Evening Extra Magic Hours Policy Change Effective 9/7/08: Updated with Report

[Figment!]

9/8/08

BelleCiavo's Report from 9/7/08

8/25/08

The Walt Disney World resort has internally announced that it will be discontinuing its wristband policy for Evening Extra Magic Hours effective September 7, 2008.

In lieu of showing wristbands at each operating attraction, eligible resort Guests will now be required to show their Key to the World Card or eligible Resort ID/Key.

This procedure was previously tested for several days in February 2008 at the Magic Kingdom park.

[DizneyRox]

Can the wristbands cost that much? The poor attractions staff now needs to manage the process which I would imagine is going to make it pretty lax and prone to abuse.

Not to mention the slow downs on the rides if they actually do check everyone's IDs.

[Dawneeeey]

Personally, when staying at the resorts, I thought it was a pain to get a bracelet. The lines were long, it was in a location that I wasn't near, etc. So for me, it sounds like a good change.

[gerald72]

Sounds like a good idea to me. You have to carry them around anyway, and one less thing to have to stand in line to get.
Just wear it on a lanyard around your neck. I see no problem.

[gerald72]

I would think it's less prone to abuse. People can give away their wristbands, even to strangers.
No one is going to give away their keys to the world.

[CaptainDisney]

Unless they're scanning the IDs when you get the wristband (which is not always done), someone can get a wristband and hand their card to someone else to get another wristband. I've seen it done plenty of times. This system will eliminate that loophole.

Also, this will allow day visitors to stay in the park as long as they'd like after regular closing, and to spend money in stores and restaurants. $$$

[Jarrod]

Actually, unless they check the dates on the cards, which would take even longer at each attraction, anyone who has a card will be able to stay. I could supply about 10 people expired cards just from this year alone. Not that I would ever do that, but my point is that the potential for abuse seems greater to me. At least with the wristbands the color changes everytime.

[eas423]

Showing your room key at each attraction? That sounds tedious to me.

[xipetotec]

The Walt Disney World resort has internally announced that it will be discontinuing its wristband policy for Evening Extra Magic Hours effective September 7, 2008.

In lieu of showing wristbands at each operating attraction, eligible resort Guests will now be required to show their Key to the World Card or eligible Resort ID/Key.

This procedure was previously tested for several days in February 2008 at the Magic Kingdom park.

wow! We were there for that testing phase, and let me tell you WHAT A HASSLE!!!!
Instead of lining up for a bracelet with our card ONCE, we had to have our cards out at all major attractions. Really don't appreciate this additional hassle. yet another "cutback" in my eyes.

[4myprincesses]

I don't know that I will be putting charging priviledges on my card anymore. I would hate to lose the card and have the hassel of disputing charges. Plus, as anyone with young children knows, they want to present their own card. So for each ride we will be handing out the cards to all the kids, then collecting them back, then putting them away, and then doing it all over again at every single attraction. The girls are going to love it, I might lose my mind in the process.

If it is anything like getting into the park, what a hassel. If you are ever going to the parks and find yourself behind a 6ft blond with Asian twins in a stroller and two other girls all holding their own tickets do not get in line behind us...it takes us forever to get through the gate!

If I had to guess, the attraction CMs have to think this is not the brightest idea. Just a guess, though.

[Vito]

If they do decide to go with a system where you have to scan your card every time, it won't really bother me. I guess I just feel like I'm taking a card or ticket out all the time to get fastpasses, that this doesn't seem much different to me. I could see how for children it might come into play.

But again, for me personally, I don't mind taking my card out and putting it back.

