Nope. Three of us got paper tickets for free at the ticket window. I asked about charging for the second one if I lost this one. The CM said something like 'I'm supposed to charge $5 or $10, but I wouldn't.'
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Disney's Over-Reliance on Smartphones
- Thread starter CaptinEO
- Start date
TP2000
Well-Known Member
You are immersed!
Seriously, this is ridiculous. They've made a day at Disneyland so complicated, so overdone, so dependent on technology that often doesn't work right, that it's just... crap.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Good for that CM!
I love it when CM's have brains and break away from the TDA hive. It makes me chuckle.
el_super
Well-Known Member
Wow... That is pretty excessive. Could it maybe have been around the weekend of the Jungle Cruise premiere and the little plastic Jungle Cruise sundae boat?
For what its worth now, there are quite a few restaurants not doing mobile ordering, including French Market and Rancho Del Zocalo. And its optional at a few more like Bengal BBQ and DB7.
The more people are looking at their phones on vacation, besides the obvious of not spending time with your family or atmosphere around you, the more outside advertising gets into the resort. All of the blessing of land and controlled environments and it still eventually found its way in.
DrAlice
Well-Known Member
No, this was back in early June (before the 15) when the state hadn't fully re-opened yet. Many of the restaurants were still closed (all the ones you mentioned!) and almost nothing was walk-up. It was pretty awful. This combined with a horrible entry experience and crazy long attraction lines made for a less-than-ideal trip. We still had fun, but these things pushed our experience into the "Wow, is this place really worth the cost?" realm.
We shrugged off our experience as just "COVID" and the weird circumstances of the visit. Our hope was that this situation would get better as more restaurants opened and/or added a standby counter. Unfortunately, I'm still reading complaints about how inefficient the mobile order system is. I'm still seeing complaints about getting through security. And with Genie+ coming, the long lines may be permanent if I'm not willing to cough up MORE money. Again, I'm waiting to see what happens here in California when the system is rolled out, but I'm not even thinking about another summer trip at this point, and we were going just about every year.
FAIRIEDUST78
Member
I’m fine with using my phone for everything. I don’t have it in my hand at all times and having mobile order is convenient for me. I really don’t mind planning what I’m going to eat hours from now simply because pre Covid when I planned a Disney world trip I knew what I was eating at a certain restaurant a year in advance. Only thing that bothers me is the people who stand in the middle of the walkway gawk at their phones. Move to the side people! The walkway in adventure land is small enough as it is!
MoonRakerSCM
Well-Known Member
What amazes me is how BAD the Disney apps are. Friends and I are prepping for a trip to WDW and it's just accepted that the app will crash several times while we're all tying to do something on it.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
That's a brilliant observation.
Disney has made it nearly impossible to spend a day at their parks without constantly looking at your phone, ignoring your family and environment, and pulling yourself back into the mundane everyday world of advertising for anything from beer to pharmaceuticals.
That is very kind of you to say.
It is all of that as well as other local things to do or shop at in the Central FL market vs only being in the bubble.
Well, I've done my little part to rage against the machine. I use my cheesy, little paper ticket instead of my pass on my phone everywhere.
Weeks ago, CMs would comment or start typing the numbers off the paper. We had to say, 'no, you can scan the little QR code off the ticket.' Seems like CMs are getting used to them these days. However, Thursday night the waitress in Hearthstone Lounge said she had lots of folks asking about paper tickets for Magic Keys. We told her what I tell all ya'all here three times a week, 'Go to the ticket booth. Paper Magic Key tickets are free.'
Weeks ago, CMs would comment or start typing the numbers off the paper. We had to say, 'no, you can scan the little QR code off the ticket.' Seems like CMs are getting used to them these days. However, Thursday night the waitress in Hearthstone Lounge said she had lots of folks asking about paper tickets for Magic Keys. We told her what I tell all ya'all here three times a week, 'Go to the ticket booth. Paper Magic Key tickets are free.'
Rich T
Well-Known Member
Their over-reliance on phones is another reason I might never set foot in a Disney park again. I can stare at a phone screen at home. Vacations are for relaxing and appreciating the sights and sounds around you.
Disney loves to pretend this is all to make a guest’s visit more “MaGiCaL,” but it’s all just their relentless pursuit of keeping as many guests as possible in the shops at all times and acclimating them to the idea of upcharge rides.
Disney loves to pretend this is all to make a guest’s visit more “MaGiCaL,” but it’s all just their relentless pursuit of keeping as many guests as possible in the shops at all times and acclimating them to the idea of upcharge rides.
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misfitdoll
Well-Known Member
For what it’s worth, we’ve had mega-problems with mobile everything. Last time I was frustrated I spoke to guest services, who told me to put my thoughts in writing and submit them to the “contact us” online section, as they are “all read and passed on to the higher-ups.” I wasn’t sure that was true, but I came home and did it anyway. I wrote at length about the problems I was seeing at the park and how mobile phones are ruining the Disney experience. About two months pass and my phone rings. It’s Anaheim. Someone from Disney was calling to tell me that my email was on-point regarding these issues, sensitive to the predicament they are in as a business (as a business person I wrote it that way to get their attention…) yet very clear about the big mistakes, and that they were including it in a report to send to the big bosses. No clue if they call everyone and tell them that? It truly stunned me. So, they know the phones are a problem. Also, fill out the “contact us” section on the website. They read the messages!
