Ok, This is not testing anymore, enough

[wisblue]

I see what you're doing. You are trying to put a positive spin on this. It doesn't really work in this thread.

Like I said above, and in the bigger thread about the change at POP, I sympathize with the people who are affected by and upset by this and, if it did upset me, I would be complaining big time.

I can also say that if I were checking in at POP in the next few days I would be shrugging this off because we never use FPs that much anyway and the 3 FP+ reservations would be more useful to us than legacy FPs. But, I fully appreciate that there are others who don't tour the same way we do, and I think they have a good reason to be upset at having this sprung on them this way.

 

[Mad Hattered]

I would be shrugging this off because we never use FPs that much anyway and the 3 FP+ reservations would be more useful to us than legacy FPs.

Nothing personal, wis...but that is what I don't understand. I see so many of these types of replies in threads like this. This DOES affect people who toured in a different way. It's like arguing that you have never had a bad experience with International Tourist GROUPS yet countless others have had the opposite experience. This will affect a bunch of people way more than it will you. A lot!

Disappointment is the nicest way I can personally describe it.

But I honestly appreciate you not just screaming at us to stop going to make room for the newborn sheep.

 

[Planogirl]

I really thought that they would wait until after the busy holidays to fully implement this but it looks like I was wrong.

What about the offsite visitors? They are supposed to get access to (likely same-day) FP+ too. So far only the Swan and Dolphin have been testing and only for a short time.

 

[aubriee]

I feel bad for people with all of this uncertainty. I know lots of people think there are more than just the attractions, but people should be allowed equal access. I think they should roll it all at once and just eliminate the FP in the park. Open it up to off site and AP/locals and call it a day. It is just bad business IMO that they are keeping it on the down low so people don't cancel(which is a theory posted on the other thread I agree with). They make so much money, but don't respect families that may have saved for their one time trip and possibly have no idea what they are walking in to. If the system is so great. Stand behind it, promote it, love it otherwise why should the guests feel anything but uncertainty on their upcoming trip. I'm not taking my toys from the sandbox and going home, but I will be bringing a lot less toys in the future if WDW continues to treat their guest with this lack of respect. I really do feel bad with those who have upcoming trips in the next 6 months until the dust really settles and rules keep changing every few days.

As an annual passholder who is staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek Dec 6th-16th I agree. When we booked the trip and when we got new annual passes last spring we didn't know anything about this. Now due to nonrefundable airline tickets, requested time off, booking BC through a third party, etc, it's too late to cancel. It's too late to 'take my toys from the sandbox' as you put it. However, I am making plans to bring less toys to WDW. We had originally planned to spend nine days in WDW and two days over at Universal, (where we also have annual passes). The other day I bought those Fun Passes that are good until Dec 2014 from Sea World and booked the Shrek breakfast and ICE over at Gaylord Palms, I also bought tickets to Gator Land and a Wild Willies swamp boat ride for one day during our trip, and will spend part of a day riding a swamp monster truck over at Showcase of Citrus, and will also be spending one day at the beach. All of that means that we'll be spending only two full days and part of two days at WDW this trip, instead of the nine days we originally planned. If WDW wants to treat us like red headed step children then fine, we'll take our money elsewhere.

We also have a trip planned for early April. Again we'll go, but WDW will be getting alot less of our money, as we'll be looking for other things to offsite. That trip was also planned for nine days at WDW and two days at Universal. Those plans too were changed due to this FP+ mess. Plus as of this time, we have no intention of renewing our annual passes this spring. In fact, I feel like I wasted $1800.00+ on the three I bought for this year, since WDW took away a big perk after we bought them. It will be the first time since 2004 that I have not had an annual pass, but I do not like the way WDW is treating their loyal annual passholders, so will speak with our money. They usually get 4-6 trips a year, (with each trip lasting 9-11 days), out of me, but those days have come to a sudden halt due to this.

 

[Viva Las Disney]

As an annual passholder who is staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek Dec 6th-16th I agree. When we booked the trip and when we got new annual passes last spring we didn't know anything about this. Now due to nonrefundable airline tickets, requested time off, booking BC through a third party, etc, it's too late to cancel. It's too late to 'take my toys from the sandbox' as you put it. However, I am making plans to bring less toys to WDW. We had originally planned to spend nine days in WDW and two days over at Universal, (where we also have annual passes). The other day I bought those Fun Passes that are good until Dec 2014 from Sea World and booked the Shrek breakfast and ICE over at Gaylord Palms, I also bought tickets to Gator Land and a Wild Willies swamp boat ride for one day during our trip, and will spend part of a day riding a swamp monster truck over at Showcase of Citrus, and will also be spending one day at the beach. All of that means that we'll be spending only two full days and part of two days at WDW this trip, instead of the nine days we originally planned. If WDW wants to treat us like red headed step children then fine, we'll take our money elsewhere.

