Virtual Fast Lane VS Wristbands: which do you prefer

With Kings Dominion/Carowinds and the legacy SF parks (minus DL) using virtual Fast Lane for 2026, it got me thinking what I would prefer.

I don’t mind the concept of having a reservation system for Fast Lane, but I hate the idea of having to use my phone for my FL. Personally, I like the wristbands, especially since (at least at CePo) you can get it replaced at any GS or Retail location if you have a receipt. What do you guys think?

I know this is going to sound like an old man rant.... but I personally only want to use a wristband. I don't want to carry my phone around all day, risk losing it, it getting stolen or any of the above. I would be in deep s*** if I lost my phone, so why take the chance? My phone stays in the car when I go. If CP or KI ever get rid of the wristbands, i'll just have to stop getting fastlane all together.

Twisted Timbers: "No Phones allowed!"

Six Flags: " FAST LANE ULTIMATE POWER!!@@#@$ BRING YOUR PHONES!!!"

Average Customer:

I just love the constant, non-stop rebranding/repricing/refurbing of products, just weeks before the season starts. You bought a Gold Pass at a certain time? Now it's a Prestige Pass. You want all-parks access? Sold out here, but not there. $999 here, but $499 over there. And now the parks are congregated into "regions" like athletic conferences, and you may or may not have to activate your pass at the park you purchased it at. And what if you bought all-season Fast Lane without knowing you were really buying Fast Lane Ultimate (or reserve?), and now anyone wanting to use it has to have a phone on-hand. Need it here at this park, but 8 hours away at that park not neccessary.

Over a season or at a park like Disney that has their **** together technology wise? Phone. One day at Carrowinds? Wrist band. My phone has been my camera for I don’t know how long so it comes with me.

I need my iPhone with me at all times, because I use it constantly. What if I'm in line, and I see someone wearing something that I might want to buy later? "Hey Siri... Add Super Mario Hat to the Shopping List."

Or what if I see two cute little squirrels dancing around a tree? Double press my photo button and snap a few pictures, then edit the picture, tap to use AI to delete that stupid stroller out of the background, and post it on Facebook so three or four people will tap Like.

Or what if I want to pay for my meal, but I just don't want to reach into my pocket and pull out my wallet to get out my card? I love contactless payment, even though I have to touch the pin pad to enter my pin, and to tap tips, and to choose whether or not I want a paper receipt.

Oh yeah, and what if my DJI Pocket camera's battery ran down. Stupid camera. It's like disposable these days because once the battery doesn't hold a charge anymore, you have to just throw it away. I'll probably never get one of those stupid cameras again. I like the gimbal, but my phone takes better video anyway.

I was a late cell phone adopter. I think I started when iPhone 6 came out. Now I can't live without it.

When I am forced to put the phone in a locker in order to ride, I worry myself silly, and it physically hurts my heart.

Both wristbands and phones (or Q-Bot) are great for different reasons. (And terrible for different reasons.)

If you really get to basics and be objective, you don't need a phone all of the time. You're making choices.

Nothing makes you realize you can live without your phone like a cruise with no wifi package.

There should be no problem if the parks go to a free locker and metal detector system like Twisted Timbers has at KD. You go past the FastLane check in... get to a point go through a metal detector. Put your phone in a free small locker. Go ride. Come back and get your phone then go on your way.

The issue will be on rides where they have a hard problem finding a place to put the lockers easily accessible from the fast lane merge to main queue and the ride exit.

I'm looking at Jersey Devil at Great Adventure which has no loose items but the lockers are in the entrance queue with a pain in the ass to get back to from ride exit.

I’m not a fan of virtual queues. If you’re too lazy to stand in line, you don’t deserve to ride.
And I'm not a fan of lockers either—especially the ones at TT2.
Which parks, besides KI, allow phones on all rides?

bigboy:

Nothing makes you realize you can live without your phone like a cruise with no wifi package.

I hope so. I need detoxed from relying on my personal assistant all day. I reluctantly decided not to get the wifi package. Will I survive? In a few days, you guys will finally get rid of me for at least a week.

My guess is... you'll love it.

I always unplug when I go on vacation. Unless it's critical for the trip (making reservations, taking photos, etc) my phone stays in my pocket, and I'm pretty much disconnected from the outside world. It's good for the soul!

I’m never without my phone. Never. In fact, I’m holding it right now.
My concern is not for the convenience or lack there of, it’s whether it will run down. We had to have spare packs at Disneyland and that’s what sucked.

