What if EPCOT were created today under Iger and today's fans...

If EPCOT Center were imagined today under the leadership of Bob Iger and today's WDI leaders listening to what today's fans wanted... what would they build?

They would build..  EPCOT Studios

The front half of the park would be Future World with some familar pavilions..

We enter the park under Spaceship Earth..
- Spaceship Earth - where we explore the galaxy learning about the planets from from our own space ranger BuZZZZ Lightyear!  You shoot aliens with your light guns as we fly through the galaxy

beyond Spaceship earth we enter.. Stark Expo!
- A permanent exposition of technology and products from all the world's richest corporations!

To the left, we approach the Universe of Energy
- In the Universe of Energy, we are guided through how the world relies on symbiotic relations by Master Yoda

Next, we have The World of Motion
- Ride with Lightning McQueen through the race track with your crew chief Mater!
- Don't forget to purchase all your Cars! merchandise

On the other side of Future World.. we start with The Living Seas
- Ride the EAC with Nemo and friends in your sea cab!
- Meet and interact with Crush the Turtle

Next, we have the The Land Pavilion
- Take a landspeeder tour through Tatooine and see how moisture farmers can feed a population on a desert planet!
- Eat lunch at the Mos Eisley Cantina if you dare!

Next we have the The Force Pavilion
- Come see were your imagination takes you as you build your lightsabers and get instructions from Jedi Master yoda himself!
- See what the force can do in live demonstrations!

Beyond Future World.. we have World Showcase where you can see various countries of the world all in one place!

The Up! South American Pavilion
 - Come ride in Carl’s house as you fly to Paradise Falls!  (reskinned star tours clone)
-  Meet Carl & Russell & Dug characters!
-  Take photos of Kevin in a plastic jungle set!

The Norway Pavilion
-  Ride with Kristoff and Anna trying to save Elsa in an fast paced sled ride!
-  Come join the Elsa in the sing-along
-  Meet Olaf the snowman!

The China Pavilion featuring Mulan!
-  View ancient armor that inspired Mulan!
-  Meet Mulan in your favorate character spot
-  View the Mulan film as you never have with stunning 360 images!

The German Pavilion
-  Join Indiana Jones as he tries to escape the Germans and Castle Brunwald   (no Nazis – can’t have that!)
-  There is a pinocchio and geppetto Meet & Greet – that is never staffed
-  Eat in the Beirgarten food court!

The Italian Pavilion
- Enjoy the ancient Greek ruins with Hades and Hercules!

The American Adventure
- See Captain America and the Avengers save the USA in the action packed Marvel stunt show spectacular!

Japan Pavilion
- Come eat Sushi in Disney’s high end signature sushi restaurant – Open only for Dinner and FP+ holders who book 200 days in advance

Morroco Pavilion
- Come ride the magic carpet with Aladdin!
- Enjoy pseudo-Moroccan food in the M&G Dinner featuring Jasmin and Jafar

France Pavilion
- Run through the kitchen with Remy in the 3d adventure
- Enjoy food court dining at Remy’s

United Kingdom
- Learn to shoot with Miridia in the virtual archery range!
- Explore the Scottish castle and eat lunch at the local pub

Canada
- Explore the wilderness in this wonderful circlevision film hosted by the cast of Brother Bear!

Just got back from watching GoG in 3D and here's my thoughts (the title kind of gives it away  )

I will admit, prior to this week I had no interest at all in seeing GoG. I have no history (even passing) with the source material, so no desire there. After seeing the trailer and teaser stuff when they were released... I was torn on what the film was trying to be. The sequences shown didn't really leave me with any desire at all to find out more. The lead-in marketing was a complete DUD for me.

But this week after some people had seen it, spoke well of it, and even made comparisons to Avengers.. even saying topping Avengers. That peaked my interest. I think Avengers is an illustration of the peak of the modern super hero film. From the moving soundtrack, the scale, the pace, the visuals, the dabs of humor, the balance of comic suspension of belief... The Avengers does it all.. and does it well. That hero theme from the battle of NYC is just quintessential super hero stuff. It's the kind of blend of sound and staging that whenever you hear it.. it tickles you and you feel a bit superhero yourself. Like the Superman theme from the 80s films.. or those other inspiring John Williams soundtracks. It just inspires a feeling and click in your brain. So.. you think GoG has that? I'm interested.

First... do not let the fact you have zero idea what the premise of the film is, or who these characters or, etc distract you at all. You need ZERO background of anything Marvel to enjoy this film. In fact, you need more 80s pop knowledge than anything Marvel to get all the gags.

