interesting opinion about the not so magical mouse

[Mome Rath]

I wonder when the writer traveled. Because our experience has been great.


The please slide down line for shows is not new. Has been around a LONG time-- even before the concept of fast pass existed. At least since the 80s. Their theaters are designed to hold a certain number of guests and anyone taking more real estate than what was intended by the design will cause longer waits for other guests or shut guests out of the opportunity to see the show at all.

We have slid our FP+ times many times this week. Also back in February, we slid one due to lunch and crowd timing.

(I want to say what moron gets in a line of any size or uses their one hour window fast pass with a starving child? This is not rocket science that a quick snack could not have been purchased. A little melodramatic IMHO. Irresponsible decision of the writer that has NOTHING to do with FP and everything to do with lack of a contingency plan.)

Germs were not invented with FP+. Perhaps a no-touch vacation is more appropriate for the author. Museums with artifacts might be better, though they keep adding things to touch. (I am sure she is aware that the critters near her cabin don't use soap and water and pee and poop in the woods nearby. Where her kids may touch twigs and dirt and stuff.)

We have has a great trip this week. And spontenaity has happened. I would expect a different experience around holidays or outer high crowd level times of year. I notice that the dates were specifically absent from this report.

Don't let this article sway you.

We try not to obsess over Disney. We let it go and go with the flow. My 4yo didn't want to go on Buzz Light year today--not using her FP+ at all. We all lived. She enjoyed an ice cream come and 2 rides on the Carousel and enjoyed herself immensely. We made memories in that hour--spontaneously without any care to what I had orchestrated on MDE.

FP+ and MDE only "control" you with your consent. Taking time to stop and smell the roses doesn't require months of planning. If you want to be spontaneous, then be spontaneous.

 

[MiramarQE]

The CM I spoke with was praising how putting everyone on a ride schedule helped Disney plan out their staffing and supply better. It seems like the system was created with the mindset of "How can we best help the company" vs Walt's "How do we best help the customer"

You have just pegged the new Disney operational philosophy

Disney has discovered supply chain management - and has recruited several million un-paid supply chain managers to improve their profit margin.

Some will like the new system, some won't - but the people that are making the decisions in the Disney system now have the title "revenue analyst."

If there's any question as to how those revenue analysts relate to the average guest, check out the number of posts on "I couldn't get a walk-in at XXX restaurant even though it was half empty." They ain't there to make your day magical, that's for sure (nor to make life easy for the CMs that have to face you - lots of stress there, for sure)

Sold our BWV points, let the annual pass expire without renewal - if we do go back it will be during one of the few deeply discounted periods for Fl residents - eat quick service and troll MDE for reservation cancellations.

 

[Ellwood970]

There is nothing magical about being at the front gates and having to be interrogated by some emotionless manager in order to use the ticket on the band to get in. The rest I can put up with. But not that. Not at those prices. Sorry.

 

[Bete]

I'm at the point where I will do Disney World as part time days. Under the old legacy fastpass we were able to accomplish 6 to 8 rides a day. No matter how hard I try I can't do the same with FP+. I look at 3 FP+ as a half day for me at Disney.

Disney World has more late hours, especially with extra late hours for onsite guests. I can see myself having FP+ for early evening and then using the evening later hours for stand by when more people will be back in their resort rooms for the night. Anyway, with this plan I can spend my daytime hours at Universal or SeaWorld and get a full day in those parks and then use the rest my late day for Disney. The one bad thing here is I'm spending less time at a Disney park and paying the same price as I did when I was there for a longer day. This is not a perfect answer, but I will try this on our next trip. Spending less time at Disney means I will not be shopping or eating there as much.

There can be other variations with the idea of half days at Disney. I can see doing early morning with my 3 FP+ and then leaving and not coming back. Then, I would perhaps take a nap and go to a non-Disney park for the rest of the day.

We have started to stay away from Disney completely, too. We've been enjoying Dollywood and Branson and Williamsburg more, now. I really like Dollywood with their special festivals and how could you not like being in the Smokies for a few days.

Disney is experiencing upward attendance, right now. There will be the day again when that won't be true. History says this will happen again. I can wait for that day.

 

[SmithSmith]

I've read several of the hate FP+ threads and I think many people put their complaints into words so much better than this article.

I think FP+ is taking the heat for a problem that is annoying at Disney parks that don't have FP+… the economy is picking up and the parks are more crowded. DS5 and I go to Disneyland probably 20 times a year at least since he was 2 (and for me hundreds of times over my lifetime). The upswing since then is dramatic. Whether MM technology needs some work or not, it includes crowd control, allowing guests to have experiences with shorter lines. If not, there's still standby.

