Extra Magic Hours... scam ? fair ?

[peacefulgirl]

I wasn't sure if I should post this, but I am sure I am not giving any ideas out that haven't already been done. How can Disney prevent this scam?

I was at WDW for the 1st week of EMH's. It worked like this, once it was like 2 hours before EMH time, when entering the park,they checked for your resort key card to be able to give you your wristband, ok, makes sense. Each person has to show a resort key to get a wristband. If you were already in the park, you got them from the CM's at certain spots.

But for people who want to "scam", meaning get a wristband but not staying at a resort. Using this as an example, family of four from a resort with 2 friends off site, all they have to do, once in the park, 4 people go get their wrist band, then hand their key to the other two, then, they using two of the SAME KEYS go get their wristband. Right ?

I ask this because it was REALLY crowded a couple of times, and I wonder if they are really all from resorts. It seems way too easy to scam this system, don't ya think?

 

[G00fyDad]

absolutely. Disney needs to set it up electronically so when you give your key card, they scan it, it tells them if you have recieved one yet.

 

[bytheblood]

absolutely. Disney needs to set it up electronically so when you give your key card, they scan it, it tells them if you have recieved one yet.

I agree. Don't offer a "perk" to people staying if you have no way to manage or control it. I am sure it is coming to that with the biometrics and all. Who knows, maybe at some point they will be passed out with dates on them directly from the resorts.

 

[georgina]

I wondered about that too, but then I thought there couldn't be that many people who were staying onsite and had friends staying offsite to give their cards to. Unless they were locals, but still it seems like a lot to go through just for a few extra hours in the park.

 

[safetymom]

The more of this you see you should mention it to CM's, here on the DIS, etc. Disney does read message boards. I am sure they would do something to fix the problem of people getting wristbands that don't deserve one.

 

[crazywig]

I wondered about that too, but then I thought there couldn't be that many people who were staying onsite and had friends staying offsite to give their cards to. Unless they were locals, but still it seems like a lot to go through just for a few extra hours in the park.

actually we are in this situation where our friends will be offsite but i would never do that! in fact i hadn't even thought of it!

 

[mamatojon]

I've wondered why they don't just give out the wristbands at the resorts themselves, seems like that would solve the problem and make it easier for everyone. You could just get them when you check in, one per day for however many days you are there. Kind of like the breakfast cards other hotels give you for the comp breakfasts, I know I've checked into places and recieved 12 meal cards for 4 days X 3 people per day. I guess people could still cheat it, but it seems less likely because you'd have to go back to the front desk and lie that you lost it rather than just do what people are doing now.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I like the idea of somehow scanning the room cards. Kind of like they do at Universal for front-of-the line for the resort guests. That way WDW would know if a wristband has been given for that key. If they didn't want to do that for the under 10yo children (like with the finger scans) they could give the wristbands to them without scanning, but since all children over 3yo are supposed to have a room key I think they should require a key for everyone over 3yo.

T&B

 

[lclark0621]

I think scanning the room keys is a good idea. But I also think that all members of your party should be on each key. You should not have to carry 4 keys (1 for Mom, 1 for Dad, and 2 for kids as young as 3), if you are all in the park together.

Giving them at the resort can be a big deal. I mean that would probably cause a major line at the front desk every day. Giving enough for your entire stay is an idea, but that means people can easily lose them or pass them out if they dont want to use them.

 

[peacefulgirl]

I think scanning the room keys is a good idea. But I also think that all members of your party should be on each key. You should not have to carry 4 keys (1 for Mom, 1 for Dad, and 2 for kids as young as 3), if you are all in the park together.

Giving them at the resort can be a big deal. I mean that would probably cause a major line at the front desk every day. Giving enough for your entire stay is an idea, but that means people can easily lose them or pass them out if they dont want to use them.

right, the card could have a # of available persons on it, and when they are scanned, it could track it... sound good.

georgina I wondered about that too, but then I thought there couldn't be that many people who were staying onsite and had friends staying offsite to give their cards to. Unless they were locals, but still it seems like a lot to go through just for a few extra hours in the park.

