Not to reopen that can of worms but...

[smitch425]

Purely rhetorical question here, but I would be curious to read what people think....

If FP+ is such a tremendous benefit to guests, and that in turn leads to greater guest satisfaction, which in turn leads to longer visits, more frequent visits and greater revenue, wouldn't Iger find it imperative to implement it across the platform in every park? Would a little thing like: "Locals will not like it" stop the CEO of a major corporation like Disney from implementing a revolutionary system that will reap positive ROI? How many other Disney parks outside of Florida use FP+/Magic Bands/MDE? (Honest question. I don't know). If the answer is, less than half. Or, just a few. Or, none...doesn't that reveal more about the impact of the sytems(s) than the chatter on this Board?

I know Disneyland is supposed to test FP+ in August, but no idea on the other parks.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I know Disneyland is supposed to test FP+ in August, but no idea on the other parks.

AFAIK, this is just a rumor, nothing that's been announced by disney.

 

[itchin2go]

Purely rhetorical question here, but I would be curious to read what people think....

If FP+ is such a tremendous benefit to guests, and that in turn leads to greater guest satisfaction, which in turn leads to longer visits, more frequent visits and greater revenue, wouldn't Iger find it imperative to implement it across the platform in every park? Would a little thing like: "Locals will not like it" stop the CEO of a major corporation like Disney from implementing a revolutionary system that will reap positive ROI? How many other Disney parks outside of Florida use FP+/Magic Bands/MDE? (Honest question. I don't know). If the answer is, less than half. Or, just a few. Or, none...doesn't that reveal more about the impact of the sytems(s) than the chatter on this Board?

That was one of the things that stuck out to me about that "Messy Business" article. They claimed the whole thing was a success, but then when asked if they were rolling it out at other parks ... nope. Hmmm. Spoke volumes to me. Made the whole thing feel like a failed experiment.

Now, if they do roll it out to other parks, that will make the positive spin they're putting out there a whole lot more believable.

 

[Major Tom]

This recent article does a fairly good job of outlining where the increases in revenue and attendance have come from and doesn't attribute any of it to FP+

http://www.tampabay.com/news/busine...rld-have-left-the-middle-class-behind/2233577

 

[JimmyV]

I know Disneyland is supposed to test FP+ in August, but no idea on the other parks.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news/disneyland-vp-niven-no-magicbands/

Not sure if Disney could introduce FP+ without the full roll-out of MDE, which in turn, would mean the use of Magic Bands. While it is true that one can use FP+ without the Bands, it seems as if the introduction of MBs was a critical element of MDE. Put another way, do you really think it is the MBs that California residents would object to, or do you think it is the pre-booking of FP+s that would cause the stir? While Niven said that MBs will not be coming to DLR, I think that is code speak for FP+ is not coming to DLR. We'll see. But the point remains...if the system is so great, why "test" it in DLR. Why not just implement it and reap the immediate rewards?

 

[smitch425]

I read about the DL test in WDW News today, and I think they may have mentioned an overseas park having the system next year, but nothing official. DL CMs have stated that the test is coming, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I'm not into crunching numbers and analyzing data. I trust that Disney knows what the data means and will adjust accordingly. If I ever get to the point where trips are not enjoyable for ANY reason, I'll simply stop going. We love FP+, and the flexibility it allows. I'm hopeful that booking additionals through the app will come in the future, but for now, it works very well for us. I understand that it doesn't for others, and don't dispute nor ignore others' feelings. No system will ever be perfect, and the only thing that can be done is to work with it the best you can or choose a different location to enjoy.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

This recent article does a fairly good job of outlining where the increases in revenue and attendance have come from and doesn't attribute any of it to FP+

http://www.tampabay.com/news/busine...rld-have-left-the-middle-class-behind/2233577

You can always consider that they've had to raise costs to pay for the whole MDE program and those increased costs lead to more revenue so therefore MDE is generating more revenue.

 

[Lucius Best]

I guess if you don't want to discuss it then fine. Seems like your point is just "nu-uh". You don't want to share your own thoughts on what that utilization number might be, you don't want to say you think it's more or less than my guess, you just want to say my guess bears no value, and that's that. Alrighty then! I'm wrong to posit my opinion / guess, yet you have no constructive opinion on what you think is more correct.

