Ticketing/Entry System Crash

[Obobru]

MDE/Disney guest information systems infrastructure is problem prone. This occurrence was yet another example of it. The heart of the problem, is a system that was over promised and under designed. The fact that it is common for people to call tech support to fix their vacations speaks volumes about what has been implemented.

I can only comment on the ticketing systems but a lot of what you say is true from what I hear. Disney have a lot of software platforms built at different times some with great API's and others using some cobbled together integrations all trying to talk to each other so your tickets, hotel res, fastpasses and dining are all connected but in reality they are not all in the same database. In an ideal world Disney would build a system which can do all these in one and your full record of everything is one place. Until that happens I think they are going to stretch the systems to the limit in order to avoid addressing an expensive issue.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

This. I saw the line for the express monorail going down through the ticket booths last week while there was literally no line for the resort monorail. There wasn't anything stopping people from going to the resort line, they just didn't know. I was in shock of the fact no one was even going for the ferries either. Nothing was down at all and there were no CMs directing people either.

CMs should have been all over that...but such are the issues that can arise when you keep staffing to the bare minimum.

And this leads to another of my complaints about the WDW website...NOWHERE is there even a hint that you should do any kind of research prior to your trip. This isn't Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire where you can just show up and do everything in a day...when you don't get to go to Disney very often, it takes some serious planning to make sure you aren't wasting hours waiting for attractions or transportation or even worse. I mean, that "mom post" griping about Millennials may be fake, but anyone who has been to the parks at least a few times knows there are people who go who just have no clue, have a miserable time, and blame everyone but themselves for their lack of knowledge and planning. The one that bothers me the most is parents yelling at their kids for being cranky...most of the time, a well-planned rest - even a short one - a drink, and a snack are all it takes to avoid that.

 

[bUU]

Your arrogance is what is truly ridiculous.

It looks like arrogance to you because you don't like it. The reality is that I post with the general tone of the comments directed in reply to my posts, though I won't go as far as some of them have.

Keep telling yourself that everyone who disagrees with you is in some way inferior.

I never said anything about anyone being inferior. I used specific words to describe specific behaviors and attitudes. Read for understanding - not so as to have something to post in reply.

 

[danlb_2000]

Your arrogance is what is truly ridiculous. Keep telling yourself that everyone who disagrees with you is in some way inferior. I've seen your posts on other topics and I hope that "you're putting on a show here online, and that when you walk away from the computer and start interacting with the real world that you're nowhere near as pompous and offputting as you're playing here."

He's not worth the effort. He seems 100% set on his narrow point of view and we are not going to change his mind on it.

 

[bUU]

Until that happens I think they are going to stretch the systems to the limit in order to avoid addressing an expensive issue.

As I mentioned previously, my former employer has had far worse problems than Disney has, and their problems have received far more attention by the national press. And right now Disney is working to fill significantly more open positions in IT than the company I used to work for. You don't know what "avoiding addressing an expensive issue" looks like until you see a case study in action.

 

[xdan0920]

Your arrogance is what is truly ridiculous. Keep telling yourself that everyone who disagrees with you is in some way inferior. I've seen your posts on other topics and I hope that "you're putting on a show here online, and that when you walk away from the computer and start interacting with the real world that you're nowhere near as pompous and offputting as you're playing here."

I’m gonna guess he doesn’t get invited to many parties.

 

[drizgirl]

As I mentioned previously, my former employer has had far worse problems than Disney has, and their problems have received far more attention by the national press. And right now Disney is working to fill significantly more open positions in IT than the company I used to work for. You don't know what "avoiding addressing an expensive issue" looks like until you see a case study in action.

I guess they shouldn't have outsourced in recent years and laid off so many in that department.

 

[bUU]

He's not worth the effort. He seems 100% set on his narrow point of view and we are not going to change his mind on it.

Thank you for revealing the underlying cause for the abusively rabid comments you and those who you agree with direct at substantive challenges to the Disney hating that you prefer: You're angry because we won't change our minds to kowtow to your perspective on things.

