MyMagic+/FASTPASS+ How it Works, Attractions and Experiences

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

The CM guide to MyMagic+ has been updated and re-released.

 

Some highlights below.

 

MyMagic+

 

As of now, only WDW Resort hotel Guests are participating in MyMagic+ testing. MyMagic+ is expected to be available to all Guests in the coming months, but no hard date has been given. Guests are being advised to keep tabs on the Disney Parks Blog and MyDisneyExperience.com for more information.

 

It is expected that Passholders will be eligible to participate in MyMagic+ in 2014, but no hard date has been given.  Passholders will receive notified directly when they can customize their MagicBands and make FastPass+ selections.  Passholders are advised to visit MyDisneyExperience.com/passholder for more information and to link your Pass to your account.

 

 

MagicBands

 

re: using existing MagicBands for future visits...

 

If you participated in MyMagic+ testing ON OR AFTER AUGUST 2nd ...you will have the ability to link park admission and make FP+ selections  using your existing MagicBands, regardless of whether you will be staying at a WDW resort during your future visit. You may also link a future WDW resort reservation to your existing MagicBand to use for entering your resort room or using touch to pay.

 

If you participated in MyMagic+ testing BEFORE AUGUST 2nd ...all of the above is true except you are not eligible to make FP+ selectiong.

 

Additional MB info...

 

MagicBands can be used again for future visits.

 

Guests who do not customize their MagicBands in advance will receive gray MBs upon arrival.

 

Guests can get accessories for their MagicBands.  Accessories are avilable for sale in merchandise locations at each WDW resort hotel.

 

 

FastPass+

 

Guests currently eligible to participate in current MyMagic+ testing can make FP+ selections up to 60 days prior to their visit.

 

Guests participating in MyMagic+ testing are being asked to use FP+ exclusively during their visit, however there is currently no official word about not being able to get regular FastPasses also, and reports continue that people are still able to do both.

 

If you do not have a mobile device, you can view, make or modify your FP+ selections for that day at any of the FP+ kiosks located in each theme park.

 

If you did not make FP+ selections before arriving, and do not have a mobile device, you can make FP+ selections for that park on that day only at any of the FP+ kiosks located in each theme park. If you wish to make FP+ selections for additional days or for a different park, you can do so at a FP+ service center.

 

FastPass+ Kiosk Locations:

 

Magic Kingdom

Guest relations at City Hall - Main St

Mickey's PhilharMagic - Fantasyland

near The Diamond Horseshoe - Frontierland

near Pete's Silly Sideshow - Storybook Circus

COMING SOON - near Stitch's Great Escape

temporary locations

Town Square Theater - Main St.

Splash Mountain - Frontierland

 

EPCOT

International Gateway

Future World West breezeway

Tip Board

temporary locations

Soarin'

Mission: Space

 

Hollywood Studios

Sid Cahuenga's

Tip Board - corner of Sunset & Hollywood Blvd

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

COMING SOON

MuppetVision 3D

temporary location

Guest Relations

 

Animal Kingdom

Disney Outfitters

Kali River Rapids

Primeval Whirl

temporary locations

Expedition Everest

Guest Relations

 

Service Centers:

 

Magic Kingdom

Town Square Theater

 

EPCOT

Guest Relations (will be moving to Innoventions East)

 

Hollywood Studios

Sid Cahuenga's

 

Animal Kingdom

Guest Relations (will be moving to Creature Comforts)

 

Downtown Disney

Guest Relations

 

 

 

Touch to Enter

 

Children do not need a "biometric read" (aka finger scan) to enter the park.  They only need to touch their MagicBand or RF-enabled card to the turnstile.

 

Adults have the option to show a photo ID in place of using the biometric read/finger scan.

 

If your resort room doesn't unlock immediately using your MagicBand, Guests are advised to wait a moment, especially the first time.  After initial use, the door should unlock more quickly.  Guests are also being advised that every member of their party with a MB enabled with Touch to Enter should use their MBs to unlock the door upon first arrival.  This should allow everyone's MB to work at all the common doors and security gates as well.  If you experience any difficulties with door locks, you should visit the front desk or lobby concierge.

