Having To Pay For Disney Fast Passes

[Moorlandman]

Paying for fast passes would suit those that only have limited time at Disney like most American visitors.

[YorkshireT]

I think this is the problem- in good times the Americans (or a proportion of them) seem to spend silly money and live like multi millionaires, albeit their trips are shorter. Thus they will pay at $1000+ a night for a 1 bed at Xmas (yes I was just looking on the US site today), they will pay for $500 cabanas on the Disney Cruise (there is competition to book them at this price believe it or not), they will pay hundreds for their family to attend 'parties' or Extra Magic Hours, when they have tickets for that park anyway, and will pay a hundred per head to eat at Tony's and sit behind a rope watching the parade. They like a 'VIP' experience and they are queuing up to spend their hard earned on the next dessert party.
It is these people Disney now wants- if you are average Joe, yes if you pony up enough you can come in, but they will take every penny from you can and don't expect convenience or special treatment. I expect there will be different levels of fast pass package- some to get the money out of 'average Joe' but some that will play to the customers they really want - at a price.
Maybe I am being harsh in my assessment, but I will be extremely disillusioned if this comes in as suggested by Marni as one of the reasons I stay on site, and thus one reason I bought DVC was the three fastpass and I for one love the system and the ability to get fast passes throughout the day. This summer I did virtually no queuing at all. Now this ability may cost me $800+ a trip.
The latest money grab is a pirate party at Beach Club- does it ever end- where for $50 plus tax, your little one can go on a treasure hunt around the hotel with some of the staff, then take a boat around the lake. I remember when such 'magical' extras would be included in your $1000 a night room rate.

[Andybear]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

I can see them keeping the existing system where you can book 3 fastpasses for free but then add a new option where you can buy book additional fastpasses for an extra charge (in fact, that sort of already exists). That's a totally different thing to charging to book any fastpasses at all.

I wouldn't put it past Disney charging for fastpasses. Most other theme parks charge to use their 'fastpass' system, so I'm surprised Disney have resisted charging for fastpasses for so long. However, there are many ways Disney can extract guest's money without going down this route and incurring the wrath of social media. Like I mentioned, they could charge for additional fastpasses or charge to book fastpasses earlier than 60 days or charge for special events when the queues are short, etc.

(BTW, Universal's Express pass system used to be free, although it used to be more like Disney's fastpass system back then).

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Why incurring the wrath of social media? I'm sure the millions of people not on it wouldn't be happy either.

[Andybear]

Originally Posted by johnscone

Personally I wouldn't be too bothered as long as we still get the 3 free FP+. I could count on one hand the times I've used my fourth fast pass anyway because by the time I've used my 3 fastpasses the only rides available on the app are either ones I wouldnt bother with or ones that have no queue anyway.

We are regular Orlando visitors (at least once a year) and we have just come back this week. It was the first time we've ever been without visiting Disney and to be honest I didn't miss it at all.

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Last year was my first visit to Orlando since 1997 and I'm also going this year. So at the moment I can't imagine going to Orlando without going to Disney.

[bighal]

Originally Posted by talk talk

Really keen to know where this rumour started as it would be good to carry out some research and verify if its authentic 😀

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Paying for fastpasses rumours have been going around since 2009 or earlier... so its nothing new. It comes up every year, say it enough years and eventually it could come true..

[scoobydooby]

The best way to avoid the lines will still be to get up early and get in first. If they keep giving 3 FPP for free again this will still work well. Even people with money to throw about can’t get up. Disney are getting greedier and greedier. I’m not defending them. But getting up early will remain a free ‘gift’ unless every park introduces a paid early hours event every day.

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by bighal

Paying for fastpasses rumours have been going around since 2009 or earlier... so its nothing new. It comes up every year, say it enough years and eventually it could come true..

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Bighal this is very new- Martin (Marni) has said it is happening. Anyone who knows this guy knows he does not come out with false rumours. This is why on other boards he isn’t on (for example the big board) people have taken it totally seriously that it is actually happening as they know the source.
The only way it isn’t happening is if they change plans.

[bighal]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

Bighal this is very new- Martin (Marni) has said it is happening. Anyone who knows this guy knows he does not come out with false rumours. This is why on other boards he isn’t on (for example the big board) people have taken it totally seriously that it is actually happening as they know the source.
The only way it isn’t happening is if they change plans.

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Im not saying it is or isn't happening. I known Marni's reputation but he has said things in the past that were going to happen (he was told by his very good sources) but in the end Disney decided not to go ahead with them.

As always with any rumour wait until Disney announces something and it actually starts for it to be true.

[Tinkerbell]

Originally Posted by bighal

Im not saying it is or isn't happening. I known Marni's reputation but he has said things in the past that were going to happen (he was told by his very good sources) but in the end Disney decided not to go ahead with them.

As always with any rumour wait until Disney announces something and it actually starts for it to be true.

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Yep, most recent example being Star Wars isn’t going to open in the fall despite what Disney said, and every pundit predicted.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

Bighal this is very new- Martin (Marni) has said it is happening. Anyone who knows this guy knows he does not come out with false rumours.

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It's not that Marni makes up false rumours. It's that what he's reporting on is internal rumours and information that might not actually happen.

For example, in January 2014, Marni reported that Disney was considering a Lion King dark ride in AK. That was 5 years ago. It still hasn't happened.

Another example: Back in April 2017 Marni reported that Disney were considering a Mary Poppins ride for the UK pavilion. Then in September 2017 he reported it wouldn't be a Mary Poppins ride but another Disney property, probably Brave. He reported the ride would be finished in 2020. Then this changed to early 2021 and that the original proposal was not for a Mary Poppins ride (even though that's what he originally reported). And now in Feb 2019 he's reporting it will be a Mary Poppins ride after all and not Brave. After 2 years we still haven't had any official word from Disney and no work has started on this ride yet, so it's unlikely to open in early 2021, as he rumoured. Assuming Disney doesn't change it's mind and drop the whole thing, of course.

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

The only way it isn’t happening is if they change plans.

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And that's the point. There's nothing definite. It might happen - and it seems Disney are certainly considering the idea. Or Disney might change their minds and it might not happen. We'll have to wait and see.