What do you think of Fast Passes?

[RCjunkie]

I really like them, it gives me another option when visiting a park on how I want to spend my time. Maybe I am lucky but a Fast Pass being used by other people when I don't have one has usually only delayed me getting on a ride for one cycle and never more than 2 cycles. Also I have yet for it to 'affect me' like more than twice in one day during a visit to a park. Until that changes I am all for them.

[Moose]

I love them and use them whenever they are available at a park that is not a local park.

[gad198]

I don't usually spend enough time in any park to warrant use of these. I also don't visit on days where it's likely to be busy, as most of my travels are during periods of lower attendance. I've only purchased these kinds of items at two parks - Dollywood (because it's so cheap) and once at Busch Gardens Williamsburg (because we got unlucky and ran into a larger than expected crowd). Not everyone has the luxury of being able to travel at these slow times, however, so I do see the benefits of these kinds of items. Having said that...

 

I don't think these Fast Passes/Lane/QBots, etc. affect wait times too much - most of the time. I've yet to visit a park where Fast Passes have been a problem at a park-wide level, but the issue with these kinds of items is that they can often make the already long waits of some popular attractions even worse, often for both the Fast Pass user and the standby guest.

 

I go to Cedar Point a couple of times a year. I have never nor will I ever likely get Fast Lane there until they actually RAISE the price. There are too many days at Cedar Point where the big 3 Intamin coasters have Fast Lane waits of a half hour or more. I've yet to hear any complaints about the Fast Lane waits at any other coaster there, nor have I seen outrageous Fast Lane waits at any other attraction there outside of maybe maXair. Fast Lane (and the like) have simply further concentrated a portion of park guests to riding things that are very popular and that have - by extension - longer wait times. There's a reason why both Maverick and TTD are on Fast Lane Plus, and the only reason that MF isn't on Plus is because no one would buy the regular Fast Lane if MF wasn't included. There's a reason why the Fast Lane merge point at MF was moved from the back of the station to the bottom of the ramp.

 

Diamondback at Kings Island is actually suffering from the same thing. Regulars there - myself included - will tell you that a half full upper queue setup pre-Fast Lane was around 20 minutes with typical operations. That same setup is about 25-30 minutes now. I have personally witnessed more than 100 Fast Lane guests go through that line in a half hour span on more than one occasion. There's a reason why Flight of Fear is no longer on the Fast Lane program at KI.

 

My point is this - I think that those people who are saying that it doesn't dramatically increase wait times are right the vast majority of the time. However, there are some popular rides at the larger parks where Fast Passes have absolutely had a negative impact on standby times. I really believe that it's case specific.

[Nrthwnd]

I love them and use them whenever they are available at a park that is not a local park.

 

What he said.

[dippindotsguy8]

If the system is set up well, meaning legitimate merge points are set up (rather than ops telling people that their seats have been taken), and the number sold is limited enough so as not to drastically effect the normal wait time, I like them. I don't think there is anything wrong with a park offering these options... you are not forced to pay for it if you're not interested, and I have never been to a park where it was absolutely necessary to have them.

 

However, if running a park, I would be reluctant to offer the "fast lane" style passes (no reservation times) just because it pisses so many guests off. It also can create legitimate problems if not regulated properly. People who pay for it can still end up waiting in long lines, and people who didn't feel ripped off because it nearly doubles their wait time.

 

Fast Pass/Fast Lane/Flash Pass is a great idea, and I don't have any issue with it in theory. However, it needs to be very carefully implemented and regulated so as not to anger people.

[milst1]

We love them and we almost always buy and use them, even if it's just to ride something once to get a credit. It can get expensive because we do a lot of trips, but of course it also depends on crowds, day of the week, etc., which people have already mentioned. Six Flags really milks you for major new rides, demanding the highest price pass AND limiting the number of rides.

