This change will not effect me at all, I'm the dummy that didn't know I could have used it past the return time. LOL I have some fast passes that are in my scrapbook for that very reason.
This change will not effect me at all, I'm the dummy that didn't know I could have used it past the return time. LOL I have some fast passes that are in my scrapbook for that very reason.
Planning WDW Dec 2014 WDW2008 off-site,WDW2010 Polynesian,
WDW Polynesian Dec 15-21 2011
All it takes is one time for people to learn about FP, and one time to learn that they need to look at the posted time. Not really a huge learning curve.Originally Posted by currence
The problem with this is that there is no way their policy would remain a secret. Everyone would soon know that they have a 5 or 10 minute leeway or whatever, and then just want a couple more minutes after that. As someone else said, where do you draw the line?But I would rather Disney have a policy that returning xx minutes after the end time is acceptable is better than having people fight with the CM for a specific exception because otherwise their entire trip will be ruined.
Dan
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
- James Taylor
Which is why they currently aren't enforced.The problem with this is that there is no way their policy would remain a secret. Everyone would soon know that they have a 5 or 10 minute leeway or whatever, and then just want a couple more minutes after that. As someone else said, where do you draw the line?
It's too bad that you can't choose your time window. If it was a touch screen with multiple choices for returning, you could pick what time would suit you best. Granted some of the slots would go faster then others, however it would be easier for enforcement. "I'm sorry sir this is the time slot you selected." Of course then it would start to be like dining reservations and we'd all be giving ourselves extra time to get to the ride.
_____________
Jenni
And how is the CM supposed to determine a "basic" fastpass user from an "advanced" fastpass user? I think a grace period is a bad idea, and a "secret" one is an even worse idea. If they're going to enforce the return time, they should enforce the printed time.
I have no problem agreeing to disagree but I think that there is a huge difference between a naive person who legitimately thought that they had a few more minutes than they did, or that it would take a few less minutes to walk from one end of the park to the other and a user who knows that there is a grace period, pushed that grace period to the limit, and still didn't make it. The first person did nothing wrong other than making an incorrect assumption. The second person knew that they were taking advantage of Disney's generosity and still didn't make it in time. I would probably push a cast member if I was 1 minute late from the printed time and being turned away. I wouldn't bother trying if I was xx minutes + 1 minute late and knew that they had a strict enforcement period.
I don't mean "secret" as though no one knows that it exists or that the time is arbitrary. Rather as it is currently an open secret that the return times are not enforce (except it seems sporadically at the moment at WDW). A CM would not need to determine if someone was basic or advanced. I just think "I'm sorry sir, your fastpass expired one hour ago" is a lot easier to take than "I'm sorry, your fastpass expired one minute ago." They either made it back in time or they didn't, I would just allow a bit more leeway to allow for innocent mistakes.
This will probably be with the NextGen system. You'll be able to get your FPs ahead of time so choosing your time seems likely.
Shannon
Mommy to 3 Princesses and 1 Prince
Miss M(11), J(8) and R(5), and Mr. N(4)
While I in essence agree with you, in practice this would put the CM in the position of being a judge in each situation. And if one person is let in after arriving only 1 minute late, then the next person who sees this says "hey, I'm only 2 minutes late - can't you let me in?". It's a recipe for mini-fights all around the parks, with a CM trying to be fair and the guests taking advantage of this. It's sad that human nature won't allow for letting the CMs show some humanity, but it is what it is.
Dan
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
- James Taylor
Do you know, I have been going to WDW for 20 years now and it wasn't until last year that I became aware of the fact that you could use the FP beyond the time it was allocated for. So really, I shall probably continue to use it at the times it states, just in case! Although the free Dining Plan may get slightly in the way here; I shall do my utmost to stick to the timeslots on the FP as that is what I'm used to in any case.
How awful to have hung onto a FP all day, anticipating being able to ride something, only to be told "ooh, no, it is well past your time slot, you can't use it now!"
