Tag: My Disney Experience

New My Disney Experience app Launches, Makes Planning Walt Disney World Vacations Even Easier

As Disney fans know, the My Disney Experience app is a one-stop shop for all things Walt Disney World from viewing park hours, purchasing tickets and merchandise, making FastPass+ selections, getting turn by turn directions, accessing vacation photos and sharing them through Disney PhotoPass and much more.

The enhanced My Disney Experience app features a look and feel to make planning and enjoying your Walt Disney World Resort vacation easier than ever.

The new My Disney Experience mobile app opens right to the park maps to help you find attractions, restaurants, restrooms and more. It makes it easier for you to navigate through our parks so you can spend more time enjoying the magic of Walt Disney World Resort. A new section called “Spotlight” highlights new park experiences and entertainment offerings to help you find out the latest and greatest happenings at the parks.

And when you stay at one of the Disney resorts, you will be able to use the new feature called “My Resort Dashboard,” which gives you access to your resort reservation details all in one place, including the ability to see room number, theme, building and floor once you have your room assignment. “My Resort Dashboard” even gives you directions to your resort using Disney transportation options, a map showing you the location of your room and a link to directly call the Resort Front Desk if you need further assistance during your stay.

For guests who enjoy visiting our other Disney Parks around the world, the new My Disney Experience app now features the same look and feel as our other park apps, making the mobile experience seamless across the globe.

To check out all of these exciting new app features, take a look at this short video!

The My Disney Experience app and MagicBand still work together seamlessly, allowing you to effortlessly connect all your vacation choices from the My Disney Experience app to your MagicBand.

 

Walt Disney World Introduces New Multi-Day Ticket Pricing and Park Hopper Plus Option

Today Walt Disney World released the specifics of the tickets price increase and it includes new 2017 multi day ticket pricing. A $20 discount can be had on 3 days and beyond for buying tickets in advance from Disney, the pricing listed here is for purchasing at ticket windows or guest relations.

With the Park Hopper Plus Option, Guests can visit more than one theme park on the same day and are also entitled to visit the following other gated attractions:

  • Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park
  • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
  • DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park until closure in the summer
  • Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course (greens fees for one round of golf)
  • ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (valid only on event days, some events require an additional charge)
  • Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course (one round before 4:00 PM)
  • Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course (one round before 4:00 PM)

Tickets Expire 14 days from first use, and issued tickets expire on 12/31/2018.

Pricing for all ticket options are as follows:

2 Day Park Tickets

2 Day – Adult $211.94, Child $199 – 2016 pricing was Adult $215.16, Child $202.35
2 Day Hopper – Adult $275.84, Child $263.06 – 2016 pricing was Adult $273.71, Child $260.93
2 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option – Adult $291.81, Child $279.03

3 Day Park Tickets

3 Day – Adult $329.09, Child $309.92 – 2016 pricing was Adult $308.85, Child $289.68
3 Day Hopper – Adult $392.99, Child $373.82 – 2016 pricing was Adult $367.43, Child $348.26
3 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option – Adult $408.96, Child $389.79

4 Day Park Tickets

4 Day – Adult $394.05, Child $372.75 – 2016 pricing was Adult $346.13, Child $324.83
4 Day Hopper – Adult $473.93, Child $452.63 – 2016 pricing was Adult $419.61, Child $398.31
4 Day with Park Hopper Plus – Adult $489.90, Child $468.60

5 Day Park Tickets

5 Day – Adult $415.35, Child $394.05 – 2016 pricing was Adult $362.10, Child $340.80
5 Day Hopper – Adult $495.23, Child $473.93 – 2016 pricing was Adult $435.59, Child $414.29
5 Day with Park  Hopper Plus Option – Adult $511.20, Child $489.90

6 Day Park Tickets

6 Day – Adult $436.65, Child $415.35 – 2016 pricing was Adult $378.08, Child $356.78
6 Day Hopper – Adult $516.53, Child $495.23 – 2016 pricing was Adult $451.56, Child $430.26
6 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option – Adult $532.50, Child $511.20

