Official word on the success of MyMagic+

[Suvadoo]

Right.
When results don't align with what you expected, try to attribute them to something else. That is a fallacy in itself!

The bottom line is many predicted that MyMagic+ would be seen as an outrage, lines would be horrible, it is hated by most, and attendance would drop.

What we have instead, is 90% of guests reporting Excellent or Very good, attendance up, per-guest spending up, resort stays up, and record profits.

You can try to say... Yeah but none of that matters, it's still bad those stats are due to something else... well.. they're due to lots of things! But what cannot be faulted, is that like the Mayan doomsday, the Disney doomsday did not come to be. Instead we have new records.


And the argument of "we don't know enough yet" was the same argument last year. Now we know more, and it still does not support your point, so you assert we don't know enough yet. I have to think that no matter what good news continues to come, one can always say "yeah but we STILL don't know enough".

This is concrete reporting to investors over the last 4 months.

OK ,90% of guest are reporting excellent or very good. Were there any other options? Or were these the only 2 choices? I've answered Disney surveys that only allow positive feedback.

 

[Suvadoo]

Specifically on MyMagic+... August 2014...



I guess this confirms that overall the experience is indeed very positive (Excellent or Very Good) in general. Those who say most people don't like MyMagic+ are just wrong. And those who say nobody knows that only Disney knows if it's successful, well, now we know.

And, November 2014...



MyMagic+ directly increased income, and attendance is up. New 4th quarter record in fact.

And...



Rooms occupancy is up, and those staying in rooms are indeed spending more. So, this does confirm that in general, ppl are spending more, and those who say "no but I'm spending less" are the minority and have little effect on the big picture.

And just this week...



Awesome!

According to Jim Hill, Disney plays a shell game with their hotel inventory to make it look like there's a higher occupancy rate. The way they do this is to take rooms out of the inventory for renovation. Secondly, they are converting rooms to DVC. By employing both of these tactics, Disney can report a higher occupancy rate.

Yes, all statistics can be skewed.

 

[Angel Ariel]

maybe it's difficult for those who dislike FP+ to grasp that more guests might like it than disllike it. Personally I don't know whether more guests do like it than dislike it. I don't think it's terrible but it does have some drawbacks. I know I get to ride 7DMT without waiting for it at a certain time on a certain date, but I had to check back multiple times on the computer to get it. and one day the right time just opened up. So some of it is still chalked up to luck.

I still go bsck to the idea that there being positive reviews of MM+ doesn't mean there is the same amount of positive feedback for FP+

For a *long* time now, many of those who support FP+ have been very clear about saying that MM+ is so much more than FP+, that FP+ is just a small part of the overall MM+ nsystem. If that is truly the case, then Disney saying MM+ is a success doesn't automatically make FP+ a success...if FP+ truly is only a "small part of MM+" then people's opinions of FP+ wouldn't reflect that much, in Disney's eyes, on MM+.

 

[Luckybee]

Disney has been exclaiming the success of MyMagic+ since before MyMagic+ was rolled out. It certainly is not going to come out and say that its $1B cash suck is anything but worth it. This is something that by its very nature can't have hard numbers associated with it, so they can try to spin it all it wants. Until someone looks at guest spending normalized for price increases and the economic recovery, you're really never going to know what the real benefit of MyMagic+ is and whether it really results in higher guest spending.

And after having personally taken some of those MyMagic+ surveys after recent trips...I have no faith whatsoever in their survey data. As has been discussed ad nauseum on here, the answer available were skewed in favor of a positive response.

Absolutely correct. The available answers tended to be somewhere between we absolutely loved loved loved it, and we just loved it

 

[ethanwa]

To all of the people out there, just remember the hard facts...

- There is WITHOUT A DOUBT Disney is making money hand over fist and the theme parks are performing excellent right now. There are many reasons why, and we can't attribute any of it to MyMagic+ at this time.

- MyMagic+ apparently has NOT hurt Disney at this point, even with its large cost. I think it's a numbers game to determine if it helps in the long-term and we won't know that for quite a while.

- MyMagic+ is here to STAY. I know some people hate to hear that, but it's true and it needs to be said. The old ways (old FP-, no MagicBands, etc) will NEVER come back in the original forms they were in.

