Spirited News & Observations II -- NGE/Baxter

[George]

Billion or whatever, will not really make a difference to a multi-billion dollar a year business, just a slight pinch in cash flow.

I think its a big enough pinch that they could re-consider how they approach the whole theme park/resort thing. The end result of these considerations is what concerns me. In truth, I personally would feel better if they break ground on something big before this year draws to a close or I'll wonder if they're trying to set a world record for massive mis-management. I suppose there is a chance all my fears are mis-placed and Next Gen will be a massive success and usher in a WDW renaissance that none of us saw coming.

 

[asianway]

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...-ship-resorts-chairman-tom-staggs-theme-parks

Here's an article on Next Gen that Staggs spoke about at an Anaheim Conference a few days ago. Nothing to new or newsworthy as it's pretty much a summary of what us on here know already. Didn't know this included designing behind-the-scenes systems for operations workers to better monitor and steer crowd flow to ease congestion. Staggs dodged the questions concerning what kind of personal info they'll garner from guests and how it NGE will be implemented even though most know what will be the case. I took this Staggs line away from the article about guest personal info: "will put better information into the hands of our cast, so they can deliver even better and more personalized service for our guests."

That's a two year old article

 

[George]

That's a two year old article

Unfortunate for Genie that they didn't notice the year and the date was 2/17. Interesting that a 2 year old article was so prescient with the concerns that many have. They discuss how Staggs avoids questions about privacy and the article ends thusly, "Former company officials have questioned whether technological advances would boost attendance or guest-spending enough to justify the billion-dollar price tag — or whether advance-planning by some guests could spoil the experience for those who do not pre-plan and arrive at a park only to find the most popular attractions already booked."

Finally, I loved this quote - "We also know they don't exactly relish waiting in line. Thus, we intend to have all the rides fall into a state of disrepair whilst adding fun stuff to the queue in an attempt to reprogram guests' expectations." :lookaroun

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

That's a two year old article

Crap, maybe I should read better and pay attention more. Darn my 4 eyes and glasses. I saw on the google search bar it had February 17, 2013 so I clicked it and used it only to find out just now that it's February 17 2011. I'll take it off. Thanks for noticing.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Here's a question I'm digging up again for our insiders, is there any chance of SGE leaving soon? Or has any effort on that front been completely forgotten?

 

[George]

Here's a question I'm digging up again for our insiders, is there any chance of SGE leaving soon? Or has any effort on that front been completely forgotten?

Funny anecdote. Several years ago my nuclear family (we have DVC points) was hosting a family reunion on my side at WDW. Anyhoo, we exited MiLF and my sister's family and my parents all saw the sign for SGE and hustled in and waved for us to join them. We (me, my wife, and 2 kids) just stood there. Literally, we stood there in the walkway, eventually standing in a shady spot near the exit of SGE and waited on everyone. My sister eventually emerged, irate, and yelled at us for not telling her how terrible it was. I noted that I thought the regular Disney visitors making a conscious decision to just stand in a walkway and brave the June midday sun was a pretty big clue.

 

[HMF]

I agree that a sale could happen at some point. Next Gen is such a huge financial outlay at a bad time......

That prospect once alarming, is now looking more attractive every day.

 

[Skyway]

Spirit predicts that stale offerings and higher prices will drive away Disney visitors.

You can now add me and my family to the list.

For the first time in 10 years, we have let our AP's expire. At least a dozen of our friends and neighbors have done the same within the last few months for the very same reasons.

Perhaps we are a tiny blip on Disney's radar. Perhaps there are other visitors who will take our place. Or perhaps we are another dead canary in their coal mine.

It makes no logical sense for our family to pay $450 a person to renew a FL Resident AP with absolutely nothing new to draw us back over the next 12 months. Especially when we can and will purchase AP's to Universal, SeaWorld, AND Legoland (4 full day parks + small water park), which all have brand new offerings, for less than the price of a WDW FL AP.

