Our FP+ testing experience 7/19

[Martini35]

Thanks for your report. We have been asked to be testers when we arrive on Aug 4th so will give it a go. The only concern I have from your report is I have one DD that will probably not want to wear it all the time! Guess I should go book my FP+!

 

[delmar411]

So, aside from the no physical ticket thing, I assume there is a FP+ Magic Band scanner at the end of each FP+ line for the attractions?

What about for things like Electrical Parade and Wishes? How do they verify that you actually have a FP+ for that date and time? CM with a scanner?

There is a Mickey head at all FP entrances and merge points that you touch. One of the survey CMs at the entrance was able to scan our bands so I'd assume the parade /fireworks areas would scan the same way.

 

[Vertical]

There is a Mickey head at all FP entrances and merge points that you touch. One of the survey CMs at the entrance was able to scan our bands so I'd assume the parade /fireworks areas would scan the same way.

Awesome, thanks for the information!

 

[cme37]

We are going in October. Is this still going to be in the testing phase then? I went online today and looking at my reservation and noticed the Fast Pass selection. I tried to get it to work, but when it asks me to link my tickets I get stumped. Our tickets are part of our package and I don't have ticket numbers to put in to make it work.

I really hope this isn't up and running by our trip. I don't want to mess with it.

 

[delmar411]

Thanks for your report. We have been asked to be testers when we arrive on Aug 4th so will give it a go. The only concern I have from your report is I have one DD that will probably not want to wear it all the time! Guess I should go book my FP+!

I had the kids bands wrapped around my purse strap so I was able to just touch them all at the points myself without taking them off.

 

[MYD714]

They are seriously awful and hot and sweaty is an understatement. Kids would only put them on to use at the touch points and YDD (special needs) refused to wear it at all. She didn't care about using it at the touch points.

I was afraid of that. I wish mine would just ship already so I could try it!

Right, which was my concern. I mean, I have a smartphone, so I'm not terribly worried about it, but still. There are tons of scenarios which will now require that people possibly memorize when their FP+'s are for several days:

1) No smartphone
2) Dead smartphone
3) Lost smartphone
4) Not currently with the party member who HAS a smartphone...

Etc.

In addition to my smartphone, I'm going to make a tiny little spreadsheet that will slip into my wallet or bag. I'm the queen of tiny spreadsheets. Now I'll have one for park hours, one for ADRs, and one for FP+...

 

[Schmeck]

What about all those people who travel to WDW from overseas? Isn't it expensive to get US service on 'foreign' phones? It was for our family from Norway! They'd have to get a full media package, right?

So, if you don't have a smartphone, you have to get a printout or jot down your times somewhere (like a sharpie to my forearm, I'm thinking) - maybe I'll bring little scraps of FP sized paper and make my own FP+ slips...

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

So, if you don't have a smartphone, you have to get a printout or jot down your times somewhere (like a sharpie to my forearm, I'm thinking) - maybe I'll bring little scraps of FP sized paper and make my own FP+ slips...

 

[d1gitman]

...We gave away our TSM FPs so no guests were harmed in our experiments...

except they are non-transferrable

 

[delmar411]

except they are non-transferrable

Yep I'm a rebel! we gave away our FPs for Kali and EE yesterday too. Someone better stop the madness!

 

[d1gitman]

There is a Mickey head at all FP entrances and merge points that you touch. One of the survey CMs at the entrance was able to scan our bands so I'd assume the parade /fireworks areas would scan the same way.

how quickly did the mickey heads scan? were there enough FP+ guests entering that the line backed up at all due to scan times?

or

how smoothly was scanning at the park entrance? when we were there in March, it was a little slow as there were lots of mickey heads not accepting the RFID KTTW.

also, are they still scanning to the color blue as passed? i find blue an odd choice since green pretty much means go in our society.

 

[delmar411]

how quickly did the mickey heads scan? were there enough FP+ guests entering that the line backed up at all due to scan times?

or

how smoothly was scanning at the park entrance? when we were there in March, it was a little slow as there were lots of mickey heads not accepting the RFID KTTW.

also, are they still scanning to the color blue as passed? i find blue an odd choice since green pretty much means go in our society.

Blue is an error, green is go. The front ones are working perfectly with the cards as far as I've seen over the past few weeks. There wasn't anyone else testing magic bands that I saw so we were the only FP+ guests. The tour groups were doing a great job of backing up the lines all on their own. Lol

And it took a few secs for each touch point to process. It will take a while if everyone in the line was using it as you have to make sure the right part of the band is touching the head and hold it there so instead of the line moving as fast as you can walk and flash your Fap, it is restricted to 1 band every few secs. That does add up.

 

[ArielRae]

I am wondering how hard it is going to be for them to take charging privileges off the band. I ordered my band and it did not let me pick if I wanted charging privileges or not. Automatically adds charging to cards. Said to make changes I have to do that at the resort. Also for some reason it said I had a pin picked for me even tho I haven't given one.

 

[bcrook]

I am wondering how hard it is going to be for them to take charging privileges off the band. I ordered my band and it did not let me pick if I wanted charging privileges or not. Automatically adds charging to cards. Said to make changes I have to do that at the resort. Also for some reason it said I had a pin picked for me even tho I haven't given one.

Nice!

 

[photo_chick]

What about all those people who travel to WDW from overseas? Isn't it expensive to get US service on 'foreign' phones? It was for our family from Norway! They'd have to get a full media package, right?

So, if you don't have a smartphone, you have to get a printout or jot down your times somewhere (like a sharpie to my forearm, I'm thinking) - maybe I'll bring little scraps of FP sized paper and make my own FP+ slips...

Can non-US smartphones use wifi in the US for data access? That's all you need to run the app. You can also get cheap, prepaid smartphones in the US and just pay for service while you're here. In some cases you can get a sim card for your existing phone so it will work here.

Personally I like the homemade FP idea myself. We're going next year and I may get my daughter to make some so the kids aren't constantly asking when we ride what.

 

[mesaboy2]

Can non-US smartphones use wifi in the US for data access? That's all you need to run the app. You can also get cheap, prepaid smartphones in the US and just pay for service while you're here. In some cases you can get a sim card for your existing phone so it will work here.

Personally I like the homemade FP idea myself. We're going next year and I may get my daughter to make some so the kids aren't constantly asking when we ride what.

WiFi is an international standard, so yes they should.

 

[ses1230]

I was able to double dip and we are park hopping later on so we will see if we can pull FPs at another park with the room keys.

How does this work? Did you scan both your band and your KTTW at the park entrance?

 

[delmar411]

How does this work? Did you scan both your band and your KTTW at the park entrance?

No, we only scanned our bands.

 

[pjammer]

Thanks, delmar, for reporting back so quickly!

This is the #1 reason why I won't participate if the tests are still going on when we're there. I go away on vacation to get away from stress and irritation, not to voluntarily subject myself to it with no real benefit in return!

I this part of the report is kind of unfair because what the OP failed to say was that they or a friend are CMs and they got FREE tickets and a FREE resort stay and the purpose of having a scenario is because this is the first time many CMs are getting to use the systems out of training so the company is asking the CMs to go have them do stuff so they can have practice before actual Guest start asking them. Because if they do mess up, they are messing up in CMs that don't have the RIGHT to get mad because this a privilege that you volunteered for knowing you are doing this to help further train other CMs.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

Our next Disney trip will likely be 2016 or 2017. To the OP and all others who participate in the testing and rollout (with all the inevitable bumps), you have my respect, gratitude and sympathy. Thank you.