1 The Mickey Mindset: FastPass+, Magic Band, MyMagicExperience REVIEW

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

FastPass+, Magic Band, MyMagicExperience REVIEW

The classic Disney's FastPass logo since 1999

Mitchell Stein- With the traditional FastPass system being shut-down and stored away, Disney started to roll out their brand-new FastPass system named “FastPass Plus” in Disney World this past week. So I decided to head down there and check it out for myself.

The new FastPass experience begins right when you walk up to the park. The traditional turnstiles and card swiping machines are gone and replaced with a simple stand to tap your brand new card against, scan your finger and walk in right away.

Photo: Walt Disney World Resorts

The new FastPasses are linked to the MyMagicExperience which hasn’t been fully opened to the general public yet. Guests staying at a Disney World resort can choose to test out the all new “MagicBand” which is a new band that wraps around your hand and stores all your info, such as FastPass reservations, your room key, and even allows you to pay for things in the parks when you connect it to your credit card as well (it can be hard to watch your wallet at times when paying is this simple, just keep in mind what you’re spending while in the parks).

If you have a MagicBand, you have the option of reserving FastPasses and restaurant reservations up to six weeks prior to your visit. If there’s an attraction you really don’t want to risk waiting in line for, you can currently do that if you’re staying at the resorts.

I’m a big fan of the simple “Tap ‘n Go” feature in front of attractions and the parks, but overall, I am not a fan of the new system. Personally, I dislike the idea of storing all your personal info onto one item that could easily be lost or stolen, and I dislike the idea of companies owning personal info. I can allow Disney to scan my fingerprint to get into the park, but that’s where I’ll draw the line. It’s something I try to be careful about. I dunno, maybe I just Britta’d it, but it’s just something I dislike. 

Personal issues aside, the new FastPass system is terrible for other reasons. On Thursday, we decided to park hop in both Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom where we discovered that the new FastPasses don’t allow you to reserve FastPasses in two parks in one day. Therefore, if you’re hopping, you’ll have to choose only three rides out of all those parks. That calls for a lot of frustration and discourages me from park hopping again in the future. Cast members told me they were planning to change that rule since they got a lot of complaints, but for the time being, that's the current rule in the parks.

Another problem is the ability to reserve FastPasses in advance. We arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 10:00 when the park opening was at 9:00. We quickly ran to a kiosk (which I’ll talk about in a moment) to reserve a FastPass for Toy Story Midway Mania as FastPasses for those can disappear very quickly. They were all out of FastPasses, all due to the fact that it was reserved days in advance.


I don’t know how anyone in the world can decide what ride they are going to ride at what time. The whole fun of the trip is that it’s all spontaneous and you can ride whatever you feel like depending on your mood, but either way, this reservation thing is a big problem. It’s almost impossible to be able to eat at Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom because it’s been booked for weeks. I can allow reserving the day of, or a week in advance maximum, but weeks in advance is just unfair to everyone else. Very often these reservations are booked and the people who reserved it don’t show up. Of course when someone does not show up at their scheduled time the reservation goes back into the system and whoever can grab it first can get to the ride/restaurant FastPass line. Basically, whoever has the fastest smartphone wins.

The doors to Be Our Guest are closed to all those without a FastPass

The problem with the app on your smartphone is the fact you can only link one guest account to the app. I was travelling with two other people and only one of us had a smartphone with us, so we could not use the app for reserving FastPasses. We had to go to a FastPass kiosk to find a cast member to book our ride preferences for us.

Photo: APinchofPixieDust.blogspot.com

With the new FastPass system, you can choose three and only three attractions, which includes rides, shows, meet-and-greets and sometimes restaurants. Because they don’t want everyone picking the most popular attractions, they split the rides up into groups so for example in Epcot, Test Track, Soarin’, Maelstorm, and the Mickey meet-and-greet are all in the same category and you can only pick one. Everything else is in category two, which you can pick two from.

In Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can pick two attractions from the main category (which includes Tower of Terror, Rock n’ Roller Coaster and Toy Story Mania) and one from category two. Options vary depending on the park you are visiting, Magic Kingdom has the most attractions, and so most rides are in one category. The times you receive are good for that time (usually an hour) and that time only. Gone are the days where you can get a 1:00 FastPass and come back at 6:00 and still ride. Since its all-digital now, you won’t be able to walk on after your time is up. Keep this in mind before planning to see a show or doing anything else time consuming.
Just so that more people can pick more from category two, they added FastPass machines to attractions that never had FastPasses, such as Muppet-Vision 3D, The Great Movie Ride, and many shows.


To be honest, I'm not a fan of Disney grading their attractions either. Because they don't want everyone only booking the most popular attractions, they grade their rides into categories to tell you what you can pick the most of depending on the grading system.
To book FastPasses if you don't have a smartphone, you have to look through the park to find a FastPass kiosk, which is usually filled with people who are just as confused about the system as you are (so basically, there’s usually a lot of people on those lines.)

I guess eliminating FastPasses was supposed to shorten attraction lines, which it does quite well. It just moves all the lines to the FastPass kiosks instead.