The movie does a great job of introducing you to the characters without boring you with flashbacks or spending time focusing on trying to beat into you 'hey, this is why this guy is here'. They do a respectable job of qualifying each character and their behaviors 'on the fly' without derailing the main track the film is heading down.

Some of the gags are a bit 'old game'.. like Groot's speech (Hodor!) but its not to the point of annoying.

Music
People had made comments about the soundtrack.. and how the music is almost a 6th character in the film. Bleh to that. Without giving away the film... the music played is often Pop tracks of significance to the main character. I love the story tie in here... but really didn't find the pop tracks all that stirring or core to the staging of the action. The lone exception to that is in the climatic battle when they face the bad guy.. and the track inclusion really plays to the comedy of the scene. That and in the credits the Jackson 5 song works out well. But the rest of the film? Meh... want a contemporary track to add punch to the film? Think at the end of the Matrix when Rage starts up.. that's powerful.

Outside the pop tracks... the film has a score that is very reminiscent of Avengers at times.. and it plays well. I think it sounds great.. I just think the 'music as a 6th character' kind of lines are way over blown.

Visuals
The visuals in the film are amazing. It's fun because some of the scenes feel like the classic huge matte paintings of classic sci-fi... yet others have the impossible realism that you only get with modern CGI. The film blends the effects, CGI, and settings perfectly. The only thing I found a bit distracting was Quinn's mask.. but it's minor thing. Overall I think the effects do exactly as they should.. advance the wow factor, make it all look real, all while not trying to be the lead character itself.

There are a few seconds of 'extra 3D to be 3D' but not too much and not overwhelming. The film looked great and I would probably feel a bit robbed without the 3D.

It doesn't matter what form you put Zoe Saldana in.. she looks amazing. It's not over the top like Black Widow in the Avengers.. but its near impossible to hide her sexy.

Characters
The characters (and famous names) in the film are vast and varied. I found most of them interesting and fun and while I'm no Academy critic... I found most of the acting transparent and did what I want it to do.. which is fade into believable. The only part where it gets a bit corny is in the "I have a plan" scene where the 5 characters discuss their plan (or lack of) of attack. Quinn's acting in there made me turn my nose a bit.

Plot/Pacing
Now where this movie excels IMO is the pace and action. It keeps you engaged and you feel like you are along for a hell of a ride. It slows a bit prior and after the climax.. but after the ride you've been on you almost need a breather! But it's not overload.. it's just nearly two hours of "I don't want to look away and miss something!". This is where I think some of the Avengers comparisons come in too.. the movie is PACKED with action sequences.. and unlike Captain America 2 which resorts to the 'lets move the camera around so much so you can't keep track of anything during fight shots' this film's action sequences are so much more enjoyable to watch.

I don't want to say much about the story except I bought in. It felt good, it didn't make me cringe, and it had sufficient twists that I didn't bore of anything. It does have some tear jerker moments. My 11yr old put it as... "it made you happy, sad, cry, and excited all at the same time!"

So what kind of film is this?
Going in, being Marvel and knowing it's comic universe based I was expecting another super hero film like a Thor, Iron Man, etc. But walking out of the theater it really didn't feel like one. It actually felt more like a Science Fiction action film more than anything related to comic books. It feels closer to a Star Wars or Last Starfighter than it does an Iron Man or Superman film.

Not that the movie plays out like Star Wars in any sense.. but in terms of what kind of audience appeal.. I said "its like a supercharged star wars". Way more action, a lot more sci-fi, but not nerdy sci-fi, so it would still have broad appeal. The movie has violence, but it's mostly bloodless violence and while there is some anger/spiteful kind of actions at time, I don't think its anywhere near as bad as Captain America 2 and falls more in line with what you get from an X-Men or Iron Man film. I didn't have any problem at all with what my 11yr old saw. Some of the jokes are a tad pg-13, but nothing more than you might see on network TV these days. I hope people give this film a chance and don't pigeon hole it as a 'super hero film' and then not want to see it. It's not a Rambo.. it's not X-Men.. It's not Star Trek. Maybe the JJ Abrams Star Trek might be the closest parallel give the pace and action Star Trek packed.

Overal Grade?
I think this is a MUST SEE for anyone who enjoys any sort of action film and isn't only interested in dramas or romance films. It's memorable.. its fun.. its amazing to watch.. and it's just the kind of film that makes you ENJOY going to the movies. You don't second guess what you just paid to see it, you don't say "well I'll wait for the DVD...", it makes you think "when am I going to come and see this again?". It's good... no, it's great.

I'd give it 4.75 out of 5 stars. I hope people give it a chance.. it's a great fun movie.

