Spirited News & Observations II -- NGE/Baxter

[awoogala]

One more thought: many of the folks who can't get enough of the Pixie Dust and talk about how they must stay on property to feel like they're in another world blah, blah and blah as you've heard it all before ... well, they're the ones who seem to have the least issues with the real world intruding on their MAGICal sanctum in the form of onerous reservations requirements to experience attractions of the need to have smart phone and tablets at the ready -- the very devices that take you away from the MAGIC. Sorry, but nothing takes me out of a voyage with marauding pirates or a jungle cruise or a trip to the frontier than people checking their FB or uploading a photo with Instagram or any of these other social networking 'things'.

Sorry, Pixie Dusters, but I think you guys/gals can be a bit hypocritcal on this point.

well, I am a stay on property type. but my kids and myself do not have any i-anything, or smartphones, etc. and I am not happy about any of this. ( my husband and I text if we seperate in the park, but that's it) We vacation to take a break from all the screens!This whole thing plus the price increases at said properties are making us seriously consider uni/seaworld for the first time for next year!
We spoke to some front desk cm's when we checked in a few weeks ago- all of them looked horrified about having to deal with the average customer and their craziness with the new system...as they put it, they still get yelled at on a regular basis by people about adr's and fp...they can only imagine how horrible it will be when guests can't get a ride or a meal they want!

 

[flynnibus]

I do in fact find them creepy at times but Google continues to actually deliver REAL and VALUABLE products that I use on a daily basis. Actually I don't use them so much as rely on them for both business and personal needs. They have consistently proven to me that the information that I allow them to gather on me provides tangible benefits in my everyday life.

So what you are saying is.. you've already decided Disney's system will not deliver sufficent tangible benefits to make your information sharing worthwhile to you. A conclusion made before you've even used it or know everything about it, before you know the full potential of the system, or even know specifically how Disney will use it (so you have no visibility into what benefits Disney will ultimately offer).

And before you reply about Google's track record on privacy or how much of my life Google already tracks...blah blah blah. In every instance while using Google's services you can opt-out with no penalty to use

There is lots of reduced functionality when you opt out of Google's tracking. You aren't excluded from Google, but there are many features that don't work without the history. Same thing with Disney... they allow you to opt out and if you do, you lose the features based on that data.

And while ANY privacy statement reads like stereo instructions I feel comfortable enough with with Google's terms to feel that they are far more responsible with my personal information than the vast majority of companies out there. And why is that? Oh right, they are a technology company in which their entire existence is built around AdSense and the revenue that it generates. They, above everyone else, has an interest in remaining as transparent about how information is gathered, used and secured.

You think? Tell us how Google is transparent with page rankings.. or why they need to save data indefinately.. etc. Google is far more digging into what you do, they just make everyone go through THEM to be able to use it. They don't sell your data in a HD they ship out.. they make 'customers' go through Google's services which have all your data, and then spit the product out. They leverage your data for a 3rd party without distributing it to the third party.

Also, anyone can still use Google's services without providing them any information at all without penalty. It's not like Google is delaying the delivery of search results to people that do not opt-in to having their information collected. TWDC continues to state publicly that you'll be able to opt-out with no penalty. However, creating longer stand-by lines MAY be an unintentional consequence of NGEMM+ it will still have a very real impact on people that don't opt-in.

Your search results aren't as good without personalization.. that slows you down
Your google tools won't have your history without personalization... that slows you down
Your google chrome won't share your data across devices without personalization... that slows you down and makes you manually do everything in multiple places...

The reality is the product IS different if you opt-out of everything Google offers - just like Disney's offerings will differ. It is not 'no loss vs loss' - it's simply you've made the decision in your head that Google's tradeoffs are worthwhile, while Disney's are not. The sad thing is you've not even seen what the tradeoffs are for Disney.. but you're sure about it.

 

[flynnibus]

I do. Its like you window shopping at a local mall, stopping for a minute, then walking on...meanwhile a sales person from that store follows you into every other store you visit. Its very annoying.

Want annoying? Sign up for a land line and watch everyone and their uncle call it within a month because the Telephone company whores their listings out like a corner pimp. My land line gets about 15+ solictiation calls a day - I've never given the number to anyone. It's the phone company whoring me out.

