Disney's $1 billion dollar bet on magical wristband - Wired

[rteetz]

"Not every day" is a far cry from having to reserve at 60 days out.

I just showed all 4 parks within a 5 day window showing every headliner available INSIDE the park at the kiosks-including A&E and 7DMT.

I don't have a ticket on my account so I can't look at that but many people on these boards have complained about that problem at least from an AP perspective. I'm sure the week of Christmas, New Years, and periods in the summer that is harder to do.

 

[jade1]

I don't have a ticket on my account so I can't look at that but many people on these boards have complained about that problem at least from an AP perspective. I'm sure the week of Christmas, New Years, and periods in the summer that is harder to do.

That makes no sense at all.

Those are pictures of the kiosks inside the parks that I took, showing my available selections.

You can't see the pics?

 

[rteetz]

That makes no sense at all.

Those are pictures of the kiosks inside the parks that I took, showing my available selections.

You can't see the pics?

No I understand that I saw the pictures what I am saying is if you went on the app or even in the park kiosk on a day during Christmas week or in the summer it would be harder to get what you want the day of than it would be in a lower season.

 

[jade1]

I'm sure the week of Christmas, New Years, and periods in the summer that is harder to do.

Don't get me wrong-the more planning the better/safer IMO, and certain weeks will be far harder to get the best availability.

I'm just saying there are weeks that have a lot of availability even "day of" that seems to get overlooked.

As for super busy times (which we almost always visit) it made our trip much more spontaneous than ever-at least much more "headliner" successful anyways.

Take XMAS EVE:

We decided that night we wanted to do Fantasmic for XMAS DAY (there were 3 of them) AND we wanted to do the MK parade.

Getting a FP for RNR or TOT would be nice but formerly impossible.

So we get on the APP and select RNR and TOT to go with Fantasmic AFTER the MK visit. Not possible before.

We did things like that all XMAS week.

 

[jade1]

No I understand that I saw the pictures what I am saying is if you went on the app or even in the park kiosk on a day during Christmas week or in the summer it would be harder to get what you want the day of than it would be in a lower season.

Gotcha-and of course. But FP- success was pretty slim those weeks as well, all gone by even 10AM some days.

 

[rteetz]

Gotcha-and of course. But FP- success was pretty slim those weeks as well, all gone by even 10AM some days.

Exactly but crowds keep growing

 

[jade1]

And you certainly could not do MK and the parade, and then DHS that night.

 

[WillJenDisney]

You lost me here. If you are waiting in a lot more lines, how is there more time to be spontaneous?

I said you can do what the person who replied to me suggested, but you would wait in more lines that way. Under the new system, you dont have to wait in as many lines, and thus have more time available to be spontaneous, even if other parts of your day remain structured.

 

[jade1]

Exactly but crowds keep growing

Yep, so not a FP+ issue.

 

[MrJobson]

This is coming from someone with 25 years of IT experience...plus you're missing the point of what I was talking about.

The big difference between the human element and the computer is that the computer can't make a snap decision based on unpredicted events. You can't program everything and you can only program what you know. ... I've seen first hand what happens when the human element is removed from areas that human interaction is vital for success, and in a place that services tens of thousands each day with each having their own definition of a good time that problem is only compounded.

I think where we differ is that I see the new age of "big data" algorithms as being the solution to the problem of how to improve experiences for "tens of thousands each day with each having their own definition of a good time."

This kind of technology is based on the much better collection and analysis of data, improving the "what you know," to improve decision-making. It is routinely used by companies like Google and Amazon to improve experiences for tens of millions each day. Amazon can use data of past purchases to predict what goods to stock in its different distribution centers, allowing it to provide rapid and cheap shipping. Uber's algorithms mean that the appropriate number of cars are available for hire when needed, despite servicing people with diverse needs and schedules from hipsters to retired tourists. I can keep my schedule on Google Calendar, and it will text me through Google now if it notices that there is a traffic accident and I need to leave earlier for a distant meting. And even more behind the scenes Netflix can make sure that it has enough capacity to keep up with variable demand so its subscribers can watch what they want, when the want it.

