What's Still On and What's Now Off

[VaderTron]

so do you think it is reasonable that all visitors be required to own a smartphone with software allowing the Disney app to operate?

That seems to be a bit unreasonable to me.

When I see children in poor villages of Africa with smartphones, I tend to disagree. There is nothing unreasonable about making a smartphone a necessity since they are so widely used. If you have the money to go to Disney you DEFINITELY have the money for a smartphone. Now if you are too lazy to learn how to use it, that's another issue. I know a 93 year old who, although knowing very little technology wise a few years back, is able to make video calls, send messages on What's App, and all sorts of things. You just have to be willing to learn and humble enough to ask for help.

 

[pdude81]

When I see children in poor villages of Africa with smartphones, I tend to disagree. There is nothing unreasonable about making a smartphone a necessity since they are so widely used. If you have the money to go to Disney you DEFINITELY have the money for a smartphone. Now if you are too lazy to learn how to use it, that's another issue. I know a 93 year old who, although knowing very little technology wise a few years back, is able to make video calls, send messages on What's App, and all sorts of things. You just have to be willing to learn and humble enough to ask for help.

Having money for a beer and drinking a beer are two different things, no?

 

[pdude81]

You can still buy food in a bar

 

[ImperfectPixie]

When I see children in poor villages of Africa with smartphones, I tend to disagree. There is nothing unreasonable about making a smartphone a necessity since they are so widely used. If you have the money to go to Disney you DEFINITELY have the money for a smartphone. Now if you are too lazy to learn how to use it, that's another issue. I know a 93 year old who, although knowing very little technology wise a few years back, is able to make video calls, send messages on What's App, and all sorts of things. You just have to be willing to learn and humble enough to ask for help.

Having the brain capacity helps, too. My MIL is technologically impaired...no matter how easy I make things for her, she still manages to mess things up.

 

[VaderTron]

Having money for a beer and drinking a beer are two different things, no?

That's the point. If you don't have the money to go to Disney in the first place but you still go, then why should we be concerning ourselves with inconveniencing that subset of WDW attenders? They clearly will do whatever it takes to get there. In this case they will find a way to get a smartphone. OR they won't go, which is probably a better result for them financially.

 

[VaderTron]

Having the brain capacity helps, too. My MIL is technologically impaired...no matter how easy I make things for her, she still manages to mess things up.

I agree, it takes patience with some. However, to learn you need two things 1) A willingness to learn. 2) A good teacher. Some people have many roadblocks to learning. However, with an tenacious desire to learn no matter how much work that means, most functioning adults can learn new skills. What ends up happening is either the student or the teacher gives up, feeling that the effort involved is too great for the "payoff".

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I agree, it takes patience with some. However, to learn you need two things 1) A willingness to learn. 2) A good teacher. Some people have many roadblocks to learning. However, with an tenacious desire to learn no matter how much work that means, most functioning adults can learn new skills. What ends up happening is either the student or the teacher gives up, feeling that the effort involved is too great for the "payoff".

Exactly. She claims she wants to learn, but she really just wants someone to walk her through what she needs to do at that given moment. I've taught many people things over the years...she's definitely a challenging student. She called me to ask about how to get through the IRS website to see if their payment went out before she even attempted to follow the links herself.

 

[pdude81]

That's the point. If you don't have the money to go to Disney in the first place but you still go, then why should we be concerning ourselves with inconveniencing that subset of WDW attenders? They clearly will do whatever it takes to get there. In this case they will find a way to get a smartphone. OR they won't go, which is probably a better result for them financially.

My point is that even if people have the money, it doesn't matter. You can't force people to stay out of the lobby of the hotel. You can just tell them the default is not online check in and you strongly encourage that.

Some businesses have tried to switch to electronic/card only and had states remind them that money is money.

Also, Disney is not in the business of policing smartphone tech and software upgrades while begging people to come and spend money there. If anything, they'll find a way to start sending the magic bands by mail to international visitors so they don't "have to" come and check in manually.

 

[ZoneOfTheEnder]

Regarding the post about Disney going Cashless. One of the things my daughter and I like to do is visit the various bars and pool cabanas for our lunches and dinners as well as hang out at other DVC properties.
Disney will score a huge plus with having Kids have to have a prepaid credit card. Let's make it harder for folks to stay on a budget.
Has there been any announcement of how restaurants, their bars, cabana/pool food will be serving and if it will be only carry out? Will DVC and Hotel Guests be restricted to only their hotels?
Will all Bars be closed since social distancing is a problem as it is possibly in the restaurants (with fewer tables)?
When and if WDW opens the effects on food services and casual dining is going to be a challenge.
Getting into the Parks is just a question of what Guests will have to do to gain entry. "Let me see your papers!"
Getting into Disney Springs is just a question of what Guests will have to do to gain entry.
The picture doesn't look rosy for Theme Parks which now could be just watch from afar in one's own protective bubble type experiences or a guided tour like around a museum.
The bottom line is the reality there could be extremely long wait times and rationing how many folks can do attractions means for some guests they cannot experience the experiences they wanted to in that visit (smart Disney fuel the desire for another visit).
The other far reaching question is are we all panicking and letting our fears get the better of us.
Iger's Disney has to both keep itself safe, from claims, and Cast Members and Guests. The questions are what will be the Iger Disney experience then be?

 

[nickys]

My point is that even if people have the money, it doesn't matter. You can't force people to stay out of the lobby of the hotel. You can just tell them the default is not online check in and you strongly encourage that.

Some businesses have tried to switch to electronic/card only and had states remind them that money is money.

