VIDEO - Tom Staggs joins D11 conference to talk MagicBands and MyMagic+

[englanddg]

In the hosts defense, they stated many times they didn't know the proper terms for theme park lingo, etc and apologized for it, as it's not their thing. I did actually like that they weren't Disney marks. We've been wanting that for so long, so the snarkiness didnt bother me when they pressed him on things. I just wish he was talking to people who DID know their theme parks. They just prefered UNI and let him know it... At every chance they got

It wasn't their ignorance about theme parks that annoyed me, it was their general ignorance about technology as a whole that grated.

For example, implying that rides that "engineering" for rides is not "digital" is just ignorance. You don't have to know the name of a specific ride system to know that digital controls have been in place (and cutting edge) for a long time. It has nothing to do with knowing "theme parks" or not.

Also, though I don't think they made a direct reference by name, to imply that a ride like Spiderman (which I found underwhelming and frankly boring) is more "digital" than Star Tours is just silly. Granted, the simulator tech at Star Tours is years behind Spiderman, but really, what is Spiderman? You are obviously watching movies on a screen with very poor and limited 3D effects. Between the two rides, Star Tours 2.0 and Spiderman, I enjoyed Star Tours 2.0 with it's older ride system more. Of course, that's my opinion.

However, I do agree, it was nice to see that he was being interviewed by people that were not obviously fans of Disney or Disney shills, and are obviously not impressed with MM+.

 

[englanddg]

In his defense he didn't mention Universal by name. He said something like "we are trying to create immersive environments while our competition is just creating rides". I'm paraphrasing, but it was something like that.

As has been pointed out, he obviously hasn't taken a trip to Uni / IoA anytime recently. Or, he's just parroting the company mantra. Take your pick! <grin>

 

[BryceM]

In his defense he didn't mention Universal by name. He said something like "we are trying to create immersive environments while our competition is just creating rides". I'm paraphrasing, but it was something like that.

Yeah, I just watched the end actually and he definitely didn't direct it at Universal specifically. Though what was annoying is that he said that Cars Land immerses guests right into the movie and that's what differentiates Disney from the competition, when WWoHP opened at Islands of Adventure before Cars Land at DCA, and the land has the same effect of Cars Land. But whatever, you can't blame him! He is chairman of the company after all.

It was interesting to hear him talk about some of the perks of MyMagic+. It actually made me a little more interested in this investment than I was before.

 

[PUSH]

It wasn't their ignorance about theme parks that annoyed me, it was their general ignorance about technology as a whole that grated.

For example, implying that rides that "engineering" for rides is not "digital" is just ignorance. You don't have to know the name of a specific ride system to know that digital controls have been in place (and cutting edge) for a long time. It has nothing to do with knowing "theme parks" or not.

Also, though I don't think they made a direct reference by name, to imply that a ride like Spiderman (which I found underwhelming and frankly boring) is more "digital" than Star Tours is just silly. Granted, the simulator tech at Star Tours is years behind Spiderman, but really, what is Spiderman? You are obviously watching movies on a screen with very poor and limited 3D effects. Between the two rides, Star Tours 2.0 and Spiderman, I enjoyed Star Tours 2.0 with it's older ride system more. Of course, that's my opinion.

However, I do agree, it was nice to see that he was being interviewed by people that were not obviously fans of Disney or Disney shills, and are obviously not impressed with MM+.

To them, digital = screens and internet.

And I wish there would have been interviewers who had no opinion on Disney as a whole. They were obviously anti-Disney, especially since she stated it from the beginning.

I just want facts, not "you're company is so bad because the other company has XYZ!"

 

[BryceM]

As has been pointed out, he obviously hasn't taken a trip to Uni / IoA anytime recently. Or, he's just parroting the company mantra. Take your pick! <grin>

No, he definitely hasn't been to Islands of Adventure recently. That whole park is immersive theming. But I'm sure he lives in Cali, and has only been to Universal Studios Hollywood, if even at all.

