Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

[GoofGoof]

Here's a wild theory.... those with more knowledge on this feel free to shoot this down.

(And for the record I think Marvel is just fine where it's current address is in the East Coast).

If the TWDC changes the name of Marvel to 'Disney-Marvel', would IOA have to display that in their parks (or anywhere they wish to advertise the fact that the Marvel IP resides in their park)? Would IOA be allowed to just use the characters without any reference to it's parent? If these questions are answered in TWDC's favor, could this be an attempt to add a 'poison pill' to the agreement, hoping that they just walk away from the IP? (of course, 'Disney-Marvel' would be a poison pill to the Marvel fanbase....

I'm no expert on the contract, but couldn't they just use the characters and leave out the Marvel name altogether? Just call it superhero island? Maybe they could change the characters to Disney's Hulk or Disney's Spiderman

 

[scpergj]

Some more Spirited information as MyMagic+ moves (limps?) forward using information I've been provided and extrapolating a bit, but just a bit.

MyMagic+, or the guest side of NEXT GEN, is clearly intended to create a tiered system of product access and delivery many here have already raised. From everything I have heard it will be sweeping and, as @ParentsOf4 has posted on, it will introduce a layered WDW experience with a base price from which TWDC is determined to build.

(The base, of course, being your admission.)

For Burbank, it has to work as proposed because all of the revenue raising elements rest in converting and integrating something far more akin to a pay-as-you-go system closely tethered to a 'because our metrics tell us you can' model. This is what TWDC was sold on.

...

(And, no, that doesn't necessarily mean those who have spent lots in the past because Disney wasn't able to track that spending as it can now ... what if you visit 42 days a year, but stay with Aunt Martha in Clermont? What if you have been visiting since 1977, but paying/staying under a different name since a divorce? The what-ifs are endless, almost like the privacy issues, and Disney can't take the chance of giving you top tier service. Someone who never visited until 2006 and stays, plays, dines and shops all with Disney at deluxe resorts? That's someone who's gonna be lavished with top tier status ... but more to come on that front ...)

If this is indeed how NexGen pans out, my family and I may have had our last WDW vacation ( I said may have...we will indeed wait and see)

Our son is a high school freshman this year, and our daughter is in 5th grade. We live in north Florida and have purchased AP's every other year since 2001 - and I personally have been visiting the parks since 1972. We usually take 4 or 5 long weekends a year, and maybe a day trip or two. We don't get free dining - don't stay long enough - and since the price hikes a few years ago on the character breakfasts, we only eat at quick service places, and usually eat breakfast in the room. We don't buy any real souviners or anything like that, and we usually stay at moderate resorts - the exception being when my wife and I take our 'adults only' F&W trip, then we stay in the International Gateway area.

So, all of that information said, if we were unable to get fastpasses or whatever because we don't spend 'enough'...we won't spend anything. It's that easy. Disney absolutely has the right to do this if they wish - but don't expect my family to participate.

That would make me quite sad.

 

[scpergj]

Sorry, quoting your PM volume is not valid proof for any argument, as it cannot be substantiated by anyone but yourself. That's like saying "I'm right because I said I'm right." Even Wikipedia provides better backup.

Of your 43 posts on this forum, 25 on them have been on this thread alone. You really cannot even start to compare yourself to 74.

Funny thing about that guy(no, not you unkadug...the member you are referencing...)? He locked his profile so we can't see it. Wonder what bridge this particular troll is hiding under?

 

[ParentsOf4]

There is a fatal flaw in this so called "pay as you go" tierd system. The offerings and experiences they are offering are the same tired low maintence experiences everyone else recieves.

Yes, they are the same tired experiences but TDO clearly is not targeting WDW's loyal fans with NextGen. TDO is targeting WDW guests with the deepest pockets, those willing to spend the most per day. TDO has been moving in this direction for years and NextGen's technology allows TDO to turn this from an art ("Let's assume all DVC members are big spenders") into a science ("Mr Smith is in the $150,000-to-$200,000 income bracket and spent $7,587.34 on his last visit"). Eventually, big spenders will be rewarded with better WDW experiences. Value shoppers will be punished with artificially inflated Standby lines.