Lighten up, Francis.

look at it from a systems standpoint, and say that yes, this new system is BETTER, because it prevents 10% of the users from utilizing 90% of the benefit, and now 50% or 60% of the guests are using FP+. How can you say that's bad?

FP+, with it's initial 3-limitation and early selection, gets pretty much everyone to use it.

how many do you think use FP+ in some way? I'm guessing almost all do by now.

I'm guessing under 20% that do not use FP+ at all. That means utilization would be 80%.

So you've guessed "50 or 60%", "pretty much everyone" (would that be 90%?), "almost all" (that's got to be like 95%), and "80%", and there might be more guesses that I didn't catch. Can you guess which of your guesses I consider to have no value? I don't understand why it's so important for me to make an uneducated guess. But if it will make you happy, I remember in a previous post there was a claim that only 10% of park guests used old paper FP-, I think that's way too low. And I think a guess that 80% of park guests use FP+ is too high.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I read about the DL test in WDW News today, and I think they may have mentioned an overseas park having the system next year, but nothing official. DL CMs have stated that the test is coming, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I saw it there as well, but there is no source information in that post. Disneyland doesn't have wifi, and there's been no apparent infrastructure updates lately to suggest that the legacy kiosks are going away/being replaced. With the big deal Disneyland is making about the 60th, I'm a little skeptical that they are going to be making these updates in the midst of the summer season. NOt that I culdn't be wrong...there's just not enough in that WDW News Today post to take it past rumor stage, for me.

 

[Angel Ariel]

duplicate post, sorry!

 

[JanaDee]

The funny thing about satisfaction surveys is they are usually creatively worded to get the results you want.

Please describe your FP+ experience:

1) Got everything I wanted
2) Got most of what I wanted
3) Got something I wanted
4) Didn't get what I wanted but I did use it
5) Couldnt get what I wanted and didn't use it

As long as you don't take #5 that's a positive experience in survey world. The reality for the survey taker may be vastly different but they aren't going to word questions to get answers they don't want.

I called Disney yesterday and did the survey at the end. One of the questions was "was your phone call to Disney today 1)Efficient 2)Magical 3) Exciting 4) Informative". Ummm, none of the above? Survey results are very VERY easily skewed.

 

[JimmyV]

I read about the DL test in WDW News today

Yeah. There is an article from May that came out right around the time that Nevin said that MBs were not coming to DLR. So who knows. What I do know is that August 1 is only 47 days from today. So if they are going to test FP+ in August, it clearly will not be set up to run like it does at WDW. Otherwise, the booking window would already be open.

 

[MrInfinity]

Lighten up, Francis.
So you've guessed "50 or 60%", "pretty much everyone" (would that be 90%?), "almost all" (that's got to be like 95%), and "80%", and there might be more guesses that I didn't catch. Can you guess which of your guesses I consider to have no value? I don't understand why it's so important for me to make an uneducated guess. But if it will make you happy, I remember in a previous post there was a claim that only 10% of park guests used old paper FP-, I think that's way too low. And I think a guess that 80% of park guests use FP+ is too high.

It's important because it's non-value-added to say someone you don't know on the internet is wrong, w/o posting something you think is right - a constructive counterpoint. With the millions of ppl on the web we can choose to talk to, discussion is only meaningful if we're have constructive thoughts. But, I appreciate your olive branch here. Accepted.

Read the context. In the 50/60 post, that was a "let's say it was this... would that be bad?" type of hypothesizing. It does not conflict.

As to the 90% using the old FP-... that was from Dis'ers doing their good old calculation of the fast passable rides, and how many passes it was known that people out here tended to pull back in the day. It was more of a calculation than a guess. Because we knew the ride capacities, and had some light info on the FP/SB distributions at the rides. At places like Epcot, the math was easy where one could calculate the ridings of Soarin and Test Track available, and see if a guest pulled 3 FP-'s to those, just how many guests could do that and have it be sustainable. It was a surprisingly small percentage. I'd have to rework it in Excel, but feel free if so inclined!

