danlb_2000
Premium Member
If this is true, then I have to give Disney credit for some incredible marketing, convincing people that this is not just something that will make their visits better, but a reason in itself to visit.
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MiceAge on the latest news regarding MyMagic+ : Read it and weep.
- Thread starter marni1971
- Start date
If this is true, then I have to give Disney credit for some incredible marketing, convincing people that this is not just something that will make their visits better, but a reason in itself to visit.
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
Don't you wish back when Comcast made their hostile Disney takeover bid, Eisner should have just accepted it? Why would he care? He was running the company with one foot out the door, any way! Had he accepted that offer, we would be in a reversed situation as it is now with Universal. Comcast would be spending billions on new rides and fixing up old ones, while the people at the USOmagic website would be having part four of a 400-page thread about rumors that aging Jaws ride could be shut down and replaced by a Piraña 4-themed attraction...
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
Right... Eisner hated synergy and the parks.
nor'easter
Well-Known Member
P.T. Barnum's sucker quote comes to mind....
willtravel
Well-Known Member
I agree with that. I think there will be a lot of paper shuffling and smooth talking that will cover up what real impact there is. IMO
danlb_2000
Premium Member
This would be a great way to solve the over crowding problem in the parks, see the Magical Great Egress, this way!
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
How did you get in the park?
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
When the discussions of the new "Magic" system started, we were looking at a 1.5 billion dollar expense to develop and build this system. (more now, but most of those numbers are pulled from our collective butts with no real knowledge about what is really being spent) At that time, to now (not so much now) the paranoia ran wild. We discussed the plan to track us around the park. Many were in a moral uproar until people asked themselves not only what were they tracking and how will that affect me? Some of the answers were that they were going to sell your shopping habits (theme park wise) to others and make money that way. When pointed out that no matter how stupid we think Disney management might be, they are not likely to tell their competition what they sell, how many and for how much. When people thought about it, it became silly and died on the vine.
Then we got to the they are going to know where you are in the parks at all times and would somehow makes us victims of some unknown fear. Forgetting that they have been watching us via camera's for years now, it all seemed a little redundant an effort, in other words, nothing new. Then we got the pedophile angle. Now a pervert will know via computer where your children are. Then some points were made that they could do the same thing stalking in person at no added risk. Even if they could locate your kids, how would they know where they will be by the time they left their computer and got out there, and what would be stopping you, as a parent, from being right there with your kids at all times. So that one faded away too.
Currently, we are talking about how this obviously magical band is going to make someone spend money that they do not have. OK, I'll admit that there are some that will overspend their budget, but, those are the same ones that would have over spent anyway. Contrary to popular beliefs, it really isn't that strenuous to take your credit card out of your wallet. Will there be some, sure, but they are the same people they are overselling to as we speak.
That brings us to what the theory might actually be. How can a company justify spending that much money with no solid way of knowing or even guessing the results. Here's what I said then, and what I am continuing to feel is the motivation. It is two fold. First, they needed to upgrade their technical systems in all the parks.** They had one of two choices. Spend a lot of money to upgrade and really have it be just an overhead expense with no possible return. No matter how novel, like everything else in life the novelty will wear off quickly. The second choice was to spend A LOT OF MONEY, create an entirely new type of system that will allow a unique method of guests participation and at the same time be able to help with crowd control, management of FP, instant inventory control, reservations, and who knows what else. But all that specific information is strictly for customers (guests) of Disney Parks. So, what do you do to get your money back and still have all that stuff in your parks? You build a program that is able to be sold to other businesses. Disney will have saved them all that research and development that they are currently experiencing and at some point, when polished and shiny they will put it in a box and market it to anyone that can see the benefit of using this type of setup. You don't sell competition your specific mining information, you sell them the ability to do there own collecting.
I know a lot of people don't think that is the end goal of this thing, but if anyone thinks that they can easily recoup billions of dollars selling an extra Mickey T-Shirt really needs to do the math. This is much bigger then what we are allowed to see on the surface and it really is not important to us individually what they do with their basic program. So just make a mental note of what I have put down here, more then once, because I, for one, will not be surprised to walk into Universal some day and be given a Magic Band that looks awfully familiar.
** BTW...Anyone that thinks that Disney is spending all this money for just WDW is living in serious denial. They all will have it and if one doesn't believe this, well, I have some ocean front property in Arizona that I will sell cheap. I hear that were the next Disney Park will be. It will be called DDL. Desert Disneyland!
Then we got to the they are going to know where you are in the parks at all times and would somehow makes us victims of some unknown fear. Forgetting that they have been watching us via camera's for years now, it all seemed a little redundant an effort, in other words, nothing new. Then we got the pedophile angle. Now a pervert will know via computer where your children are. Then some points were made that they could do the same thing stalking in person at no added risk. Even if they could locate your kids, how would they know where they will be by the time they left their computer and got out there, and what would be stopping you, as a parent, from being right there with your kids at all times. So that one faded away too.
