My Disney experience with mydisneyexperience was...

[k5jm]

...CRAP!

OK Disney, before you start trying to roll out new MB features like breathing RFID readers and nifty reader light shows, you should really get your app, back end, and your crap together!!!

DW, DS, and I Just returned from a fabulous trip, but OMG, FP+ was a bomb for us and we saw how delicate the balance is with the E-ticket rides now because of how FP has changed crowd flow.

DW made FP+ ressies for us for Little Mermaid at MK. We arrived at the FP line and she MB'd in and I was stopped by the Gatekeeper. "Sir, your FP is for 12 hours from now." I politely advised him that my wife did the FP at the same time. He pointed with two fingers to the FP+ kiosks. I almost gave him 1 finger.

DW made herself a FP for Minetrain at 11:30am. Guess what, 20 minutes before her FP time, we checked our app to get anger FP and my phone showed her ressie for 11:30pm. Another 12 hour error. When we went to the kiosk, the CM said there was nothing he could do and he ride is booked thru August. Grrrr

So, the Minetrain was down Sumday morning and most of the day. Well apparently tm inertial is absorbing an enormous amount of the crowd. So when it went down every ride Standby time jumped drastically. Pirates was at an hour and Space Mountain went back to it's normal 90 to 120 minute wait.

DS and I went to a kiosk and tried to get some additional FPs while in
EPCOT (because app has a glitch when trying to add FPs after using your first 3). I scanned my MB and it did not show me linked to my DS or DW. DS scanned his and it showed him linked to Matt D. CM had no answers and could not fix the issue as it was, you guessed it, another glitch.

We could not delete FPs and release them back into the system from our phones or tablets.

I am not impressed with the rollout. The PM on this project should be fired.

 

[darrengs]

That is the worst thing I see with FP+. there is no recourse, if their system screws up your screwed.

 

[AndyPok1]

Mike, I know part of this is in jest, since you know as well as anyone that the people developing breathing RFID readers have nothing to do with the ones developing with the app.

With that said, MDX IS bad. I know there is work in to improve it, but even then it's still not all the way there.

In regards to having issues with 12 hour lags on FP+ times, I haven't heard of it; though it wouldn't overly shock me, but bugs are fixed and features added every two weeks to the kiosks and backend. As far as the resulting bad experience, the cast members at the attractions should have the ability to provide guest recovery and override. If they aren't, that's an operational issue IMO.

Obviously biased (and STILL awaiting my MagicBand) of course... In my limited experience with FP+, I've had nothing but a great things to say.

 

[OKW Lover]

Lets start a campaign to get Andy working on the FP+ system.


Got to agree with some of Mike's comments. Just spent 7 park-days over the last two weeks with visiting family. Found the MDE app to be helpful sometimes, and notoriously un-helpful others.

Part appears to be blame-able on the wifi in the parks. Sometimes the app would report a failure to retrieve, make or modify a FP. Switching to LTE sometimes fixed this, but sometimes not. I often found I needed to sign out of MDE and then back in. Sometimes I needed to sign in even though I just used the App a minute before. It apparently has a Dory kind of memory at times.

When it worked right, the App was good to show us wait times and our next FP experience. However, even then it required too many swipes and taps to go from one screen to another.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

It apparently has a Dory kind of memory at times.

I have nothing helpful to add. Just wanted to say that this line is quite funny.

 

[PainInIL]

We just got back from a trip last week, and I have to say I was pretty happy with everything. I wish Epcot and Hollywood Studios didn't have different tiers for the rides, but honestly, until they invest in new rides I can understand why they are in place.

At Magic Kingdom we were still able to ride the Mine Train multiple times and Splash Mountain multiple times in a day. Honestly, it actually made my plans easier then the old FastPass system. If you really had the old system down, I can see how you would dislike FastPass+, but the days of collecting FastPasses in the morning and then using them over the course of the day are long gone.

I would like to see the extra FastPass added right from your smartphone instead of the kiosks, but I could also see why they may be a little hesitant to do so since it would be "too easy" and could have an impact on overall capacity. I think if they just added more kiosk locations, that might help things.

 

[magchavez]

We just got back on 6/11 and I was pleasantly surprised with FastPass Plus. I have to admit, I was very skeptical going in. Yes, the app logged me out a couple of times too, but overall, it was okay. I liked being able to see what the wait times were across the park.

