Disney’s MyMagic+ FAQ
MyMagic+ is a planning program at Walt Disney World that utilizes the My Disney Experience app, MagicBands, and other technology to assist guests on their vacations. This post offers tips and provides answers to frequently asked questions and advice for how to get the most out of the My Disney Experience app, MyMagic+, MagicBands, and more.
The MyMagic+ system completed its rollout a couple of years ago, with FastPass+ and MagicBands now being available to all guests, and the My Disney Experience app now fully functional, even for guests staying at off-site hotels when visiting Walt Disney World. Tweaks to My Disney Experience and other components of the system have continued throughout Late 2016 (this post was last updated October 21, 2016). This FAQ has been updated several times since then to cover all of the updates to MyMagic+.
With that said, we anticipate further tweaks to MyMagic+ even though it is now fully rolled out, as adjustments are made based on full scale use of the system. As information changes, we’ll revise and supplement this page. Please note that this post has been revised heavily since MyMagic+ initially began testing.
Note that this post on MyMagic+ covers the entire system Walt Disney World uses, from MagicBands to unlock their hotel room doors to the My Disney Experience app to make dining reservations. The most important part of this, for most guests is FastPass+. We also now have a huge Guide to FastPass+ at Walt Disney World complete with screenshots from My Disney Experience and tips for best taking advantage of FastPass+. That post is a much more “essential” read than this one…
With that said, let’s cover the basics of the MyMagic+ system…
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is MyMagic+?
Beyond the general description above, to the forward-facing public, MyMagic+ is a planning and enhancement tool consisting of the My Disney Experience smartphone app, FastPass+, and the MagicBand bracelet, all of which are proprietary Disney technology.
To guests, MyMagic+ is a way to seamlessly integrate various aspects of their Walt Disney World experience into one system, making dining and FastPass+ reservations via the My Disney Experience app, and redeeming FastPass+, charging expenses, and opening their hotel room doors (among other future functionality) with their MagicBands.
To Disney, MyMagic+ is a way to track guest behavior to maximize spending, manage labor more effectively, and assist with strategic planning. In theory, the system should also allow Disney to be more responsive to in-park traffic patterns as they shift, and deploy additional entertainment or increase (artificially underutilized) capacity at certain attractions with demand. In theory at least.
In a perfect world, the system will be beneficial to both guests and Disney.
What is My Disney Experience?
My Disney Experience is the smartphone app for the iPhone, iPad, and Android that is now available for download, which is also a web-based client on DisneyWorld.com. Guests can view wait times, make or change FastPass+ reservations, make dining reservations, and utilize other functionality. It is expected that advanced functionality for the app will be added over time.
What is FastPass+?
FastPass+ is a digital ride reservation system that has replaced paper FastPass tickets. FastPass+ can be obtained via the My Disney Experience app/website in advance of visits or via in-park kiosks for guests who don’t have smart phones, and will be stored on the MagicBand or park tickets. Guests can “redeem” their FastPass+ by swiping the MagicBand against an RFID reader outside applicable attractions. Guests are able to book 3 FastPass+ tickets in advance of their vacation (so, from home) at scheduled times. FastPass+ effectively spells the end of the morning Toy Story Mania FastPass dash!
Not all FastPass+ attractions are created equally–many were added in order to have sufficient capacity in the system so that each guest can book 3 per day. Do research before booking these, as some attractions with FASTPASS+ normally have no wait. You are wasting a FastPass by using it at one of these attractions. Our Disney Ride Guides for Walt Disney World each contain recommendations concerning the best uses of FastPass+.
How does FastPass+ work?
Much like Advance Dining Reservations, guests can select three “preferred experiences” (attractions and reserved seating for shows/parades) guests then can choose from available time slots. Some parks have FastPass+ “tiers,” and you may only select 1 attraction from the top tier (meaning no FastPass+ for both Soarin’ and Test Track at Epcot!) All advance selections must be in the same park, so guests who Park Hop will essentially be limited to day-of kiosk availability, if any.
Guests staying at Disney resort hotels at Walt Disney World can book their FastPass+ experiences up to 60 days in advance of their stay. Annual Passholders and off-site guests may book their FastPass+ experiences up to 30 days in advance of their visit.
Are you limited to 3 FastPass+ per day?
NO! Not anymore, at least. You can now book additional FastPass+ on the day-of once you’ve used the 3 FastPass+ that you booked in advance. This works similarly to the old FastPass system in that these day-of FastPasses can be booked one at a time, once you’ve used your previous FastPass.
