Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios guests are reeling at the news that Disney is testing FastPass+ and Toy Story Midway Mania has no Standby line for the week of October 6-9, 2014. Monday through Thursday only guests who have scheduled a FastPass+ using MyDisneyExperience *in advance of arrival at the attraction* will be able to ride the popular shooting gallery arcade style attraction. Disney representatives say that a select number of FastPasses will be available for those who did not register their selections in advance, but there is no projection as to how many will be available. It is only said that Cast Members will allot FastPass tickets based upon demand.
Rumor has it that this FastPass+ test may be related to the also rumored expansion of Toy Story Midway Mania, in that the anticipated third track for the ride may become FastPass only. What are your thoughts on this FastPass+ test?
I’m Jeri. I’m a wife, a mom, a nana, and a lover of all things Disney. I love writing about Walt Disney World Resort planning for Chip and Co, and I’m also an Independent Travel Agent with Chip and Co’s preferred travel agency, World of Magic Travel. Dreaming of a Disney vacation, adventure, or cruise? Contact me at jeri@worldofmagictravel.com. I’d love to help make your trip more magical!
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Except it’s not, because it’s not.
Toy Story Mania temporarily went FastPass only. It lasted a couple of days. In fact, it’s long-since over! Nobody was talking about making Toy Story Mania a FastPass only ride, though. They’re talking about making a FastPass only line.
That’s precisely what’s being discussed here.
If “the lagoon is supposed to be to represent the countries…not a fake land with cartoon princesses that have nothing to do with Norway” is your “beef” with it, you should have said that in your first post, not gone off on some random tangent about vacation planning.
Where did I say I was planning my trip around riding the Maelstrom? We ride it once a trip. My beef with it closing is that Epcot around the lagoon is supposed to be to represent the countries…not a fake land with cartoon princesses that have nothing to do with Norway. There are plenty of other places to see Ana and Elsa.
I agree.
Me and my family go to Disney just about every year. We went this summer and used the Fast Pass+ system. It did feel like we had to plan a lot more than usual for this trip. Also, the three Fast Pass limit is kind of a bummer. We like to do everything, or at least as much as humanly possible, each trip. It is really disappointing walking up to a ride that you are scheduled for only to see that they have a 5-15 minute standby. You basically wasted that Fast Pass. And if you don’t plan in advance, all of the most popular rides are definitely standby only. We went around Memorial Day this year and it was also during Star Wars Weekends so it was pretty busy, but I have been there when it was busier. I think that we were able to do fewer things this year than normal due to the Fast Pass+ system. We spent two full days at MK and were not able to do a number attractions.
We just came home from 6 days at Disney. With the Fast Pass+ system and planning to be at the most popular attractions first, we didn’t have more than a 15 minute wait for anything. We rode Toy Story Mania 4 times in the two days we spent at Hollywood Studios, once was in the standby line. I think I would be upset if there was not a standby option but I am glad that they have the fast pass option. It did present some scheduling conflicts but all in all, we rode every ride in all four parks in 6 days except two so I think it was a successful trip for our family of six. It was my first real trip to Disney (I was pregnant the only other time I went) and my four boys first trip. We left happy and making plans for our next trip. Having said that, I think that making it Fast Pass+ only at the last minute with no warning is a little insensitive to families who are not staying on property. We could not stay on property because our family of six can not stay in one room and we can’t afford a suite or two rooms. As a veteran we had the option of staying just off property for less than $400 for the entire week in a two room condo with full kitchen, living room, dining room and two baths. It was a no brainer to take that option rather than staying on property but it did mean that a lot of fast passes were gone before we could get one even though the week we were there was a low crowd week.
