MyMagic+ testing beginning with limited number of Annual Passholders during the next few weeks

[Californian Elitist]

The only issue we ever had was at DL where the photo they took of my wife and I never linked to our cards. They took one each day for three days and still no luck. After that we just stopped trying, we just showed our driver's license each time we entered DL. Never had any problems at all at WDW using the RFID with the card or just a MB. We bought it purely for the cost savings though, no other reason.

I've heard it depends on where you use it first. I believe I will save money if I just buy day tickets. Also, as Flynn said, there aren't many discounts.

 

[JohnD]

But the card isn't a "back-up." It won't provide admission, or make FP reservations. It just gives free parking and a meager discount at select stores.

Besides, I already have a back-up. My driver's license. Just like today, I'm sure I'll need to show it to get a replacement admission media.

You seem awfully high on these wristbands even tho you apparently lost yours' within a just a couple months, at most, of owning it. Doesn't that indicate some sort of design flaw?

71 Jason - Owned the same Universal AP since 2001...

[The signatures, they're addictive, I can't stop myself]

I'm referring to the AP Card. As for the other cards having to do with parking, I have readily said, if going through a test, I'll evaluate for myself. I won't declare it a failure if I haven't tried it myself.

 

[ford91exploder]

I think maybe you should copy the above and place it in your signature so you don't have to type it out for every thread on this subject. You're fingers have to be getting tired by now.

Seriously, though, it stinks that you are stuck in limbo like this. Unfortunately, with all the issues they are having with regular vacationers, the small number of folks that own a Premier ticket is not on their radar yet. I hope that once they do address the issue that you receive some sort of compensation.

Please don't take this personally,

Not on their radar - that is truly rich, when DW and I cough up nearly 1,900 bucks per year to be able to visit DL and WDW - we used to grab weekend getaways when time allowed and we stayed on property along with two weeks in summer and a week during holidays.

Disney can't be bothered to fix our issues this is heading towards price of a new car folks, I strongly feel it's time to just put the money into the retirement fund rather than Disney's coffers.

I don't care about compensation, I'd like to see the service and quality standards back to where Disney itself set them.

 

[flynnibus]

That's what I was thinking. The plan, so far, is to stay one full week. The Premiere is almost one thousand dollars. I don't mind paying the price for day tickets. Plus, like you said, lack of discounts.

The big break people use is the AP rate on the hotels. But that requires you to have flexibility, and be looking to stay at that hotel in the first place. The break is the most valuable on those looking to book deluxes... that's where people say "I saved so much!" - high discount off overpriced room... The other discount (the 10% one) you're not going to make your money back on a single stay. Same with the other big 'trick' people use to justify the cost... The Tables in Wonderland card which gives a 20% discount on select table service. If you had a big party, and travel often.. it pays off. Small group traveling once or twice? No likely.

The premier passport is $1010 bucks.. a DL premier is $669. So assuming you need/want to renew your CA PAP.. it's $340 to add WDW. That's only the cost a 3 day park hopper. So *IF* you need to renew your cali PAP, then it makes sense to upgrade to the premier. But a 7 day PH is only $392.. so from $400 to $1000 is a huge swing.

It all boils down to what you really need to do with your Cali AP.

 

[Californian Elitist]

The big break people use is the AP rate on the hotels. But that requires you to have flexibility, and be looking to stay at that hotel in the first place. The break is the most valuable on those looking to book deluxes... that's where people say "I saved so much!" - high discount off overpriced room... The other discount (the 10% one) you're not going to make your money back on a single stay. Same with the other big 'trick' people use to justify the cost... The Tables in Wonderland card which gives a 20% discount on select table service. If you had a big party, and travel often.. it pays off. Small group traveling once or twice? No likely.

The premier passport is $1010 bucks.. a DL premier is $669. So assuming you need/want to renew your CA PAP.. it's $340 to add WDW. That's only the cost a 3 day park hopper. So *IF* you need to renew your cali PAP, then it makes sense to upgrade to the premier. But a 7 day PH is only $392.. so from $400 to $1000 is a huge swing.

It all boils down to what you really need to do with your Cali AP.

