MyMagic+ MagicBands to begin testing in parks soon

[allgiggles]

can't say that we ever grab more than one or two fastpasses per day if that when we visit any of the parks so i don't see what the problem with having 4 would be . As for the AP people being "moved aside" i wonder about the amount of profit difference between an AP holder who pops in multi times a year and rides rides and spends a bit of cash on merch/meals and a once a year visitor who spends far more on merch/meals .
I do think pushing out the AP holders is kinda harsh but it is always going to come down to the bottom line in all reality

Only being able to get 4 FP's in a day would be a huge annoyance for our family. We only get to Disney every other year -- usually in June -- so we like to make the most of it while we're there. We use at least 6 or 7 FP's in a day at MK; 5 or 6 in EP & DHS; and 4 or 5 in AK. Sometimes it's so we can ride a favorite ride several times (like TSMM) and sometimes it's so we can get on a lot of attractions in one day without spending hours and hours waiting in line (like at MK). I wouldn't have a problem with the limit of 4 if the standby lines were going to be 20 minutes or less for the attractions I don't have a FP for...but I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll still be able to use the current FP system for our trip in June (it's looking good, I think). I want all the kinks to be worked out and know how to use the FP+ system effectively by the next trip.

 

[orky8]

I said they "tend" to know how to use it. It is not likely your Grandmother who doesn't know how to use her smart phone it will be downloading the Disney App and trying to reorganize her FP+ or ordering off of the Chipotle or Publix Apps for lunch.

True, and if she can't figure out how to do these things, she will get a diminished experience. That's the problem, right? Learning how to use the fastpass or you have a diminished experience is a low bar. Learning to use fastpass+ seems higher to me.

My real problem is, they are creating false lines for rides that would otherwise have none by Fastpassing everything. What I think is going to happen is the uber planners are going to snatch up all the fastpasses for the true E tickets, then when the commoner get online, those fastpasses will be gone, but they will use their fastpasses alltoment on rides that shouldn't have lines, simply to use their allotment. Now everything gets an artificial line because fastpass slows down the stand by line.

 

[kittybubbles]

I see folks saying they will get 4 FP+ credits per day/park. Which I guess is fine. So let's honestly thing about that ( I'm pretty sure I saw in the user agreement that the allotment could change bases on things like the day of the week), anyway, let's think about AK, what does one really need a FP for? So for my family that might be Everest and possibly the Safari ride, now if it typical that of the four for AK, every visitor wants to schedule a FP time for those two attractions, how we'll can this system work?

Move over to DHS, I would say RnR, Toy Story, and at times ToT.

EPCOT has Tron Track and Soaring.

Now we have visited a lot (in my daughter's 7 years of life) and we try to go during slower times. The drive for us is about 3.5 hours which I imagine we could do without staying in Orlando, but we always stay somewhere when we go.

Anyway, if we are somewhat typical in what we want to experience and three of the parks really do not have 4 attractions that need FP (today), how will there be enough FP's for the main attractions for everybody....should my trip be magical because I settled for an ADR for LMA because it was available (but it has the capacity that it does not need FP)?

I guess I can decide ahead of time if it is worth visiting the parks and spending any money based on what FP+ ADR's are open...meaning I may never visit...I imagine it is great for anyone who visits once in awhile and needs to ride everything, we have spent time in the parks where we only rode one ride.

I still think customer service is going to have it rough when someone's one day in the MK was to include Space Mountain, but it was down during their time frame that they booked 3 months ago....all their other days are planned, they didn't bother w/ a park hopper option....now their whole trip was a disaster (and they will tell 100 of their friends as well as write a blog about who horrible their trip was).....

Sorry, just rambling....but I was just up there for a few days, I tried to think what it would be lack to plan more than the little we do now. SAT was to start w/ the morning magic hour at DHS, we had woke up early enough...took our time getting ready, we were at our resorts food court by 7:15 am...by the time we got breakfast, ate, headed to the bus stop...well, we decided to go to AK instead as we knew the bus would make something like 4 stops and we would not gain anything by getting into DHS at 8:45 or so....

We we took our time got into AK a couple of minutes after 9am...it was a little cool out, so we figured we would ride the safari..maybe it has been a while since we have been on it, but we laughed at how the giraffes we saw now seemed to have their food closer to the Wild Trek lunch area than closer to 'free' view from the non-up charge safari experience....