Disney Customer Service? A case study in how Disney is losing its way

Disney is a company that built its reputation on quality and customer focus.  For years, Disney has been able to charge a premium for its products based on customer expectations of getting a premium product and premium service.  But of late, long time followers of Disney have been upset over what they have perceived as the declining quality of products offered, the declining service by the company, all while Disney continues to raise prices for what they offer.  In many aspects the company is leaning on their legacy, selling on image, while failing to live up to the standards that built the company.  For an example of this… follow along with my recent experience with the online Disney Store.

Background

The adventure starts with my Chase Disney Visa.  I had rewards dollars which I had transferred to a rewards card, but had forgotten to cash in during our last cruise.  Reward cards?  They are effectively rechargable gift cards you use to redeem your Chase Disney cash back rewards.  The catch is, the cards have an expiration date, and once rewards points are transferred to a card, they must be used before the card expires, or the points are lost.  My card was to expire at the end of Dec 2013.

I only had a little bit on the card.. $57 and change.  But who wants to throw away $50??  You can only use the cards at limited Disney locations – but one of those is the Disney Store, both retail and online.  A common method to avoid having your rewards dollars expiring, is to buy a Disney gift card with your rewards card because while the reward cards expire… Disney gift cards do not.

A purchase!  Store or online?

So, I’d buy a Disney Gift card from the Disney Store.  I have a retail location about 45min drive away, but I can also buy Gift Cards from the online store… so that’s easy.  I log onto the Disney Store website, and see Gift Cards even have free shipping!  Even better!  It’s Dec 30^th, but that gives them two days to process the rewards card before I have a problem.  The gift cards are only available in $25 increments, and I have $57.xx on my card.  So I shop for something cheap on the site, and find they have a Cars die cast car on sale for $3.99.  Ok, not something I need, but it’s passable, and with shipping it will eat up my balance with just a slight overage. 

The site has two kinds of Gift Cards, Gift cards and Personalized Gift Cards.  I just want a basic card, so I pick from their normal list of cards, and add the die cast car.  When paying with a rewards card, the site requires you to supply a normal credit card for overages or if the reward card does not go through.  Fine.. so I complete my order on the website.  I get an order confirmation in email about 30 seconds later. 

Note the time stamp… 10am PST on Dec 30^th.  But there is an interesting footnote in the email..

Did you use a Gift Card?Only if the total of your purchase exceeded the amount on your Gift Card, will the balance be charged to your credit card. The new balance of your Gift Card may not be reflected immediately. Like a credit card, your Gift Card is not charged until your order has shipped.

Hrm, card is not charged until the order ships!  This is not anywhere in the order process on the website, but isn’t too uncommon.  But now it’s critical my order ships tomorrow.. else my reward card will be expired, they will charge my credit card for things I don’t really want.. and instead of being out $57 dollars, I’d be out $57+$59 = $116 dollars by having to put money out now ($50 I’d get back at some point in the future when the GC was used…).  Ok, but they have two days to process and ship my gift card… which is nothing but an electronic activation anyways.  So they should be able to pull that off.. Disney Store is not some mom and pop website.

First Contact

So the next morning I check my mail, worried now they won’t process my order in time and I’ll be screwed.  No mail… so I look up the contact number on the website to call and check on the status of my order.  I call them at 10:26 am eastern time on Dec 31 – the morning after my initial order. 

I speak to a nice sounding lady and explain my concern, worried about my rewards card not being charged before it expires.  The lady responds quickly that she has looked into this already as several people have called with similar concerns and assures me they will still charge the card even though it’s past the expiration and things will be fine.  Now, I get they will still charge the card ignoring the expiration date, but it’s not the Disney Store that decides if my card is still valid or not, that’s Chase.  So the fact Disney Store will ignore the expiration date really doesn't really me at all.  If Chase decides it’s expired, Disney Store will happily collect from me via my credit card.  Note, my Guest Relations Agent was oblivious to this distinction… and just wants me to think all is fine.

So, I turn to understanding when my order will ship, so I can focus on when my card will be charged.  She can not give any estimate of when it will ship, but informs me gift cards take 10 to 15 business days to ship!  WTF??  It’s a premade piece of plastic that fits in an envelope.  There is no such notice on the website when you order the gift card, and there was no such detail in my order email either.  So obviously with those kinds of expectations, the idea of my order shipping within 2 days is never going to happen so I tell her I want to cancel my order.  She says my order is being processed so she can’t cancel right here, but she will send a message to that department to have the order canceled.  I confirm to her I want the order canceled because she can not tell me it will ship before my card expires, she acknowledges and we wrap up the call.

