My Magic + details ...

1023

1023

Provocateur, Rancanteur, Plaisanter, du Jour
ford91exploder said:
You also need VALID ticket media, So in effect Disney is forcing you to purchase tickets 60 days in advance
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Oh... Don't forget, if you are a Premier AP holder, you can't do anything yet. I tried again to set up my upcoming trip and it will not accept my valid media.

I can't even begin to describe my frustration with this "new" system so far. I spend a metric tonne of cash on Disney and I am the least serviced customer they have. So, my least favorite president ever @Potus1976, this is "ONE" of the reasons I hate this "new" next gen boondoggle. The privacy concerns are even more a factor, however, if you mention that here the usual suspects on this board will accuse you of wearing a tin foil hat.

@ParentsOf4 is one of the most thoughtful, informed, and financially sound opinions on this subject so take the quoted below to be the best one available on MDE and it's associated ilk.

ParentsOf4 said:
Welcome to these threads with your first post! Your comments have been discussed many times before. I'll try to summarize why FP+ is disliked so much:

As an experienced WDW vacationer, let's look at FP+ from your perspective. Today, experienced WDW visitors often can get a dozen FP selections per day at multiple parks. With FP+, you will be limited to 3 FP+ selections per day and only at one park.

With FP, every WDW guest has an equal opportunity to get FP. It all depends on how much effort you want to put into it. With FP+, onsite guests will be at an advantage since they will be able to book their FP+ experiences at 60 days from arrival + 10 days. Once FP+ is well understood, it's highly likely offsite guests will be unable to obtain any FP+ selections for high-demand/low-capacity attractions such as Soarin' and TSM.

Most people are not uber planners and don't want to map out every single moment of their vacations two months before they arrive yet, if they don't, there's a strong possibility that all the "good" FP+ selections will be gone.

The entire NextGen initiative, including FP+, has cost over $2B. Universal built the entire Wizzarding World of Harry Potter for $265M and it now generally is considered the best executed "land" in all Orlando. Imagine what WDW could have done with $2B if they had actually spent it wisely by adding and improving attractions at the parks!

Ultimately, WDW suffers from a capacity problem that FP+ does nothing to address.

The Walt Disney Company CFO Jay Rasulo bluntly summarized for Wall Street why FP+ is being implemented: "So if we can get people to plan their vacation before they leave home, we know that we get more time with them. We get a bigger share of their wallet."

FP+ has little to do with improving guest experience. FP+ is all about more money for corporate Disney.

Hopefully, it's a little bit clearer why we "grumble" over FP+ :)
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Thanks for joining the forums here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

*1023*

P.S. You can read any of my MDE associated posts elsewhere and find out what I consider the most bitter bile inducing about MyMagicMinus.
 
CTXRover

CTXRover

Well-Known Member
I guess I've been lucky so far. We have annual passes and are headed down in late October. I've had no problems linking our passes and reservations to our accounts. We customized and already received our magic bands. Whether we will use and wear them are to be seen. They aren't bothersome to wear at least though. Making Fastpass+ selections was a breeze since we had dinners planned for most nights so knew what parks we would be at. For us, we find it quite convenient. We aren't really "morning people" when on vacation and, for an example, we haven't rode Toy Story Mania in a while (as I don't like waiting 60+ minutes for this ride).

We now have a day planned where we arrive at DHS around 1pm after lunch at the resort and have FP+ for TOT, RnRC and Toy Story and then we will be leaving the park at 3:30pm to head over to Epcot for an Eat to the Beat concert, dinner and Illuminations. While perhaps telling of the need for something new at DHS, we would never have been able to do all that in such a time frame with the old system.

We have other days planned similarly for the 3 main attractions we like to hit at each parks. Having a Soarin' and Test Track fastpass for mid afternoon without having to arrive at the park at 9am is actually nice to know. I guess we visit the parks differently than some others, as I don't think I ever got fastpasses for more than 3 attractions on any given day (we don't do the "spend all day and see all" approach anymore).

I don't know how easy this will all be when fully active (I think all resorts are now part of the October test), but I easily changed a selection or two. Probably my only worry is the effect on standby lines for our usual non-FP favorites (i.e. Pirates and HM at MK)

I hope for the best. We'll see if it works when we actually get there. However, the "pre-planning" hasn't been as stress-inducing as some lead me to believe. I hope I'm not being naïve to the "information" being collected. Despite not posting much nowadays, I've kept up the the various threads on this. I didn't give them permission to send me marketing information when I made our accounts, so I don't anticipate receiving marketing emails. I otherwise have no problem with the long range readers. My phone and google know everywhere I go now anyway ;)
 
