Home > Forums > Critics Coaster Discussion > View Topic
( Moderators: ThmPrkCrtc, BobFunland, adriahna )
Hop Forums:
Page [ 1 of 2 ] [ 1 ] 2 
Author Fastpass - Good or bad?
Scott
Posts: 2766
Registered: 11/7/2004

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/18/2005 9:07:27 PM
What do you guys think of fastpass? I personally think that the system is terrible...

On one crowded day at disneyland, I watched the FastPass issue display change rapidly as people claimed their reservations for later in the day. Every fifteen minutes, the FastPass return time crept forward by an hour. So by 12 or so the ride must be out of fp's. This forces some people that don't have fastpasses to wait in the standby line. Every 4 out of 7 riders on space mountain are fast pass users. That means that fastpass doubles, if not triples the wait time for standby riders. Here's another example - when space mountain had it's soft opening, the fastpass machines were turned off. The wait time for space mountain stayed at 45 minutes all day. When fastpass was turned on, the waits shot up to 180 minutes.

okay, sorry I got off track... anyhow, what do you all think of fastpass?
RCGenius
Posts: 1180
Registered: 12/23/2004

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/18/2005 9:20:57 PM
That depends on the type of person you are for real. To me, sometimes it's alright if you want to get on some popular rides in a short amt. of time, but other times, it can get kinda annoying. I've got some fine examples of my past Fastpass memories or anythang close to it:

IOA - I saw something called a fastpass (I don't think it's right though b/c I don't remember the name) & my dad & I went to check it out. An employee there told us that a fastlane pass was $40. To me, I think that it was a ripoff b/c you pay that much $ for so'em you could just wait out for a lil longer & still get on it for free.

CP - My cousins & I went to get an freeway pass whose stand was around where Raptor was. We tried to get one so that we could ride TTD w/o waiting in long lines. Unlike IOA though, it's free, but you've gotta be there at a certain amt. of time. When we came back to the TTD area, the line for it extended all the way out to where Gemini was. Talk about a good distance. When we saw that long line, we were just like it wasn't worth waiting that long for a freeway pass.

My point of view about the whole fastpass thang's that it's not really necessary b/c as long as you get on a ride for that day, you don't really need to pay for a method to get on the rides quicker unless you're the most impatient person in the world. I'll admit that I'm not the most patient person in the world, but I come into an amusement park w/a mindset of riding any ride I want to, no matter how long of a wait it is b/c that just builds up the anticipation factor even more.
Scott
Posts: 2766
Registered: 11/7/2004

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/19/2005 12:06:17 PM
I use fastpass only if disney insists on putting it in their parks. If they were to get rid of fastpass I'd be alot happier.
Message updated 11/19/2005 12:08:01 PM by Scott
Canobie Coaster
Posts: 2694
Registered: 7/26/2005

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/19/2005 12:24:04 PM
I like using fastpasses if they are necessary to me (really long lines). The point Scott brought up is good because I agree that more fastpass people get on a ride than people standing in line for the rides.
Hercules
Posts: 4037
Registered: 10/13/2004

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/21/2005 12:16:30 PM
If people want to spend money on it then it is ok. I don't like having it for free because it is like people who have paid the same amount of money than the other person get privilages over them, and that is not right. Just because it is first come first serve doesn't mean anything. If someone at Six Flags wants to buy a Q-Bot or something, good for them. They can drop the cash for it if they want. Personally, I don't bother with it because I don't want to spend the money on it. Plus, I tend to get to parks on days that are not that busy so I don't need to take advantage of it anyway.

I don't like the free system, but I didn't say that I wouldn't take advantage of it. I would be all about getting a pass that got me in front of people. Is it right? No, but I would be the one that would be getting the benefits from it.
WAR2174
Posts: 1067
Registered: 3/6/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/21/2005 7:15:46 PM
I personally hate the "fastpass" systems in any park. I understand the business end of it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I find it deplorable that a park is already charging an arm and a leg to get in and then they ask for more money to go through lines faster. That is just an acknowledgement that their lines are bad to begin with. They should think more about the overall group of patrons and build rides with higher ride capacity. Many people who go to Disney can't afford to spend on extra stuff. They save for years just to get there in the first place. Six Flags builds so many low capacity rides like Deja Vu, Superman, and X. Then they charge for fast tickets. Just stupid. That's one of the reasons I hated SFMM, 12 hours in the park; 10 spent in lines. AND that was in March. Imagine the summertime. I hope that my favorite chain, Busch, never tries these things.
adriahna
Posts: 4692
Registered: 6/4/2003

Rank: Site Moderator
Skooter Junkie
11/21/2005 9:53:32 PM
Hate them. Detest them. LOATHE them. They pander to the folks with the money. Us regular schlubs who have already spent enough just to get into the park are stuck waiting for even longer as a result. Yeah... that's really fair.
Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/21/2005 10:43:40 PM
I like Fastpasses as long as they're free. Disney ad Universal do a really nice job. Everybody has the same access, so you end up picking and choosing what rides you want to spend longer waiting for and which ones you want to speed through. One drawback of them however is their affect on theming. Since the introduction of the fastpass, the art of Line Theming has somewhat lost its spectacle, since many riders zoom through an express lane.
mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001

Rank: TPC News Minister
11/21/2005 11:37:27 PM
I don't likethe system. all it dose it get laizy people who are unwilling to stand in line into the shops for the 15 minutes they save. Not to mention like mentined erlyer it slows down the peopel that jsut got in lint.