Disney's stated goal is to use this data to eliminate friction points in the vacation experience, things that make you feel like you are on a frustrating vacation instead of just enjoying yourself. My bifocals are not rose-colored. I know there are ways this can all go wrong. But there have been so many successes using this kind of tech that I think it is worth being optimistic about what they can do with it rather than dismissing it instantly. I expect nextgen to continue to enhance the guest experience right up until Spaceship Earth becomes sentient and kills us all.

Also personalization of something doesn't equate to immersion, but rather isolation. An app can't impact your senses.

But personalization can absolutely lead to immersion. Right now the experience with attractions and character meetings and such is fairly standardized. It needs to be to service so many guests. But having a means to easily identify individual guests and a computer ecosystem where everything is tied together opens significant options to find a way to make that guest feel like they are having a unique experience. The most straightforward way is that characters could know your name or details. But they could also add environmental effects that trigger based on rides you have been on. If you went on Stitch's Great Escape that day you may see a scene of Stitch running away from pursuers inside a store when you pass a certain window or Bob Iger might come to personally apologize to you.

The big difference between Touring Plans and NextGen is that one has no influence on what goes on inside The Castle and the other totally controls it. There's no valid comparison between the two.

I was responding to the idea that MDE has killed spontaneity and made people need to aggressively plan everything. That has been a WDW thing for a long time. If we are collecting anecdata, I am not at all a planner, and MDE hasn't affected that for me at all thus far. Well, I needed to book the mine train fastpasses early to do that. Apparently other people haven't heard that it is a terrible kiddie coaster and book it up earlier. But otherwise, though I prefer fp- on the whole I haven't had my touring style altered and, as I noted, really enjoy the ability to look up standby times on the fly so I can decide where to go next.

I recall vividly during the early years of Epcot that I could walk into the park and go to a kiosk where a human - not an app that can't reason - would appear and work with me on getting a reservation that day.

I agree that some people prefer to talk to a human and some situations will be smoother with a cast member to respond to your specific need. But you can still do this. Guest relations is still there. For most situations, the app (and the website when at home) is a much easier and faster way to get the reservation you want, and gives you the ability to do that spontaneously without having to change what you are currently doing in the park to go all the way to guest relations (and potentially wait in line just to talk to a human) or call (and potentially wait on hold just to talk to a human). They have added a system that is much more efficient and convenient in many situations on top of the old way to make reservations. Why is that bad? If you want to go to the kiosk, you can. Why should I be forced to when in almost all situations it will be less convenient for me?

This six month nonsense is a recent development.

Why do you feel that the "six month nonsense" is caused by MDE? The 180 day window goes at least as far back as when the reservations were called priority seatings. And the popular ones like Cindy and Chef Mickey character meals and Le Cellelier were booked up at that window under the old system. The advent of the Dining Plan significantly affected the demand side of dining reservations. I just don't see how MDE has really affected reservations outside of giving you more and easier ways to make them.

 

[jade1]

I think where we differ is that I see the new age of "big data" algorithms as being the solution to the problem of how to improve experiences for "tens of thousands each day with each having their own definition of a good time."

This kind of technology is based on the much better collection and analysis of data, improving the "what you know," to improve decision-making. It is routinely used by companies like Google and Amazon to improve experiences for tens of millions each day. Amazon can use data of past purchases to predict what goods to stock in its different distribution centers, allowing it to provide rapid and cheap shipping. Uber's algorithms mean that the appropriate number of cars are available for hire when needed, despite servicing people with diverse needs and schedules from hipsters to retired tourists. I can keep my schedule on Google Calendar, and it will text me through Google now if it notices that there is a traffic accident and I need to leave earlier for a distant meting. And even more behind the scenes Netflix can make sure that it has enough capacity to keep up with variable demand so its subscribers can watch what they want, when the want it.

Disney's stated goal is to use this data to eliminate friction points in the vacation experience, things that make you feel like you are on a frustrating vacation instead of just enjoying yourself. My bifocals are not rose-colored. I know there are ways this can all go wrong. But there have been so many successes using this kind of tech that I think it is worth being optimistic about what they can do with it rather than dismissing it instantly. I expect nextgen to continue to enhance the guest experience right up until Spaceship Earth becomes sentient and kills us all.



