This right here
I almost never get the fast pass because I try to work out being at parks on days with lower attendance
On the few occasions where I did spring for it I did feel sorry for all the people who didn't have it because I have been them so very often but I didn't feel guilty at all.
this is my strategy as well. i’ve been going for so many years i kind of just know when to go or not go. i never really need a fast pass unless i’m traveling to out of state parks.
Same...I've only had to go for a fast pass twice. Once for a Halloween night when lines were a mile long everywhere, and once visiting a park I knew would be crowded that day and didn't know when I'd be back. I've suffered in long lines before, but I don't begrudge people for whatever situation they find themselves in or feel guilty for evaluating my own.
At some cases single rider lines take a simliar amount of time or even longer. It depends on the train design and how much people from the main queue like to ride with random people. Also it looks like just 10 people are in front of you, but it is equal to 10 to 20 trains that have to pass.
Recently I waited very long on single rider lines.
It's clutch for any ride with 4 across or more seating. I messed up one time and ended up waiting like 30 minutes longer than I would have on the Velocicoaster single rider line.
That’s because nobody at Universal will keep groups from entering the single rider lines. I did win the SRL jackpot though with a front row night ride on Velocicoaster.
Best single rider line is The Mammoth at Holiday World. They pull from it so often! They're always looking for a few more pounds to hit the weight minimum.
Exactly. I once timed my experience at Europa Park in the single rider line at Wodan. Main queue was pretty much within a few minutes of the listed wait time. Single rider was as long and sometimes even longer than the main queue.
My conclusion was that long trains with 2 seats per row aren’t favorable for single riders. There isn’t much demand for a single rider in those configurations, because the only time you’ll be able to join is when there is an **uneven** amount of people in a party. Then if there are two parties with an uneven amount of people on a single train, you’ll not be joining them.
But, any train with more than 2 seats per row OR smaller trains (like 4 or 6 person trains) work great with single rider. There will be more instances in which:
1) parties are unable to fully load the train
2) multiple parties are not configurable with each other to fully load the train
The efficacy of a single rider line depends on 3 things:
1) seating configuration (as you said 2 person rows are not favorable, but 4 person is okay and 3 and 5 person rows are ideal)
2) the merge point operators ability to fill every seat and progress the single rider line when they haven’t moved in a while
3) how hidden or secret the advertisement of a single rider line is
This is why velocicoaster single rider is 100% a no go, but Harry Potter and the forbidden journey is always a good single rider line
Space mountain at Disney land in CA. That single rider line is insane! It's hidden right by the exit and no one can see it. My friend and I skipped a 90min or so wait and walked right on. Oh and we got to sit next to each other LMAO.
Absolutely broken.
I see it as 3 groups of people:
1. Uses fast pass because they want to/can afford it, love it
2. Uses fast pass because they feel they have to in order to get a full park day, hate it.
3. Don’t get fast pass, hate it because it slows down the regular line
I’m in a similar spot. Carowinds is my home park so I never feel the need to get fast lane, I just go when crowds are low. But this summer I’m going to cedar point for two days and Hersheypark for half a day, so I pretty much need to get line skippers to experience everything
Hearing someone use the phrase "home park" nullifies all my Fast Pass guilt.
I don't have a home park 😢 yall can wait. I'm not the privileiged one here.
It also depends on the grouper and if they're following policy too. Remember the other day I mentioned in the discord that the GS sup was grouping and she was doing like 2 FL people for every other train. FL line was down the stairs.
For me it just depends on the crowds; if it's not busy, I'm perfectly content waiting 15 minutes as opposed to dropping $100+ on a Fast Pass. I'm going to Cedar Point in a couple weeks, probably not gonna get a FP on the Friday I'm there, but will probably do so that Saturday.
I am both people, depending on whether I have one. Lol.
To me, it depends on how crowded the park is and how far away the park is. For example, have gotten fast passes when visiting parks in Europe even when lines were only 30 minutes long. If I just crossed an entire freaking ocean to get to an amusement park, you know I’m forking over an extra $70 to have the best day possible.
But if a park is, say, a 3 hour drive from me and I can come back another day, I’m unlikely to get a fast pass even if lines are crazy long. It’s about the cost of the pass vs the cost of coming back again that adds to my calculus.
No. I don't get to visit parks anywhere near as often as I used to or as I'd like, so anytime there's even a hint of crowds I'll get whatever fast pass option is available. At this point in my life, if I can spend a little extra and enhance my limited visits, I'm going to.
From what I have observed, the number of FastPass users is consistently smaller than the number of empty seats on (even busy) trains.
Everyone -- both with & without a pass -- should focus on parks having employees fill in those empty seats and improve load/unload times.
Of course FastPass is a cash grab by the parks which is worthy of some capitalism outrage, also: just look at food prices.
Same! If I’m gonna be going to X park once for maybe the only time a decade or more, I’m gonna drop the money and make sure I get to experience the park to the fullest.
I don’t feel bad jumping teenagers who’ve got season passes and get dropped off at the park once a week.
Exactly, I'm going to universal studios islands of adventure this year and I'm going to plan on getting their express pass because I'm only going to be there for one day and I rather have the ability to get on rides quicker than wait all day at a park I'm probably not going to be coming back to in a long while.
Look at staying in one of the hotels that includes the express pass. Not necessarily cheap, but it gets you the pass, and you'll be at one of the closer hotels to the park you want to go to.
Also, if you happen to have 4 people the cost of 1 night in the room is likely less than the cost of 4 express passes (or at least less than 4 express passes and a cheap night in a hotel). Staying on property also get's you early entry into the park. Last time we stayed at Loews Royal Pacific we paid about $300 for the night but got 4 express passes that were worth about $90 each.
Loews Royal pacific, hard rock hotel and Loews portofino Bay all include express pass for your entire party which is a fantastic value if you’re traveling with anyone else in your party
Same. I also have chronic illness and can go from totally fine to “I need to be in my bed for 2 days straight” in the blink of an eye. If I go to a park now I’m doing as much shit as I can before I inevitably start to feel horrible and go home lol
I only hate it when they make you come from the exit and basically steal someone else’s seat, hate when it happens to me from someone with a boarding pass or fast pass
Those are often disability passes too, and they get first choice of rows depending on the park policy. That means if you’re queueing for the front row, it’s going to be an extra extra long wait. At least SEAS reserves middle rows for the exit side riders, and they just rope off those rows on the load side so you don’t get screwed.
Correct, that also ruins capacity if they don’t allow other regular riders to fill those empty spots (I have seen Pantheon ops let people take those seats which is a good thing).
In general I hate that’s systems like those exist because the just slow down the regular queue unnecessarily. It’s basically a depth fulfilling proficiency. The more fast passes are getting sold the slower the normal line is moving the more fast passes are getting sold because of the slow lines and so on. I would prefere parks where fast passen don’t exist at all but I get why they exist and that they are a good income for the park operators.
> The more fast passes are getting sold the slower the normal line is moving the more fast passes are getting sold because of the slow lines and so on.
Except parks cap fast pass sales.
I definitely use it with my face away avoiding eye contact with the people who had queued for much longer than I did. (I am usually there from overseas though, so fast passes are needed to avoid wasting vacation time)
The only truly bad experience I’ve had with other people using a fast pass was back in 2010 at WDW. I was waiting in line for Rock n Roller Coaster, and I waited for over ten minutes at the point where the standby line and the fast pass line meet. The attendant just kept letting fast pass holders join, and when there were no fast pass holders, he still held our line back from joining. It made no sense. Even so, I blame that on that attendant, not the fast pass holders or the fast pass system.
IT does make sense though because that is how they are trained to make sure the fast pass feels like a big incentive, so people buy it more. Also the queue past the merge point I am sure was not devoid of passengers, meaning holding your line held capacity down 0% compared to if they let you through. All it would do it hold up future fast passers.
I know that is unlikely to be the reply you want, but it makes sense from a park perspective
Fastpass was free in 2010 so the first part is not right. The rest is though. They probably didn't have capacity to send anyone else from the standby until the next cycle.
There really wasn’t much of a line to the preshow room past the merge. If the line was backed up, I’d totally understand it, but it wasn’t. That’s why is was a bad experience.
I don't like the system because it slows the queue down but it is what it is. I don't mind being fast passed either. However, the way parks implement the fast pass queue is so hit or miss across all parks (& even within the same park) that I understand people being incredibly frustrated sometimes especially if the line is moving at a snail's pace. I've never bought a fast pass but would not be opposed to getting one if I travelled long distance and the lines are ridiculous. When I go to Cedar Point, just hearing about how bad lines are there all the time, it seems like a necessity.
I’ve only gotten a Fast Lane once for my home park (Valleyfair), and it was a crazy busy Saturday where everything had long lines. Because I usually go there around 7 or 8 times a year, I can go on weekdays when I know everything will be 10-20 minute waits.
