FYI RE: "Double Dipping"

[Poohsmommi]

Get have our magic bands all set up. I'm glad to hear that we can still get the regular FPs as well. I don't feel one bit guilty about this, and neither should anyone else. We are doing Disney a favor by being testers! Geez - lighten up people.

 

[TreeSapp]

So all onsiters for NOv. are signed up for FP+ like it or not....and as onsiters- we are not allowed more than 3FPs per day (all in 1 park too?) That STINKS. Seems staying offsite will have a bigger advantage with access to the old system. BOO

Are your tickets already tied to the magicbands if you book a package? We have only a room booked and I'm thinking of not linking the bands til the last minute. In case we aren't given the option to opt-out of FP+. I like the idea of getting to reserve a few rides (tho not at the expense of FP- since we can often pull 6-10 of these and tend to park hop 2-3parks in a day)

 

[Poohsmommi]

I'm sorry - I'm failing to see your major "sacrifice" here. You have to limit your hotel selection to CHOOSE to participate in this test & THAT's an inconvenience? Did Disney call you directly & say "Hey, Cobright! We reallly want you to test this system but you have to choose to stay in these hotels, sorry bud...." If your hotel choice was based around being able to participate in FP+ that's YOUR choice.

Where are the increased costs exactly? Last I heard Disney was providing MB's free of charge & there is no increase in your charges to utilize FP+ during your stay. How are YOUR costs higher than any other on-site visitor? In fact, I think others can say they will spend MORE for the same trip if they are staying in a pricier hotel not included in the testing.

My costs aren't at all higher. I booked my vacation w/out any consideration for MB or FP+. It wasn't until months later that Disney sent me a letter about the MB and I signed up for it. Not sure where "higher costs" come into play. I had my suite booked long before I ever was made aware of this test program.

 

[Poohsmommi]

Are your tickets already tied to the magicbands if you book a package? We have only a room booked and I'm thinking of not linking the bands til the last minute. In case we aren't given the option to opt-out of FP+. I like the idea of getting to reserve a few rides (tho not at the expense of FP- since we can often pull 6-10 of these and tend to park hop 2-3parks in a day)

Ours aren't. We got the magic bands in the mail a few days ago for our October trip. Our tickets are not linked to the bands. I'm not sure I will link the tickets. I want the regular paper tickets.

 

[f15robyn]

Not sure where "higher costs" come into play.

Not all "costs" are dollars paid out. There's a very common concept used in financial analysis and economics called opportunity cost.

From wiki:
The notion of opportunity cost plays a crucial part in ensuring that scarce resources are used efficiently. Thus, opportunity costs are not restricted to monetary or financial costs: the real cost of output forgone, lost time, pleasure or any other benefit that provides utility should also be considered opportunity costs.

The idea being - I agree to test Magic Bands. So I'm helping to test whether they work to get into the park, to open doors, to charge with and yes, whether the bands and the MDE systems (online, app and/or kiosk) work for FP+.

I've got FP+ booked in the afternoon at Epcot. I'm at MK at rope drop to visit Fantasyland as usual without any FPs because I don't need FPs if I'm there at park opening. And then my bands don't work to get in. So I spend an hour with guest services trying to figure out why my magic bands didn't work.

I've just lost an hour of opportunity in Fantasyland. Peter Pan is now an hour wait instead of the 5 minute wait it would have been had I walked straight there at rope drop. So technically I've lost almost 2 total hours if I decide to wait in that stand by line.

How does Disney reimburse me for the opportunity cost to my ($4000?) vacation of testing their new technology for them and dealing with the issues that come up? They let me pull a regular FP for Peter Pan. I don't get my hour at guest services back, but I also don't have to stand in a 1 hour stand by line in addition to my hour at guest services.

Will some people have no issues and still get to pull regular FPs? Sure. Will some people have a ton of issues over their vacation that suck up hours of time they could have been at experiences? Possibly. I'm sure that's why the "double dipping" is being allowed during the testing phase of this new technology.

 

[OrangeU]

Is it confirmed that we won't be able to "double dip" when we go in late November?

 

[bumbershoot]

We have opted to help test FP+ but if we can't get paper fastpasses then we will probably drop it. One of my biggest concerns is getting to attractions on time- in the past we always used the MK Railroad to get around from one end of the park to another, but that will be out of service when we are at the park. We travel with several generations at the parks, so between mobility issues and bathroom stops (if Disney had a passport book for bathrooms, we'd have a complete set!) it is often hard to make return times even on the paper fastpasses. With FP+ there is no grace period for being late for return times. Has the grace period been eliminated for paper fastpasses?

There is no grace period for any fast passes anymore, and hasn't been for about a year.

 

[Poohsmommi]

Deleted

 

[mesaboy2]

Is it confirmed that we won't be able to "double dip" when we go in late November?

Nope. But I wouldn't discount the possibility.

 

[Poohsmommi]

Is it confirmed that we won't be able to "double dip" when we go in late November?

