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Kevin Yee
04-26-2001, 07:53 AM
So: who thinks Fastpass does more harm than good?

About a year ago, Alex and I had a Dual reView on the subject of FASTPASS at this link:

http://www.mouseplanet.com/alex/fastpass.htm

where we argued the issue back and forth a little. Viewer response was enormous at the time, and I'm sure the message boards here will revisit the issue many times.

I'm on record as thinking that FastPass is a marvelous marketing tool, but ultimately it results in the same "minutes per day spent in line" than existed under the old system.

I'm sure there is bound to be lively debate here. Let's hear what you have to say!

dizneyraver
04-26-2001, 08:04 AM
while there may be the same number if mins in a day spent in line, I would be willing to bet that number of mins is spread over more rides then without the fast pass system.

Here is a scary thought: I have heard that they may start CHARGING for fast passes!!! This is because the original purpose for the fast pass was so that people would not be standing in line (not spending money) but instead browse shops and eat (spending money) while waiting for there fast pass time. But, since the start of fast pass, the anticipated rise in profit is not there. The resolution? Charge for fast passes. This will be a sad day if this happens.

(I have also heard that they may start charging for the WDW transportation system, another prospective sad, sad day)

Doodle Duck
04-26-2001, 08:13 AM
On the AP preview Saturday at DCA when there WERE crowds at most rides..Fast Pass got us on EVERYTHING with out a wait. Period. It worked. It allowed much more time to just stroll and take in the 'atmosphere' and yes, spend a few extra sheckles...and we got on rides we never would have waited in line for.

Charge for Fast Pass? Oh..that would be the kicker, the icing on the E/P cake.
Why do I find this rumor so easy to believe though.
How many out there think "This is not MY Disney" when stuff like that comes up. How freakin' sad.
And 'bonus boy' just frantically rakes it in, eyes darting through the darkness watching for someone to snatch a penny or two. GIVE ME A BREAK!

RideMax Mark
04-26-2001, 08:54 AM
I've been working on a software program over the past year or so designed to minimize the amount of time you spend in line at DL. You basically enter the rides you want to visit, and it prints out an "optimized" touring plan designed to minimize your overall wait / walk time.

What is interesting, however, is to compare the total expected wait time from the version of the software that doesn't support FASTPASS, with the newer version that does (sorry, this version isn't yet publicly available).

For the same set of attractions, the total expected wait time is dramatically lower with the plans that include FASTPASS, vs. those that only optimize based on expected STANDBY wait times.

For me there is no question that FP has resulted in less waiting, although it does force you to criss-cross the park a bit more unless you want to just sit around waiting for your FP "ride window" to arrive.

Mark
---
www.funplans.com

Lani
04-26-2001, 09:23 AM
RideMax Mark offered: "I've been working on a software program over the past year or so designed to minimize the amount of time you spend in line at DL. You basically enter the rides you want to visit, and it prints out an "optimized" touring plan designed to minimize your overall wait / walk time."

Hey Mark -- I checked out your site, and this is cool! If I may offer a suggestion, this would be totally awesome on a Palm OS platform so we don't have to lug our laptops around, and we can plan out the schedule on the spot. :cool:

blusilva
04-26-2001, 01:47 PM
I'm an AP holder. To me, it doesn't matter if I'm going to miss seeing a favorite ride on a particular day because I know I can come back any other day of the week.

That being said, however, I still don't like having to "schedule" my day at Disneyland. I don't like the anxiety of constantly looking at my watch and thinking about where I have to be in an hour. That's not relaxing. That's a pain in the behind. And it makes me feel like there's a suit somewhere pulling strings to force me to enjoy the Park the way *he* wants me to, not the way *I* want to.

If I were a person who was from out of town (perhaps from another country and not well-versed in English) and paying full gate admission, I'd be perplexed by the system and ultimately angry because of it. No matter how many times you try to explain it to people, it's *always* going to look like "there are people cutting in line". It's a psychological thing.

blusilva

beanpole
04-26-2001, 02:25 PM
Overall, I like Fastpass. Since its introduction, I've been able to experience more major attractions per hour than before.

