Here Comes Day Guest MagicBands

[vicb]

Please tell me that soon park-hopping won't be punished and getting fastpasses for more than 1 park a day will soon be possible!

I hope this happens too, I am still park hopping in May. Mostly we park hop so we can eat dinner a couple of nights in Epcot and enjoy the world showcase at night (we stay at the Dolphin) but we usually park hop atleast one or two days from park to park, sometimes just to squeeze in a ride or show we missed earlier. I don't think this will happen before my trip in May but atleast I can pre-book now.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I can't believe we're still having the debate over who spends the most money. Lol!!!

Disney looks at overall profit from their guests. If they weren't making more overall profit from onsite guests, they would stop building resorts and close down the existing ones. Resorts don't exist as a convenience to guests. They are a tool by which Disney makes more profit.

We're all just a number at this point and everyone thinks they spend the most money. Disney has the actual numbers and they're making decisions accordingly.

I don't have to read financial statements to have proof. I can see the proof in Disney's actions even as they try to PR everyone to death about fairness. Is there anyone left who truly believes that the new Disney cares about fairness? I guess it depends on your definition of fairness.

And by the way, what if they're actually giving better FP+ choices to Deluxe resort guests already, or to guests that just spend more? Rewards do not have to be announced or even obvious to be extremely effective. What are the magic bands for if not to track spending/behavior to plan an effective reward system appropriate for each guest's profit margin? With the old system, everyone knew what fastpasses were available. With the new system, some may have access to better fastpasses, especially if they're giving Disney $25,000 for their vacation instead of $1,500. Is this obvious to anyone else?

I agree with your comment. I look at what Disney is doing to figure out who generates the most profit-per-day. And it's always on the average...obviously there will always be individual outliers.

Interesting comments about rewarding guests and not announcing it. I think that's a possibility, but I don't think the system is there yet. As far as rewarding customers, we know they already tested bonus FPs back in the fall with MK. I'm still waiting to see what they do with that functionality.

 

[Maineiak]

Maybe I'm not thinking about this correctly but how will the gauge 30 days out. Will the window just be open for 30 days or less in the future at anytime as long as you have tickets linked. Not triggered by dining ressies as we suspected.

Another perk or onsite will be setting fp for length of stay. Offsite will have to go in day by day to set it up.

Currently, MDE is saying we are 40 days out from our trip and we don't yet have tickets linked. We do have ADRs though, so my guess is they must take this into account. We were just going to wait to get tickets when we arrived (staying offsite and probably only going to the park 2 days) but now we may buy our tickets ASAP so we can book FP+ in 10 days.

 

[mill4023]

I'm NOT a supporter of FP+.

But I dislike it less, now that we know offsite guests can book in advance.

I'm ok with onsite getting an advantage. I've never been opposed to perks for onsite guests, I just don't like it when it's the kind of thing that makes for a drastically worse experience for offsite. Booking online in advance vs booking same day at a kiosk was one of those cases of a drastically worse experience.

But 30 days vs 60 days is a pretty good compromise between giving onsite people an advantage and not making offsite people suffer much.

 

[Vidia2]

Disney couldn't thrive at the levels it does with onsite guests alone. They need those offsite guests, and offsite guests are theoretically the ones who Disney benefits most from when they prebook. Onsite guests as a whole are already pretty locked into Disney, and didn't necessarily need FP+ like offsite guests do from Disney's perspective.

What Disney needs/wants is to turn all of that swampland into more resorts and fill them up. To start, they'd like to create a demand for the ones they already have so that they can justify new construction to stockholders.

 

[mom2rtk]

What Disney needs/wants is to turn all of that swampland into more resorts and fill them up. To start, they'd like to create a demand for the ones they already have so that they can justify new construction to stockholders.

Disney might want more rooms during peak season, but they have to be really careful not to overbuild and have overhead invested in rooms that sit empty much of the year.

 

[FlipHipster]

Disney might want more rooms during peak season, but they have to be really careful not to overbuild and have overhead invested in rooms that sit empty much of the year.

Yeah but imagine the increase in offseason incentives if they did build more.

I'm actually kinda liking this theory

 

[mom2rtk]

Yeah but imagine the increase in offseason incentives if they did build more.

I'm actually kinda liking this theory

They'd have to build more restaurants for all the free dining it would take.

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

Your example is exactly why Disney is probably choosing this method of marketing Magic Band. Basically, since your APs pay for themselves during your onsite stays (estimating an average of 10+ days on site/year and the fact that your AP is probably a discounted DVC AP), you book an extra pre-cruise trip to WDW because it's pretty much "free". Disney makes nothing from your offsite stay or tickets. All that's left is the $$$ you spend on dining and souveniers. Personally, I know that when we combine a cruise w/ a park visit, we spend a lot less at the parks because I'd rather buy stuff on the cruise, and with all the rich food on the cruise, I'm not really looking for big meals at the parks.

So, when you stay onsite, your AP entitles you to the same perks as others who stay onsite, quite similar to how your DVC membership entitles you to certain perks only with an onsite points stay...

