Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[Wreckem]

I'm really hoping Uni's new family suites take off. We loved Cabanna Bay's family suites (especially the price!). I'm excited for the third park they have been rumored to be starting, and honestly am excited for our kids to get a little bit older so we can fully enjoy Uni. It's such a relaxed place vs WDW. We have seen families here in NE FL in our community make the "switch" due to pricing and their kids getting older and wanting the thrill rides. But more competition is good. I'm hoping Uni continues to grow and continues to actively pursue the middle class and can force WDW to respond.

And to others...this is a discussion board.....where we discuss......Disney related news/issues/rumors/which cupcakes bring us the most joy/etc......

I’m not sure why people think USO is substantially cheaper than Disney. If you look at the pricing for when a lot of people can travel(holidays and schools breaks) their pricing for hotels, tickets, etc are pretty similar.

Universal has price increases just like Disney. Rooms rooms to tickets. Ticket prices are already pretty similar. Annual passes are cheaper but that is because it’s two parks vs four. When they open their third gate, you can bet their annual pass for three parks + volcano bay will cost the same as Disney’s annual pass.

Sorry you had such a bad experience with Express Pass. I would say that's not typical though. We went the week of Thanksgiving this year. Two of our 4 days were crowd level 10 (actual, not predicted) and the longest we waited with EP was 30 min each at Gringotts and Minions. We went to each of them mid afternoon which is on nobody's list of good touring strategies so we were not surprised or disappointed with those wait times. Gringotts had a standby time of 140 mins (didn't check for Minions).

I haven't been to Disney on a comparable CL10 day so I can't say that Disney wouldn't have been better but I was pretty happy with those wait times.

The only ture 10 days or let’s call them 11 are during the week during Christmas and New Years. I waited in the express pass line for Kong for 45 minutes an gringots for an and hour and a half. If people dont think USO stand by lines hit 180+ minutes for top attractions they haven’t been in the park at true capacity.

 

[jhoannam]

Interesting conversation with longtime friends of ours.
Quick background: We all have teenage sons. 1 family has been to WDW and DL (but not in 5-6 years). Other family has never been to either.

They are planning a group vacation to Universal Orlando this July. This will be their 2nd trip together to USO in about 3 years. We declined because I am already booked at WDW this June (and now again for August for SW).

They both said we should just go with them to Uni instead because of Express Pass privileges for on site guests. They are done with endless lines at WDW (despite one being a big Star Wars fan). The teens are also done with “kiddie rides” at WDW.

In short, Disney needs to do something about the perception that it’s nothing but lines that USO clearly doesn’t have. At some point people will stop coming (or never come at all) if 180 minute waits become the norm for headliners.

We are waiting for our little one to be 54" (only 2" to go), but after that we are going to the dark side. I agree, Disney really needs to stop cutting hours and staff, those long lines could be handled better.

 

[crostorfer]

Am I the only one that applauds this, and thinks its a good idea? Probably, I usually am. I've been saying since they implemented this wretched FP+ system that I'd be willing to pay for FP's, provided I can actually get the ones I want. I'm all for this. Time and money are inversely proportional in Orlando, no matter what theme park you are visiting. I'm willing to spend one to save the other. Even if it's $50 per person, that's worth it to save 3 hours in line for me.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

And that makes a lot of assumptions, in all reality, the stock market is gambling, something which I don't do, so "investing" in the S&P isn't something I would ever do.

We do know that vacation costs, as all other expenses tend to do, increase year after year and that we are going to take at least one vacation a year, I am now in a position to take two to three a year, so investing in something that will help keep my vacation costs down makes a lot more sense then gambling on the stock market.

I always thought it was investing in efficient companies (typically in a diverse manner) to get a return on your money. Perhaps we’ll agree to disagree.

