Disney Alexa in all rooms?

[DonMacGregor]

They wouldn't be doing it if there wasn't something in it for both of them.

You're belief is "they WILL have a staff of people over on China, probably, listening in on these devices ALL the time". Even though that "isn't how they data mine you. It's not based on your actual conversations".

I guess we'll just leave it at that.

 

[brazzledazzler]

This is a horrible idea. There are so many privacy concerns with these things. I'd unplug it.

Me too. No thanks!

Disney wants to get free data on what all guests search for while there, and probably a list of other reasons than benefit them, and not the guests.

 

[DLgal]

You're belief is "they WILL have a staff of people over on China, probably, listening in on these devices ALL the time".

I guess we'll just leave it at that.

We already know Amazon Alexa does this. They have actual staff that go over recordings in the pursuit of "helping refine the search engines", but they have already been caught abusing this ability. Why would this be any different?

 

[DonMacGregor]

We already know Amazon Alexa does this. They have actual staff that go over recordings in the pursuit of "helping refine the search engines", but they have already been caught abusing this ability. Why would this be any different?

Aside from you LITERALLY starting the earlier post by stating that isn't what they do, I really don't care. We've now gone from the device providing active data mining based on whatever "skills" are programmed into it, to the device now representing a threat as a passive, 24/7 recording system. If your real fear is Disney recording everything you say in the room, then lead with that, and we "already know" smart TV's can do that and they've been hanging right there on the wall for years. No additional (and apparently red-flag-raising) devices needed.

 

[BillPA]

Their MUST be PROFIT in this for Disney. Has Disney ever given you anything that they didn't make profit on?

 

[DonMacGregor]

Their MUST be PROFIT in this for Disney. Has Disney ever given you anything that they didn't make profit on?

Room Genie

Up-selling services, staff reduction, etc. From what I've read, Disney isn't leading the way on this. Large "true" hotel chains are already on board, and this will become the norm in short order, across the industry. I guess there's always VRBO.

 

[sethschroeder]

And, the Evil Overlords in Burbank are far from the first hoteliers to introduce Alexa for Hospitality (AKA Room Genie).

I would remove the device in those location as well.

Prior to this though I have had zero experience with any smart device provided by a hotel. Not much traveling since the pandemic and when I did travel for work 25+ weeks a year this wasn't a thing anywhere I traveled.

The only "smart tech" that I ever had with a room was a dumb tablet with a UI that controlled the lights and tv.

Additionally the original information I saw regarding this didn't include that this was part of Alexa hospitality either. It wasn't until I watch a more in depth overview on CNET where I got that information.

 

[sethschroeder]

If your real fear is Disney recording everything you say in the room, then lead with that, and we "already know" smart TV's can do that and they've been hanging right there on the wall for years. No additional (and apparently red-flag-raising) devices needed.

Different designs for devices and different groups who have access to the data.

An Alexa device was specifically designed to monitor your verbal (and visual) interaction 24/7. The TV was there to take input many times with zero mic input except on the remote which has fairly poor audio quality.

So you are making some broad claim about this without talking about there being a fairly significant gap between Smart TV on the wall and Alexa device with Disney software actively running on it.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Different designs for devices and different groups who have access to the data.

An Alexa device was specifically designed to monitor your verbal (and visual) interaction 24/7. The TV was there to take input many times with zero mic input except on the remote which has fairly poor audio quality.

So you are making some broad claim about this without talking about there being a fairly significant gap between Smart TV on the wall and Alexa device with Disney software actively running on it.

No, that's not what I'm saying. Let me be more succinct.

Had any tech company wanted to surreptitiously collect voice or other audible data within a residence or hotel room for whatever purposes, it would be vastly easier to simply modify existing devices already present and accepted as ubiquitous within the living space, rather than introducing a new, unfamiliar and (obviously) potentially concerning device.

And most smart TV's have 2 mics, one in the remote and one located somewhere near the screen.

Where is the Camera and Mic on Smart TV'S?

Where Are Cameras & Mic's Hidden

Samsung

 

[accm]

I'll gladly take having someone listening to my boring conversations for the ability to turn the lights off without getting out of bed. So please Disney, splurge the $5 and get some smart bulbs!

 

[sethschroeder]

No, that's not what I'm saying. Let me be more succinct.

Had any tech company wanted to surreptitiously collect voice or other audible data within a residence or hotel room for whatever purposes, it would be vastly easier to simply modify existing devices already present and accepted as ubiquitous within the living space, rather than introducing a new, unfamiliar and (obviously) potentially concerning device.

And most smart TV's have 2 mics, one in the remote and one located somewhere near the screen.

Where is the Camera and Mic on Smart TV'S?

