State of Fast Pass Return (or replacement)

[Jonfw2]

Yesterday: very low ticket prices but you have to pay for the rides.

Today: very high ticket prices but the rides are free.

Tomorrow: very high ticket prices AND you have to pay for the rides.

 

[Karin1984]

Honestly, while steep, I am not sure it is that it that much more expensive than market prices (especially if everyone staying onsite get 1 to 2 for free.) It is just more in your face because you are buying them one at a time. I can see where a package makes this appear better. For example, you get 1 free for staying at a value resort and then for $30, you can purchase a set of 3 additional fast passes for the day. You bake in the $30 onto the ticket cost since you know you want the fast pass and then once you burn through your 4, you are out for the day unless you are desperate for another.

The big loser in this system are those who have mastered the fastpass system and get 8, 10, 12 in a single day by constantly banging on their phone as fast as they can. That will become cost prohibitive, and honestly I suspect this group will lose in any version of a paid system.

As Disneyland Paris only had 8 FP rides I think the group of 8-12 FP per day was very very small.

 

[DavidNYC]

Any version remotely like Paris at WDW would basically make me give up on them. It's frankly disgusting. The prices already pretty much price out a large portion of the population for anything but a rare trip they have to save years for and adding a per ride charge on top of that? It's really sad what they've done to these parks with the money grubbing and ensuring that the experience just keeps getting worse and worse for those not willing to be extorted once they're already there. So now you'll have to budget how many rides you can afford on top of admission - really makes me sick. At some point you have to look at what your values are a business and Disney didn't use to be 100% about money - the experience for everyone was what was important to them. I truly think that any of the Disneys would never have let this happen.

 

[tylerchange]

I can tell you right now, if this came to WDW, some people would stop going entirely. It’s just sucking the magic out of Disney. You shouldn’t have to pay for every little thing that Disney has to offer.

 

[DavidNYC]

I think I like it. We'd have to see in practice, but what's the big complaint with Rise of the Resistance virtual queue? That all the passes for the day are gone within moments. This SEEMS like it would be an antidote for that.

Well the antidote for everything at Disney shouldn't always be take it away from those that aren't rich . . .

 

[Jonfw2]

There's a point here where Disney could really bite themselves in the Mouse's hindquarters:

Ten "premier passes" a day would be around $100 a person. VIP Concierge tours are around $700 AN HOUR. So let's say you have a group of 5...that's $500 for a whole day versus several thousand? Shoot, even the group VIP tours don't make sense at that point.

I don't care how rich you are, the math is a bit shaky there.

 

[cakebaker]

I can tell you right now, if this came to WDW, some people would stop going entirely. It’s just sucking the magic out of Disney. You shouldn’t have to pay for every little thing that Disney has to offer.

This has been said every time Disney ever made any changes. Whatever version WDW world comes up with, enough people will be willing to take it that those who drop off won't matter.

But yes, you should have to pay for everything Disney offers, we always have one way or the other. They don't give it away for free. This is just more in your face.

I don't think I like the DLP version, but I don't expect WDW's to be a carbon copy. There are things they can do that will make a paid system perfectly acceptable to me and many others.

 

[ChipnDale79]

I can tell you right now, if this came to WDW, some people would stop going entirely. It’s just sucking the magic out of Disney. You shouldn’t have to pay for every little thing that Disney has to offer.

i usually come back from Disney on a high and cant wait to go back. It's not like that for me anymore.

All i see is dollar signs now.

 

[tigger2002]

Well the antidote for everything at Disney shouldn't always be take it away from those that aren't rich . . .

Steal from the rich and give to the filthy rich.

 

[Jonfw2]

This has been said every time Disney ever made any changes. Whatever version WDW world comes up with, enough people will be willing to take it that those who drop off won't matter.

But yes, you should have to pay for everything Disney offers. They don't give it away for free.

I don't think I like the DLP version, but I don't expect WDW's to be a carbon copy. There are things they can do that will make a paid system perfectly acceptable to me and many others.

Look, it was bound to happen. Disney's two biggest competitors are Universal and Cedar Fair and they've both had a paid access program for years now. It just is what it is. But like I said, they aren't just competition against their business contemporaries here- they're competing against their own VIP programs.

