Talking Mickey Mouse

alifares · May 28, 2007

I read somewhere about a mickey mouse doll that will talk and tell you about things that are in the parks when you are at disney world. what are these dolls and where can you get them. we are going on te 9th of june and would like to purchase one.

unkadug · May 29, 2007

jmicro59 said:
Yep, never say never. I have three PM's and since the offspring has lost interest in PM I took them apart. I now have one PM who will say the monorail caution tag line "Please stand clear of the doors... Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas" one of the other PM's I used to wish my wife a happy 15th anniversary and I haven't quite decided what to do with the last PM. But I'm sure I'll think of something. Reprogramming PM is very easy, the most complicated part was making the interface to my PC but trial and error cured that. So if I can do it, WDW could easily accomplish this simple task but I wonder why they wouldn’t do this??? Hmmmmm… I wonder if it has something to do with coming out with newer versions that say new things and charging $65 for PM rather then give loyal PM owners a free upgrade which makes the mouse exactly no coin. I’m probably way off base with this though, right? :lol:

How creative, way to go!!

That just confirmed my suspicions. Thanks! :wave:

How difficult was it to get to his "inner workings" ?

MissM · May 29, 2007

Taking apart the Pal and hacking him has nothing to do with whether or not WDW has the means or desire to do updates on Pal. It is, quite frankly just about the stupidest argument one could wage on the subject. It's like saying that the Dreamcast video game system was specifically designed to run Linux just because someone decided to hack the thing to pieces in order to force the OS on the hardware. One has nothing to do with the other.

The fact remains, whether you like it or not, that once you buy your Pal he's as complete as he'll ever be and nothing in the normal realm of reality or realistic events will change that.
-m

unkadug · May 30, 2007

Updates/downloads/chips/mods have NEVER been possible and are still not possible. It was NEVER offered because it's physically impossible.

Your words - not mine.

It is NOT physically impossible.

MissM · May 30, 2007

unkadug said:
Your words - not mine.

It is NOT physically impossible.

It IS physically impossible because they do NOT have, nor ever had the equipment nor technology in any store or location in the park to do uploads of information. The statement applies to the REAL WORLD CONDITIONS of updates and remains entirely correct.

Again, entirely taking apart a device and hacking it is so far in left field that it's absurd and pointless in the discussion. The fact remains that excluding destroying the system to reprogram it, you can NOT update your Pal Mickey.
-m

jmicro59 · May 30, 2007

unkadug said:
How creative, way to go!!

That just confirmed my suspicions. Thanks! :wave:

How difficult was it to get to his "inner workings" ?

Not too hard. Unzip the back of his jacket/shirt and gut him. Of course not pulling too hard as I didn't want to seperate any wires from the nose as this is PM's "hearing" point. Then 3 screws later, presto. :lol:

jmicro59 · May 30, 2007

MissM said:
Taking apart the Pal and hacking him has nothing to do with whether or not WDW has the means or desire to do updates on Pal. It is, quite frankly just about the stupidest argument one could wage on the subject. It's like saying that the Dreamcast video game system was specifically designed to run Linux just because someone decided to hack the thing to pieces in order to force the OS on the hardware. One has nothing to do with the other.

The fact remains, whether you like it or not, that once you buy your Pal he's as complete as he'll ever be and nothing in the normal realm of reality or realistic events will change that.
-m

Wow I didn't realize I was outside the normal realm of reality. But ok if you say so. And I refute your stupidity comment. You were the one who said it was impossible I merely showed you it was not impossible and also pointed out that if WDW could make money off of it they would. There would be a PM update kiosk at every location that PM is sold at.

Unplugged · May 30, 2007

MissM said:
PAL MICKEY CAN NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM BE "UPDATED" WITH NEW CONTENT.

But please believe me when I tell you that any "information" you'll find on the web about being able to update Pal ("chip" him, get "downloads," use a "special drawer" the CM's have access to, etc.) is FALSE. It's reboot only, no new content.

What is this statement based on? I mean do you know the device designers or was there an internal memo you can site?

I ask as I had my PAL Mickey freaked out and I had to have his memory re-flashed. They put him on the little device with his IR nose by the device sensor and reloaded him, not rebooted him. It does not take 5 minutes to reboot him, but would take about that long to transfer an EEPROM or Flash that amount of data. Also, why would you need an external IR reader/writer for a reboot?!? :brick:Take the batteries out of him, then put them back in and turn him on. How long until he can start talking or playing games? No IR device required for the reboot.

The technology to do an IR re-flash like this is very rudimentary and built into almost every chip based device now. I can understand not having bi-directional communication due to the power use (battery drain) by PAL and lack of distance obtainable by a small IR such as his nose. I can also understand Disney choosing not to update certain (older) models beyond a specific version of firmware due to storage limitations in older PAL's. But to say he is NOT updatable is counterintuitive with what some CMs have told me and what I have witnessed myself.

Has anyone taken their PAL apart to check the chipset? I like mine and don't want to ruin him.