But at least the system at Disney is free where the SFI Q-bot is an opcharge addition. You pay quite a bit of money to get a reply time of the ride and if the ride line is only around 45 min for line theynormaly get a walk right up responce. The Chain also disrespects there regulare guests by giving the fast pass users first load option and now choice seating. they use to set aside 4 seats in the middle of the train bt not they can fill the front and back and force the guests that didn't get of just couldn't aford then to take what's left.
Hulk 500
Posts: 29
Registered: 11/27/2004

Rank: Coaster Critic
11/22/2005 10:21:30 AM
Im alright with the system,dont know why six flags charges money for them,but i think the system is good.Id rather explore the park more and see the least populated rides rather then stand in line for 2 hours.
mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001

Rank: TPC News Minister
11/22/2005 12:57:00 PM
I havn't gone to disney in Prime season ina long time. I've never waited 2 hours for any ride other then Kilimigaro safari and Dinosour. I stil got to see everythign I wanted. We did the trails and the shows. At a local parks I wil often go just for the shows and skip the rides. also when I go to a park I normaly skip the rides that are at many parks. Round up etc. If I have tiem I will do them but I'm not a person that shops, Arcades or spends allot of time eating. So the line wait is the only thign that slows me down.
Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/23/2005 11:18:13 AM
I think the systems are really good in a park like Disney or Universal. 10 they're free. 2) lines here tend to get much longer than at a local park.

At parks I've been to outside of Florida (i.e. Knotts, Hershey, BGW, SFA) these systems would screw up the lines since the lines are already short. In Florida Disney and Universal EASILY get lines that top one or two hours in the summer; so the free system really does work to the advantage of every guest
adriahna
Posts: 4692
Registered: 6/4/2003

Rank: Site Moderator
Skooter Junkie
11/23/2005 3:02:37 PM
Should clarify my viewpoint.

Free FastPass: Good.
Money charged for FastPass: Sucks.
Scott
Posts: 2766
Registered: 11/7/2004

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/23/2005 3:56:46 PM
Quote:
Swimace said:
In Florida Disney and Universal EASILY get lines that top one or two hours in the summer; so the free system really does work to the advantage of every guest


No, the guests that get to the park late are forced to wait in 2 hour lines that would only be 45 minutes without fastpass. So the system sucks both ways. For the guests without fastpass it's a disadvantage, not an advantage.

Message updated 11/23/2005 3:58:01 PM by Scott
Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/23/2005 4:45:02 PM
Fastpasses do not add an hour and 15 minutes to lines. All guests have access to fast pass, so only the dumb ones are at a disadvantage. I grew up in Florida and I can tell you that before Fastpass the lines could easily get just as long. The same ammount of people end up waiting in line, it's just that some wait longer and some wait shorter. If you wait in one line for a long time then you can get a fastpass for another line, every guest has to wait eventually, and people are still going to ride all the major rides with or without the passes.
Scott
Posts: 2766
Registered: 11/7/2004

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/23/2005 6:16:18 PM
Did you read my post?? When space mountain (DLR) had it's fast pass machines shut off, the wait was about 45 minutes. A week later when the fastpass machines were turned on, the wait shot up to almost 180 minutes. Why? Because many families were forced to wait in the standby line. All of the fastpasses had been given out by 12 o clock! any of the families that arrived later were forced to wait in line if they really wanted to ride.
Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/23/2005 10:33:28 PM
It's not as simple as Fastpass v Non-fastpass when it comes to line. During a soft opening, lines tend to be sparatic. Not to mention that there could have been more guests in the park, more rides down, or any other factor. While the fastpass system does lengthen lines a little, it's dumb to think that a you can base all of these assumptions on a soft opening. The point of a soft opening is to learn how to best operate a ride under real conditions. In this case, they could have been working with the fastpass system. A normal day would not allow 4 out of 7 people to be fastpass holders. They were probably testing out how to incorporate the fastpass system into the ride by using more fastpass holders than usual.

