Sentinel reports that MyMagic+ executive vice president Nick Franklin will be leaving in July

[Tom]

This thread is adorable.

 

[wannab@dis]

You're screaming about sources and whether something is over/under budget.

I think you're losing focus of the big picture here and that's the head executive of this project out.

Had the rollout been a success and remained within the original scope, he'd have been rewarded. That's what executives do. However, this isn't the case.

For whatever reason he's gone, you cannot view this as good news. I'm curious how Wall Street will react.... Because I'd sense blood in the Water if I am them.

I'm not screaming about anything other than wanting facts. Too much hyperbole and crap floats around masquerading as fact around here. I have no idea why he's leaving, but I can give you a reason that meshes with the known information better than your conspiracy. He decided he wanted to leave months ago. They asked him to stay on until the project was complete. The main rollout is now done and he's giving a 2 month notice facilitate a smooth transition to next person.

My recollection from when it initially broke was an initial $800million to $1 billion technology initiative which was dubbed 'NextGen' which funded several product initiatives.. including the talking characters, the interactive games, interactive attractions, RFID widgets, and more. Disney later acknowledged the WDI initiative saying it was about driving new concepts of how technology could change the theme park experience. Later as XPass became more in focus, it became synonymous with NextGen.. then MM+ and the later MDE concepts.

That was a ton under one 'umbrella' - and the company has never (to my knowledge and following of the news) acknowledged any sort of breakdown of the spend, lifespan of that spend, or differentiated between the R&D phases and productization/rollout. The $1 billion dollar number has just been a catch-all.

I also think it's obtuse to think ANY technology program that starts as pure R&D with a budget set over 5+ years ago would make it all the way through to implementation at the spend number eyeballed at the start.

The billion dollars has never been an set aside appropriation - it would have showed up in the financial reports if it were. It can not have been anything beyond a strategic action with a COMMITMENT to continue investing at the specified pace for the life of the program.

So I look at it as a company's 5-10 year plan and their commitment to invest in that plan. What their 'budget' would be would be handled on a much more specific objective level.

I agree. Massive project with tendrils into many facets of the operations. No doubt much of the infrastructure would have been replaced on a similar timeframe whether NextGen was involved or not. Everything from Point of Sale, data centers, reservation system, resort control systems, etc. This project touched tons of infrastructure that is already on lifecycle replacements.

Yes, but Disney touted it as a way to enjoy everything they have to offer. We have heard numerous rebuttals on this board and on many others saying Disney was not data mining. No no no they are not holding information, and many of us called BS.

And no, I have no credit cards.

I guess you missed the point. Most retail operations have "data mining" processes to increase their sales. I can't imagine anyone that said they wouldn't be using aggregate customer information to improve sales and service. Rewards / loyalty cards are not always the same as credit cards. My bet is you have them and are being "data mined" on a daily manner.

 

[seascape]

I have no problems with Disney knowing what I spend on while at Disney. Yes this allows them to market directly to me because they know what I like. This is the same as chase tracking my spending with their different credit cards. So what they give me lots of rewards.

Now I will tell you one of the best things about magic bands and the charging using the bands. During my April trip they emailed me my detailed spending. This allowed me to track every cent I spent and where I spent it. To me that is great to know. I have no problem with Disney knowing this and keeping it private. I know my bank tells the government all my info but at least I can hope Disney doesn't. All I know the government gets is my total spending at Disney because it's charged but not the individual amounts and location.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Now they'll start withdrawing all of the extra Cast Member positions!

 

[seascape]

Now they'll start withdrawing all of the extra Cast Member positions!

Yes. I am sure the use of technology will eventually lead to lower employment if Disney does not expand. That is what it should do. However if Disney expands as they should, that will lead to more employment. It is a trade off and in the long run will lead to more attractions for us and employment for everyone. As I previously stated the technology will get people to spend more of their time on property increasing attendance at the parks and profits which will lead to the expansion we all want.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Yes. I am sure the use of technology will eventually lead to lower employment if Disney does not expand. That is what it should do. However if Disney expands as they should, that will lead to more employment. It is a trade off and in the long run will lead to more attractions for us and employment for everyone. As I previously stated the technology will get people to spend more of their time on property increasing attendance at the parks and profits which will lead to the expansion we all want.

I'd expect more layoffs to be honest. When the head of a fluff department that was inconsequential to running day to day operations "retires" it doesn't bode well to the rest of the crew attached to the program.

My friend says it's already happening at Guest Relations at the parks since they moved that department from operations to NGE. Hopefully those people have places to go back to in the company. Or Universal.

 

[GoofGoof]

Until we see where Franklin ends up its hard to say definitively that he was fired. Seems likely, but he could have gotten a better offer. Money talks.

 

[Sassagoula-Rvr]

I'd expect more layoffs to be honest. When the head of a fluff department that was inconsequential to running day to day operations "retires" it doesn't bode well to the rest of the crew attached to the program.

My friend says it's already happening at Guest Relations at the parks since they moved that department from operations to NGE. Hopefully those people have places to go back to in the company. Or Universal.

Yeah because Universal would never lay anyone off...