We also have a trip planned for early April. Again we'll go, but WDW will be getting alot less of our money, as we'll be looking for other things to offsite. That trip was also planned for nine days at WDW and two days at Universal. Those plans too were changed due to this FP+ mess. Plus as of this time, we have no intention of renewing our annual passes this spring. In fact, I feel like I wasted $1800.00+ on the three I bought for this year, since WDW took away a big perk after we bought them. It will be the first time since 2004 that I have not had an annual pass, but I do not like the way WDW is treating their loyal annual passholders, so will speak with our money. They usually get 4-6 trips a year, with each trip lasting 9-11 days, out of me, but those days have come to a sudden halt due to this.

What if you have the most amazing trip of your life?

I understand being frustrated but I'll never understand making personal decisions based on others opinions without experiencing it first.

If you go and hate it I absolutely agree you should talk with your money, I just don't understand why you wouldn't give it a chance first before making up your mind unless maybe you were tiring of Disney already and this is just the straw that broke the camels back.

 

[NMAmy]

What if you have the most amazing trip of your life?

I understand being frustrated but I'll never understand making personal decisions based on others opinions without experiencing it first.

If you go and hate it I absolutely agree you should talk with your money, I just don't understand why you wouldn't give it a chance first before making up your mind unless maybe you were tiring of Disney already and this is just the straw that broke the camels back.

I see from your ticker that you're coming up on your first ever Disney trip which means that you don't have anything to compare your upcoming trip but frequent visitors certainly do. Because of your name and location, I'm guessing you have some Las Vegas experience. What if the hotel you were staying at in Las Vegas suddenly came up with a new "testing" phase during your visit? Based on your room category, you're only allowed to book certain shows on certain days or to play certain games in certain areas of the casino. Would you continue to stay at that resort during their testing phase or would you move on down the Strip until they got everything all sorted out? I mean, you know what you like to do and how you spend your time there so why would you waste your money especially if the hotel isn't giving you any upfront information?

Aubriee said she's had an AP every year since 2004 so she knows how she likes to visit WDW. I'm the same way. We go every year. I skipped getting an AP this year--why should I waste my money until I know if I'm going to like the changes? So far, it doesn't sound like something that we're going to like. Like aubriee, we're planning on spending more money at other locations in Orlando when we visit in March. I'm not happy with the changes and I'm showing Disney with my pocketbook. Nothing in the world wrong with that.

 

[Laketravis]

After reading all of the posts over the last several weeks and months from people stating that they don't understand all of the fuss because FP's were never a big deal for them, I'm starting to wonder where those people were every time we gave a set of FP's to somebody waiting in line for TSM or Space Mountain.

Because THOSE people acted like we had just given them the best Christmas present ever.

 

[snowwite]

Being A person who does testing for products, I would say Disney needs a significant amount more time to continue testing. They need to try to cover every possible scenario. It needs to work with limited amount of flaws before they officially roll out, from reading a lot of these threads on this board, it seems they are not even close. Not including the Swan and Dolphin, they haven't even tested non-Resort guests.

They need more testing until they work out all of the kinks. DD is a CMin Guest relations and gets screamed at on a daily basis because the bands are not working correctly and guests are cranky. I think Disney is wide not to rush it and roll it out before they fix all of the problems.

 

[snowwite]

make room for the newborn sheep. ;)

and this really needs to be under your avatar. Love it1

 

[Son of Gadsden]

I don't think you understand the concept of testing/beta phases.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Words do matter. I think, at this point, it's downright dishonest to call this a test anymore. There was a point when I think it could have honestly been called testing, certainly back in the summer let's say. Now? All resorts are on it and now they are taking a huge step to dismantle the old system. This is going to happen fast now.

Using this example of Pop, does anyone really think that it's going to go back to the old way ever from this point on? Tests have end dates. This is just the next step in the rollout.

So yes, maybe it's just semantics. But to me, it's downright dishonest at this point from a public relations/customer service standpoint.

Because whenever something goes wrong for people, you are going to be told, "Sorry, it's just in testing. It's in testing. Testing." So they want to hide behind this testing facade instead of taking responsibility for the fact that a paying customer is inconvenienced, that their app is a piece of garbage, on and on. Because it's just "testing."

 

[AmyB2006]

I really thought that they would wait until after the busy holidays to fully implement this but it looks like I was wrong.

