When Will FastPass Return to Disney World?
Wondering when FastPass+ will come back at Walt Disney World or if it’ll be replaced by a paid ride reservation system? This post covers dates free FastPasses could return, how virtual queues reduce park capacity, and the possibility of Premier Access, MaxPass, and the Genie app as replacements that will cost money. (Updated August 12, 2021.)
Walt Disney World suspended FastPass prior to the reopening of the parks. While the official rationale for this was to use the extra queue space for the standby lines, it was actually due to physical distancing. Physical distancing is gone, attendance has increased, and wait times have gone up since then.
Consequently, there has been significant backlash to the elimination of FastPass+ among fans, hence this post. Walt Disney World has not provided any actual updates on FastPass since last year, but the rumor mill has gone into overdrive, and we have all the possibilities and theories for you. (Note: for the August 2021 updates, scroll down to the “Will FastPass+ be replaced by a different system at Walt Disney World?” section above the Runaway Railway photo.)
First, let’s answer a different but related question we’ve been hearing from guests: “Is FastPass+ already back at Walt Disney World?!” This is one we’ve actually heard asked in the parks a lot while we’ve been waiting in lines. No, Disney did not “secretly” bring back FastPass+ and forget to announce it to everyone.
Currently, the physical FastPass+ queues are being used for Disability Access Service (DAS) and select VIP guests. This priority access lane essentially includes tour groups, Golden Oak residents, and Club 33 members. We have noticed a significant increase in the usage of FastPass lines in the last two months, which is presumably attributable to more DAS passes being issued, since the number of VIP guests is relatively static.
With that out of the way, let’s turn to the titular question. Actually, this post essentially poses two different questions–let’s start with when FastPass will return? That’s the more popular topic among readers and an inquiry we’re receiving quite often.
In actuality, FastPass+ was suspended because it reduces the overall attendance limit of the parks. This is actually nothing new. Magic Kingdom, for example, used to have a higher capacity cap in the pre-FastPass days despite having fewer attractions. This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s because the FastPass system effectively allows guests to be in two places at once. With standby lines, when you’re in line, you are always physically standing in line–occupying only one spot in the park.
When guests use FastPass, they aren’t simply skipping the line. The nuanced explanation is that a “phantom version” of the guest is waiting in a virtual line for their turn to ride. (That’s right, virtual queues like FastPass+ are basically lines for ghosts!) This is why standby wait times are longer and that line moves slower when FastPass+ is utilized.
At the same time that ghost guest is in the virtual queue, the actual guest is doing whatever–shopping, dining, or even doing another attraction. Freeing up guests from standing in line was actually one of Walt Disney World’s two goals of the original paper FastPass system. In a nutshell, it would give guests more time to browse stores and eat, increasing per guest spending in the process.
In the past, this was no issue. There were plenty of stores, restaurants, shows, and other lower profile offerings to absorb the displaced crowds. The benefits of increased per guest spending brought about by FastPass coupled with guests perceiving it as a value-added perk outweighed any drawbacks.
The downsides were essentially higher staffing requirements (to support the FastPass infrastructure), reduced overall park capacity, and the need for sufficient alternative things to do. None of this was really a big deal because the parks had plenty of things to do and surplus capacity–it didn’t really matter whether Magic Kingdom had an upper limit of 110,000 or 80,000 guests if the vast majority of days only 60,000 or fewer people were visiting the park.
When Walt Disney World first reopened, the biggest impediment to the return of FastPass+ was physical distancing, which in turn put the upper limit on attendance at 35% of full capacity. If FastPass were reintroduced while full physical distancing was in place, it would further decrease overall park capacity.
However, this is no longer the problem. As noted above, Walt Disney World officially dropped physical distancing and guests have quickly followed suit. If you’ve been in the parks during the last couple of months, you know they look more or less “normal” in terms of guests spacing and congestion. You’ll even hear “please fill in all available space” from Cast Members once again.
Similarly, attendance caps are no longer much of an impediment. Walt Disney World was operating at 35% capacity earlier this year. Back at the start of summer, Disney quietly indicated they’d stop providing updates on attendance limits. Since then, Disney has refilled Park Pass reservations on numerous occasions, and there is frequently full availability for all parks every day.