 

For parks that need to constantly look for new revenue streams, fast passes are a no-brainer. Cedar Fair didn't introduce Fast Lane until Ouimet, and I always thought that Kinzel and Co. were hypocrites, saying that fast passes were undemocratic, all the while offering VIP tours (with VIP queue privileges) for $400 a head.

 

I always feel a twinge of guilt at the GP merge point because of all of the ethical issues that have been raised here. It is sanctioned line jumping and it does discriminate against those with lower incomes. Once we merged with a line at some SF (I think it was X Coaster at SFGA the year it opened) and there was no attendant managing the merge point in the queue. The GP did everything to make our merge as uncomfortable and awkward as possible.

 

You're not the only person paying the price when you buy a Fast Pass, that's all I'm saying, and I know I disagree with Rubysparkles. Someone (XII, K1ngdaKa88) gave a hotel analogy earlier, that it was like some people being able to afford a suite at the Ritz-Carlton, while people with lower incomes get a standard room at Motel 6, but I disagree because in the hotel example, both people get a room for the night. Coaster queues are a zero-sum game: if I get to cut the line, then someone else has to wait longer. Schrecken made a similar point.

 

The classic FastPass at Disney avoids this by strictly limiting the passes, making everyone wait equally (either in the queue or virtually), and giving everyone an equal chance to get the passes (Unfortunately the new FastPass+ system, as it currently operates, restricts everyone's access (only 3 at a time, one park only, etc.).

 

I half agree with PeoplemoverMatt. People who spend $200 on sneakers and have the last 5 Xboxes and an oversized off-road vehicle for the city shouldn't complain about not being able to afford a fast pass. OTOH, I think FPs do degrade the other guests' experience, to some degree, so there is a negative externality that shouldn't be ignored.

[GwaziBSRider1]

Cedar Fair didn't introduce Fast Lane until Ouimet, and I always thought that Kinzel and Co. were hypocrites, saying that fast passes were undemocratic, all the while offering VIP tours (with VIP queue privileges) for $400 a head.

 

Cedar Point originally tested Fast Lane back in 2005. I remember seeing it in action, and it was a complete disaster (I guess it was so bad, they pulled it mid-way through the season). At that time, it worked like the Disney FastPass system: wait in line for a distribution and get your hand stamped with a return time, plus it was free. Of course, nobody monitored the merge point, so it created a bit of chaos. If I remember correctly, the rides on the program were Magnum, Raptor, Millennium Force, and Wicked Twister. I tried to find an article about the old FL, but couldn't find anything.

[jarmor]

I love them!

 

I don't purchase them before my visit as I try to plan on days that aren't busy. If it is busy however, my A$$ will be running to the fastpass kiosk .

 

The only time it ever bothered me (not to have one) was at Halloween Horror Nights. I just could not budget for three of them for my family as they are really fairly expensive and I just didn't have the funds. I wasn't irritated with the park, but more with myself - but those lines were pretty brutal.

 

Oh well though, lesson learned. Next year - there will be passes.

I haven't bothered with an express for HHN since 2006! I have been able to every house plus bill and ted every time I've went. Its a strategy lol...

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Coaster queues are a zero-sum game: if I get to cut the line, then someone else has to wait longer. Schrecken made a similar point.

 

The classic FastPass at Disney avoids this by strictly limiting the passes, making everyone wait equally (either in the queue or virtually), and giving everyone an equal chance to get the passes (Unfortunately the new FastPass+ system, as it currently operates, restricts everyone's access (only 3 at a time, one park only, etc.).

 

I half agree with PeoplemoverMatt. People who spend $200 on sneakers and have the last 5 Xboxes and an oversized off-road vehicle for the city shouldn't complain about not being able to afford a fast pass. OTOH, I think FPs do degrade the other guests' experience, to some degree, so there is a negative externality that shouldn't be ignored.

 

I think it's important to understand that there's a HUGE difference between ride reservation systems and upcharge automatic front-of-the-line whenever you want. This is missed by just about everybody, including many enthusiasts, and I don't think enough attention is given to the difference. It's a big difference because of the making people wait longer complaint that often comes up.

