FP+ is Live! Magic Bands in the park!

[tpettie]

Non-planners are non-planners

This got me thinking too not only are they dealing with those who are non-planners / those who don't know about fast pass systems

I have friends who have gone to WDW with me "the planner " who also are NOT TECHIE I think this new system could be a put off to a who other group not everyone is main stream technology as some of the world would like to think....

 

[magicbob]

Something to mull over - why do you suppose we are not seeing a 'whole bunch' of kiosks for those 'day of' planners in the theme parks? Shouldnt they be as prevelant as fast pass machines? Wont there be huge grid locks? If this program is close to roll out, why have we not seen a bunch of these things sprouting all over the parks? I was there in March, and did not see anything. Is this still the case?

You make some excellent points. Concerning the absence of FP+ kiosks in the park, I see three possible reasons:

1. They do not intend to offer "day of" FP+ so they are not needed.
2. They intend to offer "day of" FP+ but the plan is for personal smartphones, iPads, etc. to be the medium for setting up your time.
3. FP+ is not NEARLY as close to implementation as we have been led to believe.

 

[Squidgyness]

Wonder how many people when going through the motions and they get to step # whatever in their booking and it offers them the option of planning rides are going to actually take the time to book decent choices.

Most will click whatever pre-packaged option Disney chooses (FREE STITCH PASS! SWEET! ... half kidding there of course) and the rest will probably say no.

Being selfish:

Several factors limiting the effect of FP+ on my stay (hopefully):

Offsite and onsite same access, so I can take advantage of FP+ if I want to, even if I only buy my tickets a few days beforehand and get whats left. (Looks like I'll be lugging my iPad 4000 miles. Yay!)
People getting shuttled to 'worse' (imo) choices for FP. Hopefully not too many FP's for headliners to increase the standby lines.
One FP per ride a day. Probably/possibly 3 in total a day.

Double edged sword I guess. More fastpasses available to me (and others) more impact on the rest of the standby stuff I ride.

Less fastpasses available, less impact on other, non-fped rides (and headliners if I want to standby) but less fastpass usage for me.

Ergo, double edged sword either way. Take the good with the bad... I'd pick the second option if I had to.

 

[Rileygirl]

Sorry, one rebuttal, cant resist.

Planogirl - what if in 5 years, there is no actual paper ticket you can buy for Disney. What if even a person who has no access to a cell phone or the internet wants to buy a disney ticket.

If they do it on the day of, they go up to guest relations and say, I want a ticket. After paying for the ticket,Guest relations has them hands them an ipad, and asks them to follow the links to download their ticket on to a magic band. There will be 'opt out' options of course, but it will not be to the guest advantage to opt out, will it.

What if they pre purchase a ticket 3 days in advance. They go to their travel agent and say, I want a ticket. The TA takes there money, turns the computer around, and says, follow the links to download your ticket. Turn your download paper into a magic band at guest services when you arrive at the park.

What if they want to prepurchase their ticket form AAA, the disney specialist (ha!) Same thing as before. What if they are returning 2 years later, and remembered that they could pick their attractions as soon as they got their ticket, would it inspire them to buy it earlier?

Disney will not leave this to chance, they will force the issue, but gently over a span of years. And when more of the world becomes more 'deviced' and as the generations grow up, this will be the norm.

They will laugh at grandmas 'goofy' paper ticket.
Again, I dont think anyone should base this on the way we as society does things now. I think it should be thought about in these terms ' the way of the future and how people will do things'.

 

[magicbob]

Possibly the most genius (and perhaps insidious) aspect of FP+ is getting people to clamor for something they don't need (e.g., FP for Stitch).

Most will click whatever pre-packaged option Disney chooses (FREE STITCH PASS! SWEET! ... half kidding there of course)

The pre-packaged choices will almost certainly be for rides that Disney wants to steer people towards. The more popular rides don't need to be marketed, so there's not an incentive to "push" those choices in the FP+ selection process. In a way, I hope that Disney actually does load up the convenient, pre-packaged FP+ choices with stuff like Stitch. If it takes a little more effort to find and pre-book the headliners, you won't have them running out immediately because they automatically gave them all away to the first x number of people who booked.

P.S. I hope it's not bad form to quote myself.

They will laugh at grandmas 'goofy' paper ticket.

Kind of like how my kids look at me when I describe the ticket books we had when I was a kid to define what an "E-ticket" attraction is.

Again, I dont think anyone should base this on the way we as society does things now. I think it should be thought about in these terms ' the way of the future and how people will do things'.

Now if only Future World attractions at EPCOT could be so innovative again.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Ah, I love a good FP+ thread in the AM

As always, thanks for your detailed insights Riley Girl (and the other usual posters). I enjoy reading everyone's opinions when they have put so much thought into them.

