One More Disney Day–TWIWD

Over the New Years weekend, Disney finally unveiled the big announcement that they have been teasing us with for a couple of weeks. As many in the Disney fan community had already guessed, they are opening the parks (Magic Kingdom at WDW, and Disneyland in California) for 24 hours on Leap day, February 29th, 2012.

Not too many details have emerged yet on what exactly is planned for this “extra” Disney day that they have given the promotion title, “One More Disney Day”.  I’m hoping  they have plenty of things lined up that they just haven’t announced for this day to truly make it something magical for all who choose to visit on February 29th. However, a press release I received stated the following:

Experience 24 hours of magic in celebration of Leap Day. Yes…for the first time in history, both Magic Kingdom® Park in Florida and Disneyland® Park in California will be open for 24 hours straight*, beginning at 6 a.m. on 2/29/12, to enjoy select attractions and entertainment! That’s an entire nonstop day (and night) of magic, characters and beyond.

Maybe they have more planned than what that little blurb mentions, but at the moment I’m left wondering and dreaming what they might could plan. In general, I like the idea and possibility of spending 24 hours in MK or Disneyland, but I also had a few thoughts about what they might consider doing to make it even better than just another 10 + 14 hours at the park.

Plussing One More Disney Day

• Free entry for anybody whose birthday is 2/29 – Similar to the “What will you celebrate” promotion in 2009, where they gave away free tickets/passes for your birthday, but this one would be specifically for those whose birthday is on this day, since I assume they missed out on the celebration a few years ago.
• Midnight Character buffet – this is an idea I have had for quite a while since I went on my first cruise (Carnival, not Disney). A (free or minimal cost) midnight character buffet, or even an early morning buffet for all who are in the park at 5am.
• Special Giveaways – pins, hats, cups, etc. marking the first ever 24 hours of MK/DL.
• Parties and Celebrations – bands? They could use already established, popular Disney stars and other “celebrity” appearances.
• T-shirts or other souvenirs  (on exit) for all who survive the 24 hour event.
• Special Fireworks or Parade? – Of course, fireworks are done nightly at most every Disney park, so a “special” show, might be a stretch for them to put together. My point here is that if you do fireworks for everything you call “special”, then at some point they’re not special, they’re just normal. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy fireworks, but sometimes I just think they’re overdone. Perhaps during the 24 hours, the could do a launch of some sort on the hour, every hour counting down to the final hour.
• Contests/scavenger hunt – Host a special event a few times throughout the day where guests are challenge to go thru the park and find something special. Use the new Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game that is currently being installed at MK (if it’s ready), and come up with a special game just for this day.
• Park-wide dance party – This would take a little more to pull off, but train about 50 or so CM’s and place in them in key areas around the park at designated times and hold a park-wide dance party with them leading guests thru some simple, but fun(nny) dance moves. Make sure to have lots of video cameras about to tape and upload to Youtube!
• Random Merchandise, Food and prize giveaways – In the same vein as the “Year (s) of a Million Dreams” promotion, deploy castmembers throughout the park at random times to give away things.

These are just a few of the ideas off the top of my head. But, what I really think they need to do for this, is just make it an all out crazy, fun, all day party, where guests and even CMs get to 6am on March 1st and leave feeling tired and exhausted, but also soaring on cloud 9 like they just had the absolute best time of their lives at the park.

Concerns for 24 hour operation

I would be remiss if I didn’t voice some kind of concern for this “extra” day also. I’m sure, or I hope, Disney has already thought about these, and is taking the necessary steps to prepare accordingly, but here are a few of those concerns:

