Aren't the parks crowded enough without robot Sherpas?

[TiggerBouncy]

Right now, it's hard enough to navigate the crowds. Shoot you can't even walk without someone running into you, jumping over you, or walking in front of you. I can't imagine that situation is going to improve with the addition of thousands of little robotic sherpas following everyone around. I mean, I get the convenience of it. I would love to give the thing my backpack so I didn't have to store it in the front of every rollercoaster or ride I get on. But isn't that going to just make it harder to get around the parks?

 

[BrianL]

Right now, it's hard enough to navigate the crowds. Shoot you can't even walk without someone running into you, jumping over you, or walking in front of you. I can't imagine that situation is going to improve with the addition of thousands of little robotic sherpas following everyone around. I mean, I get the convenience of it. I would love to give the thing my backpack so I didn't have to store it in the front of every rollercoaster or ride I get on. But isn't that going to just make it harder to get around the parks?

I think it's almost certain that these won't just be roving the parks freely. It's just conceptual at the moment, but they still have to patent it. It's definitely not something that is coming imminenetly for sure.

 

[Smugpugmug]

In the patent, it mentions using this for merchandise/purchases and like I previously said in the discussion thread, I wish they would bring back merchandise delivery to the resorts rather than invest in robots that clog up the already packed walkways. I'm not buying the Covid excuse anymore as to why they won't bring it back. I think Disney straight up doesn't want to at this point. Universal has theirs and it's super easy and convenient.

Remember in the initial pitch for Galaxy's Edge where we were promised droids that would roam around the land? Yeah look how that turned out lol I expect the same for this as well.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

In the patent, it mentions using this for merchandise/purchases and like I previously said in the discussion thread, I wish they would bring back merchandise delivery to the resorts rather than invest in robots that clog up the already packed walkways. I'm not buying the Covid excuse anymore as to why they won't bring it back. I think Disney straight up doesn't want to at this point. Universal has theirs and it's super easy and convenient.

Remember in the initial pitch for Galaxy's Edge where we were promised droids that would roam around the land? Yeah look how that turned out lol I expect the same for this as well.

If there was one thing that really angered me that they got rid of, it's not DME - it's resort delivery. I find that highly irritating. Like you said, at this point I don't buy covid as an excuse either. I also do not know why Disney doesn't like it. You would have thought it would have increased their sales. Although I am sure Disney has the data on how much of a difference it really made.

 

[Her Dotness]

I think lots of people didn't know about resort delivery. We wouldn't have if I hadn't seen mention of it on another Disney forum and afterward happened to have a CM mention it could be done.

Perhaps it wasn't used enough to tie up CMs processing those.

That it could take 24-48 hours to get your items may have resulted in more complaints than Disney cared to deal with, too. I know we nearly miscalculated once but fortunately realized in time that a package might not get to our resort before we left.

 

[Smugpugmug]

If there was one thing that really angered me that they got rid of, it's not DME - it's resort delivery. I find that highly irritating. Like you said, at this point I don't buy covid as an excuse either. I also do not know why Disney doesn't like it. You would have thought it would have increased their sales. Although I am sure Disney has the data on how much of a difference it really made.

I think it's just another previously free amenity that Disney chose to remove and used Covid as an excuse to do so. I usually carry a backpack that I put merchandise bags into, but other people that I travel with usually bring a Loungefly (which are too small to fit a spirit jersey for example) or no bag at all. For a lot of people, merchandise delivery was helpful so you didn't have to carry those bags all day. Especially since the blue dye from those bags can get all over your hands and clothes due to how hot it is (yes this happened on my trip and it was so annoying). I feel like it's especially useful now since merchandise is having supply chain issues. You see something you want in the morning and you buy it then so it doesn't sell out but now you're stuck with that bag all day.

I think lots of people didn't know about resort delivery. We wouldn't have if I hadn't seen mention of it on another Disney forum and afterward happened to have a CM mention it could be done.

Perhaps it wasn't used enough to tie up CMs processing those.

That it could take 24-48 hours to get your items may have resulted in more complaints than Disney cared to deal with, too. I know we nearly miscalculated once but fortunately realized in time that a package might not get to our resort before we left.

You should've seen how many people liked my post about asking for merchandise delivery back - probably one of my most liked posts on the forums. It was apparently VERY popular and many folks want it to return. I used it pre pandemic and it never took that long to have merchandise delivered to my resort but obviously YMMV

My friend used it at Universal and she had her purchases delivered to City Walk (she bought the items from inside the park) within a few hours so she was able to pick them up before leaving. Super handy since you have to shove everything into a locker at those parks. I've never stayed at their resorts so I don't know how long it takes.

