Disney Next-Gen REVEALED!

[nytimez]

Yep, which some people already are doing anyway...who needs to worry about intimate theming and music and smells and stuff like that when you are running to each attraction?

Yeah... and as their experiments with dining show, there's no way to NOT take part in these things. For most of the year now, if you want a sit-down meal, you need an ADR. You can't just walk in and eat anymore.

I eat more CS meals than ever now, because I just don't plan like that.

With this new system, if you want to ride a big attraction or see a show, you'll need an ADR. Or you'll have to get to the park earlier than ever.

 

[skiingfast]

1 Billion Dollars, can you imagine the improvements inside the parks they could do with that. They might be able to get them back up to an acceptable level, add in some new monorails to replace the junk they have now and they could even bring back the original figment.

Does anyone honestly think 1B will be spent on RFID imbedded KTTW cards?

Perhaps people should expect that the bulk of the money is being spent on things like the new Dumbo que or something we will see in Carsland.

 

[anthony2k7]

1) I think it will help,
. . . as long as non-Disney-hotel guests have the same rights
. . . all guests should be treated equally
2) It will also stop frivolous room requests. (handicap requests are not frivolous, but views are)
. . . the start has begun with computers assigning rooms
. . . soon, all keys will be cut in advance
. . . guests can't moan and groan to CM at the Front Desk
. . . grab your pre-determined rooms keys and go
. . . cures a problem WDW has let itself get into over the years
. . . lot so CM's are already salivating at this

Frivolous? People go on holiday to relax. They want to book the best room they can afford/justify paying for. I dont see how wanting the view from the room can be classed as frivolous? example, not sure if its still the case or not but I've seen examples of supposed Savannah view rooms at AKL most definitely not having a good view - if you're paying for that upgraded view then you want to make sure you get it. How is that frivolous?

Also, I think what will actually happen is it will go the complete opposite to what you suggest. Computers will assign a room initially, but like with most airlines, the guest will be able to go into the booking and see rooms on the map which are available and select them. Hopefully thats how it will eventually work.

With hotel occupancy being pushed higher and higher, there will still always be guests who get the worst rooms - so there will always be guests complaining to the front desk. I dont see how that can or will change?

 

[anthony2k7]

Wont wristbands be a bit bulky to mail out in advance?

I hope the keep the KTTW and add RFID to them personally.

The general idea of guests getting their tickets/KTTW in advance is a good step forward - this works so well at DLRP where guests arriving on the eurostar get their park passes whilst on the train, meaning you can head straight into the park from the train without having to waste time going to the hotel first.

I can see how disney think this would be good for WDW - all those people wasting an hour or two of their vacation at the hotel when they could be in the parks spending money!

 

[Metsoskil]

I see it much more likely that Disney will allow ride time requests for those who book the most expensive rooms as a way to boost bookings in those room catagories.

It doesn't seem like it can be implemented resort-wide (and certainly not for all guests including off-site).

Requiring ADRs 180 days out is a bit different. People pay for meals. People don't pay extra for rides. Disney will have to find a way to use this new tech to make money. Hence my first statement - I speculate this will be used as incentive to book high priced rooms.

And no, DVC members, this probably won't include you. They already have your money.

 

[nytimez]

I see it much more likely that Disney will allow ride time requests for those who book the most expensive rooms as a way to boost bookings in those room catagories.

It doesn't seem like it can be implemented resort-wide (and certainly not for all guests including off-site).

Requiring ADRs 180 days out is a bit different. People pay for meals. People don't pay extra for rides. Disney will have to find a way to use this new tech to make money. Hence my first statement - I speculate this will be used as incentive to book high priced rooms.

And no, DVC members, this probably won't include you. They already have your money.

I don't think they're going to spend a billion dollars just to increase high-end bookings. Those are the categories that tend to sell out first anyway... and also have the fewest numbers of rooms.

 

[phinz]

reserve ride times from home

Dumbest. Idea. Ever. I don't want my vacation planned down to the last second. If you think ADRs are a nightmare, just wait...

 

[Figment632]

You see how fast FP goes for TSM the ride would be booked by 8:00 am everyday!