So with that, I hope Disney continues to improve MyMagic+ with their profits so we can get to a point were 99% of people love it.

On a personal note, I LOVE the whole MyMagic+ experience. It's made our trips to the parks a lot better.

Ethan

 

[FelisLachesis]

Absolutely correct. The available answers tended to be somewhere between we absolutely loved loved loved it, and we just loved it

You reminded me of the phone survey after calling Disney. "If it was exciting, press 1, magical press 2..." There were a few calls where I wished there was an option for (suddenly channeling my inner Bambi's mom) ... something less positive.

 

[Sparkly]

Walking into DHS with TSM & TOT FPs with no effort other then browsing on MDE, no running, pushing, shoving or getting hot and sweaty (making FP+ reservations for our Feb trip was pretty smooth) was a real treat.

Win win for the "turn up to WDW parks at 10am" first timer crowd- guaranteed 3 rides, greater happiness= repeat visitors.

And goodness forbid, should a major disaster happen and travel is down drastically like in 2001, Disney butter people up with "Book now and get free dining and 5 FP+ reservations a day!" or even a version of the dream fastpasses handed out in the year of a million dreams promotion for deluxe guests- Universal offer a unlimited front-of-the-line-pass for guests of their best hotels. (mind you, before Cabana Bay, their ONLY hotels)

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Perhaps. But, you'd have to see the statistics and how the statistics were gathered to know if it is a fallacy or a true refection of cause-and-effect. To jump to either conclusion before seeing it all (which we will never get to do) is illogical.

The only claim I dispute is the increased bookings. How do they know bookings are up as a DIRECT result of My Magic +? Numbers alone would not provide insight.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Why would Mr. Iger care about other theme parks?

I guess that's a note that maybe Universal is or should be doing better than WDW.

If one is in business, one should know what and how the competition is doing. Universal is competition and they and Disney have been in a competition tennis match for years. Completion is good. (I still prefer Disney.)

Remember Alamo's campaign slogan for 50 years?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Well..you could ask what happens when something like 9/11 occurs and people won't travel.

And then you need the locals and repeaters to sustain a theme park, and you've already alienated them by fundamentally changing the experience to cater to the first timers.

None of which the current mangement is anticipating, and I wouldn't expect them to anticipate that.

You are assuming that repeat guests at large are not happy with the system.
That may not be the case. The disboards is not a reliable indicator that the entire group is being alienated.

 

[Laz]

Walking into DHS with TSM & TOT FPs with no effort other then browsing on MDE, no running, pushing, shoving or getting hot and sweaty (making FP+ reservations for our Feb trip was pretty smooth) was a real treat.

Win win for the "turn up to WDW parks at 10am" first timer crowd- guaranteed 3 rides, greater happiness= repeat visitors.

And goodness forbid, should a major disaster happen and travel is down drastically like in 2001, Disney butter people up with "Book now and get free dining and 5 FP+ reservations a day!" or even a version of the dream fastpasses handed out in the year of a million dreams promotion for deluxe guests- Universal offer a unlimited front-of-the-line-pass for guests of their best hotels. (mind you, before Cabana Bay, their ONLY hotels)

I do agree that many guests will love the whole FP+ experience. Good friends of ours were not big WDW fans and had not visited for about a decade. They went to the MK for one day during spring break and loved FP+. Complete roll reversal since my family was FP- commandos. They want us to go to WDW with them and we want them to go to DLR with us. I still believe that first time visitors will enjoy their FP+ experience and return. I also believe families like mine will remain disappointed. For WDW, where is the profit now and in the future?

If I do return to WDW (now DW and I our empty nesters), it will be during the least crowded times to help facilitate the understanding of the new system.

 

[wdwcoltsfan]

OK ,90% of guest are reporting excellent or very good. Were there any other options? Or were these the only 2 choices? I've answered Disney surveys that only allow positive feedback.

I filled out a survey yesterday in the MK and it took about 5 minutes. it asked many questions, but specifically about FP+, which rides we rode, which rides using FP+, if we got to ride all the rides we wanted, how long we were in the park, enough live entertainment, character interaction, etc. We had 5 options to choose from ranging from Excellent to Poor. So, it was very possible to give poor ratings for everything questioned.