Along with the attendance limits increasing, wait times have been growing. That might be why you’re reading this article to begin with–because you’re visiting Walt Disney World and are desperately missing and wishing for the return of FastPass. We hear you and agree with you. Some of the standby lines are pretty miserable right now, with long waits extending into overflow queues without any shade.
The lack of FastPass+ was definitely more tolerable last year and in early 2021 when lines moved quickly and constantly, and wait times were shorter. (We actually preferred no FastPass when crowds were super low.) Now, it’s a different matter entirely. FastPass cannot return soon enough!
Naturally, the core problem in bringing back FastPass has morphed over time. Like so many other businesses around the United States, Walt Disney World is short-staffed. This labor shortage means Walt Disney World doesn’t have the attractions Cast Members necessary to support the FastPass+ infrastructure. It also means Disney doesn’t have the other Cast Members necessary to reopen enough other experiences that would help soak up the “ghost guests” displaced by FastPass.
This problem is starting to be resolved. In the last month, Walt Disney World has significantly increased dining capacity and also is in the process of bringing back several shows. However, several others remain gone for various reasons, and some–like Finding Nemo: the Musical, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, and Fantasmic–may not return until 2022. That appears to be more of monetary decision than a staffing one.
That’s a long-winded explanation and maybe you just wanted a one-sentence answer, but we believe understanding the why of FastPass+ being unavailable is important. The point is that the parks are sufficiently staffed and capacity is has been close to fully restored via the reopening of more in the parks. That thus paves the way FastPass being restored or replaced.
With that said, what’s possible and when it happens are two different things. As we’ve said before, think of Walt Disney World like an ocean liner: you turn the wheel slowly, and the big ship pivots gradually. Everything takes time from decision to implementation. There will almost certainly be a lag between announcement and when it’s back. As for when an announcement will be made, we suspect one will come sometime in August 2021–possibly as soon as the Walt Disney Company’s quarterly earnings call.
If you’re looking for a specific date when a version of FastPass will return to Walt Disney World, the most likely return date is on or around October 1, 2021.
This one is based upon the start of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary and new fiscal year. While Walt Disney World is gradually bringing back offerings between now and that date, it is the most significant milestone on the horizon, and Disney is waiting to debut a lot–from new entertainment and nighttime spectaculars to early entry and extended evening hours–until that date.
With that said, there’s still a remote possibility that Walt Disney World gets cold feet on the FastPass replacement and doesn’t launch it until January 2022.
Given the latest rumors–which are literally flying in every direction right now–this seems highly unlikely. The only reason it’s presented as an option is because plans can fall through. Based upon the current chatter, the FastPass replacement plans are going to congeal at the last possible minute, with the specifics still being debated and determined. Which brings us to the second question of this post…
Will FastPass+ be replaced by a different system at Walt Disney World?
Probably. Everything is subject to change until officially announced by Walt Disney World (even then, plans sometimes change!), but we’d be willing to put money on the prior incarnation of FastPass+ never coming back to Walt Disney World.
Some form of virtual queue will unquestionably return, but the FastPass+ system and branding could be retired and replaced by something else entirely. Whatever it is, that new ride reservation program will almost certainly have an upcharge component–or be a paid system completely.
There are a couple of possibilities for what paid FastPass will likely look like at Walt Disney World. For the first, see Paid Premier Access Replacing Free FastPass at Disneyland Paris. The new system has rolled out there and essentially combines Standby Pass, which is a free and hybrid virtual and physical queue, with a paid line-skipping option.
This system is now what exists for Disneyland Paris and Shanghai Disneyland, and a version of that is rumored as coming to both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. While the specifics will almost certainly differ for Florida with tweaks made given Walt Disney World’s unique size, scale, on-site hotels, and status as a vacation destination, the contours could be similar.
