For the past few months there have been rumblings that the Fastpass system at Walt Disney World would be changing. Those changes came into focus today as a variety of fan communities caught wind that effective March 7th, Fastpass return times would be “strictly” enforced. To further clarify, the apparent new policy will be to allow for guests to return 5 minutes prior to their Fastpass return time, or 15 minutes after their Fastpass return time. No more, no less. Previously, the rule was to allow for guests to return at any point after the opening of the return window.
This change in policy is meant to prepare guests for the upcoming “xPass” system that will allow certain resort guests to pay a premium to schedule their entire vacation in advance. This means that guests will now be able to pay for the opportunity to schedule ride times up to 6 months in advance. xPass will likely be used in conjunction with the current Fastpass system with the rides scheduled in advance likely deducted from the Fastpass distribution for certain time windows.
The question here is, ”What does all of this mean?” To most guests, this won’t be a huge issue. Most guests, were unaware that you could return outside of the scheduled return window, so to those guests this won’t matter. However at this point it remains unknown what will happen to Fastpass distribution; it’s conceivable that it could be accelerated or decelerated as a result of this change.
To those guests that regularly took advantage of the previous policy that allowed for late returns, this change could potentially be very disruptive. This will conceivably change touring plans entirely. Guests will likely have to backtrack more frequently to ensure they can meet their new strictly enforced return time. The other possibility is that Disney starts to see guests using the time between distribution and return time on their Fastpasses used for shopping instead of riding in additional rides. At this point, it’s a significant enough change to the efficiency of the park that guest traffic patterns as a result of this change are unknown.
It’s safe to assume that for high demand Fastpass attractions like Toy Story Midway Mania and Soarin’, there won’t be a significant change. However for attractions like Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin or Jungle Cruise Fastpass usage may decline; these attractions typicaly have return times at less than two hours from distribution, and wait times under an hour. Often times, guests would acquire a Fastpass for an attraction like this despite a wait time of 20-30 minutes so that they could go ride something else and return with their Fastpass with a 5 minute wait. This change could potentially eliminate or decrease that behavior.
I would also hope that a way around the return times should be the presenting of a table service receipt. This will especially be an issue at Toy Story Mania where often times the return window can be 8-12 hours away. A Fastpass acquired at 10 AM at Toy Story could have a return time of 7 PM. It’s conceivable that 6 months prior to your visit, you could also have made a dining reservation at Brown Derby. I can see a situation where people could skip their Brown Derby reservation and then be charged $10 per person, just so that they could make their Fastpass return time. This is going to be a bloodbath at Guest Services.
Personally, I believe that the issues/changes are likely going to evolve on a case by case basis. In a park like the Magic Kingdom where attractions are very close together, it’s far more reasonable to acquire a Peter Pan’s Flight Fastpass that’s three hours out, and still be able to spend time in the area by eating a meal and riding “it’s a small world”, The Haunted Mansion, and Mickey’s PhilharMagic during that time period.
Conversely, in the Animal Kingdom attractions like Expedition Everest are undoubtedly going to require backtracking, but that was already the case. Unfortunately, that park is so spread out that Fastpass could be much more difficult to handle now in conjunction with shows. It’s entirely reasonable to now have to choose between squeezing in one of Flights of Wonder, Finding Nemo the Musical, or Festival of the Lion King or making your Expedition Everest return time. I could definitely see an increase in single ride line usage as a distinct possibility.
The other interesting thing that’s on the way is the addition of Fastpass to several existing rides. Work is currently being done to add Fastpass to The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and it is anticipated that Fastpass will also be added to Spaceship Earth and potentially The Great Movie Ride as well. The thought process behind these additions is less to do with demand and more to do with creating false value. Currently in Epcot, it’s fairly reasonable to wait less than 30 minutes for every attraction in the park while only acquiring Fastpasses for Test Track and Soarin’. As such, Fastpass is not as important in that park. However, the existing Fastpass system will be integrated with the new pay service, xPass. In order to give the appearance of value to guests, Disney is looking to have as many Fastpass/xPass attractions as possible, even when they are unnecessary. Consider the ride breakdown below:
Magic Kingdom attractions with Fastpass (8): Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan’s Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Town Square Theater Meet and Greet
Epcot attractions with Fastpass (5): Soarin’, Test Track, Mission: SPACE, Maelstrom, Living with the Land (seasonal)
Hollywood Studios attractions with Fastpass (5): Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Toy Story Midway Mania, Voyage of the Little Mermaid (seasonal)
Animal Kingdom attractions with Fastpass (5): Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Kali River Rapids (seasonal)
There are other attractions that have Fastpass machines but they haven’t been used in years, and then there are “Surprise Fastpasses” distributed for Mickey’s PhilharMagic and Carousel of Progress on a regular basis, but that’s more to do with crowd distribution than to save guests time. Additionally during extremely busy times, the Animal Kingdom will offer Fastpass for two or three of the stage shows in the park. Considering all that, in every park other than Epcot there are at least three attractions that require Fastpass in order to wait less than 30 minutes on most days. This is largely why it will be added elsewhere (The Seas with Nemo and Friends and Spaceship Earth), to help foster that false value for the xPass customers.
