I guess I'm just stupid? MDE rant

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I really do want to be supportive of the new MDE, Magic Band, and FastPass+. We haven't been there for our first trip using it, yet, but are doing the planning now. It seems to be everything we've personally been waiting for. We hardly used FastPass in the past because we didn't want to run around to every corner of the park twice.

I can live with the FastPass+ one-park-per-day and three-FastPass-per-day restrictions. I also don't object to doing our planning way in advance. I'm not about to join an aluminum-foil-hat club, as I'm not concerned about the info Disney compiles in the MDE account or the security of the MB. And, no, MDE/FastPass+ hasn't ruined Disney for us, and it won't drive us to sell our DVC membership. In all, I'm pretty happy with what Disney is putting in place.

What's giving me fits, though, is a web site that is far from ready for prime time. There's one flaw in particular that I just can't wrap my brain around, and it's driving me crazy. I keep making the same mistake over and over again.

Why, Disney, would you have a web site design where you click on the itinerary for a particular date to add a dining event, parade, or FastPass+, and then have the resulting screen default to searching for availability on today's date (or the last date you searched for in that module) instead of the date in the itinerary the user was looking at when they clicked to add something?!?!?!?!?!

I've inadvertantly added so many things to the current date when booking that it's ridiculous. The fun ones are the ones with credit card guarantees that you then need to make a call and explain why they shouldn't charge you for cancelling inside 24 hours of the reservation.

It's just as much of a pain in the neck when you're about to book something, notice it searched for the wrong date, and then have to cancel because you can't remember which date in your itinerary you were looking at when you clicked add. I remember there was a day where I didn't have a dinner reserved yet, but was it Tuesday or Wednesday?

Ok, the rant is almost over...

It would really be nice when booking things to be able to still see what already exists on that date. Is this FastPass+ schedule good? I don't know, what time is our dinner ADR? What time should I book lunch? I don't know. When are our FastPasses?

 

[Robo]

 

[2Tiggies]

Why, Disney, would you have a web site design where you click on the itinerary for a particular date to add a dining event, parade, or FastPass+, and then have the resulting screen default to searching for availability on today's date (or the last date you searched for in that module) instead of the date in the itinerary the user was looking at when they clicked to add something?!?!?!?!?!

Don't worry - it doesnt happen every day. It only happens when you can actually access the site or app

Seriously though, it is so frustrating. As if the site is not painfully slow enough as it is - when it works - it takes so much longer having to wait for a calendar to load, then select the date and wait for the page to catch up, then back to where you started for the right date waiting for the page to load ......

Bet you can't wait to do all this on the app in the park with Disney wifi, lol

 

[FlipHipster]

I've inadvertantly added so many things to the current date when booking that it's ridiculous. The fun ones are the ones with credit card guarantees that you then need to make a call and explain why they shouldn't charge you for cancelling inside 24 hours of the reservation.

Welcome to being "locked in". You checkin, but you can't checkout. Literally you can't because the app won't let you

And give the mouse a break will ya' before you wind up on a list. It's not like MDE and the mobile app are core pieces of the MM+ rollout or anything.

 

[Kitten<3Duck]

Don't worry - it doesnt happen every day. It only happens when you can actually access the site or app

Seriously though, it is so frustrating. As if the site is not painfully slow enough as it is - when it works - it takes so much longer having to wait for a calendar to load, then select the date and wait for the page to catch up, then back to where you started for the right date waiting for the page to load ......

Bet you can't wait to do all this on the app in the park with Disney wifi, lol

My app works great. It's fast and I haven't noticed anything not loading or showing up. I have a new phone, though. Maybe older phones have a harder time loading the program? My last (smart) phone was about 2 years old and it had trouble loading even the google home page in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[2Tiggies]

My app works great. It's fast and I haven't noticed anything not loading or showing up. I have a new phone, though. Maybe older phones have a harder time loading the program? My last (smart) phone was about 2 years old and it had trouble loading even the google home page in a reasonable amount of time.

