Guest Test of Magic Bands (Official Notice)

[d1gitman]

I think so too. I think for headliners, that means there will be no same-day FP+s available. But you should still be able to get one for Carousel of Progress.

and at DHS it will breath new life into Sounds Dangerous

 

[d1gitman]

IT glitch, duplicate of prior post

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

FYI You can already monitor wait times on MDE, even without FP+.

You can also monitor wait times on touring plans's Lines app ($), which lists both the officially posted wait times and their estimates of wait times, which supposedly are better than the official ones.

For the record, we found the touring plans line app to be pretty close to all ride posted time. We loved that it also had the FP return times on it so we knew if a FP would work before heading to the ride to get one. I would say it was pretty close most all the times on that too. We HAD to use the touring plans lines app since the MDE app isn't compatible with our NEW Samsung Galaxy Tab 2. A big reason I pushed my DH into getting this tablet and setting up a data plan on it was to get and use the MDE app because we don't own smart phones. We still don't understand why the MDE app won't work on this tablet.

 

[patrickpiteo]

For the record, we found the touring plans line app to be pretty close to all ride posted time. We loved that it also had the FP return times on it so we knew if a FP would work before heading to the ride to get one. I would say it was pretty close most all the times on that too. We HAD to use the touring plans lines app since the MDE app isn't compatible with our NEW Samsung Galaxy Tab 2. A big reason I pushed my DH into getting this tablet and setting up a data plan on it was to get and use the MDE app because we don't own smart phones. We still don't understand why the MDE app won't work on this tablet.

What's that app like 11.00 for the year? Why can't Disney get their own wait tines right?? LOL

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

What's that app like 11.00 for the year? Why can't Disney get their own wait tines right?? LOL

Why can't Disney have an app that will work on my Samsung Tablet when every crappy free app you've ever heard of will???? It's not like it is some no name tablet I picked up at the dollar store!! Hummm....maybe that is what I need to do.......

 

[wilkeliza]

What's that app like 11.00 for the year? Why can't Disney get their own wait tines right?? LOL

MDE is fed through the same thing that feeds the posted wait times at the parks, the flik cards. The other apps are user fed so if a family waited 60 mins even though 45 is posted (presumably because the flik is still in transit) then they can submit that. Also some of the paid apps have crews who just ride rides all day and report their wait times. That is why there's is sometimes more accurate.

What is an interesting concept for the magicbands will be that Disney could forgo the flik and instead when you enter the que pick up the band ID and before you ride it picks it up again. Then the computers figure out the time between entering and riding and update in real time with every guest instead of having to wait for a flik to get passed.

 

[patrickpiteo]

Why can't Disney have an app that will work on my Samsung Tablet when every crappy free app you've ever heard of will???? It's not like it is some no name tablet I picked up at the dollar store!! Hummm....maybe that is what I need to do.......

Im not paying for no app for wait tines LOL

 

[patrickpiteo]

MDE is fed through the same thing that feeds the posted wait times at the parks, the flik cards. The other apps are user fed so if a family waited 60 mins even though 45 is posted (presumably because the flik is still in transit) then they can submit that. Also some of the paid apps have crews who just ride rides all day and report their wait times. That is why there's is sometimes more accurate.

What is an interesting concept for the magicbands will be that Disney could forgo the flik and instead when you enter the que pick up the band ID and before you ride it picks it up again. Then the computers figure out the time between entering and riding and update in real time with every guest instead of having to wait for a flik to get passed.

Bottom line I ain't paying for no wait time app LOL

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

Bottom line I ain't paying for no wait time app LOL

Understandable. It wasn't the only thing we paid for. I used the site for other things also and I had a code so I didn't pay full price. But we did enjoy seeing if a FP time was going to work for us before walking all the way to the ride. It was never 100% correct but it was close enough that there was never a problem.

