"Paying it forward... with Fastpass"

[Disney05]

While shopping at the DIsney Store this past Christmas, I gave a woman a 15% discount coupon I couldn't use. Does that count?

[gymrat5]

I have done this many times at both WDW and the DLR, sadly I was approached on my past trip to the DLR by someone who offered me fastpasses @ $3 per pass. Needless to say I don't think he stayed in the park much longer... he had a private cast member along with security escort... serves him right to try and ruin disney magic

[Andyxox]

Isn't there a limit to when you can get another fastpass? I read somewhere it was like 5 hours? Do you who go and get extras to give out to people go out of your way to the attraction? or do you somehow pick em up while you're there and give em out later? I'd love to do this next time I go.

Also, does the AAA deal work with Orlando Disney Parks?

[mritty]

Oh man. I'm going to be flogged for this, I know, but.... I really don't like this idea. You're giving a FastPass to someone who is perfectly capable of getting a Fastpass for the same attraction on their own - therefore giving them two FastPasses for the same time period. But in order to do that, you have to take a Fastpass from the central "pool" of fastpasses available, with no intention of using it on your own. There are a limited number of Fastpasses per day. When you take one, you deprive another person from getting one. So you've taken it upon yourself to determine who should get the Fastpasses, whereas it should be whoever gets to the fastpass machine before they're all distributed for the day.

Put it this way. Say there are 100 Fast Passes for Splash Mountain to be distributed today. Those FastPasses "should" go to the first 100 people who get there. That is, there was going to be a person who got the 100th and final fast pass. However, when 75 of them have already been distributed, you take it upon yourself to get the 76th and take it out of the pool. Now, you go ahead with your wonderful gesture and give it to a random family. Then the person who was going to be #100 comes to the Fast Pass machine and sees that they've all been distributed for the day. This person is deprived of a Fast Pass they should have had, and instead the person to whom you've given the 76th got to have two. This does not seem right or fair to me.

Now, if you've gotten a Fast Pass for yourself earlier in the day and then realize you're not able to use it, ABSOLUTELY you should give it to someone before you leave. But you shouldn't be reconfiguring the pool of available fast passes to decide you gets one and who doesn't. That just feels wrong.


Just my 2¢
Paul Lalli

[mritty]

Isn't there a limit to when you can get another fastpass? I read somewhere it was like 5 hours? Do you who go and get extras to give out to people go out of your way to the attraction? or do you somehow pick em up while you're there and give em out later? I'd love to do this next time I go.

Also, does the AAA deal work with Orlando Disney Parks?

You can get a second FastPass the sooner of: 5 minutes after your last FastPass window opens, or 2 hours after you got your most recent fast pass. So if you get a fastpass at 10am, for a time period of 11-12, you can get another at 11:05. But if you get one at 10am for a return time of 3pm-4pm, you can get another one at 12pm. In all cases, the FastPass itself will tell you when you can get your next Fast Pass.

You 're going to have to explain what "the AAA deal" is for someone to answer that. There are AAA discounts on hotels if you mention it while booking, and AAA discounts on tours. Are those what you're referring to?

Paul Lalli

[solfan68]

We didn't use FP this last trip. Never seemed to be a major issue. But I can say, someone dropped a trio of passes on us one night as we approached Test Track. A really nice surprise. Mystery Passer, wherever you are, thanks for saving us 60 minutes !

[TreysMomma]

This sounds so nice! We will definitely be doing this when we go in 2 weeks!

[astrogirl]

I always pass along unused fast passes. I love the looks on people's faces when I give them a little pixie dust!

[tarynkelly]

Two very pretty cheerleaders made my sons holiday by giving us their test track fastpasses. He was too tired to wait for 90 mins and cried because he was really looking forward to the ride!!! If this was you on 24th april this year THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU X X

[Jetjaguar]

Oh man. I'm going to be flogged for this, I know, but.... I really don't like this idea. You're giving a FastPass to someone who is perfectly capable of getting a Fastpass for the same attraction on their own - therefore giving them two FastPasses for the same time period. But in order to do that, you have to take a Fastpass from the central "pool" of fastpasses available, with no intention of using it on your own. There are a limited number of Fastpasses per day. When you take one, you deprive another person from getting one. So you've taken it upon yourself to determine who should get the Fastpasses, whereas it should be whoever gets to the fastpass machine before they're all distributed for the day.

