I'd be remiss not to drop this heading into a holiday weekend (do I work on Friday or not is the question right now?) ... Coming to a MAGICal Kingdom near you is revenue-based access and experiences wrapped in a Tinkerbell bracelet brought to you by the good folks at TWDC.
I really feel bad for Georgie ... well, OK, no, I don't.
Is the patent for an RFID blocking wristband/bracelet cover still up for grabs?
After reading all the info about the 'super sparkly' change in the works, there is a definite type who will embrace this (and will continue to once experiencing it):
The true target of this is someone who is so enamored with getting their one good FP+ reserved in advance (and in reality it will just be one good one) that they think that New Years Eve lines for everything else in the off-season, the resulting increased distemperment of everybody who has to 'get their moneys worth', the huge spike in prices that this will entail, and the colossal amount of spam for 'Super Sugar Junk' cereal that their kids will get in their inboxes, that they think that 11am ERR for Space* is more than an acceptable tradeoff.
*- Of course if they go with the airline model for reserving ride times, they will overbook. Heavily. And if you merely have a 11 night stay in Beach Club, and at 10:45 a family with 13 nights at the Floridian walk past the sensors at the gate, then you might be deemed 'less magical' and reassigned to Stitch.
Of course all of us that do love the parks know that there are 'experiences' besides rides, shows, parades, etc. that add to the enjoyment. And they too will become FP+ events. (They have to, they'll need more inventory). Want to go over the barrel bridge? Smell the roses in the castle frontcourt? Watch a spontaneous musical performance by the Morrocan cast members? Pat Bueller or Megatron on the head over in the Affection Section? FP+ for each (and, yes, you have to have a special FP+ for each goat, and if he stays in the roped off area during your time, then too bad for you)...
But eventually they will have to add 'rides'. But not at the expense of precious 'special event' pavillions, storage space, or executive parking. For those worried that they will demo the Fountain of Nations and replace it with a spinner, you know we'll get a 'JL remembers' DVD out of it.... Whatever they add doesn't have to be good, it just has to add to the inventory.
Of course all of this has legals blessing. While the parks will eventually become 'netlands' (you know those planes that write all those messages might fall out of the sky and they need them to protect their cu$tomer$) they didn't see any reason to block the offering of $1500 increments being available to add to those wristband gift cards at the Drunk'n'Stumble festival*. They'll bless anything that makes and/or saves money.
* - I really wish people didn't do this down there. People who want to enjoy the oak notes & cherry overtones of a glass of chardonay and see how it pairs with Flank Steak with Chimichuri and Boniato Puree shouldn't have to put up with those who think alcohol = getting sauced. You aren't even going to remember it. If you insist (and I wish people didn't do stuff like this at all), please do it at home. If you need a theme to make it interesting, try to dig up a video segment of Iger the last time he was on Mad Money. Then play a game of 'Hi Bob' every time either Cramer or Iger says the word BRAND.
While everybody here (still) likes the place down in the swamps (with the possible exception of those who are here because it's part of their job description at Celebration Place), there's plenty that isn't right, some RFID related, some not. Just imagine the possibilities if SNL does a rapid fire skit about all these issues...