I, for one, was worried beyond worrying when all this first was introduced earlier this year. And I, for one, am beyond happy that this will not affect my June trip at all!

But I still like reading all the speculation while we wait!

 

[Squidgyness]

The pre-packaged choices will almost certainly be for rides that Disney wants to steer people towards. The more popular rides don't need to be marketed, so there's not an incentive to "push" those choices in the FP+ selection process. In a way, I hope that Disney actually does load up the convenient, pre-packaged FP+ choices with stuff like Stitch. If it takes a little more effort to find and pre-book the headliners, you won't have them running out immediately because they automatically gave them all away to the first x number of people who booked.

P.S. I hope it's not bad form to quote myself.

Yeah that will hopefully be the case. Take a bit of the fastpass load off the headliners... probably not too much but anything helps.

No, I can't say it is bad form. I talk to myself all the time

 

[HelenParr]

I really appreciate hearing all the different views of this, and shared in such a thoughtful and civil way, nice!!

I'm not convinced that Disney can shift demand with the FP packaging. Aside from some notable exceptions -- PT Barnum being one -- there are few examples in economics of success in creating demand (sustained demand) through advertising or marketing alone if people do not like the product/service.

Consider that the "bonus" FP effort did not make CoP highly attended.

Someone (everyone?) will notice that FPs for weaker demand attractions are not something valuable.

 

[magicbob]

I really appreciate hearing all the different views of this, and shared in such a thoughtful and civil way, nice!!

I'm not convinced that Disney can shift demand with the FP packaging. Aside from some notable exceptions -- PT Barnum being one -- there are few examples in economics of success in creating demand (sustained demand) through advertising or marketing alone if people do not like the product/service.

Consider that the "bonus" FP effort did not make CoP highly attended.

Someone (everyone?) will notice that FPs for weaker demand attractions are not something valuable.

Possibly. For sure, veterans/return guests will know better. But first timers won't. Many of them will only know that they don't have to wait in line for some of the rides.

 

[g-dad66]

I don't know how many of you have noticed, but it appears that the Original Poster of this thread
(and the original post, and the posts that quoted the OP) appear to have been REMOVED from the thread.

Thanks, Robo, I hadn't even noticed that.

I've just been seeing my e-mail notifications for which the Subject Line continues to be the Original Title of this thread.

Problem solved for those seeing this thread for the first time.

 

[g-dad66]

(FREE STITCH PASS! SWEET! ... half kidding there of course)

Exactly.

How many times has someone posted to this board that they were excited they got a BONUS Fast Pass for Mickey's Philharmagic when they got a Winnie the Pooh Fast Pass? (Answer: several...and DisBoard posters know more than the "average" visitor)

 

[g-dad66]

Thanks, Robo, I hadn't even noticed that.

I've just been seeing my e-mail notifications for which the Subject Line continues to be the Original Title of this thread.

Problem solved for those seeing this thread for the first time.

No, wait, the Original Title (FP+ is Live! Magic Bands in the park!) still appears as the title on the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies menu.

So problem not solved, I guess.

And now here I am talking to myself too...

 

[doggydoc]

Again, I dont think anyone should base this on the way we as society does things now. I think it should be thought about in these terms ' the way of the future and how people will do things'.

That's all well and good in theory but I believe the point of these discussions is to try and get some insight on how FP+ will affect ME NOW. I have no desire to contemplate Disney's 10/20/30 year plan. I want to consider and debate how the changes will affect my next trip.

The argument that this isn't just about FP's is not new. I myself have used it to refute those that claim "well Disney spent a bagillion dollars on this so they will definitely get it right." It most certainly is not just about FP's, but that is the part of the implementation that seems likely to affect me the most, so it is my focus. Yes it will be great to have my resort door unlock when I get within range. Yes it will be cute to have more personal interactions. Yes Disney may be able to improve some of my experience by being able to track my habits. BUT all of that will mean absolutely naught for ME if they limit my FP's in the way it has been discussed, it will greatly diminish the enjoyment I and my family get from Disney because it is contrary to the way we enjoy the park. If we are to limit our discussion as to how this will affect future generations then there is little input most of us can contribute.

So the question is: Is Disney willing to give up MY business because those who are not willing to plan or get up early complain about no FP's? If those guests are too lazy/unconcerned/clueless to educate themselves and be prepared to maximize the current opportunities are they going to do a complete turn around because FP+ has arrived?

My DD is 13 and most definitely the tech-savvy, full-time connected generation this is supposedly geared to reach. It will likely be at least 15 years(please Lord) before she plans a trip for her own family. If Disney is planning this system for her then they are REALLY setting themselves up for failure because 15 years is CENTURIES in tech years.

 

[Rileygirl]

doggydoc

6 month short term forecast: life is good, transition will be awesome and you will be able to manipulate the system to have a great time

Mid term forecast: its going to be much harder to jump through the hoops and have the easy access to headliners.