A FastPass Kiosk in Tomorrowland


I honestly can’t figure out why Disney continued to go ahead with this, although it costed them so much money and effort. I like the idea of the MagicBand which will help create unique experiences such as meeting Mickey and he can interact with you depending on your info. If you rode Test Track in the past year and a half, you’ll be familiar with the system, except that in storing info about the car you designed, you’re storing personal info, like credit cards, home phone numbers, email addresses, room keys, fingerprints, and a lot more around your wrist.



This does not make me love Walt Disney World any less. I still hope to visit a lot more in the future, but if you are planning to head out in the next couple of weeks, just beware of the brand-new system. I suggest you arrive to the parks early to ensure FastPasses (Toy Story Mania runs out extremely fast, most than any other attraction in WDW) and upon arriving, never use one of the kiosks near the front of the park. Head to a kiosk near the back, where’s there’s a lot less people. It’ll save you a lot of time.

Of course, I appreciate that Disney includes their FastPass experience free with your price admission while other theme parks charge extra for that feature, but I will have to admit I preferred the original system better.
My solutions? Drop the reservations in advance thing. FastPasses should be on a first-come, first serve basis. Three attractions is a small amount. I think five per guest would be a nice and fair amount. I think this would improve the system a lot.

Eventually, people will get used to the system and the kiosk lines will be short. But if you're going in the next few weeks, just plan out your day accordingly.

Above all these current complaints, don't forget the system is only in it's first couple of weeks, so things will tend to get a little wonky at times. This post is really aimed for guests planning to visit within the next couple of weeks and to learn how to avoid problems and save time. Hopefully all of the mentioned problem will be fixed shortly.

Some TIPS:

  •  I would suggest you arrive to the parks early to ensure FastPasses. FastPasses would always run out quickly, and the new system is no exception.
  • Toy Story Mania runs out extremely fast, most than any other attraction in WDW. Keep that in mind when booking your FastPass schedule.  
  • Don’t use the FastPass+ kiosks near the front of the parks. For shorter lines, head further into the parks to find another kiosk where there would be less people. 
  • Don’t use your FastPasses on attractions that don’t normally have lines. For example, It’s Tough to be a Bug! normally doesn’t have a line longer than 5 mins. You may want to use your FastPasses for the other park attractions that would have longer lines (i.e. Expedition Everest, Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, Space Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, Toy Story Mania etc.) 
  • Beware what you’re spending with the MagicBand. When it’s so easy to pay, you can lose track of how much money you’re actually spending. Keep in mind your money when tapping for a pair of Mickey ears. 
  • Keep your MagicBand on you at all times. If lost, purchases can be made in stores without your knowledge. If lost, contact the nearest cast member, who will let you know how to cancel your MagicBand and how to receive a new one. 
  • Don’t use your FastPasses on shows. I guess the FastPass ensures you a better seat, but to be honest, you can see from wherever you sit. Save your FastPass for long attraction wait times. 

Have you been to Walt Disney World lately? Have you tried out the new FastPass experience? Let us know your thoughts in an email at mickeymindset@gmail.com! 



The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

12 comments:

  1. Sorry, Mitchell, but I think you're being overly-negative here. I don't think the system is bad at all.

    Besides, keep in mind that the whole thing is still in its infancy and is still undergoing testing and working out kinks, so it's not wise to assume that it'll be problematic forever.

    The kind of attitude towards these new initiatives here is why I despise sites like MiceChat and WDWMagic, which all too often get contaminated with over-the-top blind hatred of Disney no matter what they do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Phillip. Thanks for your comment.

      I did state in the article that this was it's first week running, so things will definetley come to change. This article is really directed towards anyone who is planning to head there in the next couple of weeks.

      Above that, while I'm being negative about the new system, don't forget that this blog was created to PRAISE all things Disney. You can read some of our posts and we're usually extremely positive. I would just rather give my honest review and save our readers time rather than just saying everything is great.

      Lots of people love the new system and I'm glad they do. I just feel it's a let-down from what it used to be, but if say, Universal would introduce this, it would be amazing, but I feel Disney went down in quality from what it was previously.

      Hopefully my complaints will change in the coming weeks/months. I plan to head down there again later to check it out again.

      Delete
  2. I agree that most of the articles are positive and that you folks want to be honest in expressing your views and I have no problems with that.

    Your reply is well-written, but I can't help but think that your mention of Universal (saying that it would be instantly amazing) comes off as sounding like the Universal apologists that I've seen at MiceChat, WDWMagic, etc. lately, which does make me rather jaded about all this stuff, as it becomes harder to tell the difference between constructive criticism and criticism for the sake of criticism, the latter of which is what is too common at MiceChat, WDWMagic and other sites, forums and blogs.

    Speaking of which, I think it would be a good idea for The Mickey Mindset to have future articles talking about the bad attitudes of the people at WDWMagic, MiceChat, etc. and why those sites should be avoided at all costs or something like that, if you get my drift.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Better yet, why don't you talk about the bad attitude on the dated style fourm of "Laughing Place". I used to be a member there, but I found it more like a "Briar Patch", so I stopped going there.