Execute.. Plan B

Now it’s the last day my card is good, so I have to do something NOW, and Disney Store online obviously can’t get it done.  So I drive the long drive to the closest Disney Store, and buy basically the same two items.  The car isn’t onsale in the store, but no shipping, so the total actually was less than my card balance.  I pay with my rewards card with no problem, and head home.

Next day I check my email, and see an email from the Disney Store… odd.  The mail (#2) is a shipping notice.. they have shipped my die cast car.  Huh?  I canceled that order.. the time on the mail is 1:04pm eastern on Dec 31^st.  2.5hrs after I had spoke to Guest Relations on the phone.  Well.. maybe it’s a mistake, so I pass it off and wait to see what happens next.

Unleash the non-service

Skip ahead to January 6^th  Now I get yet another email from Disney Store (#3) dated Jan 6 at 11:03am… Congratulations, your Disney Gift Card has shipped!  WTF  Ok, obviously something is wrong here, so I forward the email to the Guest Relations (Disney fancy labeling for ‘customer service’) email for Disney Online Store with the following email dated Jan 6 at 12:17pm  (the shipping confirmation was part of the message including my contact, order #, etc)

“This order was canceled with guest services on Dec 31 by phone at 10:26am eastern time.  This order should never have shipped.  The order was primarily funded by a Disney rewards card that would not be charged until shipped, and guest services said it would take 10-15 business days to ship the gift card - so I instructed the agent to cancel the order - which she acknowledged she did.”

At 12:51pm, I get the following email (#4)

Dear Disney Guest, Thanks so much for your recent email. I certainly appreciate you taking the time to inform us of the difficulties you experienced when ordering through DisneyStore.com. This is not an example of the quality service we wish to provide and we hope that you find this to be an isolated incident. Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. Upon reviewing your concern, I am delighted to inform you that a request to cancel this gift card was made however that was no guarantee. I have sent a request to deactivate the gift card and for a credit to be issued to you. Once the gift card has been deactivated you will receive your credit. Again I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. We appreciate your business and hope you will visit DisneyStore.com again in the future. Sincerely,Charlena Have a Magical Day!
 The DisneyStore.com Team

Ok, so she acknowledges ‘this is not an example of the quality service with wish to provide…’  -  but then proceeds to tell me a request was made to cancel the gift card, ‘however that was no guarantee’  .  No guarantee?  I didn’t cancel the gift card, I canceled the whole order and the agent made no such disclaimers.

So I reply on Jan 7 at 11:20am

I didn't request to cancel the gift card - I requested to cancel my order period.  I had paid with a Disney rewards card as my primary payment method, and the agent could not confirm you would charge the card before it expired at the end of the month - so I said to cancel the order.  We had discussed the gift card because she said it would take 10-15 business days to ship ?!?!  My rewards card had to be used by Dec 31 and it was clear you would not ship the order in that timeframe so I said to cancel the order.  There was no discussion that this was a 'request' to cancel the order - or that it was 'not guaranteed'.  

Surely at this point, any company that is customer service focused would just correct the problem, and not argue over what their agent had done or not.  Customer doesn't want the order.. just fix it.  Oh, and on Jan 7, DisneyStore charges my credit card for $55.25  - so the worst possible situation is now happening.

Now they throw gas on the fire…  after my last email explaining how we got to this point, I get this reply (Mail #5) on Jan 7 at 3:27pm

Dear Disney Guest, We are delighted to have received your recent email and we appreciate your interest in DisneyStore.com. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have further questions. We look forward to future opportunities to be of service to you. Sincerely, Nikki Have a Magical Day! The DisneyStore.com Team

Can anyone tell me how this message addresses ANYTHING??  Their patronizing boilerplate about service and ‘Magic’ is getting infuriating at this point as they do absolutely nothing to actually address the problem.  I almost send back a ‘WTF is this??’ email, but stop myself.. and send this email in reply at 12:01am on Jan 8

What in the world was this last reply?
You have charged my credit card $55.25 for an order I canceled and spoke with guest relations to cancel.  This past email made reference to the gift card only  - I canceled the entire order, and I want confirmation that my card is not charged and the $55.25 reversed.

