MyMagic+ article from Fast Company magazine

[sshindel]

I want to be careful with my words because I haven't read the piece yet, so my feelings on its true journalistic merit may well change.

I already see seven pages of people largely patting the author on the back, which is typical.

Negative story ='s Disney hating writer who is lying and has an agenda.

Positive story ='s fair and balanced writer who has no agenda.

It would appear this story is gushing in its praise for the (two) billion dollar boondoggle, so everyone thinks that Austin is Moses coming down the Mountain to tell 'the word'.

It may be that easy for some of you, but it isn't for me. I do understand how Disney works to control the message.

I am curious about many things, foremost would be why the author is here on this site and now after six months (?!?!) of work on the piece. I hope Austin was paid well for his efforts. But why reach out and reach out to this very skeptical and probing community AFTER the fact? Did the author even know the site existed? Or was he pointed this way by someone inside TWDC who's looking to change the narrative? As I writer, I'd have been interested in getting perspectives from individuals here before I actually wrote my story, regardless of whether I'd be using the quotes/information or not.

Now, the writer wants to have an account here and be an all-knowing NGE guru that fans can go to and get 'the real story'. Whose story and to what end? He did the work, filed the story and was paid. Why would you waste time with fans on a fan site?

I'm sorry, but I think critically and wonder why. Who is he helping here by doing so? Himself? Disney? Or all of us ignorant folks who just don't understand how Disney was/is breaking all sorts of tech barriers with NGE?

None of you are curious?

I did see him continually push the narrative that NGE's cost was under a billion. I'd love to see the corporate documents that he reviewed to come to that conclusion. Oh, you don't think Disney would show those? You're right. So basically if he asked two execs (let's call them Tom and Jay) what the cost of the program was and they gave him a number then he was doing his due diligence to source the info.

Again, I haven't read it ... but I am curious if he spoke with or quoted Nick Franklin, the exec who spearheaded the program to save his job and wound up leaving Disney anyway. I am curious if he spoke with Jim MacPhee who was in charge of MM+ implementation at WDW. I am curious if he spent time in the parks talking to CMs (without a Disney handler) asking them about how the system is (or isn't working).

Like I said, I have lots of questions. But clearly I'm in the minority ... maybe I'll agree with y'all when I read it later or this evening. I don't know. But I do know there are a lot of questions and critical thinkers might want to know those answers.

I'll read it and then I'll tell you what I think.

Right now, I think it's counter-programming.

EDIT: And, btw, doesn't Fast Company do placed/sponsored content?

You should read the article.
It's not ultimate praise of Disney, rather it's describing the fairly (standard) disfunctional environment in which the project was conceived and implemented in. The infighting between groups, vendors / imagineering working against each other, etc.

As to whether he interviewed people, well:

The carping weighed heavily on Nick Franklin. From the beginning of his tenure, he made efforts to generate goodwill and friendship among the various players, holding frequent team dinners so people who sources indicate didn't like each other could at least break bread and try to bridge their differences. During one feast on St. Patrick's Day, the team ate "deconstructed fisherman's pie" and "haute cuisine-style bangers and mash" paired with various Irish beers and whiskeys. "I made my team members know each other, and I mean, know who their kids are, where they grew up, and what they're passionate about," Franklin recalls. "Everybody on that team knew that John Padgett built his house himself, and that [technology SVP] Randy Brooks was a motorcycle guy who rode with his kids. That's what bridges the gap. At the end of the day, is going to get hard, and when you’re in the trenches, that’s the stuff that brings you back together."

and

Eventually, the discussion shifts toward the future of MyMagic+. Key veterans of the project have departed, including executive VP Nick Franklin and the NGE cofounder John Padgett. "There’s a reason why so many NGE people have left Disney," says one NGE source involved with the program nearly from the outset. "The project basically has devolved back into the [traditional] business. Is there a next generation of Next Generation Experience?"

Spirit, I do question motivations before I buy 100% into the article. I also judge things in it with knowledge that I've read on this site or that I know from my experience.

I also read the entire article before I decided to comment on it.

 

[gmajew]

I want to be careful with my words because I haven't read the piece yet, so my feelings on its true journalistic merit may well change.

I already see seven pages of people largely patting the author on the back, which is typical.

Negative story ='s Disney hating writer who is lying and has an agenda.

Positive story ='s fair and balanced writer who has no agenda.

It would appear this story is gushing in its praise for the (two) billion dollar boondoggle, so everyone thinks that Austin is Moses coming down the Mountain to tell 'the word'.

It may be that easy for some of you, but it isn't for me. I do understand how Disney works to control the message.

I am curious about many things, foremost would be why the author is here on this site and now after six months (?!?!) of work on the piece. I hope Austin was paid well for his efforts. But why reach out and reach out to this very skeptical and probing community AFTER the fact? Did the author even know the site existed? Or was he pointed this way by someone inside TWDC who's looking to change the narrative? As I writer, I'd have been interested in getting perspectives from individuals here before I actually wrote my story, regardless of whether I'd be using the quotes/information or not.

