Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

[TP2000]

Oh, just wondering for my social media experiment ... but how many folks here actually wear a watch daily? And your children? Serious question.

I stopped wearing a watch daily years ago. It's all on my iPhone, which I check more often than I ever used to check my wristwatch in the 20th century.

Funny thing is that I still wear a wristwatch when I 'dress up' to go out for a nice dinner or an evening event. If I'm wearing a sport coat or a suit and tie, I'll put on my fancy wristwatch. I did wear a wristwatch to DCA this past Christmas while wearing slacks and a sport coat, for a nice dinner I went to at Carthay Circle Theater.

But wearing a wristwatch for a day at a theme park? Not since Clinton was in the White House.

 

[stlphil]

Meh. I'd wear it, and I'd be fine with putting the band in my pocket, still *much* easier to use than credit cards. They'll probably start selling the RFID chips in other stuff besides the wrist bands, such as something that hangs on your neck, or a special pin or something. There's all sorts of creative possibilities.

Also, it won't be long until they figure how to make an RFID add-on for cell phones so you can use your cell phone to do this.

A lot of Apple watchers expected the iPhone 5 to have this, and were disappointed when it didn't happen. I remember reading at the time (sorry can't find it now) that the reason Apple didn't include it was that they were worried about security/privacy issues.

 

[TP2000]

I also think Jim didn't truly realize what he was getting into or that so much of the important stuff was a 'learning on the fly' deal ...

For what it's worth, it was Nick Franklin who was out there in front of the TV cameras on media launch day for MyMagic+ a few weeks ago. (Looking like a schleppy cubicle drone who had just rolled up his sleeves to change the printer toner cartridge instead of a brilliant exec in proper attire launching a Billion dollar customer initiative, but I digress.)

I haven't seen Jim McPhee as the public face of MyMagic+ in the media, at least not from my remote SoCal location. Perhaps McPhee has done local interviews with the Sentinel or blogs I don't know about?

It will be interesting to see how Disney's execs approach additional media exposure from now until Iger responds to the congressional questions, and then immediately after the congressional response, which will generate media interest on its own. I'm sure any public mention of MyMagic+ is now going to be on a very, very short leash with the media and bloggers.

If the congressional thing blows up into something of a national story, perhaps they push McPhee out front to be the spokesman? But if the congressional thing blows over instead, then maybe Nick Franklin continues to schmooze for the TV cameras?

It would be nice if Franklin's secretary could call up the Nordstrom personal shopper at the Florida Mall and have a basic blue blazer and a few neckties sent over to Franklin's office before that happens though. His jacket size looks to be about a 42 Short, if that helps.

 

[jharvey]

I think the poster you are quoting was banned.

I see that now. This thread moves faster than I can cope with. There is only so much of my work day that I can devout to this page. I am at 29.8% productivity as is thanks to this one thread.

 

[Nemo14]

Oh, just wondering for my social media experiment ... but how many folks here actually wear a watch daily? And your children? Serious question.

I wear a watch, but it's not a plastic band, but neither of my kids or their spouses wear watches. I'm just a dinosaur after all.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

No. What I've been told is after he was removed as EPCOT VP, he was placed in a nebulous position of overseeing the Guest Experience. This was about the time Franklin and Rasulo were concocting NEXT GEN. It was just a natural slide for him to take. I also think Jim didn't truly realize what he was getting into or that so much of the important stuff was a 'learning on the fly' deal ...

So in your Spirited and expert opinion, considering Congress is already on Disney's case about this and they're not even halfway into roll-out yet (hell, I'm tempted to say roll-out is barely 1/4 of the way done), what's the timeline for this project's ultimate demise?

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

But, I once worked in a profession where a watch with a sweep second hand was mandatory, so it's habit.

I'm not going to go with the obvious guess being some healthcare related profession (I think doctors show patients the second hand and ask them if it is going clockwise to diagnose dystempus), but I'm going to say you were either an underwater cement pourer who has to be able to see the second hand for timing the job just right, or you were a fulltime employee of Colonial Williamsburg where anachronistic garb such as digital wrist watches are banned.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

So in your Spirited and expert opinion, considering Congress is already on Disney's case about this and they're not even halfway into roll-out yet (hell, I'm tempted to say roll-out is barely 1/4 of the way done), what's the timeline for this project's ultimate demise?

I think the committee issuing just a vague note of concern, (and asking questions that a six-year-old could answer and probably are mocked by Disney lawyers), are just playing politics by focusing on anything besides the crumbling economy which never recovered.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Call me crazy, but I think I'll love the MagicBand thing and hope that it comes to DLR.

O_O Oh HECK no. No way, I pray it doesn't come to California. I don't think the majority of SoCal citizens/passholders would welcome this, at all. Do you know how many complaints guest services would receive?

Let's keep DLR classic. Paper tickets, paper Fastpasses and hotel room keys, please.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

I think the committee issuing just a vague note of concern, (and asking questions that a six-year-old could answer and probably are mocked by Disney lawyers), are just playing politics by focusing on anything besides the crumbling economy which never recovered.