Disney Store replies (Mail #6) on Jan 8 at 7:22am

We are delighted to have received your recent email and we appreciate your interest in DisneyStore.com. Upon review of your concern, I apologize for what has happened with your order. Regrettably, your order has already shipped on 12/31/13 and the gift card on 1/6/14. However, I have sent a intercept request over to both the shipping and gift card department to have these packages shipped back to the distribution center. However the request is not granted before the the order is delivered, simply deny the packages upon delivery for the return of them back to the distribution center. Upon return, a credit will be issued back to your account. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have further questions. We look forward to future opportunities to be of service to you. Sincerely, Tomisha The DisneyStore.com Team

Ok, if we ignore the horrible grammar to start, mixing up past and present tense confusing it even more.. her offer to me is to decline the shipment.  Who here has UPS ask you before they leave a box on your doorstep?  Every email follows the same stupid boilerplate of apologizing but not actually doing anything to fix the problem.  So I have to reply again..  at this point I’m losing actual WORK time dealing with this crap.. so I reply quickly from my phone that morning Jan 8 at 9:59am

Hi, I can't deny shipment when ups leaves packages unattended.  Give me a return label and I'll send them back.

Yes, just give me a return shipping label, credit back the charges and all of this would go away.  Here’s the easy out for Disney… yet, how does the company who built an image based on customer service.. up to the point they had a full training program for OTHER companies to train them how to do customer service… how do they reply?

We get email #7 on Jan 8 at 11:28am

Thanks so much for your recent email concerning order # 1239227244. Upon reviewing your order, I see that resolution is already underway per an earlier email conversation. An internal email has been sent to the appropriate department to request the gift card be deactivated. Item # 461724786524 has shipped. Regrettably, the request to cancel your order was no guarantee as your order was in the processing stage at the time you called in to cancel. For this reason, we will not be able to issue a return label for this item; if delivered you may return this item to a local Disney Store. If there is no local store in your area, you will be responsible for shipping this item back to us in order to receive a full credit. Please let us know if you have any additional questions. We appreciate your business and look forward to your next visit to DisneyStore.com. Have a Magical Day! Sincerely,LaShundra
 The DisneyStore.com Team

Same patronizing boilerplate?  Check

Same lame ‘Magical Day’ references?  Check

Lack of accepting the original agent’s mistake?  Check

Lack of offering to correct the issue without penalizing the customer?  Check

Continuing to make the problem MINE to solve?  Check!

Failure to recognize a simple cheap fix to correct the situation?  CHECK!

Complete customer service failure?  Batting .1000!

So their offer, return the item to a store..  of course I’m intelligent enough to know doing so they would not refund the shipping, so I’d be driving to return a $3.99 item!  So, way to go Disney… instead of just writing off $9… or just issuing a return label so you get your $4 car back, you yet AGAIN tell the customer to take an action that doesn’t actually solve the customer’s complete problem. 

Disney non-service

Here we see the complete breakdown that illustrates how Disney has lost the principles that made it great.  Instead of providing great customer support, we get empty boilerplate messages that don’t offer to extend ANY effort to fix the customer’s problem.  We mislead the customer with half truths, and instead of focusing on turning a bad customer situation into a good one.. we pass the buck and instead turn the customer away.

A quick recap.. for a simple UPS pre-paid label, Disney could have fixed the entire problem.  Instead, Disney in its penny pinching way, refuses to spend a few bucks and in turn blows a far more expensive opportunity and turns a customer sour.  Congrats Disney, by saving a buck you lost yourself far more. 

This exchange epitomizes the false front that Disney is evolving to.  Relying on empty words like ‘magical’, failing to spend a buck to save ten, and burdening the customer, Disney makes money short term by relying on fake images while throwing away their future.  They use labels and terms to give a false image they are customer focused, with terms like ‘guest relations’… but it’s all fake.

So we end with my fed up reply to ‘guest relations’ on Jan 8 at 1:23pm

It's complete garbage that the blame is put on me because
1) You could not process an order in 24hrs, nor give any estimate of when it would be processed  (the whole reason to cancel the order in the first place - your inability to process an order in a timely fashion was going to cause my rewards card to be invalid)2) Your agent gives WRONG information over the phone3) It takes multiple contacts to correct 'cancel order' means the order.. not one item4) You waste my time with emails saying nothing at all5) It's absurd that an order requested to be canceled on the 31st... STILL ships on the 6th.  Blame my timing all you want, but given 4 business days you can't figure out how to cancel an order?6) I could drive two hours to return the $3 toy car, but they wouldn't refund my $4.95 shipping

Congratulations... over $8 you've lost a customer for life.  That's a magical day!

