Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

Lee

Adventurer
Gee, it's not like there are any conspiracy-minded *cough* Spirits anywhere around here... :rolleyes:
I found one!
Jesse-Ventura.jpg


But seriously...I don't see a conspiracy.
I see a legit inquiry being made, and Disney being handed a PR nightmare.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Expect more "Disney Infinity-esque" announcements over the upcoming months to take focus off of MyMagic+ until the next incarnation of it is figured out.

I was discussing this with a fellow MAGICal member earlier. I am pretty sure that Disney is going to 'announce' something next week. Nothing big ... nothing like mythical fifth gates, new EPCOT attractions, monorail expansion or the like.

More like something to get fanbois to follow the laser pointer and take their eyes off the prize.

Maybe we could have AC performances for three weekends at TPFKaTD-MGMS announced by Georgie K in his first day ... just some stupid inconsequential thing to get people off of MyMagic+ (btw, that example was just something I made up!) and talking about how Disney really does love them (it just won't do that one act in the bedroom that you really want from a lover!):D
 

Monty

Brilliant...and Canadian
In the Parks
No
I found one!
Jesse-Ventura.jpg


But seriously...I don't see a conspiracy.
I see a legit inquiry being made, and Disney being handed a PR nightmare.
Reading the letter I see a Congressman that got all fired up over a massive amount of unfounded conjecture in a newspaper article firing off a ranting series of questions that have for the most part been addressed in a few lines by Disney. I expect they'll have lawyers draw up a formal response and the kerfuffle will fade from memory...

The only earthshattering news will be that guests who opt out will not get the enhanced experience that comes with opting in.
 

steve2wdw

WDW Fan Since 1973
I was discussing this with a fellow MAGICal member earlier. I am pretty sure that Disney is going to 'announce' something next week. Nothing big ... nothing like mythical fifth gates, new EPCOT attractions, monorail expansion or the like.

More like something to get fanbois to follow the laser pointer and take their eyes off the prize.

Maybe we could have AC performances for three weekends at TPFKaTD-MGMS announced by Georgie K in his first day ... just some stupid inconsequential thing to get people off of MyMagic+ (btw, that example was just something I made up!) and talking about how Disney really does love them (it just won't do that one act in the bedroom that you really want from a lover!):D
Maybe....but if we're lucky, mainstream media will get this in the heads of Joe Q Public, and they're the ones that will vote with their wallets, ending up "vacationing like they mean it".
 

Lee

Adventurer
Reading the letter I see a Congressman that got all fired up over a massive amount of unfounded conjecture in a newspaper article firing off a ranting series of questions that have for the most part been addressed in a few lines by Disney. I expect they'll have lawyers draw up a formal response and the kerfuffle will fade from memory...

The only earthshattering news will be that guests who opt out will not get the enhanced experience that comes with opting in.
PR wise...the damage is done. Regardless of the answers Disney gives. They're on the defensive now.

And I'm not worried about not getting the "enhanced experience" if I opt out. I'm worried of getting less than I get now.
 

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Reading the letter I see a Congressman that got all fired up over a massive amount of unfounded conjecture in a newspaper article firing off a ranting series of questions that have for the most part been addressed in a few lines by Disney. I expect they'll have lawyers draw up a formal response and the kerfuffle will fade from memory...

The only earthshattering news will be that guests who opt out will not get the enhanced experience that comes with opting in.
Considering they will be completely phasing out regular Fastpass completely, it will be a far diminished experience.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I write a check for 1.5 billion then enter it in my check register for 2 billion. I do that all year, then at the end of the year I have quite a yearly bonus.

What's not to like about that?

You too? I thought I was the only one who did that!

Seriously, the project was originally approved for $1 billion and increased to $1.25 billion. Word is they've spent close to $1.5 and they're not even close to getting this up and running. I don't see how it doesn't cost $2 billion or more.
 

