Fast Pass

[emilymad]

So my recent trip (end of April) had me really missing FP+, and we are not people who usually get more than 4 FP+ a day (although we try!). Refresh and I have not been friends! Anyways, the main reason I missed it this last trip was because I found having FP+ really helps us slow down and not have to rush so much and really gives us a chance to enjoy the little things around the parks.

When we had FP+, we could stroll into the park at opening, taking pictures around the park with hardly anyone in them (and before our hair got frizzy ), enjoy the atmosphere, and not have to worry about rushing to the headliners since we had FP+ for them later. Even with our leisurely entry, we would still be able to ride a handful of rides with no waits before our first FP+ kicked in that we typically scheduled for about an hour after park opening. There was one year we were able to get on Splash 4 times in the first hour with no wait, it was awesome! Being able to have a relaxing morning exploring the park AND get on all the rides we wanted was amazing. This was, by far, the thing I missed the most this past trip without having FP+.

In April, every morning was spent running around the park to try to beat the crowds to each ride, and rides that I had come to expect to be walk-on at park opening during the days of FP+ already had waits (albeit not horrible waits, but walk-on is still better than 15-20 minutes!). After the first hour or so the lines built to longer waits than I ever saw when FP+ was around in the morning. The parks really seemed be more crowded earlier in the day than I have seen in past years. My theory is that more people are trying to get there at park opening now without FP+ to avoid long lines. Plus when FP+ was around, people would schedule theirs for later in the day and wouldn’t get to the park until later around when they kicked in which helped distribute the crowds better throughout the day. Just a theory, but makes sense to me!

I felt the exact same way when we went in February. It was such a race (sometimes almost literally) in the first two hours there was no time to even stop and get something to drink. It was go, go, go until 2 hours after park opening when the lines where over an hour+. It really made the experience not enjoyable.

We have a tradition at MK of getting breakfast and Starbucks and then sitting outside by the Plaza. We like to people watch all the people coming into the park for the day before we would get started on our touring. Such a tradition is in no way possible in the current environment.

If FP+ doesn't come back in some form I am not sure if we will continue visiting with the same frequency.

 

[disneyobessed]

Has anyone heard if Disney will be bringing back Fastpasses anytime soon?? With increased capacity I cant see how they cant? People waiting in line instead of spending money at gift shops/food must be some incentive???

 

[ekendall2]

Has anyone heard if Disney will be bringing back Fastpasses anytime soon?? With increased capacity I cant see how they cant? People waiting in line instead of spending money at gift shops/food must be some incentive???

No

Nobody knows. If anyone really knows, they are sworn to secrecy.

 

[jen7233]

No, but have briefly wondered about what capacity level will be through summer and if the fastpasses will come back or something new introduced.

 

[disneyobessed]

I feel like if Univeral brings back their fast pass policy Disney will soon follow. Kinda like the no mask policy.

 

[SarahC97]

According to some things I've read, FPP lowers the overall capacity of the park, which normally isn't a big deal since they rarely reach 100% attendance. Right now, obviously, it's an issue with attendance caps. They want you to be in line and only be in line, not be in a virtual queue and then also someplace else. It also takes more staffing to run rides with FPP, which is another no for Disney right now. The FPP system will likely return once physical distancing is eliminated entirely or significantly relaxed to the point that Walt Disney World is not regularly hitting its capacity limits.

 

[gatorlisa]

I feel like if Univeral brings back their fast pass policy Disney will soon follow. Kinda like the no mask policy.

Universal does not have a free fast pass. They have Express Pass, which is paid, or included if you stay at one of the deluxe resorts. It is in use and has been since they reopened last summer.

 

[rwdavis2]

According to some things I've read, FPP lowers the overall capacity of the park, which normally isn't a big deal since they rarely reach 100% attendance. Right now, obviously, it's an issue with attendance caps. They want you to be in line and only be in line, not be in a virtual queue and then also someplace else. It also takes more staffing to run rides with FPP, which is another no for Disney right now. The FPP system will likely return once physical distancing is eliminated entirely or significantly relaxed to the point that Walt Disney World is not regularly hitting its capacity limits.

I would have thought WDW likes the virtual queue since you can be shopping instead of standing in line.

