Congress Questions Next Gen

[RSoxNo1]

The bracelets may have magic in the name, but they are not magical GPS's and Bob Iger is sitting in the train station watching you every move on a PC screen. It will know what you buy, where you have been (not necessarily where you are exactly), etc. Ya know... like your credit card or your photopass card does now without RFID technology. I just can't figure out why so many people are getting their panties in a wad over this. If we only knew what all was being tracked on us right now that isn't Disney.

Personally, I invision a bunch of Cast Members behind the scenes with Marauder's Maps.

 

[palminnie]

You know by using your credit card, the credit card company knows your name, where you're at, and what you just bought right?

I understand the credit card company knows all of this information, but I am giving them permission to by using the credit card. i can also pay with cash which I do frequently. I don't want Disney tracking me throughout their property as I i find it invasive. I will still continue to travel to WDW, I am an AP holder and DVC owner. I love vacationing at WDW (25+ times) but that doesn't mean I have to love all of their policies.

 

[dcibrando]

There is no way for them to encourage booking rides weeks and months in advance (which they ARE going to do) and not in some way negatively impact day-of availability or the length of the FP line. Simple math will tell you that, as many have outlined here over and over.

I believe the local crowd WILL be PO'd. The problem is that Disney won't care, just like they didn't care about LOW or Adventurer's Club. The locals (which I'm not one of) will get steam-rolled.

Either that or there will be no way for those upset to actually point to anything factual, because details of how things are done will be kept secret.

One of the two.

Ok let's take this scenario - one I'm making up but stay with me here

Let's say Toy Story Mania has 5,000 people that get a FastPass for that ride per day (which usually sells out)
With FP going away, and people having to book online in advance, or in person, etc. for FP+, my guess is this is going to actually REDUCE how many people get a fastpass (at least for a few years until people "get it")

Wouldn't this free up lines?

 

[dcibrando]

I understand the credit card company knows all of this information, but I am giving them permission to by using the credit card. i can also pay with cash which I do frequently. I don't want Disney tracking me throughout their property as I i find it invasive. I will still continue to travel to WDW, I am an AP holder and DVC owner. I love vacationing at WDW (25+ times) but that doesn't mean I have to love all of their policies.

Fair enough... but today Disney takes your information when you checkin... you get tickets, you scan your finger when entering a park... they know which park you go to, where you are staying, who is in your family, their names/ages/your address/phone number/email address(es), etc. now... so where's the problem with knowing that you road Small World or that you purchased a coke in the MK?

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Wow, so that's that. You're writing all of this off before even seeing it or using it?

Disney won't even spend money to keep SpectroMagic floats up to par... they have to have a BIG reason to spend this much on RFID. I personally believe it will open up a TON of doors (not just at the resorts haha) with this RFID technology... I work in IT, there are a lot of things that could happen here and I think that's what they are looking at

I'm writing it off because there are clear indicators of how this is going to get used, and there's already precedent within WDW to see where it's going in the dining plan and ADR's.

And I think you're making my point FOR me when you say they won't even spend money on SpectroMagic floats. We all know all glaring and evident things within the parks that are wrong, and yet they're dropping MEGA cash on this instead. That not only infuriates me... It tells me that their motivating factor here has to be ROI... Not "improved guest experience".

If I told you all 15 years ago that there would be structural issues with two separate structures in separate parks that would be solved by hanging tarps and netting... And that the marquee AA in the marquee attraction within a park was going to remain motionless for 7 years (and counting) without the attraction being taken off-line... How many of you were would have told me I was nuts??

Yet that's the reality we're dealing with today.

It's extremely frustrating... Especially when they're cutting hundreds of millions in checks to figure out a way to get deeper into my pocket.

Hey, TDO!!!! How about you SOB's fix everthing massively wrong in your parks and add the first e-ticket at the MK in over 20 years and THEN I'll be willing to pay you a 20% premuim to visit?!?!?!? Deal??

 

[rioriz]

This is LITERALLY the only upside I've been able to come up with for this whole thing that can't be achieved any other way currently.

So... $1.5 billion well spent, I suppose.

I may be wrong but the 1.5 billion investment, that is what it is, is not just for WDW but for Disney parks. I have no doubt this money is also being used to roll out at DL next year and other parks worldwide.

 

[dcibrando]

I'm writing it off because there are clear indicators of how this is going to get used, and there's already precedent within WDW to see where it's going in the dining plan and ADR's.

And I think you're making my point FOR me when you say they won't even spend money on SpectroMagic floats. We all know all glaring and evident things within the parks that are wrong, and yet they're dropping MEGA cash on this instead. That not only infuriates me... It tells me that their motivating factor here has to be ROI... Not "improved guest experience".

If I told you all 15 years ago that there would be structural issues with two separate structures in separate parks that would be solved by hanging tarps and netting... And that the marquee AA in the marquee attraction within a park was going to remain motionless for 7 years (and counting) without the attraction being taken off-line... How many of you were would have told me I was nuts??

Yet that's the reality we're dealing with today.

It's extremely frustrating... Especially when they're cutting hundreds of millions in checks to figure out a way to get deeper into my pocket.

