All Walt Disney World Hotels Testing MagicBands Only

[JWG]

I wonder if the cost of these flash drives is more or less than the savings on all the money they were losing on soda refills.

I swear, their approach is to find the costliest way to do something and them double whatever that cost is.

The whole package is over the top. It comes in a nice box and the inside cover is imprinted with the MM+ Mickey Head in gold leaf (or similar), the book is customized (even the pictures are tied to your stay such as pics of the resort your staying at), the flash drive is also the Mickey Head that lights up green when plugged in (and is a 1GB drive), and the booklet is also a magnet reminding you of important dates.

As a DVC member, we change our bookings a lot (a LOT). Especially with their booking rules. We'll frequently book our home resort and move when the window opens to do so. Also, we'll waitlist a lot for certain nights or rooms and sometimes those become different reservations. Wonder how many of these kits we'll get.

 

[tissandtully]

The whole package is over the top. It comes in a nice box and the inside cover is imprinted with the MM+ Mickey Head in gold leaf (or similar), the book is customized (even the pictures are tied to your stay such as pics of the resort your staying at), the flash drive is also the Mickey Head that lights up green when plugged in (and is a 1GB drive), and the booklet is also a magnet reminding you of important dates.

As a DVC member, we change our bookings a lot (a LOT). Especially with their booking rules. We'll frequently book our home resort and move when the window opens to do so. Also, we'll waitlist a lot for certain nights or rooms and sometimes those become different reservations. Wonder how many of these kits we'll get.

The whole DVC tie-in is still wonky. I get a new set of magic band sent every time I make a reservation, so you may get a lot.

 

[Brian Noble]

I wonder if the cost of these flash drives is more or less than the savings on all the money they were losing on soda refills.

At scale, they are very cheap. We use them in a non-profit I work with, and even at the scale we purchase (much MUCH smaller) they are still only about $4 per or so.

 

[Mammymouse]

The whole DVC tie-in is still wonky. I get a new set of magic band sent every time I make a reservation, so you may get a lot.

Each time you checkin you will get another set. We are AP, DVC and frequent weekend last minute bookers. The last two weekend reservations I made (one in Nov and one in Dec) I had to have two reservations for each booking. Friday night was one hotel and Saturday night was another one just to be able to stay the weekend. Each hotel gave me a new set at checkin. The last reservation we stayed Friday night at Beach Club and Saturday at Old Key West. When we checked in at OKW (Dec 19th) the CM asked me for my old bands from Beach Club and I said I didn't have them on me, that they were in the suitcases in the car. Then she was having trouble activating new ones and I said "don't worry about it - we aren't going to use them anyway". She said "do you want me to recycle them for you?" and I said "yes, thank you".

 

[Foolish Mortal]

I did not find CMs to discourage double dipping when I was there in early December. I never once had anyone comment to me about pulling paper FP despite having a MB on. (Admittedly, I didn't pull all that many during my trip because it wasn't that busy and I didn't need to.) I think it was rare CMs who would discourage it.

I'm guessing you were using either a KTTW card or an AP to double dip ? And if questioned all you have to tell the CM is that you have FP+ reservations at another park for the day. I doubt any CM really wants to start asking people to scan their Magic Bands to prove a guest wrong.

 

[fngoofy]

I wonder if the cost of these flash drives is more or less than the savings on all the money they were losing on soda refills.

I swear, their approach is to find the costliest way to do something and them double whatever that cost is.

I estimate each one cost between $1 and $3, probably a bit closer to $1.

 

[markc]

I'm guessing you were using either a KTTW card or an AP to double dip ? And if questioned all you have to tell the CM is that you have FP+ reservations at another park for the day. I doubt any CM really wants to start asking people to scan their Magic Bands to prove a guest wrong.

. CMs weren't questioning because there were no rules or ANY direction given to them what so ever that double dipping wasn't encouraged. That "rule" was started here falsely. The resort trials were done simply to allow park ops to work out the bugs. At no point was it supposed to force resort guests to strictly use that system nor was it to give them a disadvantage by not being able to use the old fast pass kiosks. Quite simply, the only direction the CMs were told to give resort guests was to encourage them to use the new system, and that was it

 

[markc]

My son and I were told twice over the past two weeks that we were not eligible to use legacy FP since we had bands and were eligible for FP+, after that weremoveda band but only our APs would grant us a FP, the KTTW card would return an ineligible pass while my daughters with a ten-day PH would get a time.

I think there was some miss communication there on the part of CM's or perhaps some confusion in how the message was relayed to you. Magic band holders, on their own, can not use regular FP because it requires a magnetic strip card that is linked to the ticketing systems. However, if you had an admission card that has a magnetic strip (i.e. an AP, or KTTW WITH admission on it), you could use the regular fast pass kiosks as well. The CM's werent trying to discourage double dipping per se, but rather trying to remove any confusion if a magic band holder without a magnetic admission media was trying to get a FP.

