NBA at Walt Disney World

I find it interesting they are doing this but then discontinuing the comp MBs for guests on Jan. 1. It sounds like there is so much more they could be doing with the MBs. I guess it's still more cost-effective for us all to just use our smartphones though.

I'm just hoping that they will finally support Apple Watches now that they seem to be moving away from MBs. It's so annoying having to wear both and then trying to remember not to tap my watch against Mickey lol
 
I'm just hoping that they will finally support Apple Watches now that they seem to be moving away from MBs. It's so annoying having to wear both and then trying to remember not to tap my watch against Mickey lol
I still dobut that will happen.. they are moving away from free MBs saying you can use your phone ..
In the end Disney still wants your dollar...
 
I still dobut that will happen.. they are moving away from free MBs saying you can use your phone ..
In the end Disney still wants your dollar...

What does Disney wanting your dollar have to do with this though? MDE just needs Apple Watch support. Disney already accepts Apple Pay as a payment method by watch at POS so it's not like they're averse.
 
What does Disney wanting your dollar have to do with this though? MDE just needs Apple Watch support. Disney already accepts Apple Pay as a payment method by watch at POS so it's not like they're averse.
They still want the sale of the MBs.. what I read said more design's are coming.. I personally would love it i use google/samsung pay most of the time even at Disney.
 
What does Disney wanting your dollar have to do with this though? MDE just needs Apple Watch support. Disney already accepts Apple Pay as a payment method by watch at POS so it's not like they're averse.

Yeah I don't think getting rid of free MBs is about Disney wanting your money so much as Disney not wanting to give something away for free now that they can provide that function through the app. I imagine they will develop Apple Watch functionality at some point.
 
They still want the sale of the MBs.. what I read said more design's are coming.. I personally would love it i use google/samsung pay most of the time even at Disney.

This still has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. Thousands of phone apps have smartwatch functionality built in. Smartwatches don't obsolete the apps, they add on to them.

The value in MBs to Disney isn't in charging $25 for a piece of plastic anyway, even though it's a tidy revenue stream...why do you think they're willing to sell them at steep discounts to resort guests? The real value in MBs is in the mountains and mountains of data they collect from them. My Magic+ was about streamlining and expanding the data gathering process, giving Disney access to loads of specific information about guest habits. That data is priceless because it drives all kinds of decisions. Every time you tap your band to enter a park, for an FP, at a kiosk to buy something, that's information Disney uses to determine everything from pricing to staffing. And at the time My Magic+ was rolled out, smartphones were not as ubiquitous as they are now. IMO MBs were always intended as a stop gap solution. Now we're at a point where even kids have smartphones, so relying more on the app makes sense. Expanding that functionality to smartwatches costs them very little and helps their real goal of data gathering tbh. MBs will enter the realm of collector's items imo.
 
My guess is that Disney is more likely to partner with Google on Android wearables functionality than Apple. It's quite probable that they do not trust Apple not to mess with the data collection functionality, because Apple literally opened up iOS to 3rd party open API development yesterday. (According to my Google search, the news release came out 22 hours ago.) As they still have a pretty solid monopoly, Apple could still choose to shut that door at any time, which could ostensibly orphan Disney's data. It will come eventually, but for now Android has the edge in that game because it is open-source.

I wouldn't write off Magic Bands too quickly. They have a lot of advantages in terms of throughput and uptake. There is no app to open, no battery life issue, no wifi connection issue, and they are easily replaced if damaged during strenuous activity, such as in the water parks or on an inverted roller coaster. There are situations where a simple RFID chip is the preferred solution, and this is one of them; it's cheap and durable, cannot be switched off, does not require frequent charge, and passively collects bushels and bushels of data. I suspect that while WDW won't give them away to every guest now, there will still be plenty of situations where "free" MBs will be tossed out as a premium.
 
My guess is that Disney is more likely to partner with Google on Android wearables functionality than Apple. It's quite probable that they do not trust Apple not to mess with the data collection functionality, because Apple literally opened up iOS to 3rd party open API development yesterday. (According to my Google search, the news release came out 22 hours ago.) As they still have a pretty solid monopoly, Apple could still choose to shut that door at any time, which could ostensibly orphan Disney's data. It will come eventually, but for now Android has the edge in that game because it is open-source.