Because the xPass system will allow guests to plan out their day up to 6 months in advance, I would hope that this can also be used for every day guests on the day they arrive. I don’t expect this to happen, but in theory this would eliminate many guest concerns. Consider this hypothetical situation:
Space Mountain distributes 100 Fastpasses for every 5 minute interval starting with 9:40-10:40 AM until park close. If xPass distribution takes away from Fastpass distribution that will leave less Fastpasses for every day park guests, but the guests using xPass can pick any available time they want, not just the next available time. This means that hypothetically this could leave 75 Fastpasses for the 1:00-2:00 PM window, but 95 Fastpasses for the 1:05-2:05 PM window. More significantly, day guests without xPass don’t get to choose their return time, however because xPass is being integrated, this could conceivably be built into the software. A day guest could arrive at the Space Mountain Fastpass machines at 9:00 AM. The return time could be 9:40-10:40 AM, but that guest doesn’t want to get a Fastpass for that return time. Instead they can look at all available return times, and they can choose the 1:00-2:00 PM for themselves and 3 other family members. This would mean that when the Fastpass return time gets to the 1:00-2:00 PM window they would only be able to distribute 71 Fastpasses for that time because 29 have already been distributed. The balance that could come into play would be that the guest that opts for the later Fastpass return time would also lock up the usage of their ticket for two hours instead of only locking it up for 40 minutes had they used the 9:40-10:40 return time.
If Disney anticpates their xPass guests are “smart enough” to handle scheduling their entire vacation, I would hope they are willing to accommodate the day guests in the same way. Another way to help out these day guests would be through setting up centralized Fastpass machines in every land of every park. A strict enforcement of Fastpass return times will result in more back tracking, but if a Fastpass for Space Mountain can be acquired in a distribution area in Adventureland, guests can work their way over to Space Mountain instead of having to first stop in Tomorrowland to acquire the Fastpass, and then returning at the set return time. Again, this would likely require touch screen computer screens to be installed, but it seems that’s a trend that Disney is already headed towards.
Another problem is that xPass could be exploited in a way that old Fastpass system couldn’t. What’s to stop people with the xPass system from scheduling rides at all 4 parks, or at the very least 2 or 3. I would assume those people willing to pay for the premium service of xPass will also be very efficient in touring. As such, park hopping has to be included as an xPass option. But the question becomes will guests be able to schedule out their attractions in a way that they overlap? Even just using 2 parks it can be pretty easy to have reservations at attractions in a park that the xPass guest won’t even visit.
All in all, the strict enforcement of return times helps to level the playing field amongst experienced guests and first time guests. Those guests with more experience will still be able to efficiently use the system, but those slow moving families like the Grasseys are going to experience issues with this change. I can anticipate this change upsetting some hardcore fan boys, and potentially result in some of those fans changing the way they vacation. They may opt to cut out park hopping from their plans, or elect to visit Disneyland instead (there is currently no plan to make this change in California).
I won’t be visiting Walt Disney World until September, so hopefully all of the major issues are worked out before I arrive. That trip will only be Marie and myself, so as able bodied adults, any backtracking will be less of an issue. Where the real test will be is in a family vacation where the 9 of us are incapable of rushing any where to make a scheduled event. I can anticipate an increase in stress as a result.
Some Fastpass Discussion Fastpass Podcasts
WDW Fan Boys Podcast Episode #002 12/20/2009 – Fastpass in the Magic Kingdom
WDW Fan Boys Podcast Episode #009 02/07/2010 – Fastpass in Epcot and Hollywood Studios
WDW Fan Boys Podcast Episode #010 02/14/2010 – Fastpass in the Animal Kingdom and the need for Fastpass
PixieVacations.com: Making Magical Memories Disney World SweepstakesFanBoy Loyalty Program For every $1000+ in combined purchases you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop is up and running, and we have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.
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Gees. First the Pats, now this. Not a good week. What’s next? We’re gonna have to pay for a better option?
WDW Fanboys, I am a new listener. As an avid fan and self proclaimed expert on the WDW resorts and Parks I was interested to hear your thoughts, and knowledge level. First I must say I can recognized your knowledge level, and I was entertained by your pod cast, and will listen regularly.
