Is the integration of digital technology within Walt Disney World impacting the experience of those with limited digital capabilities?

[KerryDoesDisney]

Form completed and submitted.

Have you considered how you'll differentiate between those born before 1964 who are "IT challenged" from those who are currently or were recently employed in information technology fields?

Like me.

We may skew your results.

Hi Larry,

Thank you so very much for filling out my questionnaire. I received some amazingly detailed and interesting replies to the questions. I will certainly consider your question and make sure this is clarified within the project.

Thank you again!
Kerry

 

[KerryDoesDisney]

Filled out and answered and PLEASE!!! Share your Results!!! We had a very negative opinion of the new Magic system in general, after our experiences.

Hello!

Thank you so much for completing my questionnaire, it means so much to me and my research. My paper should be finished about mid-August, and once I check with my supervisor I would be delighted to share it with you all.

Thank you again!
Kerry x

 

[KerryDoesDisney]

Things I like about my phone:
- I have a very high resolution video and image capture device that automatically uploads everything to the cloud archive, which can then be immediately shared with friends and family.
- I have a GPS device with real-time traffic information and can find any resource 'near me' when I'm walking, riding, or driving.
- I can communicate with voice, email, video, or text regardless of where I am.
- I have access to movies, TV, music, and books wherever I might be to pass the time or to share with others... and can cast those things to other smart devices to be shared as well.

I have my phone because it's a valuable tool. As with most tools, it can be used, misused, and abused.

I dumped Facebook years ago, but I see the value at times to share with friends and family.
Twitter is a surprisingly good source of information if you know how to use it that way.
I won't try to defend Instagram.

Hi Steve,

This is very interesting! Thank you. Some of these things that you like is what we see WDW trying to implement which is why I feel like my research question is very current.

Thank you again!
Kerry

 

[KerryDoesDisney]

Not neccessarily. One can easily access a site like this one and be able to take part in a forum but lack the skills to navigate Disneys system. There are many posts to this site that ask how to do simple things that they cant figure out.
In any case the answers to the questions are followed up by asking for examples for how the system had a negative impact so hopefully Disney will be curious with these findings and we would like to hope it could lead to a better functioning system. Im not counting on it happening but dreams can come true.

Hello!

Yes this is exactly the point in reaching out to people in a forum like this - also the requirements for the survey are people over a certain age too so I knew there would be some on here.

Thank you for your kind comments and I look forward to completing my research now.

Kerry

 

[KerryDoesDisney]

I met the age criteria, and completed your questionnaire.
But I must say (and this in fact may prove your point), I found the questions to be vague or my ability to understand what you are asking unclear. I did my best.
Like others here, I think it would be great if you could provide some kind of feedback once you analyze your results.
I'm not afraid of technology/social media, etc., but can be intimidated by it till I force myself to understand it.

Hi Mickey,

Thank you so much for completing the questionnaire, it is so greatly appreciated! The questions were based on a method called "Critical Incident Technique" which is why the wording was a wee bit 'unusual', but I really appreciate you filling it out nonetheless. I received some really fantastically detailed and emotive responses and I am so excited to analysis these for my research paper.

I would be more than happy to share the results and my project once it has been completed. My deadline is mid-August so I will check with my supervisor but I should be okay to share it after then.

I'll keep you posted, and thank you again!
Kerry x

 

[tanc]

I would say phones took a huge initiative around August 2020. I was there around the time WDW opened up. At the time, I could fully understand using mobile devices instead of ordering in person. If you did not have ordering in person, it was a massive disadvantage when it came to ordering quick service.

Seems like it's really not like that at all anymore, Genie+ and whatever else has made doing WDW a complete disadvantage. I am not sure if there are kiosk, but back when Fast Pass was around you could just go there and get fast passes if you really had no other way. You use your phone now for virtually everything, I kind of really miss the days of magic bands. Using your phone all the time really kills the immersive experience as well.

Pre covid, having a phone was helpful since you could easily find merchandise around the resort or whatever but mobile ordering was still obscure to me. You could do the parks just fine without it. I guess times have completely changed to really cater to mobile devices.

 

[KerryDoesDisney]

I would say phones took a huge initiative around August 2020. I was there around the time WDW opened up. At the time, I could fully understand using mobile devices instead of ordering in person. If you did not have ordering in person, it was a massive disadvantage when it came to ordering quick service.

Seems like it's really not like that at all anymore, Genie+ and whatever else has made doing WDW a complete disadvantage. I am not sure if there are kiosk, but back when Fast Pass was around you could just go there and get fast passes if you really had no other way. You use your phone now for virtually everything, I kind of really miss the days of magic bands. Using your phone all the time really kills the immersive experience as well.