But personalization can absolutely lead to immersion. Right now the experience with attractions and character meetings and such is fairly standardized. It needs to be to service so many guests. But having a means to easily identify individual guests and a computer ecosystem where everything is tied together opens significant options to find a way to make that guest feel like they are having a unique experience. The most straightforward way is that characters could know your name or details. But they could also add environmental effects that trigger based on rides you have been on. If you went on Stitch's Great Escape that day you may see a scene of Stitch running away from pursuers inside a store when you pass a certain window or Bob Iger might come to personally apologize to you.



I was responding to the idea that MDE has killed spontaneity and made people need to aggressively plan everything. That has been a WDW thing for a long time. If we are collecting anecdata, I am not at all a planner, and MDE hasn't affected that for me at all thus far. Well, I needed to book the mine train fastpasses early to do that. Apparently other people haven't heard that it is a terrible kiddie coaster and book it up earlier. But otherwise, though I prefer fp- on the whole I haven't had my touring style altered and, as I noted, really enjoy the ability to look up standby times on the fly so I can decide where to go next.



I agree that some people prefer to talk to a human and some situations will be smoother with a cast member to respond to your specific need. But you can still do this. Guest relations is still there. For most situations, the app (and the website when at home) is a much easier and faster way to get the reservation you want, and gives you the ability to do that spontaneously without having to change what you are currently doing in the park to go all the way to guest relations (and potentially wait in line just to talk to a human) or call (and potentially wait on hold just to talk to a human). They have added a system that is much more efficient and convenient in many situations on top of the old way to make reservations. Why is that bad? If you want to go to the kiosk, you can. Why should I be forced to when in almost all situations it will be less convenient for me?



Why do you feel that the "six month nonsense" is caused by MDE? The 180 day window goes at least as far back as when the reservations were called priority seatings. And the popular ones like Cindy and Chef Mickey character meals and Le Cellelier were booked up at that window under the old system. The advent of the Dining Plan significantly affected the demand side of dining reservations. I just don't see how MDE has really affected reservations outside of giving you more and easier ways to make them.

Oh my-awesome.

 

[clsteve]

Both rides that cause the tiering are scheduled to get their capacities bumped by 50% in the next year. Based on history and the current plans/rumors the major changes in the 2010s will be:

2011: Star Tours II
2012: Tron Track
2012-2014: FLE (three new attractions, a very popular restaurant, a completely new themed area, and a completely rethemed area).
2016: Frozen, Rivers of Light (but not Frozen Rivers of Light, because then the projection system probably wouldn't work)
2017: Avatarland (but based on the weird blue people and not the cool cartoons)
2018-20: Star Wars and potentially other stuff at MGM. Hopefully.

So between 2012 and 2017 there will be two new themed "lands" at two different theme parks, and there is a good chance there will be at least one and potentially two more at MGM before the end of the decade. I'm personally not convinced the plans to expand Soarin and TSMM are the best use of resources, but they do help directly address the tiering issue.

I would argue that they didn't just refurb to keep up to date. For Star Tours, Tron Track, and the Nemo Seas they took existing ride vehicles but made new narratives and experiences. It is quite valid to prefer completely novel rides, but just treading water is, say, if they had just remastered the old Star Tours video in HD (or just adding some speakers to play sound in Space Mountain...). Even Spaceship Earth, which was closer to a straight refurb, added a whole new narration (by one of her majesty's knights of the realm no less), multiple new scenes, plused some existing scenes, added a new interactive element to the ride vehicles, and added a new post-show.

And what does count as a valid addition? Let's say the current rumors are true and Disney adds two new rides in a new Star Wars theme land to Disneyland, that would be a waste of time and money as it would be two rides replacing two rides and not add "new or net new capacity"? This is an important point because I'm not sure the Magic Kingdom can really expand anymore. Everything new there will likely come at the expense of something that exists right now. FLE was only able to happen because of the land reclaimed from the fake ocean.

