News Disney testing smart speakers in guest rooms at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club

[kevlightyear]

If you haven't tried one, its hard to understand. But after using them, there is something enjoyable about asking a question to the air and getting a response.

I've tried them. I don't care for them. Navigating the proper phrasing to get what you want is more trouble than going to the app where I know where to find the information I'm after.

This stuff is HARD. There's a reason Apple, Google and Amazon are spending so much money on their systems. Unless Disney is prepared to cover every piece of information someone could possibly ask, I don't think it's worth it. Otherwise, you'll get a lot of, "Hey Mickey, are there any vegetarian options on the menu at Crystal Palace?" . . . "I'm sorry, I don't have that information, please call the front desk." After a few failed questions, a lot of people just won't bother asking anymore.

 

[tissandtully]

Great idea, and sounds like helpful potential, but how about investing in the accuracy of arriving technology already in place? Next bus is in 12 min...until it's not lol.

I think it's usually "Bus will arrive in 12 mins... oh wait this next stop has an ECV load... make that 20 mins"

 

[larryz]

I think it's usually "Bus will arrive in 12 mins... oh wait this next stop has an ECV load... make that 20 mins"

My experience has been more like "Bus will arrive in 5 mins" but it says that for about 10.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Weather and park times? Maybe they should have a dedicated TV channel for that, or enable a way to find that out on our laptops and smartphones.

Anyhoo... I stayed a night this past weekend at Aventura where they have an iPad to control everything, such as lights... just two of the six in the room.

The iPad was like having a 3 pound brick with you while in bed watching TV. And since it was the TV remote, every time you wanted to mute the TV during commercials, or adjust volume, or change channels, you had to wake it from screen saver mode first.

 

[Tom P.]

Did you mean Roz...View attachment 347923 Or did you mean Roz...

Neither of those is the real Roz. THIS is Roz:

 

[JoeCamel]

Weather and park times? Maybe they should have a dedicated TV channel for that, or enable a way to find that out on our laptops and smartphones.

Anyhoo... I stayed a night this past weekend at Aventura where they have an iPad to control everything, such as lights... just two of the six in the room.

The iPad was like having a 3 pound brick with you while in bed watching TV. And since it was the TV remote, every time you wanted to mute the TV during commercials, or adjust volume, or change channels, you had to wake it from screen saver mode first.

Yep, that iPad is a pain. Why a speaker that has the potential to eavesdrop when almost everyone has a phone that could do the same thing? Just put it on the app and make the app work!

 

[Nottamus]

We` drive down and always bring our Echo. Linked to our account, our music...kinda convenient when you're back in the room for a bit and ask "alexa, play music" nice to have that, if you ask me.

Alexa, play white noise--sleep like a baby.
Alexa, whats the weather today?-----man its hot
Alexa, how big is Mars?----I was bored

Just an opinion. (we have them all over my house, all linked in to lights, TV, tstat...)

 

[kevlightyear]

These types of speakers are going to be very common place in homes, and I think the expectation will be that they will be available in hotel rooms. I think Disney is wise to test this out - privacy will of course be a big issue however. It should be easy enough to offer a way to opt out - either power off or remove from the room.

A test is certainly wise and needed to work out the kinks. However, people generally have an expectation of privacy in a hotel room. Besides, people who use smart speakers also have smart phones which can fill in as the digital assistant when not in the home.

Making these opt-out is a bad idea, and I think Disney will figure that out. Can you imagine checking in and being told, "By the way, all rooms here have a smart speaker, if you want total privacy, you'd better unplug it." Making smart speakers available for people who request them is a much better plan, and should be Disney's goal.

 

[HauntedPirate]

As someone that works around technology all day, every day, I can guarantee you those people do not think twice about the wifi or their phone. There are two reasons for this: first, they don't understand how it works and therefore the potential issues, and second: they are used to them. People are always afraid of technology when it is new.

I have worked in IT for 20+ years, and have been in cybersecurity and worked with information security for almost a decade. I don't like these things. At all. And I'm far from the only one. I'm careful with my cell phone, and what apps I install, and what I allow apps to do or know about me. I'm definitely careful about what I do when on a public WiFi network, and we're teaching our kids the same things. It's not being "afraid of technology", I assure you. So to paint with as broad of a brush as you did discredits you and whatever your position is completely.

Google doesn't give one whit about you or your privacy. YOU are the product with anything Google does. This will be no different. As mentioned by @wdwmagic I sincerely hope that Disney does the smart thing (no pun intended) and gives an easy way to opt out of using or even having these powered on in your room.

It's funny - The more "smart" things that get foisted onto the public as being great for them, the dumber the populace tends to become, particularly around privacy.

