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

[COProgressFan]

Depends....It could have the opposite effect for many. I mean, if some can't get the good FPs for their vacation, maybe they'll do something else. Perhaps, TDO is trying to play us for fools, but they'll wind up looking foolish instead. :lookaroun

Something tells me they're misjudging the human element here. I told my sister about this last night (somewhat local in her case, she lives in Seminole, Fl) and she thought it was the stupidest thing she's ever heard. I just told her the facts in my professional, boring scientist voice. I didn't even tell her that there is the potential to do things like make hot dog ressies at Casey's which make me laugh every time I think about it.

I've had similar experiences as well in telling others about Nextgen. We have friends who are DVC members and visit WDW every other year or so. They don't follow message boards, or any other Disney news online, and they usually just show up to WDW with minimal planning (no ADRs, etc.) After I told them about it, they thought the concept of booking FP's months in advance was terrible. They had no idea this was coming and they were disappointed and thought this would take the fun and spontaneity out of their vacationing.

Some others I know, who have visited Disney plenty of times, but I wouldn't classify as "fans", also thought pre- booking FPs was a terrible idea, basically asking "this is a vacation?"

Its purely anecdotal, but there are lots of folks (fans and nonfans alike) who really have no interest in this mess.

 

[aka_emilicious]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned, but wouldn't the "Friends and Family" option make it easier to get fast passes on the fly for groups?

I imagine one person could use their app to pick a fp+ and then assign it to the rest of the group. No more shortest straw has to get the fastpasses while everyone else rides. Or at least that was my understanding between the T&C's and a Tom Staggs quote.

Of course this doesn't mean we know there will be day of fastpasses available, different park fast passes, etc. There's still quite a bit behind the curtain.

 

[Sneezy62]

There are a few people in the parks with the band today. It's hideous and blue.
The people I saw with them were dressed nicely (think business attire) and most women were just holding them in their hands. One had it around her purse strap. I wish I could have gotten a picture.

any more details? How big a group?

 

[awesomeinabox]

any more details? How big a group?

It was at the be our guest resturant at lunchtime at the check in station. I believe she was doing the Pre-order lunch test and was leaving. It was a party of one that I saw and she was in her 30s or 40s. The groups of guests were all dressed well and were all adults but I only saw two groups of three each.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

So what I'm gathering is that we will be able to book FP+ 60 days out? Is this currently being implemented? Someone might have men tioned it already and I missed it. Sorry if that's the case. We're going in May and plan on Epcot the day we arrive. Some of my family has never been on Soarin so it would be nice to be able to book it ahead and not have to worry about rushing at the hotel to get to Epcot in hopes there's still FP's left...

 

[sbkline]

With all of the discussion about the fastpass aspect of this, I haven't seen anyone address this other minor question I have regarding the photopass aspect. Are all the wristbands in the party linked to the same photopass account? If me, my wife and my two kids go up to get our picture taken, does the photopass CM have to scan the same wristband each time in order for all the pictures to be on the same account? Or can he scan the wristband of whomever happens to be standing closest to him and sill have all the photos from the trip all under the same account?

 

[flynnibus]

Or can he scan the wristband of whomever happens to be standing closest to him and sill have all the photos from the trip all under the same account?

since you can add multiple cards to the same photopass account.. does it really matter?

 

[George]

With all of the discussion about the fastpass aspect of this, I haven't seen anyone address this other minor question I have regarding the photopass aspect. Are all the wristbands in the party linked to the same photopass account? If me, my wife and my two kids go up to get our picture taken, does the photopass CM have to scan the same wristband each time in order for all the pictures to be on the same account? Or can he scan the wristband of whomever happens to be standing closest to him and sill have all the photos from the trip all under the same account?

Good question. I'd hope your whole party would be on the same account. Once I learned that you could grab photopass cards as needed and pool all the pictures after you were home, I thought the system was great. It might be the same thing.

 

[sbkline]

since you can add multiple cards to the same photopass account.. does it really matter?

Not really, except that it would save a little time. On one trip, I somehow ended up with two photopass cards and I had to have them combine them onto one account so I could get them all on one disc. No big deal, but it was an extra few minutes wasted standing at the counter waiting for them to do it. No doubt it would be possible with the wristbands as well, and surely wouldn't eat up too much time. But it would still be a little more convenient if all the wristbands in the party all pooled into the same account from the getgo so we don't have to waste time determining if my son's band has any pictures on it, if my daughter's has any pictures on hers, and then combining them all onto one account.

