NextGen / FP+ / Magic Band. The official truth starts to appear

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
My guess is the algorithm for #/FP per attraction will be consistent. Whether it be the old FP or the new FP+. The real beauty of the new FP+ is Disney can now control who gets the FPs. And they are obviously going to reward those that reward them. Joe Blow staying out on US192 will have less opportunity to get FP+ for the really popular attractions even though he still gets 3 per day. I really hope Joe likes Stitch, Muppets, and spinners.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member

t3techcom18

Well-Known Member
So with the VP now saying FP as we know it will go away, is that not a good thing? Number of FP allowed a day will be limited; could also be less given overall; causing more people to have to wait in stand by; and isn't the general consensus around here less FP equal shorter stand by?

To answer these separately based on my knowledge:

Number of FP allowed a day will be limited: Already is. There's normally a fixed number for every hour/day but can be manipulated upon discretion of those connected to said attraction's FP system due to certain unforseen situations (ie, attraction downtime that made the attraction closed for a long period of time at night/never reopened in time for park closing).

Could also be less given overall: It's theoretically possible. Part of the plan some folks are thinking is that, with attractions that have new FP options to them (ie, shows, parades, fireworks), they will thin out the crowds to more places. BUT....that depends on how much FP those attractions will allow and whether or not they will 'run out' like they do now with the paper FP's. I keep hearing discussions back and forth on this meaning they will limit them more or raise them - only time will tell.

Causing more people to wait in standby/if less FP's are issued, wait time is less: Yes, that logic is indeed true. This is the very reason why us in Ops are scared about having FP at attractions that never had it before. For attractions that already have FP, not too huge of a change and will alleviate certain problems. For the attractions that never had it, prepare for standby lines to get longer.
 

Patricia Melton

Well-Known Member
We are loyal customers and have poured money into Disney's bank account, and these more recent cash-grabs of theirs' have been frustrating enough, but this just feels like a slap in the face.

Disney is a corporation that has provided you entertainment, food, and life experiences in a commercial arrangement that you willingly participated in.

No one is slapping you in the face.
 

Patricia Melton

Well-Known Member
1 big and 1 minor ride added to each park OR Pooh saying my name and lack of reasonable stand by lines anywhere

How did I ever survive not being able to be named personally by Pooh and have him count how many times I have been on the ride?

What an absolute waste.

What's funny to me is that if Universal was the one to think of some of these things a lot of the people who call them "an absolute waste" would instead be calling them revolutionary and amazing and the best things ever.

Funny how that works.
 

Patricia Melton

Well-Known Member
I would agree that a family traveling from Someplace, Upnorth would spend more than me, a local. But I would still be spending $1500 (family of 3) for APs, and most likely spend some money on food and Cokes, and occasionally on some merchandise (particularly around the Holidays). It seems to be a really stupid business decission to not want to get as many people as possible into their parks. They would certainly make more money off of me if they can actually get me in the parks as opposed to me spending ALL my expendable income up the road at Universal/SeaWorld.

I really doubt you will be going to Universal/SeaWorld instead. They just don't have the same magic that WDW has. To me it's like saying that you're going to start drinking RC Cola now and never have any Coke or Pepsi products again. Good luck with that...but you will be drawn back to the quality of the really good stuff again, for sure.
 

Patricia Melton

Well-Known Member
Walt would be disappointed if TDO did not innovate. He never wanted the parks to become stale. Just because 2 billion dollars were spent to introduce next gen and not spent on attractions does not make it wrong. Do the parks need refurbishing, sure. But why are we still using the same fast past system as originally designed? This is innovation and enhancement and I am happy to see things moving in a direction. Good or bad we will not know for a while.

The funniest thing about all of this is that Walt Disney would probably have loved the NextGen technology...and would have probably pushed to have this kind of stuff invented in the 90s or 2000s. The man loved technological innovation. He would have most likely been thrilled with revolutionizing how things are paid for and managed and computerized.
 