 

[G00fyDad]

The info Disney has posted says one park per day for the FP+ so you would have to choose which park to use all your FP+ credits at.

I was afraid of that. Thanks for the answer.

 

[awoogala]

To me it seems the only way this works is if the current fastpass rules remain and the only difference is you can book from your phone rather than running to the actual attraction...day of, with return times being predetermined based on availability. If they want to save face based on what they have already said, allow one attraction to be pre-booked so people feel like they got to do something cool, and the rest can be the system everyone is already used to minus the mad dash across the park. I am giving you an out Disney! Please take it!

thereby totally screwing over anyone without a smartphone.

 

[WDW1974]

It appears the old kiosks will go away once the system is fully transitioned. But no one knows yet how much attention/priority Disney will give 'day of' reservations by keeping capacity held back, etc.

But Disney obviously is aware of the situation - its just none of us know their choice yet..

OK. You're a (relatively) smart dude. What do you think the chances are I can show up with my AP staying off-site at 3 in the afternoon and get a FP to say Soarin? Or TSMM? Or one of the mountains? ... Or will I only be able to get one for Living with the Land, GMR and Aladdin's carpets (and, worse, actually need them because of artificial lines created by FP+)?

 

[WDW1974]

I keep seeing the "ordering a Publix sandwich online" scenario compared to MM+. To me there's no comparison. Imagine having to order your sandwich from Publix six months in advance. Now imagine the later you wait to order the sandwich the less chance you have of getting one. Who wants to order a sandwich six months ahead of time?

I never saw it here until Steve mentioned it and I commented, but you do have an excellent grasp on the situation.
Ordering lunch with your smartphone at 9:45 a.m. or even the night before isn't at all the same as what Disney wants.

 

[Tip Top Club]

Hmmm, I have not seen anything about this myself. Would anybody be so kind as to provide a link to this info?

I don't have a link, but I can tell you that all the Front Entrance Guest Relations Locations will have them (One at each of the four parks) Then there are four others in Magic Kingdom, and I think two others and each of the other parks (though I'm not sure about EPCOT's)

 

[awoogala]

I don't have a link, but I can tell you that all the Front Entrance Guest Relations Locations will have them (One at each of the four parks) Then there are four others in Magic Kingdom, and I think two others and each of the other parks (though I'm not sure about EPCOT's)

so 5 kiosks total in mk? those without a smartphone will have to wait in a huge line to get fp+ changes so they don't have to wait in line?

 

[Tip Top Club]

Well how many changes do you expect to make?

You as an experienced park goer know to book your fastpasses for the middle of the day, when lines are longest. And one of the effects that Disney is hoping this system will have on the other guests is to let them sleep in so they don't HAVE to be up at the crack of dawn to ride Toy Story Mania (Or whatever), so they will probably book their FP+ for the middle of the day as well.

Not to mention 85% of Walt Disney World Guests have at least one smartphone in their travel group, and you can bet the app will be shoved down everyone's throats. You can also bet that that number will grow in the years to come.

Hopefully not very many changes will have to be made at all.

 

[icecreamrules]

I keep seeing the "ordering a Publix sandwich online" scenario compared to MM+. To me there's no comparison. Imagine having to order your sandwich from Publix six months in advance. Now imagine the later you wait to order the sandwich the less chance you have of getting one. Who wants to order a sandwich six months ahead of time?

Grandma!

 

[RandomPrincess]

OK. You're a (relatively) smart dude. What do you think the chances are I can show up with my AP staying off-site at 3 in the afternoon and get a FP to say Soarin? Or TSMM? Or one of the mountains? ... Or will I only be able to get one for Living with the Land, GMR and Aladdin's carpets (and, worse, actually need them because of artificial lines created by FP+)?

The same amount of chance you probably have now. How often are there FP left for those rides after3 pm?

 

[mikesteffen]

I have a smart phone and I am a techie. I will booked my FP's within seconds after it becomes available. And I will squeeze every ounce of advantage out of the system that I can.

As for people who don't have a smart phone or can't figure out how to turn it on, o well, come see me on my next trip and I give you 50 cent to call someone to cry to.

Or for the people who live down the street and get a discount AP, able to come anytime they wish, rather than once every couple of years. And who don't have to purchase air fare to get there. Same advice, cry to someone who cares.

Bunch of whiny babies

 

[Bryner84]

thereby totally screwing over anyone without a smartphone.

