MaxPass Paid Digital FastPass Coming to Disneyland
Sometime in 2017, Disneyland will finally roll-out a digital FastPass service. It’s not what we were expecting, though, which was a modified rollout of FastPass+ (we’ve been detailing the progress of this, which has been testing for over a year now, in our Disneyland Trip Planning Guide). Instead, Disneyland is introducing MaxPass: a paid digital service allowing guests digital downloads of their PhotoPass images, and the ability to book FastPass return times via the Disneyland App.
Disney MaxPass will be available for purchase at the introductory price of $10 per day. Disneyland Annual Passholders will also be able to purchase MaxPass on a daily or yearly basis. Alternatively, guests will continue to have the option of using paper FastPasses at no cost by obtaining them at attraction FastPass kiosks, just as they do today.
Beyond that, FastPass will be added to Toy Story Mania in Disney California Adventure and Matterhorn Bobsleds in Disneyland. This has all been confirmed by Disneyland, and is an interesting development that contradicts a lot of the rumors based on leaks and observations from the past year or so. Here are some of our thoughts on this news…
First of all, it’s a pretty big deal that MaxPass is a paid service. We know: it’s “only” $10/day and paper FastPasses are still available for free, so why care? Well, our concern lies both in the precedent and allocation of paid MaxPass v. unpaid FastPasses.
If MaxPass proves to be a hit with guests (and at $10/day with unlimited PhotoPass, it won’t be too tough of a sell, we predict), the allocation of MaxPass v. paper FastPass will undoubtedly tip in favor of MaxPass. Only so many combined Max/FastPasses can be distributed per day based upon attraction capacity, and it’s easy to envision a day when Radiator Springs Racers paper FastPasses are (again) gone within 30 minutes of park opening, as a result. Heck, it’s easy to envision a day when Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters FastPasses are gone first thing in the morning.
Second, Disney explicitly calls $10/day the introductory price. I don’t think it requires a vivid imagination to see this climbing much higher (perhaps $40/day?) if it proves popular. Based on recent pricing trends, I’m actually a bit shocked to see the price not starting higher. My guess as to why it isn’t is because this is a very important growth revenue stream to Disney, and they don’t want to doom it to failure by pricing it too high to start. As we’ve seen with several one-and-done upcharge offerings, an exorbitant price can lead to a quick downfall.
Finally, there’s the financial angle of MyMagic+. It’s pretty well known that Disney spent a lot of money on this NextGen initiative at Walt Disney World (to the tune of billions of dollars), the cost of which has not yet been recouped. Beyond updating an extremely dated backend technology infrastructure, the idea was that it would increase guest spending and more efficiently allocate resources (staffing, etc.). To what extent any of this has occurred is unknown, but it has ceased being a positive topic of discussion on investor calls. My guess would be that it has not–and will not–recoup its costs at Walt Disney World.
The other way some of those costs were expected to be offset was using the system in other parks. Early in Shanghai Disneyland’s development, MyMagic+ was supposed to be integrated into that park. Ultimately, Shanghai Disneyland opened with paper FastPass, which should speak volumes about the internal view of MyMagic+’s viability. (Likewise, there is little doubt Disney pushed MyMagic+ for Tokyo Disney Resort, where it could have licensed the technology to Oriental Land Company, but it is not present in any of OLC’s near-term or long-term plans, meaning they most likely passed.)
You can draw your own conclusions about why MaxPass is going to be a paid system instead of a free one at Disneyland, but my guess is because the return on investment has fallen short of expectations in the free system at Walt Disney World. I’d go one further and hypothesize that financial performance has been so poor that it was not practical to commit the resources to something comparable at Disneyland without converting the system into a paid one.
Please note: none of my conclusions are corroborated in any way whatsoever. I’m just making (marginally) educated guesses. However, if MyMagic+ had led to increased spending and decreased costs at Walt Disney World, why not roll it out in much of the same manner at Walt Disney World? The research and development is done, and other sunk costs would not be incurred the second time around. To be sure, there would be infrastructure costs, but those would all be minimal as compared to the outlay of cash at Walt Disney World.