For another possibility, check out Disneyland’s MaxPass system. The primary advantage of MaxPass is that it allows you to be more dynamic in your plans for the day, making FastPass reservations as you go, adjusting your schedule on the fly based upon your actual progress (and crowds) in the park, rather than making than months in advance. Despite the downside of being paid, MaxPass allows for more spontaneity, which is a breath of fresh air.
As Walt Disney World is a different beast than the other parks, it’s possible the new paid FastPass system cherry picks components of both Premier Access and MaxPass and repackages them under different branding. In practice, this might mean bundle booking access for certain attractions plus a la carte paid FastPass for a handful of select headliners.
What remains to be seen is whether the FastPass replacement is integrated into the Disney Genie app announced a couple of years ago. Disney Genie promised a revolutionary new digital offering that would enhance the way you plan for and experience a trip, with optimized itineraries, real-time tips and updates, recommendations for experiences it thinks you’ll love, and help navigating the theme parks with added convenience and comfort.
It was originally set to debut last year, but that didn’t happen for obvious reasons. According to Walt Disney World, the Disney Genie app is still coming, but it’s unclear when it’ll be released. From the outset, details about Disney Genie were vague to the point that it seemed undefined, so it’s also entirely possible that the paid FastPass system will use the Disney Genie branding, and that’ll be the total extent of Disney Genie (meaning it won’t be a standalone app at all, but rather, a feature within My Disney Experience).
In any case, the debut of that app plus the “temporary suspension” of FastPass+ offers an opportunity for a soft reset of Walt Disney World’s ride reservation system, with the paid replacement coming in Fall 2021 via Disney Genie. Walt Disney World undoubtedly wants a slice of that money-making pie. There have been rumors of paid FastPass for years, and at some point, those will be brought to fruition. If Walt Disney World’s goal is to introduce paid FastPass with minimal guest friction, it’s easiest to go from nothing (standby lines only) to something.
Ultimately, we’re on board with a wholesale overhaul of the FastPass+ system, but not a system that is pay to play only. Hopefully whatever comes to Walt Disney World contains a free option along with added access for on-site resort guests. Again, we should reiterate that this post is almost entirely speculation and rumor. All Walt Disney World has announced is that FastPass+ is temporarily suspended. We’re simply guessing that it’ll be replaced by a hybrid of Premier Access and MaxPass, with Disney Genie being the system and/or branding.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
When do you think FastPass+ will return to Walt Disney World? Or do you think it’ll never back back, replaced by something else instead? Thoughts on the possibility of Premier Access, MaxPass, or a mashup of the two coming to Walt Disney World? Do you prefer fast-moving standby lines only, or the FastPass and standby combo? Interested in how Walt Disney World will implement the new system? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
My family loves fass pass and I love planning. It makes the waits to big rides so much better. Shame on WDW for thinking of eliminating it. It’s part of the Disney magic.
Agree!
Two years ago I took 10 of my family members to Disneyland. Maxpass worked great for us, yes we pd for the service however we did get to ride more and see more because of it. I don’t mind paying for the service. In my opinion the benefits are great especially with a large group
I forgot to mention in my previous post. Just another of the MANY free perks that WDW has eliminated and yet they still keep raising prices at an incredible rate.
How about waiting for an hour in line without drink or bathroom for kids. Just wrong. And don’t say go before getting in line…… kids do not work that way.
Our family absolutely loved FP+ and HATED the older version where it forced you to go to the parks early to get FP’s. Not to mention needing a “FP runner” to run around to the kiosks trying to get FP’s. If you arrived at a park around 10 or later, I can guarantee that most if not all the popular rides FP’s were either totally out or you may get late evening times. When FP+ went online our vacations changed dramatically and we no longer felt exhausted after our trips, because we already knew we were going to hit 3 of our favorite rides, before even getting into the park and could actually sleep in after closing a park the night before. Unfortunately, I also believe that, in the typical WDW drain your wallet fashion, they will make people pay more $$ to get FP’s and that we have seen the last of free FPs:(
I completely agree! We’re not morning people (I mean, isn’t this supposed to be a vacation?!), so I loved being able to book FP in advance, with the first one starting around 10 am or so. We don’t have to worry about rope dropping in order to rush to the best rides or rush around to get FP. I really hope they bring them back the way it was.
