Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks (Part II)

[AEfx]

Yep! Well said 74. He was no doubt an incredible visionary, but yes he was kind of an a##. I actually have a friend that works for the Apple development team as Tim calls it now. And they love their jobs now and say that Tim Cook is the best to work for. So as incredible a visionary as Steve was I honestly think the company is better hands with Tim. My buddy says working under Tim is the best thing to happen to the company for employees. So I dunno. All I know is that Apple employees are happier than ever now, so take it for what you want, but my buddy has been with Apple since 2004.

That doesn't surprise me in the least.

I also hope it means they take a new direction with their products. They are slowly losing even middle-of-the-road tech users like myself over the ridiculousness of not having mini-SD slots (it's the size of a fingernail, fer cryin' out loud) or user-changeable batteries. It was one thing when the iPhone was ten steps ahead of everyone else, but that's no longer the case.

Should my iPhone die tomorrow, I'd have to look hard into it to see if I got a new iPhone or went with Android (the only problem with the latter is too many choices, I'd have to research a bit to find the right one for me). It's the artificial "we are gonna capture you and control you" limitations that are starting to drain on me. The SD-slot thing drives me insane - and it's simply so you'll spend $100 on a model higher to get $20 worth of memory card extra in your phone, with the bonus restriction that you can't remove it. No other valid reason. I mean, heck, iPhone didn't even have MMS messages until 2009 because Apple gave in to AT&T for business reasons - when my craptacular 2004 dumb phone could.

While I am not "happy" when anyone passes away, I am glad that he no longer is in charge of Apple. For his sake I wish he was enjoying his money off on some tropical location, of course. But Apple is at this place right now where it could easily become the lower-end of the phone stick when everyone else has better storage, better cameras, better customization, and isn't absolutely obsessed with controlling everything you do. I think iPad is a different story, but in a couple years there will be stiff competition there, too. They need someone to stop the obsessive, compulsive control-to-a-fault that is going on with Apple, and I hope Cook is the one to do so, as well as the one to mend some of the many bridges Jobs burned (Facebook, Adobe, to start with).

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Rant alert

From what I hear, most of the DRM control in the "your stuff" area was driven by those who owned the media, not Apple. It drives me nuts. I rip and put everything on all devices, as I want to see what I've paid for on the things I bought to play them. Apple can also frustrate by forcing early obsolescence of it's own products (endless chip and OS upgrades, no CD drives, changing ports, etc.) and that was driven by Job's forcing us into the future. I see their point, but eventually you burn out on that. I think Apple is is a potentially bad place right now as it has lost it's "eccentricity" and underdog drive. They are on top and probably don;t know how to handle it. When Jobs got really sick, things started slipping. Coincidence? Maybe. OSX is becoming change for it's own sake and is losing it's intuitive edge. Now it's morphing from iOS because they are selling so many phones and pads. Look at how many articles there are showing you how to make Lion more like Snow Leopard! Adding colors back to gray icons! The OS is becoming more PC like because of it's UNIX base. Final Cut Pro ruined, iMovie less intuitive, iWeb gone and more.

Every company out there wants to control our TV's and "Cloud" us to death, not just Apple. It's ironic that the fulfillment of the Orwellian anti big brother "1984" Ad is not IBM, but Apple itself. The iCloud over us is exactly what they rallied against.

To me, Facebook and Google are far more invasive and predatory. Apple Employees being "happy" is not a sign of greatness but contentment. I believe that there is a balance and part of that is someone driving you to a place that is better than you even thought you could achieve. tough coaches make great teams. Happy teams don't always make the finals but driven teams do.

