FP+ and Such...

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drj898's picture
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FP+ and Such...

Should I expect to look forward to be using fastpass+ and the bracelets and stuff when my fiancee and I are down there in June?

Is there anything new coming down the pike I can expect when June rolls around?

drj898's picture
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Any estimations?

Kristen K.'s picture
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MyMagic+ has been said to be rolled out "over the next several months" so I think that there's a good chance for June. What sort of new stuff are you curious about?

drj898's picture
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Fastpass+ and the reservations of attractions on My Disney Experience for each park before we leave...

As well as the magicband....

drj898's picture
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How will I know when its available and how to use all the features of all this new stuff??

Kristen K.'s picture
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Be sure to keep reading our main page for news updates.

Currently what is available varies by resort, and resort guest. If you make reservations through a TA, I would suggest sending them an email asking for updates as they come as well. Not all of the resorts have switched over to the RFID door locks, and until that happens, not all features can be accessed. The first people to be able to use all of the features are most likely ones that have bought packages where everything was already interconnected.

My Disney Experience has been launched on waltdisneyworld.com, if you haven't set up a user name and password for that, now is a great time to do so. Also, if you have a compatible phone, you should download the app. These two interfaces are going to be key to navigating the MyMagic+ systems, so the more time that you have to learn how they work the better. Right now, they take a little practice to get the hang of.

I know that Magic Kingdom and Epcot have both started the conversion to turnstile-less gates. I'm not sure where the other parks stand on that yet.

All WDW Resort Online check-ins have been moved to 60 days ahead of your arrival date through My Disney Experience. That was a pre-step to connecting the rest of the features. Keep checking what your pages offer you as options. My guess is (and it is just a guess at this point) one of these days you'll see something that tells you to make your FastPass+ reservation.

For guests with RFID enabled Key to The World Cards, touch to pay systems are in place in some locations already. More locations should pop up every day.

FastPass+ is already in it's testing stages, and a couple of the members here have been able to use it on their recent trips. There is a LOT of legwork that needs to be done by Disney from a hardware installation perspective. It's being rolled out now, it's just going to take a little time to get all of the guests on the same page.

Eeyore's picture
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Kristen,

Does Boardwalk Villas have the new RFID doors? I was also wanting to know what to expect in May when we go down....we booked our villa through a TA and we purchase WDW military park tickets.

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Oh Eeyore, everything is so fluid right now I'm just not 100% sure. Don't take these answers as gospel.

I called down to Guest Services and after being transferred a few times I was told that yes, the Boardwalk Villas have been converted to the "Touch and Go" entry.

From everything that I have read, traditional ticket media (which includes Military Tickets) will be the last type of ticket media to be brought into the new system. There isn't much information out there yet on how it's going to be handled, everything is speculation at this point.

There is still a LONG way to go before May & June and things will be changing over the next several months. Though I don't have all the answers right now, the promise that I can make is that the WDWFG team will do it's best to make sure the information up on our website is up to date as it occurs. It's our goal to help our readers and forum members be prepared as much as possible.

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Thank you for all of the updates, Kristin! As usual. mickey

Just got back from our trip this morning, so I thought I'd just pop in and mention a few things we noticed about the RFID scanners. We did use them to enter Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and I think Animal Kingdom but can't remember for sure. We definitely used the older card readers at Hollywood Studios. At the parks with the new readers, guests with tickets on their room keys were directed to the new ones while those using paper tickets were queued up at the older turnstiles.

When we stopped by Contempo Cafe for a snack, we were asked to use the card on the RFID scanner to use our snack credit. It didn't work because it needed a PIN attached to it, which I had not been told to set up at check in. The cashier asked where we were staying explained that from what he had been seeing, the RFID and therefore PIN set up is only currently in use for guests at deluxe resorts.

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Kristen K.'s picture
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The Cookie Crumbler wrote:
thought I'd just pop in and mention a few things we noticed about the RFID scanners.

I love the people here so much.
Thank you so much for the updates!
With help from everyone we'll get it all figured out as things keep happening!

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Kristen K. wrote:
Oh Eeyore, everything is so fluid right now I'm just not 100% sure. Don't take these answers as gospel.

I called down to Guest Services and after being transferred a few times I was told that yes, the Boardwalk Villas have been converted to the "Touch and Go" entry.

From everything that I have read, traditional ticket media (which includes Military Tickets) will be the last type of ticket media to be brought into the new system. There isn't much information out there yet on how it's going to be handled, everything is speculation at this point.

There is still a LONG way to go before May & June and things will be changing over the next several months. Though I don't have all the answers right now, the promise that I can make is that the WDWFG team will do it's best to make sure the information up on our website is up to date as it occurs. It's our goal to help our readers and forum members be prepared as much as possible.

THANK YOU! I appreciate the information! I am so excited about going and honestly the new ticket business will not affect the good times and memories we will create! Since the military ticket is a paper ticket, I am sure we will not be using the new system. The only thing our room key will do is open the door and make charges! silly

drj898's picture
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I guess I gotta keep checking the disney website then huh?

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drj898 wrote:
I guess I gotta keep checking the disney website then huh?

Yep

DisneyDee27's picture
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Animal Kingdom had them and so did DHS. They were being used for resort guests with park tickets on their KTTW cards at all 4 parks.
Just adding my two cents

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Kristen K.'s picture
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Thanks Dee!

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I can't wait to see all of this unfold! I'm excited to see how the new Fastpass system is going to actually work out for the guests! Looking forward to it!! And yes, Kristen, you are to be commended for your giant brain and being so quick on the uptake for All Things Disney - New and Old! Smile

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Nancy D wrote:
Kristen, you are to be commended for your giant brain

rolling rolling rolling
This made my morning. Thanks Nancy!

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I have not seen any wristbands yet, but I do see people using their cards at the readers and we had to give a PIN number at check in.

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mrhub wrote:
I have not seen any wristbands yet, but I do see people using their cards at the readers and we had to give a PIN number at check in.

If i might ask, where are you staying? Anyone using FP+

drj898's picture
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It's absolutely incredible AND appreciated that this thread is continuing to grow despite the fact that I haven't been on here in weeks.

85-90% of the trip is planned and organized with all ADR's made (including the difficult ones like Le Cellier and Be Our Guest for dinner), so I figure I'm not going to go crazy with more planning and more wdwforgrownups til about April (for our June trip)

We're going June 13 to 19th, staying at POP. I just read Kristen's article on Congress and their issues concerning the new MagicBands, so that being said, I'm curious how that would affect the probability that we're going to be using MagicBands as well as any FastPass+ services during our stay.

Any thoughts?

I keep checking the WDW/Disney Experience site for anything that may suggest ride "reservations" a la FP+, but no luck as of y et.

Kristen K.'s picture
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drj898 wrote:

Any thoughts?

I really don't think it's going to effect anything. I'm working on a follow up piece, but it will get me a few days to publish it. Here's what I found from Variety via Disney by Mark this morning.

http://www.disneybymark.com/2013/01/28/breaking-iger-defends-magicband-congressmans-citicism/

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Kristen K. wrote:
drj898 wrote:

Any thoughts?

I really don't think it's going to effect anything. I'm working on a follow up piece, but it will get me a few days to publish it. Here's what I found from Variety via Disney by Mark this morning.

http://www.disneybymark.com/2013/01/28/breaking-iger-defends-magicband-congressmans-citicism/

and this...
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/279809-disney-ceo-rips-ill-informed-markey-over-magicbands-criticism