 

[CAL2]

I'm hoping if I book my holiday this year ready for next year Disney will honour the system that's in place now. if they take away the free fast passes I can see this being our last time at Disney, we already spend over £7k, we could have 2 or 3 hols a year elsewhere for that amount of money. the reason we don't is we love Disney but we are borderline on price now, guess this could be the straw that breaks the camels back.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I'm hoping if I book my holiday this year ready for next year Disney will honour the system that's in place now. if they take away the free fast passes I can see this being our last time at Disney, we already spend over £7k, we could have 2 or 3 hols a year elsewhere for that amount of money. the reason we don't is we love Disney but we are borderline on price now, guess this could be the straw that breaks the camels back.

If/when they implement a new system I don’t think the effective date will have anything to do with when you book your trip. I believe it will have to do with when they implement the change.

I have 2 trips booked for this year. One I have already booked FPs for so I anticipate them honouring those .

The second trip is in Sep and could quite likely be when a new system is in place. If this happens, in spite of me booking this trip in Aug of 2018, I fully anticipate my FP options will be based on a new system if it is in place by then.

Also, when I book my confirmation includes:
- resort and room type
- ticket pkg (optional)
- dining plan (optional)

I will have to read one again but I don’t believe my confirmation discusses FPs at all.

 

[Disneylover99]

Am I the only one that applauds this, and thinks its a good idea? Probably, I usually am. I've been saying since they implemented this wretched FP+ system that I'd be willing to pay for FP's, provided I can actually get the ones I want. I'm all for this. Time and money are inversely proportional in Orlando, no matter what theme park you are visiting. I'm willing to spend one to save the other. Even if it's $50 per person, that's worth it to save 3 hours in line for me.

We are a family of four who goes to DW for roughly 17 days each summer trip. At $50 per day, per person, it would cost us $3400 for fp's that are easy to get and free right now. No time saved and way too much money for us.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

I'm hoping if I book my holiday this year ready for next year Disney will honour the system that's in place now. if they take away the free fast passes I can see this being our last time at Disney, we already spend over £7k, we could have 2 or 3 hols a year elsewhere for that amount of money. the reason we don't is we love Disney but we are borderline on price now, guess this could be the straw that breaks the camels back.

A previous poster already gave you a great explanation, but if I may. FPs, unlike room rates or the parking fee are a bit trickier. I know there were those who were grandfathered in with the resort parking fee when that started last year. If you booked your ressie before Mar, 21, 2018 you were good. Same thing goes for a room ressie or tickets. If you purchase those before they increase the rates, then you are good to go. Unfortunately, if you purchase at a higher rate and it goes down afterwards, Disney will not give you the difference. FP, because of how they are booked wouldn't apply to this. There was some talk of this rolling out in May of this year, so I would assume anyone who already booked their FPs would be good in that regards. However, if they wanted more while at the park, they would have to pay. Everyone else who needed FPs after May was just going to have to pay. I've read now, where this is not something that can or will happen in May, but probably more closer to when SWGE opens. Luckily, my family doesn't go to Disney often, even though we are FL residents. Paid FPs won't stop me from going to Disney, it's just an extra expense that I'll have to put into our Disney budget on our next trip 3 or 4 years from now. We are going in a couple of months, so I'm going to enjoy the FP+ system in place now!

 

[dlavender]

I’m not sure why people think USO is substantially cheaper than Disney. If you look at the pricing for when a lot of people can travel(holidays and schools breaks) their pricing for hotels, tickets, etc are pretty similar.

Universal has price increases just like Disney. Rooms rooms to tickets. Ticket prices are already pretty similar. Annual passes are cheaper but that is because it’s two parks vs four. When they open their third gate, you can bet their annual pass for three parks + volcano bay will cost the same as Disney’s annual pass.

I mean, 2nd week of December 2017 we stayed at the Royal Pacific resort for $240/night. Comes with express pass and is their deluxe. That week at WDW cheapest deluxe was close to $500. Cabana bay in Feb last year was $149 for the family suite. AoA suite was $349 that same time. ASMu suite was $249. Cabana is twice the place ASMu is... That’s why I and others say that. And their top tier AP is way cheaper than WDW as you point out. Now we can debate the reasons that that is true, but still doesn’t change the fact that it is true....

 

[Spaceguy55]

This is still a selling point for staying on property/tickets and still showing in FAQ...so it's part of buying a ticket or booking a room.

