Paid Fastpass Might Be The Way To Go For Galaxy’s Edge
Galaxy’s Edge is going to be packed when it opens at Disneyland on May 31st and Walt Disney World on August 29th The idea of charging premium prices for Fastpass has been tossed around. It’s not the ideal option but makes sense given the assumed popularity of the new land. Is this the right call, or does Disney need to go in a different direction?
With the expected crowds for Galaxy’s Edge, there needs to be some sort of system in place to avoid massive lines. When Walt Disney World debuted Pandora, wait times for the signature ride, Flight of Passage, exceeded 5 hours. Toy Story Land posted wait times of 3 hours for Slinky Dog Dash.
Disneyland hasn’t had anything of this caliber since Cars Land opened up. It was more of the same, though. However, Walt Disney World definitely gets a lot more of the crowds. Disneyland already charges for use of its MaxPass. That enables you to make ride reservations on your mobile device. There’s also a free option outside of certain rides that give you a much later time window.
If Disneyland charges more for MaxPass and doesn’t allow any rides in Galaxy’s Edge the opportunity for the free paper Fastpass opportunities, they’ll be all set. This is actually an easy solution for them, it’s Walt Disney World that’s the big issue.
Walt Disney World doesn’t have that luxury of Disneyland’s system. All of their Fastpass options are done via a free app or kiosk throughout the park. The key here is they are all free. That might mean WDW has to charge guests for use of Galaxy’s Edge rides. It can be viewed as a premium Fastpass, one that gets you on all rides including anything in the Star Wars area.
Without WDW charging for the Fastpass in Galaxy’s Edge, the land will just be too busy. And seeing as the number of people that want to experience the new Star Wars offerings, Disney knows they have to make it somewhat manageable. The paid Fastpass is a great idea.
It doesn’t have to be an outrageous price, only about $75. Of course, that’s only going to get you on the two Galaxy’s Edge rides one time. Still, a lot of guests would buy that. You can only sell a limited number per day to keep the crowd level and lines down.
Charging for Fastpass or paying an extra cost because of Galaxy’s Edge won’t be a popular idea. It’s one that needs to be made, though. The crowd levels will just be too high for Disney to manage without the extra cost. This won’t drive people away from Galaxy’s Edge, but it will make things a lot easier when trying to visit the new land.
Image Source: Disney
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
