinvent the wheel here. Take the best aspects of all the plans out there currently and they'd have a line up of great options.

And I really dislike the virtual queue system they are using for RotR. There is no acceptable reason that someone might spend many thousands of dollars on a WDW vacation and then have to endure a stressful day-of virtual race to try to gain entry to the best ride in a park, and possibly not be successful. If they're going to have any kind of advance scheduling, let that one new exclusive experience be it. At least when you book that park for that specific date you could know you have access secured. And then allow a stand-by line. If someone wants to wait 2 hours to ride it, let them.

 

[Remy is Up]

Regardless of how it comes back, paid, free, combo. One thing that is guaranteed. The majority of people will whine about it rather than adapt to it.

 

[Krandor]

Every major theme park in America has some version of Express/Flash/FP that can be purchased as an add-on to reduce wait times.

you pointed out the difference. The others are paid. FP/FP+ was available for every guest without an additional charge.

And I really dislike the virtual queue system they are using for RotR. There is no acceptable reason that someone might spend many thousands of dollars on a WDW vacation and then have to endure a stressful day-of virtual race to try to gain entry to the best ride in a park, and possibly not be successful. If they're going to have any kind of advance scheduling, let that one new exclusive experience be it. At least when you book that park for that specific date you could know you have access secured. And then allow a stand-by line. If someone wants to wait 2 hours to ride it, let them.

No matter what system you use for a popular ride like RotR there is always a chance you don't get entry. When I went to DLR with the paper fastpass system when RSR was the big ride there if you were not early in the line right at rope drop you were not getting a RSR fast pass.

In the end there are more people who want to ride then slots available. Somehow you have to ration those out. There is no perfect system for how you do that.

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

On our trip last week we went to HS on 5/18. Most of the day every attraction was almost an hour or longer. Yes even Muppets at one point. You were lucky to if you saw a ride 40 min and under. We barely rode anything since it was our first trip with our baby daughter and didn't want to stand in line for an hour while my parents watched her. It wasn't fair to them. Fastpass needs to be back one way or another.

 

[Runnsally]

Regardless of how it comes back, paid, free, combo. One thing that is guaranteed. The majority of people will whine about it rather than adapt to it.

I think the majority (myself included) both whine and adapt

 

[MyHappyPlace17]

Regardless of how it comes back, paid, free, combo. One thing that is guaranteed. The majority of people will whine about it rather than adapt to it.

I agree, no matter what they do there will be people of one opinion or the other that are unhappy. There will be a big uproar initially, but I think people will ultimately accept it and move on. I honestly don't think the previous free system is coming back though. They may offer a couple random free ones per day (likely with some restrictions) but I don't believe we'll see a return of the unlimited free system of the past.

 

[Krandor]

On our trip last week we went to HS on 5/18. Most of the day every attraction was almost an hour or longer. Yes even Muppets at one point. You were lucky to if you saw a ride 40 min and under. We barely rode anything since it was our first trip with our baby daughter and didn't want to stand in line for an hour while my parents watched her. It wasn't fair to them. Fastpass needs to be back one way or another.

And for disney I think that is one of the big things about fastpass especially being available to all. A lot of people do come with small children to disney and standing in hour lines is difficult for them. One reason I'm not sure paid fastpass only would work well at disney.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

We must be emerging from COVID... mask debates are finally getting replaced with FP debates. Let's see if it gets as heated as the Great DIS FP War of 2012!

 

[ellbell]

We must be emerging from COVID... mask debates are finally getting replaced with FP debates. Let's see if it gets as heated as the Great DIS FP War of 2012!

I don't even know why it's a debate honestly. Disney is going to do what they are going to do and us pions will either accept it or stop going.

 

[KeyLargoCards]

On our trip last week we went to HS on 5/18. Most of the day every attraction was almost an hour or longer. Yes even Muppets at one point. You were lucky to if you saw a ride 40 min and under. We barely rode anything since it was our first trip with our baby daughter and didn't want to stand in line for an hour while my parents watched her. It wasn't fair to them. Fastpass needs to be back one way or another.

While I understand this, I've been with several people in the parks that don't like to ride big rides/coasters, and they simply stand in line with us and bail out at the end to wait for us. Really, not a big deal at all, and if you are going to the parks now with no shows or meet & greets, what are you really doing anyway other than walking around? Also, you could take turns riding & waiting. The folks waiting can shop, grab a treat, etc. Not sure I see the issue. Theme parks are going to have lines, especially Disney. Not being willing to wait ~45 minutes for a ride like Pandora or any # of other ones that are certainly worth it, seems a bit over the top to me, but just imo.

 

[mom2rtk]

Regardless of how it comes back, paid, free, combo. One thing that is guaranteed. The majority of people will whine about it rather than adapt to it.

If it comes back as paid, it's not a matter of adapting for those who can't afford to add it. It could spell the end of them visiting. And I sympathize with anyone in that position.

 

[TaraWasHere]

I think it is easy for someone of means to say they would pay for FP. For my family it wouldn't be to much of an inconviences (an unwelcome one for sure, but doable), however for someone taking several children, or a family that saved for a long time just to get a room at an all star resort, it's not so simple. I've seen it more than once (especially in recent years) that families are having to give up more and more of the things that make a trip memorable, just for the privilege of actually being there. Exclusive experiences (droids and light sabers) have an up charge. Specialty tours have an up-charge. Desert parties (prime viewing spots), and BBB Deluxe packages (the good costumes). It's just getting harder and harder to watch. Yes I know, all these things are optional. However through the eyes of young ones they are essential. And so many people are either forced to pony up more money they don't have, or be forced to tell their kids no...again. I would really hate to see, FP join the list of things people have to budget extra money for. Who wants to tell their child no to something like that? With all the things Disney has taken away in recent years, (like them or hate them) FP+ was one of the few things that were there for everyone, regardless of cash flow.

 

[Remy is Up]

If it comes back as paid, it's not a matter of adapting for those who can't afford to add it. It could spell the end of them visiting. And I sympathize with anyone in that position.

Disney is a business. Disney lost billions during the cobid days. Disney will make a decision on what's best for them to keep cms employed and for the stockholders. FP is a perk and if they choose to go the route of paid and it drives people away, that is a business decision. But as we have seen in the past. For every person who decides not to go, 5 others happily replace them.