tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2228174552203445896.post81608293573934222..comments2024-02-05T01:33:59.164-05:00Comments on futureprobe: The Pixie Dust Detoxification EffectDavid Landonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909440700102911571noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2228174552203445896.post-10312468311459188442014-01-30T22:20:31.317-05:002014-01-30T22:20:31.317-05:00So sad , long time Disney family. FP+ On this last...So sad , long time Disney family. FP+ On this last trip was awful. Going to take my money elsewhere for a while. Sad we would go at least 1x a year. Robert Shawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08242345222437388760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2228174552203445896.post-4129932389798253462013-09-08T19:11:12.513-04:002013-09-08T19:11:12.513-04:00My partner and I just got back from an 8 days at W...My partner and I just got back from an 8 days at WDW and were in the MyMagic+ test program. It was his first visit, whereas I (who am probably around David's age) lived in Tampa in the 1980s, so I've been many times with a long hiatus from the early 90s - 2011. <br /><br />Aside from various technical problems and the whole cattle-tag aspect, we found the TEST program pleasant enough. Their web app sucks (although improving), and that becomes important in MyMagic+. The mobile apps don't perform all that well either. Lots of POS RFID readers (fixed and hand-held) don't seem to work well. I was surprised to see so many technical problems still in play at this late date. It was nice to use our MagicBands as tickets, room key and payment method, but I think the old cards could do all of that. <br /><br />We ended up missing or not using about 1/3 of our FP+ reservations because like most people, we occasionally change plans. What seemed like a good plan for Day 6 three months ago may sound like the Bataan Death March by Day 5. Instead of being somewhere at rope-drop, you want to sleep in, have a late brunch and then spend the afternoon drinking rum out of pineapples at Tambu. So the test, while okay, didn't add much to our trip except an additional layer of planning and schedules.<br /><br />The real issue (which this post nails perfectly)is that the fully-implemented FastPass+ experience will be NOTHING LIKE the test experience. It frustrates me to see people posting all over about how great their experience as MyMagic+ testers was, because it misses the point that IT WILL BE NOTHING LIKE THIS once everyone in the park is completing for FP+ slots at ALL attractions. As testers at WDW with fairly low crowd levels, it was no big deal for us to skip a FP+ and just wait in standby later...or to reschedule a FP+ for Space Mountain from morning to evening, or whatever. But there's just no way it's going to be that easy or flexible (especially for headliners) once all attendees are in the pool. I'm no statistician or crowd-management expert, but I can't come up with ANY scenario where standby waits don't get MUCH longer. It will be REALLY important to get your plans right when you book all your FP+ three or six months in advance (because does anyone really doubt that Space Mountain and Toy Story Mania will book completely the day they become available, just like Le Cellier reservations do today?), and guess what? I SERIOUSLY TOTALLY COMPLETELY DO NOT WANT TO PLAN EVERY FREAKING HOUR OF MY VACATION SIX MONTHS IN ADVANCE! Having to do that kind of planning is THE OPPOSITE OF FUN. It requires spreadsheets, and there's a reason why Excel is a part of "Microsoft Office" and not "Microsoft Vacation Funtimes".<br /> <br />A trip to WDW already involves more planning and complexity than is really reasonable for a domestic vacation to a theme park. We had a good time, but I doubt we'll return once FP+ is fully implemented (at least not for a week-long "ride everything" sort of trip). Maybe we're just not the kind of customers Disney wants...which sort of baffles me. As a childless dual-salary household we have enough disposable income that if we WANTED to take a trip like the one we just returned from (stayed on property, 8-day admission with park-hopping, deluxe dining plan, wine with most meals, many overpriced cocktails and souvenirs purchased) every year, we could easily do it. We're sort of easy money for Disney World.<br /><br />But for a lot less, I can book a 7-day western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston (including a stateroom with a balcony). That has a "deluxe dining plan" built right in, will give us a chance to shop for overpriced Mexican knick-knacks in actual Mexico, and does not require a multi-page spreadsheet and an iPhone app to plan and "manage". Kevin Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15452305630589332458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2228174552203445896.post-63732400135033070282013-08-22T17:41:24.426-04:002013-08-22T17:41:24.426-04:00David,
