AC in A2......Aaron

I told you what it was going to be called awhile ago......Disney's Florida Adventure.I am a soothsayer.
It is a genius name and very original.

I told you what it was going to be called awhile ago......Disney's Florida Adventure.I am a soothsayer.
It is a genius name and very original.

I thought this was a SADT, ( smart ass Dave thread).

I have no doubt that increased revenue was one of the major goals of the geniuses who cooked up this idea.
 
This quote from Staggs is telling:
 
Will the world at large ever become something akin to Disney World, loaded with sensors attuned to our every move, designed to free us? There are signs. It’s already starting to appear on Disney cruise ships, and Staggs says airlines, sports leagues, and sports teams have asked about the technology. “We’re just at the beginning of understanding what to do with this,” he says.
 
These morons decided to spend over a billion dollars on an experiment to ostensibly address problems that detracted from the guest experience.  Instead, they have created a new set of problems, and are tinkering with their billion dollar toy trying to make it do something worthwhile.
 
So stupid.
 
TCD

One incredibly valuable thing Disney gains with MBs is information.  MBs give Disney the ability to track Guest movement and spending with a pretty great level of detail.  Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to marketing, and Disney is nothing if not a master of marketing.
 
The information MBs gather over time will give Disney detailed insight they'll be able to use for all kinds of future plans from the development of attractions, to merchandising, to dining, to accommodations, to even further manipulating and fine tuning the flow of Guests to and through the parks and attractions.
 
Most companies would kill for that kind of information on their customer base. 

Dropping my Troll gimmick for a bit, I wanted to comment on the article. I enjoyed the article very much and I think it's very well written and interesting. How they developed the system and made it work are fascinating.
 
I am very "pro corporation," if you will, and am very much for Disney making record profits, so long as they don't cheapen the product or leave me feeling I didn't get my money's worth. Yes, you pay more at Disney and I joke about it A LOT, but bottom line is this: It's worth it. I love the damned place and just about everything about it and am willing to fork over the extra cash to continue experiencing it.
 
With that in mind, I'm trying to look at the Magic Band system objectively.
 
TCD makes very strong points. The big one, I think, is breaking the rides into tiers and then limiting you to one "main event" ride per day. I am also very suspicious and displeased with the long gaps that are scheduled in between rides. I think when the author of the article wrote this: Disney’s servers crunch your preferences, then neatly package them into an itinerary calculated to keep the route between stops from being a slog—or a frustrating zig-zag back and forth across the park, I'm with TCD. I think this is propaganda for, "We're programming in big waits in between rides to deliberately leave you with nothing to do but eat and shop."
 
Let's face it: The Magic Band doesn't give you any "itinerary," and how does scheduling you for the Hall of Presidents at 4:15 and Splash Mountain at 6:30 save anyone from zigzagging?
 
Heck, while I'm at it, what's with that, "Disney servers crunch your preferences" tripe? That system doesn't know anything about my preferences. It just pops a generic list of available rides on my laptop and says, "Pick three, bitch."
 
And this makes no sense: In fact, it’s called the paradox of choice: You make people happier not by giving them more options but by stripping away as many as you can. This construct can certainly be true in, say, the restaurant business, but it runs counter to the Disney culture. The whole point of Disney World is its vast array of choices. You don't have to go anywhere else because we've got everything you want right here. I really suspect this is more propaganda for, "The rides are too crowded. So to fix that, we're going to let people just ride three. The rest of their time, they can spend in shops and our delightful eateries."
 
Now to be fair, I do think the problem of guests gobbling up the Fast Passes at rope drop had to be fixed. Casual and/or first-time guests would show up later in the day, only to find signature attractions had already run out of Fast Passes by 1PM for the entire day. On top of that was the problem of "hacking" the Fast Pass system. While I admit I may have been guilty of that myself once or twice in the past, overall, it was bad for the system, from park management's perspective.
 
Bottom line -- So far, for me, the Magic Band is a lot of technology for the sake of technology. It really doesn't make anything much easier or faster. So it has my debit card number on it. So what? Whipping out my debit card took me, what, three seconds? Personally, I believe the Magic Band destroys the concept of "Let's do it all!" days at a given park. You just can't do that anymore unless you're willing to endure the standby lines. Instead, Leslie and I book a "main event" ride, pop into the park, ride it, maybe eat a snack or sit in a rocking chair, then pop out. I would expect a lot of annual passholders like us are doing the same. And isn't that defeating the very intent of the Magic Band to begin with?

