The financial Irony of MDE App and FP+

[JanaDee]

Off-site guests won't get MBs but they can still use MDE to keep track of their ADRs and check park hours, attraction wait times & parade times.

Correct.

They can't use MDE to make FP+ selections.

 

[sweetdana]

The MBs are no different than the KKTW as far as the amount of personal information they carry. There is no personal info stored on the band. The info is stored on Disney's computers in the same manner that it was stored when you used a KTTW to carry your tickets, open your room and to make purchases. If you were not concerned about your "personal security" when using the KTTW card, then there is no reason to be concerned with the MBs. You don't even need to put your real name on the bands. Many people use Disney names when they personalize the bands and that's what shows up when the MB is scanned for FP+.

MB maybe.. but not FP+ I agree with OP, I am only very new to having a smart phone. I held out for years. I do not see why tickets are required to pick FP, and why they have to make things so difficult.. I guess no paper tickets is green, but the lines at kiosks will be unbareable. .. and without a smart phone (or being okay without changing anything) and without staying onsite.. I think it is going to make things harder.

 

[crisi]

Tickets are required to pick Fastpasses because they need your commitment to be in the park - or people would just pick up Fastpasses because "we might go in March, or we might not." Its part of the problem with pre-scheduling - people don't always follow through on their plans, but they are more likely to with skin in the game.

 

[Happyjen27]

Yep.

"I can't afford a smartphone and a Disney trip" translates to Disney as "I'm going to take a cheap Disney trip which will have very little margin for you in it." When it comes to making everyone happy, they'd rather have a guest in a high margin Deluxe room, eating high margin meals with high margin alcohol and buying high margin souvenirs, getting VERY high margin photopass pictures (there is a money machine for Disney) than someone who comes down and spends very little money.

As the parks operate closer and closer to capacity, it becomes better for Disney to prioritize those that will spend significant money - and come back and spend more - over those of us with frugal tendencies.

Makes perfect sense. Until oddballs like me will happily spend gobs of money on vacations, but prefer not to throw money away frivolously on things that I don't need. I am not slamming people for having them, they just aren't needed by me personally. Then again, any kind of frugal tendency, even if they aren't involved in my vacation habits, is probably putting me outside of Disney's target market anyway.

 

[kymom99]

I'm not sure I agree with the theory about smart phones and targetted guests. I have gotten numerous pin codes over the years and I have stayed at 2 values and 2 moderates. We charged very little to our KTTW cards and bought very few souvenirs. I think they have been trying to get me to come back more, and at different times of the year. Also, I haven't recently gotten any codes, but they have started sending them to my husband, who has never booked a trip. He has always gone with me, but my name was always first on the reservation. Just my take on it.

 

[vacationer1954]

Makes perfect sense. Until oddballs like me will happily spend gobs of money on vacations, but prefer not to throw money away frivolously on things that I don't need.

It will only stop making sense when oddballs aren't odd anymore.

I am not slamming people for having them, they just aren't needed by me personally.

For us, it is subscribing to newspaper delivery. We just don't see the point. It isn't the money. But it still makes sense for the Patriots to run their promotions in newspaper inserts even though it means that we're not going to be able to benefit from them. It is one of the things we sacrifice because we decided not to have newspaper delivery just like giving up walk-around access to MDE is sacrificed by those who decide not to have a smartphone.

Actually, we aren't going to use our smartphone for walk-around access to MDE. We have a 7-inch wifi only tablet. That should work, right?

I'm not sure I agree with the theory about smart phones and targetted guests.

I'm sure they aren't the only kind of people who are targeted.

 

[Judique]

You don't even need to put your real name on the bands. Many people use Disney names when they personalize the bands and that's what shows up when the MB is scanned for FP+.

Yes - this! (I thought I was being original, by the way!) I noticed that CM's were using my name at rides when I scanned for fastpass+ so I put 'Goofy" on my next trip's Magic Band. I'm just waiting for them to call me Goofy!!!!

 

[Judique]

I would be surprised if this is something Disney hasn't thought of and thought through. Companies today want to attract people with smartphones today just like they wanted to attract people with telephones in their homes back in the 1950s, televisions in the 1960s, color televisions in the 1970s, VCRs in the 1980s, and so on, because they had more money to spend on things that people who didn't have those things.