7 Day Park Tickets

7 Day – Adult $457.95, Child $436.65 – 2016 pricing was Adult $394.05, Child $372.75
7 Day Hopper – Adult $537.83, Child $516.53 –  2016 pricing was Adult $467.54, Child $446.24
7 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option – Adult $553.80, Child $532.50

8 Day Park Tickets

8 Day – Adult $468.60, Child $447.30 – 2016 pricing was Adult $404.70, Child $383.40
8 Day Hopper – Adult $548.48, Child $527.18 – 2016 pricing was Adult $478.19, Child $456.89
8 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option – Adult $564.45, Child $543.15

9 Day Park Tickets

9 Day –  Adult $479.25, Child $457.95 – 2016 pricing was Adult $415.35, Child $394.05
9 Day Hopper – Adult $559.13, Child $537.83 – 2016 pricing was Adult $488.84, Child $467.54
9 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option – Adult $575.10, Child $553.80

10 Day Park Tickets

10 Day – Adult $489.90, Child $468.60 – 2016 pricing was Adult $426, Child $404.70
10 Day Hopper – Adult $569.78, Child $548.48 – 2016 pricing was Adult $499.49, Child $478.19
10 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option – Adult $585.75, Child $564.45

Walt Disney World to Increase Ticket Prices Sunday

Prices for tickets and annual passes at Walt Disney World will increase Sunday, while the resort will also make changes in policies regarding online purchases and expiration dates.

Disney last year introduced seasonal one-day ticket pricing, with three tiers based on time of year.  For most Disney theme parks, mid-tier tickets will cost $107, up from $102. Peak season tickets – generally for spring break, summer and Christmas break – will cost $119, up from $114.

A one-day visit during the least-popular value days will cost $99, up from $97.

The Magic Kingdom has a premium tacked on to its admission. Prices will rise for value and regular seasons, but the peak price will remain unchanged at $124. A mid-tier ticket will rise to $115 from $110.

Prices are for adults do not include tax. Tickets for children 3 to 9 will also become more expensive.

Annual-pass prices will also increase Sunday. Florida-resident gold passes with blockout dates during Christmas and spring break will cost $559, up from $549. Platinum passes with no blockout dates will cost $679, up from $649.

“Our pricing provides guests a range of options that allow us to better manage demand to maximize the guest experience and is reflective of the distinctly Disney offerings at all of our parks,” the company said in a statement.

Prices for Disney tickets have typically risen each February.

Also starting Sunday: Visitors buying tickets online or on their phones can save $20 on Magic Your Way bundles from three to 10 days.  SeaWorld and Universal Orlando also charge less for online purchases.

And all tickets will have expiration dates starting Sunday, not just single-day tickets. The dates will vary.

Disney World visitors typically buy multi-day tickets or passes rather than making single-day visits.

The price increases go into effect a few months before a new land based on “Avatar” will open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Overall, attendance declined 1 percent at Disney’s domestic theme parks in fiscal 2016. On Tuesday, the company reported the number of domestic visitors fell 5 percent year over year for the first fiscal quarter. The company blamed the decline on factors including Hurricane Matthew and a Christmas holiday shift. Seasonal pricing could also be encouraging visits during less busy times, executives said.

“However, the fact that Disney was still able to increase its theme-parks segment’s revenue by 6 percent and operating profit by 13 percent is exactly why it’s going to go through with this month’s inevitable hike,” analyst Rick Munarriz wrote Friday on the Motley Fool financial website. “Disney is learning to make more with less, and it won’t stop until revenue and earnings suggest otherwise.”

Still, the company could be reaching the point of pricing out potential visitors, said Bob Boyd, an analyst with Pacific Asset Management.

“We believe it’s going to become increasingly difficult for Disney to continue raising theme-park prices,” he said in an email.

The price of preferred parking, an option added last year, will rise to $40 instead of $35. Preferred parking is one of many perks Disney has added to generate more revenue from guests with the means to pay extra for them.

Also, Disney will eliminate the “water park fun and more” standalone option, which had combined admission to Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon with a golfing outing or a visit to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.  Visitors can still get the combo with a park hopper ticket.