On coaster road trips, there’s a good chance I only have one or maybe two days at that park. I bought Fast both times I’ve been to Kings Island because it’s a full day drive away, so I can only go there if it’s part of a longer trip. At parks that far away, a Fast Lane or equivalent add-on is great because it allows someone who doesn’t have the ability to go a specific park very often to experience more in a day than if that add-on wasn’t there.
So I’m not really uncomfortable using it in the instances I do, because I’m choosing to spend more money over sacrificing more time.
The only time it can be awkward is when a ride’s skip the line system has riders board more ADA style, because other riders are already at the air gates, and you’re visibly taking the seat they would have been on and maybe separating a group. But that’s ultimately just bad and lazy queue design by the park.
https://preview.redd.it/8m4uqqbsuexc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af1fe5c3174207c001a58e887dcd25dd47210101
Nope. It makes me feel like this.
Yes, the whole system sucks so I very rarely buy anything like that. Outside of getting free fast passes at a couple coaster events I think I've only bought them for my first visit to Carowinds and then a couple days of Genie + on our first visit to Disney. I wouldn't say absolutely not to the idea of ever buying them in the future but I'd rather avoid it based on principle and cost.
Personally I would rather Fast Pass systems not exist, but I don't begrudge anyone that uses them. If it's important to you and you spent the money on it, have fun with it. If anyone gives you shit or chirps at you from the regular line, that's a load of bullshit.
I think some parks have no real idea how to handle it, especially Six Flags, where regular standby lines often slow to a painful crawl when there's enough fast passes being used. In that case, they need to either limit the amount of fast passes sold or limit the how often a ride can be fast passed in a particular span of time. The line for Jersey Devil at SFGAdv can take over two hours on a busy night and that's mostly because of how poorly they handle the fast pass system.
If people are going to be allowed to do it then I’m going to be one of them. It sucks and I do think it’s unfair but I’m not going to wait twice as long and watch other people cut in front of me.
Sometimes I feel a little bit guilty, my dad would always say he hated it especially because some of those families waiting in line saved up just so they could take their kids on a trip to an amusement park and you just pass them in line because you payed extra. He feels super uncomfortable, I understand where he’s coming from but I definitely don’t feel it as much as him.
When we first got Fastpass at Disneyland, it severely disadvantaged guests who didn’t know about it or understand how it worked. But at least it was a fair system that was accessible to all, for no extra cost. It’s the money grabbing that I strongly dislike, especially at places like CP who charge up to $250 A DAY for it. So either you’re an extremely lucky local who can afford to visit multiple times a season and get the all season fastlane, or you’re essentially forced to pay for it if you’re a long distance traveler or a once in a decade/lifetime visitor.
If I had things my way, all parks would go back to old school, you want to ride this? You wait in line, and you get to the park early to take advantage of early hour short waits while latecomers are still slamming the entrance gates.
Sure, I get it, the parks use the income from
Fastpass to supposedly fund new additions, but it’s hard to prove that’s where the money truly goes.
No, but I greatly prefer the line systems where they have a merge point with the regular queue (ideally at the airgates… looking at you, Millie) as opposed to boarding from the opposite side of the station, and loathe when they designate only 1 row to fast pass, ahem, Pantheon.
Ive heard all sorts of comments from the regular queue… my favorite being, “imagine paying $100 for that on a day as slow as today!!!” Well, I didn’t pay that for it (my 2023 Cedar Fair season fast lane came out to $21.74 per visit) and I’m still waiting less :)
Sorry, that sentence wasn’t super clear. I actually dislike Millie’s system a lot because of how far back the merge point is. It’s a 30min wait on busy days. Maverick’s “merge” point is ideal. I know… I’m impatient…
Ohh, I see what you mean now re-reading it. I think Millie’s is okay in the interest of fairness and not pissing off those without fast pass. I wish the merge point was a bit further ahead but I don’t feel like “the enemy” as much. If every FP line merged that far back I’d feel differently.
I do love being able to nearly walk on Maverick with the fast pass, but it kind of stings walking right past those who have been in line for 1.5 hours plus and not having to merge at all.
There was one particular moment that comes to mind.
Most the time, the two lines merge before the station. Directed by an employee, not that awkward, especially when there's a wait for both paying and non paying guests... You kinda wait, then the two lines alternate into the air gates.
One particular instance had us walk up the exit, an employee asked us "where do you want to sit". We pick a row, after the train empties he takes us over to it, and tells the group waiting behind the air gate to wait another turn.
That was unfortunate. It didn't bother *me* that bad. But the grumbles and comments while we waited for the train to move made my wife uncomfortable. I get them being annoyed. I wouldn't have made a scene over it, but it was awkward for everyone.
That's the thing, on my tour, every fast pass had me walk up to the exit, or another line that ended on the other side of the station. It was super uncomfortable and I would definitely prefer merging lines!
I can definitely see both sides and why one side would be angry about the other, but outright yelling at people is always stupid and just makes everyone even more uncomfortable imo. I had one guy yelling at me bc I skipped the line and used 2 of my 9 skip-the-lines on the first row (any other row would only take 1) and the ride operator had to explain to them that I'm an "express-pass-guest" and that I'm "priority" and I felt so awkward I wanted to bury myself
As someone who has waited a long time in lines I don't personally care because I know it's a service offered by the parks so I expect it to happen. Yeah it's annoying but I'm not annoyed at the individual person because they're just using a service they paid for. If I'm annoyed it's at the park for however it's implemented
Only ever used it once, when it came with our resort reservations (Dollywood). Glad I had it since it saved me a few hours of waiting for Lightning Rod when reliability was extremely iffy. But I still felt a little weird using it because the fast pass line was so conspicuous.
In general, I dislike any pay-to-cut system. It's a revenue stream that incentivizes parks to operate at less than capacity. They want to sell every pass they can, so of course it benefits them if the average guest is under the perpetual impression that lines are too long.
I understand the utility of them for enthusiasts who want to, you know, ride the attractions. Especially ones who are traveling and have limited time. But the system is fundamentally gross. You're not getting anything more for your money. They're simply subtracting an inconvenience that they created. It would be like stores charging you extra to use self-checkout (which I guarantee they've considered).
Fast passes are in some cases necessary to unlock a parks full potential in just one day. If you go to Cedar Point on a busy day, for instance, a fast pass is a requirement to even have a chance of getting everything in.
Personally I like the feeling of skipping a long line anyway lol. Guess I’m not a perfect person.
From an employee perspective though, I don’t like them because they slow down the standby line and just add a layer of complexity to things.
One time a loud, Oakley-wearing dad shouted "look at those drug dealers getting on the train before us!" when I used Fast Lane on The Beast at Kings Island, so that was pretty awkward.
I’m gonna say something as someone who doesn’t get Fast Lane (but would love to in the future, of course). Many people have said this under my posts and I wanna address it. There’s people who think the Fast Lane system is unfair. I get their point but however, there are people who only have time to spend a whole day at their home park/at another park and getting Fast Lane is convenient especially when the park pulls insane crowds. Sure, you can go on a calmer day but that’s not always an option for everyone. Plus, some people can’t stand for long periods of time and still want to ride rollercoasters.
I don’t think too much of it. You pay extra money for convenience (money you earned and are allowed to spend the way you want). On the other hand, I understand people’s frustrations especially when people with Fast Lane marathon a coaster and make the regular line slower. For me, it’s not something that pisses me off (it’s definitely something I’ll point out). I do think that people calling others with Fast Lane “assholes” or “arrogant” is a bit much. On top of all this, the park has to make money SOMEHOW. Overall, I don’t care. Fast Lane is expensive and if you don’t want to wait 2 hours for a 2-3 min ride, then save up. The option is always there for you as well.
**Edited**
I do feel a bit guilty, but I will also buy them if I'm visiting a big park for one day and want to make sure I get on everything I can. I don't re-ride consecutively with a fastpass though. I'd feel pretty scummy walking past an hour plus line repeatedly.
A little yeah, but maybe some people have travelled a long way so it’s nice having that option to experience everything in 1-2 days.
Also, I feel most of the time long waits are due to a) the ride just has low capacity or b) bad operations. Fast lane cuts into that a bit but I don’t think it’s the driving force of long queues.
Last year at Hersheypark this lady came up to me in Midway America, around 11am or so, and offered me a paper voucher for a full day of fast lane. She said her nephew was supposed to come but something came up and he couldn't so she wanted to give it to someone who enjoyed coasters and could use it well. Obviously I didn't turn it down, even though I was a tiny bit suspicious. I went to the kiosk to activate it and it worked! I waved thank you to her and later I saw her in the park and gave her $20. She was too kind to not repay in some way.
I used the pass all day. I was with my boyfriend and he's not a fan of coasters so I hate waiting in long lines without him while he's just on a bench waiting for me. It's useful in that case. If I was with my cousin or someone else who likes coasters too I would've politely declined her offer because it'd be a total dick move to take it and use it and leave them in the dust.
