Just one more talking Mickey doll

CujoSR · Post by **CujoSR** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 1:51 am

From Mouseplanet.com

Creepy or cool – you decide: A travel agent shared this information about a new toy available for rent and purchase at Walt Disney World.

He's the ultimate Walt Disney World insider, a cheerful friend who enhances a theme park visit with timesaving tips and fun facts. Who is he? Pal Mickey!

Available for daily rental or purchase, Pal Mickey is a talking Mickey Mouse toy that entertains and assists guests in each of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Pal Mickey helps guests get the most out of a Walt Disney World vacation by bringing each theme park to life as a helpful tour guide. The huggable plush toy offers reminders about parades and show times, shares stories and trivia, recommends attractions, plays games and tells guests where to locate Disney characters. Each 10 and a half-inch Pal Mickey responds in all of the Walt Disney World theme parks.

Developed by Disney using advances in wireless communication, Pal Mickey is the latest Walt Disney World innovation to improve and enhance guest service with leading-edge technology.

The interactive toy joins recent pioneering Disney services such as wireless language translation for guests with limited English fluency, wireless text captioning for guests with hearing disabilities and the patented Disney's Fastpass system that eliminates the need to wait in line at popular attractions.

“See the names on those second-story windows?” Pal Mickey might say as guests stroll along Main Street, U.S.A. “Those folks helped Walt Disney build this Magic Kingdom!” In fact, the windows bear the names of key Disney cast members instrumental in the development of Walt Disney World Resort.

“Say, 'Fantasmic!' will be starting in about an hour,” Pal Mickey might remind Disney-MGM Studios guests about the park's popular nighttime spectacular. “If ya wanna see it, now's a good time to go grab a seat!”

Pal Mickey keeps the whole family entertained with Disney jokes and fun interactive games guests can initiate, whether waiting in line at the theme parks or relaxing in a hotel room — even back at home.

Pal Mickey is available to all guests as a daily rental ($8 plus tax per day and a refundable $50 deposit) or as a purchase ($46.94 plus tax). Guests who wish to keep a rented Pal Mickey can simply take him home; the deposit will be used as the total purchase price with tax.

Beginning in April, Pal Mickey will be offered at merchandise locations in each of the Walt Disney World resort hotels, and at select sites in Disney's four Florida theme parks starting in May.

Can I just rent one of those cute tour guide girls instead? No really, can I? :roll:

LittleDollClaudia · Post by **LittleDollClaudia** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 6:50 pm

The concept of this truly horrifies me. What are its boundaries? Is it programmed to recognize other dolls like a Furby? Being controlled by the wireless systems, can it send as well as receive information? Does it tell you if you're not purchasing enough merchandise? It sounds to me like a mini HAL from the movie 2001. "You're not buying those small items,are you Dave? I know that your credit card has not been exceeded. Don't disappoint your children by being cheap." If it knows where you are in the park, how safe would that make you feel? Just how advanced are they? I for one would be very reluctant to put my life in the hands (or is that gloves?) of a doll. You have to hand it to Disney to further the brainwashing process. Whoohoo for progress...ummm yeah. :?

Zazu · Post by **Zazu** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 12:40 pm

The concept of this truly horrifies me. What are its boundaries? Is it programmed to recognize other dolls like a Furby? Being controlled by the wireless systems, can it send as well as receive information? Does it tell you if you're not purchasing enough merchandise? It sounds to me like a mini HAL from the movie 2001. "You're not buying those small items,are you Dave? I know that your credit card has not been exceeded. Don't disappoint your children by being cheap." If it knows where you are in the park, how safe would that make you feel? Just how advanced are they? I for one would be very reluctant to put my life in the hands (or is that gloves?) of a doll. You have to hand it to Disney to further the brainwashing process.

Just in case this post wasn't entirely in jest, a few technical details:

Pal Mickey is a receive only IR system. The fixed IR transmitters in the Parks are only that, they cannot receive data.

Pal Mickey will know where he is from the Location signals he sees, and that will influence his comments, and those comments will differ if he's been there before. Pal Mickey will also know what time it is, and the time of upcoming shows, so he can comment on them. When outside the Parks, Pal Mickey still retains some functions, I suspect a game or two. Details on that I haven't found yet.

It also looks like there remain some challenges -- the release date has been pushed back to 26 April, and availability may be severely limited for some time (more to minimize exposure to failures than from actual hardware shortages). Installation of fixed IR transmitters is continuing, at least this week, so there may still be some "dark" areas.

I still think Pal Zazu is a better deal.

MK Tunnel Rat · Post by **MK Tunnel Rat** » Sun Apr 27, 2003 7:45 pm

Well, my first thought about this Pal Mickey is that if it doesn't work right, it's gonna really suck. I really hope this thing will be tested thoroughly before they release it to the public.
I was also concerned that the info he will possess won't be updated. For example, he will say stuff about the show times but what if that particular show isn't going on one day? Someone said that the info he will have will be current due to the transmitters (or whatever) that will be placed around the park. I hope so.
My biggest problem with Pal Mickey is that he can be rented. Seriously, who wants to give their kid a stuffed toy that someone else's kid has already dragged around all day? Ewww.....have you seen how some kids 'love' their toys? I don't think so.
And as for him saying stuff about guests needing to buy more merchandise, I already hear enough crap from guests who act like we put some gun to their heads to buy stuff they don't need. I don't care anymore.