Big article on the backstory to MyMagic+

[Pemeberly]

Exactly the entire park is a story one they don't want people on phones all the time for. They want guests to be immersed in that story. It is what it is I'm fine with the system but I do see where the imagineers could have a problem with it.

I can definitely see that, but there's plenty of ways for the Imagineers to incorporate MyMagic+ without requiring phones. Namely, have the rides react to you specifically via the MagicBand you're wearing.

I guess it just seems like they're not doing more with it because they don't like the system as a whole. But the system is obviously here to stay, so remaining behind simply as protest doesn't seem like a very Walt thing to do.

It's also pretty indicative of the Parks' division moving much slower than competitors. If they aren't quick, Universal is going to find a way to make rides more interactive first leaving WDW in the dust. And I say this as someone who hasn't been to Universal since I was 4 and don't plan to return any time soon.

 

[DDLand]

Exactly the entire park is a story one they don't want people on phones all the time for. They want guests to be immersed in that story. It is what it is I'm fine with the system but I do see where the imagineers could have a problem with it.

The problem is the story becomes disjointed and loses focus if you have to cross the MK hub 20 times. Bad customer experience= bad story. That's what the Imagineers weren't getting. The trade off of having a small glowing Mickey Head is minimal, (they were right to properly theme it, I do understand the objections to the silver stand in rides like BTMRR) if the guest experience is superior. If they can't see that, then there's a problem. They should've been MyMagic's champion. New technology for guests helps tell their story better. Instead they took issue with a whole chapter of the story because a single sentence wasn't exactly how they wanted it. They completely missed the big picture.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Except MyMagic+ has boosted key customer metrics. WDW was in trouble a couple years ago as they just kept doing more of the same. Their tone deafness as an organization is disturbing. If they aren't willing to open their eyes and realize when there are problems... that's bad. Very bad. Imagineers need to realize the entire park is a story. Not just a ride or a land. The experience is part of that story.

Their design objections were well taken. It seems like they mostly got what they wanted.

Even if you give the article some validity - and I do - the part that is complete spin is the "causes" for the trouble in wdw and the results...

It's disingenuous to say the least...outright lie on the harsh side.

You want it? Here's the context:

Wdw boom period ends 97-99 with the last round of hotel openings, downtown construction, and animal kingdom...

99...tech crash...start of recession period from ridiculous 90's boom

2000...wdw has most successful
Marketing campaign ever...they avoid large impact.

2001...wdw decline period begins...before and after Labor Day.

2002-2004 Eisner tumult - post 9/11 recession bottoms out

2005 - Iger starts tenure with aggressive price increase - across the board. Notably tickets and dining plan. Iger fails to notice that parks have received hardly any investment for close to a decade.

2006-2008 housing bubble phoney money period brings loose spending...as always...increases and no investment continues.

2009-2012. Bubble bursts...revenues go down...wdw starts renovations...not because of housing bubble crash - but because of the previous 10 years of little guest draw additions.

2013 bands arrive...credit bubble and international bubble economy sets In to a ridiculous levels of spending - the masses "miss" 90's and mid 00's free spending consumer life - and AMAZINGLY...wdw is posting huge gains...similar to every travel boom in its history... At a higher price.


There Is the short summary...
And you cannot treat travel spending as a vacuum. And you can't act ask though the larger population values it as you or I do. You simply cannot.

These things are not independent.

 

[rteetz]

I can definitely see that, but there's plenty of ways for the Imagineers to incorporate MyMagic+ without requiring phones. Namely, have the rides react to you specifically via the MagicBand you're wearing.

I guess it just seems like they're not doing more with it because they don't like the system as a whole. But the system is obviously here to stay, so remaining behind simply as protest doesn't seem like a very Walt thing to do.

It's also pretty indicative of the Parks' division moving much slower than competitors. If they aren't quick, Universal is going to find a way to make rides more interactive first leaving WDW in the dust. And I say this as someone who hasn't been to Universal since I was 4 and don't plan to return any time soon.

I could see universal creating their own system similar to this in the next few years after their rapid expansion. Their focus I think right now is having an attraction boom much like Disney once in the 80s and 90s. I have never been to universal and don't have any plans to go anytime soon but I am intrigued and would like to go once in the near future to see what the competition is like.