It does spark my interest if Disney Imagineers or people in higher positions for the company visit the Universal Orlando parks. I know Michael Eisner visited Islands of Adventure shortly after it's opening. I wonder what he thought of it at the time...

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

Skimmed through the video, meh, nothing I haven't heard before. The Edna video was nice, even if incredibly (no pun intended) unsynced.

 

[englanddg]

To them, digital = screens and internet.

And I wish there would have been interviewers who had no opinion on Disney as a whole. They were obviously anti-Disney, especially since she stated it from the beginning.

I just want facts, not "you're company is so bad because the other company has XYZ!"

Her negativity about Disney was even more grating, as she dropped several hints (like tours) that indicated that she got it gratis from Disney, and I suspect they had her staying at a Deluxe resort with unlimited fast passes and custom tours.

So, she looks down her snout at Disney, but plays up Universal. She implies (they both do) that Disney is just out for your money, when Universal plays the same game, and is even more obvious about it (one of the notes I made in my trip report was a) they have cash suckers everywhere, like the "people dryers" and b) they plug their Express Passes literally every few hundred feet. As annoying as the DVC people at Disney are, I didn't feel nearly the pressure to "buy" at Disney as I did at Universal.

Not that I'm complaining about either practice. They are companies, out to make money from Guests.

Ripsaw is a more thrilling log flume, but feels unfinished and you can clearly see the housing building supports and infrastructure as you ride it. A far cry from Splash Mountain, even on a bad "low maintenance" day.

I mean, this arguement / discussion is one we've all been party to, and it can go round and round. Disney has it's positive attributes and things it does well, as does Universal.

Yeesh, I got a bit off track. What I meant to say was their shallow (and yes, I think it's just that) hostility towards Disney was a bit off-putting.

That being said, I loved their faces when they seemed rather unimpressed by the bands. I think my face will look very similar when I get my first one. Also, Staggs saying that "kids will want to wear this even before their vacation" is just silly. It's my park ticket, my room key, and eventually my charging device. I'll be darned if I let that thing anywhere NEAR my kid's wrist until she's at least a late teenager!

What the heck are they thinking?!?!

 

[luv]

Tom Staggs said that Universal just has roller coasters? HAHAHA. Oh, that comment always kills me.

It starts around minute 23:00. If you want to watch him dodge the question a few times, start around 18:00. Disney isn't about putting you on a roller coaster and making you go high and fast. They are about creating a moment.

They're holding on to that "Uni is just roller coasters" to save their lives. They tried, "We are magical and have nostalgia!" for a while, but they're going back to "Uni is all coasters."

He didn't say Universal. The people asked him about Uni (more than once) and he came up with that. Said it like it was the first time Disney ever put that out there, too.

 

[englanddg]

No, he definitely hasn't been to Islands of Adventure recently. That whole park is immersive theming. But I'm sure he lives in Cali, and has only been to Universal Studios Hollywood, if even at all.

It does spark my interest if Disney Imagineers or people in higher positions for the company visit the Universal Orlando parks. I know Michael Eisner visited Islands of Adventure shortly after it's opening. I wonder what he thought of it at the time...

The first rule of business is know your competition. If I worked for Disney I'd make it a point to visit competing theme parks regularly to see first hand what they do right, and what they do wrong.

All this MM+ stuff reminds me of people who think that if they just invest in enough SEO, they'll be able to form successful websites, while completely ignoring design, UI, uptime / availability, and content. It sounds great in a boardroom full of people who need to call the helpdesk to have their email connected to their iPhone / Blackberry, but in reality is very shallow.

 

[Pumbaa1222]

I also noticed his Typical Disney Lie about how they have immersive experiences while Uni just has coasters. I know it's his job to tell those lies and don't really hold it against him, personally...but Disney has to stop trying to lie about Uni and start focusing on cool rides instead of dumb wristbands. IMO.

