NEWS: Disney reveals details on Walt Disney World MyMagic+

[COASTER FREAK 11]

OH MY GOD, I couldn't even finish the article posted today on MC about the Magic+ stuff! Its mind numbing.

[robbalvey]

^ Ugh, there was another one? I really can't even go look at it if you are saying you couldn't get through it.

 

I really don't understand why people are complaining SO MUCH over something that no one has fully even used yet. And personally, those who don't see the potential in it, or are so against it, I really hope they just stop going to the parks. Because knowing that one of the crazy people might NOT be in a queue next to me makes me feel so much more comfortable!

 

--Robb "And no one is forcing anyone to use it! You can still just walk in the park and wait in line like the old days..." Alvey

[jray21]

Is it the "Open Letter" written yesterday? I just went went to see what you were talking about and that one popped up. It really is terrible. I made it through about 2 paragraphs. Same asinine stuff as before. Complaining and fearful over a program that hasn't been released. I also love how people complain about the declining by degrees. I guess everyone completely forgets the first few years DL was open. Nothing was working right, there wasn't much to do, and it took years to get things somewhat working.

[robbalvey]

Ugh, I just went and made the mistake of reading some of it. It's just not even grounded in reality and written by someone who obviously has ZERO experience in the theme park or software development business, and knows nothing about project management....

 

"In the limited roll out of MyMagic+ and My Disney Experience, the most egregious issue has been problems with the new website."

 

Yes, of course, this is why it's a LIMITED roll out! So they can work the bugs out and tweak the system so it's ready for a wide release. This is how software development and project management works.

 

I can't think of a single video game I worked on in 22 years that didn't go through a long testing process, and some of them, required patches to fix problems after it was released, because no matter how much testing you do with a limited amount of people, there will ALWAYS be things that come up when you release it to the masses.

 

"Journey of the Little Mermaid: The attraction opened prior to the Flotsam and Jetsam animatronics working properly."

 

Wait, wait, wait... let me get this straight. Are they suggesting they should have delayed the opening of this ride because two fairly minor animatronics, that barely move in the first place, weren't working? Which no one, other than die-hard Disney geek are even going to notice? Hell, I never even noticed this until some die-hard Disney geek pointed this out to me! (Thanks Adam!) And I had been on the ride like 10 times!

 

Seriously who writes this crap?

[A.J.]

Here's the thing - MyMagic+ does not bother me, at all. I'll tell you why.

 

It's because I was a cast member. I can tell you that the "little" things - like high-fiving someone while wearing a four-fingered glove, or having a candy treat made just for you - those are the things that I believe make the "Disney" experience for guests.

 

Under the MyMagic+ system, none of those things are lost.

[azza29]

Ugh, I just went and made the mistake of reading some of it. It's just not even grounded in reality and written by someone who obviously has ZERO experience in the theme park or software development business, and knows nothing about project management....

 

My eyes hurt from all the rolling they did while I was reading that article.

 

As if Disney aren't going to tweak the system after it goes live, to make for the best possible guest experience. What really gets me is the tone of the whole article, this attitude that demands Disney acquiesce to those suggestions simply because they are posted on a fansite.

 

MC has some interesting stuff but they definitely enjoy a good whinge!

[AndrewRnR]

I swung into Epcot this evening to pick up my pass and it couldn't have been easier. I was the only guest at the Odyssey pavilion and there had to be at least 30-40 Guest Relations cast members on hand. They have greeters explaining things, probably 15 stations to actually exchange, then a bunch just roaming to answer questions. Took all of two seconds. Best of all I walked over to Test Track and was able to use my pass to design my car... even though I knew it was suppose to work like that, seeing that in action was pretty cool.

 

From talking to a few people I know at the parks Disney has drained the Guest Relations talent "pool" (Disney term for waiting list) to staff places such as the Odyssey as well as all over the parks. Disney is doing this right - despite being the only person there tonight seeing a full staff and operation setup shows they are serious.

 

It is funny... if Disney wasn't spending money on all this the fanboys would be complaining Disney is falling behind the times. I'm all for them trying new things... sure there will be bugs, but what new concept (theme parks or not) hasn't had issues? Wasn't there problems at Disneyland on opening day...?

[jray21]

^Yeah, but, John, if The Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists.

 

Oh wait, wrong thread.

[Divv3k]

I made the mistake of trying to read the article too. Absolute drivel...