BTW- I could not work for Jobs. I would have quit because I need a balance of hard critique and encouragement. Cruel intimidation does not work on me that way, I have to respect the person I work for and humanity is part of that. Life's too short for those kinds of personalities.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Rant alert

From what I hear, most of the DRM control in the "your stuff" area was driven by those who owned the media, not Apple. It drives me nuts. I rip and put everything on all devices, as I want to see what I've paid for on the things I bought to play them. Apple can also frustrate by forcing early obsolescence of it's own products (endless chip and OS upgrades, no CD drives, changing ports, etc.) and that was driven by Job's forcing us into the future. I see their point, but eventually you burn out on that. I think Apple is is a potentially bad place right now as it has lost it's "eccentricity" and underdog drive. They are on top and most companies don't know how to handle that much success. For me, when Jobs got really sick, things started slipping. Coincidence? Maybe. OSX is becoming change for it's own sake and is losing it's intuitive edge. Now it's morphing from iOS because they are selling so many phones and pads. Look at how many articles there are showing you how to make Lion more like Snow Leopard! Adding colors back to gray icons! The OS is becoming more PC like because of it's UNIX base. Final Cut Pro ruined, iMovie less intuitive, iWeb gone and more.

Every company out there wants to control our TV's and "Cloud" us to death, not just Apple. It's ironic that the fulfillment of the Orwellian anti big brother "1984" Ad is not IBM, but Apple itself. The iCloud over us is exactly what they rallied against. Like the "Outer Limits", the next thing they all want control of is the thing we look at most, out TV. All the time. And BTW I'm happy to buy one if they make an Apple iOS plasma screen.

To me, Facebook and Google are far more invasive and predatory. Apple Employees being "happy" is not a sign of greatness but contentment. I believe that there is a balance and part of that is someone driving you to a place that is better than you even thought you could achieve. Tough coaches make great teams. Happy teams don't always make the finals, but driven teams do. It's about benevolent dictatorships. Amazon is actually a better example of something like that. They do their job incredibly well and are the only real competition for the iPad.

BTW- I could not work for Jobs. I would have quit because I need a balance of hard critique and encouragement. Cruel intimidation does not work on me that way, I have to respect the person I work for and humanity is part of that. Life's too short for those kinds of personalities.

 

[wdwmagic]

For me, when Jobs got really sick, things started slipping. Coincidence? Maybe. OSX is becoming change for it's own sake and is losing it's intuitive edge. Now it's morphing from iOS because they are selling so many phones and pads. Look at how many articles there are showing you how to make Lion more like Snow Leopard! Adding colors back to gray icons! The OS is becoming more PC like because of it's UNIX base. Final Cut Pro ruined, iMovie less intuitive, iWeb gone and more.
.

Isn't this kind of the way it always is though? When something changes, there is always that user base that wants the old version back. At first with Lion I felt the same, but now I can't even remember how Snow was - I'm fully in-tune with Lion.

Final Cut will get worked out, I think they took a big leap there with the rewrite, and they acknowledged the bad move by putting the old Pro back for sale again until the new version gets all the features back. iMovie, I think like Lion, just needs user time. I'm liking it better than the old version now.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Not to stray too far off topic, but I believe the issue is not color, but rather applied color. I think many architects view applied color as "decoration" and see "decoration" as being beneath them.

Fave book of mine.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/03..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ZABXD2S9PYWBZXX7W86

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Not to stray too far off topic, but I believe the issue is not color, but rather applied color. I think many architects view applied color as "decoration" and see "decoration" as being beneath them.

Really good observation. This is very true.

I guess the way this is seen is that the natural material colors are "authentic' and organic, and "applied" ones (paint and tile) are contrived.

So when you see it that way, the ceramic tile work of Gaudi in Barcelona or the Taj Mahal is offensive? It's true that art or ornament for it's own sake is vanity or can be vulgar, but as in anything, balance is the real key, right?

In my book, Ornament (and applied color) are a means of graphic communication as the markings are on animals. We sometimes use ornament to communicate a feeling or nostalgia. Right now architects like Frank Geary with his twisted steel buildings use the building itself as ornament, as the shapes lack function of any kind and are in "motion". "Frozen music" is the ornamental theme of the Disney Hall for example, so the whole thing is one big decoration. Function is secondary to the exterior shape.

