Originally Posted By liveforvacations I think markcanada makes some very good points. I do think that it is reasonable that they accept Fastpasses a little past their return time-maybe a half hour or even 1 hour as it is true that you cannot always time everything perfectly. I just don't understand why they accept a fastpass that expired at 1:00 pm at 11:00 pm at night? I think that by accepted fastpasses so far after their expiry creates an inequity. However, it is obviously not a problem so that is why they allow it. If everyone started collecting fastpasses all day and then using them at night, I think that they would discontinue the practice.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I agree. Kind of like when the abuse of SAP's became so blatant (being used by people who clearly weren't handicapped, plus their friends). When the abuse got too high, they had to change the system. My guess is that if abuse of FP in the form of too many people using them many hours past their window becomes rampant, and thus you have (just throwing numbers out here) 1,000 people showing up at Space at 10:30 PM instead of the 100 that were supposed to show up at that time, that they might start cracking down and enforcing the one-hour window. Or cutting slack for those only a little late (say, less than an hour after the window) but enforcing it for someone showing up many hours later. The "unofficial" slack-cutting makes some sense, as you could always say "Indy broke down and I was in line much longer than I should have been..." and the poor cm at Space doesn't know if that's true or not. But if someone with a Space FP for 1:00 comes back at 10:30, the cm could easily say "were you in line for 9 1/2 hours?"
Originally Posted By 8 ilovemickey 8 I think people dislike fastpasses simply because they don't know how to use them to their advantage. We are avid users of fastpasses and never has it once affected what we wanted to do or when we wanted to do it nor is it a big deal to collect them. I also don't think it is a huge problem if you use them after the window time. It seems like the cast members have it down to a science because whenever you enter the stand by line the wait time listed is very accurate even when there is an influx of fastpassers. Also, they only let so many fastpass people in at a time. And they make sure to allow the appropriate amount of stand by-ers in. It's simply if you don't like fastpasses don't use them but I think everyone realizes that is a pretty silly idea.
Originally Posted By danyoung >...and thus you have (just throwing numbers out here) 1,000 people showing up at Space at 10:30 PM instead of the 100 that were supposed to show up at that time...< Just a thought, but I wonder if the number of people who use their FP past the printed time is offset by the number of people who get a FP but then DON'T use it at all. Hmmmmm. >I think people dislike fastpasses simply because they don't know how to use them to their advantage.< While that may be true for some, most people who post online about their dislike really do understand the system, but the flaws outweigh the advantages for them.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice ^^I have FPs for Autopia and HMH from a couple of years ago - in my wallet. *L*
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Mine are on my desk!! Now if I don't use them I try and give them away on my way out of the park - usually to someone just coming in by security!
Originally Posted By barboy I find FP and hand stamping for park exiting and re-entry indispensable. FP lets me time my high perfectly. Since I load up outside the parks and completely off property(out of consideration for other guests)FP allows me to perfectly time my arrival in front of Indiana Jones, Pirates or Space Mnt.. You see it takes a good 20 minute walk "door to door" so I can't be bogged down in some standby for 50 minutes letting my high waste away. Long live FP!
Originally Posted By Spokker "I find FP and hand stamping for park exiting and re-entry indispensable. FP lets me time my high perfectly." Haha well, that's a new take on Fastpass if I ever saw one.
Originally Posted By grammy954 We love FP and use it on every visit. The only thing I would change is that maybe I would have one location in each land where you could get FP for any ride - DL or DCA, rather than having to go to the ride to get them.
Originally Posted By StitchDude If they put all the fastpass dispensers in one place, I think this would only confuse people even more and give the impression you can get more than one at a time. Imagine if a person walked up t the "FastPass Distribution Center" and they really wanted to go on SM. But, the first Fp machine they see at the distribution Center is for Roger Rabbit. They move down the line and go to the SM machine only to then read the ticket, read the park map, or ask a CM how the FP works. If so many people on here think there is a problem with FP now, the problem would be even worse if they were all in one place. When FP first started at DL, I was skeptical. I did not think they would work and swore I would not use them. Well, I gave in and I am glad I did. I think FP is great. If people do not know how to use them, it is their own fault. For the people who don't like to use them, stop complaining about it and don't use them. Just go to the stand-by line.
