***MyMagic+ & FastPass+ Official Information & FAQ Thread***

[DreamSweetsLove]

How much of that is the result of reading terrible speculation about how FP+ will actually work out?

Yeah I think that is probably part of it. It's a bunch of little things, we are so rarely able to get the family together for the holidays that I just want things to work smoothly. I still think that FP+ as a concept is an interesting idea and I think once FP is phased out it has the potential to spread people out around the park possibly improving the experience overall, we still don't know. I just wish the method of linking your party was more well thought out. As it is we have to split up for BOG (totally unrelated I know), I have no idea if it will work or not but we have an odd time, 4pm, and I'm hoping maybe just possibly the concierge at the hotel can arrange to fit in the other two members of our party.

For the FP situation, I know we can wake up early and be at the gate for park opening and I know the waits at WDW are not so bad. I guess I was just in a bad mood and had been waiting for a reply from WDW guest comm. regarding some questions which I'm pretty sure isn't coming even though they said they would get back to me within 10 days. Why say that if they have no intention? Just sending a form letter saying they can't answer at this time or whatever instead would have been fine and I would not be waiting for an answer.

Of course it's a vacation and in the end it will be fine. I imagine we can let other members of our party use our FP+ I'd rather my husband and sil use it since they come the US far less often then we do. Really it's probably complaining over nothing, it's not like we've never been to a Disney resort. Even in a worse case scenario we can do and see everything we want while visiting. It's just been a busy week and like you said spending too much time reading speculation.

 

[Doug7856]

I too find it odd that people who follow the rules established by Disney for FastPass are somehow abusing the system. I don't understand that way of thinking.

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

I too find it odd that people who follow the rules established by Disney for FastPass are somehow abusing the system. I don't understand that way of thinking.

It's not abusing the system, if you follow the rules you are following the rules. Disney doesn't like it because the whole reason FP was starting was to get people out of lines and spending money. That's the reason they are putting the limit on FP+ right?

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

It's not abusing the system, if you follow the rules you are following the rules. Disney doesn't like it because the whole reason FP was starting was to get people out of lines and spending money. That's the reason they are putting the limit on FP+ right?

Limiting my FPs isn't going to get our family to spend anymore money. We stay off-site and I see it having us spend less money. We travel during peak times and if we are limited to 3 or 4 FP that we hope to get in the afternoon/early evening, then we would head out of the park to find dinner off-site for less cost.

 

[f19810]

It's not abusing the system, if you follow the rules you are following the rules. Disney doesn't like it because the whole reason FP was starting was to get people out of lines and spending money. That's the reason they are putting the limit on FP+ right?

Can somebody explain to me how I am going to spend more money shopping now? With the old system, I had to go to the park and get the fp and then wait around(shop, eat, etc) for my time. With this system, I don't have to show up at the park until closer to my fs+ time. Now I can spend time out of the park (pool, shopping at the outlets, sleeping, NOT SPENDING money at WDW ). Maybe because I am not a shopper, I don't see how I am going to spend more money now.

 

[d1gitman]

Can somebody explain to me how I am going to spend more money shopping now? With the old system, I had to go to the park and get the fp and then wait around(shop, eat, etc) for my time we typically do other attractions in between wait time rather than wait around. With this system, I don't have to show up at the park until closer to my fs+ time. Now I can spend time out of the park (pool, shopping at the outlets, sleeping, NOT SPENDING money at WDW ). Maybe because I am not a shopper, I don't see how I am going to spend more money now.

You may not be a shopper and I'd be willing to bet many many others are not shoppers but there are SOME shoppers who are not shopping and that is likely the target. It's hard for some to grasp the concept that not everyone goes to WDW to cram in 16 attractions per day or to set a new personal best record for how many times they went on Space Mountain in 1 day. Some people do shop or soak in the streetmosphere or people watch or do non "e-ticket" attractions. hard to believe, i know but they are out there.

I can say that for us, often times we want to stroll thru the various shops and window shop, occasionally buying somehting or checking out the various treats, etc...however, after a day of FP running and hitting our favorite attractions over and over, we are too tired to want to shop....or....we dont' have any time left in our day to shop. I suspect that various surveys done over several years may have shown there are enough people that fit that scenario and bingo, FP+.