I also am not sure I understand what the major closures are for Epcot during this period. Seems like it is basically the Wonders of Life, but that went seasonal in January 2004 which was during the same period in which the transition of World of Motion to Test Track (99) and Horizons to Mission Space (03) significantly increased the number of thrill rides, Soarin opened to create a new headliner (05), Turtle Talk with Crush opened (04) and then the Seas was completely rethemed (07). I loved Cranium Commander and can respect the attitude that things should not close without a specific planned replacement. However, the WoL attractions had comically low attendance by that point and were likely hit even harder by the additions in Future World. I remember at one point Mission Space briefly gave out extra surprise fastpasses for Body Wars, which did not actually have fastpass, just to try and convince anyone to ride it.

Personally I do want something new and big in the pipeline for Epcot after Frozen, but I think the history of Epcot in this period is much more nuanced than they just close things and bring in nothing new. And since then the only major closure at Epcot without a known planned replacement hasn't even happened yet. Unless I'm forgetting something.

As Alfalfa succinctly pointed out, Tiering is really all that needs to be said about where a significant portion of the Theme Park footprint stands at WDW in relation to attractions.

Since 2005-6, there's also been a significant lack of "Imagination" from the company that coined the term "Imagineer". The same company that has created some of the best rides in history that will continue to stand the test of time. ToT is still one of the best rides ever conceived, built, and themed. It's not that they've completely stopped flexing their creativity. There have been some really impressive accomplishments in Cali and overseas. Here? Not so much.

I'm sorry, but refurbing rides is still just a necessary price of doing business. Similar to a hotel replacing all of the old tube TVs with new flat screens. They don't get a pass for doing what is required to bring Spaceship Earth or Star Tours into this century, nor should that count as new.

Nor should they get a pass for taking the easy and least expensive route for increasing capacity at DHS and EPCOT by expanding Soarin' and TSMM.

It's been a decade for EPCOT. So the new "new" is a Frozen overlay on circa 1960's boat ride technology, a big M&G processing center, and another Soarin' Theater. The Soarin' theater does sound like it includes bringing it into the digital age with a new movie. But again, that's COB. But, at least it's better than the "old" new such as the re-cycled Captain EO.

Going by your historical timeline, that's most concerning. Because if you're right - that would be it for EPCOT for another decade.

As far as what counts as new and net new. EE would be net new - gain in a quality attraction, gain in capacity.

Winnie the Pooh would be new. Even though it replaced an icon, I have no issues with that. All Parks need and sometimes must do that, while still protecting your handful of nostalgia rides. However, if it isn't at or above the capacity level and class of what's being replaced... what have we as guests gained?

If the closures at DHS are long running and/or underwhelming, or just focused on the little tykes - what have we gained? The Backlot Tour was a shell of itself at the end. But it did eat people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and genders. Capacity, capacity, capacity

That's the frustrating thing in all of this. Disney could still hugely benefit from the economies of scale by bringing existing designed, created, developed, tested and proven rides to WDW. For example, would there have been the outcry if they'd announced Ratatouille was coming to France in EPCOT instead of the Frozen overlay in Norway? Quite the opposite.

I'm still shocked that those who love Frozen aren't up in arms and storming the Castle. It would be hard for anyone to argue that the Frozen franchise does not at least deserve it's own ride. But an overlay on old boat tech forced into WS? After what Frozen has meant to DIS? Sorry, that's a short change to them and to the WS purists (I'm one).

As far as the Agent P/Kim Possibles of the world? There's a word for those - Lagniappe. Nice little morsels that all Parks should have to kill the time and fill in the spots. Neat, but not what brings you to the Park or should be part of the conversation.....

 

[rteetz]

When the rumored budget for frozen in Norway is 75 million and the rumored budget for frozen in Tokyo is 450-500 million that should tell you there is a problem. Yes I know that two different companies run those parks but Frozen was an overhwhelming success and all they are doing is putting the characters in a country that shouldn't have them to begin with. Disney should be putting a major frozen dark ride or flume in fantasyland not epcot.