 

 

PhotoPass

This information wasn't in the previous release, although Devores has given us much of this info already.  :)

 

Disney has launched a new PhotoPass website at MyDisneyPhotoPass.com.  This is where you should now go to find your PhotoPass photos online.

 

If you link your MB to your MyDisneyExperience account and used it to associate your PhotoPass photos, there will be a link to view your PP photos in your MDE account.

 

If you have setup Family and Friends connections in your MDE account, your Family & Friends will be able to view your linked PP photos.

 

Photopass photos expire 45 days from the date each photo was taken.

 

 

Touch to Identify

Also new information

 

CMs at various locations outside the theme parks now have handheld devices that allow them to scan your MB or KTTW card to confirm your identity as a WDW Guest.

 

This allows CMs as parking plazas and resort security kiosks to validate your parking privileges, check-in information, or dining reservations, as appropriate.  (FYI - we had our card scanned when going to park at other resorts for dinner)

 

 

Cast Members

 

Sometime in 2014 (no hard date given yet), CMs will be able to link their passes and eTickets to their MyDisneyExperience profiles and make FP+ selections. As of now, CMs should not link their passes or eTickets.

 

CMs will receive complimentary MBs that they will be able to customize.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Just got an email from Disney...and they want us to test the new MyMagic+ system.

Now don't be jealous and hate me. Disney doesn't just pick anybody for such an important task.

I can't wait to order my favorite color Magic band.

[alexwyattmommy 181]

They still don't have purple. I got stuck with pink.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I got my email for my January trip.

[Lou... 3,118]

The latest element in the MyMagic+ program called Memory Maker, will be available beginning Friday, Dec 6th, for purchase.

That should be the last of the initial MyMagic+ elements to be released.

Even though the MagicBand and FP+ elements have gotten most of the whining attention, all of the other elements have been implemented with little guest whining pushback.

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

The latest element in the MyMagic+ program called Memory Maker, will be available beginning Friday, Dec 6th, for purchase.

That should be the last of the initial MyMagic+ elements to be released.

Even though the MagicBand and FP+ elements have gotten most of the whining attention, all of the other elements have been implemented with little guest whining pushback.

 

Dave put together a nice post about Memory Maker as well.

 

http://www.fortfiends.net/forum/topic/11005-devores-tell-us-about-the-new-photopass-changes/?p=319979

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I have a friend who is currently at Disney and says that once his family completes their 3 FP+ attractions for the day, it's allowing them to choose 3 more. Could it be a glitch?

[alexwyattmommy 181]

Nice glitch if it is.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

if it is a glitch (sounds like it) probably won't be the case for too long

 

so get 'em while you can!!  :)

[Lou... 3,118]

People have been asking, how is Disney going to make back the billion dollars that they are spending on the MyMagic program? The last two paragraphs from the article that appeared in the Orlando Sentinel yesterday quoting a high level Disney official answers that question.

 

 

Orlando Sentinel, December 15, 2013

By Jason Garcia and Sara K.Clark

 

Though the rollout is taking much longer than the company hoped, a top Walt Disney Co. executive says the implementation of MyMagic+ at Walt Disney World "is going well."

 

"It is very early days on the economics. But we are very happy with what we see in terms of behaviors and look forward to rolling it out to the entire guest population," Disney Co. Chief Financial Officer Jay Rasulo told analysts last week at a conference organized by UBS Securities LLC.

 

Rasulo, who led Disney's parks and resorts division when MyMagic+ was put into development, also said Disney expects to recoup its investment in the billion-dollar project in two primary ways.

 

"When people plan at home, they tend to plan a lot more of their time at Walt Disney World. They are also exposed in the planning process to a lot of products that they don't know exist and a lot of things that, when they see it, they say, 'Wow, I would really like to do that…So this is the first, and probably from an economic driver, the most important part of MyMagic+."

 

What's more, he added, the technology "allows us to know where you are along your itinerary and potentially interact with you in terms of both enhancing the experience and, of course, economically in terms of up-selling. And that is the second half of the product."

 

 

 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

What's more, he added, the technology "allows us to know where you are along your itinerary and potentially interact with you in terms of both enhancing the experience and, of course, economically in terms of up-selling. And that is the second half of the product."

Upselling = if you want more than three FP+ per day, or want to ride both Soarin' and Test Track during one visit to Epcot you will have to pay.

