MyMagic+ MagicBands to begin testing in parks soon

[King Racoon 77]

A couple of thoughts/questions.
1.will limiting the number of fastpasses per person not free up slots from the uberplanners who fp/fp/fp the one ride multiple times a day and make them available to first timers/people who don't do park opening.
2.will there be any way of sorting your fastpasses from the (onsite) hotels through guest relations etc or will it only be online/in park.
Just wondering ...

 

[awoogala]

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.

I would much rather run across the park then wait in line behind the other 100 or so people waiting at the kiosk. I know I can run faster than most of them

 

[dupac]

I told my boyfriend (who does not care much about what goes on with Disney and only went to WDW for the first time last year with my fam) about this and he said FP+ sounded awful, specifically for people like his parents. This is how his parents vacation:

Dad gets 4 tickets to a TX Ranger game in two weeks from someone at work. Decides to take everyone across the border for a little vacation, throwing in a visit to six flags. One week before, they decide to make a trip down to San Antonio after the baseball game instead of staying in Arlington. Not sure what they are doing there. Couple days before, Six flags Fiesta Texas has been decided as the destination. After the baseball game, drive all night to SA and find a hotel with an empty room (took a while). Etc.

They would be left in the dust when it comes to FP+. They never vacation and when they do they don't plan it. At all. They have smartphones and are pretty tech savvy but they would most likely have no knowledge of FP+.

 

[fngoofy]

Seriously, what do you guys think is so different from what is currently in place? The only new element with the band is that you don't need to go to a fast pass kiosk for every fast pass. And the ability to customize your Test Track experience without a separate card. The band is essentially a Key to the World card in all other aspects. This is NOT a totally new thing.

Thank you for stating this so well. I agree.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Thank you for stating this so well. I agree.

So Disney just spent $1.5B so we can do essentially the same thing? If "guests" are getting essentially the same thing, then who really benefits from the $1.5B expenditure?

 

[WDW1974]

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

Other than the incredibly overrated TSMM, on most days all of them still have FP's in the afternoon. But now the whole point is to book everything (again, like the DDP), so while the system will have to (at least at first) leave some openings, you can rest assured they will be for things no one would have ever FP'd before MM+ ...

 

[WDW1974]

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

Because the way the resort has been run in the 21st century gives you good cause for optimism, right?

 

[HMF]

Lets have an open mind on this. I plan on experiencing this first before I decide if I like it or not.

We have opened our minds and been let down too many times for that.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Because the way the resort has been run in the 21st century gives you good cause for optimism, right?

And we all know everything ever done by Iger, TWDC, and TDO was "for the children".

It's a politician's favorite line to justify all sorts of things. Iger's got to learn how to deliver that line with sincerity if he ever wants to be a politician.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

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

OR we can drop our APs and give our money to WDW's competition. Just sayin'.

 

[MarkTwain]

I told my boyfriend (who does not care much about what goes on with Disney and only went to WDW for the first time last year with my fam) about this and he said FP+ sounded awful, specifically for people like his parents. This is how his parents vacation:

Dad gets 4 tickets to a TX Ranger game in two weeks from someone at work. Decides to take everyone across the border for a little vacation, throwing in a visit to six flags. One week before, they decide to make a trip down to San Antonio after the baseball game instead of staying in Arlington. Not sure what they are doing there. Couple days before, Six flags Fiesta Texas has been decided as the destination. After the baseball game, drive all night to SA and find a hotel with an empty room (took a while). Etc.

They would be left in the dust when it comes to FP+. They never vacation and when they do they don't plan it. At all. They have smartphones and are pretty tech savvy but they would most likely have no knowledge of FP+.

And a significant portion of WDW guests are like this. A lot of guests are of the opinion that on their vacation, they should be able to book a hotel, buy some tickets, maybe reserve a restaurant or two, and that should be enough to allow them to enjoy their trip. And despite what many people on here might say, I don't see why they shouldn't be right. In its ideal state, WDW should (as Disneyland still successfully does) accommodate all guests and their styles of planning (or lack thereof) while still providing an enjoyable experience, without detriment to those who wish to take the park at an easier or more spontaneous pace. Sadly, FastPass+ seems to be created to put an end to that mentality.