• Rides and attractions being open for 24 hours – I have experienced a few EMH and after hours events, and most of them were somewhat unimpressive. Many of the food stands, counter service restaurants and gift shops close up at the normal time, or soon thereafter leaving the park feeling almost deserted. Sure, it’s fun for a while when there’s not many people around, at first, but then it just gets kind of eerie feeling and not very fun. Then there is the other aspect, rides running for 24 hours. On several occasions at late night EMHs, I’ve seen attractions be closed due to supposed break-down. It would be embarrassing for Disney if this happened, but also pretty irritating for guests if it did.
• Security – Let’s face it, some guests just don’t know how to behave. Mix that with low crowds, and possible break-downs, with not enough CMs on duty to run everything, it could turn into something like what happens in Roller Coaster Tycoon when guests are unhappy.
• What will be open? – Will it be like an EMH? Food? Many restaurants and shops close for EMH sometimes making it feel almost desolate. Based on the quote above of “select attractions and entertainment”, it sounds like a typical EMH. Hopefully this will change.
• Over-night custodial? This is typically when the parks get a more thorough cleaning, restocking and some key maintenance issues are dealt with. Hopefully the parks are ready to sustain a full day’s worth of activity without much downtime.

I also have to wonder if this event goes well, and is highly attended, might they add the event for another day this year? Seems kind of weak to just do this for one day this year.

If I lived closer and had the opportunity to do this, and didn’t have to work for the 29th and 1st, I would definitely be there for this. Whether I could make it all the way is another story, but I would still take a shot at it.

 

That’s What I Would Do, What Would You Do?

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 12,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Year-end wish list 2011

Here we are at the end of the year, and here I am looking back, somewhat disappointed in myself as I haven’t posted near as many times as I wanted to for this year. Time flies and there is never enough to do everything I need or want to do, which is why I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve had numerous ideas throughout the year, but just not enough time to fully think about, research and complete them. So, rather than go another month or more with nothing new, I decided to just post a compendium of some of those unfinished ideas. Please keep in mind, some of these are just rough ideas and maybe not very well thought out, so consider them “blue sky” with lots of room for improvement.

Virtual Realities

From the beginning of time, children have dreamed of being a grown up, and doing grown up things. What if there was a way they could experience one or more of these? It would seem to me that technology has advance to the point that some of these might be possible.

• Train Simulator where kids young and old could drive a (virtually) real train
• Airplane Simulator – how many kids have dreamed of being a pilot?
• Fire Truck –
• Semi-Truck – drive the big rig
• Race Car – NASCAR, Indy/Formula 1, etc.
• Monster Truck
• Space Shuttle – be an astronaut and fly into space

This could be built in one of several places at WDW, Imagination pavilion at Epcot or Disney Quest at Downtown Disney.

Test Track Overhaul

Rumored to be on the schedule for a refurb/upgrade sometime in 2012, here’s a few random thoughts of my own for what they might consider in the upgrade. This happens to be one of my favorite attractions, but certainly could use a refreshing.

• More interactive experience
• Allow riders a choice of different vehicles or colors
• In-car “Radio” where they can choose their music while riding
• On-ride video for purchase
• Allow participants to choose which tests are performed
• Use the EMV vehicle technology and enhance the ride, maybe an off-road option
• Drive thru America/World – different (changing) scenes on route
  

In-room Concierge / Next Gen

An idea I had recently based in part on a rumored new RFID wristband technology being tested and supposedly rolled out at WDW in the near future. If you’ve followed mine or any other Disney blogs this year, you’ve probably seen a mention or two of what’s being called “Next Gen”. I’ll spare the details, but in brief it’s a big project that Disney Imagineering is working on in secret to re-engineer the parks and resorts. There have been many rumors about just what this project will bring, but here are some of my own thoughts on how they could enhance the guest experience.

In-room concierge via a “smart TV” in the room. This service would show the guests’ agenda and/or planned activities for the next day and allow them to make changes and additions, including schedule reservations for table service restaurants based on availability and preferences. To further enhance the system, it could even suggest a park touring plan, restaurants and other activities based on their family dynamics. To make this even better, a summarized day plan could be sent to your smart phone where you could even make changes as you go thru your day. This is just a rough idea that has a lot of potential.

Castaway Cay DVC

With the apparent success of Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawaii, it would seem the other DVCs built in the right place, might be a good idea. So, why not build out the island that is owned by Disney and used by the cruise line, Castaway Cay. Currently, it appears they only use about a 1/4 or even less of the island. With more work building up the infrastructure and support systems on the island, they could expand the runway (if needed) and then charter flights in and out a few days a week. It could be their own tropical oasis that would make for a truly unique vacation experience.

