A few months ago we spoke with friend of the show, Jim Hill about some of the Next Gen projects going on at Walt Disney World. One of the main topics that we discussed was a new attraction reservation system that at the time was referred to as xPass and is now referred to as Fastpass+. You can listen to the episode here.
Since this show aired, Disney began testing some of the components of the Fastpass+ system with random tests conducted at the Magic Kingdom between May 1st and May 15th. Disney would approach guests as they waited to board the Magical Express bus at Orlando International Airport and they would help those guests schedule up to 4 attractions for a day of their trip. They would have to adhere to the schedule that the Disney cast member set up for them, but they would have guaranteed Fastpasses for those 4 attractions days before they ever set foot in the park.
At this time, we really only know what is being considered but there is plenty to speculate about it. The test included the following attractions:
- Jungle Cruise
- Splash Mountain
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- The Haunted Mansion
- Space Mountain
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
This list includes 6 of the 8 currently active Fastpass attractions as well as two interesting additions: The Haunted Mansion and Mickey’s PhilharMagic. Both attractions previously used Fastpass but it was regarded as unnecessary due to their larger capacity. The new interactive queue for The Haunted Mansion is actually configured now to better accommodate a Fastpass lane, but potential bottlenecks do exist by using Fastpass on a high capacity attraction like The Haunted Mansion.
Rumors point to more Magic Kingdom attractions being added to the full scale implementation of Fastpass+. The attractions rumored to include Fastpass+ are as follows:
- Town Square Theater Meet and Greet
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- It’s a Small World
- Stitch’s Great Escape
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid (Opening Late 2012)
- The Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train (Opening Late 2013/Early 2014)
- The Barnstormer Featuring the Great Goofini
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
Additionally, premium viewing for parades and fireworks are also being considered:
- Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade
- Main Street Electrical Parade
- Wishes Nighttime Spectacular
Admittedly, we don’t know everything about this new system but there are many that feel that this will be the end of any spontaneity in the parks. The counter argument is that very few aspects of a Disney vacation are spontaneous, so the ability to guarantee a spot in an attraction certainly has it’s benefits. In the Next Gen podcast episode Jim Hill highlighted the possibility of parents filling in some information about their family before hand so that it can be used later by characters in meet and greets. The hope being that it will create a truly magical moment for the children. Kids will be amazed that Mickey Mouse knows where they’re from or what their dog’s name is. All of this is great in theory but many have speculated that it will come at a cost, and that cost seems to be an uber scheduled day at the parks. Perhaps this Fastpass+ system would work better if it’s used solely for these interactive meet and greet experiences.
So with respect to this “end of spontaneity” argument, there is a significant amount of information that is currently available that all seems to be linked to the future of the Fastpass+ program. Back in March Disney began enforcing return times on their current Fastpass system. Previously, when guests acquired a Fastpass that said return time between 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, guests could return any time after 12:00 PM on the day the Fastpass was issued. Under the new rules, guests would be allowed a 5 minute early return and a 15 minute late return but no other exceptions would be made. This was met with significant resistance because currently Fastpasses cannot be scheduled, you are at the whim of the available return time when you reach the distribution machine. What this can mean is that the family of 4 that has a 6:00 PM reservation at The Brown Derby could be faced with a tough choice when they arrive at the Toy Story Mania Fastpass machines only to see a 6:00-7:00 PM return time. That family has the following options:
- Don’t get Fastpasses and wait in a 90 minute + standby line
- Get the Fastpasses and skip dinner, only to be charged $10 per person for not cancelling a signature dining reservation 24 hours in advance
- Eat really quickly and miss out on the Grapefruit Cake at The Brown Derby.
The preceding is an extreme example, but one that was a 100% non-issue in September of last year when the Fastpass return window wasn’t enforced and the fee for not making a dining reservation was non-existent. Having said all that, it’s fair to argue that both of these new policies are positive ones. Dining reservations are easier to get now as less people are double booking them, and the Fastpass lines are reportedly shorter.
