Why Fastpass at Disney can be horrible
You are right...by most standards, you actually ARE waiting longer for the ride. But why complain when you can get a ticket, eat lunch, and then wait 10 minutes in like for Space Mountain instead of 45? So what's the problem? It benefits the park and the customer. That hour that you spent out of the line was better put to use...out of the line.
And once again, its unfair to judged Disney's fast pass by the results of what happened at CP.
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Idle hands were orient to her.
kip099 said:
Except the people behind you on the second ride...
Wrong! You see, if you hadn't used your Lo-Q, then you'd have been standing right in front of those people. They waited exactly the same amount of time.
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www.coasterimage.com
scanz said:
Lord, I've said this before. The concept of Fastpass does look very good on paper. So does Communism.
Don't act like we're ignorant for not liking it. Obviously there's a problem when so many people have bad experiences with it. Our argument is as good as yours.
Fair enough, but I think the reason so many people hate it is that they don't understand it. No one has really made a good arguement against it, just the simple "everybody should have to wait in line" arguement. Why wait when you can do something else in that same amount of time? The other argument is "why should someone be allowed to cut in fornt of me!" - well, they're not. Simple as that.
I don't mean to sound so condescending, but I have a hard time understanding how so many enthusiasts can't understand the systems in question. They obviously work or the parks wouldn't keep using them. Every similar system I've used has worked fabuolously for me and my family (even the dreaded MF version at CP - although it was severly flawed) and I can only speak from experience... and from the looks of this thread more people have had a good experience with similar systems than have had bad experiences.
Want me to open a whole new can of worms? What about Universal resort guests getting front of the line access all day? I'll give you guys that one - that's flat out line cutting, it increases your wait by giving someone a special perk because they paid more money to the company. Want me to blow your mind further? I don't mind it one bit. :)
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www.coasterimage.com
*** This post was edited by Lord Gonchar on 2/13/2002. ***
Lord Gonchar… If you use your Low-Q on one ride then get in line for another, aren’t you effectively standing in two lines at once? (therefore making the line longer for the people behind you on one of the two rides) I’ve never seen the Low-Q in action, but this is my understanding of how it works. It makes the experience better for anyone who uses the system and worse for anyone who doesn’t.
But anyway, I can be as much of a hypocrite as the next guy… I’ve used Disney’s Fastpass, I’ve been an on-site Universal guest, and when you use these systems they kick butt (screw everybody else – if they don’t use the system, that’s their fault…)
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Florida needs an Intamin and/or CCI soon...PLEASE!
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!
Ok, now I see where you're coming from. Finally someone was able to explain it in a way that makes sense!
To a degree I guess you are in two lines at once, but the idea from the park's perspective is that they want everyone to use it. So essentially everyone is standing in two lines at once. I guess...
Heck, we've talked this thing into circles so much that I'm even confusing myself now :)
Bottom line for me is:
Everytime I've been at a park that used some sort of virtual queue system I was extremely satisfied with the results. I ususally got more rides in one day than I would have without and I never felt like I was being cut in front of in line.
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www.coasterimage.com
Jman said:
I love fastpass. I was at MGM and rode Tower of Terror and Rock n' Roller Coaster with a 4 minute wait for ToT and a 10 minute wait for RnRC, and the park was JAMMED. Used it the whole day...it was great! I also would like to see the single rider lines that they have at IOA implemented at other parks.
That is fastpass at it's finest. The rides are right next to each other so you can basically just get a fastpass on RnRC and ride ToT. By the time ToT's over you can ride RnRC and get a new fastpass.
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The Scream Site
http://www.screamsite.cjb.net
I'd just as soon do away with this gimmick. I'd prefer increased capacity. It's annoying waiting for 'special' people who have passes to get let in front of you...even when you have the ability to be 'special' at other times yourself. I don't think the good old fashioned system of waiting in line was ever broken...so don't fix it.
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"I'll bet that thing hits 5 Gs going through that loop.....faaar ooouut!"
Zimm Said: Just imagine everyone in a line now moved over to the fastpass lane. You can't get everyone at ride at 1:30 for example, so the waiting will be just as bad after a few years when everyone does fastpass.
They only give out a certain amount of Fastpasses for that time slot. Once that time slot is sold out, they move to the next one. Therefore, this wouldn't happen. One day it was around 12noon and the Test Track Fastpasses were being issued for 9pm.