If they switch to a paid system, what are they going to do with on-site hotel guests who would be losing yet another perk? Even if they still give the paid version to resort guests for “free” (or hidden in our $600 per night rooms), it allows everyone else to buy in if they want and reduces the availability. And my guess is a lot of people would stay off site at much cheaper or more worth the money accommodations and use those savings to purchase whatever the FastPass replacement is. I have no problem switching to a day-of reservation. I really don’t mind that either way (although I do get excited when rides get added to my plans and I can see my vacation taking shape). But it sounds like they’re heading toward another blow to resort guests. 🙁
I’m literally on my way back to Illinois from WDW right now and I DID NOT miss FP+ at all. Neither did my wife or my in-laws. There was something awesome about just winging your day and not having it planned out months in advance. Having to go here at this time. And here at this time. We had an incredible time and I, personally, hope they do away with the current system and do something different that can increase the spontaneity of a trip, while still allowing more people in the parks, but also allowing you to get everything done that you want to get done. We felt like we didn’t miss out on anything aside from some of our favorite restaurants that weren’t open.
Fastpasses were the key to making Disney fun with young children. I also loved planning things out months in advance. I know not everyone wants to spend this much time on logistics but for me it was half the fun. I can’t even contemplate making reservations until I know I can skip some lines.
I agree whole heartedly with your post. I hope fp’s never come back, in any form. I like being able to go when and where I wanted before FP. Then with FP’s, the regular lines were super long. Without fp, everyone waited in the lines, which moved constantly, and it was an even playing field for everyone.
I dont’ doubt that disney will add for pay fast passes next, but am still all for NO fast passes.
We just returned from WDW last Thursday and we had the same sentiments. But what I kept reminding my husband is that the parks are at 35% capacity right now. I would not be signing the same tune if the parks were as busy as they used to be and I had to wait an hour for every ride I wanted to go on. That sounds awful to me, and I’d rather just go on my 3 rides per day via FP+ then wait in long lines.
I do agree with you on the spontaneity, but I felt stripped of that somewhat too by having to make a park reservation. I miss the days when you could decide in the morning where you were going to be and get paper FPs.
I think in order to accommodate higher capacity, Disney HAS TO offer additional things to do at the parks besides just rides. At 35% capacity, ride lines are all lengthy, because it’s basically the only option for all the attendees. We need the return of character meets and other entertainment options (or even something new) to take a percentage of the guests from ride lines to something else and thus redistribute the crowds. As a long time out of state AP holder, I thought I’d be so displeased about no fastpasses, but I’m actually ok with it as the line is almost constantly moving. More than FP, I just want other options to absorb some of the people to thin the crowds from the ride lines.
I agree with this 100%! We are also out-of-state APs and cannot agree more that Disney has to bring back entertainment and other offerings. This model is just not going to work otherwise. But I feel like entertainment is not coming back; thinking about the entertainment that got fired at Epcot- the British Revolution in the UK, the entertainers in Japan and also France… they had let them go pre-pandemic. It seems like it’s Chapek’s m.o. to get rid of the intangibles that he sees as not lucrative.
I never liked FP+ and much preferred the old system where everyone entered the park with zero fast passes and you got them one at a time during your park visit. I loved that there were no haves and have nots and everyone started at square 1. But…. money money money. They needed to incentivize their expensive resorts and I agree they will likely go to a paid system next. Glad our passes this year coincided with the disappearance of FP+.
Tom,
Great read! I really like you taking a shot with the dates too!
Re: Genie
When DME news broke earlier this year, Scott Gustin hinted that a DME replacement still could come and it could come through Genie. It’s all on Twitter.
There was also some guest survey questions that went out a month or so ago that mentioned optimized park plans, but it appeared it was packaged as a subscription/MRC, like Disney+. I think that is Genie. It will incorporate FP, some paid version of DME and a touring plan assistant.
My husband and absolutely love the convenience of the Magic Bands. I really don’t like the thought of having to pull out my phone for everything and then search everywhere for a place to charge my phone, so I can charge the cost of my souvenir to my room.
