Spirited News & Observations II -- NGE/Baxter

[wannab@dis]

Two is all that I've seen personally. But it is also two reports on only two different sites. Who knows how many more are out there, reported or otherwise.

And quite frankly, for a issue such as this, even two instances should be deemed unacceptable. It's one thing to make light of a Disney app having the wrong location for a parade or the wrong country icon, but it's another when personal information is being erroneously placed for others to see.

Completely agree. As I said, it should be zero. But I also think there's been a lot of exaggeration on the issue, especially when it comes to finances. I'd love to read a specific account of what happened.

 

[ScoutN]

Two is all that I've seen personally. But it is also two reports on only two different sites. Who knows how many more are out there, reported or otherwise.

And quite frankly, for a issue such as this, even two instances should be deemed unacceptable. It's one thing to make light of a Disney app having the wrong location for a parade or the wrong country icon, but it's another when personal information is being erroneously placed for others to see.

When it gets down to there system what happens if a DVC ID is comprimised? We both know there is enough information there to drain two years worth of points, three if some are banked. It is possible to do it without recieving and email confirmation as well.

 

[Funmeister]

Funny, nothing shows up in any searches of this supposed glitch... well, other than you and '74 talking about it. Why not link to a credible source? There are many tech sites out there that would publish credible sources in a heartbeat - showing a large corporation having privacy issues is a big deal. But, nothing.

With all due respect...most guests are not connected to fan boards. They want to get away to WDW or DLR...they could really care less about new napkins or restrooms. Other than these boards where would you recommend guests vent their concerns? Beyond Facebook...not much. Do you really think outside of the World of Disney that a complaint of that nature will go viral within a community that sees Disney as nothing more than a place to go on vacation?

BTW...it is happening...more than you can imagine.

 

[thehowiet]

Enough for it not to be random? Really? 2 out of hundreds of thousands of reservations? While it should be ZERO, I would say that's fairly random and small given the sample.

I doubt every person that books a WDW vacation posts on fan forums like this one. Just because there are only a few cases posted on forums like this one, that doesn't mean that they are the only incidents.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I could be mistaken, but this would be a better explanation for the lock set analogy made several pages ago. To encrypt an RFID key is it more cost effective to have say 1000 different encryption combinations than 28000? So your key would open your room and 28 other rooms around property? If I'm wrong, my apologies but it was my understanding of these sorts of things.

Could the mag strip room keys open a few other rooms on property? I don't know. I just don't see why the RFID encoding system would be more expensive in operation than the system that was used for encoding the mag strips.

 

[Lee]

Here is one situation (Names changed to protect the innocent...)

I've had an issue with MyDisneyExperience pulling up the wrong information. Instead of my name (I have it set to "Amy" with the Lady headlining bar) it first pulled up as "Mark" and no character headlining bar. It didn't have my reservations, nothing- and I had all of my information confirmed through their site previously.

Fast forward to today. I get a call from someone who claims they "handle the technical side" and asked me to log onto my account. I open the page, plug in my email, password, and POOF!

Hello, Elizabeth!

Ariel headline bar.


NOT my reservations. Not my family size, absolutely no likeness to my planned trip. This happened while on the phone with their tech. The person was speechless- her name was Julie, btw- and she didn't know how to handle the situation other than to say my account will be deactivated temporarily and should be in working order by the end of the week. In the meantime, can i process any reservations you would like? blahblah, No big deal really.


I asked her if that means someone else is seeing MY reservations- and are they technically able to CHANGE them, if they are seeing them? She couldn't confirm... but seeing as how I had the ability to change "Elizabeth"'s (I didn't!!) I don't see how someone couldn't screw with mine.

They're sending me a gift card.

Three things stand out to me:
1- On two attempts, she got access to TWO different accounts. So it isn't that they just have her's swapped with someone else's.
2- Disney called her about it, showing that they are aware and clearly rather concerned about it, even if they can't seem to get a handle on it.
3- She had the ability to modify or cancel the other people's information. Spooky...

 

[sshindel]

I could be mistaken, but this would be a better explanation for the lock set analogy made several pages ago. To encrypt an RFID key is it more cost effective to have say 1000 different encryption combinations than 28000? So your key would open your room and 28 other rooms around property? If I'm wrong, my apologies but it was my understanding of these sorts of things.

I have not done a lot of reading on RFID, but I am fairly confident that there would be no cost associated with having as many unique keys as are available in the frequency band that they use, which I would assume to be massive.

 

[Figments Friend]

Three things stand out to me:
1- On two attempts, she got access to TWO different accounts. So it isn't that they just have her's swapped with someone else's.
2- Disney called her about it, showing that they are aware and clearly rather concerned about it, even if they can't seem to get a handle on it.
3- She had the ability to modify or cancel the other people's information. Spooky...

VERY spooky.

 

[alissafalco]

Where did I "defend" anything? Also, show me where someone's reservation was cancelled. I think we're having a factual issue here. I'd rather see some facts than wild speculation.

I know we are following this same thread. You have not seen arewethereyet's posts? Every post you make defends WDW.

 

[wannab@dis]

Here is one situation (Names Clchsnged to protect the innocent...)

