Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

[WDW1974]

Is that a thing?
I'll be needing EpcotExplorer to teach it to me.

I think he's still all verklempt over seeing the amazing new Fantasyland and crying yet again while clutching his Figment plush and watching Wishes. I love that kid!

 

[WDW1974]

go read the comments on the disney parks blog to understand why disney gets away with this stuff.....unreal pixie lovers

true, but if Disney didn't eliminate negative comments/questions, I wonder if it would be so MAGICal over there ... I think not.

 

[WDW1974]

I have no doubts that this is going to go into Anahiem: but not all of the publicly facing parts. If this goes as badly as you believe (and I agree that the public facing parts of this are fairly likely to be a trainwreck), then someone's going to put together the 'MyMagic+ Lite' plan that puts a passive RFID on every ticket media, hides antennas in the areas that they want to measure, and gets a lot of the operational data mining without the public face.

Paris & China may be more of a problem due to privacy laws in the former and a distinct lack of concern for same in the latter.

Agreed basically on all counts. No way this goes to Anaheim as it is here (if it lasts here in the form they want it to). It won't fly at all in an EU country because they do care about privacy unlike here in the rugged individual US. They won't even attempt it in China. I liked their surveilance better when I lived in Guangzhou. A cute young Chinese girl would welcome me back to my apartment and, obviously and comically, note every time I came and left. Fun times.

 

[WDW1974]

you know, i'm pretty surprised. i guess i shouldn't be, but I am. i'm shocked any one of you with kids is okay with this. this is pretty much one of the most transparently-insidious things a corporation has ever executed. when the real evil does their dirty work, it's usually fairly well concealed. but this? "hey, guys. we're just going to invest $2 billon into gathering information on you. why? well, so you don't have to go and fiddle around with those silly paper tickets, right? I mean...how annoying is THAT!"

seriously, it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it, and it shocks me that anyone doesn't see right through this nonsense. at the very least, it's an incredibly-severe misallocation of funds. at the most, it's data mining you AND YOUR CHILDREN for profit. gross.

NAILED IT!!!

I do wish 99% felt this way and wiped the Pixie Dust and naive optimism out of their eyes. Although I truly sense that far more have problems with this than Disney every anticipated.

Hey Duncan, is it still 18 postive comments to one negative? Hell, even if it, it very much depends on who that one negative poster is. It's all about sphere of influence, real world influence much more so than online. But I suspect the Celebration Place Social Media Cabal already gets that.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

Disney isn't targeting once-in-a-lifetime visitors. That's an Internet/urban/CM/fanboi myth. They want first-timers, but they want as many of them to come back as they can get. But they want the new guests because they're generally a whole lot easier to please. They won't notice all the things that are wrong with the product that most of us lifers do. Pixie dust is potent when you've never had it before.

Thanks for the clarification. That makes sense. I kept seeing that strategy thrown around on this site I just assumed Disney really was targeting those once-in-a-lifetime folks. Now I'm not so sure which strategy was worse...

 

[WDW1974]

That predated this.


This whole thing keeps getting funnier and funnier... dates have been in concrete for a long time with this. Your source knew damn well that the NYT article was coming - good chance for the old man puppet to look "ahead of the game."

You know something, somehow in the excitement, the sheer ecstasy of the moment of seeing Tom Staggs and Nick Franklin dancing a tango I totally forgot that you were a troll who has had numerous posts disappear and now is just posting nonsense. So ... you keep it up. But I'll play with the adults. If it oinks like a pig ...

 

[WDW1974]

Do you think this will flop with the general public or are there too many Lou followers, mommy bloggers and lifestylers out there?

I think Disney will be working with its BRAND ADVOCATES to push the positives (as such) of this, but my gut keeps telling me that the company has made a billion dollar plus miscalculation about what guests want out of a vacation.

 

[HMF]

I think Disney will be working with its BRAND ADVOCATES to push the positives (as such) of this, but my gut keeps telling me that the company has made a billion dollar plus miscalculation about what guests want out of a vacation.

I hope your right. I really hope this fails so I can regain some of my faith in humanity.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

you know, i'm pretty surprised. i guess i shouldn't be, but I am. i'm shocked any one of you with kids is okay with this. this is pretty much one of the most transparently-insidious things a corporation has ever executed. when the real evil does their dirty work, it's usually fairly well concealed. but this? "hey, guys. we're just going to invest $2 billon into gathering information on you. why? well, so you don't have to go and fiddle around with those silly paper tickets, right? I mean...how annoying is THAT!"

seriously, it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it, and it shocks me that anyone doesn't see right through this nonsense. at the very least, it's an incredibly-severe misallocation of funds. at the most, it's data mining you AND YOUR CHILDREN for profit. gross.

Yes and all, but....but I have voluntarily taken part in more WDW guests surveys than I care to remember. As did my kids. (DD, 5, called 'Theti', DS 8, 'Hypo', DS 3, 'Cal')

I did so, because the better WDW understands me and my likes and dilikes, the better it can adjust its offerings to suit my tastes.


Why run to Guest Relations to complain about Splash, or partake in guest surveys to voice discontent about the dumbification of the MK, when I can tell WDW in a fully automated continuous survey how I feel?

 

[Longhairbear]

I think Disney will be working with its BRAND ADVOCATES to push the positives (as such) of this, but my gut keeps telling me that the company has made a billion dollar plus miscalculation about what guests want out of a vacation.

Staggs said building new attractions doesn't cut it anymore, or something to that affect. Your thoughts about that?

