MagicBands WILL become a thing...

[Weather_Lady]

If they really wanted to impress me, they'd use this technology to enhance transportation, as well. (In other words, if they placed RFID scanners at the end of each bus line at the parks, they would know that while 80 people have been standing in line for a bus to PORS from the MK for 25 minutes or more, there are 0 people in line to get back to POFQ. Instead of sending three buses in a row for POFQ and none for PORS, they could redirect a bus or two to a spot where it's needed. Not that I've been one of the folks in the PORS line or anything...)

 

[G00fyDad]

If they really wanted to impress me, they'd use this technology to enhance transportation, as well. (In other words, if they placed RFID scanners at the end of each bus line at the parks, they would know that while 80 people have been standing in line for a bus to PORS from the MK for 25 minutes or more, there are 0 people in line to get back to POFQ. Instead of sending three buses in a row for POFQ and none for PORS, they could redirect a bus or two to a spot where it's needed. Not that I've been one of the folks in the PORS line or anything...)

Not a bad idea! If that happened we might not rent a car like we do every trip.

 

[RunnerEd]

Well after seeing the packaging and how absolutely cool a Mickey head makes a plain plastic wristband look, I'm sold. The $1.5+ billion was well spent. I would now much rather have the band/app system than say, an imaginative Imagination Pavilion and a new country in World Showcase, or a repaired Yeti, or DHS and DAK being developed as full day parks. Give me a band for each wrist and pass the kool aid!

 

[Tim_4]

No they aren't, but equally there are no actual benefits of "Next Gen" ponzi scheme, though.

Characters that greet you by name might be pretty special. No to me, so much, but to somebody.

 

[Jo DeVil]

I can't see what the problem is with these I can't wait to get mine, but I tend to embrace new technology not fear it. Keep Moving forward!

 

[Tim_4]

Well after seeing the packaging and how absolutely cool a Mickey head makes a plain plastic wristband look, I'm sold. The $1.5+ billion was well spent. I would now much rather have the band/app system than say, an imaginative Imagination Pavilion and a new country in World Showcase, or a repaired Yeti, or DHS and DAK being developed as full day parks. Give me a band for each wrist and pass the kool aid!

Well you're getting the DHS an DAK expansions too so I'm not sure what the b*tch-fest is all about.

 

[Monty]

I know many people have said that there is a certain allotment of "reserved" FP+s, and then the rest are "day of", but I'm afraid that people like my boyfriend and I might get the shaft from this change of system. We rarely know more than a week ahead of when we'll be able to go to the parks, due to schedules, and often do things on the fly and play our days (or evenings) at the park by ear.

I don't think you'll have a problem, but I don't know for sure.

Guests with resort reservations will be able to book three FP+ reservations for each day of their stay.

AP holders and off-site guests will have access to day-of, but as far as I can tell still only three per day. I'm interested to see if they will create a process for AP holders to pre-book as well, but I haven't seen any indication of that. As far as I've seen so far they've only done tests with resort guests, perhaps they've done some with APs as well, I don't know.

I can't imagine the AP community would be very happy if all they could get was day-of FP+ for Captain EO, Maelstrom and Ellen....

 

[Virtual Toad]

Or you could look at it as 'They are taking away the advantage of ultra planning out all your moves in the park and making it so there are a few things you don't have to stress over seeing.. everything else is back to what it was prior to FP'

The people who maximized FP were optimizing and planning their steps all along. It's hysterical that the same audience now is crying foul over 'having to plan'.

This is a knee jerk reaction because they are focusing purely on the 'advanced reservation' portion and not looking at how the system stands to work as a whole.

As a previous poster mentioned, those of us who like to drop by on a whim might be left with table scraps by this new system. The days of casual park touring are probably already long gone but FP+ makes the situation even worse. It's the Disney Dining Plan for attractions and that does not bode well at all for the casual parkgoer.

EDIT: I'd like to think WDW will reserve enough "day of" FPs for APs and day guests but you have to look at where their bread is being buttered and who they will favor. When Deluxe resort guests start complaining that they paid $XXXX for their vacation and could only get FP+s for Lights, Motors, Action... is WDW going to let all those complaints slide in favor of APs or allot more "premium" FP+s to those making advance bookings? Time will tell I suppose.

