Guest Test of Magic Bands (Official Notice)

[wdwlver]

You really think doing standby is the same?

We spent one evening in the MK when we were in FL recently. We got there at 3 and stayed until 1 AM. And we never got to do Space Mountain. The wait was longer than 90 minutes that entire time. Fastpasses were gone, and we thought we'd get in the standby line right before closing. It was 105 minutes at 12:50.

We generally just wait out a line that's longer than 30 minutes. Why should we wait in longer lines in the name of progress? That sounds more like a step backwards to me. And it sounds like a lot less value for my money, while ticket prices continue to climb.

Agree 1000 percent.

 

[Pirate4Ever]

Never said standby is the same. What I said was that I don't get the sentiment that you won't be allowed to ride your favorites. No one is telling you that you can't ride, you'll just have to do it differently. And if you know you want to ride Space Mountain, you'll make the ressie before you even get there.

I'm just amazed at how close to the ledge everyone is getting for a program that hasn't even been implemented yet.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I'm just amazed at how close to the ledge everyone is getting for a program that hasn't even been implemented yet.

I was just saying this to DH! LOL!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[wdwlver]

Nowhere near ledge....but I will say that as an every day park hopper this strikes me as punitive. I don't like having choices that I'm currently allowed to make taken away.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm not on the ledge either (far from it) but I reserve the right to comment.

 

[mom2rtk]

Never said standby is the same. What I said was that I don't get the sentiment that you won't be allowed to ride your favorites. No one is telling you that you can't ride, you'll just have to do it differently. And if you know you want to ride Space Mountain, you'll make the ressie before you even get there.

I'm just amazed at how close to the ledge everyone is getting for a program that hasn't even been implemented yet.

But you imply that people should just accept changing from access to favorites by fastpass to access by standby. Which is often a very different thing in terms of the time required.

Why would you think I was under the impression that I wouldn't be able to ride at all?

And maybe I would have made a SM reservation. Maybe I wouldn't have. For starters, we didn't have 60 days lead time. So it's highly likely the SM advance times would have been gone. I probably would have chosen BTMRR, PP and ETWB had FP+ been in effect.

In the limited time we had with traditional fastpass, late in the day, we were still able to pull 5 sets of fastpasses.

 

[Pirate4Ever]

We spent one evening in the MK when we were in FL recently. We got there at 3 and stayed until 1 AM. And we never got to do Space Mountain. The wait was longer than 90 minutes that entire time. Fastpasses were gone, and we thought we'd get in the standby line right before closing. It was 105 minutes at 12:50.

In fact, this situation is a great argument FOR FP+.

Under the current system, everyone around here realizes that arriving at MK in the afternoon on a EMH day is going to make it virtually impossible to ride a headliner attraction. You just experienced this by not getting to ride Space Mountain.

Under the new system, you would have reserved a FP+ for Space Mountain before you arrived. As a result, it doesn't matter how late you arrived, you knew that you were going to ride Space Mountain. Even when showing up in the afternoon during the summer on an EMH day.

Will it affect the rest of your touring? Sure. I would assume that you were able to secure Fastpasses for other attractions that afternoon. You obviously wouldnt be able to so that with FP+. But until I go to the parks after the system is fully operational, I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that the lines are going to be longer. They might just end up that way, but no one here knows for sure as of now.

 

[wilkeliza]

So had an interesting conversation over the online help chat today. The on line ticket linking does mention a maingate pass as a pas option. I tried mine but it wouldn't link. So just out if curiosity I chatted with a lovely help person about the situation. In the current incarnation or early roll out fastpass+ is only going to be for resort guests with pre purchased tickets. I did let them know thy I hope that changes because I for one know my family won't come visit because they are getting treated as less than because they are using my passes. Yes the passes are free to CMs but this will be the first time a roll out negatively affects us if t stays as is.

 

[doconeill]

So had an interesting conversation over the online help chat today. The on line ticket linking does mention a maingate pass as a pas option. I tried mine but it wouldn't link. So just out if curiosity I chatted with a lovely help person about the situation. In the current incarnation or early roll out fastpass+ is only going to be for resort guests with pre purchased tickets. I did let them know thy I hope that changes because I for one know my family won't come visit because they are getting treated as less than because they are using my passes. Yes the passes are free to CMs but this will be the first time a roll out negatively affects us if t stays as is.

They didn't say you were going to be treated less. They said the early rollout will be for resort guests with pre-purchased tickets. If they tried to roll this out to everyone simultaneously, it would be a complete disaster. Easier to deal with those that they can control first, then start pulling in more and more.

 

[mom2rtk]

In fact, this situation is a great argument FOR FP+.

Under the current system, everyone around here realizes that arriving at MK in the afternoon on a EMH day is going to make it virtually impossible to ride a headliner attraction. You just experienced this by not getting to ride Space Mountain.

Under the new system, you would have reserved a FP+ for Space Mountain before you arrived. As a result, it doesn't matter how late you arrived, you knew that you were going to ride Space Mountain. Even when showing up in the afternoon during the summer on an EMH day.

