Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[articos]

No, the article mentions the $10 price tag being an advantage due to the ease and low cost of replacement.

I know 10 signs is about one sign per week, but he never says specifically what "digitally printed" entails. I know this was likely being done in house, but due to the low price I image it was not the sturdiest of materials.

It was printed on paper and laminated or encased in a plastic sleeve. It looked like a printed sign.

 

[articos]

Partly I think the question of temperature is very subjective as someone might find a place to hot while another one thinks it is too cold.

Here in Germany air conditioning is very rare - a lot of shops have it now as well as modern hotels. But in my daily life I have to get through hot summer days without any air conditioning. My experience with the US - and especially with WDW in the past was that I hated how cold it was inside buildings.

On my recent trip I was truly surprised that there were moments at WDW when I was uncomfortable inside a building - not because it was too cold, but because in my opinion it was too warm and - and that I found even worse - humid. It just felt as if their air system was not able to handle the amount of people inside the building and had kind of given up.

The air handling systems can definitely handle it - they can freeze the feathers off a penguin if they really want. Disney made a conscious "eco" (cost-savings) choice to raise the temps in the buildings a few years back as part of one particular manager's idiotic decisions to save the company money. I have been in various buildings over the past several years where it has truly been uncomfortable.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It was printed on paper and laminated or encased in a plastic sleeve. It looked like a printed sign.

What?! How the $&#% did that cost $10 a piece?

 

[articos]

What?! How the $&#% did that cost $10 a piece?

If it was Ops, they either had it done via the sign shops or Kinko's. Either way, you get a labor charge on top of the printing cost. If they designed it in-house, they may have included the hour it took one of their people to do the layout as well.

 

[Bolna]

The air handling systems can definitely handle it - they can freeze the feathers off a penguin if they really want. Disney made a conscious "eco" (cost-savings) choice to raise the temps in the buildings a few years back as part of one particular manager's idiotic decisions to save the company money. I have been in various buildings over the past several years where it has truly been uncomfortable.

Thanks for the info. I can understand that they no longer go for antarctic temperatures. But if I think it is hot somewhere, then it truly is.

And just as you pointed out on the bus thread - the way to be truly eco-friendly would be to actually use new technology to help save energy in my opinion.

 

[Bolna]

They have generic "Disney Parks" napkins, for one.

I thought they have plain brown napkins now - not even generic "Disney Parks" ones. Yes. They are that magical!!

I wonder what @WDW1974 is going to say about that we turn this thread into a napkin discussion. Maybe we should also start getting excited about any new toilet refurbishments (are there any going on? I seem to remember new toilets at the American Adventure??). That might get him back to this thread...

 

[The Empress Lilly]

It was printed on paper and laminated or encased in a plastic sleeve. It looked like a printed sign.

I keep thinking I missed it. But is there any pic of these signs? I've just got to see them by now!

 

[articos]

I keep thinking I missed it. But is there any pic of these signs? I've just got to see them by now!

Absolutely no idea. I remember it because I specifically remember how it looked out of place. Sorry!

 

[Goofyernmost]

I know this is super random lazyboy but I was just thinking about this post. If they had decided to keep doing the 10 dollar sign for 10 years, they would have spent just 100 dollars versus the 1000 dollar sign. They would have to be printing signs for 100 years before before they spent 1000 dollars. 100 years before that sign saves them any money... Sorry, know you mentioned using multiple signs per year and that's how you did your math but didnt the article say they were only printing one sign for whatever that area is?

Sorry know it is random. Was just thinking about it. But again, just goes back to the sometimes ridiculous ineffiency of WDI spending. Personally I would have taken the digital sign for 10 years and let that 900 go towards something more important than a sign up 3 months out of the year.

I don't know exactly how to word this to get the point across. The cost of the sign, in this case, cannot be measured against a daily expense. The sign represents a lot more then that. It represents the quality that people that have gone to Disney expect. It's the type of thing that subconsciously keeps people coming back. It is an investment that continues to pay off long after the physical sign itself is in splinters. It's Image! It's reputation! It's the willingness to give more than needed! Isn't that what all of us have been whining about as of late? How Disney has gone for the dollar instead of the quality! How they only do what is necessary and not that little extra the was their standard in the past.