Now, it should be pretty clear they’ve just totally pissed me off… last chance Disney.. make the save!  Instead, we get Disney email #8 at 9:38pm

Thank you for your recent email and your candid feedback. We appreciate the fact that you took the time to convey your thoughts to us and truly value everyone’s perspective. Your feedback will be forwarded on to management for review. The Walt Disney Company prides itself in providing quality entertainment and merchandise for all and we will continue to make every effort towards achieving that goal. We look forward to future opportunities to meet or exceed your expectations. The DisneyStore.com Team

Yup… yet ANOTHER email not doing anything to actually improve the situation.  So as I type this on Jan 12^th.. 4 days later.  Still have the $55.25 charge on my credit card and nothing from Disney.

Yes, that is your legendary Disney customer service in 2014!  Show your #disneyside !

Book Review: Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution

So I just finished the book titled DroidMaker - George Lucas and the Digital Revolution and I thought I'd share my thoughts
Amazon link to book

The book is prefaced around George Lucas and his eventual efforts into digital to support his film habits :) The book starts with introducing George's early days, including his time in film school, and then his tutalage under Francis Ford Coppola. This section gives great insight into the 'anti-establishment' attitude Lucas is known for, as well as his insistence on owning his works.

One of the best aspects of the book is, as people are introduced, footnotes give you their film credits right on that page. A large part of the book is seeing and following just how critical people's paths cross and merge at various times to create some of iconic films and companies that we came to love.

Significant for Disney buffs is, the Pixar founders, and most centrally in the book, Ed Catmull, are deeply wound through this book. George picks Ed and Alvy to basically be the founders of the digital computing efforts in Lucasfilm.

The book is a fascinating look into Ed Catmull and the teams he helped organized as they moved from the challenges of simple computer images, to the aspirations of film quality CGI, and ultimately into the vision of a full CGI feature film.

This book is not really heavy on ILM.. (tho there is a lot of talk about it leading up to Star Wars. including some ILM history).. this book is mostly about Lucas and the computer division.. and how that division's people came together, their impacts, the challenges they tackled, and their progression as Lucasfilm expanded and then contracted.

Disney gets a few cross-overs in the book.. but this is more about the guys at Lucas, and ultimately Pixar. The lack of detail about the CAPS projection is one of the disappointments for me from the book. The other is, the book I think does a poor job benchmarking the computer division's progress against what else was out there at the time. We go from talking about how they struggled with technology to even see their images due to memory constraints, all while largely ignoring the shipping products of the time like video games. They do talk about Atari quite extensively in the book, but the timelines and 'progress' in the industry outside of the computer division isn't linked up quite well I think. This is particularly troublesome in the sections talking about digital audio.

Where the book excels is enlightenment into Lucas, and how/why he started these divisions and how they eventually morphed into what became Pixar. It also goes heavy into the film editing aspects, which was one of the driving motivations behind Lucas' investment into technology. The book also gives great insight into contrasting Lucas and Coppola's efforts in these spaces.

The book was a fascinating read and I feel like I gained a ton of knowledge from reading it. I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in computer animation, CGI, Pixar, or just the technology revolution that computers brought to Hollywood.

4.5 out of 5

Bob Iger's letter and addendum response to Rep Ed Markey regarding MyMagic+

Rep Ed Markey from the US House of Representatives sent a letter of inquiry to Disney asking about it's MyMagic+ program.  Disney CEO Bob Iger sent a rather scathing reply equating to 'RTFM' and provided some additional clarifying text about the program.  The letter Iger sent was readily available, but the text of the addendum sent with the letter was not originally.
Theme Park Insider posted the the letter and the addendum in an article but posted it only in JPG format.

I have transcribed the addendum below to make it easier to reference.  Emphasis added is as taken from the letter.

(Begin Letter)

January 28, 2013

The Honorable Edward Markey

2108 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Congressman Markey:

For 90 years, Disney has been synonymous with high-quality entertainment for families and children of all ages.  We use creativity, innovation and technology to create memorable moments and experiences for our hundreds of millions of customers and guests.  And, as you well know, Disney’s record and commitment to children’s safety and security and the protection of their privacy is exemplary.  People around the world trust Disney and its products.  That trust is the cornerstone of our company, and we take it very seriously.

We are offended by the ludicrous and utterly ill-informed assertion in your letter dated January 24, 2013, that we would in any way haphazardly or recklessly introduce a program that manipulates children, or wantonly puts their safety at risk.

It is truly unfortunate and extremely disappointing that you chose to publicity attack us before taking the time to review our policies and/or contact us for information, which would have obviated the need for your letter.  Had you or your staff made the slightest effort, you would have found most of the answers to your questions already existed and were publically available online at http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/pp.html and https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/my-disney-experience/privacy-policy/

In the enclosed attachment, we address the questions in your letter about our new, yet-to-be-launched program, MyMagic+.  However, to ensure that you fully understand our practices as they pertain to children, and our commitment to our guests’ privacy, let me be clear and reiterate the basic facts.