As to today, I think you'd be hard pressed to walk into Disney World and find 1 out of 5 families that are not using the FP+ system at all. Really you think you'd find that many? More than 20% not using it? Maybe we'll ask around next time we're in standby. Just ask our neighbors... so do you know about FastPass or are you using it this trip?

 

[SmithSmith]

Yeah. There is an article from May that came out right around the time that Nevin said that MBs were not coming to DLR. So who knows. What I do know is that August 1 is only 47 days from today. So if they are going to test FP+ in August, it clearly will not be set up to run like it does at WDW. Otherwise, the booking window would already be open.

It may only be 47 days away but park hours aren't even announced for August 1st yet.

I always assumed that if DL ever got FP+ then their booking windows would be much smaller because park hours are released only 6 weeks out.

 

[Lucius Best]

It's important because it's non-value-added to say someone you don't know on the internet is wrong, w/o posting something you think is right - a constructive counterpoint. With the millions of ppl on the web we can choose to talk to, discussion is only meaningful if we're have constructive thoughts. But, I appreciate your olive branch here. Accepted.

Read the context. In the 50/60 post, that was a "let's say it was this... would that be bad?" type of hypothesizing. It does not conflict.

Ok, great, thanks for the tips on how to use the internet. I'm not sure how much value is being added by your guessing 50-60%, then saying "almost all", then guessing 80%, then chastising me for not coming up with my own sequence of guesses, then claiming that the 50-60% was taken out of context, then patronizingly dismissing my opinion that 80% is too high. I would love to see the real numbers from Disney, but that's not going to happen. Until then, I have no problem honestly admitting I have no idea what the usage numbers are.

 

[WillAustin]

It may only be 47 days away but park hours aren't even announced for August 1st yet.

I always assumed that if DL ever got FP+ then their booking windows would be much smaller because park hours are released only 6 weeks out.

Also, when they first tested FP+ at WDW it wasn't 60 days in advance, it was people getting on DME at the airport about to head to their resorts.

However, they would need RFID readers at all the rides to start testing FP+. In Disney construction time, I'd guess it would take them 6 months to add.

 

[Luckybee]

I called Disney yesterday and did the survey at the end. One of the questions was "was your phone call to Disney today 1)Efficient 2)Magical 3) Exciting 4) Informative". Ummm, none of the above? Survey results are very VERY easily skewed.

This^^^^^ always cracked me up. Esp after 7 phone calls with IT and various guest agents to try and get my Dolphin ressie linked to MDE and no one could seemingly accomplish this. Suffice to say I didn't answer the survey because I wasn't feeling very "magical " at the time....lol

 

[sms2015]

Being there at RD, you should be able to get quite a lot done! We did find that MK was not as crowded on party days during the morning, early afternoon...people without hoppers and without party tickets tend to avoid.MK party days because of the short hours. It starts to get noticeably more crowded starting at 4pm.

Have a wonderful trip! We did MNSSHP a few years ago and it was awesome!

Great! Thanks for the info!

 

[larryz]

No one I personally know would be content with only doing 5 attractions in a day for the cost of wdw tickets. And I'm talking about average Disney guests, not power users, not people who visit annually or bi-annually..just average once in a lifetime or once every like 5+ years type visitors.

Well, just walking around the MK is an attraction all by itself... and don't forget those sparkling clean restrooms.

In fact, if you're liberal with the word "attraction," then there's walking through the castle, listening to the music from the carrousel, watching parades (or at least watching people watch parades), watching the boats go by on Rivers of America, fireworks, intricately themed lands...

That's six "attractions" right there -- eight if you count the walking around and the restrooms.

 

[larryz]

The funny thing about satisfaction surveys is they are usually creatively worded to get the results you want.

Please describe your FP+ experience:

1) Got everything I wanted
2) Got most of what I wanted
3) Got something I wanted
4) Didn't get what I wanted but I did use it
5) Couldnt get what I wanted and didn't use it

As long as you don't take #5 that's a positive experience in survey world. The reality for the survey taker may be vastly different but they aren't going to word questions to get answers they don't want.

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of:

Please describe your FP+ experience:
1) Great
2) Excellent
3) Wonderful
4) Fantabulous
5) Supercalifragilisticexpialidotious