Longterm forecast: life is going to suck.

To answer your question: Oh yes, disney will not even glance back at your business doggydoc. They just replaced you with 3,000 new clients who came to disney and had a good time because they were forced to. I dont think Disney will even shed a tear.

ok- pretty flippant answer, and I dont mean any disrespect. But its what I kinda think on the timeline. And we both know if they can make the majority happy, who cares about 'you' or me. They wont!

Your comment on tech that will work fifteen years from now is right on the money. I dont know that what they are putting in place will stand the test of time, likely not. But prebooking, prescheduling, smart devices will all play a major and evolving role for the future. and your 15 year old will more likely be using it then your grandma. My point is, this prebooking and planning of your disney trip is only an issue right now to a part of the population, but it will not be an issue in the future, according to my crystal ball. Ha!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

No, wait, the Original Title (FP+ is Live! Magic Bands in the park!) still appears as the title on the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies menu.

So problem not solved, I guess.

And now here I am talking to myself too...

I'm guessing Cyrano merged a few of these threads together during one of those "temporarily lock it to clean it" moments.

 

[HelenParr]

doggydoc

6 month short term forecast: life is good, transition will be awesome and you will be able to manipulate the system to have a great time

Mid term forecast: its going to be much harder to jump through the hoops and have the easy access to headliners.

Longterm forecast: life is going to suck.

To answer your question: Oh yes, disney will not even glance back at your business doggydoc. They just replaced you with 3,000 new clients who came to disney and had a good time because they were forced to. I dont think Disney will even shed a tear.

ok- pretty flippant answer, and I dont mean any disrespect. But its what I kinda think on the timeline. And we both know if they can make the majority happy, who cares about 'you' or me. They wont!

Your comment on tech that will work fifteen years from now is right on the money. I dont know that what they are putting in place will stand the test of time, likely not. But prebooking, prescheduling, smart devices will all play a major and evolving role for the future. and your 15 year old will more likely be using it then your grandma. My point is, this prebooking and planning of your disney trip is only an issue right now to a part of the population, but it will not be an issue in the future, according to my crystal ball. Ha!

They care. They have to care about reaction. They act/react based on what they perceive the guests do or do not like. Disney cannot afford to wait and see for too long on anything, they have to make course corrections based on trending.

Right now, it seems like they perceive that the issue is people hate long lines, and think it would help to allow preschedule. Could be true. Might work great.

But if it does not work great, and there is pushback from a vocal minority (I'm not arguing for it, hypothetically) they will react. So one person's unhappiness with FP+, agree strongly, not an issue. But there is a tipping point. With due credit to Robo: if it's new Coke, it can be reformulated. And I am sure Disney is comfortable about that approach.

The fact that virtual ticketing is the wave of the future (totally agree) is really a small part of this.

 

[doggydoc]

To answer your question: Oh yes, disney will not even glance back at your business doggydoc. They just replaced you with 3,000 new clients who came to disney and had a good time because they were forced to. I dont think Disney will even shed a tear.

I am not alone, many on here have stated the same concerns and I believe many more will when/if such changes become official. If Disney can shrug their shoulders at losing repeat long-term clients then they are exclusive among practically every other business existing, from food service to car repair, in that regard. I find it hard to believe.

The aim of this is supposedly to encourage guests to stay at Disney, this means they must be feeling some heat from the competition. One of your premises is that Disney will make this work though marketing, but what about counter-marketing from competition. Universal is adding newer rides and more on-site hotels. Their on-site guests enjoy UNLIMITED Express Pass usage. Don't you think limitations on FP's will give them an excellent opportunity to market this as superior to FP+? If Disney doesn't care about business lost to Universal then why the big billion dollar effort to keep them in the parks? By your logic they are willing to give up my(and others like me) business and also put themselves at a possible marketing disadvantage. It doesn't make sense to me.

I went to Universal two days during our trip last year. This year I received an invitation for a survey about the new Harry Potter expansion. It took me nearly 30 minutes to complete and asked me to rate my opinion on various permutations regarding the new train between US and IOA. It was very detailed. So US is obviously concerned with my repeat business, and if Disney shows me they are not US/IOA and SeaWorld will get it.

 

[Rileygirl]

edited to delete

 

[Squidgyness]

Going to do a few rebutals at this time

On the most part Squidyness (I picture squiggy form Laverne and Shirley everytime I see your name , dont know why ) I really agree with almost everything you are saying. I totally agree with you regarding the importance of disney wooing the off site guest. However there are a few points regarding this particular post

I think the new Magic Plus system, and all it entails, will be considered a big perk for on site resort guests, and Disney will certainly spin it this way.

