Guest Test of Magic Bands (Official Notice)

[Robo]

I would be content, even tickled if I could wake up early on a morning I wanted DHS, whip out my phone and grab some TSM passes in my Darth Vader pajamas, and then get ready for my day, knowing that I don't have to bumrush the park to ride it. THAT would be a significant improvement.

But, I don't see that as being workable. At. All.

You are imagining one thing in your mind.
In actual practice, it would be an online train wreck.

 

[superdisneydork]

But, I don't see that as being workable. At. All.

If they have an allotment of day-of FPs available that are released that morning at 6am or whatever then it's completely workable I think, why do you feel it is unworkable?

Matt

 

[mom2rtk]

If they have an allotment of day-of FPs available that are released that morning at 6am or whatever then it's completely workable I think, why do you feel it is unworkable?

Matt

So you don't want to get to the park at rope drop. But you're willing to get up at 6 AM just to see if maybe possibly there might be a same-day fastpass released?

 

[DisneyFanSince71]

I love the idea. But what happens if you ordered your FP, but didn't show up at DS? Could Disney still charge you for the day?

 

[superdisneydork]

So you don't want to get to the park at rope drop. But you're willing to get up at 6 AM just to see if maybe possibly there might be a same-day fastpass released?

I don't mind getting to the park at rope drop, I'm totally ok with that. I like the current system, but if they really wanted to make it better, that's one way they could. And waking up enough to work a cell phone is a far cry from actually making it to rope drop effort wise. Also, I was thinking more along the lines of day of fastpasses being guaranteed, not happenstance, as in a controlled specific effort on Disney's part to hold some FP spots for the day of. I wouldn't want to gamble, that would frustrate me too.

Matt

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't mind getting to the park at rope drop, I'm totally ok with that. I like the current system, but if they really wanted to make it better, that's one way they could. And waking up enough to work a cell phone is a far cry from actually making it to rope drop effort wise. Also, I was thinking more along the lines of day of fastpasses being guaranteed, not happenstance, as in a controlled specific effort on Disney's part to hold some FP spots for the day of. I wouldn't want to gamble, that would frustrate me too.

Matt

Setting the alarm for 5:45 every morning sounds like torture to me. But that's because once that alarm sounds, I can't get back to sleep, no matter how hard I try. Maybe I'm just freaky that way.

And I'm afraid I just don't get the "guaranteed" thing. If they were going to guarantee it, then why not just everybody one? I must be misunderstanding. Because there's no way I see that happening.

The easier they make the acquisition of a fastpass, the more people will pursue one. Yet the ride capacity remains constant.

 

[Shaden]

See, my experience with the Current FP system isn't like other peoples, our trips have been in February and the first couple weeks of May, and I know crowds were not at their peak.

For us, FPs, were always available for the headliners. There might be an hour or even 2 before FP return, but they were there. Except for toy story at HS

So when people talk about doing "rope drop dash" for FPs, that has not been our experience. We don't show up for rope drop, we aren't morning people while on vacation, we like to sleep, show up at 9 or 10 and go from there.

That's why FP+ excited me at first, "sweet, sleep til NOON" go in for the FPs.

BUT, now I am thinking we have never stuck to our schedule of parks for the trip, something has always come up. This will be the most restrictive aspect you could add to a WDW trip. I literally worry that this will so dramatically change the "feel" of the trip, from a vacation to a scheduling session, that we will no longer enjoy WDW. ADRs don't do this, we are never concerned with what park we are "doing that day" we book where we would like to eat 180 days out, and we get park hoppers so we can always bounce between parks.

Another thing that has come to my mind that could be problematic. Rides like the Mine Train are obviously going to book up insanely fast. I wonder then what you do if you book your FPs for the other rides, get 9am, 10 am, and then your mine train comes back at 5pm.

Now I get that this can happen at the parks, BUT, I think its much less likely to happen at the parks (although as I pointed out, by 2 or 3 pm Toy story FPs were gone on our last trip). However, those people at least had to be at the park, you had until 2 or 3 that day to get a FP (we in fact got out FPs at 10ish and rode TS at noon). With FP+ people wont have to be at the park, they will book these things up completely LONG in advance.