 

[Cormoran]

When the rumored budget for frozen in Norway is 75 million and the rumored budget for frozen in Tokyo is 450-500 million that should tell you there is a problem. Yes I know that two different companies run those parks but Frozen was an overhwhelming success and all they are doing is putting the characters in a country that shouldn't have them to begin with. Disney should be putting a major frozen dark ride or flume in fantasyland not epcot.

The only statement I disagree with is the location. MK doesn't need new attractions as badly as Epcot or DHS

 

[rteetz]

The only statement I disagree with is the location. MK doesn't need new attractions as badly as Epcot or DHS

I was just going with where I think frozen fits best thematically. It doesn't fit in epcot DHS possibly but as a princess movie fantasyland is best.

 

[wallrock]

I think where we differ is that I see the new age of "big data" algorithms as being the solution to the problem of how to improve experiences for "tens of thousands each day with each having their own definition of a good time."

This kind of technology is based on the much better collection and analysis of data, improving the "what you know," to improve decision-making. It is routinely used by companies like Google and Amazon to improve experiences for tens of millions each day. Amazon can use data of past purchases to predict what goods to stock in its different distribution centers, allowing it to provide rapid and cheap shipping. Uber's algorithms mean that the appropriate number of cars are available for hire when needed, despite servicing people with diverse needs and schedules from hipsters to retired tourists. I can keep my schedule on Google Calendar, and it will text me through Google now if it notices that there is a traffic accident and I need to leave earlier for a distant meting. And even more behind the scenes Netflix can make sure that it has enough capacity to keep up with variable demand so its subscribers can watch what they want, when the want it.

Disney's stated goal is to use this data to eliminate friction points in the vacation experience, things that make you feel like you are on a frustrating vacation instead of just enjoying yourself. My bifocals are not rose-colored. I know there are ways this can all go wrong. But there have been so many successes using this kind of tech that I think it is worth being optimistic about what they can do with it rather than dismissing it instantly. I expect nextgen to continue to enhance the guest experience right up until Spaceship Earth becomes sentient and kills us all.

I’ve never disputed Disney’s benefits from getting this information. What I’ve said and will continue to say is that that benefit for the guest is subjective. What you call a frustrating vacation – presumably meaning that waiting to see what the day brings is a frustrating proposition – has been touted by many as their preferred way to visit. I hear stories of people getting up in the middle of the night just so they can be ‘first in line’ to reserve the attractions they want. To me that sounds like a frustrating experience. How exactly does that benefit the guest? Sorry, but if the tradeoff for going through that exercise is that Mickey will know me by my first name it’s not worth it. And those so-called ‘friction points’ that are being smoothed out are more for Disney’s benefit to help streamline their operating costs and maximize profitability. You’re right when you imply a comparison with Google or Amazon – Disney’s drive is to use the park as a retail outlet. That's one of the primary goals of this micro-management philosophy. I don't mind them taking my money as I voluntarily go there, but the human element in that transaction far outweighs the sterilized approach.

But personalization can absolutely lead to immersion. Right now the experience with attractions and character meetings and such is fairly standardized. It needs to be to service so many guests. But having a means to easily identify individual guests and a computer ecosystem where everything is tied together opens significant options to find a way to make that guest feel like they are having a unique experience. The most straightforward way is that characters could know your name or details. But they could also add environmental effects that trigger based on rides you have been on. If you went on Stitch's Great Escape that day you may see a scene of Stitch running away from pursuers inside a store when you pass a certain window or Bob Iger might come to personally apologize to you.

That standardized service to the guests has worked just fine for half a century and made WDW the premiere theme park in the world. Personalizing each attraction wasn’t necessary to get people into the parks. Disney got them in by allowing their imagineers to do what they do best – design attractions that wowed the senses. Disney's efforts behind number crunching and data mining isn't needed to determine that X situation can be made better by Y input. We can do that with the computer between our ears. Again it's worked fine for over 50 years. Let imagineers put things out there as before and the guests will spend their money and create unique experiences themselves. The only problem is that accountants make the decisions now on what constitutes a good guest experience.