You are still limited to book 3 per day in advance of your trip, but this change effectively means no limit on FastPass+ once you start using the FastPass+ that you booked in advance. This opens the door to using FastPass+ when Park Hopping, too. Same day FastPass+ availability isn’t as good as advance booking availability, so we still strongly recommend booking in advance.
Expect continuing adjustments to the FastPass+ process as Disney responds to guest patterns now that MyMagic+ has been rolled out to the general public. If you notice more changes during your visit, please report them to us in the comments below!
What is a MagicBand?
The MagicBand is the little bracelet that guests wear around their wrists. It stores guest information, including park tickets, FastPass+ reservations, Memory Maker photo package details, and can also be used to charge purchases to the guest’s room and as a room key. It will also contain a code that identifies the guest’s profile in Disney’s system, which the guest (at their election) can complete with a variety of encrypted personal information to make elements of their visit more interactive (for example, in the future, characters might say, “happy birthday” to a guest on his or her birthday).
For many guests, a MagicBand will replace all of the papers and cards you carry with you on a given day in the park. You could potentially just carry a MagicBand and an ID, and leave behind the rest of your wallet.
Optimistically, in the future it is likely that the MagicBand will offer a more tailored experience throughout the parks. Pessimistically, Disney will use MagicBand as an “ankle tracking bracelet” of sorts that monitors just about everything guests do in parks for the purpose of maximizing guest spending.
MagicBands are available in seven colors (red, blue, green, pink, yellow, orange, and iconic gray). For guests staying at Walt Disney World hotels, they will be shipped to a guest’s home prior to arrival. If the trip is booked within 9 days of arrival, the MagicBand will be provided upon check-in. Annual Passholders may order a MagicBand and have it shipped to their home, free of charge. Iconic gray will be the default color for replacements and late arrivals. The MagicBand is waterproof, but doesn’t float. Each band will have a 3-year battery.
For guests staying off-site, MagicBands may be purchased in the theme parks, Downtown Disney, and various other locations for $12.95 each. MagicBands are not required for park admission or FastPass+ redemption, so they aren’t technically necessary at this time. Because of that, we do not recommend off-site guests purchase them.
Tables in Wonderland and other “membership” cards cannot be added to the MagicBand as of right now.
Is MyMagic+ available to the general public?
Yes, the only restrictions on MyMagic+ to the general public (as in those guests not staying in Disney-owned hotels) at this point is that their MagicBands are not free, and they have a 30-day advance window for booking FastPass+ once they have their park tickets. For this reason, we recommend purchasing park tickets in advance.
As a practical reality, we have noticed no actual disadvantages for off-site guests. Sure, there is convenience in being able to use the MagicBand for a variety of purposes including room charges and a hotel key, but even without the MagicBand, these weren’t things off-site guests could do.
As for the 30 v. 60 day window, we haven’t seen that make much of a difference. That could change as more people continue to use MyMagic+, but as of right now, there is usually very good FastPass+ availability at 30 days.
We do anticipate some future features that will require a MagicBand, but that is not presently the case. If/when that happens, off-site guests will be able to take full advantage by purchasing a MagicBand.
How much does MyMagic+ cost?
MyMagic+ will be available for all on-site guests, Annual Passholders, and Cast Members at no additional visible charge. However, since this entire NextGen project that includes MyMagic+ has cost Disney an estimated $1.5 to $2 billion dollars, you can bet that Disney will be rolling the costs into existing charges. Sort of the same way Disney’s Magical Express and transportation are ostensibly free, but Disney builds these “freebies” into the cost of vacation packages. Disney is a for-profit business, so you can bet you’ll be paying for this one way or another.
Off-site guests will have to pay $12.95 if they want a MagicBand. Again, at this point we really view that as an unnecessary purchase for off-site guests unless you really think the bands look stylish!
Add-on accessories and other trinkets for customizing the MagicBands are also available, called “MagicBandits” at an additional cost. Disney will have to sell a lot of Little Mermaid MagicBand dinglehoppers to pay for the system completely! 😉
How will MyMagic+ enhance my park experience?
MyMagic+ allows for greater advance planning and less racing around collecting FastPasses when in the park. It reduces a bunch on interconnected, but separate, aspects of a Walt Disney World vacation into a single, seamless system.
Going forward, it could also lead to increased interactively in the parks. Examples include characters at meet & greets saying hello to you by name and knowing a few of your personal details to humanize the experience. Similarly, advanced Audio-Animatronics in queues may interact with you. It’s also possible that queue games and experiences may be able to store your “achievements.” None of these things are “live” right now, but Disney has such projects in the works.
These are just a few examples of what is possible with MyMagic+. Much remains unknown, and is dependent upon how Disney is able to utilize the system going forward.
How will MyMagic+ detract from my park experience?
