Disney MaxPass reviews

[mickEblu]

I don't agree fully. Much faster for me to get my phone out. I would most likely put my ticket in a wallet which would be in a backpack or something, so I don't lose it. If they could make it so your fastpass can get added to Apple wallet then it will be even faster, just double click, bring up pass, and boom.

Yeah it ll probably be a little more convenient on the phone.

 

[mickEblu]

MagicBands don't make sense for DLR. The touch points are for future use with phones/Apple Watches, not MagicBands.

A lot of money they re leaving on the table no? I can see Mr. Toad, HM, and enchanted tiki room magic bands on locals wrists all over the park.

 

[disneyadventurer]

So whats the point if they still give you a paper WITH your ticket barcode, and you still have to use your actual pass? This is so weird. I'm guessing they're slowly doing this to get a head start for something in the future?

I'm very confident that this is being driven, in large part, by the need for more robust fastpass utilization data. Tying FP redemption to the park ticket closes the data loop: now instead of only having data on when a guest GETS a FP, they have the complete picture. This data will be invaluable as they prepare to go live with MaxPass. By understanding usage patterns, they will be able to make far more educated decisions about what capacity they can afford to issue at different points in the day.

Up to this point, the "brain" that powers the fastpass technology lacked visibility into if a FP was redeemed, so it either had to assume every FP it had issued for the given hour was still pending (in a guest's hands) and unused up until the moment the window expired, or try to use a forecasting model to ESTIMATE how many remained pending and how many had been used. By knowing the exact count of outstanding vs redeemed FastPasses for the given time frame, it can make far more informed decisions about how many it can afford to continue to issue.

That doesn't even touch on the huge variety of tertiary learnings you could intuit from this data. Traffic patterns and attraction visit behaviors, understanding traffic flow (and guest location) in the park in a exact (instead of modeled) way, etc.

As a data nerd, this makes me really excited. This kind of "big data" insight can power some really phenomenal insights.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

A lot of money they re leaving on the table no?

With MagicBands? MagicBands are a money-loser. They cost a relatively high amount of money to manufacture and distribute with little measured benefit. I could see DLR selling them somewhere down the line if they're compatible with the new system, but only as a for-sale item and not a everyone-gets-one-for-free item like WDW.

 

[mickEblu]

With MagicBands? MagicBands are a money-loser. They cost a relatively high amount of money to manufacture and distribute with little measured benefit. I could see DLR selling them somewhere down the line if they're compatible with the new system, but only as a for-sale item and not a everyone-gets-one-for-free item like WDW.

Oh they re free at WDW? I had no idea.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Oh they re free at WDW? I had no idea.

They're free to hotel guests and APs, which is enough to make them a money drain. Day guests have to purchase them if they want to use them.

 

[Stevek]

They're free to hotel guests and APs, which is enough to make them a money drain. Day guests have to purchase them if they want to use them.

And they've got quite the market for AP's that want to purchase/collect the never ending varieties. People were all over Disney when they started releasing collectible MB's...some of those same folks are now hardcore collectors.

 

[mickEblu]

They're free to hotel guests and APs, which is enough to make them a money drain. Day guests have to purchase them if they want to use them.

I'm guessing the free ones are the generic ones? I was referring to the collectible ones that I'm assuming also function at the parks?

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I'm guessing the free ones are the generic ones? I was referring to the collectible ones that I'm assuming also function at the parks?

Yeah, the free ones are just one color. The patterned ones are sold in the parks for $25 or so a pop IIRC.

 

[mickEblu]

MagicBands don't make sense for DLR. The touch points are for future use with phones/Apple Watches, not MagicBands.

You could really market those magic bands. One idea would be for each magic band to create a different sound when scanned at the touch points. So when a Mr. Toad magic band is scanned you would hear "Talley Ho!" Or something like that.

But no Disney never calls me in for an interview.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

You could really market those magic bands. One idea would be for each magic band to create a different sound when scanned at the touch points. So when a Mr. Toad magic band is scanned you would hear "Talley Ho!" Or something like that.

But no Disney never calls me in for an interview.

