Max pass/ no magic bands at WDW

[STLstone]

Don't forget that at the DL resort, you don't have to use Max Pass or pay for it. The paper FP are still available at the ride kiosks. You are not required to purchase the Max Pass in order to get your FP. You are just basically paying for the convenience of not having to go to the kiosks.

And considering that you already getting a rolling "4th" FP at WDW, it would be extremely challenging to implement some other "pay as you go" FP program at WDW without totally changing things (which Disney could do).

The only real changes are they would drop the ability to pre-book Fast Passes and you could no longer use the app to book new Fast Passes (for free) while in the park.

Then Max Pass becomes an option, just like Disneyland. You don't have to buy it, you could still go to the kiosks.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking forward to this, but depending on how much money they think they're making on Max Pass right now, the free MDE functionality in Disney World could on borrowed time.

 

[Roxyfire]

Here's a funny story about the FP+ system. I've got a college fraternity brother, very smart, talented programmer type, went to work for a very well-known tech consulting company, moved up the ladder very fast. After a couple of years, he got real quiet about his work and started telling people he had signed a bunch of NDAs and couldn't talk about what he was doing. We all assumed it was government related, but it dragged on for years. Probably 3 or 4 years at least. He was miserable. Whenever we could get him to talk he muttered about antiquated systems and horrible integration and impossible ideas. Finally one day in early fall 2013 he was done. Never seen the guy so happy. A few months later the NDAs ended and he could finally talk about what he was working on, if not give a whole lot of details. You guessed it, he was a lead outside manager for the FP+ creation and installation and what later became MDE.

Still claims it was the most miserable project he's ever worked on, and he does a lot of government work. Apparently Disney wanted all kinds of legacy systems to work with the FP+, and my friend's firm kept telling them it would be cheaper, faster, and easier, just to rebuild all the systems they wanted connected and leave open ways to connect future systems. Disney never would agree, whether that's because they didn't believe the contractors or just didn't want to, so the whole infrastructure surrounding FP+, Magic Bands, and MDE, and how it all interacts with payment systems, reservations, pretty much everything, is all band aids and tape bridging disparate systems, programming languages, and vendors.

Whenever someone wonders why Disney doesn't do something with a Magic Band that seems simple and makes perfect sense, like adding AP discounts to mobile ordering, it's probably because none of this stuff was designed to work together and everything needs a custom bridge built to support it.

I'm in no way surprised. I said as much on a Halloween Party thread about FP+ booking. I'm pretty glad you confirmed it. Companies do this all the time because they spent all kinds of money on existing architecture and their c-suite employees aren't tech people, so they don't really understand it. They see the employees and contractors as "resources" to complete a task, like a pawn on a chess table, and if that "resource" can't get the objective completed then another one will. I'm mad just thinking about it!

 

[wnwardii]

Then Max Pass becomes an option, just like Disneyland. You don't have to buy it, you could still go to the kiosks.

But Disney would need to reinstall all of the kiosks that they have removed. If I am not mistaken, there are not very many FP distribution kiosks around any more. At MK, I can think of one location between Frontierland and Adventurland and then one location in Tomorrowland. I couldn't even tell you were they are in Epcot or AK. I saw a youtube video last night that at least showed where some of the DHS ones were.

Not saying that WDW could not go the route of what DL has done. It would be a huge change for WDW guests to go back to same day only FP.

 

[STLstone]

But Disney would need to reinstall all of the kiosks that they have removed. If I am not mistaken, there are not very many FP distribution kiosks around any more. At MK, I can think of one location between Frontierland and Adventurland and then one location in Tomorrowland. I couldn't even tell you were they are in Epcot or AK. I saw a youtube video last night that at least showed where some of the DHS ones were.

Not saying that WDW could not go the route of what DL has done. It would be a huge change for WDW guests to go back to same day only FP.

Although it would not be enough, they still have kiosks for people that can't, or don't want to, use the app.

