Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[Disneylover99]

That doesn't work though, if you have a short stay and all of the free FP's for the rides you want are gone before your window even opens.

If you're booking a short stay at 60 days out, yes, I agree, there might be no availability for FOP, SDD and maybe SDMT, but that is just one ride per park. Are you really willing to pay $50 per person per day for just one ride? Because essentially, that's what you'd be doing if you can get everything else with no problem 60 days out right now.

 

[crostorfer]

If you're booking a short stay at 60 days out, yes, I agree, there might be no availability for FOP, SDD and maybe SDMT, but that is just one ride per park. Are you really willing to pay $50 per person per day for just one ride? Because essentially, that's what you'd be doing if you can get everything else with no problem 60 days out right now.

Yes, for some rides, I would pay that in order to avoid 3 hours in standby, or not ride at all. But, I'm willing to throw money at things in Orlando in order to save me time. We took Minnie vans everywhere on our last trip rather than wait for the busses. That's me, I get that not everyone is the same way. For me that is money well spent on a tight schedule.

 

[crostorfer]

This took less than a minute to grab. There are plenty of posts about refreshing for FP's so I'm not going to get into it much but to switch from a free system to a pay for play system doesn't work for me. There are plenty of ways to pay additional money at WDW and get to hit the top rides without changing the current FP system.



View attachment 390479

Well, talk to me in September then, I may have a job for you.

 

[Disneylover99]

Yes, for some rides, I would pay that in order to avoid 3 hours in standby, or not ride at all. But, I'm willing to throw money at things in Orlando in order to save me time. We took Minnie vans everywhere on our last trip rather than wait for the busses. That's me, I get that not everyone is the same way. For me that is money well spent on a tight schedule.

Well, I can't argue with that. More power to you if you don't mind spending your money like that.

 

[jlundeen]

Well, I can't argue with that. More power to you if you don't mind spending your money like that.

Yes, I know how that is! Once i answered a post and innocently said that when we went to Disney we wanted "to do it right!' By that I meant that we had saved and planned and postponed our trip for a long time in order to be able to not worry about spending additional money to do what we wanted to do.

But people took it a different way. I was just jumped on left and right for saying that, and others assumed that I meant that that was the only way you should do Disney! And that unless you are willing to spend big money, that you should not go.

And of course, that is not what I meant at alI, but I see now how the written word is much different than talking with someone face-to-face.

Misunderstandings happen all the time!

 

[Violetspider]

The problem with asserting that “most” people will pay is that this is a zero sum game. You cannot create more ride capacity based on who pays. For every person willing to pay you’ve taken an opportunity away from someone else. When it’s done on a limited basis like club level - it’s not felt enough to make a difference. If “most” do it - you’ve now upset the whole system. The capacity is the capacity - too many people pay the system can’t provide what they’re paying for while at the same time severley decreasing the experience of the remaining guests. I cannot think of any logical way this can be done on a scale the way some are suggesting and have it actually work. The numbers don’t add up.

Absolutely right!

 

[crostorfer]

Absolutely right!

Unless they severely limit the amount of "free" FPs available. Lets say on any given day they have 1000 FP's for Slinky Dog Dash. If 500 are taken by people choosing that ride for their free option, then the other 500 disappear from the free inventory and are only available for purchase. The amount of FPs available for capacity can't change. What CAN change is that a portion of the availability could only be pay for play. Either that, or only tier 2 attractions will be free, and any tier 1 attraction would be for paid FP only. I see that as a likely scenario.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Unless they severely limit the amount of "free" FPs available. Lets say on any given day they have 1000 FP's for Slinky Dog Dash. If 500 are taken by people choosing that ride for their free option, then the other 500 disappear from the free inventory and are only available for purchase. The amount of FPs available for capacity can't change. What CAN change is that a portion of the availability could only be pay for play. Either that, or only tier 2 attractions will be free, and any tier 1 attraction would be for paid FP only. I see that as a likely scenario.

Sounds good to me, I too would pay for this kind of access to Tier 1 rides do I don’t have to wait.

Although by people paying I would see other guests policing the fast pass lines too now.

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

I hope they don't do this. We can barely afford our Disney trips as is. We can't increase our budget anymore, let alone for something that has always been free. And I have little kids who have a hard time waiting in line, so we use fastpasses all day long. If this changes to a paid fastpass system we might stop coming, depending on the price.