The reasonable conclusion, I think, is that MyMagic+’s efficiencies and being a supposed driver of spending are not enough to offset even infrastructure costs at Disneyland. With that said, another conclusion is certainly possible: MyMagic+ is delivering in the promised ways at Walt Disney World and will save Disneyland money, but Disney is willing to bet that guests would also be willing to pay for it. This is another reasonable conclusion, and certainly in line with Disney’s current trajectory with regard to upcharges. In either case, don’t be surprised to see a modification of FastPass+ at Walt Disney World in the near future to incorporate a paid element if Disneyland’s system proves “successful” for the company.
It will be interesting to see how MaxPass is received by Disneyland guests. At the current price, I do not predict failure. There will be a lot of complaints by online commentators like me, but ultimately, enough guests will pay to justify MaxPass’s existence. People pay a lot more for Universal’s system, so I’d be shocked if this is not a financial success for Disney. I worry that this will quickly increase in cost, spread to Florida, and continue the trend of further stratifying Disney guests. What do you think?
I see a tier system…. 3 tiers.
Tier 1: basic ticket price no fast pass
Tier 2: current tickets including current fastpass system and higher ticket prices($10/day)?
Tier 3: upgraded tickets with digital FP AND free photopass – premium ticket and much higher ticket price.
This could explain the “introductory” price! If Thats the case, I think I’ll “pass” on the fast passes!
Any ideas on when the MaxPass will roll out? Haven’t heard much since it is released and I will be heading to DL in May. Wondering if it will be available when I get out there.
With all this nickle and diming, somewhere Walt Disney is rolling over in his grave.
Back to the E ticket for the best rides. That’s ok, if they stop screwing up other stuff.
Is the $10 price tag per family or per person. Assuming all the family members are on the same Disney account.
I think this is indicative of a wider trend I have seen at the Disney parks over the last couple of years. It is reminiscent of the latter part of the Eisner era when cost cutting and an emphasis on profit generation significantly degraded the park experience. While I certainly understand the need to generate a profit and I am not opposed to a “you get what you pay for approach”, I agree with other commenters that part of the allure of Disney was getting most things for a single ticket price. I think the visitors to DLR are different enough from WDW guests that the MaxPass (at $10) will work. As this is one of a series of moves of this type, I don’t expect that this is the last that we have heard of profit enhancers.
I think a middle of the road system would be the winner for this coming to WDW. The existing Magic Bands system is amazing and FastPass has resulted in some increased spending, though indeed maybe not enough. So what if the first 2 or 3 Fast Pass rides are free, as they are now, but you can pay for additional Fast Passes or for a daily pass? That would keep many people happy while becoming a value-added service. I would pay $5 for a an additional FP without being disgrunted, though if I were being charged for the first fast pass after this long of being free, I would be frustrated. So, perhaps the first Toy Story FP is free, but for an additional FP is $5. I hate to see any paid park experience flourish, but since it likely will, that would be my suggested compromise, because some of us are never going to want to shop. I do enjoy more of the restaurant sit-down meals since Fast Pass shortened wait times, but you can only eat so many times a day, so the only way they’re likely to get more money from many guests like myself would be to let me pay for more FPs
I’d be furious if asked to pay for FP at WDW. That $5 a fast pass turns into $20 per family. No way would I pay this. Why are you suggesting it? You can book extra Fzp for free now, that’s the way it should stay in my view.
The ONLY way this makes sense would be if you could pay to book more FP+ at once. Currently, you can only book 3 ahead of time. A reasonable up-charge would be $10 per additional simultaneous FP+. Want to book 10 in one day before you get the parks? Pay $70. Want to book 10 for four days? $280. That’s the only way it would be reasonable. You could even say for T1 FP+ its $20 extra and T2 FP+ its $10 extra.
They should NOT change the current structure. Unless you are outright losing money, you should never take things away from customers. It’s bad customer service and leaves people bitter.