I prefer the wristband. For water rides and water park attractions, it’s not practical to require a phone to access Fast Lane entrances

Back from my first cruise.

I understand what people are saying about the food not being top quality. Some of the food they served were of the unpronounceable, mysterious, upper-class variety, but because the meals were made to serve so many guests per night, it seemed more like a "fancy Applebees." It was like fancy cafeteria food served by a wait staff.

And the buffet was mostly crap, like buffet food usually is.

The Guy's Burgers were awesome, and the pizza was good. The pasta restaurant was decent too.

I hated being nickel-and-dimed for everything. The itinerary was mostly ads for thing to spend more money on, like it would be:

Show
Event
50% off Charm Bracelet$!!!
Get your photo taken by a profe$$ional photographer!!!
Show
Eat Here for only $50 per person!
Buy U$ed Rolex Watches- 3 for $100 Now!
Karaoke
Free Spa Massage Taster! Buy One for Only $200, Get One Half-Price Today Only!!!

...So annoying.

The ship had a very confusing layout. Some elevators didn't go all the way up, and some didn't go all the way down. Some floors didn't go all that way from Forward to Aft. I kept saying, "You can't get there from here."

Everything was so loud! Parentless teens and ten-year-olds running free, stomping around in herds.

The first few nights, I was not having any fun. Everything was crowded and stressful, and trying to schedule a show or event to coordinate with the rest of my party's agenda wasn't working. I was on the brink of vowing never to go on another cruise.

But then we got to the first destination, Half Moon cay, and it was beautiful. I spend a few hours there, and loved the clear water and white sand. And that night, I finally got the hang of finding things to do without stressing. I went with my mother and cousins, and we stayed out a little later and enjoyed the events after all the "old people" and children went to bed. I was starting to really enjoy it.

Turks and Caicos was kind of scary, with the natives heckling you to give them money for them to allow you to sit on a free-to-use beach chairs. I didn't trust them, and all the stores were diamond stores (I don't need to spend money on diamonds), so I didn't spend much time there.

And the next day was The Dominican Republic. It was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I spend all the time I could there. It was just the tourist area, but it was amazing. I didn't want to leave. I kind of cried for a few seconds when I walked back to the ship.

And the thing I liked most about the experience was getting to see all kinds of different kinds of people. The diversity of the guests and the ship's crew made me so happy. I live in West Virginia. We don't see a lot of people from other countries, or even non-white people, here.

So it was a life-changing experience that I can't wait to do again. Maybe not on Carnival again though.

And you survived without your phone. :)

I did. So, What's been going on in the news lately? ;)

I've scheduled the entire day to sit at my computer and catch up. I have 102 notification on YouTube alone.

Sorry I hijacked the topic. Like I mentioned before, my answer is Virtual Fast Lane, because it is a way to prevent people from re-riding over and over and clogging up the lines. The only way I would unconditionally support the bracelet option is if it only allowed gusts to ride once per ride, per day without standing in line. This can easily be done, and would help to alleviate the long lines for the rest of the guests.

I'm on the Disney Destiny right now (only about three months old). Most things are included here other than alcohol and bougie coffee. Excursions and spa treatments are obviously extra. But I find it insane that other lines charge you for soda or the gym.

Most of the ports in the tropics are the same, which sucks because the cultures and customs vary a ton. It's stuck behind Hooters and diamond stores. I enjoyed cruising Europe far more.

As skeptical as I was, the Wakanda vibes here are on-point. Not sure how it will age, but it's spectacular.

Jeff:

But I find it insane that other lines charge you for soda or the gym

AFAIK, only Disney and Virgin have free soft drinks. Although with NCL pretty much everyone is given the drink package so it doesn't matter that much.

Are there lines that charge to use the gym? Also, are there people that go to the gym? That cuts in to my face stuffing time!

A lot of hotels/resorts I have seen could combine the gym/exercise center with the business center. Neither gets used much at all. And if you are looking for a quiet place to take a call, gym/exercise center is often a great place in my experience. Can't say on cruises though.

Watching YouTubers, I guess it is a thing. But the soft drink thing in particular seems insane. On DCL, they have the fountains in the open on the pool deck. Included at dinner, too (where the same wait staff follows you each night and gets to know you). With our autism quirks (me and my kid), I can't imagine not having that same staff. We're having some real challenges this cruise, and it makes a difference.