The few things I didn't like was having to go the kiosk to make additional fastpasses once your initial three were gone. And the second thing I didn't like, was how the park hopping worked. If you spend the morning in one park and use all 3 of your fastpasses, you are able to get another fastpass for a ride in a different park. However, you must be at a kiosk in the other park to make that fastpass. We were unable to make a late fastpass for Epcot from the Magic Kingdom. That seems like a big flaw in my opinion.

Overall, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I think in time it will be much better.

 

[Polygirl77]

Went to MK last week and used the Fast Pass App....it worked ok but had some glitches. Had to call the help desk to reset my password and they were extremely helpful and efficient. I may change my mind in the future but right now I have to say I prefer the old way better. There's just too many things that could go wrong with this new fast pass and I feel like it over complicates everything. I saw guests spending more time trying to coordinate what was going on with their app and less time just taking in the magic of the park...and heaven forbid if the wifi is slow and you're having trouble getting a connection ! Until guests get "trained" on doing this the new way it's going to tick off some people for some time to come.

 

[WDW Crawl]

When I hear that a RIDE is booked thru Aug... Or any matter of time more than a day.... My eyes roll. I get that restaraunts are booked months in advance and I've really never had an issue getting the ones I want, but rides? That is just silly and another reason I don't care for FP+. Sure you can wait in the line. But the line landscape has changed with this system, and so has a matter of confidence of just showing up day of and hoping to get your fp for the new e-tickets. If no one was booking rides ages in advance like this, no one would need to be concerned with it, but it has a "peer pressure" effect and leads to instances like this, especially when the system splatters.

 

[k5jm]

I am sure that the cast member was unwilling to do guest recovery and I almost went to town hall to express my displeasure, but the monsoon was soon upon us and spared the Town Hall CM of my wrath (I would have been gracious and polite).

Andy, yes, some was in jest, but an average guest (which is neither you nor I) would not know that there are two or more different systems/groups doing different things with the app and the RFID stuff. The average guest just sees one Mickey-head. ;-)

Our trip was not ruined and we still had a great time, but I was not impressed by FP+ or MDE. Everything else was fine. I had high hopes, but, in the end, I was sadly disappointed.

 

[MinnieGarden]

As the wife of the OP...... I will say that our son, (almost 11) had a great time managing our fast passes after my fast pass+ experience. After the Mine Train experience, I turned everything over to him. The cast member that I spoke to regarding my Mine Train fast pass 12 hour discrepancy let me know that I "probably booked the wrong time" before letting me know that the ride is "fully booked until August". And my (short lived) success in getting a fast pass at all "was probably a fluke anyway". The same cast member also let me know that I "shouldn't bother trying to get Anna and Elsa either". Needless to say, I informed him that I had no interest in Frozen princesses and all I wanted was the fast pass that I had booked for the Mine Train. I can tell time and I know the difference between AM and PM (something else that was suggested).

As a seasoned park veteran and annual pass holder, I wasn't looking for anything other than what was originally booked by the app. However, there wasn't any attempt at figuring out the problem or the circumstances or even guest recovery and this particular cast member really tried to make me feel like I had done something wrong. I could have had my moment, but it was getting hot and there was an impending monsoon, and I chose not to.

A couple of cast member friends suggested taking a screen shot of your fast pass schedule. If the event something goes awry, you then have a bit more back up.

 

[jcb]

I'm more than a little terrified at the thought that WDW now has the capability to schedule a monsoon to avoid guest complaints.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'm more than a little terrified at the thought that WDW now has the capability to schedule a monsoon to avoid guest complaints.

 

[k5jm]

I'm more than a little terrified at the thought that WDW now has the capability to schedule a monsoon to avoid guest complaints.

It was due to guest's demands, apparently (as opposed to guest demand)

 

[Kristina4109]

We were there from 6/6 to 6/14. Our experience with FP+ was wonderful. Mind you, we never did try to get a fourth. The lines for the attractions we wanted to go on after our first 3 were minimal and it didn't seem worth it to track down a kiosk.

I loved the MDE website and used it quite often during the planning portion. However, the app on my husband's iPhone was awful. Half of the time our dining reservations didn't show up. Luckily, none of this impacted our actual experience - i.e. all our reservations were fine and we had no troubles, it's just that they didn't show up on the app.

It was annoying because the reason my husband downloaded the app was so we could check throughout the day, for example, "Okay, it's 6:00pm and we just got off of Big Thunder - what time is our dining ressie?" The app was useless for that.

Other than that, no problems whatsoever. Only one CM greeted us by name after we scanned our bands at a FP+ entrance - that was at Princess Fantasy Faire when we were meeting Elsa and Anna. (Yup, we got one of those puppies. About 25 minutes from entering to exiting, as opposed to the posted 160 minute wait.)