However, there are two hidden costs that I've noticed within the Fastpass system:

(1) A requirement for the guest to think in terms of times and locations in order to redeem Fastpasses - if the guest wants to maximize the number of "E-ticket" attractions experienced per day. The 'cost' is the effort that goes into thinking about where to be at a given time, in addition to the shoe leather and energy expended to walk longer distances across the park. Compare this to the simplest non-Fastpass guest strategy that looks like this:
(a) Walk to visually attractive 'wienie', optionally experiencing minor attractions and/or food/shopping/rest-stops along the way.
(b) Experience attraction at 'wienie'
(c) Spot next 'wienie'
(d) Repeat

(2) The potential exists for DL to abuse the system to reduce ride capacity (thereby cutting operational costs) without appearing to have done so to most guests. DL's use of queue stacking, combined with the ability to tune any attraction's Fastpass return time windows according to a predetermined hourly ride capacity, gives DL the unique power to drastically cut ride operating costs while keeping Fastpass-using guests happily unaware of reduced ride capacity. The line between abusing the system (minimizing operational costs at the expense of guest enjoyment) and using it to maximize guest enjoyment without increasing operational costs is a thin one. Fastpass has been marketed as a park feature that serves the guest's interests, which would in turn serve the interests of the business. The true goals of Fastpass might not be so completely altruistic in nature.

If I were an evil 'suit' working in the theme park unit, I'd suggest reducing ride capacities throughout the park to the absolute minimum, allowing the Fastpass return time windows to creep further and further along into the day. For example, imagine that my evil plan ensures that Fastpass users would experience 6 major attractions in an 8 hour day. My evil marketing research shows that most guests are satisfied with just that amount, since most guests don't tend to repeat rides over and over on the same day.

With my plan in place, Fastpass users roam the park, seeking attractions with return times within the next hour and a quarter. Most of the time, that's exactly what they get. Meanwhile, non-Fastpass attraction wait times increase dramatically and Fastpass standby lines grow intolerable. Guests expecting to experience 12 major attractions per day will be disappointed. Thankfully, my evil marketing research shows that the revenue lost to non-returning guests with high expectations will be more than offset by reduced operating costs and the overall high satisfaction of less-demanding (and less energetic) guests.

I suspect the true goals of Fastpass lie somewhere in-between the two extremes I've discussed here. Thoughts on this, anyone?

Doodle Duck
04-26-2001, 02:28 PM
"If I were a person who was from out of town (perhaps from another country and not well-versed in English) and paying full gate admission, I'd be perplexed by the system and ultimately angry because of it. No matter how many times you try to explain it to people, it's *always* going to look like "there are people cutting in line". .."


Yeah...so? They don't get it...so what? 'They' don't get alot of things. Maybe 'they' should try harder to 'get it'...get it? Pretty soon we'll have to tie 'them' in 'their' seats cause 'they' don't get the other rules either it seems. Tough. 'Them' and 'They' translate into more victims no matter who 'they' are or where 'they' are from, professional 'victims' don't get it. Sorry I busted my violin.


Addition/Edit for Mr. Beanpole...
I think we both have too much time to spare. ;)

beanpole
04-26-2001, 02:48 PM
To DoodleDuck: Agreed, we both have too much time to spare. :)

Doodle Duck
04-26-2001, 02:52 PM
That's DoodleDuck(A.E.)

The (A.E.) is all important for my psyche.

blusilva
04-26-2001, 04:23 PM
Originally posted by DoodleDuck(A.E)
"
Yeah...so? They don't get it...so what? 'They' don't get alot of things. Maybe 'they' should try harder to 'get it'...get it? Pretty soon we'll have to tie 'them' in 'their' seats cause 'they' don't get the other rules either it seems. Tough. 'Them' and 'They' translate into more victims no matter who 'they' are or where 'they' are from, professional 'victims' don't get it. Sorry I busted my violin.