While the advance planning might be a plus for some, it’s likely to be a negative for many others. A portion of all FastPass+ will be allocated towards day-guests who don’t make reservations in advance, but there’s no question that there will be fewer FastPass+ for day-guests, who could find themselves waiting in long lines at FastPass+ kiosks when they arrive to the park. However, since you’re reading this article, it’s unlikely that this will detract from your experience–you now know that it’s important to make FastPass+ reservations in advance.
The main people who will be disadvantaged are those who do not do any advance planning before their trips. In fairness, these people are pretty much always disadvantaged, and are disadvantaged for failing to do their own due diligence.
Serious planners may also be disadvantaged, especially those who typically were able to utilize more than 3 FastPasses under the old, paper FastPass system. Efficient guests could regularly use 5+ FastPasses in a single day, and those people will likely find themselves waiting more time in line by being limited to 3 FastPass+ per day.
Elements of spontaneity will also be gone, as the new system requires more advance planning, some of which may not be practical for many guests 60 days before their visit. Beyond these concerns, there are great concerns by many over privacy information that Disney will collect as part of this initiative. Disney’s goal with MyMagic+ is a more enjoyable and intimate theme park experience, but its other main goal is to increase guest spending and efficiency. Many guests probably already feel as if they are spending too much at Walt Disney World.
Will you be able to opt out of MyMagic+?
If these privacy concerns don’t sit well with you, fear not, as MyMagic+ is an opt-in program that will not require participation. However, the number of perks afforded only to those who use MyMagic+ will be such that most guests will feel compelled to participate. If not, you’ll be stuck with waiting in the same-day FastPass+ lines and will have a difficult (if not impossible) time scoring FastPass+ for the most popular attractions, like Toy Story Mania.
What about Annual Passholders?
Annual Passholders can now register to receive their own MyMagic+ accounts and MagicBands free of charge. FastPass+ rules are slightly different for Annual Passholders, who have the 30 day advance booking window but also are limited to only 7 days worth of FastPass+ reservations for any 30 day period. For Annual Passholders who visit more than 7 days per month, this means some days with 0 FastPass+.
Replacement MagicBands for Annual Passholders will cost $50 (given the $12.95 cost for a MagicBand for day guests, we’re not sure whether this replacement cost will change, but it’s the current cost). Annual Passholders will be able to tie a credit card to their MagicBands for purchases at Walt Disney World.
What about guests without smartphones?
While a smartphone is necessary to use the My Disney Experience app, it is not necessary to use MyMagic+. Guests can pre-book their FastPass+ experiences from home or on kiosks set-up within the parks. Kiosks are located throughout the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. One thing we noticed in Epcot is that the first FastPass+ kiosk in the park always had the longest lines–try going to one further in the park for shorter lines if you need to use the in-park kiosks. However, we highly recommend advance booking of FastPass+.
The user experience likely won’t be quite the same for those who can’t make adjustments on the fly with the My Disney Experience app, but a smartphone is still not required to partake.
What if I miss a FastPass+ window?
Disney is pretty efficient given its size, but it has a number of inefficiencies and variables beyond guest’s control. If transportation, dining, etc., outside of the guest’s control causes a guest to miss their FastPass+ window, Cast Members have limited discretionary authority over accommodating the guests. We don’t recommend “testing” the amount of discretion they have unless you have real circumstances beyond your control preventing you from making the window. It’s more of a hassle than it’s worth.
What if I book through a travel agent?
If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World hotel, you will have the same advantages. You can even have your travel agent book your FastPass+ and other reservations via My Disney Experience (if you want, and if that’s one of the services they offer).
What is Memory Maker?
Memory Maker is the photography service component of MyMagic+ that effectively replaces PhotoPass+. Although there are some differences between Memory Maker and PhotoPass+, they aren’t expected to be significant. Essentially, this is just a renaming as Disney integrates the photo service into the Magic Bands and My Disney Experience. If you liked PhotoPass+, you’ll probably like Memory Maker. If you didn’t like PhotoPass+, same goes. If you are unfamiliar with PhotoPass+, read our post explaining its pros and cons.
Our Thoughts
While I do have some concerns about the privacy aspect and the money Disney has spent on the infrastructure for this new system, I already heavily use Google products, so the privacy concerns aren’t a big thing. I’m not exactly wild about the direction society is going with privacy, and I think corporations are diminishing our expectations of privacy, but this is far from the most (or even close to it) egregious example of that.
