Jim Hill on Magic Band Testing

Originally Posted By sjhym333

Jim Hill has an article about the ongoing testing of the Magic Bands and the FP+ programs. He says there are 4 resorts that were taking part of the test.

We were out at WDW last weekend with some friends and stopped in at several of the resorts. At the Contemporary we saw a lot of people wearing the bands and the gift shop in the center of the 4th floor had a section of things you can add to your Magic Band as well as Magic Band t-shirts. There was a desk station set up on the 2nd floor near the convention center set up for Magic Bands and there were guests there who I believe were either getting their bands or taking care of issues.

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Originally Posted By FerretAfros

That's interesting that the store was selling Magic Bands shirts. I understand the accessories for the band itself, but why would someone want that shirt? It would be like getting a shirt with a FP or a bus on it; yes, it's part of your vacation, but it's just a tool to get to the stuff you're actually excited about. It just seems like another instance that the merchandise folks just don't get it.

While I appreciate the effort to educate guests about the system, the text from the Edna Mode thing doesn't really make it inescapably clear. There are still plenty of guests who don't understand what a FP is, so the new ad seems to make some basic assumptions about guests' knowledge that probably aren't true.

I wonder if the full-scale roll-out of the program will ultimately lead to Stacey's demise on the WDW hotel channel. She's been doing it for a very long time (pre-2005), so it wouldn't surprise me if they used this as a chance to find a replacement, rather than continuing to update various sequences in the loop

I heard from someone involved with the project that the test had some serious issues, so I'm surprised to read that they're pushing forward with the next round of tests so quickly. Apparently at one point the tap-to-pay system went down for several hours, leaving guests stranded around the resort. According to the fine print, you're also supposed to carry a secondary form of payment, but it sounds like most guests were relying on the bands, and were suddenly left without the ability to buy food, drinks, and souvenirs

 

Originally Posted By sjhym333

I heard the sake thing. One of a freiends favorite things of the band was not having to carry a wallet.

If i remember right the tshirts said "I Joined tge Band". A couple had drawings of the Magic Bands . The coolest one had Mickey in a pirates scarf/hat.

I wonder if Disney is starting to feel the pressure of rolling it out faster. I wonder when they will do a AP test...that woild be interesting.

 

Originally Posted By dizneed

We are booked at the Pop Century for Sept. 6th for a week. We had the option to order our personalized “Magic Bands” which I think will be delivered to us by mail. I didn’t opt for the credit card info on the Magic Bands as I don’t yet trust the Disney proprietary RF technology. Maybe I’m too old fashioned. Disney mentions on the website that we can still obtain the plastic cards but we must ask for them at check-in.

As for FP+, we were able to order a maximum of three per day per park. I’m not sure if we will still have access to regular FP during the day with our park tickets since we have the three FP+ passes. We’ll see how it pans out, this isn’t our first Disney trip.

What is interesting is that this is the first time that, when all is calculated (meal plan, parking and perks), staying on site is actually cheaper than staying off site!

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

I'll be very interested to hear how it works out for you! Pretty much everything I've read so far uses broad terms to discuss large groups of other people testing it, so it will be great to hear a firsthand account!

I've often wondered about getting regular FPs, but I don't think you'll be able to. Your park ticket will be in the wristband, and the FP macines don't have RFID readers on them. The only way that you could potentially do both would be to use a Key to the World-style card for your ticket (which also uses RFID technology, so you can tap to enter the parks) but has a barcode that the FP machine could read

I've often looked at the math of staying onside or off, and it usually comes out about even, but I haven't visited during the free dining period. I'm glad that you were able to come out 'ahead' in the process!

 

Originally Posted By HokieSkipper

During the testing process, you do indeed get to use regular fastpasses and FP+. It's something that's tainting the data of these tests because when the program officially rolls out there will be no paper fastpasses anymore.

 

Originally Posted By sjhym333

While at the resort last weekend I spoke to several guests about the bands and everyone seemed to love them but every single one of them said that the urge to impulse spend was big and they had to watch it. The bands make it easier to just pick up things along the way.