 

[bubbles1812]

I don't know exactly how to word this to get the point across. The cost of the sign, in this case, cannot be measured against a daily expense. The sign represents a lot more then that. It represents the quality that people that have gone to Disney expect. It's the type of thing that subconsciously keeps people coming back. It is an investment that continues to pay off long after the physical sign itself is in splinters. It's Image! It's reputation! It's the willingness to give more than needed! Isn't that what all of us have been whining about as of late? How Disney has gone for the dollar instead of the quality! How they only do what is necessary and not that little extra the was their standard in the past.

I see your point. But at the same time in this instance, I don't need a decked out wooden sign that is used 3 months out of the year tops, especially when I see plenty of signs that aren't detailed like that (An example would be the stroller sign right next to the carousel... it is just a plastic sign in the middle of Fantasyland. I dont think anyone is bothered by it) and when the money can be better spent elsewhere.

I'd rather have that 900 extra be spent replacing a rotting pipe in the Laughing Place so that a water effect actually works well and consistently. That relates far for to Image! Reputation! The willingness to give more than needed! than the presence of one digital sign. Crummy non working effects such as the state of how Splash was left to be in for how long has a FAR greater impact on guest experience and perception than one silly temporary sign. If they can do both... Great. But the problem is the dont often do both.

That's my point. WDI does not know how to efficiently use its money and often chooses to address what least needs fixing. They don't always look at the big picture and instead really do spend that 50 dollars on a hammer and 100 dollars on a toilet seat.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I see your point. But at the same time in this instance, I don't need a decked out wooden sign that is used 3 months out of the year tops, especially when I see plenty of signs that aren't detailed like that (An example would be the stroller sign right next to the carousel... it is just a plastic sign in the middle of Fantasyland. I dont think anyone is bothered by it) and when the money can be better spent elsewhere.

I'd rather have that 900 extra be spent replacing a rotting pipe in the Laughing Place so that a water effect actually works well and consistently. That relates far for to Image! Reputation! The willingness to give more than needed! than the presence of one digital sign. Crummy non working effects such as the state of how Splash was left to be in for how long has a FAR greater impact on guest experience and perception than one silly temporary sign. If they can do both... Great. But the problem is the dont often do both.

That's my point. WDI does not know how to efficiently use its money and often chooses to address what least needs fixing. They don't always look at the big picture and instead really do spend that 50 dollars on a hammer and 100 dollars on a toilet seat.

It is a bit of the slippery slope argument, but if a laminated paper sign is acceptable for a recurring three months, is it okay for four months? Five? Six? At what point is the cheap sign no longer acceptable? How many are acceptable? This is one of those quintessential items that, maybe the one goes unnoticed, but it sets a precedent. The sign was not one and done, it was going to be used year after year during Haunted Mansion Holiday. That's not a temporary sign, it's seasonal, just like all of the other seasonal items and decorations that get put out.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

The air handling systems can definitely handle it - they can freeze the feathers off a penguin if they really want. Disney made a conscious "eco" (cost-savings) choice to raise the temps in the buildings a few years back as part of one particular manager's idiotic decisions to save the company money. I have been in various buildings over the past several years where it has truly been uncomfortable.

They also could've gotten more energy efficient HVAC units....

 

[Mr Bill]

The air handling systems can definitely handle it - they can freeze the feathers off a penguin if they really want. Disney made a conscious "eco" (cost-savings) choice to raise the temps in the buildings a few years back as part of one particular manager's idiotic decisions to save the company money. I have been in various buildings over the past several years where it has truly been uncomfortable.

This seems like the kind of decision made by someone who never bothers to actually visit the parks they're responsible for. The thermostat setting that might be comfortable or even reasonable in an office building across from Downtown Disney doesn't work quite as well in a theme park where doors are wide-open and guests are going from the 90 degree heat to indoors frequently.