A few thoughts on this blog. If Disney is going to make the utilization of the app more of a necessity they need a drastic improvement of their wi-fi system. For the past couple of years, the wifi at WDW has been useless, and this completely defeats the point of utilizing the app to help coordinate your fastpass+ program. Also, it is important for each of us to remember that DIsney is a for profit entity. Their objective is to make money, and your overall pleasurable experience is only a small part of that goal. The creation of the fastpass system was not to improve your Disney experience at the theme parks. The purpose was to get you out of line so that you are more likely to spend money on other aspects of the park such as product purchases, food and beverage purchases. This comes as no surprise to me that these changes are coming to fruition. As soon as WDW went away from the paper fast pass system to a digital Fastpass + program you could see the writing on the wall. It is only a matter of time before an upcharge to use that service was at our doorstep. Having said all of that, I do not foresee massive increase in pricing for this service, because Disney still wants to keep you out of attraction lines and in their souvenir stores.
I expect in the next year or so that the Fastpass + program will have a $10 – $15 upcharge for that service. This can be a good or bad thing. First, it is good because it will cut down on the number of people using fastpass+ and thus will open up more attractions to fastpass for those using the service. Since the creation of fastpass+, how many times have you gone to HS and only experienced the toy story attraction once in the day because you can’t get another fastpass+ time for a second ride? So, there is the positive that those purchasing fastpass+ may get more ride experiences. The big negative is the precedent that this sets. We are constantly seeing more an more up-charges with DW, and pay for play with Fastpass+ may be just another in a long line of new charges that dedicated WDW goers will have the face in the future.
I think this sounds like a great idea.
I would also most definitely pay for something like Universal and have the unlimited fast passes. Everyone I know who has done that thinks it was totally worth the money.
i do not see any comments about children that do not have a smart phone. also, it is hard to find to place to charge a phone. mine only lasts until about 4pm. we have been coming to DL for years bringing and paying for our grandchildren. we are not local, but come from around the US. this feels like time to discontinue or cut back to one day and go to the beach more often.
Steve, get a portable battery to charge your phone on the go. Tom has a recommendation here: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/what-to-pack-for-disney/
We really like the Anker one. It doesn’t take up much space and will charge your phone 2+ times.
You’ve all nailed it. The main problems are upcharging for a service which used to be free (I always bragged that it was SO much better than Universal, whose front-of-line upcharge is equivalent to another day ticket!) and that the wi-fi is nearly non-existent at DLR. It’s so unreliable for me that I rarely bother to open the app anymore. If they don’t upgrade their wi-fi the Maxpass WILL fail because few people can use it!
I think your conclusions are valid and rational, but I hope they don’t come to pass. I think Disney also decided that adding costs at Disney World would be more difficult. Given the volume of local guests and annual passholders at Disneyland, they’re taking a different approach there. I’m not convinced it will be successful, though. Disney World has pretty solid wifi for the most part. Will that be the case in California? I’m hopeful that it fails, though you’re probably right that guests will see a value given the cost. It’s too bad.
Well, you see, it’s the other parks. Knotts, Universal, etc all have been touted as having much cheaper prices. And they do, if you dont count the “Front of Line” or other VIP ways of actually getting onto a ride in less than a hour- and costing as much as $100 PER DAY.
So, it’s like hotels: go online and see two hotels:
$100
$75
the $75 is a better deal, right? But it comes with a $15 parking fee, a $20 “resort” fee and a $15 wifi fee.
But consumers wont read the fine print, and they will click on the $75 “bargain”- which is actually $15 MORE.
So it is here. I have seen many Disney complainers talk about how expensive DL APs are and what a better deal the APs are at other parks. Until you add in the hidden charges.
This is bogus, and a bad move on the part of DL.
I view it as a way to get mor money out of their Photopass program. They have staff out and taking pictures. With the large local base I imagine the number of photo sales are much lower than WDW. By linking the two they are pushing sales of the photopass service which basically all falls to the bottom line since the costs are sunk.