MyMagic+ is a completely optional program that was designed with the privacy controls from the outset.  Disney does not use personal information to market to children under age 13, does not personalize or target advertisements to an individual child, and never shares children’s personal information with any third party for their marketing purposes.  Additionally, parents have full control over their child’s participation in MyMagic+.  We have transparent privacy practices, guests can control and limit the amount of information they provide to us – and how their information is used.

Further details are attached.

Sincerely,

(signature)

Robert A Iger

(Begin Addendum)

MyMagic+ is a completely optional program

Guests can enjoy admission to the park without having to register or provide any personal information.  But guests who do choose to participate in MyMagic+ will enjoy the convenience of having their tickets, guaranteed ride times for shows and attractions, resort room access and other enhanced features all in one place.  Using MagicBands or cards for purchases is also optional.

MyMagic+ was designed with privacy controls from the outset

The hallmarks of privacy by design are transparency and customer control, and these are central to Disney’s overall privacy policies and practices, which can be found at http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/pp.html

Disney does not use personal information to market to children under age 13

Disney does not personalize or target advertisements to an individual child

Disney never shares children’s personal information with any third party for their marketing purposes

Parents have full control over their child’s participation in MyMagic+

Parents control whether or not their child participates in MyMagic+, how much information is shared with us, what experiences the child will engage in and whether they use a MagicBand at all.  Children cannot create individual registration accounts for MyMagic+.

Parents decide whether to provide information about their child’s preferences (such as favorite character or favorite color) for personalized services.  These personalized services are also optional.

No matter what the parent decides, Disney does not use personal information to market to children under age 13 and does not personal or target advertising to individual children.  Furthermore, we never share children’s personal information with any third party for their marketing purposes.

Disney has transparent privacy practices

Information about the privacy practices associated with the MagicBand is available in multiple locations.  Even though the program has not been launched yet, specific information about MyMagic+ and the MagicBand is already available to guests at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/my-disney-experience/privacy-policy and available for their review before they decide whether to participate.  Additional information about other aspects of the enhanced guest experiences can be found at

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/login

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/

Consistent with best practices, when the MagicBand becomes available to our guests we will once again provide the guests with full notice about the information that will be collected by the MagicBand.  At that time, the guest can elect to use a card instead, as described more fully below.

Guests can control and limit the amount of personal information they provide to us

Guests who participate in MyMagic+ only provide basic contact information: name, email, address and date of birth.  Guests would also provide the name and age of other members of their travel party participating in the program.  This information is used to establish the account the guests will use to participate in the program, and is consistent with both practices utilized by the hospitality and travel industries for guest registration and what our resort guests provide today.  MyMagic+ participants provide any additional information only at their option.

Guests control how their information is used

Guest's personal data is not stored in the MagicBand.  The MagicBand is not GPS-based and does not enable collection of continuous location signals.  The long-range readers which detect the MagicBands will be in specific locations for the purpose of providing better service to our guests.

Guests can participate in MyMagic+ and visit the park without using the MagicBand by choosing a card instead.  The card contains a short-range chip whose location cannot be detected by the long-range readers stationed in the park.  We also plan to provide the option for such guests to use the Fast Pass [sic] system by simply providing basic contact information (name and email address).  As is also true for parties using MyMagic+, the system would not require separate email addresses for other members of the guest party.

We will not share location information collected in connection with the MagicBand throughout The Walt Disney Company without the consent of the guest.

As is always the case at Disney, guests participating in MyMagic+ can choose not to receive marketing information from us.  MyMagic+ also allows guests to receive offers and tips during their visit to the Walt Disney World parks and resorts, but only if they request them from us.

As described in the Disney privacy policy found at http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/pp.html guests can ask us to amend or delete personal information we may hold about them.

Belles Enchanted Mirror - How does it work

This is a follow-up post to my first theory of operation post on the mirror here

Since creating that post, bouncing ideas with some other users has lead to solidifying my belief in this new updated description.

Rob562 at wdwmagic noted the top edge of the mirror's frame lines up with the chair rail on the wall and suggested the lower wall is the only portion that moves.  I had discounted this previously because that would requires the horizontal movement of the mirror does not exceed the width of the mirror frame to avoid gaps or seeing the moving wall behind the mirror.  But looking at the videos again, the horizontal movement does appear to be less than the width of the frame, and this simplifies operation significantly.  I'm convinced this is the correct description.