 

[DizCaptain]

This is disappointing. Not only could one billion dollars create some hefty refurbs, or dare I say new, GOOD, ride; but I like the current fastpass because you aren't bound directly to such a time frame. If you get fastpasses and see they're during your dining reservation no big deal, you use them afterwards. I can already think of many things that could go wrong with this.... Little Johnny gets sick, oh no! that hour you spent reserving this stupid ride time down the drain! I mean sure they'll think of ways around it and such, but for all the people going to Disney from all over it will be hectic for at least a few years before they can truly get it close to a seamless process. I see how Disney is trying to put your vacation's life onto a wristband, but its just not a good idea in my opinion. Also, I hate wristbands...keys to the world are working fine. Oh Disney...why can't you just build us the Monsters Inc. Rollercoaster and make quick service actually good again with your billion dollars?

 

[Polydweller]

I would have more faith in this if the ADR system hadn't made such a mess of dining. There is no spontaneity anymore and it has simply moved the 'rush' to get a reservation from same day at the park to 6:00 am 180 days out. With the added drawbacks that you have to decide what you have to decide what you are interested in that far out and if park hours change, and they do frequently, then your plans can be quite wrong for seeing a parade or fireworks. Won't even mention decline in food quality.

Think of Ressies for rides etc. that far out. Same problems plus what if the weather turns out to be really cool or rainy and you reserved all outdoor attractions like Splash Mountain or Kali river rapids. So not only do you have to be clairvoyant about park hours but weather as well. Really bad idea.

Finally, somebody had better check you in it's a major security feature (hotelier here). That process ensures that wherever gets a key is supposed to be there. If you can bypass the front desk altogether then it just makes it easier for the criminal element. I guarantee that they will figure out a way to break that system and print their own keys just like they do credit and debit cards then they can roam room to room and steal anything. At least now it's a lot harder to do that. Again not a great idea.

 

[OldsDr]

I am hoping this was just poorly spoken or not a complete explanation. I hate makeing ADRs way in advance, never mind ride reservations. PLus the fact i hate wearing anything that resembles jewlery, I hardley ever wear my wedding ring and never wear a watch, a wrist band would drive me nuts. Plus I don't want any personal information transmitted from an RFid.


Then again when they were introducing FP I thought I was going to hate that and it would be just another line. I am glad I was wrong. Lets hope I am wrong here too, but it does not sound like it.

 

[Oglet]

Someone earlier made a comment about labor savings, I have to disagree totally with that comment.

It might reduce labor costs in some areas however its going to require a whole lot of people to deal with issues and questions about the system so any savings in a particular area will be shuffled to another area.

Have the bio finger scans reduced turnstile cast? have automatic gates reduced monorail cast? the answer is NOPE! You are going to need people to sort the madness out.

I see where Disney are coming from, they just don't have a good history when it comes to things that require bookings etc. I have total faith that they could personalize the experience more using RFID, however booking times for rides, shows and certain attractions fairly and smoothly is in my opinion beyond their ability based on their past track record.

It's one thing not to be able to book ADR's because there is no availablity, its something else to not be able to get into shows and rides because they are all booked out. This, if not done correctly is going to turn away a large number of people who either live locally, plan last minute trips or otherwise might not be planing a complete vacation. Just the fact that people might be even thinking that they can't ride their favorite ride, see their favorite show or whatever because they didn't book x amount of days,weeks,months in advance might be enough for them to look elsewhere, maybe somewhere that they know they will be able to get the full value of their ticket.

Disney can look after its resort guests all it wants but it needs to remember that a very large portion of its guests are not on site guests.

This whole idea smells or a way to transition into making people pay for fast passes, either you pay for it hidden in with your room cost, or if your not staying on site, you will be able to pay for the ability to use the reservation system.

 

[Faldred]

Does anyone honestly think 1B will be spent on RFID imbedded KTTW cards?

Perhaps people should expect that the bulk of the money is being spent on things like the new Dumbo que or something we will see in Carsland.

Hush, now. You're getting in the way of ill-informed ranting with this "logic" of yours.

 

[skier_pete]

I suppose it shouldn't surprise me as to how negative the majority of posters are...without even knowing what this is really about. And of course all the people chiming in "How dare they spend money on this when they should spend money on what I want!"