TCD

[Lou... 3,118]

Upselling = if you want more than three FP+ per day, or want to ride both Soarin' and Test Track during one visit to Epcot you will have to pay.

TCD

 

That's not been mentioned............yet, but it wouldn't be a surprise, Universal Studios does, kah-ching!

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

That would SMB.

[devores 382]

Theres a little known element of the MyMagic+ being tried out now. It wont happen during the Christmas/New Years rush, but during slow times it is being used. When visiting certain characters, there are props that will read your magic band and allow the characters to interact with guests on a personal level. Imagine your child walking up to their favorite character and them being greeted by name and being wished a happy birthday, before they even say hello.

[Lou... 3,118]

The MB's ability to retrieve a guest's info and display it is also currently being used as part of the MLE, "my lobby experience", and will be, used more and more, face character meet and greets being one of the early, and obvious applications.

Other areas of use are, or will be, at park entrances, restaurant servers, and any other situation where a one on one CM guest interaction occurs, and where the guest experience can be enhanced by using the stored info.

And an obvious question is, will it be used when boarding buses? No, well at least not on my bus, because I don't care who you are, and could care less if it's your birthday.

 

 

 

 

[devores 382]

DME is using it now. They use it to verify reservations. But its a tap to read rather than a long range read.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Theres a little known element of the MyMagic+ being tried out now. It wont happen during the Christmas/New Years rush, but during slow times it is being used. When visiting certain characters, there are props that will read your magic band and allow the characters to interact with guests on a personal level. Imagine your child walking up to their favorite character and them being greeted by name and being wished a happy birthday, before they even say hello.

 

This is something I like. 

[devores 382]

This is something I like. 

There are only 2 places I know of set up to do this right now. But if successful, it would greatly enhance character interactions.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

It would even be cooler if they could see that the person had met the character before, so the character could say something like.... So glad to see you again, Zachary. 

[Lou... 3,118]

There are only 2 places I know of set up to do this right now. But if successful, it would greatly enhance character interactions.

 

Which two?

I can't imagine why it wouldn't work.

[devores 382]

Cant reveal the locations. You know how things work Lou. You're a slave to the Mouse also.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

I can reveal them.....hmm....if I only had a source......

[Lou... 3,118]

As I understand it, the MB has 2 methods of operating, a passive non-powered close proximity RFID system, and a powered longer distance active radio transmitter. The RFID system is the one currently being utilized.

As I also understand it, only the RFID reader is inked to a guests info on the data base, and is able to retrieve it for display.

Is the character meet and greet test using the RFID system, or the active radio system? If it uses the latter, that's a departure from the original concept, and would be news worthy.

 

The active radio system, if and when it's implemented, is for determining crowd levels, length of lines, or any other activity where knowing how many people are at a certain location is useful. It supposedly counts bodies, but not who's body it is.

A test was conducted earlier in the year at the MK exit gates using this, and a couple of other system to see which one was best for monitoring park exiting. I don't know if one was ever selected.

[devores 382]

As I understand it, the MB has 2 methods of operating, a passive non-powered close proximity RFID system, and a powered longer distance active radio transmitter. The RFID system is the one currently being utilized.

As I also understand it, only the RFID reader is inked to a guests info on the data base, and is able to retrieve it for display.

Is the character meet and greet test using the RFID system, or the active radio system? If it uses the latter, that's a departure from the original concept, and would be news worthy.

 

The active radio system, if and when it's implemented, is for determining crowd levels, length of lines, or any other activity where knowing how many people are at a certain location is useful. It supposedly counts bodies, but not who's body it is.

A test was conducted earlier in the year at the MK exit gates using this, and a couple of other system to see which one was best for monitoring park exiting. I don't know if one was ever selected.

The long range will be used for more than just counting bodies. There was a test where the attractions photos were automatically added to the MBs of those riding the attraction. The test was a success but no other word on when or if the system would be implemented.

[Lou... 3,118]

The long range will be used for more than just counting bodies. There was a test where the attractions photos were automatically added to the MBs of those riding the attraction. The test was a success but no other word on when or if the system would be implemented.

 

Are you saying that they're able to use the radio to track a specific guest wearing a MB and link it to the info in the database from longer distances without the guest knowing about it?