 

To me the complainers mostly appear to be fanboys demanding instant gratification. “Build new rides for me, NOW!”. What they fail to realise is Disney’s number one objective as a business:

 

Increase shareholder wealth.

 

How do you increase shareholder wealth when you’re in a service based industry? You strive to improve the guest experience as much as possible. As far as I can see MyMagic+ is designed to do just that and to an extent that’s never been seen in a theme park before.

 

Disney’s share price is currently higher than it’s ever been. This is after the market’s had a chance to react to the news of this huge capital investment. Trying to pick holes in a business plan because they’re not building you a new ride right now is foolish.

 

This is a LONG TERM investment from Disney that seeks to increase their profitability which in turn will lead to even more awesome parks and rides down the road.

 

I can't wait to see it in action!

[cfc]

I was amused by the "data security" concerns. I'm guessing these people never purchase anything online? How about joining an online forum about Disney? Or Facebook? Folks, you're already "out there."

[DJeXeL]

TPR Facebook via Orlando Attractions Magazine

 

This is definitely a nice touch.

[Divv3k]

Wow, that's awesome. Think how excited about their trip families are gonna get when that comes through their door!

[Meteornotes]

^^That is very cool.

 

So I read the "article" others have referenced. Aside from the usual total misunderstanding of how RFID works, extreme paranoia about data collection that is completely without merit, half-assed guesses about how Fastpass+ will work (I love how this system won't work when it's not really even up and running yet) and other drivel, I thought this particular section might shine some more light on what perhaps one of the real concerns is:

 

The investment in Next Gen is significant, and mobile applications like My Disney Experience are welcome additions. However, much of what these applications accomplish is already addressed more accurately with third party sites.

 

Yes, perhaps some of this people won't be as "special" any more if people can go to the parks and ride the attractions they want without referring to random sites for touring plans or whatever. This might impact their ad revenue from page views. Yeah, I cannot imagine why they'd be against all this new technology in that case...

 

dt

[robbalvey]

I thought this particular section might shine some more light on what perhaps one of the real concerns is:

 

The investment in Next Gen is significant, and mobile applications like My Disney Experience are welcome additions. However, much of what these applications accomplish is already addressed more accurately with third party sites.

 

Yes, perhaps some of this people won't be as "special" any more if people can go to the parks and ride the attractions they want without referring to random sites for touring plans or whatever. This might impact their ad revenue from page views. Yeah, I cannot imagine why they'd be against all this new technology in that case...

 

dt

And they are wrong. Here's what's funny. We recently went to Epcot with some friends from overseas and they had two different "3rd party apps" telling them the wait times for attractions. They both told them two different things. We brought up the official Disney app, and while one of them was close to what the official Disney app said, they Disney one was the closest.

 

I'll be honest, the Disney one hasn't been right all the time either, but it's always been within 15-20 minutes, and it seems to be getting better.

 

In short, why would you want to put your trust in a 3rd party app, which gets its information (I'm assuming), input by other guests, when you get use an app that has the same (or close to it) information that is what Disney is using to update with in the parks?

 

I just simply don't understand all the pointless complaining over this! It seriously makes me want to stop going to theme parks sometimes knowing these INSANE CRAZY people might be around me!

 

--Robb

[Meteornotes]

^Oh, I agree. The amount of stupidity surrounding this topic, and the number of people that are totally buying into the "conspiracy" aspects of this is insane. People scare me.

 

dt

[COASTER FREAK 11]

I thought this particular section might shine some more light on what perhaps one of the real concerns is:

 

The investment in Next Gen is significant, and mobile applications like My Disney Experience are welcome additions. However, much of what these applications accomplish is already addressed more accurately with third party sites.

 

Yes, perhaps some of this people won't be as "special" any more if people can go to the parks and ride the attractions they want without referring to random sites for touring plans or whatever. This might impact their ad revenue from page views. Yeah, I cannot imagine why they'd be against all this new technology in that case...

 

dt

And they are wrong. Here's what's funny. We recently went to Epcot with some friends from overseas and they had two different "3rd party apps" telling them the wait times for attractions. They both told them two different things. We brought up the official Disney app, and while one of them was close to what the official Disney app said, they Disney one was the closest.

 

I'll be honest, the Disney one hasn't been right all the time either, but it's always been within 15-20 minutes, and it seems to be getting better.