And I really don't think this is at all related to the cost of the wristbands. Those plastic/tyvek things are cheap as heck, especially in the huge bulk numbers Disney buys them in. In the grand scheme of the expenses Disney has, the cost of those bracelets is miniscule. They're probably a few pennies each... and how many people get them? Maybe 5,000 per EMH night? Is it even that high? That would be like $150 for 5,000 bracelets. Disney isn't going to cut out the bracelets to save around $500 a week. Believe me. That's not the reason for the change.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

They're probably a few pennies each... and how many people get them? Maybe 5,000 per EMH night? Is it even that high? That would be like $150 for 5,000 bracelets. Disney isn't going to cut out the bracelets to save around $500 a week. Believe me. That's not the reason for the change.

Actually, it's more like 13,000, and that is for like AK and Studios. MK is usually around 20-30K. Also if you forecast for 13,000, you need to have in actuality around 20,000 just in case.

And they cost more than a "few pennies" each. Also, you have to pay the CM's for the setup, work time (which is more than just the 3 hours of EMH), pay for the bags they hold them in, pay for the signs, pay the operations coordinators supervising the wristbands distribution. There are usually at least 5-7 locations that give out bands, each one with about 6-8 CM's working there for about 5-6 hours. The costs add up, really fast.

[Imagineer1981]

I guess the guest "losing" their cards is no different then guests using them over and over for f/p...probably just as much of a chance of losing them

[JPL]

And I really don't think this is at all related to the cost of the wristbands. Those plastic/tyvek things are cheap as heck, especially in the huge bulk numbers Disney buys them in. In the grand scheme of the expenses Disney has, the cost of those bracelets is miniscule. They're probably a few pennies each... and how many people get them? Maybe 5,000 per EMH night? Is it even that high? That would be like $150 for 5,000 bracelets. Disney isn't going to cut out the bracelets to save around $500 a week. Believe me. That's not the reason for the change.

It's related to the cost of the labor to hand out the wristbands and I read earlier people saying it was part of Disney going green which actually made me laugh since we all know Disney only goes green when they get big press from it.

Me personally I would rather them go back to E-ride nights and charge me a little extra and keep the crowds down.

I said it earlier this is going to make the EMHs so crowded with non-resort guests that they will no longer be worth attending.

[Vito]

Actually, it's more like 13,000, and that is for like AK and Studios. MK is usually around 20-30K. Also if you forecast for 13,000, you need to have in actuality around 20,000 just in case.

It's related to the cost of the labor to hand out the wristbands and I read earlier people saying it was part of Disney going green which actually made me laugh since we all know Disney only goes green when they get big press from it.

Me personally I would rather them go back to E-ride nights and charge me a little extra and keep the crowds down.

I said it earlier this is going to make the EMHs so crowded with non-resort guests that they will no longer be worth attending.

I had no idea it had gotten that crowded. I am somewhat out of the loop as it was still E-Ride nights when I went last (and it was for MK only, of course), so I hadn't realized it had become so crowded during evening EMH.

I'm hoping when I go next month they'll have some of the kinks ironed out of the system at least in terms of card scanning or whatever they decide to do, and maybe the crowds will be thinner than during peak times.

[tink2006]

Me personally I would rather them go back to E-ride nights and charge me a little extra and keep the crowds down.

I agree. We LOVED E-Night. We would also much rather pay a little extra to have less crwods.

We treat our room keys as if they were pure gold...charging priveledges and non expiring tickets are pricey! I always take my card out with great care. I love the conveninece of having everything on one card. I guess I need to rethink this process

[DizneyRox]

Maybe they are hoping that as people dig for their KTTW cards, money will fall out of their pockets as well so this actually turns into yet another revenue stream.

[dnickels]

Hard to imagine that Disney hasn't considered the pros and cons discussed in the thread but on the face it really seems like this would create more hassle than convenience.

Maybe if they plan to install turnstile type entrances with card swipes at the major attractions but otherwise ????

[PittFan]

Making a child carry their room key or handing it to them before every ride will definitely increase the number of lost room keys IMO.

[big blue and hairy]

Making a child carry their room key or handing it to them before every ride will definitely increase the number of lost room keys IMO.

I don't remember who suggested it, but the lanyard and card holder is a great idea.