Guest Test of Magic Bands (Official Notice)

[chartle]

Pirates has done well for years without the FP option. It is unusual to see waits there in excess of 30 minutes most days. Summer might be a little higher. Keep it if you want though (of course).

I'm having trouble keeping up with posts here but since I started this I guess I should continue.

I have never gone at a really "bad" time but I have never seen a wait time posted past 10 minutes.

 

[picktails]

Really hoping to be able to give this a try during our trip in November. We're a very high-tech family and would LOVE to be in on the new options!

 

[mesaboy2]

I'm having trouble keeping up with posts here but since I started this I guess I should continue.

I have never gone at a really "bad" time but I have never seen a wait time posted past 10 minutes.

Took 25 minutes or so for me just a few weeks ago. Seen and did worse than that March 2012 during early part of spring break--it happens.

 

[bcrook]

Oh yeah...they had a bunch of top tier attractions. On our last day we're going back to MK and got FP+ with return widows one right after the other for Pirates, Peter Pan and Big Thunder Mtn. For our day at Epcot we got FP+ for Soarin' - 9:25 to 10:25 and Test Track - 10:25 to 11:25.

This is exactly like the "accidental sneak peak" in March. Could be just for testing purposes, but looks encouraging. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks again. Pretty much all tests to this point have grouped attractions into tiers, severely limiting the ability to choose more than one headliner per day. The appeal of that arrangement was, shall I say, lacking. Your information thankfully suggests for the first time, in a real way, that limitation may not be in the final product. Time will tell!

I'm so opening myself up, aren't I?

 

[Nicole786]

Very excited to hear the reports back. Traveling in early September I initially thought that it would be rolled out by then -- we'll have to see. Hopefully I'll qualify for some sort of testing!

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

That is some major park criss crossing. I guess I am not sure how this all works. You pick a "group" and it will only give you the FP+s for that group. Say Big Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan, and Pirates? Do you then get to pick the specific times and order you want to do those or does it plan those out for you? I would never travel with my fams from Space Mountain then all the way over to Pirates in one hour. I would have a mutiny on my hands. Why aren't they grouped a little better say Buzz and Space or Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates or Peter Pan and Barnstormer?

That is what I thought - major park criss-crossing. What is interesting, tho is somewhere in an Disney interview, they said one of their goals was to keep guests from,having to criss cross so much. Why spread the FP+ across the park? So perhaps, when the Peter Pan times opens up, they'll give you a surprise Pooh FP or something to that nature??? Or Buzz when SM FP+ time rolls around???

Hmmmm

 

[g-dad66]

Interesting...maybe we'll drop the FP+ for Pirates and get a Wishes FP+ instead?! Thanks for the insight.

I would certainly consider that. But it all comes down to what you want to do.

Agree with mesaboy here, but if you can tell us what choices you had, there are plenty of folks here to give you advice (if you want it) as to which of these attractions are likely to need FPs and which ones won't...

I think what we're really interested in is seeing what groups of choices you were given (for example, you could pick 2 out of Big Thunder, Splash, Space, Peter Pan; you could pick 1 from parade, fireworks, princess meet n greet, etc.)

 

[linzbear]

Interesting...maybe we'll drop the FP+ for Pirates and get a Wishes FP+ instead?! Thanks for the insight.

Personally, I'd swap it for Jungle Cruise. That standby line sucks. Hot, outdoors, nothing to look at, and slow moving.

Pirates doesn't have FP because it's such a fast loader.

 

[honeymo78]

While I'm interested in the fast pass + aspect, I'm also interested to see how touch to pay works out for table service/bars. I liked using touch to pay in may at quick service and retail locations, however I didn't see anything set up in places like Rose & Crown Pub or at any restaurants.

 

[erionm]

While I'm interested in the fast pass + aspect, I'm also interested to see how touch to pay works out for table service/bars. I liked using touch to pay in may at quick service and retail locations, however I didn't see anything set up in places like Rose & Crown Pub or at any restaurants.

The servers will probably use a wireless handheld device that will have a RFID reader.

 

[doconeill]

While I'm interested in the fast pass + aspect, I'm also interested to see how touch to pay works out for table service/bars. I liked using touch to pay in may at quick service and retail locations, however I didn't see anything set up in places like Rose & Crown Pub or at any restaurants.

We ate at 50s Prime Time and Big River Grille this past weekend...paid the usual way. But they'll need a way with the MagicBands. I believe they will bring a portable payment terminal (looks like a big calculator) so you can scan the band/card and enter the tip and PIN.

 

[Princess MaryPoppins]

Damn! We check in at AKL on June 18th!