Obviously Disney has a bigger motivation to help drive down their own costs, track the spending habits of their customers better, but is Disney's move to RFID so shocking? I imagine they might need to tweak both hardware and software for a while, but instead the argument seems to be just to go back to the old way?

I agree with previous posters…
Why didn't anyone get a key card for the people whose door didn't work?
Why didn't the laundry woman ask that the manager to have Disney launder some items for free for the inconvenience?
The "squish down the row" has been going on since I saw Country Bears in Disneyland as a child at least.
And the germ thing is just so dramatic. Yes there are ridiculous amounts of contact surfaces at Disney. There always have been. Kids learn with their hands and will touch anything in a Disney queue, any decoration, any poster, anything they can reach. Perhaps the screens do encourage it, but that's what hand washing is for. And I won't even go into explaining about how the immune system works. So we are criticizing Disney for adding things that will appeal to kids? Maybe they should insist all children wear helmets and surgical gloves in the park. Ugh.
I almost forgot about the part where they didn't feed the hungry kid. Did no one in their party have any common sense? Fortunately in Disney's extreme drive to conquer our wallets, there's some kind of food stand thing every 50 feet or so.

Things break. They have long before Magic Bands. People got locked out of their rooms plenty. Lines were long and even the old FP system required planning. I think it's easier to do all that planning at home than on the fly.


People want somewhere to focus their angst when something eats away at their nostalgia. My mom is often sad when we go to Disneyland because Walt would never have accepted peeling paint. Times change. Even without FP+ Disney will never be the Disney or your childhood or even of 5 years ago.

I think this article was exceptionally whiny and dramatic. I clicked through to some of her previous articles and I think the reason why is explained there. I think many people here have voiced their concerns in such a better way.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

she goes to Disney World and complains about germs. OK then.

If you are going to vacation in a popular place that draws crowds, at a time of year when crowds peak, then you MUST do some planning. You may not get on anything popular if you just show up expecting to do it without waiting in line for an hour or two. and she is complaining that they were "forced" to skip meals to ride Test Track and regretted it when the kids were "ravenous" later and they had to wait nearly 2 hours in line to get food. In a park where you can walk a few feet and there is some sort of food in every direction. Where did they go that they allowed the group to get "ravenous" and then had to wait nearly 2 hours in line for food? Maybe this is a family where they decline to give their children snacks, but you're in one of the rare theme parks that actually allows guests to *bring in their own food?* You could have brought along some healthy snacks and staved off ravenousness.

I agree that there are lots of technical issues and that many people feel they cannot have any "spontenaity" anymore.

Obviously Disney has a bigger motivation to help drive down their own costs, track the spending habits of their customers better, but is Disney's move to RFID so shocking?

It is shocking because they are the first to do it, therefore they are the ones who get to work out the bugs. I am betting other parks and entertanment venues will follow eventually.

now Disney has the power to not only change their operating schedules but they can also remotely cancel your FPs and dining reservations AND if you have a fully charged smart phone you may even be emailed about it.

They did these things before FP+, at least with dining reservations. Every once in awhle you would get a thread on the board about people being called because the restaurant they reserved had been shut down for unexpected maintenance or a private party. And if they weren't called they just heard about it when they showed up.

 

[jerivera]

I'm at the point where I will do Disney World as part time days. Under the old legacy fastpass we were able to accomplish 6 to 8 rides a day. No matter how hard I try I can't do the same with FP+. I look at 3 FP+ as a half day for me at Disney.

Disney World has more late hours, especially with extra late hours for onsite guests. I can see myself having FP+ for early evening and then using the evening later hours for stand by when more people will be back in their resort rooms for the night. Anyway, with this plan I can spend my daytime hours at Universal or SeaWorld and get a full day in those parks and then use the rest my late day for Disney. The one bad thing here is I'm spending less time at a Disney park and paying the same price as I did when I was there for a longer day. This is not a perfect answer, but I will try this on our next trip. Spending less time at Disney means I will not be shopping or eating there as much.

There can be other variations with the idea of half days at Disney. I can see doing early morning with my 3 FP+ and then leaving and not coming back. Then, I would perhaps take a nap and go to a non-Disney park for the rest of the day.

We have started to stay away from Disney completely, too. We've been enjoying Dollywood and Branson and Williamsburg more, now. I really like Dollywood with their special festivals and how could you not like being in the Smokies for a few days.