Ticketing Options

Admittedly, this one is a bit of crazy idea since ticketing options are already pretty varied and somewhat confusing, but just bear with me as I try and hash it out.

More ticketing options

1. 70 – (Value) Base Ticket – Not eligible to use Fast Pass
2. 75 – Fast Pass Eligible
3. 80 – FP + includes One Snack + One Quick Service Meal
4. 95 – FP + One Table Service Meal (or two Table Service Meals) + Refillable Cup (Optional $25 in park credit)
5. 105 – FP + TS + QS + Snack + Refillable cup/mug

The optional $25 credit could be used if a TS restaurant was unavailable. Good for use at any restaurant in WDW.Base tickets cost $85 right now.Typical Counter service meal + drink runs about $11-12 ?Typical Table service meal + drink runs about $23-25 ?Typical snack is $2-4 Refillable cup value – $5 (Single day use)If the RFID/Next Gen project kicks off and does in fact utilize RFID wristbands or other electronic forms of ticketing, they could expand ticketing options even further to something similar to the old ticket books that were originally used at Disney Land and Walt Disney World. I’m not crazy about the idea, but what if they had multiple level purchasing options that would allow you to ride a specified number of attractions in a given day. I realize this is a step backwards in some sense, but given that the parks are continuing to increase in attendance spread throughout the year, something like this may at some point be necessary, especially during peak periods around the holidays.

Tomorrowland Shooting Gallery – Space/Future themed

An idea I’ve tossed around several times involves a Frontierland style shooting gallery, only with a space or futuristic theme in Tomorrowland. I could see a side area where kids and adults could blow a buck or two shooting aliens or spaceships with a laser blaster rifle or handgun.

I’m not totally committed to this idea because in some sense, there is a shooting gallery of sorts, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, so adding this might just be overkill. But, as a former arcade playing, space ship/alien shooter, I can attest to the fun that I used to experience from such activities. I could never get enough of shooting at space ships and invading aliens from other worlds.

So, that’s my wish list for the coming year(s), what do you think? Anything you would add or change?

Circlevision 2.0?

A new patent application that was discovered this week has sparked a good bit of buzz in the Disney fan community. The patent is for a unique styled gondola type vehicle supported by cables and winches that can move thru a specified space via a track. Some have described it as a giant version of the suspended, robotic camera system used at most major football games seen on TV nowadays. In the application there were a couple of different variations of a concept vehicle and attraction. The first, would appear to be a transportation type vehicle/attraction almost like a newer version of the old Skyway attraction.

The second variation would appear to use the same suspended gondola car, but is on a circular track and remains stationary. Of the two, this one got my wheels turning on feasible ways it might be used in the parks. Take a look at the drawings and description.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment of a cable-suspended vehicle ride system similar to that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 but using one track combined with three carriers each providing a winch to support and position a passenger vehicle (e.g. to alter cable lengths while the carriers are selectively moved about a path defined by the track to provide a wide range of vehicle positions (or work spaces)).

When I saw this and read the description, it triggered almost immediately something I saw sometime back at jimhillmedia.com. Jim wrote an article about Unrealized Epcot rides, in which he discussed several attractions that were at one time on the drawing board, but never made it to reality. One such of these attractions was a new concept using the Circlevison technology in use at the China and Canada pavilions. Here’s the description, with pictures following:

Quote:

Once these Epcot visitors got inside, they would have been treated to a unique variation of Disney’s CircleVision 360 show. These WDW guests would have found themselves standing on board a vibrating recreation of the passenger compartment of a Japanese bullet train. And — by looking out through the over-sized faux windows in this passenger car — these folks would then have been treated to a high speed travelogue. As some of Japan’s most beautiful scenery continually whizzed by all of the windows.

