pmaljr
Well-Known Member
@Reade's Dad : You could call the normal reservation number. You can also try editing the info on the main web site to see if you can correct it there first ...
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MyMagic+ Efficiency Update
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RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
In his defense, he got punched in his head for a living.Ponder this...
All five of George Foreman's sons are named George Foreman. The boxing legend and famous grill salesman George Foreman named all of his sons after him: George Jr, George III, George IV, George V, and George VI. He also has a daughter named Georgetta.
Hope he doesn't plan a trip to WDW any time soon!
asianway
Well-Known Member
I think we'd all love to know the q&a if you have it thanks
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
It's somewhat obvious why they accept these practices, Good design/coding costs money and TDO does not want to spend money, Unfortunately IT and engineering as a whole is pay now or pay later, TDO probably went after lowest bid and now they are in the 'pay later' state.
I've seen projects like this before one company did a 'Low Bid' on the Y2K conversion for their AS/400 systems. They were forced to sell out to a larger competitor when it became obvious that the project would not be completed until sometime in 2002.
Walked away from that one as it was June 1999 and they were not willing to pay for level of resources it would take to fix their issues in the remaining time. They STILL thought they could cheap it out.
Realtronica
New Member
Sorry for the confusion. I just got back from WDW with a group of 12 who participated in the MBs. Out of all of us we were lucky our bands worked at all. I could elaborate further but it would take a few pages to tell everyone where they worked and didn't and who's worked on what day. WDW should toss the surveys and just stop by wdwmagic to get an idea of what's happening. As for the guests who are having technical issues they are just crediting you one free nights stay and a few "over-ridden" fastpasses. Clearly there is serious disconnect here.
Just curious - is it a credit on your current stay, or one in the future?
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alissafalco
Well-Known Member
Wow, please do tell. I would not mind reading a few pages of what happened.
Radok Block
Well-Known Member
Orlando Sentinel has an article up this morning about MyMagic+ skepticism (if you can get behind the paywall).
(ETA: this article is also mentioned in the recent Spirit thread.)
(ETA: this article is also mentioned in the recent Spirit thread.)
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Tigger1988
Well-Known Member
Can you just copy/paste the article? It asks me to subscribe and then takes me to the main page when I say no thanks.
Realtronica
New Member
With persistence...it's a credit on your current stay.
By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel
6:42 p.m. EDT, August 17, 2013
NBCUniversal plans to spend about $1.1 billion on capital projects this year, driven primarily by ambitious expansion plans at its theme parks in Florida and California.
That $1.1 billion will pay for a big chunk of the construction costs for a host of new attractions: a Transformers ride, a Simpsons shopping area and a second Harry Potter land at Universal Orlando, plus a Despicable Me attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, among other projects.
It's also nearly the same amount of money the Walt Disney Co. is investing in "MyMagic+" — the multitentacled technology project at Walt Disney World whose central elements include a reservation system that will allow visitors to book ride times weeks in advance and rubber bracelets known as "MagicBands" that will function as all-in-one theme-park tickets, hotel-room keys and credit cards.
The contrasting investments underscore the enormous bet Disney is placing on what amounts to the most expensive rewiring project in theme-park industry history. Disney has calculated that it can spur profit growth at Disney World — where it now has four theme parks, two water parks and two dozen hotels and time-shares — more by getting visitors to better manage their experiences than by building conventional attractions.
But some Disney fans say they have misgivings about MyMagic+. A few, looking wistfully at the new rides sprouting in Universal's theme parks, are openly hostile to the Disney project, calling it a naked attempt to squeeze more money out of guests by sucking the spontaneity out of their vacations.
"I consider myself middle-of-the-road when it comes to technology and, also, I like to plan my Disney trips. However, I found this to be overplanning," said Steve Holaway, a 43-year-old facilities specialist for a communications company in St. Louis. Holaway was among those chosen to participate in a MyMagic+ test while he vacationed at Disney World last week.
"I don't want to pick what park I'm going to be in on a specific day in advance," Holaway added. "I do not see the 'magic' in the MagicBands."
Disney says critics, some of whom have taken to airing their frustrations in online fan forums, represent a vocal minority. And it says opinions of MyMagic+ are improving as it does more testing and guests learn more details.
The company this month launched its largest test yet, aiming to have more than 80,000 Disney visitors try MyMagic+ systems. Participants can make reservations from home for as many as three attractions a day in a single theme park — or four in the Magic Kingdom — and can get personalized MagicBands shipped to their homes.
Guests selected for the tests fill out surveys at the end of their trips, asking them if MyMagic+ made their visits better, worse or the same. Disney says the "overwhelming majority" have said better, though it would not be more specific.
"I can also say that it's working, meaning those that are using it — and we've got a number of people that have used it — have reacted very well," Disney Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger said earlier this month.
Disney has by no means ceased building new attractions at Disney World, though the pace has slowed in recent years. The company next year is set to complete its $425 million expansion of Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom, and it has begun work on a land in Disney's Animal Kingdom, based on the film "Avatar," that won't open until at least 2017.