 

With ride reservations, those going through the FP queue have already been waiting for their ride far longer than those in the stand-by queue have. It used to be hours but now with FP+, it can be days, weeks, even months. So the people in the stand-by queue have no reason at all to complain about their wait time. Zero. None. Just like those who go to a highly popular restaurant and complain that it's 2 hours to wait for a table because they couldn't be bothered to make reservations. Sorry pal. Those with reservations all been waiting much longer than you who just showed up. This isn't making the stand-by queue longer or slower. It's allowing those who've already waited a long time to not have to wait again upon arrival. If the merge is managed properly, there is actually little to no increase in stand-by wait times over how long they would wait if there were no reservations also being accepted.

 

Contrast that with paid front-of-the-line passes. Are they evil? Not at all. Not unless you also think theatres are evil for charging more for seats closer to the stage, or airlines are evil for offering First Class seats, Economy Plus, etc. That said, I probably would complain if I saw an airline do something like have its seats be 90% first class and only 10% economy, and the economy seats were gone in 0.84 seconds of going on sale. Fortunately that doesn't really happen in parks, but when a guest is in the hot FL sun queuing for hours while Rich Uncle Pennybags strolls merrily by with his obvious upcharge pass swinging to & fro from his lanyard, I can see how people can get a bit peeved at the sight of that. But really, a feeling of envy shouldn't be viewed as degrading their experience. They chose to be in that line at that time in that park during that time of year. There's a LOT of individual personal choice involved to get through before you can really pin the blame on the park for that moment of envy.

 

Personally I don't really care which one of these a park offers since I can see the value in both types. I'll stand by what I said before that a lot of what people perceive as what they can & can't buy is ultimately a product of their personal outlook and everyday spending habits much moreso than the pricing structure of any park. If you want to avoid waiting in queues, there are tons of ways to do that that don't directly cost a dime. But if none of them are an option and you still want to avoid the lines, at least the parks make it possible with the upcharge passes and/or the reservation system. As a whole I think theme park guests are much, MUCH better off with them than had they never been invented.

[Sprint390g]

I do like fast passes. I think that if you want to not queue for a grand spanking new ride in blistering heat for hours, dehydrated and ready to collapse from the sheer waiting.

 

My only problem with fast passes is that too many people use it. When in line for The Smiler (a great ride apart from the violent head banging that occurs (I prefer nemesis though ( oh cool, brackets inside brackets))) or any other popular roller coaster/attraction, the fast pass line is long normally creating longer queueing times.

 

I really enjoy fast passes but when actually getting one you usually end up queueing for the ride because everyone else have the same idea. The whole park and your mum are in a line which should allow you to reduce ride times significantly and get on quicker but instead left waiting for something you shouldn't be waiting for.

 

I don't inparticularly use them often as the park I go to frequently is just a stones throw from my house so i don't have the need to use it. If I ride has a high waiting time then I don't go on it. But when I see fast pass lines they are extortionate. As I have stated before, everyone and the president are lining up in fast pass lines frustrated due to the false hope of just gallivanting onto the ride.

 

I just think that there should be limits for how many people use fast passes on either a hourly basis or daily one. This will in theory reduce wait times for the the regular line and people spending their dosh on even more tickets to cut queues and ACTUALLY CUT QUEUES instead of waiting again.

 

God that was exhausting.

[IdahoKat]

When I get the chance to go to a park, my time off work is often limited, and I want to get all the ride time in that I can. By the time I travel, the cost is worth it to me.

[larrygator]

Cedar Point originally tested Fast Lane back in 2005. I remember seeing it in action, and it was a complete disaster (I guess it was so bad, they pulled it mid-way through the season). At that time, it worked like the Disney FastPass system: wait in line for a distribution and get your hand stamped with a return time, plus it was free. Of course, nobody monitored the merge point, so it created a bit of chaos. If I remember correctly, the rides on the program were Magnum, Raptor, Millennium Force, and Wicked Twister. I tried to find an article about the old FL, but couldn't find anything.