 

[Andrew C]

I have Alexa all over my dang house. I have nothing to hide....

 

[King Racoon 77]

I have Alexa all over my dang house. I have nothing to hide....

If your brave enough to have that as your avatar you have nothing worse to hide

 

[larryz]

Neither of those is the real Roz. THIS is Roz:
View attachment 347924

Sorry -- we've been binging Frasier on Netflix, and it's been too long since I've watched Night Court.

 

[Andrew C]

If your brave enough to have that as your avatar you have nothing worse to hide

 

[bpadair32]

I have worked in IT for 20+ years, and have been in cybersecurity and worked with information security for almost a decade. I don't like these things. At all. And I'm far from the only one. I'm careful with my cell phone, and what apps I install, and what I allow apps to do or know about me. I'm definitely careful about what I do when on a public WiFi network, and we're teaching our kids the same things. It's not being "afraid of technology", I assure you. So to paint with as broad of a brush as you did discredits you and whatever your position is completely.

Google doesn't give one whit about you or your privacy. YOU are the product with anything Google does. This will be no different. As mentioned by @wdwmagic I sincerely hope that Disney does the smart thing (no pun intended) and gives an easy way to opt out of using or even having these powered on in your room.

It's funny - The more "smart" things that get foisted onto the public as being great for them, the dumber the populace tends to become, particularly around privacy.

Thats the difference between a security guy and a sysadmin. You get paid to be paranoid ;-)

 

[baymenxpac]

I have Alexa all over my dang house. I have nothing to hide....

that's cool, but privacy isn't about "hiding" something. i don't really get it when people take this position.

anywho, i think anyone with privacy concerns has a valid point (it's why i don't have one of these things in my house). but you should also know, as evidence by the facetime glitch last week, that your smartphone has the capability to allow someone to invade your privacy, as does a smart tv, your web browser, and of course your magic bands. and we likely give away a lot more in terms of service agreements that no one ever reads.

all that said, i can't imagine an echo-like technology being useful to me in a disney resort.

 

[ebockelman]

I have worked in IT for 20+ years, and have been in cybersecurity and worked with information security for almost a decade. I don't like these things. At all. And I'm far from the only one. I'm careful with my cell phone, and what apps I install, and what I allow apps to do or know about me. I'm definitely careful about what I do when on a public WiFi network, and we're teaching our kids the same things. It's not being "afraid of technology", I assure you. So to paint with as broad of a brush as you did discredits you and whatever your position is completely.

Google doesn't give one whit about you or your privacy. YOU are the product with anything Google does. This will be no different. As mentioned by @wdwmagic I sincerely hope that Disney does the smart thing (no pun intended) and gives an easy way to opt out of using or even having these powered on in your room.

It's funny - The more "smart" things that get foisted onto the public as being great for them, the dumber the populace tends to become, particularly around privacy.

Ever pop one of these onto a dedicated network and looked at a Wireshark trace to see what it shows?

You won't see much unless you utter the wake word. These smart speakers won't transmit what you are saying until they are activated. Then they send a very compressed version of the audio. Often the searching for the wake word is done on a separate microcontroller. Your general conversations don't leave the room. (Yes, third party skills can somewhat circumvent this. I'm sure Disney won't allow those to be installed.)

Google knows much more about you from your search history, mobile apps/OS, and their wide-reaching ad networks than they ever would from a smart speaker sitting in your hotel room or home. I wouldn't be afraid of one of these in my room.

 

[Andrew C]

that's cool, but privacy isn't about "hiding" something. i don't really get it when people take this position.

My post was intended to be a joke...

 

[trainplane3]

I assume you can unplug it and put it out on the balcony or in a dresser drawer ? I do not want the mouse listening in on what is happening.....

They wouldn't want to listen to what was happening in a room next door to us a couple years ago. It sounded like someone getting stab for a solid week.

 

[bigkbull]

These types of speakers are going to be very common place in homes, and I think the expectation will be that they will be available in hotel rooms. I think Disney is wise to test this out - privacy will of course be a big issue however. It should be easy enough to offer a way to opt out - either power off or remove from the room.

I completely agree. As someone with multiple Google Home Minis in his house, I look forward to the day that eventually lights and shades end up being operated by smart home technology in hotels. I've become so accustomed to having my house turn on my lights it would be nice to have the same luxury when travelling.

 

[Rteetz]

These types of speakers are going to be very common place in homes, and I think the expectation will be that they will be available in hotel rooms. I think Disney is wise to test this out - privacy will of course be a big issue however. It should be easy enough to offer a way to opt out - either power off or remove from the room.

Lots of hotels are starting to add these types of devices too. I currently have two Echo's in my house. I use them for various things including turning lights on and off.