My greater concern lies with how much Disney has spent on this whole NextGen initiative, and how that money could have been used on actual substance or necessary maintenance in the parks. To me, the gains from a streamlined system aren’t a big deal. As for other aspects of NextGen and what MyMagic+ might be able to do in the future, I enjoy video games, but I don’t go to Walt Disney World to experience them, and it seems the whole direction of the Disney enterprise has been to cater more to the video game and iPhone-addicted generation.
I hope quality dark rides and themed environments continue to be a huge focus for Disney (and if Cars Land is any indication, they are), because this billion dollar investment represents nothing that I personally couldn’t do without. Now, if Disney quickly sees a huge return on investment, great. But I’d still rather see capital expenditures made on attractions and transportation infrastructure, rather than Disney Vacation Club resorts and NextGen. Not to say DVC and NextGen don’t have their place, but right now they seem like the primary focus of Disney in the theme parks realm (at least at Walt Disney World).
As for the actual functionality of MyMagic+? While it was initially somewhat problematic during early testing, our visits in 2016, MyMagic+ has worked flawlessly. This isn’t to say there aren’t still some kinks with the system, but it’s now (mostly) operating as intended.
For Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and related articles.
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Your Reaction?
Now that we have a good amount of concrete information about MyMagic+ and the NextGen project, what are your thoughts? Do you see this as the evolution of the theme park experience, a profiteering and data-mining folly that is bound to fail, or is your opinion somewhere in between? If you’ve had a chance to use FastPass+, we really want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments!
Late to this post – but a question: Do we know if Fastpass+ replacing or just supplementing regulat Fastpass? I have some friends going down at the end of May and they (and I) are uncertain.
Even at non-busy times, I typically pull from than the 2 fastpasses (for big rides) allotted by this system so I’ dhope it’s a supplement. But probably not all guests use FP right now and if everyone is picking 2 before they leave home in the future then the total # of FP divided by the number of people in the park might dictate that there is no more walk-up.
WDW has thousands of people. I think it’s brilliant to be able to track crowds in the park to better attend guests. Fastpass upgrade is also awesome. You can plan your day ahead instead of having to wait around to use your Fastpass or ended up not using it because your on the other side of the park.
Never understood why people can be so negative regarding Disney. Let the experts do what they do best. They spend big because they have the assets. Plus, investing in technology is the best bet for the future. I’m sure they will find away to workout the details in a classy manner. 😉
I hope it is up and running by the time my family goes in March!
It sounds like March/April are the new targets…things have been delayed a bit…
The main benefit to Disney is simple in my opinion – CRM. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, a system in which youre already playing an unsuspecting part in if you have Facebook or store loyalty cards or clubcards. It allows Disney to track your consumer habits, find out what you like/dont like what makes you tick and then tailor their marketing and advertising to you specifically.
It will allow their operations, especially their marketing to become hugely more efficient and targeted. Also, externally It makes advertising with Disney a hugely more attractive prospect as Disney can not only sell organisations a captive audience but can also sell them the ability to reach the demographic (age, sex, culture, behavioural pattern) that they really want to reach rather than just blanket advertising.
As for the benefits for consumers/park guests, as you say, the long term revenue for Disney will be huge. Imagine a world where you can largely understand the behaviour of the guests, which rides they will go on, where they will spend their money before they even enter the parks? Thats what Disney will be able to do now long-term, and for consumers this means a better run park with more profits, better attractions and facilities and offers that will really benefit them.
This isnt, however, very good if you really value your privacy or think that Disney is part of the Illuminati!!
Fascinating times ahead for Disney!
I’m curious how the FP+ will affect attraction access for disabled guests that Disney issues the courtesy access cards to. Currently, the card holder shows the card to the FP entrance cast member and the card holder and their party enters the attraction via the FP line. I’m a disabled Florida resident AP, and this may make a huge change in how often I visit. Is any information available?
This is a very interesting conversation. My wife and I have been regular Disney visitors from Canada since 2006 (sometimes with the kids, sometimes not.. :)) I would put us in the category of planners, but not quite OCD (well, maybe me..lol). When I heard about reserving fastpasses, my first thought was, ‘well, I guess there are going to be some attractions that we’ll be striking from the list’. It sounds like a lot of people have reservations (no pun intended) about this latest innovation, and it does seem more for Disney’s benefit than ours, despite what they would have us believe. I hope I’m wrong, but I’ll be booking our next trip with some trepidation of how our vacation will go. One thing I’ve always done when we’re in any of the parks is to ask myself, ‘is this what Walt envisioned’? In most cases, the answer is a resounding, YES, but I’m not sure he would have used this technology in this way. Of course, I didn’t know the man, but I think he would have been adamant that it had to be primarily for the guest (young, old, tech-savvy or not). Cheers, everyone!
