Well, I’ve got to hand it to the folks at Disney. They are doing absolutely everything imaginable to make sure people are well-informed about MyMagic+, My Disney Experience, and most importantly today, FastPass+. One week shy of the date we’ll be able to begin making our FastPass+ selections, we received a reminder in the mail….snail mail. Not a postcard, not a letter, but a snazzy little booklet delivered in (continuing the Incredibles theme) a Dash-adorned envelope.
We’ve already received the box with the booklet, magnet, and flash-drive – all those components working together to thoroughly explain every aspect of Disney’s new park-touring system. The magnet was for posting important date reminders – 60 days out, we can make FastPass+ selections and begin online check-in. The magnet even (nope, not kidding) gives the date of our first vacation day with a reminder to “Start your incredible vacation!” We 
watched the video on the flash-drive tell us how to use the My Disney Experience site and what to expect with Magic Bands. We followed the directions for downloading the mobile app and combined all members of our travel party.
This latest redundant and costly mailing perplexes me. I don’t understand why we couldn’t just be reminded via email like we are when we sail with Disney Cruise Line. I’ve been hearing over and over about the expense of the entire MyMagic+/Magic Band program – this snail mail seems like overkill. Expensive overkill. If I’m not capable of receiving and reading email reminders, it’s highly doubtful I’ll be able to navigate aspects of the new system well since it’s very dependent on my ability to use technology successfully.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the effort, but honestly, I’m starting to wonder if the Disney Company has doubts about the average American’s ability to use a computer, a smart phone, or the internet. They seem overly concerned that we might not be able to remind ourselves of important pre-vacation planning dates on our calendars. Are so many guests arriving 
unprepared and uninformed? Are the numbers of guests that could have (should have) booked FastPass+ in advance of their arrival, but did not do so, in such unanticipated volume that there really are large numbers of needlessly unhappy visitors? This worries me quite a bit. I’m still hearing reports from the parks of very long lines at the FP+ kiosks – are those all off-site visitors or are there people in those lines who should have made those FP+ selections in advance? That would certainly explain the reminder overkill.
What do you think? If you’ve recently visited Walt Disney World, did you make your FP+ choices in advance (the way Disney wants you to)? Or did you find yourself in standby lines because you didn’t know how the system was supposed to work? If you’re planning a trip this year, do you know about the important scheduling dates for your vacation? Do you want/need continuously mailed reminders to keep you on your toes? Am I being too critical? I believe I’d rather see the money spent on new rides and attractions instead of on printing and mailing fancy booklets to tell me information I completely understood the first time.
I appreciated the Disney mail and reminders I received in the past. My upcoming 2016 trip has been another story. Not sure what has happened.
I booked room and tix w/Disney early on in 2015. I did receive the usual booklet with important info and a punch out paper w/Dumbo listing important dates to remember. Not the magnetized one like before.
Then as my fastpass date was approaching, I got no email reminder or anything via “snail mail.” Maybe they spoiled me, but that just seemed so unDisneylike.
I actually revised my arrival date at some point and the CM that was helping me kindly pointed out that the date for my final payment would be one day sooner because of this.
A little tacky. That is a word we Texan’s use.
Sure enough I took it upon myself and looked at my reminder card and made a mental note that all makes dates would bump up by one day. Also wrote all of this on my calendar.
Good thing, because when the day arrived for me to make my Fastpass selections, I was ready. Actually I freaked out because I got confused and thought I was a day late doing fastpass!! Not a good feeling!
I missed getting those good old Disney reminders and do not know why I didn’t. Maybe people complained of overkill???
I did see a reminder finally. It was in my spam mail. Again, do not know why, as I get all my Disney mail in my inbox. Note to self: add whoever sent that as a contact.
The odd thing was, it was received at 7pm on the day I made fastpasses. I had already done them in the early a.m. I jumped on them as soon as my window opened up.
Our of curiosity, I thought, let me check and see what happens if I went thru the link they sent. It went thru, but because I already have my fastpasses, I got a note of warning that all would be deleted if I continued.
So, do not know why, but Disney was a little “off” this trip.
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Hi! I’ve been following your website for a while now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Porter Texas!
Just wanted to say keep up the fantastic work!
I agree that it’s overkill. (Not that I mind; I love receiving Disney mail!) I’ve received this mailing twice now – one for my January 2014 trip, and and one for my August 2014 trip. Everything was customized to each trip, so they weren’t exactly the same.
My guess is that Disney is trying to level the playing field, so that those who aren’t so tech-savvy (which would be me, in all other aspects of my life other than Disney planning) won’t feel completely overwhelmed by this New Disney World Order.
Yes, I’m sure it’s costly. But Disney can afford it (our Disney stock has kind of skyrocketed lately), especially if they’re trying to assure their fans that they have nothing to fear from the new system. Not that I love the new system, but I realize it’s still in testing and am trying to reserve judgement. But that’s a whole other blog post! 🙂
Hi Heather! The mailing really concerned me that way fewer folks are getting that they pretty much MUST schedule FP+’s in advance or face huge waits at either the kiosks or the rides themselves. DCL uses email so successfully…I just don’t understand the snail mail. I’m like you and am reserving judgement on the entire system until they announce “This is it- final form!”.