| # | Author | Message |
1
| magnet
Mon 4/14/2008 5:33a | Yesterday I witnessed something at the Magic Kingdom that was really the last straw for me in regard to how Disney uses its FastPass system. I was at Big Thunder Mountain and watched as the ride was literally shutdown to "stand-by" riders (aka those without FastPasses) several times to allow large quantities of FastPass guests to move through the ride without waiting.
Too many FastPasses are being issued for Big Thunder Mountain.
Even the name "standy-by" indicates to a guest that he/she should only expect to ride when no FastPass guests are around. It used to seem that the FastPass load was light, but this time the numbers of FastPasses were more than the number of "stand-by" guests! It's a shame that Disney is letting its FastPass system tarnish the company name by making full-paying guests feel like they are lucky to get on a ride because they only have "stand-by" stature. On crowded days (which is nearly everyday now) you can really only hope to ride every major attraction once, and a select few twice before the end of the day. Now the numbers of FastPasses issued for a ride have to factor into a decision about whether to stand in line for it.
Yesterday I stood near the CM collecting FastPasses and allowing people to enter the ramp down to the Big Thunder ride platform below. Most often in the past I've watched as one of the two ramp lanes was used for FastPass, while the other was kept open for "stand-by" guests. This time both lanes were being used for FastPass, and occassionally "stand-by" guests would be allowed to enter the right lane only when there was a lull in FastPass walk-ups. There were so many FastPass holders that a steady stream of FastPass guests were walking in the queue entrance all the way to the ride platform for at least 30 minutes. Several times the "stand-by" queue stopped dead for ten minutes or more while FastPass guests loaded onto the trains. During one of these halts I watched people enter the FastPass queue, walk all the way through the queue, and disappear onto the ride platform below while I did not move a single step. As these stoppages continued I watched the length of the "standy-by" queue balloon from inside the covered waiting area to outside the entrance to the queue. When FastPass guests were restricted to only one lane of the ramp down to the ride platform, then the FastPass queue would begin to backup very quickly. That means there are way, way too many FastPasses being issued for this ride. |
2
| PrincessDaniele
Mon 4/14/2008 5:38a | Wow...that's ridiculous! I would've been mad too... |
3
| WilliamK99
Mon 4/14/2008 5:47a | The problem you described, is normal during busy times. So basically you are against the use of Fast Pass period?
Fast Pass if I am not mistaken is controlled by a very complex computer system and the problems you are seeing are caused by people not coming back at their alloted time but coming back two or 3 hours after their time specified.
Sorry to hear you don't like the Fast Pass system and you can only go on a few rides a trip, but the eliminating Fast Pass won't allow you to go on more rides per trip regardless of how much you think it effects it. |
4
| davewasbaloo
Mon 4/14/2008 6:13a | But this is the key. I think Disney should stick to the 1 hour window for return (maybe allowing 15-20min grace tops). That would make it much more bearable. |
5
| WilliamK99
Mon 4/14/2008 6:22a | But this is the key. I think Disney should stick to the 1 hour window for return (maybe allowing 15-20min grace tops). That would make it much more bearable.<<
There are abusers granted, but Disney would run into some serious problems if they did take a hard-line stand. Imagine you have a 2pm Fast Pass for Big Thunder, but have 130 reservations for Blue Bayou. Now service is considerably slow and now it's nearly 4pm and now you have to run just to make it in your designated window.
Or if you had a medical emergency, or the ride was down during your scheduled window.
I just think the logistics of enforcing a strict 2 hour window would be tough to overcome. |
6
| davewasbaloo
Mon 4/14/2008 6:25a | But then why bother having windows of time, rather than "please do not arrive before x time"? It's no different than losing your priority seating in a restaurant if you are more than 15 min late. |
7
| Disneymom443
Mon 4/14/2008 6:53a | I'm sorry that you had to wait. but you said that full-paying guest are haveing to wait and not treated fairly. Are you saying that because I use the fast pass that I'm not a full- paying guest? If you don't like the wait than use the fast pass yourself. |
8
| WilliamK99
Mon 4/14/2008 7:00a | So the Fast Pass debate begins anew..... |
9
| Elderp
Mon 4/14/2008 7:18a | ^ I agree same ol, same ol...
Anyhow, for what it worth here is my same old pitch. FP is open to everyone, if you don't want to wait make sure you get one. Disney is in the habit of insuring max profits, anything else is not a good business practice. FP ensures that the line will always be in use, therefore CMs will always be busy. If CMs are always busy then Disney is making money than just paying CMs for idle time.
One the other hand guests who use FP have the advantage of knowing that if they use it they will be afforded a shorter wait time. If a guest doesn't use the FP, they are wasting your time. There are plenty of places in the world to vacation where advance planning is not necessary, but lets face it, Disneyland or Walt Disneyworld is not one of those places. If you want a non-planned vacation with Disney plan on paying $80/hr for a tour guide, then you wont have to worry about planning. Opportunity Cost once again. |
10
| FerretAfros
Mon 4/14/2008 8:49a | "There are abusers granted, but Disney would run into some serious problems if they did take a hard-line stand."
The only thing they are doing by not enforcing it is encouraging people to show up whenever they want. If you know that you won't be able to use your expired FP, then you won't try. But if you try and they let you, what will stop you from doing it again. It's like letting your dog pee on the carpet, and you don't get mad. Instead, you give him a bone. Why would he ever wait to go outside again, when he gets a bone for going inside?
"Imagine you have a 2pm Fast Pass for Big Thunder, but have 130 reservations for Blue Bayou."
That's why the post the time window over the FP machines. I've had several occasions where I knew I couldn't make the window (mostly because we would be leaving earlier), so we didn't get FP's. It's not that difficult to say "Wait, that probably won't work out. Maybe we should try to get them on another ride." Or if you are dense enough to get them and you see later that it's not working out, you could always give them to other people, who I'm sure would appreciate them.
"Or if you had a medical emergency, or the ride was down during your scheduled window."
I'm not too sure how you could document a medical emergency to them (perhaps a written note from the park nurse? I know, it's a little elementary schoolish), but when the rides go down, they are always very leniant on the policy. They know that it's not the ideal situation, so they are flexible. Like so many things, this isn't just a cut and dry situation. |
