Disney's MyMagic Failure

[PlutoMars]

Fantasy Land is a disaster. Seriously, double the number of Dumbo rides? Who thought that was a good idea? Yes, the Mine Train will have long lines, but so does Small World now (thanks to FP+). And Mine Train will not be a destination attraction, like Harry Potter is down the road.

The problem with many on this board is that they rush to defend Disney; any criticism is taken as a personal attack on their childhood memories. I can love Disney World, but not love the direction it's being taken.

It is a matter of opinion on New Fantasyland being a disaster or not. The people that thought doubling the Dumbo rides where a good idea are the ones that are no longer having to stand in long lines as before and having to rush to Dumbo in the morning as one of your first stops.

Enchanted Tales with Belle is a HUGE hit and is part of new fantasyland.

Under the Sea is underwhelming and in my opinion is a disappointment.

Be our Guest is another winner in New Fantasyland.

And there are people that will come to MK because of the opening of the Mine Train. Of course, the mine train isnt a draw in and to itself like the whole Harry Potter Land is but it will be successful as a family ride. Did it take way too long to build. Yes. Could they have made it better? Yes. And the comparison to Small World is just plain silly. Small World will never see the wait times that the Mine Train will.

I am not defending Disney World nor do I see it as an attack on any of my childhood memories but merely showing where Disney has spent money on its Parks in the last 8-10 years though many dislike them spending this money on the New Fantasy Land.

There is also a problem on this board with those that dont like the direction the company is going to overly criticize every little thing now and leave out some convenient facts like that article the OP posted. It fits their narrative.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

In several ways I think FP+ is a dream for many of the locals AP holders living close by now that they can reserve ahead of time. Get off from work, have a quick bite to eat, head to WDW knowing you'll have 3 FP's, watch some fireworks and head for home. And not having to waste anytime at all with the other stuff.

Is that why I keep reading posts from people vowing not to renew their AP? Even AP holders can't get much value from "three and out".
.

Nope but a lot of those decisions came when AP holders were not able to pre-book the FP+. Now that it's available for them I think it changes the scenarios. And for those that use their AP's in a different way I can understand letting them go. But now that it's opened up I still believe it's a huge benefit for the local AP holder who goes for short visits in the evenings. Huge!

Many of the rest of us - not so much.

I also think it would make FP+ at DL virtually unworkable because of the far larger number of local AP holders who will stop in just in the evenings. I remember the first year they had the Hallowishes. They did it as the normal night time fireworks and the parks would swell up to bursting every night. By the next year it was a hard ticket event like WDW had. IMO they would have to do some big staggered releases of night time FP's in order to have any left for evenings for the day visitors.

 

[TLSnell1981]

As an accountant by trade, I am smart enough to know that a company like Disney is doomed if run by "penny pinchers." I worked for a high tech company back in the 80's and it lacked the innovation that high tech companies need to survive ....and it did not survive.
7DMT will not save WDW...all it will do is delay the inevitable unless Disney gets back to doing what it did better than anyone during the 50 years from 1955 to 2005.

In other words, the pre Iger years.

 

[davedmaine]

It is a matter of opinion on New Fantasyland being a disaster or not. The people that thought doubling the Dumbo rides where a good idea are the ones that are no longer having to stand in long lines as before and having to rush to Dumbo in the morning as one of your first stops. Enchanted Tales with Belle is a HUGE hit and is part of new fantasyland. Under the Sea is underwhelming and in my opinion is a disappointment. Be our Guest is another winner in New Fantasyland. And there are people that will come to MK because of the opening of the Mine Train. Of course, the mine train isnt a draw in and to itself like the whole Harry Potter Land is but it will be successful as a family ride. Did it take way too long to build. Yes. Could they have made it better? Yes. And the comparison to Small World is just plain silly. Small World will never see the wait times that the Mine Train will. I am not defending Disney World nor do I see it as an attack on any of my childhood memories but merely showing where Disney has spent money on its Parks in the last 8-10 years though many dislike them spending this money on the New Fantasy Land. There is also a problem on this board with those that dont like the direction the company is going to overly criticize every little thing now and leave out some convenient facts like that article the OP posted. It fits their narrative.

Did people really rush to dumbo at rope drop?

 

[Davey Jones II]

It is a matter of opinion on New Fantasyland being a disaster or not. The people that thought doubling the Dumbo rides where a good idea are the ones that are no longer having to stand in long lines as before and having to rush to Dumbo in the morning as one of your first stops.

Enchanted Tales with Belle is a HUGE hit and is part of new fantasyland.

Under the Sea is underwhelming and in my opinion is a disappointment.

Be our Guest is another winner in New Fantasyland.

And there are people that will come to MK because of the opening of the Mine Train. Of course, the mine train isnt a draw in and to itself like the whole Harry Potter Land is but it will be successful as a family ride. Did it take way too long to build. Yes. Could they have made it better? Yes. And the comparison to Small World is just plain silly. Small World will never see the wait times that the Mine Train will.

