Lines at the FP+ entrances

[Longhairbear]

To be quite honest, I'm totally lost in all the pre planning and cell phone planning, rebooking etc. We never have taken our cell phones into the parks. Can someone tell me why someone, or 2 people(that would be us) need to take a cell phone into the park, when the 2 of us are always together? A cell phone is the last thing we carry in the parks. We never bring them, and put them in the safe in our DVC. In our particular situation, what is the benefit of having a cell phone in any given theme park?

 

[Redhawk]

You can still leave it in your room and use the kiosks. Changes to reservations or FP+ can be made using a smartphone, but you don't have to have one.

 

[stevehousse]

You can still leave it in your room and use the kiosks. Changes to reservations or FP+ can be made using a smartphone, but you don't have to have one.

LOL...people are either blind or just ignorant! I don't get why u guys cant seem to grasp the concept that u do NOT need your phones to use the system!

 

[Redhawk]

I think all the discussions and overwrought negativity confuses people new to the whole MM+ stuff

 

[Goofyernmost]

I used my cell phone strictly to photo the screen to record my FP+ times. I didn't have to. All I had to do was write down the times. Didn't need the phone for anything it was just a convenience.

 

[ford91exploder]

LOL...people are either blind or just ignorant! I don't get why u guys cant seem to grasp the concept that u do NOT need your phones to use the system!

No you don't NEED a phone or tablet at parks your entire party can stand in a line for a minimum of 20 minutes during the historically slow season so you can select or change FP+ selections. I want pictures of the line come spring break...

Sort of like you don't NEED to have Novocaine at the dentist when having a cavity filled... But having it really makes your day less painful.

 

[asianway]

To be quite honest, I'm totally lost in all the pre planning and cell phone planning, rebooking etc. We never have taken our cell phones into the parks. Can someone tell me why someone, or 2 people(that would be us) need to take a cell phone into the park, when the 2 of us are always together? A cell phone is the last thing we carry in the parks. We never bring them, and put them in the safe in our DVC. In our particular situation, what is the benefit of having a cell phone in any given theme park?

I need it in WDW cuz I'm bored off my @$$ and need something to occupy my attention.

 

[wdisney9000]

I think all the discussions and overwrought negativity confuses people new to the whole MM+ stuff

Many people were confused with Legacy FP. MM+ Is not gonna be any easier for them. I think much of the overwrought negativity comes from those who know that MM+ is nothing more than a tactic to get more money out of people while offering very little in return. Anyone who thinks that the executives who dreamed this up TRULY cared at all about guest experience is either blind or ignorant. Do you really think they were in the board room saying, "this is gonna be great for our guests and make their vacation better!" don't get me wrong, they have every right to make money and I want them to. But it all boils down to the amount of money they spent and what we/and or the parks got for it. Aside from MDE, which is good....when it works, we didn't get much that we couldn't already do. They just wrapped it in a pretty package.

 

[Nubs70]

Many people were confused with Legacy FP. MM+ Is not gonna be any easier for them. I think much of the overwrought negativity comes from those who know that MM+ is nothing more than a tactic to get more money out of people while offering very little in return. Anyone who thinks that the executives who dreamed this up TRULY cared at all about guest experience is either blind or ignorant. Do you really think they were in the board room saying, "this is gonna be great for our guests and make their vacation better!" don't get me wrong, they have every right to make money and I want them to. But it all boils down to the amount of money they spent and what we/and or the parks got for it. Aside from MDE, which is good....when it works, we didn't get much that we couldn't already do. They just wrapped it in a pretty package.

Absolutely correct,

Improvement in guest experience is fourth maybe fifth, if at all, on the list.
First is how much it will cost?
Second is how much will it return in one year?
Third is what is the Return On Capital Expenditure?
Fourth is what is Internal Rate of Return?
Fifth is how does this compare to Weighted Average Cost of Capital?

Somewhere down the line exists the concept of guest experience. However, for 2+ billion, if the first 5 criteria are not remotely positive, the project will not happen. In summary, guest experience is one of the less important criterion.

 

[wdisney9000]

Absolutely correct,

Improvement in guest experience is fourth maybe fifth, if at all, on the list.
First is how much it will cost?
Second is how much will it return in one year?
Third is what is the Return On Capital Expenditure?
Fourth is what is Internal Rate of Return?
Fifth is how does this compare to Weighted Average Cost of Capital?

Somewhere down the line exists the concept of guest experience. However, for 2+ billion, if the first 5 criteria are not remotely positive, the project will not happen. In summary, guest experience is one of the less important criterion.

These concepts seem so far removed from what made the parks great in the first place. Im not saying Walt wasnt out to make a buck, but there was a system. New and exciting technology was for Epcot. Imagine if they had first implemented MM+ for Future World attractions. It would have spiced up FW a bit and given guests and Dssney alike a chance to see how the system works. Would have made more sense and introduced MM+ in an exciting way. But nope...always the dollars.

