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nursemelis374
07-13-2004, 07:40 AM
I was just reading MiceAge and they said that there will be no more FastPass on HM and POTC, with plans to get rid of it on many other rides. What does everybody think of that? I think it will be great, especially if they are more worried about tourists and not locals. The locals are the best ones at using it, especially us APs. I am just excited that there are steps, even if they are small ones, that are getting us closer to the older, better DL.

dsnyredhead
07-13-2004, 07:59 AM
Sigh...keep taking things away...

stan4d_steph
07-13-2004, 08:27 AM
I bet those out of town tourists will be so grateful now that they'll be able to ride fewer attractions in their short visit. I personally love waiting in huge lines. :rolleyes:

Awful idea.

SCUBAbe
07-13-2004, 08:32 AM
POTC and HM don't really need fast pass. I see people getting them when it's a 10 min wait. When HM goes NBC it will need it though. Maybe they will start charging for them like at MM. We bought the fast lanes there and they were really fast. It takes you right up to the loading area....not into a line where you still wait about 20 min to get on the ride.

sami869
07-13-2004, 08:52 AM
Even during the summer and Christmas time I have never had to wait more than half an hour to get on HM so I won't be heartbroken if I can't get a fastpass for that one anymore. The way they were running the fastpass line for POTC was inconsitent, rather chaotic and usually not helpful at all. So I've felt for a long time that they either need to fix they run fastpasses for that ride or just get rid of them. But I will be quite upset is this is the start of getting rid of all fastpasses. I can't even imagin waiting 2 hours to get onto Splash Mt.

JeffG
07-13-2004, 09:24 AM
Reading through what Al described in his article, it all sounds like some very logical and reasonable adjustments to the program. Basically, what he described is a switch where Fastpass is to be removed from attractions where it really isn't needed. The attractions mentioned actually generally had shorter wait times before Fastpass, so this seems like a very logical change.

Basically, he is describing a reduction of the number of Fastpass attractions at Disneyland from 10 year-round and 11 during the holiday season to 8 year-round and 9 during the holidays. Of course, his "Buh-Bye FastPass" headline (and the title of this thread) is a pretty serious overstatement...

The only item that he mentioned that I really find to be a questionable decision would be the elimination of Fastpass from "Small World Holiday", which I do think generally benefited from making that option available.

-Jeff

Alf
07-13-2004, 09:37 AM
If you read the article about taking Fast Pass away...it makes a TON of sense! The system was put in place by the very people who ruined the park, and it is being taken out by the people who look to be DL's salvation. Fast Pass in whinnie the poo?? I mean COME ON!!! and I have never once used fast pass on either POTC or HM and I never have to wait very long ( and I was there on Memorial day a year ago!!!) They are keeping it on the rides that actually need them and either taking them away or limiting their use on rides that don't! Seems simple to me.


Matt and his team are gonna re-magic DL!

TP2000
07-13-2004, 10:57 AM
Basically, he is describing a reduction of the number of Fastpass attractions at Disneyland from 10 year-round and 11 during the holiday season to 8 year-round and 9 during the holidays. Of course, his "Buh-Bye FastPass" headline (and the title of this thread) is a pretty serious overstatement...

-Jeff

I disagree that the "buh-bye" sentiment on Miceage today is an overstatement. If you read the whole article it stated that there will possibly be some days (slow weekdays in winter) where no Fastpass option will be available at all in either Park. And there will be other days (weekdays in fall and spring) where only two or three Fastpass options will be available in each Park. There will still be busy days on weekends and holidays where Fastpass will be available a lot of places, but just never again on Star Tours, Pooh, Pirates, Millionaire, Bugs or Muppets.

This tiered Fastpass setup based on attendance is alot like they do in Florida, and it didn't seem to impact me one bit during my last off-season visit there.

But overall, slow weekdays in winter will soon be a non-Fastpass experience for Disneyland guests. And that seems like a form of "buh-bye" to me.

TP2000
07-13-2004, 11:03 AM
I bet those out of town tourists will be so grateful now that they'll be able to ride fewer attractions in their short visit. I personally love waiting in huge lines. :rolleyes:

Awful idea.

I think it's a brilliant idea, and it's obviously being made by people who have experience running a theme park instead of a chain of stores.

There is a vast difference between waiting in a "huge" line that swallows 2,700 people per hour and takes 15 minutes to wait through, and a "long" line that only accomodates 300 or 400 people per hour and takes 60 minutes to wait through.

Pirates never needed Fastpass to begin with, and Mansion only needed it once Nightmare Before Christmas showed up. Pooh never needed it ever. Those types of poor decisions were made by the marketing department instead of the theme park department.

Disney Vault
07-13-2004, 11:10 AM
I like the idea because they were being used on too many rides that didnt need them. And why would it matter if there not given out on slower days? the lines will be shorter anyways and they will be moving faster w/o FP.

nursemelis374
07-13-2004, 11:19 AM
I think that they will probably end up phasing it out over time until it is completely gone. After all, the park worked fine without it for MANY years! Even when attendance figures were higher!

