News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[larryz]

I think they were referring to the massive cost overruns of the entire "next gen" project on the whole and how it was supposed to be a massive return on investment but wasn't. Not speaking of the current experience which does work ok for most. We'll see how the new Genie works next.

Precisely, which is why I said this would be Iger's new slogan.

FP+/MDE works for many of the families visiting WDW.

I'm still a fan of the paper FP days when rides weren't rationed and stand-by lines actually moved.

 

[Creathir]

Precisely, which is why I said this would be Iger's new slogan.

FP+/MDE works for many of the families visiting WDW.

I'm still a fan of the paper FP days when rides weren't rationed and stand-by lines actually moved.

Frankly, I’d be fine doing away with FP all together.
The idea of scheduling your ride is so... structured.
It makes commando style park visits almost an absolute must for the “once in a lifetime” guest...

Totally removing the spontaneity of purely enjoying the parks themselves. Instead everyone focuses on making sure they hit X or Y... just makes for an experience which I personally do not find enjoyable.

 

[No Name]

Please explain your comment of "MDE/MB debacle". We have found it to be very useful and works great for us.

In addition to what others have mentioned, advance fastpass+ selections result in people kind of having to plan out their trip day by day 30 or 60 days in advance, and new guests having to research attractions to an unhealthy level. The average guest should not be inclined to watch POV videos to determine what attractions to fastpass. It’s nice to not run from machine to machine in the park, but it has its downsides.

This fastpass+ component was in part so that Disney could get a better feel for how crowded each park would be each day and staff accordingly. But it doesn’t actually tell them much more than they could already figure out with the historical data they have. MDE has failed to deliver on many of its goals.

 

[Grimley1968]

The MDE/FP+ rollout and the aftermath soured me on WDW for a while. I saw it as an unnecessary bungling of what had been a great paper FP system. If they wanted to simply make it paperless I would have supported that, and it could have been done so that FP's were issued through the app and in-park kiosks, and for much less than it ended up costing. But the rationing and the pre-arrival booking spoiled it for me. In the end I viewed MDE/FP+ as a huge expenditure of money that, instead of going to something that could have been something guests enjoyed, went to something with little discernible guest satisfaction (but maybe some benefit to WDW staff).

Against this backdrop of MDE/FP+ disappointment and then little in the way of new attractions for years, I was so excited to see the Skyliner, which is something that IMO could greatly enhance guest enjoyment (if it becomes more reliable), while not disrupting or destroying some other beloved WDW feature in the process. I feel similarly about the new attractions as well, which will hopefully mitigate the continuing problems with FP+ somewhat.

 

[larryz]

Totally removing the spontaneity of purely enjoying the parks themselves. Instead everyone focuses on making sure they hit X or Y... just makes for an experience which I personally do not find enjoyable.

And then, on top of this rigidly scheduled experience, you throw in the uncertainty of on-site transport, where traffic jams up the buses, old age cripples the monorails, weather shuts down the boats and the Skystopper... doesn't work for whatever reason, and one has to wonder where the relaxing part of the vacation experience went.

 

[Creathir]

And then, on top of this rigidly scheduled experience, you throw in the uncertainty of on-site transport, where traffic jams up the buses, old age cripples the monorails, weather shuts down the boats and the Skystopper... doesn't work for whatever reason, and one has to wonder where the relaxing part of the vacation experience went.

It disappeared at check in...
Honestly, just is a testament to the professionalism of CMs... a job I certainly could not do...

 

[Creathir]

I will say, I do enjoy not having to carry my wallet around and just pay with my wrist... though with contactless payment and my smart watch, that novelty extends far beyond the park gate.

Frankly, if they could integrate the MDE stuff (tickets/FP’s/DVC Member) with my contactless payment smart watch, I wouldn’t even wear the MagicBand.

 

[larryz]

I will say, I do enjoy not having to carry my wallet around and just pay with my wrist... though with contactless payment and my smart watch, that novelty extends far beyond the park gate.

Frankly, if they could integrate the MDE stuff (tickets/FP’s/DVC Member) with my contactless payment smart watch, I wouldn’t even wear the MagicBand.

Royaltie$... someone else's patent would have to be used.

 

[Creathir]

Royaltie$... someone else's patent would have to be used.

Maybe...
It’s all just NFC technology, including the MagicBand itself.

I think the real reason is a lack of precisely tracking locations, where the MB provided this via RFID portals (in theory)

 

[Rob562]

I don’t see a real risk in doing this. There’s always a cost for anything new, but I can’t imagine they would not want to keep guests better informed and risk worse PR especially with the EPCOT line.

Here is the biggest problem I can see. If I take the gondola from AoA, CBR or Riviera to Epcot for the day I would assume that’s also how I would get back to my resort. Let’s say when I decide to leave and I’m at SSE so I walk through to world showcase and all the way to Intl gateway to hop the gondola but find when I get there the Epcot line is down for the rest of the day. The signs direct me to backtrack through the park to the front bus stops to take a bus to my resort. That would make me pretty angry. If when I was at SSE I checked the app and it told me the gondola was down and to use the bus stop at the front of the park or I got a text saying the same thing, I might be mildly annoyed but much less so than in my original scenario.