Even so, Space Mountain is a new ride, therefore it is expected to have longer lines. One shouldn't base the assumption that fastpasses are evil based on the fast that a new ride had long lines with fastpasses. Did you read my post? I live in Florida. I was a regular visitor to WDW when I was younger and I can tell you that Fastpasses did not have a noticeable effect on wait times. Unlike you, this isn't based on the testing period of a new ride; rather, it is based on the incorporation of fastpasses into an entire park.

mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001

Rank: TPC News Minister
11/24/2005 1:10:56 AM
true you shouldn't base all of this on one ride.

Here's a iger problem. Fastpass is maid so that people don't have to wait in line but there is one major problem there. for every person being able to skip the line you decease in park capacity. as in the capacity figured byRide capacity, queued people, In buildings, and in the path. by getign people out of the queue you put them in the walkways creatign more trafic. yes a few if time allots will try to hit another ride. but then they are acupying capacity that would normaly be open for antoehr guest.

Now this may not be as much as a problem with parks like Disney adn Unizersal were the walkways are farly wide. but in most parks liek those found at SF parks they aren't wide enough to handle the extra trafic.
Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/24/2005 10:53:31 AM
Disney and Universal hardly ever run into capacity problems. The only time I've been at a Disney Park that hit capacity was EPCOT on new years eve. However, I see what you meen about SF parks. I don't think that SF parks should make use of the fastpass systems because lines at regional parks are already short. The lines at Disney an Universal get much longer. Plus, SF makes you pay which sucks for other guests.
larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/24/2005 6:44:13 PM
Quote:
Swimace said:
Disney and Universal hardly ever run into capacity problems.


I'm not going by personal experience here, only what my friends with kids say, since I haven't been to the Magic Kingdom in 16 years. Many of them refuse to go the Magic Kingdom on a weekend in the summer because of the lines. I don't know what full capacity is, but waiting 90 minutes for rides like Dumbo, Peter Pan, Snow White, etc... with kids in tow sounds like a nightmare to me.

BTW - regarding FastPass systems I agree with whoever said Free=Good Paid=Bad

--------------------
Mom always said, "Don't play ball in the house".
Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/25/2005 10:47:05 AM
^ That's my point. The lines can get that long and still not reach capacity. When I say capacity I mean they close the park gates because nobody else can come in. This usually only happens on holidas, such as I said when I went to EPCOT on newyears. When I went to EPCOT with a full park, Test Track had a 4 and a half hour line. Thankfully I got a fastpass and I only had to wait in line for an hour, because that's how long the line was for fastpass holders. The shortest line I waited in that day was the Mexice boat ride for 20 minutes and the Living with the Land boat ride for 30 minutes. Now at a park like EPCOT those lines are rediculous, since many people spend their time seeing the attractions at the world's fair. At the Magic Kingdom, the lines get much worse than EPCOT, since everybody who goes there spends all of their time on the rides.
mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001

Rank: TPC News Minister
11/26/2005 2:02:28 AM
Even at Disney the system isn't full proof. its A nice idea but tey know how to handle lines and if they worked on getign more attractions they wouldn't need to wory about the fast pass. MK has verry few rides give its size and popularity. get more rides into the park to seoprate out guests.

Take out Tamarow lanf Speedway and expand Tammarowland and Micky's toontown fair. creat a toon town with a few atractions. if they still need to expand for capacity. remove Jungle crouse. with Animal Kingdom its not as needed as it once was. they could fit many rides in taht area.
Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/26/2005 11:15:06 AM
Magic Kingdom has a ton of rides. If any Disney park needs more rides it's MGM or AK.
Danny
Posts: 6316
Registered: 5/23/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/26/2005 12:48:03 PM
FastPass is horrible. It crowds the walkways and makes the lines even longer. I agree with pretty much everything you guys have said so far

However, I also dislike FastPass for the simple reason that I don't like skipping the lines. Crazy huh? I would rather wait 30 minutes in an air conditioned, well themed queue than spend an hour wandering around outside waiting for my FastPass to become valid. Also, the FastPass lines are horrible sometimes. For instance, at Dr Doom's Fearfall, you don't even enter the well-themed queue building; instead you go up an unthemed ramp and board immediately. I personally would rather enjoy the theming of the queue - this goes for pretty much every ride in Orlando.
mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001

Rank: TPC News Minister
11/27/2005 1:42:00 AM
Quote:
Swimace said:
Magic Kingdom has a ton of rides. If any Disney park needs more rides it's MGM or AK.


You right MK's 23 rides and shows dose over shadow MGM's 16 rides, shows, movie realated walkthroughs or AK 17 rides and shows.

I agree that MK is larger ride wise. but ride whise it fails in comparison to prity much every park in NE. also with MK people more populare and with fewer shows to acupy a large number of guests they need the atractions to handle the larger Crowds.

--------------------
Miracles can be made with a rock!