Now, the writer wants to have an account here and be an all-knowing NGE guru that fans can go to and get 'the real story'. Whose story and to what end? He did the work, filed the story and was paid. Why would you waste time with fans on a fan site?

I'm sorry, but I think critically and wonder why. Who is he helping here by doing so? Himself? Disney? Or all of us ignorant folks who just don't understand how Disney was/is breaking all sorts of tech barriers with NGE?

None of you are curious?

I did see him continually push the narrative that NGE's cost was under a billion. I'd love to see the corporate documents that he reviewed to come to that conclusion. Oh, you don't think Disney would show those? You're right. So basically if he asked two execs (let's call them Tom and Jay) what the cost of the program was and they gave him a number then he was doing his due diligence to source the info.

Again, I haven't read it ... but I am curious if he spoke with or quoted Nick Franklin, the exec who spearheaded the program to save his job and wound up leaving Disney anyway. I am curious if he spoke with Jim MacPhee who was in charge of MM+ implementation at WDW. I am curious if he spent time in the parks talking to CMs (without a Disney handler) asking them about how the system is (or isn't working).

Like I said, I have lots of questions. But clearly I'm in the minority ... maybe I'll agree with y'all when I read it later or this evening. I don't know. But I do know there are a lot of questions and critical thinkers might want to know those answers.

I'll read it and then I'll tell you what I think.

Right now, I think it's counter-programming.

EDIT: And, btw, doesn't Fast Company do placed/sponsored content?

Wow.... All good points but read the article and then comment. Why the writer is here now after months of research? That is a great question maybe he was stalking the site for months...

Steve should be able to tell based on his IP address. LOL

 

[ford91exploder]

Man, quality journalism and you're bashing it? Maybe you should do your own report? I feel you are way too negative most of the time. TWDC isn't always out to get you. I'm close to pushing the mute button.

Quality journalism is defined by presenting BOTH sides of the issue and CHECKING facts, FC used a number supplied by Disney and FC admitted they could not validate it, Yet in numerous other reputable publications in the business press the figure is estimated to be 150-200% of the number Tom Staggs quoted and many 'insiders' here agree with the higher number. You either put an asterisk next to the number or you do not use it.

I think the author is a good guy who was used by Disney PR to put a favorable 'spin' on a story which is getting a lot of negative attention in the business press - especially not being able to quantify the results of a billion plus investment.

 

[ford91exploder]

Not true at all. You could simply make improvements and enlarge two of the parks w/ expansions (AK/DHS) and vastly improve the other (epcot).
Say MK is the standard- 18M clicks. AK is large enough to support more than 18M. epcot is large enough to support more than 18M. HS could be large enough to support 18M.

There- I just solved it.

Yes you did and doing that would relieve the pressure on the MK.

 

[WDF]

I also read the entire article before I decided to comment on it.

 

[ford91exploder]

I believe ADRs at DL are either 90 or 60 days out unlike WDW's 180. Regardless of that minor detail the reason for this difference is just like you stated...it is just not a big deal there like it is at WDW.

And you can walk up to pretty much anywhere and wait less than an hour, None of this 'we are reservations only' BS

 

[Mawg]

Unfortunately, we'll never see Fast Pass + removed from WDW. Removing it would be admitting failure. And since this HBFW, like the article said, Failure is not an option.

 

[Master Yoda]

And you can walk up to pretty much anywhere and wait less than an hour, None of this 'we are reservations only' BS

That is an easy thing to do when the number of customers you have is less than your capacity.

 

[DDLand]

Quality journalism is defined by presenting BOTH sides of the issue and CHECKING facts, FC used a number supplied by Disney and FC admitted they could not validate it, Yet in numerous other reputable publications in the business press the figure is estimated to be 150-200% of the number Tom Staggs quoted and many 'insiders' here agree with the higher number. You either put an asterisk next to the number or you do not use it.

I didn't see his comment of backing down. In fact, it appears that @AustinC did the opposite.

Yes. Based on my reporting and sources, these rumored figures are wrong. The figure was under $1 billion, most sources tell me. And the fact is, one thing that became increasingly stressful for teams as the program continued on is that they were running out of resources to complete NGE.

It appears he feels strongly about the validity of those numbers.

 

[hokielutz]

Not true at all. You could simply make improvements and enlarge two of the parks w/ expansions (AK/DHS) and vastly improve the other (epcot).
Say MK is the standard- 18M clicks. AK is large enough to support more than 18M. epcot is large enough to support more than 18M. HS could be large enough to support 18M.

There- I just solved it.

Yes you did and doing that would relieve the pressure on the MK.

But by doing the expansion... you have to look at what additional new traffic you are driving to the existing 4 parks. Does the additional attractions you add spread the crows enough that it will reduce the avg wait times of the popular legacy attractions?

A double digit % jump in attendance at WDW will look awesome on paper and for the shareholders..... But does it improve the average guest experience, other than adding additional attractions?

Universal after years of stagnation could easily accommodate a bump in attendance created by WWoHP and DA, where-as i see WDW's parks having mature attendance levels.