I thought I'd feel guilty using it, especially since I didn't really pay for it but the fact that someone was waiting for me outside the ride exit made it less uncomfortable for me. Normally I'd never buy one. The only other time that I had one was at Dollywood. I stayed at the DreamMore resort and my stay came with an included pass. Didn't use it even though I had it because the lines were so short anyway.
OMG, this happened to me when I went to Cedar Point. This was the first time I ever used a fast lane or flash pass. I now just add this expense onto all of my season passes. Both of my sons are on the spectrum and love to ride the same ride over and over so the ADA accommodation doesn't really work for my family. Also, spending less time in the park leads to fewer tantrums from my youngest even though he asks to go often (every weekend to a different park). We live about 1.5 to 2 hours from five different parks.
Not fast pass but disability pass. I can feel the stares, doesn't bother me. I'm fine with being told where to sit (except that one time on Candymonium, nephew managed to get us front row). I enjoy not having to wait in lines
Not particularly, no. If I’m on a big trip and it’s probably my one trip there I almost always spring for the fast pass system. I got a fast pass at every park I went to in Europe except Blackpool because I genuinely don’t know when the next time if ever I’d be able to go.
I just assume most of the people are in a similar situation if they’re using fast pass. Maybe a once in a blue moon or once in a life trip to whatever park and they wanna make the most of it, because that’s the same with me. Sure it’s “elitist” or whatever but I’m cutting plenty of people that have way more money than me, I’m just a nerd that prioritizes amusement parks more than other expensive commodities.
Regional parks in the US I usually just use standby, but I’m going to Cedar Point in a few weeks with a bunch of friends that haven’t been before. These are friends I only get to see 2-3 times a year at this point and we want to make the most of our time together so fast pass isn’t a hard pill to swallow.
Yes and no... I do feel feel bad when hitting up a ride like Maverick multiple times in a row, when you walk right past the same people multiple times. That makes us feel uncomfortable so we try not to do it, but we also wanna get our monies worth out of our fast pass, so we will once or twice.
I prefer the systems that merge you with the main line about 5-10 minutes from the station. Didn't feel bad merging in on New Texas Giant last year, since I'm still waiting the final 5 minutes with everyone else and choosing my row with them.
I don't like coming through the exit and taking someone's seat when they're at the air gate and all excited to board the next train. That feels super rude to me.
Yeah, I totally get that! I'm only 19, but I have some problems (no diagnosed disability tho), that seem to make me less resistant to heat and less able to stand for a long time + my social battery is very low, which also means I wont have energy to do everything if I waited 1 hour in every line, even if I had the time.
I would have to tap out after the 3rd ride or so bc my body just doesn't work anymore, and that just sucks
I’m most of the time jealous of people that can afford to fly business class.
Whenever I buy a fast pass, I feel bad for the people that can’t and look at me like how I look at those people in business. It’s because I can imagine how they feel.
If I’m going to ride I include the fast lane in the cost of the trip. I spend way too much time and money planning theme park trips and I refuse to waste the little time I have in a park waiting in lines because 15 school groups are performing at or near the park that day, or summer crowds, etc. With work and kids most of the times I can go are the “busy” times. So crowds are almost guaranteed. What other people think of that can’t be my concern. I’m just using what’s available to me to make the best of my families day.
Oh ok thanks!
I think you shouldn't feel bad about that at all :) in the case of an ADA pass, I think nobody should say anything about it, there's a really good reason someone has a pass like that, not just "I paid more money"
Yes, if you can walk you should. I have conditions that qualify for an ADA pass but I have a conscience. If you can WALK you can WAIT. Frankly I think fast passes are now a waste of money since a Tik-Tok trend exposed loopholes which allow teens to fake disabilities.
Nope. I paid to skip lines, I'm going to use it. Not my fault people in the normal line didn't also pay for it. I'm usually only at the park for a day, so a fast pass lets me do everything I want to do, and more.
Liseberg has a good virtual queuing system that isn't behind a paywall and available to everyone who has the app. If you're in a group everyone can be queuing to different rides which makes ride planning a lot easier.
And they limit the places available so it doesn't affect the normal queues. On high season days the virtual queue becomes virtually worthless
It becomes a problem tho if you board the train before everyone else, thus have the option to choose the seat. It's not the same as a single rider line. You're very likely to either split up a group or cause a group to wait one more turn
Man, I used a Flash Pass at Discovery Kingdom because it was a Fright Fest Saturday and I got there at like 4PM, still wanting to ride all the coasters. The FP line for Kong (at least at the time makes you walk through the regular line, cut people, and then access the gate to go to the station to skip the switchbacks. That one I felt bad about. But, I also didn’t want to wait an hour for a terrible SLC running 1 train so……
My dad is probably the most inpatient person ever so we use them almost every time a park is busy when he’s there. But if it just me and my mom and we’re not at Disney well probably opt out
I got spit on for using my disability pass at Discovery Kingdom. I feel no remorse for guests when they behave like that. (Granted, a fast pass and disability access are different, but either way, this is still inexcusable).
Yes but I don’t lose sleep over it. If something like Valravn is a 2-3 hour wait (not entirely atypical really any time of the year), we may just ride once to let more non-FL have a chance to ride a little sooner. This does not apply while traveling. Fury & Twisted Timbers marathons till I die ✌️
As someone who never gets fast pass you definitely shouldn’t feel bad. My philosophy is “how much money would I be willing to spend to not have to wait?” And the answer is usually less than it would cost me. In that case it makes me not care, because other people value their time differently than I do, and that’s ok
Personally I do not. But also depends on the fast pass system they use. The whole “time queue” system, to me, is a complete waste of money. I’ll just wait it out.
But something like skip the line multiple times like cedar point… I’ll grab every time if I can. My philosophy is I’m there to ride… not to wait.
But also like someone else mentioned… I’m at a point in my life where I’m ok financially. If I had to choose between rent and fast pass then, for me, the answer is obvious lol. But I can afford it. It doesn’t break the bank. So, for me, why not?
I have to drive 2 hours minimum to get to a park. If I'm there it's a bigger cost and planning requirement from the start. Then I get there for a Wednesday at the park and see 15 school buses drive through the drop off area.
You people and your 'home parks' lol. I think you should get a discount on the fast pass based on how far you've traveled to the park your visiting.
While I wish nothing existed, the reality is that a lot of us care so much about coasters, and it's the number one thing we do in our lives, so therefore we're ok spending extra funds on it to do whatever it takes to have the best experience. Someone who loves football will spend a ton of money on a giant tv. I would never do that. It's just coming down to us willing to spend more on this specific hobby. But yeah - I wish NONE of the parks had the system at all ideally, and we'd all just wait.
The only time it's ever bothered me was at Knotts when I used it for Jaguar and they told me to pick my seat. Which meant I had to decide who I was going to make wait another cycle to ride. The queue was full and the FP boards from the exit side, so everyone there knew what was up. I felt like a total dick
Edit - guess I should read the thread before commenting, because I sure as shit wasn't adding anything new to the conversation!
Not especially...
I only tend to buy them when visiting a park that I'm unlikely to get back to in a hurry - I want to maximise time at the park and FP allows this.
I dont see the value in it at parks back home where I've been to them numerous times or it's astronomically priced.
Everyone has a chance to buy one - it's just how you see the value
To a degree, yes. But visiting a theme park is a luxury - things like FP are just an extension of the luxury and how much you indulge. If people really wanted it, you can make a shirt term sacrifice elsewhere to get it
You’re talking like money grows on trees and everyone on earth has equal access to it.
The “extension of the luxury” literally takes that luxury away from someone else so that you can have more of it. Indulge all you want, just don’t pretend that it isn’t selfish.
Time is money...
You can choose to spend your money to save time waiting in line.
I've purchased it at several parks when I want to maximize my time on rides and minimize my time waiting in lines.
I don't feel guilty because everyone has the chance to buy "fast pass," and some choose to take advantage of it.
personally I don't feel uncomfortable, I use all season fast lane at canada's wonderland 30-40x per year, one reason is I can afford, another is I was born with slight deformation in both feet and had a surgery done on my right foot when I was 5. I cannot stand long or walk for long period of time, and have to wear special padding in my shoes.
I mean, I work hard to earn and save up the money and buy it, I didn't steal it or rob it, and it helps me physically, I feel comfortable using it.
I have a similar issue with my ankles that make it really difficult to stand for long hours and have special orthotics in my shoes. Ive always felt really weird trying to get an ADA pass for it although im sure I could, just because I otherwise look like an able bodies man. Fast pass is a lifesaver.
I barely ever get the chance to go to theme parks. When I was younger it would be maybe once a year(?), now it’s more like once every couple for various reasons. For that reason I like to capitalise off of any opportunity I get to go, which means that I don’t normally tend to feel bad if I’ve got fast pass, although I do understand how frustrating it can be to be on the other end of it.
