My Magic + details ...

[t3techcom18]

WOW only 30%! I guess I'm in the minority. I would love to do a test. I wonder if the number will go up when the system is explained to guests a check in. Or do they have to do everything in advance?

They can do both in advance and on-site. There could be a large percentage of it going up when they get there at check-in, but still...shows that there's going to be a very long, very vicious learning curve when it comes to FP+.

More importantly, there's going to be a lonnnng ways to go to convince every single person they need to read every single pamphlet regarding everything before they come to WDW. That's a different battle unto itself.

 

[lazyboy97o]

More importantly, there's going to be a lonnnng ways to go to convince every single person they need to read every single pamphlet regarding everything before they come to WDW. That's a different battle unto itself.

I believe this epic post once again deserves reposting:

Planning your next WDW vacation:

Planning your next Uni vacation:

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Other things I wanted to mention:

1) The MagicBands are being harshly received by convention/business guests, seen as something pointless when all what they want to do mostly is check-in, grab their room key and keep going. I know they're not the main target demographic but still, it's something to keep in mind when WDW plays host to many business/convention-type events throughout the year.

2) There are many who apparently received invites but deleted the email/threw the letter out, treating it as like some sort of special offer thing or a "Wait, there's more!" type of deal.

3) There's a large chunk whom DID sign up and even after they customized their MagicBand colors, profiles, etc, they never bothered to read what it actually does or any of the features the MagicBands do.

4) And lastly, people who signed up for the test but somehow skipped the part about the MagicBand entirely, prompting many on arrival to look at it and have a "What the flip?" type of reaction.

I think this is hilarious. . Thanks for posting.

I'd bet big money there are some execs that are freaking out right now.

 

[t3techcom18]

I think this is hilarious. . Thanks for posting.

I'd bet big money there are some execs that are freaking out right now.

I don't doubt it. If those who are cast and front-line managers at the resorts who have their happy/excited bubble for NextGen deflate instantly when they see those kinds of situations, it's only the tip of the iceberg to think how the execs are reacting to this.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I don't doubt it. If those who are cast and front-line managers at the resorts who have their happy/excited bubble for NextGen deflate instantly when they see those kinds of situations, it's only the tip of the iceberg to think how the execs are reacting to this.

What I will find rivoting will be how far they run it into the ground if it clearly begins failing. It will be incredibly interesting.

I'll go on record here and say that I believe the end result will be a very scaled back and simplified MM+ that will cut out a majority of the complex dealings that make even our veteran's heads spin.

And my pie in the sky prediction is that it somehow causes the generic Disney Parks single management to be split back up. Somehow.

 

[TP2000]

I'll go on record here and say that I believe the end result will be a very scaled back and simplified MM+ that will cut out a majority of the complex dealings that make even our veteran's heads spin.

And my pie in the sky prediction is that it somehow causes the generic Disney Parks single management to be split back up. Somehow.

MyMagic+ only exists at WDW now. There's not so much of a whisper of it at Disneyland. So if this thing fails, and they scale it way back, what that means for Disneyland is that they just keep operating as they have for the past 13 years since the regular Fastpass showed up in Anaheim in 2000.

If the scaling back of MyMagic+ in WDW occurs, its impact on the whole "One Disney" garbage will be limited to WDW since Disneyland would have escaped all of it anyway.

 

[lazyboy97o]

MyMagic+ only exists at WDW now. There's not so much of a whisper of it at Disneyland. So if this thing fails, and they scale it way back, what that means for Disneyland is that they just keep operating as they have for the past 13 years since the regular Fastpass showed up in Anaheim in 2000.

I'm pretty sure Al Lutz and Jim Hill have both mentioned existing plans to begin incorporate a form of MyMagic+ into the Disneyland Resort, even relatively recently.

 

[disneylandfan95]

I'm pretty sure Al Lutz and Jim Hill have both mentioned existing plans to begin incorporate a form of MyMagic+ into the Disneyland Resort, even relatively recently.

The plan was always to introduce MM+ at Disneyland. Now, not so much. It seems that management is slowly coming to the realization that they have a dud on their hands. MM+ is continuing to soak up a ton of capital and, so far, the payoff seems to be minute. Unless things drastically change within the next year to 18 months, MM+ most likely will not come to Anaheim.

