Originally Posted By ssWEDguy I think FastPass is a good and right thing at Disney. It allows the average guest to "get to the front of the line" on a busy day for at least an attraction or two. And it's commonly available to all. That said, and after all the discussion to date, I am summarizing the few flaws that it has. I think addressing these would make FastPass a much more appropriate thing for a Disney park. What do you think of this summary?
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy ----------------------------------- KEEP THE LINES MOVING -- Meter both Standby and FP continuously to keep both lines moving. Don't do this Stop/Start/Stop/Start thing as one line or the other is allowed in at a Merge Point. If things stop because the attraction itself halts, all lines would be affected equally. MERGE POINT CLOSE TO THE RIDE VEHICLE ITSELF -- Merge ideally should be as you are boarding the attraction vehicle itself. EVERY RIDE VEHICLE would contain a percentage of Standby and FP, instead of all Standby or all FP. Attractions that have smaller vehicles (e.g. TestTrack and Splash) are loaded multiple vehicles at a time, so this group of vehicles can be thought of as one big vehicle for load purposes. RETURN TIMES -- If you come back late for your FP reservation, sorry, you won't be allowed into the FP line. you can opt for Standby, or go get another FP. Any unused FP reservations are instead "returned" to the Standby line, instead of Standby people being delayed even further while additional FPer's are allowed in late. Note that your FP reservation does not automaticaly get you on the attraction itself during your reservation time. What it does is get you into the FP line. So if you come back to the attraction during your reservation time and the ride itself is not running, again sorry. If you want your FP reservation to be honored, please enter and remain here in the FP line, just like the Standby line guests who are waiting it out are doing. FPer's who are being rejected for being late would want to be a generally visible activity. Not to embarrass, but to make visible the fact that the rules are actually being enforced. VISIBLE LINE -- Somehow, the Standby line and the FP line shouldn't be in sight of each other. Though this is much less important if the Lines Are Kept Moving. -----------------------------------
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> See this, it's a dead horse, and the stick is over there. << I understand the dead horse comment -- immensely. You do understand that this entry is different because it's a summary, right? I'm not trying to pick a fight anew. I'm trying to reduce the problem to what I believe are the fundamental issues, not just that "FP is wrong!" And burying it down in entry 239 of a long-winded argument makes it invisible. Everyone's tired of going back and forth with all that verbage.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<I'm trying to reduce the problem to what I believe are the fundamental issues, not just that "FP is wrong!">> No, you're flogging the dead horse. You're obsessed with the FP, and getting your family all onto EE without having to wait. Let it go. Don't worry. Be happy. FP and it's "problems" are meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> You're obsessed with the FP, and getting your family all onto EE without having to wait << Look, I'm an engineer. I work to solve problems when I see them. If that's obsession, I'm guilty. I have identified these fundamental issues with FP. It's free consulting. I don't use FP myself. I'm a CM and can get on EE during non-busy times. >> Let it go. << Exactly why I wrote this summary. I'm wanting to walk away from this current discussion with at least a sense of closure. Thank you for your analysis.
Originally Posted By Disneymom443 Fastpass has it's good and bad points. Just like everything else. People will break the rules, just like people will follow them.
Originally Posted By demderedoseguys >What do you think of this summary? < I don't think it would change anyone's opinion or have any effect on the FP situation. As far as turning people away who may be late for their return time, it would cause more problems than it would create fairness. I can just imagine the reaction of someone who just came off an attraction that broke down, rushes over to get to their FP ride in time, is late, and then gets told they can't go on the very ride that they actually wanted to avoid waiting in the line for. I would like to see FP modified in one of two ways. 1) Eliminate it completely or 2) Allow only a certain amount of FP's to any guest per day.
