So I can add on details for the EPCOT complaint cause this is right in my wheelhouse.
Originally Fast pass was free, all you had to do was get to a literal physical kiosk that would give you a ticket with a specific window of time to come back and ride, in that window you would be immediately be moved to the front of the line regardless of the standard standby.
They said they were there in 2004, which would only be a few months after Mission Space would have been opened since that was August 2003. Having been to Disney around that time fast pass absolutely would cause multiple hour lines due to them getting total priority, especially at EPCOT since Test Track and Mission Space were the only two real rides per se at that whole park.
They didn't change the fast passes until almost 2013, when they were starting to change over to Fastpass+ on the app where they could more easily control how many passes got issued.