 

[Magenta Panther]

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'm not screaming about anything other than wanting facts. Too much hyperbole and crap floats around masquerading as fact around here. I have no idea why he's leaving, but I can give you a reason that meshes with the known information better than your conspiracy. He decided he wanted to leave months ago. They asked him to stay on until the project was complete. The main rollout is now done and he's giving a 2 month notice facilitate a smooth transition to next person.


I agree. Massive project with tendrils into many facets of the operations. No doubt much of the infrastructure would have been replaced on a similar timeframe whether NextGen was involved or not. Everything from Point of Sale, data centers, reservation system, resort control systems, etc. This project touched tons of infrastructure that is already on lifecycle replacements.

I guess you missed the point. Most retail operations have "data mining" processes to increase their sales. I can't imagine anyone that said they wouldn't be using aggregate customer information to improve sales and service. Rewards / loyalty cards are not always the same as credit cards. My bet is you have them and are being "data mined" on a daily manner.

As someone who has felt with a lot of "spokesmen".... Never believe the spin.

 

[TP2000]

But yes, Lutz was the primary guy leaking it ahead of others

I remember that big scoop from 2010. Al Lutz via several Miceage updates that summer was the first one to really leak that NextGen existed, what it was intended to do, and the timeline it would appear in the WDW and DLR parks.

Ironically, Al Lutz is a Disneyland blogger who scooped a giant story that only appears to directly impact WDW.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I have no problems with Disney knowing what I spend on while at Disney. Yes this allows them to market directly to me because they know what I like. This is the same as chase tracking my spending with their different credit cards. So what they give me lots of rewards.

Now I will tell you one of the best things about magic bands and the charging using the bands. During my April trip they emailed me my detailed spending. This allowed me to track every cent I spent and where I spent it. To me that is great to know. I have no problem with Disney knowing this and keeping it private. I know my bank tells the government all my info but at least I can hope Disney doesn't. All I know the government gets is my total spending at Disney because it's charged but not the individual amounts and location.

Honestly, I don't care what you think.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Yeah because Universal would never lay anyone off...

Oh they do and have, but they definitely look much more stable. Their recent reinvestments into their property have generated increased profit and attendance. Whereas our "recent reinvestment" hasn't generated any increase in attendance and our profits are only from artificially increasing the cost of everything across the board, targeting high-end affluent Guests with upcharge experiences. How much is breakfast at Sci-Fi compared with other similar set priced buffets or family style breakfasts?

If I was a Cast Member I would be absolutely certain I was working in a business segment that is required to operate the resort right now. Job security.

 

[asianway]

Honestly, I don't care what you think.

If you love Disney, they will love you back. #yahweh

 

[wm49rs]

Yes. I am sure the use of technology will eventually lead to lower employment if Disney does not expand. That is what it should do. However if Disney expands as they should, that will lead to more employment. It is a trade off and in the long run will lead to more attractions for us and employment for everyone. As I previously stated the technology will get people to spend more of their time on property increasing attendance at the parks and profits which will lead to the expansion we all want.

There's absolutely no guarantee of that in the least....

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Didn't a bunch of Disney management quit and go to Universal last year?

I'd love to see the outrage on the boards from both sides if he also ended up there.

 

[GoofGoof]

Didn't a bunch of Disney management quit and go to Universal last year?

I'd love to see the outrage on the boards from both sides if he also ended up there.

Haha. Magic wands instead of magic bands. That would be frightening. Funny to watch though.

 

[Goofnut1980]

All I can say is, I got back from the World last week and the terrible tan line I have from that band is just horrible! hahahaha

 

[wogwog]

I am not shocked that the Senior Walt Disney Co. parks executive is leaving the company since he oversaw the development of MyMagic+.

I am more curious about who is going to replace Nick Franklin.

The designer of AHC.

 

[Jeffxz]

While no one here can prove that there have been budget overruns, I think we have enough evidence to suggest that the MM+ roll out did not go exactly to plan.

Lets look at some of the short comings of the project, some of these have real sources and some are implied from the reported experience of guests and rumored information from these boards.

• MM+ officially announced in Jan 2013 expected to roll out in the next few months, then delayed and expected to roll out before the end of FY13, delayed again with hopes of completing rollout in early FY14, initial roll out finally completes at the end of Q2FY14
• Photopass+ delays, On ride automatic photo linking to magic band implementation issues
• Early infrastructure issues (assumed to be because initial capacity planning was low)
  • Resort wide WiFi was awful at the beginning, dropped connections, content filter errors
  • MDE Web Site was painfully slow, regularly encountered "Donald" errors, Missing FP+, Dining, etc...
  • Mobile App response time was slow
• V1 of the iphone app was scrapped, V2 was a ground up rewrite. V2 of the Android app still not released.
• Additional Interactive Queues were scrapped/delayed. (Rumored for Pirates, Peter Pan, etc)
• On ride interactivity partially implemented/delayed. IASW screens installed, but they don't do anything. Talking Mickey was supposed to know your name.
• FP+ for quick service restaurants was scrapped/delayed except for BOG which still has a temporary website that does not integrate with MDE
• Integration into the Disneyland resort has been scrapped or delayed.

This is just a quick list of issues that I came up with in the last 10 minutes. I don't think anyone who has been involved with an IT project can look at this list and say that there haven't been significant cost overruns. The 4-10 month delay of an expected rollout would have cost a fortune for a project of this size.