FastPass+ open to all guests including offsite beginning next week at Disney's Animal Kingdom

[OswaldTheRabbit]

Disney spent over $1 billion, possibly as much on $2 billion, on MyMagic+ which includes but is not limited to FastPass+. the My Disney Experience app, new Walt Disney World website, MagicBands, RFID cards, RFID infrastructure (POS terminals, turnstiles, room locks, etc.), In-park and resort Wi-Fi, planned and built interactive queues, planned interactive attraction enhancements (ie. custom "it's a small world" ending), as well as other infrastructure upgrades and data analysis systems. It was never about attractions but altering the existing Walt Disney World vacation experience.

I think I wept a little in my morning coffee at this response....sigh. What a complete waste of money.

 

[JimboJones123]

Off Topicish:

Went to MK this morning. Before Fastpass started on Peter Pan. What would be normally a 75 minute standby line emptied in just over 10 minutes.

How again is Fastpass better?

 

[JimboJones123]

As a recap - Disney spent $1 Billion on this project which consists of FP+ and MME? Does this not include new attractions (and I am not referring to a mickey saying my name when I take a photo)?

Mickey does not say your name. He talks, which is totally awesome, but they have not integrated the name yet. Not that will be yet another cluster, "scan your wristband, for no particular reason, just before you see Mickey!"

 

[rct247]

I don't know how long it will take for this to "get better". First of all, we have to finish with the roll out which won't be 100% complete until at least Spring Break if not summer of 2014. Then they have to work out the bugs and tweak the system which probably won't really completely be gone until 2015 with new ones popping up daily. This also includes the issues with wifi and mobile networks. Then there is the learning curve. If everyone knew how many people I come across that don't know how to use Fastpass, what it is, or the exact rules behind it with it being almost 15 years after it was created, how long do you think it will take the average guest population to figure out Fastpass+ and truly be comfortable with it. In the mean time, it has frustrated people and left a sour taste in their mouth to the point that their next visit they are not going to look forward to having to deal with it.

 

[raymusiccity]

Barrack....is that you?......I know, I just had to do it.

"If you want your fast pass, you can keep your fast pass!"

 

[Recon443]

We're DVC members and we use our points for Hilton Head Island, Aulani, Disneyland, and WDW. There's also a resort in Vero Beach, but we haven't been there yet. Not like you would have been stuck going to WDW all the time.

True. And don't forget all the other options that DVC offers. I went to NYC and stayed two blocks from Central Park using my DVC membership.

 

[Recon443]

So in the mean time just keep handing over the cash for something that isnt working and its just tough if you cant do what was promised.


I suspect fhanny bhoys will find an excuse for anything from their beloved corporate monster, that they would be frothing at the gash about if similar were offered by a local consumer outlet.

Who said it is not working? Have you used it? I have and it was a great experience.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Who said it is not working? Have you used it? I have and it was a great experience.

The poster I quoted.

And how super for you. I know people that enjoy McDonalds.

 

[Recon443]

Once this system is up and running and working as planned in a year or so people will wonder what all the fuss was about.
The vast majority of guests in the end won't care. If people don't like the new system then don't go and while you are at it why bother posting on a forum about WDW. I suspect the vast majority of people moaning on here and elsewhere will just suck it up and carry on going and using the new system to their advantage.

I find it hilarious that all these folks are declaring it a failure, yet the Disney folks keep expanding its use. So one of the two groups is delusional. Considering Disney has the analytics to gauge 'failure' better than any one who posts 'it seems like' or who hasn't used it, I am thinking Disney knows the real story.

 

[Recon443]

The poster I quoted.

And how super for you. I know people that enjoy McDonalds.

That's a nice snarky comment but clearly you are declaring something as 'not working' and you are basing that on what, your snarkiness?

 

[Captain Chaos]

So in the mean time just keep handing over the cash for something that isnt working and its just tough if you cant do what was promised.


I suspect fhanny bhoys will find an excuse for anything from their beloved corporate monster, that they would be frothing at the gash about if similar were offered by a local consumer outlet.

Fanbois would gush over a cardboard box placed in the middle of Main Street USA and colored by a 5 year old child... As long as Disney says HEY LOOK AT OUR NEW E TICKET... Fanbois would be having nerdgasms over it... But then again, some people love living in the ghetto too...

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Once this system is up and running and working as planned in a year or so people will wonder what all the fuss was about.
The vast majority of guests in the end won't care. If people don't like the new system then don't go and while you are at it why bother posting on a forum about WDW. I suspect the vast majority of people moaning on here and elsewhere will just suck it up and carry on going and using the new system to their advantage.

Oh look, another zombie account here to tell us how great Disney is.

 

[RSoxNo1]

You make a lot of sense. Conceptually, I agree with you 100%.