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J

jwieber

New Member
I have to agree with CTXRover. I have linked our trip in November and made our selections for the days and the parks we are going to be at.
Reading their approach almost reads like our trip style. We are DVC, so no rushing to get out before the room cleaning crew starts rounding. Relax and take a late mid-morning start for one of the parks that we have dinner plans for and now with this FP+, no more rushing to the park to get a FP that will not be available for several hours.
Yes, it may all not work out as it sounds, but for us this may be a good approach.
I do worry about the standby's we usually do, Like POTC (I am reading that the line is now crazy, when is used to be a little backup only at the end of the queue) or Mickey's Phil, but I am willing to see it in action.
Here's hoping we have as nice a Thanksgiving trip as I think we'll have. And if all else fail at WDW, at least we are on the 3 day Disney cruise in the middle of the trip. And that we know is great! NO FP's or standby's
 
1023

1023

Provocateur, Rancanteur, Plaisanter, du Jour
jwieber said:
I have to agree with CTXRover. I have linked our trip in November and made our selections for the days and the parks we are going to be at.
Reading their approach almost reads like our trip style. We are DVC, so no rushing to get out before the room cleaning crew starts rounding. Relax and take a late mid-morning start for one of the parks that we have dinner plans for and now with this FP+, no more rushing to the park to get a FP that will not be available for several hours.
Yes, it may all not work out as it sounds, but for us this may be a good approach.
I do worry about the standby's we usually do, Like POTC (I am reading that the line is now crazy, when is used to be a little backup only at the end of the queue) or Mickey's Phil, but I am willing to see it in action.
Here's hoping we have as nice a Thanksgiving trip as I think we'll have. And if all else fail at WDW, at least we are on the 3 day Disney cruise in the middle of the trip. And that we know is great! NO FP's or standby's
Click to expand...

Note: Please read with manner, parlance, and affectation one is familiar with upon a voyage in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Withhold but a moment fair sailor... This may be your last cruise without fickle demon. Amongst the many tales of doom hear tell of a great migration to an almighty e-element coming to a ship near you. Avast, hardy cruise goers, your Navigator appears by spectral powers upon your person. Your days are numbered and spelled. You are without proffered decision lest ye act with haste prior to departure. Foes seek to displace you from desired position and treasures. Suffer not from fortunes lost and divine the truth lest ye reap the wrath of thine chosen ancestors and kin.

In modern terms, MyMagicMinus is coming to a ship near you. I hope you and your family enjoy your 3 day cruise without it. It may be the last time.

Sincerely,

*1023*
 
Nubs70

Nubs70

Well-Known Member
1023 said:
Oh... Don't forget, if you are a Premier AP holder, you can't do anything yet. I tried again to set up my upcoming trip and it will not accept my valid media.

I can't even begin to describe my frustration with this "new" system so far. I spend a metric tonne of cash on Disney and I am the least serviced customer they have. So, my least favorite president ever @Potus1976, this is "ONE" of the reasons I hate this "new" next gen boondoggle. The privacy concerns are even more a factor, however, if you mention that here the usual suspects on this board will accuse you of wearing a tin foil hat.

@ParentsOf4 is one of the most thoughtful, informed, and financially sound opinions on this subject so take the quoted below to be the best one available on MDE and it's associated ilk.



Thanks for joining the forums here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

*1023*

P.S. You can read any of my MDE associated posts elsewhere and find out what I consider the most bitter bile inducing about MyMagicMinus.
Click to expand...
It's not tinfoil, it's thoughtful hypothesis.
 
L

Longhairbear

Well-Known Member
1023 said:
Oh... Don't forget, if you are a Premier AP holder, you can't do anything yet. I tried again to set up my upcoming trip and it will not accept my valid media.

I can't even begin to describe my frustration with this "new" system so far. I spend a metric tonne of cash on Disney and I am the least serviced customer they have. So, my least favorite president ever @Potus1976, this is "ONE" of the reasons I hate this "new" next gen boondoggle. The privacy concerns are even more a factor, however, if you mention that here the usual suspects on this board will accuse you of wearing a tin foil hat.

@ParentsOf4 is one of the most thoughtful, informed, and financially sound opinions on this subject so take the quoted below to be the best one available on MDE and it's associated ilk.



Thanks for joining the forums here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

*1023*

P.S. You can read any of my MDE associated posts elsewhere and find out what I consider the most bitter bile inducing about MyMagicMinus.
Click to expand...
I hope you caught tonight's episode of Person Of Interest. I swear the writers have been reading these boards about My Magic Minus, and our thoughts on all of it.
 