 

[SarahC97]

I would have thought WDW likes the virtual queue since you can be shopping instead of standing in line.

Normally, absolutely. But the problem right now is the capacity limits. From my understanding, it's just not tenable with current caps to have people effectively be two places at once.

 

[nlenguyen]

I just want to have fast passes back. We are getting to a point where capacity is going back to normal so they need a way to get more people in the lines

 

[jvncnt]

Agree completely!

 

[gharter]

I suspect as capacity rises this summer as was announced, FPs will come back in some form. No idea if they will be the same or if they will be different again. They certainly have had enough time to create any changes in the system that they desire.

 

[FCDub]

Same discussion happening here https://www.disboards.com/threads/fast-pass.3837278/

 

[PrestonatorSR]

Yeah, we are slated to go in mid July. Increasing crowds + No Fastpasses = Ugly Scenario. I think we are on the verge of pulling the plug on our plans...

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Yeah, we are slated to go in mid July. Increasing crowds + No Fastpasses = Ugly Scenario. I think we are on the verge of pulling the plug on our plans...

I’m supposed to go July 9th. If I didn’t have so much non refundable tied up already I’d have already pulled the plug.

 

[wfjny]

I’m supposed to go July 9th. If I didn’t have so much non refundable tied up already I’d have already pulled the plug.

I just responded about this in another thread. To share:

We have been there 5 times since they reopened. Mostly long weekend type of trips. One week long trip.

I thought not having FP would be terrible. I was wrong. Our first two trips, lines basically did not exist. Lost some magic there, hardly any kids, no pre-shows, etc. But hey, learning to live in a pandemic.

I though not being able to park hop would be a killer. Our standard day was to go to a park early, leave by noonish, lunch, hotel, pool, shower, whatever, then hit another park in the evening. With the parks each open on 8 hours, we adapted, and went back to the same park a few hours later.

The lines with no FP seemed to move much quicker. I also agree with what others have said, most wait times listed were higher than the actual. But there were a few times the opposite was true. Waited 45 minutes for BTMR when it only showed 15 minutes.

I think with the relaxation of social distancing, and the increasing of capacity on the rides to 100%, things will be better. The lack of shows and basically “other things for people to do” will continue to have a negative effect on the ride lines until they return.

But as others have said, the inability to schedule everything was actually kinda nice. We did the park a bit more like it was designed, instead of zig-zagging from ride to ride. It was nice to slow things down a bit.

I realize a little different for us. We have been there so many times (DVC, AP, and just an 8 hour drive away), I am not concerned if I cannot get on a ride like Rise of the Resistance this time. I am not going to wait two hours to do a ride that we have done many times before. In that way we have been very blessed.

But I would say go for it...

We will be back June 1st...

 

[PrestonatorSR]

I think some of the glowing commentary that "No FP actually turned out to be a better experience" may not hold up once we move into July with more people in the parks (and still less to do.) FP is a huge planning advantage that I hate to be without.

 

[petrola]

I just responded about this in another thread. To share:

We have been there 5 times since they reopened. Mostly long weekend type of trips. One week long trip.

I thought not having FP would be terrible. I was wrong. Our first two trips, lines basically did not exist. Lost some magic there, hardly any kids, no pre-shows, etc. But hey, learning to live in a pandemic.

We will be back June 1st...

please keep us posted! I think it's going to be vastly different this summer when kids are out of school as compared to the months (or past year) prior. Would love to know! thank you...

 

[wfjny]

please keep us posted! I think it's going to be vastly different this summer when kids are out of school as compared to the months (or past year) prior. Would love to know! thank you...

Will do.

Our plan for this trip is to do what we have always done. Hit one park in the morning, skip out about lunch time, cool off, and hit another one in the late afternoon or evening. We tend to do one meal in the parks, either lunch or dinner, but there are days we do none.

It should be interesting. Memorial day is that Monday, and we arrive that Tuesday. Very curious to see what the crowds are like. At least we have the relaxed mask policy, When we went last July, walking around Animal Kingdom with a mask was just awful. Keeping my fingers crossed...

 

[disneyobessed]

I really think crowds are going to increase now that the mask policy has changed. Wearing them outside was unbearable to think about but now that it is lifted I am guessing it may change a lot of peoples minds about going. = NEED OF FASTPASSES lol