Whoa - more money to spend? People who have the latest smartphone may not necessarily have more money to spend. You need to rethink that statement.

 

[Judique]

Off-site guests won't get MBs but they can still use MDE to keep track of their ADRs and check park hours, attraction wait times & parade times.

Right now, I have a magic band and an annual pass. I have the ability to use MDE for fast pass+ for 60 days out. So I could easily stay offsite and book FP+.

 

[crisi]

Makes perfect sense. Until oddballs like me will happily spend gobs of money on vacations, but prefer not to throw money away frivolously on things that I don't need. I am not slamming people for having them, they just aren't needed by me personally. Then again, any kind of frugal tendency, even if they aren't involved in my vacation habits, is probably putting me outside of Disney's target market anyway.

Corporations aren't interested in individuals, they are interested in the population norm. They will make far more money without spending nearly as much targeting the population norm in upper income brackets. To them, you are not a person, you are a collection of statistics coming into their park who is anticipated to spend X. Not having a smart phone puts you on the low end of X.

 

[ilovemk76]

I just contacted Disney about the irony of the fact that their guests need a smartphone and an App to effectively tour using FP+, yet, I don't have a smart phone so I can afford my Disney trips. It's not the only thing I go without in order to pay for vacations, but in this case, it's directly affecting my trip!

Yes, they have kiosks, and yes, there is a way to arrange FP+ and tour without a smart phone, but I just wanted to raise the concern, knowing it will go no where and have no affect on anything.

My husband has a smart phone, so we were able to use that on our trip. I often travel without my husband, and I would consider going to WDW with just the kids, but, without a smart phone, I wouldn't be touring as effectively. So, I will take them other places instead. And though it will make no difference to them, it's something they should know.

I am laughing at the irony that your family does have a smart phone, yet you claim is only for a specific person. Unless the phone is a company phone, then borrow your DH's phone.

Most families cannot afford a family vacation to WDW and a mommy only trip too.

I have a smart phone and my DH does not. We only need one per family, not one per person, in the parks.

 

[KaLyn]

Yes - this! (I thought I was being original, by the way!) I noticed that CM's were using my name at rides when I scanned for fastpass+ so I put 'Goofy" on my next trip's Magic Band. I'm just waiting for them to call me Goofy!!!!

Unless you actually go in and change your real name on your account on the MDE site, the CM's will still call you your real name. The name you choose to have printed on the underside of the band when you customize isn't stored in the system.

 

[Happyjen27]

I am laughing at the irony that your family does have a smart phone, yet you claim is only for a specific person. Unless the phone is a company phone, then borrow your DH's phone.

Most families cannot afford a family vacation to WDW and a mommy only trip too.

I have a smart phone and my DH does not. We only need one per family, not one per person, in the parks.

It is my husband's phone, I don't want texts from his buddies, and NFL updates dinging if I were to borrow it. Just like he doesn't want to field calls from my bestie if we did switch phones. So yes, we only need one per family, but that does not good if he isn't travelling with us, because his schedule doesn't always allow him to get away when the 3 of us can. I already do take Mommy and Kids only trips. It's just that WDW won't be on our hit list.

 

[Happyjen27]

Yes - this! (I thought I was being original, by the way!) I noticed that CM's were using my name at rides when I scanned for fastpass+ so I put 'Goofy" on my next trip's Magic Band. I'm just waiting for them to call me Goofy!!!!

I put Mommy on my band. They still called me Jen because I'm listed as Jen on MDE.

 

[vacationer1954]

Whoa - more money to spend? People who have the latest smartphone may not necessarily have more money to spend. You need to rethink that statement.

http://www.edisonresearch.com/wp-co...artphone_Consumer_2012_by_Edison_Research.pdf

See Page 12.

 

[Sagginit]

my bigger annoyance was that i did not always get good service when trying to update. the iPad on wifi was better, but we didn't take this to the parks with us.

i can understand what your saying about not having a smartphone and feeling excluded. i have an older smartphone simply because i like the design but was worried the app would be glitchy as some new apps are. i think they still have a lot to work out with MBs. we had enough issues with the system not working that we would consider not going back for a while until they work at all these issues.