My Magic + details ...

[ParentsOf4]

I think you're underestimating the supply of Fastpasses. It's just guesswork from either of us without the actual numbers, buy I really think there will be plenty of FP+ to go around, even to those who book later. I mean you might not get TSMM if you book 11 days out, so there will be SOME impact of booking last minute, but I don't think it'll be as severe as dining reservations, for example. I think the +10 days for resort guests is more "make them feel like they're getting a bonus" than "they better be in that +10 window or they're screwed."

Let's consider some rough numbers.

WDW has approximately 4300 DVC, 5600 Deluxe, 7500 Moderate, and 10,600 Value rooms, about 28,000 total. Occupancy rates average around 80%, occupancy is about 3 per room (rough numbers). That comes out to about 67,000 onsite guests/day on an average day. Multiply that by 3 FP+/day and that's about how many FP+ experiences WDW potentially needs to provide, about 200,000, for just its onsite guests on a typical day.

What I don't have a good idea of is what percentage of onsite guests actually visit at least one of the theme parks each day. However, one of the goals of MM+ is to increase this percentage. These onsite guests are the ones spending the big money on WDW's overpriced resorts. Disney wants them in the parks spending more money on WDW's overpriced tickets, overpriced food, and overpriced merchandise. If MM+ succeeds the way Disney wants, the percentage should increase.

What percentage of onsite guests are going to opt to select Epcot for their one FP+ park? Let's randomly use 1/4th. (I really don't know.) So, 67,000 X 0.25 = 16,750.

Picking on Epcot, there really are only 3 attractions that benefit from FP/FP+: TT, M:S, and Soarin'. Combined, they have a daily capacity during a normal 9-to-9 day of less than 50,000. That's total capacity, not just FP/FP+ capacity. The current ratio of FP-to-Standby capacity allocation is between 2-to-1 to 4-to-1. Let's pick a number in the middle and assume Disney intends to distribute 35,000 FP+ per day for these 3 attractions.

If WDW allocates each onsite guest 1 FP+ selection for TT, M:S, or Soarin', then offsite guests have a decent chance at getting a FP+ for one of these (16,750 vs. 35,000), although not great since there are significantly more offsite hotel rooms, rentals, and locals compared to onsite rooms. If Disney decides to allocate 2 FP+ selections to onsite guests (16,750 X 2 vs. 35,000), then offsite guests are in trouble.

And remember, this is for an average day. For busy days, offsite guests could be completely out-of-luck.

P.S. A lot will depend on how "smart" onsite guests are. Will they know enough to make their FP+ selections as soon as possible? That, IMHO, is a complete wildcard.

 

[Sue_Vongello]

Hm, so what other things should WDW NOT ever spend money on?

• Roads
• Toilets
• Monorails
• IT/finance/accounting systems

Nobody comes to WDW to experience SAP (TWDC's ERP system) or to use restrooms, so I guess those investments are out, right? Like it or not, sometimes those things are NECESSARY to make the pixie dust you're so focused on possible. Frankly, I think NextGen would have fit quite nicely in Walt's Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

Oh GOD! I am so sorry ... I didn't realize that this NextGen stuff was as essential as roads, toilets, and accounting ... nevermind about what I said. I am sorry.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Ratings are based on the percentage of "Excellent" answers. "Very Good" is considered negative.

Then things have changed within the past X years.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Oh GOD! I am so sorry ... I didn't realize that this NextGen stuff was as essential as roads, toilets, and accounting ... nevermind about what I said. I am sorry.

Is there a department that takes account of the accounting department?

I kid, I kid. I just see a lot of middle management and wonder exactly what they do. We need the top floors of the suntrust building but do we need the top floors of team disney?

 

[Sue_Vongello]

Is there a department that takes account of the accounting department?

I kid, I kid. I just see a lot of middle management and wonder exactly what they do. We need the top floors of the suntrust building but do we need the top floors of team disney?

I like your style.

 

[WDW1974]

20 pages ... From 5 ... I don't even know whether I have the strength or energy or time to wade thru here, so if I ignore anyone it is not personal.

I do feel that MM+ is going to screw you infinitely more IF:
you are a local;
you visit with little notice or planning;
you don't pay Mickey's absurd resort prices;
you are a CM;
you like visiting 2-3 parks in one day;
you enjoy relaxing on vacation;

Beyond that, I can see how some folks may enjoy aspects of this and find value in it ... But you can even find value in DVC if you torture the numbers enough.

I would hope that George and his team read this thread, so they get soe clue as to how badly this is playing with many of the people most predisposed to love anything Disney does ...because we're simply a small sampling of what many folks who are not as passionate about The Mouse will be raining down upon Disney CMs and management when this thing goes live next year.

 

[PhotoDave219]

20 pages ... From 5 ... I don't even know whether I have the strength or energy or time to wade thru here, so if I ignore anyone it is not personal.

I do feel that MM+ is going to screw you infinitely more IF:
you are a local;
you visit with little notice or planning;
you don't pay Mickey's absurd resort prices;
you are a CM;
you like visiting 2-3 parks in one day;
you enjoy relaxing on vacation;

So.

In Short.

"Stay on Property & jump through our hoops & pay through the nose if you want to actually ride the rides?"

 

[ParentsOf4]

So.

In Short.

"Stay on Property & jump through our hoops & pay through the nose if you want to actually ride the rides?"

No.

In Short.

Visit Universal Orlando!

 

[WDW1974]

Oh, one thought before it jumps away, but I firmly believe that Disney is trying to cut significantly down on the number of guests who are comped into the parks by cast family/friends.
Moving over to reusable RFID stock ... And then bands are going to make it much more of a hassle for CMs to take advantage of the Disney Difference. And those nice favors where a CM walks in their plumber's wife and kids for a day or their neighbor's mother in law and her boyfriend are going to come to an end because CMs will be charged if those reusable cards and bands disappear. It also makes it a big pain because the CM needs to arrange a time and place to get the cards/bands back.