 

The old CP version was called "Freeway", similar in concept to current Disney system but without the technology

Basically you could get two hand stamps (at most) per day, one on each wrist. The ink (more like paint) used was so heavy it was impossible to clean you wrist. CP set up booths outside the rides that offered Freeway and would stamp an one hour time slot on your wrist for that day. After stamping a set number of people for that one hour period they would switch to a stamp with a different time and continue this process until they stamped a specific number of people for each ride.

[DoinItForTheFame]

I personally think Fast Passes are great. I think the only people who complain about Fast Passes are the GP who are either:

 

A.) Unable to afford to purchase a fast pass.

and/or

B.) Not smart enough to understand how they work. They just see it as people cutting in line. They don't understand how the system actually works.

 

I know the older I get the more impatient I am becoming, and the less I can tolerate the GP. We buy a fast pass usually at every park we visit aside from our home park, and smaller parks that do not have, or do not need a fast pass system. However, we have recently got to the point that when we go to larger parks IE: Cedar Point, Universal, or Disney we end up booking a VIP package. To us it is the best way to ensure we can experience everything we want to experience.

[jacksoro2]

I see this is a pretty hot topic and I personally have no problem with someone who wants to buy them. I don't always buy them but I usually plan my visits to parks very carefully. I try to schedule them at times when the crowds are minimal and the weather is still decent. For me this eliminates the need for a fastpass because most of the time most rides are walkons. For example I went to SFA and Kings Dominion on Halloween weekend and Carowinds and SFOG in April this part year and I got there when the gates opened. I rode every coaster in the parks multiple times and spent maybe 2 or 3 hours in each park. My longest wait may have been 10 mins sometimes. However I know if I would have tried to do this in a weekend in July it would have been impossible. Don't get me wrong I have bought fast passes in the past if it was necessary. I will probably buy them this May when I visit Cedar Point and Kings Island if the need arises.

[GwaziBSRider1]

Cedar Point originally tested Fast Lane back in 2005. I remember seeing it in action, and it was a complete disaster (I guess it was so bad, they pulled it mid-way through the season). At that time, it worked like the Disney FastPass system: wait in line for a distribution and get your hand stamped with a return time, plus it was free. Of course, nobody monitored the merge point, so it created a bit of chaos. If I remember correctly, the rides on the program were Magnum, Raptor, Millennium Force, and Wicked Twister. I tried to find an article about the old FL, but couldn't find anything.

 

The old CP version was called "Freeway", similar in concept to current Disney system but without the technology

Basically you could get two hand stamps (at most) per day, one on each wrist. The ink (more like paint) used was so heavy it was impossible to clean you wrist. CP set up booths outside the rides that offered Freeway and would stamp an one hour time slot on your wrist for that day. After stamping a set number of people for that one hour period they would switch to a stamp with a different time and continue this process until they stamped a specific number of people for each ride.

 

Thanks for the greater detail, Larry! I knew it wasn't called Fast Lane, but I couldn't remember for the life of me what it was called. Didn't they reuse the old Freeway queues/merge points for Fast Lane?

[larrygator]

 

Thanks for the greater detail, Larry! I knew it wasn't called Fast Lane, but I couldn't remember for the life of me what it was called. Didn't they reuse the old Freeway queues/merge points for Fast Lane?

 

I believe they did re-use the old Freeway paths for FastLane. I know the discussion about this is buried somewhere in the CP discussion thread.

[prozach626]

FP is worth its weight in gold. I don't enjoy being elbow to elbow with sweaty people for extended periods of time. I deal with lesser intelligent people on a daily basis at work. The last thing I want to do is be crammed next to them for forty-five minutes so I can have my two minutes of excitement.