How many FPs will be wasted ? People booking FPs and then not showing up to the park, or deciding their FPs are too inconvenient ie: 9 am 10am and 5pm ?

There will no longer be that pixie dust of some random person walking up to you and saying "Hey, we didn't use these FPs" or "they didn't take our FPs slips" YOU go ahead and enjoy them.

I just don't see how this system adds anything good, at best it will work as well as the current system, but I see many potential downsides.

 

[superdisneydork]

Setting the alarm for 5:45 every morning sounds like torture to me. But that's because once that alarm sounds, I can't get back to sleep, no matter how hard I try. Maybe I'm just freaky that way.

To each their own I suppose, but if the choice was between getting up early and doing your FP on the phone and being able to relax and take your time to the park vs getting up early, getting ready and actually getting to rope drop for the same FP, which would you prefer?

And I'm afraid I just don't get the "guaranteed" thing. If they were going to guarantee it, then why not just everybody one? I must be misunderstanding. Because there's no way I see that happening.

The easier they make the acquisition of a fastpass, the more people will pursue one. Yet the ride capacity remains constant.

Right now, they have a fixed number of FPs for every ride, that are released every day, FP+ means releasing them 60 days out instead, all I'm suggesting is that they don't release all of them, but keep some of them for the day-of reservations, though I agree with your last point, more potential users, same capacity, it's going to be a problem no matter how you come at it.

Matt

 

[chasgoose]

Four reasons jump to mind.....

1. It will save them in costs.....but I can't figure out how?

2. It will allow them to handle premium customers...... but they could do the same thing with handing out 100 fast passes to a family if they are willing to fork over $1,000 per person per day.

3. Provide incentives for people to stay at Disney hotels, so they can preorder fast passes

4. A more equitable way of handling ride allocation then the "Wild, wild west" that they are doing it now. Patrons pay the same price shouldn't they be entitled to getting a few tickets for premium rides without putting up with RD?

Answers would be appreciated....

The main reason they are doing this is data collection. FP+ and the Magic Bands will allow Disney to keep tabs on practically everything people who enter its parks are doing. Disney can then use that data to make sure its resources are being used in the most efficient way possible. Every little boost to efficiency means lots of dollars.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Four reasons jump to mind.....

1. It will save them in costs.....but I can't figure out how?

2. It will allow them to handle premium customers...... but they could do the same thing with handing out 100 fast passes to a family if they are willing to fork over $1,000 per person per day.

3. Provide incentives for people to stay at Disney hotels, so they can preorder fast passes

4. A more equitable way of handling ride allocation then the "Wild, wild west" that they are doing it now. Patrons pay the same price shouldn't they be entitled to getting a few tickets for premium rides without putting up with RD?

Answers would be appreciated....

I think that the titles of the patents related to the system tell all: it's a Guest Management Process. If you think about it, what is the #1 complaint you hear from the average person who visits Diseny (besides weather?)? It's that the lines are too long. FP+/My Magic + is being designed to eliminate waits in lines, to increase guest satisfaction and hopefully increase the amount of money each guest spends in the park. This has nothing to do with premium customers, who already willingly pay $2000/day for a VIP guide. It has nothing to do with luring guests to stay onsite, since FP+ will be available to all guests. And it certainly has nothing to do with cutting costs, considering that the cost of the system has been pegged at $1 billion. It's all about trying to keep more people happy, which is going to come at the expense at the rest of us who are willing to do a little research to minimize our waits in line.

Personally, the more we see My Magic + rolled out, the more I think this is going to be a collosal failure because it's too dependent on IT infrastructure that they can't seem to get operational. The My Disney Experience website is awful. It's slow, it's always losing ADRs, etc. People have booking ADRs when their windows open. These small tests may seem to be successful, but the fact is, the test participants are also being allowed to pull regular FPs. Who wouldn't like a system that is limited to a small percentage of participants and also allows you the best of both worlds? To see how successful this program is or isn't, they really need to run a real world simulation where people are competing to book rides 60 days in advance and then have little opportunity to switch change plans on the fly due to lack of availability, and THEN ask people how they like FP+. I really think the 60 day booking window is going to be wildly unpopular, because the fact is most people don't choose their parks 60 days in advance, much less know where they're going to be at any given hour during a vacation that isn't happening for 60 more days.