My real concern with this system is the limited fastpasses. I am a ride-aholic. I love the theming but the rides are why I am there mostly. I usually get a minimum of 4 or 5 fastpasses a day while visiting the parks. I do not like the limited sponteneity of not grabbing a fastpass. I also understand that you will be allowed for fastpass+ in one park per day with only 3 fastpass+’s distributed per day.
My reading of that is that you’re only allowed that many FastPasses in advance. I believe on the day-of, you’ll be able to collect them as normal (although not in paper form). I could be wrong on that, though.
Any more info on this. We are Disney junkies and have managed to get 5-6 Fastpasses in a day the paper ticket way in each park. I will be really disappointed if we can’t collect more than 3 in a day. Do you know if we will be able to collect additional Fastpasses (thru FastPass+ I guess) on the day-of?
We, too, take advantage of the Fastpass getting 5+ passes in one day. We find it very efficient for our family. We have been going every year for the past 8 years. Our next visit is in August, and if we are limited to 3 passes/day we will be disappointed. Having to plan FPs in advance is also annoying. I now have to plan our day in advance. Changing FP times will be a headache if the ride is down, too. All the planning now needs to be redone while I’m at the park. We will have no choice but to give it a try, but if we are constrained, the fun will be diminished and it will probably be our last visit. I hope to find all things ‘magical’ come August.
Although I have several concerns, the thing that bothers me the most is the 3 Fastpass+ per day. I really hope we will be able to plan 3 Fastpass+ ahead of time and then get some normal fastpasses (through the device in park) on the day of our visit. Even just 1 additional FP+ would seem more reasonable to me. I know I prob sound spoiled but we visit in the summer, we are a family of five and it is really hard (for the kids) to wait 60+ mins for a ride. I use touring plans, get our fast passes efficiently and as a result we usually don’t have more than a 30 min wait for any of the rides and we have a fabulous time. Please keep us posted on the MyMagic+.
Thanks for the great job on your site, Tom. I love reading all of your reviews & tips!
Most of the time I just think, “WHY.” Why did Disney spend a billion on THIS?
My husband and I were in WDW for our honeymoon in late October, and the place was… well, pretty much a mess. We used to be ICR’s in Epcot, so we saw how things had gone downhill. Splash Mountain was rarely operational, Space Mountain was down five times while we were there, as was Expedition Everest (don’t even get us started on the disco Yeti), Food & Wine was so busy and clogged as to be unenjoyable and Toy Story Mania was STILL extremely popular. It’s too old a ride to be that popular.
The question begs to be asked: what are Disney’s priorities? As you said Tom, we could do without this Next Gen stuff. And yet, we are planners, and I did use numerous iPhone apps to book our dining. But still, the truth is — we would rather have some element of spontaneity to our vacations. We would rather Disney spent the money on rides, maintenance, new restaurants, park standards… innovation. This investment and capital expenditure feels like pandering to a certain audience that I feel certain won’t be as loyal to Disney as we have been.
I work in Marketing and I understand where they are going with this, but they MUST hear the shouts for improvements to the maintenance of the existing rides, the disappointment with the expanded Fantasyland, the Expedition Everest Yeti Watch, the crying out for a new land, world, park, anything. I just don’t think MyMagic+ will answer that call.
What are ICRs?? (what is ICRs?)
International Cultural Representatives 🙂
I absolutely agree with everything you’re saying from my own perspective…
Yet I wonder what the biggest issue is to CASUAL guests. To those who visit once or twice in a lifetime. Do they notice the issues that our “trained” eyes notice? Or is a bigger issue to them the lulls spent waiting in line?
I suspect they are noticing both issues, but I do think that we, as experienced guests, overemphasize the maintenance and staleness and de-emphasize the waiting (because we largely know how to avoid it).
That’s a really interesting question, and one thing I did notice (and never had before in my year of living there + numerous other visits) was that I overheard casual guests chatting about the rides being down.
We caught glimpses into the frustration that other guests were feeling. Kids crying about Splash Mountain being down, people walking away from EE, irritated by it’s closure (normally for the fifth time that day!), people AFTER EE, talking about the Yeti not working, a family in line for Haunted Mansion, remarking that they hadn’t been able to get on Space Mountain, and LOTS of complaints about Toy Story Mania (not only was it frequently down, but obviously the lines were so ridiculous that we didn’t bother to go on it except once with a Fast Pass). And so it goes.
It was eye-opening. I had always assumed the casual Disney guest was largely immune to long waits in the parks, the lack of new rides, the maintenance issues… but slowly, I think it’s catching on — people seem to be noticing. I don’t see MyMagic+ really changing this tide of discontent – UNLESS they choose to also deal with the glaring maintenance issues.