 

[stevehousse]

Maybe it was just me, but I don't see how it'll make u spend more? I spent just as much on souvenirs and such as I would have without the band. It didn't make me go spending mad amounts of money...maybe I'm in the minority?

 

[wdisney9000]

Maybe it was just me, but I don't see how it'll make u spend more? I spent just as much on souvenirs and such as I would have without the band. It didn't make me go spending mad amounts of money...maybe I'm in the minority?

The ROI is going to come many different areas. Ease of charging with the band is just one of them.

 

[MrNonacho]

No you don't NEED a phone or tablet at parks your entire party can stand in a line for a minimum of 20 minutes during the historically slow season so you can select or change FP+ selections.

Your entire party doesn't need to be with you. You only need everyone's ticket or band, and even that's only if you aren't linked together through your account. And maybe I've just been lucky, but all the times I've used the kiosks it took less than 5 minutes, and that included actually making my selections.

 

[ford91exploder]

Your entire party doesn't need to be with you. You only need everyone's ticket or band, and even that's only if you aren't linked together through your account. And maybe I've just been lucky, but all the times I've used the kiosks it took less than 5 minutes, and that included actually making my selections.

So

A - Your party tours in lockstep if bands are linked
B - Your party is stuck waiting for you if not linked (since they don't have MB)
C - Your party needs to come with you (if everyone has different FP preferences)

Yes a truly flexible system - flexable in the same sense a steel rod is flexible (it can be bent but you will need to work at it)

 

[MrNonacho]

So

A - Your party tours in lockstep if bands are linked
B - Your party is stuck waiting for you if not linked (since they don't have MB)
C - Your party needs to come with you (if everyone has different FP preferences)

Yes a truly flexible system - flexable in the same sense a steel rod is flexible (it can be bent but you will need to work at it)

If multiple people are linked on your account, they come up together by default when you scan one ticket or band, but they are easily deselected. It's not difficult at all.

 

[Fractal514]

Only a Disney puppet, who feels that all of these changes is to help the guests and not their pocket books, will think otherwise.

The money Disney is hoping to get out of this is through staff management and crowd control and other ways of using the data they get from the Magic Bands. As for as them selling FP, they have never indicated they would and anyone who states that they think Disney will is merely speculating. I understand why you think they might, but they have made no indication of it outside some rumors of comments made behind closed doors which may have just been the thoughts of one executive. I really wish you would stop making such broad sweeping generalizations about the people who like and support this new system, because I'd enjoy a thoughtful conversation and I love to see multiple sides to an issue, but your dismissal of the positives of the new system and those who enjoy them shuts down any possibility of this being a two-way conversation.

 

[ParentsOf4]

The money Disney is hoping to get out of this is through staff management and crowd control and other ways of using the data they get from the Magic Bands.

When asked:

"And then, second, as you think about rolling out the FastPass+ and all of those new technological elements, do you think it's a better strategy to kind of bifurcate them by offering them to resort guests or something only at first to drive higher occupancy? Or do you go wide for everybody with that stuff?"

Iger responded with:

"I'll answer the second question, because it's easier to answer. We have for years had in place products that are available only to hotel guests. And actually, one thing that I think Jay alluded to, didn't say specifically, is MyMagic+ will definitely encourage people to stay more on-property than off-property. Jay was talking about essentially by being able to plan ahead, people will basically have more plans with us, and that will in effect discourage them from doing other things. I think it will also encourage them to stay more in our hotels. And so I think you have to look at that as an additional value to MyMagic+."

WDW hotel occupancy rates were down to 79% last year. They bottomed out at 76% in the post-9/11 economy.

Corporate Disney wants to get those hotel rooms filled again.

 

[Disneyfamily4]

LOL...people are either blind or just ignorant! I don't get why u guys cant seem to grasp the concept that u do NOT need your phones to use the system!

Again, it's comments like this that make me believe that the majority of these people claim they have been to disney and used the bands when their posts show they clearly have not.

People have two choices. You can bring your cell to the park so it is more convenient to make changes or you can leave it in the room and wait 30 min at the kiosk during spring break.

Now there will be a reply, like the other one, claiming they have been there 11 times in the past 3 weeks.

 

[Disneyfamily4]

Gotta wonder why some negative nellies get their panties in a wad over this and why they even bother to read these comments. Oh wait, I'm getting it now, maybe it helps their self esteem or maybe they hope they can discourage everyone else from visiting and therefore have shorter lines themselves, or maybe both.

Looki at your likes to your posts on this subject, then look at everyone else's. The majority have spoken.

 

[englanddg]

Again, it's comments like this that make me believe that the majority of these people claim they have been to disney and used the bands when their posts show they clearly have not.

People have two choices. You can bring your cell to the park so it is more convenient to make changes or you can leave it in the room and wait 30 min at the kiosk during spring break.

Now there will be a reply, like the other one, claiming they have been there 11 times in the past 3 weeks.

Well, sortof also depends on when they went and where the kiosks were active. The only kiosks I saw were at Sids when I went in August.

But, I knew they were coming.