Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Discussion Thread

Sure Disney has been using it for other systems, but those are things that were probably used by a few hundred people a day, and not hundreds of thousands. Also those are things that aren't absolutely essential to the operation of the resort.

At a ski resort a majority of the guest purchases are food. There really isn't a huge merchandise market like there is at a theme parks with all the toys n crap. They do sell ski's and clothes and those sorts of things, but those are hardly impulse buys. So I mean that since I bring my lunch I don't have much experience with the 'Resort Charge' feature.

jray21, I'm not saying that they will implement some sort of tracking thing like what Vail has, but what Disney has revealed about the system could have been done with basic magnetic stripe card. So far many of the places it's been put to use the person has to actively hold their pass within inches of a reader, that isn't all that more convenient than swiping a card like a credit card. Where RFID really has benefits is when the user doesn't have to actively do anything other than walk by a sensor or whatever. For instance if the Vail tracking system required everyone to stop and swipe their card every time they rode a chair, that would be plain stupid, but with RFID people don't have to do anything at all. Magnetic stripe cards are more secure to, since a sly person has to have direct access to the pass to obtain it's info. Someone with some soft of scanning device (security would hopefully catch stuff like that) could unknowingly get someones info from RFID. The info associated with it is nothing more than some obscure ID number, but they could possibly use it to break into peoples hotel rooms. The way they are using RFID right now doesn't really seem to warrant it's use with such a security flaw. Maybe there will be more to the system, maybe there wont. With what I've read about the system though, they really haven't implemented anything that hugely benefits from RFID which makes me think they might have chosen it to allow for other features over the years.

It's weird how many assumptions people are making on a system that hasn't been formally announced.

It's all that Disney magic, Wes.

It's weird how many assumptions people are making on a system that hasn't been formally announced.

And how people are just constantly arguing with the ones who have *a bit* of an idea of what's going on, have actually used and been through the testing system, and are just trying to help them understand what it is.

I'm done trying to help.

New Fantasyland looks really KICK ASS!!!

--Robb

This may have already been covered, but have any dates been announced for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opening?

Only the vague "Some time in 2014".

Hopefully in January when I'll be there...c'mon soft opening!

Hey guys,

So Tuesday was my first full day off from work since two days after Christmas, and I figured that I would enjoy my first day at Magic Kingdom in 2013. While I was there, I took a few pictures with my phone, most of which were of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster. From Adam's update, there have been a few pieces of track added, otherwise it looks like most of the progress was probably not as noticeable from the viewing areas. But here is a look at what I saw while at the park.

Upon arrival to the park, the Main Street Philharmonic Band was performing. Really adds to the atmosphere.

Walking across the bridge from Main Street to Fantasyland, you can see the new piece of track that has since been added.

The lift hill as seen before, along with the new track

Part of the building has been closed off since last time.

I had not seen this since the last time I went to Magic Kingdom for a visit, but they have set up areas for you to look in on the construction

Dopey invites you to take a glance at the construction of their new coaster.

Another glance at the area as seen from near the Mad Tea Part and entrance to Storybook Circus

The section of track that has since been added

Another glance at the station area

Grumpy shows the look that many will have while waiting for 2-plus hours during the Winter Break Season of 2014.

In the future, this could make a great view of the ride from near the Storybook Circus entrance with the Castle and the coaster

This shot was taken from near the exit of Winnie the Pooh

Another viewing window is available near the entrance to New Fantasyland

The drop-off from one of the coaster's lift hills

"Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go...."

Closer look

Side view along the path that goes by the Little Mermaid attractions

A look at what I believe will be the house of the Seven Dwarfs

This gate blocks what will be the connecting path to Storybook Circus

Another look at the track that was recently added from the same area

I cannot wait to see this area when the ride is done. Hope you guys enjoyed the update.

^ Awesome update! Seems like they are really moving on the track install now. This whole thing is so much more massive than I had imagined. Really happy they decided to do this over the meet and greet area they had originally announced. This seems like a great ride to have in Fantasyland.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-new-disney-world-president-20130109,0,1494751.story

The Walt Disney Co. shook up its senior theme-park management ranks Wednesday, reassigning more than a half-dozen top executives — including a new president for Walt Disney World.

 

Disney said George A. Kalogridis, now president of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., will move East to take over as president of Disney World, the company's biggest and most-profitable resort.

 

He will succeed Meg Crofton, who will focus exclusively on her duties as president of all operations for Disney theme parks in the United States and Europe — a new position created a year and a half ago amid another management restructuring.

 

The move instantly elevates the 59-year-old Kalogridis — a University of Central Florida alum who began with Disney as a hotel busboy in Orlando — to a position as one of the most influential corporate executives in Florida, atop a sprawling resort with four theme parks; two dozen hotels and time shares; and more than 66,000 employees.

 

Crofton, 59, will move to Disney's corporate headquarters in Burbank, Calif. She has been the face of the company in Central Florida in recent years, serving on the governing boards of entities ranging from the University of Central Florida to the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission.

 

The changes were ordered by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs and are designed, the company said, to give upper managers "the opportunity to broaden their knowledge" of Disney's global vacation empire.

