Is the Lack of Magic Bands hurting UOR's Overall Image?

[rhino4evr]

I honestly don't care if Disney knows what I'm doing, or what kind of food I like. If all this info goes into providing more things I enjoy, then I'm fine with that. It's all just data anyway.

 

[tielo]

$2 Billion...sure it's not enough to get all the parks up to standard but $2 billion would at least go much farther then a "magic"band. All those new and exciting rides could pull guests away from the only 2 highlights Epcot got or MK and relief the wait times a bit.

 

[kingcooger]

$2 Billion...sure it's not enough to get all the parks up to standard but $2 billion would at least go much farther then a "magic"band. All those new and exciting rides could pull guests away from the only 2 highlights Epcot got or MK and relief the wait times a bit.

But why bother with that when casual guests now perceive a better experience and you can rake in the money because of their perception?

As much as I believe that some sort of Magic Band is the future of themeparks (MINUS FP+, please) I think that if Universal were to get a similar system it would suffer from the compare and contrast game. Worse yet, if they used wristbands and people wore them outside of the parks, the assumption by others would be that it was a Magic Band as Disney cornered that market first.

So I say, bring on the Universal Ankle Bracelets!

 

[Mad Dog]

"Universal Ankle Bracelets". Good one!

 

[UNIrd]

Even if Universal did come out with this same technology, it would never cost anything close to this. Disney is terrible with money.

 

[Nick]

Everyone blows the $2B number way out of hand. This whole MM+ initiative is simply infrastructure upgrades that they decided to market. Normally this type of investment would have no return whereas Disney has made it possible to get at least a slight return with merch, limited edition Magic Bands, etc.

 

[Horrornightsste]

Paper passes do feel a bit cheap. Offer them or offer multi day/annual plastic passes for the few dollars it would cost to make them.

The paper ones are just one other item to cover in the rain or water rides.

Non of these are major issues and obviously the paper ones can do a job. I just feel how fast uni has grown over the last few years the tickets could do with a re work imo

 

[Nick]

Paper passes do feel a bit cheap. Offer them or offer multi day/annual plastic passes for the few dollars it would cost to make them.

The paper ones are just one other item to cover in the rain or water rides.

Non of these are major issues and obviously the paper ones can do a job. I just feel how fast uni has grown over the last few years the tickets could do with a re work imo

I agree the paper passes, especially for premiere pass, could be improved to plastic. Uni's turnstiles also area bit annoying, probably the most annoying part of the parks imo. There has to be a better solution to their current system.

 

[MrRoamer]

Not sure if paper ones can actually do the job. I baby ours and we have had to get replacements way more times than even the old wax ones. My wax one out lived at least 3 issues of the paper ones (once the family got them) and it was already several years old at that point.

 

[s8film40]

Not sure if paper ones can actually do the job. I baby ours and we have had to get replacements way more times than even the old wax ones. My wax one out lived at least 3 issues of the paper ones (once the family got them) and it was already several years old at that point.

My current pass was printed in 2008, is this the wax one your talking about? It's held up pretty well, I keep it in it's sleeve which I keep in my wallet.

 

[MrRoamer]

Yeah most likely, it should be somewhat tacky and likely has turned a grey color.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Everyone blows the $2B number way out of hand. This whole MM+ initiative is simply infrastructure upgrades that they decided to market. Normally this type of investment would have no return whereas Disney has made it possible to get at least a slight return with merch, limited edition Magic Bands, etc.

If Disney's intention was "we're investing infrastructure and building rides" I'd agree. But a lot of the budget was approved based on increasing capacity and efficiency without adding new attractions. That's the issue. No sports teams drop infrastructure upgrades as the reason why they didn't invest in the team for years.

Now we have two parks in atrophy and IoA and USF with more capacity. It's a major blunder and mess up.

 

[DK745]

If Disney's intention was "we're investing infrastructure and building rides" I'd agree. But a lot of the budget was approved based on increasing capacity and efficiency without adding new attractions. That's the issue. No sports teams drop infrastructure upgrades as the reason why they didn't invest in the team for years.

Now we have two parks in atrophy and IoA and USF with more capacity. It's a major blunder and mess up.

Magic Bands were supposed to increase attendance? I can see it increasing spending as you lose track of how much you pay if you don't need to take out your wallet, but people are going to go the park because of the bands? I know people go to WDW anyway because Disney but you still need rides.

 

[Frank Drackman]

Magic Bands were supposed to increase attendance? I can see it increasing spending as you lose track of how much you pay if you don't need to take out your wallet, but people are going to go the park because of the bands? I know people go to WDW anyway because Disney but you still need rides.

My guess is that the concept is that if they can get you to plan each day of your visit ahead of time, you feel more committed to sticking to that plan as opposed to getting there and deciding you really are not enjoying the place so you decide to do something else in Orlando....I mean, I know my wife has bought some group one before that we used but if we had just gone there (not Disney, but other attractions) we would have left with out spending money.

 

[Frank Drackman]

My guess is that the concept is that if they can get you to plan each day of your visit ahead of time, you feel more committed to sticking to that plan as opposed to getting there and deciding you really are not enjoying the place so you decide to do something else in Orlando....I mean, I know my wife has bought some group one before that we used but if we had just gone there (not Disney, but other attractions) we would have left with out spending money.

Meant to say groupon up there but IOS changed it and I can't seem to edit and the hotel wifi is making this iPad act crazy...

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Magic Bands were supposed to increase attendance? I can see it increasing spending as you lose track of how much you pay if you don't need to take out your wallet, but people are going to go the park because of the bands? I know people go to WDW anyway because Disney but you still need rides.

They were designed to even out capacity between attractions, sorry I didn't word it correctly.

 

[RevFreako]

While we're on the subject of paper APs, would Universal care if I laminated mine?

 

[s8film40]

I wonder if you digitally copied all the content and had it printed on a plastic card if they would accept it. They use barcodes so it would certainly work.

 

[pat_naughty05]

While we're on the subject of paper APs, would Universal care if I laminated mine?

As long as you use cold lamination. I asked about this at guest services and they said it was fine.

 

[Imperius]

Got a Universal survey today and it was all about new features to their app. It was a lot of would you like to be able to make ride reservations and restaurants.



Seems they are interested in doing something close to magic bands but make it all in the app.