OS: Phones, not MagicBands, will be the Future of Disney's MyMagic+

[pax_65]

There is a push to reduce bands use.

Perhaps a good place to start, and reduce costs, would be to encourage people to reuse magic bands from previous trips - or at least just 1 band per trip. We tried to reuse bands once because our trips were only a few months apart (and saw no need to order new bands). The cast members at our hotel front desk looked at us like we were crazy.

We're DVC members, and we often split our reservation with my in-laws (we use our points for half the trip, they use their points for the other half). Then we sometimes stay on cash for a few nights. As a result, Disney apparently sees this as 3 separate trips - and we are often sent 3 sets of magic bands (we only order 1). Sometimes when we arrive they try to give us a 4th set! We literally have a 10-foot long chain of magic bands that we've collected, jokingly to decorate the Christmas tree like a long string of garland. (Actually, we should always get red and green magic bands, we probably could decorate with it.)

I just received a second set of magic bands for our upcoming trip. I'm not even taking them to Florida. I have the first set they sent, we will wear them down and use them for the entire trip (with great, time-consuming difficulty I'm sure). The other set will sit in the box until we ultimately connect them to our garland string.

There is so much waste with these magic bands, it's unreal.

 

[King Panda 77]

I will say that I DO NOT travel with a smart phone (and never will) as a vacation is to get away from technology, also the price to use a smartphone in another country (Data Roaming) is absurd and not worth it.

The paper fastpass system is far superior as it shows the return times and allows you to easily plan your day on the day. Having to plan months ahead, then printing off sheets of paper to remember what your fast passes were for the day because the band surely doesnt tell you. I can see a smartphone gaining some advantage here with its ability to show what you have selected and times to return.

Heck, with the prices Disney changes nowadays maybe an iPhone should be included with the admission!!!

If you are determined to vacation technologyless (sp) , you could just write down your fp times on one of these handy inventions

No more printing out reams of paper. and if you change your plans . . . try one of these bad boys

 

[Jaison]

If you are determined to vacation technologyless (sp) , you could just write down your fp times on one of these handy inventions
View attachment 137919


No more printing out reams of paper. and if you change your plans . . . try one of these bad boys
View attachment 137920

So now I have to carry a notebook and eraser? Maybe at Disney prices I should be offered a personal secretary to keep me updated on my daily itinerary and make sure I stick to my pre-planned timeline of events. This in no way feels like work of course .... I love planning and sticking to set schedules, so relaxing!!!

 

[King Panda 77]

So now I have to carry a notebook and eraser? Maybe at Disney prices I should be offered a personal secretary to keep me updated on my daily itinerary and make sure I stick to my pre-planned timeline of events. This in no way feels like work of course .... I love planning and sticking to set schedules, so relaxing!!!

You don't HAVE to make any FP ressies. So no paper or anything that might make you have to make plans.

 

[Disnee4Me]

I feel like using phones instead of MagicBands would be going a step backward. First world problems aside, the bands are convenient, and pulling your phone out your pocket every time you want to enter a park or use a FastPass is not. If I wanted to use a ticket that I had to pull out of my pocket I'd use a card.

Agree. I think the same thing. I'd rather flick my wrist than reach into my pocket!!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I feel like using phones instead of MagicBands would be going a step backward. First world problems aside, the bands are convenient, and pulling your phone out your pocket every time you want to enter a park or use a FastPass is not. If I wanted to use a ticket that I had to pull out of my pocket I'd use a card.

I don't have any inside information, but I suspect the "phase out" would not be the elimination of Magic Bands entirely. Perhaps the elimination of free Magic Bands.

 

[Disnee4Me]

Hmmm,. I just thinking about how I'm always saying "now where did I put my Phone???". And what about the grandparents who don't have phones, or use basic phones. My DH is 67 and he still uses a flip phone. It actually sits in his glove compartment of his car for "emergency use only". One time we lost him in EPCOT but had no way to reach him since he didn't have his phone on him.

 

[pax_65]

You don't HAVE to make any FP ressies. So no paper or anything that might make you have to make plans.