 

[doconeill]

I love the idea. But what happens if you ordered your FP, but didn't show up at DS? Could Disney still charge you for the day?

They aren't going to charge you. You simply lose the FP+ (unless you change it to another park before it expires).

What you might lose is the ability to book FP+ on another day if you decided not to go to any part that particular day, and go a different day.

 

[mom2rtk]

To each their own I suppose, but if the choice was between getting up early and doing your FP on the phone and being able to relax and take your time to the park vs getting up early, getting ready and actually getting to rope drop for the same FP, which would you prefer?



Right now, they have a fixed number of FPs for every ride, that are released every day, FP+ means releasing them 60 days out instead, all I'm suggesting is that they don't release all of them, but keep some of them for the day-of reservations, though I agree with your last point, more potential users, same capacity, it's going to be a problem no matter how you come at it.

Matt

If I'm getting up at 6 AM under your suggested plan, it would be to MAYBE get a fastpass. If I'm there at rope drop (under the current system), I will definitely get a fastpass. That is a huge difference.

Maybe it's just me, but if I wake up at 6 AM on a vacation day to try and get a FP, only to get shut out, that's a far less magical way to start the day than getting to rope drop knowing I'll get a fp (under the current system).

People keep saying they wish they'd do that with ADRs. Like in the "good old days". But who wants to start every day with potential disappointment like that? If you don't get what you want, then what? Wake everyone else up and argue about whether to change parks for the day?

 

[WillAustin]

And I'm afraid I just don't get the "guaranteed" thing. If they were going to guarantee it, then why not just everybody one? I must be misunderstanding. Because there's no way I see that happening.

The only thing guaranteed is that if they make TSMM FP+s available at 6am day of, you'll have thousands more people online trying to get them all at once than FP+ slots that will be available.

I've personally had a lot of experience with online limited supply sales/registration. It's always a train wreck when thousands of users are involved.

To each their own I suppose, but if the choice was between getting up early and doing your FP on the phone and being able to relax and take your time to the park vs getting up early, getting ready and actually getting to rope drop for the same FP, which would you prefer?

Rope drop isn't just for getting a FP, it's for hitting many attractions with extremely short lines compared to the rest of the day.

 

[mom2rtk]

The only thing guaranteed is that if they make TSMM FP+s available at 6am day of, you'll have thousands more people online trying to get them all at once than FP+ slots that will be available.

I've personally had a lot of experience with online limited supply sales/registration. It's always a train wreck when thousands of users are involved.

I keep envisioning that day last August when they opened BOG ADRs for the first time. Now THAT was a train wreck. And from what I've read about other similar situations at Disney (limited edition dolls, F/W events, CP ADRs) that's exactly what I would expect with TSMM at 6 AM every day.

 

[fflmaster]

Has anyone or any thread talked about how the test is ACTUALLY going?

I was hoping to hear how the program (although in testing) is working currently for those in the test.

 

[whatsarahsaid]

Has anyone or any thread talked about how the test is ACTUALLY going?

I was hoping to hear how the program (although in testing) is working currently for those in the test.

We check in tonight and hit Animal Kingdom and DHS tomorrow. I'll be sure to check in at some point. We have all our FP+ scheduled for DHS later in the evening so I will let you know how those go. SO EXCITED! Less than 6 hours until our plan takes off!

 

[snykymom]

I'm another one who has never, ever made it to rope drop. I have to get up at 5:30 to get to work - I don't do that on vacation! And yet, I've been able to get FPs to EVERY attraction I've wanted (including TSM). (Yes, I go in the off-seasons.)

My concern, though, is with the way Disney has seemed to change the stand-by line. Two years ago, when I went, the CMs would let, say, 25 FP holders into the merged queue, and then 15-20 standby patrons in, and so on. Last time I went, it was more like 40 to 5. I asked the CM if this was the new policy, and he said, yes, that's what they were told. Only 5-7 or so standby patrons at a time.

