Big Mouser is Coming

[EUROPA]

I think this is what AV is alluding to....btw "How are those new tank tops working out for you Mr. AV.."

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/news/response.cfm?ID=593

'Destination Disney' Goes High Tech
Message posted by J. Dana (via 208.173.24.10) on July 8, 2002 at 9:07 AM (MST)

For those of you who have seen the new Steven Spielberg / Tom Cruise thriller "Minority Report," Disney's new customer relations plan may sound a bit familiar. Almost futuristic-of course, Disney prides itself on being ahead of the fray. But let's hope they don't overstep.

Remember the scene when Tom Cruise's character walks into The Gap of the future only to be met by seemingly clairvoyant greetings from the holographic host: "Hello, welcome back to the Gap. We sure hope you're enjoying that navy dress shirt you bought last month. We've got a great pair of khakis that would go great with it." And so it goes. (I know this isn't verbatim, but I was watching the 11 p.m. showing, and slept through most of it) This isn't too far removed from reality, and Disney has been hoping to capitalize on less-intrusive versions of this idea.

Here's how….

For quite some time now, Walt Disney World engineers and marketing gurus have been developing Destination Disney, the next step in customer relations. In real-world terms, it's called Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Always one to adapt generally accepted business language into its own "world" of words, WDW has labeled its own CRM efforts as Creating Relationship Magic.

Although it encompasses the whole guest experience, from first contact to "lifelong friendship," there's a core component that is a spitting image of the "Minority Report" scene: Tracking guests.

Ideally, what will happen is when someone decides to book a Walt Disney World vacation, that person will offer up personal information to the reservationist (or computer screen) that will help Disney to arrange the best accommodations. Also, this information will help the reservationist plan the guest's itinerary while at Walt Disney World. Sounds okay.

However, plans call for each guest to carry a Personal Assistance Device (PAD-sorry, no cutesy name yet), commonly referred to as a Palm Pilot. These Palm Pilots carry the guest's personal inventory. So, when checking into the hotel, the front desk person will say, "Glad to have you back Mr. Smith. How's the weather been in Maine? And did your daughter have a good honeymoon?" All real homey.

The retail locations push it even further. For example, when Mr. Smith then enters a Walt Disney World retail location carrying his PDA, the computer chip in the PDA will make all his personal information available to the clerks in the store. And not just when he makes a purchase-no, it will be instantly available when he enters.

Now do you see the similarities between this and Tom Cruise's interaction with the Gap?

When Mr. Smith enters World of Disney, a clerk will greet him with, "Welcome, Mr. Smith. We've been waiting for you. Hope you're enjoying your accommodations at our Wilderness Lodge Resort. And from what we understand, you're looking for a great pair of earrings to match that beautiful necklace you gave your wife last year." Then, as he enters the sports store at Downtown Disney Marketplace: "Hello, Mr. Smith. You may want to consider this fresh set of golf balls for your tee-time tomorrow morning over at the Buena Vista Golf Course."

Then, back at the hotel, his wife is met with, "Mrs. Smith, since your husband is golfing tomorrow, would you like a spa treatment like last year? Or may we suggest that instead of the mud bath, you try the seaweed treatment this time?"

All this information will show up on computer screens discretely located around the resorts and retail outlets so that only the cast members can see them. They will be activated by each PAD that is carried into the store. And this isn't too far away.

Disney is already successfully testing (and profiting) from this technology. Have you noticed all the light-up pins that are being sold around property? They "magically" start flashing during the fireworks finales, during the electrical parade, and in close proximity to other specially designed locations. The crowd during Fantasmic! (Disney's exclamation point) sparkles with these pins.

These pins contain little computer chips that are activated by certain electronic prompts located throughout Walt Disney World, much the same way that your PDA serve as the electronic prompt to computer screens throughout WDW.

In all honesty, Destination Disney, for all its ominous overtones and disconcerting advances, will definitely be a stroke of customer relationship genius when fully implemented. I mean, how many of us will turn down our favorite dessert when it's "unexpectedly" offered to us at our favorite Disney dining locale? Or shy away from that beautiful set of earrings when we're politely reminded by the clerk that our anniversary is two days away and our wife has the matching necklace?

If done right, this could be great. If overly intrusive, there's another hundred million down Disney's drain. And some serious shivers down resort guests' spines.

ALSO:
It's being reported (or at least strongly rumored) that Universal Pictures is eager to develop Peter Jackson's update to King Kong.

Jackson is currently spinning out the wonderful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the third of which, "Return of the King," will be released in December of 2003. The studio hopes to persuade Jackson to start work on King Kong immediately thereafter.