 

[George]

*sigh* Remember the days when everything Disney did was top notch? Discussions like this wouldn't be possible.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

*sigh* Remember the days when everything Disney did was top notch? Discussions like this wouldn't be possible.

Tis a shame

 

[bubbles1812]

It is a bit of the slippery slope argument, but if a laminated paper sign is acceptable for a recurring three months, is it okay for four months? Five? Six? At what point is the cheap sign no longer acceptable? How many are acceptable? This is one of those quintessential items that, maybe the one goes unnoticed, but it sets a precedent. The sign was not one and done, it was going to be used year after year during Haunted Mansion Holiday. That's not a temporary sign, it's seasonal, just like all of the other seasonal items and decorations that get put out.

True. I very much see your point. But at the same time which would you rather have if you could only have one? Are you going to have them fix the broken effect, something much more noticeable, which may have a greater impact on guest experience, or the sign which most people won't give a second thought to? I guess what I'm trying to say is that WDI sometimes chooses to not address the problems that really need fixing in favor of things that might not need it, least not right then and there.

 

[lazyboy97o]

True. I very much see your point. But at the same time which would you rather have if you could only have one? Are you going to have them fix the broken effect, something much more noticeable, which may have a greater impact on guest experience, or the sign which most people won't give a second thought to? I guess what I'm trying to say is that WDI sometimes chooses to not address the problems that really need fixing in favor of things that might not need it, least not right then and there.

Walt Disney Imagineering does not get to decide what gets fixed when. They hand attractions over to the parks which are then responsible for their upkeep. They come back in for refurbs, but they're not there every night.

How many people will notice the missing effect? It's the same faulty minset. Walt Disney Imagineering shouldn't have gone for something so expensive (but as was the point of my original comment, depending on the life span of the two signs the $1000 could be the better longterm choice for both cost and show). On the other hand, the park never should have considered it acceptable to leave the sign as a petty cash matter instead of budgeting for it when undertaking the Haunted Mansion Holiday project (Haunted Mansion Holiday was done by the park, not Walt Disney Imagineering).

The assumption needs to be that everybody will notice everything. If people don't notice then it is not worth doing, and therefore easy to toss aside.

 

[articos]

This seems like the kind of decision made by someone who never bothers to actually visit the parks they're responsible for. The thermostat setting that might be comfortable or even reasonable in an office building across from Downtown Disney doesn't work quite as well in a theme park where doors are wide-open and guests are going from the 90 degree heat to indoors frequently.

Yes. More, it's the type of decision an exec reaches after reading some article about another corporation saving big money by raising their office thermostat settings by 3 degrees. He/she decides that it's only 2 or 3 degrees, what difference would that make, plus it's eco friendly!...and they send the memo out. Then they never bother going out to check on whether or not it's a good decision, nor did they test it properly to make sure it's a good decision. This was a decision made while the parks were in cut-back mode. Unfortunately, once done, these decisions are then measured by guest complaints, and not enough people complain (it's really hard to get enough complaints to actually make a difference), so the new policy becomes the lay of the land. How this changes is George or Meg or Tom notices it's hot in a queue and they finally inquire to find out what's going on. Until then, status quo.

 

[englanddg]

Yes. More, it's the type of decision an exec reaches after reading some article about another corporation saving big money by raising their office thermostat settings by 3 degrees. He/she decides that it's only 2 or 3 degrees, what difference would that make, plus it's eco friendly!...and they send the memo out. Then they never bother going out to check on whether or not it's a good decision, nor did they test it properly to make sure it's a good decision. This was a decision made while the parks were in cut-back mode. Unfortunately, once done, these decisions are then measured by guest complaints, and not enough people complain (it's really hard to get enough complaints to actually make a difference), so the new policy becomes the lay of the land. How this changes is George or Meg or Tom notices it's hot in a queue and they finally inquire to find out what's going on. Until then, status quo.

And this, is why Walt walked the parks.

 

[articos]

And this, is why Walt walked the parks.

Bingo. It used to be all of the execs were required to spend a week in the park in various roles. Walt would also make his managers go experience the park as a guest would. For exactly this reason.