Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[sshindel]

For that kind of money they had to get a pretty significant overhaul of something.

You might be surprised at how much money goes into some of these things, and how little it gets you. I know the budget for this year for my team's "Strategic" IT projects for our relatively small database is north of 1 million, and my team is made up of a couple full-time employees and a few consultants, both onshore and offshore. It gets a little fuzzy who is billing to what at times, but there are typically about 8 people total, most of them consultants, that make up that million dollars, and believe me, it's not going to me.
A project of the size I imagine that Disney went through here, I can easily imagine approaching the numbers I've seen on here. But again, I really have no idea on a) the state of the existing systems and b) what they actually did, so it's all speculation on my part based on the companies I've worked (and consulted for) and the state of their core systems.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm back from my 0.43% month long vacation to the mountains of Afghanistan and am getting completely caught up. Does the DAK makeover budget also include a few $$$ to finally fix the yeti? I get that fixing it would be expendable but it would be a nice acknowledgement of the problem. Thanks!

I don't know why, but I just like you Ed . I hope you got to stay at the lovely new Kabul Disney Vacation Club and Villas. I hear it is just amazing. At least that's what Mongello said after Celebration Place sent him there for a week.

Glad you are back safe and sound, yet not sane enough to think the yeti will ever be fixed.

Hey @Lee get that lube and get to DAK!!!

 

[WDW1974]

People throw around numbers on here that I find very hard to believe. 800 million is a ton of money. A metropolitan district could build an eight city block state of the art convention center and a handful of hotels for less.

It is obvious to me when people say "need to dump a couple billion" into a theme park that reality has left the station.

You do know how much Disney is spending on NGE, right? You do know the absurd costs of mediocre DDI-designed work like New Fantasyland, right?

That's the reality that long ago left the station . It isn't fanbois wishing a billion dollars got thrown into EPCOT, which will charge you for $6 for ice cream at the new French place.

 

[WDW1974]

Speaking of spending.
http://micechat.com/30626-disneyland-resort-6/

Great column and VERY spot on as to how things are done.

 

[WDW1974]

Thing is, they're not even that upscale. Sure, they're nice, don't get me wrong. Shula's has a good steak and we've always had fantastic service. BlueZoo is always good, but it is way too swanky for the typical WDW crowd.

Of all the time I'm out there, I've never bee to Il Mulino for some reason. Any good?

Yes, it is. Can you imagine the typical WDW blogger there? Let alone the typical WDW guest? I heard that during my vacation there was a thread on this site about people feeling uncomfortable at the Grand Flo and my response would be some people don't belong at upscale places because it just isn't their atmosphere, so they shouldn't go.

Il Mulino is very good. Not spectacular, but easily the best Italian cuisine on Disney property and I like Portobello a lot too. Great service and gelato and wine too

 

[WDW1974]

do you have an idea what the pandora e ticket will be?

At this point, I am not sure, so I'd rather talk to some folks before putting info out that may be outdated.

 

[WDW1974]

I guess it's the IT worker in me that thinks that money spent on bringing computer systems and infrastructure up to date is not a waste of resources. I'd be out of a job otherwise. Improving back end systems is never the sexy decision, but there comes a time when so much money is being spent maintaining older systems, or potential business benefit is being lost, that investing in things the guest will never see becomes the only way forward. Now, discussing the timing of when those investments are made is valid, but in my experience, there is never a "good" time in most people's eyes, and problems end up being fixed with band-aids and chicken wire until a catastrophic event happens, in the IT sense. If putting a bunch of trimmings on system upgrades allowed them to sell this as a win to the board, and allows them to show some value to the guests, it's a win in my book.
Of course, that is making an assumption that a massive system overhaul was included in NGE.

When I see Disney able to even successfully test MyMAGIC+ with a small group of CMs, maybe I'll view this as only a ginormous boondoggle. IT upgrades don't have to cost billions.

 

[NoChesterHester]

You do know how much Disney is spending on NGE, right? You do know the absurd costs of mediocre DDI-designed work like New Fantasyland, right?

That's the reality that long ago left the station.

I've heard the figures repeatedly here. I understand R+D costs big bucks, and the scale we are talking about, resort wide, is significant. Still... Seems crazy... like black ops pentagon crazy. Like hiding pet development budget in projects inflating them to ridiculous levels crazy. Something really is afoot if these numbers are even close to true.

However, the fans expectations are also out of control. If it isn't a "billion" everyone freaks out like the sky is falling. People are either lost in this bubble or really don't have any concept of what things should cost.