 

In short, why would you want to put your trust in a 3rd party app, which gets its information (I'm assuming), input by other guests, when you get use an app that has the same (or close to it) information that is what Disney is using to update with in the parks?

 

I just simply don't understand all the pointless complaining over this! It seriously makes me want to stop going to theme parks sometimes knowing these INSANE CRAZY people might be around me!

 

--Robb

 

Also, there are SO MANY MORE functions on the Disney App then ANY 3rd party app. They aren't even all live yet either, whats coming is so cool! And the time thing will improve as things get worked out. Eventually, I think its supposed to update live. When the time changes at the attraction, it shows in the App immediately.

[Hotlanta]

My apologies if this has been discussed already since i haven't followed the whole thread. Will all guests get these bands or is this an upcharge? It seems like the customized box is a lot of expense for Disney.

[robbalvey]

My apologies if this has been discussed already since i haven't followed the whole thread. Will all guests get these bands or is this an upcharge? It seems like the customized box is a lot of expense for Disney.

You probably should read the thread!

[jray21]

TPR Facebook via Orlando Attractions Magazine

 

This is definitely a nice touch.

 

I can already see those terrible tan lines

 

Yeah, those third party websites/apps are absolutely terrible. The newest Disney one is by far the best one there is.

[Jew]

God forbid Disney make an app for themselves instead of letting 3rd parties make money using their product...

 

Side note: the magic band delivery is an awesome idea.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

I thought this particular section might shine some more light on what perhaps one of the real concerns is:

 

The investment in Next Gen is significant, and mobile applications like My Disney Experience are welcome additions. However, much of what these applications accomplish is already addressed more accurately with third party sites.

 

Yes, perhaps some of this people won't be as "special" any more if people can go to the parks and ride the attractions they want without referring to random sites for touring plans or whatever. This might impact their ad revenue from page views. Yeah, I cannot imagine why they'd be against all this new technology in that case...

 

dt

And they are wrong. Here's what's funny. We recently went to Epcot with some friends from overseas and they had two different "3rd party apps" telling them the wait times for attractions. They both told them two different things. We brought up the official Disney app, and while one of them was close to what the official Disney app said, they Disney one was the closest.

 

I'll be honest, the Disney one hasn't been right all the time either, but it's always been within 15-20 minutes, and it seems to be getting better.

 

In short, why would you want to put your trust in a 3rd party app, which gets its information (I'm assuming), input by other guests, when you get use an app that has the same (or close to it) information that is what Disney is using to update with in the parks?

 

I just simply don't understand all the pointless complaining over this! It seriously makes me want to stop going to theme parks sometimes knowing these INSANE CRAZY people might be around me!

 

--Robb

 

Whenever anyone showed me one of those third party wait time apps, I laughed at it and could always prove it wrong inside of 5 minutes. There's never been a reliable one ever made.

 

Having installed MyDisneyExperience and exploring it, it's immensely better than any 3rd party app I've ever seen. If this is indeed the same information that is what Disney is using to update their in-park displays and information, then it's the only app I'll ever want to use. If it's wrong, so are those same signs and displays I'd have used without the app; nothing would be lost. Sounds like this app is also improving by leaps & bounds rather quickly into its life, which is far more than those crappy 3rd party apps that have been around for years can say!

 

Just the sheer principle of having everything on the phone app is great. Last January before I had a smartphone, I wasted 45 minutes of my WDW trip waiting in line for a concierge desk and then asking them to print out all my ADR info and such because I lost the paper I handwrote everything on, and had no internet access of any kind. Looking forward to not having to do that again thanks to this app on my new Droid Razr HD.

[jedimaster1227]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-disney-nextgen-ticket-laws-20130329,0,2136300.story

 

Walt Disney World has spent close to $1 billion developing its "MyMagic+" system, which includes replacing conventional tickets with wireless-transmitting wristbands that serve as all-in-one park passes, room keys and credit cards.

 

Now Disney wants to make sure those "MagicBands" are protected by Florida law.

 

The giant resort is lobbying the Florida Legislature this spring to rewrite the state's ticket laws to cover its new bracelets, which Disney hopes will revolutionize the theme-park experience for visitors — and become a lucrative new source of souvenirs.

 

The company says the changes in state law are necessary as ticketing systems advance far beyond the familiar paper passes, both in its theme parks and elsewhere.