I don't understand your argument. Are you being sarcastic?


blusilva

Doodle Duck
04-26-2001, 04:48 PM
"If I were a person who was from out of town (perhaps from another country and not well-versed in English) and paying full gate admission, I'd be perplexed by the system and ultimately angry because of it. No matter how many times you try to explain it to people, it's *always* going to look like "there are people cutting in line". It's a psychological thing."


People from 'out of town' leave their brain home? Come on. When you go to Florida..are you 'perplexed' at the rules posted?

Yes sarcastic and fed up with those that refuse to take the time to 'get it'...for putting everything at the level of the lowest common denominator....
ie: Fast Pass works...it is NOT people trying to jump the line..the fact that it LOOKS like they are trying to jump the line is in the eye of the ignorant. Not stupid..ignorant..who remain so if they do not make the effort to find out how things work..why they work and what the rules are for compatible play.
Over at Knott's they now have had to install SEAT BELTS on the Kingdom Of The Dinosaurs to augment the LAP BARS..why..'cause some one may not understand they need stay put while the ride is in motion. Thus..need to be 'tied' to thier seats. Therefore we all need to be tied to our seats. The ride moves at less than 3mph. Give me a break.
Fast Pass is not Rocket Science..it is a simple system. When I go to Mexico..I don't speak Spanish..but I get with the program on their level and it works..I FIND OUT how it works.
And it's funny..I don't remember seeing those from another country getting annoyed at Fast Pass..I recognized the accent but it was East Coast not from overseas.
My point is those that refuse to get with the program (simple questions and reading will suffice) will forever feel like victims. Tough. They lose. They want to stand in a long hot line when they don't have to..fine..so what?
Not my concern. It's to thier benefit to figure out the system.
Everyone is a victim these days..well of course not everyone..but simple responsibility for ones self seems to be on the wane. Nonsense.

blusilva
04-26-2001, 06:44 PM
Originally posted by DoodleDuck(A.E)
"
People from 'out of town' leave their brain home? Come on. When you go to Florida..are you 'perplexed' at the rules posted?

I've never been to Florida. So I wouldn't know. I might be.

When I'm on vacation, and pay a great big hunk of change to get into a resort, I personally do expect to be able to leave my brain at home. Yes. I expect things to be easy. It's my take-it-easy time.


Yes sarcastic and fed up with those that refuse to take the time to 'get it'...for putting everything at the level of the lowest common denominator....

So, there's some standard of reading and language comprehension or an IQ test of some sort that you expect people to be able to pass before they walk through the gates at a Disney park? Wow, that's extreme.

The fact is the system IS confusing. Even for people who are at the Park on a regular basis.


ie: Fast Pass works...it is NOT people trying to jump the line..the fact that it LOOKS like they are trying to jump the line is in the eye of the ignorant. Not stupid..ignorant..who remain so if they do not make the effort to find out how things work..why they work and what the rules are for compatible play.

These are people ON VACATION. VACATION. Why should they be subjected to jumping through hoops to get value out of what they've already paid dearly for at the gate?



Over at Knott's they now have had to install SEAT BELTS on the Kingdom Of The Dinosaurs to augment the LAP BARS..why..'cause some one may not understand they need stay put while the ride is in motion. Thus..need to be 'tied' to thier seats. Therefore we all need to be tied to our seats. The ride moves at less than 3mph. Give me a break.

I think that's an entirely different discussion.


Fast Pass is not Rocket Science..it is a simple system.[QUOTE]

Simple. Sure. You pay to get in the gate. Once you get inside you discover that you need to get extra tickets to bypass really long standby lines and that you can only hold one ticket at a time and that you need to come back at a future time in order to use it. So you get a FP for the first ride you are at, then go away to the next "E ticket" ride and stand in that 75 minute line while a bunch of people cut in front of you there. Then you go back to where you started and ride that ride. Then you go to another E ticket ride and get another FP. Then you repeat.

