Spirited News & Observations II -- NGE/Baxter

[sshindel]

I've never needed an APP to visit WDW in hundreds of days (could it be more? scary!)

No one NEEDS an app to visit WDW (yet), but when the WiFi actually works, it can be a benefit. Seeing current attraction wait times from wherever you are in the park can be a bonus.
It's a nice little perk, a piece of a much larger puzzle. I just wish I had grabbed the presenter at the conference I was at last year who out of the blue pulled up a NextGen slide in the middle of his seminar on data governance, and picked his brain on everything he knew about the changes to the legacy infrastructure that was a part of it. At that time though, after 8 riveting hours on data governance, I was just looking forward to getting out of there, grabbing a big glass of gin, and playing some slots.

 

[Pentacat]

Why do I get the strong feeling that the Marvel acquisition was an Iger vanity project from the start. It makes little sense from a branding standpoint (Contracts with rival film studios and Theme Parks) My guess is Iger was/is a Marvel fan in his youth and thought having control of it would fulfill some personal ambition,Otherwise the Marvel acquisition makes no sense.

Um, try this. TWDC is now primarily a MEDIA company that happens to own some theme parks and that's the way Iger likes it. My guess is that Iger is/always will be a fan of hugely profitable media content and having control of it would fulfill his personal ambition of having year over year salary increases in the 20-40% range.

 

[djkidkaz]

Why do I get the strong feeling that the Marvel acquisition was an Iger vanity project from the start. It makes little sense from a branding standpoint (Contracts with rival film studios and Theme Parks) My guess is Iger was/is a Marvel fan in his youth and thought having control of it would fulfill some personal ambition,Otherwise the Marvel acquisition makes no sense.

To me the answer to the purchase is that it appeals to boys. Disney sees a whole untapped market with boys and they are seeing the success of that with Cars and CarsLand.

 

[wannab@dis]

I've never needed an APP to visit WDW in hundreds of days (could it be more? scary!) I don't need one now. I don't want to need one. I don't want someone bumping into me because instead of taking in the beauty of DAK they are walking with their head down into their iPhone.

That they are wrong just is more fodder for my contention that Disney can't get anything right with technology (this dates back well into the 90s when they couldn't handle sign-ups for merchandise events at DL) and they shouldn't be given any benefit of the doubt as the horror stories pour in.

It was my experience the app was fairly accurate last November. The only instances I noticed it being wrong was when an attraction went down for a few minutes or when the attraction was back online, but the app showed it still down. In each case that I checked, it showed the correct information within minutes. The wait times were fairly accurate... rarely did I see the app differ from the posted wait times. When NextGen rolls out, the bands will make those wait times even more accurate. Find some other "fodder" to whine about.

But Fred and Mary Jenkins of Erie, Penn. (and kids Brandon 11, Kayla 8, Coy 6 and Miranda 3) guess what? I just canceled your Christmas vacation at the WL ... but I did reschedule you for next week at the Boardwalk in a two-bedroom villa. Enjoy the stay! I'll make sure Mickey leaves ya something special in the room!

Nice, so now you're just making up crap you KNOW is not accurate with the attempt to bash something and get the minions riled up. Never let actual facts get in the way of an agenda.

 

[wm49rs]

It was my experience the app was fairly accurate last November. The only instances I noticed it being wrong was when an attraction went down for a few minutes or when the attraction was back online, but the app showed it still down. In each case that I checked, it showed the correct information within minutes. The wait times were fairly accurate... rarely did I see the app differ from the posted wait times. When NextGen rolls out, the bands will make those wait times even more accurate. Find some other "fodder" to whine about.

Nice, so now you're just making up crap you KNOW is not accurate with the attempt to bash something and get the minions riled up. Never let actual facts get in the way of an agenda.

And here I was thinking they've already started rolling out NextGen. Hence the documented issues with people logging into their MM+ accounts and finding the personal information of complete strangers within.....

 

[rael ramone]

But Fred and Mary Jenkins of Erie, Penn. (and kids Brandon 11, Kayla 8, Coy 6 and Miranda 3) guess what? I just canceled your Christmas vacation at the WL ... but I did reschedule you for next week at the Boardwalk in a two-bedroom villa. Enjoy the stay! I'll make sure Mickey leaves ya something special in the room!

At least you didn't rebook them into the ASMusic Suites during Pop Warner week...

 

[TinkerBell9988]

Two interesting reads from THR regarding Disney, although not these topics per se:
(first one is just a follow on what has been talked about regarding exec compensation, the second is surprising because of who it involves and who it doesn't ...)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-shareholders-urged-rethink-ceo-424691

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/disneys-archivist-sues-company-firing-424852

I agree about the second article. I remember Mr. Klein from the D23 WDW 40th Anniversary event. Thought he still worked for the Archives, but apparently, I'm way behind on my TWDC gossip. Which is such juicy gossip, most of the time.

I wish more names were named in that article. One can only hope.

 

[Lee]

Nice, so now you're just making up crap you KNOW is not accurate with the attempt to bash something and get the minions riled up. Never let actual facts get in the way of an agenda.

