Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

Status
Not open for further replies.
P

Pixiedustmaker

Well-Known Member
sweetpee_1993 said:
I have not been to DLR but I do know of the situation with RSR's fastpass lines. The idea of "booking" a FP is nice enough...provided you know what day you'll be there months ahead of time and enjoy having your days scripted. I don't want to be tethered to my smartphone on vacation. I enjoy going on cruises because I can legit turn it off and call it done. Standing in line for Mr. Toad's while you're scheduling your next fastpasses on the fly is a nice notion...provided there's any available for what you want (since the popular ones will be long-since sold-out) and you've not exceeded your few alloted each day (because 3 is your new limit). I don't want to "cancel" fast passes. If I had some I couldn't use then I gave them away. And I am NOT wearing one of those ridiculous bracelets. Not happening. Ever. It's these limitations that I don't want to deal with. I want to roll on the fly. We've never ran the parks chasing down fastpasses. If we happened upon something with a longish line and the current return time fit for us we'd get a FP. Otherwise, we kept moving. But again, we rolled on the fly. I don't want my days scripted before I get there. I don't want to write the script during the day. I don't enjoy the over-planning. Does not appeal in a big way. If I can't arrive with a few basics under my sleeve and manage a good day then it's work and I'm not interested. That simple.
Click to expand...


The Fast Pass line for RSR was *hours* long during the peak season. Folks don't have to wait in such a line if there is a virtual queue . . . you run like mad, get the RSR FP. Or maybe get there at rope drop and run like mad to ride RSR before the line gets crazy long. I think on opening day it was something like 7 hours for the attraction.

DLR has two parks right next to each other, you can make a FP for Indy even if you have to walk from DCA to DL, which doesn't take that long.

As I stand in line at DL to enter for the day, I can wipe out my cell and start making FP reservations, or if I made them weeks ahead of time, I can cancel them if I'm not going to be in that park that day . . .as I head over to said park.

Seems if you're going to WDW, you can make FP reservations for, for example, the same park on all 4 days of your vacation, cancel them before entering as needed. If you can get FPs on your cell, and make changes before rope drop, you'll beat the paper system. A question is whether the electronic FPs will be used up so there are no longer any paper ones . . . something tells me Disney will favor the guest who buys/utilizes the MagicBands over the newbie who just uses the paper FPs . . . wouldn't make sense that you can't get an Indy FP on your cell, but the paper machine is still spitting them out.
 
Last edited:
WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
tissandtully said:
Why are you spreading this out over a week? Are you getting a kickback for post count?
Click to expand...

I am spreading this out as long as it takes to have a conversation with people. I didn't go to sleep last night expectining 12 pages of posts before noon or 19 by the time I could even glance at it tonight or 25 now. And I certainly didn't ask for another debate on the merits of FP+.
but I Don't control what others post or say or who says it, so that will determine how things go.

And if I were looking for a kickback for post counts, I think we all know it would be a sizeable one!
 
P

Pixiedustmaker

Well-Known Member
I bet they'll add NextGen to CoP, "Grandma's using the new NextGen system for Fast Pass reservations, no need to race to get a paper ticket anymore kids! And you can change your reservations inside the parks when you get there."

lkb_carousel_grandma.jpg


Welcome to the 21st Century

epcot003.jpg
 
WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Soarin' Over Pgh said:
haha! Right? If you're going to the game tonight, drop me a line. We could grab a hot dog and discuss this thread while watching our team kick some butt :) The last time the Pirates had a winning season, I was too young to remember!

Back on subject... @Tim_4 can you share anything else about the PhotoPass fiasco?

@WDW1974 have you heard any numbers as of late regarding attendance, rooms filled and/or projections for the upcoming fall/winter? Do you think WDW will be as busy as they've been in the past for the holidays?
Click to expand...

Everyone is saying fall is looking good for WDW, but their actions are saying the polar opposite. So, what would you believe?
 
sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
I am spreading this out as long as it takes to have a conversation with people. I didn't go to sleep last night expectining 12 pages of posts before noon or 19 by the time I could even glance at it tonight or 25 now. And I certainly didn't ask for another debate on the merits of FP+.
but I Don't control what others post or say or who says it, so that will determine how things go.

