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

[roomthreeseventeen]

It's VERY interesting to me that Cast Members are allowing people staying at POP to get extra Fastpasses. I'm not saying it's cheating or unfair, but what's the point of the test and adjust if you're just gong to break the rules?

 

[christineann]

I called Pop today and asked if I will be able to pull legacy Fast Passes next week if I link my tickets (old tickets - including some paper) that we are bringing with us. The rep said no and then transferred me to a "Fast Pass specialist" who advised me not to link my tickets to my MB so I could pull paper Fast Passes in the parks. She told me that I can exchange my paper tickets for RFIDs when I check in. We can use our MB for room entry and for charging but will not be able to use them for park entry if we want to pull paper Fast Passes.

Yet another story....

 

[wn01aa]

I called Pop today and asked if I will be able to pull legacy Fast Passes next week if I link my tickets (old tickets - including some paper) that we are bringing with us. The rep said no and then transferred me to a "Fast Pass specialist" who advised me not to link my tickets to my MB so I could pull paper Fast Passes in the parks. She told me that I can exchange my paper tickets for RFIDs when I check in. We can use our MB for room entry and for charging but will not be able to use them for park entry if we want to pull paper Fast Passes.

Yet another story....

So you will be able to get FP- but not FP+ since the tickets will not be attached to the magicband. Well, that is still getting the shaft since every other resort is able to do just that and also gets the 3 FP+ prebookings. They should allow POP guests who ask to get the KTTW cards (or a voucher that can be redeemed in the park for one of those FP cards). Until they do it for all the resorts, they shouldn't just target POP guests.

 

[suemom2kay]

It's VERY interesting to me that Cast Members are allowing people staying at POP to get extra Fastpasses. I'm not saying it's cheating or unfair, but what's the point of the test and adjust if you're just gong to break the rules?

Because the majority of the guests aren't going to whine for compensation or extra fastpasses therefore, they can still get good data for the test.

 

[dlinne]

To be clear, I didn't even consider adding extra FP as a possibility. That was something one manager came up with on their own. I had actually just very nicely expressed my disappointment with this "test" but was accepting of the poor CM who I know was just trying to do her job and was very nice. When I realized the people next to me were pushing a bit harder and got a manager involved I asked the CM to see what the resolution for them would be since we seemed to have the same issue. When that manager was taking awhile my CM went to a different manager who came up with the extra FP "solution". I appreciated that there was something they could do. At that point I had no idea my Xmas party tickets would pull FP--I saw someone else post about that later and tried it.

My DD magic band FP+ works inconsistently--it turns blue a lot instead of green.

 

[rastuso]

Because the majority of the guests aren't going to whine for compensation or extra fastpasses therefore, they can still get good data for the test.

Exactly. I'm sure they are paying VERY close attention to the percentage that are griping. Few people complain about such things, even if they do pay lots of money. I have a home theater and have little patience for poor movie theater experiences. I once was in a theater where the main center dialog sound was coming out of the left surround speakers . I immediately complained and left when they couldn't fix it. The other 30 people stayed, and dealt with the poor product. I would be SHOCKED if Disney is seeing more than 10% complainers. Even a lot of Disers probably won't complain in person.

Disney will deal with it for now, but when the other boot falls, it will be "sorry, those are the new rules".

Then all those FP+ rainbow and unicorn lovers will suddenly be quiet.

Jason

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Wow...can't believe the one folks got moved to YC. Sure hope there are some deluxes that might.have a room available come Thursday! Hahaha...I am not expecting that kind of pixie dust, but would take it in a heartbeat.

 

[Planogirl]

I always see these stats:

A study by the Technical Assistance Research Programs Institute pinpoints three findings about customer complaints:

"1) The average customer with an unresolved complaint will tell nine to 10 people; 13 percent tell more than 20 people.
"2) Up to 70 percent of complainers will return to your business if the complaint is resolved. Up to 95 percent return if the problem is resolved quickly.
"3) For every complaint received, the average company has 26 unhappy customers it never hears from; six of these customers have problems that are considered serious.

Consider this: For every customer who complains, 26 remain silent. Five complaints a week means there are 130 dissatisfied, disgruntled ex-customers out there that you never hear from.

 

[Babyjeanmoore]

Does anyone know if expired ticket cards only will pull fast passes?

 

[AmyB2006]

Exactly. I'm sure they are paying VERY close attention to the percentage that are griping. Few people complain about such things, even if they do pay lots of money. I have a home theater and have little patience for poor movie theater experiences. I once was in a theater where the main center dialog sound was coming out of the left surround speakers . I immediately complained and left when they couldn't fix it. The other 30 people stayed, and dealt with the poor product. I would be SHOCKED if Disney is seeing more than 10% complainers. Even a lot of Disers probably won't complain in person.

Disney will deal with it for now, but when the other boot falls, it will be "sorry, those are the new rules".