 

"As technology continues to evolve, theme parks and other venues are able to make ticketing for guests more convenient," Disney spokesman Bryan Malenius said. "The bill being considered by the Legislature will help Florida keep up with the rapidly changing way guests experience entertainment choices, including our parks."

 

The language is contained in a broader bill that aims to prevent fraudulent sales of theme-park passes, which Disney and others say have become a criminal cottage industry in Florida. But some sports fans and activist groups say the measure goes too far and would unfairly impede consumers from reselling tickets to football games, concerts and other events.

 

The legislation (HB 1353) would redefine "multiuse tickets," a term that includes theme-park passes valid for admission to more than one park or on more than one day. The definition of such tickets would be expanded beyond the conventional printed media to cover any "right designed for admission."

 

It would make another subtle change as well. Right now, it is illegal to resell or transfer a multiuse theme-park pass to someone else after it has been used at least once — but only as long as a phrase such as "nontransferable; must be used by the same person on all days" is printed somewhere on the pass.

 

The bill would flip that. Instead, it would be illegal to resell any such pass, unless the ticket or venue owner's website clearly say the pass may be used by more than one person.

 

That change could help Disney in a couple of ways. Printing such warnings will become more cumbersome as the resort moves away from paper passes to wristbands. And unsightly legalese could undermine the aesthetics of the wristbands, which Disney hopes to turn into collectible souvenirs by selling customizable styles and accessories.

 

Lawmakers have made no secret of their attempts to accommodate Disney's new technology with the legislation. It is testament to Disney's influence in the state Capitol, both as one of the Florida's biggest economic engines and one of its most generous campaign contributors.

 

"We are codifying that, if Disney wants to use a wristband, a button, an ID card or your phone as a ticket — as they currently do — it's their choice. And, more importantly, it's their right to do so," the bill's sponsor, Rep. Dan Raulerson, R-Plant City, said last week during a presentation to the House Business & Professional Regulation Subcommittee.

 

Disney and others say the fraud-fighting portions of the bill are just as important.

 

The legislation would dramatically increase the penalties for people who fraudulently resell tickets to parks and other entertainment venues. The fine for a first-time violation of reselling multiuse park passes would jump from no more than $500 now to a maximum of $10,000, and repeat violations would become a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

 

Capt. Al Rodrigues, who commands the Orange County Sheriff's Office sector that covers Disney World, told lawmakers that a recent investigation turned up a convicted drug dealer who had switched to selling phony theme-park passes to tourists because the existing penalties for the crime are so lax.

 

"He's making more money than he was in his drug years. He's not facing going to a federal penitentiary — he's not even facing going to state jail. And, frankly, you don't get shot by your opposition when you're selling tickets, the way you do in the drug trade," Rodrigues said.

 

Orlando-based SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., whose parks include SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, said it also backs tougher penalties.

 

"We support measures that strengthen protections for visitors to Central Florida from fraudulent ticket schemes," spokeswoman Becca Bides said.

 

A spokesman for Universal Orlando said the resort is following the issue but would not comment further.

 

Disney's provisions appear to have drawn widespread support in the Legislature. But a coalition of consumer and free-market activists is battling hard against other parts of the bill.

 

One provision would declare that any ticket to an entertainment event is a type of license, rather than personal property, that the issuer could revoke for any reason and at any time.

 

Another provision would ensure that entertainment venues, event presenters or their agents can employ any ticketing methods they choose, which detractors say could include "restricted tickets" that could not be resold at all or could be resold only through certain outlets.

 

Critics say that language would ultimately lead to even more market control for Ticketmaster parent Live Nation Entertainment Inc., which is also lobbying for the legislation.

 

"Consumers want to own the tickets that we buy, and we would like to have choice in the marketplace," said Bill Newton, executive director of the Florida Consumer Action Network.

[Jew]

reselling magic bands seems like it would be difficult to begin with, so the legislation seems excessive.

 

Personally I don't think it should be illegal to resale your unused days in the first place.

[youngforever]

So, is the MagicBand still in testing, or is it still in testing phase? I ask this because I recently booked a package at the Pop Century, and it says I'm eligible for MagicBand, and they're shipping soon. Will everyone at the resort have it, or is it just a select number of people so far?

[SharkTums]

They're still testing them, but they're testing them a TON! I recently got to wear one and it was pretty cool! Also while we've been visiting Disney the last week and using the app I've seen a lot more Magic Band stuff integrated. Really getting close now!