Any guests arriving November 1 to 30 receive FP+ testing invites?

[PNO4TE]

Do you have to do online check in? I wasn't because I have 2 suites booked at AoA and we want to be close to each other - our reservations have travel with designated on them but that doesn't always mean that we will be put close to each other. But if I want to do FP+ and I have to do online check in then I guess if we aren't close we will have to talk to the front desk after the fact.

Can you ask at the front desk where you will be if you are getting there a day before but have a room only reservation (LM) before the suite? Then maybe I won't hold up the line for online check in trying to change things when checking into the suite.

Some people are reporting that MagicBands and FP+ are not dependent upon check in, but some say it's required. I'm hoping to not check in online because we have two families and would like to set up two separate charging privileges and this can only be done at the front desk. We were told not to do the online check in.

We are at AKL 10/31-11/2 and BC from 11/2-11/9. Both resorts are testing the MBs and FP+. We do not do online checkin but were able to customize our MBs and make any FP+ we wanted to.

 

[PNO4TE]

I find this somewhat hopeful since Pop has consistently been a part of testing. It's a matter of time and wait and see. I have an 11 night stay at three resorts coming up. Currently none are testing resorts . . . surely at least one will be by November!

I have been told by Disney IT that once a resort participates in the testing process they will continue to have that technology. Take it for what it's worth!

 

[tinkerpea]

I'm not sure what others have heard but on the UK boards somebody posted an official email they relieved from disney IT stating that there will be NO MB testing for November or December!

Any body checking in to 1 of the participating hotels before October 31st will be able to use their MB and make selections for their whole stay, anybody arriving after that even if in a hotel that is participating for guests before November will not get the bands!

I called up today and asked as I check into the Poly on the 28th October and my MDE app is saying I can customise my bands, I was told that the above was true and I'm lucky as I'm checking in before the deadline, they will start rolling out the MB again in January.

 

[Doug7856]

We also will need two separate charging privileges, if I do online check in, can the front desk fix the charging accounts when we arrive? We are at Pop, arriving Nov. 14.

You may want to ask Disney directly. Here is the content of the message I received in response to my questions:

When you check-in at the Front Desk, you are able to add multiple credit cards for the charging privileges. Since you will be doing this, please
do not use the Online Check-In Service.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,

Todd

Member Services | Online Communications
DISNEY VACATION CLUB

 

[Nechville]

Can you link to that thread? I'd be interested to read it. I find it hard to believe there wouldn't be any magic bands in November and December. There is too much hype about them. And what's left to test after this test is "done?"

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I'm not sure what others have heard but on the UK boards somebody posted an official email they relieved from disney IT stating that there will be NO MB testing for November or December!

Any body checking in to 1 of the participating hotels before October 31st will be able to use their MB and make selections for their whole stay, anybody arriving after that even if in a hotel that is participating for guests before November will not get the bands!

I called up today and asked as I check into the Poly on the 28th October and my MDE app is saying I can customise my bands, I was told that the above was true and I'm lucky as I'm checking in before the deadline, they will start rolling out the MB again in January.

I kind of hope this is true because all of the magic band talk has me stressing out. We go the week of thanksgiving and I could swear I read that Riverside would be up and running. It's going to be a very busy time and I would hate to have problems.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I'm not sure what others have heard but on the UK boards somebody posted an official email they relieved from disney IT stating that there will be NO MB testing for November or December!

Any body checking in to 1 of the participating hotels before October 31st will be able to use their MB and make selections for their whole stay, anybody arriving after that even if in a hotel that is participating for guests before November will not get the bands!

I called up today and asked as I check into the Poly on the 28th October and my MDE app is saying I can customise my bands, I was told that the above was true and I'm lucky as I'm checking in before the deadline, they will start rolling out the MB again in January.

Wow, this is big if it is true. This would be something that Disney should announce publicly, not as a random email to someone. If it is true that there won't be any Magic Bands for ANYONE checking in to any WDW resort in November and December, then that will be both a disappointment and a relief.

I've been disappointed that the WL was not part of the MB tests. The exclusion has been a little tough to bear. But if no one has Magic Bands and if no one can get FP+'s during November and December, then at least everyone will be having the same experience.

 

[Nixie]

This is what I was guessing would happen. When they tested them last year, they tested them Aug and Sept, but stopped testing them during the busy times of Nov. and Dec. I am wondering if that will happen again. Wondering if they will resume testing during the low times of Jan. and Feb. as well.


I truly can't see them rolling this out before their busiest seasons. I can't imagine the nightmare Thanksgiving and Christmas crowds could be on this system that is still incurring some major bugs. Nothing would make me happier than if they put a pause on the testing before our trip and let me get in one last trip using the regular FP.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I would definitely be okay with them stopping the testing until January. Anyone able to prove that information is false??? Anyone checking in November 1st or after able to customize bands yet???

