Okay. The first field test of xPass / FASTPASS+ officially
wrapped yesterday. And while Disney correlates all of that data which they
collected from those 4200 individuals, groups and families who agreed to take
part in this pilot program at the Magic Kingdom, the Company's already reaching
out — via e-mail — to those Disney's Magical Express passengers who were recruited at Orlando International Airport to take part in this two
week-long trial run, asking them questions like …
- Did you use all four of the test Fastpass tickets your group
was given?
- How satisfied were you with the order in which your four
Fastpass tickets were scheduled?
- How did the order of your Test Fastpass tickets impact your
experience, if at all?- Confined us to a certain part of the park for longer than we
wanted - Made us feel rushed to get to our next Fastpass attraction
- Made our day hassle-free
- Allowed us to move through the park without any backtracking
- Confined us to a certain part of the park for longer than we
Photo by David Roark. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
- Would you say the amount of time between your test Fastpass
tickets was- Too short
- Just right
- Too long
- How did you access your Fastpass confirmation, either before
or during your day at the Magic Kingdom? Your Fastpass confirmation was
e-mailed to you and showed your group's Fastpass attractions and times.- Someone in my group had a smart phone or other
internet-enabled device - Asked another Guest not in our traveling group to access my Fastpass
confirmation - One of the three kiosks in the Magic Kingdom
- Guest Relations at the Magic Kingdom
- Asked a Cast Member in my hotel lobby to access my information
- Someone in my group had a smart phone or other
- Did you or anyone in your traveling group bring a smart
phone or some other internet-enabled device into the Magic Kingdom on the day
of the test?
Andrew Zimmern, the host of the Travel Channel series
"Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern," enjoys a turkey
leg with Goofy. Photo by Gene Duncan. Copyright
Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
That last question is of particular concern to the
Imagineers. Given that the next xPass / FASTPASS+ field test will supposedly
involve the Magic Kingdom's quick-service restaurants. To be specific, they
want to see how Guests will feel about being able to use their smart phones to …
- Access the menus of select quick-service restaurants at that
theme park - Order a meal from one of those restaurants
- Pay for that meal by using their smart phone
- Arrange a pick-up time for that meal
… all while they're wandering around the Magic Kingdom
and/or standing in line for some ride, show or attraction at that theme park.
Imagine being able to get a quick-service meal at the Magic
Kingdom without standing in a single line. All via your smart phone. So what
the downside? As Michael J Schmeltzer pointed out in a comment to one of my
original xPass / FASTPASS+ articles …
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
… I'm sure Disney
knows this, but I have yet to make it thru 12 hrs at a park and still have any
juice left in my phone. Are they gonna put chargers on the rides?
Just like Michael J, the Imagineers are very concerned about
these power-related issues. Especially given how heavily the xPass /FASTPASS+
program relies on smart phones and other internet-enabled devices. Which is why
the full roll-out of all aspects of this new Guest Experience package may take far
longer than some theme park fans would really prefer.
But those power-related concerns aside … How would you
feel about being about to order a quick-service meal at the Magic Kingdom while
you were waiting in line to experience a ride, show or attraction somewhere
else at that theme park?
Your thoughts?