Now with your Pod Cast Episode #114, I am looking forward to the XPASS, and disagree that if this new XPass is only a benefit of Deluxe Level Resort guests, then that is a negative aspect of Disney. I am okay with this and feel it is something that should be provided; I have no problem with entitlements, especially when I pay for them and am willing to do so. I have stayed in the Deluxe level resorts every visit for the past 9 visits and will continue to do so.
My main reasoning for this is restaurant availability, transportation options, 24 room service, and other features such as larger rooms, and other small benefits. I pay a considerable amount more than a guest staying in a moderate or lower level resort. This is why I have the current perks of restaurant availability, transportation options, 24 room service.
I feel this addition of XPass offered to Deluxe Level Resort guest is fair, because I pay for it. I save and plan my annual trips well in advance. For example I will be staying in the Beach Club Resort at the end of September of this year for 9 days and 8 nights, with Deluxe Dining. I booked this trip 8 days after I returned from last years’ trip. So I am able to budget out to afford the Deluxe trip, and with a Deluxe trip then I want extra perks. That said I feel that WDW will eventually roll out the XPass for all guests, not doing so would take away from the appeal of the WDW culture.
Travis,
I think many of the people that are whining about the premium experience that will be xPass are those people that can’t afford it. Disney has always operated in a capitalistic society. Money talks in the parks. If your average family of 4 is making their once in a lifetime trip where they saved up for 10 years – it’s entirely possible they will still be saving money by bringing their own food into the parks. That family can’t afford to eat at Victoria and Alberts, but does that mean that Victoria and Alberts shouldn’t exist? That just seems silly.
Personally, I likely wouldn’t be able to afford xPass, but my opposition centers around something that’s unknown at this point – I expect it to change the way I tour the park, I’m just not sure how. I outlined some possibilities where it could be an improvement for non-xPass users, but I doubt that will be the case. In all likelihood it will reduce the number of Fastpasses available to regular park guests, and that reduction means that myself and other guests aren’t getting as much as we were before. Disney has every right to change their prices (essentially that’s what they’re doing here) just like we as consumers have every right to not pay for their product. Odds are, I will still find value in a Disney vacation but each of these smaller changes add up. I’m sure that some people have been turned off by these types of changes – to them, Disney has taken away value in an attempt to further monitize something that they previously enjoyed at a different price.
A better comparison is the dining plan. When it was first introduced you could save money on the dining plan with little to no planning. Now it’s getting to the point where in order to save money on the dining plan you need to adjust your dining to get the best value.
I’d be interested to see if this is ultimately an option on an Annual Pass, if so I see a huge potential for abuse unless the cost is extremely prohibitive.
Tim,
Thank you for your response. I am glad you are forthright in your statement of, “…but my opposition centers around something that’s unknown at this point – I expect it to change the way I tour the park, I’m just not sure how.” I would agree with you that this will adjust the way people, (XPass users, and non-XPass users), will tour the park. As for the affordability, anyone can afford a deluxe level trip, even the XPass–whatever the cost may be. I will explain with an example. Last year I took my fiance and 9 year-old step-daughter to WDW for their first time. Another couple wanted to join us, but they could not afford the trip as we were going, (Wilderness Lodge, Club, Deluxe Dinning, Park Hopper Tickets – 7 Days), they could afforded the trip at a value level resort, but that would defeat the propose of going with us as the value resorts are a bit out of the way. So rather than going with us last year, they saved the money and continued to save and now will join us this year. (Beach Club, Deluxe Dinning, Park Hopping Tickets – 9 Days).
Now with the introduction of the XPass, that may not be something they can afford, and depending on the cost of the XPass know I will purchase that option. So that may affect the way my family and our friends tour the park with us. So that could present some challenges.
I think your statement of, “A better comparison is the dining plan. When it was first introduced you could save money on the dining plan with little to no planning. Now it’s getting to the point where in order to save money on the dining plan you need to adjust your dining to get the best value.” I completely agree with you on this one. Now I always use Deluxe dining, but this is also because I plan ahead and know what parks I will be in on what day. I only make reservations for lunches with the exception of the first night which dinner is at the Royal Table, and another night for the Spirit of Aloha, and Victoria and Alberts for a alone night with my fiance.
When my 180 days date arrives I will know where to eat, what parks I will go into, I do so because I will eat at the best locations and save money. It is a lot of planning months ahead of arrival. But last year the cost for the Deluxe Dinning Plan was $1,079.82 for me my fiance, and my step-daughter, (who was 9), after adding up all the receipts if we would have had to pay for the meals out of pocket the cost would have gone from the Deluxe Dinning Plan of $1,079.82 to $2,238.16. So planning ahead saved $1,158.34.