The problem is that WDW doesn't have sufficient ride capacity to keep everyone happy. They have way too many rooms and too few attractions. They certainly don't have enough to guarantee 3 good FP+ selections for onsite guests at 2 of their parks. Forget about offsite guests.

It's why Disney has played games and added FP+ to rides and shows that really don't need it. It's why many of those who have used FP+ selections for shows have reported that they were a waste. These steps clearly demonstrate that WDW sorely lacks attractions worth Fast Passing.

When you don't have enough resources to keep all your customers happy, you either add resources (always expensive) or reallocate resources. Disney has chosen to reallocate resources.

Like many companies, Disney has decided to focus on its most profitable customers. In WDW's case, this means concentrating on onsite guests.

WDW's hotels are incredibly, and in some cases, obscenely profitable. A Theme Park View room this Christmas is over $1000/night at the Grand Floridian. Mind you, this is just a room. Not concierge, not a suite, not located in a major metropolitan area. Even rooms at some "Value Resorts" are $200/night this Christmas. It's difficult to emphasize enough just how profitable these rooms are.

Corporate Disney wants these rooms filled. With WDW's occupancy rate down to 80% (excellent for many hotels but well below WDW's historical average), Disney is leaving hundreds of millions of dollars of "free money" on the table every year. ("Free money" because these rooms are just sitting there, available but unoccupied.) Heck, if they can get these rooms filled, they can build even more hotels and DVC.

If Disney makes FP+ equally available to all guests, then that doesn't help fill rooms. Empty rooms means hundreds of millions walking out the door.

In order for MM+ to succeed, guests have to perceive MM+ as being worth WDW's resort prices. The more Disney can differentiate between onsite and offsite guest experiences, the more likely we are to pay their prices.

However, Disney also has to be careful not to drive away offsite business. It's a balancing act where the correct answer (i.e. the one that's the most profitable) is unclear and might require some trial-and-error to discover.

The beauty of FP+ is its flexibility. With the infrastructure in place, Disney can change the rules with software. Disney can experiment repeatedly until it finds the "magical" combination, where "magical" is defined as largest profits for corporate Disney.

If the current onsite/offsite differentiation doesn't work, Disney can change it. The advantage of remaining in "test" phase is Disney can try combinations and gauge the public's reaction. If a combination is poorly received, Disney can discard it and, if questioned, just say it was a test.

I think Disney is smart to try exactly what the are doing and smart to first try it at DAK. However, I'm not convinced about the timing. I think they should wait 2 weeks until after New Year's Eve.

If I'm managing this, I'm doing exactly what Disney is doing. I'm starting by making onsite MM+ look as good as possible, which means offering as little as possible for the DAK offsite guest FP+ "test". Tell offsite guests they have to use the FP+ kiosks after they arrive. If I can manage to get away with that without driving away offsite guests, then I'm golden. If it's a disaster, I simply say it was a "test".

Can anyone say "trial balloon?"

Here's the thing, they need attendance at the resorts to increase as well as attendance for non-resort guests. For some reason, they are only consumed with filling the hotel rooms because those are the most profitable guests. Having said all that, the way to appeal to increase the demand for resort and non-resort guests is to add new attractions to the parks. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Disney is acting like the person that is willing to do anything to lose weight except diet and exercise, in their case they will do anything to increase revenue except invest in new attractions.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

That's a nice snarky comment but clearly you are declaring something as 'not working' and you are basing that on what, your snarkiness?

You asked a question I replied. If you are to stupid to read a post before responding I cant be held responsible. Perhaps if your ability to comprehend posts were as sharp as your desire to defend the lame management of WDW you wouldn't have made an of yourself.

As for me being snarky (what a pathetic term) thats often said when folk dont get the response they'd hoped for.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Yes indeed. Data capacity on both wifi and cell is severely constrained at busy times. I see this as a big issue for MM+.

This also can't happen. You can't have the major consuming facing components of your $2 billion system be problematic. My Magic+ and Fastpass+ are the consuming facing components of Next Gen they need to be a convenience, they need to be a competitive advantage. They cannot be a nuisance if they're supposed to succeed.

 

[Recon443]

You asked a question I replied. If you are to stupid to read a post before responding I cant be held responsible. Perhaps if your ability to comprehend posts were as sharp as your desire to defend the lame management of WDW you wouldn't have made an of yourself.

As for me being snarky (what a pathetic term) thats often said when folk dont get the response they'd hoped for.

And I asked you a question which you responded to with a snarky comment. And now you respond with angry little comments?

You have only proved my point, you know not of what you speak. Thanks!