I am not defending Disney World nor do I see it as an attack on any of my childhood memories but merely showing where Disney has spent money on its Parks in the last 8-10 years though many dislike them spending this money on the New Fantasy Land.

There is also a problem on this board with those that dont like the direction the company is going to overly criticize every little thing now and leave out some convenient facts like that article the OP posted. It fits their narrative.

It's true that some people do that; anything that doesn't fit their argument is ignored. Personally, I don't like everything that the WDC is doing, but I will readily admit that they are doing some things right. For example, the DCA makeover was a success, and I even like the Little Mermaid ride (it grew on me, ok? So sue me.)

I have not yet experienced New Fantasyland, and I avoid spoilers, so I can't comment on it. It does look good, from what little I have seen. No one really knows how good the Mine Train ride will turn out to be. I am cautiously optimistic about it.

To me the broader issue is what I mentioned earlier; Disney makes a cold calculation about what they think they can get away with, and that's how they make decisions. It would be far better for their business and reputation if they went above and beyond, and made a practice of amazing us and exceeding our expectations. Maybe the competition from Universal and others will force them to become more proactive.

 

[Planogirl]

The ticket to MK costs $99. You are suggesting I spend $33/ride?

No, thanks. I'll spend my vacation money elsewhere... like at the places I visit "off site".

This change makes me so very glad I did not buy DVC when I was seriously considering it. At the time, I finally ended up telling the sales person I was not comfortable locking my vacations into the decisions of one corporation. He told me, "Don't worry. Disney will always take care of its guests." Not seeing that right now.

It works well when you stay for several days. Those additional days really add little to the price of a pass. We like to spend some days partially at a Disney park and some elsewhere. I've already been mulling over the thought of visiting some other attraction in the daytime and then spending the evening at a Disney park. I wouldn't do this every day but for just a few days it might make sense.

 

[Planogirl]

Why don't those of you who hate FP+ just look at the surveys to see where it is heading?

This is actually very interesting except for the term "based on attraction availability". If there is actually decent availability (and they fix the app) then I might like this.

 

[Planogirl]

Did people really rush to dumbo at rope drop?

We did back in the day. It was very popular and a super slow loader. That was our first stop when DS was little.

 

[JimmyV]

Just posted it to point out the fact that FP+ isn't what it is going to be. It was never going to be 3 and out.

I categorically disagree with the bolded. I think it was always intended to be three and out, but the public relations backlash has forced a re-thinking. They may be very good at taking down the negative posts on FB, but behind closed doors, they cannot igore them. FP+ has been in testing in one form or another for, what?, about nine months? And in not one of those months or weeks or days did they bother to "test" A, B, or C. But just one month after the 1/15 sunsetting of FP-, Disney decides to poll its guests to see what changes they would like to see? Sorry, but if additional FPs had been on the drawing board all along, that paradigm would have been tested organically without the need to poll the audience or phone a friend. That poll tells me that they are scrambling to figure this thing out and that they did not have optons A, B or C waiting in the wings from the outset.

 

[DougEMG]

Why don't those of you who hate FP+ just look at the surveys to see where it is heading?

These options are something I could live with.

 

[WillAustin]

I categorically disagree with the bolded. I think it was always intended to be three and out, but the public relations backlash has forced a re-thinking. They may be very good at taking down the negative posts on FB, but behind closed doors, they cannot igore them. FP+ has been in testing in one form or another for, what?, about nine months? And in not one of those months or weeks or days did they bother to "test" A, B, or C. But just one month after the 1/15 sunsetting of FP-, Disney decides to poll its guests to see what changes they would like to see? Sorry, but if additional FPs had been on the drawing board all along, that paradigm would have been tested organically without the need to poll the audience or phone a friend. That poll tells me that they are scrambling to figure this thing out and that they did not have optons A, B or C waiting in the wings from the outset.

Yes.

 

[mom2rtk]

I categorically disagree with the bolded. I think it was always intended to be three and out, but the public relations backlash has forced a re-thinking. They may be very good at taking down the negative posts on FB, but behind closed doors, they cannot igore them. FP+ has been in testing in one form or another for, what?, about nine months? And in not one of those months or weeks or days did they bother to "test" A, B, or C. But just one month after the 1/15 sunsetting of FP-, Disney decides to poll its guests to see what changes they would like to see? Sorry, but if additional FPs had been on the drawing board all along, that paradigm would have been tested organically without the need to poll the audience or phone a friend. That poll tells me that they are scrambling to figure this thing out and that they did not have optons A, B or C waiting in the wings from the outset.

I totally agree. They wanted this thing fully live months ago. Now they are polling pretty substantial changes. That says "midstream adjustment" to me. But it also makes me wonder whether they really have the FP capacity to support this.