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So...you can't handle a rollercoaster huh? Well...you ARE the Weakest Link! Goodbye!
Number 1 Batwing Fan!
*** This post was edited by scoaster on 2/15/2002. ***
2Hostyl said:
As I said before, if you are not working at max cap, fastpass does no good.
jeremy
And, I'll add to that, if you ARE working at max capacity, there's no real need. Paraphrasing: "A bad solution to a problem that doesn't exist..."
Sure FastPass users MAY get an extra ride or two, but check out TOTAL rides given in a single day at ANY park using these "systems", and I think it's readily apparent that they ALL serve to reduce capacity...which, by the magic of marketing, actually increases the PERCEIVED need for the systems by increasing wait times...-----------------
Florida needs an Intamin and/or CCI soon...PLEASE!
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!
*Capacity does not change.* The same amount of people are being shuttled through the ride as before the systems were in place. Therefore, no more people are riding the ride in a day than before the system. Does this help you to get more done in a day? Only marginally; time usually spent eating or shopping in the park (which for many is *very* little) can be spent "virtually" waiting in the line. Logically, there is *no possible way* that you can ride more attractions in a day (except for maybe one while eating...see above) with the systems than without the system! If you are riding more in a day than usual (without FP), then there *must* be people who are riding a whole lot less! I enjoyed parks when they were fair to everyone...and I guess I'm in the minority on that.
Bottom line...Fast Pass is not always going to make you wait "shorter." It will make your day better utilized if you use it right. Instead of waiting in line for Roger Rabbit, we decided to Fast Pass it, and eat lunch while we were waiting. It worked perfectly. Instead of waiting in line for Haunted Mansion, we rode Pirates of the Carribean, and then got in the fast pass line for Mansion. We ate dinner while fast passing it for Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road. Everything else, the difference in Fast Pass wait and Stand- By wait wasn't worth the difference. It worked great. I'd be really interested to know what the general feedback has been. As far as I could tell, people weren't having problems with it. I would venture to say it has been overwhelmingly positive, but it would still be interesting to see. Disney is all about guest experience...I don't see why they would keep a system like this if people weren't happy with it.
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If the shoe fits, find another one.
I don't understand what you mean by increased capacity, unless your talking about SF. Disney's capacity is as good as it gets, unless you want their attractions to consist entirely of ten to fifteen trains, and about a thirty second ride. And for my money, there is nothing old fashioned about a three hour wait for Indiana Jones, that's an entirely modern thing. I never want to go back to that.
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Have you ever considered that maybe it's not the park that's the problem, but YOU?
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Florida needs an Intamin and/or CCI soon...PLEASE!
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!
ravenguy98 said:
But the thing is...how often does Disney not work at Max Capacity? Most all of the Disney rides are built so that the hourly throughputs are hilarious. Where did i read that Pirates of the Carribean gets over 7000 pph? But the thing is, lines still get long. That's the thing at Disney parks...lines are virutally always going to be long, no matter when you go. (there are a few exceptions, but they are few and far between.)
Bottom line...Fast Pass is not always going to make you wait "shorter." It will make your day better utilized if you use it right. Instead of waiting in line for Roger Rabbit, we decided to Fast Pass it, and eat lunch while we were waiting. It worked perfectly. Instead of waiting in line for Haunted Mansion, we rode Pirates of the Carribean, and then got in the fast pass line for Mansion. We ate dinner while fast passing it for Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road. Everything else, the difference in Fast Pass wait and Stand- By wait wasn't worth the difference. It worked great. I'd be really interested to know what the general feedback has been. As far as I could tell, people weren't having problems with it. I would venture to say it has been overwhelmingly positive, but it would still be interesting to see. Disney is all about guest experience...I don't see why they would keep a system like this if people weren't happy with it.
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If the shoe fits, find another one.
Ravenguy did exactly what Disney had in mind. If you are standing in line, you are not spending money. He ate both lunch and dinner while utilizing the Fastpass which meant revenue for the park and a sense on his part that he was using his time wisely, thus getting more bang for his buck.
That is the whole philosophy behind Fastpass and he couldn't have described it any better.
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If the shoe fits, find another one.
I get the distinct impression that the people who are such advocates of this system are the people who haven't dealt with it on a busy day!
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
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