Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[MattM]

Just don't tell anyone if you're an MBA - Patty Melt might come back! *shudder*

Ha, fair enough. Though I am many things that people here are sure not to like.

Comes with the territory.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I hesitate to wade in here because after reading all this stuff, I find that I don't think at all in the same way that everyone else is thinking.

Will Disney be data-mining? Sure. Will they be keeping track of where we all are in the parks at any given time? Probably. What no one has been able to explain to me in a manner that causes me to be concerned is why does that matter? And other then being higher tech. how is it different from what they have been doing for years. I think it has been a given since the NGE has been part of our knowledge that this type of usage was going to happen. I am still of the opinion that, I don't care. I cannot see what will be gained in a negative way to me, by Disney doing that. I will still be wherever I am in the park or on property. I don't recall that ever being a matter of secrecy to me.

Assuming they know I'm in a bathroom, I am only concerned if they know what I'm doing in there, not that I'm in there. There, in all probability, would be only three things happening in there. Washing my hands or the other two. I'm pretty sure that their camera's already caught me going in there anyway and frankly I prefer that non-visual little electrical signal then the actual photo's of me. However, that has been going on for ages and we haven't even offered the slightest protest.

Now what are they going to do with the information they mined? Interesting question, however, I think that the actual usage is much more boring then the imagined usage. Selling information to others? Why, would they help competition to take away their guest base. Letting out the name and address of those that currently book in a luxury resort to other companies that also might want to get them for their luxury resort, would be, I don't know, beyond stupid. It would be like saying...'here, I don't want to be greedy, so take these names of our clients and see if you can take some of there spendable income away from them and subsequently us."

Disney big brothering vs. the Government brothering cannot even be used as comparison. Motivations and power are completely different. Something that the Government might be watching me for may or may not alarm me for reasons that threaten my freedoms and control my everyday actions. Disney can only attempt to influence me while I am there with any degree of success, none of which can be non-voluntary. If I say no...there will be no one coming after me to put me back on the proper path. The Government, well, it doesn't take a lot of imagination to know what type of pressure they can apply. So, in my mind, any attempt to classify the two entities as any way alike just doesn't float.

Now bare in mind, that I could be completely wrong in this. I am not a genius nor do I play one on TV. All I am saying is that all I've seen are folks saying...they are going to follow my on property habits...gasp! No one has, to this point, told me why I should care. And what things are they going to force me to do that I don't want to do? To me this seems like an important part. Has this change over been a fiasco up to this point. I don't really know. Should Disney stay current with the technology available today? Can't think of any reason why they shouldn't. Do I wish they hadn't allegedly spent that much on the process? Yea, I guess so, but since the thing has not become workable yet, (I'm sure it will be at some point) I can find no reason to get my panties in a knot over it...yet!

 

[Mr Bill]

Suggesting that anyone here has an issue with Disney seeking to make a profit seems pretty dishonest to me. What people have an issue with is how Disney is choosing to accomplish this, with a ten-figure data mining project. Heck, one of the issues many have with it is we don't believe this will be profitable for Disney!

 

[devoy1701]

No, they want that movie out in 2015 too, for some reason

Disney is positive they're going to set a B.O. record in 2015 that no other studio will ever be able to touch. Personally, I think Pirates 5 will bomb (at least domestically) unless it's so life-changingly awesome we all have to see it. But between Avengers 2, SW VII and Finding Dory, they're gonna be untouchable.

Was thinking the same thing about PotC 5... what's left in that franchise? I'm kind of bored with the Jack Sparrow series.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The issue is privacy. People dont expect the mouse to be watching their every move any more than they expect the NSA to be monitoring everything they do.

Ah, yes but they have been doing that for many years in way more detail the NSA will ever have the ability to do. So why is it all of a sudden a privacy issue. Hasn't it always been? Just because we didn't expect it nor know about it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Even now that I know, I don't care. I don't see how that knowledge is harmful to me. All I ever ask is don't have a camera in the bathroom or bridal suite.

 

[sshindel]

And what things are they going to force me to do that I don't want to do?

But don't you know, the whole point of this Magic Band is to find new ways to separate you from your money. Somehow, wearing said Magic Band will make you more susceptible to spending money on things you wouldn't ever want or need. Somehow, you hate Tinker Bell, yet through some magic power of hypnosis, find yourself buying 3 size XXL Tinker Bell T-Shirts.

 

[MattM]

Suggesting that anyone here has an issue with Disney seeking to make a profit seems pretty dishonest to me. What people have an issue with is how Disney is choosing to accomplish this, with a ten-figure data mining project. Heck, one of the issues many have with it is we don't believe this will be profitable for Disney!

It's not dishonest. OP has made qualms many a time here about profit seeking entities. He said it. If that's not what he meant, then there needs to be an edit or clarifying post.

 

[GLaDOS]

Disney is positive they're going to set a B.O. record in 2015 that no other studio will ever be able to touch. Personally, I think Pirates 5 will bomb (at least domestically) unless it's so life-changingly awesome we all have to see it. But between Avengers 2, SW VII and Finding Dory, they're gonna be untouchable.

I am in very strong disagreement with you on being untouchable. 2015 is going to be a bloodbath at the box office. I expect nearly every film on their list save for maybe Finding Dory to under perform.