Skip the standby line for select attractions, shows and Character Greetings. The best part? FastPass+ service is included in the price of theme park admission. What are you waiting for?

Sign In to Start


Before You Arrive

Check availability for must-do experiences and lock in 1, 2 or 3 FastPass+ selections for each day of your ticket at a single park.
Choose More as You Go
After you enjoy your third FastPass+ experience, you’re free to make another selection at an in-park kiosk or on your mobile device. Use that one, then get one more (based on availability)―and repeat!
Plan Ahead for Greater Selection
Just link park admission to your Disney account to start using FastPass+ service. With a ticket or pass, you can make your selections up to 30 days in advance—starting at 7:00 AM Eastern Time.
If you are staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you can make your FastPass+ selections up to 60 days prior to check-in for the entire length of your stay.

I expect if and when they add a paid FP+ option that it will take effect just like paid parking...there will be a date that if booked after..that this will no longer be available.
I'm guessing they might add a paid option like the current CL option for resort guests only and keep the 3 for free for all other tickets and resort stays.
Considering SWGE did not cause all the rooms to be booked so far this Fall... that even if they were thinking about a change that it might not be a good idea to change the current perk anytime soon.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Considering SWGE did not cause all the rooms to be booked so far this Fall... that even if they were thinking about a change that it might not be a good idea to change the current perk anytime soon.

Yes. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Several places are talking about the post-SWGE availability. I don't know if it's because both rides aren't opening or if the hype has backfired. Or if it just caught people so off guard that they aren't prepared to change their plans to move up their trips for the opening.

 

[Spaceguy55]

And even more things that would need to change before a FP+ change for us AP holders...

Annual Passes – Frequently Asked Questions

Q.
I am a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder. How far in advance can I make FastPass+ selections?

A.
Annual Passholders may secure up to 3 experiences per day up to 30 days in advance. Your pass allows you to plan 7 days of FastPass+ selections within any 30-day period for one park per day. Secure up to 3 experiences per day up to 30 days in advance—starting at 7:00 AM Eastern Time. And if plans change, it’s easy to update or cancel your selections.

If you have a valid Walt Disney World Annual Pass, please follow these simple steps:

1. Create or sign into your Disney account.
2. Link your Annual Pass or Passes to your account, if you have not already done so.
3. Make your FastPass+ selections .

Passholders with reservations at a Disney Resort hotel can start making FastPass+ selections up to 60 days prior to check-in for the entire length of your stay.

As with Guests using tickets, once you redeem your initial set of FastPass+ selections (or the last arrival window has passed), you can make another FastPass+ selection for the same day at an in-park kiosk or using your mobile device. After you redeem your initial 3 selections, use the app or head to a kiosk to make another selection. If your Annual Pass permits you to visit a second park on the same day, you have the option to make additional FastPass+ selections at another park—even if you’re in a different park from your original selections!

So I'm sure nothing will change except maybe a paid option..they just have too much invested in the current way, and need the steady revenue from it.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Yes. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Several places are talking about the post-SWGE availability. I don't know if it's because both rides aren't opening or if the hype has backfired. Or if it just caught people so off guard that they aren't prepared to change their plans to move up their trips for the opening.

It’s a land opening with one ride, I think the hype was overdone to be honest.

 

[rteetz]

It’s a land opening with one ride, I think the hype was overdone to be honest.

It’s Star Wars they could open it without any rides and it would be hyped.

 

[ksromack]

And even more things that would need to change before a FP+ change for us AP holders...

Annual Passes – Frequently Asked Questions

Q.
I am a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder. How far in advance can I make FastPass+ selections?

A.
Annual Passholders may secure up to 3 experiences per day up to 30 days in advance. Your pass allows you to plan 7 days of FastPass+ selections within any 30-day period for one park per day. Secure up to 3 experiences per day up to 30 days in advance—starting at 7:00 AM Eastern Time. And if plans change, it’s easy to update or cancel your selections.

If you have a valid Walt Disney World Annual Pass, please follow these simple steps:

1. Create or sign into your Disney account.
2. Link your Annual Pass or Passes to your account, if you have not already done so.
3. Make your FastPass+ selections .