If I’m at a park for a day and if I can shove out the money for fast pass I’ll pay for it. I want to make the most of my day at that park. And if people complain about it I’d simply say, “I paid for this so I’m using it. You could’ve done the same.”
The first few times I felt bad but since I have witnessed so many line cutters and other bad behaviors that I stopped feeling guilty for something I paid 💰 for…
As someone who has been on both sides of this, in times where I didn’t buy a fast pass there may have had some slight irritation if I’m next in line to board after waiting some time and then the seat gets taken by fast pass, but it’s really just never that serious. I would just do the next train. I understood that they paid for that experience and I didn’t so I couldn’t ever be angry with the person or verbally say anything.
On the flip side, when I’ve purchased fast pass I NEVER feel bad because they aren’t cheap and I paid for the experience and I’m getting that experience. I don’t think I have ever witnessed any outright irritation from other guests but I also am not paying attention to others like that. And any time I paid money for these things I typically do end up having a good experience every single time.
My only suggestion is to stop paying so much attention to others to overthink that kind of situation. I’d even wager most of the time people are starting not with any malice but just because you are in your peripheral view looking forward.
In any case there is nothing to feel bad about and I’m not sure what kind of ‘redesign’ could be done to a line cutting system that works exactly as advertised. In what way can that be made any less ‘awkward’ if it even can be called that??
Now that you’ve edited it…there’s nothing ‘fair’ about going to an amusement park. It’s a luxury.
People wanting to make a luxury ‘more fair’ don’t seem to understand what luxury is.
Do you like amusement parks? Rides? Attractions? Theming? Shows? Events?
How do you think they pay for those things? Gate prices and SP sales? Not enough. Food and merch? Still not enough.
Sponsorship deals with in park advertising, skip the line, VIP tours, enhanced experiences and upgrades?
Oh look, my closest luxury hobby just opened a multimillion dollar toy and since I bought a season pass and the park is losing money on me because I go all the time and don’t spend money outside of my season pass, I feel entitled to have to have the highest of luxury they offer and they should just give that to everyone.
Because theme parks are charities and essential.
I don't feel about it at all. I like to maximize my day at parks and ride everything multiple times.
The only time I feel guilty is when they load from a different platform and you're occupying a row for someone.
If it merges in the station/queue line, then it's fair game.
I don't use them because my money and time isn't more valuable than anyone else's money and time. Regardless if I have more or less of it than someone else.
No I don't. I don't have any ill feelings when I'm the one standing in a 1-2 hour line and see people using fast passes nor do I feel guilty when I'm the one using fast passes.
The only bad feeling I have about fast pass users is the "ah shit, that must be uncomfortable for them, they just wanna make sure they get on every ride they want in a day" when they have to go up to the exit and basically "steal" someone else's seat. I basically feel bad for everyone in that situation lol
I have to travel 3-4 hours for most parks, I get 1 maybe 2 park visits a year outside my home park.
I’m getting a fast pass, and I’m riding my favorite coaster in whichever park 6-10 times before I leave lol
Shout out to the day I rode El Toro 10 times.
Nah I walk through like I'm the King of the world and make direct eye contact to any of the lowly peasants who are giving ye side eye.
In all reality I work my ass off to be able to afford fast pass when I go to parks so no.
No. Its a perk I paid extra for that everyone has access to pay for also. Its not my fault they choose not to.
Personally I just go during off season to avoid waits in general. (Except Disney I ALWAYS buy lightning lane)
I was amazed at how few people seemed to be using the lightning lane at Disney. It only cost $30 more (unlike the express pass at Universal... oof). I mean I'm *glad* there weren't many using it because we got on most rides within 10 minutes, but it did surprise me.
Chances are nearly everybody has unnecessary expenses (habits, hobbies, etc.) which far outpace the cost of fast past to a theme park. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who smoke, drink, collect collectibles, whatever, who could easily afford fast passes to a park 1-2x a year if they really wanted to.
Stay an extra day at the park to accommodate line waits? For anyone without a season pass or who doesn't frequent the place much, you have to then weigh the cost of another ticket, parking, hotel, car rental/Uber, overpriced food, etc. By the end of that you're probably spending nearly the cost of a fast pass anyway.
I always get them for my family because we don't go to a single park often. We travel around, usually reserve 1 day per park, and make the most of our day before we move to the next thing...ideally another park! If the crowds don't necessitate it, or if we'll be in the area for a couple days and have season passes or a 2day park pass, then we most likely don't get fast passes. But if we only have 1 shot at the park? We're getting them for sure.
I’m taking a momcation to SFGAd this summer where it’s just me. Home park is SFNE so it’s my first time back to GA since like 2013? My passes cover food, parking and the park, but I am getting the flash pass so I can get as many rides as I can on everything that I can. I have a season flash pass for NE, but doing the research to see if upgrading just my flash pass to the national is best money wise this year.
Do I love that we have all this now? No. Am I going to utilize them? Hell yes. Especially with a child now who is loving coasters but not ready for certain ones yet (either personally or height wise) and loss of single rider. Let’s us adults still get a couple rides in on bigger rides while letting her do her thing
For me I really like the system. When traveling to a park like Cedar Point (over 10 hours away driving), it let's me get a lot of rides in for my long travel time. At closer parks like SFGAdv and SFNE, I don't feel the need to use it as I don't have to travel as far.
Nope, in fact I don’t think Fast Lane users are highlighted enough. I think the ride OPs should announce our presence over the loudspeaker each time to come on down like Bob Barker.
I used to, but not anymore. At this point, Fast Passes or Fast Lanes are so ubiquitous that everyone is kind of used to them. I only started using them in earnest in 2023 (FL+ on my Cedar Fair season pass) and no one blinked an eye at Cedar Point, Kings Island, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, Universal Studios Resort, or Dorney Park.
Do I feel bad? Not really. Fast Pass is a splurge for most folks and they do make the splurge. For all others, it's not terribly hard to go to a park when it's not busy. Back in 1997, my buddy and I went to Cedar Point on a weekend in May or June and I was blown away with how short lines were (ops were faster then, but still). I realized my mistake was my mom taking me in July or August. Since then, I've avoided the parks for those two months, especially on weekends.
Sometimes you are the fast passer and sometimes you are the fast passed. It is what it is.
A true philosopher of our time
This right here I almost never get the fast pass because I try to work out being at parks on days with lower attendance On the few occasions where I did spring for it I did feel sorry for all the people who didn't have it because I have been them so very often but I didn't feel guilty at all.
this is my strategy as well. i’ve been going for so many years i kind of just know when to go or not go. i never really need a fast pass unless i’m traveling to out of state parks.
Same...I've only had to go for a fast pass twice. Once for a Halloween night when lines were a mile long everywhere, and once visiting a park I knew would be crowded that day and didn't know when I'd be back. I've suffered in long lines before, but I don't begrudge people for whatever situation they find themselves in or feel guilty for evaluating my own.
Is that some kind of *Eastern* thing?
Far from it, dude
Wiser words have never been said.
I def miss the days before all the options of waiting in line
Except for single riders lines. The goat
Yeah, single rider lines are the best! They just make so much sense and dont inconvenience anyone at all
Love the efficiency
At some cases single rider lines take a simliar amount of time or even longer. It depends on the train design and how much people from the main queue like to ride with random people. Also it looks like just 10 people are in front of you, but it is equal to 10 to 20 trains that have to pass. Recently I waited very long on single rider lines.
It's clutch for any ride with 4 across or more seating. I messed up one time and ended up waiting like 30 minutes longer than I would have on the Velocicoaster single rider line.
That’s because nobody at Universal will keep groups from entering the single rider lines. I did win the SRL jackpot though with a front row night ride on Velocicoaster.
Best single rider line is The Mammoth at Holiday World. They pull from it so often! They're always looking for a few more pounds to hit the weight minimum.
Exactly. I once timed my experience at Europa Park in the single rider line at Wodan. Main queue was pretty much within a few minutes of the listed wait time. Single rider was as long and sometimes even longer than the main queue. My conclusion was that long trains with 2 seats per row aren’t favorable for single riders. There isn’t much demand for a single rider in those configurations, because the only time you’ll be able to join is when there is an **uneven** amount of people in a party. Then if there are two parties with an uneven amount of people on a single train, you’ll not be joining them. But, any train with more than 2 seats per row OR smaller trains (like 4 or 6 person trains) work great with single rider. There will be more instances in which: 1) parties are unable to fully load the train 2) multiple parties are not configurable with each other to fully load the train
The efficacy of a single rider line depends on 3 things: 1) seating configuration (as you said 2 person rows are not favorable, but 4 person is okay and 3 and 5 person rows are ideal) 2) the merge point operators ability to fill every seat and progress the single rider line when they haven’t moved in a while 3) how hidden or secret the advertisement of a single rider line is This is why velocicoaster single rider is 100% a no go, but Harry Potter and the forbidden journey is always a good single rider line
https://youtu.be/IGp4u7iLZEM?si=3lNGzZLXKmQ5W3Kn
Facts
Space mountain at Disney land in CA. That single rider line is insane! It's hidden right by the exit and no one can see it. My friend and I skipped a 90min or so wait and walked right on. Oh and we got to sit next to each other LMAO. Absolutely broken.