Thank you for the explanation, I really appreciate it. I don't usually buy the Premium, I buy the Deluxe one. I'd be spending extra money to get the Premiere. I need that extra money for travel, food and the hotel stay. We aren't planning on park hopping. I need to check the price for the 7-day ticket without the park hopper.

 

[NearTheEars]

Please don't take this personally,

Not on their radar - that is truly rich, when DW and I cough up nearly 1,900 bucks per year to be able to visit DL and WDW - we used to grab weekend getaways when time allowed and we stayed on property along with two weeks in summer and a week during holidays.

Disney can't be bothered to fix our issues this is heading towards price of a new car folks, I strongly feel it's time to just put the money into the retirement fund rather than Disney's coffers.

I don't care about compensation, I'd like to see the service and quality standards back to where Disney itself set them.

You have every right to be upset with your situation. Like I said, it stinks. But I stand by saying the small amount of folks with the premier pass problems aren't on their radar since they are busy rolling out the system to the thousands upon thousands of resort guests.

I'm not saying it's right. It's just a numbers game. Again, I hope they fix your issue soon.

Too bad you didn't get the same level of service the previous poster received successfully linking his premier pass.

 

[ford91exploder]

You have every right to be upset with your situation. Like I said, it stinks. But I stand by saying the small amount of folks with the premier pass problems aren't on their radar since they are busy rolling out the system to the thousands upon thousands of resort guests.

I'm not saying it's right. It's just a numbers game. Again, I hope they fix your issue soon.

Too bad you didn't get the same level of service the previous poster received successfully linking his premier pass.

To be fair it was not for lack of effort on the CM's part, They really DID try to fix issues, The real problem at WDW these days is the lack of CM enpowerment as all decision making power is enshrined in the computer system after the computer says NYET the answer is NYET. It's not like the old days when a Manager could override a computer decision, These days resort managers are glorified retail clerks with no real power or authority.

Back in the old days if the fire alarm kicked someone out of their room for hours, Manager would have comped the room for the evening, That ability has been taken away from the Manager by Burbank which is obsessed with picking up pennies while dollars fly overhead, Now it's throw a pittance the guest's way even after they have paid several hundred dollars a night, Hey we have the guest's money we screw up tough on them.

What saddens me is that Disney used to be the gold standard in customer service now its a race to the bottom with the DMV.

 

[Fingal O'Flahertie]

I have been a reader of these forums for quite a long period of time. I have never agreed with @ford91exploder until now (although not on all of the above points). I do believe some of the magic has been stripped away but I still believe that "magic" and "belief" can be restored by the power of one person. Whether or not one believes the current leader is that "one" we must as faithful and hopeful fans of our Disney continue to believe in every aspiration and endeavor this person strives to bring us.


“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt

 

[71jason]

I'm referring to the AP Card. As for the other cards having to do with parking, I have readily said, if going through a test, I'll evaluate for myself. I won't declare it a failure if I haven't tried it myself.

Sorry, but not at all sure what you mean. I assumed, given the thread, we were talking about the new "companion AP card" to accompany MagicBands. It will be used for parking and discounts--presumably because there is no mechanism currently in place in the toll booths to recognize that a MagicBand gives free parking or in the stores to recognize that it gives a discount. I can't imagine any other reason to issue a new card in addition to a MagicBand.

As for existing AP cards, i.e. the one still in my pocket, I'll bet large sums of money I'll need to surrender it to get my MagicBand (and companion AP card). WDW is not going to let me have two active forms of admission media, it just invites fraud. And even if they deactivate it, I'll be strongly tempted to just give it to a friend with a seasonal pass so they can at least get free parking.

 

[JohnD]

Sorry, but not at all sure what you mean. I assumed, given the thread, we were talking about the new "companion AP card" to accompany MagicBands. It will be used for parking and discounts--presumably because there is no mechanism currently in place in the toll booths to recognize that a MagicBand gives free parking or in the stores to recognize that it gives a discount. I can't imagine any other reason to issue a new card in addition to a MagicBand.

As for existing AP cards, i.e. the one still in my pocket, I'll bet large sums of money I'll need to surrender it to get my MagicBand (and companion AP card). WDW is not going to let me have two active forms of admission media, it just invites fraud. And even if they deactivate it, I'll be strongly tempted to just give it to a friend with a seasonal pass so they can at least get free parking.

