New Photo Opportunity

[Buzz2001]

From doombuggies.com:

The latest from WDW...

Looks like there's going to be a "photo opportunity" built into the Haunted Mansion attraction in Liberty Square. According to a well-placed source from WDW, installation is beginning on the system, which will photograph guests in their Doom Buggies as they peer into the "mirrors" in which they see a Hitchhiking Ghost sitting with them. These photos will presumably then be made available for sale to guests at the ride exit, similar to photos available at attractions like "Splash Mountain."

[EUROPA]

Where are the planning on putting the photo pick up station? That is the major question. I hope the don't change the flow of traffic. I would like a shop with more HM stuff though.

[WDW2002]

Would the photo "show" the hitchicking ghost??

[Another Voice]

You know, I used to dismiss these kinds of rumors out of hand. The entire concept is just so silly.

But these the pressure to squeeze the guests for every last cent is so strong that I wouldn't be surprised if they put a camera at the turkey leg wagon for people and hustle people to buy a photo of them chowing down on emu.

If nothing else, ideas like this make sure there's plently of power during the long hot summer days (inside joke).

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by Another Voice
You know, I used to dismiss these kinds of rumors out of hand. The entire concept is just so silly.


So are you saying that this will not happen or it will ?

[YoHo]

Weren't we joking about this rumour last week.


Look here's some Physics for you.
The Ghosts are bhind the Mirror right? There is absolutly no way a camera mounted somewhere above or beside the buggie would pick up an image that looked right. regardless of light levels its the position of the Camera.
The only possible way it could work is if the Camera were riding with the Ghosts, but for that to work you would have to illuminate the guests which means the effect would stop working.


All of that not withstanding, Haunted mansion has a Throughput orders of magnitude higer then Any other ride that Utilizes this. Taking a picture of a Raft in broad Daylight every 5-10 seconds is easy. Taking an extremely lowlight picture of an image in a mirror and something behind the mirror every second as the buggies go by? that is something entirely different.

I don't see any possible way that this is a valid rumour.

[EUROPA]

Darn rurmors....I saw the other thread but thought that if Doombuggies was reporting it that it "might" be true.

[manning]

You'll be surprised what you can do with a digital camera.

[YoHo]

I would not be surprised actually and a Digital camera actualy STILL has less resolution then a real one. None of which actually addresses the problems of angle and speed which are what makes this unlikely.

[eeyorefanatic]

why couldn't they simply yake you in the buggy and then add the ghost based on where in the buggy you were sitting. It would be really easy to do.

[Another Voice]

Exactly.

They’re already selling those cheesy kinds of photos at California Adventure (you and Mickey riding the rollercoaster) and I think they paste a character over the top of “naughty” people on Flash, er, Splash Mountain too. That way they can still sell to photograph to the non-offending guests.

The idea here is to make money, not to document the guest’s experience.

[YoHo]

I suppose. It would still you're marketing it as something it isn't then.

I mean editing in Mickey and telling the guest you're doing so, or replacing somebody who ruined the picture is a very different thing then manufacturing an image and passing it off as the real thing.

And you still haven't solved the amount of time vs. Light issue

[mrtoadslastride]

Originally posted by Another Voice

The idea here is to make money, not to document the guest’s experience.

Mr. Voice, speaking of making and documenting guests experience, I remember reading a rumor a while back that Disney was considering installing video cameras throughout MK. Guests who ponied up the cash were supposed to be videoed throughout the day as they moved through the park. Was there any truth to this rumor? At the time I thought that this would cause nightmare problems with guests who didn't want to be videoed, but after the last couple of Super Bowls I guess they can get by with anything. Maybe they could even pick up a criminal or two!!!;)

[raidermatt]

For the time issue, couldn't they just use multiple cameras? You know, 5 cameras that get 5 buggies at once, that way they'd only have to take a picture every 5 seconds, instead of every second.

For the light problem (assuming there really isn't enough light at the mirror section), if they are just going to slap the ghost in, the picture could be taken during a section that has more light. They wouldn't have to take it during the mirror section.

I'm sure there are still imagineers around who are creative enough to figure it out. (an excellent use of their time, wouldn't you say?)

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by raidermatt
[B]For the time issue, couldn't they just use multiple cameras? You know, 5 cameras that get 5 buggies at once, that way they'd only have to take a picture every 5 seconds, instead of every second.


The Hulk coaster at IOA uses 6 cameras that shoot and get a picturer of all of the cars. So Yeah seems that it can be done.

[TiggerFreak]

What about image capture from HighRes Video?
I have personally shot video in the HM using a ZeroLux Digital Handy Cam. The Hitch Hiking Ghosts came out just fine. Plenty of software out there that does frame capture. As far as resolution goes, were not talkin about professional quality studio portrait photos, just souvneirs.

Just a thought.

I'll see if I can dig up the footage and post a frame or two.

[EUROPA]

More info from a "Castmember" ? about the new Photos. Where is Steve when you need him ????


From the boombuggies forum...