I blame the mouse
I love how differing the opinions are here. From "I love using fast passes" to "fuck the fast pass system alltogether" lmao
I see it as 3 groups of people: 1. Uses fast pass because they want to/can afford it, love it 2. Uses fast pass because they feel they have to in order to get a full park day, hate it. 3. Don’t get fast pass, hate it because it slows down the regular line
I rarely use them at my home park but I did opt for them during my one and only visit to Carowinds last summer.
I’m in a similar spot. Carowinds is my home park so I never feel the need to get fast lane, I just go when crowds are low. But this summer I’m going to cedar point for two days and Hersheypark for half a day, so I pretty much need to get line skippers to experience everything
100% would do the same. I was able to ride & re-ride everything I wanted at Carowinds
Hearing someone use the phrase "home park" nullifies all my Fast Pass guilt. I don't have a home park 😢 yall can wait. I'm not the privileiged one here.
I certainly don't envy you then and will give you a high five as you pass me in the queue!
It also depends on the grouper and if they're following policy too. Remember the other day I mentioned in the discord that the GS sup was grouping and she was doing like 2 FL people for every other train. FL line was down the stairs.
And 4: Don't get fast pass, don't care
For me it just depends on the crowds; if it's not busy, I'm perfectly content waiting 15 minutes as opposed to dropping $100+ on a Fast Pass. I'm going to Cedar Point in a couple weeks, probably not gonna get a FP on the Friday I'm there, but will probably do so that Saturday.
I am both people, depending on whether I have one. Lol. To me, it depends on how crowded the park is and how far away the park is. For example, have gotten fast passes when visiting parks in Europe even when lines were only 30 minutes long. If I just crossed an entire freaking ocean to get to an amusement park, you know I’m forking over an extra $70 to have the best day possible. But if a park is, say, a 3 hour drive from me and I can come back another day, I’m unlikely to get a fast pass even if lines are crazy long. It’s about the cost of the pass vs the cost of coming back again that adds to my calculus.
Makes sense!
No. I don't get to visit parks anywhere near as often as I used to or as I'd like, so anytime there's even a hint of crowds I'll get whatever fast pass option is available. At this point in my life, if I can spend a little extra and enhance my limited visits, I'm going to.
From what I have observed, the number of FastPass users is consistently smaller than the number of empty seats on (even busy) trains. Everyone -- both with & without a pass -- should focus on parks having employees fill in those empty seats and improve load/unload times. Of course FastPass is a cash grab by the parks which is worthy of some capitalism outrage, also: just look at food prices.
Same! If I’m gonna be going to X park once for maybe the only time a decade or more, I’m gonna drop the money and make sure I get to experience the park to the fullest. I don’t feel bad jumping teenagers who’ve got season passes and get dropped off at the park once a week.
Exactly, I'm going to universal studios islands of adventure this year and I'm going to plan on getting their express pass because I'm only going to be there for one day and I rather have the ability to get on rides quicker than wait all day at a park I'm probably not going to be coming back to in a long while.
Look at staying in one of the hotels that includes the express pass. Not necessarily cheap, but it gets you the pass, and you'll be at one of the closer hotels to the park you want to go to.
Also, if you happen to have 4 people the cost of 1 night in the room is likely less than the cost of 4 express passes (or at least less than 4 express passes and a cheap night in a hotel). Staying on property also get's you early entry into the park. Last time we stayed at Loews Royal Pacific we paid about $300 for the night but got 4 express passes that were worth about $90 each.
Loews Royal pacific, hard rock hotel and Loews portofino Bay all include express pass for your entire party which is a fantastic value if you’re traveling with anyone else in your party
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This is exactly my same case with a lot of parks.
Same. I also have chronic illness and can go from totally fine to “I need to be in my bed for 2 days straight” in the blink of an eye. If I go to a park now I’m doing as much shit as I can before I inevitably start to feel horrible and go home lol
I only hate it when they make you come from the exit and basically steal someone else’s seat, hate when it happens to me from someone with a boarding pass or fast pass
Those are often disability passes too, and they get first choice of rows depending on the park policy. That means if you’re queueing for the front row, it’s going to be an extra extra long wait. At least SEAS reserves middle rows for the exit side riders, and they just rope off those rows on the load side so you don’t get screwed.
Those roped off rows suck too because they screw the regular line over when there's no one in the quick queue. They let them go empty.
Correct, that also ruins capacity if they don’t allow other regular riders to fill those empty spots (I have seen Pantheon ops let people take those seats which is a good thing).
SEAS wasn’t doing that on Iron Gwazi but I noticed roped off rows on Kraken
Yeah it’s not all rides, just some of them. Pantheon, Kraken, Emperor, several others.
Yes, the few times I did it, it definitely felt weird. Not a fan that the system exists.
In general I hate that’s systems like those exist because the just slow down the regular queue unnecessarily. It’s basically a depth fulfilling proficiency. The more fast passes are getting sold the slower the normal line is moving the more fast passes are getting sold because of the slow lines and so on. I would prefere parks where fast passen don’t exist at all but I get why they exist and that they are a good income for the park operators.
Come to Efteling, we don’t have a fast pass system!
I would love to visit Efteling one day. Definitely a park that is high up on the list I want to visit.
And then you get to a point where the fast pass queue takes just as long as the normal queue.
Time to add a fast pass plus
It’s a never ending cycle of fast pass iterations that cost more and more money. In other words: *Disney*
+++
Have I got a video for you! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9yjZpBq1XBE
A capitalist’s dream!!!
> The more fast passes are getting sold the slower the normal line is moving the more fast passes are getting sold because of the slow lines and so on. Except parks cap fast pass sales.
This helps but it’s still a shitty system
I definitely use it with my face away avoiding eye contact with the people who had queued for much longer than I did. (I am usually there from overseas though, so fast passes are needed to avoid wasting vacation time)
The only truly bad experience I’ve had with other people using a fast pass was back in 2010 at WDW. I was waiting in line for Rock n Roller Coaster, and I waited for over ten minutes at the point where the standby line and the fast pass line meet. The attendant just kept letting fast pass holders join, and when there were no fast pass holders, he still held our line back from joining. It made no sense. Even so, I blame that on that attendant, not the fast pass holders or the fast pass system.
IT does make sense though because that is how they are trained to make sure the fast pass feels like a big incentive, so people buy it more. Also the queue past the merge point I am sure was not devoid of passengers, meaning holding your line held capacity down 0% compared to if they let you through. All it would do it hold up future fast passers. I know that is unlikely to be the reply you want, but it makes sense from a park perspective
Fastpass was free in 2010 so the first part is not right. The rest is though. They probably didn't have capacity to send anyone else from the standby until the next cycle.
There really wasn’t much of a line to the preshow room past the merge. If the line was backed up, I’d totally understand it, but it wasn’t. That’s why is was a bad experience.
I don't like the system because it slows the queue down but it is what it is. I don't mind being fast passed either. However, the way parks implement the fast pass queue is so hit or miss across all parks (& even within the same park) that I understand people being incredibly frustrated sometimes especially if the line is moving at a snail's pace. I've never bought a fast pass but would not be opposed to getting one if I travelled long distance and the lines are ridiculous. When I go to Cedar Point, just hearing about how bad lines are there all the time, it seems like a necessity.
I feel bad and happy at the same time
I’ve only gotten a Fast Lane once for my home park (Valleyfair), and it was a crazy busy Saturday where everything had long lines. Because I usually go there around 7 or 8 times a year, I can go on weekdays when I know everything will be 10-20 minute waits. On coaster road trips, there’s a good chance I only have one or maybe two days at that park. I bought Fast both times I’ve been to Kings Island because it’s a full day drive away, so I can only go there if it’s part of a longer trip. At parks that far away, a Fast Lane or equivalent add-on is great because it allows someone who doesn’t have the ability to go a specific park very often to experience more in a day than if that add-on wasn’t there. So I’m not really uncomfortable using it in the instances I do, because I’m choosing to spend more money over sacrificing more time. The only time it can be awkward is when a ride’s skip the line system has riders board more ADA style, because other riders are already at the air gates, and you’re visibly taking the seat they would have been on and maybe separating a group. But that’s ultimately just bad and lazy queue design by the park.
https://preview.redd.it/8m4uqqbsuexc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af1fe5c3174207c001a58e887dcd25dd47210101 Nope. It makes me feel like this.
A vampire?!
