just back - split stay - "magic" bands (not)

[LindaBabe]

I posted this on the magic bands thread, but I thought y'all might b e interested also.

"Just back from the MOST stressful, frustrating and LEAST magical trip since my first one in 1994. Background - I am very computer literate, but I don't have a smart phone or an I-anything.

2 hours on line trying to set up fast passes for me (dh didn't have his AP yet)
1 hour on hold and on phone with tech support (Oh, you have a known glitch and need to wait a few days, then call Member services)
40 minutes on hold and 1 hour on phone with MS (ok, you now have FP. It will be easy for the concierge at your hotel to mirror them on your husband's MB after he gets his ap)
40 minutes w Concierge at SSR (Before coffee, which was a big mistake)
1 hour w/Concierge at SSR (after coffee, lunch, better mood. finally have pass and fp+ linked to his band)
Day 1 - two minor fast pass attractions in EPCOT were walk ons, Illuminations FP+ Unfortunately, exhausted, we bailed at 8 pm.
Day 2 - Studios - His mb didn't work at TOT. Person had to reset something, and issued him a paper FP. He rode stand by. R&RC worked fine, he rode on his and mine. TSM, we both rode. THEN I needed to change the Tuesday's FP because it was our moving day and I knew we'd be late. Short wait but two different CMs for that.
Have not been able to access MDE from hotel since check in. Need to cancel an ADR for Tuesday - FP+ Cm can't do that. 40 minutes in line at GS - I was number 2 in line and the two people at the window were struggling with MB/ FP+.
Day 3 AK - I had trouble at the gate, but FP+ worked all 3 times. It's a miracle!
Day 4 MK - DH had trouble at the gate, but FP+ worked. CROWDED.
Day 5 EPCOT - we missed our first two FP by late arrival, but were able to work it out with the help of the FP+ CM. these were all 'A' list fast passes, made before tiering

Bottom line - HUGE hassle getting set up. HUGE time waster. HUGE stresser. I have another trip planned for January, for which I am NOT making ADRS or FP+. Period. Too much of a pain to change one's mind, run late, or tire early.

We just bought another 100 points in September. I'll give them a year to get the kinks out. If we're not having fun yet by then, I will consider selling my points and taking my vacation dollars elsewhere. "

Tiered FP SUCK pond scum. Limit of 3 in one park kills hopping. HATE HATE HATE.

Oh, and you don't really need a new set of bands for each resort. When they finally fixed my husband's issues at the first resort, they had to use the band I got for him for the second resort. The first resorts band was unreprogramable. When we got to the second resort, he was good to go, and they just took the number off my first resort's band and put it in the system.

 

[Figamento]

Did you not use your park tix for regular fastpass too? And sounds like it's time to join the I-revolution. I resisted too. Resistance is futile.

 

[Nabas]

Tiered FP SUCK pond scum. Limit of 3 in one park kills hopping. HATE HATE HATE.

It's especially crazy at Epcot.

Once you get past Soarin' and Test Track, there's not much left at Epcot that should even need a FastPass line.

 

[MouseMomx2]

Tiered FP SUCK pond scum. Limit of 3 in one park kills hopping.

We actually find that FP+ helps with hopping. We head to a park early and ride what we want to via the Standby line before it gets too busy. Then we hop to another park in the afternoon/evening and use our FP+s there. It is so nice to get to the Studios in the late afternoon and still get to ride Toy Story Mania.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy MBs or FP+. We had a great experience with both in November and look forward to using them again in three weeks. Hopefully your next trip goes more smoothly.

 

[LindaBabe]

Did you not use your park tix for regular fastpass too? And sounds like it's time to join the I-revolution. I resisted too. Resistance is futile.

No, didn't even try. We wouldn't have been in the park sufficiently late in the day to use them.

Once you get past Soarin' and Test Track, there's not much left at Epcot that should even need a FastPass line.

Exactly. We had FP on Sunday for The land (walk on with zero wait) and Space Ship Earth, for which I need the accessible entrance so couldn't use the FP. It , too, was virtually a walk on, anyway.

 

[Figamento]

The very thing I liked about FP+ was the ability to get late Fastpasses for select E-tickets, thus eliminating the need to arrive early to get the evening FP. This made it easier to park hop, because we could do rope drop in one park, hit favorites with no lines and get early afternoon FPs (-) for others, then nap, then use the FP+ at the other park in the evening. The combo is what made it great. I will join you in mourning if standard FPs go away and we are left with only 3 options per day.