 

[cakebaker]

There's a point here where Disney could really bite themselves in the Mouse's hindquarters:

Ten "premier passes" a day would be around $100 a person. VIP Concierge tours are around $700 AN HOUR. So let's say you have a group of 5...that's $500 for a whole day versus several thousand? Shoot, even the group VIP tours don't make sense at that point.

I don't care how rich you are, the math is a bit shaky there.

They'd undoubtedly beef up the perks of the VIP tours. They aren't leaving that money on the table.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

There's a point here where Disney could really bite themselves in the Mouse's hindquarters:

Ten "premier passes" a day would be around $100 a person. VIP Concierge tours are around $700 AN HOUR. So let's say you have a group of 5...that's $500 for a whole day versus several thousand? Shoot, even the group VIP tours don't make sense at that point.

I don't care how rich you are, the math is a bit shaky there.

This is one of the reasons that many feel WDW won’t adopt the same DPA system as Shanghai and DLP or the MaxPass system in California. It is a much more complex beast and the nuance needed to find that balance between onsite/loyal guest satisfaction and profit from add on is a bit trickier. I think the After Hours Boo Bash is an interesting test case. I saw lots of chatter about how the prices were outrageous, yet it hasn’t stopped a lot of dates from selling out. MagicBands have given them years of guest behavioural research. They know how to play with price elasticity expertly and will strike that balance between “wow that’s pricey….but x number of guests will gladly pay it” and “goodbye disney, you no longer get my money.” They have rarely “snapped” the price elastic with their add ons. Expensive? Yes. Eye-wateringly expensive? Sometimes. So expensive you lose guests? Rarely.

 

[Aprilshack]

Considering a holiday should be fun and stress free, trying to grab and pay for fp's and sticking your head in your phone for most of the day does not sound fun.

 

[Jonfw2]

They'd undoubtedly beef up the perks of the VIP tours. They aren't leaving that money on the table.

Well, the group tours already have free food...and the transportation is included...what else could they offer?

 

[Mac30188]

As Disneyland Paris only had 8 FP rides I think the group of 8-12 FP per day was very very small.

Sorry, I was thinking if this came to WDW.

 

[zuzustargal]

I'm fine with paying on "splurge" days for a set of rides and other days we do the "lame" rides in the standby line. But I curious how this would work at WDW. I presume there is a limit to how many DPA passes they can give out. You can't purchase until you are in the park. Does this mean everyone with enter the park and immediately jump on their phones to purchase? Will there be rides that "sell out" so you are stuck with the standby line? I presume people will still run for the good rides (ie. FoP) just in case the passes are gone within a few minutes? I apologize if these are stupid questions...I'm just trying to grasp what a rope drop might look like at a WDW park.

 

[Jonfw2]

I'm fine with paying on "splurge" days for a set of rides and other days we do the "lame" rides in the standby line. But I curious how this would work at WDW. I presume there is a limit to how many DPA passes they can give out. You can't purchase until you are in the park. Does this mean everyone with enter the park and immediately jump on their phones to purchase? Will there be rides that "sell out" so you are stuck with the standby line? I presume people will still run for the good rides (ie. FoP) just in case the passes are gone within a few minutes? I apologize if these are stupid questions...I'm just trying to grasp what a rope drop might look like at a WDW park.

There's no way in heck that could work at WDW. They would absolutely have to do it in advance, like Fastpass. You buy your daily "premier passes" when you book and then reserve them 60 days out...just to prevent exactly what you said.

 

[cakebaker]

Well, the group tours already have free food...and the transportation is included...what else could they offer?

I was thinking of the private tours. They don't include food, but could I suppose. They also put you in the FP line, they could easily put you right at the front of the line, include a free meal off the clock, give you a handful of free passes for after the tour- who knows. Honestly, I've looked at booking them, but just couldn't justify the cost for what we got and doubt I ever would. But there are plenty of people who want that feel of being a VIP- even if they really aren't.

And besides, with the money they rake in on a paid system, they're probably happy to take a hit of the VIP tours.

 

[Belleandtinker]

We are going at the end of the month and in March. If we don't leave with the magical feeling, then we will evaluate our March trip. I want the magic and fun.

 

[Garyjames220]

I can tell you right now, if this came to WDW, some people would stop going entirely. It’s just sucking the magic out of Disney. You shouldn’t have to pay for every little thing that Disney has to offer.

we expecting any big news today or this week