This is an incredibly well-written and wel...David,<br /><br />This is an incredibly well-written and well-thought post. Kudos.<br /><br />This new program scares me. I think it's going to alienate first time visitors and make their trips really bad. <br /><br />I assume that people will adjust their vacations over time and that it will be successful--successful for the people that can afford to travel often and at the nicer resorts.<br /><br />I've also heard rumors that people staying in the Deluxe resorts will get more amenities in the program.<br /><br />Keep up the great work.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11023449275486420957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2228174552203445896.post-724126748861124702013-08-19T13:30:04.715-04:002013-08-19T13:30:04.715-04:00It sounds, from your description, that it is going...It sounds, from your description, that it is going to be nothing but a major frustration. It's going to change so much about planning a WDW vacation. It was already a chore for my wife who does the advanced dining reservations, and we don't usually use the dining plans. Instead of running to Space Mountain or Everest or Soarin' first thing, you're going to have to virtually "run" to them months in advance, if your description is accurate. <br /><br />I have never felt that Disney had any other purpose besides separating its customers from their money but I have always felt that they at least tried to go about doing so in a way that made the customer happy to pay. This sounds like it will not do that; in fact, it sounds like it's going to make the worst things about a Disney vacation even worse. <br /><br />At least the resorts are still nice, and there's always Universal...Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2228174552203445896.post-81766993568425184932013-08-16T23:15:00.899-04:002013-08-16T23:15:00.899-04:00Every time I read a post about Fastpass+ and the s...Every time I read a post about Fastpass+ and the system around it, it makes me really angry and disappointed. I've loved Disney World since I was a kid in the '80s, and I'm concerned about where it's headed. I completely understand that the goal of the company is to make money, but the recent crowd surges from Cars Land (and Harry Potter at Universal) have reminded us about what draws the money and people. It's great attractions! Disney can find ways to herd the crowd differently and fake us out with parlor games, but it's the rides and shows that keep us going back. Add even one or two major attractions with great theming to DAK and DHS, and they become something entirely different. Fix the worn-out Future World attractions and upgrade them, and the people will come.<br /><br />Fastpass at least rewards visitors for being diligent; this new plan is something else entirely. I'll pick up my three Fastpasses so my kids can ride the remarkable attractions, but I refuse to get stuck in this system. I'm also more likely to visit other parks that aren't so restrictive. There are a lot of entertainment options out there, and Disney should realize that even the most prominent companies can fall if they stop caring about customers. The price increases and changes like Fastpass+ are sending them into dangerous territory.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351431577484530230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2228174552203445896.post-4904509933435321192013-08-16T08:39:34.752-04:002013-08-16T08:39:34.752-04:00I said something similar on twitter, but my short ...I said something similar on twitter, but my short version of my opinion is "I'll wait to judge until after it is fully operational." Fastpass was supposed to be the end of the universe too as I remember from the internet complaining at the time. Now it is merely an accepted part of the Disney experience which, it would seem now is something people fear changing or replacing. <br /><br />That doesn't mean I seek to spend thousands of dollars of my money to beta test this system for Disney. Quite the opposite. Just as I would like to wait to judge it until it is fully operational, I'd also like to sit and wait to make a decision about going to WDW until it is fully operational to determine whether or not it'll be worth my money. There's a big world out there, and I don't exactly sympathize with people who are upset that only now they feel urged to consider other vacation/travel options. That isn't a tragedy. That isn't sad. Alan Conceicaohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15677047818442815671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2228174552203445896.post-77908621222912595582013-08-15T22:11:36.366-04:002013-08-15T22:11:36.366-04:00A sobering post. I'm not quite as disappointed...A sobering post. I'm not quite as disappointed as you are, but I do agree with most of what you say. What's really sad is that WDW has basically added a less than inspiring fantasyland addition and a restaurant here and there while its competition continues to aggressively add new attractions. <br /><br />Saddest of all is that TDO doesn't seem to care about adding new things and pushing the boundaries of entertainment technologies other than offering up a minorly convenient wristband/ticket.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18148237930305149221noreply@blogger.com