Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I could agree more with post #60. It is not as if WDW is some rebel child doing whatever they want regardless of the Disney brand. What guests are seeing at WDW are the result of decisions being made in Burbank, on who is running the various Disney parks, their VPs, budgets, etc. What I would agree is that WDW has NOT been a priority for the Disney Company. The priority has been securing further Disney Park developement in "growing markets" ie China, adding additional ships to the Disney Cruise Line, expanding DVC properities at WDW and to Hawaii. Meanwhile, WDW's parks make do at best OR play "catch up" to Universal Studios Orlando. Even if the Disney Company came to the realization that they are no longer the only show in Otown. They would say the sacrifice was worth it as they have been successful in their larger, abroad ventures. Trust me, no matter how the Disney Company looks at this they will always believe they are Winning. The Disney Company doesn't see the cutbacks, lack of maintenance, closed portions of the parks, or staleness as big issues. That's why it is important to show that millions are being spent at WDW. There are a reported five new DVC properties either currently under construction or in the works at WDW. The Disney Company is spending millions at WDW as we speak. Just very little of it in the parks ( with the exception of MK's the Fantasyland Reclaimation Project and the proposed Avatarland at DAK). Not before my good friends ( the defenders of all things great and wonderful about the DVC program) have to come out of the woodwork and jump all over me for mentioning DVCs, I have no problems with DVCs. I think they make perfect sense. My point is NOT to put down DVC ownership. I'd like to own one. I mearly want to point out that I firmly believe that the Disney Company should be investing time and money in DVCs as WELL as the parks. I don't believe that you have to compromise one to better the other. If the Disney Company wants to further their DVC properties at WDW then fine... but I would like to see the focus of WDW being placed back on the Parks.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom OH and I forgot to mention New Gen! How the Disney Company would love for everyone to forget about that little nugget. A reported one billion dollars alone just for Nex Gen and all those refillable mugs with RFID chips. Other than a Cruise Ship and a DVC property in Hawaii, what else has the Disney Company spent one billion dollars on in the park year?
Originally Posted By CDF2 Post 61 makes sense - thanks for the info. I think the last park attendance figures came out WDW MK was at least #1 or #2 (TDL #1 in last report?) so it is a cash cow which will not be high on the overall priority list from the corporate perspective as it is very successful as it is right now.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 1/ $1B for next gen was not spent in a year - if so I want to see that balance sheet 2/ refillable mugs is not the end product of $1B 3/ I may not be the target audience for alot of the Next Gen stuff- but isn't it way too early to judge results of a project still in it's infancy ? 4/ Maybe it flops and maybe it's wildly successful- but many things we love today in the world were the result of heavy investment in the face of people saying, it'll never catch on - it's a fad everything from talking pictures- to TV - to PC 's etc. No, I'm not comparing Next Gen to those particular itms in terms of impact - but I am comparing the ripping going on to what those projects faced as well. If at project end they end up really wasting billions and turn out nothing- then they deserve the shallacking.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>So is the MK VP a weak voice or is it a case of that person being overruled on by Disney corporate in terms of getting funding for any new development or improvements that they campaign for?<<< No, he fully supports the foolishness that both TDO and Burbank wants.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<1/ $1B for next gen was not spent in a year - if so I want to see that balance sheet>> I never said the Disney Company shelled out $1B for NextGen in a year. The Disney Company has never paid for anything in a year. DL, WDW, cruise ships, Ski resort in Colorado, private island in the Bahamas, DVCs, a Hawaiin Resort, property in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Just like accounting done at any other company out there, the Disney Company has to present allocated expenses to the Board of Directors and the allocated expenses going into the pipeline. That $1B expense for NextGen is in the pipeline, along with everything else that hasn't been paid for yet. I would imagine by now that DLR and WDW are paid for. <<2/ refillable mugs is not the end product of $1B>> I never said the mugs were the "end product" of Nex Gen. You and I both know there is a lot more "goings" on regarding NextGen. A certain Merlin Sorcerer taking residence in the MK Main Street Firehouse also comes to mind. For more information here is a news article from the Orlando Sentinel. <a href="http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2011/02/disney-outlines-first-details-of-1-billion-nextgen-initiative.html" target="_blank">http://blogs.orlandosentinel.c...ive.html</a> <<3/ I may not be the target audience for alot of the Next Gen stuff- but isn't it way too early to judge results of a project still in it's infancy ?>> I have serious concerns regarding the RFID chip refillable mugs which are already in use at least in one on property resort. So that is open game. As for other "proposed" Disney offerings. If it has been proposed then it is open game! Disney put it out there, we get to have our say. As for the fruits of NextGen. I will leave that to the future. Meanwhile, the fact is that the Disney Company has allocated $1B USD toward NextGen, so that is absolutely open game when things like the Yeti in EE aren't functioning. To me it stands to reason that Disney should at least be maintaining the parks before committing $1B USD toward a "secret" high tech endeavor, especially when no one not even the Board of Directors ultimately knows what the results will bear. <<but I am comparing the ripping going on to what those projects faced as well.