PDA

View Full Version : Update on Fastpass enforcement at Disneyland



Pages : [1] 2 3 4

AVP
02-08-2013, 05:35 PM
Several people have reported in the past two days that signs were installed on the Space Mountain Fastpass machines advising guests to return within the times printed on the ticket. These are the same signs that were installed in Walt Disney World when that Resort began to enforce the Fastpass return times last year.

While Disney officially maintains that this is not a *change* in policy, it's clear that the *practice* of allowing guests to use their Fastpass tickets after the printed return time is about to change. Some CMs are telling people the enforcement will begin February 18.

AVP

candles71
02-08-2013, 05:46 PM
Thank you for the update AVP.

Malcon10t
02-08-2013, 05:50 PM
Signs have also been spotted at ToT today.

jcatron243
02-08-2013, 08:48 PM
Glad to have the info. Thanks!

Leap for Joy
02-09-2013, 03:05 AM
Good to know! Thank you!

houseofmouse
02-09-2013, 08:56 AM
Good to finally know for sure. My DH and I will be there in three weeks, will be interesting to see how they transition guests. We didn't have much issue in Florida last year. Just need to do some better planning.

cstephens
02-09-2013, 03:30 PM
So far today, we've seen those signs at Soarin' and Tower of Terror. Haven't been in Disneyland yet, so don't know what rides there have it.

ogold72
02-09-2013, 03:56 PM
Good to finally know for sure. My DH and I will be there in three weeks, will be interesting to see how they transition guests. We didn't have much issue in Florida last year. Just need to do some better planning.

I wonder how strictly they will enforce the new policy? 15 minutes? 5 minutes? 0 minutes? Im all for doing planning, but my concern is that sometimes the FP puts your return time so far out into the day, you may have something already scheduled which means you cant use the FP. My guess is that if a guest really presses the issue or goes to Guest Relations, something will be done to remedy the situation.

amazedncal
02-09-2013, 05:25 PM
Thank you so much for the information! A friend is going to DLR over the weekend and I'll be sure to let her know. (since I was the one who told her that it didn't matter when she arrived as long as it was after the beginning of the "window") YIKES!

3Princesses1Prince
02-09-2013, 06:23 PM
I wonder how strictly they will enforce the new policy? 15 minutes? 5 minutes? 0 minutes? Im all for doing planning, but my concern is that sometimes the FP puts your return time so far out into the day, you may have something already scheduled which means you cant use the FP. My guess is that if a guest really presses the issue or goes to Guest Relations, something will be done to remedy the situation.

WDW gives a 15 min grace period.

houseofmouse
02-09-2013, 07:50 PM
WDW will also work with you if something happens that is plausible and you miss your time. I am betting DL will follow the same protocol. We missed our Kali Rapids time because our supposedly 45 min line for the AK Safari turned into an almost 90 min start to finish experience. Well I politely told the CM at Kali our situation, she took my FP and me to the side for a second and signed all the FP's so we could go through.
I just think it will take longer for So.Cal to adapt, just my theory.

AnotherJenny
02-09-2013, 08:20 PM
I saw the sign at Soarin' today, but not RSR or Screamin'. I was waiting by the machine at RSR for my friend to meet me with passes, and I heard a CM tell a guest that enforcement has started, but there is a grace period until next week. I asked him if that was just RSR or every ride. He said it should be every ride. I can confirm I used a Soarin' FP about an hour after the time today.

Also, when I was in line for RSR FP there was a CM walking up and down the line announcing that RSR and World of Color are on "different systems" and you can also get FP for ToT, Soarin' and Goofy. Oddly enough he didn't mention Screamin'. Later I was able to get a FP for Screamin' that overlapped my Soarin' FP, so I'm guessing that one is still off.

bluebayou
02-11-2013, 03:41 AM
I wonder how strictly they will enforce the new policy? 15 minutes? 5 minutes? 0 minutes? Im all for doing planning, but my concern is that sometimes the FP puts your return time so far out into the day, you may have something already scheduled which means you cant use the FP. My guess is that if a guest really presses the issue or goes to Guest Relations, something will be done to remedy the situation.

If you know you already have something scheduled for that time period, please do NOT take a fastpass.

MadasaHatter
02-11-2013, 06:40 AM
I cannot believe it took DLR this long to enforce something CLEARLY stated on your FPs....I have seen the system COMPLETELY break down because of 50 or more people returning at 10:00 to say....Space Mountain ( I think that was the one I witnessed) AND I might have been guilty of it too. It was right then and there that I could hear my kindergarten teacher say, "Well, you ruined this for everyone...." Give 'em and inch......and color me guilty! We had a great run with it.