Hey, TDO!!!! How about you SOB's fix everthing massively wrong in your parks and add the first e-ticket at the MK in over 20 years and THEN I'll be willing to pay you a 20% premuim to visit?!?!?!? Deal??

noted... in fact I COMPLETELY agree with you on the upkeep of the parks... they are letting things slide and a lot ... but I do not think linking all of this to dining reservations is a fair assessment. Disney is only going to allow so many FP+'s per day in 1 park, plus they are going to limit how many of those they give our per ride per time slot (like they do today with FP).

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Ok let's take this scenario - one I'm making up but stay with me here

Let's say Toy Story Mania has 5,000 people that get a FastPass for that ride per day (which usually sells out)
With FP going away, and people having to book online in advance, or in person, etc. for FP+, my guess is this is going to actually REDUCE how many people get a fastpass (at least for a few years until people "get it")

Wouldn't this free up lines?

We have a fundimental difference in how we think this will be rolled out and used. You think it's going to take some time (maybe years?) for people to "learn the system". I think that's way off. I think this system is going to be the new "free dining", and be pushed at every corner. It's gonna be the NEW "best kept secret".

But even if I'm wrong and you're right and it takes a few years for people to "learn", all that does is push the problem off for a few years. It doesn't fix it.

 

[dcibrando]

Do you HONESTLY think they would let this ruin the experience for those that don't know how to plan for a Disney Vacation today or for locals? If so, this would cost them an additional 1.5 billion... I know your debbie downer for disney but have a little faith they have a little clue

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I may be wrong but the 1.5 billion investment, that is what it is, is not just for WDW but for Disney parks. I have no doubt this money is also being used to roll out at DL next year and other parks worldwide.

It would only be for the stateside parks, as the other parks aren't owned fully by Disney. I'm sure Disney is hoping to be able to go to the OLC and say "Hey, look at how great this is working at WDW! You guys should buy this for the TDL parks!"... But I would bet against it ever happening.

I'm quite certain the $1.5 billion is all-encompassing... Including studies and surveys and whatever else. That doesn't mean it's any more justified.

 

[RSoxNo1]

"Yes, but they are making it more difficult to do things that were once easier to do" - How do you know it'll be more difficult? I thought getting a fastpass was a pain in the rear personally, especially at TSM in the morning

So if you were already paying to stay at a Deluxe Resort than this may be easier for you. For everyone else it will be more difficult because it will either be more costly or they would simply be out earlier in the day.

"They are making a Disney vacation far less convenient and that's what people are opposing" - How do you know it'll be less convenient. Maybe it'll be easier to do things, or we won't even notice a difference

For a small group of young adults, this could be very helpful. But the larger the group gets, the more complicate it will be to schedule everything. People will either have to miss Fastpass windows (already happening) or reservations (also, already happening and they're being charged for it) or waste time being early for these scheduled things.

Look, I can handle showing up 20 minutes early for my Be Our Guest and Ohana Reservations only to have to wait 30 minutes past my reservation time at both locations before being seated. That only wastes 50 minutes of my day. But what if 180 days out I think I'm going to be in Fantasyland at 11:30 but oh no, I'm actually going to be in Epcot. My family and I are out of luck. Sure, we can change our fastpasses last minute but our Peter Pan, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Little Mermaid and Winnie the Pooh Fastpasses don't translate to comparable attractions at Epcot. In the Magic Kingdom those Fastpasses saved us 3 hours, but now we can only get Living with the Land, Imagination, and The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epcot. Instead of saving us 3 hours we're only saving 10 minutes.

Late returns for Fastpasses worked well for families. It was hard to make Mom and Dad and their 2.4 kids watches all chime simultaneously. Now Disney is trying to make 45,000 watches all adhere to a schedule. That's simply not possible. I have no confidence that the end product will be executed well, because very little up to this point has been executed well.

"what we do recognize is that we aren't going to have the same access to these rides that was previously available to us" - the standby line will be there - go early, you won't need a FP, FP+, FP+butterbeer

The standby line will still be there but previous usage of Fastpass allowed me to skip the standby lines for 3-6 attractions at MK on any given day. Not every family can get to the parks at rope drop and having to do so adds to that "inconvenience". Touringplans has estimated longer standby lines (I believe by 7 minutes, but I would speculate that's far from definitive), but the point is that for my admission dollar I will not be able to have the same experience I had before. I won't be able to experience as many high demand attractions as someone that has greater access to the system, or is willing/able to plan their entire day 180 days in advance.

 

[xdan0920]

Do you HONESTLY think they would let this ruin the experience for those that don't know how to plan for a Disney Vacation today or for locals? If so, this would cost them an additional 1.5 billion... I know your debbie downer for disney but have a little faith they have a little clue

Yes we HONESTLY do think that. We have reasons for thinking that way. What we don't have is blind hope that TDO will get it right.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

noted... in fact I COMPLETELY agree with you on the upkeep of the parks... they are letting things slide and a lot ... but I do not think linking all of this to dining reservations is a fair assessment. Disney is only going to allow so many FP+'s per day in 1 park, plus they are going to limit how many of those they give our per ride per time slot (like they do today with FP).

