[ADVISORY] WDW - MagicBand-Only Testing Begins at Disney's Pop Century Resort

[Planogirl]

Is it really only Pop? That's interesting since the old thread shows Pop and AoA being the first resorts. Maybe the others will come quickly now.

I wouldn't worry too much about offsite getting more somehow. I expect all attractions to become even more difficult to get with Disney steadily decreasing the number of FP- as they implement this change.

 

[momimouse27]

You need to be prepared for the reality that those of you staying at Pop will have no access to "regular" FP. You need to either get online now or make FP+ selections once you have purchased and linked your tickets to your bands.

I've known about the MB for a while, as well as FP+, as my MBs are sitting in my suitcase. I am not really all that worried about it considering every crowd calendar online has my week listed as 5 or below on crowds. Also, I personally don't do thrill rides. That's my hubby and daughter. What I'm not thrilled about(and one of the reasons I haven't been concerned about FP+) is I like to survey the crowds and use my FP accordingly. So that basically locks me out of FP altogether unless I leave my husband to wait in line.

I may have to accept it, but I don't have to like it!

 

[Giz1026]

If this advisory is indeed true, I'm pretty upset by it. Just because I'm staying at Pop, I get limited to 3 FP+ selections per day and they have to be in the same park? While other Disney resort guests can get their 3 FP+ selections AND FP- selections in any park they care to hop to in a single day?

And non-Disney resort guests can get more than 3 FP- passes (if they know how to use the system wisely) while I, who is likely paying more money for my room than they are, get none?

Is Disney kidding me?

This is exactly what I am thinking. I check into Pop on Nov. 14. I am so angry with the whole process. I changed from off site to on so I would be able to experience all Disney has to offer. Now I feel as though I am getting completely jerked around. Not fair that I am paying for hoppers, a more expensive room (compared to offsite) and I am being limited.

I plan on speaking to Disney Guest Relations about this and will do some research as to who else to include. I am frustrated that this trip which we have been waiting years for is this much of a headache. Ridiculous.

 

[taterheads]

I could make a great day at Epcot, HS or AK with only 3 FP+. I think it's going to be more difficult at MK. There are so many more rides and experiences in that park that we want to do in that park. So, we'll be planning on RD anyways and hope that we get lucky.

This is our intent also. I wish people could focus on accepting inevitable change and making the best of it instead of fighting it and being massive downers. As for me and my Family we will be at POP and we will have fun! Hopefully everyone else around us can take a chill pill because the downers complaining through our whole vacation will do far more to ruin our trip than FP+ ever could!

 

[Nermel9]

Ok so I just read this whole thread and have some questions!

I'm staying at Pop from 11/30-12/4. I already have my Magic Bands, which were sent to me, but I only have a room booked, not a package. I was planning to buy my tickets when I got there.

So if I buy my tickets from say, Epcot and link them to my MB, will I be able to still use the old FP with those tickets? I read that if you get tickets through Undercover Tourist you will be able to do that, so if you buy directly from Disney, will you be able to as well?

If I have those tickets linked to my MB, because I'm staying at Pop, will I lose the ability to get regular FP's once they are linked?

Will this even affect me if the test is really only 11/14-11/19?

Thank you in advance!

 

[HopperFan]

That was in May. This has since been turned off to allow for guests with MagicBands to pull physical fast passes should something happen. Since the KTTW card would of not been scanned in, it had to be turned off. As Disney finds more success with FP+ and MagicBands there is no need to KTTW to be issued

I understand that. My response was to someone questioning about dead gift cards, using non-ticket cards. The story was just to relate that the machines are capable of reading a non-ticket or non-used ticket.

 

[Planogirl]

Why in the world won't Disney themselves announce these things? I just don't get it.

 

[lilpooh108]

Am I missing something (haven't been on the boards in a while), but couldn't Pop guests just use paper tix to get FP-? Even if they only get bands and not KTTW, what does it matter?

 

[mesaboy2]

Am I missing something (haven't been on the boards in a while), but couldn't Pop guests just use paper tix to get FP-? Even if they only get bands and not KTTW, what does it matter?

What paper tickets?

 

[curemyreed]

Am I missing something (haven't been on the boards in a while), but couldn't Pop guests just use paper tix to get FP-? Even if they only get bands and not KTTW, what does it matter?

If the guest booked a package there would be no separate ticket issued.

 

[doconeill]

That was in May. This has since been turned off to allow for guests with MagicBands to pull physical fast passes should something happen. Since the KTTW card would of not been scanned in, it had to be turned off. As Disney finds more success with FP+ and MagicBands there is no need to KTTW to be issued

Actually, back in May they weren't doing any of this testing. So the normal rules applied - you only had your ticket (which may have been on your KTTW card), got into the park, and got your Fastpass with it.

What has changed is that they took a shortcut in the old FP system to make the KTTW cards work even if the MB or other ticket was used for admission, and apparently enabled more than just the "active" KTTW cards to work.

In August, before my resort got to use MBs, my AP and my KTTW card could each individually get MBs. The KTTW card shouldn't have. And when the second part of my stay involved a switch of resorts I had KTTW cards that were not linked at all to my MDX profile - and it STILL worked, so it wasn't the fact that it was a linked KTTW card.

Ok so I just read this whole thread and have some questions!

I'm staying at Pop from 11/30-12/4. I already have my Magic Bands, which were sent to me, but I only have a room booked, not a package. I was planning to buy my tickets when I got there.

So if I buy my tickets from say, Epcot and link them to my MB, will I be able to still use the old FP with those tickets? I read that if you get tickets through Undercover Tourist you will be able to do that, so if you buy directly from Disney, will you be able to as well?