Then all those FP+ rainbow and unicorn lovers will suddenly be quiet.

Jason

10%? That's generous IMO. I bet it's closer to 5% of the total amount of guests at that resort. But you're right. I've been saying it all along. It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Disney would rather deal with the few people that complain than try to make a big announcement about what they're doing.

 

[mom2rtk]

10%? That's generous IMO. I bet it's closer to 5% of the total amount of guests at that resort. But you're right. I've been saying it all along. It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Disney would rather deal with the few people that complain than try to make a big announcement about what they're doing.

I think that given the number of guests at WDW at any given moment 5% would be quite problematic.

And I'll just disagree with one word in your last sentence. I don't think it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. It's merely more expedient. I think the fact that Disney is trying to ask for forgiveness on the back end is really costing them some long term loyal visitors. And not what I expect from what many consider the industry leader in customer satisfaction.

All I ask is that the clearly communicate what they are doing. And own it. I despise subterfuge. And when you make Pop the only resort to no longer have FP- without even informing guests, I consider that to be subterfuge.

 

[Missyrose]

I called Pop today and asked if I will be able to pull legacy Fast Passes next week if I link my tickets (old tickets - including some paper) that we are bringing with us. The rep said no and then transferred me to a "Fast Pass specialist" who advised me not to link my tickets to my MB so I could pull paper Fast Passes in the parks. She told me that I can exchange my paper tickets for RFIDs when I check in. We can use our MB for room entry and for charging but will not be able to use them for park entry if we want to pull paper Fast Passes.

Yet another story....

You didn't call Pop, you got a call center that answered the phone as if it were Pop. So little of what a phone CM says will have much bearing on your actual experience when you get to Disney.

If you have physical tickets in your hand, you should be able to link them and still use the physical tickets to pull legacy FPs. People with APs are able to do just that, so I wouldn't imagine MYW tickets to be treated much differently in the machines.

Does anyone know if expired ticket cards only will pull fast passes?

No, expired tickets will not pull FPs.

 

[AmyB2006]

I think that given the number of guests at WDW at any given moment 5% would be quite problematic.

And I'll just disagree with one word in your last sentence. I don't think it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. It's merely more expedient. I think the fact that Disney is trying to ask for forgiveness on the back end is really costing them some long term loyal visitors. And not what I expect from what many consider the industry leader in customer satisfaction.

All I ask is that the clearly communicate what they are doing. And own it. I despise subterfuge. And when you make Pop the only resort to no longer have FP- without even informing guests, I consider that to be subterfuge.

ITA with the bold. And you would think that even just 5% would be problematic yes, but I don't think Disney looks at it that way. I think they would have way bigger problems if they were announcing it, to be honest. I think they'd have more unhappy people, so I think that's why they're adopting this philosophy.

 

[wn01aa]

If Disney is counting on uninformed guests so that there are less complaints, I would love for someone staying at POP to make tons of flyers that lets everyone know that every other resort gets a key card and a MagicBand and that the key card gives those guests more ride passes, then pass them around or "leave them" in high traffic areas. I'm sure that would increase the complaints. I imagine some POP guest going to a ride and seeing guests pull FP-, and when thy ask a CM they are told that is for everyone in the park to use except POP guests.

 

[christineann]

Thanks for the information, missyrose. Should I link my tickets to my MB and ask for RFID cards to replace the old paper tickets with no magnetic strip at the hotel, or should I go to guest services at DTD to do so? I'm wondering where I would find the best CMs to assist us, and I would like to get all this out of the way the day we arrive instead of at the parks.

 

[Missyrose]

Thanks for the information, missyrose. Should I link my tickets to my MB and ask for RFID cards to replace the old paper tickets with no magnetic strip at the hotel, or should I go to guest services at DTD to do so? I'm wondering where I would find the best CMs to assist us, and I would like to get all this out of the way the day we arrive instead of at the parks.

Do not ask to replace the paper tickets with RFID tickets at the resort. That will get you caught up in this mess of a test with Pop. I'd just take the tickets to the guest relations window outside your first park and exchange the paper tickets for RFID ones.

 

[km3jones]

For what it's worth. We have annual pass holder cards. We were at Disney for 10 days in August at AoA. So I had those KTTW cards and our annual pass cards. Nov 21 we stayed at Pop so no KTTW cards for that stay. Our annual passes were linked to magic bands and we used FP+ with about 90% success rate in Nov. I was able to use my old KTTW cards from August and AP cards to full FP- for the November trip.

 

[christineann]

Thanks!

 

[Planogirl]

I see a few people stating that they could pull FP- with MVMCP plastic tickets. What is the deal with that? Was that just on the actual party day?

 

[disneydan11]

My family has AP's. We just booked trip for December to stay at Pop and now I am reading all about MB only test going on at Pop. Here is my question: Can we get the band, set up FP+ AND also use our AP to pull regular FP?