 

[Lil Fort]

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.

Hmmm.... I seem to remember a lot of talk recently about how Disney rolled out their new website and suddenly people couldn't find their ADRs online. You really trust them to get it right? I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

And a significant portion of WDW guests are like this. A lot of guests are of the opinion that on their vacation, they should be able to book a hotel, buy some tickets, maybe reserve a restaurant or two, and that should be enough to allow them to enjoy their trip. And despite what many people on here might say, I don't see why they shouldn't be right. In its ideal state, WDW should (as Disneyland still successfully does) accommodate all guests and their styles of planning (or lack thereof) while still providing an enjoyable experience, without detriment to those who wish to take the park at an easier or more spontaneous pace. Sadly, FastPass+ seems to be created to put an end to that mentality.

Well said. I feel the same way as well. Every vacation you take requires planning whether you are going to a place like WDW for your 1st time or your 25th time visiting. The question is how much planning is how much? Disney seems to think that you can plan to infinity and beyond while some more frequently traveled WDW visitors like to travel at their own pace. In terms of WDW, you have a wide range in terms of how guests plan here ranging from the uber planners that will feed off of next gen to the ones who perfer a more spontaneous vacation with a little reserved time here and there. I didn't see what was wrong with the current model as I thought WDW could cater to both sides of the isle even though it may have been a little leaning toward the ubber planner side from an ADR perspective and FP. Will just have to wait and see how it plays out but I myself want to have some planning here and there but not what NGE is gearing you to shoot for. In the end though I think you can point to many pros and cons of NGE and its components, it's just a matter of time before we can decipher which is more noticeable.

 

[flynnibus]

Because the way the resort has been run in the 21st century gives you good cause for optimism, right?

Nah.. I just don't see value in jumping off the cliff before there is concrete reason to do so. I'm not losing anything from Disney right now.. no need to slit my wrists or preach the end of the world. If it comes.. I'll be right there criticizing their stupidity. But for now.. what's the rush?

 

[Tip Top Club]

I would much rather run across the park then wait in line behind the other 100 or so people waiting at the kiosk. I know I can run faster than most of them

Just as I feared ...

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.

 

[marni1971]

Nah.. I just don't see value in jumping off the cliff before there is concrete reason to do so. I'm not losing anything from Disney right now.. no need to slit my wrists or preach the end of the world. If it comes.. I'll be right there criticizing their stupidity. But for now.. what's the rush?

Splash Mountain
BTM
Diamond Horseshoe
FLE
SWSA
PPF
Space Mountain
CoP
Spectro
SSE descent
UOE
Wonders of Life
imagination
Impressions de France
RoE hardware
DHS overall
ToT fx
GMR refurb
Dinosaur
Everest
Pleasure Island
Monorail

...for starters? Then we can look at where 2 billion has gone.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Hmmm.... I seem to remember a lot of talk recently about how Disney rolled out their new website and suddenly people couldn't find their ADRs online. You really trust them to get it right? I'll believe it when I see it.

People couldn't see their reservations online but they were still there. So while it was annoying no one lost anything for good.

 

[parker4fm]

Splash Mountain
BTM
Diamond Horseshoe
FLE
SWSA
PPF
Space Mountain
CoP
Spectro
SSE descent
UOE
Wonders of Life
imagination
Impressions de France
RoE hardware
DHS overall
ToT fx
GMR refurb
Dinosaur
Everest
Pleasure Island
Monorail

...for starters? Then we can look at where 2 billion has gone.

Question: What's wrong with Everest? (If you say the Yeti you're going to surprise me, seriously.)

 

[flynnibus]

...for starters? Then we can look at where 2 billion has gone.

I'm not saying they have a good track record.. I'm saying there is little value in spending energy on potential failures... vs real failures

 

[flynnibus]

...for starters? Then we can look at where 2 billion has gone.

I'm not saying they have a good track record.. I'm saying there is little value in spending energy on potential failures... vs real failures