News Round Up 2016

[OhioStateBuckeye]

News

D23 Tickets now available

D23 Expo 2017 Tickets Now Available

Does anyone know how long it took the regular tickets to sell out last time? Considering going but don't really want to put up the money for tickets right now

 

[lockedoutlogic]

During our mid/late June trip we saw Cast Members at the bus stops at Caribbean Beach holding an iPad. I was preoccupied with my fiancee's nephew most of the time, otherwise I would have asked what they were doing. I did hear one of the CM's ask an older couple (both in ECV's) what resort they were going to and then said, "Ok, we'll get a bus for you". Not sure if this is a scripted response or if she was literally going into the system to request a bus for their destination.

Also, I'm not sure if she asked the couple in the ECV's specifically so she could notify the bus driver that 2 ECV's would be boarding the bus. Not sure if a driver really needs that notification, but I guess it could be a nice to know if you have people sitting in the ECV/wheelchair seats.

You would have seen the SAME Nametags with a radio calling the bus dispatch to track the SAME thing in 2001...pre iPad. It was called "magic on demand" and it took years.

Like I said...a very expensive, flawed system.

 

[rteetz]

Also, I'm not sure if she asked the couple in the ECV's specifically so she could notify the bus driver that 2 ECV's would be boarding the bus. Not sure if a driver really needs that notification, but I guess it could be a nice to know if you have people sitting in the ECV/wheelchair seats.

That might've been to make sure the bus had room for two ECV's. If they didn't they would have to wait for another bus of course.

 

[rteetz]

Does anyone know how long it took the regular tickets to sell out last time? Considering going but don't really want to put up the money for tickets right now

Regular tickets are usually available for a while I believe.

 

[rteetz]

News

The polite pig is coming to Disney Springs

http://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/the-...--the-polite-pig-coming-to-disney-springs.htm

 

[skier_pete]

Hopefully this is the first step to bus arrival push notifications.

If I could set it up where I get notified when a bus to X park is 10 minutes away from Y resort...now we're talking.

That would be pretty awesome.

 

[skier_pete]

Anyone know how quickly the sorcerer's tickets sold out? I forgot about D23 tickets going on sale today and was going to try to get one just for the heck of it. If I had been successful, I wouldn't have actually purchased one.

According to this article a report from Twitter said the Sorcerer's Package sold out within the first 10 minutes.

I was going to say it probably sells out very quickly. I know someone that tried to get the package for 2015 and it was sold out before they could even get through. The tickets overall don't sell out that fast. It is not yet SD Comic-Con.

Does anyone know how long it took the regular tickets to sell out last time? Considering going but don't really want to put up the money for tickets right now

I don't think they sell out very far out at all...maybe a few weeks before the actual date.

 

[sachilles]

I don't think bus wait times will ever be perfect. Traffic and other issues will always affect it. For me, it would be more helpful to know which parks bus is coming next. So if you are sitting at your resort, you know it's Epcot, MK, AK, DHS. It would save me from running, when I can see a bus pulling in and we are a hundred yards away and can't read the sign on the bus. Point to point directions in the resorts would be nice. Sometimes it's hard to know which bus stop to get off at in a resort if its your first visit.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

News

The polite pig is coming to Disney Springs

http://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/the-...--the-polite-pig-coming-to-disney-springs.htm

No word in that article if it will hav craft beer like the other locations- but that would be cool

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I would love the bus notifications to be on the MDE app. Say I'm in my room in the morning getting ready, should I rush or do I have another 20 minutes? I know the system wouldn't be perfect, but like a PP said, Uber is able to track my ride as it comes towards me and it has always been pretty accurate so I'm sure Disney could do it too.

 

[Budshark]

The problem (from experience) is tracking the bus capacity (especially in the mornings). So, you are standing at a board at stop 3 of a resort. It says MK bus is 5 minutes away. Ok, get out there. 2 minutes later it says MK bus is 10 minutes away. What the heck? 15 minute swing??

Well what happened? There was an MK bus on its way. It got to Stop 2. Stop 2 had two ECVs, and a couple big groups and it was full. So it left to go to the resort. Another bus was called, but now its either got to travel, or frequently it starts at Stop 1 again. Its not right or efficient, but it makes tracking a problem.

