Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[rteetz]

I’m also curious about the details, like, for instance, how soon would such a change be, a) announced, and b) implemented? I would imagine they’d eliminate the club level FastPass program if this change came about, right? Unless this new option made people stick to tiers - maybe different costs for tier 1 and 2. Also, would the cost for passes be similar to what the CL FP+ program charges, which is essentially $17/pass? Would they also require a minimum with this new, paid option?

I’m really interested in the details here. I’m not entirely against the idea.

I think the CL FP was a test bed for this.

This is supposed to happen later this year. If I had to guess it would be implemented before SWGE.

 

[mom2rtk]

I guess the biggest perk now would be transportation.

What a gift to car rental companies this could be.

 

[snappy]

Car services and ride sharing too.

 

[Rschall]

I cannot see how there isn’t still some advantage for onsite. Perhaps onsite gets the option of purchasing these FPs first, meaning if you want to ride the hot rides, you need to be onsite. Something like that.

 

[snappy]

It sounds like the FP refresh strategy is doomed.

 

[JETSDAD]

It sounds like the FP refresh strategy is doomed.

That's what I'm afraid of

 

[SaintsManiac]

I will reserve judgment for when we have real details, but this sounds like a disaster.

 

[mom2rtk]

It sounds like the FP refresh strategy is doomed.

Probably not if you have a major CC attached to your account.

 

[BebopBaloo]

I don't really like being all doom and gloom on something before it is even announced. It's just hard to feel positive about being charged for something that has been free to use and has been extremely helpful to enjoying the parks.

 

[snappy]

I really liked skipping rope drop and making FP starting at 10-11 am. I guess it was too good to last. Deluxe stays at Universal are looking better and better.

 

[anomamatt]

Getting rid of the ability to get "4th" FPs would totally alter the way my family Disney's. And not in a good way.

I would love to pay for 10 anytime FP a day. That would be exciting... But this won't be that... In contrast, I never did the CLFPs (despite several CL stays while the program was around) because it was too inflexible.

If they are going to change FP+ entirely, why not move to MaxPass? That is, IMO, a near perfect system (though honestly I have not used it, haha, but watched many videos and read a bunch about it in preparation for a DL trip).

 

[SilSprBea]

I wonder if it might be more like the system at Disneyland Paris where you can buy different tiers-- the standard, super and ultimate?

 

[snappy]

Disney could sure use some special normally paid FP package as an free incentive for direct DVC purchases over a certain threshold or staying on cash in pricey suites or those poly units on the water.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

This rumor does not feel very magical.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Glad I bumped down from deluxe to value for November, so I can afford to buy FP.

 

[DisLiss]

I know the first thought of many, myself included, is "Well Universal has been charging for quite awhile now.", but then I think, but Disney wants to be the preferred place to go, so having a one-up in Universal in terms of perceived value is kind of a big deal for them. Let's face it...Universal isn't just a day trip anymore. They're seriously looking to steal from WDW's guest list, so to speak, ever since the addition of Wizarding World and Volcano Bay. They now have 2 main parks (Which for some folks work out to be more like three since people tend to to treat the entire Wizarding area as a park of its own.), 1 water park, their answer to Disney Springs, while adding more and more resorts themselves.

I used to see so many people say "We're going to Disney for a week, but taking one day to go to Universal". Now I see a lot more folks splitting that week more evenly between the 2, which 4 days at WDW, and 3 at Universal or something like that. For our next trip, we're even going to spend 2 nights at a Universal Resort and we have never done that before. Our current plan is to be at WDW for 7 days, enough for all 4 parks and the 2 water parks. We're NOT currently planning to go to Volcano Bay, however. My kids are getting older and they like some the more intense rides at Universal, plus they love Harry Potter, and since Disney screwed up on that situation , Universal automatically gets our money to feed our Potter love. But if Disney is going to start acting more like Universal, then people like us, who currently still prefer Disney, may start to have less reasons for that preference. If they start to feel more and more alike, then we start to lose the reason to give more of our money to Disney. It seems so crazy (and sad) to me to think that someday we may treat Disney as the add-on to an Orlando trip.

So, long story short, I think Disney needs to remember that while it may be great for them to use some of the ideas used in Wizarding World over in Galaxy's Edge, people still like them for the the things that makes them different from Universal, too.

 

[mom2rtk]

I know the first thought of many, myself included, is "Well Universal has been charging for quite awhile now.", but then I think, but Disney wants to be the preferred place to go, so having a one-up in Universal in terms of perceived value is kind of a big deal for them. Let's face it...Universal isn't just a day trip anymore. They're seriously looking to steal from WDW's guest list, so to speak, ever since the addition of Wizarding World and Volcano Bay. They now have 2 main parks (Which for some folks work out to be more like three since people tend to to treat the entire Wizarding area as a park of its own.), 1 water park, their answer to Disney Springs, while adding more and more resorts themselves.

I used to see so many people say "We're going to Disney for a week, but taking one day to go to Universal". Now I see a lot more folks splitting that week more evenly between the 2, which 4 days at WDW, and 3 at Universal or something like that. For our next trip, we're even going to spend 2 nights at a Universal Resort and we have never done that before. Our current plan is to be at WDW for 7 days, enough for all 4 parks and the 2 water parks. We're NOT currently planning to go to Volcano Bay, however. My kids are getting older and they like some the more intense rides at Universal, plus they love Harry Potter, and since Disney screwed up on that situation , Universal automatically gets our money to feed our Potter love. But if Disney is going to start acting more like Universal, then people like us, who currently still prefer Disney, may start to have less reasons for that preference. If they start to feel more and more alike, then we start to lose the reason to give more of our money to Disney. It seems so crazy (and sad) to me to think that someday we may treat Disney as the add-on to an Orlando trip.

So, long story short, I think Disney needs to remember that while it may be great for them to use some of the ideas used in Wizarding World over in Galaxy's Edge, people still like them for the the things that makes them different from Universal, too.

Unless Disney plans on giving this to on-site guests for free, Disney and Universal are nothing alike.

 

[Farro]

So you will paying for something that used to be included?

I am not sure how anyone could see anything positive in this.

Wow. This is bad. Really bad. I was okay with adding the option to buy as long as we still had the original 3 free. But taking that away?

I've never been a "this will be our last trip", but at this point without knowing how much they will increase resort rates, tickets, etc. for 2020 and now paying for additional fast passes...I wonder if last trip was our last trip. I don't have an unlimited Disney budget.

 

[JaxDad]

If the 60-day perk has helped keep the onsite resorts full, I think they will continue to provide something similar. If it doesn’t matter—if the resorts will be full anyway—why bother, at least from a profit perspective.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Wow. This is bad. Really bad. I was okay with adding the option to buy as long as we still had the original 3 free. But taking that away?

I've never been a "this will be our last trip", but at this point without knowing how much they will increase resort rates, tickets, etc. for 2020 and now paying for additional fast passes...I wonder if last trip was our last trip. I don't have an unlimited Disney budget.

It’s tough not to think that way. I invested in APs for my family. They’re activated. We are doing the next two trips and then we were out for a bit anyway.

I have 6 day hoppers in my account for a future trip. That trip could be years away and might be offsite at this rate.