Or how about credit agencies? Get an inquiry.. and you'll be buried in loan offers for a year or more.

I can think of far more annoying and decietful companies we live with every day and just accept it than Disney who already has a policy of no sharing and web accessible opt-out controls. Unlike someone like the phone company who has the nuts to charge you per month to not have your information shared...

 

[Pentacat]

So what you are saying is.. you've already decided Disney's system will not deliver sufficent tangible benefits to make your information sharing worthwhile to you. A conclusion made before you've even used it or know everything about it, before you know the full potential of the system, or even know specifically how Disney will use it (so you have no visibility into what benefits Disney will ultimately offer).

Why spend this money and launch this product with such little up front benefit? That's the real issue. Nextgen has been in the works long enough that there should have been some kind wunderkind attraction to take advantage of the lofty praise you pile on it. Instead we get FP+, which is a small evolution of an existing system and a contact-less payment system disguised as casual wear....yawn. I'd much rather get in line with a reasonable expectation that the line will move along at a decent pace and use my NFC equipped cell phone or contact-less credit card to complete transactions.

The lack of attractions to go along with this system indicates either a lack of interest by WDI or is further evidence of the schism that exists between the business people and the creative people within TWDC. Either way it doesn't bode well for NGEMM+ in my opinion.

I truly don't care about the privacy questions about this product. IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ME that they can/will track my location and spending. The core of my argument against this has never been a privacy issue. That said, it's a vacation and I'd rather not have to think about EULAs or privacy statements for a week out of the year....is that so much to ask?

The sad thing is you've not even seen what the tradeoffs are for Disney.. but you're sure about it.

The sad thing is that we already know what the biggest trade off is, it's somewhere between $1billion and $2billion in lost capital that could have been put to much better use at WDW. THAT I am sure about! If not for new attractions then for upkeep and much needed repairs on the existing physical infrastructure. Even if NGEMM+ turns out to be a huge success and literally prints money for TWDC will they ever do anything about the cut backs in staffing and maintenance that have already had HUGE impacts on the experience of going to WDW? I know Spirit always talks about it but it cannot be said enough that if you never got to go to WDW prior to say 1997-99 then you literally cannot imagine how wide the experience gap has become from then to now. You talk about this tech like it's going to pave the streets with gold but WDW management can't even take care of the toys they have let alone be trusted with new ones.

And yes, I understand the need for technical infrastructure spending and that this COULD be used as a base for mind blowing attraction that my tiny brain can't possibly comprehend. But people aren't driving up I-4 in ever increasing numbers because Universal just spent a ton of money on a new data center or because they've upgraded their reservation system (non true examples.)

What looks better on a billboard Hogwarts Castle or a cheap plastic wristband?

 

[flynnibus]

Why spend this money and launch this product with such little up front benefit? That's the real issue

Up front benefit to whom? And why are we so fixated on having something NOW NOW NOW... this is a marathon, not a sprint.

The lack of attractions to go along with this system indicates either a lack of interest by WDI or is further evidence of the schism that exists between the business people and the creative people within TWDC. Either way it doesn't bode well for NGEMM+ in my opinion.

Lack of attractions? Or lack of knowing what they are doing?
We do know IASW has been long rumored for this.. as well as Test Track.. and who knows what else. Again, you're ready to jump without even knowing what's there.

That said, it's a vacation and I'd rather not have to think about EULAs or privacy statements for a week out of the year....is that so much to ask?

No, but I think you're over hyping it. I'd wager you've already been using their smartphone app.. and I doubt you've lost much sleep over the consequences of doing so.

The sad thing is that we already know what the biggest trade off is, it's somewhere between $1billion and $2billion in lost capital that could have been put to much better use at WDW. THAT I am sure about!

My take on that is... the money wasn't coming to start with. Disney has been proving for over a decade it wasn't going to spend in those areas everyone is clammering for. So.. why are we acting like this is competing for those dollars? This isn't 'oh, lets take 2 billion from those attractions we had planned to build...' - no, they weren't building them anyways.