But neither of those projects is nearly as expensive as MyMagic+, which Disney began developing more than five years ago under the internal moniker "NextGen." Disney has acknowledged spending about $1 billion on the imitative, though one person familiar with financial details put the budget at $1.5 billion.
Disney still has not said when it will launch the program for all guests; Iger said a "probable full rollout" is expected in the "early part" of Disney's 2014 fiscal year, which begins in October.
Disney expects to recoup the large investment — roughly the same amount it spent on the wildly successful makeover of Disney California Adventure in Southern California — in a variety of ways. Among them:
•By getting guests to plan more of their trips in advance, Disney expects they will spend more of their vacation time on Disney World property, instead of visiting Universal Orlando, shopping malls or other off-property attractions.
•By making food and souvenir purchases as easy as waving a wristband in front of a scanner — the same cash-free model that has been so lucrative for the cruise industry — Disney thinks guests will spend more money overall.
•By collecting more personal data about visitors, from their favorite characters to their spending habits, Disney hopes to develop more effective sales offers customized for individual families.
Disney thinks MyMagic+ will help in other areas, too, from luring more people into company-owned hotels to establishing a new souvenir line in the form of MagicBand accessories.
But to hit any of those targets, Disney will first have to persuade fans that it is in their best interest — rather than just Disney's — to spend more time preplanning and to share more personal information. And some are leery.
"New attractions or a new resort may be a reason to visit, but … convenience isn't a reason for our family to plan a visit," said Joe Bucher, a 35-year-old architect from Nashville who says he visits Disney World about every two years.
Some of the deepest skepticism has come from locals and annual pass holders, who are more likely to make impromptu visits to the giant resort.
"I hate to say it, but I doubt we'd renew our passes if we have to book weeks or months in advance. That's just not convenient for us," said Michelle Bell, a 39-year-old homemaker from Winter Springs who says she visits Disney World once a month.
To be sure, there are many Disney fans who are enthusiastic about MyMagic+. And Disney says that group is growing: The company said its most recent monitoring of social-media channels found overall sentiment about the program was about 80 percent positive — and just 2 percent negative — compared with a reaction that was predominantly neutral before widespread testing began.
"Our experience was awesome, as the bands functioned flawlessly as our room keys, annual passes and FastPasses," said Gerald Mauser Jr., a 41-year-old sales and information-technology professional from Naples who participated in a test during a recent five-day trip to Disney World.
"We are planning another trip in October," he added, "and we are already able to go in to make FastPass reservations."
Disney notes that MyMagic+ will be entirely optional for guests, though some fans worry they will be forced to endure even longer standby lines for popular rides if they choose not to plan in advance but many others do.
Among the most excited about the program: Wall Street, where analysts expect MyMagic+ to begin generating revenue in 2014.
"The more they can get you organized before you get in there, the more you're going to be doing and spending," said David Bank, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets. "Obviously, the investment community finds that to be a huge positive."
jrgarcia@tribune.com or 407-420-5414
Copyright © 2013, Orlando Sentinel
What people are saying about MyMagic+
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- 6:42 p.m. EDT, August 17, 2013
The Orlando Sentinel asked Disney fans how they feel about MyMagic+, the billion-dollar technology project currently being tested at Walt Disney World. Here's a sampling of the responses:
"If passholders are going to have to plan their visits weeks or months in advance, that isn't going to work for me and my family. ... I hate to say it, but I doubt we'd renew our passes if we have to book weeks or months in advance."
—Michelle Bell, 39, Winter Springs, visits Disney World at least once a week
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—Joe Bucher, 35, Nashville, Tenn., visits Disney World nearly once a year
"Disney's ability to do this, do it well, and do it in a way that doesn't jeopardize the information of guests isn't something I'm entirely confident about. It's also not entirely clear just what kind of data they'll be collecting from guests, what they'll be doing with this data, and who will have access to this data."
—Ingram Connor, 25, Casselberry, visits Disney World about twice a month
"I think this could be really neat. To not have to worry about losing an RFID card, but to be able to have a band on your wrist that is waterproof and much more, could be way simple and easy. Disney has to keep up, and I for one am really excited. … As a pass holder, I am looking forward to wearing this on my wrist and being able to customize it with accessories and much more."
—Melissa Fass, 26, Lake Wales, visits Disney World about three times a week
"I don't book my trips months in advance, I don't get up at dawn six months out to make dining reservations, I rarely stay on property, I have no desire to set up my 'experience' online, and I most certainly do not want to book FastPasses weeks in advance. … Because of this, when I visit the parks, paying the same rate for a ticket as those who 'opt in,' I will be at a disadvantage in ways I never was in the past."
—Lee Harrell, 44, Jackson, Tenn., usually visits Disney World several times a year
"Overall, I did not like the MagicBands because they didn't work everywhere, the lack of cast-member knowledge regarding the bands, and the overplanning aspect of the bands. I do not see the 'magic' in the MagicBands."
—Steve Holaway, 43, St. Louis, visits Disney World at least once a year
"At first I was excited that Disney was making changes; because I go so often, it is nice to see a change. But I was then scared about the new changes. I am a planner … but I fear the MagicBands and MyMagic+ will take away the little spontaneity that I still experience at the parks. More than that, I fear MyMagic+ will be a problem for my parents' generation and older who are not attached to their smartphones. I also have friends who are cast members, and I fear that jobs will be cut at Disney now with the new program."
