FP+ only Toy Story Midway Mania

[ford91exploder]

I think I will make some faraday cages to put around my families magic bands just to see what happens. Take the cage off when needed like on entrance or just make a bag that I can throw all the magic bands into??? LOL. Going to WDW soon think I'll see what I can do to disturb things. Just my own science project, it's still not clear exactly what those bands are doing or are capable of.

Altoids tins make useful portable faraday cages, plus you get to eat the mints as a bonus

 

[RayTheFirefly]

Agree, And 'cooking the books' statistically is legal yet highly unethical.

There are LOTS of things which are legal yet unethical, The problem lies in when you have been operating in unethical mode for a long while it's really easy to segue into the Illegal realm, ENRON and AIG are two of the most recent examples of the slide from unethical to illegal.

It starts with the thought 'We are the smartest guys in the room, They'll never catch us...'

Side note: that is my favorite documentary.

 

[pumpkin7]

They're digging a nice, big hole for themselves!

 

[Captain Neo]

My mom, brother and sister decided 6 weeks ago to head down this week as they will be on their college fall break. They leave on Wednesday. TSMM had zero FP+ available for the week when they booked their somewhat impromptu trip, so they planned to arrive at DHS early on two of the days to ride first thing.

Now they can't ride at all and are being punished for not booking their trip 6months in advance when ample FP+ were available? And even if they've added additional FP+ reservations, what about all the other FP+ and dining reservations they've made? The new system forces you to plan your days weeks/months in advance, so they've done that. Now who knows they'll do. The system that forces you to plan your trip ahead of time decides to announce last minute the only way you can ride is FP+....and they do this last minute? They may have to shuffle their days and sacrifice a dining reservation to accommodate a TSMM FP+ time...if any are available. What a joke.

Just typing this makes me angry, and upset for them. This is THE marquee ride at DHS and highlight of so many's trip. And the opportunity and choice for them to wait in line is taken away? Whoever made this decision within the company, if they actually think this is a good idea, even to trial, should attach their name to it so we all know who needs to be fired.

Well it's not THE marquee ride at DHS. That would be Great Movie Ride (and also Star Tours 2 and Tower of Terror)

 

[Captain Neo]

Why only a third track?
Doesn't soundstage 1 have room for a fourth too?

Yea this is what makes me scratch my head. If there gonna add capacity why not go all the way and add 2 addition tracks instead of 1. It's not like its an expensive ride that requires a lot of sets its just a track, video screens and some additional ride vehicles.

 

[Bairstow]

I will never spend a FP on TSMM in Florida. Not when I can do it in Cali without one, and with the far superior ToT and RnRC down the block. Not for a glorified video game that I literally own. I can walk in my basement and play TSMM. Right now if I want. The exact same game with the exact same graphics and so forth. Heck, I could have my kids push me around and spin me in an office chair in between scenes if I want the full experience.

I still say Midway Mania would have made a really great sit-down 3D arcade cabinet.

 

[celluloid]

This merely adds to the list of non guest consideration problems.

My sister has three young children and one of them two. Now a two year old gets left out of a lot of things but a two year old are smarter than people think. They don't get magic bands in planning or as an Annual Pass holder family because he is two and does not require tickets. Whenever they go up to an attraction or a MM station he holds his hand up wanting to make it change and do what they do. I tend to be guest conscientious and surprised that I did not think of this. Disney certainly did not seem to either. They asked for a dummy band that they could get for free or discounted. I told them just to make one but they ended up having to pay full price for a dummy one from a gift shop. Then shortly after they went in to meet Mickey at the Town Square Theater and he held his dummy one up as they did and they were quickly scorned for him not to do so. The CM probably was frustrated but handled it very poorly. He claimed that the dummy ones have often made their system go down when it struggles to read it and they have to reset something. Hardly seems like fault of guest and poor design as well as not keeping an entire family unit's experience in mind when designing these things.

Sorry for the rant but there are so many MM trouble threads that it just went with here. It also seems to go into the same problem of not catering to even the average dynamic. Why would someone plan every single move so strictly? Takes the fun out. This is coming from a person who read theme park guide maps and planned trips that did not even exist yet.

 

[Myamos]

Yeah, I know. I get what you're saying. It is still frustrating though. But don't worry, I will not be one of those in the Guest Services line complaining.

Knowing Disney guest service, I'd bet that anyone who went to them with a semi legit story would be offered a complimentary FPP. Just my thoughts.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I'm 30, been to Disney world 19 times (I'm from the northeast so I'm talking 19 planned vacations down, this is nothing to many and even less to local visitors)... Longest I've ever gone is probably 3 years without going.

I haven't been since 2011 and honestly I have zero interest in going back as every year it's this same BS to ruin the experience. I just genuinely do not want to have to plan out my every friggin move six months in advance and not even be able to go on rides unless I've preplanned two trimesters ahead of schedule...

I wish Disney cared about its loyal fans...

I wish they'd stop fixing what isn't broken, and start fixing what is.

You are not justified in feeling that way.

Clearly you are wrong, and in the minority.