If I have those tickets linked to my MB, because I'm staying at Pop, will I lose the ability to get regular FP's once they are linked?

Will this even affect me if the test is really only 11/14-11/19?

Thank you in advance!

We don't know if this "test" will be extended - or if it will happen.

If you don't get your tickets until you get there, and they give you physical tickets (do NOT ask them to add them to your magicbands), then they will still work for regular FP at least. But you will need to manually link them to your MDX profile after you get them - at least if you want to use the MBs for entry, and to make/use FP+ reservations.

 

[AmyB2006]

Why in the world won't Disney themselves announce these things? I just don't get it.

For the same reason you stated earlier. Or maybe it was Ariel…

Someone said already … Watch people leave Pop in droves. They don't want to lose business so they'll take their chances that only a few complain.

Again, better to ask forgiveness than permission. It's better for them to make it up to the few customers who actually complain than to broadcast it to the masses.

 

[doconeill]

Am I missing something (haven't been on the boards in a while), but couldn't Pop guests just use paper tix to get FP-? Even if they only get bands and not KTTW, what does it matter?

Disney no longer issues "paper" tickets for one - it's all plastic RFID cards now (unless you get them from a reseller who hasn't exhausted their stock yet). But if they get a package from Disney, it's all going to be linked into the MagicBands/KTTW card, and they may no longer offer to split it to separate media (and if they do, it could still be on "stripeless" cards).

If they get tickets independently, then they should still have a physical ticket.

More than likely future cardstock will likewise be "stripeless" once they have everyone enabled, etc.

 

[DebbieB]

I flew down on Sunday and was sitting next to a woman who was traveling with her daughter's family (seated elsewhere). I started talking to her and she had no clue about magic bands. I really feel bad for these people, they have no clue about planning in advance and will not be able to pull FP- either. I've seen a lot of people with gray bands this week, which probably meant they did not plan in advance.

I was at DHS today, I noticed the FP- return times were a lot later than usual. TSM was gone when I got there at 10:15 (my FP+ time). RnR was around 5:30 at 12:15. This has to be frustrating for those offsite.

 

[curemyreed]

Why in the world won't Disney themselves announce these things? I just don't get it.

I couldn't agree with you more.

There are several scenarios I can think of where this will be a problem for guests. What about those Pop guests who are meeting up with people not staying on-site (or on-site other than Pop) and want to ride as a group using FP? They are out of luck. And unless they stumbled on the information about this they aren't going to know until check-in that they can't pull FP's with their off-site friends. That is just one scenario. Won't mind-numb you with the others that I can think of.

 

[Kaelorian]

If the UT ticket is linked in MDX, then you can use the MB/KTTW/UT ticket to enter the park, and still be able to pull regular FP with the UT ticket. You can also redeem FP+ with any of them, as they become interchangeable for admission and FP+.

Disney no longer issues "paper" tickets for one - it's all plastic RFID cards now (unless you get them from a reseller who hasn't exhausted their stock yet). But if they get a package from Disney, it's all going to be linked into the MagicBands/KTTW card, and they may no longer offer to split it to separate media (and if they do, it could still be on "stripeless" cards).

If they get tickets independently, then they should still have a physical ticket.

More than likely future cardstock will likewise be "stripeless" once they have everyone enabled, etc.

If I was sent the old leftover paper UT tickets, will those not be able to pull any legacy fp's? So if I go to change them to RFID cards at guest relations I will be risking getting stripeless cards? Just trying to understand it all.

 

[doconeill]

If I was sent the old leftover paper UT tickets, will those not be able to pull any legacy fp's? So if I go to change them to RFID cards at guest relations I will be risking getting stripeless cards? Just trying to understand it all.

The paper ticket will still get FP fine, but getting in to the park is a bit more difficult as they have to manually scan it.

Converting at Guest Relations (or any ticket booth) should not get you a stripeless card at this time...but I expect they may all be stripeless eventually...when it won't matter as there won't be regular FP.

Getting a ticket at POP during this test might result in a stripeless ticket.

 

[Nermel9]

We don't know if this "test" will be extended - or if it will happen.

If you don't get your tickets until you get there, and they give you physical tickets (do NOT ask them to add them to your magicbands), then they will still work for regular FP at least. But you will need to manually link them to your MDX profile after you get them - at least if you want to use the MBs for entry, and to make/use FP+ reservations.

Thanks! So assuming this test is going on when I'm there, I should buy my tickets at a park, go in with them, and then link the tickets myself to my MB? I can do that right on my phone, right? And then I'll be able to use FP+ and the regular FP's with the ticket that I bought?

I'm not even sure I want to bother with FP+ but if I can use it, I'd like to at least try it. I'm more concerned with having access to the old FP's for now though...

 

[robpa]

This is our intent also. I wish people could focus on accepting inevitable change and making the best of it instead of fighting it and being massive downers. As for me and my Family we will be at POP and we will have fun! Hopefully everyone else around us can take a chill pill because the downers complaining through our whole vacation will do far more to ruin our trip than FP+ ever could!

Read post 143 and you can see why some people are upset, its not so much the change but the timing of it.

 

[doconeill]

Thanks! So assuming this test is going on when I'm there, I should buy my tickets at a park, go in with them, and then link the tickets myself to my MB? I can do that right on my phone, right? And then I'll be able to use FP+ and the regular FP's with the ticket that I bought?

Yes, as it stands right now*.

* All information is subject to change, and probably did 5 minutes ago.