Pre covid, having a phone was helpful since you could easily find merchandise around the resort or whatever but mobile ordering was still obscure to me. You could do the parks just fine without it. I guess times have completely changed to really cater to mobile devices.

Hiya!

Thank you for some really interesting comments. I completely agree that the post-covid WDW is more mobile phone reliant too.

Kerry x

 

[KerryDoesDisney]

Threads like this from new members makes me wonder. Is it legitimate/real, or trolling? Aside from the initial few posts on the first day, the OP goes silent. Did they get what they want and leave, or is it a case of stoking the fire with a subject that has upset people? Maybe spamming someone else's email inbox since they publicly posted an email address? Usually it seems really clear when it's trolling, but this individual who supposedly is a Disney fan was very polite in response to some negative posts... impressively so. I just never understand when someone starts a thread and then disappears without further comment, especially in this case where they need feedback for their research project.

Also, what competent student starts a research project with 4 or 5 days for gathering data? Posted this Wednesday (22nd) with a deadline of Sunday (26th)? I'd think that you'd do weeks if not months of data gathering for a project to acquire a master's degree. Not a masterful approach to the project.

Anyway, just wondering.

Hello!

I am so sorry for not replying over the past few days. I have been away on a work trip from Friday and got back yesterday (I left my questionnaire open whilst I was away). I have been reading the comments here on my phone, but I could not remember my log in to reply until I was back on my laptop (which I am today).

I got some questions about the questionnaire from people here sent to my university email address which I replied too (as I had access to that on my phone) and in the end received more responses than anticipated which is fantastic for my research.

And yes I am a huge Disney fan, which is why I chose to write my research paper on Walt Disney World. If you are interested, I have an Instagram account with the same name as my username (KerryDoesDisney). It is fairly new but its just a wee place for me to post my Disney thoughts and photos.

In relation to the timeframe, I am working to the schedule set out by my university. I did mean to get my questionnaire out a few days prior (so ideally it would have been Sunday to Sunday) however I kept fussing over the questions and changing the wording so it was a few days late. However I only needed 10 responses at minimum so I knew that 5 days would be enough time - and I got more responses than I thought which is brilliant!

The questionnaire is now closed and over the next few weeks I will be analysing the research using thematic analysis for the next part of my project.

Again, I am so sorry for not replying sooner but thank you so much to everyone here who has posted a comment or filled in the questionnaire. I am so very grateful and look forward to sharing the results with you all when my research is complete.

Thanks again!
Kerry

 

[LaughingGravy]

Also, what competent student starts a research project with 4 or 5 days for gathering data? Posted this Wednesday (22nd) with a deadline of Sunday (26th)? I'd think that you'd do weeks if not months of data gathering for a project to acquire a master's degree. Not a masterful approach to the project.

Anyway, just wondering.

A lot of it depends on the expectations of the professor. It's a student project, likely not going anywhere besides their email accounts, and likely not be checked against what those of us into data analytics would expect. I wish Kerry well.
I'm not in the demographic, (too young ), but the requirement to have the phone (always fun in bright Florida sun) and also pretty much constantly wonder about the battery during the course of the day due to much more use than I would normally put a smartphone through definitely puts a damper on the vacation experience.
We used it for Maxpass in CA in 2019 and it was OK, in that it worked, but even then, it was a major phone battery killer. I have no desire to carry around another battery pack. I'm all for traveling as light in the parks as possible. One should be able to go in there with a magic band, ID/Ticket and nothing else. Of course writing down any FP times would help if you can't remember them.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

Hello!

I am so sorry for not replying over the past few days. I have been away on a work trip from Friday and got back yesterday (I left my questionnaire open whilst I was away). I have been reading the comments here on my phone, but I could not remember my log in to reply until I was back on my laptop (which I am today).

I got some questions about the questionnaire from people here sent to my university email address which I replied too (as I had access to that on my phone) and in the end received more responses than anticipated which is fantastic for my research.

And yes I am a huge Disney fan, which is why I chose to write my research paper on Walt Disney World. If you are interested, I have an Instagram account with the same name as my username (KerryDoesDisney). It is fairly new but its just a wee place for me to post my Disney thoughts and photos.

In relation to the timeframe, I am working to the schedule set out by my university. I did mean to get my questionnaire out a few days prior (so ideally it would have been Sunday to Sunday) however I kept fussing over the questions and changing the wording so it was a few days late. However I only needed 10 responses at minimum so I knew that 5 days would be enough time - and I got more responses than I thought which is brilliant!

The questionnaire is now closed and over the next few weeks I will be analysing the research using thematic analysis for the next part of my project.

Again, I am so sorry for not replying sooner but thank you so much to everyone here who has posted a comment or filled in the questionnaire. I am so very grateful and look forward to sharing the results with you all when my research is complete.