I admit I don't spend as much at WDW as an out-of-state vacationer staying for a week. But my family easily dropped $3000-$4000 over the course of a year including the APs. And we would have spent thousands more if dining wasn't such an obvious rip-off that simply cannot be justified. But that is now money Disney is not getting because others have convinced me their product is more worthy.

I've grown up with Disney and have had a (healthy) love of the parks. I thought I'd be sad if such a day ever came. But now that it has, I'm surprisingly not too heartbroken. The logic and common sense of spending money properly is much stronger than the emotional tie Disney was banking on. At least for me, my family, and many many others I know.

 

[PhotoDave219]

FYI... not sure if this was reported, but Photopass has a new scanning device/way of tagging photos so that it is compatible with NextGen.

Not sure if it will solve the problem of "My Photos Arent Showing Up" or not. I guarantee it wont solve the "My photos suck" issue...

 

[lazyboy97o]

Not sure if it will solve the problem of "My Photos Arent Showing Up" or not. I guarantee it wont solve the "My photos suck" issue...

But think of the added fun when somebody else's pictures Magically appear.

 

[PhotoDave219]

But think of the added fun when somebody else's pictures Magically appear.

Thats just obnoxious. The fact that has been a problem since 2004 and not addressed is the bigger issue.

 

[heatherkatheleen]

Have a GREAT cruise!!!

Headed to sea myself soon ...

Thanks!!! I am so excited! Haven't been on a Disney cruise in about 9 years! Hope your journey out to sea is equally as fantastic

 

[RSoxNo1]

You can trust the Spirit. He KNOWS what went down and has said so here in this MAGICal realm. ... There is spin and lies and truth and SPIRITED TRUTH -- and that's the one you want to go with.

On another subject ...

Is it a bad sign for Oz that James Franco and Co aren't on Letterman now, but Captain Jack is talking about playing Tonto?

Michelle Williams was on Letterman on 2/19 promoting Oz the Great and Powerful

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

James Franco was On Jimmy Kimmel's show last week promoting Oz. Made a pretty cool entrance to be it on a hot air ballon. I'm still looking forward to seeing it 2 fridays from now.

 

[John]

I am NEVER done ranting. Life ain't worth living if you can't draw attention to the vast inequities that exist ... it's scary, but I heard Suze Orman saying the same thing on CNBC yesterday during a talking head segment about gas prices. We don't have an economy that can sustain $3 a gallon gas, yet the oil lobby wants $4 or $5. It amazes me that people think folks can survive on $7.75 an hour (BTW, I heard the minimum wage in Austrailia is over twice that ... probably explains all the lazy drunk Aussies I've had to work with on my international teams).

So ... any blogger snag a picture of Georgie K yet?

Minimum wage jobs are not supposed be be jobs where you are to make a living on. These are entry level positions mostly. A way for young people to build a resume or have a part time job. If you made a job working at Mickey D's a "living wage" job we would be paying $8.00 for a cheeseburger. Its all relative. The cost of living would go up therefor making that same job now a non living wage job again and it becomes cyclical. In this economy you need a skill someone wants to pay you for. Making cheeseburgers isnt one of them.

The oil lobby which you refer to is is the local municipals wanting to increase the hefty tax on fuel. Another way to "tax" us to death. Not to mention the value of the dollar has a big part in reason as to why gas prices are what they are. In your statement you seem to abore the idea of having to pay 4 or 5 dollars for a gallon of gas but wont mind paying $8.00 for a cheeseburger? Which is it?

 

[71jason]

Here's an article on Florida Tourism for the 2012 year for the FLA locals to see:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news/General_Disney_News/Florida_tourism_hits_new_high.htm

I know it doesn't necessarily pertain to Orlando Theme Park attendance or Disney Theme Park attendance, but it's something. Hit record highs.

If you go back and search for random threads on this, there's no question there was a huge increase in tourism around Orlando last year, particularly noticable in the Fall. (In fairness, Summer is always busy so harder to notice.) Look for threads about the biggest crowds at Halloween Horror Nights in 5 or 6 years or Food & Wine being slammed like never before. Or if you're familiar with west 192 or I-Drive, head down either road and notice how many new restaurants weren't there mid-2011.

