"Extra Magic Hours" Discontinues Wristbands

[danyoung]

Originally Posted by toonaspie

...I would prefer being in a longer line that is still constantly moving than a short dead line.

I completely agree!

When did this turn into a Fastpass Discussion?

Threads drift. People talk about stuff they want to talk about. When was the last time you had a live conversation with your friends that stayed on one topic?

But back on topic - I was never fond of the wristbands, but I'm really not fond of the idea of getting out my wallet dozens of times a night.

[LilRah08]

Originally Posted by sir clinksalot

What I don't get are the people who show up 15-30 minutes BEFORE their time, clog up the entrance to wait for their time to get there. How is that any different than just waiting in line!!!

I agree with this totally. Whenever I've had a FP, which I only tend to get for Test Tack because I don't think it's worth the standby wait of usually 1-2+ hours, people wait right in front of the FP line & don't move even when you ask them to, they just keep standing there waiting for their time window to open up over people who already have their open time window.

But about this whole wristband thing, I wouldn't like the idea of having to take my hotel key out every single time, especially with the chances of losing it & having a credit card attached to it. Oh & being a girl, I don't typically carry a wallet or a purse of any sort to WDW, so I'd be stuck with having to keep it in my pocket, which would mean an even bigger chance of losing it on ride or something.

[Jerren]

Originally Posted by LilRah08

But about this whole wristband thing, I wouldn't like the idea of having to take my hotel key out every single time, especially with the chances of losing it & having a credit card attached to it. Oh & being a girl, I don't typically carry a wallet or a purse of any sort to WDW, so I'd be stuck with having to keep it in my pocket, which would mean an even bigger chance of losing it on ride or something.

I agree, my wife and I where talking about just using a badge holder on a lanyard (I have literally 100's of them over the years from trade shows, work, contracts, etc...) but then she brought up a great point if she and my daughter where alone we would not want people being able to see their names, not in public anyway, for the same reason why you don't get clothes with your kids name on it when their young. That with the possibility of it getting caught on something and either choking you or getting lost and having someone use it to buy things...

Plus and here's the big question, are they going to change the room keys more often now? The reason I ask is we all agree the CM's are not going to be checking the passes that closely, and I doubt Disney will install card swipe machines at every ride, what's to keep someone sneaky AP holder from say staying at a value resort for 2-3 days, keeping thier room key and then using it on follow up visits to access the evening EMH's without staying onsite? Answer: nothing I can see... In the morning It would be harder due to having to pass throu the gate but in the eveing there's nothing to prevent someone from doing it.

I have a feeling the evening EMH's will get much more crouded over the next few months...

[flynnibus]

Originally Posted by Jerren

Plus and here's the big question, are they going to change the room keys more often now? The reason I ask is we all agree the CM's are not going to be checking the passes that closely, and I doubt Disney will install card swipe machines at every ride, what's to keep someone sneaky AP holder from say staying at a value resort for 2-3 days, keeping thier room key and then using it on follow up visits to access the evening EMH's without staying onsite? Answer: nothing I can see... In the morning It would be harder due to having to pass throu the gate but in the eveing there's nothing to prevent someone from doing it.

I have a feeling the evening EMH's will get much more crouded over the next few months...

I'm pretty sure they will print the dates on the keys. If I recall, that's how our keys were setup previously at shades of green at least. They didn't use the 'generic' card you see at every hotel in the universe, but rather keys with thermoprinted information on one side. Personalized room keys. They also served as our charge cards - and I think that's why they had the extra info on them. But thinking about our last stay at the PopCentury, I don't recall them printing keys like that. I dunno... but there is a solution there if they chose to use it.

I do think someone did push the idea tho with the tagline 'think of how many more laynards we'll sell!'.

As if the # of pin laynards were not enough to make you look dorky through the park, now we'll have these badge holders, etc.

While the wristbands were a consumable, and required extra shifts.. at least it put all the work into classifying guests into known, one time, situations. Now, they'll have to soften up the checking because simply everyone doesn't have a room key! Your 10yr old isn't going to have their own key... even your spouse may not, etc. Instead of dealing with this situation at the wristband distribution point once.. for the entire evening... now you have this gray-area at EVERY attraction.

Enforcement simply can't be as strict... they should have up'd the use of the scanners at the wristband stations if combating any abuse was an issue.

[Jerren]

Originally Posted by flynnibus

I'm pretty sure they will print the dates on the keys. If I recall, that's how our keys were setup previously at shades of green at least. They didn't use the 'generic' card you see at every hotel in the universe, but rather keys with thermoprinted information on one side. Personalized room keys. They also served as our charge cards - and I think that's why they had the extra info on them. But thinking about our last stay at the PopCentury, I don't recall them printing keys like that. I dunno... but there is a solution there if they chose to use it.

Yes they print the dates on the cards, the big question is will they check them? I'm hoping they do, but they probably won't. Unless of course part of the plan is to scan every pass to generate a "profile" on ridership of each attraction during the EMH...

I do think someone did push the idea tho with the tagline 'think of how many more laynards we'll sell!'.

As if the # of pin laynards were not enough to make you look dorky through the park, now we'll have these badge holders, etc.

Hey! I don't need a lanyard to look like a dork! You underestimate my natrual dorkyness my friend!

While the wristbands were a consumable, and required extra shifts.. at least it put all the work into classifying guests into known, one time, situations. Now, they'll have to soften up the checking because simply everyone doesn't have a room key! Your 10yr old isn't going to have their own key... even your spouse may not, etc. Instead of dealing with this situation at the wristband distribution point once.. for the entire evening... now you have this gray-area at EVERY attraction.

Enforcement simply can't be as strict... they should have up'd the use of the scanners at the wristband stations if combating any abuse was an issue.

Actually they do, everyone in the room is issued a key at check in, just not all of them have charge capabilities (e.g. the kids). Unless your trying to hide more people in the room than your supposed to... (e.g. spring breakers, Micechat invasions... the backpacks are a dead giveaway guys when your not headed to Ft Wilderness... )

The few times we used the EMH evening hours (albeit only a few times, I tend to avoid the parks with EMH on a given day) we where directed to a line that had pairs of CM's working in tandem, one to scan and the other to attach the bracelet. Usually 6-8 per "station" at the start and that number would dwindle to fewer about an hour or so after the official park closing and then they would pack up.

[flynnibus]

I don't recall getting keys for everyone... but its been several summers since we took the entire family - and the last trip was only me the wifey.

Competely off-topic.. but Jerren, OC was at old crowd levels in August First week in August was a mad house again

[Jerren]

Originally Posted by flynnibus

I don't recall getting keys for everyone... but its been several summers since we took the entire family - and the last trip was only me the wifey.

Competely off-topic.. but Jerren, OC was at old crowd levels in August First week in August was a mad house again

Hey Flynn, Yup so we where told by my brother-in-law down there it's gotten crazy again since the gas prices started to go down again... That and I noticed that the hotels and all started to run specials and some lowered thier rates so some of it might just be bargain hunting. Still I stand by my previous statements, I can do a week at a value resort + MYW at WDW with air from BWI for about the same price as driving down and spending a week at comperable lodging, with food, and "entertainment" at OC... I still think WDW is a better vacation value... but I'm biased.

We went to Chincoteague in late July which had a good turn out for the pony swim this year (but way less than record Pony action - second lowest in recent history... was soo tempted to bid on one... ) but crowds have been more than a little below normal according to some of the locals we've come to know over the years. For those who don't know or havent read the book Misty, they swim the ponies from Assotegue on the third week of July each year and sell some of them at the firemans carnival to support the volenteer fire company (they own the wild ponies and this helps to keep the population down so they don't starve to death come winter). It's absoutely amazing sight to see all those ponys swim accross the channel, something you really have to see. Girls love the ponies, mommies love the salt water cowboys, leaving daddy free to oogle the girls in the Bikini's.... Good family entertainment!

I'll be currious to see if with the hurricane season in full swing and refinery shutdowns and re-formulations due to drive gas up again to see if it continues to be business as usual at the eastern shore this fall.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

I just think it's hilarious that the same people who complained that requiring CMs to look at dates on FP tickets would be a terrible thing are now here saying checking dates on WDW room keys for EMH is an improvement.

Also lovin' the people who think only FP makes DHS' Midway Stand-By queue longer than DCA's Midway queue. Did it ever occur to you that DHS just might get a few more guests during a summer's day than DCA does? Could that have something to do with it? At all? No, no, you're right, it's all FP's fault!

[HappilyEverAfter]

I was just at the Magic Kingdom, and while in line I asked one of the cast members why they were discontinuing the wrist bands. She told me because of low park attendance. I am not really sure how that would tie in with only using your key card instead of the wrist band, but that is what she said. I also saw a sign on the inside of the fry wagon that said something about their shifts had all been changed because of really low attendance. I wonder...

[danyoung]

Low attendance is not a problem on EMH nights. From everything I've read, MK EMH evenings are totally packed. Another case of a CM giving out incorrect information, methinks.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

"Really low attendance" Yeah, and if you believe that, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell ya.