 

[DavidNYC]

Unless they severely limit the amount of "free" FPs available. Lets say on any given day they have 1000 FP's for Slinky Dog Dash. If 500 are taken by people choosing that ride for their free option, then the other 500 disappear from the free inventory and are only available for purchase. The amount of FPs available for capacity can't change. What CAN change is that a portion of the availability could only be pay for play. Either that, or only tier 2 attractions will be free, and any tier 1 attraction would be for paid FP only. I see that as a likely scenario.

Again - the numbers don’t add up unless you’re going to a pure pay by ride system where you see availability and buy the ride right there. If someone pays in advance they’ll sure as hell be expecting to get Slinky and FOP and Star Wars etc. What will happen when someone pays and finds out so many others have paid that they still can’t get Tier 1 rides? And I highly doubt they’d do pay by ride in addition to what is becoming an outrageous daily price. As soon as the system requires payment to ride, that will affect attendance. Can you imagine the word of mouth when in effect only certain rides are included with admission? And there is zero chance that standby would be almost nonexistent for those rides. They’d have be pay or don’t ride basically based on the numbers. Or it’d be a lottery. I think anything they do will necessarily be limited in scope

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

All these “ paid fast passes are OK cause I can get certain rides “ get me slightly angry.

I’ve never waited more then 20 mins to get on a ride in my trips.

Every ride I was able to get a new fast pass after the first 3, then the 4th, 5th, 6th, etc for 6 days straight, including the hard to get ones. This is during high summer season.

Anyone who is “ ok “ with this is the main reason why Disney continues to Nickel and Dime all their guests. They probably think their guests are just stupid and mindless and will continue to just pay pay pay. That mindset becomes correct if people don’t actually step up and say enough is enough. This isn’t something where you CHOOSE to pay extra. This in the end will become something you MUST pay, because you’ll lose your chance at getting more and you don’t want to be waiting for hours on a line. If rumors are correct, the thing you did for “ free “ now must be done for “ money “ because they leave you no choice.

Even if you still can have three, and then have an option to pay for more, the ones that you have to pay for will dip into the ones for free, hence making it much more difficult for you to actually get them. It’s a lose lose either way.

I’m the first to pay extra for something I actually need, but fastpasses, IMO, if you actually know what your doing, are extremely easy to get.

Now I have to pay for something I’ve never had a problem getting and people are ok with paying even more.

Some people cave so easily and make themselves people who say “ oh it’s ok it’s only this much or that much “. In the end, with that mindset, literally everything that use to be free, will cost us all more money, because people actually don’t have a problem paying for things that use to be free.

No thanks. Hope it stays the way it is

 

[crostorfer]

Again - the numbers don’t add up unless you’re going to a pure pay by ride system where you see availability and buy the ride right there. If someone pays in advance they’ll sure as hell be expecting to get Slinky and FOP and Star Wars etc. What will happen when someone pays and finds out so many others have paid that they still can’t get Tier 1 rides? And I highly doubt they’d do pay by ride in addition to what is becoming an outrageous daily price. As soon as the system requires payment to ride, that will affect attendance.

Why are you assuming your choices would only be available day of? What if you can choose as many as you want at 60 days out, if you are willing to pay for the privilege?

My inkling is that they will finally tier the MK, and all tier 1 FPs in every park will be extra $. You can ride Astro Oribiter and the Teacups with a FP for free, but you will pay for the Mountains and the Mine Train.

 

[DavidNYC]

Why are you assuming your choices would only be available day of? What if you can choose as many as you want at 60 days out, if you are willing to pay for the privilege?

My inkling is that they will finally tier the MK, and all tier 1 FPs in every park will be extra $. You can ride Astro Oribiter and the Teacups with a FP for free, but you will pay for the Mountains and the Mine Train.

Because there is not enough capacity to allow that without closing the rides to everyone else and even then - many would be shut out in advance. I’ll say it again - they don’t have capacity to do it on that large a scale. If a 100 can ride and 200 want to pay, you have a problem. Those 100 who now can’t get their FP and know they can’t ride won’t go.

 

[whatsthebuzz]

I highly doubt they’d do pay by ride in addition to what is becoming an outrageous daily price. As soon as the system requires payment to ride, that will affect attendance. Can you imagine the word of mouth when in effect only certain rides are included with admission? And there is zero chance that standby would be almost nonexistent for those rides. They’d have be pay or don’t ride basically based on the numbers. Or it’d be a lottery. I think anything they do will necessarily be limited in scope

Disney World (Magic Kingdom) used to actually work this way. You paid to get in. You purchased tickets for the best rides/attractions. Some things were free, like Hall of Presidents and the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House. Those who could pay, DID. Those who couldn't pay, walked around, ALOT.