Will it affect the rest of your touring? Sure. I would assume that you were able to secure Fastpasses for other attractions that afternoon. You obviously wouldnt be able to so that with FP+. But until I go to the parks after the system is fully operational, I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that the lines are going to be longer. They might just end up that way, but no one here knows for sure as of now.

It would still be settling for less. And I'm just not willing to do that. As I said, I'll see how it pans out. But if it turns out to be less overall headliner ride access for ever increasing prices, then we'll be done. And yes, I do know that Disney doesn't care.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm not on the ledge either (far from it) but I reserve the right to comment.

LOL, I'm afraid that commenting is seen by many as being on the ledge.

 

[wilkeliza]

They didn't say you were going to be treated less. They said the early rollout will be for resort guests with pre-purchased tickets. If they tried to roll this out to everyone simultaneously, it would be a complete disaster. Easier to deal with those that they can control first, then start pulling in more and more.

As of right now though it does make my family feel treated as less if they are left out. They are staying at Poly (not even on discount) and just using my main gate. Yes it is all hypothetical at the moment as August is probably safe from the roll out but if they show up to Poly and everyone else is getting bands an booking Fastpasses then they are going to wonder what is up and why didn't they get those options.

 

[doconeill]

As of right now though it does make my family feel treated as less if they are left out. They are staying at Poly (not even on discount) and just using my main gate. Yes it is all hypothetical at the moment as August is probably safe from the roll out but if they show up to Poly and everyone else is getting bands an booking Fastpasses then they are going to wonder what is up and why didn't they get those options.

But you'd still have the option of using the regular Fastpass system, which those other guests might not (since it's not clear when they will "make the break" from the old system) - and that could give you a big advantage over them...

 

[doggydoc]

Agree 1000 percent.

+1

Never said standby is the same. What I said was that I don't get the sentiment that you won't be allowed to ride your favorites. No one is telling you that you can't ride, you'll just have to do it differently. And if you know you want to ride Space Mountain, you'll make the ressie before you even get there.

I'm just amazed at how close to the ledge everyone is getting for a program that hasn't even been implemented yet.

I was just saying this to DH! LOL!

No one here is saying they are ready to immolate themselves over this change. However we are all entitled to our opinion and the expression of it here as long as it conforms to board guidelines. The way my family enjoys the parks will be negatively impacted by the changes as we know them to be now and if implemented as described now we will spend our money elsewhere because of it. Not to mention that the proposed FP limitations clearly indicate that Disney is not interested in retaining my business so even more reason to take it somewhere that does. I see no reason not to use this forum to make my opinion known, who knows Disney may be reading. If those in charge at Disney were as interested in quelling debate and dissension about the program as you seem to be they would give an announcement with the final details and let the chips fall where they will.

 

[Pirate4Ever]

If those in charge at Disney were as interested in quelling debate and dissension about the program as you seem to be they would give an announcement with the final details and let the chips fall where they will.

What debate? If anyone posts anything outside of FP+ being the worst thing ever, they are lambasted for having a differing opinion. I have no problem with you or anyone else for that matter having concerns over what the future holds- I'm just choosing to try and see a different perspective, which is just as much my right as it is yours to be against it at this time.

 

[mom2rtk]

But you'd still have the option of using the regular Fastpass system, which those other guests might not (since it's not clear when they will "make the break" from the old system) - and that could give you a big advantage over them...

That was my thought as well. Nobody can say right now which is the more desirable system.

 

[Pirate4Ever]

That was my thought as well. Nobody can say right now which is the more desirable system.

Agree!- in fact that might be the most telling test of all: having some on the "old" system exclusively while others are exclusively on the new. Wouldn't that be interesting?

 

[doconeill]

Agree!- in fact that might be the most telling test of all: having some on the "old" system exclusively while others are exclusively on the new. Wouldn't that be interesting?

The problem is that while they don't have everyone on the new system, we're not really sure if the new system is going to have supply problems

 

[d1gitman]

Just because I'd like to know... on average, how many FastPasses do your families usually get in a day (not FP+)? I don't think my family ever had to get more than three.

Also, since the Dis loves their acronyms, the CM's will be calling it MDX not MDE, if you want to stay on par with them.

under normal operating circumstance, anywhere from 6-10 FP attractions per park day...depends on how long our day is and how busy the park is. hitting rope drop significantly increase the amount of FP's you can do since the wait times with low crowds shorten up.

during our last trip with the RFID card, we were able to rack up 20 FP attractions for our family in about 2 hrs at Epcot...personally I would be glad if they never stop beta testing

 

[doconeill]

under normal operating circumstance, anywhere from 6-10 FP attractions per park day...depends on how long our day is and how busy the park is. hitting rope drop significantly increase the amount of FP's you can do since the wait times with low crowds shorten up.

during our last trip with the RFID card, we were able to rack up 20 FP attractions for our family in about 2 hrs at Epcot...personally I would be glad if they never stop beta testing

Um...I assume you don't mean per person...