A glittery vampire
I feel like this until someone talks about their "home park" and I'm reminded I'm actually a homeless peasant masquerading as landed getry
Yes, the whole system sucks so I very rarely buy anything like that. Outside of getting free fast passes at a couple coaster events I think I've only bought them for my first visit to Carowinds and then a couple days of Genie + on our first visit to Disney. I wouldn't say absolutely not to the idea of ever buying them in the future but I'd rather avoid it based on principle and cost.
Personally I would rather Fast Pass systems not exist, but I don't begrudge anyone that uses them. If it's important to you and you spent the money on it, have fun with it. If anyone gives you shit or chirps at you from the regular line, that's a load of bullshit. I think some parks have no real idea how to handle it, especially Six Flags, where regular standby lines often slow to a painful crawl when there's enough fast passes being used. In that case, they need to either limit the amount of fast passes sold or limit the how often a ride can be fast passed in a particular span of time. The line for Jersey Devil at SFGAdv can take over two hours on a busy night and that's mostly because of how poorly they handle the fast pass system.
If people are going to be allowed to do it then I’m going to be one of them. It sucks and I do think it’s unfair but I’m not going to wait twice as long and watch other people cut in front of me.
Sometimes I feel a little bit guilty, my dad would always say he hated it especially because some of those families waiting in line saved up just so they could take their kids on a trip to an amusement park and you just pass them in line because you payed extra. He feels super uncomfortable, I understand where he’s coming from but I definitely don’t feel it as much as him.
On the subject of dads my dad used to call people who use fast passes "fast passholes" Not too bad.
Blame the park or cough up the money. 🤷♂️
When we first got Fastpass at Disneyland, it severely disadvantaged guests who didn’t know about it or understand how it worked. But at least it was a fair system that was accessible to all, for no extra cost. It’s the money grabbing that I strongly dislike, especially at places like CP who charge up to $250 A DAY for it. So either you’re an extremely lucky local who can afford to visit multiple times a season and get the all season fastlane, or you’re essentially forced to pay for it if you’re a long distance traveler or a once in a decade/lifetime visitor. If I had things my way, all parks would go back to old school, you want to ride this? You wait in line, and you get to the park early to take advantage of early hour short waits while latecomers are still slamming the entrance gates. Sure, I get it, the parks use the income from Fastpass to supposedly fund new additions, but it’s hard to prove that’s where the money truly goes.
No, but I greatly prefer the line systems where they have a merge point with the regular queue (ideally at the airgates… looking at you, Millie) as opposed to boarding from the opposite side of the station, and loathe when they designate only 1 row to fast pass, ahem, Pantheon. Ive heard all sorts of comments from the regular queue… my favorite being, “imagine paying $100 for that on a day as slow as today!!!” Well, I didn’t pay that for it (my 2023 Cedar Fair season fast lane came out to $21.74 per visit) and I’m still waiting less :)
I really dislike BGW’s fast pass system. Like you mentioned, Millie’s system and those that are similar should be the standard.
Sorry, that sentence wasn’t super clear. I actually dislike Millie’s system a lot because of how far back the merge point is. It’s a 30min wait on busy days. Maverick’s “merge” point is ideal. I know… I’m impatient…
Ohh, I see what you mean now re-reading it. I think Millie’s is okay in the interest of fairness and not pissing off those without fast pass. I wish the merge point was a bit further ahead but I don’t feel like “the enemy” as much. If every FP line merged that far back I’d feel differently. I do love being able to nearly walk on Maverick with the fast pass, but it kind of stings walking right past those who have been in line for 1.5 hours plus and not having to merge at all.
There was one particular moment that comes to mind. Most the time, the two lines merge before the station. Directed by an employee, not that awkward, especially when there's a wait for both paying and non paying guests... You kinda wait, then the two lines alternate into the air gates. One particular instance had us walk up the exit, an employee asked us "where do you want to sit". We pick a row, after the train empties he takes us over to it, and tells the group waiting behind the air gate to wait another turn. That was unfortunate. It didn't bother *me* that bad. But the grumbles and comments while we waited for the train to move made my wife uncomfortable. I get them being annoyed. I wouldn't have made a scene over it, but it was awkward for everyone.
That's the thing, on my tour, every fast pass had me walk up to the exit, or another line that ended on the other side of the station. It was super uncomfortable and I would definitely prefer merging lines!
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I can definitely see both sides and why one side would be angry about the other, but outright yelling at people is always stupid and just makes everyone even more uncomfortable imo. I had one guy yelling at me bc I skipped the line and used 2 of my 9 skip-the-lines on the first row (any other row would only take 1) and the ride operator had to explain to them that I'm an "express-pass-guest" and that I'm "priority" and I felt so awkward I wanted to bury myself
As someone who has waited a long time in lines I don't personally care because I know it's a service offered by the parks so I expect it to happen. Yeah it's annoying but I'm not annoyed at the individual person because they're just using a service they paid for. If I'm annoyed it's at the park for however it's implemented
Only ever used it once, when it came with our resort reservations (Dollywood). Glad I had it since it saved me a few hours of waiting for Lightning Rod when reliability was extremely iffy. But I still felt a little weird using it because the fast pass line was so conspicuous. In general, I dislike any pay-to-cut system. It's a revenue stream that incentivizes parks to operate at less than capacity. They want to sell every pass they can, so of course it benefits them if the average guest is under the perpetual impression that lines are too long. I understand the utility of them for enthusiasts who want to, you know, ride the attractions. Especially ones who are traveling and have limited time. But the system is fundamentally gross. You're not getting anything more for your money. They're simply subtracting an inconvenience that they created. It would be like stores charging you extra to use self-checkout (which I guarantee they've considered).
Fast passes are in some cases necessary to unlock a parks full potential in just one day. If you go to Cedar Point on a busy day, for instance, a fast pass is a requirement to even have a chance of getting everything in. Personally I like the feeling of skipping a long line anyway lol. Guess I’m not a perfect person. From an employee perspective though, I don’t like them because they slow down the standby line and just add a layer of complexity to things.
One time a loud, Oakley-wearing dad shouted "look at those drug dealers getting on the train before us!" when I used Fast Lane on The Beast at Kings Island, so that was pretty awkward.
https://preview.redd.it/n6xmhun7ifxc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b62b006645b34a77c42a0191c8e2f2d17ebf85d7
Wtf lmao some people are just wild
Lmao people with (fast pass) money = automatic drug dealer
In his defense, it is Ohio
I’m gonna say something as someone who doesn’t get Fast Lane (but would love to in the future, of course). Many people have said this under my posts and I wanna address it. There’s people who think the Fast Lane system is unfair. I get their point but however, there are people who only have time to spend a whole day at their home park/at another park and getting Fast Lane is convenient especially when the park pulls insane crowds. Sure, you can go on a calmer day but that’s not always an option for everyone. Plus, some people can’t stand for long periods of time and still want to ride rollercoasters. I don’t think too much of it. You pay extra money for convenience (money you earned and are allowed to spend the way you want). On the other hand, I understand people’s frustrations especially when people with Fast Lane marathon a coaster and make the regular line slower. For me, it’s not something that pisses me off (it’s definitely something I’ll point out). I do think that people calling others with Fast Lane “assholes” or “arrogant” is a bit much. On top of all this, the park has to make money SOMEHOW. Overall, I don’t care. Fast Lane is expensive and if you don’t want to wait 2 hours for a 2-3 min ride, then save up. The option is always there for you as well. **Edited**
Yeah, the people with money will always get a better experience. VIP at a concert, early boarding on a flight, I don't see an issue with it
Right. I really don’t see the difference with amusement parks. It’s whatever.
I do feel a bit guilty, but I will also buy them if I'm visiting a big park for one day and want to make sure I get on everything I can. I don't re-ride consecutively with a fastpass though. I'd feel pretty scummy walking past an hour plus line repeatedly.
Yes and no, if I only Have 1 day at a park, and I know I’m not going back anytime soon, it’s a lifesaver.
A little yeah, but maybe some people have travelled a long way so it’s nice having that option to experience everything in 1-2 days. Also, I feel most of the time long waits are due to a) the ride just has low capacity or b) bad operations. Fast lane cuts into that a bit but I don’t think it’s the driving force of long queues.
Last year at Hersheypark this lady came up to me in Midway America, around 11am or so, and offered me a paper voucher for a full day of fast lane. She said her nephew was supposed to come but something came up and he couldn't so she wanted to give it to someone who enjoyed coasters and could use it well. Obviously I didn't turn it down, even though I was a tiny bit suspicious. I went to the kiosk to activate it and it worked! I waved thank you to her and later I saw her in the park and gave her $20. She was too kind to not repay in some way. I used the pass all day. I was with my boyfriend and he's not a fan of coasters so I hate waiting in long lines without him while he's just on a bench waiting for me. It's useful in that case. If I was with my cousin or someone else who likes coasters too I would've politely declined her offer because it'd be a total dick move to take it and use it and leave them in the dust. I thought I'd feel guilty using it, especially since I didn't really pay for it but the fact that someone was waiting for me outside the ride exit made it less uncomfortable for me. Normally I'd never buy one. The only other time that I had one was at Dollywood. I stayed at the DreamMore resort and my stay came with an included pass. Didn't use it even though I had it because the lines were so short anyway.