Think about it though, if even 1/4 of the people in a park do it for just one person, thats a whole lot of people. When I was at MGM for EMH, it started at 7pm, by 740pm ALL the fast passes for TOT and RRR where GONE for the night! They opened the FP booth at 7pm, CM made sure you had a wristband before you could get a FP and they were gone that fast for both rides. Remember, you can only get one FP at a time, which meant, because you got one for say 930 (10pm closing), by the time you can get another, they were all gone for the night. So EMH (3 hours) =1 FP ride and 1=wait ride. Doesn't make sense to me... but it was busy and that is what happened. Thats why I say, they gotta make sure they fix this if its gonna work.

I cant speak for early am hours, I am a late sleeper!

 

[Schmeck]

I don't see the big deal about carrying around four plastic cards compared to just one - but then, I have about fifteen plastic cards (not all credit cards ) that I carry in my wallet anyways.

I think if they handed out a pile of bracelets at check-in, you'd see people trying to sell them on ebay...

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I always carry around all the room keys, which take up very little room either in the front pocket of my fanny pack or a little credit card holder. The CC holder is nice because there is one area with a clear window, which is where I put my fastpasses and I can see the return time easily.

Like I'd mentioned before, at Universal a person has to carry around the room keys to get the FOTL at each ride, and it really isn't a big deal. Yes, one more thing to keep track of, but a person is supposed to have them for extra magic hours, anyway. Otherwise, what's to stop a person from cramming a couple extra people into their hotel room.

T&B

 

[ms.ojo]

I've been wondering about EMH. Historically when it was 1hr in the morning our family always avoided the EE park. Now that evenings were offered I was thinking hey, this might be a good idea. We could do another park during the day and hop over to the evening one after a rest in the late afternoon.

I was especially considering MGM. My thought being we could see Fantasmic and then get to ride a couple of rides instead of standing w/ the mobs at the buses. But now it wounds like these evenings are just PACKED w/ people. Is there anyone out there (Especially those w/ younger children...ours are 6 & 3) who felt Evening hrs were worth it for your family???? As I say, we're considering 1 evening at MGM (not too late) and possibly one at MK.

How do these EMH compare to special ticket events like the MNSSHP or Christmas party?

Thanks!

 

[DMRick]

I thought MK was pretty dead the other night. We did everythign we wanted to see and was out by 8. We did see someone passing off their room keys to others for the bracelets though. I suppose next they'll be asking for ID's to get them. They really need a way to swipe them. Giving them out at check in would be a bomb...you would see them up on ebay in a flash.

 

[mamatojon]

Giving them out at check in would be a bomb...you would see them up on ebay in a flash.

I never even thought of that. Goes to show how much of a criminal mind I have huh? LOL. We never did the early hours and most likely won't do the evening hours so I guess it never occured to me that people would go to such lengths. I just thought giving them out at check in would be easier for the guest since you wouldn't have to find someone during the day wherever you were at.

The things people will do for three more hours in the park.

 

[G00fyDad]

I still think they should set it up at the area you have to go get the wristband at anyway. Just computerize it. One armband per room card. If you lose it, sorry bout it. They dont just fall off anyway.

 

[justhat]

Another idea (cause clearly Disney needs my ideas) would be to give each registered guest one wristband when they check in. Like your room key, it could be printed with the dates you're staying on it. You wear it the whole trip and it's good for every park. When you get it, they tell you "If you take it off and lose it you can't get a new one," just like they did in the hospital when my daughter was born. They have signs up and they tell you as they band the baby, mom, and dad, that if you take off the band, you cannot get a new one and therefore can't get your baby. It might be annoying for some people to wear it for all of their stay, but then they simply don't participate.

 

[G00fyDad]

I like the printing on the band idea but I wouldnt want to wear it all day. Printing on the band would prevent the ebay idea.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I thought of that too. I happened to have a room key with DS's name on it. Of course, he was elsewhere. I was pretty nervous since he's male (obvious from his name) and I'm female-figured they'd at least look at names. Nope! Here's another thing-on the date of one EMH, we changed resorts, so I had 2 valid room keys: SSR-1/1-1/2, BWV 1/2-1/6. I could have given one card out at the park on 1/2 so that person could attend EMH [or even worse, I could sell undercover]. So whichever resort you got your wristband at, there should be a central computer system preventing you from getting another wristband (something that says that that person already got his)

 

[G00fyDad]

But that seems like alot of effort to go to fo rsuch small return.