Originally Posted By deadmentellnotales Is it just me or does the whole fastpass system seem like its just not to practical, i've used the system many many times over the years and I never seem to get more than 3 or 4 fast passes for the day, many times the most popular attractions are out of passes by 11:30 - 12. I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be easier to set up a system that produces a set schedule similar to ridemax that sets you up for rides for the day until about 6 - 7p.m. at which point you really don’t need the system since most people will either be ready to take their kids back to the hotel, watching the parade or getting dinner. With a system like this you could enter your ticket into the machine and type in your parameters, i.e., amount of people in party favored rides, ages, ect. and the system could spit out a itinerary for the day or even for your entire stay. In this way you could be guaranteed a set amount of rides and in theory the park could control the wait time more accurately. I’m sure that many people wouldn’t use the system thinking that they would rather ride attractions at their whim and this would still be factored in, while many more would use the system and wait in other lines until their tickets time comes available. Basically the same thing that happens now with fastpass, the real difference being that when you pay the high price for admission you’d know for sure a bare minimum of rides would be guaranteed for the day, in this way giving the price of admission more value. I could be wrong but I think that this type of system would work a lot more the current fast pass system. Please let me know what you think…
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I'm not too keen on that idea because people change their minds a lot. Maybe I want to go back to my resort because I'm tired so I skip a ride or two on my itinerary. So, I have taken up at least fastpass for each member of my party that isn't going to ride. There are a lot of variables there. We got to shopping, eating, decided to watch a parade, etc. I think there is room for improvement so I like the creative thinking though.
Originally Posted By deadmentellnotales I've taken that into consideration, it's my idea that the system that provides the schedule not simply dispense out a schedule like the fastpass system does but is interactive to the guest, what do i mean? well the system could be a touch screen that allows time for shopping and eating options, the tickets and schedule would be dispensed out after your approval, then if you were to not use the tickets you could turn them into the system later for other tickets, in this way the lines could be better controlled and the system would know what tickets weren't being used at what times, and as a result could be changed to reflect the patterns of the people using it. The best reson for my system would be that it's not a static ticket output system like fastpass but one geared to giving out a schedule to people who want to use it. Think about it this way, my system is already being used everyday at disneyland, except it's not done by computers, rather it's done by people who spend half their day running around to the fastpass machines collecting the passes to either park for their parties, in my system it's still done but at one location at the beggining of the day, in this way creating a more manageable rides experiance both for the people using the system and for those who aren't.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper It is a thought...but as a father I know the adage..."the best laid plans..." and I can just envision having this nice, neat, Griswold schedule that goes up in flames after hour #2. Now, people who were perhaps closed out of a ride because the time was taken up by my family could have, in fact, ridden.
Originally Posted By deadmentellnotales which is why if you cannot ride you merely turn your tickets in at a well provided ticket station, or if you can't the system adjust accordingly allowing more regular non schedule people onto the ride. however i do like the griswald illustration it's makes me smile with thoughts of wallyworld
Originally Posted By RAM1984 I love the current FP system. It took some practice but we have learned to use it very effectively. Having a set schedule to ride would be too much like a day at work than a day of fun and magic to me. Please keep in mind that this is just my experience and my opinion.
Originally Posted By deadmentellnotales under the current fast pass system you still have a shedule the only difference between that system and mine would be that you choose the ride at the start of the day and the time s that work out best for you granted the some rides might not work out but that true of fastpass also, either way your still conforming to a schedule, your fast pass dictates when you must use it to some extent. at least that my take on the situation, and i do agree with you i too don't really like to conform to a chedule at a amusement park, which is ironic since i'm the one advocating a rife plan. I just think that it would allow people to ride more rides at set times and do shopping and parade watching at other times allowing more content for the price, which is steep if you don't have an AP (which I do)
Originally Posted By RAM1984 Yeah, I'm an AP too and sometimes forget that there are people who are trying to get the most for their money in 2 or 3 days. Most of our trips are during the off season when FP's are only necessary on the most popular rides. I would probably want a schedule if I had limited visits. Still I really like the FP system as apposed to how it was before they had it. I also think it is far superior to 6Flags where you have to buy them.(YUCK) I also like the single rider lines as I sometimes go alone and feel this system is not only good for the rider but it keeps one person from slowing down the rest of the line. I would like to see that on more rides. It worked well when I used to go to DL with my teenage son. He certainly didn't care if we got seated together or not.
Originally Posted By sjdimon Well - this summer we booked thru AAA Travel for one of their perks - "Unlimited" Fast Pass (It's not really unlimited in the sense that you can have one FP for Each of the FP Attractions (until the "Window" opens again - then you can get another)). So "Daddy's" job was always to run around the park first thing and collect ALL the FP's (starting with Autopia, Space, Buzz, Indiana Jones, Splash, Big Thunder and Roger Rabbit). Usually by the time I got back - we could use either Buzz or Autopia, then make our way around the park. We'd always "replace" the FP once we had used it - and since we knew that they could be used *after* the expiration time - we didn't worry about coming back later if we weren't in the area during our one hour window. With 5 of us having the special Passes - we got a LOT of FP's during our stay!