Thanks again!
Kerry

Excellent! Sincerely very happy to hear that you're a real person and not trolling. And yes, as bitter and disappointed Disney fans I'd bet most if not all of us would love to see the results of your findings, including any response Disney gives you if you should send your research to them.

In all honestly, I think Disney cares very little about what their fans think... truly. In their minds their currently huge crowds and annual visitor totals outweigh the thoughts of diehard fans so heavily that our thoughts don't matter. What they don't realize is that the frustrations felt by their diehard fans are shared in far greater numbers by the average visitor. I know this factually by non-Disney diehard friends who on a whim visited this year and said they'd never go back. The complications and the little they got to experience wasn't worth the amount of money spent. This isn't my opinion... these are friends of mine who've visited in the last 5 months and didn't enjoy it. They also told me they didn't understand why I'm such a big fan. I tell them I'm a fan of what WDW once was.

If you think about it logically, if their diehard fans who love Disney immensely and research everything Disney extensively struggle with the complexity of their new Genie app and all processes in general, imagine how difficult and frustrating it would be for average John and Jane with their kids Joey and Jenny. Most people schedule their Disney vacations with little or no research and they're going to miss out on so much making it much less enjoyable. Over time it will result in large swaths of people feeling jilted, and never returning resulting in new generations either visiting once with little enjoyment, or not at all. It's business suicide. I guess I'll just wait a few years until people catch on how terrible Disney's stare-at-your-phone-at-all-times policy is, and crowds shrink making it better for the diehards. Maybe they'll listen then.

 

[MickeyCB]

I know this factually by non-Disney diehard friends who on a whim visited this year and said they'd never go back.

Same here.
2 friends of mine (both are doctors, so intelligent humans), were so frustrated by their experience with Genie and difficulty using it during their trip this year that, (at least the dad) has said, no more Disney trips for them.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

Same here.
2 friends of mine (both are doctors, so intelligent humans), were so frustrated by their experience with Genie and difficulty using it during their trip this year that, (at least the dad) has said, no more Disney trips for them.

Yep. I hear ya. I have 4 friends... 4 different families who went separately and all of them had varying levels of disappointment, but when I asked all of them if they'd go back without giving my own opinions, each said they had zero plans and no desire to return. These are families that would take their kids every 2 to 4 years and are the types that did it for the kids, but weren't really that into it themselves. Some were more upset than others, but all expressed they would not return. So in my own group of friends, for those who've visited in 2022, that's 4 saying they wouldn't return, and 0 saying that they enjoyed themselves and would return.

I realize it's a small sample size, but not insignificant. These are families with money. How much did Disney get from those 4 families in that time span... $25k total? $30k maybe? These are people who will not go back, and my guess is that will affect the next generation. Small kids will now grow older without vivid memories of WDW as they get older, and are not likely to be motivated to visit themselves.

 

[LaughingGravy]

These are families with money. How much did Disney get from those 4 families in that time span... $25k total? $30k maybe? These are people who will not go back, and my guess is that will affect the next generation. Small kids will now grow older without vivid memories of WDW as they get older, and are not likely to be motivated to visit themselves.

For the times we took our kids, they did have a great time, but they have seen the decline in all aspects. They are old enough to know there are much better places with greater value, including Tokyo Disneyland as likely the next or only Disney park they will go with their hard earned money as they make their way in the world on their own. The next generation is already affected and making changes.
At their ages, even on my own, I was planning and making trips with friends/housemates and went multiple times within a 5 year period. Not every visit was a DDP included kind of thing and we stayed on site in the less expensive places, but that's not even a thought for our kids these days. There's just no desire to go experience when there are so many other things to do that don't cost nearly as much or are as remotely involved in advance planning to go see construction walls, effects down, and new attractions that are the variety of move you around and show you a movie screen.

 

[Graham9]

From my perspective, technology which works on a dependency of people having smartphones has done more to degrade the theme park experience, than enhance it. I work with technology all the time, be professionally or personally. But when I (used) to come to WDW, it was good to come to WDW which didn't need it, or with little reliance on it. The key feature was spontaneity, where we could wander where we please and when we please, not withstanding reservations etc. Today, technology has made that difficult and not having smartphones etc means you are going to be disadvantaged, having done away with the much-missed Fastpass. Not everyone owns a smartphone, or (like me) wants to carry one in the parks. To me, virtually forcing people to have one - or making the mistaken belief that everyone has one - just to get a reasonable park experience, which a few years ago was both unnecessary and free. We haven't been to WDW for a few years and when it came to looking at coming again, we are having to factor in this Genie+, which will both take away money and the perception the quality of our park time, being forced to spend time as a virtual slave to this "monster in my pocket" which is going to dictate what I do, when and how - and I get to pay a lot of money for the privilege.