Patricia Melton

Well-Known Member
For Disney to be spending this insane amount of money on something like this, they must have strong indicators that this will be a cash cow for them. This isn't about "making every guest's experience better", it's about making money.

I really wish I had friends who worked in TDO...because I would love to know the real end game of all of this.

TDO did not invest all this in NextGen just for fun, and they didn't do it to make anything easier for people. You are 100% correct that this is about either reducing costs or increasing revenue directly. I just can't figure out how.

I also think it might be about getting people onto rides that they normally wouldn't ever go on, because now they can book a fast pass on them. Not sure how that helps Disney though, unless it's about crowd control and spreading people out more.

I really want to know what the end game truly is. How DOES this NextGen stuff really increase profits?
 

Brewmaster

Well-Known Member
I really wish I had friends who worked in TDO...because I would love to know the real end game of all of this.

TDO did not invest all this in NextGen just for fun, and they didn't do it to make anything easier for people. You are 100% correct that this is about either reducing costs or increasing revenue directly. I just can't figure out how.

I also think it might be about getting people onto rides that they normally wouldn't ever go on, because now they can book a fast pass on them. Not sure how that helps Disney though, unless it's about crowd control and spreading people out more.

I really want to know what the end game truly is. How DOES this NextGen stuff really increase profits?

You may want to read @ParentsOf4 take on the initiative (multiple, thoughtful, insightful). It becomes pretty transparent once you look deeper.
 

TalkingHead

Well-Known Member
Nick Franklin - Executive Vice President in charge of a Billion dollar project. http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Vi...ram/-/1637132/18041864/-/bi6fxnz/-/index.html

I hope before he swings for anything else he remembers to at least wear a blazer before he does media interviews. Maybe even a necktie and a suit for special launch days? :rolleyes:

Wow.

The reporter asks ol' Nick, "I know this is a big investment for Disney -- a billion dollars plus...how is Disney going to recoup that cost?"

Slick Nick replies, "Fundamentally, we believe that if we improve the guest experience that's a good business decision."

What he forgot to add was it's only a good business decision as long as it's not tied to adding new blockbuster attractions, because that would be silly to do in a theme park.
 

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
Does any one else think this will even out park attendance?

for example. Johnny usually only spend 3 to 4 hours in DHS doing his favorite attractions he then park hops over to MK.

Fast forward to next gen, Johnny has pre booked his favorite attractions vis fast pass+. Thing is these attractions now have 2 hours between them, so 4 attractions could take upto 8 hours. By this time Johnny is shattered and cant be bothered to park hop over to MK.

With so long between rides he is also spending more on merch and F&D just to pass the time.

Its difficult to hit other rides as the queue is too long, so he is worried he will miss his FP+ window for TofT.

With attendance averaging 47k/day at MK?

No. You can't even attendance out when its already busy everywhere.
 

TRONorail10

Active Member
I really wish I had friends who worked in TDO...because I would love to know the real end game of all of this.

TDO did not invest all this in NextGen just for fun, and they didn't do it to make anything easier for people. You are 100% correct that this is about either reducing costs or increasing revenue directly. I just can't figure out how.

I also think it might be about getting people onto rides that they normally wouldn't ever go on, because now they can book a fast pass on them. Not sure how that helps Disney though, unless it's about crowd control and spreading people out more.

I really want to know what the end game truly is. How DOES this NextGen stuff really increase profits?

There are multiple outcomes of NextGen, but most of the guests won't see it because it will be internal information. The whole semi-all-inclusive bracelet is just the marketing gimmick and face that Disney is putting to the project. NextGen from a business standpoint is an information driven system that will allow Disney to have a more accurate tracking of how a guest experiences the parks and spends their discretionary dollars. The information that Disney will gather from this is priceless from a business standpoint. A billion dollar investment will be recovered based on changes within the operation of the parks and resorts based on guest information.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
The information that Disney will gather from this is priceless from a business standpoint. A billion dollar investment will be recovered based on changes within the operation of the parks and resorts based on guest information.

