Fastpass+, a solution to "overwhelmingly negative" responses from families

[muteki]

1 - not all 47,000 (btw, that's an average per day over the year) have wi-fi devices - yet - some guests are either too old or too young or just don't bring them to the parks
2 - instead of using wifi - they are using the cell data plan on their phone
3 - not all guests even have phones that are even capable of data at all - either via wifi or cell

Regardless of what the number is, the current state of the infrastructure (both Wifi and cell-based) is inadequately equipped to handle the current load, and certainly that of the near future. Both Disney and their network provider have a lot of catching up to do.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Regardless of what the number is, the current state of the infrastructure (both Wifi and cell-based) is inadequately equipped to handle the current load, and certainly that of the near future. Both Disney and their network provider have a lot of catching up to do.

I agree with you, 100% - but they don't need to handle 75000 users with the first network roll out.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

So I ducked into the kingdom last night from 8-9pm. Crowd levels seemed like an average summer night (Translation: F'n busy).

I had difficulty using any data on my phone, whether it was using the Disney Wi-Fi or the Verizon LTE network. The network architecture - that is suppose to service that crowd on a nightly basis once NGE rolls out - still cannot handle the load. Clearly, they have not designed the system to handle anywhere near the amount of volume of data that is flooding the system.

This was absolutely the case for me two weeks ago.

 

[muteki]

I agree with you, 100% - but they don't need to handle 75000 users with the first network roll out.

They need to be able to handle any amount of people that need to use it. 1000, or 100,000.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

If they don't have the system to handle the large amount of people that would be using this at one time, then more time would be spent by people staring at their phones loading then actually enjoying the parks. This would be a true tragedy

And if the system CAN handle the large amount of people using it, more people will be staring down at their phones surfing the web or online or what have you.

I fail to see how it's a positive either way.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I've never been there during Christmas or Easter, but I've never had cell data issues in March, May, August, or early November.

Anytime the park exceeds about 20 to 35,000 people, I have ridiculous difficulties.

You have to remember, I'm in these Parks generally once a week on average. I'm sorry but when your experiences only a handful of times a year, and I'm there hundred times or more per year. I kind I have to discount your observations because you just aren't there.

When I am there and I post my experiences on these forums, that's exactly what they are. My experiences. Yours may be different. But by and large, what I see happening is with my own eyes and my own first-hand experiences. So when I say that the Wi-Fi and cell phone data networks are horribly overloaded during peak season and you don't come during peak season, your argument has already been shot in the foot.

Now I have to go home and get my taxes so I can go play on Monday or Tuesday when everybody goes the hell home.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

1 - not all 47,000 (btw, that's an average per day over the year) have wi-fi devices - yet - some guests are either too old or too young or just don't bring them to the parks
2 - instead of using wifi - they are using the cell data plan on their phone
3 - not all guests even have phones that are even capable of data at all - either via wifi or cell

It needs to be engineered for max capacity when EVERYTHING about nextgen revolves around your ability to be interactive with their system and app.

And cell service (at least for me on AT&T) is spotty at BEST in the MK. Certainly anywhere in a building kills cell service. This should be where their wifi network is the strongest... Instead, the wifi dies off just like the cell serivce does.

Your points revolve around the idea that "not everyone is going to use their smartphone". If that's how they're approaching their design and requirements in rolling out their network, we're in more trouble than I already believe we are.

 

[tissandtully]

I love how everyone in this thread has suddenly become an experienced network engineer. You guys really think it's an easy thing to do?

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I agree with you, 100% - but they don't need to handle 75000 users with the first network roll out.

It needs to be able to handle as many possible users as might access the system at once. Espcially when guest satisfaction relies on it. It needs to be over-engineered like you have no idea, especially since it's cheaper to design large initially than it is to add on after the fact (in many cases).

If they're trying to convince people that NextGen is the greatest thing to come to the parks since sliced bread, don't you think they should completely eliminate network and access issues as possible nails in the coffin?? How long do you think the line at GR will be if/when they roll this out completely and 40% of the users in the park can't access their phones to check their FP times or see if Liberty Tree has a table?

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I love how everyone in this thread has suddenly become an experienced network engineer. You guys really think it's an easy thing to do?

Nope. And I'm not sure anyone here has said it WOULD be an easy thing to do.

As for network experience... I own four companies staffed with engineers that design and impliment telecom and wireless networks. I'm not an engineer myself, but I'm around it constantly. Do I have your permission to discuss the topic??

 

[muteki]

I love how everyone in this thread has suddenly become an experienced network engineer. You guys really think it's an easy thing to do?