Some facts about the current Fastpass system:
- Disney distributes Fastpasses for attractions in 5 minute intervals for a return time of 1 hour. This is occasionally different for shows, and select attractions (Example: Soarin’ will often use 3 minute intervals).
- The Fastpass return windows for most attractions begin 40 minutes after park opening, and will usually go to park close. (Example: if the Magic Kingdom is open from 9 AM to 10 PM, guests arriving at Jungle Cruise at 9 AM will see the Fastpass machines distributing Fastpasses for the 9:40 AM – 10:40 AM interval and the last Fastpass interval of the day could be as short as 9:55 PM – 10:00 PM)
- Guests can get an additional Fastpass when the return window for their preceding Fastpass opens, or 2 hours from when they acquired their previous Fastpass, whichever is sooner. (Example 1: A Toy Story Mania Fastpass distributed at 10:00 AM may have a return time of 6:00-7:00 PM, guests would be able to get a new Fastpass for any attraction at 12:00 PM) (Example 2: A Star Tours Fastpass distributed at 10:00 AM may have a return time of 10:45-11:45 AM, guests would be able to get a new Fastpass for any attraction after 10:45 AM)
- Usually shows that offer Fastpass are not linked to rides that have Fastpass. (Example: Guests are able to hold a Fastpass for Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Toy Story Mania at the same time)
- A ticket must be used to enter the park on that day in order for it to be used in a Fastpass machine.
- The number of Fastpasses available in every 5 minute interval is a function of that ride’s capacity. That means that a set number of Fastpasses is available in each 5 minute interval, when that number is reached, the return time bumps up to the next 5 minute interval.
- The return time will also bump up to the next 5 minute interval if not all Fastpasses available during the preceding 5 minute interval are distributed fast enough. The quickest possible return time from an acquired Fastpass is 36 minutes. (Example: at 10:04 AM, the Fastpass return time for Jungle Cruise is 10:40-11:40 AM, at 10:05 AM, the Fastpass return time for Jungle Cruise will automatically bump up to 10:45-11:45 AM if not all available Fastpasses have been distributed)
- There is not a set number of Fastpasses that any guest can acquire on any given day. It’s conceivable that a guest can get a Fastpass every 40 minutes if the distribution allows it.
The preceding information on Fastpass is only part of the information needed to further examine how Fastpass+ may work. Additional information has been provided by Jim Hill through articles on JimHillMedia.com, the TEA 2010 Themed Entertainment Attendance Figures, and feedback from the May test of Fastpass+. Individual attraction capacity information has come from a variety of sources and estimates have been used where necessary.
- The amount of Fastpasses distributed per every 5 minute interval is not public information, but this number is estimated at 5% of an attraction’s hourly capacity. This means that starting 40 minutes after park opening, 60% of an attraction’s hourly capacity is distributed as Fastpasses.
- Depending on the park, attendance, and the results of the test in May it is speculated that each guest will receive access to 2-4 Fastpass+ attractions per day
- Attendance at the Magic Kingdom in 2010 was 16,972,000 or an average of 46,499 guests per day
- The estimated hourly capacity of the 8 current Fastpass attractions (Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan’s Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Space Mountain, Town Square Theater) at the Magic Kingdom is 9550 per hour
- An average attendance day at the Magic Kingdom will see 13 hours of operation: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- A 13 hour day will have 148 Fastpass Intervals of 5 minutes each (13 hours x 12 five minute intervals per hour less 8 intervals at the start of the day)
- With every attraction operating, the estimated maximum Fastpass distribution during a 13 hour day at the Magic Kingdom is 70,670.
- This means that up to 56.92% of total rides on the 8 Current Fastpass attractions can be done through the Fastpass system. Assuming that the 5% number is correct, this percentage is accurate regardless of whether or not the attraction capacity numbers are correct. If the number changes to 4% then the percentage changes to 45.54%, and at 6% the percentage changes to 68.31%
- The addition of the other attractions and premium entertainment viewing can potentially bring the daily Fastpass+ availability to 237,450 per day. This would include all of the Fantasyland expansion being open as well as premium viewing for a daytime parade, a nighttime parade and a fireworks show.