That’s very interesting. Perhaps things have gotten to the point that even casual guests are noticing. I know I see A LOT that could be improved at Walt Disney World. That’s one of the big reasons I’d rather travel to Disneyland more…
I am not sure of my opinion. This past Christmas we were selected to use the new fast pass system At first we thought it was great but as we used them we realized that they were controlling our park activity, even more than dining reservations. I like the aspect for getting into the parks and the smartphone app, but liked Touring Plans better, but not sure about the rest.
I work for TouringPlans, so I’m a bit biased, but I don’t think My Disney Experience compares with the Lines App. It’s flashier, but as far as substance, utility, and data-accuracy go, I think Lines outperforms it.
Kind of sad that a third party is beating Disney at its own game…
Very sad! I just recently went on my first trip to WDW, and I downloaded both Lines and My Disney Experience. I didn’t even end up using MDE, it’s a lame app. Lines really worked well for us 🙂
I grew up on a time without fastpasses or advance dining reservations. I remember going to the parks and standing in line talking to the rest of our group or those around us. Dining wasn’t a big deal as for the most part, only counter service locations existed. Advanced planning meant getting up in the morning and deciding where to go.
I understand that one can opt out of all the nextgen fanfare but since most people will take advantage of it, there is a risk of not being able to experence a ride or meet a character. Take for example Expedition Everest. So many fast passes are handed out in a day that the standby line was over 2 hours the first week of January. The funny thing was that the fastpass line was so long that it extended all the way out to the bridge to the Theater in the Wild while standby queue was completely empty.
I don’t know how or if any of this nextgen will provide any direct revenue. On the surface it seems that it just provides ways to improve guest satisfaction (which may lead to more repeat visits). I suppose that Disney could start charing for additional fastpasses…My biggest concern is how the parks are being experienced. Where we onced spent time ineracting with fellow guest, now people are tied to their phone or tablets surfing the web, reading email, or looking for wait times on the next ride…
“My biggest concern is how the parks are being experienced. Where we onced spent time ineracting with fellow guest, now people are tied to their phone or tablets surfing the web, reading email, or looking for wait times on the next ride…”
This is definitely sad, but I think this is happening in society as a whole, not just in Disney. I think this is mostly a case of Disney adapting with the times.
Would this mean less ability for people to be spontaneous? Although the enhanced interactivity with cast members and guest could be enjoyable, I don’t feel it would be enjoyable to plan out your entire day and have that schedule to stick to, what would happen to the desire to do something fun on a whim?
This whole NextGen concept is starting to scare me just a little, have the younger generations become that deeply immersed into technology that our smart phones can now be used to “enhance” our experience? The answer might probably be yes but I hope they don’t go over the top with this,on holiday,people shouldn’t have their faces attached to their phone,they should be soaking in the experience! I’m 20 and don’t enjoy seeing kids these days constantly playing with phones or game consoles while they’re out at dinner,I’d really hope this won’t encourage more people to be glued to their phone screens.
My first trip to the world will be in 2014 and I’m really hoping there can be a way to opt out of this program.Although I love planning (almost to the point of OCD), I love having physical documents and would really love to have my first key to the world card not be part of some little bracelet ):
I completely agree. I am 23 and I personally can’t stand ipads, iphones or any of that other stuff. I guess cause of that, I was astounded when I went to Disney for the first time in about 10 years and saw maybe 50 percent of the people there with their heads constantly down looking at their “devices” and not even bothering to take in the vacation. Also, while I love to plan my vacations down to the day, I still don’t like the idea of fastpass+. I would rather have the choice to get however many fastpasses at whichever park I want during the day, instead of being limited to just a couple per day at a single park.
Disney has a lot of guests that still have not figured out ADR’s and FastPass. What makes them think that the rare and occasional guest is going to love this?
I think people are concentrating to much on the FastPas+ part of the announcement. That, for me is a simple bonus for some people who will be willing to use it. The innovation for them ( and where most of the cost went ) was to build a WiFi for the entire Kingdom. And from then, having everyone connected ( see wait line from your phone ). Therefore, creating a better flow in the park.
The other main aspect is the interactivity of the experience. It might not mater for some people, but I’m sure a 5 years old girl who’s being greeted by her name from Cinderella, will love this. Or her favorite character talking to her about her birthday.
I agree with you, maarch. I’m not wild about the FastPass+ portion although I’m not against it either. But I really like the idea of everthing (Fastpass, room key, etc) being tied to one RFID bracelet (or card, for those that don’t want to wear a bracelet).