Where Are Cameras & Mic's Hidden

Samsung

1) You said years in reference to the TV when mics are fairly rare until more recently in TVs
2) The low end TVs that Disney has on property are unlikely to have mics (not sure anyone has torn one down) additionally you will find the remote doesn't even have mic input unless the newest TVs starting including that
3) A vast majority of hotels you would visit in the US are not going to have this tech outside of the smart speaker they put in the room, the smart speaker is added because its cheap and they are not replacing the TV which is years old without smart tech at all or no mic (again cutting costs of the hardware manufacturing)
4) Disney is not a tech company (so no Disney wouldn't just collect the data through things that already exist in the room)
5) Disney would be in deep water for collecting data from a TV not as much through an Alexa (which is designed to listen)

We will what happens.

I'll gladly take having someone listening to my boring conversations for the ability to turn the lights off without getting out of bed. So please Disney, splurge the $5 and get some smart bulbs!

Way more than $5 because you are not getting smart bulbs but replacing all switches within the room (smart bulbs are a poor way to implement any sort of lighting control). If it could actually do useful things nice but from the looks of it so far its not actually going to really do much but we will see.

 

[Sammie]

And yet we are all of here and when we leave the site and go somewhere we will be flooded with Alexa advs. You can't hide and be online, on a phone etc. I really don't have anything that I need to hide. So it does not bother me.
If it will adjust the thermostat so that I don't have to get up and down all night, I am in.

 

[AdamsMum]

Am I the only one who has read the stories of employees collecting, sharing, and listening to “bedroom noises?” No thanks Disney.

The only bedroom noise they'll get from me is my snoring. I don't care that Disney has my information they only care if I have any money left, I just think those things are creepy. I really don't need to have a conversation with a box in my room to change the tv channel or god knows what. Maybe I'm backwards when it comes to technology, but the idea of something like that listening to me in my private hotel room creeps me out. I truly don't see why this would be considered necessary.

 

[gharter]

Somehow missed this announcement.
Not a fan of it at all.
maybe you can shut off the mic and it doesn't listen, maybe not.
I'm sure Amazon gave these to Disney for free and will get even more data on everyone that will help Disney and Amazon target ads to you.

 

[bwang123]

And yet we are all of here and when we leave the site and go somewhere we will be flooded with Alexa advs. You can't hide and be online, on a phone etc. I really don't have anything that I need to hide. So it does not bother me.
If it will adjust the thermostat so that I don't have to get up and down all night, I am in.

completely agree. all of the people on here are likely posting from their cell phones, with cookies enabled while logged onto this message board with their Facebook account to complain about a box stealing their privacy.

 

[gharter]

completely agree. all of the people on here are likely posting from their cell phones, with cookies enabled while logged onto this message board with their Facebook account to complain about a box stealing their privacy.

I understand what you are saying about privacy and agree. The difference with Alexa is it does listen. My daughter has Alexa, and we will be talking about something, she will go on facebook or Amazon and ads will pop up for what we were talking about. My cellphone doesn't do that.

 

[bwang123]

I understand what you are saying about privacy and agree. The difference with Alexa is it does listen. My daughter has Alexa, and we will be talking about something, she will go on facebook or Amazon and ads will pop up for what we were talking about. My cellphone doesn't do that.

You can believe this if you want or not but Amazon has stated they do not use voice recordings from Echo to target ads. It only records when the wake word is spoken (example "Alexa"). When people say they just talk about something and see ads, its usually from something else (searches, compiled data from FB, coincidence, etc).

 

[Evita_W]

Why have these in the rooms? Seems like they should spend money in other places.

You obviously have never climbed into bed with the lights on and want to turn them all off without getting back out of bed. Or had the AC way too warm in the middle of the night and want to turn down the temperature.

Seriously, these devices can be a huge help, especially since you can ask for stuff from housekeeping (who can be hard to get a hold of these days), etc.

Likely it is this last point as to why Disney is doing this, as it will reduce demand on their already overtaxed call centers and honestly, I would bet they are trying to hire more people, but like everywhere having a hard time finding people to work. This helps mitigate the issue, potentially freeing people up to work in other areas.

In short, this actually makes sense.

 

[Marionnette]

You obviously have never climbed into bed with the lights on and want to turn them all off without getting back out of bed. Or had the AC way too warm in the middle of the night and want to turn down the temperature.

Seriously, these devices can be a huge help, especially since you can ask for stuff from housekeeping (who can be hard to get a hold of these days), etc.

Likely it is this last point as to why Disney is doing this, as it will reduce demand on their already overtaxed call centers and honestly, I would bet they are trying to hire more people, but like everywhere having a hard time finding people to work. This helps mitigate the issue, potentially freeing people up to work in other areas.

In short, this actually makes sense.

They didn't need an Alexa in the room to accomplish any of those things. The technology to raise or lower room temps, turn lights on/off or make housekeeping requests remotely could have been done with a phone app. But then, Amazon would not be footing the bill.

 

[accm]

They didn't need an Alexa in the room to accomplish any of those things. The technology to raise or lower room temps, turn lights on/off or make housekeeping requests remotely could have been done with a phone app. But then, Amazon would not be footing the bill.

Have you used a voice assistant? It is 100% more convenient than using a phone app.