Reply from Disney regarding Fastpass Disgust

[Potterer]

We were one of the first how ever many hundred or thousand on SDMT as we were there in May and on SDMT on 29th May. I managed to get a FP+ before we went and we pretty much walked on.

We had already booked our other FP+ at 60 days but booked SDMT sometime at the end of April as we were waiting for them to put it on the MDE.

It was a huge disappointment to be honest. The swinging carriage is different and the ride is very smooth but as we were near the back of the ride when you pull up outside the cottage you can't see in like you can if you are near the front of the ride (had seen YouTube videos before we left) so we didn't see Snow White dancing inside etc.

Re FP+ as this was my second time to Disney the first time being before legacy FP (the old FP system) back then it was queue or don't ride. This time round I could book big queue rides like Toy Story easily. We left about 5 days empty of FP+ because we didn't know what our children would like.

They liked Test Track so much we changed Soarin' to TT on one of the days and then added in FP+ when we were at Disney using our phones.

Like others, this was meant to be a once in a lifetime holiday so I researched, asked someone a million questions as they had been before, read the Ultimate guide to Disneyworld with kids, listened to podcasts from The Dis, and read lots other Disney websites and forums including Orlando Informer for Universal Studio stuff.

Anyone who already knows about the Dibb should have a pretty good idea of what they are walking into. If you just said, hey we'll head over to Disney as we are in the area, I could understand the frustration about FP+ but it has been widely publicised, criticised and praised. I am in the praise camp, especially as when we went on SDMT the standby wait time was 5 hours

[Moleymole]

The fact of the matter is that way things are with the systems now, it is not realsitic to just rock up to Disney without doing your homework and planning... and then expect to get on everything you want and do everything. It's not ideal no, and it's not good for late bookers but at such a cost I'm more than willing to become a computer geek in order to get the best out of WDW if I have manged to book early enough to do so.

[Glasgow trip]

Originally Posted by hutchy16

Totally agree with you. There seems to be a handful of people on here at the moment who are slating the new service, which please guys remember is FREE, and you could have to pay for it like at universal. But to turn it around and insult other people because they like to be organised and book in advance is just rude and ridiculous. I wouldn't insult someone else just because they decided to go to disney at the busiest time of the year without booking anything and sit tapping away on a phone or laptop about computer geeks sitting locked away on their computers (that's just one of the many comments I've seen today) whilst they should be out enjoying themselves.

But seriously, if you have the technology to be posting to he dibb whilst on holiday then you have the technology to book fast passes online, and don't worry, you won't turn into a computer geek by doing this, panic not my fellow dibbers!

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Couldn't agree more!

[Guest]

I'm going on Sunday, just checked out fast passes for next Wednesday and there is more than plenty! Don't see the problem really...

Yes I get its frustrating not having a fast pass, we experienced it two years ago. We were in a car crash on our way to disney, not one was hurt so we still made it to Disney but not till late afternoon. We waited around 2-2 1/2 hours just to ride Rock n Rollercoaster because we were too late for fastpasses and they just seemed to let only fastpasses through. Very frustrating.

However like I said I can get the ones I want for next week, so what is the problem with booking a week in advance?

[LadyDebs86]

The fact is, I think people get a bit wound up about the whole FP thing. People seem to think they run out... when we were over there a couple of months ago, pretty much every attraction was available on the day via the kiosks. Mine Train is new so inevitably people are going to rush for this, but for everything else you don't need to be a 'computer geek' or 'obsessive planner' to get a FP.

For the record I got FPs for everything I wanted in advance of my holiday, I did not get up at 5am at any point to book these, I did them as and when. I changed many of mine the night before when our plans changed, and never had problems getting the ones I wanted.

People also seem to forget that if you don't get a FP this doesn't stop you getting on a ride. There is a perfectly good standby queue, if you're really desperate enough to ride something you will wait for an hour. If you aren't, you won't. But you can't then complain you 'couldn't get on the ride'. You chose not to, which is very different.

[stationeryguru]

If we get on it then good, if not we will just carry on enjoying our holiday. It's not 'life & death' that we have to ride it IMHO

[Guest]

The ride - it's like a gentle Bog Thunder Mountain with a mine scene thrown in:

[DaveyPitch]

Originally Posted by floridasarah

My only gripe is that off siters are discriminated against and have to wait till 30 days before to book so all the good ones will likely be gone by then

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I guess that's one way to look at it. The way I looked at it is that it's more a benefit for those people who stay on site, considering the extra money they pay to stay there. We stayed on site and it does cost a lot more than staying off site, so to be honest I do expect some extra benefits to justify the extra cost.

[Mjordan]

sorry to jump in, but as someone who hasn't been before and doesn't know anything about these fast passes, do you have to book well in advance choosing what day/time you want to ride something?

Its just I wont know what park I will be visiting until the day before, so will this hinder us getting FPs?

Thanks

[DaveyPitch]

Originally Posted by Mjordan

sorry to jump in, but as someone who hasn't been before and doesn't know anything about these fast passes, do you have to book well in advance choosing what day/time you want to ride something?

Its just I wont know what park I will be visiting until the day before, so will this hinder us getting FPs?

Thanks

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Yes, ideally you need to book a good number of days in advance if you want to make the best use of FP+. If you only do it the day before you almost certainly won't be able to get a FP for any of the most popular attractions, they'll be gone way in advance of that. If you can't plan further in advance to that, I'd just recommend getting to the parks at opening and head straight to the busiest rides.