There is a ton of misinformation in that article.
 
Like this:
 
 It begins when you book your ticket online and pick your favorite rides. Disney’s servers crunch your preferences, then neatly package them into an itinerary calculated to keep the route between stops from being a slog—or a frustrating zig-zag back and forth across the park.
 
What a crock. There is no mention in the article of the fact that guests are limited to three FP+ choices per day, and those must be in the same park, and that two of the parks have tiered choices which restrict guests to only being able to choose one headline attraction.  And since when does Disney plan it out for you so you have a smooth route in the parks?  How convenient is it to hunt down a FP+ kiosk and wait in line there so you can potentially save a ten minute wait to ride the teacups?
 
then we have this:
 
By getting people exploring beyond the park’s top attractions, overall use of the park goes up. People spend less time in line. They’re doing more, which means they’re spending more and remembering more.
 
Here we have it. This is what the geniuses who cooked up this billion dollar fiasco thought they could deliver.  The result is quite the opposite.  Guests clearly spend more time in line under the new system than they ever did under the old.  These non top level attractions which used to be accessible with no or very short lines now have lines of 30+ minutes.  Did anyone ever have to wait 30+ minutes to ride Spaceship Earth before FP+?
 
There are some enlightening things about Disney's corporate though process revealed in the article.  Like this:
 
In fact, it’s called the paradox of choice: You make people happier not by giving them more options but by stripping away as many as you can. The redesigned Disney World experience constrains choices by dispersing them, beginning long before the trip is under way.
 
Huh?  Are they saying that guests were too stupid to plan their own vacations, so Disney stepped in to do it for them?  And we are supposed to be happy about that?
 
and, finally, we have this:
 
“It lets people’s vacations unfold naturally,” Staggs says. “The ability to plan and personalize has given way to spontaneity.” And that feeling of ease, and whatever flows from it, just might make you more apt to come back.
 
That says all I need to know.  The head idiot thinks that the new system somehow promotes spontaneity.  I guess when he flies in on the corporate jet, he doesn't have to worry about things like scheduling his measly three FP+'s per day 60 days out or his dining reservation 6 months out.  I'm sure it's great for him.  What a clueless idiot.
 
 
TCD

That's what makes it so new!
They got rid of a few things.
It's the new way of making positive changes at WDW. I think the Fort managers took over DHS.
I want the wagons back damnit!

Cinnamon roll threads?

Cinnamon roll threads?

I personally believe this is Disney's entrance into the sweepstakes for Hunger Games theme park rights.
Panem will soon replace Pandora.....you heard it here first:
http://news.yahoo.com/lionsgate-partnering-disneys-buena-vista-international-russian-release-190720382.html;_ylt=AwrBEiJ_zPxUg0gAZ5iamolQ

I am relieved to hear it will only take a period of almost two years to complete this project. I mean, I am sure it takes twice as long to add another TSMM track as it does to build all of Diagon Alley.

I am relieved to hear it will only take a period of almost two years to complete this project. I mean, I am sure it takes twice as long to add another TSMM track as it does to build all of Diagon Alley.

Man, that looks a ton better.....ding-dong the hat is dead, which old hat, the big a*s hat, ding-dong the big a*s hat is dead!

Wow! That was quick! It only took a couple days and I was full of crap when I said it wouldnt be down before the private party!
:rofl2:

http://youtu.be/YY6wwAhvirY

Not sure but probably years.
Miley's Wrecking Ball could have taken it down in less than a day.

Not sure but probably years.
Miley's Wrecking Ball could have taken it down in less than a day.

Look!
They have a MSB at MCO!

If you look carefully as we zoom in, you can see one of the spots where the water is being pumped back in. Based on the visible water line af about noon, they still needed to add 4-6 inches.

The castle is surrounded by water again.

Bobby's legacy will be forever tainted by having no one on staff that can fix canvas.

Bobby's legacy will be forever tainted by having no one on staff that can fix canvas.

Today: