MyMagic+ Review: MagicBands & FastPass+

[Lindy Loo]

Still worried how the aug test will impact my family holiday as we are not testers :-(
we are in uk and the disney app is very slow and kicks you out a lot.
Feeling less loved than my work mate who is staying at pop and is part of trial. She has 3 fp per day booked lunch at bog and firework vip area. I havr nothing! And now she can get same regular fp I can too !!!!

Not fair to me Disney!

 

[mom2rtk]

Still worried how the aug test will impact my family holiday as we are not testers :-(
we are in uk and the disney app is very slow and kicks you out a lot.
Feeling less loved than my work mate who is staying at pop and is part of trial. She has 3 fp per day booked lunch at bog and firework vip area. I havr nothing! And now she can get same regular fp I can too !!!!

Not fair to me Disney!

I feel for you. We met some friends at Disney in December and they were part of the test while we were not. It just stunk.

 

[darnheather]

Can't wait to see how it works with 30,000 people using it in the MK...

Even if they do push the new program there is no way everyone will use it.
1) Some people like to "go with the flow".
2) Some people don't want to be bothered with cell phones and such on vacation.
3) Some people won't know about it.
4) Some people won't be able to figure it out.
5) Some people will use it for park hopping later in the day.
6) Some people are just resistant to change.
7) Add more reasons here.

 

[darnheather]

Thanks for the excellent review. Really looking forward to the system and hoping it will be ready for us in November.

 

[mom2rtk]

Even if they do push the new program there is no way everyone will use it.

Of course not everyone will. But I contend many more will use it than the old system because it's at their fingertips instead of across the park.

 

[DisneySweetheart]

Okay....There is still much that I don't understand about the magic bands and FP plus.

I can only make FP reservations for one park per day? Did I understand that correctly? If so, that really stinks for us that hop around so much.

When will these changes take place for all guests? Is there a set date?

Lastly, we are DVC members and will be getting an AP when we arrive in November for our Thanksgiving trip--So will I be able to make reservations without my AP? Will I be able to order a magic band ahead of time without my AP?

So much info to process....

 

[Squidgyness]

Of course not everyone will. But I contend many more will use it than the old system because it's at their fingertips instead of across the park.

Hopefully that is why they have limited fastpass to 3 (or 4) a day and expanded the number of fastpassable things to spread them out more. Maybe this will be enough to limit effects of extra people using the system. I hope they've calculated this right. They are human after all...

I'm still keeping a weather eye out. If we can get fastpasses on the day at the park or after you arrive for your first day like in the review that would be amazing! Since I can't prebook till I get there and get tickets at the gate we will be relying on same day or a few days out for fastpass access, or we will be stuck with standby. If they do end up having same day access roughly like they do now (albeit with a lower total held) this could really sell FP+ to me.

However, like others have said this isn't a full test yet so I'll keep my hopes sprinkled with more than a little reality.... Sill a waiting game, but some good signs so far.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I understand that a resort reservation is necessary during the testing phases...but is there any word on when they're going to open this up to those not staying at a disney hotel?

We stay at Shades of Green, so we're on property - and we count as Disney resort guests for some amenities (EMH, for ex) - but we would not have a resort reservation to be able to link even if we wanted to. One of my biggest concerns about this roll out was how SoG guests would be treated, since we're kind of a hybrid disney/non-disney resort guest

 

[Squidgyness]

I understand that a resort reservation is necessary during the testing phases...but is there any word on when they're going to open this up to those not staying at a disney hotel?

We stay at Shades of Green, so we're on property - and we count as Disney resort guests for some amenities (EMH, for ex) - but we would not have a resort reservation to be able to link even if we wanted to. One of my biggest concerns about this roll out was how SoG guests would be treated, since we're kind of a hybrid disney/non-disney resort guest

I think we would be the last ones let in. I'm not entirely sure what would happen with your hotel though, whether it would be counted the same as other disney hotels... Sounds from the arrangements that it is more of a partner hotel? If that is the case, it could go either way.

 

[mom2rtk]

Hopefully that is why they have limited fastpass to 3 (or 4) a day and expanded the number of fastpassable things to spread them out more. Maybe this will be enough to limit effects of extra people using the system. I hope they've calculated this right. They are human after all...

I just feel like a system where I have to hope for rationing to make it work is not a system I will like.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I think we would be the last ones let in. I'm not entirely sure what would happen with your hotel though, whether it would be counted the same as other disney hotels... Sounds from the arrangements that it is more of a partner hotel? If that is the case, it could go either way.

I keep hearing rumors of a full roll out by the end of food and wine...we're going during food and wine, so it would be nice to know how this is going to affect the trip. I would hope we'd still have access to regular FP if FP+ isn't rolled out to us by then.

 

[Squidgyness]

I just feel like a system where I have to hope for rationing to make it work is not a system I will like.

I'm with you on that one. If I wanted to use this system to its potential and book before I was at the park, I'd have to fork out $400 more on disney tickets to get them before we go (sales tax + currency quirks... ), so its far from my ideal system, but I AM hoping like crazy that the rationing works and lets me get a few fastpasses on the day.

Till then I keep repeating "standby isn't that bad" or "you need to go back to see the new stuff they have in Orlando" and reminding my family that if they can't get fastpasses on the day then its not the end of the world... More for my benefit than theirs I suspect.

