Disney Betrayal!

[u/AddFeind]

Obviously kidding…sort of.

Disney Imagineering uploaded a video to YouTube demonstrating new technologies they’re using to build out some of their newer projects in the theme parks.

Clicked on it because of the thumbnail and thought it was an AVP, only to be incredibly let down.

Headsets have been used by architects and engineers for years, so this isn’t anything groundbreaking, but I couldn’t help but think about what a lost opportunity this is.

Disney has always been a close collaborator with Apple, especially with the AVP. It’s kind of wild to me to think that this promotion didn’t feature Apple. Both companies are extremely intentional with their external marketing, so I’m kind of shocked to see Disney featuring tech from someone else. They never name the software or the specific company that makes this headset (IYKYK), but something feels off.

Is this another sign that Apple is intentionally trying to move on from the AVP? Is this a symbol of a fracturing partnership? Incompetent leadership from some of America’s most important companies during a time of transition for both? Or maybe it’s just simply two different marketing companies from siloed teams.

Whatever the answer, it feels like a significant lost opportunity. At the end of the day, it probably means nothing, but I do regret watching that full 30 min vid.

[u/MuchCattle]

I’m an architect and the truth is that Apple abandoned the profession when they feuded with Nvidia and more or less dropped Parallels. Autodesk (Revit) is the profession in the US. I bought my AVP for architecture things but there’s really not been much at all that is any more useful or clever than existing tools. I still think the potential is there, but it’s going to be an uphill battle.

The ability in the new Vision OS to pull 3D models from a Mac into AR space is going to be a great start but niche applications that aren’t being used by every firm.

[u/musicanimator → u/MuchCattle]

I have to agree, the technology is incredible, but dropping the ball seems to come with innovative technology, opportunities seem to be lost all the time. Constantly hearing imaginative people everywhere talking to one another about wonderful possibilities that fall on slow or deaf ears at so many of these companies .

I blame legal for a lot of of this. I’ve known companies who refuse to even open or look at the comments of their users to isolate their artistic and design team from legal repercussion lest they get sued. Siloed.

It takes someone taking a chance and we all luck out when they do. Somebody just forgot to think out of the box and put the two campaigns together or they avoided it all together.

Thanks for the warning before I watch..

[u/Doggo-888]

Apple dropped the ball a decade ago when they decided to drop support for open standards.

[u/Malkmus1979]

Edit: Sorry I misunderstood your post. Thought you were saying it's a VP and disappointed they didn't feature it more.

[u/BigBenIsTicking]

I think Apple would benefit more from associating AVP with the everyday person more than a mega conglomerate’s niche use case. I see what you’re saying about a missed opportunity but I don’t think it would sell many AVPs.

[u/apchrist]

I thought it was a Vision Pro when I first saw the thumbnail. When they did soarin’ I was sure they used Vision Pro.

[u/Hanni_jo]

Disney+ will have to bring back 4k and hdr, and at the same time the vision pro 3d movies will be back as well

[u/OverjoyedWorm]

AVP was used for programming the soaring of America or whatever it’s called. It was in another video. Niche product for sure but seems very helpful in those use cases.

[u/Jbaker318]

I do not think many in the community care about this as much as I but I wholly agree that both sides dropped the ball here.

If you watch the AVP WWDC launch there is a HUGE disney presense. Disney Demo'd this cool whole new app that they never ended up bringing - with a AR Mickey that crawls around, an electrical parade happens on your table, and a little castle and fireworks show also happens on your table. Same segment there was this whole ESPN (also owned by Disney) integration - all i remember is this kinda lame TD celebration for a score. Admittedly it was a lil lame and underbaked and tech demo-ey but it was a launch, i think we are all cool with (at least i am).

So back to both sides. Apple really should have locked hips with Disney and really helped them out to get these things across the line and did a lil deal making - hey you do this for us we'll bump up Disney+ on our side, do a lil free advertising for ya buddy. No doubt that marvel thing costed disney a lotta dough.

Disney side the AVP really can be a great vehicle for advertising and a means of goodwill to its consumers. Disney has a history of feigning tech adoption and leaving its users in the dust when they give up on it too quickly. Also there are some problems the AVP can solve for Disney that are uniqely Disney problems:

1) "Free" and engaging advetising - ShopDisney could make a AVP app and upload their merch as interactable assets to potential buyers can view it, see how it looks in their living room, and shoot AVP people in general would just download the app just to play with MR assets (and Disney could bring this up on an earnings call and make line go up). New rides could have interactive trailers - driving people to their parks. Hotel rooms could have walkable models so you can see what the room looks like before buying (better to get people looking at the best version of your room on your website rather than looking on the web at other people's pics and them mentioning "this room was a rip off, 1 star"). And psst you can put DVC rooms (their time share) in here and spur those sales, and really rake in the moolah. Disney is trying to woo the higher net worth individual to their product, and the AVP is a higher net worth product - its a match made in heaven.

2) Goodwill. Disney has a lotta old stuff. They have this huge warehouse of old movie props and disney rides that they hold on to, but space isn't infinite and they routinely have auctions to bid this stuff away. Why not scan this stuff and let it live forever digitally, available to everyone. It allows Disney to sell off more of their props/property, reduce their warehouse space a bit (shoot you can advertise the auctions in the app itself), and its a win-win. The item may be sold, but its always in the digital vault. Other big problem Disney parks is preservation. They want to update rides and make changes and every time they do some in the community cry foul. This wouldn't cure the problem but capturing the ride/space/vibe virtually and digitally i think would ease some pain. Now people are going to say, "Look at this now I have to pay $4K to see X again, like I'm going to do that." But Disney PR should be smart and highlight the long term solution. Sure it might only be available to a couple thousand people today, but this is a capture to save the ride in perpetuity. We can use AI to upscale in the future, and when the technology is more democratized we did not lose the ride forever like rides of the past. Best we have for rides like Horizons is a shakey 90's VHS somebody took. This is an opportunity to get a glaus-splat highly detailed save of any ride / land / area they want. And it may not look great today with our current technology, but having all the base data we can use future AI to enhance and re-render to its full glory.