You don't have to be one to know that the current setup is shoddy, at best. No one is saying the task at hand is easy or simple, but that is what needs to be done. Any given guest in the MK on any given day needs internet access.

 

[tissandtully]

Nope. And I'm not sure anyone here has said it WOULD be an easy thing to do.

As for network experience... I own four companies staffed with engineers that design and impliment telecom and wireless networks. I'm not an engineer myself, but I'm around it constantly. Do I have your permission to discuss the topic??

Sure, I never dismissed your opinions, but, some people thinks it just as easy as adding another router. Personally, I haven't had too many issues with it, they haven't been promoting the free wi-fi for very long, I obviously haven't been on a Phase 3 day, there I could see there would be a lot of issues, especially when the overwhelming majority of devices being used are iphones / smartphones, so they are reconnecting between every WAP they pass.

 

[Clever Name]

I think a lot of the problems with cell phone and Wi-Fi use at Disney revolves around the carrier you have and the type of phone you own. I have specifically noticed that friends of mine that have iPhone 5's with AT&T have a terrible time using their phones for most anything at Disney. On the other hand my Samsung Galaxy S3 with T-Mobile has always worked flawlessly. And yet I've also seen friends with iPhone 5's on T-Mobile and their phones don't work very well at Disney either. It's my understanding that iPhones have a rather notorious history for Wi-Fi connectivity problems. I've never owned one so I haven't experienced the problems.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I love how everyone in this thread has suddenly become an experienced network engineer. You guys really think it's an easy thing to do?

For a multi-billion dollar media and entertainment company? You bet your bippie.

 

[PhotoDave219]

It's my understanding that iPhones have a rather notorious history for Wi-Fi connectivity problems. I've never owned one so I haven't experienced the problems.

I have no trouble with wifi on my iPhone. Either one that ive owned.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Sure, I never dismissed your opinions, but, some people thinks it just as easy as adding another router. Personally, I haven't had too many issues with it, they haven't been promoting the free wi-fi for very long, I obviously haven't been on a Phase 3 day, there I could see there would be a lot of issues, especially when the overwhelming majority of devices being used are iphones / smartphones, so they are reconnecting between every WAP they pass.

I'm not even sure they're advertised the wifi at ALL... Which is even MORE scary that it doesn't currently work.

A company like Disney with the massive resources (both mindshare and monetary) should massively over-engineer something like this, not only to meet today's needs, but to compensate for future potential requirements as well... And it should all have redundancy. For the idea of NextGen to be embraced (which I hope it does NOT), their wifi needs to be massive, fast, and NEVER FAIL.

If users have to fight bad connections, lack of service, and overloaded networks, this whole thing will come crashing down around them.

Which I would find hilarious.

And that doesn't even touch on their app, which I find is lacking a few key elements, and really isn't that easy to use, IMO. But I haven't said hardly anything about that, because it's in beta, so I'm giving them time to test and adjust, as they should.

Then again... Seeing how miserable their website has been for so long, I have no idea why I think they might actually make a top notch app.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I have no trouble with wifi on my iPhone. Either one that ive owned.

I used to have a few issues once in a while with my 4, but my 5 has been killer, all the way around. Love that phone.

 

[Gabe1]

It needs to be able to handle as many possible users as might access the system at once. ?

We are a family of 4 with 4 cells going to the parks.

And my two adult children do kill time in the queues, in parks and meals on Facebook, twitter and so forth.
Reality check for Disney, they opened Pandora's Box and it is oozing.

 

[ParentsOf4]

They need to be able to handle any amount of people that need to use it. 1000, or 100,000.

What's particularly irritating is that Disney is driving its guests to go wireless with MyMagic+. No one is better at collecting information about its guests than WDW. If Disney cannot design its network to handle traffic before MagicBand and FastPass+ are brought on line, what's going to happen after they become operational?

Scalability always is a challenge. What works for a handful of test engineers might collapse when put to real use. Network problems at WDW have been going on for months suggesting Disney is in over its head. The problems will be resolved but it does make you wonder if Disney knows what it's doing.

 

[muteki]

What's particularly irritating is that Disney is driving its guests to go wireless with MyMagic+. No one is better at collecting information about its guests than WDW. If Disney cannot design its network to handle traffic before MagicBand and FastPass+ are brought on line, what's going to happen after they become operational?

Scalability always is a challenge. What works for a handful of test engineers might collapse when put to real use. Network problems at WDW have been going on for months suggesting Disney is in over its head. The problems will be resolved but it does make you wonder if Disney knows what it's doing.

And that's the thing. Disney has known for quite some time now how many people are in each park. They had to have some idea how much capacity they needed. This shouldn't need any guess work.