Three things stand out to me:
1- On two attempts, she got access to TWO different accounts. So it isn't that they just have her's swapped with someone else's.
2- Disney called her about it, showing that they are aware and clearly rather concerned about it, even if they can't seem to get a handle on it.
3- She had the ability to modify or cancel the other people's information. Spooky...

1. It's a problem, no matter how small, that should be fixed. I believe I've said that numerous times.
2. Of course they would call her back. Of course they are concerned. I would imagine that's a good thing. (never know around here)
3. I have to wonder if we're talking about dining reservations here? I haven't seen anything in the app that shows where room reservations could be upgraded or anything CHARGED to another person. You can't even make a dining reservation online without putting in your CC info. They have it on file, but you still have to enter it again. If you go back, I have specifically questioned whether there was a financial issue (one that was exaggerated by your buddy). I'm simply suggesting there is not. Still, I wouldn't want a dining reservation to change or be cancelled. I wouldn't want my email or address listed. It's a problem that should be fixed.

Let's be clear here. Some want to hype this into the world is ending scenario. It's not, but it is a glitch that should be fixed.

 

[wannab@dis]

I know we are following this same thread. You have not seen arewethereyet's posts? Every post you make defends WDW.

Maybe you should go back and actually read it again instead of attacking me. They do not know the reason. You're making assumptions.

They were waiting on their client to call Disney. (which is strange)

 

[alissafalco]

Maybe you should go back and actually read it again instead of attacking me. They do not know the reason. You're making assumptions.

They were waiting on their client to call Disney. (which is strange)

Maybe you should go back and actually read it again because its not her client, it's a friend of her client.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Here is one situation (Names Clchsnged to protect the innocent...)

Three things stand out to me:
1- On two attempts, she got access to TWO different accounts. So it isn't that they just have her's swapped with someone else's.
2- Disney called her about it, showing that they are aware and clearly rather concerned about it, even if they can't seem to get a handle on it.
3- She had the ability to modify or cancel the other people's information. Spooky...

Thanks for sharing. This sounds exactly like what happened with me on a simple dining reservation, except it's happening on a much more significant aspect of the reservation. This is a huge problem and if we're hearing reports here, I imagine it's far more widespread than the reports that have surfaced. They give people gift cards to shut them up, many people don't realize what could actually be done to their reservation if Disney didn't "handle it".

 

[WDW1974]

Any timeline on that?

Nope. I'm not sure one has been determined as of yet.

 

[djlaosc]

Here someone on here who has had a problem with My Disney Experience...

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...ed-park-maps-coming-soon.860435/#post-5337618

I just signed in to My Disney Experience to add another reservation and it said "Welcome, Kevin C*******!"

I'm not Kevin. :\ And my confirmed reservations @ Poly aren't showing.

What the hell? :\

 

[dhall]

Pardon my ignorance, but hasn't Disney always been a media company that happened to own some theme parks?

Before 1955, it was just a media company, and before 1971, it was a media company that owned a park

 

[dhall]

Completely agree. As I said, it should be zero. But I also think there's been a lot of exaggeration on the issue, especially when it comes to finances. I'd love to read a specific account of what happened.

I found a link to the DIS thread in one of the topics here, and I think '74 quoted another. From the description of the error, it would appear that a malicious user could do anything he wanted with such access. '74's phrasing was an exaggeration of what anyone knows to have happened, but not an exaggeration of what very well can happen.

 

[thehowiet]

Some want to hype this into the world is ending scenario. It's not, but it is a glitch that should be fixed.

Some also want to downplay the issue and claim it's just an exaggeration. Different strokes, and that's totally fine.

 

[wm49rs]

Completely agree. As I said, it should be zero. But I also think there's been a lot of exaggeration on the issue, especially when it comes to finances. I'd love to read a specific account of what happened.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3065658

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...ed-park-maps-coming-soon.860435/#post-5337618

 

[WDW1974]

I don't disagree with you, but that train has already left the station, and it's not Disney's fault. They can either hop on the tech express or throw themselves on the tracks in front of it. Now the implementation... that could use some work...

I know this is the type of post that will leave all the techies (who don't care whether the government or Big Business can track them, who think Twitter is the greatest thing since sliced bread, who would rather get their news from blogs than the New York Times or CBS, who are always looking at a screen except when sleeping -- even when driving etc) with their undies riding up ... BUT ... Disney has always been about being unique and special and NOT giving into the LCD.

That was how they became the greatest family entertainment company. That was how everything from talking cartoons to full length animation to DL to Audio Animatronics to WDW etc etc were created. It wasn't by giving in and giving people what they wanted.

It was saying 'You don't know what you want, we're going to blow your mind with something you never had a clue was possible.'

Now ... it seems to me that Disney is saying we know our parks are stale and tied and we know we could change that with expensive new attractions, constantly updating parades and live entertainment, even offering new merchandise (I almost drooled like a fanboi in Tony Baxter's presence while looking at TDL's 30th Anniversary merchandise) but instead we'll just give you a reason to constantly be playing with your iPhone or iPad. Who cares if you actually experience the parks, so long as you can get carpal tunnel while walking into people or walls or bodies of water?

You do NOT need any phone or tablet to enjoy a quality theme park. It's all about escaping from the real world, right? How exactly does an app take you into Colonial America or on an African safari or under the sea with the Little Mermaid?

It's Disney doing the easiest thing (beyond any of the other aspects we've talked about here).