 

[jimmysmom74]

The real problem with the current system is the fact of this endless test. If they would just produce an end product, it might not be so bad.

I was a believer in the fact that WDW would use the new system similar to the old legacy system except with a technical spin, that would make it superior. No more running for Fps-doesn't sound to bad. Picking up my phone and making a reservation is an advancement.

The three and done with no park hopping was understandable for a duration of time, but they have exceed what is reasonable and many people who spent a large amount of money are disappointed with their investment. I know people always say it's us Disers that are mad and the "average" person is enjoying the new system, but I have several friends that have taken trips lately(the usual 1x every couple year goers), and they really hated it. Waiting in lines for HM and Small world that were long for slow seasons in Jan/Feb. Honestly, normal people don't want to plan that much of their vacations.

I'm hoping this ridiculous test will end soon and we can see what we have. I love Disney too much to give up on it completely. While saying that, I am planning to visit universal in the summer for the majority of our trip.

 

[FlipHipster]

I totally agree. They wanted this thing fully live months ago. Now they are polling pretty substantial changes. That says "midstream adjustment" to me. But it also makes me wonder whether they really have the FP capacity to support this.

Our stop gap analysis indicates midstream adjustments are needed to maximize return
*cough*
customers
*cough*

 

[Laketravis]

FP+ has been in "Testing" for much longer than a few months. Several years now, in fact, and certainly there have been hundreds of millions of data points collected and thousands of surveys compiled yet as cited above the basic fundamentals have not changed. Rather, one more restrictive element was added (tiering) well into the testing interval.

And then there is this:

Slight mention of coming improvements

 

[mom2rtk]

The real problem with the current system is the fact of this endless test. If they would just produce an end product, it might not be so bad.

I was a believer in the fact that WDW would use the new system similar to the old legacy system except with a technical spin, that would make it superior. No more running for Fps-doesn't sound to bad. Picking up my phone and making a reservation is an advancement.

The three and done with no park hopping was understandable for a duration of time, but they have exceed what is reasonable and many people who spent a large amount of money are disappointed with their investment. I know people always say it's us Disers that are mad and the "average" person is enjoying the new system, but I have several friends that have taken trips lately(the usual 1x every couple year goers), and they really hated it. Waiting in lines for HM and Small world that were long for slow seasons in Jan/Feb. Honestly, normal people don't want to plan that much of their vacations.

I'm hoping this ridiculous test will end soon and we can see what we have. I love Disney too much to give up on it completely. While saying that, I am planning to visit universal in the summer for the majority of our trip.

But part of the reason the problems even exist (limit of 3, tiering, no hopping, no ride repeats, long lines at secondary attractions) is BECAUSE of the introduction of tech into the equation.

The fact that you had to be IN the park AT the attraction, and could only get one at a time (sort of) was a natural barrier that kept FP slots from disappearing so quickly. It's what made their limited capacity of FP last longer each day. Once you remove those barriers, you get more demand on the system and you need more to support it. They didn't add all those secondary attractions because the rides needed FP. They added them just to bump up the numbers.

That said, they could still stuff the genie back in a bit by merging the 2 approaches. Maybe let you preschedule one slot, but then only replace via app once you have used it or some such thing.

But they won't do that. Because they want as much prescheduled as possible to lock you into your day at Disney. So I think they are headed in the opposite direction and will allow even more spots. But I fear that won't help anyone who travels in a moderately busy time since capacity is what it is. But hey, at least you'd have the illusion of getting more.

 

[Robo]

Did people really rush to dumbo at rope drop?

Did they?

"After the rope drops, head straight to Dumbo and ride before the lines back up..." was the number one MK tip on this board.
That and, "Send a runner to get FP for Peter Pan."

Dumbo and Pan were consistently (all through the day and evening) the longest lines in MK.

 

[mom2rtk]

Did they?

"After the rope drops, head straight to Dumbo and ride before the lines back up..." was the number one MK tip on this board.
That and, "Send a runner to get FP for Peter Pan."

Dumbo and Pan were consistently (all through the day and evening) the longest lines in MK.

Didn't Tour Guide Mike or someone call that touring plan "Dumbo or Die" or some such thing?

Before Dumbo moved (and doubled in capacity and added FP) it was the number one rope drop destination for families with small children. And I hear there are a few of those at Disney.

FWIW, I thought the increased capacity and addition of FP was a huge win for the park. Now that I would have to use one of only 3 of my FP slots on that ride? I'll have to luck into it to ever do it again.

 

[JimmyV]

There was a time when Rope Drop was known as "Dumbo Drop". Back when the queue area was uncovered and had no interactive elements, 45-60 minutes in that line was cruel and unusual punishment to be avoided at all costs.

 

[morethananyonex]

Honestly, as a parent to a young child one of the best parts of NFL is the double Dumbos and the addition of the playground. My son loved it so much we played in there a few times without even riding Dumbo.