As a passholder, I have been very frustrated with the new system. We don’t plan out our trips weeks in advance, but rather a day or two, only to find fast passes gone for key attractions. Not only that, but we recently renewed our passes, which you HAVE to do at the gate. Because of that, we couldn’t schedule fast passes until we got into the park, and then our choices were just awful. The experience of booking them at a kiosk in the park was terrible too, I felt rushed by the cast members, and they seemed annoyed when I didn’t like the time offerings. Unfortunately, that was just my husband and I renewing our passes, and we’re going again tomorrow- but now we have to renew the kids passes, so we STILL can’t book on fastpass plus. Then we have to wait to get all of our magic bands. I don’t understand why they make all these upgrades, but renewing your pass is still such a complicated issue. We have a gap where we can’t book online, we have to order new magic bands, and our whole mydisneyexperience has to be rest and linked.
Good thing that’s not what is being discussed here.
I can appreciate concerns about this specific incident, the idea that they should stop it with these last minute changes is just bonkers. WDW’s always got changes going on. Sometimes you go and Fantasyland is full of fences. Sometimes you go and Mainstreet is all covered up with tarps. Sometimes you go and they’re building what will one day be a cool mountain but is right now just a big ugly construction mess. There’s always construction of one type or another at Disney, there’s no planning around it. You can’t plan your vacation around it.
And as much as I like Maelstrom, the idea that you were planning your vacation around it is a little weird.
if you’re going just for a single ride maybe it’s best you not even go at all
As an avid user of the old Fast Pass system, I have to say this will likely be our last trip to Disney World later this month. I have been nothing but frustrated by the new system and I haven’t even entered the park. The system regulates what you can access and it provides preference to guests who stay on designated resorts. So even at the 30 day mark passes are all but gone for key attractions. I have always thought booking my dining reservations 180 days in advance was insane, but the idea that I have to know every step of every minute I am going to be in a park is infuriating. Talk about taking the joy out the spontaneous moment. So my every ride and park location is decided long before I get on a plane. No consideration for weather, timing, children’s sleep or lack there of. For the amount of money one spends for the privilege of going to the Parks they have completely ruined my trip before it has even started. That makes me saddest of all.
We had used Fastpass for this ride and it was nice, but it still took 40 minutes to get through. However, we also went as a group and did not get our tix in advance, we had to pick them up at the gate. Certain rides were already booked up for Fastpass and we could not get on those rides via Fastpass, we did not have the option of getting passes in advance as we had to wait for everyone paying off their reservations in the group before the tickets were sent.
I don’t like the idea of Fast Pass only rides, there should be lines for both.
While I love the regular FastPass program, I think there should always be room for those who want to standby. I don’t go to Disney World (Disneyland since I live in SoCal) so I don’t know all the ins and outs of the FP+ program, but I’m not the type of person who likes to plan their entire day all at once. It seems like this sort of thing removes some of the spontaneity. Just after the quick overview of the FP+ program, there’s a part of me that wouldn’t mind seeing it at Disneyland, but then again, I don’t plan out my DL vacation months in advance and we decide last minute to head up there. It seem to me that FP+ program would disadvantage AP holders who want to ride an E-ticket ride.
I think this is Disney realizing there is a problem with long lines and trying their hardest to eliminate lines altogether. Are people going to be ticked about it in the beginning? Yes, of course. However, they have to implement changes to see what works best.
Disney queues used to be almost as fun as the rides themselves. Before cellphones and tablets, guests actually talked to each other. That was one of my favorite things about visiting Disney. Now that social technology has replaced truly being social, people just stand grumpily in line and get cranky with their family because they are in a hurry to get to the next attraction.
That said, I wasn’t thrilled with all things FastPass+ during my August trip. Disney expects you, the people who pay to go to the parks, to tell them these things. Try it out and tell them what you do and don’t like about it. They will listen! Trust me, they want you to be happy and keep coming back for generations to come.
*soapbox stowed for now*
I don’t prefer fast pass. Just came back from 7 days there and we only used fast pass twice.
Personally, I am getting a little tired by all the changes coming to WDW seemingly last minute…closing the Maelstrom, this…..I understand that they are running a business, but since most of us plan our trips beginning 6 months in advance, this is ridiculous.