I was responding to the idea that MDE has killed spontaneity and made people need to aggressively plan everything. That has been a WDW thing for a long time. If we are collecting anecdata, I am not at all a planner, and MDE hasn't affected that for me at all thus far. Well, I needed to book the mine train fastpasses early to do that. Apparently other people haven't heard that it is a terrible kiddie coaster and book it up earlier. But otherwise, though I prefer fp- on the whole I haven't had my touring style altered and, as I noted, really enjoy the ability to look up standby times on the fly so I can decide where to go next.

Glad the system is working for you. Sounds like the tiered system is something you’ll enjoy. And there hasn’t been a need to aggressively plan at Disney until this system came up. I tend to visit during the same timeframe each year. Every year up to 2014 (when the system went live across the board) I could go to a majority of the attractions with minimal wait time. What happened this past year? It’s a Small World jumped from a 5 minute wait to 40. Haunted Mansion went from 10 minutes to 55. How exactly is that progress? And let’s not forget the couple of attempts to set a maximum number of people to visit an attraction. How is telling someone who paid a hundred bucks to get in that the attraction of their choice is no longer available today an improvement on their touring style?

I agree that some people prefer to talk to a human and some situations will be smoother with a cast member to respond to your specific need. But you can still do this. Guest relations is still there. For most situations, the app (and the website when at home) is a much easier and faster way to get the reservation you want, and gives you the ability to do that spontaneously without having to change what you are currently doing in the park to go all the way to guest relations (and potentially wait in line just to talk to a human) or call (and potentially wait on hold just to talk to a human). They have added a system that is much more efficient and convenient in many situations on top of the old way to make reservations. Why is that bad? If you want to go to the kiosk, you can. Why should I be forced to when in almost all situations it will be less convenient for me?

No one is forcing you to do anything. Again if this is the approach you wish to use at Disney then go forth and enjoy, but don’t assume that the world can come in and have this spontaneous and care-free vacation by being tethered to an app. Have you seen some of the lines that form up at guest relations regarding MDE? Ask them if the system invites spontaneity and a relaxed approach to their vacation.

Why do you feel that the "six month nonsense" is caused by MDE? The 180 day window goes at least as far back as when the reservations were called priority seatings. And the popular ones like Cindy and Chef Mickey character meals and Le Cellelier were booked up at that window under the old system. The advent of the Dining Plan significantly affected the demand side of dining reservations. I just don't see how MDE has really affected reservations outside of giving you more and easier ways to make them.

True, far out reservations have been around for a spell, but the need to jump out there and book as soon as the window opens is a recent development, and has cascaded into everyone jumping out there to do the same. I believe recently Disney closed a loophole where people were making multiple reservations across various restaurants at or around the same time. The fix was charging people a reservation fee up front to dissuade people from that practice. Granted I'm sure some folks tried that in the past, but not to the extent that it happened enough for Disney to act. If it was chronic before they why didn't they close the loophole then? Wonder what caused such a change in behavior? If I were a betting man I certainly wouldn't exclude this wonderful new system from my list of suspects.

 

[Planogirl]

"Not every day" is a far cry from having to reserve at 60 days out.

I just showed all 4 parks within a 5 day window showing every headliner available INSIDE the park at the kiosks-including A&E and 7DMT.

I can attest that your examples weren't possible during our visit last week. Maybe most of it would be available at rope drop but I keep hearing that FP+ is so nice because one doesn't have to be there at rope drop any more. There was pretty much nothing of any note still available in Epcot early in the afternoon.

 

[DDLand]

I’ve never disputed Disney’s benefits from getting this information. What I’ve said and will continue to say is that that benefit for the guest is subjective. What you call a frustrating vacation – presumably meaning that waiting to see what the day brings is a frustrating proposition – has been touted by many as their preferred way to visit.

I'm missing the stampede towards the FP booths. That was always a highlight of my day!

That standardized service to the guests has worked just fine for half a century and made WDW the premiere theme park in the world. Personalizing each attraction wasn’t necessary to get people into the parks.

Standing still sounds like a lame alternative.

It’s a Small World jumped from a 5 minute wait to 40. Haunted Mansion went from 10 minutes to 55. How exactly is that progress? And let’s not forget the couple of attempts to set a maximum number of people to visit an attraction. How is telling someone who paid a hundred bucks to get in that the attraction of their choice is no longer available today an improvement on their touring style?