That's not simple.

Standing in a line that moves. Quickly. Without interruption. That's simple.

[QUOTE] When I go to Mexico..I don't speak Spanish..but I get with the program on their level and it works..I FIND OUT how it works.

That's quite commendable. How much time does it take for you to do that? And do you do it before or after you've paid a hefty chunk of money to get inside wherever you are going?


My point is those that refuse to get with the program (simple questions and reading will suffice) will forever feel like victims. Tough. They lose. They want to stand in a long hot line when they don't have to..fine..so what?
Not my concern. It's to thier benefit to figure out the system.

Just out of curiosity, what business are you in?
Does it have anything at all to do with customer service?

I never said it was your concern.

It *is* Disney's concern. They *are* in a customer service field.


Everyone is a victim these days..well of course not everyone..but simple responsibility for ones self seems to be on the wane. Nonsense.

Did I use the word victim? I said the system was perplexing and it might make people who don't understand the system and/or the language angry.

Such a situation is never good in for a business who's source of income is a paying customer. Period.

blusilva

Doodle Duck
04-26-2001, 07:14 PM
Because a vacationer pays to get in..etc. etc.
Whatever.

The option is simple:
Stand in line and act or feel angry that somebody knows something you don't or:
First chance you get ASK how you can utilize a system designed to eliminate your standing in a longer line.
The attitude is 'why should I have to ask?' is pretty silly.
It's what the CMs are there for and it IS a simple system. Good heavens..I never READ the signs..I grabbed a ticket from the machine..read the back of it to tell me when I could get another one and walked on the rides..while there were those who stand and grimmace and act foolish cause they didn't get one. Gee whiz..there is nothing more to say but do it or don't do it.
And as to customer service, there is customer service that is helpful and caring IF someone wants or at least requests the help. If someone wants to find a problem, they will find it and customer service becomes a whiping post. The rules and HOW-TO is blatently posted..there are CMs everywhere to guide the less wary. What more can you ask for?
In Mexico it takes NO time at all to ASK for help or instructions..and the people there, being as friendly and accomodating as most DL CMs make it fun too! I always bring a little white pad and pencil for quick sketching. And my Spanish is slowly coming along. But I never walked into the Ladies Room or ate a dead cat because I 'shouldn't have to ask..I'm on vacation!"

rob
04-26-2001, 08:15 PM
With the David Koenig StoryWhen Tourists Attack (http://www.mouseplanet.com/david/attack.htm), we have seen the reaction of guests to Fast Pass. I predict this summer might even be worse. I think the guests who arrive in the late morning get gypped because the fast passes are quickly gone soon after they get there. I think FastPass with some changes could be very good. And I really think Disney doing it to increase the ability to shop is a good idea. Really. But the bad will being racked up in the standby line will come back to cause big problems. I think it could cause a riot with a really hot day, the right line and the wrong person.

parky_in_paris
04-27-2001, 04:15 AM
FastPass may be to improve the guest experience at the moment, but long term it is a money machine for Disney.

My informed guess at the plans for FastPass are as follows :-

Increase the number of attractions with FastPass so that all the major crowd pullers are covered.

Then offer to Disney Resort Guests the ability to have FP tickets available for all the attractions as an upgrade to the ticket price. Maybe $20 a head for having 'booked' times far all the major attractions (you may be able to even select the one's you want)

Next step offer 2 levels of entry ticket, with and without FastPass to all the other guests. This could be done in a variety of ways. Give guests who pay up front all the tickets for all the rides, and let the none payers try to pick up FP's as they do now. Again I could see a $20 premium for this.

I would expect this to be extended to the AP holders in some way as well. Maybe they can get as many FP's as they like no restriction.

Whatever happens expect to see some sort of payment for the FP experience in the future, why do you think they are highlighting that it is 'FREE' at the moment.