 

Originally Posted By WDWdreamin

I would love a personalized trip report with them being used. I think that allowing regular FPs at the same time totally ruins the test. Question: if you can get 3/park/day can you get 3 at three different parks for the same day?

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

"While at the resort last weekend I spoke to several guests about the bands and everyone seemed to love them but every single one of them said that the urge to impulse spend was big and they had to watch it."

I can totally see this happening to me. I never buy souvenirs at Disney resorts, but I do tend to splurge on food and drink on vacation. I bet I could run up a serious tab at a hotel pool bar on a Magic Band!

 

Originally Posted By sjhym333

"if you can get 3/park/day can you get 3 at three different parks for the sameday?"

No. You choose one park to use them in

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

Is it safe to assume that the 3 pre-selected FP will follow some sort of breakdown depending on type? That's to say that one will be for an E-ticket, one for a parade or show, and one for a minor attraction? That's what all the tests I've seen so far indicate, and if that's the strategy moving forward it certainly seems like a downgrade from the current system.

While I don't know the current FP usage averages, I would guess that a typical guest gets around 3 per day, but they are all for high-demand attractions. By 'forcing' guests to other areas (and to wait in more standby lines), it seems like the overall experience will be much more limited (and controlled) than the current one. If they're going to make me lock in my decisions weeks in advance, they better make an improvement on the current vacation process; I'm not sure that's what we're getting here

 

Originally Posted By dizneed

<<I'll be very interested to hear how it works out for you! Pretty much everything I've read so far uses broad terms to discuss large groups of other people testing it, so it will be great to hear a firsthand account!>>

I will definitely let you know how it works for us. I am quite anxious to try it out.

<<I've often looked at the math of staying onside or off, and it usually comes out about even, but I haven't visited during the free dining period. I'm glad that you were able to come out 'ahead' in the process!>>

For a family of four, it worked out very well. The biggest expense is food of course. It doesn’t take long to reach $25 to $40 a day per person in or out of the parks even if we do bring snacks. It’s not nearly what it was 20 - 25 years ago.

 

Originally Posted By HokieSkipper

<<That's to say that one will be for an E-ticket, one for a parade or show, and one for a minor attraction? >>

No, you can choose whatever you like.

<<While I don't know the current FP usage averages, I would guess that a typical guest gets around 3 per day, but they are all for high-demand attractions.>>

I've been told the average guest gets 1.5 or less FP a day.

 

Originally Posted By dizneed

<< Is it safe to assume that the 3 pre-selected FP will follow some sort of breakdown depending on type? That's to say that one will be for an E-ticket, one for a parade or show, and one for a minor attraction? That's what all the tests I've seen so far indicate, and if that's the strategy moving forward it certainly seems like a downgrade from the current system. >>

Here is a list of the attractions we could choose from online from our resort (Pop Century). I don’t know if other resorts differ.

Select Your FastPass+ Experiences
Select up to 3 experience preferences in Magic Kingdom Park.

Under the Sea - Journey of The Little Mermaid
Tomorrowland Speedway
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Barnstormer
Splash Mountain
Space Mountain
Pirates of the Caribbean
Peter Pan's Flight
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Mad Tea Party Guests
Jungle Cruise
Haunted Mansion
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
"it's a small world
Meet the Disney Princesses at Town Square Theater Character Experiences
Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater Character Experience

Select Your FastPass+ Experiences
Select up to 3 experience preferences in Epcot®.

Captain EO
IllumiNations: Reflections of
Journey Into Imagination With Figment
Living with the Land
Maelstrom
Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot
Mission: SPACE®
Soarin'®
Spaceship Earth
Test Track® Presented by Chevrolet®
The Seas with Nemo & Friends®
Turtle Talk With Crush

Select Your FastPass+ Experiences
Select up to 3 experience preferences in Disney's Hollywood Studios®.