 

[Planogirl]

Thanks again. Pretty much all tests to this point have grouped attractions into tiers, severely limiting the ability to choose more than one headliner per day. The appeal of that arrangement was, shall I say, lacking. Your information thankfully suggests for the first time, in a real way, that limitation may not be in the final product. Time will tell!

I'm so opening myself up, aren't I?

I was thinking that too but with such a small sample group, who knows? It might change quite a bit once it opens up for everyone.

I guess that we're back where we started.

 

[doconeill]

I was thinking that too but with such a small sample group, who knows? It might change quite a bit once it opens up for everyone.

I guess that we're back where we started.

As they increase the size of the tests (or even during a staged rollout), I can see them making adjustments as they see what is popular, what is running out too fast, etc.

But the fact that it's not totally tiered as previously is encouraging.

 

[Planogirl]

As they increase the size of the tests (or even during a staged rollout), I can see them making adjustments as they see what is popular, what is running out too fast, etc.

But the fact that it's not totally tiered as previously is encouraging.

Those adjustments could cause tiers but hopefully they'll be very flexible and loose. The earlier information sounded so rigid.

 

[ghtx]

I really like the experience I have had so far in selecting my FP+. The one complaint I have is the following:

One day we're at AK in the a.m. to mid afternoon and then we'll go to HS for dinner and the rest of the evening. Since I know the FP will "sell out" at HS well before we arrive that evening I went ahead and got FP+ for that park. BUT this means I can't get any kind of FP for our visit to AK in the morning. Which leaves me pretty disappointed. We're going to have to race to EE and then race to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Basically we are stuck with stand by lines for that park.

Can't you still use regular FP with your park ticket, during the testing phase? Then you could get the AK FPs with regular FP in the morning.

 

[HelenParr]

We ate at 50s Prime Time and Big River Grille this past weekend...paid the usual way. But they'll need a way with the MagicBands. I believe they will bring a portable payment terminal (looks like a big calculator) so you can scan the band/card and enter the tip and PIN.

I have wondered about the table service issue as well. It seems awkward. It's not like the server can hover over you while you work out the math, yet it may need more instruction to make it work, which means he/she will be standing there. Awkward.

My prediction is that after a few dozen of these get spilled on and need to be replaced, a fix will be coming.

 

[doconeill]

Can't you still use regular FP with your park ticket, during the testing phase? Then you could get the AK FPs with regular FP in the morning.

Assuming this is a "real world" test, your park "ticket" will be associated with the MagicBand. You won't have a separate ticket to use in the existing FP kiosks, and the MagicBand cannot be read by those kiosks.

 

[whatsarahsaid]

Morning everybody...first of all THANK YOU for all of your valuable advice and input. It's been such a help!

I don't know if posting screen caps of the FP+ selection process would be allowed or appropriate but I can give you an example of the options I have when selecting FP+ for Magic Kingdom. So here goes...

Go to the My Disney Experience page

Click on Make FastPass+ selections

Select Day

Select Park

I am now at the Add Attractions and Entertainment Page. On this page I am given the following options:

• Small World
• Buzz Lightyear
• Celebrate a Dream Parade
• Dumbo
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• Hanuted Mansion
• Jungle Cruise
• MSEP
• Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
• Meet the Disney Princesses at Town Square Theater
• Mickey's PhilharMagic
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan
• Pirates
• Space Mtn
• Splash Mtn
• Barnstormer
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Journey of The Little Mermaid
• Wishes

I am allowed to make any three selections from this list.

Once I make my selections they group my three selections into time periods. One option is first thing in the AM, one in the afternoon and one at night. I have to select one of the groupings but then I can go in afterwards and individually adjust the times as needed.

Hope this provides some more insight to folks!

 

[Robo]

• Small World
• Buzz Lightyear
• Celebrate a Dream Parade
• Dumbo
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• Hanuted Mansion
• Jungle Cruise
• MSEP
• Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
• Meet the Disney Princesses at Town Square Theater
• Mickey's PhilharMagic
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan
• Pirates
• Space Mtn
• Splash Mtn
• Barnstormer
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Journey of The Little Mermaid
• Wishes

No Big Thunder Mtn?

--------------------------

Notably absent are:
Stitch's Great Escape
Enchanted Tiki Room
Country Bear Jamboree
Tea Cups (Mad Tea Party)
Astro Orbitor
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel


And, not too surprisingly missing:
Carousel of Progress
TTA PeopleMover
WDW Railroad
Lib. Square Riverboat
Swiss Family Treehouse
Tom Sawyer Island