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
First...this is a change in procedure. They've been tracking your butts for decades. They just found a new way to do it that is really less invasive because now you don't have to answer a bunch of foolish question. They can, of course, now know where you specifically are in the parks but I fail to see why that is a problem. Please enlighten me. They have also been watching your every move with cameras for years. I see no difference.
Please consider the following:

“The real danger is the gradual erosion of individual liberties through automation, integration, and interconnection of many small, separate record-keeping systems, each of which alone may seem innocuous, even benevolent, and wholly justifiable.” - U. S. Privacy Study Commission, 1977

Fundamentally, the line crossed with MagicBands is that we are being tracked as individuals. Yes, Disney could hire 100,000 CMs whose sole jobs were to follow all park guests but, obviously, this is impractical just as it is impractical to track thousands of individual guests via surveillance cameras. However, technology has reached the tipping point where all of us, as human beings, can be tracked 24/7.

The 4th Amendment protects us against unreasonable searches by the government without probable cause. The Supreme Court has already unanimously ruled that tracking devices constitute a search. The Privacy Act of 1974 establishes the laws determining how the government collects information about us, while the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 provides similar protection for our financial records. However, the 4th Amendment and the two privacy acts do not protect us from corporations. There are few checks in place for private corporations.

If left unchecked, I expect our society to reach a point where corporations require us to wear tracking devices as the price of doing business with them. If that seems ludicrous, consider that in 1977 the concept that we'd have to wear tracking devices in order to visit WDW would have been unthinkable. (And I don't even want to hear about the bogus "opt out" option.) Many would have ridiculed the idea. Seriously go back and contemplate the quote from the 1977 U. S. Privacy Study Commission. Commission members would be shocked at how much of our individual liberties we've already surrendered to technology.

MagicBands cross the line. MagicBands don't track my data; they track me.

I don't want my children living in a world where The Gap scene from The Minority Report is the accepted norm.
 

Cody5242

Well-Known Member
I was discussing this with a fellow MAGICal member earlier. I am pretty sure that Disney is going to 'announce' something next week. Nothing big ... nothing like mythical fifth gates, new EPCOT attractions, monorail expansion or the like.

More like something to get fanbois to follow the laser pointer and take their eyes off the prize.

Maybe we could have AC performances for three weekends at TPFKaTD-MGMS announced by Georgie K in his first day ... just some stupid inconsequential thing to get people off of MyMagic+ (btw, that example was just something I made up!) and talking about how Disney really does love them (it just won't do that one act in the bedroom that you really want from a lover!):D
Would a new show at DHS be to big of an announcement?
 

Monty

Brilliant...and Canadian
In the Parks
No
Considering they will be completely phasing out regular Fastpass completely, it will be a far diminished experience.

In your opinion...

If I run a movie theatre and start upgrading my facilities to show only 3D IMAX movies, you can opt out of using the glasses if you don't want the enhanced experience, but there's no requirement for me to maintain the outdated experience just to keep your paranoias about 3D [or maybe about IMAX] satisfied.

Disney doesn't owe you anything. They've come up with a program that they believe enhances the guest experience. If you choose to opt out because you don't "like" it, too bad. It's the same as those who bemoan the loss of Horizons, if you don't like it being gone that may very well leave you with a less enjoyable experience... Oh well.
 

steve2wdw

WDW Fan Since 1973
Did this happen to you?
No......I'd last ten minutes in management. I'd never be able to stop pointing out the correct way of being in the hospitality business. My wife and I own a B&B on the Maine coast....although a bit cold right now, I wouldn't trade Maine for anything. I've got friends on the West Coast that have worked for WDAnimation and a few in marketing. None are there now....and they always chuckled when the word "creative" was thrown around.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I could see this whole thing being packed up and shipped to the Far East.


Kind of like Lucky...

Won't fly there for many reasons. ... It was created with WDW in mind and aspects that could be spread (in Disney's collective mind) beyond.

And Lucky isn't in Asia. He's in Glendale. If you buy an AbD tour, then you can even see him.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
Wow. This is a PR nightmare for sure. The only way I see Disney squirming out of this is to simply turn off the tracking for anyone under 13. Don't compile the data, don't store it, don't use it in any way and then publicly advertise that. There is still plenty of value in the adult data. It may be a hit to the original goal of the system, but they can't just let it fail financially. If Nextgen has no monetary return for the company they are going to have to boost ticket WDW prices significantly or cut costs even more to make up for it. A division of a corporation can't just take a $2B write-off without some serious financial fallout.
 

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