Now what would you do when you went to the park.
Would you pay for a ticket with preprinted FP's, or some other way of getting into attractions at a set time ?

Maybe we should have another poll !!!

Uncle Dick
02-07-2002, 01:11 AM
I look at FastPass from two different viewpoints: 1) From the viewpoint of the once a year visitor to Disneyland or, me, prior to August 3rd. FastPass is great for me. I get on a couple of rides in the morning before the crowds show up and then just FastPass my way through the rest of the day. There's really no downside, other than the slight annoyance of a time window.

2) As an AP, it's slightly annoying to see rides that normally wouldn't have long lines (ie Pirate's and Star Tours) get backed up. FastPasses don't work as well since I might only be visiting the park for a few hours and can't return later on in the day. Overall though, Fastpass is a winner for the average Disneyland guest.

tjrj
02-07-2002, 07:24 AM
This is from an average income family who gets to visit the Parks about once a year and used FP's for the first time in December. We found that FP's worked extremely well for us-zipped through the lines, keeping track of the timing wasn't really an issue for us. I had done much reading-both here on MP and elsewhere-in preparation of our visit regarding FP issues-so we were pretty well informed before we hit the gates. I truly believe that without that preparation, we would have been very confused.

Regarding the paying for FP issue-as far as I'm concerned on a Disney vacation, I have already plunked done an extremely significant chunk of change on my passes, food, trinkets, on-site lodging etc. Now they want to charge extra for FP's? No thank you-we'll just go during the slower times of the year-as we do anyway-, continue to arrive early, and see as much as we can.

hbquikcomjamesl
02-07-2002, 08:50 AM
A week or two ago (the rainy Sunday), I was able, because I had a Fastpass for Soarin, to spend my wait time picking up a ticket for Blast, looking at GRR, and window-shopping to see if any of the shops had sou'westers (they didn't)

New Year's Eve, because I had a Fastpass for HM, I was able to spend my wait time hanging around the Coke Corner.

Some months ago, because I had a Fastpass for Millionaire, I was able to park-hop, and spend most of my wait time checking out the "Pioneer Virtual Resort" exhibit in Innoventions. (I didn't have time to go back for the presentation until the aforementioned rainy Sunday).

To be sure, fastpasses can have negative effects. Most notably, the whole beautifully themed queueing areas in Roger Rabbit and StarTours have gone to waste (suggestion: could somebody maybe re-route RR so that the "walk through the back alleys of Toontown" goes directly to the boarding station, and the switchbacks in the "garage" absorb only the standby guests?) Things are better in Indiana Jones, though I miss the "newsreels."

When I was in WDW, with severe limits on my time, it was only because of their Fastpass system that I was able to see and do as much as I did, particularly in AK.

Ghoulish Delight
02-07-2002, 12:07 PM
I've said this many many times, but I'll repeat it.

Fastpass is an excellent tool, if you are willing to learn how to use it. I can understand not wanting to schedule your day, but once you get the hang of it, it really becomes second nature and is a life saver on crowded days. I don't always use it. As an APer, if I just want to show up, hang around, ride a couple rides, I don't particularly care. But if I plan on spending the day there and riding a bunch of stuff, I feel so much more relaxed when using FP. Maybe it's because without it, you are either stuck standing in a bunch of huge lines in succession because, well, the attractions are close together and you might as well, or you find yourself bouncing from ride to ride thinking "shoot, no this line's too long as well." With FP, you know that coming up at X time, you will be in a short line, so you can either go find a bunch of other short lines, or just pick one long line to deal with knowing you'll get the short one next.

All in all, thumbs up to FP! Thumbs WAAAAY DOWN to charging for it. Horrible idea. Horrible horrible horrible horrible.

RideMax Mark
02-08-2002, 07:46 AM
I think there is something valid about the point that FP can be valuable, but only IF you know how to use it, and I think there are a LOT of people who DON'T get it, especially infrequent visitors.

