Fortune Magazine: Disney's tech innovation is my nightmare

[Nick Wilde]

You don't have to get FastPasses at 12 AM. I have gotten FP for Splash, or Space less than a week before the trip. You can also get FP for 7DMT and Frozen M&G 30-20 days in advance. They're kind of over-blowing that part.
About the ADRs, that's supply and demand. There are too many people, and not enough restaurants. That is Disney's fault, and they should build more, but the ADR is a temporary solution until they can build more.

 

[RoadTrip]

I really like FP+ and the Magic Band system. It is especially nice when using the resort pools to not have to carry around a room card etc. with you, but just wear a waterproof band. No need to be a slave to it... in most parks you really don't need more than one or two of the FP selections offered. Go ahead, make your choices and use what you want; ignore the others. No one is going to care that you had a couple of FP's that you never used. The dining situation was created by the Disney Dining Plan... it has greatly increased demand for the table service restaurants... I'm sure that is exactly what Disney had hoped for. Still, if you are willing to eat somewhere other than Le Cellier or 'Ohana, excellent table service meals can be found in almost all parks and resorts without an ADR if you are willing to dine during non-peak hours. I really don't see a downside to the system and think it is much more convenient than having to run around the parks when you first arrive to physically collect FP tickets.

 

[doctornick]

Having roaming characters for your kids to see sounds great... until the author would see the mass chaos of parents trying to push their kids to the front of the line and trying to get a good photo without other people in the way. The planning may be a drag for some, but the alternative isn't necessary "better" as it has downsides too.

 

[Tuvalu]

I stopped reading when the author called Walt Disney World "the happiest place on earth." That's DISNEYLAND. The media should know better.

**For those who don't know, Walt Disney World is "the most MAGICAL place on earth."

 

[DManRightHere]

Yea. The place where you have no choice but to wait in most lines.

That is true...wife did a great job planning down to the minutes (to avoid lines) in June. I think the longest line we waited was about 30 minutes for pirates and Nemo. We utilized the heck out of paper FP. I would hate to have done that at WDW as the parks have much larger footprints and you have to take transportation between parks.

 

[copcarguyp71]

This isn't good press for Disney Parks and Resorts. A financial magazine read mostly by Wall Street types giving a bad review to the multi-billion dollar system brought in by Disney.

This isn't just about Fastpasses or ADRs. Its about the capital investments made (and not made) and everything behind the scenes and the thought processes that lead us to this.

In short, it comes down to the fundamental question of "Can Technology solve the problem of lines at Disney?" Hell no, not when you've had a summer that was pulling 65-70k+ people/day at MK. Your scheduling and cell phone app wont fix that the sheer amount of people that come to WDW. Only capacity can fix that issue.

I would add that slowing down the resort and DVC cash cow expansions would also help to ease the crowding. If you continue to add room capacity with the same amount of things to do within the parks then....well, the math is not all that hard to figure out.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I stopped reading when the author called Walt Disney World "the happiest place on earth." That's DISNEYLAND. The media should know better.

**For those who don't know, Walt Disney World is "the most MAGICAL place on earth."

Then you too can be put on ignore

 

[Siren]

Then you too can be put on ignore

OMG, just take a deep breath and release s-l-o-w-l-y and relax. @Tuvalu is totally right, that was a really good catch and quite funny, too.

Seriously, the writer actually wrote that with the copyright symbol --"The Happiest Place on Earth©." LOL.

With that said, I'm so glad you posted the article, it sparked a great discussion and both sides are well represented here. So kudos to you.

 

[PhotoDave219]

OMG, just take a deep breath and release s-l-o-w-l-y and relax. @Tuvalu is totally right, that was a really good catch and quite funny, too.

Seriously, the writer actually wrote that with the copyright symbol --"The Happiest Place on Earth©." LOL.

With that said, I'm so glad you posted the article, it sparked a great discussion and both sides are well represented here. So kudos to you.

You know how I post and what little tolerance I have for people who want to split every hair…

Anyways, the seemed more like a first-person Opinion essay than anything else. Fortune does very little with Walt Disney World in the first place, and they have enough of a reader should base that it doesn't matter if Disney ever credentials them or let's them in for anything. Disney PR isn't going to ban them for speaking their mind. Because privately, it echoes and a lot of what people behind the scenes think…

Did Disney we need to take its infrastructure and technology into the 21st-century? Yes. Once every point of sale and technology infrastructure ridiculously behind the times? Oh hell yes. Did every manager to their absolute best to get as much out of that pot of gold for their department? Yeah, because that's what the mouse does.

