Disney's NextGen Initiative

[ThemeParks4Life]

Even then a HUGE selling point of the program is that the Face Characters and some of the AAs will address your child by name and say thing like Happy Birthday Princess Boo Boo. So there is some info that will be accessible. And if the kids bracelet is linked to charging privileges, what info then? Billing Address?

Don't give TLC any ideas, we don't need a Honey Boo Boo episode at WDW!

 

[Captain Tragedy]

Being a graduate student who is filling out his IRB (Institutional Review Board) forms, there are some very touchy situations with anyone under 18. This is mostly due to ensuring the rights of these protected individuals. When it comes to research, commercial properties are usually exempt from this kind of overview. But I'm pretty sure congress is bored because they have nothing else to do (or refuse to do anything) so here you go. They just want to make headlines. I'm not even interviewing people under 18 for my project and I still have to go in front of the University board and explain this.

 

[maxairmike]

Even then a HUGE selling point of the program is that the Face Characters and some of the AAs will address your child by name and say thing like Happy Birthday Princess Boo Boo. So there is some info that will be accessible. And if the kids bracelet is linked to charging privileges, what info then? Billing Address?

And to further that, Markey's question about the experience without the bands really hits home. Will the parent even make it farther than "personalized interactions with your child's favorite characters!" when considering what they're doing with their child's info for their dream vacation? If an inferior experience is pretty much assured, isn't that at least subtle coercion to give up normally protected information? A very legit question, I think.

 

[Disneyhead]

And to further that, Markey's question about the experience without the bands really hits home. Will the parent even make it farther than "personalized interactions with your child's favorite characters!" when considering what they're doing with their child's info for their dream vacation? If an inferior experience is pretty much assured, isn't that at least subtle coercion to give up normally protected information? A very legit question, I think.

Disney would NEVER manipulate for profit!

 

[coasterj]

Disney would NEVER manipulate for profit!

they have enough ways they already profit whats one more? :blank: As sad as it is, lets just hope enough people speak out to shut this invasion down

 

[Disneyhead]

they have enough ways they already profit whats one more? :blank: As sad as it is, lets just hope enough people speak out to shut this invasion down

Or they could just make money the old fashion way, you know, build way cool rides. It's like they have lost faith in Imagineering. Or maybe Imagineering is simply too fat and bloated to produce product in a realistically feasible manner. I mean New Fantasyland cost almost twice as much as the WWOHP. Maybe TDO can contract UniCreative for project development? :rofl:

 

[coasterj]

Or they could just make money the old fashion way, you know, build way cool rides. It's like they have lost faith in Imagineering. Or maybe Imagineering is simply too fat and bloated to produce product in a realistically feasible manner. I mean New Fantasyland cost almost twice as much as the WWOHP. Maybe TDO can contract UniCreative for project development? :rofl:

that would be great and I agree with your views completely, this is why universal is rising in popularity and disney is decreasing... It's like everything they roll out is what ever the first thing that pops in their head. Even the long term stuff is bad as far as we know. I always go back and wonder if Eisner was only the beginning of a long terrible era of disneyparks. They have had flashes in the pan, but nothing so great as WWoHP.

 

[Thor]

Don't give TLC any ideas, we don't need a Honey Boo Boo episode at WDW!

They don't have to put it on TV. Visit WDW any day of the week. You are bombarded with numerous Boo Boos.

- - - Updated - - -

Or they could just make money the old fashion way, you know, build way cool rides. It's like they have lost faith in Imagineering. Or maybe Imagineering is simply too fat and bloated to produce product in a realistically feasible manner. I mean New Fantasyland cost almost twice as much as the WWOHP. Maybe TDO can contract UniCreative for project development? :rofl:

This is Disney 2013. People no longer visit theme parks for rides. They visit theme parks because princesses know your kid's name!

 

[IzzyB]

So Disney will know my kids birthdate, address, name, and maybe things like favorite color. Oh know.... I don't know what I am going to do, never visit Disney with my kids?!?

Guess I shouldn't go to Toys r us or Publix, because they know that information about my kids too - lol I think Pampers does too.... wonder who has that information?

I think we all might be going a little too far with this one... But that is just my opinion. Think of the advantage, you lose your kid in Disney and Disney can find them faster

I do think they spent too much money, but I think that is just workers her in Florida. They have to have so many meetings to discuss the next meetings that they waste 100,000K before even doing any work. It is why I can't work for Florida companies, too much red tape and wasted time. I wonder if Uni employees are all from up North? They seem to move faster.

 

[Hockeyman55]

Guess I shouldn't go to Toys r us or Publix, because they know that information about my kids too - lol I think Pampers does too.... wonder who has that information?

But these companies aren't tracking your kids every move with Lojack

 

[IzzyB]

But these companies aren't tracking your kids every move with Lojack

But they are with cameras when I am in the store. Yes, it is not tied to their personal information. But seriously I really don't have an issue with this. You guys are sounding like my in-laws who shred things with just their names on it or won't pay bills on the internet.

The part I am disappointed in is that they spent all this money and they still won't have the features like things saying your name. The cost went to just the setup of everything, it doesn't include any cooler features.

 

[Cruiseshipfan]

But they are with cameras when I am in the store. Yes, it is not tied to their personal information. But seriously I really don't have an issue with this. You guys are sounding like my in-laws who shred things with just their names on it or won't pay bills on the internet.

The part I am disappointed in is that they spent all this money and they still won't have the features like things saying your name. The cost went to just the setup of everything, it doesn't include any cooler features.