Disney is experiencing upward attendance, right now. There will be the day again when that won't be true. History says this will happen again. I can wait for that day.

Huh? You won't do stand-by lines at Disney and apparently will only ride Disney rides with FastPass in hand..... but you'll go to non-Disney parks and spend the day there even though you probably had to do stand-by lines at those parks (unless you purchased whatever skip-line-pass they might have).

This seems more like personal preference on parks to attend, not a FastPass issue.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Huh? You won't do stand-by lines at Disney and apparently will only ride Disney rides with FastPass in hand..... but you'll go to non-Disney parks and spend the day there even though you probably had to do stand-by lines at those parsk (unless you purchased whatever skip-line-pass they might have).

I think it's just irritation or resentment at Disney due to the perception that Disney had given them an advantage and then taken it away. Almost anybody who used to get more than 4 or so FPs per day feels this way. Some are more likely to feel better about visiting a vacation destination that they don't believe took something away from them (even if it's because that destination didn't offer the advantage in the first place).

 

[MrInfinity]

I understand this article was written mainly to get a rise out of people, but I can't stand absurd things. And this article definitely falls into the absurd category. Let's look at her points:

I've been a humongous Disney fan ever since I was a kid

That's the first step. To realize that Disney hooks KIDS. When you're a kid, it's new - fun - you aren't paying for it - you have food brought to you. When you're an adult, you are paying for it, you are managing kids, you are trying to avert meltdowns. So the fact that Disney appeals to her less as an adult than it did before is only natural.

Changes make Disney worse

The primary change she didn't mention -- is that she has gotten older! SHE changed. Always look inside yourself before you assert the world is changing around you for the worse.

Magic bands often don't work

This is simply not true. Almost all reviews I read say they work 100%. Mine worked 100%, for everything. Then she goes on about an anecdote that the case where they didn't work was some other guest that couldn't get into the laundry room... and the hotel key didn't work too! This is ~not~ a magic band failure, but a simple lock failure.

Please slide all the way to the middle

Come on every park has said this since the beginning of theme parks. I don't care if it's the Indiana Jones, the FOTLK, Monster Inc, or whatever. They have ALWAYS told you to scoot all the way over so they are not leaving seats vacant. If you're the guy who doesn't get in and has to wait for the next show, I'm sure you'd appreciate that they do this! But once ppl are in, it's all about leaving that extra seat so you can have "comfort space" or a place to shove your coats. Who cares if someone is outside and doesn't get in, right?

Spontaneity doesn't exist

Maybe it doesn't exist in HER. When we went in 2010, it had been our first trip to WDW in years. We didn't pre-book ADRs. AND, we had the DDP. We showed up and almost everything was booked! So we didn't get into our first choices. We were not in any way put out. We just noted things we wanted to do, and when we went back next time, we made sure to reserve them. We had just as much fun!

If someone feels they have to plan that is only because that is a personal trait. Sometimes, you give someone a planning tool, they'll feel compelled to use it. Own your own future! Want to be spontaneous? Do so! Go to the random park. But don't expect to walk in to CRT.

Don't feed your kids, then blame Disney when they melt down

Seriously. You do not ask a kid "do you want to go on a ride or do you want to eat". Which do you think they'll pick. Hmmmmmmm. Take a half-hour out of your day and feed them. Yes you get on one less ride. But yes they will get on rides and be happier, and you will be happier too. Parent error.

Stress

Ok, I buy that. Just reading her article, I can see she experiences a lot of stress. Maybe taking a vacation without so many people around would be more appropriate! But you go to the #1 tourists destination in the world, you have to accept that it will not be as relaxing as going to a beach in Hawaii.

Germs

Ya think? In a theme park? (ROFL)

One person would complain of waiting in line with nothing to do, then you give them something to do and they'll complain about having to touch the thing provided to do. If you're a germaphobe that's totally cool, but it's on you to bring the wipeys and the Lysol. No Disney CM will scold you for wiping down each board before your kid touches it!

Rejuvenated vs Survived

Once again. THEME PARK. Want rejuvenated? Go to a spa. Go to the beach. Take your kids to the most massive park in the world for a week of nonstop go-go-go and then know you're the type that books tons of stuff to do and then leave feeling like you did too much? Duh.

I miss the simpler times

By the fact that she mentions River Country in here, I know she's talking about a time when she had not a care in the world! Of course those times are to be missed - cherished - those times leaving such an impact on us, then, are why we go now. And our kids - are having those times - NOW.

