RFID Testing at Disneyland
A happy kitten at Disneyland?
While the big story about the next generation of guest experiences using RFID (or Radio Frequency IDentification) at Disney theme parks has been the introduction of the Magic Bands at Walt Disney World, what hasn’t been shared is the story of how Disneyland played a part in some early testing of the project. Not using park guests as one might expect, but something a bit less in profile. The feral cat population of the Disneyland resort, to be exact.
Over the years, Disney has actually encouraged the growth of a feral cat colony in Anaheim. To the point that regular feeding stations have been established. Cast Members have captured many of these to be spayed and neutered, along with medical check-ups and then released back into the Parks. Feline Cast Members play their role in keeping down the rodent and other pest populations. And they have become regular attractions in their own right, as some guests look forward to seeing them on every visit.
When the RFID project was in a very early stage, Disney considered a number of options to test the process. One early concept involved outfitting Custodial Cast Members with a special tracking apparatus. With these as the most mobile of all Cast Members, it seemed logical to track their movements throughout the Parks during the course of their working days. However, this concept was quickly discarded as union representatives objected to the tracking of their members. For example, it was considered inappropriate to note how or what restrooms these Cast Members might visit. Management could not differentiate between personal or work related stops. Time stamping an entry and exit would place an unwarranted burden on individuals.
Another test group considered was the Annual Passholder population. Using the most enthusiastic visitors, those who visit the Anaheim resort 5 or more times per week, this would offer a high quality sample with a short window for testing in the field. However, it became impractical to fit this group of test subjects with proper tracking devices available at the time. Usual methods such as ankle bracelets or collars would have placed the cost at too high a level.
Seven months later, a practical solution was reached with the development of prototype bands. This led to the search for a test population which could be monitored without existing concerns coming into play. Hence the Feline Cast Members. The prototype RFID bands strongly resembled cat collars. Using the cats would allow testing at a low-cost and would offer a robust opportunity for tracking throughout the Anaheim resort. Management approved the project and greatly anticipated successful results.
Sources inside Disney commented that during the early deployment some of the cats had tended to congregate near feeding stations. Checks of these areas revealed that some of the tracking collars/bracelets had been removed by some of the more aggressive population. An increase in dead rodents found near the abandoned collars also raised concerns. Both events were discounted and the test period proceeded.
In the end, using these Feline Cast Members proved a success and lead to further studies on the subject. Now with the current generation of Magic Bands in use in Walt Disney World, only time will tell how well guests will make use of this technology.
Rolling the miles by
So, last weekend…
A trip from Emeryville to Reno and back aboard a private rail car. Not all that unusual. Nice weather, good people, good food and beverage, good times.
The out of the ordinary was that I was a passenger this time. Even a paying one. After some recent surgeries to one of my feet, it was a better idea that working the trip. As chef, bartender, waiter or even steward, I often manage to spend a good amount of time standing in those 7 hours between the Golden Gate and the Silver State.
But not this trip. Instead, I sat (for the most part) and took in the scenery as well as the hospitality. I won’t lie to you, Marge. I enjoyed it. Yes, I wanted to jump in and do my part. Always plenty to do from tidying up to down right cleaning. Instead, I restrained my self and let others handle those duties.
All in all, the group aboard was just about perfect. The right size. The lucky 13. We have had more aboard, filling all the seats to be found and a few more. But not this trip. And for some of the journey, it was an even smaller group. Exclusive if one wishes.
The route the train (Amtrak’s California Zephyr) travels is for the most part away from that taken by the parallel Interstate 80. Even when it was the smaller and more intimate highway US-40, the rails still took passengers off the beaten path. Some of the views along the way are simply spectacular and well worth the time taken. Being honest, the train trip takes almost twice as long as it does to travel the same distance by automobile. Add in an extra hour’s delay for some work to the railroad over the Hill and you might think that time would just drag.
Oddly, it does not. Out West, Amtrak trains usually top out at 79 miles per hour. Over the Donner route, 30 miles per hour is the norm. So when we crawl along, following a slow freight train ahead of us, time can seem to stand still. On a nice day like this, with all the above mentioned goodies to pass the time, these delays don’t make for great concerns. Unlike other days on other trips where a six or eight or more hour delay bring a night crossing of the Sierra and make for a very long day for passengers and crew alike. This is not one of those times.
I can hear you asking, “If you have traveled this way so many times before, why go again?” Good question. I can’t say that I have a good answer beyond I just wanted to. Sure, I can look out a window and know where the train is, telling you how much longer before we arrive at our destination. Call that a blessing or a curse if you like.
Some one once said that “The journey is the reward.” I guess that explains part of my reason for traveling. Each trip has something that makes it new. Could be the people making the trip or something that happens along the way. Could be the meals or the beverages. Even a good cigar enjoyed in the vestibule as the scenery passes by can be different from one trip to another.
A tale makes it way down the years of a dowager socialite, who upon arriving in New York was encountered by members of the press. One of them asked her he she found traveling by private rail car. Allegedly, she answered that it was something that one could easily become accustomed to.
For me, that just describes travel in general. Given the chance to go somewhere, I am all for it. Of course, by private rail car doesn’t hurt, either.
Tempest in a coffee cup
By now, many folks have read on the official Disney Parks blog about plans to bring Starbucks to Disneyland’s Main Street. The idea is to replicate the success achieved across the Esplanade at the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Cafe on Buena Vista Street of California Adventure.
