Spirited News & Observations II -- NGE/Baxter

[Pixiedustmaker]

I put Iger in the same category of Carly Fiorina in the political spectrum. Will have a lot of money to spend but completely lacking the ability to to get elected. He doesn't have the charisma. The only big difference is he doesn't have a corporate fiasco like Fiorina had. I actually see their business careers as very much alike. Having dealt in the political realm a good bit, I can't seem him running for the House and being on the wrong end of fighting for kids privacy will get your butt killed in a Senate race. So if he is planning on making a political run, he is already duffing it. But, yeah, divesting of shares would be a smart political move. The blind trust is not really selling anyone these days. Enough of the politics, though. I get enough of that in what I do everyday. Nothing like spending a month in the snake pit of Washington, DC next month as it is.

More than likely Iger would run for a state office, such as governor. I don't think that most people would link the privacy of children and NextGen given that the internet is exploited on a daily basis by pedophiles, and anything Disney sets up will be several orders of magnitude safer than an anonymous chat room. I don't think anybody seriously believes that Disney's system is unsafe, and in fact, Disney could pioneer a safe way of using RFID. People aren't completely stupid, and I think most people see just an opportunistic politician in Markey who hoped that his NextGen stab in the dark would stick to the wall.

It didn't.

On to the next possible future controversy ripe for Markey's uses!

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

You seem to be missing my point and I won't try again. However my reference to Buffett is in the transaction in which Berkshire Hathaway purchases entire corporations. We don't have the billions of dollars to just broker a better than market price deal. Obviously you can buy shares of Berkshire Hathaway, I don't doubt that, we all could do so individually.

Wholesale is always cheaper than retail.

 

[Rasvar]

Interestingly analogy, but I think parents will like it that their kids have something to do in line, some have had positive remarks about Mermaid's interactive queue.

I doubt Iger costed the company anything, one single politician received a blunt response against what seems like a witch hunt, I think Iger appropriately expressed his dismay regarding Markey's overly aggressive tone. Congress can't fine Disney millions . . . and I doubt they will pass a law against NextGen. Regulations would only protect Disney as the lawyers could point to how they are following this and that law to the letter.

You underestimate the power of a bipartisan issue in the current political climate. Protecting data collection on children is the easiest thing that both Republicans and Democrats can agree upon. While Congress can't fine Disney, they can write new laws in such a way that the process of writing the regulations and then complying with the regulations could hit very deep into what the system is designed to do. A scorned politician who is not considered to be on the fringe on something like protecting children can be a nightmare for years. Those lawyers are exactly the area where I get my millions of dollars from. Congress won't fine you but they can lawyer you to death. Plus, you can be assured that any regulations that are passed will open the door for legal fights. Disney will lose a lot of money if they keep an adversarial attitude. I would hope they are sending folks quietly in the backdoor to clean things up with more detailed talks. If they play hardball on kids issues, they are going to suffer then pain of a thousand paper cuts.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

Personally, I am hoping for a major congressional hearing on this, then Iger will have to come clean on what the "Master Plan" for Nextgen is assuming he is not stupid enough to commit perjury.

!?! Do people here actually believe there is something nefarious concerning Next Gen? Wow. Seems very straightforward and will most likely be a big success.

 

[ChrisFL]

Now, tell me please, why does no one think it is a VERY troubling sign that Bob Iger is the first CEO in the history of TWDC to sell just about every share of Disney stock he can as soon as he can? I mean, he is not a poor man, he does not need the money. Why sell shares in the company you helm, the company whose trajectory is dictated by your decisions? ... Unless there is something else at play ...

Ah, to me, when the top guy at the company sells, that is a telling thing. And, no, I have not forgotten how well DIS has done under his stewardship. I think it is called "pump-and-dump" ... No?

Do you know if there's an article about this somewhere? I believe you, I'd just like to read more about it.

 

[Darth Sidious]

Do you know if there's an article about this somewhere? I believe you, I'd just like to read more about it.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...lls-1-million-shares-to-net-17-9-million.html

Btw, I find the Disney spokesperson's comment interesting...

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

You underestimate the power of a bipartisan issue in the current political climate. Protecting data collection on children is the easiest thing that both Republicans and Democrats can agree upon. While Congress can't fine Disney, they can write new laws in such a way that the process of writing the regulations and then complying with the regulations could hit very deep into what the system is designed to do. A scorned politician who is not considered to be on the fringe on something like protecting children can be a nightmare for years. Those lawyers are exactly the area where I get my millions of dollars from. Congress won't fine you but they can lawyer you to death. Plus, you can be assured that any regulations that are passed will open the door for legal fights. Disney will lose a lot of money if they keep an adversarial attitude. I would hope they are sending folks quietly in the backdoor to clean things up with more detailed talks. If they play hardball on kids issues, they are going to suffer then pain of a thousand paper cuts.