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
I got a free ticket when I took my dad last time. He has a flip phone and I leave mine in the car (it wouldn't last more than 4 hours with constant use anyways.) But after being unable to even try for ROTR and the inability to buy food everywhere, I pitched a fit.
Sorry Disney, not everybody has smartphones. Not everybody wants to carry them around. And not everybody wants to carry around an extra battery. My phone is what I play on when I am bored. I shouldn't be bored in Disneyland, so there's no reason for me to have my phone out.
Sorry Disney, not everybody has smartphones. Not everybody wants to carry them around. And not everybody wants to carry around an extra battery. My phone is what I play on when I am bored. I shouldn't be bored in Disneyland, so there's no reason for me to have my phone out.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
What's most interesting about that story is that you went in person to the Guest Services office as a paid customer in the park, and... they told you to write an email so that TDA execs will get to see your comment.
That proves to me what I think we've all known for years, that the Guest Services offices really are just a counter staffed by perky CM's in plaid vests who are paid to listen to the complaints and maybe pass out free churro vouchers. They have no ability to solve actual problems, and no system is in place to forward on their real customer comments to anyone who matters.
A business that does that on purpose obviously doesn't want to hear what the customers are saying.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Exactly. That they now layer on an expectation that you will arrive to their property with a fully charged, late model smartphone ready for data usage is ridiculous. This is not how I want to spend my leisure hours.
And if I'm on vacation with my family, for big bucks, this is not how I want to spend time with them. By ignoring them and tapping at a wonky App in a desperate attempt to get a corn dog.
This is the broader problem. Disney now appears to feel that their theme parks aren't entertaining enough. You can't really have fun at Disneyland unless you are staring at your phone.
This is why I am convinced the people making these decisions actually have no idea what Disney theme parks are supposed to be, what they are supposed to do, and how the customers are supposed to experience them.
Theme park executives behind these smartphone strategies are anything but smart. They're idiots.
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smooch
Well-Known Member
I don't really have a problem with QR codes at restaurants honestly, it's a little annoying but it has worked fine for me any time I have gone out to eat since the pandemic. I haven't asked if any of them would give me a physical menu but I'm assuming they would since I saw stacks of them at the host stands when entering, I think it's good to have options of digital or physical. The problem is Disney does not give the choice, they force you to do everything digitally now and lock out the ability to even buy food if you don't use a phone. I'm extremely curious to see if / when they do walk these digital requirements back finally, they can still say it's for the pandemic as of now but I'm curious how long into the future it'll be before it becomes clear they are too lazy to put back the systems they had in place that were a much easier process.Someone must have told them they have to do this to make more money, or cut labor costs. Or both.
But apparently there is no one high enough up the food chain that could say "Uh, guys, I think we've gone overboard here. Let's dial it back down. These people are supposed to be on vacation."
I swear, if I see one more QR code some cheap-*** restaurant wants me to scan instead of handing me a proper menu, I'm going to lose it.
smooch
Well-Known Member
I upgraded a few months ago from my 06 CR-V I've driven since I got my license to a nice lightly used 2017 Audi A4 with CarPlay. I could not charge my phone and listen to music off my phone in my old car, so I would drain the battery the whole time I'm driving, especially when using directions, it was miserable. Upgrading to a car that I can plug in my phone to charge and see my music / directions on a screen that isn't my phone was a huge quality of life update that I haven't stopped appreciate after dealing with my old car's situation for so long.I bought a new car recently that has a pad in the console where the phone charges automatically.
It changed my life.
smooch
Well-Known Member
This comment reminds me of Disney adding so many "video game" rides to the parks. Having TSMM, Spider-Man, and MF:SR don't interest me, if I wanted to play a video game I would stay home and save my time and money and play an actual game. I want to go to the parks for the atmosphere, the actual rides with physical sets, the food, the entertainment, etc. I remember in The Imagineering Story they talked about how they have to compete with the video game systems people have at home when talking about developing MF:SR and I think that design philosophy is so flawed. Sorry for the off topic rant but your comment really reminded me of that line in the show.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Good for you for going with lightly used! That's one of the smartest buys a person can make; by having someone else pay most of the depreciation up front, then you take over for the next five years and 150,000 miles at a much cheaper price. Cars last much, much longer than they used to, so buying a car with 50,000 miles already on it is no big deal.
In my day, you were lucky if a car made it to 100,000 miles after a few years of 3,000 mile oil changes, 24,000 mile spark plug changes, valve jobs, timing adjustments, chassis lubrication, brake pads, fuel filters, transmission services, master cylinder flush n' fill, etc.
Everything there, except the oil changes that are now at 10,000 miles or more, have been either eliminated or extended out to once every 50,000 to 75,000 miles. It really is incredible.
Even though I just said what I did above, there's nothing quite like a new (or newer) car to improve one's life. Technology really is incredible, isn't it?
But... when I'm at Disneyland I don't want to waste time staring at my phone and scanning QR codes because they're too cheap to hand me a menu! There's a limit here, and Disney theme parks have passed that limit.