>> The facts are the facts, and the facts have no agenda. So, I take offense to the implication that my posts are "ripping" at Disney. The Yeti isn't working, there is a new Billion dollar cruise ship, $1B USD has been "allocated" toward NextGen, 5 new DVC properties are either under construction OR reportedly in the works at WDW despite what the Castmembers working in the Wedding Pavallion might think, there are RFID chip refillable mugs being sold as we speak on Disney property, there is a new private Disney resort in Hawaii, and there is a new multi million dollar private housing venture underway on WDW property. I'm merely pointing out the fact here. <<If at project end they end up really wasting billions and turn out nothing- then they deserve the shallacking.>> It stands to reason that anyone familiar with the WDW resort might "question" the sanity of the decisions being made in Burbank in regards to WDW and especially it's parks.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<No, he fully supports the foolishness that both TDO and Burbank wants.>> More than likely they simply "toe the line" of the decision rendered by Burbank. Me thinks they are all "yes" men. Otherwise they wouldn't be there. Joe Rohde wasn't a "yes" man and that is one reason why Disney's Animal Kingdom Park is as good as it is. Half built? Opened to early? Regardless, what it has is great and we have Joe Rohde and his team to thank for that.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 "I never said the Disney Company shelled out $1B for NextGen in a year. The Disney Company has never paid for anything in a year" KT - read your post 62- -- "Other than a Cruise Ship and a DVC property in Hawaii, what else has the Disney Company spent one billion dollars on in the park year?" that's where I got it from
Originally Posted By vbdad55 "As for the fruits of NextGen. I will leave that to the future" that's all I'm asking..and what's fair "Meanwhile, the fact is that the Disney Company has allocated $1B USD toward NextGen, so that is absolutely open game when things like the Yeti in EE aren't functioning. To me it stands to reason that Disney should at least be maintaining the parks before committing $1B USD toward a "secret" high tech endeavor, especially when no one not even the Board of Directors ultimately knows what the results will bear." here's what gag's me quite franl;y-- all I read here is how UNI blows them away technology wise -- or other parks in Euro with cutting edge stuff.. so they invest R&D money to look at things differently and suddenly they are stupid for that. How is it we want them to behave ? We can't have it both ways or expect them to pull a rabbit out of the hat without investment. Yes, maintenance should be kept up, but much like the DVC red herring, it is a separate argument as to things that may be wrong. If they came out and said they were investing $1B in a great E ticket would that be OK ?
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom vbdad maybe you can explain to me what NextGen is suppose to do since I can't find anything from the Disney Company or anyone else online who does? Just what are shareholders getting for their $1B USD committed investment? At least with everyone else there is a "Hoover Dam". What is and where in NextGen's "Hoover Dam"?
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Me thinks they are all "yes" men. Otherwise they wouldn't be there. Joe Rohde wasn't a "yes" man and that is one reason why Disney's Animal Kingdom Park is as good as it is. Half built? Opened to early? Regardless, what it has is great and we have Joe Rohde and his team to thank for that.<<< That's exactly a way to put it.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>How is it we want them to behave ? We can't have it both ways or expect them to pull a rabbit out of the hat without investment.<<< Invested in what? Risk free entities? They've done that. Time to move on.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>vbdad maybe you can explain to me what NextGen is suppose to do since I can't find anything from the Disney Company or anyone else online who does? Just what are shareholders getting for their $1B USD committed investment?<<< Make people happier in lines, out of lines quicker, and into shops more. Yes, I'm serious.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 If Disney wants to spend that kind of money on next Gen research I say go right ahead. It's their money. What I am waiting to see is how that investment will affect my Disney theme park experience. If the end result is wrist bands with chips in them to make it easier for me to charge, or FP reservations 6 months out or any other such nonsense, then I will think that investment was money wasted. If Disney comes up with some cutting edge immersive attraction that is on par with the classic attractions in terms of story telling, technology and has an amazing wow factor then I will be impressed. My skepticism comes from the fact that here at WDW the opening of attractions tend to be far and few between to make me think that the expenditure for Next Gen will add to my experience at WDW. And I can't help but think that Disney use of Next Gen has more to do with keeping guests spending at the parks, rather than enhancing their experience.