 

[wisblue]

You are assuming that repeat guests at large are not happy with the system.
That may not be the case. The disboards is not a reliable indicator that the entire group is being alienated.

And even on this Disboards, which are disproportionately represented by frequent visitors, the opinions are as diverse as they could be. There are a lot of frequent visitors on this board who prefer FP+ to paper FP and a lot of posters who hate FP+ who aren't cutting back on their visits.

It's hard to see how the tiny minority that both hates FP+ AND is significantly reducing their visits because of it is going to have a noticeable impact on Disney's overall results.

 

[wisblue]

I filled out a survey yesterday in the MK and it took about 5 minutes. it asked many questions, but specifically about FP+, which rides we rode, which rides using FP+, if we got to ride all the rides we wanted, how long we were in the park, enough live entertainment, character interaction, etc. We had 5 options to choose from ranging from Excellent to Poor. So, it was very possible to give poor ratings for everything questioned.

Sure, but if you rated anything below very good or excellent they probably excluded your answers from the results they report to management.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

And even on this Disboards, which are disproportionately represented by frequent visitors, the opinions are as diverse as they could be. There are a lot of frequent visitors on this board who prefer FP+ to paper FP and a lot of posters who hate FP+ who aren't cutting back on their visits.

It's hard to see how the tiny minority that both hates FP+ AND is significantly reducing their visits because of it is going to have a noticeable impact on Disney's overall results.

Very true.

We are vacationing this week, though off property. Even a "dilemma" of one of my daughter's friends on a day they has not intended to do parks was an issue.
Low crowds meant little need for FP. When we went to a kiosk for our fourth, I explained our "dilemma. Of unlinked tickets and he walked is through how to best do it.

We had a good experience this week. Obviously YMMV on higher crowd days and busy seasons. But busy seasons has never been something Disney hid as they have known about then for decades and priced them accordingly.


People can move on to other experiences as they see fit. I don't understand the continued energy to ensure others follow them.

 

[Brian Noble]

You are assuming that repeat guests at large are not happy with the system.
That may not be the case. The disboards is not a reliable indicator that the entire group is being alienated.

It's not even clear to me that the DISboards sentiment is majority-negative.

 

[Suvadoo]

Very true.

We are vacationing this week, though off property. Even a "dilemma" of one of my daughter's friends on a day they has not intended to do parks was an issue.
Low crowds meant little need for FP. When we went to a kiosk for our fourth, I explained our "dilemma. Of unlinked tickets and he walked is through how to best do it.

We had a good experience this week. Obviously YMMV on higher crowd days and busy seasons. But busy seasons has never been something Disney hid as they have known about then for decades and priced them accordingly.


People can move on to other experiences as they see fit. I don't understand the continued energy to ensure others follow them.

Believe me, I am not trying to convince no one to follow me! At this point I am trying to find less crowded experiences.

My purpose in posting on the boards is to find out if others are feeling as I do and in hopes that Disney reads some of these posts. I'm not going to convince someone who loves FP+ that they should hate it nor vice versa. Also, I do not post on I love FP+ threads. I am not trying to put down people who love the new system.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It's not even clear to me that the DISboards sentiment is majority-negative.

Agreed.
But some (erroneously) take the number of negative posts as statistical evidence of an epidemic.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Believe me, I am not trying to convince no one to follow me! At this point I am trying to find less crowded experiences.

My purpose in posting on the boards is to find out if others are feeling as I do and in hopes that Disney reads some of these posts. I'm not going to convince someone who loves FP+ that they should hate it nor vice versa. Also, I do not post on I love FP+ threads. I am not trying to put down people who love the new system.

I cited no one specifically on purpose.

But past theming of commentary is that there is some irrational need for the rest of the folks to be in complete agreement. If not, then they just don't get it.

 

[Suvadoo]

I cited no one specifically on purpose.

But past theming of commentary is that there is some irrational need for the rest of the folks to be in complete agreement. If not, then they just don't get it.

You're right. I've seen the people who hate FP+ dismiss the people who like it and I've seen FP+ lovers dismiss the people who hate it. I think everyone is guilty of this.
But I still don't think people are trying to convince others to "follow them" as you said in a previous post.