Very true. You can spend months painstakingly reserving every attraction and meal for every member of your party over every second of your entire vacation, or you can choose to skip that and spend your entire vacation standing in lines and eating burgers.

Great options!

 

[CDavid]

You don't HAVE to make any FP ressies. So no paper or anything that might make you have to make plans.

But if you don't you are at a disadvantage; The standby line moves much slower with FastPass than without, and for some attractions (Toy Story Mania) the wait can be excessive. Failure to make dining plans may actually result in you being shut out completely.

The end result is the same. Guests are compelled to make excessive plans which often detract from the vacation experience.

 

[King Panda 77]

Very true. You can spend months painstakingly reserving every attraction and meal for every member of your party over every second of your entire vacation, or you can choose to skip that and spend your entire vacation standing in lines and eating burgers.

Great options!

In around 13 trips i have only made a handful of reservations to eat yet still rarely eat burgers. Unless you want a specific signature place then it is possible to get into most places if you time it right .

 

[EthanMagicBands]

Too many people in this world want a direct impact or else nothing. "If MM+ doesn't work for me and I don't enjoy it, Disney should have never implemented it!" It's the same thought process of saying "my tax dollars shouldn't go to public schools if I don't have kids".

But the reality is that Disney HAS to implement MyMagic+ in some form at all parks going forward or they WILL get left behind as competitors try to find ways to pass them up. It's long-term ideas, not short-term entertainment, and although there are costs associated with it, they have to be made. To say that MyMagic+ as a whole is a failure or doesn't work is just not true... there are many aspects of it that work great! It's about Disney staying ahead with technology and experiences so they are the leader rather than the follower.

Too often Disney fans just want things to go back the way they were, or to never change, but the reason Disney remains #1 is because they DO change. They have to take risks and try new things. They'll take what works at WDW and roll it out to other parks, and leave what doesn't behind. They'll constantly tweak and tweak until they find the right spot with MM+, with or without MagicBands.

I'll just end my comments on this subject on this...

"Progress is impossible without change." - Walt Disney

 

[pax_65]

In around 13 trips i have only made a handful of reservations to eat yet still rarely eat burgers. Unless you want a specific signature place then it is possible to get into most places if you time it right .

Well I exaggerated for emphasis, but in all honesty it's tough to walk up to an Epcot table-service restaurant at dinner without an ADR, and virtually impossible at the Magic Kingdom and Studios (honestly not sure about AK, I've never tried it). I'm sure you could get in at some of the less popular resort restaurants (we ate at Coronado Springs a few trips ago and saw some empty tables) but I think it's safe to say your options would be significantly limited if you don't get an ADR at least weeks in advance.

 

[pax_65]

"Progress is impossible without change." - Walt Disney

Wow... I've been on this board a long time. Years ago I used the same quote in defending Mission Space and Winnie the Pooh over Horizons and Mr Toad's Wild Ride. (And yes, I still miss Horizons a bit too, let's not go there).

But I felt these changes were customer focused. Whether you liked the result or not, I truly believe Disney built these attractions because they thought guests would like them - they would be popular, they would attract guests to the parks, they would enhance the guest experience in the park, etc.

My issue with the MM+ is that it seems to benefit Disney first, before the guest. Yes, some guests enjoy having the ability to pre-plan their vacation, but many guests do not. Aside from this, you're losing spontaneity that the park always had - the ability to let the kids decide on a whim which park to attend and which attraction to do first. No longer - now everything is regimented and scheduled, which is the opposite of how kids think (and adults like me while on vacation). The standby lines have exploded as the attractions pull from the packed FP+ line - to the point that doing anything without a FP is problematic - even on attractions that were a walk-on a few short years ago.

Meanwhile Disney benefits from a treasure trove of customer data, targeted marketing campaigns, keeping guests in the park longer, encouraging guests to spend more money in the park (with the swipe of their arm), etc.

Whether you realize it or not, the primary benefit of MM+ is for Disney, not the guest.

 

[Nj4mwc]

Disney is crazy to get rid of the bands, my wife and i control our spending very obsesivelly but we spent almost 3x what we thought by swiping the band. I know its terrible but it made spending fun and something with no need to think about. I can imagine many others are experiencing the same.