Originally Posted By crazyformickey I'm glad it was said. There are 4-5 threads on FP already. I understand the differences on fast pass but people like them because they use them. If Disney took them away I think it would cause more problems then I'm sure they would want to deal with. Would lines move faster without it...yes but for me who has a child not tall enough to go on the thrill rides it is much easier for my son and I to go on rides as my daughter and whoever stays with her does not have to wait an hour for us to get off the ride.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub I agree they should be strict about the return window time with a wider window allowance perhaps. thanks for the intelligent thoughts. I just purchased Universals fastpass and was not happy in Florida.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^^^^^^^ crazy you're right which is why I am not jumping in with emotions again, we've been over this ad naauseum. I even ran a survey on line with the following results - people can draw their own conclusions as everyone already knows where I stand on this: 79% of those who want it gone are adults only, , yet 59% of respondents tour with children - and 61% are 1-2 times every few years 43% who want it gone are regulars to the park more than 1-2 times every year or so, 43% 1-2 /yr & 1 non reg 78% like FP and 93% use it majority feel tweaks should be done 59% vs either leaving it alone or scrapping
Originally Posted By billy pilgrim fast pass is great if you are from 1500 miles away, come to disney once every two years and want to make the most of it. fast pass is not good if you live in the orlando area and buy a season pass and come to disney every week. disney should decide which people it markets to, vacationers or locals
Originally Posted By danyoung I don't think some of your suggestions are very practical, such as keeping the lines completely apart. I do like keeping to the time on the ticket, with the addition of a validation when coming out of a restaurant (perhaps a reasonable amount like an hour after your end time could be allowed). And it really ticks me off when people jump on the thread to tell you not to post. It's a subject that's important to you (and others), so post away. Those who don't want to contribute need to just bite their lip and chill. It's not like 50% of the threads around here are about this subject. Let people post what they want, and if there's no interest it'll die all on its own.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Exactly, Danny, you don't see me wasting my time discussing FastPass do you? I'm just sitting here chilling and biting my lip ... or someone else's ...
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I think Roger Rabbit (in DL) is a perfect example of how the lines should work. The standby line is very elaborate and tells a huge part of the story. Near the loading area, it goes into switchbacks in a fairly unthemed room (other than some lisence plates on the walls and the cars being loaded). This is where the FP's meet up with the rest of the ride. The people in the majority of the standby line have no idea that there is a FP line, and are entertained by the line as they wait. Once the FP's join up, there is not a very long wait, as it is essentially at the boarding platform to begin with. Also, it does not restrict the number of people that can be in the line from how it was originally designed. Splash Mountain, for example, has two queues that were inteded to be used at the same time, increasing the number of people waiting in the line. Since one of them has to be available for FP access, this reduces the number of people that can be in the line before going to the overflow queue space. The Roger Rabbit line originally had stand by guests waiting outside in an overfow type set-up, to run them through the highly themed queue so the FP wait wouldn't be long, as the FP's entered at the main entrance as well. After slight modification, the FP's go straight after entering, and the standby's go to the right, into the themed queue, to meet up with FP's later.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> I think Roger Rabbit (in DL) is a perfect example of how the lines should work. << So it can be done.
Originally Posted By danyoung Well, sure it can be done with new designs. How do you do it with Space Mountain? With Star Tours? With Pirates? It ain't easy.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> Well, sure it can be done with new designs. << I realize that retrofit for existing attractions can't work as well. Heck, look at Haunted Mansion at MK. The exit doesn't empty into a merchandise shop. Wasn't designed that way. And adding one would be very difficult now. Here's a question -- Was even DL's Roger Rabbit queue designed with FP in mind? Or was it a lucky accident? I'm thinking Roger Rabbit came into existence before FP popped up.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy FerretAfros -- How would you rate Expedition Everest's Standby and FP configuration, compared to DL's Roger Rabbit? EE is brand new. FP has been around for a long time now. Is EE a good configuration compared to what we have to put up with in the legacy attractions?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Roger Rabbit was open long before FP came about. However, when it first got FP, the system was terrible. The standby queue was pushed out of the building, into switchbacks under the sun. Then the merge point was where the queue led into the building, and people were then rushed through the themed queue. It took several years of this configuration, before they took out part of a wall where the queue enters the building to let the FP crowd go right to the boarding area, and let the standby group into the queue where they should have been. I haven't been to WDW since Everest opened, but from what I know about the set up, it seems to work well. I'm not sure how they could build a FP line that is hidden in Space Mountain, since the boarding platform is so far from the entrance, but at the Haunted Mansion (assuming it is still there, I don't really remember it), they could route the FP returns toward the exit, and then turn and go along the front of the hill with the Mansion on it. Although it is not completely hidden from view, it eliminates a good portion of the lines runing parallel, with one moving faster than the other. Although it doesn't solve the problem, it doesn't make it seem as bad.
