Thank you Bob Iger and gang for Magic Bands!!!!!!!

[richflour]

Trying to pick rides 2 months in advance is not making my life easier. Just more stressful.

What makes sense for most will not for all.

 

[tjkraz]

That would be make very bad business sense.
I dont understand the mentality that capitalism is a bad thing.

Well, your original comment suggested that increased profits would lead to increased park investment. History hasn't really shown that to be true. We could go through a laundry list of cut-backs and price-hikes WDW has implemented in the last few years but there really aren't any signs that more dollars are being poured into improvements.

Trying to pick rides 2 months in advance is not making my life easier. Just more stressful.

I doubt you will ever be obligated to pick attractions that far in advance. Given the limits on FP+ and dramatic increase in the number of attractions at which it's offered, chances are you could pick your ride times while on a bus headed to the parks and still have virtually unlimited availability. The only attraction which may be worth planning in advance is Toy Story Mania.

What makes sense for most will not for all.

The question is whether FP+ will appeal to "most". The numbers need to be pretty strong for Disney to consider this a win. Even if 51% of guests are thrilled with FP+, that means 49% are...somewhat less impressed. Businesses don't usually do well when they alienate a large portion of their customer base.

 

[midaroco]

With information they can make changes to become more profitable. With more profit they can make improvements to the parks and infustructure.

While I agree with you from a business standpoint - I don't see them investing in WDW anytime soon. When is the last time HS saw a major update? Or Epcot? Avatar land is projected, for what, a 2016 opening? They seem to be focused on offshore parks and investing in those - so I think whatever profits are gained will go to those parks. It's taking 2+ years to open the seven dwarves mine train?! Universal can get new projects completed and opened in half that time. Just seems like they are so focused on driving profits within the structure that is already present. This is problematic when you are selling DVC units and trying to get people to come back year after year - what is to keep them coming back?

 

[rteetz]

While I agree with you from a business standpoint - I don't see them investing in WDW anytime soon. When is the last time HS saw a major update? Or Epcot? Avatar land is projected, for what, a 2016 opening? They seem to be focused on offshore parks and investing in those - so I think whatever profits are gained will go to those parks. It's taking 2+ years to open the seven dwarves mine train?! Universal can get new projects completed and opened in half that time. Just seems like they are so focused on driving profits within the structure that is already present. This is problematic when you are selling DVC units and trying to get people to come back year after year - what is to keep them coming back?

Bob iger has said himself they are working on Star Wars attractions those would be expected to go to DHS. Epcot is another story and has been rumored for the last year to be getting a renovation of the imagination pavilion. Pandora as it is now being called is going to open in 2017. China is the hot market right now and they are pushing a lot of different things there largest Disney store and Shanghai Disney are the two main ones. The mine train was not started 2+ years ago the fantasyland expansion was opened in phases the mine train has been taking about a year and half.

 

[Nancy F]

P.S.S.

Oh and one last thought.

The nerve of Disney thinking they can sell t-shirts with Magic Bands on them saying " I'm with the band" and "Lets Band together". Give me a break, how stupid do they think people are?

I asked a Cast Member how many of these t-shirts she has sold at Coronado Springs and she responded with an enthusiastic "Zero!".

Cool!!!!

They will be selling at least one... to me. I think it's cute. I collect tees and it's just the kind I would want.
Nancy

 

[richflour]

I was excited when my magic bands arrived!

 

[midaroco]

The mine train was not started 2+ years ago the fantasyland expansion was opened in phases the mine train has been taking about a year and half.

I have pics from the construction in November 2011.

 

[midaroco]

Yes...but I think they make the customers life a bit easier too...

Yes, I do agree with you that it makes things convenient while at WDW. I am currently at the parks and so far have had a great experience in terms of the bands working to open my door and allow me to access the parks and pay for things. From that standpoint it is a definite plus.

 

[Susiequsie60]

I doubt you will ever be obligated to pick attractions that far in advance. Given the limits on FP+ and dramatic increase in the number of attractions at which it's offered, chances are you could pick your ride times while on a bus headed to the parks and still have virtually unlimited availability. The only attraction which may be worth planning in advance is Toy Story Mania.

I must not be understanding FP+ then. I thought the entire point was to "reserve" rides you want at a specific time 60 days in advance. Then, from what I've heard, once you're there it's really hard to change anything because FP+'s are not available so close to the actual time. If what you said were in fact the case, it might not be that bad.