 

[lugnut33]

I want notified, I just kept looking, knowing from Dis that YC was in the testing group in August. But I don't have a package, I have Room Only res. so maybe that's why?



I am an AP holder. I know for sure the FP+ is tied to ticket because my AP expires mid way thru our trip, and we can't make any FP+ selections past our AP exp. I phoned, to ask if I renewed now ( instead of waiting till I got there) if I'd be able to continue with our selections, they said no. I'd have to wait till my renewed AP was activated.





I have an iPad and can get the new website on that with the MDE. Don't know why it only works with my iPad or iPhone. I also have the app. I made all my FP+ selections on the app.

I can confirm that if you don't have a real ticket then you are not eligible for FP+. Exchange Certificates are not good enough. If you buy at the gate, that's when you become eligible. I just posted this in Andyman's thread:

I have not gone through the entire thread to see if this was answered already. Sorry if it has been, but I'd consider this official policy as of right now since I talked to two separate people, one at tickets and one at internet help desk.

If you are an AP holder and have an exchange certificate (green cards that say "Exchange Certificate") for renewal or or you have received an exchange certificate for a new AP, you CANNOT link your tickets to My Disney Experience until you exchange them for a real ticket at one of the ticket booths. Therefore you are not eligible for FP+.

When I asked what I could do she asked if I had been invited to a test. I said no, but we are going in November and I was worried about getting signed up. She said as of now the answer is we cannot link certificates and that it's not set in stone that FP+ will be up and running this year. I said "OK, we'll wait and see". As Rex would say, "I got a bad feeling about this".

 

[DisMom1981]

Also some of the paid apps have crews who just ride rides all day and report their wait times. That is why there's is sometimes more accurate.

I want to try this job for a week!

Also, I subscribed to a touring site because all the feedback here for a first timer with small children was to follow a touring plan. The plans don't seem to suggest getting fast passes(-) (assuming we will be in the old system) first thing in the morning nor for many of the attractions..... Most fast passes were suggested to be attained after first few attractions in the morning and after arriving back after a mid day break. Granted these were plans intended for small children....

I thought people here try to get fast passes first thing at rope drop? Am I wrong?

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[g-dad66]

I thought people here try to get fast passes first thing at rope drop? Am I wrong?

We used to -- before enforcement of the return window began in March 2012.

Since then, we usually haven't been getting FPs right at rope drop, because the return window is usually too soon for us to need FPs yet.

 

[alimbrogno]

Only 12 regular turnstiles left at MK was reported today.

Yay! Maybe that means we will get the magic bands for our trip the last week in September???

 

[patrickpiteo]

Yay! Maybe that means we will get the magic bands for our trip the last week in September???

Rumor was for start of FW ... But who really knows???

 

[Sue M]

I don't know if anyone has TRIED to register their vouchers in the new system as if they were regular tickets.



Did you call the ticket line, or MDX support line? If the former, they might not know for sure.

If this is true, I'm betting it will be something that needs to be addressed. I can see it being a problem, because at least in the past you had to get a new AP printed, which had a new ticket code. There are several ways to fix, but it may have been something they didn't think about.

This is the kind of thing that I can't imagine they wouldn't fix... eventually (not super helpful to you, now, obviously!!). I think that there would HAVE TO be a way for AP voucher holders to make their selections with the 60-day window. Otherwise, they would be shut out completely until they get to WDW and exchange their vouchers for tickets. Makes no sense.

This is very troubling. They still haven't been clear what tickets will be able to be registered in advance. I still get the feeling if you are offsite, and buying tickets when you get there, you are out of luck. But if you are onsite, and buying tickets when you get there, you get 60+10.

Gonna be interesting

I did phone the ticket line, but she put me on hold while she phoned MDX? To get answers.

It should be something that needs to be addressed! I'm sure I won't be the only person who has an AP exp. mid trip. So I guess if you booked a MYW pkg with tickets you can book your FPs, but if you've ordered an AP you can't. Neither one would be activated at the time of FP booking .