As I stated in another post, 500 million dollars should buy far more than it seems to in a theme park. Something really isn't right.

It isn't fanbois wishing a billion dollars got thrown into EPCOT, which will charge you for $6 for ice cream at the new French place.

Well it is fanbois wishing actually, but it doesn't mean they are wrong.

 

[PhotoDave219]

You do know how much Disney is spending on NGE, right? You do know the absurd costs of mediocre DDI-designed work like New Fantasyland, right?

That's the reality that long ago left the station . It isn't fanbois wishing a billion dollars got thrown into EPCOT, which will charge you for $6 for ice cream at the new French place.

Its $11.50 if you get alcohol with your ice cream.

 

[PhotoDave219]

When I see Disney able to even successfully test MyMAGIC+ with a small group of CMs, maybe I'll view this as only a ginormous boondoggle. IT upgrades don't have to cost billions.

Dont get me started. At least they know that their WiFi has insane issues and is woefully inadequate. Whether they'll do anything about it is another story

 

[Computer Magic]

Dont get me started. At least they know that their WiFi has insane issues and is woefully inadequate. Whether they'll do anything about it is another story

This system is dependent on WiFi. We were at Beach Club in Feb and our WiFi didn't work for days in our room. Could you imagine guest dependent on this system getting FP, ADR, etc, IT came in the last day and pulled out the dresser where the access point was located. This was a simple home type access point. No where near a business grade access point. I sure hope this isn't the government where they paid $500 for a screw driver.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It's Autodesk, along with a bunch of proprietary CG software from various other vendors and Weta Digital.

Do you know more specifically? I know they used Maya and MotionBuilder for the film. AutoCAD and maybe are it seem to be a given.

Second, regarding the sign he's talking about - it's a digitally printed sign. I can only guess, but as someone who is big on show quality, if I saw a digitally printed sign (which by definition is a piece of paper) in a themed environment, well, maybe to the Accountineer, it was good enough, but to the WDI person or myself, it would stick out like a sore thumb. Now, WDI didn't have to specify they spend $1k, but they were doing what they're used to doing - what Ops should have done was gone back to WDI and said "this is a temporary sign for a 3 month use - can you please give us something that's going to cost $200, not $1k." Of course, no one communicated. The problem with large corporations with multiple divisions: people don't talk to each other.

Maybe it was meant to be implied, but I think the author missed taking not of the role of a singular authority on show quality. I'd also like to know how that $1000 sign is doing. Is it still be used and still usable for years to come? Haunted Mansion Holiday is coming up on its tenth year. Just as an example, if the were going through ten signs a year at $10 a piece, they'd be hitting that $1000 mark this year. If that sign still has life in it the park as a whole is nearing the point where they would be saving money, all the while having higher show quality.

 

[bubbles1812]

Do you know more specifically? I know they used Maya and MotionBuilder for the film. AutoCAD and maybe are it seem to be a given.


Maybe it was meant to be implied, but I think the author missed taking not of the role of a singular authority on show quality. I'd also like to know how that $1000 sign is doing. Is it still be used and still usable for years to come? Haunted Mansion Holiday is coming up on its tenth year. Just as an example, if the were going through ten signs a year at $10 a price, they'd be hitting that $1000 mark this year. If that sign still has life in it the park as a whole is nearing the point where they would be saving money, all the while having higher show quality.

That is an interesting point. Someone def needs to to find out if it still lives! Calling all California residents...

 

[Computer Magic]

. IT upgrades don't have to cost billions.

Sometimes I wonder if Disney loses touch with the value of money. You know they have to buy servers, routers, desktops and software. I wonder if they don't look or take the time for the best cost. You can get 60% off retail price, just don't brag you are from Disney. That's like walking into a car dealership wearing a fur coat and diamond ring.

 

[englanddg]

This system is dependent on WiFi. We were at Beach Club in Feb and our WiFi didn't work for days in our room. Could you imagine guest dependent on this system getting FP, ADR, etc, IT came in the last day and pulled out the dresser where the access point was located. This was a simple home type access point. No where near a business grade access point. I sure hope this isn't the government where they paid $500 for a screw driver.

This reminds me of the Russian Cosmonaut and the US Astronaut who were comparing equipment on the ISS.

The US Astronaut showed off the amazing pen that NASA had spent nearly a million developing and purchasing. It could write upside down, the ink didn't smudge, and it could even be used underwater.

The Russian looked at it, impressed, and said "Da, ve have this too. Ve call it pencil."