 

[rteetz]

The problem is the story becomes disjointed and loses focus if you have to cross the MK hub 20 times. Bad customer experience= bad story. That's what the Imagineers weren't getting. The trade off of having a small glowing Mickey Head is minimal, (they were right to properly theme it, I do understand the objections to the silver stand in rides like BTMRR) if the guest experience is superior. If they can't see that, then there's a problem. They should've been MyMagic's champion. New technology for guests helps tell their story better. Instead they took issue with a whole chapter of the story because a single sentence wasn't exactly how they wanted it. They completely missed the big picture.

I would have loved to see what they could've done with themed touch points. Again it is what it is.

 

[WillJenDisney]

I find it funny that people think analytics/data mining isn't able to quantify the impact of MM+. As though if other variables are in play (they always are), it must not be possible to target any specifically.

I'm supremely confident that Disney's data mining sophistication is off the charts, and am certain they have no problem whatsoever quantifying the individual impacts of numerous variables acting in concert.

 

[Ambear]

Love this Joe rohde quote

Joe Rohde, “If I’m supposed to be living with fairies, fairies don’t have iPhones or MagicBands.”

I found this quote fun haha. Tinkerbell may not have an iPhone, but all the little girls and boys coming to wdw to see her do. Seriously toddlers use their parent's phones better than them sometimes lol.

 

[DDLand]

Even if you give the article some validity - and I do - the part that is complete spin is the "causes" for the trouble in wdw and the results...

It's disingenuous to say the least...outright lie on the harsh side.

You want it? Here's the context:

Wdw boom period ends 97-99 with the last round of hotel openings, downtown construction, and animal kingdom...

99...tech crash...start of recession period from ridiculous 90's boom

2000...wdw has most successful
Marketing campaign ever...they avoid large impact.

2001...wdw decline period begins...before and after Labor Day.

2002-2004 Eisner tumult - post 9/11 recession bottoms out

2005 - Iger starts tenure with aggressive price increase - across the board. Notably tickets and dining plan. Iger fails to notice that parks have received hardly any investment for close to a decade.

2006-2008 housing bubble phoney money period brings loose spending...as always...increases and no investment continues.

2009-2012. Bubble bursts...revenues go down...wdw starts renovations...not because of housing bubble crash - but because of the previous 10 years of little guest draw additions.

2013 bands arrive...credit bubble and international bubble economy sets In to a ridiculous levels of spending - the masses "miss" 90's and mid 00's free spending consumer life - and AMAZINGLY...wdw is posting huge gains...similar to every travel boom in its history... At a higher price.


There Is the short summary...
And you cannot treat travel spending as a vacuum. And you can't act ask though the larger population values it as you or I do. You simply cannot.

These things are not independent.

This thinking suggests WDW is at the whims solely of the economic climate. You could make the same statement about any addition. Did that ride really boost attendance or was it the economy? You're completley ignoring the costumer satisfaction and intent to return side. The product does matter. If the product sucks, then it doesn't matter if the economy is good or bad, people won't come. That's it.

Suggesting that there's no difference between the consumers of today, and that of the 1980s is silly. People's tastes and expectations in products have changed. They want to have more control, and to ensure that their day is fun. Why? Because there are million more ways to spend their time then before.

Exhibit A. Netflix.

If Disney is going to be competing with the Internet, they have to embrace it. That's what MyMagic+ was all about.

Pretending there was no problem with the old system (as many on these forums like to do) doesn't make them go away.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I find it funny that people think analytics/data mining isn't able to quantify the impact of MM+. As though if other variables are in play (they always are), it must not be possible to target any specifically.

I'm supremely confident that Disney's data mining sophistication is off the charts, and am certain they have no problem whatsoever quantifying the individual impacts of numerous variables acting in concert.

Price increases and a general travel boom could be used to cast reasonable doubt on any figure they attach to the bands...as they are currently constituted.

There is simply no way to know. Realizing that I know their data mining very well and have tons of respect for it. It's just too big a gap to jump...even for a well oiled machine like Disney.

Now...I expect they will start
To use the bands to collect feedback and perhaps roll out a direct marketing system that works in conjunction with the bands...similar to the ride photo readers they have now. Then you can make more direct correlations.

Fundamentally... We're also forgetting that Disney is riding high and business journals such as this article are going to sing their praises - everybody's making money...

I don't want to get too deep into reality...but it's almost naive to even debate the points of this article...because the outcome was not truly in question.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

This thinking suggests WDW is at the whims solely of the economic climate. You could make the same statement about any addition. Did that ride really boost attendance or was it the economy? You're completley ignoring the costumer satisfaction and intent to return side. The product does matter. If the product sucks, then it doesn't matter if the economy is good or bad, people won't come. That's it.