Also, Disney is not in the business of policing smartphone tech and software upgrades while begging people to come and spend money there. If anything, they'll find a way to start sending the magic bands by mail to international visitors so they don't "have to" come and check in manually.

I think the restriction of sending magic bands is due to the RFID chip, which many countries will not accept by mail.
And you still have the problem of guests arriving by DME with luggage (which most international guests bring with them on the coach) and needing to get to their rooms. At SSR, OKW or the other sprawling resorts, that’s another hurdle. Self-drive golf carts with GPS?

 

[pdude81]

I think the restriction of sending magic bands is due to the RFID chip, which many countries will not accept by mail.
And you still have the problem of guests arriving by DME with luggage (which most international guests bring with them on the coach) and needing to get to their rooms. At SSR, OKW or the other sprawling resorts, that’s another hurdle. Self-drive golf carts with GPS?

Well I guess, as ridiculous as this sounds, they could still do the physical letter for MDE boarding and magic band pickup at the airport MDE check in.

But you're right, unless they are to start actually telling people their room number before it's ready, this will require a visit to the desk no matter what.

 

[Disstevefan1]

That's the point. If you don't have the money to go to Disney in the first place but you still go, then why should we be concerning ourselves with inconveniencing that subset of WDW attenders? They clearly will do whatever it takes to get there. In this case they will find a way to get a smartphone. OR they won't go, which is probably a better result for them financially.

There are people that do not have smart phones? There are people with no job, no home, no car, riding bikes, but still have a smartphone. Besides, folks dropping 5 to 10K on a WDW vacation, have smartphones.

 

[ZoneOfTheEnder]

They'll have to make sure the system is working better than it was in January. I did online check-in (don't really see why you wouldn't barring some kind of special circumstances), but when I arrived I still didn't have an assigned room in the app. Ended up having to go to the lobby and check in manually to get my room number. It was ready (and had been since well before we arrived) but the app just never processed the information.

Every year (6years) since they started OnLine Check In we have had to go to the Lobby to check on our room or call the front desk. The AP never worked and the smartphone "key" didn't work in January 2020. To be fair our Magic Bands, in January 2020, only one would always work to open our door and the other sometimes.Disney Tech is spotty at best including the WiFi which has many dead spots. The AP is fairly useless since we got our notification that our rooms were ready, January 2020, two days after we were already in our rooms.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Besides, folks dropping 5 to 10K on a WDW vacation, have smartphones.

I can’t imagine my parents are the only people who have visited Disney world without a smartphone in the year 2020.

I’ve also visited Disneyland with an iPhone that couldn’t load the current app. Just because you “own a smartphone” doesn’t mean you can use the app.

 

[ppete1975]

That's the point. If you don't have the money to go to Disney in the first place but you still go, then why should we be concerning ourselves with inconveniencing that subset of WDW attenders? They clearly will do whatever it takes to get there. In this case they will find a way to get a smartphone. OR they won't go, which is probably a better result for them financially.

my parents easily can afford a smart phone, they don't want one. They would never use facebook, or any of the apps. They use cheap cell phones because they just buy the minutes they need, this isn't about cost of a phone, its just the phone is there if they fall, are in an accident, or in emergency need to contact someone. They have no interest in anything a smart phone provides, it is an emergency device or convenience. For day to day communication they use their home phone. Btw they aren't tech phobes, they have super high speed internet for checking email and for watching stuff such as youtube.

 

[VaderTron]

Every year (6years) since they started OnLine Check In we have had to go to the Lobby to check on our room or call the front desk. The AP never worked and the smartphone "key" didn't work in January 2020. To be fair our Magic Bands, in January 2020, only one would always work to open our door and the other sometimes.Disney Tech is spotty at best including the WiFi which has many dead spots. The AP is fairly useless since we got our notification that our rooms were ready, January 2020, two days after we were already in our rooms.

Very strange. I have not been to the front desk for a check-in since 2015. One time out of more than a dozen we didn't get notification of our room number on the app. So, I called the hotel's front desk on my cell phone and they gave it to me after verifying my identity.

 

[loboftbl]

Well, ESPN could start really costing Disney money they are counting on. It looks like Cable/Sat etc. providers want their money back on ESPN because they are not broadcasting sports. The cable/sat are upset at paying full price fees for no content. https://nypost.com/2020/04/28/dish-demands-disney-pay-for-espn-refund-over-no-live-sports/

 

[WondersOfLife]

What about those under 18 who then couldn't order food with mobile ordering? Or pay with a credit card at stores? etc.

...Then their parents should be with them?

 

[WondersOfLife]

my parents easily can afford a smart phone, they don't want one. They would never use facebook, or any of the apps. They use cheap cell phones because they just buy the minutes they need, this isn't about cost of a phone, its just the phone is there if they fall, are in an accident, or in emergency need to contact someone. They have no interest in anything a smart phone provides, it is an emergency device or convenience. For day to day communication they use their home phone. Btw they aren't tech phobes, they have super high speed internet for checking email and for watching stuff such as youtube.

1). It's their fault of they aren't keeping up with the times or convenience.

2). It's more of a hassle, but they can still call the hotel desk through cheap phones to get all of the info they need. Including their room numbers and when their room will be available.

3). If they're not tech phobes, then it's DEFINITELY their own created problem.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I’ve also visited Disneyland with an iPhone that couldn’t load the current app. Just because you “own a smartphone” doesn’t mean you can use the app.

But the phone part of your phone still works, correct? They also send you text notifications on your room status as well.