Two caveats about this tho:

(1) Universal is pulling in a bigger "slice" of this than ever before, and it's only going to get bigger with their current building spree. There's some debate, but a lot of people think that off-site hotels have benefited more from this boom than WDW hotels--the growth in off-site restaurants might tend to confirm this.

(2) While the trend continued into 2013, particularly MLK and Mardi Gras thru Presidents Day weekend, I imagine those trips were booked a couple months ago. With the SSI increase (or whatever it is) in January and gas flirting with $4 a gallon, the rest of 2013 could go back to 2009-2010 levels fairly quickly. At least Universal will still have new rides to entice locals to come out.

 

[djlaosc]

gas flirting with $4 a gallon

Here in the UK, we would love petrol to be $4 a gallon - we're up over $9 per gallon at the moment, I think.

 

[CDavid]

If you made a job working at Mickey D's a "living wage" job we would be paying $8.00 for a cheeseburger.

That's literally not true, and in fact not even close to being correct. Yes, dramatically increased wages would result in higher prices being passed along to the consumer, but as a very rough guesstimate, we're talking about price increases of maybe 25 to 30 cents an item on average (reflects more than double the current minimum wage). That's not insignifcant, but in theory greater disposable income for the masses helps everyone - more business, more jobs, and reduced need for government assistance (food stamps, etc.) for starters.

I get your point, but to suggest a dollar cheeseburger would have to cost eight times as much to support living wages is ludicrous. Minimum wage jobs may not be intended as careers to support a family, but too many people do indeed have to live on such low wages - and that's a problem.

 

[scpergj]

Spirit predicts that stale offerings and higher prices will drive away Disney visitors.

You can now add me and my family to the list.

For the first time in 10 years, we have let our AP's expire. At least a dozen of our friends and neighbors have done the same within the last few months for the very same reasons.

Perhaps we are a tiny blip on Disney's radar. Perhaps there are other visitors who will take our place. Or perhaps we are another dead canary in their coal mine.

It makes no logical sense for our family to pay $450 a person to renew a FL Resident AP with absolutely nothing new to draw us back over the next 12 months. Especially when we can and will purchase AP's to Universal, SeaWorld, AND Legoland (4 full day parks + small water park), which all have brand new offerings, for less than the price of a WDW FL AP.

I admit I don't spend as much at WDW as an out-of-state vacationer staying for a week. But my family easily dropped $3000-$4000 over the course of a year including the APs. And we would have spent thousands more if dining wasn't such an obvious rip-off that simply cannot be justified. But that is now money Disney is not getting because others have convinced me their product is more worthy.

I've grown up with Disney and have had a (healthy) love of the parks. I thought I'd be sad if such a day ever came. But now that it has, I'm surprisingly not too heartbroken. The logic and common sense of spending money properly is much stronger than the emotional tie Disney was banking on. At least for me, my family, and many many others I know.

As I've said, my family is doing the same. We thought our oldest is 15 and thought he was going to be too old for Legoland, but he checked it out and now wants to visit. We all want to check out Universal, and we really enjoy Seaworld...so, that is exactly what we are doing this year.

Maybe if enough Florida residents don't renew, TDO will get the hint. I don't believe they will, but you never know...

 

[George]

As I've said, my family is doing the same. We thought our oldest is 15 and thought he was going to be too old for Legoland, but he checked it out and now wants to visit. We all want to check out Universal, and we really enjoy Seaworld...so, that is exactly what we are doing this year.

Maybe if enough Florida residents don't renew, TDO will get the hint. I don't believe they will, but you never know...

There will be a point where they notice. They did get a lot of us DVCers to buy premium APs by making them incredibly cheap and by giving us vouchers so the use window opens on the first day we use them regardless of when it occurs in 2013. This tells me that we weren't the only DVC family that quit renewing APs. They will either have to lower prices, build new stuff, or assume that the current path is the way to go. They will also have to start considering the big picture with discounts too. Mr. 74 is entirely correct to point out that charter APs deserve a bone thrown their way too..........