Fastlane Pass

I really hate them. When I would go to CP or KI as a kid everyone had to wait in line the same amount of time. Now it shows as in real life if you have money you jump past all those who don't. I make a good living but I also have 3 kids and myself (wife doesn't like amusement parks) to buy season passes for. I really don't want to spend another $100 per person total $400 to cut in line. I was just there Saturday and realized that it's now $149 for Saturday for Fastlane pass. BS I cost more for Fastlane then it does to even get in the park. I know most parks love to capitalize on this extra money but come on. Now whoever has the most money cuts to the front of the line. What ya'll think am I crazy?

I felt the same way until this past weekend. I thought only rich people got them and despised seeing people walk right past me. Last year when I went I had an awful time standing in the lines due to a hip injury, it took a lot out of me. I really debated on what to do this year as I cannot accept the fact that my body wont let me enjoy the park as others and because of this I'm on a fixed income and definitely not rich. So I decided this year to purchase fast lane and stay on property. I had to save for two months this to get the passes and another month for the hotel. Unfortunately they had the water main break and things did not go smoothly and I only used the fast lane on millennium force which only had a 15 min wait for the general line, so I found no advantage to it. But because we left the park we went to kings Island yesterday and purchased them. After my experience with them yesterday I will never go without purchasingtgem again, it made my entire day completely different. I was able to ride everything I wanted by 2p and I was not in pain from standing in the lines. You stated you have season passes so you can go multiple times so even if you don't get on everything one day you can alwaysgo back where I go once a year and have to drive 6 hours to get there. It kills me knowing the passes are a money maker for the park but they are in the businessif making money. I guess it comes down to weighing the options, but the passes are not just rich people using them, I'm the furthest thing from that.

I love Fast Lane and have used them numerous times. The parks make a ton of money off of them so I'd get used to them as they're here to stay.

I honestly don't think people paying more for a better product is anything to complain about. Think about it, it's like going to the store and buying a tv dinner, but the guy in front of you at the cash register could afford a juicy steak.

Standing in the heat all day long really takes a lot out of you, so for me waiting 15 minutes vs 50 minutes is great. Also before fast lane I remember riding at the most 5 rides on several visits, and even this season alone I've heard others complaining about the same thing. The biggest key factor I'd say is just look around the parking lot at CP, Breakers, or Breakers express. Many cars are out of state, hundreds of miles away, I even talked to a family who flew in from Arizona. If you've spent hundreds, if not thousands to get there why not make the most of it? It's one thing if you have a season pass and can visit as many times as you'd like, or live in a nearby city or state, but it's another when you drive or fly for hours on end. I've used fast lane many times and while expensive, keep an eye out for deals and promotions. CP offers discounts for daily admission and fast lane frequently through out of the season as well as off. Christmas is a great time to keep and eye out, they even had a Christmas in July sale (though I think it was only discounted admission).

If I were visiting one time only like from out of state, I'd probably buy FL to maximize my riding. Since I'm a local with a platinum, it doesn't bother me as much as I can visit anytime (including slow days and off peak hours) and ride anything that would ordinarily have a long wait.

It's a 17 hour drive roundtrip from Green Bay to CP.

First time coming was 2007. We now make several trips a year there.

Over the many visits and trips we have learned the great benefits of; staying on point ( absolutely the most important), platinum passes, multiple days stays, out of park activities (CP beach, resort pools, etc...) drink cups, ERT...
Some people that have traveled with us that weren't staying multiple days have gotten fast lane passes and it was great for them to actually enjoy the park.

CP is and can be so much more than an endless line of endless lines. When you take the time to actually enjoy yourselves and not worry about ride counts and ridiculous things you heard while waiting in line.
For the people that are there just to ride the major coasters, fast lane is the best option for them.

I've given away Fastlane Plus passes to kids that I thought deserved them when I got them free for staying at Breakers. I've ridden everything many times and I really enjoy other people being able to enjoy the park as much as I do.

How did you get fastlane plus passes for free just for staying at Breakers?

They were included last year and the year before in early May/June visits. This year they are including Soak City for resort guests.

The passes were open ended and could be used anytime in that season.

Yea, I get the out of towners. If you drop a couple thousand on a trip here what's another few hundred. As others have pointed out with my Platinum passes I can ride another day if the park is busy. So not a big deal. I just feel that it's wrong to give a person with the most money a (golden Ticket). All parks do this and is a good source of extra income and won't likely go away anytime soon.