The guest experience is better than ever at WDW, and if you don't agree, then YOU are the problem.

 

[Myamos]

I guess you could look at it as visiting at a time when an attraction is closed for maint. Bummer, but you just know in advance that it's not gonna happen. Does really stink for those once in a lifers but there's still a ton of stuff at this and the other parks.

 

[BrerJon]

You are not justified in feeling that way.

Clearly you are wrong, and in the minority.

 

[John]

I'm the go-to person for virtually anyone that knows me (or is friends with someone who knows me) for WDW advice and planning, etc, as I'm sure so many on this board are as well. To say I'm asked by dozens a year wouldn't be an overstatement.

Over the past year, I've had far more people get frustrated with the amount of planning, researching, and reserving than I've ever encountered over the previous 10 years. By a vast margin. It's not even close.

I've even had people get so frustrated with it all (and hence, with me) that they get overwhelmed and stop asking for help. Then I've had those same people come back from vacation and tell me they regret not following through with me because they were clearly in over their heads and their trip suffered because of it. They just couldn't fathom that all I was suggesting they do be necessary to "keep up with the Joneses" in the park, and ensure they get to experience as much as possible. The conversation I've had with people over the amount of required planning has happened so often, I've actually written a document to explain why it's necessary to do so much, and what it means if you do, and conversely, what it means if you don't... So they can make their own choice on how deep to go. I have that doc at the ready for the moment I'm asked by people if all the planning is really necessary... Which is virtually every time someone comes to me for help.

It's crazy. It's all just absolutely crazy. It used to be that planning for a cruise was over-the-top. Shore excursions, dinner times, mapping out activities during the days on the ship, transfers... All that is a cakewalk compared to what's necessary to make the most of a WDW trip now.

Welcome to the club. I was a TA for a little over four years. Imagine doing this as a job where this scenario plays out almost daily.

 

[stevehousse]

This merely adds to the list of non guest consideration problems.

My sister has three young children and one of them two. Now a two year old gets left out of a lot of things but a two year old are smarter than people think. They don't get magic bands in planning or as an Annual Pass holder family because he is two and does not require tickets. Whenever they go up to an attraction or a MM station he holds his hand up wanting to make it change and do what they do. I tend to be guest conscientious and surprised that I did not think of this. Disney certainly did not seem to either. They asked for a dummy band that they could get for free or discounted. I told them just to make one but they ended up having to pay full price for a dummy one from a gift shop. Then shortly after they went in to meet Mickey at the Town Square Theater and he held his dummy one up as they did and they were quickly scorned for him not to do so. The CM probably was frustrated but handled it very poorly. He claimed that the dummy ones have often made their system go down when it struggles to read it and they have to reset something. Hardly seems like fault of guest and poor design as well as not keeping an entire family unit's experience in mind when designing these things.

Sorry for the rant but there are so many MM trouble threads that it just went with here. It also seems to go into the same problem of not catering to even the average dynamic. Why would someone plan every single move so strictly? Takes the fun out. This is coming from a person who read theme park guide maps and planned trips that did not even exist yet.

Sounds more like a hole cast members than anything. Any child under 2 already gets a magic band that is basically a dummy band that doesn't do anything. My 2 year old last year had no problem putting his band up to a scanner and having them make Mickey turn green for him! He loved it.

If they were staying on property, idk why they weren't automatically given a band for him unless they never included him as a person in their party on the reservation.

 

[celluloid]

I noted that they were annual passholders, but they were not staying on property.

 

[ford91exploder]

This guy SHOULD have gotten his own TV show...

 

[wdisney9000]

You're actually running the opposite the truth here. I know you were trying to be funny, but still.

It's more likely you'll hear from the 18 people who have complaints, rather than the 1,000s that actually don't.

Far from it. We've used the new system several times, so has every member of my family on multiple trips and every time there has been issue. Sometimes its just minor like a band not opening the door, other times it has been major, such as multiple FP+ not registering on larger groups, requiring a 20 minute visit to GS. Ive read far more complaints than praises on the boards also.

Dont get me wrong, I can see the slight advantage FP+ offers, I dont hate the system, I just think it offers extremely little for the price they paid.

 

[asianway]

Looks like Disney's about to get some bad press for this.

Article about it here.

Article is invalid since there's no quote from Lou or #therick

 

[stevehousse]

BTW, anyone else getting a random pop up on their iPhone that says "this item currently isn't available in the US store? I am on the WDWMagic app???

 

[DisneyGlennB]

You know who this affects a lot, and this is not going to be popular, but South American tour groups. That's a big chunk of money.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Does really stink for those once in a lifers but there's still a ton of stuff at this and the other parks.

No, there isn't. DHS has always been an incomplete park (its only a full day park if you attempt to see every single show and maybe also eat at a full service restaurant), and now there are even less

Yea this is what makes me scratch my head. If there gonna add capacity why not go all the way and add 2 addition tracks instead of 1. It's not like its an expensive ride that requires a lot of sets its just a track, video screens and some additional ride vehicles.

Plus a "third track" would mean having to design a new ride control system and layout instead of just copying the existing plans.