According to the most recent numbers Magic Kingdom was the fastest growing Theme Park in Orlando by volume. While My Magic has had an effect, there's been serious growth during the same time period.

No one is forcing you to do anything. Again if this is the approach you wish to use at Disney then go forth and enjoy, but don’t assume that the world can come in and have this spontaneous and care-free vacation by being tethered to an app. Have you seen some of the lines that form up at guest relations regarding MDE? Ask them if the system invites spontaneity and a relaxed approach to their vacation.

Why can't the vast majority of people have a spontaneous and care free vacation? Oh yes, because there's a small group of people who don't understand how to work it. There's also having to use an app. Darn. It's not like there are 700,000,000 iPhones shipped and 1,000,000,000+ Android Devices activated. People don't know how to use an app...

I believe recently Disney closed a loophole where people were making multiple reservations across various restaurants at or around the same time. The fix was charging people a reservation fee up front to dissuade people from that practice.

That actually doesn't sound bad. It sounds logical. I'm not really sure about the negative aspect to this.

 

[wallrock]

I'm missing the stampede towards the FP booths. That was always a highlight of my day!

Oh yeah, getting up at midnight is the better option.

Standing still sounds like a lame alternative.

Not sure what you’re saying here…Unless you’re countering all of your previous arguments of incredible growth and change in the parks.

According to the most recent numbers Magic Kingdom was the fastest growing Theme Park in Orlando by volume. While My Magic has had an effect, there's been serious growth during the same time period.

Where are those numbers coming from? Their cousins up the road had more than double the increase over the Magic Kingdom. And I personally saw no noticeable increase in crowds between 2013 and 2014, and what little may have been there wasn’t enough to increase ride times from 10 to 55 minutes.

Why can't the vast majority of people have a spontaneous and care free vacation? Oh yes, because there's a small group of people who don't understand how to work it. There's also having to use an app. Darn. It's not like there are 700,000,000 iPhones shipped and 1,000,000,000+ Android Devices activated. People don't know how to use an app...

Once again, take a look at the guest service lines and get back to me. And why do they have to understand 'how to work it' to visit an amusement park? Again, if you want to tether yourself to a smartphone I won't stand in your way.

That actually doesn't sound bad. It sounds logical. I'm not really sure about the negative aspect to this.

You’ve taken my comment of context. Go back and read the entire response.

 

[DDLand]

Oh yeah, getting up at midnight is the better option.

I've not encountered this. It must really be a seasonal thing. Sometimes we were able to change reservations day before and upgrade our attractions. However, at least you can do it from the comfort of your own home and not with an angry sweaty mob of guests wanting those Frozen Passes.

Not sure what you’re saying here…Unless you’re countering all of your previous arguments of incredible growth and change in the parks.

Nope. Trying to use the same method developed 50 years ago with no change is standing still. What happened to experimentation? That's a core of Walt Disney Company's DNA. I appreciate they're willing to invest in new technologies to try and solve real problems. When the phone in your pocket knows your name, why shouldn't Mickey?

Where are those numbers coming from? Their cousins up the road had more than double the increase over the Magic Kingdom. And I personally saw no noticeable increase in crowds between 2013 and 2014, and what little may have been there wasn’t enough to increase ride times from 10 to 55 minutes.

How about over a million new guests? Would that qualify as more then a little? Remember there's a distinct difference between volume and percentage growth. @wallrock here's http://www.aecom.com/deployedfiles/...conomics/_documents/ThemeMuseumIndex_2013.pdf

Once again, take a look at the guest service lines and get back to me. And why do they have to understand 'how to work it' to visit an amusement park? Again, if you want to tether yourself to a smartphone I won't stand in your way.

A few guests shouldn't stand in the way of progress. They're recieving the assistance they need. That's what matters. Fast approaching 2 billion people have "tethered" themselves to smartphones. Everyone has them. Not aknowledging they're there isn't the best course for Disney.

You’ve taken my comment of context. Go back and read the entire response.

Yeah, My Magic has solved a serious problem. I give it credit.