12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

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  • Al Lutz
    MiceAge Founder & Editor
    MiceAge Columnist
    • Jan 2005
    • 809

    12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

    Kevin on the pros and cons of X-pass. Discuss it here...

    DIRECT ARTICLE LINK: X-pass/press/pensive - MiceAge.com
    "Politics is the profession whereby the inevitable is made to seem a great human achievement" - Quentin Crisp
  • daliseurat
    Junior Member
    • Dec 2005
    • 60

    #2
    Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

    As usual you make excellent points. However the idea of providing this new service is VERY
    WRONG! Unlike FASTPASS which is available to anyone, whether they know about it or not, this one is only available to those who can afford yet another charge on top of an already
    expensive vacation. So it isn't going to make the infrequent visitor, who maybe can afford to
    go to WDW only once happy at all. They will now have a lesser experience if they DON'T buy the Xpass because the standby lines will be longer and fastpasses will surely be in shorter supply. It isn't even an option, really. The message I get is clear as a bell. Give us more
    money to get more rides or you'll get even less than before. And all those folks who hate
    watching the fastpass folks (remember cast members had to deal with so much anger early on?) Now we'll have an elite class that will really tick everyone off. Would I use the system? YEP. I don't see that I would have a choice. And THAT is what I really dislike.
    when fastpass came along?)

    Comment

    • jpg391
      Registered Member
      • Apr 2011
      • 97

      #3
      Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

      I do not like the idea of making a reservation weeks in advance for a ride, parade or show at any WDW theme parks.
      James

      Once a Disney fan, always a Disney fan.

      Comment

      • Disneynut
        Hiding from the Sheeple
        • Feb 2005
        • 591

        #4
        Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

        I am always toubled by these articles that cite incorrect information and present them as "facts" in order to support the authors position.

        First, the following statement is misleading at best

        I would also point out that every member of the public can buy the same tour guide access that celebrities get; you just have to have the money
        Yes, you can buy the tour guide, but no you cant buy the "access". It is for this reason that I find the VIP tour a true waste of money. Any guest of the parks can pay for a host or hostess to escort them around the parks and provide information and history. Only celebrities or corporate executives with a Disney affiliation are given backdoor access and a guide (usually in exchange for a publicity photo op on an attraction or with one of the characters)

        Second, Kevin states

        The Disney Cruise Line *is*, on the other hand, an actual egalitarian experience
        Really? What about the different tiers of Castaway Club membership that let you make dining reservations, shore excursions, spa reservations, room selections and other items well in advance of others. What about the concierge level that affords guests with a private concierge, lounges, exclusive receptions and parties in addition to the early booking privileges mentioned above? What about Castway Cay with private cabana rentals?

        Society as we know it has always had different levels of benefits to different classes of people. Without this, I know I would not be motivated to do anything much less work hard. It is for this reason that we make a choice to live in a free society and not communist Cuba. I believe in individual choice, it does not matter if your choice is to spend lots of money or to live on a budget. What works for me does not work for everyone and that is the great thing about choice.

        Comment

        • sir clinksalot
          MiceChatter
          • Feb 2005
          • 22751

          #5
          Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

          I'm somebody who likes to plan out our days at WDW, so I'm actually in favor of the X-Pass.

          Now, I don't want it to be so specific that I have to decide I want to ride Space Mountain at 2:00pm on June 15th, but we are already making restaurant reservations months and weeks in advance for parks we are planning on visiting on specific days, so why not also be able to reserve a ride without running to the FP machines in the morning.

          We've also used the Qbot at SFOG (as well as a few other Six Flags park) and I have no problem with these reservation systems. Theme Parks aren't in everybody's budget, using the Qbot isn't in everybody's budget. But it's a priority for me and that's why I use them.

          Comment

          • themur
            Member
            • Jan 2005
            • 1221

            #6
            Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

            Allowing for different price points actually makes the park MORE accessible. If we really wanted all this bundled into one price many people who enjoy the parks probably would not be able to afford it.

            With regard to trip planning I have to say I am ok. I am a west coast guy and would NEVER plan a visit to Disneyland but getting to Orlando is a once every few years or even decade trip for our family. We spend a lot of time reading and rsearching and trying to plan our trip. We have limited days and want to make sure we can cover everything we want.