Passholders with reservations at a Disney Resort hotel can start making FastPass+ selections up to 60 days prior to check-in for the entire length of your stay.

As with Guests using tickets, once you redeem your initial set of FastPass+ selections (or the last arrival window has passed), you can make another FastPass+ selection for the same day at an in-park kiosk or using your mobile device. After you redeem your initial 3 selections, use the app or head to a kiosk to make another selection. If your Annual Pass permits you to visit a second park on the same day, you have the option to make additional FastPass+ selections at another park—even if you’re in a different park from your original selections!

So I'm sure nothing will change except maybe a paid option..they just have too much invested in the current way, and need the steady revenue from it.

All they have to do is change the verbage on these. I guess they could grandfather in the current AP holders until their year is up then everything will go to the new way. Again, nothing has rolled out yet. It's a waiting game.

And right now, US/IoA have the prices on their APs and resorts that they have NOW. We had a 2 night stay at Portofino with free front of the line and early entry each morningWith the rumored 3rd or 4th gate (depending on if you qualify Volcano Bay as the 3rd gate now), I would expect their prices to increase dramatically because, well, they'll have to pay for a new park too, right?

 

[crostorfer]

We are a family of four who goes to DW for roughly 17 days each summer trip. At $50 per day, per person, it would cost us $3400 for fp's that are easy to get and free right now. No time saved and way too much money for us.

I’m sorry it wouldn’t work for you, but it’s usually just my daughter and I, and we split two weeks a year between Disney and Uni. Paying would work much better for us than FP+ in its current state. I’m all for it.

 

[DisLiss]

Am I the only one that applauds this, and thinks its a good idea? Probably, I usually am. I've been saying since they implemented this wretched FP+ system that I'd be willing to pay for FP's, provided I can actually get the ones I want. I'm all for this. Time and money are inversely proportional in Orlando, no matter what theme park you are visiting. I'm willing to spend one to save the other. Even if it's $50 per person, that's worth it to save 3 hours in line for me.

I'd be applauding it if I believed it would make a noticeable positive difference, but I'm not convinced of that. Now, my perception could be off, but I don't think that the FP lines at Disney are much longer/shorter waits (in terms of 5 of time saved as opposed to the regular line) than the EP lines at Universal. I feel like they both save you about the same amount of time. So I don't know why/how WDW implementing a Universal style FP system would make the lines any better.

Mind you, we avoid going during the really, really busy times of year, so perhaps during those times Universal's system really is faster than Disney's?? If that's the case then I understand why others see things differently than I do.

 

[Hikergirl]

I'm not sure if you didn't understand my post or if you're just straw manning me, but in case it's the former, a paid FP and 6-year-old-Chinese-laboring-hands equivalence was never drawn.

My point was that there are logical reasons why chasing that bottom line just because Disney can, may not be the best move in the long term, financially.

You bring up sweatshops to make that point and I'm the one straw manning?
Here's the thing, for every guest whining that Disney is just one greedy company only looking to make money, there is another guests who understands that is the nature of a for profit company and has no problems spending more for those perks. Company makes money, guests gets guaranteed FPs. That is what some call a win-win

 

[cmwade77]

I always thought it was investing in efficient companies (typically in a diverse manner) to get a return on your money. Perhaps we’ll agree to disagree.

Nope, you are gambling that a company or group of companies will do well, you don't know if they will or not. You certainly hope they will, but it really isn't much different than betting on a horse at a race track, the risk of loosing all of your money is still quite real, although you might be able to pull out from stocks before loosing everything, but not always.

 

[Hikergirl]

Am I the only one that applauds this, and thinks its a good idea? Probably, I usually am. I've been saying since they implemented this wretched FP+ system that I'd be willing to pay for FP's, provided I can actually get the ones I want. I'm all for this. Time and money are inversely proportional in Orlando, no matter what theme park you are visiting. I'm willing to spend one to save the other. Even if it's $50 per person, that's worth it to save 3 hours in line for me.

I'm with you. Give me the option to purchase some FP's, I'll gladly spend more to avoid waiting in line for hours.