"Get a good idea and stay with it. dog it and work at it untile it's done, and don right." Walt Disney
Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/27/2005 12:41:05 PM
Quote:
mrceagle said:
also with MK people more populare and with fewer shows to acupy a large number of guests they need the atractions to handle the larger Crowds.


I agree with you up to this point, but then you just lost me. I'm not quite sure what that's supposed to mean. I think what you're saying that with larger crowds it needs more rides, in which case I agree that a few more rides couldn't hurt any Disney park, but I don't think MK is that bad in terms of ride numbers.
Scott
Posts: 2766
Registered: 11/7/2004

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/27/2005 12:43:11 PM
Quote:
Swimace said:
^ That's my point. The lines can get that long and still not reach capacity. When I say capacity I mean they close the park gates because nobody else can come in. This usually only happens on holidas, such as I said when I went to EPCOT on newyears. When I went to EPCOT with a full park, Test Track had a 4 and a half hour line. Thankfully I got a fastpass and I only had to wait in line for an hour, because that's how long the line was for fastpass holders. The shortest line I waited in that day was the Mexice boat ride for 20 minutes and the Living with the Land boat ride for 30 minutes. Now at a park like EPCOT those lines are rediculous, since many people spend their time seeing the attractions at the world's fair. At the Magic Kingdom, the lines get much worse than EPCOT, since everybody who goes there spends all of their time on the rides.


And I'd be willing to bet that those lines would be shorter without fastpass. Fastpass clogs up the walkways, and increases the wait times for those without fastpasses.
Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/27/2005 3:20:34 PM
If I remember correctly, and I may be wrong about this, but I think Test Track was the only ride at the time operating Fastpass. It was the year that TestTrack opened, and I distinctly remember getting a FastPass for TestTrack, but I don't remember any of the other rides having them.

EDIT: Actually I do remember Honey I Shrunk The Audience having FastPass, but other than that I still don't think that most rides in the park were operating them.
Message updated 11/27/2005 3:21:53 PM by Swimace
mrceagle
Posts: 13804
Registered: 6/9/2001

Rank: TPC News Minister
11/29/2005 4:54:43 PM
Quote:
Swimace said:
I agree with you up to this point, but then you just lost me. I'm not quite sure what that's supposed to mean. I think what you're saying that with larger crowds it needs more rides, in which case I agree that a few more rides couldn't hurt any Disney park, but I don't think MK is that bad in terms of ride numbers.


Thats prity much what I was getign at. I agree fully that all the parks could use some rides. even if it were well themed hight capacity flats. Flying Carpets/Triceratop spins.

MGM
maybe a Land Speeder themed version in fromt of Star tours? They shoudl reinstal Anien Encounter with the Alien fron the Aliens movie. Ecpand the Indiana Jones area.
Creat a personal are say were the exanimation building is now and instal a Pixar Scuare with many pixar rides. Give the mupets there own area and reinstal Mupit Vision 3D there allong with a number of new atractions. Maybe a Mupets related carousel.

MK
But I woudl like to see a mickys toon town come to MK with the Roger rabit ride and a new verson of Gagits go coaster. Insted of having hte waky trallyoutside they can great a toon town drive dark ride featuning the waky trally ride.

EPCOT
Add a ride of major show attraction to every land within the world Showcase. most of the land have room whilethe ones short of room can Host a 4D movie or stage show. one sectionwith little room for expantion could get a garousel representing that country. Move It's a small world and carousel of Progress to Future worls area of Epcot. If posible rebuild Horizans. Add new rides and shows to each pavilion were available.

AK
This one is far harder.
THe bugs life area cold be instaled around the tree of life(containing the it's tough to be a bug movie). Add more Dino themed rides: taridactil themed swing plan ride, a dino egg tea cup ride, A Dino Carousel, etc. Thepark should get a large Grand Carousel with animals from around the world. The Forbidon Kindom(mythical animals) with the dragons and Unicorn ride should be instaled. i don't care if it is similare to IOA disney had there's drawn up first. They shoudl bring back the boat ride that went around the Tree of like lagoon.

This is jsut a few rides I have though of. I'msure they have come up with biger and better ones start unign them.
Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
11/29/2005 7:35:27 PM
Quote:
mrceagle said:
MK
But I woudl like to see a mickys toon town come to MK with the Roger rabit ride and a new verson of Gagits go coaster. Insted of having hte waky trallyoutside they can great a toon town drive dark ride featuning the waky trally ride.


MK has Mickey's Toontwon Fair. While they don't have the Roger Rabbit Ride, they have Goofy's Barnstromer which is almost the exact same thing as Gadget's Go Coaster except that it has a different name and a different theme.

As for MGM, I think they should build a Vekoma Booster Bike that is themed to a stunt track.

Page [ 1 of 2 ] [ 1 ] 2 
Clicky Web Analytics