 

[MouseMomx2]

The very thing I liked about FP+ was the ability to get late Fastpasses for select E-tickets, thus eliminating the need to arrive early to get the evening FP. This made it easier to park hop, because we could do rope drop in one park, hit favorites with no lines and get early afternoon FPs (-) for others, then nap, then use the FP+ at the other park in the evening. The combo is what made it great. I will join you in mourning if standard FPs go away and we are left with only 3 options per day.

Ditto. For us, park hopping is so much better with FP+. For our upcoming trip over New Year's week we have FP+s scheduled for each evening. We will hit one park at rope drop, spend a good part of the afternoon relaxing at our resort, and then hit another park in the evening. We followed a similar plan the last time we went for NYE but didn't ride much in the evenings, and certainly no headliners, because it was so busy. This time we will be able to ride some headliners each evening thanks to FP+. Oh, and we will do it without having to force our teens to get up early to get Legacy FPs. Priceless!

OP, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the new systems. Hopefully your next experience will be as good as ours have been.

 

[wordwitt]

OP, sorry you had so much stress on your vacation! Count me in the group that thinks FP+ encourages park-hopping for the reasons stated-- RD at one park and then evening FP+ and ADR at another.

But the tiers? UGH.

 

[PatMcDuck]

No, didn't even try. We wouldn't have been in the park sufficiently late in the day to use them.
.

Exactly why FP+ is so good, you can schedule some rides before you get to t he park, and not worry that some are already gone, or are for times that are too late or conflict with a meal reservation.

I liked the bands and FP+

 

[JudithM]

"Just back from the MOST stressful, frustrating and LEAST magical trip since my first one in 1994. Background - I am very computer literate, but I don't have a smart phone or an I-anything.

I'll give them a year to get the kinks out. If we're not having fun yet by then, I will consider selling my points and taking my vacation dollars elsewhere. "

I agree 1000%. We have been going to WDW right after Thanksgiving most years since 1990, and this trip was the most frustrating trip and the worst as far as crowds, lines, etc. At OKW we waited 25 minutes to check in, and we were party #3 in line. It took the CM another 25 minutes to check us in and we did NOT use magic bands. We don't have smart phones or texting which was frustrating when our room was not ready. According to the CM at check-in, WDW no longer calls guests on your cell phones; they will only text you. So we had to keep calling.

At each park entrance we needed a Guest Relations CM for admission since we do not use fingerprints at WDW.

 

[Longhairbear]

I posted this on the magic bands thread, but I thought y'all might b e interested also.

"Just back from the MOST stressful, frustrating and LEAST magical trip since my first one in 1994. Background - I am very computer literate, but I don't have a smart phone or an I-anything.

2 hours on line trying to set up fast passes for me (dh didn't have his AP yet)
1 hour on hold and on phone with tech support (Oh, you have a known glitch and need to wait a few days, then call Member services)
40 minutes on hold and 1 hour on phone with MS (ok, you now have FP. It will be easy for the concierge at your hotel to mirror them on your husband's MB after he gets his ap)
40 minutes w Concierge at SSR (Before coffee, which was a big mistake)
1 hour w/Concierge at SSR (after coffee, lunch, better mood. finally have pass and fp+ linked to his band)
Day 1 - two minor fast pass attractions in EPCOT were walk ons, Illuminations FP+ Unfortunately, exhausted, we bailed at 8 pm.
Day 2 - Studios - His mb didn't work at TOT. Person had to reset something, and issued him a paper FP. He rode stand by. R&RC worked fine, he rode on his and mine. TSM, we both rode. THEN I needed to change the Tuesday's FP because it was our moving day and I knew we'd be late. Short wait but two different CMs for that.
Have not been able to access MDE from hotel since check in. Need to cancel an ADR for Tuesday - FP+ Cm can't do that. 40 minutes in line at GS - I was number 2 in line and the two people at the window were struggling with MB/ FP+.
Day 3 AK - I had trouble at the gate, but FP+ worked all 3 times. It's a miracle!
Day 4 MK - DH had trouble at the gate, but FP+ worked. CROWDED.
Day 5 EPCOT - we missed our first two FP by late arrival, but were able to work it out with the help of the FP+ CM. these were all 'A' list fast passes, made before tiering

Bottom line - HUGE hassle getting set up. HUGE time waster. HUGE stresser. I have another trip planned for January, for which I am NOT making ADRS or FP+. Period. Too much of a pain to change one's mind, run late, or tire early.

