jakeman
Well-Known Member
You were probably too busy deflecting conversations with your usual social media conspiracy tripe.
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MM+ Why we can't have nice things.
- Thread starter asianway
- Start date
Recon443
Active Member
Exactly my experience. The bands worked as advertised and made my whole trip a much better experience.
I have also been accused of being a Disney plant. The only opinion that matters here is that you hate MB and FP+, do that and you are good to go. What is galling to folks is that you actually USED it and even worse that you LIKED it.
jakeman
Well-Known Member
This thread:
Hands On - FastPass+ for non-resort guests at Disney's Animal Kingdom
is unofficially watching the DAK situation this week.
They're using the wrong mix of concrete.
Seriously?
So I don't need to pre book a Splash or a ToT or Soarin' or TSMM ticket for a Saturday afternoon in August weeks in advance? I can still get one at 30-60 minutes after park opening?
Great!
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
I always feel bad answering a (in thread terms) "older" question off the first page of a thread that has now gone multi-pages, but I wanted to share my opinion and thought here on this question.
Could Disney have spent 2 billion on something else that would have made a larger impact to guest experience.
No.
IMO of course, but No.
MM+ improved my entire last vacation to WDW. It impacted, positively, nearly every part of the trip, for the entire trip.
So, not talking about "draw" here, but impact to guest experience, lets say they spend 2 billion on a new land to a park. So as to not be specific to any projects rumored or talked about in the past, I'm making one up. Let's say that they decide to build Wall-E World as an expansion to Epcot. They drop 2 billion, add 2 E-ticket rides, 1 B, 1 C, and 2 eateries and shops.
I'll spend, in total, maybe 1/2 day or lets say it's mind-blowing, 1 full day in the new area on my first trip there, on subsequent trips, it will diminish based on the fact that I've already experienced the attractions and we're going back to enjoy some favorites, like the Axiom Experience e-ticket ride where I can enjoy a floating scooter and cupcake in a cup.
That's great, it added enjoyment for a day, gave me a new set of experiences, and will give me enjoyment for an hour or two on each subsequent trip.
Now, with MM+, it impacted, positively, my entire vacation. Nearly every interaction I had with the parks. How I got into and out of my room, how I ensured my FP rides, how I paid, how I got into my resort parking after hours, how guest relations could help me out, etc. In many ways, across every single day of my trip, MM+ was a positive impact to the guest experience. So, do I take 1 day of "new" experiences (which will not be new after the first time I enjoy them, then they just become part of the standard offering), or something that impacts my entire vacation? And one that can be potentially expanded upon at a later time to add new experiences?
Well, personally, I take the MM+ investment in the infrastructure and technology to improve my entire vacation over something that will impact a small portion of a day on my vacation.
Each person's opinion here may vary of course, but that's my opinion based on my experience with the system.
Disney bet the future of WDW on guests who will be thrilled with another trinket that can be used to charge via tap (instead of swipe) and pre-planning their "vacation" months and months, thus removing any ability to be spontaneous. They banked on their guests being willing to use their own smart phone devices throughout the day to alter reservations for dining, attraction times, etc. Basically, instead of giving us an immersive experience, Disney is now bringing more of the real world into what is supposed to be a vacation. On a daily basis, I often change meeting times via my iPhone, change lunch plans, etc. I don't want to have to do that on vacation when I am supposed to be relaxing and having fun.
Each time I think about WDW, I think to myself - what could they have done with $1.5B+ that would have actually enhanced my vacation, instead of just giving me trinkets that allow me to do exactly what I was able to do before...and not even any better... I had to get two separate sets of MagicBands on my visit in October, and neither worked properly. Even if my MagicBands had worked properly, they wouldn't have enhanced my visit. They would have allowed the status-quo. Unfortunately, because the MBs and MM+ did not work properly for me, my experience was worse than pre-MM+.
It seems the goal of MM+ wasn't to actually enhance the experience of the parks - it was only meant to give the illusion of enhancement while giving guests an easier way to spend money. THAT is why the Disney board approved the expenditure of money - not for guest experience enhancement.