- With 46,499 guests in the park, and each guest entitled to 4 Fastpass+ attractions, 185,995 of the 237,450 available Fastpasses can be distributed via Fastpass+.
- This would mean that 78.3% of Fastpasses could potentially be booked prior to guests entering the park. If each guest can book 3 Fastpass+ attractions the percentage drops to 58.73% and if each guest can reserve 2 attractions the percentage drops to 39.15%.
- The corresponding numbers are significantly less favorable at the Animal Kingdom but that is subject to change with the addition of World of Avatar. The numbers are comparable at Epcot, and slightly more favorable at Hollywood Studios.
Essentially what all of this means is that guests could see even less “day of” Fastpass availability for marquee attractions. Guests currently have to plan significantly if they want to experience Toy Story Mania and to a lesser extent, Soarin’. At Toy Story Mania, Fastpasses are regularly distributed for the day by noon. This means that at 12 PM on many days under the current system guests can no longer acquire a Fastpass for Toy Story Mania. If Toy Story Mania Fastpasses are available to book on Fastpass+, that number could easily drop to 11 AM or even 10 AM on even the least crowded days.
There are certainly advantages to this system to those people that like to plan ahead. What is unknown is how far in advance guests will be able to book Fastpass+ reservations. Currently dining can be booked 180 days in advance, with marquee dining locations often unavailable at 170 days in advance. If Disney takes a similar approach with Fastpass+, they could potentially see marquee attractions reserved 6 months in advance. This seems unrealistic and probably unlikely. Logic would dictate that the fairest way to reserve Fastpass+ reservations would be at check in at your resort and/or within a week of the day the guest is entering the park. During the beginning stages of this process there will be a steep learning curve and Disney can’t expect guests to wait on the phone for 45+ minutes in hopes of having a shorter line for Space Mountain months in advance.
The problem is that by limiting the amount of Fastpass+ reservations available to 1 or 2 per guest, the guests will prioritize the marquee attractions and eliminate the benefit of adding additional attractions to the Fastpass system. I would think the system would be most effective at reserving highly specialized experiences, perhaps even at premium meet and greet locations or premium viewing locations for fireworks and nighttime shows. It would be an easier sell to the public if Fastpass+ only included these premium offerings and resulted in no change to the scheduling of current offerings.
However, it is unlikely that Fastpass+ will only be limited to premium experiences; it is expected that it would include the full slate of attractions mentioned previously. The benefit of this system that appeals to me the most would be the ability to reserve specific attraction Fastpass times in a park on the day you enter that park. This is the most fair way to utilize this system, and it will also help pacify the guests that scorned the removal of the late Fastpass return time. In the Toy Story Mania/The Brown Derby scenario highlighted above, that same family of 4 would be able to reserve a Toy Story Mania Fastpass after dinner and not have to worry about the cancellation fee on their signature dining reservation.
There is a growing concern amongst fans that this system would mean the end of in park spontaneity. Scheduling attractions days, weeks, or months in advance does give many people piece of mind, but it significantly hurts those people that like to have a little less structure to their day at the park. If given the choice, I would welcome a system driven by smart phones that was available to all guests upon entering the park but not on days leading up to entering the park. For those guests that don’t have a smart phone, a device could be rented. This presents other potential issues:
- Would Disney charge guests a fee or deposit to use Disney’s device for Fastpass+?
- What percentage of guests in the park are traveling with a smart phone?
- Would an entire group be able to use a single smart phone?
- Would there be charging stations available to compensate for the insufficient battery life of existing smart phones?
- What is the learning curve for utilizing the system?
