Disney, please implement a "Recovery Zone"! Thank you to Mr. Testa!

[ConvenientTruth]

Good for you. Really.

That doesn't mean that there aren't major problems with back ups at the scanners at the entrance to FP lines. Disney even recognizes this issue, and has their CMs carrying big "FP+ line here" signs so people know what the heck that mass of people is.

Again, we are making concessions for people who are ignorant to how the system works...

 

[Kate and Family]

This would be like adding a customer service desk in a department store - except that WDW would require one at every main attraction. Too expensive - not going to happen.

This part of the system was poorly conceived. What is needed is a clear response from the system upon scan, visible to the patron, that identfies the problem. The existing CM can take quick and immediate action, like with a printed FP.

Makes sense to me

 

[JanaDee]

You know, the article itself is well written, but IMO the mocking attitude taken in the OP doesn't make me interested in discussing it here.

Right?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Now- if you are looking for a snarky sensationalized hyperbolic article then you will be disappointed and for that I apologize in advance.

The folks who are looking for a thoughtful and insightful article that provides real solutions based on real observations of real problems regarding FastPass+ are in for a real treat!!!!

http://blog.touringplans.com/2014/03/21/3-simple-fixes-disney-make-fastpass/

3 Simple Fixes Disney Should Make to FastPass+
by Len Testa



This is just solution #1!!!! It get's better so make sure to read the rest of Len's article!!!!! http://blog.touringplans.com/2014/03/21/3-simple-fixes-disney-make-fastpass/

Len Testa concludes:


I completely agree with Len's assessment of the FastPass+ lines. The "Recovery Zone" will help Disney immediately address the perception issues with FastPass+ lines. The blue mickey head will just confuse and frustrate people......and it probably takes the CM's a while to register with "blue" as a warning too!

When there is any problem or issue that occurs at the check out of any retailer----the line will grow out of control quickly if the cashier holds the line to assist the one customer who needs to resolve a price or payment matter.
Len also suggested adding more CM's and readers at the checkpoint. I completely agree and figure the additional CM's needed to make this work is exactly what Disney was hoping to avoid!!!!! Too bad!!!!! This is an unintended and unforeseen consequence so Disney needs to handle it and quick!!!! Thank you again to Len Testa! This is great!!!!!

Excellent idea. This would help a great deal. As others have pointed out a good deal of the FP+ line issues are that people are not using it correctly!

It great to see someone coming up with a solution and not a repeated rant about the problem.

AKK

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Again, we are making concessions for people who are ignorant to how the system works...

You create a complex system, you create confusion. The confusion did not come from the patrons - it stems from the system. Do you see how many FP+ questions are posed on this board every day? Many have still not been answered, and Dis posters are among the most knowledgeable WDW patrons on the planet. The tens of thousands of random guests really have no chance of easily understanding the complexities of this system.

This from another patron who had no problems with FP+, but our needs are simple.

 

[morethananyonex]

Again, we are making concessions for people who are ignorant to how the system works...

So it's a better idea to let line ups extend way into park walkways, clogging up traffic, forcing people to stand out in the possible bad weather, and making FP+ lines not so fast? Why?

Whether we like that people cannot just arrive when they're supposed to or not, the fact of the matter is many don't. It's nothing new, people did it all the time with FP-, but it was easy for the CM to catch and point to the ticket and show them the time. I suspect the line ups are not simply due to guests who don't know what they're doing, even if everybody in line was supposed to be in line the scanners themselves are slower than FP- tickets, and sometimes the system does fail at no fault of the guest.

 

[ConvenientTruth]

You create a complex system, you create confusion. The confusion did not come from the patrons - it stems from the system. Do you see how many FP+ questions are posed on this board every day? Many have still not been answered, and Dis posters are among the most knowledgeable WDW patrons on the planet. The tens of thousands of random guests really have no chance of easily understanding the complexities of this system.

This from another patron who had no problems with FP+, but our needs are simple.

How is it complex? You book your fast passes, show up at the correct time, ride the ride. You miss a time, you change it to a later time or a different attraction. This is far from complex...