Suggesting that there's no difference between the consumers of today, and that of the 1980s is silly. People's tastes and expectations in products have changed. They want to have more control, and to ensure that their day is fun. Why? Because there are million more ways to spend their time then before.

Exhibit A. Netflix.

If Disney is going to be competing with the Internet, they have to embrace it. That's what MyMagic+ was all about.

Pretending there was no problem with the old system (as many on these forums like to do) doesn't make them go away.

See...the is the fundamental flaw in your argument...

Travel is not consumer spending like cars and fridges...let alone Netflix.

No consumable is more affected by the overal economy - and especially by consumer confidence - as travel.

Nobody's life is drastically effected if they don't go to Orlando (I know... Shocking but true)...and moms and dads have had to postpone/cancel vacations in volume for the last 50 year.

There is disappointment - but no hardship.

That is travel...always first to be cut out and the most painless financially to do so.

$6.99 for Netflix is in no way comparable to $5000 a week in LBV...

And that brings up the alarm that many of us have said - that the aggressive, systematic increases in price - with no lull - for what is entering the second decade has positioned wdw for a very vulnerable position. They could quickly get to the point that no discount designed for a downturn will be enough to fill the rooms...

And that will be the equivalent to nuclear winter in Orlando - it could cause a total shift in philosophy and pricing that alters the place forever.

Be weary of the lid coming off that box

 

[rteetz]

See...the is the fundamental flaw in your argument...

Travel is not consumer spending like cars and fridges...let alone Netflix.

No consumable is more affected by the overal economy - and especially by consumer confidence - as travel.

Nobody's life is drastically effected if they don't go to Orlando (I know... Shocking but true)...and moms and dads have had to postpone/cancel vacations in volume for the last 50 year.

There is disappointment - but no hardship.

That is travel...always first to be cut out and the most painless financially to do so.

$6.99 for Netflix is in no way comparable to $5000 a week in LBV...

And that brings up the alarm that many of us have said - that the aggressive, systematic increases in price - with no lull - for what is entering the second decade has positioned wdw for a very vulnerable position. They could quickly get to the point that no discount designed for a downturn will be enough to fill the rooms...

And that will be the equivalent to nuclear winter in Orlando - it could cause a total shift in philosophy and pricing that alters the place forever.

Be weary of the lid coming off that box

Netflix actually went up to like 8.99 for new subscribers

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Netflix actually went up to like 8.99 for new subscribers

And if that was statistically significant...that would matter, huh?

 

[Pemeberly]

Eh, it seems like, as with all debates about the pros and cons of the MyMagic+, people who like it are going to continue liking it, just as people who dislike it are going to disliking it no matter what the stats say.

I haven't even used it yet beyond making my dinner reservations, and I definitely see the pros and cons to the system. It doesn't matter, though, because Disney isn't going to back down on this any time soon. That being said, I think, as with most new technologies and systems, it'll only improve with time. It throws a wrench in the plans of people who knew how to "play the game" before, but then so did the legacy FP system.

Again, whether you like MyMagic+ or not, the takeaway from this article is that a lot of thought was put into the system, but there's also a lot of untapped potential due to certain departments slowing the system and a lack of direction from leadership. Here's to hoping WDW starts getting it together and finds better ways to incorporate MagicBands and continues tweaking the FP+ system.

 

[DDLand]

See...the is the fundamental flaw in your argument...

Travel is not consumer spending like cars and fridges...let alone Netflix.

No consumable is more affected by the overal economy - and especially by consumer confidence - as travel.

Nobody's life is drastically effected if they don't go to Orlando (I know... Shocking but true)...and moms and dads have had to postpone/cancel vacations in volume for the last 50 year.

There is disappointment - but no hardship.

That is travel...always first to be cut out and the most painless financially to do so.

$6.99 for Netflix is in no way comparable to $5000 a week in LBV...

And that brings up the alarm that many of us have said - that the aggressive, systematic increases in price - with no lull - for what is entering the second decade has positioned wdw for a very vulnerable position. They could quickly get to the point that no discount designed for a downturn will be enough to fill the rooms...

And that will be the equivalent to nuclear winter in Orlando - it could cause a total shift in philosophy and pricing that alters the place forever.