For example the "reserving rides from home"...could be something along the lines of:

You pick 3 rides each day that they will provide you with a "FastPass" for the ride. There won't be a set time, but you can use it anytime and their is a limit to the # they give out. So, if you are the type that doesn't want to get to the park at 9 AM just so you get your FP, you can pre-book a TSM pass, and then if you show up at noon, you can still get on the ride without the 2-hour wait. So now FP for the popular rides are not limited just to the early risers.

Does that sound like a bad idea?

And a lot of this "personalizing the experience" involves Character interaction. Imagine how your child reacts when Mickey Mouse talks to her and calls her by her name!

This is my belief - I have no insider information, but I think the new Dumbo queue is going to be the first example of this. Where you literally don't have a line at all. You essentially get are given a "ride-time" and can either hang out in the queuing area, or come back when it's your turn. IF implemented right (and I admit it would be VERY difficult to do) it might be possible to virtually eliminate long waits within the park completely.

SkierPete

 

[RescueRanger]

I suppose it shouldn't surprise me as to how negative the majority of posters are...without even knowing what this is really about. And of course all the people chiming in "How dare they spend money on this when they should spend money on what I want!"

For example the "reserving rides from home"...could be something along the lines of:

You pick 3 rides each day that they will provide you with a "FastPass" for the ride. There won't be a set time, but you can use it anytime and their is a limit to the # they give out. So, if you are the type that doesn't want to get to the park at 9 AM just so you get your FP, you can pre-book a TSM pass, and then if you show up at noon, you can still get on the ride without the 2-hour wait. So now FP for the popular rides are not limited just to the early risers.

Does that sound like a bad idea?



And a lot of this "personalizing the experience" involves Character interaction. Imagine how your child reacts when Mickey Mouse talks to her and calls her by her name!

This is my belief - I have no insider information, but I think the new Dumbo queue is going to be the first example of this. Where you literally don't have a line at all. You essentially get are given a "ride-time" and can either hang out in the queuing area, or come back when it's your turn. IF implemented right (and I admit it would be VERY difficult to do) it might be possible to virtually eliminate long waits within the park completely.

SkierPete

I agree. I was only kidding earlier about the potty breaks. Actually, after reading the patent appilcation that is possibly related to this, there are some good possiblities for this. I posted the link on the Theme park boards but I will put it here as well: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph...&s1=20050060173&OS=20050060173&RS=20050060173

If they went to a system where you could get FPs through your resort TV the day before or the morning of, I think it would be great. I do believe that it will be a certain number per day per guest. I won't get into whether it is right or wrong, but it could also be related to your resort level. That is certainly mentioned in the patent info (see lines 0246-0258). If that was the case, it could be something like 6 FP for deluxe, 4 FP for moderate, and 2 FP for value. This is just specualtion mind you, but certainly a plausible scenario.

 

[mcd2745]

If they went to a system where you could get FPs through your resort TV the day before or the morning of, I think it would be great. I do believe that it will be a certain number per day per guest. I won't get into whether it is right or wrong, but it could also be related to your resort level. That is certainly mentioned in the patent info (see lines 0246-0258). If that was the case, it could be something like 6 FP for deluxe, 4 FP for moderate, and 2 FP for value. This is just specualtion mind you, but certainly a plausible scenario.

So, are they going to have to install FP printers in every resort room? Are you going to have pick them up at guest relations or your resort concierge desk? In that case, you're just shifting the lines to somewhere else. I suppose it can just get coded onto your KTTW or wristband or whatever they will be using. But then where is the confirmation that you have the Fastpass? You'll have people going to the attraction claiming they reserved that ride for that time and the TV confirmed it, so they have to be let on the ride.

I agree with most others. This sounds like it very well could become the disaster/monster that ADRs have become. Also of concern, is that while thousands of people who now are normally waiting in lines will be mulling around walkways and shops and CS restaurants until their next ride reservation...it will become increasingly difficult to navigate your way around the parks - creating a very frustrating experience.

 

[RescueRanger]

So, are they going to have to install FP printers in every resort room? Are you going to have pick them up at guest relations or your resort concierge desk? In that case, you're just shifting the lines to somewhere else. I suppose it can just get coded onto your KTTW or wristband or whatever they will be using. But then where is the confirmation that you have the Fastpass? You'll have people going to the attraction claiming they reserved that ride for that time and the TV confirmed it, so they have to be let on the ride.