I'm guessing if she asked her kids as they were checking out -- Did you guys have a good time at Disney World? They would scream back YYYYYEEEEESSSSSS WE LOVED IT!!!!!!!!. Thus, I think she missed the boat. To come back from a week w your kids who had a BLAST and have such negativity to report is... beyond me.

People need to look at their kids eyes when you're at Disney World and realize they don't care if you get that ADR to CRT -- they will have an amazing time playing in the puddles while you are telling them "honey we have to run or we won't make our fast pass"... "awww, I'm having fun"... "no honey we have to go". Think about who is stressing there! The kid doesn't care about waiting in line at Test Track. They are having FUN playing w the boards. It is only the adults who are impatient.

It's Disney World folks.

 

[pad406]

I understand this article was written mainly to get a rise out of people, but I can't stand absurd things. And this article definitely falls into the absurd category. Let's look at her points:

....................
....................

It's Disney World folks.

Oh Yeah

 

[Hokie2000]

I have nothing real to add... just laughing at the germ thing... I am happy if my kids aren't trying to eat dropped food off the gound... lol

On our trip 3 years ago my middle son was 4 1/2 years old. Imagine my shock and chagrin when I saw his mouth on the railing in the Test Track queue!

I also caught him licking the aquarium glass in the Seas Pavilion! I don't know what happened, but apparently the sights/sounds/smells weren't enough, he just had to taste Disney World.

Of course he got sick. While he was throwing up in the middle of the night my husband told him - this is why you can't lick stuff. His response, in between heaves, "but you can lick stamps, and ice cream cones"

Honestly, it's not a real Disney trip until I get thrown up on.

 

[ArwenMarie]

There is nothing magical about being at the front gates and having to be interrogated by some emotionless manager in order to use the ticket on the band to get in. The rest I can put up with. But not that. Not at those prices. Sorry.

"When were you last here? What park, what day?" And I love how they never apologize (at least they haven't to me!)

I understand this article was written mainly to get a rise out of people, but I can't stand absurd things. And this article definitely falls into the absurd category. Let's look at her points:

I've been a humongous Disney fan ever since I was a kid

That's the first step. To realize that Disney hooks KIDS. When you're a kid, it's new - fun - you aren't paying for it - you have food brought to you. When you're an adult, you are paying for it, you are managing kids, you are trying to avert meltdowns. So the fact that Disney appeals to her less as an adult than it did before is only natural.

Changes make Disney worse

The primary change she didn't mention -- is that she has gotten older! SHE changed. Always look inside yourself before you assert the world is changing around you for the worse.

So true. Lots of things are more magical when you are a kid.

I looked on her website and apparently she is from Indiana, moved to Florida for eight years, then moved back to Indiana. I'm thinking those three dozen visits were while she was in living in Florida and perhaps some as a kid too.

I don't know where she lived in Florida, but wherever, it would be less expensive than doing a big trip from Indiana. Therefore her expectations would be lower and also her perception of value would be different.

If I could drive there in a few hours, my perception of value would be drastically different than having to buy airfare and endure a full-body scan to get there.

 

[clambert1273]

On our trip 3 years ago my middle son was 4 1/2 years old. Imagine my shock and chagrin when I saw his mouth on the railing in the Test Track queue!

I also caught him licking the aquarium glass in the Seas Pavilion! I don't know what happened, but apparently the sights/sounds/smells weren't enough, he just had to taste Disney World.

Of course he got sick. While he was throwing up in the middle of the night my husband told him - this is why you can't lick stuff. His response, in between heaves, "but you can lick stamps, and ice cream cones"

Honestly, it's not a real Disney trip until I get thrown up on.

LOL my 7yo has this fascination with "ohhh look its on the ground" ... I spend my life saying - Put that down and stop picking stuff up... My 15yo, well he is a boy and let's face it, if he showers and uses soap I am doing good that day

No telling what germs we will pick up but I am sure there will plenty of them - oh well, I refuse to live in a bubble lol

 

[ghtx]

That was a pretty bad blog post. I would have expected more from HuffPo. Seems like something that should have shown up on Buzzfeed.

The complaint about the germs was ridiculous, as was most everything else.

 

[erin1715]

While I agree that the germs part of her article was ridiculous, I agree with most of the rest of it.

This topic is beating a dead horse, but its amazing to me the amount of people on here who either have blinders on or have never experienced the old fastpass system.

People claim you can still be spontaneous, but the rides that used to be 15-20 minute waits at most (Pirates, HM, Small World) are now an hour wait. So ok great, you ride 3 headliners with FP+, and then what? We went last February at what was supposed to be a slower time, and the lines for Pirates and HM were insane.