It's not a lie, I think people confuse well themed and immersive. The minute you walk in Universal and see big steel coaster tracks behind a generic island marketplace, or a stage lighting over an old rock archway, you have immediately left the story, you know you are in a theme park. Is the area well developed and themed exceptionally? Sure. Tell me one area where you see a ride track in Disney that removes you from the story? I can't think of a single attraction.

 

[luv]

It's not a lie, I think people confuse well themed and immersive. The minute you walk in Universal and see big steel coaster tracks behind a generic island marketplace, or a stage lighting over an old rock archway, you have immediately left the story, you know you are in a theme park. Is the area well developed and themed exceptionally? Sure. Tell me one area where you see a ride track in Disney that removes you from the story? I can't think of a single attraction.

It is a lie. Uni isn't just coasters that are "hogh and fast."

Disney isn't the only park on I-4 that puts people in a "360-5" moment. Uni does it, too. Sometimes, Uni does it BETTER...and not just with Harry Potter, either.

Uni isn't just coasters. It's a lie.

 

[englanddg]

It's not a lie, I think people confuse well themed and immersive. The minute you walk in Universal and see big steel coaster tracks behind a generic island marketplace, or a stage lighting over an old rock archway, you have immediately left the story, you know you are in a theme park. Is the area well developed and themed exceptionally? Sure. Tell me one area where you see a ride track in Disney that removes you from the story? I can't think of a single attraction.

First

I don't think any adult in their right mind doesn't think of the Disney parks as "theme parks". They may have nostalgia, as I do, and want to share it with their kids, as I do...but, There are other considerations that adults...youknow...the ones who pay for this stuff...think about. This includes overall enjoyment, re-rideability (if that's a word) and overall experience (not just "theme and story", but youknow...memories. That is what we are paying for, I know that's silly.) All of this is lined up and an internal Cost/Benefit is done to come up with the value of the experience for the dollar spent.

Second

Disney's obsession about telling "stories" is just silly. I wouldn't feel this, if Disney wasn't so bad at telling "stories". Take AK (where I think this is prevalent in many of the rides there). I rode Everest for years, and while I enjoyed and appreciated the queue, I never understood the story in any detail. My memory is more of it being hot, the kid and I being uncomfortable, and that it was underwhelming. So, without a fast pass, I really don't care to ride it again.

Another example is Kali River, where the story is evident, something about loggers, and is poor and shoved down your throat. Yeah, I had more fun on Bilge Rat, where the theme is silly, the story is shallow, but the thrills and experience are fantastic!

Or what about the Safari, which has pretty much lost any story that it once had?

And, the best example is Chester and Hester's. It wasn't until I started being a regular on Disney forums that I even had a clue what the "story" was. It's not evident, it's just confusing. Dropping in clues and hints isn't exactly "telling a story"...it's Imagineer self service.

I'd argue that, while I see Hulk when I'm in Marvel City, it's easy to suspend disbelief and pretend I'm in a city. While I see flaws in River Adventure, it's easy to "pretend" you are in the Lost World. Oh, and don't get me started on how cool the playground at Jurrasic is. And that's coming from a mid-30s man. Even more so, my kid doesn't notice. And that's partially what makes the CBA equation work.

So, my point is, like with any great visual story telling, getting the audience to buy into a willing suspension of disbelief is MORE important than "authentic bric a brac from the orient", as Disney did with Everest.

With respect to your challenge, finding things that "break" the "story" on the parks is easy, but I'd challenge first that to be telling a "story", Disney needs to have a vested audience that wants to hear one.

 

[dadddio]

So what we've learned is that no new MM+ information came from this interview and the interview is likely to not turn anti-Disney Universal lovers into Disney fans.

 

[Taylor]

I really hope that Staggs has more to show at another conference that starts with a D and ends with a double digit number than this one!