Silvercat
You know, if you see the return time for the fast pass is close to your dining ressies, then just don't take the fast pass. Be aware of the return time, be there on time or just don't use it. As I stated before I didn't even know I could use it after the window, so I was always there on time, or I didn't use it. Sorry but its not rocket since. Don't worry about what other people may be doing, just do it the right way and you won't have to stress.
Planning WDW Dec 2014 WDW2008 off-site,WDW2010 Polynesian,
WDW Polynesian Dec 15-21 2011
Agree with you, Tater. If it conflicts, I bypass the FP.
Working hard for that next WDW trip! December 2013
LOL it would be nice if I could type with out typos lol it should say rocket science lol durr
Planning WDW Dec 2014 WDW2008 off-site,WDW2010 Polynesian,
WDW Polynesian Dec 15-21 2011
I would obviously have no choice. And it's not so much a loophole as it is a default function of the Fastpass system. I have no clue as how we discovered the...loophole(for lack of a better word) Maybe we were ten minutes too late a few too many times. No matter how we end up using our Fastpasses, they are usually used up within two hours of the end time on the ticket anyway. It is a rare occasion that we hold onto them for longer than that.
I always believed that Disney places great importance in the start time on a Fastpass ticket, and that the end time is merely a suggestion. The tickets can't very well say 'Good from 1PM 'til park Closing'...There has to be some sort of on-paper end time. But as far as Disney is concerned, the start time is all-important. Otherwise, the Fastpass loses all meaning.
In my opinion, I believe that the proposed Fastpass usage window crackdown is an attempt to discourage those early morning runs on Fastpass machines. If people knew for a fact that they had to use the Fastpass within an hour or two, it makes the Fastpass option a little less desirable(or useful) for some guests. The Fatspass tickets might not be completely handed out by 11AM in that case.
I think that the popularity of the fastpasses have as much to do with wanting to go on popular rides without waiting for hours as much as the ability to abuse the return time, however I will admit to knowingly abusing the return time flexibility once this summer. We had brunch plans with friends in Irvine so on our way down, we stopped by Disneyland when it opened at 8:00 a.m. I made the mad dash to Star Tours for a fastpass, while my husband took our kids on Dumbo or some other Fantasyland that doesn't have terribly long lines early in the morning. After that I think we went on one more quick ride and then left for our brunch. Afterwards we came back and used the fastpasses that we had obtained. Because were were among the first in line for the fastpasses, our return time had already expired. Had the return time been strictly enforced, and I had I wanted to attempt to get fastpasses, I would have needed to let enough people go ahead of me in line so that the return time was during a window that we would likely be back. Based on how quickly the fastpasses were gone for the day, this may have happened while we were still in the park. But it would have taken a lot more effort than the way that we did it.
I don't think I'd have a problem with tightening up the times; sometimes it's just too hard to get back to where you need to be (particularly when it's only an hour or two away and you wind up in a different area of the park and then have to backtrack in a hurry). That said, one time in DL, we went to use our 'dream fastpass' on Space Mountain at the end of the night and it was a 25 minute wait in BOTH lines as so many people had them and saved them for later at night. We wound up leaving as it was late and we just wanted one last ride but wasn't worth the wait (with our youngest that tired at the time; he would've done walk on but not 1/2 hr wait very well).
And those of us who knew we had no deadline had a definite advantage over those who didn't know (and I don't even recall exactly how we found out, I think it was a young fellow we met while waiting for Fantasmic in DL who told us, years ago) and that's not really fair.
On the flip side, we've been 'done' for the day (early) and handed off still-valid passes to someone just coming in the gates before, too, so someone could take advantage of our standing in line for the FP at the right time (Hollywood Studios in particular comes to mind, for Tower).
“I think most of all what I want Disneyland to be is a happy place, where parents and children can have fun, together.” - Walt Disney
And we do!!!
This trip, we've noticed quite a few people getting in the fast pass line and being stopped. The CM was trying to explain to them they needed a Fast Pass. But, they looked puzzled and walked away. I just think a lot of people either do not know the system or just completely disregard the rules and do what they want, hence more rules needed to be enforced.
Now, in our case when RnR Roller Coaster was shut down, we had fast passes, when it re-opened, they honored our FP's no problem even when it was out of our time limit. We asked anyway if it was ok and it was.