I don't think anything is really confirmed at this point. We hardly ever use fast passes. I''ve been to WDW more times than I can possibly count, and it's just not a big deal if we have to wait in line. I did make some FP+ reservations, but I'm not sure we will even use them. Anyway, you really won't have an answer to your question until you get there. it seems like things change daily regarding the FP, FP+, and the MB.

 

[DISzy]

We got home a week ago and tested the magic Bands and FP+. For the most part it was all fine. The only problem we had was that the MDE app would not let us modify our FP+ at all. Everyday I had to go to concierge to get them changed. The MDE app is also really, really slow. Has anyone else had the same problems?

 

[bumbershoot]

It did not work. Using our AP card or KTTW card, it said this ticket was not used for park entry.

I've gotten that message while using my AP for entrance well before FP+. Sometimes there are floops in the system.

The issue is that some CMs are, what a surprise, making up little rules *that aren't real* by saying you're not supposed to use FP if you are testing FP+. Find a CM who knows the real situation and get it taken care of.

So you agree it awards an advantage to the tester?

Non-testers are getting what they always got. Testers are testing an unfinished, finicky, systems AND (oh no!) they want what they always got. Yes they might get some extras, but they also might get to spend 2 hours dealing with issues.

Ok then put yourself in my shoes. I have 2 day tickets that I can't add to my account and can't upgrade until I get there. So no fastpass+ for me. But I am going in December when every resort is on the system. So I get to wait and hope there will be anything left when I get there. I can't use fastpass+, so I HAVE to use regular fastpass, and it's going to be a very busy time of year. So will there be anything left?
So you get access to both... and I don't know that I'll even have access to one system.
I didn't pay less than you, I'm not staying offsite, I'm still throwing $7000 at Disney but I get to wonder if we'll stand in lines all darn day. And to add to the fun I get to watch people such as yourself justify why you think you deserve access to anything you can get your hands on. Disney asked you to participate. You know you could have said No. You wanted to test it. So really that doesn't wash.

I think that assuming what is happening today is the same as what will happen tomorrow might be a mistake. I think a December trip could change vastly in a week, let alone 2 months.

I also think you guys should get APs, because you have had a few trips here!

I'm sorry - I'm failing to see your major "sacrifice" here....

Where are the increased costs exactly?

cobright said there were costs and listed what the "costs" were to her/him. Not all costs are financial.

 

[Reddog1134]

Oh geez LOL if you're worried about not being the first person on a ride, you are definitely in the wrong vacation spot. Lighten up and just go with it.

I think you missed their point.

 

[f15robyn]

Deleted as well.

 

[Poohsmommi]

I think you missed their point.

Yes, I deleted it.

 

[Poohsmommi]

Woah! Talk about needing to lighten up? I didn't say I needed to be first on a ride.

Several people stated there was no additional "cost" to a family associated with testing MBs/FP+. This was simply an example of how volunteering to test this project could cost a family hours of time (and we've all seen the posts from testers about time lost dealing with various glitches in the system).

Since time has value, clearly Disney has decided they'll attempt to reimburse that added "cost" by allowing testers to also pull regular FPs.

Yes, I had misunderstood. I deleted my original response. Sorry about that.

 

[f15robyn]

Yes, I had misunderstood. I deleted my original response. Sorry about that.

No problem. I realized that once I saw your response to Reddog, so I deleted mine too. Sorry.

 

[mickeysmith]

We'll be there in 23 days, and I am starting to feel that if these bands start taking up my time with issues, I will bail and use FP- only. I look so forward to this trip, as we all do. I just hate the thought of standing around, trying to get to the bottom of things. I am going with a positive attitude and hope for the best. Do you think these glitches are few and far between? I know it is hard to tell until we get there.

 

[pigletto]

I think that assuming what is happening today is the same as what will happen tomorrow might be a mistake. I think a December trip could change vastly in a week, let alone 2 months.

I also think you guys should get APs, because you have had a few trips here!

I think you should speak to my husband.
We did have AP's but have all these old two day tickets because we always ended up booking free dining. So this was the year to use them.
So even if we go the AP route in December, we'll be applying the $700 in value we get for the two day tickets.

And you are right.. there's no reason for me to assume anything at this point. I don't like the uncertainty but normally manage to adopt a "It will all be fine" attitude. And then I get on here, read a thread and start a pity party. I need to stop that.

I truly do believe that we'll manage to have a good time. I've just never gone with so many unanswered questions. If I think about it too much I start to worry that something could go really wrong with the trip and we'll be at the back end of standby lines the whole time.

 

[Poohsmommi]

We'll be there in 23 days, and I am starting to feel that if these bands start taking up my time with issues, I will bail and use FP- only. I look so forward to this trip, as we all do. I just hate the thought of standing around, trying to get to the bottom of things. I am going with a positive attitude and hope for the best. Do you think these glitches are few and far between? I know it is hard to tell until we get there.

We arrive on October 10th. I did customize our bands, and make some FP+ ressies. I guess we'll see how it goes. We are doing the EMH one night, so I think I will ask for room keys when we check in (as well as it being on our magic bands) that way there's no issue with staying in the park once it closes to non-resort guests.