I wouldn't write off Magic Bands too quickly. They have a lot of advantages in terms of throughput and uptake. There is no app to open, no battery life issue, no wifi connection issue, and they are easily replaced if damaged during strenuous activity, such as in the water parks or on an inverted roller coaster. There are situations where a simple RFID chip is the preferred solution, and this is one of them; it's cheap and durable, cannot be switched off, does not require frequent charge, and passively collects bushels and bushels of data. I suspect that while WDW won't give them away to every guest now, there will still be plenty of situations where "free" MBs will be tossed out as a premium.

This is precisely why I will still wear mine into 2021 and beyond if I can. So much easier to wear a MB at the water parks so we can purchase food and beverages. I also don't like to have to dig through my bag for my phone all of the time. I'm excited to see how they will update the app, but I do love my MBs!
 
I had wondered about the CM's servicing the "bubble" facilities; definitely a weak link in the barrier. I can't help but think that they should be able to get plenty of hospitality CMs who would volunteer to live in the least desirable rooms in the resort at NBA expense for a couple of weeks at a time; rather like the factory workers who locked themselves into a plant to work on PPE materials a couple of months ago. (They locked themselves in for 14 days and worked double shifts for that time, and then switched out with a new crew who had been self-quarantining at home for a week.) It would be a bit like hiring a cruise line crew.

Come to think of it, they could probably bus them in, and put them up at the apartment complexes they maintain for the international CP program kids, which are sitting empty right now. That would put them in full apartments with kitchens. and a few amenities as well. It would be a nice option for single CM's who want to bank some cash and are willing to put themselves inside a bubble for a while to earn it. I think it would make sense for the NBA and Disney to subsidize the rent for them to insure the seal on the bubble.
I don't see why they couldn't house them in the rest of Coronado Springs since the NBA will just be using the Grand Destino hotel while the rest of Coronado stays empty as part of the bubble.
 
I had wondered about the CM's servicing the "bubble" facilities; definitely a weak link in the barrier. I can't help but think that they should be able to get plenty of hospitality CMs who would volunteer to live in the least desirable rooms in the resort at NBA expense for a couple of weeks at a time; rather like the factory workers who locked themselves into a plant to work on PPE materials a couple of months ago. (They locked themselves in for 14 days and worked double shifts for that time, and then switched out with a new crew who had been self-quarantining at home for a week.) It would be a bit like hiring a cruise line crew.

Come to think of it, they could probably bus them in, and put them up at the apartment complexes they maintain for the international CP program kids, which are sitting empty right now. That would put them in full apartments with kitchens. and a few amenities as well. It would be a nice option for single CM's who want to bank some cash and are willing to put themselves inside a bubble for a while to earn it. I think it would make sense for the NBA and Disney to subsidize the rent for them to insure the seal on the bubble.
I don't see why they couldn't house them in the rest of Coronado Springs since the NBA will just be using the Grand Destino hotel while the rest of Coronado stays empty as part of the bubble.
 
I don't see why they couldn't house them in the rest of Coronado Springs since the NBA will just be using the Grand Destino hotel while the rest of Coronado stays empty as part of the bubble.
I know the players will be staying in the tower. I assumed at least some of the rest of CSR will be housing media, league personal, support staff referees etc.

I guess CM directly interacting with players could be issued hazmat suits
 
Reports of Jabari Parker and 4 others having tested positive on the Sacramento Kings.
 
I'm talking about Premier League, La Liga, not C level leagues like the MLS.

What does the level of the league have to do with your point? Minor league, major league or little league, sports teams and players are getting the virus... golf, tennis, etc. The point is it is obviously not safe.
 
What does the level of the league have to do with your point? Minor league, major league or little league, sports teams and players are getting the virus... golf, tennis, etc. The point is it is obviously not safe.

Athletes are getting the virus when they're not competing. The idea behind any "bubble" scenario is to improve player protection with support from the team and league. They are being offered an environment where safety protocols are in place for every person the athletes will come in contact with. They have access to testing every 24-48 hours. I don't see how we could claim that is less safe than the living conditions of average citizens at this point in time.
 
What does the level of the league have to do with your point? Minor league, major league or little league, sports teams and players are getting the virus... golf, tennis, etc. The point is it is obviously not safe.
The better the league the more TV revenue and the more money.

Which allows them to form a true bubble.

A C level league has less money to implement a full bubble and remain profitable.
Do you really think the G-League will have a true bubble?
 

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