So the ability the thousands of employees to access your kids name, address, phone number (home) all while being able to find exactly where they are at anytime without permission, is not an issue to you.

 

[IzzyB]

So the ability the thousands of employees to access your kids name, address, phone number (home) all while being able to find exactly where they are at anytime without permission, is not an issue to you.

No because I know how computers work and it won't work the way you think. That character that is out on the street, will know your name, not your address. The most they will know is maybe the city you are from. No need for them to know anything else, so they won't. That character will know I am standing in front of them or within a couple feet, but once I leave that area, that character will not be able to track where I am going next. There is no need for that and therefore it won't be built into their interface.

The IT folks will have the most information out of anyone. That is always the case. We have full access to the database and all the data available. We also sign agreements on how we will or will not use that information and well you just have to trust that. But you trust that at your bank, medical facilities, credit card companies, loan companies, the company you work for, etc. Because everywhere you put your personal information in, IT has full access to it. Now only the IT folks working on the system. The person working on the ride computer system will not have access to the same database as the reservation system. Also, the guy working on reservation will have more access than say the guy working on the system that gives the characters their names. So even sometimes IT folks are limited based on the database they have access to. For instance, in my company the HR IT people have access to people's pay, but the person working in the finance system does not. Even though they have access to employee data for expense reporting purposes, the salary information is not passed onto them. So you say 1000's of employees, you might not realize that while 1000's may have access to bits and pieces, not all 1000 will have enough to tie everything in. Only a handful of people will have that information. Then the handful that do, may not have the resources to even do anything with it.

No system is perfect and I know that working in IT, but I have to have some level of trust or I would live in a box and not be able to do anything in this new technology age. You could drive yourself crazy with what if scenarios with how people use your information about you or your kids. I see that with my in-laws. But I just can't live that way.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I am not happy about this inquest simply because Ed Markey has always been irrational after the amusement park industry for a long time. Lots of eye rolling will happen and not much else.

I'm still not convinced the band technology itself is sophisticated enough to track like many are worried about.

 

[BJCool]

It's not GPS but RFID. When you come into proximity of certain areas, a log is created of where you have been. Not live tracking, but location tracking nonetheless.

 

[Cruiseshipfan]

No because I know how computers work and it won't work the way you think. That character that is out on the street, will know your name, not your address. The most they will know is maybe the city you are from. No need for them to know anything else, so they won't. That character will know I am standing in front of them or within a couple feet, but once I leave that area, that character will not be able to track where I am going next. There is no need for that and therefore it won't be built into their interface.

The IT folks will have the most information out of anyone. That is always the case. We have full access to the database and all the data available. We also sign agreements on how we will or will not use that information and well you just have to trust that. But you trust that at your bank, medical facilities, credit card companies, loan companies, the company you work for, etc. Because everywhere you put your personal information in, IT has full access to it. Now only the IT folks working on the system. The person working on the ride computer system will not have access to the same database as the reservation system. Also, the guy working on reservation will have more access than say the guy working on the system that gives the characters their names. So even sometimes IT folks are limited based on the database they have access to. For instance, in my company the HR IT people have access to people's pay, but the person working in the finance system does not. Even though they have access to employee data for expense reporting purposes, the salary information is not passed onto them. So you say 1000's of employees, you might not realize that while 1000's may have access to bits and pieces, not all 1000 will have enough to tie everything in. Only a handful of people will have that information. Then the handful that do, may not have the resources to even do anything with it.

No system is perfect and I know that working in IT, but I have to have some level of trust or I would live in a box and not be able to do anything in this new technology age. You could drive yourself crazy with what if scenarios with how people use your information about you or your kids. I see that with my in-laws. But I just can't live that way.

The computer that is reading the band will have all their information on it. No matter what. If it is displayed that is another matter. I wouldn't trust anyone with this information when they could track my kid. Yes its not a perfect tracking but it still shows where they are. And why I wouldn't trust anyone is because you do not no who the people who have access to these computers are you don't know what they are able to do.

I wouldn't even want to be tracked myself anyway, with or without information.

Apart from character meets, why does Disney want to know your position anyway. They already know how many people are in each area there is no need to do it. I know someone said advertisement offers, but that cant be it it would take so long to get their money back since most people wont have a phone on them, have it off or will just ignore it.

 

[Disneyhead]

Right it is not GPS, and yes RFID based, that works with an LPS (Local Positioning System) and they will have the ability to know exactly where in the parks you are. That doesn't really bother me as much as the compiling of data on children. You know there are laws about that for a reason. And Disney has already been fined millions of dollars for breaking the law for illegally compiling data in children. Now they are lobbying congress to get the COPPA laws changed. The fact that they are spending a ton of money lobbying congress to get the laws they broke changed at the same time they are instituting a $1.5+ Billion data mining program in the largest kiddie playground on the planet with 60,000 on site employees, should raise red flags.

 

[Scarletwebslingr]

I explained this magicband concept to my family and some friends from out of state...and they all thought of it as extremely convenient and innovative. Then I told them it was at the cost of 1.5 bil. They were all "well they're pioneering it so it's going to take money." They just didn't get. Or got it and didn't care.

 

[Cruiseshipfan]

A similar system with the purchases of an separate device to the credit card is used onboard cruise ships. You have a card tried to your credit card. Many people think this is genius as its convenient, that is until they see their bill at the end.

 

[Disneyhead]

A similar system with the purchases of an separate device to the credit card is used onboard cruise ships. You have a card tried to your credit card. Many people think this is genius as its convenient, that is until they see their bill at the end.

Yeah, I friend of mine and her husband racked up a $1500 bill on drinks alone on a 7 day cruise.