These arguments are like crying that Disneyland got the SHAFT because a billion plus was spent on DCA. No, ADDITIONAL spending was pumped into DCA. Just like it appears ADDITIONAL spending was pumped into the NextGen initiatives. WDW didn't suffer because NextGen was cooking.. WDW was already suffering regardless.

So unless someone thinks there was some come to jesus meeting where the Board of Directors sat down in 2006 or so and said... 'you know.. we can turn around a pump a billion dollars into maintanence and a few new attractions... or we can invest in this R&D initiative.. what's it going to be?'

People keep acting like 'we lost the fight!' - forget that.. Attractions and Upkeep weren't even invited to the freaking party. So why keep harping on that?

I think the going forward spend for NextGen and how it impacts things is very much a question.. but the old 'this vs attractions' thing is pretty tired.

Do we really think no one has tried before NextGen to get a big capital influsion of spending in P&R for WDW? We should look at the history and recognize they didn't approve the spending then for that stuff, why on earth do we think they would have approved it vs NextGen? People are crying about money they never had a shot at.

I know Spirit always talks about it but it cannot be said enough that if you never got to go to WDW prior to say 1997-99 then you literally cannot imagine how wide the experience gap has become from then to now

My visits to WDW started in '80..

 

[Yensid1974]

One more thought: many of the folks who can't get enough of the Pixie Dust and talk about how they must stay on property to feel like they're in another world blah, blah and blah as you've heard it all before ... well, they're the ones who seem to have the least issues with the real world intruding on their MAGICal sanctum in the form of onerous reservations requirements to experience attractions of the need to have smart phone and tablets at the ready -- the very devices that take you away from the MAGIC. Sorry, but nothing takes me out of a voyage with marauding pirates or a jungle cruise or a trip to the frontier than people checking their FB or uploading a photo with Instagram or any of these other social networking 'things'.

Sorry, Pixie Dusters, but I think you guys/gals can be a bit hypocritcal on this point.

You couldn't be more on point with this. As a JC Skipper, I can't begin to express the utter rudeness of a guest either sitting in my boat talking on the phone, or texting/facebooking during the entire cruise. I see and experience that every single day. Just today I watched as a group of guests entering our que area were all on their respective smart phones texting and almost walking into the door frame of our entrance. Wow... I just had to shake my head and put the smile back on my face for the next guest. These people would enjoy their vacations so much more (and get more out of the thousands of $'s they spent) if they'd just pay attention to the "world" around them.

 

[WDW1974]

I got to read some of my shareholder docs that have been sitting here for over a week today. What I enjoyed reading was Bob Iger's letter. Now, it wasn't entertaning in the way Michael's used to be (but he actually wrote or dictated content and Bob's are likely written by Zenia and he signs off or adds/deletes things).

Two things I found amusing that were missing from Bob's letter were any mention of either NGE or Pandora. None. He had time to hit on everything from the very fresh Lucasfilm news to the launch of a free Disney Channel in Turkey. I'm sure he just had so much good stuff that there was no reason to mention those. (How I miss Michael talking about the NFL's Giants or what school one of his kids was going to or meeting a special CM at DL etc ... real stuff).

Anyway ...

 

[WDW1974]

Its funny how you go to lengths to show how this is 'just more of the same' and not new - yet then turn to say how it's evil and going beyond. So which is it?

And just because components are common - doesn't mean the stuff you build from the components is common.

No, what I am showing is that most of the stuff that fans are getting trippy about are things that are not at all exclusive to Disney or this program. It is the entire integrated package on such a large scale that is unique ... not RFID door locks or tap and go pay systems or even bands at amusement attractions. People don't seem to get the distinction.

As to evil ... well, I would not term even this waste of money evil. Stupid and ill-conceived, maybe. Evil is bailing out 'too big to fail' banks for what people are convinced is one HUGE number and then never telling them the astronomical number (13 trillion, I believe) that actually did the trick while no one did or is doing time. That is evil!

 

[the.dreamfinder]

One of Michael's old letters.
http://m.prnewswire.com/news-releas...and-ceo-the-walt-disney-company-76130117.html

Note: He refers to Walt and Roy as people not BRANDS.
He notes the importance of a diverse film slate.
He notes the importance of nurturing your talent (someone should tell that to Bruce)

Michael would be one helluva board member.