I rode the $200M Radiator Springs Racers last Wednesday. It was awesome. It was a wonderful attraction and experience. THAT is how to spend money on a theme park. It enhanced my visit to Disneyland over my previous visits, and gave me a reason to want to go return. Disneyland is amazing, and is doing things with large chunks of money that WDW could have done, but chose not to. Disneyland wanted to increase guest spending, so they re-vamped DCA, built Carsland, and invested in improvements around the resort. WDW wanted to increase guest spending so they developed a system to make room charges easier by tapping instead of swiping... And both resorts did their respective "enhancements" for about the same amount of money.
This is what $1.5B got us in California:
This is what $1.5B got us in Florida:
Thanks WDW. That was totally worth $1.5B...
Each time I think about WDW, I think to myself - what could they have done with $1.5B+ that would have actually enhanced my vacation, instead of just giving me trinkets that allow me to do exactly what I was able to do before...and not even any better... I had to get two separate sets of MagicBands on my visit in October, and neither worked properly. Even if my MagicBands had worked properly, they wouldn't have enhanced my visit. They would have allowed the status-quo. Unfortunately, because the MBs and MM+ did not work properly for me, my experience was worse than pre-MM+.
It seems the goal of MM+ wasn't to actually enhance the experience of the parks - it was only meant to give the illusion of enhancement while giving guests an easier way to spend money. THAT is why the Disney board approved the expenditure of money - not for guest experience enhancement.
I rode the $200M Radiator Springs Racers last Wednesday. It was awesome. It was a wonderful attraction and experience. THAT is how to spend money on a theme park. It enhanced my visit to Disneyland over my previous visits, and gave me a reason to want to go return. Disneyland is amazing, and is doing things with large chunks of money that WDW could have done, but chose not to. Disneyland wanted to increase guest spending, so they re-vamped DCA, built Carsland, and invested in improvements around the resort. WDW wanted to increase guest spending so they developed a system to make room charges easier by tapping instead of swiping... And both resorts did their respective "enhancements" for about the same amount of money.
This is what $1.5B got us in California:
This is what $1.5B got us in Florida:
Thanks WDW. That was totally worth $1.5B...
WDWDad13
Well-Known Member
probably not... but you can still ride it. nothing is REQUIRED... just like getting a fastpass from an old school box with a paper ticket machine isn't required
to be honest... it's hard to get even a paper fastpass ticket for TSMM 60min after park opening
WDWDad13
Well-Known Member
patience grasshopper....they have a lot more concrete to cover than Uni, Sea World, Legoland, and Fun Spot combined
Voxel
President of Progress City
Try ten minutes after opening. :*(
WDWDad13
Well-Known Member
yeah that's true... see this is another BIG advantage to FP+ in my opinion
When DHS opens the gates... it's a mad dash to the Pixar area where TSMM is (which is narrow already). So now we have a ton of people rushing to ride TSMM and to get fastpasses. With FP+, people can pre-book times to ride this so 1) there isn't a need for the mad dash at park opening to ride 2) there isn't a need for the mad dash at park opening to get a paper FP and 3) there isn't a mass amount of people all at the same place at the same time
there's one of your +'s
Voxel
President of Progress City
Lets be fair here though. DCA was a failure of a park before this expansion. It NEVER met numbers/expectation. Back in 2008 the park was struggling to bring in over 5 million quest a year. Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom brought in much more then that. While we consider the WDW in poor shape they bring in the numbers while in the management view DCA struggled and needed help.
WDWDad13
Well-Known Member
ah finally... a breath of fresh air around here... I was starting to think too many were just drunk with blurred vision off of butterbeer
Recon443
Active Member
Of course that WDW $1.5B spent can be exported to other parks without spending another $1.5B. The $1.5B at Disneyland? Not so much.
space42
Well-Known Member
Just like the fantastic combo of The Dining Plan / ADR system. If you don't participate, your experience is exponentially worse than before those programs existed.
Who says the other parks want it?
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
No I think its the puffs of fairy dust emitting from your thats causing the blindness.You must love Dumbo, cause you sure enjoy a good spin.ah finally... a breath of fresh air around here... I was starting to think too many were just drunk with blurred vision off of butterbeer
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
100% sand - no lime or aggregate
Recon443
Active Member
Who says they don't? You? The folks on this board? Or is that decision in somebody's else's hands?