I don't know. It's possible. I have a new iPhone 5S - less than 6 months old so doubt mine is having age or dated software playing a part in the problem. It has its days where it works and where it doesn't, but so does the website (app and website don't necessarily work or have issues at the same time).

 

[barbaraann]

I actually enjoy using MDE, but I do agree about the date thing. It does keep reverting back to the present day. However, I am sometimes computer stupid, but I do see value in MDE and I find it very user friendly. I own a Mac, an iPad, and an iPhone and so far all my information is there and correct. The only thing that stumps me is the Magic Band that I ordered before I switched my room only reservation to a package reservation. It is still there. My go to person at Dreams Unlimited is not sure what to do either. I figure since I am not traveling til August, I won't worry quite yet.

Otherwise I am enjoying planning with MDE. I never have to write anything down anymore. It's right there, and in my case, in triplicate.

 

[bumbershoot]

My app works great. It's fast and I haven't noticed anything not loading or showing up. I have a new phone, though. Maybe older phones have a harder time loading the program? My last (smart) phone was about 2 years old and it had trouble loading even the google home page in a reasonable amount of time.

You have so far accessed it at non glitchy times. I hope your luck continues!

Otherwise I am enjoying planning with MDE. I never have to write anything down anymore. It's right there, and in my case, in triplicate.

Please please please, just for fun, just in case...write it down anyway. Please. It's all so glitchy and you can't predict such things.

 

[kathie859]

I've actively used MDE for a 8 night trip in January and other than having an issue linking everyone in our party to manage the FP's for all 7 of us, I was pretty pleased with it. That issue was resolved by a call to DW.

Planning for the next trip (next week) I have noticed that the default to today's date is annoying and a few times when I was researching ADR availability, I received a notice that the function was unavailable. Other than that, I have no complaints.

I use the MDE app on my iPad and iPhone.

 

[DisGirl819]

That is exactly how I ended up with TWO dinner reservations for one night of our trip and none for the next night.

 

[Missyrose]

There is one thing that irks me about making the FP+ reservations. I just wish that once you pick your attractions, you could then tell the system what time you'd like the first reservation to start. I find it really annoying to have to select a set of times I know I'm not going to use, simply so I can go back in and change the times to what I actually want.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

There is one thing that irks me about making the FP+ reservations. I just wish that once you pick your attractions, you could then tell the system what time you'd like the first reservation to start. I find it really annoying to have to select a set of times I know I'm not going to use, simply so I can go back in and change the times to what I actually want.

 

[JanaDee]

I actually enjoy using MDE, but I do agree about the date thing. It does keep reverting back to the present day. However, I am sometimes computer stupid, but I do see value in MDE and I find it very user friendly. I own a Mac, an iPad, and an iPhone and so far all my information is there and correct. The only thing that stumps me is the Magic Band that I ordered before I switched my room only reservation to a package reservation. It is still there. My go to person at Dreams Unlimited is not sure what to do either. I figure since I am not traveling til August, I won't worry quite yet.

Otherwise I am enjoying planning with MDE. I never have to write anything down anymore. It's right there, and in my case, in triplicate.

Write it down, because odds are exceptionally high you'll lose every digital copy you have at some point on MDE.

 

[barbaraann]

Write it down, because odds are exceptionally high you'll lose every digital copy you have at some point on MDE.

I also have an e-mail file of all the correspondence pertaining to this vacation. I feel pretty confident about that.

 

[jenninaustin]

I really do want to be supportive of the new MDE, Magic Band, and FastPass+. We haven't been there for our first trip using it, yet, but are doing the planning now. It seems to be everything we've personally been waiting for. We hardly used FastPass in the past because we didn't want to run around to every corner of the park twice.

I can live with the FastPass+ one-park-per-day and three-FastPass-per-day restrictions. I also don't object to doing our planning way in advance. I'm not about to join an aluminum-foil-hat club, as I'm not concerned about the info Disney compiles in the MDE account or the security of the MB. And, no, MDE/FastPass+ hasn't ruined Disney for us, and it won't drive us to sell our DVC membership. In all, I'm pretty happy with what Disney is putting in place.