So I have half my trip booked for FPs ni think my only saving grace is they my friend is coming down to wdw and arrival is just a couple of dsys past my current AP exp. and our reservations & plans are linked in the MDE. What I've heard on a past post, is that when stuff is linked, you can add same FPs to entire party at guest relations or concierge after I renew my AP I think. Guess I'll find out.

 

[andrewilley]

For the record, we found the touring plans line app to be pretty close to all ride posted time.

Their app also tries to use some pretty clever software to predict the ACTUAL wait times, not just the posted times (so even if the posted time is 50 mins, but you might really be on the ride in 35mins, that's what they'll try to tell you). I have a lot of respect for the people that run that site, they really do know their stuff and they continually reseach and test their predictions live in the parks (not just via submitted data).

Andre

 

[andrewilley]

Why can't Disney have an app that will work on my Samsung Tablet when every crappy free app you've ever heard of will????

While I don't think their app is optimised for tablets so it won't allow installs from the Google Play store, I can confirm that it does basically work (in a scaled up mode). I seem to recall maps didn't work well though, but that's to be expected.

I just saved a Titanium Backup of the app from my Galaxy S3 phone, and restored that onto my Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Not that I plan to carry my tablet around the parks with me though.

Andre

 

[Robo]

Yay! Maybe that means we will get the magic bands for our trip the last week in September???

The RFID turnstiles work with all of the new flat RFID tickets & KTTW cards currently being issued at WDW.

The new gates don't require the MagicBands.

All guests who have older but still valid tickets (including AP's) can exchange them for new RFID tickets at any ticket booth or Guest Relations at WDW... and use the new RFID entrance gates at the parks.

 

[RUSTYGATOR]

Was there confirmation from someone without any tickets linked but a reservation that they were able to make FP+ selections at all? I haven't seen that...but I saw where someone couldn't make selections until they linked their tickets (which they had).

And we still don't have anything to say there is a +10.

I only had my ticket linked and not the rest of the family and I was the only one who could book FP+. The rest were listed as not having a ticket with a link to purchase tickets. I had stopped because once I entered my ticket I had got a warning stating the paper ticket was no longer valid and I was wondering if now I would be forced to wait in line to get tickets again? I do remember someone saying they were only able to book as many FP+ days as the ticket length they had. That would make sense, for example Day one we arrive at the hotel, but aren't going to the park. Otherwise, there is nothing to stop you for booking all the days you wanted.

My big question is will it only be good during the 3 days I'm at PC or the additional days I have booked at AoA? It is only showing my PC hotel reservation being attached to the Magicbands, but it let's me book FP+ for non PC days, which is the majority of my trip. I have 10 day tickets.

 

[DJRosko]

I know I am preaching to the choir, but I just can't imagine doing WDW with only 2 or 3 FP per day, especially if you cannot double-up on headliners. We are RD people. We get up early, send DH (Marathon runner) as FP runner and use 5-6 FPs per day. At DHS, we would use 4-6 headliner FPs, including 2 TSMM.

The idea of standby, even if it's a little faster than standby now, is just unappealing. Maybe those that grew up with family vacations doing standby lines will remember nostalgically and will enjoy Disney even with lines. However, I discovered Disney as an adult and I have no nostalgia associate with lines.

I read about everyone w 5-6 FP and such and think to myself "Self, you're gonna have a lot of hiking to do to ride what you want to ride..." Then I get nostalgic for the ONE time I've been to disney in 1994 where we rode Splash, got off, rode again, got off and rode BTMRR then walked over to the mansion, rode, got off, rode 2x more... And the same thing for POTC! That was April 1994... I'd like to be able to do this again-as those are my favorite rides-supposedly with the regular FP I would've come close to being able to... Does anyone that's used the new bands yet know if this will be possible 20 years later in 2014?? Feel free to bump this or PM me with ideas!!