      Delete
    2. You might have misunderstood me. Universal doesn't currently offer any free "Fastpass" type system, so if they would introduce something similar to FP+, it would instantly be incredible, as they basically make you pay extra for that feature.
      Disney might have shot themselves in the leg giving away unlimited FastPasses since 1999, but since they already had something like that, it seems unfair to take that away from returning park guests. You can't drop in quality. It's sometimes more convenient, but overall it seems unfair as to what it was just a few months ago.

      To be honest, I'm not as annoyed when people have negative attitudes towards things. I'm actually quite happy that we can all voice our opinions respectively and flare doesn't have to start up.
      Many people have insulted several of my favorite things and I just look and them and say "I respect your opinion" and they look like they were expecting me to pounce on them.

      If its' your wish to write an article of how we as a fandom have to be more positive about things, feel free to and send it to mickeymindset@gmail.com.
      We're not naming names though. You can suggest what we can be, but we will not be pointing fingers at anyone else. Thanks for understanding.



      Delete
    3. Actually, they do! If you stay at one of the three hotels on property, their express pass is free. If you stay off Universal property it costs about $30 a day to get express pass.
      This system has many flaws that have to be fixed. I can see annual passholders having an advantage, but not as much as someone who stays on site. and if you stay off site and are not an annual passholder, than it takes nerve for that person to feel slighted. There is a reason to stay on site! That's like expecting something for nothing. There are value resorts on site for those who want the bang for their buck.
      Than, picking one ride or another option is insane!!!!! They have to fix that .... like yesterday!!!!!! it's sooo bad.

      Delete
    4. I wasn't aware that you can get the express pass for free if you're staying on property at Universal. Thanks for letting me know!

      Delete
  3. We are Annual Passholders from Texas. We go to Disney at least twice a year for 7 to 8 days each time. We took a 7 Day Vacation (January 18th-25th) - but left a day early because it just wasn't worth it. First off, we were not resort guests so we were not part of the "first to get a Fast Pass" until we got to the parks. The resorts had first dibs. Kiosk lines were long. Anyway, while I applaud what Disney is trying to implement - here in bullet form are my observations:

    • Annual passholders should be part of the Fast Pass website. We planned our vacation ahead of time but could not fast pass until we got to the parks even though I tried to register our annual passes on the website.
    • What about people who do NOT have a smart phone or ipad? If you are going to have these electronic fast passes, then have a text feature for those of us who do not have any of these gadgets. However, I go on vacation to be disconnected NOT connected. And, I have to write down when and where my fast passes are to take place? Time consuming and I have to keep a pen with me? Not convenient for those of us who wish to stay off the grid while on vacation. Plus - the parks are open LONG hours, Disney should consider adding charging stations for devices.
    • 3 fast passes per park per day. With the old fast pass way - we could fast pass throughout the day to as many rides as we wanted.
    • 3 fast passes per park per day. What about if you want to park hop? You can't get fast passes for the second park? Not a good idea. It should be 3 fast passes per park period.
    • Fast passes that you have to chose from? If I want to fast pass Tower of Terror three times, I should be able to. And, why can't I fast pass Tower of Terror AND Rockin Roller Coaster? That is what I have done in the past. If you are going to limit people, then keep it simple. Disney is being TOO controlling by not allowing people to fast pass what they want. Disney limits us to 3 fast passes - let us chose what those 3 fast passes will be used for.
    • 3 fast passes - seriously? Only 3 fast passes? We should be allowed 5 fast passes per park per day to whatever ride we want for how many times we want. I hope Disney gets it together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great questions and points, I agree with you on many of these opinions.

      From what I now, Disney has various cell-phone and portable devices charging stations. They're not really in plain sight, sometimes you find them in a back of a store, or near the restrooms or somewhere else. Ask a cast-member where the nearest charging station is.

      Disney also just announced that they;d be upping the amount of FP to four, if you already used the three reserved. It's an improvement. I just hope they keep putting the limit higher, at least 'till five or six.

      Delete
  4. I was very disappointed with they new fast pass system. I went for the first time 5 years ago and loved the fast pass system. We would book as many as we wanted in a day which was great! We just got back a few days ago from our 2nd trip, and it did not go so well. The first time we went to the magic kingdom we went to one section at a time and really saw everything. This time it felt like we were jumping all around the park and even going to days to the magic kingdom we didn't see a lot of the park. It was not a good experience. I will try again during a value season without the fast pass and hope that works out better....disappointed :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry to hear about this. I also preferred the old FP system over this one because of it's unlimited amount of FP, and it also worked on a first come first served basis, instead of people booking rides three months in advance. It's incredibly unfair to people arriving at the park for the first time, and will suffer because of not being up-to date in the new system.

      I love Disney World, so, so much, but this new system is a big headache.

      Delete
  5. Some say frequent WDW visitors had an advantage on the original FastPasses and was unfair to newbies. I say experience and spending to go to WDW often should have some perks. We helped Disney over the years in good times and lean times. We were there. Now Disney strikes us longtimers down to newbie level. How is that fair to us. We did homework, have experience and spent money and yet we're now on the same level as newbies. Unfair to us.

    ReplyDelete