first EMH night without wristbands - live report

[disneyholic family]

Given the discussions a few weeks ago, i thought you might be interested in this.

DD called yesterday - she said that she was at the Magic Kingdom on Sunday evening for the first EMH without wristbands.

She said it was a pain.
Not only do you have to show your resort ID at each ride, the cast members at the ride have to read each key card to look at the validity dates.

DD said it seriously slowed down the lines.
And this is at a time when, according to DD, there haven't been any lines in the parks during the day.

She said that she doesn't think she'll go to any other of the EMH evenings during her visit because the new system was so annoying.

Other than wristbandless EMH evenings, DD is having a spectacular time.

And by the way, she's been able to make some last minute ADRs, despite free dining.

 

[robind]

Thanks for the update.

 

[DoBug]

alright, the new emh without wristbands seems like a pain. I can understand not wanting all the wristbands in landfills plus the energy involved in making them but having to check tix at every ride seems ridiculous!

is there any reason the CM just can't stamp hands at the first ride the tix is checked? surely disney could come up with 14 or so different stamps to rotate thru? Am I being naive because there are ways around this? I don't particularly like having marker stamp all over my hands either but I could deal.

any other ideas?

 

[JCandKT]

alright, the new emh without wristbands seems like a pain. I can understand not wanting all the wristbands in landfills plus the energy involved in making them but having to check tix at every ride seems ridiculous!

is there any reason the CM just can't stamp hands at the first ride the tix is checked? surely disney could come up with 14 or so different stamps to rotate thru? Am I being naive because there are ways around this? I don't particularly like having marker stamp all over my hands either but I could deal.

any other ideas?

I agree. JC and I were talking about this the other night. Why can't they just hand-stamp? That'll save the environment, won't it? They could even do one of those glow in the dark stamps that can only be seen with one of those wand-thingys. The fact that you have to whip out the KTTW cards every time you get on a ride? Ridiculous!

 

[~Fisharefriends~]

thanks for the update, i does sound like they need to find a better way of doing things as this is just going to end up with queues, people losing cards etc etc.

 

[beachwarmer]

When we were visiting last December they did a test run of this. After spending all night pulling the cards out of my bag I figured this was Disney's way of selling lanyards. The people who had them around their necks went way faster.

Let's put those DIS Unplugged Lanyards to good use.......

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I also wondered why they didn't use a handstamp.

 

[Twilightlover]

They should give out a lanyard to those who are on site to make it easier. Though I 'm sure they are going to go back once they have enough complaints.

 

[DVCsince02]

They should give out a lanyard to those who are on site to make it easier. Though I 'm sure they are going to go back once they have enough complaints.

Well then that defeats the purpose of not using wristbands. Still people will throw them away, and the cost/energy it takes to produce them goes against the reason for not using wrist bands in the first place.

I agree a glow stamp is a good idea, but people can get around this too. At least when you show your resort ID the there is no additional waste, only additional wait. Disney should re-design the way the resort ID reads so it is easier for the CM to read, or some sort of magnetic strip or UPC code that can be scanned.

 

[disneyjunkie99]

I had read that another one of the reasons that they were doing away with the bracelets (other than the waste) was because people were sharing their KTTW cards with others that were not staying on property so that they could obtain a bracelet as well. This is why I do not think they are using the hand stamp method. It would have the same outcome. Until they have a way to swipe the card showing that it has already been redeemed for EMH admittance, there will be no accurate way of tracking it without checking individual KTTW cards.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

In reality the easiest thing to do would be to have a 1/2-1 hr lag time in which the park would close and everyone would need to exit...then resort guests could just re-enter the park and scan their room key one time as they go thru the turnstile. It would probably be a pain in the rear -- but easier in the long run and less time consuming than pulling your card out at every ride.

 

[disneyholic family]

alright, the new emh without wristbands seems like a pain. I can understand not wanting all the wristbands in landfills plus the energy involved in making them but having to check tix at every ride seems ridiculous!

is there any reason the CM just can't stamp hands at the first ride the tix is checked? surely disney could come up with 14 or so different stamps to rotate thru? Am I being naive because there are ways around this? I don't particularly like having marker stamp all over my hands either but I could deal.

any other ideas?

a hand stamp's a great idea...