Originally Posted By barboy "Imagine if a person walked up to the "FastPass Distribution Center" and they really wanted to go on SM. But, the first Fp machine they see at the distribution Center is for Roger Rabbit." No, that is not how a centralized and all inclusive FP station should work. Think multiple identical kiosks/machines each loaded with all of the FP attractions(like a typical vending machine full of different treats and snacks).
Originally Posted By FerretAfros That's how it worked at Islands of Adventure the last time I was there (while it was still free), and they had a central area for each land, and you could get a pass for any attraction (yup, all of 'em) in the land at that machine. The one big problem was that they were touch screens that didn't have much of a response, so several people in our group ended up with passes for the wrong attraction, or at machines that just scanned the ticket and didn't give a pass back (like what occasionally happens with FP). This made it really tough to get on the ride that the majority of the group had passes to. It also let you choose your time from 3 different 1-hour blocks, which further complicated the process. The machines scanned the barcodes similar to a grocery store scanner, and were tough to get to pick up the ticket. The attendants weren't helpful at all, and the whole thing just seemed very poorly thought out to me. It was also a very slow line, since people didn't know how to use the machines and there were too many choices. What I really like about FP is that it's basically idiot-proof. You stick your ticket in, and it spits out your FP if that doesn't work, try turning your ticket over and putting it in again. There aren't any choices, so it can be done very quickly. The multi-option version took a long time and just generally didn't work.
Originally Posted By barboy Better yet---- based on anticipated attendance each guest is granted say 2 FP choices for the day. The guest inserts his passport/ticket into one of the centralized "vending machines" and chooses 2 of the same attractions or 2 different ones. Each item(attraction) in the "vending machine" is automatically updated with each "purchase" and shows return times and availabilty.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains I vote leave it alone... It is working for the majority - For many they don't run all over collecting the FP's they get one when they are there because the line is too long. Many times I choose the FP if the SB is 45min or longer. If it's less I just get in the line.
Originally Posted By barboy "The multi-option version took a long time". Which is a huge drawback---- but I am convinced the idea for a multi FP loaded machine is potentially sound. Disney needs to make it idiot proof by depicting ride emblems and their written title. Touch screens are troublesome so there should be 3-d buttons directly correlated to say a prominent picture of Roger Rabbit and the words below it "Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin". The more visuals and tangible buttons available the more simple the experience will be.
Originally Posted By StitchDude I still am not convinced that this idea will work any better than what is there now. If I want to go on Indiana Jones, I walk over there, I see the wait sign that says 120 Min. Now I have to go back to the ticket distribution center, wait in that line, and then get my fast pass. This seems like Much more work than how it is now. Also, not all attraction offer FP year round. So I go into the FastPass distribution center, Wait in line, then I find out Autopia is not offering fastpasses today. Again, this seems like a bad idea. I still say the FP system works great they way it is now.
Originally Posted By danyoung Stitch, I had the same thought. You don't even know if you need a FP until you get to the attraction and find out how long the queue is. FP works great as a point of sale feature, not as yet another side trip you need to make to get your ticket.
Originally Posted By barboy "You don't even know if you need a FP until you get to the attraction and find out how long the queue is.' Well Disney has installed "wait boards" in their parks letting guests know approx. stanby times or if the attraction is temporarily down. But I do see you and Stitch's point that FP really isn't broken and that it works, for the most part, just fine.
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf I love FastPass - anything that allows me to play upon the ignorance of others makes me smile. Next time you flash your golden ticket look at the confused expressions of some of the salt-of-the-earth folks in the stand-by line. It's one of those magic moments that make you feel you are in the happiest place on earth.