Disney has all the tracking Uber has. They just don't operate like Uber (single purpose, targeted response). So there are things out of there control, and its striking a balance. Its the old expectations conversation. Telling people a bus is coming is better than leaving them without any information. Telling them a bus is coming in 5 minutes, and then changing that to 20 minutes is worse than never telling them a bus is coming. So somehow they have to strike the balance with what information they share. That is the real question/problem.

Autonomous transport is part of the answer - because then you take at least a good portion of the variability out (shift change, sick drivers, breaks).

 

[Malia78]

Any official news on the new MK Fireworks Dessert Party configurations beginning Oct 1 (per the website this morning)? A seated version, a standing only version...

 

[Roxyfire]

Disney has all the tracking Uber has. They just don't operate like Uber (single purpose, targeted response). So there are things out of there control, and its striking a balance. Its the old expectations conversation. Telling people a bus is coming is better than leaving them without any information. Telling them a bus is coming in 5 minutes, and then changing that to 20 minutes is worse than never telling them a bus is coming. So somehow they have to strike the balance with what information they share. That is the real question/problem.

On uber you can see where the cars are and the route they're traveling. What if they added that same capability to the MDE app? You can see a bus coming from the park to your resort, perhaps you see it going around the circle in CBR and it's highlighted in green. This would indicate that it has seats available. Then it turns to red, indicating there's no seats left, as it returns to the park.

Of course, I'm no software or app developer so I have no idea how easy it is to implement this in reality.

 

[LSLS]

Honestly I would live with and be fine with having the time jump due to a full bus as long as the timing was accurate for the next bus. If it's 15 more minutes, go inside the lobby for a bit. It's never going to be perfect, but boy it would be great as someone with a 3 year old (and a 3 year old that is not all over the place even mind you) to not need to sit there for 15 minutes hoping a bus is just around the corner.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

No word in that article if it will hav craft beer like the other locations- but that would be cool

I would be shocked if it didn't

 

[ColoradoDreamin]

On uber you can see where the cars are and the route they're traveling. What if they added that same capability to the MDE app? You can see a bus coming from the park to your resort, perhaps you see it going around the circle in CBR and it's highlighted in green. This would indicate that it has seats available. Then it turns to red, indicating there's no seats left, as it returns to the park.

Of course, I'm no software or app developer so I have no idea how easy it is to implement this in reality.

It wouldn't be just about the developer - it would also require more work for the bus driver, which would require new training for every bus driver...which would cost more money...which I doubt they would do at this point.

That sort of thing is possible in development, but you have to have a source of the data, and getting that source is a real challenge, especially if you want to avoid a large training budget to be added.

 

[Goofy2015]

On uber you can see where the cars are and the route they're traveling. What if they added that same capability to the MDE app? You can see a bus coming from the park to your resort, perhaps you see it going around the circle in CBR and it's highlighted in green. This would indicate that it has seats available. Then it turns to red, indicating there's no seats left, as it returns to the park.

Of course, I'm no software or app developer so I have no idea how easy it is to implement this in reality.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Sure, they have the GPS capability to be like uber. But let the consumers be in control of what they can see. If they have the map direction capability in the MDE app, add the location of buses (indicating if it is a AK, MK bus). You can sit in the lobby, have a drink and look at your phone and see that the AK bus is around the block. That is when you can head outside to the bus stop. Maybe it would take a lot to implement, I have no idea. One of my biggest pet peeves is the bus transportation. I spend the extra $6-10 to use an uber to get to a destination. Now boat transportation is more fun then transportation, you get good views. Monorail is fun around the loop, although a risk because you may get stuck. But the buses are crowded, slow, and a lot of waiting.

Granted, I am usually staying at the Epcot area resorts, Boardwalk or Beach Club, so two of the parks, I can walk to. I use Uber for AK, MK, DS, or resort hopping.

 

[rteetz]

Any official news on the new MK Fireworks Dessert Party configurations beginning Oct 1 (per the website this morning)? A seated version, a standing only version...

They've been doing that I thought. Seated at the terrace and standing in the hub turf areas.

 

[Malia78]

They've been doing that I thought. Seated at the terrace and standing in the hub turf areas.

There is wording to indicate that parties starting Oct 1 are somehow slightly different than the current ones...so just wondering.

 

[rteetz]

There is wording to indicate that parties starting Oct 1 are somehow slightly different than the current ones...so just wondering.

Hmmm I haven't seen that.