Totally agree. Love the autonomy this gives kids, too.
I agree with you! I absolutely love Magic Bands. I hate the thought of having to get my phone out, open it, find the app, open the app, click some buttons just to unlock my door when I’m carrying a child, or bags, or pool stuff etc.
I am also worried about another piece taken away from resort guests. What exactly are we paying for if we’re not getting those extra perks. What is the incentive to spend $7,000 (more or less depending) for a week at a Disney Resort VS. $1500?
Wholeheartedly agree. What if you phone dies, malfunctions, etc. They’ve taken so much away. I’m very discouraged. We always stay onsite but maybe that will change.
I haven’t been to WDW in decades, but I’ve always been leery of the whole “make reservations months in advance” way they handle Fastpass. I understand wanting to make sure people stay happy by getting to ride the rides that are really important to them on their big trips, but it always struck me as inflexible and with the potential of a lot of no-shows keeping day-of riders from enjoying the rides.
While I’m not thrilled that Disneyland has been able to convince us to pay for our own version of enhanced Fastpass, I do love it, and find myself hoping WDW does switch to a similar “day of” system.
Between Fastpass+ and Annual Passes, Disney is certainly making lemonades out of COVID lemons–they never would have been able to do these kinds of resets if things had continue on as normal!
We are traveling to Disney the end of July with our 8 year old grandson. My husband and I are both disabled and use scooters.
What type of accommodations do they have for us with the scooters. We cannot stand any length of time. Navigating the lines with the scooters is challenging.
Fast pass are a win win for people on vacation that are not early risers. After all who wants to get up early. Without the fast pass might not be worth the money as early risers will have everything booked up. Nothing like getting punished for sleeping in. Also what about older people that don’t have all these fancy phones or have little ones that can not handle the phones. Sounds like these parks are not thinking of convenience for these people. It would be very sad to see disney push away the families.
Change is painful. Maybe the new system will be better but I doubt it. I do like fast pass plus but hate the 180 dining reservations. Wish that would go away.
This is a very careful, elaborate, and articulate description of the Fastpass system — all that background you gave was incredibly helpful (and interesting to learn about!). Just wanted to say thank you for always sharing your vast wealth of knowledge in a very thoughtful manner!
I’m bringing my family of 6 to Disney World for the first time next year, and I hope that they either bring back FastPass+, or don’t offer any sort of express boarding option at all, preferably the former. I hate the concept of allowing people to pay extra money to cut in line (my home amusement park, Cedar Point, does this to my great annoyance). It really sucks for those of us that are already pushing the limits of our budget to make a once in a lifetime trip like this happen, and can’t afford to shell out hundreds of extra dollars just to be on equal footing with those with money to burn.
But also, I don’t want more virtual queues a la RotR either. I want to be immersed in the park while I’m there, not buried in my smartphone trying to reserve my place in line for different rides.
FastPass+ seems like the best option for such a kid-friendly park. It allows those with kids to have a near-guaranteed chance to do the rides that they really want to do, without waiting in hour-long lines (because if there’s one thing kids hate, it’s standing in line forever). But in the absence of that, then I’d rather nobody cut the line, and the lines just move faster in general.
IDK what the future holds, but after doing a resort-only stay at WDW last month (February, 2021,) and then hopping over to Universal’s Portofino for built-in Express Pass — HUGE FAN! So great to walk on the rides (except Hagrid’s Motorbike,) and having the hour early entry advantage was also nice. We got a ton accomplished and then had time to circle back to redo things we liked. I’d love Disney to have something like that. I wouldn’t pay for it for every park, every ride, but especially as I was a newbie doing UO, we accomplished in two days what would normally take a week of lines during February vacation over there. We spent no money at WDW (stayed DVC at Riviera and enjoyed meals cooked in the room, lunch poolside at Bar Riva/Primo Piatto, and a fancy dinner at Topolinos.). Can’t afford infinite day passes at WDW, but happy to use our UO APs and utilized the express pass feature with our time at Portofino.