 

[ford91exploder]

That's a blanket statement...with the exception of the quote I included there, which I think you're referencing, everything in our story has been fact checked and/or confirmed with multiple sources. That's the difference between journalism and opinion/punditry : )

I think you find there are many insiders here who don't agree with the 'Official' numbers.

I'm not one of them (an insider) but I listen to every earnings call and it's quite informative as to when asked about MM+ numbers Iger refuses to answer the questions. As a stockholder who looks at more than today's share price I wonder what is happening in this case.

 

[BJones82]

great read, I am in I.T. So sense they announced it I have loved and after just getting back from my most recent visit and experience with MM+ still love MM+. It is easy to say only 5000 more guests and 20% increased revenue but it is infrastructure for a fast moving technology sector which only WDW is set to really take advantage of in Orlando. The fact that Apple pay was so easily integrated into the system and the part saying their may not be a magic band in the future really shows what is coming. Doing everything with your smart phone and it's NFC. The technology improvements WDW has made over the last year are amazing. Such as the new parking garage in Disney Springs, it is an amazing concept and so simple to use. Having the ability to track parking availability in each row and floor makes the experience of parking in a garage streamlined and no longer painful and is possible because of the infrastructure upgrades made for the MM+ experience. All the fiber laid and the constant upgrades to the WiFi offered through WDW shows what they are willing to spend their money on. And as they keep making everything less painful (event the little things like parking) they will continue to grow which will continue to bring new rides and experiences.

This was a huge gamble and has, IMHO, put Disney ahead on the technology front of other parks in the Orlando Area. Just look, Harry Potter opened and there was a huge boom at Universal but now that boom has hit a plateau. Disney's financials in WDW each quarter are still showing growth and the simplicity of what is to come with MM+ will just make it more appealing to just stay in the bubble. For other parks to not only catch up but get ahead of MM+ will cost them greatly and take time they do not have now that WDW has the foundation for quick changes or adaptation of new technologies as wearables start to take off.

Great Article and this was one of the biggest gambles made by a company of this size this decade and has paid off more than many people have realized yet... I love it!!!

 

[ford91exploder]

I didn't see his comment of backing down. In fact, it appears that @AustinC did the opposite.

It appears he feels strongly about the validity of those numbers.

He does indeed but WSJ and a few others do not, I'm inclined to trust WSJ and IBD more then I trust TWDC.

 

[DDLand]

He does indeed but WSJ and a few others do not, I'm inclined to trust WSJ and IBD more then I trust TWDC.

I'm with you on that. Which WSJ story said otherwise? I totally missed that.

 

[George]

Wow.... All good points but read the article and then comment. Why the writer is here now after months of research? That is a great question maybe he was stalking the site for months...

Steve should be able to tell based on his IP address. LOL

I dunno. The article may be fabricated out of whole cloth for all I know, but when I read it, it doesn't seem too unrealistic based on my experience. It certainly isn't completely one-sided. I will say this. If you are a computer saavy person and write a very small bore targeted article and do a quickie search and find a message board that seems to be populated with weirdos that are actually interested in the very specific weird thing you've been working on for quite a while, why not make the community aware of the article? The same thing happened to me after months of research on foot fetishists who are NFL coaches. Of course, in that case I merely had to post my article on a specific home page.

 

[stretchsje]

It seems to me that both camps can be correct, and the answer is right there in the article. Next Gen may have officially cost ~$1 billion but that's because it isn't including all the wasted money and effort from those who were internally competing with it and trying (unsuccessfully) to develop alternatives. Those numbers would not be embedded in the official cost of next gen as they are/were something else that didn't see the light of day. Obviously the "insiders" who were working on the alternatives know what the hidden costs were and that's the reason we have so much contrary feedback.

This goes back to my earlier question of what the true opportunity cost was of Next Gen.

 

[ford91exploder]

I'm with you on that. Which WSJ story said otherwise? I totally missed that.

There have been a few on MM+ and finances nothing specific, Also commentary on the TWDC earnings calls

 

[xstech25]

In regards to dining reservations you can complain all you want about having to make them in advance but it basically guarantees their restaurants will be busy all the time. I'm pretty sure any one of us if we were running a business would rather make $$ than leave it on the table.

 

[networkpro]

I believe ADRs at DL are either 90 or 60 days out unlike WDW's 180. Regardless of that minor detail the reason for this difference is just like you stated...it is just not a big deal there like it is at WDW.

Disneyland serves a completely different market, its main customers are locals. Disneyworld and Orlando are destinations with a more global market.

Wow.... All good points but read the article and then comment. Why the writer is here now after months of research? That is a great question maybe he was stalking the site for months...

Steve should be able to tell based on his IP address. LOL

The publish date of the article is the reason for the embargo.... May issue of Fastcompany

 

[sshindel]

I'm not one of them (an insider) but I listen to every earnings call and it's quite informative as to when asked about MM+ numbers Iger refuses to answer the questions.

Actually, that is uninformative.
Being informative would be answering the question. Not answering the question only definitively proves that he did not answer the question. It does not prove anything else. I could just as justifiably assume that Iger has developed a severe targeted hearing loss over the years where he only cannot hear the words My Magic +.