The previous issues are ones that can be addressed relatively easily, but Disney will likely only get one chance to role out this system to the masses. They need to get it right because more so than any other changes that have been made over the years, this one has the potential to be significantly disruptive. The failure of this plan could result in many guests turning away from Walt Disney World as a source of entertainment. The time frame for this very well may also correlate with the opening of Phase 2 of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter over at Universal Studios. The stakes are definitely high, and while we certainly don’t know all the details there is certainly a level of skepticism that is shared by many.
References:
JimHillMedia.com:Which WDW attractions are becoming part of the xPASS experience?
TEA 2010 Themed Entertainment Attendance Figures
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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Based on the numbers up there, not a fan. 4 fast pass opportunities per day? I do way better than that when I go. Attractions being booked 6 months in advanced? I love the concept of fast pass+, but when I hear things can be booked months in advance, I can’t help but think that folks with more cash will be able to afford more planning and convenience. I don’t want to have to rush to Epcot to get a fast pass for Soaring before the one hour window of fast passes for that day are all gone. I guess I could wait in line for 120+ minutes, because that it fun!
I hope I’m wrong and being pessimistic. @hammerhead1983
One of the things in the original xPass proposal included additional attractions or an additional screen on Soarin’. Considering the way things are right now where current management won’t add new things let alone making existing things more accessible, I’m very skeptical.
I see ways that this can work, but right now what we do know isn’t particularly favorable.
I think there are only two ways to really address the problem this is attempting to solve, both of which would be unpalateable depending on which side of the turnstile you stand. Keep in mind these are just theoretical and I wouldn’t expect either to be done.
1. Increase ride capacity and effeciency dramatically, I’m talkin’ 4 Dumbo wheels type increase so there’s never a moment when the line isn’t moving, that kind of scale – or – add many new rides, like adding new fantasyland size area to every land in the MK without raising park capacity.
2. Keep things more or less like they are, but reduce the park capacity number significantly.
FP+ is an attempt to make it more efficient, but in the end, it’s really a shell game. It’s just not possible to have that many people in the park and still cater to the bohemian approach to visiting the park, especially with as much as it costs now.
Also, I thought I heard from JH that this wasn’t going to be a premium service. I realize it could change, but maybe my memory is fuzzy, too.
Dave
Dave,
As far as we know this will not be a premium service in the long run but it may debut as such. The conversation about this isn’t over, we’ll actually be recording a show on this for Sunday June 10th.
I love your article because I always like looking at the math behind things. But I wanted to point out a little bit of flawed logic.
1. If you are spontaneous at the parks now, you wait in line longer. Not using fastpass as it exists today results in waiting in line. So the loss of spontaneity argument just sounds like people who don’t like change unless it is a new e-ticket attraction that doesn’t replace any other attraction in the park.
2. You ran your numbers based off of total estimated park attendance. While fastpass + is not a service they are currently planning on charging for, they are limiting it to resort guests until they are confident in its impact on the park and can predict the number of people that will miss their reservation times, how many people book each ride, etc. Therefore, it is not the total park attendance that will have access to 4 reservations per day, but rather the resort guests in that park, which is significantly less than the 46,499 you mention above. Also there are plans to phase this in even with the resort guests (i.e. Deluxe for a certain time, before opening it to Moderate and Value).
3. You mention a concern that low capacity attractions (e.g. Toy Story Mania and Soarin’) will max out earlier in the day, but in truth, the average park guest is not going to run to go get a fast pass for something they already have a reservation for. Most of the Disney Guests visit once every few years. They want to see it all. While die hard fans might have attractions they want to see over and over again, most people want to see more attractions. Therefore, if they would have run to Toy Story Mania for a fastpass an 9:00am now that they have a fastpass+ reservation, they are going to go running for something else instead. So the number of people grabbing fastpasses day of will decrease, thereby, resulting in the ticket machine running out at about the same time or a little bit earlier. This is how the fastpass machines can distribute such a high percentage of ride seats avalible during the day right now. If everyone that got a fastpass for a ride then got in the standby line as well, standby times would have suffered more from fastpass than they did. You can do math that shows at its extreme a person could spend the entire day waiting in line at Soarin’. During roll-out there are also ways for Disney to take control of this issue, such as having low capacity attractions take 2 of your reservations for the day, or putting them in the same catagory with other coveted things, where you have to chose between reserved seating for Fantasmic and a Toy Story Mania fastpass. I just don’t think it is time to panic just yet. There are too many ways that this can work out.