@Heather-we are going to universal during spring break (3/27-3/30) and staying at hard rock so we will have express passes. Were you there during a very busy time? And still able to get on most of the rides without waiting too long? Sounds like you had a fantastic experience!
That’s a good idea. DVC Resort only and then go to universal. Been worried about how to use all my points.
Thanks for the FastPass background info Tom, very helpful. What do you think the ramifications of lifting the park capacity restrictions without bringing back FastPass would be on summer guests? It certainly seems possible that the October 1 timeline you mention for FastPass coming back would result in a scenario where summer guests are in the parks with capacity limits lifted but no FastPass to help avoid spending all day physically waiting in lines.
If capacity is back at or near 100% before October 1, the guests who visit then will be beneficiaries of that, not disadvantaged by it. Right now, the parks are at 35% capacity but also only about 50% of ride capacity.
If things jump to 100% park capacity and also 100% ride capacity, that does not mean attendance will also jump to 100%. To the contrary, I’d be surprised if it goes above 50-60% for most of the summer–especially with fans postponing trips until the start of the 50th. That’s still a net win, even without FastPass.
(Hopefully that explanation makes sense.)
Makes total sense.. but we basically already know that we aren’t going back to 100% attraction capacity:
FOTLK was announced as a “modified” summer return. So they aren’t even planning on bringing that back at full attendance..
But even more meaningfully, they have not announced the return of ANY other entertainment. It’s already March… if you to bring back more entertainment by June, you’d need to start hiring and calling back staff now. Not like you can just turn Indiana Jones stunt show back on overnight. Some former cast members will have retired, moved away, or taken jobs elsewhere. Those that do return will be rusty.
Entertaining 100% capacity includes
-rides — which are *mostly* operating, and can return to 100% capacity pretty quickly.
-Character meet and greets — they swallow thousands of guests per day. And they are currently non-existent. And it’s hard to imagine them returning until Covid is really totally gone. Likely the last thing to return.
-“Entertainment” — which is mostly shut down right now, and no signs of any significant return in the next few months.
Normal summer crowds are typically about 60% of park capacity, IIRC.. Without a significant increase in operational capacity, there is no way they could handle that 60% without misery. Assuming a summer that’s more like 40-50% capacity… (slightly more people than we are currently seeing for Spring Break).. we will still need significant increase to operations, or else it will “feel like worse than Easter week” all summer long.
Fair points. Overlooked all of the entertainment–and also the restaurants and shops that are still closed.
Assuming everything else–rides, restaurants, retail–is at 100%, I wonder where the current slate of entertainment (plus FotLK) would put overall capacity numbers for the summer? My guess is 95% at EPCOT, 80-85% at AK & MK, and 70% at DHS. Those are very rough, top of my head guesses with no math whatsoever, though.
Still think you’re underestimating the effect of loss of character meets..
How many people do Town Square Mickey and Town Square princesses swallow?
Epcot has a fair number of character meets around the park, plus Turtle Talk still down..
AK — Nemo is gone for good. And lots of character meets off.
You probably have a better overall sense than me, but if rides, restaurants, retail, are back… But other than FOTLK, not much more entertainment, and no characters.. No fireworks or mid-day parades
I’d guess-estimate: MK at 80%, DHS at 60%, AK at 70-80%, Epcot at 80-85% (But Epcot is already depleted by half of Future World under demolition or construction.. so 80% of what is already a reduced capacity)
I am all for planning my trips well in advance –I usually know about a YEAR before the trip which hotel I will book, where I will eat, what the streets and alleyways look like on google maps just in case I accidentally get chased by the police and have to flee on foot; everything– but planning FastPasses in advance is garbage. I will say that. I have never used FastPass+ (because I have never been to WDW) and I hope they replace it with something else. Spontaneity is key, for me, in both park visits AND police pursuits, and FastPass+ seemed like it would severely limit my options for the former. My AP, which I dearly miss, contained MaxPass, so I suppose I was paying extra for the service, but I can’t imagine not having it. (Anecdote: I think the paid service confused some people as I saw one person arguing with a Cast Member about their MaxPass once; she seemed to think that the (then) $10 extra she paid for the MaxPass entitled her to cut the line on any ride without making a selection! Haha! Do you really think if Disney was going to let you cut in any line you wanted at any time, they’d only charge you the price of a Galactic Grill hamburger?! C’MON!) I agree with Tom that the introduction of something different would be easier than going from a return of the free service to a paid service. I just hope that service resembles MaxPass. I MIGHT have to push my January trip back a couple months if no FP service is yet implemented. Sorry to all the hot people who were expecting me then. 🙁
What am I going to do for water now?