Last night I got to spend a little time with the contractors who are putting in the Disney Photo Opportunity gig in the Haunted Mansion. I asked a lot of questions and here is the current scoop as I understand it:
This is being done in many attractions, not just the Mansion. It is NOT going to be like the Splash Mountain photo op. and here are the differences.
There will be no photos sold outside in a kiosk.
It will be conducted in two stages. The first stage will be for resort guests only, not for day trippers. If you are a resort guest, you will be given some sort of button to wear which will identify you to the system as a resort guest, staying at one of the on-property hotels. When you get to the Hitchhiking Ghost windows, a sensor will pick you out, and photograph you (no flash). After your day in the park, sometime during the evening, all the guests who had photos taken will get to preview them on one of the Disney channels that gets pickup up on your tv's in your room. Your 15 seconds of fame, so to speak.
Then supposedly, if you wish to purchase one or more of your pictures taken in the rides, you will probably be given an extension to call to make your order.
Currently, they are beginning to install the equipment. This sounds to me like a trial balloon to see if it will fly, and if it does, then it will expand and probably be made available to all guests.
As you can see, there are a lot of things yet to find out, including when this will be ready to go. I'll let you know.

[Buzz2001]

Sounds cool!

Another perk for resort guests. that should go over well.

[larworth]

The wearing of a button that identifies you as a resort guest has all kinds of interesting implications.

"Stay on-site and get 10% added to your score on Buzz-lightyear......"

[WDW2002]

The whole idea of a button to ID as a resort guest and being able to preview it on a your TV seems pretty far fetched to me.

[YoHo]

This makes me even more leary. Not of the technology, but the motivations. At some point won't Kodak be mad that nobody NEEDS to buy thier film any more?

And TiggerFreak, again, that was done from your position in the buggy. they wouldn't be able to put a camera there.

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by YoHo

And TiggerFreak, again, that was done from your position in the buggy. they wouldn't be able to put a camera there.


They could if they put the camera behind the buggies on the wall just slightly aboe the "roofline" of the buggie. It could even be built into the wall to keep it from showing.

[YoHo]

But like I said originally, that would provide a different angle on the Ghsot and the rider. they might not even be able to see the ghost from that angle.

[All Aboard]

First, I really don't like this idea much, but...

I do think it is quite technically feasible. The cameras could be mounted on the back wall at eye level pointing at a slight angle such that the shot is taken as soon as the doombuggy is past it.

The angle should still be ok since if you look to the right or left, you still get a pretty good view of other guests and their hitchhiking ghost. The angle of the shot would not even be that extreme since it could be snapped the moment the buggy is past the camera (or just before it gets to it.)

As to far-fetched vis a vis resort TV. Not sure of the technology, bot it doesn't seem all that difficult. In fact, we've all read about how WDW wants to make more interactive use of Resort TV. This could just be one element.

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by gcurling

As to far-fetched vis a vis resort TV. Not sure of the technology, bot it doesn't seem all that difficult.
I am not doubting "technology." I am doubting the likeliness of this happening.

[WDWHound]

I can just see it. Quick kids, turn on the TV, our picture might be flashed up on the screen anytime in the next hour and a half!.

[EUROPA]

I don't think the angle matters that much. Think of the ballroom scene. You see the "ghost" from a much higher angle then what we are talking about here.


Originally posted by WDWHound
I can just see it. Quick kids, turn on the TV, our picture might be flashed up on the screen anytime in the next hour and a half!.

If you can see you hotel bill on TV...like in many resorts in hotels. They could easliy send any data they want to.

[Another Voice]

My guest experience in 2003 –

“Thank you Mr. Voice for using the Tommorrowland restrooms. A dollar twenty-five has been added to your hotel bill”.

“Yo Ho Yo Ho – check out the character buffet at your [click] Yacht Club Resort [click]”.

“Mr. Voice, this is the front desk. We saw that you wore the same tee-shirt to Epcot today that you wore two days ago to Animal Kingdom. We just wanted to remind you that The World of Disney in Downtown Disney is running a 20%-off sale for resort guests.”

“Hello Mr. Voice. I apologize for calling your home at the dinner hour, but this special deal is too important to miss. Compaq Computers is offering recent visitors to ‘Mission: Space’ at Epcot a special promotion of free shipping when you purchase….”

“We noticed that you left property for dinner this evening Mr. Voice. We’ve made reservations for tomorrow night at The Flying Fish as a special courtesy. A forty-five dollar guarantee fee has been added to your hotel bill”

“Oh, we don’t give out the restaurant checks anymore sir. We have your credit card on file from your last visit. And here, the computer told me you wanted this for desert. Don’t worry, the computer’s already charged you for it too.”

“Mr. Voice, our computer tells us it’s been five years since your last visit. We where just wondering why?”

[mikek]

hello people this is a film company.

I'm pretty sure they can dig up someone to figure out the technology to take the darn pictures. You could maybe use image capture on a video camera, a bank of PROFESSIONAL digital still cameras- ya know with 6 or more mega pixels (which i think is more resolution than film). Sony has umpteem very low lux camera's, they can 'paste' in whatever the hec they want.