EDIT: Progress City USA has posted Michael's early shareholder letters.
http://progresscityusa.com/tag/oh-eisner/

 

[WDW1974]

Want annoying? Sign up for a land line and watch everyone and their uncle call it within a month because the Telephone company whores their listings out like a corner pimp. My land line gets about 15+ solictiation calls a day - I've never given the number to anyone. It's the phone company whoring me out.

Or how about credit agencies? Get an inquiry.. and you'll be buried in loan offers for a year or more.

I can think of far more annoying and decietful companies we live with every day and just accept it than Disney who already has a policy of no sharing and web accessible opt-out controls. Unlike someone like the phone company who has the nuts to charge you per month to not have your information shared...

YES, that is godawful ... BUT just because that is bad, doesn't mean that NGE isn't bad too.

 

[WDW1974]

My take on that is... the money wasn't coming to start with. Disney has been proving for over a decade it wasn't going to spend in those areas everyone is clammering for. So.. why are we acting like this is competing for those dollars? This isn't 'oh, lets take 2 billion from those attractions we had planned to build...' - no, they weren't building them anyways.

I'm going to start sounding like that poster ... what'shisname ... oh yeah, @flynnibus.

You do NOT know that. I don't even know that. It is indeed possible that some of the major projects that were created for WDW and not built were on the table when Disney decided on Rasulo and Franklin's new business model instead by selling tech-geek Bob on the whole shebang. It is possible.

One thing we definitely know is that once those funds went into the gaping hole that is NGE that nothing major was going to come to those stale, neglected parks beyond what was absolutely needed. Remember again, 'New Fantasyland' was built soley to increase capacity after years of shuttering attractions, dining and retail locales that pushed people out into walkways and made moderate days feel like NYE!

These arguments are like crying that Disneyland got the SHAFT because a billion plus was spent on DCA. No, ADDITIONAL spending was pumped into DCA. Just like it appears ADDITIONAL spending was pumped into the NextGen initiatives. WDW didn't suffer because NextGen was cooking.. WDW was already suffering regardless.

So unless someone thinks there was some come to jesus meeting where the Board of Directors sat down in 2006 or so and said... 'you know.. we can turn around a pump a billion dollars into maintanence and a few new attractions... or we can invest in this R&D initiative.. what's it going to be?'

People keep acting like 'we lost the fight!' - forget that.. Attractions and Upkeep weren't even invited to the freaking party. So why keep harping on that?

We don't know that. Not at all. Yet you state it as fact. It well may be. But I wouldn't go out on that limb. I know of too many projects that were all in various states of becoming when they were killed or postponed and suddenly a billion went off to NGE.

I think the going forward spend for NextGen and how it impacts things is very much a question.. but the old 'this vs attractions' thing is pretty tired.

That's what I keep saying. Only $1.2 billion was allocated, yet they've already spent more. The project is full of glitches and not close to done. How much will this have to cost before you say it wasn't worth it? Is there even any number at all or would you have to see the modeling of what Disney hopes to gain via increased prices and a la carte products and binge spending?

My visits to WDW started in '80..

What do you think has changed the most since that first visit (I had countless before, albeit as a wee little Spirit!)

 

[Pentacat]

Up front benefit to whom? And why are we so fixated on having something NOW NOW NOW... this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Where is the logic in launching a product with a lackluster use case? Especially one that you've spent hundreds of millions of dollars developing. And especially when your biggest competitor is beating you at the game that you created and owned for 40+ years but you no longer think is worth pursuing.

Answer this question. Why do you think this launched at WDW and not DL...I'd be interested in your answer on that.

take on that is... the money wasn't coming to start with. Disney has been proving for over a decade it wasn't going to spend in those areas everyone is clammering for. So.. why are we acting like this is competing for those dollars? This isn't 'oh, lets take 2 billion from those attractions we had planned to build...' - no, they weren't building them anyways.