That's what I hate. While I like to plan ahead, I don't like to commit to something as specific as a ride that far out. Much more stressful than walking around the parks and deciding that day what you'd like to enjoy a little later on. FP- always worked like a charm for us.

And just so you know - I have absolutely no desire to go to Toy Story Mania, so I'm going to have to disagree with your thought that it's the only attraction worth planning in advance.

 

[Bob Roberts]

Collecting data gives them information .
With information they can make changes to become more profitable.
With more profit they can make improvements to the parks and infustructure.

You are wrong in so many ways. The more money Disney makes $$$$$ the more they think they are doing things right in the parks and the less likely they will expand to keep people coming in.

Disney needs to be called out for their Nickel and Diming approach that has sky rocketed in the past 8 years. I am proud to be one of the few that does it.

Bob Roberts (Old School OKW DVC Member)

 

[dcibrando]

sounds like someone has been reading the wdwmagic forums and all the negativity there haha

 

[tjkraz]

I must not be understanding FP+ then. I thought the entire point was to "reserve" rides you want at a specific time 60 days in advance. Then, from what I've heard, once you're there it's really hard to change anything because FP+'s are not available so close to the actual time. If what you said were in fact the case, it might not be that bad.

That's what I hate. While I like to plan ahead, I don't like to commit to something as specific as a ride that far out. Much more stressful than walking around the parks and deciding that day what you'd like to enjoy a little later on. FP- always worked like a charm for us.

It's very difficult to judge the end product based upon today's tests. Right now Disney is still operating the "legacy" paper ticket FastPass system in tandem with FP+. So the daily ride allocations are split between the two systems. AND they are allowing guests to double-dip from both systems by reserving their FP+ online and using paper tickets or KTTW card to get the old paper FPs.

The current plan for FP+ appears to be three attractions per day at a single theme park with no duplicates and possibly a tiered setup where guests are forced to choose one of several attractions.

Think about how that compares to the legacy system where there were NO limits on how many FPs could be claimed in a day, NO tiering of attractions, NO limits of one park per day and duplication was openly available. If I wanted to get 4 FPs for Rock N Rollercoaster spread out during a single day, I could certainly do that under the old system.

Taking into account all of the new restrictions and the VAST expansion of attractions which will offer FP+, I just don't see how it's mathematically possible for attractions to be fully-booked weeks in advance. Disney is putting all of these limitations in place specifically so that guests can walk in the park at 9am with no advance FP+ reservations and still be able to schedule Test Track, RNR, Space Mountain or pretty much any other attraction.

And just so you know - I have absolutely no desire to go to Toy Story Mania, so I'm going to have to disagree with your thought that it's the only attraction worth planning in advance.

My comment about Toy Story Mania had nothing to do with personal preference. It is the one attraction in all of WDW which stands out as being both incredibly popular AND it has a very low daily rider capacity. TSM can only handle about 1000-1200 guests per hour. Compare that to something like Haunted Mansion which is over 2000 and POTC which is over 3000 per hour.

Low capacity, relative lack of other "D" and "E" ticket attractions at Hollywood Studios and its overall popularity leaves TSM as the one attraction which may be tough to get same-day FP+. For other attractions, I don't think it will be an issue.

Look at this from the consumer perspective. Every day there are hundreds (or thousands) of guests paying $95-100 for single-day admission to the Disney parks. These are people who have done zero advance planning...they show up, buy a ticket and expect to enjoy the park. Disney cannot afford to have these people walking into the park, discovering that there are no ride times left for the most popular attractions.

That's exactly why the restrictions are being put into place--to ensure that the most popular rides are not pre-booked days or weeks in advance.

 

[ChipnDale79]

The current plan for FP+ appears to be three attractions per day at a single theme park with no duplicates and possibly a tiered setup where guests are forced to choose one of several attractions.

Am I the only one that thinks this plan is horrible?

Why continue to pay the high price of a disney vacation when in fact they are offering less of a service.

We used to hit the parks running in the morning and keep going all day long, riding as much as we could as often as we could. The new system sounds like you can't do that. It just doesn't sound fun at all.

 

[tjkraz]

Am I the only one that thinks this plan is horrible?

Why continue to pay the high price of a disney vacation when in fact they are offering less of a service.

We used to hit the parks running in the morning and keep going all day long, riding as much as we could as often as we could. The new system sounds like you can't do that. It just doesn't sound fun at all.

Remains to be seen.

