Charge for FP? Please say it aint so!

[mickeyfanachey1999]

I use to stay there as well. Free parking, free WiFi, cheap but decent rooms for the price.

We use to stay there until one trip one of their maids stole my wife's debit card out of her wallet. Haven't been back there

it's just an overnighter for us so no contact with any of the cleaning staff. Sorry to hear about that though.

 

[bumbershoot]

They've had it this way too long to adopt the Universal model.

Also known as a form of the new Disneyland model...

My daughter's band went to Disney back the beginning of April this year and leading into it I was surprised at how many parents in the band thought you had to pay for fast passes.

People have thought FP cost money for ages. Back in 2005 for our first Disneyland trips as adults people would mumble about the cost of FP...

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Currently club level at deluxe can purchase extras for $50 per day with a minimum of I believe 3 days.
I can see Disney offering a paid option to everyone in the future but continue to have a free option as well.

 

[Farro]

I would much rather just have an express unlimited pass that you either get if you stay deluxe, or for purchase if you stay moderate or value. Then they can get rid of current fast pass system and go back to free day of fast passes for off-site guests or those who choose not to purchase it.

Then all I would have to schedule is ADRs.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

I hope they do start charging for FP+. Not that I will be buying them, well maybe a few, but it will make stand by lines shorter. FP+ adds a lot of time to stand by lines.

 

[monorailrabbit]

Probably just a rumor or speculation that I think people are just "assuming" Disney will do based on all their other recent things (increase in ticket prices, resort parking, more upsells, etc.). If speculations go around enough, they become 'rumors', if those go around enough, they become 'fact'.

But, I wouldn't be surprised either. The problem is, this (like the resort parking) just generates really, REALLY bad press when you start charging for something that was free for many, many years.
People give Disney huge props for having a free "skip the line" system and it is a big selling point. A lot are shocked they do that .. and that is huge.

If Disney did this, it would lose the magic and appeal to a LOT of loyal customers and push more people to Universal for sure as Disney goes from the top dog to just another theme park in Orlando.

If they changed things to "day of" Fast Passes (like Disneyland) . .I would be okay with charging. Disneyland's system seems a lot easier/fairer even though it costs.

Scheduling things 30-60 days in advance and stressing out about how "maximize" the system for a vacation is silly.


I think the FP+ system is straining under its own weight. The addition of more net new attractions will help it, but just feels like the system is very burdensome (technology wise and guest experience wise)

This! I adored Disneyland's MP! Yeah it was $10, but SOOOO worth it! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed more of a spur-of-the-moment type of day where I didn't have rides locked in months ago and could decide to just ride Guardians over and over again. It seemed a lot "fairer" and it was really easy for us to use - except for those random spots in the park where I couldn't get service. I would not be a fan of having to pay to book things 30-60 days out and keeping the "start with 3 and some parks have tiers". We pulled tons of FP at Disneyland and it was the same headliners over and over again.

 

[STLstone]

The thing about parking though, it is an industry standard. Every hotel we have stayed in has a parking fee. Required/mandatory valet in some cases.

It's also becoming an industry standard to charge for a version of line-skipping. Every other park I've been to charges for their version of it.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

It's also becoming an industry standard to charge for a version of line-skipping. Every other park I've been to charges for their version of it.

True. But I think Disney was actually playing the long game with their FP system. Other parks do not get nearly the type of valuable operating data from their versions of FP as Disney does. Like grocery store loyalty programs they are really buying data on you in exchange for FPs (discount in the grocery store example). They gave FPs away to everyone to ensure that many/most people use them and magic bands/MDE. They can improve their operations and right size their staffing. Only they know if the savings they get there are more than they would get by charging for it (they would still get data but on a much smaller population of people). Disney went for big data and other parks went for a paid perk. I think they're two different approaches.

 

[Planogirl]

Disney would have to radically change what they give people to be fairly compared to Universal. At Universal you can bypass standby at almost every ride rather than at just a few. I can't see Disney being able to allow that with such huge attendance at MK.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

The thing about parking though, it is an industry standard. Every hotel we have stayed in has a parking fee. Required/mandatory valet in some cases.

I have never paid a separate fee to park at a hotel. We usually stay here on arrival night:

View attachment 319506
Fairly closes to DS and never paid for parking so it's not even everywhere in Lake Buena Vista.