These arguments are like crying that Disneyland got the SHAFT because a billion plus was spent on DCA. No, ADDITIONAL spending was pumped into DCA. Just like it appears ADDITIONAL spending was pumped into the NextGen initiatives. WDW didn't suffer because NextGen was cooking.. WDW was already suffering regardless.

So unless someone thinks there was some come to jesus meeting where the Board of Directors sat down in 2006 or so and said... 'you know.. we can turn around a pump a billion dollars into maintanence and a few new attractions... or we can invest in this R&D initiative.. what's it going to be?'

People keep acting like 'we lost the fight!' - forget that.. Attractions and Upkeep weren't even invited to the freaking party. So why keep harping on that?

I think the going forward spend for NextGen and how it impacts things is very much a question.. but the old 'this vs attractions' thing is pretty tired.

Do we really think no one has tried before NextGen to get a big capital influsion of spending in P&R for WDW? We should look at the history and recognize they didn't approve the spending then for that stuff, why on earth do we think they would have approved it vs NextGen? People are crying about money they never had a shot at.

Congrats on invalidating your own argument. How the hell is NGEMM+ going to revolutionize the theme park experience by making amazing new interactive attractions when TWDC has no interest in spending money on maintaining, building and upgrading attractions at WDW? Or are you saying that the only way that attractions will get any love is by slapping on the NGEMM+ magic sauce? Sorry that half the animatronics on Splash Mountain are staring at you in a catatonic state but at least the 3D projected Brer Rabbit knew your name when he said goodbye at the end....Hooray!

It's not just NGEMM+ versus attractions. It's the entire company less P&R versus P&R. You think a media guy like Iger cares about the Parks? To him they are nothing more than an enormous drain on resources and capital, especially when compared to blockbuster Marvel movies where the money pays off 4 or 5 to one in as little as two years. Or how about the giant truckloads of money that they make off of ESPN. Those rumors a while back about TWDC looking for someone to buy WDW and license the IP are probably WAY closer to reality than any one of us wants to admit. NGEMM+ is the rational way for the current management to derive what they perceive as value out of the captive audience the parks provide and find ways to drive down costs through streamlining operations. Maybe that's the abused by MBAs cynic in me talking but that is what I think NGE is all about.

One more thing that I'm not sure has been mentioned when it comes to TWDC and their technical triumphs through the years. Wasn't DisneyQuest going to be the next great frontier for the company? Dozens of small "virtual" theme parks delivering the authentic and amazing Disney Experience just a few miles away from your home. How exactly did that work out?

 

[John]

I dont think that it was ever a choice between attractions vs NG....no it was a philsophical choice. It is a choice in how they were going to go forward and conduct buisness. A change that they seem to feel will bring in the most money vs what will give the best park experience. The only real thing that impacts the park experience is FP+ ( atleast from what we know) and thats up for debate. Even you Flynni can not say for sure that this will be a positive impact.....because it hasnt been rolled out as of yet. I think that the real argument most people are trying to convey is this change in philosophy. It goes against and the way the parks were built upon.

The privacy concerns are discussion worthy and should be of concern but to the vast majority of the guest....it dosnt matter (as it dosnt matter to them in thier daily lives....which really is the reason we are where we are at with this tech.) what the average guest (me) is mostly concerned with is the in-park experience and how this will effect that. I HATE the fact that I will have to "reserve" a ride ahead of time....as I hate the ADR system they have now. IMO this hasnt made my visit easier or more pleasureable but more complicated. Yes I havnt experienced it yet....we can only go with what LITTLE info we have to go on. On the surface we see so many scenarios that will wreak havock with someones vacation that its hard to see any benifit. The only real benifit is geared toward Disney. In that is where the philosphical difference is. There was a time most of what Disney did was to enhance the vacation experience for the guest. They built this program and had to figure out a way in how they could sell it to guest......waaaalllllaaaa FP+ Do you really think they would do this if they didnt have to? They know what problems it may cause. They realize the there will be lines as long at Guest Services as ther are at Sorin'. They had to give us something to quantify this datamining project.