Money's not really an issue as far as the cost of technology. Say the 'camera cossts 100k- arent those pictures like 29.99- thats only 3333 sold to make 100k or about 10 a day to cover an 100k investment in one years time, if they sold another 10 they pay for the man power i would quickly guess.

So if they wanted to do it they sure could.

Actually i love my mobil speed pass and my ezpass toll tag, i would love an eisner pass that had some neat technology crap added to it- swipe mikey's face accross a reader at the turkey leg cart- no need for cash at the carts anymore, give me that extra 10% on Buzz, let them know in the restaurant that its my wifes birthday (and i assume annoy me about buying her a flower). GO for it.

let me start a riot- maybe they can make it so concierge quests get a mikey pass that gives them unlimited access to the fast pass machines!

[mikek]

and while i'm starting a riot-

who the hec cares if they do it especially if theres no flash or any other sign of it occuring besides the booth- no ones forcing you to buy the darn photos. The only thing it does is make it a little harder to exit while you have to walk around the poor suckers shelling out the cash to buy them. Actually it gives me a warm fuzzy seeing the lines of people buying them- i figure they're doing their own little part to calm mikey's greed so that he doesnt go and raise the prices on something i have no control of like park admission.

IF people will pay for a picture at the turkey leg cart- please take their money and leave mine in my pocket.

[All Aboard]

Actually, I'd rather have them install photo sales at the turkey leg cart. This is purely purist's pure thinking here on my part. I don't care if they installed phot sales at just about every attraction - but leave the Mansion and POC alone for Heaven's sake.

[YoHo]

You can pay for food almost anywhere with your room card already. it wouldn't take much to make that wireless for the carts.
Back before they developed the current Wish system in the Vacation packages. Disney Dining would come right off your resort card. How much of a stretch is this.

I think the photo opertunity is only good on the "thrill" rides.

[raidermatt]

QUOTE]I think the photo opportunity is only good on the "thrill" rides.[/QUOTE]

For the most part I agree, with HM being an exception. I have a feeling that a picture with a ghost would actually sell pretty well, relative to thrill rides likes Splash and RnRC.

I doubt a picture of your boat in PoC would sell at all. I guess they could insert a Pirate into it, but it doesn't have the appeal of HM, where the ghost is not only in your picture, but was part of the ride.

[daannzzz]

Originally posted by Another Voice
My guest experience in 2003 –

“Thank you Mr. Voice for using the Tommorrowland restrooms. A dollar twenty-five has been added to your hotel bill”. ........................
.....................“Mr. Voice, our computer tells us it’s been five years since your last visit. We where just wondering why?”

Thanks for the best laugh of the week, frightening though it was. I was sure you were going to say the computer was going to tell you to wash your shirt before wearing in another park.

[TiggerFreak]

Maybe it should remind him to wash his hands;)

[Janet2k]

I actually purchase a couple of the Disney photos during each vacation. I think of it as my insurance policy. If my camera breaks or gets lost, or if my flash card goes bad or my Kodak film gets destroyed during developing, at least I have a few remembrances of my WDW vacation via those Disney-taken photos (I’m speaking from personal experience). Also, it is nice to have a “group” shot of my family & friends. We never seem to be able to pull off our own group shot, thus the Disney photos are priceless to me.

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

I'd buy a poor resolution photo of me & my family in a dood buggie with a grim grinning ghost merely superimposed into the shot...and I do believe in technology, I do believe in technology, I do believe in technology....

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

Yikes, I'd buy a photo of us in a doom buggie too (what is a dood buggie? lol). Anyhow, my point in the above post is that I wouldn't mind if the ghost was superimposed and not "reality"(think about that for a minute)....WDW is about fantasy, isn't?

Back to typing practice for me...*sigh*

[WebmasterCricket]

I should come over here more often...

I have helped program some beta uses for those little transceivers or "smart chips" that come in the new credit cards from financial institutions.

cough...AMEX...cough

I can tell you that in the near (not as near as they had hoped) future, just about everything you do will be remotely sensed like the "badge" idea mentioned earlier in this thread.

It's not visual it's RF. They already use a weekly developed version of this at "Mobil" gas stations and a couple of other odd places.

All you will have to do is get within a pre-determined distance of a matching transceiver and the code will run for that locations particular purpose (i.e. take your picture, charge your credit card or whatever the code has it do). The "smart chips" will have security features so no one without the right security level can get too much information (same as SSL tech.) If the resorts provide these to guests instead of say...keys (I doubt it, they are still pretty expensive) they can make the resort TV systems addressable and you just need to switch to that channel and view just YOUR pictures or whatever. Each room's channel "99" or whatever would be different. This would also allow the servers to compare your chip with those chips around you and determine if it needs to be sent to more than one room or not.

I'm not sure why anyone thinks there would be a stumbling block of taking the picture with the ghost. It seems pretty simple to do with basic "buggy" id's and a fairly simple a==b matching script for whatever ghost you appeared with. IR lights are plenty bright enough for the right CCD.

I would think they would take multiple images for each party and let you pick out the one that your eyes are actually open in.

Ok, I think I've lectured long enough. Back to the basement for me :(