Since when is parking fee in a hotel industry standard??? So I randomly found on expedia some off site hotels in WDW, and they all have free self parking:

Baymont by Wyndham Celebration
Maingate Lakeside Resort
Seralago Hotel & Suites Main Gate East

I can find more, these are just the first 3 hotels that came up, and they all have free parking! I know Disney claim that parking fees are industry standard when they started this fee, but they are LYING!

 

[Lee Matthews]

I would pay for a proper skip to th front of the lines pass but knowing Disney they will probably price it stupidly and I won't bother

 

[seashoreCM]

One can argue that it is reasonable to put a price on something whose supply consistently becomes exhausted.

Under today's version of FP+, there are numerous times including in advance of the "day of" for certain rides when it is not possible to book a FP because "they are all gone."

Today there is the mentality of "book our appointment for Test Track or for Toy Story Mania" as opposed to "book three fastpasses."

In at least one city (Boston) they are experimenting with time-of-day changing parking meter rates, one of the goals was to not have regularly predictable times when "all the spaces are taken."

 

[mshanson3121]

I called a place (will not give the name) and spoke to somebody there about selling my DVC membership via resale. The person I spoke to mentioned to me that by 2020 fastpasses will only be available through purchase. She also said something about people staying in Deluxe will get a few per day, but will have to pay for the rest, but DVC resorts, although they are technically Deluxe in most cases, will not be getting any freebies.

Please, please tell me she has been talking to the random CM or bus driver and there is no truth to this.

I would bet alot of money on this happening, especially with SWGE. As others have said, I definitely see them switching to more of a Universal model.

 

[mshanson3121]

But not every hotel requires it. We have never once stayed at a hotel that charges for parking. I think the paid "fast pass" is more standard than paid parking.

The thing about parking though, it is an industry standard. Every hotel we have stayed in has a parking fee. Required/mandatory valet in some cases.

 

[DisFanDad]

One can argue that it is reasonable to put a price on something whose supply consistently becomes exhausted.

Under today's version of FP+, there are numerous times including in advance of the "day of" for certain rides when it is not possible to book a FP because "they are all gone."

Today there is the mentality of "book our appointment for Test Track or for Toy Story Mania" as opposed to "book three fastpasses."

In at least one city (Boston) they are experimenting with time-of-day changing parking meter rates, one of the goals was to not have regularly predictable times when "all the spaces are taken."

Of course when disney can limit the supply of FP+ by running rides below maximum capacity this becomes a bit more problematic

 

[karatstravels]

They charge for FP+ at Disneyland and parking. We just returned from Disneyland and only paid for the upgrade for one of our park days ( $10 per person per day and there are 10 of us, so it adds up). So it is not something they are not already doing, plus with magicbbands it is so much easier than the system they have at DLR.

 

[mom2rtk]

They charge for FP+ at Disneyland and parking. We just returned from Disneyland and only paid for the upgrade for one of our park days ( $10 per person per day and there are 10 of us, so it adds up). So it is not something they are not already doing, plus with magicbbands it is so much easier than the system they have at DLR.

But they still offer traditional fastpass for free. The upcharge product merely lets you do it on your phone instead of at the attraction (plus gives you Photopass).

 

[Liljo22]

Since when is parking fee in a hotel industry standard??? So I randomly found on expedia some off site hotels in WDW, and they all have free self parking:

Baymont by Wyndham Celebration
Maingate Lakeside Resort
Seralago Hotel & Suites Main Gate East

I can find more, these are just the first 3 hotels that came up, and they all have free parking! I know Disney claim that parking fees are industry standard when they started this fee, but they are LYING!

Of course its not the standard at your $50 per night I4 hotel/motel. It is the industry standard on your higher end hotels like Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Omni, etc. You will either have a parking fee, resort fee, or both at most of hotels comparable to Disney hotels. When staying at these hotels I factor parking fees into the per night rate when comparing pricing. Depending on the spread between valet and self, I make a decision which I will do. Disney is not lying but they are not trying to compare themselves to a level far below there own.

 

[Networth]

If this does come to pass I feel like this would possibly make it harder for them to sell DVC direct. I picture the guide aka "pitch man” attempting to explain to a family that typical stays deluxe that they will have to pay for FP from this point forward if they join the “Wonderful Disney Vacation Club and become a true member!” I would imagine that would leave a sour taste in ones mouth. I know it would mine if I was on a tour.

 

[DougEMG]

If Disney ever eliminated the free FP+ I would take a hard look at switching to Universal only trips. At that point staying at a deluxe resort at Universal with free Express Pass might be enough to make me give up totally on Disney.