Originally Posted By monorailblue sjdimon: You have "explained" precisely why FastPass is bad, bad, bad. Oh. In my opinion. ;o)
Originally Posted By Loreigh I agree that the FastPass isnt perfect but all it takes is a little planning and a good idea of the layout of Disneyland and you can make the FastPasses work for you perfectly. I love them.... A large reason for that could be that i remember the days of Disneyland where there were no FastPasses... what we have now is an improvement from then so who knows, Disneyland is always changing and something new could pop up
Originally Posted By Elastigirl-3 Fastpasses are an improvement over having nothing, but I like the different idea of pre-setup. My stipulation would be that people wouldn't have to be there at the exact time, but you could go after your window, just like with current fastpasses. That way, if plans change it's no different than currently if you have a fastpass and change plans. My complaint about fastpasses is that unless you're on the fabulous AAA system, you have to plan so carefully to organize when and where you'll be to get the fastpasses since you get one and then you're stuck for a few hours before getting another. Decisions about which ride to fastpass since you can only get a few fastpasses are painstaking. Then there's the time it takes to be at an attraction to get the fastpasses, then you have to leave and come back for the ride, so it's a pain to have to go to an attraction twice on the fastpass system. I like the idea of a central location, setting up your passes for the day, then exploring the park the way you want to without jogging back and forth and arguing about priorities all day. It would make my family's visit more enjoyable, for sure!
Originally Posted By fidoprincess I wish there was a "Fast Pass Trading Station" right at the central hub. We try to get the Fass passes whenever we can,( ie. near something that has them and the 2 hours are up) so we end up collecting a lot of them throughout the day. Then, inevitably we end up on one side of the park doing something else while our fast passes on the other side of the park goes unused. When we leave the park, we always give them to another family but it sure would be nice if there was a central trading station near the hub that we could trade our autopia fastpass for btm. When we got the autopia fastpasses, we really wanted to ride it again but now the kids are on the other side and want something else-lol. Since our kids are little, we almost never get to use them all before they are so tired we have to leave. Sometime we still have DCA fastpasses and never go back that day so they too are wasted. How cool would it be to trade them for what you want to do right now instead of trying to guess and plan what you might want to do in say 2-4 hours! You could trade "like for like" tickets too and each FP would have a set value. Big rides like Splash and Space would go 1 for 1 and other FP one for one or maybe 3 lesser rides fast passes for a big one. If I worked at Disney, I'd set that up for sure but then it would be difficult to admit that the 2 hour window is meaningless. We collect throughout the day and then use them much later than the 2 hours window. I heard that one Space CM turned someone away for being late, but we all know that can't be "the" policy or fastpass would be worthless. They would have to make the time window larger, say 3 hours or more, it they were going to stick to that. Too many times we waited in a line that stated 45 min and then there was trouble and the wait time turned into 60 or even 90 minutes! Until they can control that, they can't really stick to the 2 hour window.
Originally Posted By MrToadWildRider ^^ I'm sorry but I don't like the trading idea. Then you end up with Wall Street in the hub with people running around collecting FPs and then trying to trade them. If you don't want to ride the ride don't take the FP, in your system someone who has no intention at all of ridding Splash may go and get 4 of them and start auctioning them off for 20 of whatever ride he/she wants. As for the OP I think your system is way too complex and inflexible. You mentioned "Windows" but again that's messed up - that's like just adding to the problem FP causes where people in standby have to wait in longer lines - by having the small window on the FPs they can manage that better but now you're giving people the option of going to their ride within what? 2 hour windows? Maybe more? Just in case you want to go shopping or whatever...You'd actually be limiting the amount of people who could use the system too with bigger windows...they have set times on FP to also make sure that the FP line doesn't get too long so if you start widening windows you'll hve to reduce amount given out. Furthermore what happens when all the families want to ride Splash and Big Thunder first thing? Will the system just tell them no and give them another time option? It just seems overly complicated and worsens the problems associated with FP; those being there are too few, they are only for the early risers (I don't see that as a problem as anyone can get up early..but even now you have a chance at getting a couple FPs if you'renot there at opening..with this system the day would be booked solid), and that they increase standby line length. The FP system isn't perfect but it works if you understand it.
Originally Posted By sjdimon OK - in 'self-defense' I am only going along with the system. Since Disney has decided to put in the FP system - then as an informed consumer - I am going to use it to my full advantage. Do I like FP - well, not really - I think it concentrates too many people on a few attractions - and some that should have it don't. So - actually - I don't "like" the system - however, since that's the way it is - I will use it to it's fullest. That's, of course, all IMO.
Originally Posted By basas <<Since Disney has decided to put in the FP system - then as an informed consumer - I am going to use it to my full advantage>> It's nearly required to use it to its fullest just to avoid all the problems it has created (mainly, inflated standby lines that move at a rate slower than Ariel's Grotto line (MK))
Originally Posted By deadmentellnotales let me clarify my idea a little more, there's a program by a third party company called ridemax, and while i've not had use of the system by all accounts it's viable but could use some tweaking, muy suggestion as originally posted is simple, using something very similiar to ridemax your given a set of fastpasses for the day only after you've entered the user information into a touch screen interface, if you cannot use your fasspasses you can redeem them via the computer by turning them in the system will adjust for the amount of people allowed on the ride per hour and reimburse the persons if there are no more fastpasses available it spits out the passes for reuse. While most people like the fast pass i think everyone will agree it does have it's setbacks., i.e., having to run around all day what im proposing is a system that integrates the best ideas of fastpass and ridemax, perhaps the system could suggest rides that while not on fastpass are nearby fastpass attractions and would have shorter ride times for that time of day...