 

[SteveAZee]

From my perspective, technology which works on a dependency of people having smartphones has done more to degrade the theme park experience, than enhance it. I work with technology all the time, be professionally or personally. But when I (used) to come to WDW, it was good to come to WDW which didn't need it, or with little reliance on it. The key feature was spontaneity, where we could wander where we please and when we please, not withstanding reservations etc. Today, technology has made that difficult and not having smartphones etc means you are going to be disadvantaged, having done away with the much-missed Fastpass. Not everyone owns a smartphone, or (like me) wants to carry one in the parks. To me, virtually forcing people to have one - or making the mistaken belief that everyone has one - just to get a reasonable park experience, which a few years ago was both unnecessary and free. We haven't been to WDW for a few years and when it came to looking at coming again, we are having to factor in this Genie+, which will both take away money and the perception the quality of our park time, being forced to spend time as a virtual slave to this "monster in my pocket" which is going to dictate what I do, when and how - and I get to pay a lot of money for the privilege.

It would be interesting to find out what a day in the parks would be like if they removed all 'line jumping tech', all ADR's, and leave the guests to explore, discover, and choose in the moment what attractions and eateries to use.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

It would be interesting to find out what a day in the parks would be like if they removed all 'line jumping tech', all ADR's, and leave the guests to explore, discover, and choose in the moment what attractions and eateries to use.

That's exactly what it was like when we first started going to WDW in l977. It was like that for several years, even though it was more crowded. It was a REAL vacation where you could pay to get in and ride when and where you chose, also go to a restaurant and get in to eat. Fast food was easy to obtain. Everyone waited in the lines, so no one was better than the next person. There was no anger or craziness that you see now. It was an incredibly fun, immersive place to vacation then. Imagine! Just going and doing what you want and having a ball!

 

[SteveAZee]

That's exactly what it was like when we first started going to WDW in l977. It was like that for several years, even though it was more crowded. It was a REAL vacation where you could pay to get in and ride when and where you chose, also go to a restaurant and get in to eat. Fast food was easy to obtain. Everyone waited in the lines, so no one was better than the next person. There was no anger or craziness that you see now. It was an incredibly fun, immersive place to vacation then. Imagine! Just going and doing what you want and having a ball!

I've been going for about as long. The differences between now and then are the sheer number of people in the parks, and to a degree the level of civility of those who go. The world (as well as the "World") have changed. Given how different things are now, what would it be like if we went back to the rules of yore, i.e. no ADR's, no line jumping tech, no park reservations... just open the gates and see what happens.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

I've been going for about as long. The differences between now and then are the sheer number of people in the parks, and to a degree the level of civility of those who go. The world (as well as the "World") have changed. Given how different things are now, what would it be like if we went back to the rules of yore, i.e. no ADR's, no line jumping tech, no park reservations... just open the gates and see what happens.

Yep, they should, but they never will. They have to control the guests (oops customers) every move, and they are too greedy now too. So sadly, that's past, I am just glad we got to visit when Disney was enjoyable, IMO. I know others tolerate it as it is now, and that's okay. For us, it's over and done!

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

.I'm all for traveling as light in the parks as possible. One should be able to go in there with a magic band, ID/Ticket and nothing else. Of course writing down any FP times would help if you can't remember them.

In 2022, in the USA, I do not go anywhere without my insurance cards. We are supposed to carry auto insurance in both the car and a wallet if we drive. I also can't imagine entering WDW without some form of money. Yes, I know you can charge to a magicband, but I have had my band fail to work.

While FL and many states won't require it, it is also...in some places in the USA helpful to be able to show proof of COVID vaccination. I put qualifiers on that, because it is also an option to take a take a COVID test on the spot or prove you recently took one. One way to do that is to keep an image on one's phone.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Kerry, I just saw this thread, and wouldn't qualify anyway, but my above reply reminded me of the MANY times my Disney issued Magic bands have failed to work.

It isn't that I can't figure out how to use it, it is that there is some glitch in WDW's system that they have never fixed.

My bands worked for Fastpass, but often have not worked to open the hotel room, when redeeming dining credits, and only sometimes work when entering the parks. The glitch goes back to the very first magicband WDW issued to me. That trip, I tried 3 times to get it fixed. The hotel concierge CM's were not able to fix it. On later trips, I have talked to in-park Guest Services many times, including managers, and they have never been able to figure out a lasting solution.

I have always had to resort to using someone else's band to open the room or redeem credits.

If ever I try to buy/modify tickets in the park, it takes at least half an hour, but usually more like a full hour.

I often get held up when trying to enter the parks. So this has caused me quite a bit of lost time over the years.