            And another thing about squeezing dollars - how about Universal. They are putting the expansion of Harry Potter into another park REQUIRING you to buy a park hopping or multi-day ticket to see it all. I see that way more agressive than what Disney does (ok and Universal has been charging for front of the line access for years!)
            The Mur
            ______________________________________________
            Two different worlds.....we live in two different worlds

            Comment

            • mainejeff
              MiceChatter
              • Sep 2009
              • 397

              #7
              Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

              Originally posted by themur View Post
              And another thing about squeezing dollars - how about Universal. They are putting the expansion of Harry Potter into another park REQUIRING you to buy a park hopping or multi-day ticket to see it all. I see that way more agressive than what Disney does (ok and Universal has been charging for front of the line access for years!)
              Seriously? If Disney could think of a way to have a blockbuster land/attraction that required a 2-park pass........they'd do it in a heartbeat!

              Comment

              • toonaspie
                Nutty about Disney parks
                • Aug 2006
                • 3040

                #8
                Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

                Originally posted by themur View Post
                And another thing about squeezing dollars - how about Universal. They are putting the expansion of Harry Potter into another park REQUIRING you to buy a park hopping or multi-day ticket to see it all. I see that way more agressive than what Disney does (ok and Universal has been charging for front of the line access for years!)
                It's a dumb idea to split Harry Potter into two parks all around. It would've been more beneficial/logical to make a third gate and have it all be Harry Potter.

                As for the Xpass system, their are two sides to the coin. I can see this being helpful to the people who like to plan out their rides. However things don't always work out the way you expect them too. Rides can break down and close anytime...shows can get canceled just minutes before the show. Anything can happen if you rely too much on a schedule. This makes me wonder if the FastPass system should've been restricted for resort guests only. I think this would've been a better extra for guests than Extra Magic Hours that only a fraction of the resort guests actually take advantage of.

                Comment

                • Carrie317
                  New MiceChatter
                  • Dec 2011
                  • 23

                  #9
                  Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

                  Universal CANNOT expand the Harry Potter area past the back of where it is now. There is a MAJOR roadway there. They are still planning to possibly expand and take over the area NEXT to it but it still is NOT enough room. There is NO LAND to build a third gate so get that idea out of your head. Unlike Disney who bought 46 miles of property, Universal actually sits inside the Dr Phillips neighborhood. Like Disneyland, they have NO WHERE to go as the area around them is built up. There is vacant land behind them but it belongs to the LOEWS hotel group NOT Universal so a fourth on property hotel is slated to go there. They don't make decisions solely based on greed. They are very generous to the employees who work for them even those on the bottom of the barrel. They give their employees free Thanksgiving turkeys every year and earlier this year they were given a bonus and after hours party.

                  Comment

                  • Tinkd
                    New MiceChatter
                    • Oct 2010
                    • 72

                    #10
                    Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

                    Originally posted by toonaspie View Post
                    It's a dumb idea to split Harry Potter into two parks all around. It would've been more beneficial/logical to make a third gate and have it all be Harry Potter.

                    As for the Xpass system, their are two sides to the coin. I can see this being helpful to the people who like to plan out their rides. However things don't always work out the way you expect them too. Rides can break down and close anytime...shows can get canceled just minutes before the show. Anything can happen if you rely too much on a schedule. This makes me wonder if the FastPass system should've been restricted for resort guests only. I think this would've been a better extra for guests than Extra Magic Hours that only a fraction of the resort guests actually take advantage of.
                    As for the fast pass system comment, I could not agree more to allow it for resort guests. I was surveyed on this months/maybe a year or so ago, and I disagreed then, as I do now, for 2 reasons. It does seperate those with money and those who don't, and for those of us who scrimp and save to get there, but only have limited ability for attrations (stand in long lines). And my biggest gripe is that, they are taking away from us, what has always been included. That to me is a slap in the face, and to help make my point, is if that is what they want to provide for those of us who travel to get there vs the locals/returns guest, we are already paying more, as in airfare, shuttles, tips, and then they want to charge us more, I didn't buy it then and I don't buy it now, as I feel too that it will take away from the fast passes that already exist and make the lines longer. But if I have to succumb to the fact there is nothing I can do about it, greed always wins, please, oh please let them at least limit it to resort guests.
                    Tink happy thoughts!

