RailRider Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 (edited) SO FAR, it just seems like this wasn't needed. It wasn't broke Here is where I disagree. Someone who has been to Disney World at least once a year for the past 6 years during various crowd levels. Legacy Fast Pass was fine and dandy if you didn't mind the forced march to Soarin or Toy Story Midway Mania or any other highly popular ride. While you pushed ahead hoping to score a FP return window before evening or worse before they were out. Rope Drops were crucial importance because you had to be in before everyone else, Race down Main Street, grab your FP's and then race to line. Yup a great system that surely didn't need fixed. Now I can schedule these crucial FP+ before I ever step foot in the park and I don't have to race to any key morning attraction hoping to obtain the all valuable legacy FP. Now its a leisurely stroll down Main Street, ride some lesser attractions and hit the big ones when My FP+ reservations open. I will take option #2 any day of the week. Also the fact I can add a 4th, 5th or more after experiencing the first 3 from any kiosk or the app without running across the park. Perfect example of how awesome this is. Last year we were at Disney for 5 days, I was the runner for our party of 7. By the end of those 5 days I had logged over 50 miles in the parks because of the running. I would much rather have planned my vacation out than running that much over 5 days in the Florida Heat. We are going again in December and I have loved all the My Magic enhancements. Is it perfect? No, but it is a far cry better than the old system. I am looking forward to my first trip to Disney in which I don't have to leave my party. Edited August 4, 2014 by RailRider 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Commish Rail and I agree that the system will be tweaked and improved upon as time goes by. Under the old system, the popular rides had their FP gone by midday--not too much fun for that family wanting to ride said attractions in the evening, esp if the park closed later at night (indeed, most big rides had their FP gone by midday even though the park may have been open till 9, 10 or later). The new system is an improvement in that, even during peak times, FP should theoretically be available much later in the day. On my last trip in May, most rides had FP availabiluty until 1-2 hrs before park closing. It also helps that rides like Soarin and Toy Story Midway are on their own seperate FP tier. Also keep in mind the Magicband is designed to be more than just a FP. It will serve as your purchasing agent for the entire resort--1.5 billion can be recouped in a short amount of time if each guest swipes away like Disney hopes they will. As I experienced, if you get to the park at rope drop, you can still easily get more then just the pre-booked 3 rides. Even arriving later in the day you still most likely will get at least the 3 you pre-booked. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 The only complaints I have heard about the new system is from enthusiasts and it has been very few and far between honestly. Like Gabe said nothing more fun than showing up to a Disney Park in the head of Summer finding a 2 hour wait for Splash Mountain and no Legacy FP available, because your family wasn't able to rope drop the park. Now a family can spend 2 days at Magic Kingdom and FP+ Big Thunder, Space and Splash Mountain day 1 and 7 Dwarfs, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and Pirates day 2 with little to no wait in line. Also they can schedule this 30+ days from arrival, which is a huge bonus if you ask me. Lets be honest the majority of visitors don't go in to Disney with a well crafted plan of attack, most just show up with tickets and a rough idea of what they want to ride. They are not enthusiasts like us who honed our craft of collecting Legacy Passes throughout the park ahead of the hoard of humanity. Disney is helping average Joe do a bit more planning which will result in a better trip. I have talked to numerous families that have used the new system and who have never done much planning. They absolutely loved FP+ and especially the benefit of the Magic Bands accessibility and usability throughout the resort. Convenience is the name of the game and a less stress filled Disney vacation is something most families have been wanting, especially during the hot Florida Summer. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I recently read a post from our friends at Coaster Crew that pointed out that as of 9/28/14, FP+ is no longer available for the Maelstrom ride in the Norway pavillion at Epcot, leading to speculation that 9/27/14 could be the last day for the ride. There have been on and off rumors since last year that the ride was slated for closure, in order to make way for a new Frozen attraction. It's no secret that Disney has been seeking $ sponorship for the pavillion for some time, esp since the country of Norway flat out refused to give any money towards it. Combined with the recent huge success of the Frozen princesses in Norway, and Frozen's ability to print money for the company, this time the rumor may have some legs. Where's our esteemed Screamscape source when we need him? . Also, whether this is related or not, the Disney Store, in conjunction with the parks, has released a 'limited edition' Maelstrom T shirt featuting the ride's depiction of Odin, whose eye glows in the dark, along with the phrase spoken as your boat goes up the lift hill ("You are not the first to pass this way...nor will you be the last".) for the low low price of $24.95. Maybe Norway itself gets transformed into Arrendelle. Time will tell. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Also Malestrom is one of the worst capacity rides at Disney. A new ride experience, done right would be a huge addition to Epcot which is in need of a new major attraction 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 My favorite memory of my last Disney trip was on this ride. Our son had just turned 1 and this was his first "thrill" ride. I'll never forget him throwing his hands up in the air (uncoached) on the portion of the ride that you go backwards down the hill. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 It's been about 20 years since I last rode Maelstrom, but occasionally it comes back to me almost as though I'm there. With my bad memory, that's really saying something. It was by far my favorite part of Epcot, and as much as I enjoyed that park, that is also saying something. If it were in the budget, I'd be planning a trip to say goodbye to the ride. Unfortunately it isn't. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegajone Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Pretty bummed to hear this rumor, but hopefully it is replaced with something awesome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I've also heard that the ride may simply get rehabbed with a 'Frozen' overlay. Now, anyone who has been on the neighboring Mexico boat ride in the past few years can tell you that the ride went from being an enjoyable ride giving you the cultural and natural highlights of Mexico pre-overlay, to being a horrible ride having nothing to do with Mexico, aside from the addition of the 3 Cabeleros and the innane plot of looking for Donald around Mexico so they can perform a concert. Now, nobody would argue that Malestrom is a serious representation of Norway either, but at least it is an enjoyable ride with some mild thrills thrown in which still sees decent lines, capacity notwithstanding. If they're going to remove it, and Disney is commited to seriously rehabbing Epcot, I would hope that instead of a cheap overlay they just remove the ride, repurpose the boats (they can easily be made to look like Kristoff's boat in the movie) and start over. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Just a quick update. The "Stand-By Plus" paper return tickets are now used at the Be Our Guest restaurant and the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at the Studios park. http://blog.touringplans.com/2014/08/10/guest-restaurant-testing-new-standby-line-process/?utm_campaign=twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter Only guests staying on-site have the option to pre-book a lunchtime slot at Be Our Guest Restaurant. If you aren't staying on-property, you would previously queue for the restaurant for 30 minutes or more. Now, your only choice is to walk to the restaurant and get a paper return time ticket that may be hours later, but still during the lunch service. Once return tickets are gone for the day, they're gone. There is no stand-by line to wait for a free table. Dinner continues to be a table-service, reservation-only situation, so it is not influenced by this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 The more I hear about what's going on at WDW Florida, the less I want to ever go back. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 You've got to feel for the Cast Members. As rough as this transition is for guests, it's even worse for them. Imagine the crowds gathering around Soarin's entry plaza demanding information. FastPass+ provides guests with a list of all the park's E-tickets and says "choose one." If you choose Test Track (a perfectly fine choice), then you WON'T get on Soarin' without waiting in the stand-by line. Problem is, there IS no stand-by line anymore. Only return tickets. Planned to save it for the slower, evening hours? Too bad. Unbeknownst to you, Soarin's stand-by line has been replaced by paper return tickets (ironically, identical to the original FastPass), which "sold out" in the afternoon. There is no stand-by line to wait it! It is, to put it a certain way, FastPass+ or FastPass only. If you didn't prepare for that, you're out of luck. Now explain that to a chanting Brazilian tour group; a Chinese family; a traveling group of Japanese twenty-somethings. Although live Twitter updates the other day revealed that guests are literally revolting. The paper return tickets "sold out" at 5:00, and Cast Members began turning guests away, telling them that unfortunately, there was no stand-by line for them to wait in and that Soarin' had reached its capacity of guests for the day. "What's the wait time then?" people asked. "Well... there isn't one, really... There's no line to wait in. It's return-time only!" By 5:30 (30 minutes later), the stand-by line was back open. Cast Members were literally intimidated by a growing crowd into re-opening the line. I'm not saying it's right or funny or good. All I'm saying is that it shows the complete disconnect that Walt Disney World management must have if they didn't see that coming. And those poor Cast Members who were so overwhelmed by a confused, growing, and angry crowd that they opened the line back up. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oysterman Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Went to WDW in March. Had a great time and didn't even use a fast pass for any lines. The longest line I remember was for the Toy Story shooting ride (which sounds like a ride description that would never happen, ha) I think that was an hour or so. Soarin was also pretty slow but I don't remember how long. Sent from my Nokia Lumia 822 Windows Phone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Fast Pass is a registered trademark. As such, it is always capitalized here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oysterman Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Fast Pass is a registered trademark. As such, it is always capitalized here. Sorry. Please give my respects to Disney. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTD-120-420 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 I'm not looking forward to explaining this system to guests. I start on Monday. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 I'm sure you'll be well-trained. Let's hope they are, too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upstop Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Magic Wrist band......Apple IWatch with IPay.....didn't see that coming. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 The similarities are stunning. And at least in my social circle, Apple Watch has been met with the same kinds of reactions: "Were people asking for this? Was this really needed? Isn't it redundant?" Did you catch, by the way, that an Apple Watch is practically useless unless you have an iPhone? And not just have it... have it on your person. Basically, wearable tech is a weird industry. Seems to impose more limits and nuances than groundbreaking universal usefulness. That's fine, and things like the MagicBand or Apple Watch are cool and trendy and fun, but they're not really MEANT for enormous audiences or universal use. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 As of right now, who knows what it could be in the next 3-5 years. Again 10 years ago, it was crazy to have a phone that could access the internet as it does now, face to face meetings, etc. 15 years ago, there was no Facebook or Twitter. Its about finding a niche. Imagine having wearing tech that does the following: stores credit card info/pays for things linked directly to your car, for keyless entry/locking/starting of the car linked directly to your house, a sensor kicks in and your garage door opens or front door unlocks/locks Go to a restaurant and it confirms your entry/orders your meal Wearable tech doesnt seem like a need right now. BUt do we know for sure its just a fad? Most people dont do the tap thing with their credit cards but that is still available. Maybe it will come back with the iWatch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgoble3 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I feared it would come to this: As a test of whether reservation-only attractions can be successful, from now through Friday, Toy Story Midway Mania is available ONLY through FastPass+. No standby queue, no separate disability access, and no ability for Guest Relations to offer a Midway Mania pass to appease upset guests. More: http://wdwnt.com/blog/2014/10/breaking-guests-can-only-ride-toy-story-mania-via-fastpass-this-week/ The comments on that article are worth reading for the personal FP+ experiences contained therein. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 This could work well If they plan on making the rumored third track Fast Pass+ only access. If they also removed the Fast Pass+ guests from the other two, it should allow them to move faster as well. I have some friends there right now and got a text the other night from one of them saying how awesome the system was working for him with the phone app. I have a WDW trip coming up in December so I will reserve final judgement after experiencing it for myself. I agree that the whole system does seem a bit flawed but there is some serious potential there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 October is a good time to test such things--low crowds, short waits, little in the way of media hordes frothing at the mouth. Disney floats trial balloons like this often-I'm sure guests approaching the standby que during the test will be directed to any of the many kiosks scattered around the park to make a reservation. I've been there this time of year and the standby line for TSM was only 30-45 minutes. I wouldn't read too much into this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgoble3 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 little in the way of media hordes frothing at the mouth. Try again? This is trending on Facebook. Far from "little in the way of media hordes", it's instead all over Facebook. And when I go to the trending topic page on Facebook and browse comments, they are almost universally negative. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 A few things: Facebook trending is not based on amount of mentions but by a number manipulation in a program. Most people post negative things on the internet. Usually complainers post and very rarely do positive reviews get posted. No proof that the people complaining have any clue about what happening other than what they have read. Things change.... Life's tough baby brother, get a helmet. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Or go to Disneyland. They haven't messed it up. Yet. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordSkippy Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 It's a test. A test I doubt will be successful. You can't fault the management for trying something, even if it is something this ludicrous. Standby lines are not going away any time soon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marth555 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Its things like this that make me not want to include Disney in my florida trip Edit terped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Disney is a registered trademark and a proper noun. As such, it is always capitalized here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 This is only a test, repeat this is only a test. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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