Disneyland Paris has relaunched their FastPass system, only now the ability to skip a queue line will cost families a significant amount of money. The service was previously free at Disney Parks. Now, however, guests at Disneyland Paris will find themselves paying approximately $18 per person per attraction. For a family of four, this would mean paying around $70 for a single trip down the FastPass line.
Rumors have been circulating for months that Walt Disney World is likely to utilize the same or similar program when FastPass returns to the parks. Many expect Walt Disney World will streamline FastPasses into their upcoming Genie app.
Now it’s in #Disney’s financial interest to make lines go slower so customers feel inclined to pay surcharges to skip them. #fastpass #premieraccess https://t.co/By5zfW891q
— Jason Cochran (@JasCochran) August 3, 2021
One concern is that this sort of major expenditure will mean that lower socioeconomic families will be disadvantaged, waiting in line for longer periods of time. Meanwhile, the ultra wealthy may be able to use FastPass over and over to ride a single attraction multiple times without any waiting whatsoever. While The Walt Disney Company has been very vocal on social issues, this is a direct contradiction in that they are instituting (at least in Paris) a system that actually punishes those who can barely afford entrance to the park.
Dollywood, on the other hand — which won several awards over the past year declaring it either the first or second best theme park in the nation — is offering their “Time Saver” Pass that allows guests to skip eight lines for less than $50 per person. Comparisons like this can make the new Disney FastPass system seem exorbitant.