I must also say that for a DLR vet I was at the point where I barely got FPs.....as my M.O. was to arrive at parks first thing in the morning and ride a bunch of things without waits anyway and then as the day progressed we might take advantage of SINGLE RIDER or only get one or two FPs for the things we missed. If Indy has a 30 minute wait in the heat of the day....then that was a refreshing wait in the cool of the temple. The magic of DL is in the music and the parades and shows too so keep that in mind. Ok. Enough for me. I am mad.....

bumblebeeonarose
02-11-2013, 07:16 PM
I agree that it is time for them to start enforcing FP times. It was nice to get a stock of them, that's for sure. But, those of us who knew the tricks could easily get several in the first few hours of opening. At that time (as Mad said) the lines are already short. If the park opens at 8, you don't really need a FP for Space at 8:40 as there is no real line outside yet. So you save it until later when the line is an hour or longer. This causes a backup in standby lines as the day progresses, and makes FP lines longer too. It will be interesting to see if this helps with standby wait times. I hope it does. Enforcing times is certainly better than taking it away completely. It will change the way people shop for FP though.

MickeyDogMom
02-11-2013, 07:57 PM
I loved the open ended system but I'm kind of glad to see enforcement. It was really quite annoying to go back at a "high point" in the day and have the line ridiculously long. It will be interesting to see how it effects my family and I.

pcrazy99
02-12-2013, 05:31 AM
It will be fun to try a little social engineering. Nothing like testing the system!

disneylandgirl
02-13-2013, 07:34 AM
I used a FP for ToT on Sunday evening (only about an hour after my FP time window) and the cast member said exactly this "FP return time will start being enforced on the 18th of February".

houseofmouse
02-13-2013, 08:13 AM
I kept thinking why are they starting on a Monday? Then I realized Monday is a holiday and a very busy day in the parks. :) Duh!

MadasaHatter
02-15-2013, 08:44 AM
I remember ( and I think this was when FPs were rather new) we were standing in a 30 minute STANDBY line for CALIFORNIA SCREAMIN' and a group of 20 somethings wizzed by us with their FPs in the FP line which had about 20- 30 people in it tops. When one of the girls SAW this line she exclaimed "OH no way we are waiting....we have FPs!" and proceeded to head BACK OUT to complain......well by the time she came back her group was loading because 30 people in a FP line load very quickly.....Those were FAST passes not YOU GET TO GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE AND NO ONE ELSE IN THIS ENTIRE PARK GETS TO passes, missy.

It was then and there that I thought about how much complaining and problems they must deal with every day. The black and white RETURN BETWEEN 10:15 and 11:15 is pretty easy to enforce but I can only imagine the DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK excuses they will have to deal with. I also remember when you could get as many as you could collect and groups with 10 year olds would send the kids ALL OVER the park to get passes for the whole day. That ended soon.

There is part of me that feels like they could and should get rid of them altogether as it costs a lot to print and maintain and double lines on a lot of rides etc. etc. Don't get me wrong....I really dig the system but teaching kids about time maintenance and that there only so many things you can do in a day mentality is important....stopping for a leisurely lunch in DLR is a must in my book EVEN if you are powering the parks.....ok.....I digress....I am mad.

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
02-16-2013, 07:19 AM
I really like your take on this Mad. For my family, Disneyland is so much more than just rides, and I think that is how all the loyal fans feel as well. We surely don't go on a regular basis just to ride a ride over and over. I could spend an entire day in the park without going on a single ride and be just as happy if I rode EVERYTHING. Shops, food, music, parades, shows, all the little things are what makes Disneyland magical. The rides are just a bonus.

It makes sense to enforce the system. HOWEVER, why did they ever allow it to get to the point that it was to begin with? It should have started this way and stayed this way. It would have saved the CM's dealing with all the excuses they will have to go through now. The lines at City Hall will get longer because people will be complaining. I feel for them.

houseofmouse
02-16-2013, 08:16 AM
How does anything get out of whack? Laziness. Trying to avoid complaints, I suppose and dealing with people's excuses. I say poor training and laziness is to blame for the rule getting bent. Now they are going to have to re-train CM's, us and deal with massive complaints anyway.

Bolivar
02-16-2013, 09:43 AM
The current system rewards people who know it and how to take advantage of it (most of us here) and punishes those who don't. I would guess that 80-90% of guests don't know you can come back after the time window and make sure that they return within it.

So, enforcing this will be bad for me and many people around here, but good for most visitors.

candles71
02-16-2013, 10:22 AM
Simply reading the directions on the park maps would result in the people whining on Trip Advisor about having to pay for fastpasses to cease. People will always find something to whine about.

ogold72
02-17-2013, 04:42 PM
If you know you already have something scheduled for that time period, please do NOT take a fastpass.

Well I had forgotten that they post the return times outside the FP machines, I never had to look at that before because you could always return later if there was a conflict.

That said, that works for most rides but for a ride such as RSRs, you have to wait for a period in time in line just to get close enough to see what the FP return time is going to be. If a guest is trying to experience everything that they want to experience but there is a conflict with a reservation that was and needed to be made months in advance, that is a little unfair for that guest to lose out on a FP opportunity because of something out of their control like when the FP demands you return, when there will be no opportunity to come back and get a different FP return time because all the FPs will be gone. For those of us with younger children, going into SB line may not be in the cards.

In such an instance, I would hope some accomodation would be made. Im going to ask the CM at the FP machine for RSRs for any flexibility for such a circumstances or maybe even Guest Relations. Perhaps something could be done where your return time window is changed to a later time (not earlier).