Have a Magical Day, Month, Year!!!
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Stephanie
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I wonder how they would handle this. I guess they could know what times it was shut down and if that was within the window on your FP. Or maybe have you trade your FP for a reride at any time today pass type thing. It seems like every E ticket ride goes down at some point during the day, if even for 15 minutes or so (at least at Disneyland). So, I could see that putting a big kink in the return time crackdown.
Why do people go on The Amazing Race without bothering to learn how to drive a stick shift?
I've seen this as well, and I really have no sympathy for it. The system is very easy to use and to understand. If people just don't want to use the brain cells that it takes to figger it out the first time, then that's on them.And if they went to a hard line on return times, they would either need to just allow FPs to work through the rest of the day in the event of a shutdown, or they'd need to trade in those FPs for an all-day return ticket. If Disney is going to do this they need to publicize it and be firm on every attraction. People will get the message quickly.Now, in our case when RnR Roller Coaster was shut down, we had fast passes, when it re-opened, they honored our FP's no problem even when it was out of our time limit.
Dan
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
- James Taylor
In this day and age of communication, I dont think it would be hard for CM's working the FP line to tell the person during the next shift that the ride was down at sometime during the day and an exception process put in place.
When I have returned with a FP to certain attractions that were going to be out of order for the rest of the day, I did get a FP ticket that was good for the next 24-48 hrs. One time, it did not have ANY expire date on the ticket. (Used that a year later.)
The search function is like the Force. It may take practice, but the more you use it, the more control you will have over it!
In practicality, I'm going to disagree. I've seen many things that are much simpler than that to handle that I've seen them majorly screw up.
Also, playing "telephone" has a huge chance of it going incredibly wrong. I've listened to one CM tell another CM something and then heard the second CM relay that information to a guest - and get at least one major point wrong. And, if you have a guest who comes up and says they were there at X time with their Fastpass and the ride was down, and the CM says no, the ride was down at Y time because that's what other CM passed along, that's going to be a bad disagreement to have when one person claims to have been there (whether or not they're telling the truth) and the other person is only going off relayed information.
To solve the ride is down during your fastpass return time issue couldn't a CM at the fastpass return area just give you some sort of valid for later fastpass if you return at the correct time and the ride is down? Granted a lot of people will see the ride is down and not even attempt it but that's the only way I can see that you could easily work it.
If it was enforced from the beginning, even loosely, it wouldn't be such a hassle to try to go back and start enforcing it now. And I don't think you can do any secret grace period either. Isn't that how it's in the mess it's in now? Most people don't know you can go back after the time on the ticket.
I think if you start putting something like "absolutely not valid after...." clearly on the fast pass then enforce it, word will get out quickly. Oh I'm sure there will be some ugly scenes for the CM's to endure for a while but I don't see any other way to put the genie back in the bottle so to speak.
Yes, that's one way to handle it. The other way is on a day when there was a shutdown, the CMs just take off the restriction and allow late tickets all day. That way there would be no arguments - anyone presenting a valid FP, even if it's past the return time, would be valid.
Dan
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
- James Taylor
Yeah, but at Disneyland at least, this is almost every day- especially at Indy and Screamin. It seems counter productive to have a hard lined policy you will always have to be breaking. I like the trade for a later FP thing, if they decide to tighten up!
Why do people go on The Amazing Race without bothering to learn how to drive a stick shift?
So does anyone know if it's being enforced? Would love to hear an update.
"They must be putting something in the water," Springsteen said during the encore, "because Greensboro is consistently one of the best audiences in the United States. But I don't know why! Why?! Damn!" - Bruce Springsteen May 2, 2009 Greensboro, NC
We just returned from WDW and the CM's were not enforcing the time windows, in fact I overheard another guest commenting to another guest that she was a local and the CM's don't even look at the date just the time so she saves FP's and uses them on later dates just during the return time.
Ill go ahead and say it... thats pushing it just a wee bit too far.
The search function is like the Force. It may take practice, but the more you use it, the more control you will have over it!
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