Be weary of the lid coming off that box

This is not specifically about money. There's something even more important then the cost. That's the desire to go. WDW was in crisis a couple years ago. It was the product, not the price that was causing executives to worry. People weren't enjoying it like they used to. Sure, they may not have been getting as great a price, but they also didn't feel like they were getting a good experience either.

Netflix, for just $6.99, is a potential replacement for Disney. Potential guests have more to draw them away from a Disney vacation then ever before. The Internet is just another reason to stay home. That's why Disney had to combat it with everything they had. Making the guest experience appeal to the next generation was the big idea. WDW wasn't as relevant as it used to be. That's where MyMagic comes in.

 

[WillJenDisney]

Price increases and a general travel boom could be used to cast reasonable doubt on any figure they attach to the bands...as they are currently constituted.

There is simply no way to know. Realizing that I know their data mining very well and have tons of respect for it. It's just too big a gap to jump...even for a well oiled machine like Disney.

Now...I expect they will start
To use the bands to collect feedback and perhaps roll out a direct marketing system that works in conjunction with the bands...similar to the ride photo readers they have now. Then you can make more direct correlations.

Fundamentally... We're also forgetting that Disney is riding high and business journals such as this article are going to sing their praises - everybody's making money...

I don't want to get too deep into reality...but it's almost naive to even debate the points of this article...because the outcome was not truly in question.

Just plain false. You think price increases and travel booms can't be accounted for in data mining? Not only can it, those aren't even difficult variables to account for. It would be boring to sit here and discuss how easy it is to account for a 5% increase in ticket prices and a 4% national travel boom or 4% national theme park attendance increase, etc, but it's so simple to account for those things in serious data analysis that to act like "[t]here is simply no way to know" tells me you don't actually know their mining very well at all.

Based on that logic, every time the economy gets better, no company is possibly able to accurately measure the return on investment for any of their capital expenditures during that period.

 

[clsteve]

Nah, critical facts have been proven.
1) My Magic has boosted capacity of the Magic Kingdom 5000+
2) My Magic did not cost more then 1 billion
3) My Magic has boosted intent to return rates.
4) My Magic has boosted intent to recommend a vacation to WDW to over 70%
5) My Magic has boosted guest spending
6) There never was an official timeline, just an expected date of completion (admittedly, this could be spin)

That's a lot to contend with....

The article is an interesting read, but DDLand, your #6 points out there is always a price to pay for the access they were allowed: there hasn't been an infrastructure project in the history of corporations that didn't have an official timeline.

Never

Why? Because everything - from yty budget, to hiring, to staffing, to training, to capex expenditures for equipment, to time and materials contracts with your partners to..... and on and on and on. It's a silly thought

For your #2? Even the article said BoD approved it at 1 bill in 2010m 0r 2011, with an expected Feb 2012 deployment. That was followed by Disney having to bring in the big guns (like Accenture, and there were several more, btw)who eat money like it's free pizza, to help keep things going - unbudgeted. Then a 2 year delay with many,many, more mouths to feed on an hourly contracted basis, and many, many fixes to be made that we all experienced - the state of MDE for 2 years rings a bell I hope.

Then, the author took the suits word that it came in under budget - and that pretty much says it all as to the true investigative side of this. There's a price to pay for access with these things.....

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Based on that logic, every time the economy gets better, no company is possibly able to accurately measure the return on investment for any of their capital expenditures during that period.

No...that's not at all what I'm saying...I'm saying that Disney can only make correlations - guestimates linking magic bands and profits...in this scenario.

This is not a new product roll out...it is simply replacing one tool (key to the world) with another (magic bands) to sell what amounts to the same products (merch, food, because, tours, tickets, etc)

So...knowing that actually very little has changed...they make vague, open ended statements that build investor confidence. Not saying it's wrong...I'm saying it is what it is. Sometimes a cake is just a cake.

You cannot - effectively take increased profits or revenues and separate them from the price increases and increased travel spending. Do bands cause more spending? Probably...but how do you isolate it? You cannot...it's everything.

You can make reasonable correlations...like taking more "free time" due to planning and tie it to giftshops...but the actual number is an unknown.

Now...what if they were to install "pay to play" on the rides that can only be purchased by the bands? Or what if they install a drink ordering system at a bar where you order yourself (like a convenience store) and the bartenders just pump drinks to your table?

Then we got something.

And I completely understand how they collect and use data - might be outdated on the tech but the premise remains the same. I "mined" a little myself...with a headlamp and a pickaxe like dopey or bashful

 

[CookiesNcream]

Time will certainly tell.