Personally I think we're gonna see the "testing" ampd up here. I think you'll see full implementation with off site visitors having access by Christmas.

 

[amylevan]

I've been saying this for a while. In my book, it's not a test. Tests have end dates. This is a phased roll-out. You want to say there is problems because it is a "new" system, fine. Don't tell me there are problems because it's a test.

At no point are they going to say, "Well gee, that didn't work the way we wanted to. Let's keep the old system."

 

[AmyB2006]

Words do matter. I think, at this point, it's downright dishonest to call this a test anymore. There was a point when I think it could have honestly been called testing, certainly back in the summer let's say. Now? All resorts are on it and now they are taking a huge step to dismantle the old system. This is going to happen fast now.

Using this example of Pop, does anyone really think that it's going to go back to the old way ever from this point on? Tests have end dates. This is just the next step in the rollout.

So yes, maybe it's just semantics. But to me, it's downright dishonest at this point from a public relations/customer service standpoint.

Because whenever something goes wrong for people, you are going to be told, "Sorry, it's just in testing. It's in testing. Testing." So they want to hide behind this testing facade instead of taking responsibility for the fact that a paying customer is inconvenienced, that their app is a piece of garbage, on and on. Because it's just "testing."

But in all honesty, does it really matter what they call it? We know it's coming. You can't hide from it. LOL It's just a matter of how fast they do it.

Would it really make you feel any better if they said it was a phased rollout instead of testing? I don't think it would you make feel differently. I just don't see why it matters what they call it.

 

[metzgardesign]

If you, as a customer have no choice in whether you use the new offering or not (at least based on where you stay, for example....you could always try to switch resorts or cancel your trip....so you do ultimately have a choice).....then it is no longer "testing" and is "operations."

 

[Son of Gadsden]

If you, as a customer have no choice in whether you use the new offering or not (at least based on where you stay, for example....you could always try to switch resorts or cancel your trip....so you do ultimately have a choice).....then it is no longer "testing" and is "operations."

You do have the option to use the new offering or not. You can get a KTTW card if you don't want a magicband. You just can't have both. It clearly states that.

 

[AmyB2006]

You do have the option to use the new offering or not. You can get a KTTW card if you don't want a magicband. You just can't have both. It clearly states that.

But if you "opt out" and get the KTTW card, is it good for pulling FPs? I know it says if you take the MBs AND a KTTW card, that card is not good for pulling FPs.

 

[Son of Gadsden]

But if you "opt out" and get the KTTW card, is it good for pulling FPs? I know it says if you take the MBs AND a KTTW card, that card is not good for pulling FPs.

That, I don't know. I would assume it does. From what I understood reading it, you can use one or the other, but they will not give you both...meaning you can probably only use one or the other with FP.

I believe that in this point during the testing phase, they want to see what happens when guests HAVE to use the FP+ system, as some are probably avoiding it for FP-. This could also be a response to longer FP- lines due to double dipping. Disney may be trying to stop the longer FP lines, yet also maintain their testing phase. We don't really know. I doubt anyone in this thread is in Disney's IT department.

I've made the comparison before, but an NFL preseason game could be considered a "testing phase". Teams will PURPOSEFULLY do things that end in bad results for their team just to see what happens. Maybe they throw an interception on purpose just to see how good their offenses tackling skills are...or maybe the interception was just because the QB sucks. The same could be happening here. There are endless amounts of testing to do, and none of us have any idea what they are or are not testing. Speculation, that's all we can do.

 

[mom2rtk]

If you, as a customer have no choice in whether you use the new offering or not (at least based on where you stay, for example....you could always try to switch resorts or cancel your trip....so you do ultimately have a choice).....then it is no longer "testing" and is "operations."

I agree with that it's only testing if you can still opt out, but would not include switching resorts as a means of switching out.

If I were checking into the Pop this weekend and asked to opt out, only to be told I could not, I would probably demand a full refund and go stay offsite.

I really have to say I'm shocked that Disney would put a huge chunk of guests in a position where staying offsite could result in more FPs.

The piece I'm waiting for is when they move the first deluxe resort into this phase of the test. My, won't that make for some interesting reading here!

 

[lovin'fl]

I said in another thread that I read somewhere that paper FP machines would be pulled by Dec 1 and most folks didn't believe it. I also read that testing would be considered done by Dec 9. I think by that point it will be a full roll out and no more paper FP and no more KTTW cards. I think Disney is crazy to have done this right before the holidays...it's such a busy time at Disney. Maybe they expected full roll out to have happened sooner (like end of Oct or early Nov).