What info are they getting that they don't already know, and haven't already known for decades? They already know how many people enter each park per day, what type of ticket they used, and how many people enter and exit each hour. They know how many people go into every ride or show every hour of every day. They already know what kind of food you eat and where, what kind of souvenirs you buy and where, and how many Fastpasses you pull for which rides on which day of your vacation. They know how many people watch the parades and how many watch Fantasmic, and which ones get the dinner or dessert package. They know how many people use Magical Express every day of every year, and how many people register a rental car with the front desk. They know which hotel room you sleep in for how many nights, and whether or not you prefer foam pillows or if you asked for a feather pillow.

What visitor information does using a MagicBand give them that they haven't already known since at least the 1990's?
 
Tracking people's movements does not always paint a clear picture of likes and dislikes. For example, the bracelet may show that I do not do much shopping while in the World and conclude I am not interested in shopping. In reality, I used to be an avid shopper in WDW and would love nothing more than to be able to pick up some of the rare and interesting items I have purchased in years past, but I do not shop now because I do not find unique pieces and do not want to pay premium prices in WDW to pick up something that I could easily find at my local Disney store or big box retailer for much cheaper. This same analogy could be applied to ride patterns, dining choices, or a myriad of other choices I make during my trips. What I choose is not always my favorite or most magical experience; sometimes it is simply what is available. As an indicator of guest satisfaction this is an incomplete system at best; it only provides half of the picture. It just seems from the information at this point, that the goal is not enhancing customer experience by listening to customer feedback and then meeting and even exceeding customer expectations, but seems to be more about managing the crowds by creating a caste system through "perks" that were once just the cost of doing business. I really do miss the days when Disney viewed every guest as a VIP and treated you accordingly. That was truly unique, and dare I say. . . magical?
 

BryceM

Well-Known Member
I really doubt you will be going to Universal/SeaWorld instead. They just don't have the same magic that WDW has. To me it's like saying that you're going to start drinking RC Cola now and never have any Coke or Pepsi products again. Good luck with that...but you will be drawn back to the quality of the really good stuff again, for sure.
Maybe everyone doesn't have the same opinion as you...

Gee. That'd be something to consider.
 

Longhairbear

Well-Known Member
There might be a silver lining in all the data mining Next Gen generates.
The suits, and maligned "MBA's" might discover that a certain couple from CA with a DVC membership is "finally" back to WDW after 4 years. They tend to be high rollers when they dine out, but they only did it once. Their handcuffs were activated halfway through their stay at VWL, meaning they either stayed in their villa, or went someplace else in the first 4 days of their vacation. They were here for 7 days, but only bought a churro, and a cup of coffee in MK, a Mickey bar at DHS, a postcard at DAK, and a bag of chocolates at Ghiradelli in DTD. They bought a box of Cascade at the Mercantile at WL,so we know they are running the dishwasher, so why are they cooking in, and not getting the DDP?
They didn't buy any of the One Disney stuff. They also didn't prebook any fastpasses, and never used Fastpass at all, most likely as that all the Fastpasses were gone by the time they logged on with their Smartphones.
They got some charcoal at Fort Wilderness, so they might have used the grills at VWL, but we can't tell, as we don't sell meat in our gift shop/ grocery stores. Did they get steaks some where else?
Thank goodness they spent over $300.00 at Vic & Al's.
I highly doubt this type of guest behavior will ever get noticed.
 

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
I really doubt you will be going to Universal/SeaWorld instead. They just don't have the same magic that WDW has. To me it's like saying that you're going to start drinking RC Cola now and never have any Coke or Pepsi products again. Good luck with that...but you will be drawn back to the quality of the really good stuff again, for sure.
You don't know me very well do you. I let my WDW AP expire in March 2011. But just renewed my Universal APs for my entire family. Magical staleness and new princess crap isn't much a draw for me. I'm really looking forward to Transformers. Which beat RSR for best Dark Ride of the year for a Golden Ticket Award.

But have fun on your 3,576th trip on Pooh.
 

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