What do you think of Disney's Fastpass?

Question

I was in line at Disney World when two individuals, one in front of me and one behind got into a pretty heated debate about fastpass. Fastpass is a system that allows you to make a reservation for a ride. The man said that cutting in line should never happen and Walt Disney would be pissed if he saw that and everyone should have to wait in line no matter what and that wait times on fast pass rides are triple what they used to be. The woman behind me said that allows you to plan your day and since its available to everyone it is fair. She said she only waited 5 minutes for Space Mountain at a time when the wait time was an hour and a half. What do you guys think?

Answer 1

In my opinion, the Disney Fastpass system as it is now is fair because it applies to everyone, not just those that are staying on the property. I believe Walt Disney himself would not be too upset with the idea because the fastpasses allows people to manage their time and be able to ride the more popular rides with ease. Hence it makes people happier and that is what Disney always intended is to make people the happiest that they can be. Now on a side note, the Universal Studios theme park's fastpass system, to me, is very unfair. You have to buy their "speedpass" ontop of your ticket, unless you are staying on the property. Who wants to dish out $45 more dollars per ticket just so they can skip the line and go straight to the front. If you have ever been to Universal Studios, you will understand what I am talking about. The guests with the Speedpass can walk up at anytime and get on while the rest of you wait hours. For example, you could of been waiting 3 hours and a group could come up and take up the whole ride infront of you. If anything, that is line jumping with a price. To me, Disney is doing it right and should keep it that way.

Answer 2

Since Fastpass is available to anyone in the park and doesn't cost anyone, I think it is very fair. The system that was created for Disney's fastpass system is very advanced and detailed to prevent the lines from becomming just as long in the Fastpass line as they are in the regular line. They have been very successful with this and for most rides you can basically walk right on or have a few minutes to wait. Universal, on the other hand, didn't use such an advanced system and all their different lines seem to have long lines, although in many cases the regular line seems to be shorter. The difference with Universal is that you have to pay extra for theirs or stay onsite.


Everyone is pretty much entitled to the same amount of Fastpass for their visit to Disney. You take your ticket, get a pass for the ride you want to ride, and then you can go ride other rides, have dinner, etc. You can't immediately go get another Fastpass for another ride, you have to wait the amount of time listed on your ticket before you get the next one. That way no one gets every Fastpass right away or does something else to cause problems with the system.


I guess you could consider it cutting in line, but I don't really think of it that way. The person with the Fastpass had to take the time to get the pass, wait for their time to ride the ride, etc. So, they just used their time more wisely and rather than waiting an excessive amount of time in one line, they went and did some other things and came back out.

If the Fastpass was not available to everyone, or was a charge, etc. then I could see it being a bad thing. But in such a popular place where the weather is hot, the lines are long and the people often get angry, I think it is the perfect thing to have. If people don't want to take advantage of the Fastpass system, that is their choice, but they shouldn't get mad at the people that do.

Answer 3

It's fair for the reasons the woman suggested. The system also disallows people from basically running round the park making unlimited reservations. You have to use one before you can make another. This means that a small number of individuals can't clean out the fastpasses leaving everyone else with none. And it also means everyone is going to have to spend some time in the lines. What we normally do is reserve a fastpass for one ride and then in the waiting time, line up for another. I actually LIKE the lines in disney rides though, I think they're an important part of the rides. They help immerse you in the experience and there's a lot of detail put into the surroundings.

Answer 4

To go along with what has been said:

Fastpass is a system available to ALL in the parks, not just those staying on property (if you saw someone stick a room key card in it was because they had a room/park admission package where their room key also worked as their admission medium).

And it doesn't always give your next fastpass time after the one you are holding comes up, sometimes if you draw a fastpass that says come back several hours later they give you a much shorter time when you can pick up another.

And Disney is, in the end, a bottom line business. Just like they will close rides that are relatively popular but are expensive to run (like the original 20,000 Leagues submarine ride), thinking that since that specific ride doesn't bring them in and it costs lots of $$$ to run, lets close it. Fastpass gives people more time to shop and eat. But it is also visitor friendly in you can do more stuff while you are there (which encourages people to go who otherwise would be weary of long lines).

In the end, since Fastpass is available to everyone, and is designed to prevent abuse of it by a few, it is a fair system. Perhaps it can be tweaked to be more fair, but the system isn't the problem here, it's those who don't adapt to an obvious improvement designed for all, including them, to (in addition to spend more money) have more fun. Then again, it's one less person using the system taking passes that can be used by the rest of us...

Answer 5

Fast Passes are great - frankly, I don't get the 'unfair' argument, since anybody can have one.

The only thing I don't like about FastPass is that you can only hold one at a time. When the FastPass time has gotten outrageously extended (e.g. you pull the pass at noon and it turns out to be for a ride slot at 6pm) this is dopey (and I don't mean the dog).

