Post from the future: My Magic + in 2015

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Chroniq

Member
Original Poster
Based upon leaked documents,patent filings, building permits, and conversations with two people that would be in a position to to know, this is what next gen/fast pass +/my magic + is really all about.


The year is 2015. You enter the park using your RFID enabled bracelet. Since the ticketed fastpass system has been completely eliminated, you pull out your smart phone (or in park device provided by Disney if you still don't have a smart phone).. Based upon a profile that you've either preselected before the trip or you quickly typed in while on the monorail, you are presented with 5 choices of what ride you'd like to ride first while bypassing the line. After finishing the ride you are provided with an additional number of choices to ride next without a line. Using your RFID bracelet the computer determines your location, analyzes current wait times on rides close to you or in your profile, as well as guest distribution amongst the park, and makes a number of complex decisions on what 2-5 rides you can experience next while skipping the line. Everything is completely in real time so the need to plan or use strategy for touring the park is eliminated. Want to spend 20 minutes taking photos of the castle or spending time charging your phone for free at one of the new "relaxation stops"?No problem, when you are ready to ride you are presented with a current selection of choices.

Essentially Next Gen is the idea of using a computer to spread out people evenly amongst a park, while giving the guest constant choices of what to experience next, while also eliminating the need to rush from ride to ride to get the next fast pass.

This benefits Disney by being provided with a huge data mine (which is what the roll out right now is really all about) of customers spending habits, locations, and actions.. Sure, they'll use that information to sell you more things, but they also use it to maximize the guest experience by having the computer virtually eliminate all guest's wait times. As enthusiasts, we may have learned ways to milk/maximize the fastpass system , but this system allows even the first time park visitor to experience the maximum amount of rides with the shortest wait.

So imagine an opportunity to enjoy a Disney Park at your speed while always having "something" to ride next with a super short line and never feeling rushed. Thoughts?


-chris "and the standby line is gone by 2020" con
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
Something like this was hypothesized, but many issues still exist - demand for any attractions far exceeds supply. This works if all attractions were considered equal, but they're not. Yes, it will appeal to many but not everyone. More importantly, there simple aren't enough attractions in each of the parks to have this work. It can work in MK, and maybe even Epcot (with 1 or 2 more e-tickets) but I don't see how it could work in DHS or DAK without a substantial investment in additional attractions. This would go beyond what's currently rumored.

Yes, it's possible - but not with the current attraction lineup.
 
Tom Morrow

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
There are some days where a visit to a park will be a bust and you won't accomplish much due to whatever circumstances. Crowd levels, weather, rides breaking down... it's all mostly luck of the draw. I hypothesize that its the days when you ARE able to conquer everything, get surprised by short wait times, etc, that give you part of the "high" that makes you enjoy theme parks in the first place.

Another example - people tend to have the best, most positive reaction from an attraction if they wait at least a little bit of time for it. Waiting in line builds up your anticipation. Obviously waiting in line *too long* eventually turns that anticipation into frustration. Conversely walking on to an attraction gives you the least amount of build up and anticipation, and I've noticed that reactions tend to be less enthusiastic in this situation, though that applies more to first-time riders than people who know well what to expect.

Anyway, the point is - the waiting, the effort, the randomness - is part of the fun. Having an app tell you what to do, and walking on to everything with no anticipation... its just so soulless and empty and I don't like the idea.
 
ISTCrew20

ISTCrew20

Well-Known Member
You know, this NextGen 'final phase' sounds similar like the system Universal rolled out last summer. I'm not sure if it was a test phase or if it is still going on, but it worked like this:

1) Pick up a tiny computer device (kind of looked like those old digital-pet Tamagatchi games from the 90's) -

2) Scroll through the menu and select what ride you would like to ride. The system then alerts you (within a few minutes) that the ride is available to ride. You have the option to select "on my way" or "no thanks". If you select no thanks, more options will be available to you. Want to eat lunch or grab a drink, just put the device away and don't use it. It was only there to help your day, not meant to be the center of it.

I liked the system - I did not think it got in the way of any spontaneity of the day. I already think Disney's initiative is getting way too bloated (with bands and custom merch for purchase, etc.) for something that was meant to provide a seamless day.

Well that, and the fact that 90% of Universal attractions are things I want to ride.
 
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Susan Savia

Well-Known Member
No thanks. Life has enough 'planning' in it as it is. I want to walk into the park and go wherever. If I walk past a ride and the que is long, I simply skip it. No big deal.
 
Monty

Monty

Brilliant...and Canadian
In the Parks
No
Virtual Toad said:
This sounds absolutely nothing like a vacation to me. No thanks, I don't need a computer algorithm to decide what I should see or experience next.
Click to expand...
It's offering what you could see or experience next without much wait. There is nothing forcing you to do so. "Here's what's reasonably close with short lines if you're interested" is the message, if you choose not to partake of what's suggested, you can do something else or go elsewhere in the park and get an updated set of suggestions.