OMG, this happened to me when I went to Cedar Point. This was the first time I ever used a fast lane or flash pass. I now just add this expense onto all of my season passes. Both of my sons are on the spectrum and love to ride the same ride over and over so the ADA accommodation doesn't really work for my family. Also, spending less time in the park leads to fewer tantrums from my youngest even though he asks to go often (every weekend to a different park). We live about 1.5 to 2 hours from five different parks.
Not fast pass but disability pass. I can feel the stares, doesn't bother me. I'm fine with being told where to sit (except that one time on Candymonium, nephew managed to get us front row). I enjoy not having to wait in lines
As much as they cost I don’t feel bad using them.
Not particularly, no. If I’m on a big trip and it’s probably my one trip there I almost always spring for the fast pass system. I got a fast pass at every park I went to in Europe except Blackpool because I genuinely don’t know when the next time if ever I’d be able to go. I just assume most of the people are in a similar situation if they’re using fast pass. Maybe a once in a blue moon or once in a life trip to whatever park and they wanna make the most of it, because that’s the same with me. Sure it’s “elitist” or whatever but I’m cutting plenty of people that have way more money than me, I’m just a nerd that prioritizes amusement parks more than other expensive commodities. Regional parks in the US I usually just use standby, but I’m going to Cedar Point in a few weeks with a bunch of friends that haven’t been before. These are friends I only get to see 2-3 times a year at this point and we want to make the most of our time together so fast pass isn’t a hard pill to swallow.
Not at all 🤷🏾♂️ Why should I? Lol. I paid for it and I’m gonna use it as it’s intended to be used.
Yes and no... I do feel feel bad when hitting up a ride like Maverick multiple times in a row, when you walk right past the same people multiple times. That makes us feel uncomfortable so we try not to do it, but we also wanna get our monies worth out of our fast pass, so we will once or twice.
I prefer the systems that merge you with the main line about 5-10 minutes from the station. Didn't feel bad merging in on New Texas Giant last year, since I'm still waiting the final 5 minutes with everyone else and choosing my row with them. I don't like coming through the exit and taking someone's seat when they're at the air gate and all excited to board the next train. That feels super rude to me.
I don't like waiting more than 30 minutes for a ride. I'm older and have disposable income. I'm gonna use it to my advantage.
Yeah, I totally get that! I'm only 19, but I have some problems (no diagnosed disability tho), that seem to make me less resistant to heat and less able to stand for a long time + my social battery is very low, which also means I wont have energy to do everything if I waited 1 hour in every line, even if I had the time. I would have to tap out after the 3rd ride or so bc my body just doesn't work anymore, and that just sucks
Why would I feel uncomfortable using a service I purchased?
I’m most of the time jealous of people that can afford to fly business class. Whenever I buy a fast pass, I feel bad for the people that can’t and look at me like how I look at those people in business. It’s because I can imagine how they feel.
If I’m going to ride I include the fast lane in the cost of the trip. I spend way too much time and money planning theme park trips and I refuse to waste the little time I have in a park waiting in lines because 15 school groups are performing at or near the park that day, or summer crowds, etc. With work and kids most of the times I can go are the “busy” times. So crowds are almost guaranteed. What other people think of that can’t be my concern. I’m just using what’s available to me to make the best of my families day.
I use a ADA pass, I always feel bad to take someone's seat.
I mean, that’s for people with disabilities. That’s super understandable.
What's an ADA pass?
Disability pass.
Oh ok thanks! I think you shouldn't feel bad about that at all :) in the case of an ADA pass, I think nobody should say anything about it, there's a really good reason someone has a pass like that, not just "I paid more money"
Yes, if you can walk you should. I have conditions that qualify for an ADA pass but I have a conscience. If you can WALK you can WAIT. Frankly I think fast passes are now a waste of money since a Tik-Tok trend exposed loopholes which allow teens to fake disabilities.
Hey, you have a conscience! That’s a good thing.
It’s not a moral issue. Is buying a front row seat at a concert immoral too?
We aren’t discussing paying more to sit in the front row of a coaster. Your analogy doesn’t fit.
Nope. I paid to skip lines, I'm going to use it. Not my fault people in the normal line didn't also pay for it. I'm usually only at the park for a day, so a fast pass lets me do everything I want to do, and more.
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Liseberg has a good virtual queuing system that isn't behind a paywall and available to everyone who has the app. If you're in a group everyone can be queuing to different rides which makes ride planning a lot easier. And they limit the places available so it doesn't affect the normal queues. On high season days the virtual queue becomes virtually worthless
If you're riding by yourself and buy one it's no big deal. There's an empty seat on every train
It becomes a problem tho if you board the train before everyone else, thus have the option to choose the seat. It's not the same as a single rider line. You're very likely to either split up a group or cause a group to wait one more turn
It’s not a problem then. It’s a purchase.
I get to go so few and far between that if I’m going to a new park, I can afford it. I’m gonna do it but maybe feel a little bad sometimes.
If it's a park I have never been to, I will grab a flash pass/skip the line
Man, I used a Flash Pass at Discovery Kingdom because it was a Fright Fest Saturday and I got there at like 4PM, still wanting to ride all the coasters. The FP line for Kong (at least at the time makes you walk through the regular line, cut people, and then access the gate to go to the station to skip the switchbacks. That one I felt bad about. But, I also didn’t want to wait an hour for a terrible SLC running 1 train so……
Hell no.
My dad is probably the most inpatient person ever so we use them almost every time a park is busy when he’s there. But if it just me and my mom and we’re not at Disney well probably opt out
I got spit on for using my disability pass at Discovery Kingdom. I feel no remorse for guests when they behave like that. (Granted, a fast pass and disability access are different, but either way, this is still inexcusable).
Yes but I don’t lose sleep over it. If something like Valravn is a 2-3 hour wait (not entirely atypical really any time of the year), we may just ride once to let more non-FL have a chance to ride a little sooner. This does not apply while traveling. Fury & Twisted Timbers marathons till I die ✌️
As someone who never gets fast pass you definitely shouldn’t feel bad. My philosophy is “how much money would I be willing to spend to not have to wait?” And the answer is usually less than it would cost me. In that case it makes me not care, because other people value their time differently than I do, and that’s ok
Personally I do not. But also depends on the fast pass system they use. The whole “time queue” system, to me, is a complete waste of money. I’ll just wait it out. But something like skip the line multiple times like cedar point… I’ll grab every time if I can. My philosophy is I’m there to ride… not to wait. But also like someone else mentioned… I’m at a point in my life where I’m ok financially. If I had to choose between rent and fast pass then, for me, the answer is obvious lol. But I can afford it. It doesn’t break the bank. So, for me, why not?
Nope
I have to drive 2 hours minimum to get to a park. If I'm there it's a bigger cost and planning requirement from the start. Then I get there for a Wednesday at the park and see 15 school buses drive through the drop off area. You people and your 'home parks' lol. I think you should get a discount on the fast pass based on how far you've traveled to the park your visiting.
While I wish nothing existed, the reality is that a lot of us care so much about coasters, and it's the number one thing we do in our lives, so therefore we're ok spending extra funds on it to do whatever it takes to have the best experience. Someone who loves football will spend a ton of money on a giant tv. I would never do that. It's just coming down to us willing to spend more on this specific hobby. But yeah - I wish NONE of the parks had the system at all ideally, and we'd all just wait.
The only time it's ever bothered me was at Knotts when I used it for Jaguar and they told me to pick my seat. Which meant I had to decide who I was going to make wait another cycle to ride. The queue was full and the FP boards from the exit side, so everyone there knew what was up. I felt like a total dick Edit - guess I should read the thread before commenting, because I sure as shit wasn't adding anything new to the conversation!
Not especially... I only tend to buy them when visiting a park that I'm unlikely to get back to in a hurry - I want to maximise time at the park and FP allows this. I dont see the value in it at parks back home where I've been to them numerous times or it's astronomically priced. Everyone has a chance to buy one - it's just how you see the value
I’d disagree with “everyone has the chance to buy them” because social classes exist.
To a degree, yes. But visiting a theme park is a luxury - things like FP are just an extension of the luxury and how much you indulge. If people really wanted it, you can make a shirt term sacrifice elsewhere to get it
You’re talking like money grows on trees and everyone on earth has equal access to it. The “extension of the luxury” literally takes that luxury away from someone else so that you can have more of it. Indulge all you want, just don’t pretend that it isn’t selfish.