Sounds like a Tom Clancy novel. I don't see how NextGen is a danger to children's privacy, and in fact could help parents keep an eye on their kids. You do understand that most likely NextGen will be rolled out without any problems, legal or otherwise, and will be a hit? If you want to talk about children's privacy then the most logical place to start would be with kids on Facebook and anonymous chat rooms.

Watch NBC's to catch a predator and you will see that social media with anonymous users using fake profiles is the biggest threat to kids, not a heavily policed system run by Disney, which isn't a social media networking site . . .

Sorry, but buying stuff in a theme park, having Fast Passes and tickets on a MagicBand isn't a threat to a child's safety given what I understand of the program.

Could it be that APers here don't like it that they won't be getting as many fast passes?

 

[Rasvar]

More than likely Iger would run for a state office, such as governor. I don't think that most people would link the privacy of children and NextGen given that the internet is exploited on a daily basis by pedophiles, and anything Disney sets up will be several orders of magnitude safer than an anonymous chat room. I don't think anybody seriously believes that Disney's system is unsafe, and in fact, Disney could pioneer a safe way of using RFID. People aren't completely stupid, and I think most people see just an opportunistic politician in Markey who hoped that his NextGen stab in the dark would stick to the wall.

It didn't.

On to the next possible future controversy ripe for Markey's uses!

In my own political sense, he is barely electable at the state level. He will have money and connections but that is it.

On trust, it's not like Disney has not already been fined $3M for violation of COPPA in 2011. The same COPPA that Markey championed. I'd say that Markey has history behind him. It is more than pedophiles, it is about using data collected for targeting marketing too.

 

[bubbles1812]

Interestingly analogy, but I think parents will like it that their kids have something to do in line, some have had positive remarks about Mermaid's interactive queue.

Just a thought... I dont think you can use Mermaid's queue as an indicator of whether guests actually feel the queues better the waits or not. It is by far the most detailed elaborate interactive queue. Some even feel the ride itself is a let down after the queue. But that is most definitely not the case at least as I have observed for the other queues Disney has done. I've met few people who like going thru the graveyard at Haunted Mansion especially when they are forced to. If all the queues were like Mermaids queue, sure I could buy your insinuation that there will be less complaints. But they aren't.

I doubt Iger costed the company anything, one single politician received a blunt response against what seems like a witch hunt, I think Iger appropriately expressed his dismay regarding Markey's overly aggressive tone. Congress can't fine Disney millions . . . and I doubt they will pass a law against NextGen. Regulations would only protect Disney as the lawyers could point to how they are following this and that law to the letter.

I doubt new laws will get passed as well based mostly on the fact that Congress sucks and gets little done. But Markey was doing his job. I didnt think his tone was very agressive and was at least far less than Iger's was... He did himself no favors by not addressing the questions asked and basically saying "how dare you!" It was a stupid response. If there is one thing people care about, it's protecting children. Not answering Markey's concerns just made next gen look sketchy. And I highly doubt Disney would be pleased with regulations or that the lawyers would enjoy trying to prove the company is following this and that letter of the law to the T.

 

[ChrisFL]

!?! Do people here actually believe there is something nefarious concerning Next Gen? Wow. Seems very straightforward and will most likely be a big success.

Straightforward?

Look, besides tracking everything about their guests, trying to keep people from visiting other parks, having an IT system that traditionally has been sketchy at best, and forcing people to make lots of reservations in advance, I don't see anything nefarious about it, but once you open that pandora's box....

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

I'm out of this thread! Too much paranoia, anger, and targeting of NextGen for reasons unrelated to what the system does (with regards to kids' safety), and hidden agendas/festering hate of Disney. I say that NextGen has a 97% chance of being a big hit.

 

[ChrisFL]

Sounds like a Tom Clancy novel. I don't see how NextGen is a danger to children's privacy, and in fact could help parents keep an eye on their kids. You do understand that most likely NextGen will be rolled out without any problems, legal or otherwise, and will be a hit? If you want to talk about children's privacy then the most logical place to start would be with kids on Facebook and anonymous chat rooms.

Even the super Disney supporters on the DISboards are having some BIG privacy concerns and questions. Their latest podcast even featured an online privacy expert who gave her thoughts about the problems with this new system.

 

[Darth Sidious]

http://beta.fool.com/insidermonkey/...-and-other-disney-insiders-are-selling-/4628/

This sort of touches on my point better... It also provides better answers for your post earlier @ChrisFL

 

[bubbles1812]

!?! Do people here actually believe there is something nefarious concerning Next Gen? Wow. Seems very straightforward and will most likely be a big success.

Big assumptions considering how many problems Disney is having implementing it. I wouldn't use the word nefarious to describe Next Gen... A hassle, a waste of money, a hassle again, with Fastpass+ being the worst part of it sure. The data mining... For it is data mining, in an attempt to better control and increase consumer spending habits...Not to mention if Disney decides that information is possibly sellable to other companies... If you are not at least cautious about it and willing to read the fine print before signing on the dotted line then I'd just call you a fool. To not recognize that there are privacy issues that need to be addressed is just plain dumb.