 

[George]

You can combine the cards at home on the interwebz. No line waiting needed.

 

[stevehousse]

I was wondering all about the photopass+ changes with the next gen! If we get wrist bands for pp+, does that automatically disqualify us to use normal fast pass??? We want to get to pp+ but also don't want to have to use FP+ if we get wristbands. I would be somewhat upset if I get there and am forced to use FP+ , and not get to book any FP in advance? I wonder if they will give u the option or at least let u know when u pay that u can book the FP+??? Idk so many different questions regarding this!!!

 

[disneyeater]

I was wondering all about the photopass+ changes with the next gen! If we get wrist bands for pp+, does that automatically disqualify us to use normal fast pass??? We want to get to pp+ but also don't want to have to use FP+ if we get wristbands. I would be somewhat upset if I get there and am forced to use FP+ , and not get to book any FP in advance? I wonder if they will give u the option or at least let u know when u pay that u can book the FP+??? Idk so many different questions regarding this!!!

Depending on when you are going next, you may not have to worry about "normal" fastpass at all. Not based on anything, but I would be suprised if those machines weren't gone by the end of the year.

 

[stevehousse]

We r going in May so its really up in the air in terms of when they r going to fully run the new next gen!

 

[RandomPrincess]

Right now with PP+ you only can have one card. Which can be a pain if your family splits up during the trip. Hopefully they can put the PP+ on all of your parties bands making the system easier to use.

 

[Nemo14]

Probably totally OT, but I sent a letter to Tom Scaggs back in early December expressing several concerns I had about recent and on-going problems in WDW; today I got a phone call from a rep who talked with me for quite a while (30 minutes or more) about some of the things I mentioned. She was quite pleasant, butdidn't waver much from how they were keeping up with technology, and how they listen to their customers, yada yada. Towards the end of the call, it dawned on me that she had called my cell phone, and very few people have my number since we basically just use it for family communication. I asked her where she got the number from since I knew I had not mentioned it in the letter, and she said that I must have included it on a reservation at some point. I'm pretty sure I haven't, but even if I did, it still creeped me out.
I'm going to be a piece of work with those bands!

 

[MarkTwain]

So here's a question... why does it need to be 60 days? Why couldn't the reservation system start simply, say, 3 days before, when guests might actually have an idea which park they want to enter on each day of their trip? (My family certainly doesn't plan til we get down there). Then resort/FastPass+ guests would still have a significant advantage on all the urchins guests staying offsite and who have to wait til they enter the park to get their FastPass.

 

[disneyeater]

So here's a question... why does it need to be 60 days? Why couldn't the reservation system start simply, say, 3 days before, when guests might actually have an idea which park they want to enter on each day of their trip? (My family certainly doesn't plan til we get down there). Then resort/FastPass+ guests would still have a significant advantage on all the urchins guests staying offsite and who have to wait til they enter the park to get their FastPass.

No reason for them to do this. The same people that know 3 days before will know 60 days before and the others don't decide until the day of.

 

[ParentsOf4]

So here's a question... why does it need to be 60 days? Why couldn't the reservation system start simply, say, 3 days before, when guests might actually have an idea which park they want to enter on each day of their trip? (My family certainly doesn't plan til we get down there). Then resort/FastPass+ guests would still have a significant advantage on all the urchins guests staying offsite and who have to wait til they enter the park to get their FastPass.

I surmise 60 days is far enough in advance so TDO can plan "resources" (I hate when companies call their employees "resources") accordingly. Ultimately, 60 days is for TDO, not for us. Just like NextGen is ultimately for TDO.

 

[lazyboy97o]

So here's a question... why does it need to be 60 days? Why couldn't the reservation system start simply, say, 3 days before, when guests might actually have an idea which park they want to enter on each day of their trip? (My family certainly doesn't plan til we get down there). Then resort/FastPass+ guests would still have a significant advantage on all the urchins guests staying offsite and who have to wait til they enter the park to get their FastPass.

People are picking mundane places to eat 180 days out.

 

[SirLink]

People are picking mundane places to eat 180 days out.

Now if only they could creep it to 60 days out for Dining and I don't know improve the RAW ingredients they buy...