To illustrate this, I was at the park last summer, right after the 4th of July, gathering wait time statistics and FP return time stats for my RideMax planning software. I gathered statistics Thursday through Saturday.

One thing I thought was interesting, was that on Friday at 1:00 in the afternoon, the standby wait for Indy was something like 45 minutes, and the FP return time was 4 hours away (sorry -- I don't have my actual log sheets in front of me, so this is just how I vaguely remember it).

On *Saturday* at 1:00, even though the overall crowd felt similar, the standby line was actually longer at 70 minutes, and -- here's the interesting point -- the FP return time was *closer,* just two hours away.

Based on this observation, it seemed to me that *fewer* people were taking advantage of FP on Saturday than did on Friday. What did I attribute this to? Saturday was a blockout day for all of the non-premium APs, and Friday wasn't, so I'm supposing the park had a higher percentage of infrequent guests in attendance, with less familiarity with the FP system!

Of course as someone who does know how it works, I was happy to enjoy the lighter load on the FP system! :D

Mark
---
Spend less time in line with RideMax for Disneyland! (http://www.ridemax.com)

Kevin Yee
02-08-2002, 08:23 PM
I've long known it would come to that, Mark. I think most of us know intuitively that this is the case.

The net effect is that FP only works wonders *because many tourists don't know to use it* and thus suffer for it.

I really think that if every person through the turnstile used the system optimally, wait times over the course of a given day would be the same as 1992 (ie, pre-FP) and you'd get on the same number of rides.

Do I use FP? Sure. Do I have a problem with a system that isn't fair and basically grants extra rights to frequent visitors? You bet I do. The park was better without it. So was Walt's dream.

Ghoulish Delight
02-08-2002, 09:24 PM
Still don't buy that argument. If knowledge is an 'unfair advantage' than stop taking the shortest route between rides. Stop asking the CMs at the restaurants to give you an empty bread bowl with the chowder on the side because you get more. Look, I figured this fastpass thing out the very first day I used it. When I walked through the gates, I did not know how it worked. By the time I had received my first one and read what the ticket had to say, I knew how to use it advantageously. This is not unfair, it is ability to undersand instructions.

The only thing I'll buy is if you cangive me some hard evidence (or even observational evidence) that for the same same attendance levels, standby lines are longer with FP than without. Here's my observational evidence. Since FP started, I have not seen 3 hour lines for Splash. I have not seen Pirates need to open the inner courtyard switchbacks (yes, it's hung out the enterance, but it used to hang out the entrance PLUS go through all the switchbacks).

Heck, throw out most of what I just said. Look at what Mark observed.

Friday: LOTS of FP used (evidenced by the 4 hour lag). Standby = 45 min

Saturday: Little FP used (2 hour lag). Stanby = 70 min!!

Deduction: More FP use results in SHORTER standby. Explain to me how FP makes people who choose standby "suffer" if it results in shorter wait times??

Kuzcotopia
02-09-2002, 11:53 PM
Agreed, Ghoulish Delight. Fastpass is a benefit to people in standby. Standby lines are shorter because of Fastpass.

Even if you only stood in Standby the whole day, your waits would be shorter post-fastpass than they would be pre-fastpass, on average.


Here's why:

More efficient distribution of guests throughout the park. You know how some ride wait-times peak and valley.

For the simplest and most dramatic example: Spaceship Earth. This ride has a typical wait of 45 minutes during the first 4 hours Epcot is open. Ride it in the evening and you will see 5 empty cars for each one with a person in it. Imagine if you could have a computer load-balance the guests so they come LATER than the current rush. Then EVERYONE's wait would be shorter, because some people will choose to come back when the computer decides the line will be shorter.


Now no ride at Disneyland is THAT ebb and flow, but you all know the cycles that the Disneyland rides hit. You are smart people and you know that the line on splash is longest during the hottest hours of the afternoon. You know that the West side of the park fills up with people first, and the East side last. You know that during parades the lines are shorter, and as the hours get later, the thrill rides get less packed.