Opening door locks and tap-to-pay is just meh....no big deal. How much time does this really save you on your daily visit? a minute or two? IMO FP+ is designed to keep you in the parks longer.... I suspect your FP+ will be spaced out through the day to keep you there. That FP+ kiosk were added to rides that once didnt need them because those lines will be artificially inflated because of this....filling your time in between your FP+ reservations. They even added interactive queues to entertain you while you wait. Space your FP+ out....make it that you can only have them for one park each day and they try aand keep you from visiting the boy who prints money up I4.

Me? I dont give a Dondald ducks butt. I will forgo two or three days of FP+ for stale offerings and take the trip up the road. I have also had a philsophical change in my vacation plan. I have no intentions of spending countless minutes on my phone or at any kiosk to try and manipulate my vacation everyday. I dont intend to spend countless hours in line. I am not "opting-in" for that.

 

[evilzorac]

Bravo Arewethereyet! I couldn't agree more. For me and my family we too have made the philosophical change in how our vacations work. I have been going to the parks since 73 and through the years especially the most recent my enjoyment of Disney magic has lessened. With impossible dinner ADR's, artificially long lines (fastpass), and fees that have just become ridiculous. I have had to take a long look at my Disney passion and say enough. I want our vacations to be fun, exciting, restful, and filled with magic. Disney Orlando isn't filling that bill anymore. We have had AP's for 20+ years, and yes we stay at the hotels and eat at the restaurants, but as I have said in other post we will not be renewing them again. In fact this weekend will be our last trip to Disney for the foreseeable future. That is sad but until there is a change in how they do business we will be taking our business (and passion) "up the street".

 

[alphac2005]

I don't get why having a credit card attached to it is a big issue. You trust Exxon with your credit card number attached to a speed pass but not Disney? When you stay at a hotel your credit card is attached to the room already. You are probably more likely to have your credit card info stolen at a local pizza place or a gas station than from Disney's system.

@GoofGoof, I agree, totally.

How many years have Disney Resort guests been linking their credit cards to their room key? Many. Have we heard of any stories of credit card data breaches? Nope. Have they happened? Maybe our insiders know, but I'd assume that the chances are highly low considering companies have to report these breaches to cover themselves legally when it comes to issues with the associated banking institutions where the fraud may have occurred. If they fail to disclose, they can have quite the legal headache on their hands.

In all honesty, while I could care less for the MagicWhatever+ system, if I'm not using cash, then I'd prefer to have it all linked through a system where I'm not using my credit card at terminal after terminal.

You're so right, the server at the burger joint down the street is a multitude of times greater to have stolen your credit card information than a major data breach targeting your card at Disney. If you're in Orlando, a server down at TooJay's on Colonial Drive was just in the news for doing such and it goes on everywhere.

There are major data breaches and hacking attacks all the time, they're part of our now fiscal warfare that occurs day and night and if you lose sleep over it, then you're wasting your time. Unless it is a business account in the United States, you're covered by your financial institution for debit and credit card fraudulent charges. Living in terror over that going on is truly foolish. We have Iranian government (along with many other nations) groups that constantly are attacking our major financial institutions in the U.S. with DoS attacks and attempting to hack financial data. My bank has been targeted. Am I losing sleep over it? Nope.

I think that the perspective here is warped in a lot of ways. I'm looking at the sinister side so to speak of creating a system that preys on the stupidity of people to be unable to control their impulse spending all under the guise of making your vacation easier. So, I find the whole venture to be sleazy because it's all about increased revenue. However, if people are that careless with their money and don't properly budget and can't control themselves, then the byproduct of their stupidity is their problem. The harping on the safety of your fiscal data, really?

Well, I'd suggest that if you're so concerned about the safety of your fiscal data, don't even think of ever swiping at a gas pump and entering a pin because that's one of the biggest areas of fraud when crooks put in dummy readers at the pump. And while you're at it, don't think of paying that server that might seem a little seedy because they might carbon your card, or pay for anything online because someone can hack into your router and steal your transmitting entered data.

 

[alphac2005]

So what you are saying is.. you've already decided Disney's system will not deliver sufficent tangible benefits to make your information sharing worthwhile to you. A conclusion made before you've even used it or know everything about it, before you know the full potential of the system, or even know specifically how Disney will use it (so you have no visibility into what benefits Disney will ultimately offer).