I think it sounds wonderful. The system could be tailored to individual likes and dislikes, perhaps even to include an individual's physical limitations due to disability. For example, I can't comfortably stand in line for much more than half an hour due to problems with my feet, the system wouldn't offer me options that would likely entail waits longer than that. If there's a ride I really want to go on that has a longer line and I'm prepared to suffer a little to ride it, there's nothing stopping me. [For those saying the world was so wonderful pre-FPs, I wouldn't have ever been able to ride a lot of the E-Ticket rides, so it wouldn't have been better for me]

Even if you don't like the idea of a computer "telling you what to do", if you wing it all the time and get frustrated by what's not working or where unexpected waits pop up you'd have the system's suggestions as a back up plan. If you wing it and are successful in accomplishing what you want, great, the system wasn't required and you're content with your vacation going the way you want.
 
the-reason14

the-reason14

Well-Known Member
Chroniq said:
Based upon leaked documents,patent filings, building permits, and conversations with two people that would be in a position to to know, this is what next gen/fast pass +/my magic + is really all about.


The year is 2015. You enter the park using your RFID enabled bracelet. Since the ticketed fastpass system has been completely eliminated, you pull out your smart phone (or in park device provided by Disney if you still don't have a smart phone).. Based upon a profile that you've either preselected before the trip or you quickly typed in while on the monorail, you are presented with 5 choices of what ride you'd like to ride first while bypassing the line. After finishing the ride you are provided with an additional number of choices to ride next without a line. Using your RFID bracelet the computer determines your location, analyzes current wait times on rides close to you or in your profile, as well as guest distribution amongst the park, and makes a number of complex decisions on what 2-5 rides you can experience next while skipping the line. Everything is completely in real time so the need to plan or use strategy for touring the park is eliminated. Want to spend 20 minutes taking photos of the castle or spending time charging your phone for free at one of the new "relaxation stops"?No problem, when you are ready to ride you are presented with a current selection of choices.

Essentially Next Gen is the idea of using a computer to spread out people evenly amongst a park, while giving the guest constant choices of what to experience next, while also eliminating the need to rush from ride to ride to get the next fast pass.

This benefits Disney by being provided with a huge data mine (which is what the roll out right now is really all about) of customers spending habits, locations, and actions.. Sure, they'll use that information to sell you more things, but they also use it to maximize the guest experience by having the computer virtually eliminate all guest's wait times. As enthusiasts, we may have learned ways to milk/maximize the fastpass system , but this system allows even the first time park visitor to experience the maximum amount of rides with the shortest wait.

So imagine an opportunity to enjoy a Disney Park at your speed while always having "something" to ride next with a super short line and never feeling rushed. Thoughts?


-chris "and the standby line is gone by 2020" con
Click to expand...


Great, so I get to the park and head to space mt immediately at open and ride it. Then I realized how much fun I had and want to ride it again but see that the line is 70 minutes now. So I want to select on my phone the option to utilize a fastpass+ for it and ride it again. After getting off I simply can't get enough and want to ride again, so I select that option on my phone and am granted another fastpass+ for this amazing attraction. After the 3rd ride I see that my phone is pushing me to use a fastpass+ for the nearby carousel of progess. Hmmm, "wasting" a fastpass on a show, and one that has always been a walkon in the past? I press 'skip' and skip. While walking toward what has always been another must do, splash mt, I pass pirates that has a ridiculous 50 minute wait at an early 11 am. My phone beeps pressuring me to select this and 'waste' another fastpass, but once again I skip because I 'know' that the line for this should be non-existent later at night. I get to splash and select my fastpass+ and bypass the now 70 minute wait. The fastpass line itself is a bit backed up, but better compared to the people in the line next to me who are sweating and mean facing me as I speed by with my fastpass+. After getting off I select the option for BTM, but I'm denied because the system wants me to use one for attractions that have never needed fastpass in the past and shouldn't now. The system then crashes with me stubbornly attempting to select fastpasses for BTM and a few for Space mt so I'm forced to head to guest relations to sort this situation out. After complaining about how things used to be, and how by me walking all the way from frontierland to city hall has deterred my magical experienced and ruined my plans, I am giving several vouchers to use at any fastpass attraction in the park at any time I want. With this in mind, I leave for another theme park with the idea of attempted this all again.
 
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Sneezy62

Well-Known Member
Central planning worked great for some in the 20th century, but there was never enough bread on the shelves. Then people got tired of it and went where there was less planning and more bread. Just sayin'.
 
tinkerblonde11

tinkerblonde11

Well-Known Member
I'm honestly not a fan of all the new technology. Yeah, I'm one of the weirdos who loved holding onto my fastpass tickets and took pride in the stack of different colored EMH bracelets on my arm. I loved pushing through my key card when entering the park. I look back at them and think of all the machines they've been through and it warms my heart to think that card was once in Disney.
 
copcarguyp71

copcarguyp71

Well-Known Member
In the year 2015 has the Yeti been replaced by an epileptic Jar Jar Binks wearing a DVC T-Shirt? It seems plausible given the current direction.
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
What's funny is that this is more or less possible using touring plans optimize function. It's not 0 waits for everything but if you are trying to run through the parks commando style, the app is a great way to do it.
 

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