 

[cbsav]

I have to admit that the inability to use FP+ in multiple parks is proving to be a pain for planing our trip in two weeks.

We decided the best thing to do is use the fp+ at the park we hop to later in the day since we should be able to hit most of the big rides at the first park in the first few hours without much wait. However, we aren't certain what time were going to hop to the second park so picking a start time for fp+ is purely a guess. To be safe we're going with a later return window. Add to that some time for dinner and there is barely enough time in the park to schedule all 3/4 fastpasses. I'll likely end up only using 1 or 2. If we could have split between both parks this wouldn't be a problem.

Going to a theme park shouldn't be this stressful.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I'm pretty sure Al Lutz and Jim Hill have both mentioned existing plans to begin incorporate a form of MyMagic+ into the Disneyland Resort, even relatively recently.

We have always heard that Disneyland would be about 18 months behind WDW's rollout schedule. Depending on how much is true between the massive cost overruns and system functionality that we've heard from our insiders, I certainly think they'll at least pause a little bit before bringing it over to DLR. Plus, MM+ was always going to have a tougher time at DLR, with the huge local population (AP's and local daytrippers).

 

[ParentsOf4]

To better state what I said: of those who are active in the test, 30% thus far have opted to do anything with FP+ prior to arrival...that's a very, very bad indicator.

FP+ always seemed like it was designed based on feedback from a limited set of über planners who were desperate to have their entire vacations mapped out before arrival. Corporate Disney's thinking no doubt was encouraged by the mad dash by some to book ADRs 180 days out.

Instead, FP+ just turns what's supposed to be a fun vacation into a big planning chore.

The original FP was introduced in 1999 and, even today, large numbers of guests don't use it. Instead, it's experienced guests who often score a dozen FP per day.

If 30% continues to hold, that's a devastating number. Rather than capture guests onsite so they don't drive up I-4 to visit a certain other theme park, all it's going to do to appeal to a subclass of WDW guest who never intended to leave in the first place.

If that number holds, corporate Disney would have squandered billions on a system that won't drive revenue growth.

If that number holds, the entire MyMagic+ initiative becomes a gigantic boondoggle.

 

[YankeeMouse]

Agreed that the whole thing is a gigantic misfire. It could be made somewhat more usable if you could do 2 parks and choose your FP for morning and evening at a second park. We almost always go to a second park in the evening since we have AP's, and I'm betting there is a statistic out there that shows this is the case for most guests = 2 parks per day.

 

[Karenb64]

FP+ always seemed like it was designed based on feedback from a limited set of über planners who were desperate to have their entire vacations mapped out before arrival. Corporate Disney's thinking no doubt was encouraged by the mad dash by some to book ADRs 180 days out.

Hey, stop blaming the planners for this mess! Yes, I'm a planner, but I see FP+ as limiting my planning, not enhancing it. I blame the lazy, "go with the flow" people who cried to Disney about not getting a fp for TSM when they strolled into the parks around noon! I'm dreading the 60 day mark when I'm up at 6:00 a.m. working on a sytem that may or may not work, trying to get fp's for 12 people for 10 different days which will still allow the kids to hit the pool in the afternoon and Grandpa to take a nap - yes, we travel with a group of 12, so you see, I really do need to plan! Plus, with so many people talking about using their fp allotments for later in the day for a second park, it would stand to reason that more people will hit the park openings to avoid lines which will of course run up wait times.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Hey, stop blaming the planners for this mess! Yes, I'm a planner, but I see FP+ as limiting my planning, not enhancing it. I blame the lazy, "go with the flow" people who cried to Disney about not getting a fp for TSM when they strolled into the parks around noon! I'm dreading the 60 day mark when I'm up at 6:00 a.m. working on a sytem that may or may not work, trying to get fp's for 12 people for 10 different days which will still allow the kids to hit the pool in the afternoon and Grandpa to take a nap - yes, we travel with a group of 12, so you see, I really do need to plan! Plus, with so many people talking about using their fp allotments for later in the day for a second park, it would stand to reason that more people will hit the park openings to avoid lines which will of course run up wait times.

I'm not blaming the planners. Be happy; FP+ was designed for you!