If Universal is reviving the Kong franchise, then why are they closing the Kongfrontation attraction? It's scheduled to be replaced by a "Mummy Returns" or "Scorpion King"-themed thrill ride. We'll see if any Kong-type attraction remains in the park, especially since the film will surely generate quite a few bucks and marketing tie-ins.

 

[Sarangel]

I actually moved this from the HM Photo Op thread, I thought it deserved to have its own thread...

I can't decide if I like the idea or if it scares me.

Sarangel

 

[All Aboard]

I'm with you Sara. On one hand, I like personal service, but on the other hand it seems like this could spin wildly out of control if unchecked. I would hope that the threat of extreme public scrutiny would hold the tight reigns for Disney on a concept like this. The last thing they would want is an entire 60 Minutes episode dedicated to Big Brother Mickey. They have to walk a narrow wire here.

 

[daannzzz]

I don't mind personal service but not fake personal service and to me this is super manufactured. I have been in service before and you can really force the issue sometimes and sound fake. That always turns me off. So if I miss out on a particular item that I might like because I don't want to deal with the new system, and be bombarded with advertisements ( which is what it is) I will live!

 

[HorizonsFan]

I'm skeptical that the system used to activate the 100 YOM pins is sophisticated enough to transmit the high bandwidth data streams required to track everyone in the park. I could be wrong, however...

 

[kenjean]

I don't know if I read the article correctly, but are they requiring guests to carry palm pilots all around WDW? I don't remember my keys half the time.

 

[raidermatt]

A few things...

If the chip is not imbedded in the room key or park pass, nobody will be required to carry it. Sure, you will be told about the benefits, but not required. Banks gave up on requiring customers to carry passbooks long ago. If they do manage to include the chip in the resort ID, then you won't have much of a choice.

However, I wouldn't worry too much about having a CM pounce on you whenver you enter a store or restaurant, especially if the chip is carried by all resort guests. There just aren't enough CMs available to support this, and I can't see adding the amount of FTE neceessary to support it. There would have to be CMs waiting in every doorway.

Now, if its on a separate "PAD", then there will be fewer guests carrying it. So the personal attention might be more intense, but of course whether you carry it or not would be your choice. A more likely scenario is the PAD will "talk" to you at certain times, either with an actual speaker or some kind of text message. Data would still be gathered and used for promotions and itinerary planning.

Bottom line is, if the process is too much for guests to take, they simply won't take it. I would guess Disney will ease into this to judge guest acceptance and determine what benefits Disney actually realizes.

Yes, the Big Brother technology is there, but unlike the government Orwell dreamed of in 1984 , much of what has been discussed cannot be forced on us, because if it is, we just won't go anymore.

 

[EUROPA]

Technology is growing by leaps and bounds..( good or not) you would be surprised with what they can do. There are been more scientific discoveries in the last 100 years then in the entire previous existence of man. (Unless you think that were are really decedents from Aliens from another world - some do.) Your entire medical history can be stored on a computer chip and implanted in the tip of your finger. Blind people are not able to see, they are working on a closed loop system for an artificial pancreas all with the use of tiny computer chips.

They may not need to send much data to the "device" only something to trigger what is stored in the device(if they go that route). There are many options and everyday brings us closer to things like this.

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

There would have to be CMs waiting in every doorway.

Would there?

This technology's usefulness lays in the robustness of the data. When Joe, Mary, and little Billy Punchclock make their once-in-a-lifetime trip to WDW, there will simply not be enough data on them to qualify them as "targets" very often. Whereas on my next trip, they'll see the IllumiNations cruise, cross reference to previous visits' cruises, and notice we'll usually eat at one of the Boardwalk area hotels' high-end restaurants before meeting up with Captain Mike. Now that's targettable.

I suspect most people will never see the effects of this program.

I also suspect that the nature of the folks who have found this board means that _we'll_ be the ones with bull's-eyes constantly on our backs. There's just more of our data to bludgeon us with.

-WFH

 

[MineeBaby]

I have a question sorta on the techy end...how would you beable to identify each individual person and know that the info on the screen matches the same person who walks in the store?
If a family walks in together, how do you know who is who? and what about when the stores are PACKED and there is so much going on, you cant see straight? It just doesnt seem realistic for EACH guest

 

[raidermatt]

When Joe, Mary, and little Billy Punchclock make their once-in-a-lifetime trip to WDW, there will simply not be enough data on them to qualify them as "targets" very often.

True, but aren't most WDW visitors repeat visitors? Yes, those who go more frequently will be the first to "experience" this, whatever it turns out to be.