If there are more people in the standby lines because there are no same-day FPs, and they continue this 40 to 5 ratio, the wait times will be astronomical. That doesn't allow for more shopping, eating, etc. That just allows for more angry people.

Unless the 40 to 5 ratio is an attempt to get people to use more FPs, or to refuse to wait in standby lines. (To paraphrase Yogi Berra, "Standby lines are so long, no one waits in them anymore.")

The one thing I know is that it won't make me spend more money. I don't need any more souvenirs, and I don't eat if I'm not hungry.

It may, however, make me rethink Disney as a destination.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm another one who has never, ever made it to rope drop. I have to get up at 5:30 to get to work - I don't do that on vacation! And yet, I've been able to get FPs to EVERY attraction I've wanted (including TSM). (Yes, I go in the off-seasons.)

My concern, though, is with the way Disney has seemed to change the stand-by line. Two years ago, when I went, the CMs would let, say, 25 FP holders into the merged queue, and then 15-20 standby patrons in, and so on. Last time I went, it was more like 40 to 5. I asked the CM if this was the new policy, and he said, yes, that's what they were told. Only 5-7 or so standby patrons at a time.

If there are more people in the standby lines because there are no same-day FPs, and they continue this 40 to 5 ratio, the wait times will be astronomical. That doesn't allow for more shopping, eating, etc. That just allows for more angry people.

Unless the 40 to 5 ratio is an attempt to get people to use more FPs, or to refuse to wait in standby lines. (To paraphrase Yogi Berra, "Standby lines are so long, no one waits in them anymore.")

The one thing I know is that it won't make me spend more money. I don't need any more souvenirs, and I don't eat if I'm not hungry.

It may, however, make me rethink Disney as a destination.

I don't think it's an attempt to make more people use FP. It's just an unfortunate by-product of Disney trying to milk every ounce of capacity out of the fastpass system.

Those fastpasses are the currency Disney intends to use to nudge people to do what they want. "Surprise and delight", anyone?

If I get up at 6 AM 60 days out and get shut out, then get to the park and find all the TSMM fastpasses gone, I'm not really going to be surprised OR delighted to have one show up in my text messages for a time during the Fantasmic performance I have long planned to watch that evening.

 

[Robo]

The only thing guaranteed is that if they make TSMM FP+s available at 6am day of, you'll have thousands more people online trying to get them all at once than FP+ slots that will be available.

I've personally had a lot of experience with online limited supply sales/registration. It's always a train wreck when thousands of users are involved.

That was my point, earlier.

The inevitable feeding frenzy/server-crasher that is focused on 5:58-6:05AM.

OK, maybe it won't be at 6AM.
Maybe it will be at 7AM. 8AM.

(And, don't forget that we're talking about guests attempting to access the must-do's at all 4 theme parks, at the same time.)

Server meltdown, set by a clock-time.


Every.

Day.

 

[superdisneydork]

If I'm getting up at 6 AM under your suggested plan, it would be to MAYBE get a fastpass. If I'm there at rope drop (under the current system), I will definitely get a fastpass. That is a huge difference.

As I said, this would only be an improvement in my eyes if you knew they were making the FP available and that you could get one. I agree that it would be awful to gamble. I also agree this is pretty difficult to do since most of the FPs will be gone already by that point due to the 60 day booking.

Maybe it's just me, but if I wake up at 6 AM on a vacation day to try and get a FP, only to get shut out, that's a far less magical way to start the day than getting to rope drop knowing I'll get a fp (under the current system).

Again, agreed, I like the current system, you know what you're getting out of it, early risers get the best waits, I think that is fair, you have your option of getting up early and getting FPs and short lines, or getting to sleep in and waiting more.

People keep saying they wish they'd do that with ADRs. Like in the "good old days". But who wants to start every day with potential disappointment like that? If you don't get what you want, then what? Wake everyone else up and argue about whether to change parks for the day?

I worry about starting a trip with disappointment, because I wasn't there at the 60 day mark to book rides. Or worse, because I was, and the rides are now broken, or the weather isn't cooperating, or any number of things. I just rather book the day of, in the park or before, don't really much about the how, as long as it works and there are spots available. I fear that is just a pipe dream though.

Matt