 

[Josh Hendy]

The article barely mentions FP+, which is the really controversial change as far as I can tell. I see very few complaints about MagicBands. They may or may not be profitable compared to the investment but that's mostly an academic or insider dispute that most guests couldn't give a hoot about. Most people who use MBs seem happy about them and the people who don't use them are happy to tour the parks without them. No controversy there except very mild concerns about tracking, which is a nothing-controversy because you can obviously still happily visit WDW without wearing a MB.

But FP+ is getting all kinds of heat, for very good reasons. To name just one, it's a bit bizarre to think that most people will be happy to reserve a 3-minute theme park experience, 2 months in advance. Without knowing a single thing about the future weather, family tiredness and mood, the crowd levels of the parks and on specific rides, or sometimes not even knowing what the rides actually are and whether or not they're worth reserving. If you go on a beach vacation, do you want to reserve two months in advance what date/time you're going to go boogie-boarding for 10 minutes, or the date/time you're going to rent a bike to ride up and down the boardwalk? Let alone when you're going to want pizza and ice cream and when you'll feel like steak and beer.

Given that bizarreness, a lot of the other problems unfold from there. What is a "fair" number of ride reservations everybody should get, in a park that has either an abundance or a lack of interesting attractions? How fair or unfair can you be to the people who didn't make FP+ rezzies 60 days ago, or who were too tired to use their 7DMT rezzies yesterday, and who are lined up either at a FP+ kiosk or in a standby queue right now? What if the app crashes for them or the wifi doesn't work? How many problems involving glitches with the reservation of a 3-minute ride, needing cast member intervention, does it take to completely wipe out the slender profit margin you calculated you would achieve by rationing rides and cramming more people in the parks?

I think that the author of the article got too wrapped up in "ace reporter" dirt digging and personality-analyzing and missed the real story, which is actually crowd-sourced at places like this forum.

 

[rteetz]

The article barely mentions FP+, which is the really controversial change as far as I can tell. I see very few complaints about MagicBands. They may or may not be profitable compared to the investment but that's mostly an academic or insider dispute that most guests couldn't give a hoot about. Most people who use MBs seem happy about them and the people who don't use them are happy to tour the parks without them. No controversy there except very mild concerns about tracking, which is a nothing-controversy because you can obviously still happily visit WDW without wearing a MB.

But FP+ is getting all kinds of heat, for very good reasons. To name just one, it's a bit bizarre to think that most people will be happy to reserve a 3-minute theme park experience, 2 months in advance. Without knowing a single thing about the future weather, family tiredness and mood, the crowd levels of the parks and on specific rides, or sometimes not even knowing what the rides actually are and whether or not they're worth reserving. If you go on a beach vacation, do you want to reserve two months in advance what date/time you're going to go boogie-boarding for 10 minutes, or the date/time you're going to rent a bike to ride up and down the boardwalk? Let alone when you're going to want pizza and ice cream and when you'll feel like steak and beer.

Given that bizarreness, a lot of the other problems unfold from there. What is a "fair" number of ride reservations everybody should get, in a park that has either an abundance or a lack of interesting attractions? How fair or unfair can you be to the people who didn't make FP+ rezzies 60 days ago, or who were too tired to use their 7DMT rezzies yesterday, and who are lined up either at a FP+ kiosk or in a standby queue right now? What if the app crashes for them or the wifi doesn't work? How many problems involving glitches with the reservation of a 3-minute ride, needing cast member intervention, does it take to completely wipe out the slender profit margin you calculated you would achieve by rationing rides and cramming more people in the parks?

I think that the author of the article got too wrapped up in "ace reporter" dirt digging and personality-analyzing and missed the real story, which is actually crowd-sourced at places like this forum.

Well I think the big point to this article was the backstory and how this came about. How the imagineers were against it and how leadership changed many times during the development. As for what everyone should get I've heard Disneys target number they have studied is if a guest gets 10 experiences in a day they are happy, that includes rides, parades, shows, meet and greets etc. so if I ride my 3 rides eat at BOG, meet Mickey and Anna and Elsa, watch the parade, go to a show, watch MSEP, and then wishes, That's 10. That's actually probably not a terrible day for the typical guest. For us Disers we would want more. We are also outnumbered by the typical first timer or every 5 years or so type guest. I will say however this is the best non-disney pushed article I've seen. There isn't disney pixie dust spread all over trying to sell it as the best thing since sliced bread.