I'm sure the reason for this is so that people can't run around getting loads of FPs and then hoarding them (would screw the system up royally, since there would be slots 'blocked' and probably never used). But surely there must be another answer to this. The system should just prevent the holding of more than one FP within an hourly slot or something.

With a child in tow, a series of well selected FastPasses spread throughout a set of hours would make a Disneyland (or DisneyWorld) experience much easier for tired parents! And I would think being able to schedule people in this way would allow for tighter scheduling of rides.......

Answer 6

I think it's fair. Basically you got in line at the time you got your Fastpass and Disney is "holding your spot" so you can go do something else. Disney is a business and they figured out if you are waiting in line you are not buying stuff soooo they created Fastpass. (It also helps your wait in line) It's smart on Disney's part because now I can go buy food, shop in the shops or ride another ride. And it makes the customer happy because they can do something else instead of being hot and grumpy in line with a bunch of kids.

I do think improvements need to be made to Fastpass. They should have a central place where you can get your Fastpass for any ride (like on Main Street or something) so you don't have to trek all the way over to rides like Splash Mountain to retrieve your fastpass and then back again to ride on it. Also they need it for all new rides, like the new Nemo ride. I would love to go on that ride but there is no way I am going to wait 2-3 hours with a 2 and 5 year old. Also...they need it on a lot more rides. Someone told me they can't have it on slow rides but it seems to me they have it on slow high capacity rides at Walt Disney World. Also they should make it so you can get more than one at a time (but not the same timeslot). It should just put you down for the timeslot after your first one has expired.

Answer 7

Fastpass is great! And NO, it's not like cutting in line. You take your admission ticket up to a little kiosk, you get it scanned and then you get another ticket that tells you what time to come back to the ride. When that timeframe comes along, you get to go thru a special line that dramatically reduces your wait time. Personally, I'd think you'd be crazy NOT to take advantage of the Fastpass since you'd very often be standing in line for over an hour before getting on the ride.

It's a wonderful device and for a change, Disney doesn't charge for it.

Answer 8

We had no idea of the option and stood in lines all day long while fast pass people rode rides repeatedly. Honestly though I think I'll pass on Disney at the higher price. For over a hundred bucks you wait in line all day and for 45 bucks more a person you wait in line less for what are very average to below average rides. We've got both Kings Island and Cedar Point up here in which you can enter and ride superior rides for much less. We won't be wasting a cent at Disney again. It's not worth the money.

Answer 9

I love them! especially in the heat of summer when you don't really want to wait 70 minutes to be cooled down by splash mountain. THey are very fair, in that everyone can get one, and that it can make your experience even better since you are not waiting in line 70% of the time! They only give out a certain amoutn of fastpasses per hour, that's why especially at MT Everest, they run out at like 1pm. ONce they have given out let's say 100 passes for each time slot they most on to the next time slot until they have all been handed out, therefore it's not like an unlimited number of passes are available. Universal on the other hand you have to pay like 50$ extra plus your ticket to get the fastpass, ummm no thanks! unless you are staying on site. I love them, I would never not use them.

Answer 10

Please do your self a desire and thoroughly forget approximately with regards to the previous poster who pronounced you purchase fastpasses from Ebay! Fastpasses are for loose and you'd be able to get them your self once you're in the park. Fastpasses provided on ebay are, in my view, an entire scam. If absolutely everyone seems to be unlucky adequate to purchase the flaws, they are going to acquire some fastpasses in the mail, in ordinary terms to be certain that the fastpasses are for a date in the previous. What the enterprise will attempt to cajole you and what you, because of the fact the consumer, might would desire to wish for is that the guy who tests fastpasses won't verify the date! regardless of the undeniable fact that there is easily no assure that the fastpasses isn't checked for dates. in the event that they are, you would be out of success and would have wasted your money figuring out to purchase them. to boot, fastpasses have been created to furnish anybody in the park an oppertuinity to bypass some long lines. If anybody unexpectedly starts figuring out to purchase them on ebay and getting away with making use of them, then the fastpass lines are going to be long to boot which will defeat the entire purpose of putting the gadget in place to start with. ok, now to be certain: any concentrated visitor getting into Disney parks, no count if or not they seem to be a Disney motel concentrated visitor or 'popular' concentrated visitor, has an equivalent oppertunity to get fastpasses. in simple terms choose the rides you elect the fastpasses for, circulate to that experience, test your cost ticket on the fastpass gadget, and you get your passes. As has been stated, you're in ordinary terms allowed one fastpass each and every hour or so, so be certain you get those you relatively want first and attempt for something because of the fact the day wears on. EPCOT TIP: The fastpasses for 'Soarin'" circulate lightning rapid, and are often all long gone formerly lunch. This experience has the acceptable hazard of understanding of tickets early than the different experience at any of the parks that I even have considered. be certain you get those for particular! a large perk you have got as a Disney motel concentrated visitor is 'greater advantageous Magic Hours', which will enable you to stay in the park after formerly it opens or after it closes to popular travellers. verify the time table once you arrive on the motel. have exciting!