                    Comment

                    • mainejeff
                      MiceChatter
                      • Sep 2009
                      • 397

                      #11
                      Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

                      The FP system should be for DLR guests and premium pass holders........and that's it.

                      Comment

                      • wec
                        New MiceChatter
                        • Sep 2007
                        • 55

                        #12
                        Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

                        I don't mind the additional pay for play idea as presented on various online sites but what bothers me is when people who do have a lot of money, act like they have a lot of money.
                        Do I happen to care if somebody is a member of Club 33? No. I do hope you have fun while dining there and with the various club perks. Does anybody really care that I am one of the few whose been in the apartment above the firehouse at Disneyland? I sure hope not. What I mean is, have fun with your paid for perks. But don't act like a jerk about it.

                        Comment

                        • ttintagel
                          MiceChatter
                          • Mar 2011
                          • 1503

                          #13
                          Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

                          There are plenty of "once a year guys" who still need to make every dollar stretch. The author seems to be creating a false dichotomy between "regulars who can't/don't spend a lot of money" and "once a year visitors who have the money for every bell and whistle." There are lots of people who fit into both or neither category.

                          I'd see it as a net positive if they managed to come up with something extra to sell to the more well-heeled guests on top of the regular experience. But it looks to me like whet they're doing is taking stuff away from the working/middle-class visitors so they can make money selling it to the richer ones.

                          Comment

                          • KevinYee
                            Moderator
                            • Jan 2005
                            • 2026

                            #14
                            Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

                            Originally posted by ttintagel View Post
                            There are plenty of "once a year guys" who still need to make every dollar stretch. The author seems to be creating a false dichotomy between "regulars who can't/don't spend a lot of money" and "once a year visitors who have the money for every bell and whistle." There are lots of people who fit into both or neither category.
                            Agreed that there are lots of folks who don't fit either category. But Disney has gotten good at crunching numbers in the past decade, and they have a picture of an average infrequent visitor, and that average visitor spends big (I think it's $150/day, counting everything including hotel and food and admission and souvenirs, per person). That may not be you. It certainly wasn't me when I was an infrequent visitor.

                            But it is somebody. Several dozen thousand people, in fact, and Disney intends to target them.
                            Kevin Yee
                            MiceAge Columnist

                            I am the author of several Disney books:
                            Jason's Disneyland Almanac - a daily history of Disneyland
                            Walt Disney World Hidden History - tributes, homages, and ride remnants at WDW
                            Your Day at the Magic Kingdom
                            Mouse Trap
                            Tokyo Disney Made Easy
                            101 Things You Never Knew About Disneyland
                            Magic Quizdom (The Disneyland Trivia Book)

                            Comment

                            • thedude76
                              MiceChatter
                              • Jun 2011
                              • 314

                              #15
                              Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

                              I would rather Disney increase its park entrance fees to bring down the crowd levels than create all these little programs.

                              Comment

                              • TodAZ1
                                MiceChatter
                                • Mar 2011
                                • 403

                                #16
                                Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

                                Originally posted by thedude76 View Post
                                I would rather Disney increase its park entrance fees to bring down the crowd levels than create all these little programs.
                                How would that be any better or any less elitist?
                                "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations, the new needs friends." - Anton Ego

                                Comment

                                • nazareno10
                                  New MiceChatter
                                  • Dec 2011
                                  • 1

                                  #17
                                  Re: 12/27: X-pass/-press/-pensive

                                  I've visited WDW on at least 10 different trips since it opened. We always stay for a week or so and stay at a hotel within the resort - usual around the Boardwalk. We just returned from WDW last week and I hate to admit it but this will likely be my last visit for a very long time. The crowds have gotten progressively worse throughout the years. You can't even stop for a moment to enjoy the sights and details created by the Imagineers without being stampeded by the throngs of people rushing (and scooting) to their next ride. The only real opportunity we had to ride numerous major attractions in the Magic Kingdom was during the late night hours - returning to our resort at 3:30am. In my opinion there is no Magic left at WDW. Hopefully the new system described within this post will help with this mess. Otherwise I will never return and only enjoy the parks from my memories.

                                  Comment

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