DisneyDustin22
07-13-2004, 11:35 AM
I am kinda up in the air about losing the fast pass system. Of course, it does help on busy days when you dont feel like standing in line. So Im all for keeping it on that level. But then you look at rides that have FP and wonder why do they have it in the first place. Pooh for example. absolutely no need for that. I can understand when it first opened, but why not do a promotion type thing like at McDonalds with TOT. They could have easily handed out special passes instead of implimenting a whole FP system for that ride. HM and POTC, I agree, no need. HM during xmas, maybe, so, then use it during xmas only. Pirates, the line may say 45min wait sometimes, but it never is. Pirates moves relatively well in my mind.

Indy, with the new que rotation, FP is just a waste, you bypass what, a 10 min wait outside only to take 5 min to walk in and wait another 10-20min. so I dont see the need there. Id rather be waiting inside that brilliantly designed que for an hour than rushing through it or waiting outside. Even BTMMR, the line moves enough to where the wait isnt bad. Of course after the recent events, the line will be shorter and shorter I bet.

Then with rides like Space and Splash, its a toss up. Ive had passes for both before and walked on to where they didnt even take the pass. Other times, Ive bypassed an hour+ wait. So what do you do?

aztectodd
07-13-2004, 11:36 AM
I think that this is a great thing for both parks. It's my opinion that within two years we'll see such big things from this current management team that we're all going to be much happier with the state of Disneyland and DCA. This is a step in the right direction and shouldn't mess with the lines all that much.

Disney Vault
07-13-2004, 02:26 PM
What also makes me so happy about it is it shows how much attention they are paying to the parks.

disneygeek87
07-13-2004, 04:13 PM
I think the lines did just fine before FASTPASS and I think they'll be just fine now. I'm happy with the decision to start cutting back the usage of the system, and I feel that'll lead to much high customer satisfaction, eventually.

Disney Vault
07-13-2004, 04:20 PM
Where do the people at miceage hear all of this info?

merlinjones
07-13-2004, 04:38 PM
Al's report seemed logical to me. Keep FastPass where you need it...

They don't need FastPass at Pirates and Mansion... never did, as they consume massive numbers of guests by the hour. Pooh and Star Tours simply don't need it. Splash Mt. does... so they'll keep it there.

Really very logical.

CoasterChickie
07-13-2004, 05:30 PM
My initial reaction was "nooooooo" but now I'm seeing a lot of good arguments both for and against the FAST PASS system. Obviously, some of you go to DL more often than others so I trust that you know which rides need 'em and which ones don't. But I have NEVER seen a short line for Splash Mountain and even with the fast past I have ALWAYS waited in a long line for Indiana Jones. ( As "brilliantly designed" as that tunnel is ,if there was no fast pass and I had to wait in the regular line, I would quit going...it's too hot in that tunnel and it makes me clautrophobic..a big earthquake could hit and they'd never find me...I know I'm not the only one that thinks those thoughts!) If Fast Pass goes, See ya !, I'll go ride the Jungle Cruise and run up and down the Tarzan tree 50 times (to burn off the pounds I'm probably gaining siiting here at the computer!) while you guys wait in line for Indy.

Disney Vault
07-13-2004, 05:58 PM
I didnt think the article said anything about taking away indiana jones FP. Did i miss that part?

CoasterChickie
07-13-2004, 06:33 PM
I was just reading MiceAge and they said that there will be no more FastPass on HM and POTC, with plans to get rid of it on many other rides. What does everybody think of that? Maybe I'm mistaken. I read this to mean they were thinking of getting rid of it on other rides too.

Disney Vault
07-13-2004, 06:42 PM
It will still be available on splash, Indiana jones, BBM, and i forget the rest. Will it still be on GRR because i have never seen a long line their either.

BJW
07-13-2004, 07:01 PM
I think this shows how poorly qualified Ouimet is as a theme park president. From what I gather on some days there will be no fastpass. Ouimet is exactly like what Paramount did to the parks in California they bought. (PGA and BG) Cosmetic features improved greatly but the parks were stripped of all of their quality. Indy has a one hour wait even on some weekdays and they want to suspend Indy's fastpass on weekdays? This proves my point about Ouimet beautifully that I made during the SAP problem. Wait until AP prices raise again.

Disney Vault
07-13-2004, 07:08 PM
He is not just making the parks looks better because he has talked about adding more rides and he knows DCA need a lot of work. And just because he raised AP prices doesnt make him a bad person to run the parks. I personally think they should have gone up in price a long time ago.

TP2000
07-13-2004, 07:21 PM
I think this shows how poorly qualified Ouimet is as a theme park president... This proves my point about Ouimet beautifully that I made during the SAP problem. Wait until AP prices raise again.

I have to respectfully disagree with you regarding Ouimet's ability to run the parks. I think all of these decisions so far have been great, and even the AP price increases are understandable. If you were selling a product that kept getting more and more customers even after a 20% increase in price, any reasonable businessman would raise the prices again, especially if it meant protecting the integrity and quality of the product.

That said, could you paraphrase and/or direct me to a link about the point you made regarding Ouimet during the SAP problem? I'm very curious what your thesis there is. Thanks.

TP2000
07-13-2004, 07:24 PM
[QUOTE=nursemelis374] Maybe I'm mistaken. I read this to mean they were thinking of getting rid of it on other rides too.

You should probably go read the entire article on Miceage. It's very interesting, and it's hard to sum up in a one or two sentence sound bite. There's much more to it than just "They are getting rid of Fastpass", and that sound bite is not accurate.