News Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Historical Construction/Impressions

[winstongator]

Very curious about the light sabers as well. Iger said he wasn't going to use VR in the parks, but that AR was a possibility. They don't just need to be concerned with how the light saber looks, and sounds, but how it feels. How can they simulate the experience of the resistance one might feel when it crashes into another saber and it kicks back? This could be done with internal mechanics. I'm sure there are patents floating around that lay it all out but I can't recall, as the light saber isn't really my area of interest. I'm more quick to recall the patents about things like biometric machine vision that can reroute riders based on their fear levels and other emotional metrics, as well as soft AI animatronics' ability to track guests' pupils to make eye contact.

I was more thinking about deflecting blaster bolts, not a full on VR-VR, or VR-program battle.

Would VR in the hotel not violate 'no VR in the parks'? They've got great VR at Disney Springs already.

 

[Rich T]

...just because you think guests are stupid.

You and I have both worked at a theme park. You've probably seen--as I have--guests behaving stupidly and flagrantly violating common-sense safety regulations on a daily basis-- even putting their children's safety at risk for a photo op.

Theme parks (and resorts) have to be designed with worst-case guest behavior scenarios in mind.

 

[TROR]

...just because you think guests are stupid.

But guests ARE stupid

 

[Rich T]

Real life park operations aren't like Disney's concept paintings where all the guests are alert, civil, and calmly pointing in awe at all the "magic." Although I did love the PixPier art with the guests looking confused.

 

[Rich T]

Anyhuh-way, back to SWGE at DL: Who else wouldn't be surprised if Disney bean-counters are already encouraging more budget cuts because recent box office results are indicating to them that this cycle of SW has peaked and future returns won't be quite as high as projected?

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes. I'm saying the lawyers have and are thinking about this and that is exactly why use of bots will be limited and supervised. This is 2018 era theme park reality. Disney is not going to experiment with unsupervised free roaming bots. The risk is not worth the reward, regardless of what the PR department wants potential guests to believe. I'm sorry, but "Look out for bots" signs aren't gonna cut it in a resort environment.

You and I have both worked at a theme park. You've probably seen--as I have--guests behaving stupidly and flagrantly violating common-sense safety regulations on a daily basis-- even putting their children's safety at risk for a photo op.

Theme parks (and resorts) have to be designed with worst-case guest behavior scenarios in mind.

Real life park operations aren't like Disney's concept paintings where all the guests are alert, civil, and calmly pointing in awe at all the "magic." Although I did love the PixPier art with the guests looking confused.

You make it seem like these bots have not been tested in real world situations, like they were just introduced yesterday. There are quite a few hotels across the world already deploying bots for various different task. Some of the largest hotel chains, like Marriot, Hilton, Aloft, Intercontinental Hotels have all been using bots in one form or another for at least 4 years. One hotel in Tokyo has made almost all operations run by bots, Henn na Hotel. So its not like Disney is on the cutting edge here being the first one to deploy these bots.

And yes you and I both have worked at theme parks. So knowing full well this fact, how many successful lawsuits came about due to guests doing stupid activities where they are clearly violating posted rules? Now while you think about that question, how about how many lawsuits will be successful in one of the most video security monitored and recorded locations on the planet when guests are doing stupid activities clearly violating posted rules? The answer to both those questions is very few cases have been or will be successful based on guest negligence by violating posted rules. Even fewer when video evidence is introduced showing the guest being negligent.

So there will be a time where there a free roaming bots at a Disney resort. My opinion is it will be sooner than you think.

 

[Disney Irish]

But guests ARE stupid

Yes some guests are stupid and do stupid activities because they are human. Which means they bear responsibility for their actions as well, especially when clearly violating posted rules. Claiming ignorance or stupidity is not a free pass to do what you want. Lawsuits are thrown out all the time by stupid people doing stupid things because they didn't follow posted rules.

 

[Phroobar]

Let me know when they make robots for Frontierland that look like this.

 

[Curious Constance]

First VHS tape I ever bought and I own it in every format since. It was only after the movie came out that I understood the brilliance of Goldman's book. I was introduced to it by Ron Schneider who went on to become the original Dreamfinder when Epcot opened. We were working at Magic Mountain together several years before that. I highly recommend Cary Elwes' memoir about it, As You Wish. It's worth it just for the Andre the Giant stories.

Already own it

 

[nevol]

Dude. Take a deep breath. I'm a lifelong Disney fan/geek who loves all the dark elements at the parks. (Pause) That doesn't mean I want to sleep in that environment when I go back to the hotel. It doesn't mean I want to pay thousands of dollar to pretend to live in that world. That's what I meant, and I know I don't speak for everyone.

The public roaming 'bots at Disney are supervised at all times. You might not see the supervisor, but they're there.