Just thinking out loud here, but if the open spaces on this are encircled with walls, then they could project moving images on there from almost anywhere, including Japan as if riding the bullet train attraction here, or as some have speculated they could re-create different scenes from Avatar as if moving through space on a ship or flying in a “skybus” over the surface and thru the mountains of Pandora, or anywhere else. Since this is just a patent application, anything is possible here, and what exactly (if anything) Disney will ultimately do with it, remains to be unknown, at least for now.

Note: It has been brought to my attention that this patent application was filed June 8, 2010.

Next Gen Refillable Mugs

So, here’s an idea that was spawned via a discussion thread over at WDWMagic forums. A new poster in the forums there mentioned a rumor that a company who specializes in RFID drink cups and filling stations is installing their system at WDW, starting with the All-Star resorts. If you’re not familiar with this technology, Disney has been using a similar system for several years now at their water parks, only that system uses bar coded cups that tie into a computer system to validate the date purchased, and will only allow use on that day. The system that is allegedly being implemented would work in a similar way except the cups would have either a RFID chip built-in or a sticky label with the RFID tag. The cups/labels would send a RF signal to the drink station receiver when the guest approaches and would activate the machine for use. It’s unknown if this is really happening, or if it’s just a trial run of the system.

Update: 9/01/11 – Click here to see some pictures Jeff Lange took of the new RFID cups and fill stations being tested at Disney’s All Star Sports resort.

Regardless, I think this could benefit Disney and their guests in many ways, depending on how it’s utilized. The immediate benefit would seem to be that it would prevent abuse of the walk-up drink stations from people who didn’t purchase a refillable mug or a single use cup. In my own trips to WDW, I’ve seen this abuse by guests a few times, so I know it happens, but I don’t see where it would be a huge loss to Disney, considering how much they charge for a refillable mug or a cup of soda. I think the real benefits of this system may be two-fold, one for the resort (ops and revenue), and one for the guests.

For Disney, these machines, if rolled out property wide, could free up some positions at the counter service restaurants. Many of these restaurants will have extra cast members during busy times and all they do is fill cups for soda and place them on trays. With the RFID system, the CM filling the order would simply give you the cups with your order and direct you to the soda machine. This would also have an added benefit of potentially faster service at these restaurants.

For the guest, these machines, if rolled out property wide, could offer more flexible opportunities to refill the mugs which are currently only supposed to be used at the resort purchased. With this system, Disney could offer a tiered pricing scheme with multiple options.

Refillable Mug Options

1. 1-Day/1-park – this would be for guests who only wanted a refillable cup/mug for use on the day of purchase. With this option, they could refill their cup all day long, while in the park they purchased it from.
2. Multi-day/park – this would be the same as the first option, only it would allow usage for 7-14 days, in the parks only.
3. Resort only – this option would work the same as it does now. Mugs could only be refilled at the resort purchased.
4. Resort Plus – this option would allow the refills of the mug at any resort.
5. Premium – this option would allow the refill of the mug anywhere on property, at a resort or any of the parks.

The first two options would be for cups purchased in the parks. Options 3-5 would be for resort guests, or DVC members or AP holders. There are other options that could be considered as well including an option that would only allow for a certain number of refills. This could be used for regular (paper) cups purchased at a restaurant and they could limit a guest to only 1 or 2 refills per purchase which would benefit the company in a small, but perhaps noticeable way when you consider how many drinks are purchased across WDW in a year’s time.

Additionally, these options could be tailored and included for specific ticket or resort promotions/discounts.

Along these thoughts for the RFID drink machines, I would also like to see Disney install the Coca Cola Freestyle machines. If you’re not familiar with these, they are incredible! I believe they might have one of these in Coca-Cola’s Ice Station Cool at EPCOT. Basically, it’s a Coca Cola soda fountain on steroids, or you might call it their next gen soda dispenser. With these machines you can mix your own soda using a menu that will allow over 100+ drink combination choices and flavors to add-in (sorry no alcohol). They’re pretty impressive, but they’re also pretty overwhelming the first time you use one. Flavor add-ins include: Peach, Grape, Orange, Strawberry, Raspberry, Cherry and Lemon. If anything, there are too many options to pick from, which I could see causing delays at a busy counter service restaurant in WDW.

Coca Cola Freestyle Machine