 

The logic evoked a higher-management shakeup orchestrated three years ago by Disney Co. President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger, who had Staggs, then the Disney Co. chief financial officer, trade jobs with Jay Rasulo, then-chairman of parks and resorts.

 

"With all that we currently have in flight across our resort destinations in the U.S. and France, the time is right to move forward with this leadership transition," Staggs said in a prepared statement. "This group of Disney veterans has the knowledge and expertise needed to continue delivering on our legacy of creating unforgettable experiences that our guests have come to know and expect."

 

Disney would not make Staggs or Kalogridis available for interviews.

 

The company said no one would leave Disney as part of the changes. All appointments are effective Feb. 1.

 

The movement extended far beyond Disney World. To replace Kalogridis atop Disneyland, which has experienced enormous growth this summer following the opening of a "Cars"-themed land, the company tapped Michael Colglazier, vice president in charge of Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park in Central Florida.

 

Kalogridis and Colglazier will both report to Crofton.

 

Replacing Colglazier at Animal Kingdom: Josh D'Amaro, who currently runs the company's Adventures by Disney packaged-tour business.

 

Disney also appointed a new head of Disney Vacation Club, its Celebration-based time-share arm. It promoted Ken Potrock, a highly regarded Central Florida executive currently in charge of the company's sports-tourism businesses and the Downtown Disney retail complex, to the position of senior vice president and general manager of DVC and Adventures by Disney.

 

Potrock will replace Claire Bilby, who had run Disney's time-share business since August 2011, after former unit President Jim Lewis was ousted. Bilby will move to Paris to become senior vice president of sales and marketing for Disneyland Paris and Europe.

 

Tom Wolber, No. 2 executive at Disney Cruise Line, will succeed Potrock as head of Disney Sports Enterprises, which includes Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and the company's rapidly growing runDisney marathon program, as well as Downtown Disney.

 

For Kalogridis, the appointment as president of Disney World is a homecoming. The 41-year company veteran began his career as a busboy in Disney's Contemporary Resort in 1971, the year Disney World opened.

 

He has held an assortment of positions for the company, ranging from vice president in charge of Epcot to chief operating officer for Disneyland Paris. He has been president of Disneyland, which has two theme parks, three hotels and about 25,000 employees, since 2009.

 

He most recently steered Disney's original theme-park resort through a period of dizzying growth after a $1.2 billion makeover of Disneyland's second gate, Disney California Adventure, which culminated this summer with the opening of the 12-acre "Cars Land." He has also become a favorite of Disney's passionate, and sometimes critical, fan blogosphere.

 

"I am excited to return to my roots and have the opportunity to lead our talented Walt Disney World Resort cast," Kalogridis said in a prepared statement distributed by Disney. "I look forward to again working with my Florida-based colleagues and reconnecting with Central Florida's community and business leaders."

Can't wait to see the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster area when it is all finished. This project has definitely exceeded by expectations!

^Yeah, mine too, it still doesn't look like a top 10 thrill ride or anything (but it doesn't have to be) but looks like it will be a really fun ride.

I wonder if the path will stay this close to the coaster when it's all complete, I can't hardly think of any rides at Disney parks where the guest area are that close to the ride path, should make for some awesome interactions though.

Hmm--kind of looks like Mordor in this shot.

All kidding aside, I am looking forward to this new ride--nobody does a "family" coaster as well as Disney.

Can't wait for this ride to open and the "New New Totally Finished New Fantasyland" opens.

Man banned from Disney World for life

 

Leah Zanolla | Posted: Jan 15, 2013 | Updated: Jan 15, 2013 - 9:34:50 PM

A man known for sneaking backstage at Walt Disney World has been caught and is now banned from Disney for life. Known only as "Adam The Woo," he is known for posting videos online of himself sneaking into employees-only areas at the Magic Kingdom. He says he only wants to "satisfy a morbid curiosity" and is actually a big fan of the theme park.

 

Unfortunately for him, Disney has deemed this trespassing and met him at the park last week to ban him. According to Adam’s latest YouTube video, "I never received any emails from Disney on what I was doing was wrong. So, I figured maybe I'll get a slap on the wrist, they'll talk about the videos, say 'don't do it anymore,' all that good stuff. None of that happened. They were waiting at the gate and they got me."

 

A Disney spokewoman says, "they take matters like this seriously and filed a trespass warning against Adam because he deliberately entered unauthorized areas several times before."

Link

A man known for sneaking backstage at Walt Disney World has been caught and is now banned from Disney for life.

Good for Disney.

I like how he's complaining that Disney gave him more than a "slap on the wrist" for violating the law.

How dare they not give him prior notice it's not OK to trespass.

Well this guy seems totally insane...

Wow... Just, wow. I kind of want to punch this guy in the face, but in a nice way, to try and break him out of his crazy.

^Or he's simply an idiot.

Well this guy seems totally insane...

 

Seems?

That video was almost scary. I mean, the man was comparing his life to a dead tree just because he was banned from Disney World. C'mon dude, maybe take a break from the Internet and look at your life...

Wow, that dude really is insane. I love how he's shocked that Disney would ban him for breaking into closed areas and posting it for the world to see.

By the way everyone: HE LIVES IN A VAN, just fyi.