There is lots of reduced functionality when you opt out of Google's tracking. You aren't excluded from Google, but there are many features that don't work without the history. Same thing with Disney... they allow you to opt out and if you do, you lose the features based on that data.



You think? Tell us how Google is transparent with page rankings.. or why they need to save data indefinately.. etc. Google is far more digging into what you do, they just make everyone go through THEM to be able to use it. They don't sell your data in a HD they ship out.. they make 'customers' go through Google's services which have all your data, and then spit the product out. They leverage your data for a 3rd party without distributing it to the third party.



Your search results aren't as good without personalization.. that slows you down
Your google tools won't have your history without personalization... that slows you down
Your google chrome won't share your data across devices without personalization... that slows you down and makes you manually do everything in multiple places...

The reality is the product IS different if you opt-out of everything Google offers - just like Disney's offerings will differ. It is not 'no loss vs loss' - it's simply you've made the decision in your head that Google's tradeoffs are worthwhile, while Disney's are not. The sad thing is you've not even seen what the tradeoffs are for Disney.. but you're sure about it.

Spot on, @flynnibus. And how many moaning about Google and are paranoid about it all are using an Android? Based on the marketing share of the platform, a heck of a lot of them. Android's pure design is to be a data mine because that is the business model by which Google operates.

 

[alphac2005]

That's what I keep saying. Only $1.2 billion was allocated, yet they've already spent more. The project is full of glitches and not close to done. How much will this have to cost before you say it wasn't worth it? Is there even any number at all or would you have to see the modeling of what Disney hopes to gain via increased prices and a la carte products and binge spending?

At my wife's company, they spent several hundred million dollars (last told, I believe $600 million bringing the project over budget by $200 million) in order to create this new master system (I'm being vague here) to create a more efficient and more profitable infrastructure. Guess what? After being rolled out over several years and a delayed full implementation of nearly two years, the system will never pay for itself.

The company will never recoup what was spent in trying to streamline their processes. Their use was for internal efficiency and the ability to remove redundancy. The amount of positions that were cut through attrition or actually corporate slayings were completely minimal and the system will never pay for itself and the upgrade process was such a disaster it actually caused eight digits worth of lost business because of the IT failures crossing over to the commercial side because the whole infrastructure was so screwed up.

I've seen in with many businesses that my company deals with day in and day out. They spend a fortune with "systems" to only see cost overruns so high and a lower rate of return from the income side than they had forecasted that in the end, it not only wasted funds but cost them as well. Plus many of these deep IT systems require a whole new crew of IT folks to deal with them at all hours of the day adding a team of well paid employees to deal with the multitude of problems that crop up.

 

[Skibum1970]

You couldn't be more on point with this. As a JC Skipper, I can't begin to express the utter rudeness of a guest either sitting in my boat talking on the phone, or texting/facebooking during the entire cruise. I see and experience that every single day. Just today I watched as a group of guests entering our que area were all on their respective smart phones texting and almost walking into the door frame of our entrance. Wow... I just had to shake my head and put the smile back on my face for the next guest. These people would enjoy their vacations so much more (and get more out of the thousands of $'s they spent) if they'd just pay attention to the "world" around them.

Funnily enough, when I rode Jungle Cruise two weeks ago, a lady was texting. The skipper called her out and made some good jokes at her expense. I was laughing pretty hard.

 

[Skibum1970]

As if this wasn't discussed enough, I am starting to worry how stand-by lines will be impacted. I got into line for Pooh and the queue clock said "20 minutes". Okay, I'm thinking that 20 minutes is not bad at all. Due to fast-pass incursions, my wait was closer to 50 minutes. I can only imagine that it will deteriorate further with Next Gen.

Granted, this is without having experienced NextGen in motion but I just don't see how MM+ is going to be of any real benefit.

 

[twebber55]

"Two things I found amusing that were missing from Bob's letter were any mention of either NGE or Pandora"

as a fan of avatar expansion this is disappointing to me.... although we ve been down this road before with Pandora this time it feels different in terms of it actually happening....havent heard a word about it since Dec 6th from disney and with the upping of discussion of cars land i feel thats the direction expansion is going (not that im upset about DHS expansion)