It's just another thing that Universal is doing better right now I guess - along with no park reservations and 1 hour early entry.

 

[Her Dotness]

You see something you want in the morning and you buy it then so it doesn't sell out but now you're stuck with that bag all day.

Hmmm, so they're not currently offering delivery to the park gate area for pickup as you leave the park?

We've actually used that more often than shop-to-resort delivery. Took 2-3 hours usually, so we'd rope drop, buy stuff for gate pickup, eat lunch somewhere and collect our stuff when heading back to our resort to beat the afternoon heat.

You should've seen how many people liked my post about asking for merchandise delivery back - probably one of my most liked posts on the forums. It was apparently VERY popular and many folks want it to return.

However, if you posted here, I'm not surprised that service was very popular among this Disney-smart fraction of the numbers going to WDW overall.

We're a smaller bunch than we think we are, I suspect. Might be way wrong, as I obviously have no idea what the ratio of DISboarders to WDW guests on the whole may be.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Hmmm, so they're not currently offering delivery to the park gate area for pickup as you leave the park?

We've actually used that more often than shop-to-resort delivery. Took 2-3 hours usually, so we'd rope drop, buy stuff for gate pickup, eat lunch somewhere and collect our stuff when heading back to our resort to beat the afternoon heat.

However, if you posted here, I'm not surprised that service was very popular among this Disney-smart fraction of the numbers going to WDW overall.

We're a smaller bunch than we think we are, I suspect. Might be way wrong, as I obviously have no idea what the ratio of DISboarders to WDW guests on the whole may be.

Nope. That's still not back. I actually became my group's merchandise carrier on my last trip - whenever someone bought something, they squeezed it into my backpack as theirs were too small.

That is true. I know the majority of guests don't even read these boards. However I am a member of a WDW Facebook group that encompasses thousands of people and one of the top questions that gets asked along with the return of the APs and the dining plan is when merchandise delivery will come back. It's a more popular amenity of the Disney resorts than I had initially thought tbh.

 

[Her Dotness]

Weird! Never would have thought that, obviously.

As I said above, we didn't find resort delivery all that great. It invariably took close to 2 days for our package to arrive.

Maybe because we used it a few times when staying at the GF and always seemed to pick times to check the gift shop for our delivery just as a bunch of guests decided to shop there. We usually were there the week of or right after the Gingerbread House sales counter opened, which used to be directly opposite Sandy Cove's entrance. And the sales counter would be mobbed most of the afternoon and evening.

It's vastly better now that the GH is situated so that the sales counter is across from the Garden View Tea Room. Not nearly so congested near Sandy Cove.

What used to be a terrific service was ship-to-home. They probably aren't doing that either.

We bought a couple things on a Thursday afternoon once, had them shipped to our home over 2000 miles away. We flew home on Saturday, arriving noonish, and the Disney package came a couple hours after that. We were astonished. Did not pay for 2-day delivery. Amazing service for not a ton of money.

 

[Tinkerbell58]

I remember when purchases were delivered directly to your resort room.

 

[glocon]

Maybe the robots will deliver to resort and not roam around at the parks..

 

[fatmanatee]

Having lots of robots roaming the parks would make for a big liability issue, I'm skeptical about what's been posted about this and would rather withhold judgment until it's out of the conceptual phase, if it ever gets there.

 

[OppR2nist]

Weird! Never would have thought that, obviously.

As I said above, we didn't find resort delivery all that great. It invariably took close to 2 days for our package to arrive.

Maybe because we used it a few times when staying at the GF and always seemed to pick times to check the gift shop for our delivery just as a bunch of guests decided to shop there. We usually were there the week of or right after the Gingerbread House sales counter opened, which used to be directly opposite Sandy Cove's entrance. And the sales counter would be mobbed most of the afternoon and evening.

It's vastly better now that the GH is situated so that the sales counter is across from the Garden View Tea Room. Not nearly so congested near Sandy Cove.

What used to be a terrific service was ship-to-home. They probably aren't doing that either.

We bought a couple things on a Thursday afternoon once, had them shipped to our home over 2000 miles away. We flew home on Saturday, arriving noonish, and the Disney package came a couple hours after that. We were astonished. Did not pay for 2-day delivery. Amazing service for not a ton of money.

When I stayed at Pop in 2018, I did resort delivery, and it made it from MK to the Pop gift shop before dinner. Kind of odd that it would take that long to get something to the Flo.

Anyway, I'll back up the sentiment to bring back resort delivery. Seems like it would encourage more spending if you didn't have to crry stuff around all day.

 

[jade1]

Great, more lunch seat savers to contend with.

 

[SL6827]

Another cut back by Disney that they will find a paid solution for. How thoughtful of them to do so.