You've got nothing to back up your feelings other than "feelings".

ADR's and the dining plan are a direct precursor to look at for trends as to how this will go. You say there's only a certain number of FP's. Well, there's also only a certain number of seats in a restaurant.

It's no different. It's seats at a table vs. seats on a roller coaster or (unnecessarily) a doombuggy or boat on PotC.

I know I was tough on a post of yours earlier, and I apologize... But this is why. It drives me nuts when people can't draw the connection between what has JUST RECENTLY BEEN HAPPENING AT WDW, and where this program is going to go. The concerns people have on FP availability and the likely tiered system coming isn't just wild speculation... It's not the wild ramblings of a tinfoil-cap wearing crazy... It's very real (dare I say likely and probable) based on just watching what the exact same management teams have already done with segments of the exact same parks we're talking about right now.

How does it not make absolute sense that execs have looked at the dining plan and ADR's and capacities being reached daily in multiple restaurants around property and thought "Wow, this great! How can we extend this to other areas of the park and increase profits??" That's not a crazy jump to make... In fact, it's likely that it actually happened that way.

And it's all because what's happened to the restaurants looks great ON PAPER...

Actual guest experience?? Well, that's another story all together. But I'm guessing execs aren't very concerned with that... Unless it's being used as a marketing term to describe your new technology you've got to "sell" the public on.

 

[RSoxNo1]

but you don't HAVE to book FP's in advance - they will have to make rides as available as they are today for those that don't use FP+ or the local crowd will get PO'd

How will they be doing this? Yes, they can segment Fastpasses and hold some back for same day reservations but with many of these already booked in advance the same day availability will be less than it is currently.

Assume a fixed number of Fastpasses are available (say 10,000) for Peter Pan's Flight. If 5000 of those are scheduled prior to a single guest entering the park that day then the availability in park will only be 5000. Assuming they are distributed the same way they are currently (in 5 minute increments pushed back based on distribution) the Fastpasses will be pushed out to a longer time between acquisition and return window and a shorter availability time for same day guests. So the 5000 people that get their preferred attractions (assuming they are all satisfied with their choices) benefit at the cost of the 40,000+ majority.

 

[dcibrando]

honest question... do you think anything Disney has done in the past oh say 5 years has been "right" by your standards?

 

[dcibrando]

simply put this WILL HAVE TO BE done the right way... otherwise they'll have to expand the park for guest relations space rather than new attractions. they have to know this and I honestly do not fear I will be unable to experience attraction A just because of this whether I use it or not

this is just my gut feeling here... I have a little faith at least

 

[lazyboy97o]

Do you HONESTLY think they would let this ruin the experience for those that don't know how to plan for a Disney Vacation today or for locals? If so, this would cost them an additional 1.5 billion... I know your debbie downer for disney but have a little faith they have a little clue

Look at the planning and research that is already involved. There are people still trying to understand FastPass. Yes, Disney will let them be confused by the whole situation.

 

[xdan0920]

honest question... do you think anything Disney has done in the past oh say 5 years has been "right" by your standards?

I sure do. And if your talking about Disney as a whole, the list is extraordinarily long. But I'll assume you are talking about only WDW. I think the Main Street facades look awesome. I actually like the idea of getting a real sponsor with real coffee into the bakery. I think BOG looks awesome. I like the refurb of the tiki-room. The refurb of the Hall of Presidents, love the addition of food booths to F&G. I do like some things they have done, but I think they are missing more then they are hitting.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

honest question... do you think anything Disney has done in the past oh say 5 years has been "right" by your standards?

Absolutely... Most everything in Anaheim has been great.

In WDW, I think TSMM is a fun ride... I think that's in the past 5 years? Although I don't believe it should have FP (like in DCA). So there's that.

Man. I'm sitting here trying to think of something in the past 5 years that I've really thought was a great move by WDW. Hmmmm....

Wow.

EDIT TO ADD: Dan's post made me think of a few. The HoP update is great. The HM is GREAT, although I don't like the extended que. I haven't been to BoG, but I hear it's fab. So there IS some stuff.

I got nothin'.

But I'm one that practices what I preach, too. We used to go to WDW a few times a year. Now, we still get our fix, but we do it in Anaheim. They've earned my money... WDW hasn't.

But it still sticks in my craw, because I've always considered WDW my "home" resort. It drives me nuts to see something with so much potential get "rode hard and put away wet". They're not treating what I believe to be Disney's greatest asset with care at all.

 

[dcibrando]

I sure do. And if your talking about Disney as a whole, the list is extraordinarily long. But I'll assume you are talking about only WDW. I think the Main Street facades look awesome. I actually like the idea of getting a real sponsor with real coffee into the bakery. I think BOG looks awesome. I like the refurb of the tiki-room. The refurb of the Hall of Presidents, love the addition of food booths to F&G. I do like some things they have done, but I think they are missing more then they are hitting.

that's because they were saving their money on MyMagic+ lol

now honestly, I was worried about this and against it at first, but the more I learn about it, the more I see extreme potential in all of this. The 1.5billion dollar question is will it be done the way it should be.