I agree with most others. This sounds like it very well could become the disaster/monster that ADRs have become. Also of concern, is that while thousands of people who now are normally waiting in lines will be mulling around walkways and shops and CS restaurants until their next ride reservation...it will become increasingly difficult to navigate your way around the parks - creating a very frustrating experience.

I believe that was in the patent info as well. It would either be automatically loaded on your KTTK card (like your dining credits) or the wristband they keep discussing would carry them. You wouldn't print out a ticket at your resort. I could see them using some sort of scanner at the FP entrances. This would definitely eliminate alot of the abuse of the current system.

 

[nytimez]

You pick 3 rides each day that they will provide you with a "FastPass" for the ride. There won't be a set time, but you can use it anytime and their is a limit to the # they give out. So, if you are the type that doesn't want to get to the park at 9 AM just so you get your FP, you can pre-book a TSM pass, and then if you show up at noon, you can still get on the ride without the 2-hour wait. So now FP for the popular rides are not limited just to the early risers.

Does that sound like a bad idea?

Yes.

 

[Disco]

LOL, so many of you are not getting it.
The billion is for an entire range of improvements many that have already been implemented. Disney has already increased the average daily attraction attendance by 10%. They expect to over double that. It doesn't matter how many freaking rides they build if you can't get on them (TSM anyone?). That's a hard concept to swallow but Disney cannot build an infinite amount of rides for a finite amount of people to ride whenever they want. Even if they build an entire new park they are going to staff rides based on what attendance they are bringing in. So, I promise you this, even with a brand new park overall wait times for attractions are going to be just as long.
With this new "reserve" rides from home system you don't have to use it and guess what, unlike ADR's, you're not actually reserving rides. You're basically requesting a fast pass ahead of time to get on a ride. World of difference.
The benefit for everyone is this. Disney now has a sampling of data telling them what specific rides are going to be the busiest at what time of day. This allows them to preemptively deploy crowd control measures and to staff more accurately.
It all comes down to how many people they can process through a ride per hour per CM. Increasing this by 20% has huge ramifications. It means less time standing in line, more time having fun and more time for shopping. It also means more people visiting and more money for expansions.
I love new rides as much as all of you, but my overall park experience is affected more by how much time I waste in lines, getting tickets and traveling between locals.
You can have the greatest most immersive ride in the world but if I waste a whole day standing in line I will be pissed.

 

[nytimez]

LOL, so many of you are not getting it.
The billion is for an entire range of improvements many that have already been implemented. Disney has already increased the average daily attraction attendance by 10%. They expect to over double that. It doesn't matter how many freaking rides they build if you can't get on them (TSM anyone?). That's a hard concept to swallow but Disney cannot build an infinite amount of rides for a finite amount of people to ride whenever they want. Even if they build an entire new park they are going to staff rides based on what attendance they are bringing in. So, I promise you this, even with a brand new park overall wait times for attractions are going to be just as long.
With this new "reserve" rides from home system you don't have to use it and guess what, unlike ADR's, you're not actually reserving rides. You're basically requesting a fast pass ahead of time to get on a ride. World of difference.
The benefit for everyone is this. Disney now has a sampling of data telling them what specific rides are going to be the busiest at what time of day. This allows them to preemptively deploy crowd control measures and to staff more accurately.
It all comes down to how many people they can process through a ride per hour per CM. Increasing this by 20% has huge ramifications. It means less time standing in line, more time having fun and more time for shopping. It also means more people visiting and more money for expansions.
I love new rides as much as all of you, but my overall park experience is affected more by how much time I waste in lines, getting tickets and traveling between locals.
You can have the greatest most immersive ride in the world but if I waste a whole day standing in line I will be pissed.

I don't know that you can claim to "get it" any better than anyone else since we're all reading so many tea leaves here as much of the specifics are yet to be made public.

However, TSM is an outlier. You can't use that as a reason to redo everything, because it's not the typical experience.

I don't use touring plans. I never make rope drop. Yet I rarely wait in long lines. TSM is the only ride I have trouble getting on -- and you know what? I can live with that if it means not having to plan months ahead of time.