And if I were looking for a kickback for post counts, I think we all know it would be a sizeable one!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not surprised the thread went nutty after last night. I was a bit surprised to see quite so many pages tonight. Aaaaand, my keeping up with the reading of all pages is pretty much a done deal. I'll have to figure out how to filter out your posts within the thread so I can hit all the important stuff without spending time I don't really have sorting.

Anxious to hear all the details, tho!
 
P

Pixiedustmaker

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
Wanna bet?

It's also now 2.5 billion plus and rising. Solely for WDW.
Click to expand...

Source?

The original $900 million, or whatever, was for all Disney parks. The tech involved has been out there a while, in addition, WDW already has a massive IT workforce. Some features haven't even been added yet for WDW, the system is easily scaleable to add customized features. They were going to put RFID in grocery stores, it ain't even close to $1 billion for WDW.

Remember decades ago how a laptop costed $3,500 and with inflation that is more today, and now how they're much less and so, so, so, much more powerful?
 
WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
71jason said:
This happened last week, actually, at least in the resorts. So far a lot of grumbling because--without the wrist bands--the new system actually adds a step to paying in a restaurant/bar.

I have seen the Magic Band "geek squad" around. A lot. They wear polos with the Magic Band symbol embroidered on them, so they're easy to spot.
Click to expand...

Yes, just wait and see what it does when I give my step by step rundown of this, which may come in nine months if I have to wade thru so many posts on so many different subjects.
 
P

Pixiedustmaker

Well-Known Member
sweetpee_1993 said:
I have not been to DLR but I do know of the situation with RSR's fastpass lines. The idea of "booking" a FP is nice enough...provided you know what day you'll be there months ahead of time and enjoy having your days scripted. I don't want to be tethered to my smartphone on vacation. I enjoy going on cruises because I can legit turn it off and call it done. Standing in line for Mr. Toad's while you're scheduling your next fastpasses on the fly is a nice notion...provided there's any available for what you want (since the popular ones will be long-since sold-out) and you've not exceeded your few alloted each day (because 3 is your new limit). I don't want to "cancel" fast passes. If I had some I couldn't use then I gave them away. And I am NOT wearing one of those ridiculous bracelets. Not happening. Ever. It's these limitations that I don't want to deal with. I want to roll on the fly. We've never ran the parks chasing down fastpasses. If we happened upon something with a longish line and the current return time fit for us we'd get a FP. Otherwise, we kept moving. But again, we rolled on the fly. I don't want my days scripted before I get there. I don't want to write the script during the day. I don't enjoy the over-planning. Does not appeal in a big way. If I can't arrive with a few basics under my sleeve and manage a good day then it's work and I'm not interested. That simple.
Click to expand...

I get what you're saying about being scripted. I absolutely will *NOT* go to DL/WDW with an itinerary, even though some in my family want this. It kills the whole vacation experience. BUT . . . I also don't like having to wait 4 hours for a FP for a ride I know I want to get on. I see myself using MagicBand to get FP for RSR, and to go on a couple rides where it helps, if I don't make it over to Indy, so be it, I won't use it. Indy has an awesome outdoor queue, almost worth it to walk the stand-by line.

There are apps for checking ride times via a smartphone, I use them a lot in the parks. If they have an app that shows available FP times, then I might well use that for certain rides that for some people are must sees. Yes, for the majority of my time, I'll be walking to lands aimlessly and riding what I want, and if the line is short.
 
manutdfan1

manutdfan1

Active Member
WDW1974 said:
I sorta resent your comment. First, I am not hyping anything. I am trying to pass along information and news that is interesting to me and many who read what I write. I am under no obligation to put it out on your timetable or anyone else's but mine. I used to always hear the same crap leveled at Al Lutz when he'd go more than 2-3 weeks without a column.

I also never proclaimed I had earth shattering information. I may well, but if I do you can bet this isn,t the place for it.