Airlines, Amtrak, Theaters, Sports Venues....
All operate this way with premium ticketing.

Just enjoy the time you have with family and friends that's ultimately the most important thing.

Complaining about Fast Lane is like buying obstructed view balcony seats for a concert and complaining how unfair it was the people front row center got better seats just because they had the money. In either case, the customer got what they were willing to pay for.

I have never and probably will never use FL at Point just because of how often I visit. However, I have purchased a line skipping option at other parks. Usually If it's a park I've never been to and have no idea if or when I will ever return. Knott's, SFoG, Hershey and Dollywood or some of the parks in which I've used their line skippers. I will say Dollywood was included in the price of DreamMore Resort and advertised as a "free" benefit.

I used to hate fastlane. But I've also come to learn it helps pays for rides such as Valravn and whatever comes of Mean Streak. So if you like shiny new rides, thank FL for all the extra income in brings in.

I've never bought front of the line access, and never would. I'm what I call thrifty and my friends call cheap. I have used Disney's Fast Pass in Florida and Tokyo. But I'm one of the anal retentive types who do a bunch of research in order to understand how to get the best benefit out of a system.

noggin said:
Complaining about Fast Lane is like buying obstructed view balcony seats for a concert and complaining how unfair it was the people front row center got better seats just because they had the money. In either case, the customer got what they were willing to pay for.

This seems like an apples to oranges comparison. In your analogy the obstructed view balcony seats are less desirable due to physical parameters and are not affected by the utilization of more desirable / expensive seating. Whether the better seats are filled or empty, the "cheap seats" will always offer a different experience or perspective than the front row. By comparison, people waiting in line to ride Maverick have access to the same ride whether they are in the regular queue or fastlane. However utilization of the premium service can have a direct impact on the less expensive standard offering. If the fastlane line is empty, the normal line will move at a certain pace based on ride capacity but if 200 people suddenly show up to use fastlane then the pace of the standard line will change.

Fastlane clearly has advantages for guests who are willing to pay for the service, it is profitable for the park, and it looks like it is here to stay. Whether it's right or wrong can be debated endlessly but ultimately as individuals we all are responsible for our own decisions. Fastlane is optional and so is going to the park. To each their own.

Not a big fan of the Fastlane system myself, it really has slowed the main lines down tremendously. But I understand the parks side of it.

I would like them to start a system like WDW's though so every person has the ability to skip a line once or twice a day for no extra charge. It really helped make the days at Disney much more enjoyable and seemed to spread the crowds throughout the parks more.

I really do think the Disney version of fast lane is the best of what I've seen. You pick up a fast lane ticket that says "you can enter the fast line between these times" which helps spread out the impact of the duel lines

jsmith7300 said:
This seems like an apples to oranges comparison. In your analogy the obstructed view balcony seats are less desirable due to physical parameters and are not affected by the utilization of more desirable / expensive seating. Whether the better seats are filled or empty, the "cheap seats" will always offer a different experience or perspective than the front row. By comparison, people waiting in line to ride Maverick have access to the same ride whether they are in the regular queue or fastlane. However utilization of the premium service can have a direct impact on the less expensive standard offering. If the fastlane line is empty, the normal line will move at a certain pace based on ride capacity but if 200 people suddenly show up to use fastlane then the pace of the standard line will change.

No, it's a perfectly valid comparison. Selling higher-priced seats does impact those who pay for the lower-priced seats. After all, if those higher-priced seats didn't exist, the cheaper seat would be closer to the action. Those willing to pay more for closer seats "cut in front of" those who can't or won't pay for closer seats.

So, yeah, someone isn't physically blocking your view by paying for a closer seat, but they are pushing you further back from the action. Just as someone paying for FL is making you wait longer.

jsmith7300 said:

...the obstructed view balcony seats are less desirable due to physical parameters and are not affected by the utilization of more desirable / expensive seating.

What djDaemon said. Stand-by lines are less desirable to some because they have to wait longer to ride the ride. For others, the cost of FOTL passes is too off-putting. Obstructed view balcony seats are less desirable to some because the view is obstructed. For others, the significant difference in price is worth the cost for the better view.

I like the Six Flags Flash Pass so much better because it controls the amount of people in the fast line. When the Valravn Fastlane line gets too long, they start loading over half the train with fast lane users. A 20 min wait took me an hour. If you regulate the amount of people in the line, you can evenly distribute the guests.