So all in all happy with MDE and FP+, but for the love of Pete (Werner), fix that stupid app.

 

[AndyPok1]

Andy, yes, some was in jest, but an average guest (which is neither you nor I) would not know that there are two or more different systems/groups doing different things with the app and the RFID stuff. The average guest just sees one Mickey-head. ;-)

Oh, I know this. It's my futile thinking that if enough people preach this message, people (at least in the fan community) will understand it.

Disney runs an interconnected 30+ property hotel system with 100+ restaurants and 6 theme parks admissions on two coasts. By and large, the core technology functions (rooms being assigned, being cleaned, being able to charge to rooms, meal plans, getting into parks, being able to book reservations based upon your hotel reservation and/or ticket status) works amazingly, but no one thinks about it. It just happens that the web site/mobile/app has, whats the disney was to say it, room for improvement?

Thus, I get irked when people say things like, "This is a company that can't design a website, how do you expect them to make xxx work." </soapbox>

 

[DisneyKevin]

Oh, I know this. It's my futile thinking that if enough people preach this message, people (at least in the fan community) will understand it.

Disney runs an interconnected 30+ property hotel system with 100+ restaurants and 6 theme parks admissions on two coasts. By and large, the core technology functions (rooms being assigned, being cleaned, being able to charge to rooms, meal plans, getting into parks, being able to book reservations based upon your hotel reservation and/or ticket status) works amazingly, but no one thinks about it. It just happens that the web site/mobile/app has, whats the disney was to say it, room for improvement?

Thus, I get irked when people say things like, "This is a company that can't design a website, how do you expect them to make xxx work." </soapbox>

From a consumer's point of view. I don't care how they do it. It's not my concern.

If I buy a product touted to work and it doesn't work....I want my money back.

I don't care why it didn't work. I don't care how intricate the factory may be. I don't care how hard the people in the factory work.

"Andy.....you should see the factory where your Ford Fiasco is made. It employs 30,000 people and has billions of moving parts. It's huge and everything else works really well. The fact that your brakes won't make your car stop is a small glitch compared to everything we do right. You should appreciate the fact that while you can't drive the car....you can sit in it and stay dry!"

Are you buying this?

Didn't think so.

 

[buckeev]

Lets start a campaign to get Andy working on the FP+ system.


Got to agree with some of Mike's comments. Just spent 7 park-days over the last two weeks with visiting family. Found the MDE app to be helpful sometimes, and notoriously un-helpful others.

Part appears to be blame-able on the wifi in the parks. Sometimes the app would report a failure to retrieve, make or modify a FP. Switching to LTE sometimes fixed this, but sometimes not. I often found I needed to sign out of MDE and then back in. Sometimes I needed to sign in even though I just used the App a minute before. It apparently has a Dory kind of memory at times.

When it worked right, the App was good to show us wait times and our next FP experience. However, even then it required too many swipes and taps to go from one screen to another.

Hmmm...That seems kinda harsh. Dory COULD find a whale's "Blowhole" in the dark.

 

[AndyPok1]

If I buy a product touted to work and it doesn't work....I want my money back.

I don't care why it didn't work. I don't care how intricate the factory may be. I don't care how hard the people in the factory work.

"Andy.....you should see the factory where your Ford Fiasco is made. It employs 30,000 people and has billions of moving parts. It's huge and everything else works really well. The fact that your brakes won't make your car stop is a small glitch compared to everything we do right. You should appreciate the fact that while you can't drive the car....you can sit in it and stay dry!"

Are you buying this?

Didn't think so.

Devil's Advocating a bit here...

I'd make the counter-point that brakes are a necessity to the operation of a car. MDX is not.

MDX is more like Climate Control not working. You still have Air-Conditioning, you just have to turn the dial and adjust the amount of air manually, rather than being automatically comfortable.

Also, there are no FordBoards that compare to the fanaticism of The Dis.

 

[Suvadoo]

From a consumer's point of view. I don't care how they do it. It's not my concern.

If I buy a product touted to work and it doesn't work....I want my money back.

I don't care why it didn't work. I don't care how intricate the factory may be. I don't care how hard the people in the factory work.

"Andy.....you should see the factory where your Ford Fiasco is made. It employs 30,000 people and has billions of moving parts. It's huge and everything else works really well. The fact that your brakes won't make your car stop is a small glitch compared to everything we do right. You should appreciate the fact that while you can't drive the car....you can sit in it and stay dry!"

Are you buying this?



Didn't think so.

Well said.