Not really. For those without a smartphone, you could use a centralized kiosk rather than running to the far corners of the park, which is still a plus over what is in place now. Look, I am as wary of this system as anyone else (well maybe not as wary as the Disney is going to hunt down and murder my children by tracking them with a wrist band group....) but I am just talking about options for them to work with what they have developed and employ it in a way that doesn't completely suck. I 100% hate the idea of pre booking fastpasses...but the billions have been spent and Disney has to save face. It is not going to go away, they can't afford for it to. I am just speculating on some exit strategies.

 

[Clamman73]

so 5 kiosks total in mk? those without a smartphone will have to wait in a huge line to get fp+ changes so they don't have to wait in line?

I wonder how that's going to be...at opening all the sudden a lot of people at the kiosk...

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

I have a smart phone and I am a techie. I will booked my FP's within seconds after it becomes available. And I will squeeze every ounce of advantage out of the system that I can.

As for people who don't have a smart phone or can't figure out how to turn it on, o well, come see me on my next trip and I give you 50 cent to call someone to cry to.

Or for the people who live down the street and get a discount AP, able to come anytime they wish, rather than once every couple of years. And who don't have to purchase air fare to get there. Same advice, cry to someone who cares.

Bunch of whiny babies

Not a good first impression to make on here, buddy. Clearly you were born without the sensitivity gene. Good for you that you are tech savvy but there are some people out there who aren't. Or maybe they can't afford a smart phone and all the data you have to pay for with it.

Just because people have AP's doesn't mean they live in Florida. And even if they do, WHO CARES? They have EVERY right to have an enjoyable visit to WDW. Are you special because you only visit once a year and have to save up for it? Absolutely not. I have an AP and guess what, I don't live down the street. I live in New England. So I DO have to save up for airfare and hotel just like you do. I deserve to be able to get good FPs just like everyone else does.


Before this whole MyMagic+ thing came along, everyone had the same shot at getting FPs for all the headlining rides. Show up day of and grab them before they run out. And you could get FPs at multiple parks. Now it's pretty much book them ahead of time or you're not going to get any and oh, it's only one park per day. People with the smartphones and people who can sit there at wait for the time these become available to book online at 180 days out or 90 days out or whatever the timeframe will be for making the FP+ ressies will have the advantage. I feel like all this technological stuff is being thrown in our faces and it's basically like use it or tough luck. I know that's the way of the future, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

 

[xdan0920]

I have a smart phone and I am a techie. I will booked my FP's within seconds after it becomes available. And I will squeeze every ounce of advantage out of the system that I can.

As for people who don't have a smart phone or can't figure out how to turn it on, o well, come see me on my next trip and I give you 50 cent to call someone to cry to.

Or for the people who live down the street and get a discount AP, able to come anytime they wish, rather than once every couple of years. And who don't have to purchase air fare to get there. Same advice, cry to someone who cares.

Bunch of whiny babies

Whining about the whiners. Great Job by you.

 

[Galen]

Right now, I believe everything thing you can do online, regarding trip planning, with Disney World has a corresponding phone number attached to it. What is the likelihood that something like FP+ will be available to people via the reservations number or even a walk in at guest relations for people who are in the park? Also, you know every kiosk is going to have a cast member right there to answer questions or, as I've seen many times at the normal FP queues, just do it for the guest.

 

[wm49rs]

Whining about the whiners. Great Job by you.

Sensitivity isn't in his contract....

 

[flynnibus]

OK. You're a (relatively) smart dude. What do you think the chances are I can show up with my AP staying off-site at 3 in the afternoon and get a FP to say Soarin? Or TSMM? Or one of the mountains? ... Or will I only be able to get one for Living with the Land, GMR and Aladdin's carpets (and, worse, actually need them because of artificial lines created by FP+)?

Purely speculation... but I'm willing to bet you'd be able to get a FP for Soarin' on day of.. or any attraction for that matter. Will you still be able to get one at 3pm? My odds go down on that - but you can't do that most days with FP as it is now.. so that's a wash. There is a theory where they COULD let you get that FP for almost any attraction any time you request it (within your limits of FP+ uses). But I wouldn't put money on that one - at least not important money

I mean there are lots of way Disney could be completely boneheaded - but at the same time we should recognize there are hundreds if not thousands of people in this mix. The risk of less FP availability once you open up advanced reservations is not some relevation we exposed.. its something they've had to make specific decisions around.

I'm willing to wait and see.. before assuming complete stupidity on their part.