 

[NormC]

Well after seeing the packaging and how absolutely cool a Mickey head makes a plain plastic wristband look, I'm sold. The $1.5+ billion was well spent.

Oh, here we go again with the 1.5 billion spent. No one on this forum really knows what the amount is or exactly how it was spent but believe me it was on much more than just the wrist bands. We were just there in Feb and a lot has been done for next gen.

 

[G00fyDad]

Oh, here we go again with the 1.5 billion spent. No one on this forum really knows what the amount is or exactly how it was spent but believe me it was on much more than just the wrist bands. We were just there in Feb and a lot has been done for next gen.

I thought Disney themselves specifically said they "are rolling out a $1.5 billion NextGen expansion".

 

[Murphketeer]

I have not decided yet. Does anyone know how easy it is to steal the information off this device?

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Or you could look at it as 'They are taking away the advantage of ultra planning out all your moves in the park and making it so there are a few things you don't have to stress over seeing.. everything else is back to what it was prior to FP'

The people who maximized FP were optimizing and planning their steps all along. It's hysterical that the same audience now is crying foul over 'having to plan'.

This is a knee jerk reaction because they are focusing purely on the 'advanced reservation' portion and not looking at how the system stands to work as a whole.

My bigger issue is regarding Disney tipping the tables in the directions they so choose more than anything. I don't like that my experience will be less than someone else's and I don't have much control over it, or that I'll have to "pay to play".

And I know it's speculation. We don't know who will benefit, or how. But it's going to happen.

 

[Virtual Toad]

My main issue is likely going to arise the moment the kids discover that their Magic Band can be removed. They will decide to take it off, put it on, take it off, do a little dance while whipping it over their head, put it on backwards, take it off, try to put it on their ankle and/or dangle it from an ear, try it on a stuffed animal, put it on, take it off, do another little dance and... uh - where did it go? Time to go to Guest Services for a new one. Repeat ten times per day.

Drop it down the toilet... or into the wishing well... or the water in It's a Small World, or dangle it out the side of the HM omnimover vehicle... or....

I'd never let my kids hold on to their park tickets all day... they lose their sunglasses every two minutes as it is. "Where did your MagicBand go?!"

Keeping park tickets in my wallet seems a lot more convenient than constantly checking whether Toad One and Toad Two have their wristbands on.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Characters that greet you by name might be pretty special. No to me, so much, but to somebody.

I tend to agree with this... But then, I also believe that would be something easy to accomplish with much less effort and money.

Killing a fly with a sledgehammer.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

It's the Disney Dining Plan for attractions and that does not bode well at all for the casual parkgoer.

Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[disneyeater]

No they aren't, but equally there are no actual benefits of "Next Gen" ponzi scheme, though.

"Ponzi Scheme: an investment swindle in which some early investors are paid off with money put up by later ones in order to encourage more and bigger risks." Not sure how this fits the definition.

 

[disneyeater]

I thought Disney themselves specifically said they "are rolling out a $1.5 billion NextGen expansion".

I think the poster is saying that $1.5B was not exclusively spent on wristbands. There are other pieces that make up the total.

 

[NormC]

I thought Disney themselves specifically said they "are rolling out a $1.5 billion NextGen expansion".

Correct, for the complete next gen expansion not just wrist bands.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Oh, here we go again with the 1.5 billion spent. No one on this forum really knows what the amount is or exactly how it was spent but believe me it was on much more than just the wrist bands. We were just there in Feb and a lot has been done for next gen.

We all understand that. But the $1.5b is driven primarily by the bands and what they "stand for" and the infrastructure required to support it. Very little of the $1.5b would be necessary without those bands and everything having to do with them.

Therefore, I shall continue to use the $1.5b amount.

 

[disneyeater]

I have not decided yet. Does anyone know how easy it is to steal the information off this device?

Not easy. This has been discussed. The only thing on the wristband/card will be an ID number that only means something to Disney's system. Not really anything you can do with that if you steal it.