 

[Captain Chaos]

I find it hilarious that all these folks are declaring it a failure, yet the Disney folks keep expanding its use. So one of the two groups is delusional. Considering Disney has the analytics to gauge 'failure' better than any one who posts 'it seems like' or who hasn't used it, I am thinking Disney knows the real story.

Don't be daft... the tests have failed left and right... Why did this balloon from 1 billion to over 2 billion, cause it was a major success so they had to keep tossing money at it to fix nonexistent problems? Ok... live in your delusional fantasy world... Fact is, this has not been a success... this has been a mess on all fronts... Problems: 1) Disney management is ego driven, so instead of making decisions with common sense, they let their egos get in the way... usually that leads to disaster, which we are seeing playing out... 2) it is too late to go back now... Once systems are implemented, cutting your losses and reverting back to the old way is just not a reality... 3) wifi sucks on property... 4) the huge lines at Guest Services proves there are plenty of people who continue to have major issues with this crap... Friend of mine just got back and declared she is never going again... I venture to say there are many many many people out there saying the same thing... WDW will lose business cause of this disaster...

You have 1 chance to impress people... Disney blew it... There is nothing impressive about this system, not when you have to spend an hour on line for Guest Services cause your band failed or your FP wasn't registering or any other slew of issues which are coming up during this pathetic roll out...

 

[ParentsOf4]

I am amazed at how much this whole thing makes me never want to visit WDW again. I know I will visit again, but typically I have already planned a trip by this point in the year for sometime in the winter/spring (or both). As of now, I have absolutely no desire to revisit WDW and be forced to use a program like MM+ and those bands. My October trip was a disaster thanks to MM+ and MagicBands. Fool me once...

Beyond the enhanced tracking capabilities the RFID technology allows (which we mitigated by opting out of MagicBands and storing our RFID tickets in a signal-blocking wallet), MyMagic+ is not a reason to stop visiting WDW. However, it’s also not a particularly good reason to visit WDW either.

Our MyMagic+ experience was considerably less than magical this Thanksgiving.

Even once we got past the problems we encountered (which I think will be fixed within 12 months) MyMagic+ did nothing to improve our most-recent WDW trip.

Were things different? Sure. But they were not better.

Many will like MyMagic+ but, in my opinion, if you look at it objectively, it’s mostly style with little substance.

Some definitely will benefit from FP+ because their approach to theme park touring fits within certain profiles.

However, MM+ does not significantly improve WDW. WDW is essentially the same vacation destination with the same attractions. Guests don’t visit theme parks so they can play with their smart phones or pay using their wrist bands. They visit to experience rides and shows. These remain largely unaffected by MM+.

If Disney keeps tiered FP+ selections at DHS and Epcot, I think a lot of WDW guests are going to dislike having to pick between those theme parks’ few good attractions.

Really, if Disney can't even provide 3 desirable FP+ selections to its onsite guests, then they should be building more attractions, not playing around with a new ride reservation system.

MyMagic+ represents a tremendous lost opportunity. If the Disney executives knew in 2007 what they know today, I believe we would have seen a Harry Potter land at WDW with another land based on another IP coming soon, not MyMagic+.

You’ll never hear this from Disney executives because their egos won’t allow them to admit it but MM+ was a mistake, just like John Carter or The Lone Ranger. If anything, they’ll double-down and push MM+ on Disneyland, which would be another waste of company resources.

The newly announced FP+ policy at DAK demonstrates that Disney intends to treat offsite guests like second class citizens, clearly intending this to improve onsite occupancy rates.

The entire MyMagic+ project represents a zero-sum game. It’s very sad that Disney invested all that capital just to provide offsite guests with an inferior experience.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

And I asked you a question which you responded to with a snarky comment. And now you respond with angry little comments?

You have only proved my point, you know not of what you speak. Thanks!

No anger at all, contempt perhaps. The only point proven is that you are yet another silly wee Fhan Bhoy whos loyalty to a brand makes rational evaluation of current difficulties with the Plus system impossible.

And you are of course welcome.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Disney spent over $1 billion, possibly as much on $2 billion, on MyMagic+ which includes but is not limited to FastPass+. the My Disney Experience app, new Walt Disney World website, MagicBands, RFID cards, RFID infrastructure (POS terminals, turnstiles, room locks, etc.), In-park and resort Wi-Fi, planned and built interactive queues, planned interactive attraction enhancements (ie. custom "it's a small world" ending), as well as other infrastructure upgrades and data analysis systems. It was never about attractions but altering the existing Walt Disney World vacation experience.

And again, the consumer facing components are the ones facing the biggest problems and the ones that people are most upset about. They are also components that change the guest experience unnecessarily and are the hardest to prove as something that would actually increase attendance. Fastpass+ will ruin the theme park experience, and is wholly unnecessary for My Magic + to be considered successful. Nobody has provided a justifiable reason for it to exist.