I don't expect you to change your minds.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Disney never has crashes...

 

[lazyboy97o]

It’s sad how many people hate Disney and the elderly.

 

[drew81]

I love it when a company plant comes to play.

 

[aaronml]

Disney World's ticketing system is provided by Viva Ticket (was previously called Omni) but this interfaces with a number of custom Disney applications and access control systems from other suppliers.

FWIW they are planning on replacing ATS or so I’ve heard. My understanding though is that it won’t be Galaxy, but some other proprietary system from another vendor.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

It’s sad how many people hate Disney and the elderly.

How 'bout the elderly AT Disney?

 

[aaronml]

Disneyland use Galaxy ticketing software from Gateway which has different functions and not as much custom development as WDW has done and has less points of failure.

To be fair, there is still a decent amount of custom development in DLR’s Galaxy deployment..... the custom iOS app for taking photos, the support for “Flex Pass” reservations, the support for scanning the PERNR barcode on employee badges and issuing employee comp tickets, etc.

I think the most significant additional customization with ATS in WDW is the MagicBand integration, and perhaps the fingerprint scanner integration.

 

[HauntedPirate]

As an IT person, none of this gives me warm fuzzies. Like they've built their entire system on a foundation of quicksand. They can tie ropes to it to keep it afloat and try various methods to prop it up, but eventually, it's gonna sink. Too much customization usually means it's hard to find people who can support something if/when the current staff leaves, and a lot of tribal knowledge often leaves when the person leaves, no matter how much documentation gets written.

 

[lazyboy97o]

How 'bout the elderly AT Disney?

Only if they use an ECV and are so entitled as to expect being allowed into park after purchasing admission.

 

[Kingtut]

As I mentioned previously, my former employer has had far worse problems than Disney has, and their problems have received far more attention by the national press. And right now Disney is working to fill significantly more open positions in IT than the company I used to work for. You don't know what "avoiding addressing an expensive issue" looks like until you see a case study in action.

I can't tell from the Career page how many of the "technology" jobs ( 212 world wide - when I looked) are for actual positions to support park activities. I suspect ( without reading each description) that the majority of these are for the upcoming streaming services roll out. Most of the competent technologists in central Florida are wary of working for Disney since they outsourced most of their IT a few years ago - requiring the workers to train their replacements to get their severance package.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

As an IT person, none of this gives me warm fuzzies. Like they've built their entire system on a foundation of quicksand. They can tie ropes to it to keep it afloat and try various methods to prop it up, but eventually, it's gonna sink. Too much customization usually means it's hard to find people who can support something if/when the current staff leaves, and a lot of tribal knowledge often leaves when the person leaves, no matter how much documentation gets written.

As a software developer, I see issues like bad custom code and a total lack of documentation all the time. It just adds time to the job when I have to try to decipher what the heck was the previous person trying to do here? And I know that lots of companies hate paying the salary that senior folks like myself command, and think that some junior level person is going to be able to do the job as well as I, who has been in IT for over 40 years, and coding for over 30 of them. And when it's all messed up, they come to me anyways, and I get it fixed up for them.

 

[tirian]

I guess they shouldn't have outsourced in recent years and laid off so many in that department.

Quoted for truth.

 

[tirian]

As a software developer, I see issues like bad custom code and a total lack of documentation all the time. It just adds time to the job when I have to try to decipher what the heck was the previous person trying to do here? And I know that lots of companies hate paying the salary that senior folks like myself command, and think that some junior level person is going to be able to do the job as well as I, who has been in IT for over 40 years, and coding for over 30 of them. And when it's all messed up, they come to me anyways, and I get it fixed up for them.

I’m astounded by how many companies have poor leaders who don’t know anything about the departments they lead, and who don’t want the experts involved, because it might reveal the smoke and mirrors in the offices.

A few years ago, Harvard released a study that most execs and managers got into their positions through networking and luck, and didn’t really know what they’re doing. It was a sobering analysis.