The Awesomest Guest Behavior
If you've read the previous two sections, you will notice a couple things:
- There's a lot of information to juggle!
- There are so many choices and options!
Indeed, dear reader. Indeed.
So, how do you choose?
First and foremost, do what works for you and your travel party. That's what free will is for.
But I do believe that there is an ideal guest behavior that can be acheived. And by behavior I don't mean that you smile all the time and have toddlers that never meltdown in the parks. What I mean is that there is a set of choices that you can make that Disney wants you to make.
I know that sounds creepy, but after fifteen years working in the Front of House for one of the country's largest theater festivals, the last eight of which I was the Director of Audience and Volunteer Services, I understand seeing a large enterprise (such as Walt Disney World) as a machine, and individuals are the parts of that machine that keep it running - or break it. An individual's behavior, however, is unpredictable. Or, as I like to say, behavior becomes a variable. If you make the choices that work best for the machine, the entire experience will be much, much smoother for both you and the parks themselves.
The red card I'm holding in the picture is given sporadically to guests by a cast member at the entrance to a ride's queue, which you then give to a second cast member before you board the ride. This helps the cast members accurately update the ride's wait time. Rumor has it that cast members tend to give these cards to people who look like they know what they're doing, so it's always a badge of pride for me when I'm given one: I AM THE AWESOMEST GUEST EVER.
The Desired Behavior of Awesomest Guest Ever
Completely unscientific, unofficial, and my best guess
- You download the MDE app.
- You book a vacation package directly through the Walt Disney World Travel Company, or an Authorized Walt Disney World Travel Planner.
- Evidence: All parts of your vacation will automatically link to your MDE account.
- Evidence: There are always special deals going on at Walt Disney World, normally only available through these two sources of booking.
- You stay on-property.
- You fly in and out of Orlando International Airport (MCO), and do not rent a car.
- Evidence: Only through MCO can you utilize the Magical Express transport service.
- Bottom line real talk: This increases the likelihood of the majority (if not 100 percent) of your vacation dollars going to Disney, because you do not have a car to go off-site.
- You purchase multi-day theme park tickets, at least five days.
- You make both dining and FP+ reservations.
- Evidence: The reasoning is the same for both: being able to track trending crowd behavior. This does not mean tracking an individual's behavior, but rather if Walt Disney World knows that Cinderella's Royal Table is completley booked for 8:40pm on a Tuesday (okay, it's completely booked at all times - good luck getting reservations!), they know not only to be fully-staffed in the restaurant, but also that the surrounding attractions and gift shops should be prepared for people leaving that restaurant an hour or so later. It's the same with FP+ reservations - Disney will know the ebb and flow of guests throughout the day. Guest behavior has a domino effect that ripples across the park in ways that you might not expect. But Disney knows how to predict based on patterns, and by utilizing reservations you will help them ensure that your experience is smooth.
- You enjoy yourself!
- Evidence: There are so many amenities availabled to staying on-site, including free transport to and from the airport, Extra Magic Hours in the parks each day, free Magic Bands, and so much more!
- Evidence: While there is a steady decrease in price per day when purchasing between one, two, three, and four day tickets, once you go beyond four days each additional day is only $15 per day extra, up to ten days. FIFTEEN DOLLARS FOR AN EXTAR DAY. Here's an extreme example: a one-day ticket to Magic Kingdom is currently $105 during value season. A ten-day ticket during any time of the year? $400.
Pretty simple, huh? The best comapines who deal with the public make it pretty straight forward. Remember: Walt Disney World has many, many choices, options, and personalization options for your vacation. While this is what I think Disney would like every guest to emulate, you do you.