In fact, I have always maintained that Disney will eliminate EMH once this system is fully in place, and will use the FP+ at the incentive to stay on site. How? a few ways (please keep in mind that when i speak of incentives, they are percieved perks that the general population will buy. Not necessarily of any value to an informed Disney goer. Like what a 9:30am Fast Pass to HM would mean to the average person, or to us. To us, RIGHT NOW, its useless. But to regular joe: hey, thats cool. I think actually you and another poster were discussing stitch FP's, exactly the same idea. BUT- if 80% of the average population think this is a perk, then its a selling feature for disney!)

Hmm. Would you say the loss of EMH would be compensated by earlier access to FP's?

1)When factor: On Site Resort guests will have some type of 'plus 10 window' for booking their fast passes. This may end up being a very real value factor
2)Extra's: I really see the MK being able to offer extra. I think that this could be a resort only perk.
3)Who: I can see resort tiers being eventually tied to the when factor. Ie, delux can book 60 plus 20, mods 60 plus 10, values 60 plus 5. This class system is already in place on disney cruise line, you can book earlier for restaurants, spa and excursions depending on how many previous cruises you have done.

What do you mean when you say extras? Do you mean more Fastpasses that day or other things? If more fastpasses, I don't know if I can see them doing more at one park than another. It might get complicated, even more so than now. (Though I really wouldnt be that bothered by more fastpasses for MK as we don't go on many of the kids rides like peter pan etc now.)

I could see on-site guests having slightly earlier access to booking fastpasses. (Again, this wouldn't bother me as I wouldn't book 60 days early anyway.) I just can't really see a class system being introduced amongst on-site resorts. The cruise thing you mention seems more geared up to reward customer loyalty, not what accomodation you use.

Also, I am not positive that Disney is using this new system to hold more people captive in their theme parks for longer periods of time. I think its more about them getting people (and in particular the off site guest) to show up and not be tempted by the competing parks and attractions. As long as they get you through the gate and use a day on your pass, they have already had a major win. Now its just a matter of how long they can keep you there.

An example I used in the past: its a gorgeous day and the holiday inn guest wants to go to the local waterpark. But the misses already booked space mountain and wishes for today, and they are hard fp's to get. Oh no, we cant change them for another day that we are here, we just checked our playbook. Guess we better go to the MK.... its all a psychological thing. Disney is brilliant about that.

The theme park ticket expense is enough to keep the average theme park goer from not going to Disney's competitors, not many people can afford to do pay for Disney's tickets, and then say, Universals on top, in a single day. Disney already has the 'psychological hold' on you because of the way they front load the ticket expenses too. If they can get you through the gate first, they win.

I wasn't talking about leaving the same day, I meant in the sense you did, in that the situation you described can apply to off-site guests as much as on-site.

E.g. If all guests were staying off-site and planning a six day disney pass, and a day at universal or seaworld, they too could be swayed to get another day at Disney by a prebooked fastpass.

Off-site guests are even more likely to visit universal for a day, so it would make sense to give them access to pre-ordering fastpasses too as an enticement. The "Get em in the Disney parks instead of universal" applies to them too, that's what I meant.

My coffee is wearing off, I hope this post makes sense.

Answers in bold

 

[magicbob]

I think the new Magic Plus system, and all it entails, will be considered a big perk for on site resort guests, and Disney will certainly spin it this way.

In fact, I have always maintained that Disney will eliminate EMH once this system is fully in place, and will use the FP+ at the incentive to stay on site.

If this is the route Disney goes, they run the risk of disappointing millions of repeat on-site visitors. Unless FP+ performs much better than expectations, it will be perceived by many as a step in the wrong direction from the current FP system. If it ALSO replaces EMH as the on-site perk, it could be a PR nightmare if enough people are unhappy with FP+ as it is.

The theme park ticket expense is enough to keep the average theme park goer from not going to Disney's competitors, not many people can afford to do pay for Disney's tickets, and then say, Universals on top, in a single day. Disney already has the 'psychological hold' on you because of the way they front load the ticket expenses too. If they can get you through the gate first, they win.

Consider, even for the onsite guest, Disney does a good job of marketing when it comes to "holding guests hostage." When you book a package online, the default is to buy as many days worth of tickets as the length of your stay. Then they have you add WPFM. Many people don't realize that they can (and in some cases should) purchase less days of tickets, since those water park days could mean wasted park days. But, hey, Disney already has your money at that point. And if you plan to go to SW, UNI/IA, BG, etc., you need to have planned that ahead of time or else, as you said, you'll have to "waste" one of the days you already paid for at Disney.

Of course, it is possible to get the "right" number of days worth of tickets for those types of plans to work out. But many people when presented with the "package" of 5 days worth of tickets for a 5 night stay are just going to click on "add to cart" without researching the options further.

This is likely how many people will pre-book their FP+. Disney will offer a convenient pre-packaged selection as part of your package and you will have to MANUALLY change it if you want a different selection.