For myself, and from what I'm reading from others, it isn't so much that we are concerned with the fact that Disney is compiling the data. Or even that they are going to use it to market products/services to us. The concern is more that it will be hard sell.

And honestly, I think that's the part we are jumping to conclusions about. I don't think Disney has given any real indication that it will be a hard sell.

The last paragraph of the article summed it up well:

If done right, this could be great. If overly intrusive, there's another hundred million down Disney's drain. And some serious shivers down resort guests' spines.

Will it be like the photo op at Splash, where its there, but you can easily ignore it? Or will it be like the guy at AK who is trying to get you to go down to the spot with the "best view of the Tree of Life in the whole park", squaking like the carnie at the ring toss at the county fair?

 

[ibleedblue]

Originally posted by EUROPA
...Blind people are not able to see....

Delurk mode---ON

You have got to be kidding me!!!! Learn something new everyday!!

BTW...I think we all know whatcha meant...just trying to smile a bit on a Friday afternoon...

Greg

Delurk mode---OFF

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by ibleedblue
Delurk mode---ON

You have got to be kidding me!!!! Learn something new everyday!!

BTW...I think we all know whatcha meant...just trying to smile a bit on a Friday afternoon...

Greg

Delurk mode---OFF

...man what a goof. That should read that blind people are NOW able to see.

 

[mikek]

2 points-

I already posted on the photo thread but i have no problem with them tracking my butt if i get a little extra service or some discounts/perks for it. Most everyone has a credit card - they do it all the time. I love mobil's speedpass and my toll ezpass (which i thing this system would be set up like- the 'transponder' just identifies you with a number, once the system asks and gets the number from your keycahin it looks up the nimber in its big old database figures out its you at the pump or toll booth and does what it has too). And why does everyone think the grocery stores hand out those frequent shopper cards- they're tracking every last item you purchase to learn as much as they can about your purchasing habits (better stop buying condoms if your wife got her tubes tied...)

When the phone companies first started widespread implementation of caller ID, ATT Universal Card (now owned by citibank) used to answer the phone "hello mr(s) smith"- it freaked people out so much that they stopped and to keep people from freaking out they now ask you your name- they already know who's calling before you answer and propabably already have your account punched up on their monitor. I dont doubt Disney would adjust their approach similarly as needed. So instead of them telling Mr. Voice that they noticed he left the park so they made him a reservation at his favorite restaurant, they would just suggest a reservation there instead.

 

[larworth]

We are obviously just starting to see the tip of the iceberg. It makes sense the more extensive "minority report" scenario will start with the higher spending customers (where returns on the technology are more likely) and evolve down to the masses.

The LoQ system (pay for fasspass) 6F peddles monitors where you are in the park. They claim (since I won't spring for the $) they will use this to better meet your park needs. It's lunch time so they might send you a message that since you're close to restaurant XX stop in now and get 10% off your order. Or, hey no wait on ride yyy.

You have a non-Disney water park (forget which) piloting a locator system for parents who want to be able to keep track of their kids at all times.

Won't be long before peole will look puzzled when they hear the Cheers song on re-runs "some place you can go where everyone knows your name". They'll say isn't that everywhere?

 

[Testtrack321]

HOLY !>#K!!!!!

I predicted this almost 2 months ago at the WDWMagic.com forums!

Read here.

 

[MineeBaby]

anybody know how it is possible to do this with SO many people in the park, matching the signal with the person, etc....

 

[JudySue]

I think this has been written about in 2 boods a while ago. If I recall correctly the authors were a Mr. Huxley and Mr. Orwell

 

[HorizonsFan]

anybody know how it is possible to do this with SO many people in the park, matching the signal with the person, etc....

The process of being identified by a computer is pretty simple. Much like the Mobil Speedpass, you can carry a unique identifier in your room key or pass. The computer could scan the identifier and locate your information in a database. The difficult part is getting that information back to a cast member in a usable form in a very short amount of time or (even more resource intensive) to a wireless device. The logistics are staggering. What happens when a group of 10 people walks into a shop at the same time? Who's information comes up first? How does the castmember match what's on the screen to one of the 10 people who just walked in? How many of you have walked through the shops on Main Street to avoid the crowd or to enjoy the AC? If the database is busy recording what Joe Punchclock just bought, does it have enough resources to scan you and return your information before you move to the next shop?
The gathering of information about us can allow Disney to target us for mail, phone or internet marketing but it's highly doubtful that with the technology they posess right now that they can use that information instantly at the parks.
JMO...

 

[MineeBaby]

Thanks for the response! The questions you posed are the same one I had...about having a group walk in a store and being able to match the right person, etc. Seems like this technology might be THERE but only in a very basic form..not one that could be applied like the rumor suggests.