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I know what you know basically KT ( below) so I can;t see how we can criticize what for the most part is still in development. DO you know what iphone 8 will do ? Neither to I but I know money is being invested today to make sure it incorporates the latest technology as it is released. Is this a bad thing ? Are they supposed to not look to incorporate every bit of technology possible- just as people once did in many industries to enhance guest experiences ? I am not understanding the anger towards something that is forward thinking.. now if the delierables eventually all suck-- then criticzed they should be-. " www.disneygoldenoak.com "In the coming years, we'll introduce a broad set of systems and tools that will help us create a more seamless and personalized experience and help guests get more out of their visit with us," Staggs said. The ultimate goal, he added, is "to welcome more and more people, while making their experience more satisfying, more personal and more immersive." Staggs' comments provided the first detailed glimpse at a secretive initiative dubbed "Next Generation Experience," or "NextGen," that Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has been working on for more than a year. The budget for the project is said to be around $1 billion — as much money as Disney spent to build its recently launched Disney Dream cruise ship. In his remarks Thursday, Staggs described a "version of Fast Pass for an entire Disney vacation." Future guests, he said, will be able to reserve specific ride times for popular attractions, secure seating for shows, make restaurant reservations and pre-book other experiences before they leave their homes on vacation. They will also be able to obtain their room keys in advance, eliminating the need to check into hotels and allowing them to proceed immediately to their rooms or a theme park once they arrive on Disney property. Other advances, he said, will include personalizing rides and character greetings for individual guests, adding more interactive queues to entertain people while they wait in line for attractions, and designing behind-the-scenes systems for operations workers to better monitor and steer crowd flow to ease congestion. Disney will also aim to cull more personal information from its guests, which Staggs said "will put better information into the hands of our cast, so they can deliver even better and more personalized service for our guests." Although Staggs did not specify what information Disney would seek, possibilities range from simple details such as names and birth dates to favorite characters and credit-card numbers. Access to such information would allow Disney to target more personalized sales offers to guests, even as they wander around its parks. Staggs didn't go into further details about how Disney intends to implement some of the plans, and the company would not elaborate on his comments. But there is widespread speculation among former Disney executives and bloggers who follow the company that some of the plans will use radio-frequency identification, or RFID, microchips that can be implanted into tickets or wristbands, loaded with personal information and used to interact with sensors installed in everything from hotel-room doors to ride animatronics. Disney has signed a confidentiality agreement with a California company that manufactures RFID wristbands, whose clients include other amusement operators such as Great Wolf Resorts. Staggs declined to say when Disney will launch many of the initiatives, though some elements — such as interactive queues — have been slowly rolling out in parks in recent months. Staggs said Disney has applied for "a number" of patents related to the work.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Something about that announcement still sounds cold and controlling AS if Disney wants to make us robots. What was the original post date for this announcement cause it seems like we should be into a half year of this new enlightened experience and the guests have already managed to destroy and wear out some of the Pooh and HM interactivity. I guess I will believe Disney wants to enhance and keep us on property when you can convince me that Las Vegas Hotels are monitoring their guests every movement and cashflow because they want to improve our lifes. Bottom line WDW needs to figure out how to keep their guests away from Harry PotterLand at Universal.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>If Disney wants to spend that kind of money on next Gen research I say go right ahead. It's their money. What I am waiting to see is how that investment will affect my Disney theme park experience. If the end result is wrist bands with chips in them to make it easier for me to charge, or FP reservations 6 months out or any other such nonsense, then I will think that investment was money wasted. <<< Oh, I have no problem with this sort of investment. I think it's a good thing. A bit expensive, but good. What's not good... this is all they are doing. They need to be building REAL substance, not just fluff. This is all fluff. You can't market fluff. (Wait, this is Disney, that's all they market.) They need something large, preferably original, to really show us what they can do. In the past 15 or so years, they have not done that in the MK.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <I guess I will believe Disney wants to enhance and keep us on property when you can convince me that Las Vegas Hotels are monitoring their guests every movement and cashflow because they want to improve our lifes. Bottom line WDW needs to figure out how to keep their guests away from Harry PotterLand at Universal.< although WWoHP is very nice -- this started before the wizard was a twinkle in anyones eye at Uni. you are likely correct though that keeping WDW guests on property period is the driving force...but then it was from the day WDW was designed
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <They need something large, preferably original, to really show us what they can do. < don't get me wrong, I too would like to see this for the investment and I am glad you agree the investment is good, even if pricetag may be heavy. If they spend $1B and turn nothing out, then yes they are due criticism, we are far from there yet