 

[HMF]

Staggs said building new attractions doesn't cut it anymore, or something to that affect. Your thoughts about that?

Sounds like something $taggs would say.

 

[SirLink]

Staggs said building new attractions doesn't cut it anymore, or something to that affect. Your thoughts about that?

He has to say that - they just spent $2billion on computer software, server farms, etc. Most of which the guest will never see - apart from they'll wonder why they are now getting mail from "friends" of the TWDC.

As there isn't anything tangible attached to this project - so best decree that building attractions, like what the competition is doing at a constant rate, is old and deserves to go the way of Old Yeller ...

 

[Monty]

So...if there is no extra cost to "opt-in"...will I get a discount if I "opt-out?"
I mean, if I'm foregoing all these great enhancements that others are getting for $90, shouldn't I be able to get an old-school ticket and experience for, say...$75?

And how complicated is this going to make things at the ticket window? I'd hate to have to explain all this to someone who has no clue about what's what. Gonna need a chart of some sort. And a slide rule.

Just thinkin' out loud...

They'd have to teach CMs how to use one!

 

[Monty]

I believe you might be right (there's the only time in 2013), but I do wonder what else will be able to be read on that device as well.

I'm right a lot, as are you... I just deliver with less vitriol.

Given the time each guest would be spending entering, I doubt there'd be much more worth displaying. Perhaps a note of when the guest was last seen entering that park so you could get a "welcome back, Jim" as you entered a second time on the same day? With the volume of guests passing through, interaction isn't likely to be extensive beyond if there's an issue with your ticket.

 

[wm49rs]

Staggs said building new attractions doesn't cut it anymore, or something to that affect. Your thoughts about that?

Ask him how well that concept is working for Disney out in DCA....

 

[Longhairbear]

Ask him how well that concept is working for Disney out in DCA....

So true, Staggs should have stood in line like I did waiting for everything in Carsland including dinner at Flo's. The queue at Flo's went to the curb past the gasoline pumps when we were there. At one point, they even opened up the extended queue for Little Mermaid which is almost never used for that people eating attraction.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

You can see why Disney would be so worried about anything they do online or on an app being classified as "directed at children" by the FTC:

http://www.coppa.org/comply.htm

To determine whether a Web site is directed to children, the FTC considers several factors, including the subject matter; visual or audio content; the age of models on the site; language; whether advertising on the Web site is directed to children; information regarding the age of the actual or intended audience; and whether a site uses animated characters or other child-oriented features.

 

[scpergj]

"Rather than having to constantly dig through their pockets for this piece of paper, or that piece of paper or this card or that card," said Disney spokesman Nick Franklin. "It's all very simply right on their wrists and every family member can have one."

As for concerns the new system is a little too "big brother" Disney said the wristbands will track guests' preferences and purchases, giving the theme park company a better idea of what resonates well with parkgoers, but they said the focus is on improving the guest experience and all of the data is secured.

"All the information itself is secured in very secure data services with full encryption and all the things you would want for your personal data," said Franklin.

Yep, how enlightening? ... Or not.

Ha.

I say it again. Ha.

Look, even the very best systems are vulnerable to hackers like Anonymous. The way I understand the security around this system is that the RFID chip you have (wristband, room key, ticket...whatever) will have an ID number stored in it - a database key. The real work is done by a database (my bet - Oracle. SQL server is good, but that much data at high access speeds? Nah...Oracle), so first the servers have to be FAST...as do the switches and the entire infrastructure. Ok...so while you wander the parks the only data that someone with say a small handheld RFID scanner will pick up is your key - which may or may not be encrypted. No big deal there...UNTIL someone with a small hand held scanner works with an insider - or even a hacker - (and like I said in a previous posting, there is NOTHING that Disney or any other company can do to totally keep creeps and bad guys out of their organization) to identify someone they can do whatever criminal stuff they are looking to do. Hey - there's a good looking lady with a couple of small kids - ok, her id is xxx234zzz - and the insider says yes, she is traveling with her kids, staying at resort Z in room ###...and again, it's all bad.

Look, I'm not saying that this WILL happen. What I am saying is that there is the POTENTIAL for bad things to come out of this.

 

[docnabox]

What are your three best pies and then I'll determine the supplier ...

Granny Smith Appple, Peanut Butter/Chocolate Banana Cream and Pecan

 

[alphac2005]

You can see why Disney would be so worried about anything they do online or on an app being classified as "directed at children" by the FTC:

http://www.coppa.org/comply.htm

When it comes to privacy of children, the original COPPA Act online applied to websites and don't include mobile data. So, as of today, none of the compliance applies to using apps or anything with a mobile device, which is a total workaround the rules. However, effective on July 1st, new COPPA compliance begins as the rules established in 2000 become applicable to all mobile devices. Also, the new amendments have restriction and new compliance measures of the collection of data for minors to be used by third parties.

There is also further clarity with data collection by a company and at the core of the amendments is the strengthening of parental consent for those under 13. The legislation is still watered down compared to what is could actually be.

What you have to focus in on with COPPA is that at the core of the act, it is to get parental approval to use a website, soon to be app, etc. Once a parent signs off, as long as the data remains for use internally within a company, it's fair game for company use. There aren't going to be masses of 12 year olds going to Walt Disney World by themselves, so the guardian of the child is going to consent each and every time for Disney to data mining of the child, unless they object and won't use the MAGICPLASTICWRISTBAND.