 

[Rasvar]

I'm out of this thread! Too much paranoia, anger, and targeting of NextGen for reasons unrelated to what the system does (with regards to kids' safety), and hidden agendas/festering hate of Disney. I say that NextGen has a 97% chance of being a big hit.

I'm not paranoid about NextGen. I give it about a 50/50 shot of working myself just due to complexity. I also know that a primary goal is data collection for marketing. That is where the bigger concerns are. It is not the tracking pedophile stuff.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Unless they've seen the MiraCosta Hotel in Tokyo....the EXACT same hotel concept but done MUCH bigger and done in a MUCH nicer way. I do like the Portofino Bay, but its just missing something...the times I've been there, its been dead, activity wise, maybe that's what it is. MiraCosta is IN Tokyo DisneySea, so perhaps there's a difference due to that.

While I haven't seen the MiraCosta, I have seen pics and I would have to agree that it seems to be a nicer hotel that Portofino Bay. But I was mostly comparing it to the domestic Disney Resorts and more specifically the WDW Resorts. The only domestic Disney Resort that I think even comes close is The Grand Californian.

 

[alphac2005]

I suggest using one of the Universal Orlando Resorts as base camp. And remember one thing. Universal is NOT Disney and they are not trying to be. They don't rely on "nostalgia". They rely on "WOW Factor". Their resorts and the service at them are noticeably better than Disney's. If you really are afraid that you'll be disappointed stay at Portofino Bay. It is their top shelf resort and it is a very nice hotel. Their headline attractions are "AMAZING". And I would plan a day at SeaWorld.

Busch Gardens Tampa is a great park, but it doesn't have the atmosphere that Busch Gardens Williamsburg has. But it is still a fine park in it's own right.

The first time I planned a trip to Orlando that didn't include WDW was a sad day for me. When I got home from that trip I was amazingly pleased with my decision to walk away from the mouse. While the parks at Universal are more high energy than WDW, the overall tone of the resort experience was more relaxing. I didn't feel like I had to rush everywhere to see everything. We actually took time to relax at the pool that wasn't crammed between 2:00pm Space Mountain FP return times and 5:30 ADRs at AnyRestaurant in World Showcase. I felt like I could have a Cheese Board and a bottle of wine at The Thristy Fish while sitting Harbor Side and still go back to the park and ride a few rides without rushing. And if you really want to relax, get a massage at the Mandara Spa at Portofino Bay Resort. While it's not Disney, it'll do.

Something that we like to do at Islands of Adventure is to explore all the quiet and hidden pathways, where there are many. It really brings you back to the days at Walt Disney World where there wasn't a cart somewhere, a Vacation Club hut, or scooters running you over in every little cranny throughout the parks. The feeling that although there are tens of thousands of other people there at that moment in the park, that it feels like it's just you, the place is yours, and you're totally relaxed. That was one of the most special things about WDW that has evaporated.

I'd suggest to anyone visiting IOA to be certain to go out towards the water in the Jurassic Park area and down by Mythos. You'll get terrific views and pure relaxation with that private feeling that seems to no longer exist at the Mouse.

 

[alphac2005]

Oh yeah, I heard someone saying that Disney (ESPN) was willing to build a football stadium if the NFl would guarantee them a certain number of Super Bowls as well as make the 3 FL teams play at least one home game there every year...if there is any truth to this, I am sure they would expect help from the state with the cost of this....might not be a horrible idea as I imagine it would be a good draw...but it seems like an interesting idea if there is any truth to it....

That's based on a column from a Sentinel sports writer who isn't worth the time mentioning by name. It's a "Blue Sky" column. This is a guy that still tries to stir the pot about Shaq leaving the Magic more than a decade and a half ago.

 

[COProgressFan]

It's funny that I saw the "There's enough land here to hold all the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine" message on one of the refurb signs. It seems like they did run out of ideas and decided to sell the land.

Sad, but true.

 

[MattM]

Now, tell me please, why does no one think it is a VERY troubling sign that Bob Iger is the first CEO in the history of TWDC to sell just about every share of Disney stock he can as soon as he can? I mean, he is not a poor man, he does not need the money. Why sell shares in the company you helm, the company whose trajectory is dictated by your decisions? ... Unless there is something else at play ...

Ah, to me, when the top guy at the company sells, that is a telling thing. And, no, I have not forgotten how well DIS has done under his stewardship. I think it is called "pump-and-dump" ... No?

It may be. But, respectfully, I think you may be reading a bit too much into that. $DIS is at all time highs, and many investors (not retail, 401k type investors) do not subscribe to buy-and-hold. I don't know where Igers options are priced, but if the guy has a chance to make 10, 15, 20% ROI, then he'd be foolish not to take those gains.