From the Orlando Sentinel

My Disney Experience App Now Supports PhotoPass Editing on iOS

Disney has updated its iOS version of  “My Disney Experience” app to include new PhotoPass editing features.

Guest are now able to add stickers, filters, borders and crop to purchased images, which can then be saved to their device camera roll for sharing.

Also part of this update is enhanced attraction wait time information, which uses location services and Bluetooth to improve performance.

 

Walt Disney World Now Requiring Scanning of Kid’s Fingers

Walt Disney World is now requiring children from 3 to 9 years old to have their fingers scanned when they enter the theme parks, just like older kids and adults.

Disney said the new process will help block the use of stolen and shared tickets. Previously, kids’ tickets would have been easy to transfer because they had no finger images attached to them.

Any parents who feel uncomfortable with having their kids’ fingers scanned can use their own instead.

FCC Testing Reveals that Walt Disney World is Working on New Type of MagicBand

Standard FCC testing has revealed that Disney’s next generation of MagicBand is being worked on.

The original FCC filing was placed in May 2016, and has just been declassified by the FCC.

Named Model MB-R1G2 (the original as MB-R1G1), the band differs significantly from the first in that it does not appear to have a strap.

It may be possible that Disney is planning to offer straps separately from the main body of the MagicBand, which can then be attached, much like the Apple Watch. By doing this it would allow guests to change the look of the band, without having to dispose of the electronics and re-register the new band in the My Disney Experience app.

Like the original, the new model of the MagicBand has been developed by Synapse, and includes a 2.4GHz radio, along with a passive HF RFID tag radio.

New Update to ‘My Disney Experience’ App Will Add Navigation Capability

Disney is about to unleash a new version of My Disney Experience that will bring a big new feature – navigation.

magicbands

Working similar to Google Maps and Apple Maps, you will be able to select an attraction from the map, hit ‘Get Directions,’ and then choose a ‘From’ location, which can be your current position from GPS, or another attraction or location.

Navigation will not only work inside a park for attractions, shops and restaurants, it will also give guests directions across the entire Walt Disney World property.

When navigating outside of the parks, the app will make use of the various transportation options, including bus, monorail and watercraft. It will also give an estimate of time required.

Since the debut of MyMagic+, the My Disney Experience app has continuously been updated to bring new functionality, making it an essential tool for a trip to Walt Disney World.

Huge FastPass+ Upgrade Goes Online Sunday

Walt Disney World will be rolling out a huge upgrade to its FastPass+ service which should greatly improve the guest experience.

The upgrade will go into effect on April 10th and will include:

  • Once a guest uses their first three FastPass+ selections, additional selections can be made from the My Disney Experience app, and will no longer only be available from an in-park kiosk. The same rule applies as before, with the fourth becoming available once the first three have been used, and then the fifth becoming available once the fourth has been used, and so on.
  • It will no longer be necessary to choose all FastPass+ selections at the same time with My Disney Experience app or website. Individual selections can be made, and it will no longer be a requirement to choose three experiences – only one or two can be made if needed.

Unfortunately there will be no change to the requirement of choosing all three FastPass+ selections from the same park, but after the first three have been used, the additional FastPass+ selection can be at a different park.

Some Walt Disney World FastPass+ Attractions Eliminating Second Touch Point

Walt Disney World is attempting to improve efficiency through the FastPass+ line, some attractions are making changes to the FastPass+ touch points.

The new system will allow for only the first touch point at the beginning of the line to be used, eliminating the need for the second touch point that is found at the merge point between the FastPass+ and Standby lines.

The second touch point was originally installed to prevent line jumping from the standby line to the FastPass+ line after the initial touch point.

In removing the second touch point, the process for guests passing through the line will be simplified.

Walt Disney World Dining Website Now Allows Changes to Existing Dining Reservations

Disney Dining - Donald

Walt Disney World has updated their dining website so that guests are now allowed to make changes to existing dining reservations.

Previously, any changes to seating date/time, and number of guests had to be done over the phone or by cancelling and starting over. The new website functionality allows these to be changed online up to 20 minutes before the reservation.

The new feature is currently only available on the website, and not on the My Disney Experience app.

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