—Brittney Karpovich, 23, Marlton, N.J., visits Disney World three to five times a year
"For the most part, I think it's a great idea. It addresses the biggest failings of the current [FastPass] system: (1) Crisscrossing the parks collecting paper FP tickets. (2) Having no control over the return time; right now you either accept the ride time displayed on the board or you don't. (3) In some cases, having to be in the parks early to have any chance at getting a FastPass; obvious example is Toy Story Mania! ... My biggest reservation is the number of FastPass+'s they are allowing; three per guest, per day, is simply not enough."
—Tim Krasniewski, 43, Toledo, Ohio, Disney Vacation Club member
"As a premium AP [annual pass] holder for the past six years, I am concerned by the lack of information available to pass holders about how it will affect us. I was at the park last weekend and talked to a couple of people testing the MagicBands and they were very happy with the way they were working. All of them said that they were having problems using the MagicBands when trying to 'touch' to pay."
—David Lairson, 38, Port St. Lucie, visits Disney World at least once a month
"Every time a Disney executive gives an interview about MyMagic, they spout the same company line: That it's all about giving their customers more 'choices.' That's the same thing AT&T or Verizon says when they introduce some new rate plan that's designed to extract more money from their customers without improving the quality of their service. The difference is that cellphone service is a necessity these days, but a Disney World vacation is not. I go on vacation to relax, not to adhere to some rigid schedule."
—David Landon, 35, Gainesville, a former annual pass holder who last visited Disney World in 2011
"Our experience was awesome, as the bands functioned flawlessly as our room keys, annual passes and FastPasses. … I was able to change the attraction and times for our FastPasses through a mobile app on Android phone and tablet, which they also have for iPhones and iPads, and this change was easy, so long as it was within a reasonable time."
—Gerald Mauser Jr., 41, Naples, visits Disney World about six times a year
"I like the technological angle of MyMagic+. It can add a lot. I fear, however, that the tech might overwhelm new guests in a park that can be very complicated as it is. I am an obsessive planner, but trying to figure out where I will be that far ahead does not appeal to me. In the end, we could be very much like the well-programmed animatronics that we visit the parks to enjoy."
—Roger Sauer, 65, Disney Vacation Club member
"I personally feel like [Walt Disney World] management is ruining the guest experience by integrating too much technology and pre-planning. There is something to be said for spontaneity and play as you go when at WDW."
—Joshua Sullivan, 31, Owensboro, Ky., Disney Vacation Club member
"With the form of technology being RFID, there are many RFID readers out there where someone could easily come up beside you with your hand at your waist and it could read what is on the band. … I wouldn't want someone to scan the band and get my ticket number or my name. I'm sure these security measures are in place, but these are the things I think about."
—Nick Turpchinoff, 27, Fort Wayne, Ind., visits Disney World at least once a year.
Jason Garcia
Copyright © 2013, Orlando Sentinel
Realtronica
New Member
I'm actually in the process of writing a letter to WDW. I will try to condense it and post it here shortly.
Realtronica
New Member
Wow. 5 years in development? Disney should just stick with building rides and drop their tech initiatives.
kittybubbles
Active Member
Interesting (to me) that the version of this story that ran today in the Sun Sentinel did not mention the 80% number, but it did include the following:
"Disney says critics, some of whom have taken to airing their frustrations in online fan forums, represent a vocal minority. And it says opinions of MyMagic+ are improving as it does more testing and as guest learn more details."
Anyway, the article that ran down here mentions that the exit surveys have an overwhelming majority of guest showing their trip was made better by MM+, but it seems to imply that Disney was not very specific on numbers when it states "though it (this in in reference to Disney) would not be more specific."
"Disney says critics, some of whom have taken to airing their frustrations in online fan forums, represent a vocal minority. And it says opinions of MyMagic+ are improving as it does more testing and as guest learn more details."
Anyway, the article that ran down here mentions that the exit surveys have an overwhelming majority of guest showing their trip was made better by MM+, but it seems to imply that Disney was not very specific on numbers when it states "though it (this in in reference to Disney) would not be more specific."
Realtronica
New Member
Kitty read my comments above...out of the group that I was with at WDW last week "each" of our bands if we were lucky enough only worked on the average 20% of the time at MM scan points. Disney gate personnel would have to re-scan out bands with their handheld tablets to let us thru.
luv
Well-Known Member
The thing is still want to know is if these will be available solely for water park passes. If you have a water park AP, can you get a band just for that?
Water parks are the only place I'd want to wear one. I'd also love to be able to put money on a water park band...pre-paid, like a gift card.
Why do I think the only band I want will be the one I can't get?
Water parks are the only place I'd want to wear one. I'd also love to be able to put money on a water park band...pre-paid, like a gift card.
Why do I think the only band I want will be the one I can't get?
Radok Block
Well-Known Member
Thanks for posting the article. I couldn't get to it otherwise.
Yep.
Yep.