What's giving me fits, though, is a web site that is far from ready for prime time. There's one flaw in particular that I just can't wrap my brain around, and it's driving me crazy. I keep making the same mistake over and over again.

Why, Disney, would you have a web site design where you click on the itinerary for a particular date to add a dining event, parade, or FastPass+, and then have the resulting screen default to searching for availability on today's date (or the last date you searched for in that module) instead of the date in the itinerary the user was looking at when they clicked to add something?!?!?!?!?!

I've inadvertantly added so many things to the current date when booking that it's ridiculous. The fun ones are the ones with credit card guarantees that you then need to make a call and explain why they shouldn't charge you for cancelling inside 24 hours of the reservation.

It's just as much of a pain in the neck when you're about to book something, notice it searched for the wrong date, and then have to cancel because you can't remember which date in your itinerary you were looking at when you clicked add. I remember there was a day where I didn't have a dinner reserved yet, but was it Tuesday or Wednesday?

Ok, the rant is almost over...

It would really be nice when booking things to be able to still see what already exists on that date. Is this FastPass+ schedule good? I don't know, what time is our dinner ADR? What time should I book lunch? I don't know. When are our FastPasses?

^THIS!!^ The same thing keeps happening to me. Sigh.

 

[AlexLovesCats]

What drove me crazy is that it seems reservation information disappears from the app when it's the reservation time. (7pm Reservation information vanishes from app at 7pm never to be seen again) Although I wrote all our reservation numbers down, one night we were in a rush leaving the room for dinner and I forgot the paper. We arrived early but after waiting in line to check in it was time for our reservation. The hostess couldn't find our reservation, and I didn't have the paper. Thought I could bring up the app because I had been looking at our agenda with all reservation numbers on there for months previously. But of course at the moment I actually need the reservation number, it vanished. So frustrating!!!!! This happened to us twice. Can't understand why they'd design it like that... At least leave all your days reservation information up for the remainder of that day!?!

Moral of the story: take a screen shot of the reservation information from the app. Or make sure to bring a paper with the reservation number. I was foolish to try to depend solely on the MDE app.

 

[2Tiggies]

There is one thing that irks me about making the FP+ reservations. I just wish that once you pick your attractions, you could then tell the system what time you'd like the first reservation to start. I find it really annoying to have to select a set of times I know I'm not going to use, simply so I can go back in and change the times to what I actually want.

Yes, it's almost laughable firstly because I can't see any sense in this whatsoever and secondly ..... they want you to have to go through every process multiple times to book everything in advance but you can only FP an attraction once per park per day

I have jokingly wondered if they have purposely done this to try slow the guests down so that we operate closer to the [painfully slow] speed of the website / app

 

[Missyrose]

Yes, it's almost laughable firstly because I can't see any sense in this whatsoever and secondly ..... they want you to have to go through every process multiple times to book everything in advance but you can only FP an attraction once per park per day I have jokingly wondered if they have purposely done this to try slow the guests down so that we operate closer to the [painfully slow] speed of the website / app

I actually realized it was easier to pick the set of times in the early morning. That way, the reservations were clear of all the afternoon and evening slots that I wanted to move the three reservations to. Doing it that way made it much easier to select my correct times much faster.

 

[2Tiggies]

I actually realized it was easier to pick the set of times in the early morning. That way, the reservations were clear of all the afternoon and evening slots that I wanted to move the three reservations to. Doing it that way made it much easier to select my correct times much faster.

Thank you for that very useful tip I will be borrowing your clever idea from you. There are some days where we want our FP's for the mornings (not first thing though) so I will do it in reverse and pick afternoon slots. We want to clear out of the park by noon some days so we can head out and do other things and hop to another park in the evening for fireworks, dinner and shows to work around the non option for FP in 2 parks.