Ultimately, people won't be classified by Resort but by total spending pattern. Disney doesn’t care how much you spent in the past. They care how much you will spend in the future.

This business model will drive away some customers. It's apparent that TDO's attitude is "If they are not spending enough, we don't want them anyway."

The problem TDO could face is with shared cost. Whether there are 46,000 or 47,000 people at the MK, it costs TDO about the same to operate the parks. Every additional guest represents additional incremental revenue and profits. If TDO pushes too hard, a growing number of park guests will become tired of waiting in WDW's increasingly longer lines for WDW's stagnant attractions. As long as theme parks such as Universal continue to add new experiences (the traditional method to grow amusement park business), guests disenchanted by longer Standby lines will turn towards alternative vacation destinations. It's a fine balance. From TDO's perspective, the beauty of NextGen is its flexibility. With NextGen hardware installed at nearly all locations, optimizing NextGen's total financial performance is a matter of tweaking parameters and algorithms, essentially changing software.

As I've posted before, I fully expect NextGen to evolve over several years as TDO looks to optimize its financial return. NextGen is not a flavor of the month; it is a long-term business strategy to maximize Return On Investment. In the end, TDO will need to build new attractions in order to attract business. However, going forward, new attraction development will be given secondary priority to achieving NextGen's business objectives. Expect TDO to invest as little as possible in WDW in order to keep NextGen's business model working.

 

[HMF]

In all honesty, is there any possible scenario where this inititive fails miserably or is this just something we are just going to have to adapt to somehow.

 

[Darth Sidious]

Here's a wild theory.... those with more knowledge on this feel free to shoot this down.

(And for the record I think Marvel is just fine where it's current address is in the East Coast).

If the TWDC changes the name of Marvel to 'Disney-Marvel', would IOA have to display that in their parks (or anywhere they wish to advertise the fact that the Marvel IP resides in their park)? Would IOA be allowed to just use the characters without any reference to it's parent? If these questions are answered in TWDC's favor, could this be an attempt to add a 'poison pill' to the agreement, hoping that they just walk away from the IP? (of course, 'Disney-Marvel' would be a poison pill to the Marvel fanbase....

They wouldn't have to display that since it wasn't in the original contract. I doubt you see changes like that in general. Disney-Pixar exists because during the acquisition it was signed upon that Disney has to brand that way. They also agreed to never get rid of the Pixar name.

 

[Lil Fort]

Wow @WDW1974! Now the cash part of the cash cow is coming into focus. My little brain is working overtime again. Here are my thoughts on how this might work:

I see this as a whole new revenue stream based on FP+ and the 'personalization' that they have been touting as a part of the Next Gen program using a new Disney 'currency'. Think of it like a guest rewards card for purchases that you make while on property, let's call it 'My Magic Points' for the lack of an official name (do I get an extra orange bird vinylmation if I picked the right name? ). Guests get points for everything that they purchase on property: rooms (with those booking at a Deluxe resort getting more points than those booking at a Value of course and us lowly campers will be lucky if we get any points at all for the $100/night we pay for our concrete slab), theme park tickets, food, merchandise, etc... Those points can then be redeemed to make your visit 'Extra Magical'. Want another FP? Redeem your points and skip to the front of the line. How about a personalized experience at Enchanted Tales with Belle for little Julie? You can do it by redeeming points.

Are you out of points? No problem! Just buy more stuff and we'll give you extra points based on your purchases. This would all be linked to the credit card that you linked to your account at check-in. Want to pay cash or use the credit or debit card in your wallet for your purchases? Sorry... we only give points for purchases that made with your Magic Band. But hey! You can pre-load your Magic Band and use it for purchases around WDW. Of course this would have the same rules as purchasing a gift card, so if you put $300 on your Magic Band you would have to spend it or it would be stuck there until your next visit (or for eternity) as it cannot be redeemed for cash.

Your My Magic Points would of course be tightly integrated with your My Magic app. You will be able to view your points balance, purchase (yes, purchase - you spent money for those points even if it doesn't feel like it) a FP for Space Mountain or a personalized Meet & Greet with Minnie Mouse. If you haven't already purchased the personalized Meet & Greet with your points, you will get a notification from the My Magic app on your phone when you approach the queue. Your My Magic app will probably even show you how much more you need to spend to get more points and suggest things to spend your money on to get them based on where you are in the park.

Of course this is just conjecture, but I am once again intrigued and anxiously awaiting just how this will all play out.

 

[GoofGoof]

In all honesty, is there any possible scenario where this inititive fails miserably or is this just something we are just going to have to adapt to somehow.

Whether the data mining aspects succeed or fail the infrastructure isn't going anywhere. The wrist bands could be converted back to plastic cards if they are really unpopular but the scanners are there to stay. No turning back to the old school FP machines or room locks. FP+ could be tweaked any number of ways if it flops, but I doubt anyone will admit that it is a failure or abandon hopes of turning a profit.

 

[GoofGoof]

Wow @WDW1974! Now the cash part of the cash cow is coming into focus. My little brain is working overtime again. Here are my thoughts on how this might work:

I see this as a whole new revenue stream based on FP+ and the 'personalization' that they have been touting as a part of the Next Gen program using a new Disney 'currency'. Think of it like a guest rewards card for purchases that you make while on property, let's call it 'My Magic Points' for the lack of an official name (do I get an extra orange bird vinylmation if I picked the right name? ). Guests get points for everything that they purchase on property: rooms (with those booking at a Deluxe resort getting more points than those booking at a Value of course and us lowly campers will be lucky if we get any points at all for the $100/night we pay for our concrete slab), theme park tickets, food, merchandise, etc... Those points can then be redeemed to make your visit 'Extra Magical'. Want another FP? Redeem your points and skip to the front of the line. How about a personalized experience at Enchanted Tales with Belle for little Julie? You can do it by redeeming points.

Are you out of points? No problem! Just buy more stuff and we'll give you extra points based on your purchases. This would all be linked to the credit card that you linked to your account at check-in. Want to pay cash or use the credit or debit card in your wallet for your purchases? Sorry... we only give points for purchases that made with your Magic Band. But hey! You can pre-load your Magic Band and use it for purchases around WDW. Of course this would have the same rules as purchasing a gift card, so if you put $300 on your Magic Band you would have to spend it or it would be stuck there until your next visit (or for eternity) as it cannot be redeemed for cash.

Your My Magic Points would of course be tightly integrated with your My Magic app. You will be able to view your points balance, purchase (yes, purchase - you spent money for those points even if it doesn't feel like it) a FP for Space Mountain or a personalized Meet & Greet with Minnie Mouse. If you haven't already purchased the personalized Meet & Greet with your points, you will get a notification from the My Magic app on your phone when you approach the queue. Your My Magic app will probably even show you how much more you need to spend to get more points and suggest things to spend your money on to get them based on where you are in the park.

Of course this is just conjecture, but I am once again intrigued and anxiously awaiting just how this will all play out.

Yep. That's exactly how casino cards work.

 

[HMF]

Whether the data mining aspects succeed or fail the infrastructure isn't going anywhere. The wrist bands could be converted back to plastic cards if they are really unpopular but the scanners are there to stay. No turning back to the old school FP machines or room locks. FP+ could be tweaked any number of ways if it flops, but I doubt anyone will admit that it is a failure or abandon hopes of turning a profit.

My main objection is to the tracking/Big Brother elements and being required to plan every minute detail months in advance. I actually find some aspects quite intriguing but not worth the money they are spending nor worth the potential downside.

 

[ParentsOf4]

My main objection is to the tracking/Big Brother elements.