I don’t have a horse in this race; however, since I do go to WDW yearly, I am concerned. I can see charges for all fast passes in the future. I cant believe the number of upcharges at WDW alone this year. They are happening so fast that I can’t keep up with them. The most recent is the upcoming Galactic event at HS. I was reading through the event activities list, an I couldn’t see anything much that was already given with regular admission. There were only a couple of events that were only for this event. The cost is $129, I believe? Insane! And sadly there are people who will shell out this amount for all family members simply because they love Star Wars, without looking at this list! I am sad to say that after our scheduled and paid for trip in about 3 weeks, we might call it quits with WDW. We love Disney, at least the Disney we once knew. I don’t know or understand this new Disney philosophy!
My joy in visiting WDW has continue to dwindle with the constant onslaught of new fees being charged for every little thing. How can you enjoy your time when you have to pull out your wallet/wrist band every 5 min. Fast pass can only succeed if it applies to all rides and shows where the wait time is approx 45 min+. A fast pass for an attraction with a 20-30 wait is a waste for all parties involved.
Joseph I am totally with you on the constantly scanning your magic band or pulling out your wallet. We have five kids and our 4th is turning three in a couple of months so by the time we take our next trip we will have two adults and four of our kids that are of age. We love it so much there, but it’s getting to the point where the cost is rising so rapidly that it’s out of control
Unless I am misunderstanding something, the galactic spectacular is not a charge, you might be thinking of the desert party though! Similar to the wishes or illuminations dessert parties
He mentioned a particular event that does have a cost. There’s a fireworks show that isn’t extra nightly but that is different.
Could this also be an effort at overall crowd reduction while not affecting revenue? Our daughter lives in California & says trips to DL with their 3 young children are not worth the effort any more due to high local crowds. She said changes to AP did little to stem the tide of locals. We have reduced our trips there to zero because of this. Instead we take one grandchild at a time to WDW every few years. If higher maxpass costs at DL causes a reduction in local traffic and creates a higher quality experience for all, it might not be such a bad idea.
Disneyland could still do a bit of a better job with crowd distribution, but I think they’ve already made significant strides. Locals will always be a “problem” (if you want to call them that) because this is one of the most densely populated regions in the world, and when LA County and Orange County have school breaks, the parks are going to be packed–but not necessarily with Annual Passholders.
The flip side to that is times like right now: school is in session, most tourists are not on vacation, and no AP blockouts are in effect. Despite that, the parks are totally dead.
In any case, I don’t think this will have any impact on crowds. The only things that will have a significant impact on crowds are: 1) ticket prices increases, 2) construction of high-capacity attractions, or 3) a dip in Los Angeles’ population. I only foresee one of those 3 things happening in the near future. (And Star Wars Land will not help with #2.)
Funny… and true! We are actually here visiting OC these next few days & considered a quick DL visit today… since it is rainy &, according to your advice, that is the biggest crowd controller of all possible scenarios. Friends have unfortunately visited on “crowd level 4” days only to find it was an LA school break day, so you are right about that one, too. They posted fbk pics of the wall-to-wall Main Street crowds & rode only 4 attractions all day due to LA folks. I just shared your maxpass update with my husband & he agreed… a higher quality experience is worth a higher price. We love taking family to both parks but have slowed our visits because of the reduced enjoyment factor in both places over the past several years. Still adore Disney, so we are protective of our experiences & want to preserve the wonderful, positive imagery.
I have quite a few friends that live out there and honestly, to them Disneyland is like going to the county fair. It’s not as special as it is to people that travel because they literally do it all the time. Not that they would stop going because of that, but for them it’s just a staple. It’s like going to the mall. Also Disneyland is so much freaking smaller that unless they ever do something to expand, I don’t think they will ever get crowds under control. Compared to Disney World, it’s tiny
I knew sth like that was comming – but I´m still speechless. Maybe it´s a good day to finally admit that the Disney I once loved does not exist anymore (it probably never did anyway). Oh well, at least my shares may go up…