Put it this way. Say there are 100 Fast Passes for Splash Mountain to be distributed today. Those FastPasses "should" go to the first 100 people who get there. That is, there was going to be a person who got the 100th and final fast pass. However, when 75 of them have already been distributed, you take it upon yourself to get the 76th and take it out of the pool. Now, you go ahead with your wonderful gesture and give it to a random family. Then the person who was going to be #100 comes to the Fast Pass machine and sees that they've all been distributed for the day. This person is deprived of a Fast Pass they should have had, and instead the person to whom you've given the 76th got to have two. This does not seem right or fair to me.

Now, if you've gotten a Fast Pass for yourself earlier in the day and then realize you're not able to use it, ABSOLUTELY you should give it to someone before you leave. But you shouldn't be reconfiguring the pool of available fast passes to decide you gets one and who doesn't. That just feels wrong.


Just my 2¢
Paul Lalli

I have to agree with this in principle... although I think the vast majority of people who get fast passes intend to use them themselves, and end up giving them up due to a last minute scheduling issue or something... I do wonder if there are a fixed amount of fastpasses per ride per day, or if a fastpasses time goes by and the fastpass is unused, does it add that number back into the 'pool' of available Fastpasses?

[disneydreamer98]

We had some for Soarin' during our last trip that we weren't able to use before heading over to the Magic Kingdom for the Pirate & Princess Party. We overheard a gentleman on the way out of the park talking to a CM about Soarin' saying that he was bummed that all of the FP's had already been given out for the day and that the wait time was over 90 minutes. His Son had never been on the ride before and really wanted to ride.....my Husband pulled the FP's he had out of his pocket and handed them to the guy. He was shocked and surprised that we were willing to give them up to him. We explained our situation and that we were on our way out of the park. He was very appreciative and thankful to us which made us feel good as well! I love paying it forward with FP's!!!

[BamaJenn]

On the last trip we made before our son was born, DH and I got FPs for Soarin' and then decided we were just way too worn out to do it (again). We went up to the monorail station to go home and heard a family next to us talking about how they were going back to the hotel to get something and would be coming right back (a camera or something). We gave them our FPs for Soarin' and told them about it (they had never been on). They looked at us like we had snakes coming out of our ears. They were unfortunately one of those families who had never heard of, used or seen FPs and I honestly think they thought we were trying to scam them or something. I wonder if they ever used them...

[Smack81]

That's an awesome idea! I've done it 'accidentally' - knew I was leaving before my Fastpass time would arrive - but I've never thought to do it intentionally.

Something I do try to do for fellow guests is volunteer to take pictures for them. It always makes me sad when you pass a group and you can tell from the way things are going that the photographer is part of the group. I ask if they'd like me to take the picture so they can be in it. They're always happy when I ask that.

[princessariel]

It wasn't with Fast Pass but my friends and I had an awesome time this weekend making little girls(and one big girls)day. We are goofy and each one of us have a Disney Princess name. We bought each other little surprises and gave them to each other every morning....nothing big...stickers, fun rings, princess cups, etc....we had an extra of each thing and would find a cute "Princess" during the day and give her one thing for our left over stash....they LOVED it. We gave them to little girls who were sweet, friendly, well behaved, just what a princess should be

We totally made one of the cast member's day when she kept remarking about our gaudy rings we were all wearing.....my sis yanked the extra one and the cast member couldn't stop thanking us!

[Dale-not-Chip]

We always have fast passes. the moment we can get new ones we get more. We always intend to use them ourselves, but if we decide to leave the park we always gift them to someone. We look for a family of 3 two parents and a kid of 8-12. The kid must be walking. No gifts to big kids in a double stroller.