Our Magic Bands have arrived!

[Wizzard419]

I can just picture Amy ordering stripper glitter by the case now.

[Amy]

I can just picture Amy ordering stripper glitter by the case now.

No! No! No!! Naughty Wizz!!

[Wizzard419]

I am sure you would buy only the classiest of glitter. Not the kind that sticks to people's clothes and forces them to be thrown out.

[Soarin08]

Honestly, after I thought about it, I wish I had opted for one of each just so I could see what the RFID card would look like, but it was already too late. There's not much time after you make your selection before they're already processing the order.

You will also receive an RF-enabled piece of ticket media in the event the band is troublesome. It will likely be in the form of your room key. Since this IS A TEST and the bands ARE NOT live to everyone we have to have a backup.

The RFchip is located where Mickey's head is on the band.

[mindflipper]

Honestly, after I thought about it, I wish I had opted for one of each just so I could see what the RFID card would look like, but it was already too late. There's not much time after you make your selection before they're already processing the order.

You will also receive an RF-enabled piece of ticket media in the event the band is troublesome. It will likely be in the form of your room key. Since this IS A TEST and the bands ARE NOT live to everyone we have to have a backup.

The RFchip is located where Mickey's head is on the band.

Thanks, Soarin. I presume the back-up card will be given out when we arrive at the Contemporary. There were no cards in the box.

[Wizzard419]

Since you now are given your room key/admission media (once the rollout is complete) before you leave home, you check it once you arrive at the airport, is there any real purpose for the front desk anymore? Theoretically, your room number could be given to you once you land, your bags are already on their way to your room, so other than for odd room requests, there may not be much need there so some staff may have their hours cut.

[boilerbabe]

We always have room requests, I don't think they're odd. If they cut front desk staff, I think that would take away from Disney's customer service, then they would be like every other hotel which they are not or at least I hope it doesn't get that way.

[mindflipper]

I agree with Boilerbabe. I think they're many people who need to interact with the main desk. The advantage of the magicband/cards will do is to speed up the process. After all, in this new process, they still don't tell you what you're room number is before you arrive, so you need the main desk for that.

[Wizzard419]

"Odd" as in, out of the blue, random, etc. Not asking for the bathtub to be filled with Pepsi Max, a case of shower curtains, and a fire extinguisher.

I do not mean do away with, but more understaff to the point that it may just be a single person behind the desk at any given time and possibly not 24 hr staffing (unless they already do that). If they shift some of the duties off of that position and onto another the need starts to fade away.

Even the bellhops have probably seen less tips (and probably reduced hours) because of DME. Guests travel lighter when they arrive so the demand for someone to wheel their bags for them goes down. Outside of resorts where ground transport is needed to get from the front desk to your room, a guest may not need them during the trip.

[cy1229]

"Odd" as in, out of the blue, random, etc. Not asking for the bathtub to be filled with Pepsi Max, a case of shower curtains, and a fire extinguisher.

I do not mean do away with, but more understaff to the point that it may just be a single person behind the desk at any given time and possibly not 24 hr staffing (unless they already do that). If they shift some of the duties off of that position and onto another the need starts to fade away.

Even the bellhops have probably seen less tips (and probably reduced hours) because of DME. Guests travel lighter when they arrive so the demand for someone to wheel their bags for them goes down. Outside of resorts where ground transport is needed to get from the front desk to your room, a guest may not need them during the trip.

Well I hope they don't do that, and somehow I doubt that will be the case. I stayed at the Hyatt in Phoenix once and did kiosk check-in, which is akin to what you described with all the automated stuff. It didn't go well and I still had to go to the desk to check-in. People still want a person to talk to, and they're often needed.

[Soarin08]

Since you now are given your room key/admission media (once the rollout is complete) before you leave home, you check it once you arrive at the airport, is there any real purpose for the front desk anymore? Theoretically, your room number could be given to you once you land, your bags are already on their way to your room, so other than for odd room requests, there may not be much need there so some staff may have their hours cut.

You don't receive the actual room key at home as part of the guest test. It's still given out as normal upon check-in and probably will be until MM+ is completely live and relatively kink-free.

And there is always a need for the front desk. Who else can do special requests and provide services at the resorts? Because parks have zero to do with that.

[Wizzard419]

The concierge? That phone in your room that connects to guest services (which may be at a centralized location)?

Under the newer system, the front desk may have little to no role beyond being the place that gives you a marked map of the hotel. Keeping one person there would be needed, unless they were to convert the space, but like I was saying. Most of the functions have been rendered redundant, so I wouldn't be surprised if they suddenly start seeing their hours cut.

[Polynesian Princess]

Since you now are given your room key/admission media (once the rollout is complete) before you leave home, you check it once you arrive at the airport, is there any real purpose for the front desk anymore? Theoretically, your room number could be given to you once you land, your bags are already on their way to your room, so other than for odd room requests, there may not be much need there so some staff may have their hours cut.

I could see this being a problem when your room isn't ready yet. Obviously it's not good if you go into the room before the previous occupant's leave or it's still dirty. But I can see people getting frustrated or mad if their band "doesn't work" if their code is locked out until the room is ready.

Plus as others mentioned, the personal attention, directions around the resort, the opportunity to share the resort's amenities and restaurants, etc. would all be lost.

[Wizzard419]

That is where that extensive reservation system comes in, since it knows when you are landing in advance, the room assigned to you will most likely be vacant upon arrival. Plus, unless the hotel itself is running at 100% occupancy, there may be a stock of rooms at any given time that are ready for check in. There would be no loss in personal attention since the services would still be provided.

[mindflipper]

I could imagine during the slow-time/late hours they could combine mulitple services into one location (main desk, conceirge, etc).