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

Can somebody explain to me how I am going to spend more money shopping now? With the old system, I had to go to the park and get the fp and then wait around(shop, eat, etc) for my time. With this system, I don't have to show up at the park until closer to my fs+ time. Now I can spend time out of the park (pool, shopping at the outlets, sleeping, NOT SPENDING money at WDW ). Maybe because I am not a shopper, I don't see how I am going to spend more money now.

It's not my system, you would have to ask them. Maybe it will work maybe not. They say it is already increasing spending but it could be company spin or just be the novelty of trying something new, it could be because the resorts they chose are deluxe resorts, maybe selling magic band accessories. What I think, again, like you I can only guess, is that with a limited number of FP people will choose between standing standby or shopping, snacking or other activities. Like you say some guests won't spend more if they have a limited budget and they could use their time to do other things (attractions, shows, etc.). I think the company is betting enough people will spend additional money to make the change worth it.

another thing is using the bracelet to pay for things could make it easy for people to lose track of how much they are spending. I use an ic card on my daily commute and can scan it at the turnstyles, at Starbucks, etc. and yes it's true small purchases do add up rather quickly and before I know it it's time to charge my card again. So by scanning with the bracelet there is that potential for people to spend more just because it's so easy and you don't have to reach for your wallet. From everyday experience I can definitely see them making a higher profit this way. The question is by how much?

 

[Doug7856]

It would also help if Disney produced merchandise that people wanted to buy. I remember a time that if you wanted an item at Epcot, you had better buy it there because it's not available anywhere else. Now we just defer our shopping to World of Disney because they have the same products every other shop has.

 

[f19810]

another thing is using the bracelet to pay for things could make it easy for people to lose track of how much they are spending. I use an ic card on my daily commute and can scan it at the turnstyles, at Starbucks, etc. and yes it's true small purchases do add up rather quickly and before I know it it's time to charge my card again. So by scanning with the bracelet there is that potential for people to spend more just because it's so easy and you don't have to reach for your wallet. From everyday experience I can definitely see them making a higher profit this way. The question is by how much?[/QUOTE]

I totally agree that by using the bracelet people will spend more money. It is to easy to swipe the bracelet (and it doesn't feel like you are spending money). I am guilty of this at times. It is a similar mentality as spending a dollar in coins vs using a dollar bill. It doesn't feel like you are spending as much when it is just coins (or swiping a magic band) as when you are handing somebody bills or a credit card.

 

[WillAustin]

another thing is using the bracelet to pay for things could make it easy for people to lose track of how much they are spending.

This is definitely the case. They don't need FP+ for that though, just the band.

 

[mom2rtk]

I know I spend more money when I'm happy and in a relaxed state of mind.

I will not be feeling that way after trying one attraction after another only to find long standby wait times and realizing that I cannot do what I traveled all that way to do.

 

[Shaden]

I know I spend more money when I'm happy and in a relaxed state of mind.

I will not be feeling that way after trying one attraction after another only to find long standby wait times and realizing that I cannot do what I traveled all that way to do.

lol, nicely said.

I know I am not everyone, but as other people have pointed out, I can't see this system having MY family spend more.

The FP- system however, certainly might have. It was pretty common for us, at the "end" of a day, to swing by just to SEE if we could pull another FP for a ride. And if the return time was decent, we would pull one and either try to squeeze in a ride or hit up some shops or grab an iced or adult drink while we waited, then head back for FP ride.

FP+, once our FPs are done, no point sticking around, just head out and back to the resort and enjoy our food and bevies from Garden Grocer.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I don't think they built this because they think people will spend more money. You can only eat so much and buy so many souvenirs. They know that.

They built it because they have a capacity problem and because they think the they will be able to make back the money they put into building this system by selling things...band covers, band decorations, along with using it as incentives and possibly just outright selling more FP access one day.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't think they built this because they think people will spend more money. You can only eat so much and buy so many souvenirs. They know that.

They built it because they have a capacity problem and because they think the they will be able to make back the money they put into building this system by selling things...band covers, band decorations, along with using it as incentives and possibly just outright selling more FP access one day.

It has to be the capacity and crowd manipulation thing. Because the bands could exist without the FP+ component.

This is a thinly veiled attempt to rations rides and spread the bodies around to suit their needs.