Of course, they've got to get it working. As you write, the 60-day mark will be a major stress for you, hoping the system is working, hoping your home networking device doesn't break down, hoping the FP+ selections you want are still there. It seems to me that all stresses could be eliminated if WDW simply did away with all FastPass type systems. Let's go back to the old days when everyone stood in the same line; when 80% of an attraction's capacity was not allocated to a "special" line.

If I'm blaming anyone, it's certain executives at corporate Disney who believed they could turn all "guests" into über planners.

WDW would be a much better place if all FP/FP+ lines were eliminated.

But corporate Disney can't sell that. In the end, today's WDW is putting the almighty buck ahead of guest satisfaction, something that simply didn't happen in the good old days.

 

[dreamscometrue]

We are always at a park at opening (and typically at the emh morning park). The only part of this that interests me, at least at this time, is being able to book attractions with FP+ for late afternoon or evening. If, for example, we arrive at MK for 8am emh, and ride all am before lunch (as we usually do), we could head over to DHS late afternoon or evening after dinner and have fastpasses secured for TSMM, ToT and R'nRC while wait times are likely really long. That would be a sweet day.

 

[jheltz27]

Question... We currently have park tickets in hand for myself and our 2 boys for our 11/30 trip but I'm waiting to purchase my wife's ticket till closer to the trip if she decides on staying with the weekend trip she has planned with her Mom in late January. It's cheaper for us to buy her a Annual Pass with our DVC discount then a 6 day PH and 2 day PH pass for 2 trips but I'm just worried about timing. If I don't have her ticket at the 60 day mark and assuming that the MM+ system goes fully live by December, will I only be able to get FP+ selections for the 3 of us? Am I better off just buying her 6 day PH now and then converting it to the AP when we arrive? I just don't want to miss the 60 day window if it opens up 59 days from now...

 

[wogwog]

To loosely quote Ursula, 'poor unfortunate soul' is an appropriate statement about the Guest Relations staff that must work at the MyMagic minus information centers in the parks. One has been opened in MK TST at the entrance. I woiuld imagine the other parks have one as well. They are tasked to explain this entire ridiculous program to any guest wandering in to see what it is all about. Can you imagine doing that all day? I have friends doing just that. The stories they are telling support all the confusion. They have even been to training classes to teach them how to make MM -minus simple. The ones I have talked to said they are not being very successful at getting positive reactions from guests after the explanation. Most guests either walk away still confused or express dislike about the whole program. WDW might have a difficult time putting a positive spin on the results so far. I have read none of the propaganda and never envision using any of the MM minus features. I can see how detail planners who do not visit WDW often would perhaps like the program but I can not tolerate that much detail. Vacation is a time to get away from work.

 

[luv]

I really like the idea of booking all FPs for afternoons. In this way, you can hit big rides in the mornings and afternoons. It was always a challenge for me, having sleep-in mornings after fireworks and still getting enough mornings to hit all the big rides.

I think that part would be very helpful for planners.

 

[71jason]

WOW only 30%! I guess I'm in the minority. I would love to do a test. I wonder if the number will go up when the system is explained to guests a check in. Or do they have to do everything in advance?

No offense, but of course you're in the minority--you know/care enough about the Disney parks to be an active member of an online forum. The opinions of WDWMagic regulars can be interesting, but ultimately for every one of us, there's 99 guests who are walking up to the window and buying a 1-day ticket, even when the cashier explains it would be a better deal to do a multi-day, and then confused why they can't find the Hulk coaster in DHS. If a guest doesn't use Fastpass now, they're not going to do use it 90 days out. And even among casual guests who do some minimal research, once the meme gets out that all the good Fastpasses are gone by the morning of your visit, they probably won't even bother checking. Is it worth 15 minutes of your first morning of vacation to schedule a FP to Maelstrom on your phone?

As I said in another forum, the new Fastpass ultimately benefits experienced, high-information, frequent Disney guests far more than anyone else. The problem is, those same guests were going to come back to WDW no matter. The "blue ocean"--a theoretically new theme park experience--is only going to be appreciated by the most hard-core elements of the existing customer base.

 

[ParentsOf4]

And even among casual guests who do some minimal research, once the meme gets out that all the good Fastpasses are gone by the morning of your visit, they probably won't even bother checking.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the 30% participation rate from @t3techcom18 is that if anything like that number holds true, then pretty much everyone who tries can expect to get the FP+ selections they want prior to arrival.

I won't though. I'll be too busy checking out the new attractions at Universal.