3. I thought one of the main reasons Disney was doing this was to be able to better predict crowd movement prior to the guest’s arrival at the park. So I imagine they will encourage people to book months out and discourage people booking day of. Further, I personally do not like the idea of getting to the park and then trying to schedule my day. I just want to start it and would like to work it out prior to leaving home.
4. I doubt Disney is going to offer booking exclusively via the phone. I imagine everyone will be encouraged to book attractions online. So I don’t think you are going to spend 40 minutes on the phone with someone unless you just want to.
5. In response to your Brown Derby/fastpass quandary, this is a very specific example and while I am sure there are a handful of scenarios where the guest could get screwed, I am also confident if those handful of people took their fastpass to a cast member and explained the problem they would promptly be given a fastpass for a different time. I actually experienced a very similar issue while I was at Disney World on my last trip. My fastpass conflicted with dinner and they just gave me a general one to return whenever in exchange for the specific one. If you are too stupid to ask for help, then there is nothing Disney can do to cure stupidity, and your Disney vacation as well as the rest of your life is likely to be challenging.
I think as long as they stick to a phased in approach, they will be able to work the kinks out. I imagine it will have little to no impact on standby times. And very little impact on fastpass distribution. I believe die hard disney fans that visit multiple times a year will find a way to game the system that makes them happy. And the average guest will spend less time in line and still see the same number of attractions, but overall be happier because they were in line less, and as I am sure Disney hopes, they will use their new found free time to spend more in the shops while they wait for their reservation times to approach.
kaykool,
First off, thanks for writing and the compliments. I’ll try to speak to the points you brought up:
If you’re using Fastpass+, things would be less spontaneous than the current Fastpass system. If you’re using the current Fastpass system, it’s less spontaneous than the earlier Fastpass system where return times weren’t enforced. If you were using the earlier Fastpass system it was less spontaneous than the days when Fastpass didn’t exist. The question is where this evolution of Fastpass is going, and to myself and others that is a concern.
You’re right, I was speaking to the end game of this where everyone gets Fastpass+. It’s also fair to say that not everyone will use it, in all likelihood out of ignorance. It seems that if people don’t use it they would be at a significant disadvantage. Having said that, the plans I have seen and the proposal that was made would allow for all guests to use this system. What is unknown is, “Will all guests get equal treatment?” My guess is, no, simply because it’s not realistic to allow an AP holder or a guest staying off site the ability to book a Fastpass+ when there’s less of a guarantee that they’ll be in the park that day.
For this to work, the system needs to be in use Day Of Only and it needs to be available to all guests. I really think the learning curve of this is going to make it incredibly problematic if they do anything else, and when coupled with the potential for dissent amongst visitors people need to be treated equally.
The problem with your logic is that it assumes that all guests have the exact same temperament and planning proclivities. The reality is, that not everyone that enters Hollywood Studios at 9 AM was planning on entering Hollywood Studios at 9 AM on that day in advance.
Person A might have been planning to go into that park 1 month out, and they booked their Toy Story Mania reservation accordingly.
Person B might have been planning to go into that park 1 week out, and they booked their Toy Story Mania reservation accordingly, but from a smaller group of available times.
Person C might have planned the night before, or even day of and are faced with even less offerings for available Fastpass+ times. In all likelihood, All 3 of these people want to get on Toy Story Mania as early as possible in the day, while waiting in the shortest lines.
Person A very well may have a return time of 10 AM, so that person does something else until their Fastpass comes up.