And I'm not talking about bots *killing* guests. I'm talking lawsuits. All it takes is one opportunistic guest getting bumped, or--heaven forbid-- tripping over one and Disney could be sued for millions of dollars while the media blows it all out of proportion and the GP now thinks Disney is freaking Westworld.

I'm just being realistic. Disney is not going to have unsupervised free-roaming bots interacting with a vast random assortment of idiot guests who are one phone call away from an attorney and one tweet away from an exaggerated claim like "I was just assaulted by a Disney robot!" Disney likes their money. They want to keep the money.

So having a single droid with a nearby guide, and having several roaming around star wars galactic nights is also possible and entirely legal because they are already happening, but putting those same droids in star wars: galaxy's edge is a lawsuit waiting to happen?

 

[Rich T]

You make it seem like these bots have not been tested in real world situations, like they were just introduced yesterday. There are quite a few hotels across the world already deploying bots for various different task. Some of the largest hotel chains, like Marriot, Hilton, Aloft, Intercontinental Hotels have all been using bots in one form or another for at least 4 years. One hotel in Tokyo has made almost all operations run by bots, Henn na Hotel. So its not like Disney is on the cutting edge here being the first one to deploy these bots.

And yes you and I both have worked at theme parks. So knowing full well this fact, how many successful lawsuits came about due to guests doing stupid activities where they are clearly violating posted rules? Now while you think about that question, how about how many lawsuits will be successful in one of the most video security monitored and recorded locations on the planet when guests are doing stupid activities clearly violating posted rules? The answer to both those questions is very few cases have been or will be successful based on guest negligence by violating posted rules. Even fewer when video evidence is introduced showing the guest being negligent.

So there will be a time where there a free roaming bots at a Disney resort. My opinion is it will be sooner than you think.

Cool. My opinion is that you're being very, very, verrrrrry optimistic about the use of the technology. Time will tell. It will certainly be more fun if you're correct.

 

[vancee]

20 years later there’s going to be a bunch of women coming out about Disney robots sexual assaulting them.

 

[Hatbox Ghostbuster]

Wait...so why exactly do we want robots roaming the parks again?

 

[Rich T]

So having a single droid with a nearby guide, and having several roaming around star wars galactic nights is also possible and entirely legal because they are already happening, but putting those same droids in star wars: galaxy's edge is a lawsuit waiting to happen?

I'm just balking at the suggestions that the bots will be interacting with SWGE and WDW hotel guests completely unsupervised. Supervised-- yes, absolutely that's going to happen!

I am tired of being Mr. Grumpypants! Going to try very hard to keep my dang mouth shut and wait until something I can be positive about comes along!

 

[Hatbox Ghostbuster]

I'm just balking at the suggestions that the bots will be interacting with SWGE and WDW hotel guests completely unsupervised. Supervised-- yes, absolutely that's going to happen!

I am tired of being Mr. Grumpypants! Going to try very hard to keep my dang mouth shut and wait until something I can be positive about comes along!

 

[Disney Irish]

Cool. My opinion is that you're being very, very, verrrrrry optimistic about the use of the technology. Time will tell. It will certainly be more fun if you're correct.

Not sure how I'm being very optimistic about the technology when its already in use around the world, even if its currently limited in use at WDW. But yes it will be more fun if it becomes more wide spread because it'll make the overall guest experience better.

 

[Rich T]

Not sure how I'm being very optimistic about the technology when its already in use around the world, even if its currently limited in use at WDW. But yes it will be more fun if it becomes more wide spread because it'll make the overall guest experience better.

(Writes comment about how interacting with living humans is actually a better guest experience than interacting with machines and also better for humans looking for work...but then remembers he vowed not to be Mr. Grumpypants anymore).
(Also realizes his own hypocrisy for stating it would "be more fun" just minutes before.)

 

[Hatbox Ghostbuster]

Not sure how I'm being very optimistic about the technology when its already in use around the world, even if its currently limited in use at WDW. But yes it will be more fun if it becomes more wide spread because it'll make the overall guest experience better.

yeeeaaaaah....I definitely don't think a park overrun with robots would make a better guest experience...but whatever!

 

[Disney Irish]

(Writes comment about how interacting with living humans is actually a better guest experience than interacting with machines and also better for humans looking for work...but then remembers he vowed not to be Mr. Grumpypants anymore).

Well Mr Grumpypants, we're talking about usage such as guests getting their food via bots in the SW Hotel. That leads to better guest experience because its "themed", and they get their food quicker meaning fresher and warmer. So yeah its a better guest experience overall.

 

[MisterPenguin]

They're developing robots that will actually lift you up and carry to an upper floor of a building. Sounds really dangerous. They're calling them "elevators."