MissM · May 30, 2007

Due to the misinformation on certain message boards, I called the Main Street Cinema at the Magic Kingdom to verify. Cast Member John has CONFIRMED that the older Pal Mickey (any version prior to the HCOE version) can only be "updated" with the park's daily information (parade and show times, etc. - as stated in the instruction booklet) and can NOT be "updated" in any other way. In reality, their use of the term "updating" means to "re-set" him to enable him to receive signals from the emitters and to properly respond. However, the older Pal Mickeys can NOT be made to provide information on any of the newer attractions (Soarin', LMA, Everest, etc.), or to have the latest features (singing, louder voice, new games, trivia, interacting with the Glow medallion). These are the facts.

And if not a CM, how about the person who helped create PM?
According to the imagineer in this article everything is pre-programmed. Below is a quote from Bruce Vaughn, vice president of research and development for Disney Imagineering:

"Also, you know, that's all pre-programmed stuff in there, and what it's waiting for is a signal from these emitters that says, "Play this joke. Play this sequence." We didn't want to have it say the same thing over and over again, so there's a small computer in there that's making decisions. You can unlock things by the more experience you do, so the more you do, the more the toy has to tell you. We're trying to make sort of a bonded friendship where there is some knowledge of a history and awareness, seeming awareness, from the character."
(Source)

Or perhaps the Project Manager for PM in another article?

As for delivering customized messages or using Pal Mickey to perform true traffic control in the park, though, Product Developer Kyle Poor says that's not in the plans—just yet.
(Source)

This information has been available for years. The posts on the subject date back since pretty much day one. Again, taking him apart and hacking him has no bearing on reality because it has nothing to do with WDW nor the options they offer. Despite the extremely irritating and persistent rumors to the contrary, your Pal will NOT update nor get new information, features, games, songs or information. Everything he can say and do is already pre-programmed in. This is why older versions are clearanced out and discontinued. They become outdated.

Disney may at some point in the future decide to do offer sort of re-program or update system in the future if they feel it's worthwhile to them, but right now, they don't and do not have plans to do so. They can get you to buy a new one each year when you come for vacation, so there's no reason to give away the updates and new features for free.
-m

majortom1981 · May 30, 2007

Pal mickey

I have a serious question about Pal Mickey. I thought I saw pal mickey for sale t the world of disney store in NYC.

If I buy one from their it should have no problems working at the parks right?

MissM · May 30, 2007

majortom1981 said:
I have a serious question about Pal Mickey. I thought I saw pal mickey for sale t the world of disney store in NYC.

If I buy one from their it should have no problems working at the parks right?

No problem at all. Just make sure you turn him on before you enter the park so he picks up at the sensor at the turnstyle. This will ensure he "knows" which park he's in and be able to pick up the sensors appropriately. If he doesn't giggle/vibrate when you come into the park, you can take him to one of the locations and they can reboot him for you. But so long as he's turned on before you enter the park of your choice (and of course that his batteries work! :lol: ) there shouldn't be any problem.
-m

Unplugged · May 31, 2007

MissM said:
The only thing the drawers were used for (past tense, they aren't even used any longer and were removed from almost all locations) was to reboot PM or to take him off the "Demo" mode. These days, they merely unseat (remove and replace) the batteries to reboot him and/or turn him off demo mode.

Thanks for the informative response. Very interesting. Based on quotes you provided, it's obvious how many of us have come to believe what we believe(d). The CMs are using a variety of terms in inconsistent ways that can be a bit deceiving. Certainly they don't want to give away any secrets or future plans, but clarity would help those of us that are technically savvy.

Too bad they haven't pursued some of the more interesting and complex plans they had. Could be quite fun to buy home IR dongles for our USB PC ports and have our Pal interact with their web site. Oh well, as the Imagineers say "Good ideas that aren't implemented are never thrown out, they just get shelved." We can only hope.

Thanks again for your extensive research!

MissM · May 31, 2007

Unplugged said:
The CMs are using a variety of terms in inconsistent ways that can be a bit deceiving.

Very much so. The verbage used has been, I feel, specifically misleading so people wouldn't realize their investment would get outdated. Saying that he "updates" when he enters the park every time tends to mean that he'll be made current to most guests whereas to Disney, it just means he'll give the proper show/parade/fireworks times. That's not really an update, you know?

Unplugged said:
Too bad they haven't pursued some of the more interesting and complex plans they had.

Oh I know. If you read through the US Patent for Pal, there was so many more interesting - and more truly interactive - things they planned for. Adding in knowledge of the Pal's owner, back-and-forth communication with other Pals - all that is really cool. Who knows? Maybe someday they'll decide to run with it further. I've always had the impression that poor PM is the victim of downsizing a project and not giving it enough support/resources. Heck, it took them almost two years to come out with clothes for him and the rumored Pal Pooh and such never manifested either.
-m

Talking Mickey Mouse

alifares

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unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult

MissM

Well-Known Member

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult

MissM

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jmicro59

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jmicro59

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Unplugged

Well-Known Member

MissM

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majortom1981

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MissM

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Unplugged

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MissM

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