Great explanation of the ramifications of the fast pass system.
My suspicion: As you noted, Disney seems to just be writing off the current year. They are also using this opportunity for a LOT of resets — Getting rid of DME, changing EMH to Early Entry..
All factors together, I feel it’s a safe bet: Fastpass will NOT return as it was before.
Some sort of virtual queue system will return — They likely will continue to use some version of Fastpass nomenclature (keep all those existing Fastpass signage, all the FP entrances), but dramatically change how it works.
Personally, I wish they just went to the Universal Express Pass system.
Maybe on-site deluxe guests get it for free. Or the maximum Pass — unlimited line cutting.
On-site mod/value guests get a more limited “free” Express Pass (cut 3 lines per day), or they get a discount towards purchase.
Off-site guests can purchase an Express Pass.
I agree, I think a version of the Universal system is the way to go. It is “free” for on site guests who are spending above a certain amount on rooms, and anyone else who really wants it can buy it with the money they are presumably saving by not staying at the expensive hotels.
I think there are too many Deluxe hotels for everyone staying at those to get unlimited line skips, but a set number a day to be used as the guest sees fit seems like a great compromise. Maybe they could scale how many line skips you get based on resort tier (like Value gets 2, Moderate gets 4, Deluxe gets 6 or something like that) so every on-site guest feels like they are getting something.
I’m curious, with the elimination of fast pass – aside from linking my magic band for payment of other goods and maybe the photo package, is there any benefit then to have a Magic band at all then?
I’d rather not have to take out my phone and open an app every time I need the access I now get with my Magic Band. That’s enough of a benefit for me.
I have gone to Disneyworld for over 20 years. I do not like the current Fastpass system that they suspended for Covid. It only gave you access to one good attraction anyways, and you ended up having fastpasses to things that you don’t really need fastpasses for. The Land ride at Epcot for example. This ride line moves quickly no matter what. To me the older paper system of fastpasses made more sense for exactly the same scheduling problems that were mentioned in some previous posts. If i schedule my immediate family on My Disney Experience and my brother and his family decide to come with us on the trip at a later time than when we scheduled our Fastpasses, then we have to start over with our planning so everyone can go on the rides together. I don’t like scheduling every aspect of my vacation in advance either. It is super irritating. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, you’re screwed also. I love my phone but personally hate having to be on my phone in a theme park to book fastpasses and update things. I am going to a theme park to escape all of that. Let’s encourage Disney to go back to the paper fastpass system. And to prevent the paper system from being unfair to the elderly or disabled, let’s encourage them to let people over 75 and those with disabilities cut in the line. I have no problem with that. Disney used to let the disabled-especially those in wheelchairs with their families-go ahead in the line. I am not sure if this is still happening or not.
Totally disagree, letting the elderly and those with disabilities skip the line is not workable for a couple reasons. Gotta remember that people will look to take advantage of any loopholes. First, letting those with disabilities skip previously resulted in families hiring a disabled person to walk around with them all day, just so they can skip lines. Sad, but true. And it would increase those renting scooters to claim they have a disability when they do not. Disney could require a doctor’s note I suppose, but that’s easy to fake too.
Second, why would you be okay with age discrimination in favor of the elderly? It would result in the same problem, paying an elderly person to follow a family around for a day just to skip lines. And I would argue a family with 2 toddlers is more in “need” of a short line than an elderly person who has knowingly chosen to go to Disney World and everything a WDW trip entails, which includes standing in lines. As a mother of young kids, I would be insulted if Disney put this policy in place.