 

[Nechville]

Wow, this is big if it is true. This would be something that Disney should announce publicly, not as a random email to someone. If it is true that there won't be any Magic Bands for ANYONE checking in to any WDW resort in November and December, then that will be both a disappointment and a relief.

I've been disappointed that the WL was not part of the MB tests. The exclusion has been a little tough to bear. But if no one has Magic Bands and if no one can get FP+'s during November and December, then at least everyone will be having the same experience.

Agreed on all points!

 

[pigletto]

This would just be a giant relief if it's true that they aren't testing for November and December. I've said a few times they'd have to be crazy to roll this out during the Thanksgiving/Christmas crowds. Can you imagine the potential for problems? It's hard enough to keep people happy during crowd level 10 days. Add in all the new technology and it's a nightmare scenario.
I've been whining all over the boards because I have 2 day tickets from a free dining promo to use for this trip. I can't upgrade them until I get there and couldn't get any answers about adding them to my account. If I don't have to worry about this for one more trip I will be one happy Dis'er. Fingers crossed.

 

[Giz1026]

You may want to ask Disney directly. Here is the content of the message I received in response to my questions:

Thank you for the information.

I am actually hoping the FastPass+ will not be tested in November and December. Planning our first trip to WDW is overwhelming to say the least. I have been reading these boards for over a year in preparation, and the whole FastPass+/MagicBands has thrown me into anxiety overload to try and understand all of the schematics to get the most from our first WDW trip.

 

[kaylasmom07]

I've looked at the uk board but I can't find where any one posted such a letter. There was one person who posted a letter from IT, but it says November/December hasn't been added yet. Not that it never would. Anybody have a link?

 

[houseofmouse5]

This new info is very confusing. I have read posts that state that people staying end of Oct into Nov have ordered MBs and have reserved FP times. If they aren't utilizing FP+ in November then why would the system allow them to go into the month of November? I would think that the entire month would be blocked out. I can see people who have vacations that start in Oct be able to test it but once they put in a Nov date it would say "Sorry your dates are out of range" or something like that.
This whole thing has made me a mess

 

[pouncingpluto]

I've looked at the uk board but I can't find where any one posted such a letter. There was one person who posted a letter from IT, but it says November/December hasn't been added yet. Not that it never would. Anybody have a link?

Yeah, that's all I'm finding too. It just says right now no November/December people.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3153071&page=7

 

[str86diesel]

I have been many many times throughout the years and just finished booking my solo trip today for November 11-17 and I am hoping to try out the magic bands. It sounds very interesting and possibly a way to speed up the process.

 

[pigletto]

Yeah, that's all I'm finding too. It just says right now no November/December people.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3153071&page=7

Well darn. I really kind of wanted this to be true.
I guess I am back to just hoping that regular fastpass- is still in use if they decide to continue the testing. We're staying at Wilderness Lodge which isn't testing yet, and I won't have more than 2 day tickets for a 10 day trip until I upgrade when I get there. So I'll just cross my fingers that good ol' fastpass- is still in use. Sigh.

 

[Sheilby]

I'm not sure what others have heard but on the UK boards somebody posted an official email they relieved from disney IT stating that there will be NO MB testing for November or December!

Any body checking in to 1 of the participating hotels before October 31st will be able to use their MB and make selections for their whole stay, anybody arriving after that even if in a hotel that is participating for guests before November will not get the bands!

I called up today and asked as I check into the Poly on the 28th October and my MDE app is saying I can customise my bands, I was told that the above was true and I'm lucky as I'm checking in before the deadline, they will start rolling out the MB again in January.

I didn't read that anywhere, but a CM on the phone told me that most of the resorts would be added to the MB system by November. No idea if she knew what she was talking about, but I had called about something else and she went out of her way to ask me if I knew all about the new technology that Disney was rolling out and she wanted to make sure that I had logged into MDE and downloaded the app to my phone.

There is no way they are going to get completely rid of the regular fastpass system before the holidays though, it would be chaos.

 

[glitzybabes]

Here are my thought on the whole MB fastpass+. I think that they will continue with the test adding more resorts and as we get closer to the middle of September, people that have november trips plan will start getting invites for join the "test". And then after all of the resort have the technology then they will fully release it.

Most People that are in the October test were not able to to MB or FP+ until the middle of August, that why I say the middle of September for the november people.

I doubt that they would just stop using the technology for 2 months just because we are coming up on a busy part of the year. I would think that they would want people to be testing it just so they could see how it will work in the busy parts.

 

[BwoZoo22]

I didn't read that anywhere, but a CM on the phone told me that most of the resorts would be added to the MB system by November.

Just hit my 60 day mark (midnight in FL!) and did the online checkin for WL. (I am by no means obsessed with this process). No MB or FP+ options yet available. My guess is they are waiting to make sure the system can handle the extra users added each month before inviting the next resort. Fingers crossed, I hope the system is up to it so I can play with the MB too!