They actually do that at WDW! Last time I was there they had some Star Wars bands that would provoke Star Wars sounds at touch points.

 

[mickEblu]

They actually do that at WDW! Last time I was there they had some Star Wars bands that would provoke Star Wars sounds at touch points.

Whaaaat! Man, their is nothing new under the sun. I give up.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I wonder if they removed the 35 minute delay to adjust for the increase in FP demand that will be coming with Maxpass? Of course, as long as capacity remains the same, all that means is more FPs will be handed out and FP wait times will be longer as well as stand by lines.

I think part of it, as the article points out, is that a larger number of FPs will go unused now because they are tied to your admission ticket and can't be transferred.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

MagicBands don't make sense for DLR.

Why not? Are they going to set up a system at some point that allows my phone to open my hotel room at The Grand Californian or charge purchases at DTD to my room? I realize that DLR is not WDW, but there are practical uses for Magic Bands, or a system like it, at Disneyland.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Oh they re free at WDW? I had no idea.

This is partly why the $10 up charge for Maxpass irks me.

 

[mickEblu]

I think part of it, as the article points out, is that a larger number of FPs will go unused now because they are tied to your admission ticket and can't be transferred.

Ahhh that makes sense too. I wonder how many FPs are transferred or go unused in a given day.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Why not? Are they going to set up a system at some point that allows my phone to open my hotel room at The Grand Californian or charge purchases at DTD to my room? I realize that DLR is not WDW, but there are practical uses for Magic Bands, or a system like it, at Disneyland.

Major hotel chains like Hilton are implementing mobile phone room keys, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility for DLR.

The issue is ROI. MagicBands and associated infrastructure cost WDW well over $2 billion with the promise of an astronomical increase in guest spending as a result to make up for the cost. It's been 4 years now, and that astronomical increase has not materialized. While the cost to implement at DLR would be less, no one is in a hurry to do so due to the lack of positive results at WDW. WDW has a much higher ratio of multi-day tourists to locals/APs than DLR.

Could it happen? Of course. Will it? Probably not. The drive is to invest in actual resort needs, like capacity (attractions) and infrastructure (parking), which is fine. Those needs are urgent. MagicBands are not.

 

[mickEblu]

Major hotel chains like Hilton are implementing mobile phone room keys, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility for DLR.

The issue is ROI. MagicBands and associated infrastructure cost WDW well over $2 billion with the promise of an astronomical increase in guest spending as a result to make up for the cost. It's been 4 years now, and that astronomical increase has not materialized. While the cost to implement at DLR would be less, no one is in a hurry to do so due to the lack of positive results at WDW. WDW has a much higher ratio of multi-day tourists to locals/APs than DLR.

Could it happen? Of course. Will it? Probably not. The drive is to invest in actual resort needs, like capacity (attractions) and infrastructure (parking), which is fine. Those needs are urgent. MagicBands are not.

But why wouldn't they just start selling the collectible ones for $25 a pop for people who don't want to pull out their phones Or scan tickets? Especially since they have the infrastructure now.

Every single local would buy one (myself included).

 

[Deleted member 107043]

But why wouldn't they just start selling the collectible ones for $25 a pop for people who don't want to pull out their phones Or scan tickets? Especially since they have the infrastructure now.

Every single local would buy one (myself included).

That's what I'm wondering. They're already instituting an upcharge for digital Fastpass service, so how hard could it be to bury costs inside hotel rates to cover for Magic Bands or whatever new mobile resort-wide system they would implement? We all know that Disney is not shy about reaching for people's wallets and we also know that people are happy to let them do it.

 

[mickEblu]

That's what I'm wondering. They're already instituting an upcharge for digital Fastpass service, so how hard could it be to bury costs inside hotel rates to cover for Magic Bands or whatever new mobile resort-wide system they would implement? We all know that Disney is not shy about reaching for people's wallets and we also know that people are happy to let them do it.

Would they even have to bury the costs? They re already making the bands for WDW and they have the infrastructure ready to go at the parks now. They can just have the magic bands work at the parks. It doesn't have to be a resort wide thing as I imagine it is at WDW? Are folks using magic bands as room keys at WDW?