 

$100? $200? $300? Charge me whatever you want. I'm either paying it, or I'm not going.

 

Money talks. Welcome to earth.

[Fingers]

I have used a fast pass system twice before and they were really nice to have. I don't have a problem with the virtual queue system, but the cedar fair fast lane system needs to be reworked. The FL system has way too much of an impact on the regular queue wait time. I rode Flight of Fear when it was on FL and that line was just a standstill as they would let one party from FL then one party from the regular queue, thus greatly increasing wait time. Beast, Millennium Force, Maverick, and Dragster all had similar issues with their FL queue being so large that is made the regular queue move at a snails pace. Also I believe the fast pass should never get to enter through the exit ramp as it causes problems for groups that are trying to get on the same train and causes huge delays on those waiting for the front row.

 

People also wonder why the stand by guests have such a huge issue with fast pass users and this is why,

I deal with lesser intelligent people on a daily basis at work. The last thing I want to do is be crammed next to them for forty-five minutes so I can have my two minutes of excitement.

Some FP users believe that they are better than everyone else and when even a minority act that way it makes the nonusers think all FP users are like that.

 

P.S. prozach626 this is not meant to be an attack at you it is simply me stating how your post came off.

[pushbutton]

I agree with sfkk and sirspud.

[pushbutton]

I was going to add that now most people have smartphones, there is really no need for anyone to queue longer than a few minutes for any attraction.

 

Everyone should be able to just request which rides they want to go on, be automatically booked into the next available slot, and get an sms say 5 minutes before that time to let them know to make their way there.

 

For the few without a smartphone, let them borrow one that's locked to only be used with the parks queue app. Deposit could be charged to cover any lost or damaged.

[cfilkins]

For the folks who think fast passes have no impact on other riders, keep in mind that the rides have a fixed capacity... To have no impact, the capacity of the ride would have to be increased by the same number of expected fast pass riders per hour. If a ride has a capacity of 1000 riders per hour, that's 100 riders per 6 minutes. So, say there are 100 fast pass users in an hour...that means only 900 other riders will get on in that same hour. So in effect, it adds 6 minutes to the wait time, or 10%.

[DirkFunk]

When I've made the choice to go to a theme park that has a $60 gate admission and $25 parking, I'm throwing away the "what about the poor people?" excuse immediately. People who are really poor - like living under the federal poverty guidelines poor - are probably not inside the gates and having a good time because they cannot afford to do so. The whole enterprise is built on being undemocratic. If the lack of equality really grinds your gears, you shouldn't be on forums like TPR. You should do something else with your life.

 

Do I buy this stuff? If I walk around a park and recognize that it is busy, absolutely. I've done this enough to know now that these systems practically never sell out in advance, and it is always a better situation as a visitor to walk the park and see the waits before investing the money. Unless the money isn't an object of concern for you at all, in which case, do whatever.

[joemess]

Unfortunately they have become a necessary evil. While they create this "caste" system at parks and make it so you're spending more money there, I don't have the patience to wait on long lines anymore. I'll spend the money to get more time at the park. When I used the Express Pass at Universal Orlando, I waited no more than 15 minutes for any ride and some had lines almost 2 hrs long.

[scubaski]

I never would buy the pass because I did not want to pay the price and we usually went to the parks at a time when attendance was low so we really didn't need one. But after media day for Banshee last year I stayed for opening day and saw the need to get one if I planned on riding everything. Now if its a crowded day I will buy them

[VF15]

Adding on to what I posted earlier, I do not think that fast passes are creating a class system in amusement parks. Is a $50 wristband/Q-Bot really the difference between rich and poor? I think not. Almost everyone that I've seen use a fast pass just looks like a normal person. It all depends on how you prioritize the things you want, and for some people, getting more time out of your park visit is a bigger priority. That being said, during the few times I've used a fast pass, I still couldn't help but feel guilty about walking past all those people waiting in the huge line.