There are 6 in MK, 3 in Epcot, 4 in DHS and 3 in AK.

 

[Bizzie71c]

I love my magic band and it would stink to have to pull out my phone for every ride we fast pass. Then you have battery issues and such. I hope they keep the bands.

 

[STLstone]

I love my magic band and it would stink to have to pull out my phone for every ride we fast pass. Then you have battery issues and such. I hope they keep the bands.

I see them getting rid of Magic Bands themselves because they have value far beyond fast-passes - not the least of which is Disney being able to track people's spending habits.

I have to believe the magic band would still work as your ticket, room key and fast pass entry - no matter what else they do.

 

[wnwardii]

I love my magic band and it would stink to have to pull out my phone for every ride we fast pass. Then you have battery issues and such. I hope they keep the bands.

I am right there with you. At Disneyland, it was very annoying when going through the FP+ checkpoints to have to pull out my AP card/ticket. I was there right before Max Pass rolled out, so didn't get to use my phone. I would imagine the phone would be a little easier since I tend to put my AP card back in my wallet.

I could see that out in Disneyland where they could implement a Magic Band in addition to using the phone/app or your ticket. Don't they realize how much more $ they could earn by selling more Magic Bands out at Disneyland?

 

[skier_pete]

Another reason they won't do this. This like MB and advanced booking for FP+ are a selling point to get you to stay on-site at WDW. DLR doesn't need such things. If they ever started charging for a service like this at WDW, it would be to off-site people only.

 

[mikejs78]

If they want to charge for anything, charge me $10 to get an extra group A fastpass for one of my pre-booked ones. I'd gladly do that.

 

[Bizzie71c]

Another reason they won't do this. This like MB and advanced booking for FP+ are a selling point to get you to stay on-site at WDW. DLR doesn't need such things. If they ever started charging for a service like this at WDW, it would be to off-site people only.

I see your point on this bc it def can be cheaper to stay off site. But the perks of magic bands, fp+ choice at 60 days out and charging to your band are big selling points. For me at least.

 

[tlmadden73]

There it is, (surprised it took this long) .. another "paid" Fast Pass experience. This time for AK (and Pandora).

This new AK VIP Night experience is basically paying not only for a tour but Fast Passes for 4 of the major rides at AK. Plus Rivers of Light.
Experiences included with the 'Ultimate Nights of Adventure VIP Tour':

• Expedition Everest
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Avatar Flight of Passage
• Na’vi River Journey
• Rivers of Light

So for $265/person you can get Fast Passes for every attraction that has huge wait times at AK .. plus a "VIP" like experience and some "sampler" food.

These tours always seem nice until you see you need theme park admission too.
Still, if you have a hopper, it may be worth it to spend the evening at AK without worrying about waiting forever for Flight Of Passage.

I expect to see the same type of thing for Star Wars Land .. and maybe even Toy Story Land.

I would expect to see more of these "experiences" bundled with a "tour" or a meal (like Early Morning Magic) . .rather than just a straight up paid extra Fast Pass service.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

I would expect to see more of these "experiences" bundled with a "tour" or a meal (like Early Morning Magic) . .rather than just a straight up paid extra Fast Pass service.

I agree. I think Disney would much rather dole out pre-bundled experiences of Rides & Food for $$$ where they can keep all their costs "secret" and not have customers doing the math breakdown to figure out how to "get a deal" out of it. They can offer a breakfast selection that they can control the costs on (it's not the full menu available), they can offer rides that they have chosen to staff/operate, and they can control the security/transportation/crowds if they work out some patterns (maybe Small Families of 3-6 gobble this experience up like candy, while the Honeymooning Couples flat-out do not buy this package, IDK, I am just thinking out loud!)

 

[Princess_Lisa]

If they tried to start charging $10/person/day at WDW now I think there would be riots.

If they included Memory Maker for the day (in that $10) like they're doing in California, it would be nice, but not sure how that would work for those who paid for MM/PP.