 

[clsteve]

Again, we are making concessions for people who are ignorant to how the system works...

Call me crazy, but it's usually up to the company to build/implement a system that's intuitive and easy for the least knowledgeable user. Especially when your customer base includes every age group and 150 or so languages.

 

[ConvenientTruth]

Call me crazy, but it's usually up to the company to build/implement a system that's intuitive and easy for the least knowledgeable user. Especially when your customer base includes every age group and 150 or so languages.

It is easy...

 

[morethananyonex]

How is it complex? You book your fast passes, show up at the correct time, ride the ride. You miss a time, you change it to a later time or a different attraction. This is far from complex...

It is a far more complex and user un-friendly system than FP-. FP- was pretty uncomplicated, look up to see if FP are available, insert ticket, remove ticket and FP. FP+ requires the guest to be familiar with the fact that it even exists before they arrive, familiar with MDE, familiar with MDE's quirks (tons of people don't realize that you can go in and change the times Disney gives you, for example), familiar with the parks to know where you're going to be in advance, and familiar with the parks so you accurately schedule FP times according to the locations of the attractions.

Like PP said, if so many in the know Disney fans are confused about certain parts, what makes you think the general public who tends to not be as obsessive as DISers is not going to have more problems than with FP-?

 

[clsteve]

It is easy...

Yep, blue means bad in what other situations you can think of....?

 

[ConvenientTruth]

Yep, blue means bad in what other situations you can think of....?

Again one color means you are ok the other does not....rather simple....

 

[cgattis]

Like the idea of crowd management. But may I suggest adding a trap door thing that opens on the floor when people outside their time and hope to get on. And with an express shoot out the park if they still try to argue with a CM.

Two weeks ago when we were there, we decided to change a 5:00 HM FP to Buzz. According to the app, "there was a blip in the system" (the absolute lamest error message ever....), and to try again. So I reopened to app, but the FPs were there. Cool. Except when I showed up at Buzz at 5:17, I was told I was 13 minutes early, go to the back of the line. I argued, opened the app, and lo and behold, that's the time it showed. Guess that was the blip, but I never noticed. So it's not always devious, greedy, line-cutters who try to game the system. The system just isn't working very well yet! And it stinks to pay the same and spend more time in line, period.

 

[lugnut33]

It's obviously not a simple system since people are having problems with it and it's leading to long FP+ return lines.

That said, a guest recovery area will not work unless the FP+ return line is staffed by two CMs, which is not usually the case. Adding a second CM would hurt profits, so it's better to just let the line build.

 

[Kate and Family]

Call me crazy, but it's usually up to the company to build/implement a system that's intuitive and easy for the least knowledgeable user. Especially when your customer base includes every age group and 150 or so languages.

Yep

I was once a tour guide in Charleston. Some folks forget to pack their brains when the go on vacation. ( I have been guilty of that every now and then, when vacationing)

"How long is the 90 minute tour?"
"Will we see much of Savannah?"

 

[BuckeyeBama]

How is it complex? You book your fast passes, show up at the correct time, ride the ride. You miss a time, you change it to a later time or a different attraction. This is far from complex...

So, what department do you work in for Disney?

 

[clsteve]

Again one color means you are ok the other does not....rather simple....

You do know that blue means positive, or obligatory in international color schemes...?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

About what I expected, we have a very possible solution to part of the problem and the reaction is still.....no way.............anything that may make FP+ work well or at least better, is not acceptable.

FP- was confusing to many when it came out and many said the same things being said now about how its no good, yet it worked out with time.

We all know change can be scarier, even more so it the regular guests may have to change their ways of doing the parks.

AKK

 

[Sunnywho]

In addition to FP guests, to get a time on a DAS card, a guest has to navigate the horde and get a cast member to write down a time. A recovery zone would help with this.

 

[surferdave]

I'm all for giving intelligence tests at the gate.

Unless they do that, they have to make it idiot proof (and language barrier proof) or you have to consider the problem systematic when an idiot hold it up.