 

[doggydoc]

This is a thinly veiled attempt to rations rides and spread the bodies around to suit their needs.

Well congratulations to them cuz my family will be spreading our bodies all the way over to Universal.

 

[dayvewc]

I'm signed up as a member to a touring plan website. (no web-addresses )

Going through some of their information, FAQ's, etc. I ran across this little gem.

Disney also seems ready to limit the combinations of FASTPASSes you can have, preventing some guests from using FASTPASS on the park’s headliner attractions. Again, while the rules haven’t been finalized, we’re hearing that Disney’s computer systems may enforce different rules depending on whether you’re staying offsite or at a Disney value, moderate or deluxe resort. The chart below shows how these rules might be implemented at the Magic Kingdom.

GUEST HOTEL CHOICE -- NUMBER OF FASTPASSES GUEST CAN OBTAIN AT MAGIC KINGDOM'S "MOUNTAINS"

Off-site / Day Guest -- 0
Disney Value Resort -- 1
Disney Moderate Resort -- 2
Disney Deluxe Resort -- 3

To prevent class warfare, we hear Disney’s computer systems won’t even hint at the distinctions between hotel guests.

I haven't seen anything even unofficially from Disney that says this. Are they just planning a worst case scenario, or is there something I've missed?

 

[ghtx]

I'm signed up as a member to a touring plan website. (no web-addresses )

Going through some of their information, FAQ's, etc. I ran across this little gem.

Disney also seems ready to limit the combinations of FASTPASSes you can have, preventing some guests from using FASTPASS on the park’s headliner attractions. Again, while the rules haven’t been finalized, we’re hearing that Disney’s computer systems may enforce different rules depending on whether you’re staying offsite or at a Disney value, moderate or deluxe resort. The chart below shows how these rules might be implemented at the Magic Kingdom.

GUEST HOTEL CHOICE -- NUMBER OF FASTPASSES GUEST CAN OBTAIN AT MAGIC KINGDOM'S "MOUNTAINS"

Off-site / Day Guest -- 0
Disney Value Resort -- 1
Disney Moderate Resort -- 2
Disney Deluxe Resort -- 3

To prevent class warfare, we hear Disney’s computer systems won’t even hint at the distinctions between hotel guests.

I haven't seen anything even unofficially from Disney that says this. Are they just planning a worst case scenario, or is there something I've missed?

I saw this a while back on touringplans.com's blog. I don't know where they got this information. Maybe they just made it up?

 

[mom2rtk]

Well congratulations to them cuz my family will be spreading our bodies all the way over to Universal.

LOL. You might just not be alone in that.

I saw this a while back on touringplans.com's blog. I don't know where they got this information. Maybe they just made it up?

That seems pretty alarming to not have been disclosed so far. Although Disney's ability to offer different things to different people without them even knowing it makes me more than a little uncomfortable. If you're going to do it, then own it.

But I'm skeptical. I can't imagine they could just take away all rights for FP to the Mountains for offsite guests without telling people. The risk of turning customers off would just be too great. I don't drink the Kool-Aid, but I doubt Disney would do that. Would they do something similar, but less drastic? Maybe. Remains to be seen.

 

[dayvewc]

I saw this a while back on touringplans.com's blog. I don't know where they got this information. Maybe they just made it up?

I'm really hoping it is just made up!! Most of my trips are done off-site. While I've found myself waffling between really paranoid about this change, and ecstatic about the possibilities - finding out that I won't have ANY option for FP+ for the majority of my trips is really going to irritate me.

 

[dayvewc]

That seems pretty alarming to not have been disclosed so far. Although Disney's ability to offer different things to different people without them even knowing it makes me more than a little uncomfortable. If you're going to do it, then own it. <--- This, exactly!!! If you aren't ashamed to do something, you shouldn't be ashamed to admit to it!!

But I'm skeptical. I can't imagine they could just take away all rights for FP to the Mountains for offsite guests without telling people. The risk of turning customers off would just be too great. I don't drink the Kool-Aid, but I doubt Disney would do that. Would they do something similar, but less drastic? Maybe. Remains to be seen.;

I could maybe see a limit of 1 for off-site (would still bother me) but to completely eliminate a large portion of their guests?