Person B might have a return time of 1 PM, so they may be inclined to get a Standby ride in early before their Fastpass+ time comes up.
Person C might have a return time of 8 PM, and they may have had to be in the park at 9 AM to acquire that 8 PM Fastpass. They’re faced with the decision of planning their entire day around that 8 PM Fastpass.
To your point about the number of people grabbing Fastpasses day of decreasing – it will have to because those issued before that day will have to be deducted from the current Fastpass system. The model I created for the Magic Kingdom showed that if they intend to allow every guest access to 4 Fastpass+ reservations before entering the park, they wouldn’t be able to restrict the total number of Fastpass+ reservations, made prior day to anything less than 78.3% of an attraction’s total Fastpass capacity. The reality is, this restriction number would have to be higher because the numbers are being massaged by attractions that would rarely require Fastpass usage. By adding things like Pirates of the Caribbean to the Magic Kingdom’s Fastpass lineup they are increasing Fastpass/Fastpass+ capacity at the cost of Standby capacity. This goes back to your 2nd point and my response to that point. They are further eliminating spontaneity.
Crowd management is definitely a big selling point of this. I’m all for automating the Fastpass system and getting rid of the distribution machines. In fact, my ideal scenario would be as follows:
1. Smart phone app allows you to scan in every ticket in your party. The app will recognize when a ticket has been used in that park that day.
2. Your smart phone app will allow you to acquire a Fastpass for 1 or all people in your party from your phone for any Fastpass attraction in the park.
3. You would get the next available Fastpass time, you would not be able to schedule it. This is the current set up
4. Your ability to get new Fastpasses would remain the same, 40-120 minutes out depending on when the Fastpasses you have acquired have their return times.
5. Guests would again be able to return late, and to get into an attraction they would scan their ticket at the Fastpass entrance.
In my opinion, this would be the best of both worlds. In theory, they could still keep Fastpass machines open for people that don’t have smart phones, but much like the Fastlane on highways there would not need to be as many regular Fastpass booths as there are currently.
The phone will likely be used to track it, but it also seems that much of the Next Gen technology is on the back of smartphones. Things like ordering quick service food from your phone is on the table. Having said that, I can see a scenario where ride reservations are made upon check-in at a hotel instead of on your smart phone.
This is a fair point, and something I would encourage. If you had the chance to listen to our Podcast where we discussed this, I presented this scenario as well. I also said that the Dining fee has been a positive for fans despite the issues it presents. It’s unfortunate that people double and triple booking reservations become such a problem, but it is what it is. However, you can also point to the Dining Plan as a leading culprit for why many guests were double booking restaurants so it’s a problem that Disney created themselves.
I really think a phased approach could be very hazardous. If people that aren’t included in a particular phase feel excluded they’re going to say so and they may do so by acting with their wallets. I can see them rolling this out solely to guests at the Grand Floridian DVC as the first real test. From there though, I feel that it needs to go from a very small, almost unnoticeable group of people to a very large, all inclusive group of people. If it doesn’t, the complaints will be astronomical. As for the effect on standby lines – it will undoubtedly effect the standby lines of attractions that don’t currently have Fastpass. However it shouldn’t effect the standby lines of the current Fastpass attractions.
As for gaming the system – Diehard fans already know the Fastpass system better than the average guest. The learning curve of the current system is substantially lower than the new system so it’s safe to say that the diehard fans are 2 year ahead of the casual guest in their ability to game the system. Make no mistake though, with increased ticket prices and hotel room rates there is reason to believe that Disney would make this exclusive only to resort guests. If that’s the case, many of these diehard fans that simply can’t afford to stay on property are going to sour on Disney very quickly.
Even if they don’t directly charge for this service, this is motivated by operational efficiency and money.
Wow, I love that you actually read and replied to my comment!