Did they need to make it so you can make a dining reservation via your phone? Hell yes. Make a fast pass reservation with your phone? Sure… It's good technology. Allowing the guest to do that 60 days in advance? Well now you're pushing it. I would have made it so that on-property guests can make Them one week before checkin and day-guests/pass holders/cast Are Limited To same day.

It's just a technology upgrade it took existing programs and combined them into an application on a cell phone.

 

[FettFan]

I maintain that Omnimover rides and character M&Gs shouldn't have Fastpass at all.

 

[DManRightHere]

I maintain that Omnimover rides and character M&Gs shouldn't have Fastpass at all.

Why?

 

[FettFan]

Why?

Because Fastpass on these attractions gums up the standby wait times.

 

[RoadTrip]

Because Fastpass on these attractions gums up the standby wait times.

I kind of agree that the Omnimovers rarely need fastpass. But with Frozenmania in full force the meet & greets have some of the longest waits in the park. How could FP be making that situation worse?

 

[DManRightHere]

Because Fastpass on these attractions gums up the standby wait times.

Oh. I was thinking omnimover because they have a big capacity per time period. So FP would be kind of pointless for some rides. Wouldn't stand by lines on popular attractions be just as long without FP ?

 

[erasure fan1]

You don't have to get FastPasses at 12 AM. I have gotten FP for Splash, or Space less than a week before the trip. You can also get FP for 7DMT and Frozen M&G 30-20 days in advance. They're kind of over-blowing that part.

While you are correct, you can sometimes get FP+ for things semi last minute, but I see it a bit differently. If I am going to fork over that kind of cash for a trip to Disney, I am not going to chance getting a FP+ or place to eat for what I want. So the answer is make sure to do it ASAP so you don't miss out. I have had both situations, 30 days out and NO mine train, Anna/Elsa, toy story... I've also checked and there have been passes available 30 or so days out. I just can't agree with the argument from some "if you want to be spontaneous or not plan way ahead, go ahead, you don't have to." At best I have 1 shot a year at Disney and you bet I'm not leaving that to chance because I don't want to plan that far out, not for that amount of money. So I don't think it's over-blowing it at all. Yea, you could go and be spontaneous or wait until you have a month or so to go to plan things. But all you would really be doing is putting yourself at a severe disadvantage, especially if you are not a "Disney pro". Just my opinion.

 

[Evolution]

I stopped reading when the author called Walt Disney World "the happiest place on earth." That's DISNEYLAND. The media should know better.

**For those who don't know, Walt Disney World is "the most MAGICAL place on earth."

It's not that serious.

 

[Tuvalu]

It's not that serious.

Oh I completely know that! I would have written my post in the sarcasm font if there were such a thing.

 

[RoadTrip]

While you are correct, you can sometimes get FP+ for things semi last minute, but I see it a bit differently. If I am going to fork over that kind of cash for a trip to Disney, I am not going to chance getting a FP+ or place to eat for what I want. So the answer is make sure to do it ASAP so you don't miss out. I have had both situations, 30 days out and NO mine train, Anna/Elsa, toy story... I've also checked and there have been passes available 30 or so days out. I just can't agree with the argument from some "if you want to be spontaneous or not plan way ahead, go ahead, you don't have to." At best I have 1 shot a year at Disney and you bet I'm not leaving that to chance because I don't want to plan that far out, not for that amount of money. So I don't think it's over-blowing it at all. Yea, you could go and be spontaneous or wait until you have a month or so to go to plan things. But all you would really be doing is putting yourself at a severe disadvantage, especially if you are not a "Disney pro". Just my opinion.

You will never miss out on ANY attraction if you don't want to. With or without a FP, you can ride anything in the park with a relatively short wait if you get there first thing in the morning. Now I despise getting up early in the morning, and I would rather just not do something or know I will be waiting in an hour long standby line than set my alarm clock. But if you aren't a stubborn old man like me, that is always an option for you.

 

[Arthur Wellesley]

Then you too can be put on ignore

You know how I post and what little tolerance I have for people who want to split every hair…

A few things here:

a). @Tuvalu wasn't splitting hairs with what you wrote, but with what the article wrote.
b). It was done in sarcasm, as was later mentioned.
c). Publicly announcing that you are ignoring someone is behavior fitting of a 3rd-grader at best...and even that's a stretch.
d). You didn't tell someone who angered you to commit suicide this time? Must be growing up, my friend. Proud of ya!
5). I like to randomly throw numbers into lists that normally run with letters, just to see if anyone notices.
f). Walt Disney World is the happiest place on earth...at least in my book...well, one of the happiest places on earth. So who really cares what the slogans say?

 

[Nick Wilde]

5). I like to randomly throw numbers into lists that normally run with letters, just to see if anyone notices.

You never cease to amaze me.