Me too. My greatest concern is with the precedent being set. A private company can require me individually to wear an active tracking device as part of the terms of doing business with them. Where does it end? What happens 10 years, 20 years from now?

All the other NextGen stuff is just business, just money. But NextGen's active RFID device represents a complete change in the relationship between business and consumer.

To quote Pete Clemenza in the Godfather:

You know, you gotta stop them at the beginning. Like they should have stopped Hitler at Munich, they should never let him get away with that, they was just asking for trouble.

It's 1923 and the Nazis are holding their first rally in Munich. Where does it end?

 

[HMF]

The preferential treatment based on spending seems to be a spit in the face of Walt's memory and the way he felt guests should be treated.

 

[SirOinksALot]

A kid working on the college program. Do you honestly think that they've given you all the keys to the kingdom. And sorry this is t American idol or so you think you can dance, we don't rate posts here use the like system it's easier and more respectful

You know why your last rant disappeared? Because I proved that I was accurate about things and it was all cleaned up in the interest of everyone. I mean, we have yet to see anything here like when AP-holders can get their new tickets, or something useful and concrete like that, but I guess it can just stay that way.

I don't think you have any idea how respectful I'm being. I could do something flashy to get my point across, but I'm not going to put myself ahead of the forum.

 

[Darth Sidious]

Cost reduction.

 

[wm49rs]

You know why your last rant disappeared? Because I proved that I was accurate about things and it was all cleaned up in the interest of everyone.

I can pretty much guarantee that's not why anyone's posts were deleted.....

 

[ScoutN]

So DVC members that actually buy groceries offsite, and cook in are not what they want at all. But when we do eat at Disney, we spend good money for 1 or 2 dinners. Am I even, or is my goose cooked?

This will ultimately bite Disney back. As this happens the already large portion doing just this or venturing off property will continue to grow. Even if DVC Members only make up *<10% of daily attendance it will give a swift kick in the boys. DVC sales have slowed over what they were 18 months ago. The faux cover of TDO having high numbers do to DVC sales only goes so far. When GF DVC is announced lose to the $200/point price range more will turn the cheek and venture to resale. DVC will be the most interesting variable IMO with how this all plays out. The owner's board will be intriguing as well.

 

[GoofGoof]

My main objection is to the tracking/Big Brother elements and being required to plan every minute detail months in advance. I actually find some aspects quite intriguing but not worth the money they are spending nor worth the potential downside.

I am with you on this seeming like a waste of money and the planning in advance, I am not really as worried about the privacy issues. I can understand why people object to it, but for me it's just not that big of a deal. I feel like I sold my soul a long time ago with google and the Internet in general so maybe that's why I don't care as much. As I type this message there is an ad for a local mall at the top of the page. I don't even notice it anymore, but obviously someone is using my personal information to target me with direct advertising. As far as tracking me at the parks, I don't care about that at all. I actually think it has some limited benefits for lost kids or even maybe stopping petty criminals. I don't see the system being used to track individuals real time very often anyway, more likely to compile where you and the other 50,000 guests that day went as data points.

 

[M.rudolf]

You know why your last rant disappeared? Because I proved that I was accurate about things and it was all cleaned up in the interest of everyone. I mean, we have yet to see anything here like when AP-holders can get their new tickets, or something useful and concrete like that, but I guess it can just stay that way.

I don't think you have any idea how respectful I'm being. I could do something flashy to get my point across, but I'm not going to put myself ahead of the forum.

Please do something flashy, I'm sure everyone would love that. You've put yourself ahead of the forum numerous times. I don't have rants buddy, the reason our last conversation disappeared was due to the fact it wasn't a conversation it was a Peeing contest. You know maybe if you posted with more substance and didn't have to play king Wienie on turd mountain more people would believe you. Be flashy the folks here like that. But please remember substance over style.

 

[M.rudolf]

Then the people making this movie are dumb. Female star in the Oz prequel... going to be the witch.

The wizard is the star the wicked witch the reveal

 

[unkadug]

I love flashy posts.

Flash me