 

[Goofyernmost]

But don't you know, the whole point of this Magic Band is to find new ways to separate you from your money. Somehow, wearing said Magic Band will make you more susceptible to spending money on things you wouldn't ever want or need. Somehow, you hate Tinker Bell, yet through some magic power of hypnosis, find yourself buying 3 size XXL Tinker Bell T-Shirts.

I know damn well I wouldn't do that...I'm XXXL! Yea, one of those fat, lazy, useless, disgusting people we are all so fond of slapping around.

 

[MattM]

I am in very strong disagreement with you on being untouchable. 2015 is going to be a bloodbath at the box office. I expect nearly every film on their list save for maybe Finding Dory to under perform.

If this summer is any indication, you may be right. The bigger the movie, the bigger the flop it seems.

 

[GLaDOS]

If this summer is any indication, you may be right. The bigger the movie, the bigger the flop it seems.

And there are double the amount of big budget movies coming out in 2015.

 

[disney fan 13]

I am in very strong disagreement with you on being untouchable. 2015 is going to be a bloodbath at the box office. I expect nearly every film on their list save for maybe Finding Dory to under perform.

Marvel/DC perhaps, though I don't see 7 bombing unless it is in Phantom Menace territory...

 

[SirLink]

I am in very strong disagreement with you on being untouchable. 2015 is going to be a bloodbath at the box office. I expect nearly every film on their list save for maybe Finding Dory to under perform.

It depends is you look at just the US or the WW numbers ... WW numbers should be good. Thing is if they only had 3 tentpole movies and every other film in their arsenal pretty cheap. Then it wouldn't be so bad.

 

[GLaDOS]

Marvel/DC perhaps, though I don't see 7 bombing unless it is in Phantom Menace territory...

I didn't say bomb. I said under perform. Big difference. Look at this year. Superman needed a billion+ dollars to break even or make a meager profit. You have to figure that number will be even bigger for Episode VII and Avengers 2.

 

[disney fan 13]

I didn't say bomb. I said under perform. Big difference. Look at this year. Superman needed a billion+ dollars to break even or make a meager profit. You have to figure that number will be even bigger for Episode VII and Avengers 2.

Fair enough. Industry needs a shaking up anyway, Most of these "tentpoles" are terrible.

 

[GLaDOS]

It depends is you look at just the US or the WW numbers ... WW numbers should be good. Thing is if they only had 3 tentpole movies and every other film in their arsenal pretty cheap. Then it wouldn't be so bad.

Worldwide Numbers are basically worthless in the grand scheme of things, though. Studios collect less than half of them, and then you have China who isn't giving any of its BO proceeds to Hollywood this summer.

 

[PirateFrank]

The issue is privacy. People dont expect the mouse to be watching their every move any more than they expect the NSA to be monitoring everything they do.

I think you missed what I was trying to say. I am not at all defending NGE and if I recall, I did say it was perfectly acceptable to be angry about the underlying intentions of NGE. Personally, I find the NGE program a reprehensible waste of money and I am firm in my belief that if this truly is a 3 billion endeavor, it could be the elephant that breaks the Mouse's back. With a deep-pocketed wolf just beyond the gates, anxious to eat as much of the market share as possible...this was *not* the time to waste $3Bil on IT infrastructure. It was the time to take that $3Bil and punch back.

The *point* I was making was that we're talking about two different uses of this information. If someone is going to feel that a targeted sales approach via customer data retention is just as bad as government spying, they need to have their head examined. Also, they need to leave the country. Disney isn't the only company mining customer data....

 

[Pentacat]

Precisely. I don't understand the scandal here.

Even in the early 80's I can remember my folks describing WDW as a place uniquely engineered to separate them from their money. And we are supposed to be scandalized that they continue to pursue/perfect this angle? To quote Casablanca, "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"

It's more of a disappointment than a scandal. The issue is that TWDC has been (IMHO, I know there's no proof other than rumors) disingenuous about the true intent of Nextgen. The guest benefits at this point are lacking or from initial reports just plain not working well. That coupled with the amount of money that has been spent on this instead of attractions or expansion is why most people are so upset about Nextgen. If WDW was a perfectly run, well maintained and a cutting edge example of a theme park(s) then I would say that Nextgen would be far less of an issue for most average fans.

I don't really care about the tracking/privacy implications of the system because as you said, I'm on WDW property voluntarily and I can always choose to leave or not participate. I just don't like the direction it signals, the idea that the parks are going to managed like some warehouse that needs to be filled and I'm the widget that's going on a shelf labeled TOWER OF TERROR for N minutes then I'll be sorted to some other shelf yet to be determined. That's great if you're managing a supply chain but terrible if you're trying to deliver an experience that is meant to be entertaining.

 

[luv]

I really don't get all the fuss.

If it bugs you, get a sleeve or protected wallet. Easy peasy.

Google IDStronghold.

 

[Bolna]

Just so I'm understanding you correctly here...we are supposed to be outraged that a public, for-profit company, whom we are under no obligation to give any business, is seeking to make a profit?

My personal data is something valuable. Why should I give up my private data to Disney (or any other company for that matter) for free so that they can sell it for a profit?

And yes, I am very conscious about whom I let know what and there are quite strict rules about how data can be sold in Europe already, so much less of an issue for me here.