 

[MattM]

As to the not-so-veiled shot, I'll put my track record against anyone in either online media or real media. My UNI info has actually been damn near 100% accurate. Disney not quite as good because they can't make decisions and actually follow through. Doubt my info if you chose, either way, I'll sleep the same tonight.

Relax, and listen to a little Carly Simon. You probably think that post was about you. It wasn't.

 

[Computer Magic]

This reminds me of the Russian Cosmonaut and the US Astronaut who were comparing equipment on the ISS.

The US Astronaut showed off the amazing pen that NASA had spent nearly a million developing and purchasing. It could write upside down, the ink didn't smudge, and it could even be used underwater.

The Russian looked at it, impressed, and said "Da, ve have this too. Ve call it pencil."

Funny comment, but I hope you are not implying a home wireless router can do the same as a business wireless router.

 

[englanddg]

Funny comment, but I hope you are not implying a home wireless router can do the same as a business wireless router.

Not in the slightest. Your comment just reminded me of that old joke.

One of my clients has a huge house (~15k square feet on 4 stories with steel infrastructure) and keeps insisting that he can use consumer grade linksys (cisco) routers and extenders...

Every few months I get called out to his house because their wifi "isn't working well"...but of course, he doesn't want to put in a system that could actually handle the size and scope of the site. (it would have cost a few thousand to really do it right and make sure there was proper coverage in the pool / firepit area, etc...)

He didn't want to do it. So, he's still complaining, and still running of the linksys setup. But, he doesn't complain so much anymore because his wife figured it out.

Their solution? They have a separate ISP on each floor...now I get calls from them because they can't print to their shared printers.

</me facepalms>

 

[Computer Magic]

Not in the slightest. Your comment just reminded me of that old joke.

One of my clients has a huge house (~15k square feet on 4 stories with steel infrastructure) and keeps insisting that he can use consumer grade linksys (cisco) routers and extenders...

Every few months I get called out to his house because their wifi "isn't working well"...but of course, he doesn't want to put in a system that could actually handle the size and scope of the site. (it would have cost a few thousand to really do it right and make sure there was proper coverage in the pool / firepit area, etc...)

He didn't want to do it. So, he's still complaining, and still running of the linksys setup. But, he doesn't complain so much anymore because his wife figured it out.

Their solution? They have a separate ISP on each floor...now I get calls from them because they can't print to their shared printers.

</me facepalms>

Now that is even funnier yet sad at the same time. This goes back to your original post (I think it was yours about not investing in the infrastructure). I made a comment once that the Internet would complain about Disney installing the trash system called the AVAC system.

Why would you pay all that money for a house that probably cost $500,000 and then be cheap on the Infrastructure. That's how I see Disney investment. I always get mad when my company spends a million dollars to upgrade their application but I have to jump through hoops to keep the infrastructure ready.

You can't have your application without a sound infrastructure. Disney needs WiFi just as much as they needed that AVAC system. The question becomes did they need a billion dollars to do this?

 

[englanddg]

Now that is even funnier yet sad at the same time. This goes back to your original post (I think it was yours about not investing in the infrastructure. I made a comment once that the Internet would complain about Disney installing the trash system called the AVAC system.

Why would you pay all that money for a house that probably cost $500,000 and then be cheap on the Infrastructure. That's how I see Disney investment. I always get mad when my company spends a million dollars to upgrade their application but I have to jump through hoops to keep the infrastructure ready.

You can't have your application with the infrastructure. Disney needs WiFi just as much as they needed that AVAC system. The question becomes did they need a billion dollars to do this?

4.5 million was the final price tag for the house (much of that was land, it's inside the perimeter in Atlanta near the governors mansion...not the cheapest area). I'd suggested to him, since he was doing ground up construction for it, that he should run copper throughout the house (what I told him was, as a general rule, wherever you have a power outlet, go ahead and put a network outlet...though I worked with the vendor who did the wiring for him and it wasn't that much). He got into a spat with them over ~5k, and the vendor walked out with the job half done.

Of course, he didn't tell me this, and they finished construction. Then he calls me out and I'm trying to pull cable AFTER walls are up. In a house that has 16 - 20 foot ceilings. <sigh>

I could see a billion on Wifi (though it could be done cheaper, I suspect), when you consider the size of the property and the resorts, etc. But, at least in my experience, the Wifi there is terrible. They turned it on at the parks while I was in my trip last August. I do recall it being better on the parks than at my resort (Pop).

So, I'm left scratching my head wondering what exactly a billion bought?