 

[Tom]

I estimate each one cost between $1 and $3, probably a bit closer to $1.

Probably on the lower end of that range, and that would include the shipping costs. When you buy as many as Disney did/is, they're going to cost pennies a piece to make, then fifteen cents to package them, and the shared shipping costs with everything else in that kit.

 

[Mr Bill]

As of today - yes. As long as you have a valid AP you can still use the paper machines. However, as others have said the timeline is getting accelerated and I fully expect that within the next month HS or Epcot will be next to take away the paper machines.

Probably a good guess on the timeframe, not so much on which park it will be.

 

[Darth Sidious]

I'm guessing Swan and Dolphin aren't being included yet? I know they aren't Disney operated but historically they have been treated as if they were.

 

[Lord_Vader]

Were you staying at Pop or All Star? I think those were the resorts that started testing band only.

We were at the BWI.

 

[Lord_Vader]

I think there was some miss communication there on the part of CM's or perhaps some confusion in how the message was relayed to you. Magic band holders, on their own, can not use regular FP because it requires a magnetic strip card that is linked to the ticketing systems. However, if you had an admission card that has a magnetic strip (i.e. an AP, or KTTW WITH admission on it), you could use the regular fast pass kiosks as well. The CM's werent trying to discourage double dipping per se, but rather trying to remove any confusion if a magic band holder without a magnetic admission media was trying to get a FP.

Not sure about CM confusion but we were using our APs and not the KTTW card when we were told we shouldn't be using the FP system and politely turned away. In no way was I upset as I did not expect to be able to use FP at all and viewed the opprotunities I did have as bonuses that will not be available next summer during our visit. The exact wording wasn't "cannot use" but was "shouldn't use" which I understood as they knew I was double dipping with access to FP+.

 

[seafoodbuffet]

I'm guessing Swan and Dolphin aren't being included yet? I know they aren't Disney operated but historically they have been treated as if they were.

See: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/swan-dolphin.878574/
S&D get same-day FP+ selections but no magicbands as yet.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

. CMs weren't questioning because there were no rules or ANY direction given to them what so ever that double dipping wasn't encouraged. That "rule" was started here falsely. The resort trials were done simply to allow park ops to work out the bugs. At no point was it supposed to force resort guests to strictly use that system nor was it to give them a disadvantage by not being able to use the old fast pass kiosks. Quite simply, the only direction the CMs were told to give resort guests was to encourage them to use the new system, and that was it

This wasn't true at AoA in November. When we checked -in, a man checking in beside us asked for a KTTW card. He already had his band. The cm told him that she could give him one but that it would only work at the resort. AoA wasn't even suppose to be part of the mb only testing at that point, but they were.

 

[wdwmagic]

I'm guessing Swan and Dolphin aren't being included yet? I know they aren't Disney operated but historically they have been treated as if they were.

They are still in the test described here
FastPass+ testing to begin at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels this month

 

[Darth Sidious]

They are still in the test described here
FastPass+ testing to begin at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels this month

Steve, do you know if they plan to grant full advance reservation priveldges once the rollout is complete? Typically S&D gets the perks as if they were operated by Disney so I am curious.

 

[Redhawk]

I'm guessing Swan and Dolphin aren't being included yet? I know they aren't Disney operated but historically they have been treated as if they were.

I'm at the Swan now and can use FP+ when I get in the park as part of a "test". But no Magic Band and even though I bought my park tickets in advance and connected them to my My Disney Experience account i wasn't able to use FP+ in advance, have to wait until I'm actually in each park and go to the kiosks.

However, apparently this test runs through January 12, according to a flyer I was given. I don't know what will happen after that.

And the good news is I can get the 3 FP+ in the park and also use legacy FP machines. Or at least I think I can do this. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

 

[JWG]

I'm at the Swan now and can use FP+ when I get in the park as part of a "test". But no Magic Band and even though I bought my park tickets in advance and connected them to my My Disney Experience account i wasn't able to use FP+ in advance, have to wait until I'm actually in each park and go to the kiosks.

However, apparently this test runs through January 12, according to a flyer I was given. I don't know what will happen after that.

And the good news is I can get the 3 FP+ in the park and also use legacy FP machines. Or at least I think I can do this. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

So, you're getting the AP treatment.

 

[Redhawk]

So, you're getting the AP treatment.

I guess so. Disney reps here at the Swan think that as long as the FP machines are still in place I will be able to use them with my park ticket in addition to choosing 3 FP+ at the kiosk.

I'll report tomorrow.