For the mirror surface itself, the consensus is that there is a solid mirror at the start and the segment of the animation where the wood doors slide in from the side is designed to conceal sliding the mirrors to the side to make the opening appear.  Supporting this is that the animation is the full length of the mirror, the place where the doors meet is black, and the speed of the animation moving across the mirror.  This allows a solid panel to be used in the start position, then later slide to the side with a matching panel following it, and at the finale, the two panels slide open to reveal the doorway.

This new animation illustrates the simplified design.  A single panel at the bottom, with the wall area directly behind the mirror frame sides being empty at the start position.  The wall and mirror in this diagram are semi-transparent to allow seeing the moving elements behind them.  The mirror frame extends side to side, and still extends vertically with the bottom wall panel.  The seams of the wall panel are obscured by the chair rail, the vertical columns, and the props in the room which sit at the foot of the mirror on the floor.

Here is the new animation

There you have it.  The location of the projector that shows the mirror images is still a mystery to me, but I believe it to be behind the mirror possibly up high in the ceiling so it is out of view when the mirror actually opens.

Share your thoughts!

Belle's Enchanted Mirror - A theory on its operation

Well Disney is known for it's 'magic' in its attractions, and in one of the newest opening in the fall of 2012, is Enchanted Tales with Belle.  Part of this attraction is a magic mirror that transforms from a mirror to a door guests walk through.

UPDATE: Based on further discussion, my new theory is described in this follow-up post with a new animation.  The description of wall panels in this post is superseded by the new post.  Check it out!

Here is a video provided by Disney Previewing the attraction

It's a very cool effect and I was curious how it worked.  So I've studied the videos a bit, and here's my theory.. Here is the starting point.. a diagram mocked up to help reference elements of the show

A, B, and C are wall panels.  The horizontal timber element (brown) is attached to the A and B panels. C is a panel that sits 'behind' A and B The mirror is actually multiple segments.  The blue segments in the dragram represent the ornate portions you see when the mirror is in the start position.  The bright colored pieces are L shaped and include the corners of the mirror.

 The theory is, as the effect starts, the A and B panels move outward, and slide behind the stationary walls surrounding the area just like a pocket door.  The edge where the door slides behind is obscured by the vertical timber elements in the room. Simultaneously, the C panel slides down eventually be flush with the floor.  This design allows the mirror's edges to grow in three directions while leaving the space revealed 'open' to see the projection surface behind.

The mirror expansion could be done several ways.. but here is my speculation... The top part of the mirror is fixed stationary on the front surface of the the wall above the mirror.  The mirror top edge expands horizontally by allowing the yellow and green segments to telescope out.  In the start position, they are hidden 'inside' the blue portion.

 The bottom part of the mirror is similar, the central blue section fixed stationary on the front surface of the C panel.  The blue section moves down, allowing the cyan and gold segments to telescope out.  In the start position, they are hidden 'inside' the blue portion. The blue side sections of the mirror could have been attached to the A and B panels like the others, allowing the corner pieces to telescope and 'float'.  But this is not done because you can see in the videos, that the blue sections on the side actually move down as well as having telescoping action.  I will speculate the mirror sides (or possibly all of them) are motorized to control the telescoping and are float over the side panels.  Being attached at the top or bottom segment of the mirror.  Powered telescoping may reduce binding if the speeds are off slightly in the wall panels.

The sum of these movements are illustrated in this crude gif

This would leave a wall intersection visible where the C panel meets A and B.  I originally thought the horizontal timbers was where things would be hidden, the the entire bottom that was visible would be the C panel that moved down, but this causes problems where the mirror moves out horizontally as the timber is along the side of the mirror, not fully below it.  The videos are not bright enough to see if this speculated wall intersection for C is there in the video.  If you see in person, let me know! The telescoping of the mirror segments is clearly visibily (including the edges of the outer telescoping piece) in this guest's video shot with different exposure and position.

Now what about the projections?

The green magic effects are clearly projected onto the mirror frame from the area where guests are.  Not looking around the room, I don't know if this is hidden in the ceiling using a short-throw lens or what.

But what about the mirror surface itself?
I believe this to be a surface behind the 'pocket door' panels that splits in the middle and splits left and right.  I thought it may be doors that swing open, similar to the animation being projected, but the way the video terminates on the edge and doesn't skew.. it seems like the projection surface simply moves out of frame, rather than out and back.. like a door.  I still can not make out any seem in the projection surface from the videos shared.. so I'm not real sure.  But where is the projector?  Possibly in the ceiling in the second room so you don't see the bulb's light looking into the door?  Can't tell...

So what do you think?  How do you think it works?