Currently, we are talking about how this obviously magical band is going to make someone spend money that they do not have. OK, I'll admit that there are some that will overspend their budget, but, those are the same ones that would have over spent anyway. Contrary to popular beliefs, it really isn't that strenuous to take your credit card out of your wallet. Will there be some, sure, but they are the same people they are overselling to as we speak.
That brings us to what the theory might actually be. How can a company justify spending that much money with no solid way of knowing or even guessing the results. Here's what I said then, and what I am continuing to feel is the motivation. It is two fold. First, they needed to upgrade their technical systems in all the parks.** They had one of two choices. Spend a lot of money to upgrade and really have it be just an overhead expense with no possible return. No matter how novel, like everything else in life the novelty will wear off quickly. The second choice was to spend A LOT OF MONEY, create an entirely new type of system that will allow a unique method of guests participation and at the same time be able to help with crowd control, management of FP, instant inventory control, reservations, and who knows what else. But all that specific information is strictly for customers (guests) of Disney Parks. So, what do you do to get your money back and still have all that stuff in your parks? You build a program that is able to be sold to other businesses. Disney will have saved them all that research and development that they are currently experiencing and at some point, when polished and shiny they will put it in a box and market it to anyone that can see the benefit of using this type of setup. You don't sell competition your specific mining information, you sell them the ability to do there own collecting.
I know a lot of people don't think that is the end goal of this thing, but if anyone thinks that they can easily recoup billions of dollars selling an extra Mickey T-Shirt really needs to do the math. This is much bigger then what we are allowed to see on the surface and it really is not important to us individually what they do with their basic program. So just make a mental note of what I have put down here, more then once, because I, for one, will not be surprised to walk into Universal some day and be given a Magic Band that looks awfully familiar.
** BTW...Anyone that thinks that Disney is spending all this money for just WDW is living in serious denial. They all will have it and if one doesn't believe this, well, I have some ocean front property in Arizona that I will sell cheap. I hear that were the next Disney Park will be. It will be called DDL. Desert Disneyland!
janoimagine
Well-Known Member
Agreed, who knows if we would have gotten anything.
However, I do think for the price tag of 1.2 Billion, we could have had some pretty nice new things to do in the parks ... rides and shows, attractions with consistency and good maintenance, and a monorail fleet that isn't beat to hell ... instead we got some plastic wrist tethers that allow you to charge to them, open your room door and schedule a fast pass on a phone app ... sorry but I am waiting to be impressed, and this is not cutting edge tech, Mobil's speedpass was basically the same thing from a payment standpoint.
While they worked perfectly for us last trip (with the exception of turnstiles that had to be reset at park entrances ... not something you want to happen at opening), they did nothing to enhance my guest experience, I would have rather had some new shows or rides.
To me all MM+ does from a ride standpoint is redistribute the guest and fool other guests into thinking they actually need a FP+ for attractions like Journey into Imagination, Small World or Mermaid, it's sleight of hand.
In many instances I witnessed the FP+ line longer than the standby line last trip, this was due to a number of factors, either guests didnt know how to use it, were too early and not allowed in and chose to block the line and argue or the bands were not linking up, I witnessed a lot of people showing CM's their smart phones to verify they had indeed booked a fast pass, it has a long way to go before it's working perfectly.
willtravel
Well-Known Member
But then I think in Disney's mind, once MM+ is fully implemented, that all there will have to be is maintenance to the system and whatever they want to add to MM+. With putting money towards rides and shows maybe that would have cost more short and long term with less profit.
AndyMagic
Well-Known Member
I wonder if any of the upper-level executives at Disney reads newspapers. Some nuggets from the recent Business Journal:
New attractions = more people and more guests spending
CEO of a huge conglomerate going on record to say he likes being in the theme park business.
Financial analysts (of all people) agreeing that new rides drive attendance.
A QUADRUPLE increase in capital spending at the parks.
A company plan to open a new ride every year.
The largest operating cash flow ever produced by the parks division.
The entire article is essentially a rebuke of the current Disney Parks business model.
- A new Transformers-themed thrill ride helped lift attendance and guest spending at Universal Orlando during the summer.
- Comcast Corp., said it was the largest quarterly operating cash flow ever produced by the parks division.
- "We obviously have grown increasingly bullish about the theme-park business." - Steve Burke
- Analysts who follow Comcast are upbeat about its parks. Jessica Reif Cohen of Merrill Lynch called the segment's third-quarter results "very impressive."
- "It seems pretty clear that new attractions drive attendance."
- To maintain momentum, Comcast has stepped up the pace of new attractions for its parks, with a goal of opening new rides annually at both its East and West Coast resorts. The strategy was evident in the company's third-quarter financials, as NBCUniversal's total capital spending nearly quadrupled — from $75 million to $284 million
- "We're making these investments because we really like the business." - Steve Burke
- Comcast executives expect even bigger numbers next year, when they will complete a second Potter-themed area, Diagon Alley, at Universal Orlando.
New attractions = more people and more guests spending
CEO of a huge conglomerate going on record to say he likes being in the theme park business.
Financial analysts (of all people) agreeing that new rides drive attendance.
A QUADRUPLE increase in capital spending at the parks.
A company plan to open a new ride every year.
The largest operating cash flow ever produced by the parks division.