Beauty and the Beast-Live on Stage
Disney Junior - Live on Stage!
Fantasmic!
Indiana Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Lights, Motors, Action!® Extreme Stunt Show®
Muppet*Vision 3D
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith
Star Tours® - The Adventures Continue
The American Idol® Experience
The Great Movie Ride®
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
Toy Story Midway Mania!
Voyage of The Little Mermaid

Select Your FastPass+ Experiences
Select up to 3 experience preferences in Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain®
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo - The Musical
It's Tough to be a Bug!®
Kali River Rapids®
Kilimanjaro Safaris®
Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
Primeval Whirl®

Of each park that you choose your 3 FP+'s you basically have 4 sub-options to choose from. Each option either changes the order of your three choices or the return times or both. The fourth option is a "Best Match" that I think Disney chooses for you if your not familiar with how the FP system works.

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

<<While I don't know the current FP usage averages, I would guess that a typical guest gets around 3 per day, but they are all for high-demand attractions.>>

"I've been told the average guest gets 1.5 or less FP a day."

That low number isn't surprising. I've mentioned before that collecting FPs is cumbersome, and too often the return times aren't convenient. There are many instances when I've skipped an attraction during a visit because getting and using its FP was too much of a hassle and the standby line was too long.

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

"Here is a list of the attractions we could choose from online from our resort (Pop Century). I don’t know if other resorts differ."

From just giving it a quick glance that looks like a good list. All the MK's E tickets are there. Nice to see that they aren't loading the options with a bunch of minor attractions.

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

On the flipside, let's take a look at the attractions at each park that won't have FP+

Magic Kingdom:
Carousel
Railroad
Main Street Vehicles (assuming any are in use)
Swiss Family Treehouse
Country Bear Jamboree
Hall of Presidents
Liberty Square Riverboat
PeopleMover
Carousel of Progress
Rocket Jets
Stitch's Great Escape (though I've seen photos of its FP+ sign)

Epcot:
The Circle of Life
Universe of Energy
Innoventions exhibits
Gran Fiesta Tour
Reflections of China
O Canada!
The American Adventure
Impressions de France

Studios:
Backlot Tram Tour
(note that 8 of the FP+ attractions are shows that have relatively little to benefit from FP+, other than removing prime viewing locations from other guests)

Animal Kingdom:
Triceratops Spin
Maharaja Trek
Pangani trek

With a couple exceptions (Triceratops Spin/Rocket Jets), these are all attractions where the FP+ format wouldn't add anything to the experience. Many of the attractions taht do have FP+ are shows that really don't offer much advantage to having a reserved time slot; in all likelihood, these attractions will block out the best seats, leaving them unfilled unless FP+ guests are there

When you consider the 'leftover' attractions, there's really not a whole lot left. Many of the FP+ attractions really aren't well designed for the high-capacity needs of a reservation system. The more I learn about this, the more I question it

 

Originally Posted By darcy-becker

I'm sure they won't leave sears empty if people are waiting in line.

 

Originally Posted By dizneed

I see FP+ as Disney offering an extra perk for resort guests by giving arriving guests the option of planning ahead by choosing three attractions without having to physically be in the parks to obtain. For first time visitors the parks can be overwhelming with so much to see and do, wait times, and so on. I feel this kind of gives them a “start” in the parks. My wife and I have helped friends and families plan quite a few Disney vacations (as I’m sure many of us have already done also), where it has been their first time, and the comments we get on their return is that they’re happy they had a plan.

 

Originally Posted By sjhym333

I completely understand what your saying and I see the ease of planning a vacation. Here are my concerns:

1) What about those of us who live locally? If I decided to head to the MK tomorrow on a last minute whim, will I be able to get FP's for anything, especially the busiest attractions?

2) Is it possible that even those planning a couple of months out will be unable to pre- select FP's? There is only a finite number of FP's and with resort guests and AP holders getting access to the system will there be a time maybe 2 weeks before a trip that all the FP's for Soarin and Test Track will be already gone?

3) What happens at the busiest times of the year when all the resorts are packed and so are all the surrounding hotels? We know that dinner reservations fill quickly, will the same hold true for FP's?

Obviously there are no answers yet, just some things to ponder