 

[crostorfer]

Because there is not enough capacity to allow that without closing the rides to everyone else and even then - many would be shut out in advance. I’ll say it again - they don’t have capacity to do it on that large a scale. If a 100 can ride and 200 want to pay, you have a problem. Those 100 who now can’t get their FP and know they can’t ride won’t go.

I respectfully disagree. I think there are still a fair amount of people who just pack up the kids and go to Disney World, and don’t do a single moments research. You see these people all of the time, the ones who waltz into TS restaurants and get mad that they can’t be seated, because everyone has a reservation. Those people will ALWAYS go to Disney World. We forget that we are the minority, those of us who frequent these boards. People will still show up, no matter what.

Many are shut out in advance now, under the current system. I concur, WDW has a serious capacity problem. I’ve been saying for years that I think they actually want fewer people in their parks who are willing to pay more to offset the cost from fewer guests. It’s the Vegas model, you don’t want 100 fish, you want one whale.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

Why are you assuming your choices would only be available day of? What if you can choose as many as you want at 60 days out, if you are willing to pay for the privilege?

My inkling is that they will finally tier the MK, and all tier 1 FPs in every park will be extra $. You can ride Astro Oribiter and the Teacups with a FP for free, but you will pay for the Mountains and the Mine Train.

Astro Orbiter doesn't have a FP+ option. It's stand by only.

 

[Disneylover99]

All these “ paid fast passes are OK cause I can get certain rides “ get me slightly angry.

I’ve never waited more then 20 mins to get on a ride in my trips.

Every ride I was able to get a new fast pass after the first 3, for 6 days straight, including the hard to get ones. This is during high summer season.

Anyone who is “ ok “ with this is the main reason why Disney continues to Nickel and Dime all their guests. They probably think their guests are just stupid and mindless and will continue to just pay pay pay. That mindset becomes correct if people don’t actually step up and say enough is enough. This isn’t something where you CHOOSE to pay extra. This in the end will become something you MUST pay, because you’ll lose your chance at getting more and you don’t want to be waiting for hours on a line. If rumors are correct, the thing you did for “ free “ now must be done for “ money “ because they leave you no choice.

Even if you still can have three, and then have an option to pay for more, the ones that you have to pay for will dip into the ones for free, hence making it much more difficult for you to actually get them. It’s a lose lose either way.

I’m the first to pay extra for something I actually need, but fastpasses, IMO, if you actually know what your doing, are extremely easy to get.

Now I have to pay for something I’ve never had a problem getting and people are ok with paying even more.

Some people cave so easily and make themselves people who say “ oh it’s ok it’s only this much or that much “. In the end, with that mindset, literally everything that use to be free, will cost us all more money, because people actually don’t have a problem paying for things that use to be free.

No thanks. Hope it stays the way it is

I understand what you’re saying and I do agree.

So many people are willing to pay for something that is free now because they believe that it might save them time. That may be true at first, but I can’t help but think, what will those changes look like four or five years down the road? It may be a situation where you pay for the most popular rides at first. But it will probably change and evolve. Likely for a hefty price and not to benefit the vast majority. It’s a slippery slope that I don’t care to go down.

 

[DavidHobart]

Unless his whole point was about loose socks? Loose socks are the worst!

Loose socks sink ships!

 

[Sarah1024]

I understand what you’re saying and I do agree.

So many people are willing to pay for something that is free now because they believe that it might save them time. That may be true at first, but I can’t help but think, what will those changes look like four or five years down the road? It may be a situation where you pay for the most popular rides at first. But it will probably change and evolve. Likely for a hefty price and not to benefit the vast majority. It’s a slippery slope that I don’t care to go down.

I'm okay paying if it is something that prices the majority of people out and therefore is a real advantage. For instance, we are staying CL and taking advantage of the extra FP's in December. This is a real benefit because the majority of people do not spend money to do this, and therefore is a real advantage for us to book tierless FP's to multiple parks per day. If too many people could afford it, there would be too many people in the FP line, and you may as well just do standby and not waste your money.

 

[Disneylover99]

I'm okay paying if it is something that prices the majority of people out and therefore is a real advantage. For instance, we are staying CL and taking advantage of the extra FP's in December. This is a real benefit because the majority of people do not spend money to do this, and therefore is a real advantage for us to book tierless FP's to multiple parks per day. If too many people could afford it, there would be too many people in the FP line, and you may as well just do standby and not waste your money.

All I’m saying is, be careful what you wish for cause you just might get it, but down the road you may not want what it has become.

It is possible that it will evolve into everyone paying to ride no matter what anyways, which kind of defeats the purpose for the consumer, and only benefits Disney. Again, a slippery slope.