We Start with an Express Magical Experience
After we picked up our checked bags, we headed over to the Disney section of MCO.
You may remember way back on Groundhog Day 1 that I picked up this box from franandaj (DisMeet #1).
Magic Bands, the Fast Pass Plus system and the new My Disney Experience IT/app has been the subject of much debate on the Dis for the last year or so. Nothing I can say will change the viewpoint of Dis-sers about how inconsistent this new Disney system can be. I don't aim to try. I can only report on my experience with it and add my '2-bits worth' to the near universal viewpoint of an inconsistent experience and implementation to date through this TR.
Whether we like it or not, the MB, FP+ and
MDE is probably here to stay. Disney Corp has probably invested way too much in its development to roll back. And I'll just roll with the bands and the system the way it's laid out for me during the period of my vacation.
As with everyone else, I'd come to this point having gone through My Disney Experience (MDE) and linking my park tickets (which I bought via
Undercover Tourist) to all my ADRs and eventually picking my FP+ rides. All this happened before the current ride tiering system was implemented. It remained to be seen if the system would hold all that information and keep it active without issue for this trip. I had the standard gripes about using MDE and the occasionally bad useability of that website; but by and large, I would say that pre-arrival, the only major concern I had was the amount on planning I was now forced to do for Walt Disney World. It's bad enough that I have to plan my restaurants and meals 6 months out; and formulate my park days 3 months out. Now I also have to choose my rides and schedule the heck out of my day. It sure takes the fun and spontaneity out of my Disney World holiday. But let's get on with this TR, shall we?
As an international tourist to Disney, I had been lucky to have a set of bands with me. Disney policy is to ship the bands to a local US address or for pick up at the resort on arrival. On any given holiday, I would have expected to have the set waiting for me at the resort. But we had a split booking for this trip and because of that, I ended up having a second set of bands that were shipped to Alison (she owned the second reservation).
I had remembered to pack the second set of Magic Bands I'd gotten first way back on day 1 of this vacation in my carry-on bag. For what it's worth, there were no issues with the RFID bands going through airport security. Neither Durango La Plata nor Dallas Fort Worth security stopped to check what they were at any point in the day. As the bands are based on RFID technology, I chose not to link any credit card details with the bands.
As I approached the Front Desk for Magical Express, I noticed the MB scanners right near where you would get into the queues for the various resort buses. DH was surprised and more than a little confused when I headed straight there and by-passed the Front Desk.
The Mickey head turned green for me. It was our first time experiencing the light up Green Mickey Head on this trip. And the experience was not just about seeing the green light! The CMs behind the scanner checks the screen and greets all three of us by name, knows exactly what resort we're staying at and directs us through to the right bus queue. So fast did all this occur and so quick was the CM at shepherding us through the queue that I didn't have a chance to take a picture of the ME Front Desk like I normally like to do. It was definitely the most express check-in I've had at the ME 'desk'.
Our Disney's Magical Express was waiting for us.
We were all smiles boarding our chariot.
I snagged the seats right at the front of the bus. By-passing the Front Desk had given us that head start and we were first on. So far, the MB experience was working out great. We waited a few more minutes for our ride queue competition to board the bus as well.
DH and DS were really curious about the bands and despite the fact that I had tried to tell them all about it before we left Australia, I pretty much repeated the same information to them on the bus. As before, I lost them at "new gate entry and ticketing system". I figured now that we were here, it would probably take them 2 hours in the morning tomorrow to understand. In the meantime, DS and I admired the pretty colours.
Despite snagging the prime spot on the bus, I didn't figure on my first view of Disney property being turned off. I sure hope that it wasn't a sign of how the MB experience was going to keep us in the dark for the duration of this trip!
ME made a couple of stops to drop off some of the other guests at their homes.
Whilst I was chaffing to get to our resort and room, I was happy to have a Pop-by look at the other resorts.
Soon enough, we got to our Home.
(Continued in Next Post)
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I'm always saying, "I wish I lived closer to WDW", even though it's only a 5 hour flight from California. Now i'm never saying it again knowing how long it takes you from Australia
What a long travel day; I never enjoy flying through regional airports (fortunately it's not something I have to do for getting to MCO!).