This would all be so much simpler if disney had ploughed the money into a cutting edge ride or four rather than this... But wishing won't make it so, so I guess ill have to deal with it.

I thought for a long time I wouldn't go back at all, and posted to that effect. Frankly however I want to go back for the other Orlando parks (and lots of non-ride stuff in disney) so...

Suck it up it is! Lol. at least for me. I will say I'm losing a lot of affection for disney. Ill still go and enjoy it regardless but this takes a bit of the magic off to be honest.

 

[Simba77]

I just feel like a system where I have to hope for rationing to make it work is not a system I will like.

Original fastpass was a highly rationed system in order to make it work. There were time limits before you could obtain another, and if they were being obtained a fast rate, the return time would be later.

At the end of the day, a ride's capacity is a ride's capacity, no matter how people get on it. If Splash Mountain handles 20,000/day, it's still going to be 20,000.

If people were willing to get in line for a 90 minute wait on a ride before, despite the FP machine being right there and available, why would they change now? And even if they do change, all they're doing is getting ONE ride on Space Mountain. So instead of being in the standby line once for 90 minutes, they have a scheduled FP+. What's the difference?

I'm just not understand where the math of the system is going to suddenly break down. People are sitting here speculating based on their own park-going habits... As opposed to Disney, who has the actual numbers on FP usage... who uses FP, how many they use, how many are actually redeemed. They even have preliminary usage data on FP+. We have nothing of the sort.

 

[JanaDee]

This! I would like a full review when this thing is bogged down with more than 3,000 people using it during a test.

I'd like to see another review when they can't double-dip fastpasses. I think that may change some of the positive reviews.

 

[Squidgyness]

Original fastpass was a highly rationed system in order to make it work. There were time limits before you could obtain another, and if they were being obtained a fast rate, the return time would be later.

At the end of the day, a ride's capacity is a ride's capacity, no matter how people get on it. If Splash Mountain handles 20,000/day, it's still going to be 20,000.

If people were willing to get in line for a 90 minute wait on a ride before, despite the FP machine being right there and available, why would they change now? And even if they do change, all they're doing is getting ONE ride on Space Mountain. So instead of being in the standby line once for 90 minutes, they have a scheduled FP+. What's the difference?

I'm just not understand where the math of the system is going to suddenly break down. People are sitting here speculating based on their own park-going habits... As opposed to Disney, who has the actual numbers on FP usage... who uses FP, how many they use, how many are actually redeemed. They even have preliminary usage data on FP+. We have nothing of the sort.

They had plenty of data on the old system. And apparently they couldn't get that to work to their satisfaction. The new system is more unpredictable because it is more complicated, not to mention since it is more highly integrated into the process of booking and taking a trip (it might even become an opt OUT option, not an opt in one) more people may end up using it than before.

These tests give nowhere near enough data to make any judgements on yet. Hence the speculation. People do different things day to day, and a limited test on certain dates with certain users might throw up completely different numbers. There is a lot of room for error and people hope disney built in safety margins wide enough. They are not infallible on this matter.

Slightly off topic thought... I just do not get where they got the motivation for making fastpasses prebookable. I've got the awful feeling they did a few polls and that was how they decided to change a fundamental way you enjoy the parks today. I mean, did people really cry out for this? And did they get the right question... I bet they didn't mention limits in the polls if they did them. That niggles at me.

 

[MattRyan]

Nobody can even begin to speculate how a full roll out of the FP+ would affect the other rides. For all we know, FP+ could alleviate extremely long waiting times.

 

[ses1230]

I'd like to see another review when they can't double-dip fastpasses. I think that may change some of the positive reviews.

 

[WillAustin]

I just do not get where they got the motivation for making fastpasses prebookable. I've got the awful feeling they did a few polls and that was how they decided to change a fundamental way you enjoy the parks today. I mean, did people really cry out for this? And did they get the right question... I bet they didn't mention limits in the polls if they did them. That niggles at me.

I think it's as simple as Disney feeling that someone with an advance FP+ reservation is less likely to decide to change their mind and go somewhere else on that day.

 

[ParkHopperFan]

Is there any additional cost associated with using the band? Does Disney charge to use it? I see that they offer plenty of bling for sale but does the band itself cost anything? We always stay offsite and have annual passes, so I'm wondering without the meal plan and room key, etc., what benefit will we gain from using this system?

 

[Squidgyness]

Is there any additional cost associated with using the band? Does Disney charge to use it? I see that they offer plenty of bling for sale but does the band itself cost anything? We always stay offsite and have annual passes, so I'm wondering without the meal plan and room key, etc., what benefit will we gain from using this system?

Offsite guests will have the option to purchase a band if they wish. However, I believe AP users get a band.

You can go with an RFID ticket I believe that has touch to enter the park, touch to redeem FP+ reservations, and Touch to pay.

From the disney blog:

Hi, Todd. Guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels, and Annual Passholders will receive a band, as well as those guests who purchase a photography package. Guests who stay at non-Disney hotels will receive a ticket with features of touch to enter the park, touch to redeem FastPass+ and touch to pay. These guests can participate in My Disney Experience and purchase a MagicBand if they wish.