 

[WDW1974]

Not that this means much, but I just got off a chat session with a Disney CM and she said that they haven;t been given any info on it either. I hate how vague this whole thing is. It would be nice if they would at least offer a tentative date.

They don't have one themselves. They'll be thrilled if this thing is working NEXT summer.

As to Tom's sales job, while he clearly had taken his Xanax and wasn't as obviously uncomfortable as he was at the Disney Springs announcement, it didn't impress me much at all.

 

[Tim_4]

Her negativity about Disney was even more grating, as she dropped several hints (like tours) that indicated that she got it gratis from Disney, and I suspect they had her staying at a Deluxe resort with unlimited fast passes and custom tours.

So, she looks down her snout at Disney, but plays up Universal. She implies (they both do) that Disney is just out for your money, when Universal plays the same game, and is even more obvious about it (one of the notes I made in my trip report was a) they have cash suckers everywhere, like the "people dryers" and b) they plug their Express Passes literally every few hundred feet. As annoying as the DVC people at Disney are, I didn't feel nearly the pressure to "buy" at Disney as I did at Universal.

Not that I'm complaining about either practice. They are companies, out to make money from Guests.

Ripsaw is a more thrilling log flume, but feels unfinished and you can clearly see the housing building supports and infrastructure as you ride it. A far cry from Splash Mountain, even on a bad "low maintenance" day.

I mean, this arguement / discussion is one we've all been party to, and it can go round and round. Disney has it's positive attributes and things it does well, as does Universal.

Yeesh, I got a bit off track. What I meant to say was their shallow (and yes, I think it's just that) hostility towards Disney was a bit off-putting.

That being said, I loved their faces when they seemed rather unimpressed by the bands. I think my face will look very similar when I get my first one. Also, Staggs saying that "kids will want to wear this even before their vacation" is just silly. It's my park ticket, my room key, and eventually my charging device. I'll be darned if I let that thing anywhere NEAR my kid's wrist until she's at least a late teenager!

What the heck are they thinking?!?!

Your kid's band won't have charging privileges, and you can remove room key functionality as well.

 

[englanddg]

Your kid's band won't have charging privileges, and you can remove room key functionality as well.

Great. Can I remove her ticket ability as well? Or is this just some band that I'll have to keep in my pocket unlike the current KTTW which fits conveniently in my wallet and has (shocking, I know) pretty much all of the same benefits?

 

[dadddio]

Great. Can I remove her ticket ability as well? Or is this just some band that I'll have to keep in my pocket unlike the current KTTW which fits conveniently in my wallet and has (shocking, I know) pretty much all of the same benefits?

Given that the tickets don't actually exist on the bands, there isn't any danger that something is going to happen to the tickets if a child wears the band while not at WDW.

 

[Tim_4]

Great. Can I remove her ticket ability as well? Or is this just some band that I'll have to keep in my pocket unlike the current KTTW which fits conveniently in my wallet and has (shocking, I know) pretty much all of the same benefits?

You won't "have to" do anything. Opt instead for KTTW cards. The convenience is for those who would leave the wallet in the room entirely.

Bands will have the same biometrics that tickets do, so nobody will be stealing your admission entitlements if Sally loses her band.

 

[englanddg]

Given that the tickets don't actually exist on the bands, there isn't any danger that something is going to happen to the tickets if a child wears the band while not at WDW.

Yes, I understand how they are linking the UID on the band to tickets and other rights. That doesn't mean I want to deal with the hassle of a kid wearing a band that they may and probably will take off or lose that has a value of several hundred if not more dollars. My kid doesn't even like to wear her hat or lanyard all day...much less a wristband.

And then there is the hassle of obtaining a replacement if it is lost.

Here's a question I haven't seen addressed. How many "free" bands will I be issued. How many times will Disney replace a lost band? At what point do they realize the cost of a lost band is significantly more than a mag card, even if custom printed?

Has anyone thought this out at all?