The whole thing about "applied" color is that you end up choosing stone and metals, and they are intrinsically colored so you are "applying" color, only doing it by skinning the structural steel with colored stone, tinted glass, or other organic materials. You need to understand color to do that too. It's just a different set of samples to pick from.

 

[ChrisFL]

It's ironic that the fulfillment of the Orwellian anti big brother "1984" Ad is not IBM, but Apple itself.

Agreed with this, however I wonder how much of this is just due to how integrated all of these major corporations have become. Or, can we blame Apple directly if they're doing only what the media companies want, or else be left out entirely (similar to what Netflix is going through currently)

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Agreed with this, however I wonder how much of this is just due to how integrated all of these major corporations have become. Or, can we blame Apple directly if they're doing only what the media companies want, or else be left out entirely (similar to what Netflix is going through currently)

Someone had to lead the market. Apple killed the music industry with iTunes and the rest followed suit. Having said that, they reacted to the fact that consumers did not want to pay the high price of Albums with one good song on it and this changed everything. Labels do not invest in artists as the artists don't need the labels as they used to. They also stemmed piracy to a degree as people easily and legally bought music they may have stolen. The music industry needed a wake up call and they did not change very fast. The DRM issues are driven by the labels and studios. Netflix and others are caught in the move away from DVDs and into clouds and demand services.

 

[lazyboy97o]

While I am not "happy" when anyone passes away, I am glad that he no longer is in charge of Apple. For his sake I wish he was enjoying his money off on some tropical location, of course. But Apple is at this place right now where it could easily become the lower-end of the phone stick when everyone else has better storage, better cameras, better customization, and isn't absolutely obsessed with controlling everything you do. I think iPad is a different story, but in a couple years there will be stiff competition there, too. They need someone to stop the obsessive, compulsive control-to-a-fault that is going on with Apple, and I hope Cook is the one to do so, as well as the one to mend some of the many bridges Jobs burned (Facebook, Adobe, to start with).

Apple tried that, it just about nearly killed the company, and they brought back Jobs.

Of course if HP would include the use of its acquired patents to manufacturers, we could see webOS rise from the ashes like a glorious phoenix. A guy can dream.

 

[KevinYee]

Cogent rumors have surfaced that Universal-Orlando's Jaws will be replaced by a Potter expansion after all (and not Transformers), despite the problem of many buildings and streets being in the "line of fire" of a train going from Hogsmeade (IOA) to Diagon Alley (USF).

I'm starting to think they may just wrap the train track to follow the necessary backstage buildings. In fact, they may make it a loop (this gets you more capacity). It could work if the train is in a tunnel or themed environment the whole way. Something like that has been my wet dream for WDW forever. I wish we could have themed, covered, air conditioned PeopleMovers to link up the four theme parks to each other (and to all the hotels for that matter).

Any thoughts on how you'd do the Potter train, Eddie? Any things to beware when designing this thing?

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Cogent rumors have surfaced that Universal-Orlando's Jaws will be replaced by a Potter expansion after all (and not Transformers), despite the problem of many buildings and streets being in the "line of fire" of a train going from Hogsmeade (IOA) to Diagon Alley (USF).

I'm starting to think they may just wrap the train track to follow the necessary backstage buildings. In fact, they may make it a loop (this gets you more capacity). It could work if the train is in a tunnel or themed environment the whole way. Something like that has been my wet dream for WDW forever. I wish we could have themed, covered, air conditioned PeopleMovers to link up the four theme parks to each other (and to all the hotels for that matter).

Any thoughts on how you'd do the Potter train, Eddie? Any things to beware when designing this thing?

I'd have the train, like "Earthquake" did, move into a "simulation zone" tunnel so you think you are moving but something plays out of the windows and a motion base levitates the cars, then ends and continues on to the destination. When the train comes back through, a different scene plays out in there. I prefer the big $$ "loop" for capacity.