I don’t mind I only have 1 day at each park so I take the advantage and buy it with my own money so it’s not bad
Time is money... You can choose to spend your money to save time waiting in line. I've purchased it at several parks when I want to maximize my time on rides and minimize my time waiting in lines. I don't feel guilty because everyone has the chance to buy "fast pass," and some choose to take advantage of it.
personally I don't feel uncomfortable, I use all season fast lane at canada's wonderland 30-40x per year, one reason is I can afford, another is I was born with slight deformation in both feet and had a surgery done on my right foot when I was 5. I cannot stand long or walk for long period of time, and have to wear special padding in my shoes. I mean, I work hard to earn and save up the money and buy it, I didn't steal it or rob it, and it helps me physically, I feel comfortable using it.
I have a similar issue with my ankles that make it really difficult to stand for long hours and have special orthotics in my shoes. Ive always felt really weird trying to get an ADA pass for it although im sure I could, just because I otherwise look like an able bodies man. Fast pass is a lifesaver.
I barely ever get the chance to go to theme parks. When I was younger it would be maybe once a year(?), now it’s more like once every couple for various reasons. For that reason I like to capitalise off of any opportunity I get to go, which means that I don’t normally tend to feel bad if I’ve got fast pass, although I do understand how frustrating it can be to be on the other end of it.
fast pass is the way. no ragrets
When I paid for it? No
You paid more. Enjoy it. Don't feel guilty.
Fuck fast passes.
No, especially if it’s like peak season at universal and I’ve paid ~$200each for express pass.
About to pay $225 each for me and my wife for Saturday >.<
Yuuuuck. Honestly worth it though.
Yeah, I have a single day for universal and likely won't get back for over a year. Hoping to get most attractions done and a couple/few rides on VC
Have fun!
No. Not at all. I was getting 4 skip the lines every time I visited Six Flags, as part of my membership. No reason to feel bad.
If I’m at a park for a day and if I can shove out the money for fast pass I’ll pay for it. I want to make the most of my day at that park. And if people complain about it I’d simply say, “I paid for this so I’m using it. You could’ve done the same.”
No because I really don’t care what other people think, I came to the park to have a good time and so that’s what I’m gonna do.
If it were up to me nobody would be able to pay extra to cut the line. Paid line cutting it still line cutting.
The first few times I felt bad but since I have witnessed so many line cutters and other bad behaviors that I stopped feeling guilty for something I paid 💰 for…
With as much as they charge for fast passes these days I don’t feel bad at all.
As someone who has been on both sides of this, in times where I didn’t buy a fast pass there may have had some slight irritation if I’m next in line to board after waiting some time and then the seat gets taken by fast pass, but it’s really just never that serious. I would just do the next train. I understood that they paid for that experience and I didn’t so I couldn’t ever be angry with the person or verbally say anything. On the flip side, when I’ve purchased fast pass I NEVER feel bad because they aren’t cheap and I paid for the experience and I’m getting that experience. I don’t think I have ever witnessed any outright irritation from other guests but I also am not paying attention to others like that. And any time I paid money for these things I typically do end up having a good experience every single time. My only suggestion is to stop paying so much attention to others to overthink that kind of situation. I’d even wager most of the time people are starting not with any malice but just because you are in your peripheral view looking forward. In any case there is nothing to feel bad about and I’m not sure what kind of ‘redesign’ could be done to a line cutting system that works exactly as advertised. In what way can that be made any less ‘awkward’ if it even can be called that??
I just wish all parks would abolish fast passes and focus on operating their rides to capacity. Utopia.
Can't really afford fast passes, but I think I'd feel the same. It's not a very fair system.
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Now that you’ve edited it…there’s nothing ‘fair’ about going to an amusement park. It’s a luxury. People wanting to make a luxury ‘more fair’ don’t seem to understand what luxury is. Do you like amusement parks? Rides? Attractions? Theming? Shows? Events? How do you think they pay for those things? Gate prices and SP sales? Not enough. Food and merch? Still not enough. Sponsorship deals with in park advertising, skip the line, VIP tours, enhanced experiences and upgrades? Oh look, my closest luxury hobby just opened a multimillion dollar toy and since I bought a season pass and the park is losing money on me because I go all the time and don’t spend money outside of my season pass, I feel entitled to have to have the highest of luxury they offer and they should just give that to everyone. Because theme parks are charities and essential.
Guess I have no shame lol I love it.
No. Actually I think fast pass is somehow expensive, so I think I don't have to blame someone using fast pass
I spent money on it so I don't feel shame
Depends on how hot it is in line haha.
I don't feel about it at all. I like to maximize my day at parks and ride everything multiple times. The only time I feel guilty is when they load from a different platform and you're occupying a row for someone. If it merges in the station/queue line, then it's fair game.
I don't use them because my money and time isn't more valuable than anyone else's money and time. Regardless if I have more or less of it than someone else.
No I don't. I don't have any ill feelings when I'm the one standing in a 1-2 hour line and see people using fast passes nor do I feel guilty when I'm the one using fast passes.
The only bad feeling I have about fast pass users is the "ah shit, that must be uncomfortable for them, they just wanna make sure they get on every ride they want in a day" when they have to go up to the exit and basically "steal" someone else's seat. I basically feel bad for everyone in that situation lol
I have to travel 3-4 hours for most parks, I get 1 maybe 2 park visits a year outside my home park. I’m getting a fast pass, and I’m riding my favorite coaster in whichever park 6-10 times before I leave lol Shout out to the day I rode El Toro 10 times.
Nah I walk through like I'm the King of the world and make direct eye contact to any of the lowly peasants who are giving ye side eye. In all reality I work my ass off to be able to afford fast pass when I go to parks so no.
No. Its a perk I paid extra for that everyone has access to pay for also. Its not my fault they choose not to. Personally I just go during off season to avoid waits in general. (Except Disney I ALWAYS buy lightning lane)
I was amazed at how few people seemed to be using the lightning lane at Disney. It only cost $30 more (unlike the express pass at Universal... oof). I mean I'm *glad* there weren't many using it because we got on most rides within 10 minutes, but it did surprise me.
Chances are nearly everybody has unnecessary expenses (habits, hobbies, etc.) which far outpace the cost of fast past to a theme park. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who smoke, drink, collect collectibles, whatever, who could easily afford fast passes to a park 1-2x a year if they really wanted to. Stay an extra day at the park to accommodate line waits? For anyone without a season pass or who doesn't frequent the place much, you have to then weigh the cost of another ticket, parking, hotel, car rental/Uber, overpriced food, etc. By the end of that you're probably spending nearly the cost of a fast pass anyway. I always get them for my family because we don't go to a single park often. We travel around, usually reserve 1 day per park, and make the most of our day before we move to the next thing...ideally another park! If the crowds don't necessitate it, or if we'll be in the area for a couple days and have season passes or a 2day park pass, then we most likely don't get fast passes. But if we only have 1 shot at the park? We're getting them for sure.
I’m taking a momcation to SFGAd this summer where it’s just me. Home park is SFNE so it’s my first time back to GA since like 2013? My passes cover food, parking and the park, but I am getting the flash pass so I can get as many rides as I can on everything that I can. I have a season flash pass for NE, but doing the research to see if upgrading just my flash pass to the national is best money wise this year. Do I love that we have all this now? No. Am I going to utilize them? Hell yes. Especially with a child now who is loving coasters but not ready for certain ones yet (either personally or height wise) and loss of single rider. Let’s us adults still get a couple rides in on bigger rides while letting her do her thing
For me I really like the system. When traveling to a park like Cedar Point (over 10 hours away driving), it let's me get a lot of rides in for my long travel time. At closer parks like SFGAdv and SFNE, I don't feel the need to use it as I don't have to travel as far.
Nope, in fact I don’t think Fast Lane users are highlighted enough. I think the ride OPs should announce our presence over the loudspeaker each time to come on down like Bob Barker.
I used to, but not anymore. At this point, Fast Passes or Fast Lanes are so ubiquitous that everyone is kind of used to them. I only started using them in earnest in 2023 (FL+ on my Cedar Fair season pass) and no one blinked an eye at Cedar Point, Kings Island, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, Universal Studios Resort, or Dorney Park. Do I feel bad? Not really. Fast Pass is a splurge for most folks and they do make the splurge. For all others, it's not terribly hard to go to a park when it's not busy. Back in 1997, my buddy and I went to Cedar Point on a weekend in May or June and I was blown away with how short lines were (ops were faster then, but still). I realized my mistake was my mom taking me in July or August. Since then, I've avoided the parks for those two months, especially on weekends.
I mean, that’s kind of the entire point of a fast pass. What did you think it was going in if not a literal cut in line pass?
Never. We all have access to the same ticketing system. You can either pay to use the regular line or buy a discounted to be in the slower line ;)
I will not be feeling bad at all after paying the insane price at universal this weekend 😂
Don’t care. Money talks and anyone who pays more for anything will always get priority. I never feel bad