 

[FLchick415]

While I agree that the germs part of her article was ridiculous, I agree with most of the rest of it.

This topic is beating a dead horse, but its amazing to me the amount of people on here who either have blinders on or have never experienced the old fastpass system.

People claim you can still be spontaneous, but the rides that used to be 15-20 minute waits at most (Pirates, HM, Small World) are now an hour wait. So ok great, you ride 3 headliners with FP+, and then what? We went last February at what was supposed to be a slower time, and the lines for Pirates and HM were insane.

Get in the stand-by line with everyone else? If you go to Disney World and expect to NEVER wait in any line, that's unrealistic expectations.

 

[clambert1273]

no I don't have blinders on We are DisneyLand folks who lived literally out the back door so I am quite familiar with running through trying to grab fastpasses. That was NOT fun... The waits for pirates and HM have ALWAYS been very long in Disneyland so I don't understand the complaints about lines...

We went to Disneyland the last week in August and my 7yo HAD to meet Elsa... they had NO fastpass for that greet so there she stood for over 2 hours waiting... the CM told me "well she may only get one of them etc..." but luckily she met both and she was over the moon.

I don't do Disney for me - I do it for my kids and I watch her eyes and face which makes any effort I put in totally worth it. Live it through them...

 

[Hokie2000]

While I agree that the germs part of her article was ridiculous, I agree with most of the rest of it.

This topic is beating a dead horse, but its amazing to me the amount of people on here who either have blinders on or have never experienced the old fastpass system.

People claim you can still be spontaneous, but the rides that used to be 15-20 minute waits at most (Pirates, HM, Small World) are now an hour wait. So ok great, you ride 3 headliners with FP+, and then what? We went last February at what was supposed to be a slower time, and the lines for Pirates and HM were insane.

Wow, the standby lines keep growing and growing! Pirates and Small World never had more than a 20 minute wait? Ever? So they never used the extended queues? I've skipped HM many a time (before FP+) because the line was 40 minutes and it's not one of my favorites, so therefore not worth the wait.

I have my eyes wide open, have lots of magical FP- experience, and yet I still like FP+. Something must be wrong with me!

 

[redsbe]

Personally I do not get all the complaining about now having to plan every day, including down to the minute. Since 1995 I have planned 12 trips to WDW or DLR and even now with a trip in a few weeks, never felt the need to plan for more than a few basics, such as reserving table meals (which we have not done for recent trips so that is no longer an issue for us), determining best park days based on crowd levels, and priority rides with FP and now with FP+ (and frankly now and then FP were never key to our trip experience and enjoyment).

Due to the size of WDW with multiple parks and dozens of attractions, rides and shows in each park, a visit has always taken some degree of planning, especially around crowds and lines. For our upcoming trip, with counter food only, we have set up park days (again based on crowd levels), made note of park hours, times for parades and shows, noted preferred counter food locations in each park, and booked 3 FP+ for early to mid morning (FP+ booking took me a little advance thinking and 30 minutes on line). So yes some planning, but not extensive and certainly not down to the minute or even hour of any day, leaving plenty of open time and flexibility. If we miss a FP+, event or need to change to different counter food location, we will and can with ease and no stress to us.

And I agree a trip to WDW is not like any other vacation when you can relax and lie around all day and be more casual with last minute planning, the size and complexity of WDW does require planning especially to work around the crowds, and it has been required for at least the last two decades to do so.

 

[MermaidMommy]

I have been going to Disney regularly since before FPs existed in any form and I have to say, I love the new system. Having to run all over the park to get a FP and then hoping it fit our plans was never any fun for me, and we usually ended up giving away half of them. This past trip in November was so relaxed and east. Our MBs were awesome- from every aspect. We slept in on our DHS day (we ran the W&D the night before) and rode ToT, TSMM and RnR with no waits. That never would have been possible in the past. We had no issues and I really do feel the whole magic plus (or whatever its called) really enhanced our stay. Yes, you have to plan, but I love planning! I can't wait to make FPs for our February trip in a few days. And nothing's set in stone. If you wake up and change your mind one day, just go into your MDE and switch it up. Yes, your availability will be less, but you'll still get FPs and have a good time! 90% of your trip is what *you* make it!

Did you have FP's for TSMM and RnR? Were you able to take advantage of a glitch to get two Tier 1 rides? Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be possible to sleep in and be able to ride both of those rides without a wait.