Does magic Bands = spending more

[waymickey]

On my last trip to the World I spent very little after the inital cost of the vacation. My family ate out just once a day and I ordered off the kids menu whenever I could. I did not buy mugs for soda, instead we brought a case of water and nesquick small drinks. I really wanted to buy a new t-shirt or sweatshirt or something but alas we only came home with a keychain from the beach club. I just could not find anything that made me want to part with my hard earned money. In all after 10 days out of pocket was just $300.
No I did not have a magic band and Yes I had twinges of jealousy when I saw them on others wrists. We did stay on site.
I keep hearing that the magic band is going to increase spending. I just don't see how. I for one do not find it a hassle to reach in my pocket which is just an arms reach away and pull out my KTWK to charge purchases. So how will having mickey on my wrist cause me to want to spend more? Is it more than a rubber band? Does it have some magic powers that makes me lose my ability to make financial decsions? For those of you that have got to use it did you spend more?

[DizneyFreak2002]

No... the only thing that will cause you to spend more is you having no control... A smart person will not let the band trick them into spending more than they budgeted for... And if they do allow it, then they deserve to be raked over the coals... Of course, this is the kind of guest Disney wants... One who is easily led to do their bidding...

I just returned a few weeks ago.. I had the bands... Never once did I have the urge to spend more... So in the end, it is all on you... Only you can control how much you spend, even though Disney seems to think they can control it... THIS is where this NextGen, MyMagic nonsense will fail...

BTW, I spend not one dollar on merchandise... Not going to buy their cheap garbage!!!

[vicster]

Why do you think magic bands will make you spend more money?

[thejens]

On our last trip we had regular cards, but when I saw folks with the bands wearing fancy covers and decorative embellishments to the bands I realized the genius of the bands. Get people to buy a ticket, buy a cover for their ticket, maybe several different covers to go with each of their different colored micky t shirst and then buy special decorations for their ticket...well, that would definitely increase spending. Now if folks can spend less time on rides and more time in the gift shops and also find it convenient to shop using the bands...

Too bad they don't put more energy into creating more unique items to actually purchase.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I think it will increase spending for many. The MB lets you be one more step away from "real money" and it will be easier for some people to spend more without thinking of it.

With a KTTW card, it was similar to charging to a credit card, or using a debit card. There was some realization that it was "real money" that was being spent. With the MB, for some, it won't seem that way, super easy just to flash your band and off you go, especially for small purchases. Disney is counting in people not thinking about how all of those small purchases add up.

[PopPhan]

Jedi mind trick --- It's just a MagicBand...It's not "real" money!!!

For those easily swayed into making frivolous purchases, this will increase spending. For those who are more budget conscious, nothing will make them spend more than they have budgeted.

As DF2K said, the easily swayed are the type that The Disney Company is targeting.

[dnickels]

Like the previous poster said, there's a lot of science that shows (on average) the further from having to hand over cold, hard cash, the more people spend. People spend more when using credit cards than they do with cash. Magic Bands are another step away from that and so certainly will add some amount of spending. Americans owe something like $850 billion in credit card debt, so there are clearly plenty of people out there willing to spend more than they actually have the ability to immediately pay back.

With the bands and radio frequency technology Disney can also track nearly everything you do. The more data they can gather on your purchase habits and park habits, the more they can entice you to spend more or book that next vacation even earlier. Just like Facebook and Google send you targeted ads, Disney will be looking to do the same thing.

Whether they can get enough back to make up for the cost of the system remains to be seen.

[Ms. Mode]

Well, we got our bands in the mail yesterday and I can tell you that DD and I will be purchasing bling for those bands. However, I'm on a budget and all spending comes off my Disney Rewards points/money and if I do charge on the room it is paid off (with cash) before I leave for home. Spending is spending however you look at it.

[Sweetpea29488]

Is it still you don't have to attach a credit card to the MB if you don't won't to?

[cer]

Is it still you don't have to attach a credit card to the MB if you don't won't to?

Yes, as I understand it you are right. You do not have to attach charging priviliges to the bands. (Just like you could opt out of charging privileges with the KTTW cards).

[Kenny1113]

Well, we got our bands in the mail yesterday and I can tell you that DD and I will be purchasing bling for those bands. However, I'm on a budget and all spending comes off my Disney Rewards points/money and if I do charge on the room it is paid off (with cash) before I leave for home. Spending is spending however you look at it.

I thought the same thing until I saw how big the jibbet type things are and the $$$$. I wanted the tinkerbell set, but one of them would take up the whole side of my wrist, let alone 3!
My son wanted one of the Mickey sliders but it was a 4 pack and $15!!!!

[DizneyFreak2002]

Jedi mind trick --- It's just a MagicBand...It's not "real" money!!!

For those easily swayed into making frivolous purchases, this will increase spending. For those who are more budget conscious, nothing will make them spend more than they have budgeted.

As DF2K said, the easily swayed are the type that The Disney Company is targeting.

I've said it time and time again... WDW does not want smart guests... They want easily swayed... This is further proof...

Too bad more people are smarter than most... This is not increasing spending despite the poor pathetic spin Rasulo tries to put on it...

[BrerGnat]

Why do you think magic bands will make you spend more money?

Disney's initial testing supported this theory. People DID spend more than they anticipated, by close to 20% on average.

It won't work on everyone, obviously. We never spent more when FP started up and that is what drove that as well.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Disney's initial testing supported this theory. People DID spend more than they anticipated, by close to 20% on average.

It won't work on everyone, obviously. We never spent more when FP started up and that is what drove that as well.

Little secret about that test.... The test subjects were not given a choice... They HAD TO purchase using the band... What kind of results do you think they would have gotten if they were given a choice? Disney swayed and manipulated the results... The tests proved zilch...