I am looking forward to XPass, and today I made some comments concerning this to some contacts I have in the Disney world, and am awaiting their response. I know I am looking forward to the XPass, but I am cautiously exited.
Travis,
It also appears that you are an uber-Type A planner. There are many that go to Disney World that don’t operate that way. This is one of those unknowns that people are afraid of with xPass as well as the enforcement of the return window. For me personally, I’ll go to a park with a general idea of 3 or 4 things I want to accomplish, and then a secondary list of things I want to accomplish as time permits. I’ll look at the times guide (if necessary), get the first crop of fastpasses and plan accordingly. To the casual guest, this is perceived as a high amount of planning, especially if there’s a dining reservation rolled into that day’s activities. My family mocks me when I’m setting up dining 180 days out, and then they’re shocked when we need the reservation. It was really only on our recent trip over the New Year where my sister and I took hold of each day’s plans that there was some concession on the part of my mother that planning was a good thing.
Having said all that, many guests visit the parks now and miss the best attractions because they don’t have a good plan. If anything, I think xPass could actually exacerbate that problem. Now, ignorance shouldn’t be an excuse, but if these guests are leaving dissatisfied, that can ultimately hurt the company in the long run.
Jim Hill posted an article today about the availability of xPass at 50 some odd attractions. While he incorrectly listed current Fastpass attractions that no longer offer the service, it does seem that with xPass the offerings are certainly expanding. On many days, it won’t be needed at attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean, Spaceship Earth, or The Great Movie Ride, but it will be available. It’s entirely possible, that this actually helps the distribution on some of the higher demand attractions.
The article can be found here: http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2012/02/22/which-wdw-attractions-are-becoming-part-of-the-xpass-experience.aspx
In theory Jim may be correct, that the xPasses distributed for Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster, Toy Story Mania, and Star Tours can be moderated so that the number of xPasses for these attractions is less than those being distributed on the newly added xPass/Fastpass attractions: The Great Movie Ride, MuppetVision 3-D, Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage!, The American Idol Experience, Studio Backlot Tour.
While I doubt these numbers are at all accurate, they are meant to explain the situation. Say for example that on average, day guests will get 200 Fastpasses for each of the new xPass/Fastpass attractions. That would mean that there are now 1000 more Fastpasses in the system. Presumably, the demand for xPass/Fastpass at these attractions will be less than the demand for the existing Fastpass attractions. As such, 1000 Fastpasses at Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania, and Star Tours would tie up a guest’s ticket for much longer than 1000 Fastpasses at the new attractions.
Therefore, some formula (say 75%, but likely a variable formula) would have to be applied to restrict the number of xPasses made available for the marquee attractions. In my scenario above, I could envision 1000 Fastpasses being distibuted to Day guests at the new Fastpass/xPass attractions, and 750 xPasses being distributed at the marquee attractions.
Tim,
Well yes I suppose I am an “uber” type-A planner, but to get what you want, eat where you want, and experience what you want, you have to be. Especially if you are not local. However, when spending money at the amount as required by WDW, I want to ensure that I and my family has an amazing time. With that one of the focuses is on the amazing restaurants available in WDW. In order to dine at the most sought after, highest quality places you have to book your reservations ahead of time, without a question, or you will not be able to enjoy the amazing food.
So I break down my trip by day and decide what parks I will be in on what day. This way I can plan my families dinning, and make those needed reservations at the 180 day out mark. Now XPass is interesting to me, not for the rides and attractions per say, but more so with firework viewing, and parade viewing. I would use the XPass to be able to book choice viewing locations ahead of time so that I or my fiance does not have to waste time in the parks sitting curbside for a couple hours before the fireworks or parade. And no I would have no problem “taking a spot away” from another guest using the XPass, that is why I paid the amount of money I do. I am not better than anyone, not by a long shot, but if I can pay more to gain a better viewing spot, then that is what I will do.
As I have stated before anyone can do this, depending on your budget, you may just have to delay your vacation a year or two out to save the amount of money. If you cannot have the self-control to save ahead to have the trip you want, only to go before you should just to complain that I was able to plan and save ahead to have the vacation I want, and with that access to everything ahead of you, then I do not feel bad. Sorry, learn to plan and save, WDW is not going anywhere.
I do not want anyone to give me the argument that: “What if it is a families once in a lifetime trip?” Well if it is in fact your once in a lifetime trip and they could not afford Deluxe level accommodations, maybe save one more year. If all you have done is wait to go because you can only go once, delay one more year and build up your budget to go big and have a “trip of a lifetime.”
This all said, I mus say that I have enjoyed talking with you Tim on this topic that seems to have spiraled into other sub-topics.
“Keep moving forward…”
Travis