WIRED article: Disney's $1 Billion Bet on a Magical Wristband

[richmo]

Interesting article on the MagicBand in Wired. Besides the usual, gives some insight into how it works at BoG and shows what it looks like inside the MB.

http://www.wired.com/2015/03/disney-magicband

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

Ah, to be inside the mind of Lucifer.

 

[cakebaker]

Fascinating article! Thanks for the link.

 

[ruthies12]

that was interesting, thanks!

 

[mcd2745]

I'm guessing most people here don't buy this quote:

“It lets people’s vacations unfold naturally,” Staggs says. “The ability to plan and personalize has given way to spontaneity.”

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Very interesting!

Thank you for posting!

 

[ArwenMarie]

I'm guessing most people here don't buy this quote:

“It lets people’s vacations unfold naturally,” Staggs says. “The ability to plan and personalize has given way to spontaneity.”

Come on now Staggs! It may do a lot of things but that's not one of them!

 

[mesaboy2]

I'm guessing most people here don't buy this quote:

Corporate spin at its finest.

 

[becd]

I'm guessing most people here don't buy this quote:

Nope, not at all. That is, and always has been my main gripe. Between FP+ and rushing to table service reservations we never have time for spontaneity. And I am still flummoxed as to how in the world I am supposed to know 60 days out exactly which park I want to go to, much less what I want to do.

 

[mcd2745]

Nope, not at all. That is, and always has been my main gripe. Between FP+ and rushing to table service reservations we never have time for spontaneity. And I am still flummoxed as to how in the world I am supposed to know 60 days out exactly which park I want to go to, much less what I want to do.

Well, in reality, most people make that decision 180 days out (because of the silly ADR rule) - not 60.

Which, truth be told, is why I never had a huge problem with FP+. Once you've already made the decisions of which park on which day, and have made dining reservations 120 days earlier...it's not that difficult to pick a few ride reservations. Por ejemplo, if at 180 days, I've already committed myself to Epcot on the third day of my trip...it's no big deal at 60 days to make a FP for TT or Soarin'. The hard part is actually figuring out what other 2 to get.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Corporate spin at its finest.

Blasphemy!!!

 

[Angel Ariel]

I'm guessing most people here don't buy this quote:

I know there are some people here who would say yes they do agree with that quote. I'm not one of them, though. We felt much more locked in to the plans made pre-arrival than we did before. The combination of the CC charge for cancelling ADRs on the day of, and FP+ reservations both contributed to that feeling for us.

 

[JimmyV]

Here is the passage that is most meaningful:

"“Walt Disney World is vast. There’s more to do than you could do in a month,” Staggs says. “That choice is overwhelming.” In fact, it’s called the paradox of choice: You make people happier not by giving them more options but by stripping away as many as you can. The redesigned Disney World experience constrains choices by dispersing them, beginning long before the trip is under way."

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. For telling it like it is.

 

[mesaboy2]

A fascinating passage indeed, though Staggs is not quoted as saying the bolded portion.

 

[JimmyV]

A fascinating passage indeed, though Staggs is not quoted as saying the bolded portion.

Yes. Sorry if that was not clear. That is why I used the word "passage" instead of "quote".

 

[MolonLabe]

Corporate spin at its finest.

It's an absurd thing to say. Spontaneous isn't 60 days out in anyone's book but theirs apparently.

We haven't been back to WDW in 18~ months because of this nonsense. Hitting up Universal and Sea World last year was a great change up and we loved it.

We are going back next month (only because we'll be half way to Florida anyway and it's during non peak times) just booking it today so I'm not expecting much but we'll be doing some rope drops and late nights so it isn't going to be as crucial as usual.

For those who used the old FP system optimally, it was way better than this. For those who didn't, obviously this is better than nothing.

Anyway, it's going to be a much more laid back trip with ZERO ADR's. Can't wait.

Perhaps we can find the magic again by playing it a little faster and looser?

We shall see, I'm optimistic but I feel this seals the deal that we'll never visit again during anything more than lvl 5 crowds and most likely go to once every 18-24 months for visiting.

It sounds weird to say this coming from someone who does a lot of WDW but I'm not a fan of spending my vacation in endless lines all day. Those who worked the old FP system know exactly what I mean.

 

[JimmyV]

It's an absurd thing to say. Spontaneous isn't 60 days out in anyone's book but theirs apparently.

I think that what Staggs means is:
"After you pay for your subscription to Touring Plans to figure out which days to go, and after you match your ADRs to the days that are optimized for your park visits, and after you get up at 6:00 a.m. to book those ADRs 180 days in advance of your arrival, and after you stay up til midnight 60 days before your arrival to book your FPs......then once you get here, your visit with us will be mercifully spontaneous."

 

[mesaboy2]

Yes. Sorry if that was not clear. That is why I used the word "passage" instead of "quote".

No worries, but that quote mark at the end of the main paragraph in your post is confusing. There should never be an odd number of quote marks.

 

[MolonLabe]

I think that what Staggs means is:
"After you pay for your subscription to Touring Plans to figure out which days to go, and after you match your ADRs to the days that are optimized for your park visits, and after you get up at 6:00 a.m. to book those ADRs 180 days in advance of your arrival, and after you stay up til midnight 60 days before your arrival to book your FPs......then once you get here, your visit with us will be mercifully spontaneous."

It works either way.

At least before you had the "spontaneous" option of picking your rides around the rest. It's so tedious now. I looked forward to these trips before. Now it's all work, even more so than before. No more magic, just hassles.

 

[JimmyV]

No worries, but that quote mark at the end of the main paragraph in your post is confusing.

Ahhh. Thanks for catching that. Fixed it.