C

COProgressFan

Well-Known Member
Bairstow said:
No, but having used the system like this, the beauty part is that it doesn't matter. The trick is to not care so much. Pick the rides you want that have long or unpleasant queues, then forget about it.
As long as you're in the right park, you can just check your phone the day-of to remind yourself when your reservation times are. Since each ride reservation window is an hour long, it's really no big deal to get across a park to do a particular attraction with reduced wait time.
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But how will I know if I'm in the "right park" 60 days out? I usually don't know what park I'll be in 60 days in advance. I certainly don't have my tickets purchased. So essentially I am locked out of booking in advance. There are millions of guests who are not uber planners. I don't mind planning out certain aspects of a vacation, but there is a limit. If I have to wait until I show up at the park, or a few days before, I am at a disadvantage. In all likelihood, all the "good" FP+ attractions will be gone.

You say that it doesn't matter, and the trick is not to care so much, but if I do that, I'll likely be stuck with a FP to the Tiki Room, or Carousel of Progress, or Spaceship Earth, and stuck in major lines for Splash or Soarin.

Under the old system, everyone had a fair shot.
 
Lord_Vader

Lord_Vader

Join me, together we can rule the galaxy.
COProgressFan said:
But how will I know if I'm in the "right park" 60 days out? I usually don't know what park I'll be in 60 days in advance. I certainly don't have my tickets purchased. So essentially I am locked out of booking in advance. There are millions of guests who are not uber planners. I don't mind planning out certain aspects of a vacation, but there is a limit. If I have to wait until I show up at the park, or a few days before, I am at a disadvantage. In all likelihood, all the "good" FP+ attractions will be gone.

You say that it doesn't matter, and the trick is not to care so much, but if I do that, I'll likely be stuck with a FP to the Tiki Room, or Carousel of Progress, or Spaceship Earth, and stuck in major lines for Splash or Soarin.

Under the old system, everyone had a fair shot.
Click to expand...

There is also a simple solution to purchase your tickets 60 days in advance and make a best guesss which is what we intend to do. If our plans change, that is on us and we will try to get what FP we can, not happy about it but we are not going to be at a disadvantage because we refuse to at least try it out.

We make ADRs 180+10 out to mostly restaurants that are in resort based if we are on the free dining plan perpetually offered which allows us maximum park flexibility while guaranteeing we have a decent table service meal to relax after a long day in the parks.
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
COProgressFan said:
But how will I know if I'm in the "right park" 60 days out? I usually don't know what park I'll be in 60 days in advance. I certainly don't have my tickets purchased. So essentially I am locked out of booking in advance. There are millions of guests who are not uber planners. I don't mind planning out certain aspects of a vacation, but there is a limit. If I have to wait until I show up at the park, or a few days before, I am at a disadvantage. In all likelihood, all the "good" FP+ attractions will be gone.

You say that it doesn't matter, and the trick is not to care so much, but if I do that, I'll likely be stuck with a FP to the Tiki Room, or Carousel of Progress, or Spaceship Earth, and stuck in major lines for Splash or Soarin.
Click to expand...

If you don't have your tickets purchased, how are you going to be making fastpass plus reservations to begin with?

COProgressFan said:
Under the old system, everyone had a fair shot.
Click to expand...

How is it any different now?
People who plan ahead, either before the trip or at the beginning of the day have always, and always will have an edge.
 
Buried20KLeague

Buried20KLeague

Well-Known Member
CDavid said:
You don't actually need people to pre-order meals in advance (which really is silly) to determine how many of each entree you're likely to sell, and therefore the quantity of supplies required. Allowing for changes in seasons, holidays, and that sort of thing, chances are the number of each fish, beef, and chicken dish customers bought last week is roughly similar to the number they'll buy this week, too.

What I assume was someone had the (half-baked) idea of having your food prepared and ready when you arrive for your seating, because from Disney's perspective it is both inefficient and costly to have your party occupying a table for 20 minutes waiting on your meal to arrive. But that plan is largely defeated by permitting widespread changes upon arrival. In any case, picking out meals weeks or more in advance is beyond silly - it's absurd. Permitting selections on the day of dining (say, an hour or two prior) might make a bit more sense, but even then there will be changes. Worse still is the idea to rush people through their meals to fit more guests, as the last thing I want to feel (especially at Disney dining prices) is rushed through my dinner.
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hammer-and-nail.jpg
 
Buried20KLeague

Buried20KLeague

Well-Known Member
Potus1976 said:
I really do not understand the grumbles over the new Magic Bands and FastPass+. Each to his own, I guess. However, we received our bands and have already made all of our reservations for dinning and fastpass. If you do not like the new process....my understanding is you do not have to participate. Each guest still receives the plastic card keys that can be used.

We go to WDW around 2 times a year. Once for the Flower and Garden Festival and once for the Food and Wine. Sometimes we make it for a 2-3 days for Christmas. As an expierenced Disney fan....I am very excited about the new Bands and FastPass+. I think it is a step in the right direction.

Once again....to each his own. Just my opinion.
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And what direction is that, exactly?
 

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