He made up the the part about actually doing it.
He did not make up the fact that he could have done it.

People are indeed being given access into strangers' accounts.
How long before someone sees the incorrect information on their screen, says "Hey, that isn't what I planned for my trip!" and decides to "correct" it by changing dates, reservations, etc?

Seems like it's bound to happen sooner or later, if it hasn't already...

 

[MattM]

To me the answer to the purchase is that it appeals to boys. Disney sees a whole untapped market with boys and they are seeing the success of that with Cars and CarsLand.

Yep. Focusing heavily on isolating half the population (read: future customers) is not a good long term strategy.

 

[rael ramone]

He made up the the part about actually doing it.
He did not make up the fact that he could have done it.

People are indeed being given access into strangers' accounts.
How long before someone sees the incorrect information on their screen, says "Hey, that isn't what I planned for my trip!" and decides to "correct" it by changing dates, reservations, etc?

Seems like it's bound to happen sooner or later, if it hasn't already...

Or, 'Wow, that's a good time to eat at that restaurant, but I don't have any food allergies, so I'll take that part off'.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Yep. Focusing heavily on isolating half the population (read: future customers) is not a good long term strategy.

Haven't they already done that with the Princess fixation or is that the half you are referring too? Wouldn't this bring it to an admirable 100% of the customer base. If my high school biology lessons have been retained at all our species has two basic genders, male (boy) and female (girl). This would kind of balance things out wouldn't it? I'm sorry, but, based on your comment, I couldn't really tell which side of the fence you fall on with this topic.

 

[flynnibus]

He made up the the part about actually doing it.
He did not make up the fact that he could have done it.

Yes.. a convenient play on words. Yet many readers would read that to mean he has experience the problem himself (doubtful) and that he did change someone's actual trip.

Totally defensible once challenged.. but at the same time done intentionally to lead people to believe.

He was playing a hypothethical.. but worded as he had actually done it. That's what wannabe@dis was calling him out on.

It's the same old tactics of over reaching... and then knowing you can back down afterwards. Because you know getting the words out there makes the impression.. even if you have to retreat later. The impact is already made.

Common ploys to manipulate people. It's deceptive and misleading. And people doubted me? pfft...

 

[flynnibus]

Yep. Focusing heavily on isolating half the population (read: future customers) is not a good long term strategy.

But this was to agument what Disney already had.. so it's not isolating the others.. it's filling in the gap caused by the princesses.

 

[Lee]

Yes.. a convenient play on words. Yet many readers would read that to mean he has experience the problem himself (doubtful) and that he did change someone's actual trip.

Maybe it's me, but I don't see how his statement could be seen as anything other than what it was...an illustration of a potential problem. Very common, and not at all devious or dishonest. *shrug*

If people are gullible enough to think he actually did that...I'm losing hope for mankind.

 

[flynnibus]

Maybe it's me, but I don't see how his statement could be seen as anything other than what it was...an illustration of a potential problem.
If people are gullible enough to think he actually did that...I'm losing hope for mankind.

It's context.. you see it for what it is because you know him and his style.

Imagine someone else quoting that post to another website.. or repeating it verbally.. or the like. Without the context, it means much more. And that ambiguity is not by chance... it's an intentional style. A tool used to juice up writing.

It's tabloid tactics. Sensationalism. Lutz uses similar flair to juice up his writing. It's why Kevin's articles read so much more flat.. while Lutz uses tricks to try to make you double take by introducing concepts midstream as if they should have already been common knowledge.. etc. It's all writing style and not by chance.

 

[Monty]

Maybe it's me, but I don't see how his statement could be seen as anything other than what it was...an illustration of a potential problem. Very common, and not at all devious or dishonest. *shrug*

If people are gullible enough to think he actually did that...I'm losing hope for mankind.

I'm with you [and God forbid '74 as well] on this one...

 

[Lee]

I'm with you [and God forbid '74 as well] on this one...

I'm taking a screenshot of this...

 

[jakeman]

I'm with you [and God forbid '74 as well] on this one...

Agreed with one minor caveat...there is a Mary Jenkins in Erie, PA.

Perhaps 5 seconds to come up with a more fantastical name would make the hyperbole more clear.

With that said, it was pretty clear '74 was speaking in hyperbole.

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

Good spirited news here:

http://www.examiner.com/article/bes...ops-2013-cruise-critic-cruisers-choice-awards

Congrats to the Dream and Fantasy. In terms of relating this to the thread title, is it possible that we could end up seeing Magicbands being sold/used on Disney Cruise ships? Do they have a touch n pay system implemented on their already (haven't been on a DC yet which is why I'm asking)?

 

[jakeman]

Good spirited news here:

http://www.examiner.com/article/bes...ops-2013-cruise-critic-cruisers-choice-awards

Congrats to the Dream and Fantasy. In terms of relating this to the thread title, is it possible that we could end up seeing Magicbands being sold/used on Disney Cruise ships? Do they have a touch n pay system implemented on their already (haven't been on a DC yet which is why I'm asking)?

They do not.

I'm not sure there is a benefit there unless they would be tied into a land/sea package.