And I can see your points, but I am still just not too worried about the system. Even though they are spending alot of money on it and want to see a return, it isn’t bricks and mortar and they can change it or do away with it if it blows up in their faces. The same thing can not be said for other recent decisions (*cough World of Avatar cough*).
I will, however, concede that spontaneity is not important to me. I am a Type A Disney fan who can only afford to visit once every 2 to 3 years. So when I go, my vacation is planned 1 year to 6 months out and I know what park I am visiting, what restaurants I am eating at, when I will be touring, and what attractions I will be seeing. If I were to deviate from the schedule, I would be annoyed. I build in enough flexibility to account for the unforeseen, but have no desire to be spontaneous. Therefore, I am still not buying into the loss of spontaneity as huge detractor for guests like me. But I know from podcasts and blogs, most die hard disney fans are pass holders that visit more frequently for shorter time frames and with less planning and can sort of see the concern for those types of guests. However, they are in the minority.
If the park guest does not plan prior to leaving and isn’t a hardcore fan, chances are they are missing out on fastpass and fastpass+ anyways. I cannot tell you how many times I have explained fastpass to coworkers and friends planning a trip, only to have them decide not to use it on their trip because it didn’t make sense. Or the ever common, “You would be so proud of us, we picked up a fastpass for Living with the Land!” and that is the only one they got the whole trip. In my experience true Type B’s have a very hard time comprehending a ride reservation system at all. Also, I have had one coworker who is planning an upcoming trip that insists fastpass costs money. I have advised him otherwise, but he doesn’t believe me and is so afraid of getting charged he refuses to consider using it. I know this is anecdotal evidence and therefore flimsy, but I am just saying there are lots of crazy park guests.
I can also see a large number of guests that book fastpass+ for unnecessary attractions. That is the data I think Disney needs to see. Just how many fastpass+ users are actually savvy enough to know they need a fastpass for Toy Story Mania more than they need one for the Little Mermaid. And frankly, if your child is the biggest Ariel fan in the world, do you really care or do you just book the attractions that they won’t stop talking about? I think there are alot of different types of guests and tastes and I think once they roll out the program Disney is up to the challenge of balancing these guests.
I am much more interested to see how they make fastpass+ available to non-resort guests. I agree they need to roll it out to all levels of resort guests (i.e. value, moderate, and deluxe) fairly rapidly. But I think they are going to run into some serious challenges with non-resort guests. How do you keep someone with an Annual Pass or regular ticket from booking up slots for a vacation they are just thinking about taking? You are going to run into the same issue with ride reservations that they had with Dining Reservations. People will book as much as they can, as soon as they can, just in case. I think these challenges are going to slow the roll-out of this system to non-resort guests. And I would not be shocked if Disney in-the-end decides it is a perk of staying on-property and a drawback for those who choose not to.
I have a smartphone, a good one. I hate the stupid thing. I hate the thought of having to spend my vacation navigating a smartphone application in order to make ride reservations (for a quick service meal here-and-there it would be cool, but not for ride reservations). Now again, I will concede that others may not feel the same way, but I am also certain that I am not alone in my desire to plan my trip before I leave and simply enjoy the fruits of my labors without having to worry about ride reservations once I start my day at the park. So while I like some of the pieces of your idea, the concept of it being “day-of only” is more terrifying to me than what Disney is currently proposing. For guests that visit the park once every few years (the majority of guests), the parks are so overwhelming having to stop and plan your day right at the beginning would never work. They might as well stick to the current system if fastpass+ is only good the day of.
Alot of people were really concerned about fastpass when it first went live. At that time the concept of ride reservations looked to alot of people like cutting in line. However, now if Disney were to do away with Fastpass you would have alot more people complaining about not having a ride reservation system at all. I think this will ultimately balance out like fastpass did. And in a decade or so, people would complain if Disney tried to take it away or charge for it.
Even with all the proposed changes, I still feel fastpass+ will be better balanced and fair than Universal’s and Sea World’s offerings for shorter queues.
Thanks again for reading!