Sadly, it does spell the end of the Market House and the Disneyana shop as guests now know them. In the days when Main Street was a recreation of the small towns across the country, individual shops such as these were what the area was all about. Now, they are just another place selling the same merchandise available all over the resort.
Opening up the building to a new and improved counter service for coffee and other treats is not as bad as one might expect. If the Imagineers hope to reproduce success, then providing more indoor seating along Main Street is a good start. Guests will likely look a bit harder for some of the merchandise sold there now. Knowing Disney, I do not doubt opportunities will still be close as hand. Miss the cozy days of the Market House all you want, but the line for coffee here can be a tough one. Expanded service is a good thing in my mind.
As for Disneyana, moving all of the shop to the bank location is a good idea. As much as I like the over-sized model of the US Capitol building, that is a lot of space to take up. Expanding the shop into this area makes sense. As it did with the opening of the space formerly occupied by the recreation’s of Walt’s offices at the studio in Burbank.
Often hard to recall, but Disneyland is not a museum. Change is as much a part of the place now as it was when it first opened. I will miss the way the shops used to be but I will welcome the new as part of the progress of the Park.
Would I like to see a return to the way Main Street used to be? Sure. But that is not going to happen and hoping it will seems silly, a waste of effort. The days of the small shops specializing in unique merchandise are gone now. Be thankful for what remains, but give props to the successes when they happen, too.
Is all this too close to the Jolly Holiday Bakery? Maybe. Will the same customers use both? Perhaps. Better guest experiences? You bet, and that is really the name of the game here.
As I said above, a tempest in a coffee cup. Sure to stir emotions and passions in the hearts of some. Just not enough to make things come to a halt and time stand still.
So quiet, you can barely notice
Keeping busy isn’t the problem. It is finding the time to post that is the real culprit.
I won’t bother you, loyal readers, with the details, but lately I have been away from the keyboard far more often than I wish. All for the best, really.
Meanwhile, down at the Park… It is those months when the walls go up and construction ramps up for the summer months. Projects are underway and prying eyes want to look behind or over, oh so badly. In the overall scheme of things, I am pleased with the direction things are taking in Anaheim. Carsland and Buena Vista Street have revitalized California Adventure and Disneyland will eventually see the benefits. Still can’t wait for the day that the suits decide to do away with that cheapest of annual passes, the Southern California Select, a.k.a. the babysitter pass. If they truly want to cut the number of pass holders and maximize income, this is the place to start. But enough of flogging that subject…
Snow! You got it, we got it. March is coming in like a lion, as I hoped. Still need more rain out west. And March, April and May have had years where they surprised the weather folks. I recall snow on Memorial Day at Lake Tahoe, so who really knows?
Nice to hear that George Lucas has submitted a proposal for a cultural arts museum at Crissy Field in San Francisco’s Presidio. Would make a great addition to the place, and likely the best choice out of the 16 ideas put in place. Especially since he has all of that money he made from selling the empire to Disney. No shortage of funds there.
Ah, summer movies… The next chapter in J.J. Abrams shaky camera and lens flare filled Star Trek awaits. And maybe this time Warner Bros. can finally market their way into a blockbuster with Man of Steel. I’m just waiting for the next chapter of The Hobbit to come along, hopefully to better acclaim than the first.
Somewhere, a really good story waits to become a film that doesn’t rely on CGI and visual effects to capture an audience.
Back to the subject at hand, I promise more than an occasional visit to these pages. After all, that is why you keep coming here. Must do the right thing.
Oscar? Mediocre…
Well, another Oscar telecast has come and gone. Mercifully…
This show may not have been the worst in the history, but it sure tried to come close. The opening with Captain Kirk? Lame. The jokes at everyone’s expense? Lame. A song about boobs? …
Let’s face it. Hosting the Oscars is a tough gig. Everyone who has ever done it before has said so. Right down to Bob Hope and Johnny Carson. Seth MacFarlane? He knew this was a one shot deal and he played it as if it were. Did we really need an appearance by Ted to confirm it? You won’t be missed Ted, er Seth. The comment about bums and Redbox in front of supermarkets pretty much sums it up.
For a show that was supposed to be paying tribute to the musical heritage of the motion picture, there were some highlights. Shirley Bassey sang “Goldfinger” and literally brought the house to it’s feet with the highlight of the night. And Barbra Streisand was great with her performance of “Memories”, although how could the Academy overlook so many talented folks in it’s memorial piece? Especially Andy Griffith, Harry Morgan and Etta James. Could we have skipped a few lames jokes and had these folks (and more) added to the tribute?
Count me as one annoyed by the cut-off of the award winning FX crew from “The Life Of Pi” and their mention of Rhythm and Hues bankruptcy. In this era of increasing reliance on CGI in film, the public needs to hear more of how these folks toil to get a production completed. Green screens have become the tool of choice for so many films. And Pi may be the best yet as more people need to know that the tiger was not real, but the work of artists instead.
As to the awards themselves, mediocre may be the best way to describe the presenters and the choices made by Academy voters. As usual, the best did not win. And does Hollywood so devalue the talents of actors from its past that we are reduced to promoting the B list instead of asking the real stars to hand out awards?
Oscar may still be going at 80 plus years, but he sure needs a good swift kick in the pants to get back to what he used to be.