Well said. There are many aspects to this program and while not all features will appeal to everyone, there is certainly a strong ambition to improve the park experience. Also, if the program succeeds in getting people to spend more on their trip, it’s the guests choice to do so, and presumably they are getting enjoyment out of the spending. Hopefully future profits will be re-invested in further improving the park experience.
Wow, more than a billion dollars so guests can have a bracelet to use as a fast pass and park ticket? Seriously? I bet there will be TONS of people who go online to book a fast-pass and then never show up to the ride at all, making it even more difficult to avoid long lines. This offers very little in terms of enhancing the park experience. Unless Disney gets incredibly creative with how this is implemented (character/ride interactions etc.) it’s just going to be an outrageously expensive gimmick that smells more of a way to track park customers than to actually offer them something incredible. I don’t know if I’m being too pessimistic but that’s just so much money that could be going toward say- fresh rides at hollywood studios or a refurbished disney quest etc.
Not being a huge fan of the “interactivity fad”…I don’t even care about that.
They might not try to recoup their investment by a raise. If they attract more people in the long run, that’s how they get back their money.
But, let’s say they wanted to get back all of it in a year. If you do the math, it would be a raise 62.50$ per guest. All in all, they could raise the ticket price 2$ and the hotel price per day by 6$ and in the end of the year, they will have their billion back. ( 8-9$ more per day, most guests staying 7 days probably )
Or they might save with their workforce ( knowing where to send employees, or how many they need x days, etc. ) And will save on this area. Diminishing the raise they might have to put on guest.
But if we agree they will save on management of the park, more people will come to the park because of it, and they decide to also raise their price per guest / day around 3$. They will recoup the investment in a year.
A Billion dollar for us is HUGE. For a company like disney, where they can rise the price, or get more guest or diminish the park operation cost. It’s not that much.
Don’t forget, they are still investing in all of their parks ( new park, new land with Avatar, Cars, maybe a Pixar land soon, Fantasy land just opened, etc. )
The only issue this news can have is the ” privacy ” one, and even there they clearly say it’s a Opt-In program and nobody will be forced to use them or you can share what only what you want.
From a cost/benefit analysis, I am just trying to wrap my head around where the financial benefit is for The Disney Company.
From a personal analysis, I have zero interest to plan my Disney trip to the hour. Part of the fun of a Disney vacation for me is he flexibility that staying onsite/using onsite transportation afford me. I normally plan out my mornings a few days before I leave, but like to leave the afternoons/evenings open to do whatever moves me. A big part of this spontaneity is being able to get a regular fast pass for at least one or two rides late in the day when I arrive at the park of my choice. I hope that this ability doesn’t go away completely, but if it does, I will find a way to adjust somehow. I’m with you, Tom – I know we haven’t seen this implemented completely, but I feel as if I would have preferred some sort of attraction that could potentially benefit 100% of the guests instead of this seemingly divisive, extremely costly system.
I wonder about other options. I work in a children’s museum and there are quite a few kids who will NOT wear an armband. Some are spoiled kids, but others are autistic with contact issues.
My main concern is spending – like you said, aren’t I already spending a TON of money on my trip and they want more? Disney is already pricing itself out of many families budgets (at least it seems that way to them) and this is just a bit scary, money-wise.
I’m also surprised we haven’t heard more from the nuts about implants, tracking, bio information, etc, lol.
Also…I certainly don’t hope that these “bracelets” have to be worn the entire trip…even while you sleep and shower? If anyone that went to the D23 Expo in 2009, after 2-3 days I couldn’t wait for that bracelet to come off. I was ready to chew off my hand by the end of the Expo so I could take off that bracelet.
As for the wristbands providing “person/individual experiences”…this doesn’t not excite me at all. I personally don’t care if Skuttle from Mermaid addresses me or my family personally.
You don’t care if Skuttle addresses you personally?! That’s always been my main goal in life! 😉
No…not one of my life goals. I know…sad. 🙁
I doubt you will need to wear it while you sleep/shower… it looks like it will be treated more like a ticket. I doubt you even need to keep it on while you are in the park; just toss it in your bag like you would the paper tickets.
I have to agree with a lot of your conclusion Tom. I’m a planner…so is my wife. We love to plan out trips but even for us…this degree of planning and on top of that the “ankle bracelet” aspect is troubling at best. Even I don’t want to plan to that degree and have my movements tracked. I am to troubled by the amount of money spent on this for what benefit to the guest yet attractions haven’t been kept up to what we would expect, new attractions are slow in coming and upgrades don’t seem to be happening in what would expect in a timely basis.
The other thing…I don’t see these “guest enhancements” being something that many guests have been demanding.
So the big question is…why?
Does anyone demand increased ticket prices or more gift shops?