The three worst aspects of legacy FP were (IMO):
1) No control over return times
2) Having to criss-cross parks grabbing tickets
3) Having to be at park within 1-2 hours of opening to have any chance of getting FP for certain attractions. (And during busier periods, your return times could be 6-8 hours later if you aren't there early.)

Given the combination of daily limits PLUS dramatic expansion of attractions / experiences offering FP, I suspect we'll see a decrease in FP utilization at many attractions. That should keep the Standby lines moving faster.

We may be forced to use Standby more often but the trade-off could be less wasted time (see 1,2,3 above) and faster-moving Standby lines.

I also think it's very possible that Disney ends up giving more than 3 FPs to at least some guests. With a flexible computerized system like this in place, it seems like a no-brainer to me that they would (for example) give an extra 1-2 FPs to guests at Disney hotels. That's a very easy way to drive up occupancy and hotel prices, and help justify the entire MDE investment.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think there's a naivitee in thinking that somehow without the magic bands they would have invested that money back into wdw...

Rides don't equal money...they only did when they built attendance.
That is not the problem at wdw...management is probably content to think that they've reach market saturation...and they're right.

I don't believe that the goal is to bring in more visitors annually... They will outrun their infrastructure and push them offsite... Not to mention OIA wouldn't handle it... And there simply is not enough cheap labor.

So now they are trying to get more outta what they have...and that makes every penny put into rides a waste from all angles.

Until the park attendance and Hotel bookings significantly start to decline...they don't have a necessity to invest. And that hasn't happened. They reworked their business in the 90's to make themselves "not an amusement park"... And it worked and we have bought in. And I don't necessarily have a problem with that.
But There's a price: like the roaring 80's economy... There's a longterm downside for the average joe in this scenario. Adding rides does them no good. Only piecemeal for appearances.

You want a good indicator?
No hotel rooms under construction, that is not DVC...I'm talking regular non contract rooms. Art of animation was a mothballed project from. 2001...so really they haven't initiated construction for going on 15 years... Which has never happened and only had even been hinted at since the pre eisner troubles of the late 70's early 80's...
New hotel rooms require rides to draw new business... DVC does not and allows them to stagnate even more.
Take a look at that... And if its depressing - it should be.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

We used to hit the parks running in the morning and keep going all day long, riding as much as we could as often as we could. The new system sounds like you can't do that. It just doesn't sound fun at all.

No offense, honestly...

But I think you were the minority and that's NOT what the place is there for...

I understand the fast pass junkies are ticked and I understand that...
What I don't understand is why there ever are any fastpass junkies?
That's just not the place... While its fun, the rides are not the focus... The environment is.

I understand it at cedar point...don't see it at wdw. It's like "amusements lite" and always has been.

 

[richflour]

You are wrong in so many ways. The more money Disney makes $$$$$ the more they think they are doing things right in the parks and the less likely they will expand to keep people coming in.

Disney needs to be called out for their Nickel and Diming approach that has sky rocketed in the past 8 years. I am proud to be one of the few that does it.

Bob Roberts (Old School OKW DVC Member)

The purpose of a business is to make a profit.
The law if supply and demand is in full effect, if people keep coming Disney will keep raising prices.
Disney is a very expensive place to vacation , but it is still a good value.
The people running Disney are very smart people , the magic bands are a great investment .

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The purpose of a business is to make a profit.
The law if supply and demand is in full effect, if people keep coming Disney will keep raising prices.
Disney is a very expensive place to vacation , but it is still a good value.
The people running Disney are very smart people , the magic bands are a great investment .

Sadly I completely agree with you... And I hate it.

Though the value is quickly eroding because there is a lack of consumer wealth and discretionary funds that is growing in - at least - the US.

If they continue the uninterrupted price hikes... The raw numbers will start to fall. It is unsustainable at rising levels.

Brazilians aren't going to bail them
Out THAT much...like they probably assume. And the Chinese are not vacationing in Orlando... Not
Gonna happen.
They'd sooner just buy it, ship the rides
Back to Hong Kong... And knock it
Down

 

[manning]

Am I the only one that thinks this plan is horrible?

Why continue to pay the high price of a disney vacation when in fact they are offering less of a service.

We used to hit the parks running in the morning and keep going all day long, riding as much as we could as often as we could. The new system sounds like you can't do that. It just doesn't sound fun at all.

But it gives you more time.... to go into the stores and buy things.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

But it gives you more time.... to go into the stores and buy things.

I think you just found King Tut's tomb