You go by my pace and my ability to post when I can (I do have a faux one percenter's life when not here). If that doesn't suit you than by all means go elsewhere and rest well in the knowledge that whatever I do lute out here will eventually get borrowed all over the Disney fan community.
Click to expand...

Sorry to bust your faux one-percenter bubble, but you were actually kind of hyping this thread. I believe you called it "Spirit News, Thoughts, and Observations: May the Force Be with You" at one point, and then followed that up with "oh yes, it is coming." If that isn't hype, I don't know what is.

I don't recall Al Lutz ever hyping information he'd received. He merely released it in an article when he liked or had gathered enough to share. I would hardly compare you two.

Anyway, I do appreciate what you do, and I'm glad we have you here on WDWMagic. You're right in that you have no obligation to share your insider information with us, but don't pretend like you weren't hyping this thread to be something big and, in your words, "transformative."
 
P

Pixiedustmaker

Well-Known Member
manutdfan1 said:
Sorry to bust your faux one-percenter bubble, but you were actually kind of hyping this thread. I believe you called it "Spirit News, Thoughts, and Observations: May the Force Be with You" at one point, and then followed that up with "oh yes, it is coming." If that isn't hype, I don't know what is.

I don't recall Al Lutz ever hyping information he'd received. He merely released it in an article when he liked or had gathered enough to share. I would hardly compare you two.

Anyway, I do appreciate what you do, and I'm glad we have you here on WDWMagic. You're right in that you have no obligation to share your insider information with us, but don't pretend like you weren't hyping this thread to be something big and, in your words, "transformative."
Click to expand...


Al Lutz is a sort of "Just the Facts" sort of guy, with his own special flare for reporting Disney news. Thanks to him terms like "sharp pencil boys" became part of the lingo.

WDW74 has a different style, such as suggesting that I stand in front of a monorail, or that what folks factually know isn't important. I get it that his style is different, there's a whole lot of personal info in the "conversation", and currently little info and he is heavily biased against Disney, and sometimes the only goal seems to be to get everybody to conclude that WDW is horrible. He really never liked MagicBands/NextGen (he really hates them), so I'm kinda skeptical of these outlandish reports of expenditures on MagicBands . . . especially since Disney is pleased with how they are being implemented and the increased spending.

If NextGen pays for itself, and it looks like it will, then it doesn't really effect the budget for new lands/attractions, which is what we all want . . .
 
R

RyenDeckard

Well-Known Member
Pixiedustmaker said:
There's some crazy numbers floating around out there with regards to NextGen, the whole project once implemented probably costs around $1 billion . . . but that is for all Disney resorts worlwide, as well as some of the interesting stuf they've been working on for ride queues. Given that NextGen helps the resort save money via automation, (less time spent repairing/stocking FastPass machines, repairing hotel card entry), it has already increased spending at WDW and is being touted as a success. Development of the tech was probably $25 million, maybe less, and what WDW got probably costs around $175 million, maybe a bit more . . . so no need to get freaked out thinking they could have added tons of E-Tickets. Disney makes money, and saves on infrastructure, and it is a cool way to lure guests to the resort.

I'm all for new lands and attractions, but NextGen didn't steal money from this area of the company, and it will make the investment back . . .
Click to expand...


Every bit of information to come out about NGE suggests you are wrong by multiple orders of magnitude.
 
R

RyenDeckard

Well-Known Member
Pixiedustmaker said:
Source?

Just checked Amazon, a second gen iPad costs $395 . . . tech is cheaper. RFID is so cheap they were going to put them in all the food you buy in a grocery store so that you can checkout in seconds . . . that was a decade ago man.

This is just the 21st Century . . . computers/tech don't costs as much as they used too . . .
Click to expand...

RFID chips are cheap, readers less so, and the infrastructure to support RFID information and properly categorize it is expensive.

Computers don't cost as much as they used to, you're right! Because as technology progresses the means of production become more efficient. But using that as an argument for NGE is ridiculous and absurd.

You have no idea what you are talking about, which is made blatantly obvious by going to amazon and looking up the price of RFID chips and quoting that as a baseline.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom