APs getting screwed?

[mergatroid]

Since Guest Relations has not responded to my email of 2 weeks ago on this topic I decided to call the Passholder helpline 407-560-PASS again today to request an update (not actually very helpful). The response I got was yet another round of 'I don't know what is happening or why it hasn't been rolled out'.

There is no way to tell what group this individual I spoke with is in since they transferred the call 3 times before I got there. All she kept saying is I don't know why they haven't rolled it out and was completely unwilling to attempt to obtain any additional information or or connect me to a different group that could. When I was unwilling to blindly accept that she gave me yet another email address to send a message to guest.services@disneyworld.com. I'm not convinced that address will go anywhere different that the black hole the guest communications one from 2 weeks ago went into but I forwarded my original message of 2 weeks ago and todays followup to WDW Guest Services along to that address.

In addition, after a little searching around the Internet I found an email address for Tom Staggs (Chairman, Disney Parks & Resorts). I'm quite sure this doesn't actually go to him personally but to a guest relations group that works in his office; sort of an Office of the President type of thing. I forwarded my original and follow-up request email of 2 weeks ago along to that address to raise the issue a little bit more. Nobody else is responding maybe it's time to make a little more noise a little further up the food chain.

I know I'm being a bit of a PITA on this topic but the total disregard with which Disney is treating this part of their guest community bothers me in a way I just can't describe. They are currently operating in the classic bunker mentality model of if we just don't say anything, they can't hold that against us.

I have very low expectations but if anything at all comes out of any of this I'll update here.

Since Guest Relations has not responded to my email of 2 weeks ago on this topic I decided to call the Passholder helpline 407-560-PASS again today to request an update (not actually very helpful). The response I got was yet another round of 'I don't know what is happening or why it hasn't been rolled out'.

There is no way to tell what group this individual I spoke with is in since they transferred the call 3 times before I got there. All she kept saying is I don't know why they haven't rolled it out and was completely unwilling to attempt to obtain any additional information or or connect me to a different group that could. When I was unwilling to blindly accept that she gave me yet another email address to send a message to guest.services@disneyworld.com. I'm not convinced that address will go anywhere different that the black hole the guest communications one from 2 weeks ago went into but I forwarded my original message of 2 weeks ago and todays followup to WDW Guest Services along to that address.

In addition, after a little searching around the Internet I found an email address for Tom Staggs (Chairman, Disney Parks & Resorts). I'm quite sure this doesn't actually go to him personally but to a guest relations group that works in his office; sort of an Office of the President type of thing. I forwarded my original and follow-up request email of 2 weeks ago along to that address to raise the issue a little bit more. Nobody else is responding maybe it's time to make a little more noise a little further up the food chain.

I know I'm being a bit of a PITA on this topic but the total disregard with which Disney is treating this part of their guest community bothers me in a way I just can't describe. They are currently operating in the classic bunker mentality model of if we just don't say anything, they can't hold that against us.

I have very low expectations but if anything at all comes out of any of this I'll update here.

Depressing reading but all the same very good work, thanks for sharing.

 

[CohibaMan]

"Disney's Hollywood Studios will transition from legacy paper FASTPASS to FastPass+ on January 21, and Epcot will follow on January 23 2014. This will complete the FastPass+ rollout for all guests at all Walt Disney World theme parks."

Looks like the screw-job is complete. Getting to the parks at rope drop will be our ONLY shot at experiencing any of the "good" attractions.

"Unfortunately, it seem the news for Passholders is not good at all. Even within this organization, they are continuing the response that they do not have a schedule of when/if Passholders will ever have this access. She actually indicated that day-of single-day visitors will likely have advance reservation access before Passholders."

Thanks to Don Sullivan for the persistent inquiries. I too have been on the case. I was actually told that Disney is currently issuing new MagicBands for each resort stay. So, I'm not sure if the Bands staying active for APs is not simply a glitch in the system...

 

[donsullivan]

"Disney's Hollywood Studios will transition from legacy paper FASTPASS to FastPass+ on January 21, and Epcot will follow on January 23 2014. This will complete the FastPass+ rollout for all guests at all Walt Disney World theme parks."

Looks like the screw-job is complete. Getting to the parks at rope drop will be our ONLY shot at experiencing any of the "good" attractions.

"Unfortunately, it seem the news for Passholders is not good at all. Even within this organization, they are continuing the response that they do not have a schedule of when/if Passholders will ever have this access. She actually indicated that day-of single-day visitors will likely have advance reservation access before Passholders."

Thanks to Don Sullivan for the persistent inquiries. I too have been on the case. I was actually told that Disney is currently issuing new MagicBands for each resort stay. So, I'm not sure if the Bands staying active for APs is not simply a glitch in the system...

The key to keep in mind on the 'new magic band' thing is that the actual band has nothing to do with the privilege. Giving you the band as part of a resort stay is just being used as the trigger point to activate that service feature on your MDE profile. As long as your MDE profile is flagged as eligible for FP+ reservation, you don't need a band to use it, you can use the RFID admission card you have now. The Band is just an access device and has no actual privilege unto itself, it just links to a database that identifies what services you are eligible to use.

 

[CohibaMan]

The key to keep in mind on the 'new magic band' thing is that the actual band has nothing to do with the privilege. Giving you the band as part of a resort stay is just being used as the trigger point to activate that service feature on your MDE profile. As long as your MDE profile is flagged as eligible for FP+ reservation, you don't need a band to use it, you can use the RFID admission card you have now. The Band is just an access device and has no actual privilege unto itself, it just links to a database that identifies what services you are eligible to use.

Yeah, I get that. The key thing is the access to make FastPass+ reservations in advance. I don't really care whether or not the medium is a plastic RFID card or a MagicBand. Without that, the system is worthless. Making day of FastPass+ reservations at a kiosk is crap!

According to the customer service rep I spoke to, they will be issuing new MagicBands for each resort stay. So a family from New York that visits in March, then comes back in December will receive brand new bands with different serial numbers in the mail. That would seem to imply that after a resort stay the bands will be de-activated. If this is the case, wouldn't it be logical to assume that any AP that receives a band will also have their's de-activated after the resort stay? I know people are reporting that the bands are staying active and that full FastPass+ access remains. Is this just a glitch on the part of Disney?

 

[Tuvalu]

According to the customer service rep I spoke to, they will be issuing new MagicBands for each resort stay. So a family from New York that visits in March, then comes back in December will receive brand new bands with different serial numbers in the mail. That would seem to imply that after a resort stay the bands will be de-activated. If this is the case, wouldn't it be logical to assume that any AP that receives a band will also have their's de-activated after the resort stay? I know people are reporting that the bands are staying active and that full FastPass+ access remains. Is this just a glitch on the part of Disney?

I personally have 6 Magicbands, all of which are active and remain active unless I deactivate them in MDE. I have used bands from prior stays interchangeably with the "current" band from my latest reservation.

 

[lazyboy97o]

According to the customer service rep I spoke to, they will be issuing new MagicBands for each resort stay. So a family from New York that visits in March, then comes back in December will receive brand new bands with different serial numbers in the mail. That would seem to imply that after a resort stay the bands will be de-activated. If this is the case, wouldn't it be logical to assume that any AP that receives a band will also have their's de-activated after the resort stay? I know people are reporting that the bands are staying active and that full FastPass+ access remains. Is this just a glitch on the part of Disney?

The MagicBands remain active. This is how some Annual Passholders use them as well as the advanced reservation system. Advanced reservations are turned off with a resort stay, but not turned off with check out.

 

[luv]

If I thought that Disney gave a rat's , I'd voice my displeasure.

I think they know we are displeased and they don't care. They figure we will keep forking over the cash no matter what. They may be right, too.

 

[donsullivan]

I just got a follow-up call from Disney Guest Relations from my conversation on Friday.

I was told on that call that it could be up to 6 months for full Passholder access to all of the features of My Disney Experience including advance reservation for FP+.

I have officially given up the fight and booked a one-night stay next Friday at Pop Century, ironically I'm using a Winter Passholder room special. As soon as I completed payment, I now have full access to the system and already booked some FP's for Epcot the weekend after the resort stay without any issues. It's sad that you have to pay this passholder tax but I'm just tired of fighting the system at this point and gave in. So many others have done the same thing that the number of people actually still impacted is not large enough to get anyone at Disney to actually feel inclined to do anything more than continue to stiff-arm Passholders.

 

[Goofnut1980]

For the first time in many many years.... We did not renew our PAPs. We are just going to cut back and only visit once this year and will pay for our 8 day pass when we arrive. It is not worth it anymore. We used to go 3 times a year and I'm a pin-head and usually dropped $300-$400 on special pins... now we won't. The extra 10% we got as a PAP (20% total) really made the difference and me spending more. Now I will limit myself to about $100 with one Gift Card and call it a day.