We just bought another 100 points in September. I'll give them a year to get the kinks out. If we're not having fun yet by then, I will consider selling my points and taking my vacation dollars elsewhere. "

Tiered FP SUCK pond scum. Limit of 3 in one park kills hopping. HATE HATE HATE.

Oh, and you don't really need a new set of bands for each resort. When they finally fixed my husband's issues at the first resort, they had to use the band I got for him for the second resort. The first resorts band was unreprogramable. When we got to the second resort, he was good to go, and they just took the number off my first resort's band and put it in the system.

I've been reading trip reports on other sites, and they hate the magic bands as well. Mostly because they spent their entire trip looking at their phones to see where they were supposed to be at any given moment.

 

[JudithM]

I've been reading trip reports on other sites, and they hate the magic bands as well. Mostly because they spent their entire trip looking at their phones to see where they were supposed to be at any given moment.

I cannot tell you how many people ran into me on a scooter or ran into someone in our party (five adults and one child) because they were busy with their phones. My friends son is about 6'3" and a "big" guy and he was amazed how many people ran into him (it was his first visit).

 

[Sammie]

The very thing I liked about FP+ was the ability to get late Fastpasses for select E-tickets, thus eliminating the need to arrive early to get the evening FP. This made it easier to park hop, because we could do rope drop in one park, hit favorites with no lines and get early afternoon FPs (-) for others, then nap, then use the FP+ at the other park in the evening. The combo is what made it great. I will join you in mourning if standard FPs go away and we are left with only 3 options per day.

Exactly and there is no official word, that it will only be limited to one park.

As to the 3 options, I am fine with that. I think any more than that, and there is simply not enough to go around. I think they truly are trying to share them with more people, instead of more fastpasses for fewer people.

I don't have an I-phone and made mine before arrival, made a few changes at night back at the hotel on my laptop and we managed fine. I made a print out for each day and did not run into anyone while reading it.

As to setting it up, without more info there is no way to know why the OP took so long, it took me about 20 minutes to do 7 days and link tickets.

 

[LindaBabe]

As to setting it up, without more info there is no way to know why the OP took so long, it took me about 20 minutes to do 7 days and link tickets.

Annual pass hit some kind of glitch in the system. Then adding DH's new AP apparently resulted in the problems with his mirror of what I had set up.

 

[keishashadow]

Did you not use your park tix for regular fastpass too? And sounds like it's time to join the I-revolution. I resisted too. Resistance is futile.

I've read many threads here where people were being chastised by CMs for using FP machines when they had magic bands.

Annual pass hit some kind of glitch in the system. Then adding DH's new AP apparently resulted in the problems with his mirror of what I had set up.

we've had ours linked since June, hope things go smoothly for us next month.

sorry to hear your experience with MB wasn't very magical.

 

[LPnerd]

We actually find that FP+ helps with hopping. We head to a park early and ride what we want to via the Standby line before it gets too busy. Then we hop to another park in the afternoon/evening and use our FP+s there. It is so nice to get to the Studios in the late afternoon and still get to ride Toy Story Mania.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy MBs or FP+. We had a great experience with both in November and look forward to using them again in three weeks. Hopefully your next trip goes more smoothly.

and hopefully yours goes as well this time as it did last... I am not paying to test someone else's bad idea. LOL... but we tried them two days... nightmare. Hate the magic bands. Great idea that does NOT work

 

[LPnerd]

I cannot tell you how many people ran into me on a scooter or ran into someone in our party (five adults and one child) because they were busy with their phones. My friends son is about 6'3" and a "big" guy and he was amazed how many people ran into him (it was his first visit).

so glad to see others noticed this as well. I do not travel with a phone attached to me. I HATE them. find them obnoxious and obtrusive. The magi bands we paid to test for 2 days ended up in the trash can, in front of about 20 guests on day 3... I said unless I am paid to further test this so not ready for prime time idea, I'm moving on before anymore of my vacation time is wasted, I was applauded! rofl. and the adm whispered to me, ( good for you!) rofl. I swear to god the poor concierge peeps and so on are over them as most of us are.