The entire article is essentially a rebuke of the current Disney Parks business model.
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
That's wrong and you know it. He pushed for synergy at great risk and, in some cases, at great loss in development cost and time spent (Dick Tracy Crime Stopper comes to mind). Even when films didn't pan out as expected that were being synergistically developed as attractions by WDI, Eisner never gave up on the idea (Bugs and Dinosaur come to mind).
That's total B.S. about him not liking the parks. Like almost immediately after getting the job as CEO, he approved Splash Mountain. Someone who hated the parks would not approve such an expensive E-ticket right away like that!
Here's a little homework for you. List all Disney theme parks everywhere in the World. Find the commemorative plaque for each park. Each plaque is signed by a Disney CEO. Count the number of parks signed by Eisner. Compare that number with the other Disney CEOs. Then tell me Eisner hated the parks...
janoimagine
Well-Known Member
And a copying of the old one established by Walt.
Two thoughts:
1) the things people like most about MM+ seems to be the simple things like the touch to pay, touch to open doors and touch to enter a park, the ease of accessability by wearing it around your wrist. My local pool offers a system like this. I am sure they paid far far less for it than 1.2 billion (or to be more precise: the proportionate share of that amount considering that they are much smaller). The infrastructure upgrades which were necessary regardless of MM+ would certainly have cost a lot of money as well - but certainly much less than the whole additional overlay that was put on MM+.
2) People defend the problems happening right now with the line "it is still in testing". In my opinion if I subject all those customers that chose to buy my premium product (i.e. a hotel stay plus park tickets) to the new product, it most definitely should not be in testing anymore. If I want to test, I ought to give my customers the chance to opt out of being guinea pigs!
1) the things people like most about MM+ seems to be the simple things like the touch to pay, touch to open doors and touch to enter a park, the ease of accessability by wearing it around your wrist. My local pool offers a system like this. I am sure they paid far far less for it than 1.2 billion (or to be more precise: the proportionate share of that amount considering that they are much smaller). The infrastructure upgrades which were necessary regardless of MM+ would certainly have cost a lot of money as well - but certainly much less than the whole additional overlay that was put on MM+.
2) People defend the problems happening right now with the line "it is still in testing". In my opinion if I subject all those customers that chose to buy my premium product (i.e. a hotel stay plus park tickets) to the new product, it most definitely should not be in testing anymore. If I want to test, I ought to give my customers the chance to opt out of being guinea pigs!
danlb_2000
Premium Member
But Disney has Magic Bands! MAGIC BANDS!!!!!
Soarin' Over Pgh
Well-Known Member
You know what would get me to spend 15% more during my vacation?
Unique merchandise, resort specific merchandise, and food that is different from the crap I can find in downtown Pittsburgh any day of the week(hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken tenders, subs, fries,etc.)
I would have loved more Polynesian themed merch at a price point that didn't make my head spinoff my shoulders. $40 for a t shirt? Keep it.
Personally speaking I budgeted a decent amount for my entire vacation and came home with hundreds left over. Even after a last minute run through the MK and a $40 bill from the confectionary on fudge and cupcakes and candy.... I still came home with money on my gift cards. (Btw, this was my first WDW trip)
WDWDad13
Well-Known Member
People have been seeing the boxes (that are very well packaged and presented I must say) in Facebook photos delivered with the magic bands and the information and some think it looks very cool and want to check it out too.
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
People have asked me over the last year if I really think Next Gen cost $2-3 billion dollars. My answer has been consistent: "How much did you spend on your last vacation?" If you think about that, very few people know how much that last vacation cost. Sure, the might know what they paid for the rental car, plane tickets, hotel, etc, but there were certainly other costs that they're forgetting. It's going to be hard for Disney to quantify whether or not guest spending is up until everyone has a Magic Band.
The Magic Bands/Next Gen/My Magic+ is an enhancement that is intended to get people to spend more on what's already available. This approach is incredibly frustrating because if successful it will allow Disney to homogenize the merchandise (i.e. mass produce cheaper/less unique merchandise) and get people to pay more for it. When faced with a similar desire for increased guest spending, the parks in the "Shady area of Orlando" have opted for a more unique merchandise lineup. Extrapolate this approach out to all other aspects of the park and you get an excuse for a greater mass produced product at the cost of the unique offerings.
When you ask people with a remotely discernible palette what their favorite restaurant is, how many of them mention a chain? There is nothing wrong with chain restaurants, and there are many people that take comfort in knowing that a trip to Chili's anywhere in the country is going to produce the same decent but still not great food. But if you want that great meal, you're not likely getting it from a mass produced chain. Like many, I'll go to Chili's, Uno's or Bertucci's on occasion and have a good meal. But I know my local restaurants that I go to when I want to take a friend out or for a special occasion.
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
Here's a question, why couldn't they incorporate a plastic door at the turnstyles once a guest has gained entrance? This is present in many office buildings through the world and would eliminate some of the concerns about guests walking through the open area.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
I just cannot get my head around this. I could understand people being attracted by something that provided entertainment value, no matter how minimal, but not something that is purely utilitarian like this.