Pulling numbers out of the air, I think this is 25% about guest needs/desires (mostly with a younger iDevice demographic) and 75% about the bottom line.
Still, it’ll take a lot of guest spending to recoup those billions of dollars in up-front costs.
I think it was a necessity for Disney World to upgrade to this system. The FastPass machines brokes often. They needed better way to track the crowd. And as for security and privacy. Unlike some people say. Thief wont be able to get all your information or the one from your kid with a RFID reader. They would need access to the encryption key, the back end system, etc.
It’ll help give a better service and help them manage the park. All in all, it should in the long term give them back their investment, which they can then put back into the park.
And let’s not forget, they did make a huge upgrade to California Adventure, created Cars Land, created the New Fantasy Land, building a new park in Asia and the announcement of the Avatar Land.
Let’s not forget the rumor of upgrade to Hollywood Studio ( StarWars Land ? Pixar Land ? )
I think lately, Disney invested a LOT into their parks, more than they did in probably the last decade. And even if new rides is always fun. Those type of investment are also a necessity for Disney.
PS : Also, you might want to check the ” 3 FastPass+ per day “. From what I saw online it is in fact 3 FastPass+ for your entire stay. And need to be booked before leaving home. Therefore, making the service a complement to the current FastPass. Much of the FastPass+ usage will probably be on Parade, Firework and Very Popular attraction that were very hard to ride ( ToyStory Mania ). I highly doubt we will see a difference while in the park, except for a few reserved sectios here and there from now on.
What you’re writing assumes that this more complex system won’t break more often than FastPass machines, etc. I think that’s assuming a lot, at least initially.
Beyond that, the difference between a single broken FastPass machine and a systems outage (which is possible under MyMagic+) is that the latter affects a lot more people.
Setting aside the privacy concerns, I still think it’s probably a wise long term venture for Disney.
Thanks for the heads up on the “per day” language. That was not meant to be included. Thus far, Disney hasn’t indicated whether it’s per trip or per day…
I totally agree with you. Such system will come with it’s own kit of problems. And indeed a system outage could happen. But I guess, we’ll have to trust them on this one. Exactly like we do when we use the current Key to the World. If the system broke for this we couldn’t go in our hotel room, couldn’t eat at our reservation, etc. Actually, the probably tap into the current back end of that system. And only adding on top of it and replacing the card by RFID reader.
In the end, when you think of it privacy wise. They already have much of the same information the RFID will provide. The Card to the Kingdom gave them what we bought, where we eat, when we go into the park, when we are in our hotel room, etc.
But, I’m speculating on those points and could very well be wrong.
I don’t think FP+ will compliment FP original because according to the terms and agreement, once you opt-in to Fastpass plus you cannot use standard Fastpass.
Wanted to include the link:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/media/park-experience-terms-and-conditions.html
Here is the comment:
—–You are required to convert paper tickets and passes in order to make and use FASTPASS+ selections. Once you convert tickets or passes you will no longer be able to participate in the standard FASTPASS service upon arrival at the parks.
In addition to no longer being able to use standard FP, you can only get a FP+ for one park and one attraction per day.
—-You may make FASTPASS+ selections for one park per day. You may only select and redeem a FASTPASS+ selection for a particular attraction, entertainment or restaurant experience once per day.
I’ll have to ask into this, but I don’t think that’s how it will ultimately work once rolled out. I’ll update as I find out more…
Is it just me or does $2 billion seem like a HUGE price tag for this project??? Didn’t $1.1 billion out at California Adventure get us both Cars Land AND World of Color, among all of the other updates for DCA 2.0?
Maybe that figure also includes the other resorts besides WDW? Or maybe it just seems high because FastPass+ is the only thing we’ve gotten a glimpse of so far and it kind of feels like a solution searching for a problem.
It’s not just you. That seems like a TON of money.
I’m sure it includes a lot of things guests will never be aware of, and some infrastructure undertakings that were probably pretty expensive (I suspect the costs of things like in-park WiFi capable of supporting thousands of guests is pretty high). I’d imagine there’s also a lot that we’ve yet to see.
The cost of the WiFi infrastructure is probably the most expensive part of the investment. Serving thousand of people, with a fast reliable connection, over 40 square miles, while insuring security… It s not an easy task and to be honest I think they might be the first to do it.
Personally, being an international visitor ( therefore no cell signal because of the high cost of roaming ). Having WiFi on property is something I’ve been begging for years.
Yesterday in the mail I found out in April we are going to get to test out my magic +. In the box it didn’t say anything about the fast pass+ limit of uses. Hopefully it will be more than 3, (it says multiple) because we paid good money for it.
You can also apparently pay with the armband, use it for park admition, and, use it for a room key.