Which would be true if the off-site trips were the only additional trips that were added as a result of having APs instead of a MYW ticket. That's not the case. We have only purchased APs since 2011. In each of those years we have gone at least two times on-site, if not three. Without an AP, we only went once per year.

If AP holders remain limited to seven days of FP+ when staying offsite when other offsite guests can book 10 days of FP+ at a time, I will not be renewing my annual pass.

 

[BudgieMama]

Glad to hear this is happening soon.

We're not staying offsite, but I'm glad the opportunity is going to be there for everyone to pre-book.

 

[surferdave]

Disney might want more rooms during peak season, but they have to be really careful not to overbuild and have overhead invested in rooms that sit empty much of the year.

I think that's why they love building time shares. They rent them out long term to people who consider it an investment and let them worry about the rooms being full.

 

[msquoted]

Wow, I kind of feel like offsite scum that should just be thankful for any scraps that onsiters throw on the floor. It was my understanding that allowing ALL guests to prebook FP+ was always the plan and it just took longer to roll out than expected. To hear some of your comments about losing your onsite perks, you should get more because you spend more (which aren't you already getting more? The perks were never suppose to include FP but the "experience", dining plan, free transportation, etc.) and Disney is basically telling you they don't value you because they are allowing my family to utilize the FP system makes me a little sad. I was hoping to get a "First Visit" pin to put on while we were staying, do they have a "Least Valued Guest" that I should ask for as well? Maybe I am just having an uber-sensitive day. Sorry if that is the case. I will go put my big-girl pants on now.

 

[FlipHipster]

Wow, I kind of feel like offsite scum that should just be thankful for any scraps that onsiters throw on the floor. It was my understanding that allowing ALL guests to prebook FP+ was always the plan and it just took longer to roll out than expected. To hear some of your comments about losing your onsite perks, you should get more because you spend more (which aren't you already getting more? The perks were never suppose to include FP but the "experience", dining plan, free transportation, etc.) and Disney is basically telling you they don't value you because they are allowing my family to utilize the FP system makes me a little sad. I was hoping to get a "First Visit" pin to put on while we were staying, do they have a "Least Valued Guest" that I should ask for as well? Maybe I am just having an uber-sensitive day. Sorry if that is the case. I will go put my big-girl pants on now.

Yes, though apparently they call it an annual pass.

 

[msquoted]

Yes, though apparently they call it an annual pass.

 

[Vidia2]

Disney might want more rooms during peak season, but they have to be really careful not to overbuild and have overhead invested in rooms that sit empty much of the year.

I agree but I still think their goal is major expansion.

Every little park expansion results in bigger crowds. I don't know if they've kept AoA at capacity but they haven't offered free dining so that might be an indication of something.

I wonder if they have a new resort planned to open at the same time as Avatarland.

Sorry this is a bit off topic.

 

[WEDWDW]

What Disney needs/wants is to turn all of that swampland into more resorts and fill them up.

Looks like that's the plan!http://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/wal...ndry-facility-to-service-resort-expansion.htm

 

[Vidia2]

Looks like that's the plan!http://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/walt-disney-world-resorts-information/news/27mar2014-photos---disney-breaks-ground-on-cutting-edge-laundry-facility-to-service-resort-expansion.htm

They're creating 200 more jobs, can't be all bad.

 

[OtherScott]

Looks like that's the plan!http://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/wal...ndry-facility-to-service-resort-expansion.htm

Can we get an FP for this?

 

[Planogirl]

That's wrong. Its totally logical that they would be 3rd tier. Why? Because they spend way less per day....both in tickets and in soft spending like souvenirs and meals.

I have never heard of offsite visitors getting cheaper tickets. How do I sign up for that?

Also food costs the same if not more. As a PP said, there is certainly no "free" dining available for them.

I can see that Disney would make far more money from onsite guests when it comes to resorts. That is where the logic lies and there is no need for numbers to understand this. However I can bet that Disney wants both onsite and offsite people spending as much as possible and wouldn't want to give offsite visitors a noticeably lesser experience.

ETA: I saw PP's comments about locking offsite guests into the parks by offering the ability to pre-book. That makes a lot of sense since central Florida is full of great attractions and it's so very easy to go to them if one is a typical offsite visitor with a car. Disney passes are expensive so I can understand the lure of going to less costly places. Disney just needs to make offsite visitors believe that the prices are worth it which would be hard to do if they decide that Disney was somehow providing a lesser experience.

 

[*disgal*]

Exactly. I honestly feel bad for those whose only hope was that prebook would be an onsite perk. Not that bad, mind you, but bad just the same.

Just imagine when they announce additional day-of FPs once you exhaust your 3...cats and dogs, living in sin!

Gosh, I needed this board today!

That's the point of staying on property isn't it? That's why you pay "more", to get "more". If I'm not getting "more" then what is the point? To be closer to the park....?

Exactly. I just don't think you get that much "more" anymore. lol That's why I don't stay onsite. For those prices, they should be doing my laundry. By hand.

You get magic...

A-hem....THERE ya go!! You get,