I'll take you up on your bet. You get one AP card. They send MBs for every trip!

 

[JohnD]

For news that WDW is finally testing FP+ for APs, I am amazed at the amount of "The sky is falling" in this thread.

Yes. I hear there will be extra cards for this and that DURING THE TEST. Does that mean permanent? I don't know and neither does anyone else.

What perplexes me even more is that, in the words of one the members of this forum, we're "complacent" with whatever WDW comes up with. But these same people are still willingly complacent enough to trust everything on their MB and demand that they not be inconvenienced with the apparent burden of carrying around any other cards. Are you kidding? WDW issues MBs for every resort stay. And you're complaining about another card issued to APs during this test along with knee jerks reactions that WDW will pluck our AP cards out of our hands for good and you only get 7 days--PERIOD--in a 60 day window. "The sky is falling."

I'll say this again: If I take part in a test, I'll decide for myself. Until then, I'll reserve judgment.

 

[DisneyCane]

Quoting from the article:

Presumably this means AP holders can make a total of up to 42 days worth of FP+ selections per year without staying onsite.

Theoretically you could make 365 days worth if you book 7 days starting tomorrow and then keep booking the next day every day. I don't know why you'd do this but you could.

 

[71jason]

I'll say this again: If I take part in a test, I'll decide for myself. Until then, I'll reserve judgment.

Of course things can change after a test--but I think it's fair game to discuss the apparent current plan being tested.

 

[71jason]

I don't know why you'd do this but you could.

You must be new to Disney fandom.

 

[G8rchamps]

I don't take my whole wallet but - 1 credit card, ID, and some ACTUAL CASH, in a rubber band in my right front pocket. How hard is it to add another card to the stack. MB's have worked great, but who really goes into the park with nothing but the band?!??%#!??

 

[ford91exploder]

I have been a reader of these forums for quite a long period of time. I have never agreed with @ford91exploder until now (although not on all of the above points). I do believe some of the magic has been stripped away but I still believe that "magic" and "belief" can be restored by the power of one person. Whether or not one believes the current leader is that "one" we must as faithful and hopeful fans of our Disney continue to believe in every aspiration and endeavor this person strives to bring us.


“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt

If you have noticed many of us have made suggestions on how things could be improved. Trouble is no one at TWDC is listening, I don't blame the front line CM's even when they act like robots because being low level cogs in the machine they can be easily replaced and they need to pay the bills so what choice do they have other than to enforce the rules.

I probably did not get compensation for my issues because I did not act like an A------e while I was on site after wasting a couple hours on phone each day while at GR all I wanted was an adult beverage, There were people acting like A------e's and they did get stuff mainly to get them out of there.

All I want is the quality of experience that once existed at WDW, It could again but it will require a sea change in management which I don't see happening because Wall Street loves the current TWDC team and will until customer disgust starts generating articles in the business press along the lines of "Has Disney lost it's Mojo?".

 

[MissM]

WDW is not going to let me have two active forms of admission media, it just invites fraud. And even if they deactivate it, I'll be strongly tempted to just give it to a friend with a seasonal pass so they can at least get free parking.

Actually, I have experience with this. We went last month and I switched to a smaller wallet from my normal one just for the day. (Didn't need to bring things like my library card to WDW.) Well, I forgot to transfer my RFID AP cards to my new wallet. So we got to Epcot and went to a ticket window to get new tickets. They had a hard time finding us in the system (seriously, it took like 20 minutes) but eventually gave us two new RFID AP cards. She specifically told us the other ones are still active so you can just keep one set in the car or something and one in your wallet. So apparently, at least for now, if you get a reprint of your RFID AP cards, they DO NOT deactivate your old cards.

 

[Johnny Hess]

Sorry if I missed it, do we know how passholders are being selected/notified? Is there any way to "opt-in"?

 

[71jason]

If you get a reprint of your RFID AP cards, they DO NOT deactivate your old cards.

That's crazy to me--they used to deactivate the paper ones immediately. Given how easy it is to bypass the finger scanners, they have set themselves up for a lot more fraud than the free parking scandal late last year.

 

[ford91exploder]

Insanity