[BrerGnat]

Little secret about that test.... The test subjects were not given a choice... They HAD TO purchase using the band... What kind of results do you think they would have gotten if they were given a choice? Disney swayed and manipulated the results... The tests proved zilch...

That doesn't matter. Once the bands are an option that a person decides to go with, they will likely ONLY have the band. That's kind of the point. The test was to see IF people spent more money when using the band. They did. No one made them spend more. It's basic psychology...using the band is PERCEIVED as "cool, fun, unique." It's a departure from swiping a card, which everyone is used to by now, and people responded to it as though it was not real money they were spending.

Humans are easily fooled much of the time. It is up to an individual to keep his spending in line with his own financial situation.

The tests simply proved the psychology at play and reinforced Disney's decision to invest that much money into the whole system.

Now, I still am highly skeptical that they will ever make this thing work well enough for it to pay off. Disney + End User Reliable Tech has never been a "win win."

[DizneyFreak2002]

That doesn't matter. Once the bands are an option that a person decides to go with, they will likely ONLY have the band. That's kind of the point. The test was to see IF people spent more money when using the band. They did. No one made them spend more. It's basic psychology...using the band is PERCEIVED as "cool, fun, unique." It's a departure from swiping a card, which everyone is used to by now, and people responded to it as though it was not real money they were spending.

Humans are easily fooled much of the time. It is up to an individual to keep his spending in line with his own financial situation.

The tests simply proved the psychology at play and reinforced Disney's decision to invest that much money into the whole system.

Now, I still am highly skeptical that they will ever make this thing work well enough for it to pay off. Disney + End User Reliable Tech has never been a "win win."

It does matter... The test proved absolutely nothing...

If a guest had budgeted $1000 to spend in Disney on food and merchandise (and why would you???), they would have more than likely spent it with out without the band... Disney forced the participants to use ONLY the band to pay for merchandise and food... Then claimed that family (who budgeted $1000) spent $1000 cause of the band... Now, do that with, say 100 or 500 families, and of course you can then claim spending is up for people using the band... Well duh Disney... That is skewering the results, which is EXACTLY what Disney did here...

The results did not prove guests stupid (guests do that on their own)... The results did not prove people would spend more by using the bands... It only proves Disney had to rig a test in order to try to obtain the result they wanted... The result they needed to sell to investors and to Wall Street because they knew (and know) MyTragic- is a mess and a waste of $2 billion.... Gotta read between the lines... Rasulo, Staggs, and Iger spin nonsense to make it sound better to Wall Street...

Best is, Rasulo has now admitted Disney will NOT make a dime off MyTragic in 2013, 2014.. and Maybe 2015... Seems like such a wasted opportunity to take that $2 billion and invest it, oh I don't know.. INTO AREAS GUESTS MAY ACTUALLY ENJOY IN THE PARKS!!! but that would take common sense thinking.. Something TWDC management does not have...

But, I do see and understand your point about people MAYBE spending more if the purchasing is made easier.. Though, the bands don't make it any easier than using your credit card or cash... And I really don't understand the people who say it was such a hassle to have to go into your pocket and take your card out... Didn't know we got so lazy that reaching into your pocket has now become a chore and tiresome, and a hassle... But anyway, back to the ease, it isn't going to work... And hasn't... People spend their budget... That is it... They have X amount of dollars for Disney, X amount for Universal, X amount for SeaWorld... And that is how they will spend... These mouse arrest bands will not cause smart people to suddenly spend beyond their budgeted money... And if they do, then they deserve to go broke... But again, the suckers are the ones Disney wants.. The easily fooled... The dumb guests...

[WiltonJohn]

On our last trip we had regular cards, but when I saw folks with the bands wearing fancy covers and decorative embellishments to the bands I realized the genius of the bands. Get people to buy a ticket, buy a cover for their ticket, maybe several different covers to go with each of their different colored micky t shirst and then buy special decorations for their ticket...well, that would definitely increase spending.

Anyone remember "Sneeches with stars"? Peer pressure and keeping up with the Jonses will prevail.

best,

.................john

[WiltonJohn]

I think it will be more about the long range scanners, targeted marketing going direct to your cell phone, and mainly COST CONTROL for them that makes the additional money.

best,

..................john

[JerseyDad]

....of course if you have a 'credit card' attached to your wrist ...it may make it easier to 'impulse buy' something.

....I just think that the MB's ....teamed with the FP+ system is what they are counting on as the money maker. With the FP+ you have 3 FP's ...in one park ...within a few hours of one another. You're IN that park ...LOCKED IN if you will ...to use those FP's. There's no incentive to park-hop ...because you'll not be able to use those FP+ appointment elsewhere. In between the times of the FP's 'appointments' ...you are their captive audience to be bombarded with impulse buying stimuli.

....another thing that just dawned on me (I guess that I'm slow?) ...is that if you are park-hopping ...you're not spending money while riding buses / monorails / boats....

....oh ...before I forget ...I saw the "bling" for the MB's while they were testing them on me while at POP in August. I need to say it but: What a completely useless waste of money!!! It's like 'dressing up' one of those "Under House Arrest" type ankle bracelets!!

...oh ...and let me add ...this past trip to WDW in Aug (and part of Sept) ....was one in which we enacted our own personal austerity plan. It was...without a doubt ....the "cheapest" trip we've ever done ...with regards to impulse / unplanned buying. And that was across the board ..in all parks ...and restaurants too (we didn't purchase even ONE dessert for any meal ...and we didn't have a dining plan or free dining ...etc). We did buy some gifts ...but that was planned for ...the usual ...something for the person looking in on the house, taking care of the dog ...etc).

[Laughin' place]

Too bad more people are smarter than most...

Id like to see your math on that one .....