 

[PhotoDave219]

No.

In Short.

Visit Universal Orlando!

I'm trying not to jump to conclusions or rush teh judgement but Disney is doing me no favors here....

 

[WDW1974]

"Buy another FP+ selection for such and such more."

It's certainly possible.

A well-respected friend of mine swears up and down that this is Step 1 in Disney going to a complete a la carte pay to play pricing model. You don't like $100 a day tickets? How about $12 rides on Soarin instead?

I don't see it, but Disney parks weren't created to be used like the mall either. What would locals or APers or Lifestylers do if you had to pay for every ride on the TTA? Or every character interaction?

 

[Tim_4]

Is there a department that takes account of the accounting department?

I kid, I kid. I just see a lot of middle management and wonder exactly what they do. We need the top floors of the suntrust building but do we need the top floors of team disney?

The top floor of Team Disney is Financial Reporting and Forecasting. That's where the accountants are.

EDIT: And there are a loooooot of empty cubes in Team Disney these days.

 

[WDW1974]

Reading this is giving me a headache. Seriously this is no longer a vacation. Thanks for the info though.

If your are an OCD mentally ill Pixie Dust addict who is in love with a BRAND, then it might be.

But for this World Traveler and Faux One Percenter, it is the opposite of a vacation.

 

[ddrongowski]

No.

In Short.

Visit Universal Orlando!

THIS!

 

[Tim_4]

Let's consider some rough numbers.

WDW has approximately 4300 DVC, 5600 Deluxe, 7500 Moderate, and 10,600 Value rooms, about 28,000 total. Occupancy rates average around 80%, occupancy is about 3 per room (rough numbers). That comes out to about 67,000 onsite guests/day on an average day. Multiply that by 3 FP+/day and that's about how many FP+ experiences WDW potentially needs to provide each day, about 200,000, for just it's onsite guests on a typical day.

What I don't have a good idea of is what percentage of onsite guests actually visit at least one of the the theme parks each day. However, one of the goals of MM+ is to actually increase this percentage. These onsite guests are the ones spending the big money on WDW's overpriced resorts. Disney wants them in the parks spending more money on WDW's overpriced tickets, overpriced food, and overpriced merchandise. If MM+ succeeds the way Disney wants, the percentage should increase.

Picking on Epcot, there really are only 3 attractions that benefit from FP/FP+: TT, M:S, and Soarin'. Combined, they have a daily capacity during a normal 9-to-9 day of less than 50,000. That's total capacity, not just FP/FP+ capacity. The current ratio of FP-to-Standby capacity allocation is between 2-to-1 to 4-to-1. Let's pick a number in the middle and assume Disney intends to distribute 35,000 FP+ per day for these 3 attractions.

What percentage of onsite guests are going to opt to select Epcot for their one FP+ park? Let's randomly use 1/4th. (I really don't know.) So, 67,000 X 0.25 = 16,750.

If WDW allocates each onsite guest 1 FP+ selection for TT, M:S, or Soarin', then offsite guests have a decent chance at getting a FP+ for one of these, although not great. If Disney decides to allocate 2 FP+ selections to onsite guests, then offsite guests are in trouble.

And remember, this is for an average day. For busy days, offsite guests could be completely out-of-luck.

P.S. A lot will depend on how "smart" onsite guests are. Will they know enough to make their FP+ selections as soon as possible? That, IMHO, is a complete wildcard.

I think the biggest flaw in your methodology is the application of the 1/4 number to Epcot. Epcot is the number two park but a lot of Epcot's "clicks" are from park hoppers going there for dinner or a stroll around World Showcase. Apply that to same methodology to the Magic Kingdom and the odds swing drastically.

 

[WDW1974]

Some character greetings will be FP+ only.

I figured that.

 

[JenniferS]

I have no idea and neither do you, that's my point. And this isn't "in lieu of investing into [sic] the parks." This IS investing in the parks. It's not the investing that Sue would do. And hey, it might not be the investing Walt would do. But it's dishonest to say it's *not* investing.

Wrong. Guest satisfaction scores are KING inside the company. They're hugely important.

Really, did you have to [sic] her? Kind of rude.

 

[asianway]

As someone who once gave those surveys, those questions are a tad skewed. Its hard to give a negative answer.

My favorite is the F&B survey.

"Hello, did you have anything to eat or drink in the park today?"
"No"
"Thank you, have a great day"

No where did I get a chance to tell them WHY I didnt eat anything and WHY I was taking my money to an offsite eatery.

 

[71jason]

Oh, one thought before it jumps away, but I firmly believe that Disney is trying to cut significantly down on the number of guests who are comped into the parks by cast family/friends.
Moving over to reusable RFID stock ... And then bands are going to make it much more of a hassle for CMs to take advantage of the Disney Difference. And those nice favors where a CM walks in their plumber's wife and kids for a day or their neighbor's mother in law and her boyfriend are going to come to an end because CMs will be charged if those reusable cards and bands disappear. It also makes it a big pain because the CM needs to arrange a time and place to get the cards/bands back.

No doubt. They've been cracking down for the better part of a year now--asking maingated guests where their "host" is--but this definitely adds a degree of difficulty to maingates that's bound to have a real effect.

One less reason for the courteous and the talented to work at WDW rather than Chik-Fil-A or Target.

 

[PhotoDave219]

The top floor of Team Disney is Financial Reporting and Forecasting. That's where the accountants are.

EDIT: And there are a loooooot of empty cubes in Team Disney these days.

I really wonder who is running the show here.

If there is record attendance, record profits, why are there layoffs?