But even if they are all busy, some are more busy than others... Even if the lines are all long, they all peak and trough with the flow of the crowd. Indy peaks first, followed by pirates, followed by Mansion, followed by splash. It makes SENSE.

Well, fastpass creates an economy, if you will. It is a futures market. You know how the futures market creates more stable prices for soybeans? It's the same with fastpass. It is a promise that you will get a shorter wait if you come back when the computer tells you the ride will be less busy. Sometimes it wins on that promise, sometimes it loses.... but over the number of promises it makes over the thousands of guests each day... it creates more evenly-spread-out lines. That means greater efficency for the people waiting, even in standby.

But you say, Kuzcotopia, don't the peaks and the troughs cancel each other out? If Fastpass distributes guests evenly, I may get stuck in a peak, but the next ride I might have caught a trough!

You might take that chance. The standby line is for people taking that chance.

But remember Spaceship Earth and realize that the downside to catching peaks can never be made up for with upside of catching the troughs. Spaceship earth is a 10 minute ride (about), but when it's empty, it's not just one empty seat. It's got HUNDREDS of empty seats a minute. Since I'm only one person, I can't ride enough wait-free times to make up for the 45 minutes I wasted if I went in the morning.

Catch a peak and you lose an hour of your day. Catch a trough and make up 10 minutes.

Kuzcotopia
02-10-2002, 12:45 AM
Kevin, I don't agree that "Fastpass works wonders because the majority of guests don't know how to use it."

My post above illustrates why the more people who use fastpass actually make less wait times for everyone. We aren't cutting in line here, just because we print our own little tickets.

Two seperate things are happening. First, the computer is telling us when to come back, not us. This is very important.

Second, we are making a judgement based on an economy of time, whether to wait in standby or get a fastpass.

If EVERYONE "understood" fastpass and printed a pass, there would be NO standby line, and people would see that and wait in standby. It self-balances.


Just like reading the wait time board, the more evenly distributed all the guests are in the park, the more efficient the average guest's use of time.

Anything that evens the load of each ride throughout the day makes for shorter lines overall.


Imagine a hypothetical ride at a hypothetical theme park that opens at 10am and runs only for three hours a day. For the first hour it peaks to a one hour wait, by the end of the day it troughs to a 10-minute wait. We're going to round these into even hour incriments here.

So if you ride the ride first thing in the morning you wait 6 times as long as those who ride it in the afternoon.

Those getting in line at 10 am wait for one hour
Those getting in line at 11 am wait for 30 minutes
those getting in line at noon wait for 10 minutes

But if they had Fastpass, because the computer is telling the guests when to come back, it could know of that trend and tell people to come back in an hour. Because a promise of a cut in line one hour in the future is a better deal for the line length. It gets the Fastpass holder out of the current, longer line, and gets him INTO a shorter one.

When I am getting a fastpass, I am GIVING all standby people between Fastpass issue time and fastpass redemption time CUTS in front of me. This is with the promise that I will come back later when the computer thinks the line will be less crowded. This is exactly what stock brokers do when they short-sell. They say "I think this line is going to go down in the future. I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a Hamburger today."

You give up your place in line(the hamburger!), and come back tuesday when Hamburgers are cheaper to come by.

Let's say at 2:00 the line for Autopia is 200 people long, but at 4:00 the line will only be 150 people long. By getting a fastpass, I'm choosing to not be in line at 2:00. In essence, I just moved up all 200 people one space (my space!). So then when I come back at 4:00, they give me cuts in front of the 150 people who are waiting then. So the line made a profit of 49 Spaces because I was willing to wait until later to ride Autopia! 49 people each moved up one space. Because I used fastpass 49 people had one less person to wait for!

Congratulations, you just made the Standby line shorter for everyone waiting in it, just by virtue of you being out of it!