This is much less of an issue for DHS since the gondola and bus stations are closer together. Maybe they could solve part of the problem by directing guests to the BC bus stop to be picked up which is about half as far a walk, but still an inconvenience and also puts out guests paying top dollar for a deluxe resort. It’s much easier to just update guests using the technology they already have.

If I'm not mistaken, when the Skyliner goes down at Epcot, guests at the International Gateway are directed to the Boardwalk to catch a bus that's put into service running at least to CBR central station (and I presume to Riviera now that it's open).

-Rob

 

[Goofyernmost]

Precisely, which is why I said this would be Iger's new slogan.

FP+/MDE works for many of the families visiting WDW.

I'm still a fan of the paper FP days when rides weren't rationed and stand-by lines actually moved.

They moved better, but, the anger was there with the paper FP's as well. It was so much worse then it was before FP showed up at all. After they introduced them was the first time I heard and saw anger in the standby line. It was said over and over that they were available to everyone, which technically they were, but in reality they ran out of them at certain times so, no, not everyone could get one. It's like saying everyone can be President. Everyone can try for the opportunity but not all will get the chance in the end.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I will say, I do enjoy not having to carry my wallet around and just pay with my wrist... though with contactless payment and my smart watch, that novelty extends far beyond the park gate.

Frankly, if they could integrate the MDE stuff (tickets/FP’s/DVC Member) with my contactless payment smart watch, I wouldn’t even wear the MagicBand.

I have to admit you put an awful lot of faith in the system. I would never be without my wallet because it contains my whole life. What would you do for an ID if your magic wrist didn't work and something happened to you. There are some things that I just don't think that technology can completely cover.

 

[Creathir]

I have to admit you put an awful lot of faith in the system. I would never be without my wallet because it contains my whole life. What would you do for an ID if your magic wrist didn't work and something happened to you. There are some things that I just don't think that technology can completely cover.

Let me rephrase my statement.
I do enjoy not having to carry my wallet on my person, I still keep it in my backpack I carry into the park, tucked away at the bottom.

 

[drizgirl]

They moved better, but, the anger was there with the paper FP's as well. It was so much worse then it was before FP showed up at all. After they introduced them was the first time I heard and saw anger in the standby line. It was said over and over that they were available to everyone, which technically they were, but in reality they ran out of them at certain times so, no, not everyone could get one. It's like saying everyone can be President. Everyone can try for the opportunity but not all will get the chance in the end.

First come, first served seems as fair as it gets.

 

[Rich Brownn]

I have to admit you put an awful lot of faith in the system. I would never be without my wallet because it contains my whole life. What would you do for an ID if your magic wrist didn't work and something happened to you. There are some things that I just don't think that technology can completely cover.

What do you do if you lose your wallet?

 

[Goofyernmost]

First come, first served seems as fair as it gets.

It is, but not having to get there at any particular time at all was even more fair. When you were next, you were next. No large mobs of people legally cutting in front of you. An frankly you didn't spend as much time in that line with everyone using the same line then you do now, because that fairness you talked about was actually pure back then. Absolute first come, first served. No exceptions or what ifs. If FP were so great they would be using it on the new attractions. As it is they can, without it, get more people in to it with no cutting or stopping. With the group thing when it is your turn it is your turn, no guessing. The ride can only be as complete as its capacity, but, if you are assigned a group or in a single group line, you are always going to be part of that daily capacity.

There are real ways to have the first come, first serve work. I don't remember how many years the mine train has been operating and try as I might I have never been able to get a FP for it, yet I have ridden it 4 times with no delays or even more then 10 minutes in line. In theme parks, as in life, planned timing is everything.

 

[Goofyernmost]

What do you do if you lose your wallet?

I don't lose it. I take precautions like others but, I would not wander around away from my home without it in my possession within my easy reach.

 

[Rich Brownn]

I don't lose it. I take precautions like others but, I would not wander around away from my home without it in my possession within my easy reach.

I don't think anyone loses their wallet intentionally.

 

[drizgirl]

I will say, I do enjoy not having to carry my wallet around and just pay with my wrist... though with contactless payment and my smart watch, that novelty extends far beyond the park gate.

Frankly, if they could integrate the MDE stuff (tickets/FP’s/DVC Member) with my contactless payment smart watch, I wouldn’t even wear the MagicBand.

I don't have nearly enough faith in Disney's IT systems to ever be in the parks without a credit card and some cash.

 

[Victor Kelly]

The first come first served system is the fairest and moat reliable. Even the original FP system allowed for a lot more freedom and spontaneity. Disney believed their own line of BS, it gives you more time to shop or eat while waiting to ride. All it really did and still does is create more masses of people wandering aimlessly looking for something to that they do not need a FP or ADR for.