Sure, Disney could answer them, but will they answer them with 100% honesty or will they do it with their typical PR spin? They'll do it with the latter. But when the opposite of what they claim happens on all fronts, $*&% will hit the fan.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

A lot of Apple watchers expected the iPhone 5 to have this, and were disappointed when it didn't happen. I remember reading at the time (sorry can't find it now) that the reason Apple didn't include it was that they were worried about security/privacy issues.

Maybe the iPhone 6 will have, RFID credit card transactions are supposed to be pretty safe, though obviously they'll need to have encryption and safeguards to prevent hacking. If RFID catches on outside of WDW, then it is kind of neat that WDW is sort of pioneering its use.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

Since @WDW1974 was interested in how many people wear a wristwatch: I don't generally. If I do, it is more something that I would consider jewellery. And that MagicBand certainly does not qualify to be included in that category - whatever characters there might be found on it. Plastic is never jewellery.

Also, considering how many people you see walking around with lanyards holding their tickets and room keys, I wonder how many people actually still would have to fumble for their wallet to access their room key to charge something to the room in order to have that tiny advantage of buying something 20 seconds faster with the MagicBand.

I would do it for one day at first, just for the novelty, and for convenience. Its not just the room key and tickets, but fast pass and paying for stuff too.

Of course, even if don't use it, you'll still benefit.

60 people ahead of you in whatever line, times 20 seconds, that's about 1,200 seconds, or twenty minutes.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

O_O Oh HECK no. No way, I pray it doesn't come to California. I don't think the majority of SoCal citizens/passholders would welcome this, at all. Do you know how many complaints guest services would receive?

Let's keep DLR classic. Paper tickets, paper Fastpasses and hotel room keys, please.

The example being used for RFID in DLR is that Al Lutz, (or some very complaint-prone APers) shows up to Guest Relations and their name and rap list automatically pops up, red lights start flashing, and they call the manager who tells them to shove off because they are a known complainer.

Doesn't matter if a majority of APers want it or not (as long as it is opt-out, which it would be), if even a couple thousand APers are using it, then it speeds up the whole experience for everybody else. Less waiting to get into the parks, less waiting for food, and for fast pass.

APers *love* their wrist bands. Everytime I go to the park for a special event there a throng of APers with special wrist bands on, looking at me like, "Hey buddy! You got one of these!", they point at their wrist bands, "this is our park!"

Yeah, APers were happy to buy and wear glow with the show ears, they'll all have MagicBands in a year or so.

 

[Californian Elitist]

The example being used for RFID in DLR is that Al Lutz, (or some very complaint-prone APers) shows up to Guest Relations and their name and rap list automatically pops up, red lights start flashing, and they call the manager who tells them to shove off because they are a known complainer.

Doesn't matter if a majority of APers want it or not (as long as it is opt-out, which it would be), if even a couple thousand APers are using it, then it speeds up the whole experience for everybody else. Less waiting to get into the parks, less waiting for food, and for fast pass.

APers *love* their wrist bands. Everytime I go to the park for a special event there a throng of APers with special wrist bands on, looking at me like, "Hey buddy! You got one of these!", they point at their wrist bands, "this is our park!"

Yeah, APers were happy to buy and wear glow with the show ears, they'll all have MagicBands in a year or so.

This isn't about wearing something nifty looking in the park. This is about the entire system. This system is designed for major vacation planners, it looks like. DLR doesn't receive this kind of audience. People aren't going to DLR for weeks, not to mention the plethora of offsite hotels that people use. We only have three hotels. Not to mention the Fastpass system is totally abused in California. I just don't see this working in Anaheim and I truly hope they believe this too and won't even think about considering it.

BTW no one really wears the Glow with the Show ears anymore.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Oh, just wondering for my social media experiment ... but how many folks here actually wear a watch daily? And your children? Serious question.

Outside of special occasions, I never wear a watch. Sometimes if I don't want to use my iPhone, I'll use a sports watch for running, but that is fairly rare nowadays with Nike+.

 

[stlphil]

I would do it for one day at first, just for the novelty, and for convenience. Its not just the room key and tickets, but fast pass and paying for stuff too.

Of course, even if don't use it, you'll still benefit.

60 people ahead of you in whatever line, times 20 seconds, that's about 1,200 seconds, or twenty minutes.

I don't see the efficiency either, at least with purchases which is the only place this would matter. Now- get out my card while waiting to order and just swipe my card. With magic band- tap band, pass over PIN keypad, oh yeah remember my Disney-assigned PIN, enter PIN. I'll take the former any day.

And if RFID transactions are so secure, why is Disney now requiring a PIN with all of them?

 

[Hakunamatata]

And if RFID transactions are so secure, why is Disney now requiring a PIN with all of them?

Because people who don't know any better are freaking out?

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

Because people who don't know any better are freaking out?

Or because if you lose the magic bracelet, then somebody can't start buying a ton of stuff.

 

[stlphil]

Because people who don't know any better are freaking out?

Maybe, but I'm not so sure about that. I think the original plan to only require the PIN for >50$ was to protect and mollify the guests, and changing to all transactions is to protect Disney (after they thought it through).

 

[stlphil]

Or because if you lose the magic bracelet, then somebody can't start buying a ton of stuff.

Yes, or spoof the ID number in the bracelet.