I had read that another one of the reasons that they were doing away with the bracelets (other than the waste) was because people were sharing their KTTW cards with others that were not staying on property so that they could obtain a bracelet as well. This is why I do not think they are using the hand stamp method. It would have the same outcome. Until they have a way to swipe the card showing that it has already been redeemed for EMH admittance, there will be no accurate way of tracking it without checking individual KTTW cards.

i don't see why it would be difficult to get a card swipe machine that would indicate if the KTTW card had already been used to get a hand stamp....the fastpass machines are able to indicate when a ticket can't be used yet to obtain a fastpass....it seems like technology that already exists..
so one time per evening, you would get your card swiped and hand stamped...

In reality the easiest thing to do would be to have a 1/2-1 hr lag time in which the park would close and everyone would need to exit...then resort guests could just re-enter the park and scan their room key one time as they go thru the turnstile. It would probably be a pain in the rear -- but easier in the long run and less time consuming than pulling your card out at every ride.

i like this idea too - although probably kids would be challenged to find hiding places in the parks so they could stay inside...

 

[WaltD4Me]

I had read that another one of the reasons that they were doing away with the bracelets (other than the waste) was because people were sharing their KTTW cards with others that were not staying on property so that they could obtain a bracelet as well. This is why I do not think they are using the hand stamp method. It would have the same outcome. Until they have a way to swipe the card showing that it has already been redeemed for EMH admittance, there will be no accurate way of tracking it without checking individual KTTW cards.

I have to wonder how often this actually happens. I can't believe it happens enough to change the whole way they do the PM EMH system. I mean who do you share your KTTW card with? Are the off property people going up to folks whispering "Pssssssssssst, let me borrow your KTTW card so I can get a wristband." And how many people travel with others where some stay on property and some don't. I'm sure it happens, but I would think it is a very small number.

 

[disprincessatheart]

I have to wonder how often this actually happens. I can't believe it happens enough to change the whole way they do the PM EMH system. I mean who do you share your KTTW card with? Are the off property people going up to folks whispering "Pssssssssssst, let me borrow your KTTW card so I can get a wristband." And how many people travel with others where some stay on property and some don't. I'm sure it happens, but I would think it is a very small number.

I've personally seen it happen more than once. One person walks up with 4 keys and walks away with 4 writsbands, walks away, hands their cards to someone else who walks up and gets 4 more. If I've seen it, Disney has too. The other threads I've seen on this say Disney's added a barcode to the front of your card, so sounds like they're going to start scanning the cards as you get in line for a ride maybe? At least it sounds like they're working on a plan.

 

[lugnut33]

They could just charge an extra admission for EMH?

Would it really be a big deal if they did away with EMH?

 

[disneyholic family]

They could just charge an extra admission for EMH?

Would it really be a big deal if they did away with EMH?

i wouldn't mind if they went back to the e-ticket nights...when they charged for admission to EMH evenings...

in the summer, we never bother with EMH anymore...too many people..
but we did go in sept/oct/nov....but as DD describes it, i think i won't bother with it even then...

 

[lttlmc3]

I liked the EMH when I went. But I really do have to wonder what must have happened to make them switch to this system. Seems to me "to go green" sounds like an excuse for something else. But you never know. I don't want an extra charge for EMH when they are already charging extra for everything else.

 

[gbrchill]

They will probably update the key to the world and roll our hardware to make the reading and validating quicker (bar code, swipe or RFID)

What they could do in the short term is harness the fast pass machines to produce EMH passes (which are easily visible as different each day - think a character picture and big number, both changing each day). Once the park closes to regular guests and EMH begins people could use their key to the world to get an EMH pass from any fast pass machine. The fast pass system would know to issue only a single pass per key to the world. Anyone losing their pass could go to guest services and jump through some hoops to get another.

Chris

 

[tinkbutt]

well that stinks thanks for the update!

 

[anonymousegirl]

Another reason they might be changing over is to reduce labor costs.

Handing out wristbands throughout the park involved at least 3 CMs at each site, sometimes I counted 5. At MK, that could mean 20 extras CMs. This new way means the CMs already working the attraction do the checking.

Diseny may cite "Going Green" as the reason, but I think that means "Green Going in our Coffers".