Stuff to watch out for..

Period coaches have limited visibility, and the seats face forward, so the sight lines are difficult in that type of coach, something to be watchful of. Also, the loading time in real coaches is awful, so they would have to be open sided as DL trains are to quickly load and unload.

In my perfect world, I'd beef up the terminal with another "track" or platform which has a series of dining cars and does a whole close-up magic show dinner train thing that arrives there as well or connects to a hotel.

 

[ChrisFL]

Cogent rumors have surfaced that Universal-Orlando's Jaws will be replaced by a Potter expansion after all (and not Transformers), despite the problem of many buildings and streets being in the "line of fire" of a train going from Hogsmeade (IOA) to Diagon Alley (USF).

Actually, no. If Universal removes the Sinbad show, they can EASILY put in the train next to an existing road:

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Actually, no. If Universal removes the Sinbad show, they can EASILY put in the train next to an existing road:

I think the problem is that Uni needs that road for backstage access. My idea would be to take something like a tour-bus-sized parking tram, give it a Hogwarts Express facade (not a vinyl wrap, more like an ornate Main St facade on a plain steel frame), and make all of the windows facing out from inside the train screens. You could control everything the riders see and drive them right down the existing backstage road while still having all of your backstage functions going on right around them!

 

[ChrisFL]

I think the problem is that Uni needs that road for backstage access. My idea would be to take something like a tour-bus-sized parking tram, give it a Hogwarts Express facade (not a vinyl wrap, more like an ornate Main St facade on a plain steel frame), and make all of the windows facing out from inside the train screens. You could control everything the riders see and drive them right down the existing backstage road while still having all of your backstage functions going on right around them!

That sounds crazy enough to work!

 

[Lee]

:lol:
No...Trams aren't part of the plan. That would be a nightmare.

I am sort of curious about the placement of the station in Hogsmeade. If they were to put on the Sinbad plot, it would require the moving/removing of the current train.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Wow.

The distance shown for the train is really long. The cost to connect alone is going to be VERY high. I hope they do it.

 

[thehowiet]

I wonder how many trains they will need to operate at one time to meet the demand of shuttling guests back and forth between the two parks all day long.

Is there enough room for the train route to be a complete loop, or will it work in shuttle mode back and forth? If it's just going to shuttle back and forth without a loop, without some type of a turntable they will have to either have the engine push the cars and go in reverse one way, or have the engine switch ends (Strasburg RR does this) and pull the train with the engine still going in reverse one way. Also, if they are going to run multiple trains at once and the route is not a loop, they will need to either have two tracks, or at least some sort of a by-pass section of secondary track somewhere on the route so that two trains can pass each other. Sorry for the barrage of questions as I think this whole thing through :lol:

If they do indeed connect these two parks with a real train, it's going to be very interesting and very cool to see how it is executed.

 

[krash9924]

Eddie, thank you so much for you time.

All the talk about Potter has me thinking about another new ride, Little Mermaid.
I have read online and heard from various friends how the ride is lifeless and has none of the charm that Disney is known for. As an Imagineer is there a worse way your new attraction could be described? Can this be fixed when the attraction is already opened?

It is great to see Universal taking the old Disney approach to parks and attractions, almost makes you wonder if in a few years we will be pleading with Disney to the Uni approach!

 

[c-one]

My theory on the Hogwarts Express -- it will be a shuttle train, but with a passing section in the middle so that more than one train can use that same track.

Inside the passing section will be some kind of show tunnel in which something goes terribly wrong, etc.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Period coaches have limited visibility, and the seats face forward, so the sight lines are difficult in that type of coach, something to be watchful of. Also, the loading time in real coaches is awful, so they would have to be open sided as DL trains are to quickly load and unload.

Universal has already shown a willingness to accept reduced capacity in favor of proper show. We have already seen what the coaches look like in the films and Rowling may be committed to that vision.