Drince88
10-26-2008, 04:19 PM
Well, after haunting the kiosk by the International Gateway and the areas in Innoventions (both sides) all week, we finally got to try out the Kimmunicator on our last morning! They'd been handing out fastpass-like appointments in Future world that morning, but since we spent most of the morning in the Studios, we didn't see them.
But, that didn't matter when we walked up to the open kiosk outside the "Candy" Store in Italy (which we may not have seen if we hadn't decided to go into that store), and asked if we could help test!
We were given a task to go help out in Japan, and after a quick briefing from the CM, the Kimmunicator itself gave us instructions on how the device worked. It was kind of hard to see in the sun, so by the end my sister was looking at the screen and I was standing opposite her so I could hear better (the speaker was on the 'outside' of the phone-device).
We walked to Japan (being careful to not be followed!) and given instructions on places to go to help track down the Baby Bebe and put the 4 elements (earth, fire, wind, and water) back in balance. All of the effects were pretty cool, some more so than others, and there's a 'Do it Again' button to re-trigger things. Reminded me of a preschooler saying "Do it again, Daddy, Do it again!" and clapping their hands with glee. The effects were pretty cool.
There were also a couple of multiple choice questions we had to answer to help out the rest of the team (sorry, don't know the characters names besides Ron and Kim), and based on the survey, it sounded like the number you got was variable. We didn't ever 'need help' and the instructions on where to go to track down things and put the elements back in balance were accompanied by pictures, so it was fairly easy to figure out where to go. They were only having people test one pavillion at a time, and it took us less than 1/2 an hour to do Japan, and then turn in the device and take the survey.
My sister asked them later where they'd been handing out the 'fastpasses' and they asked her if she wanted to test, but since we already had (I had to leave before her to go home :crying:), she declined.
I'd read the description in the press release (which was written in present tense - very misleading, Disney, since it's still in test and adjust! Ok, I just reread it (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/special/specialindex?id=EpcotPressReleasePage), and it says premiering in late 08, my bad ) and although I haven't yet listened to the MouseStation PodCast (http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=pc081016pc)about it, I did read the show notes, so I was pretty jazzed to get to try it, and I really wasn't disappointed. I don't think it would be hard for most grade schoolers to do most of on their own, if they had a little bit of direction from Mom and Dad, but we did know the pavillion pretty well, so it didn't take us much 'roaming' to find the 'gates to the castle' or the Koi pond.
The events we triggered were: For the Water, at the Koi pond, an additional waterfall/source spring for the pond was triggered. For Fire, a stone lantern by the castle gate lit up. For Earth, a Japanese character was illuminated on the back of a rock in the Zen Rock Garden. For Wind, the wind chime 'under' the stairs to the restaurant chimed. And for the finale, inside the store a Baby Bebe robot 'sprang up' from the middle of the display and was 'reset' so that it would behave. We had 2 multiple choice questions, one involved asking a Japanese cast member to translate something, and the other was taken from a sign near the entrance (where we'd been directed, and it was in bold letters).
I'd really love to be able to test out the thing by asking for help or getting multiple choice questions wrong, but we wanted to do it 'clean' for the first time through. I really think this is something that kids (of all ages :D) are going to enjoy and will allow them to 'see' more of the pavillions than just 'attractions' and restaurants.
But, that didn't matter when we walked up to the open kiosk outside the "Candy" Store in Italy (which we may not have seen if we hadn't decided to go into that store), and asked if we could help test!
We were given a task to go help out in Japan, and after a quick briefing from the CM, the Kimmunicator itself gave us instructions on how the device worked. It was kind of hard to see in the sun, so by the end my sister was looking at the screen and I was standing opposite her so I could hear better (the speaker was on the 'outside' of the phone-device).
We walked to Japan (being careful to not be followed!) and given instructions on places to go to help track down the Baby Bebe and put the 4 elements (earth, fire, wind, and water) back in balance. All of the effects were pretty cool, some more so than others, and there's a 'Do it Again' button to re-trigger things. Reminded me of a preschooler saying "Do it again, Daddy, Do it again!" and clapping their hands with glee. The effects were pretty cool.
There were also a couple of multiple choice questions we had to answer to help out the rest of the team (sorry, don't know the characters names besides Ron and Kim), and based on the survey, it sounded like the number you got was variable. We didn't ever 'need help' and the instructions on where to go to track down things and put the elements back in balance were accompanied by pictures, so it was fairly easy to figure out where to go. They were only having people test one pavillion at a time, and it took us less than 1/2 an hour to do Japan, and then turn in the device and take the survey.
My sister asked them later where they'd been handing out the 'fastpasses' and they asked her if she wanted to test, but since we already had (I had to leave before her to go home :crying:), she declined.
I'd read the description in the press release (which was written in present tense - very misleading, Disney, since it's still in test and adjust! Ok, I just reread it (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/special/specialindex?id=EpcotPressReleasePage), and it says premiering in late 08, my bad ) and although I haven't yet listened to the MouseStation PodCast (http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=pc081016pc)about it, I did read the show notes, so I was pretty jazzed to get to try it, and I really wasn't disappointed. I don't think it would be hard for most grade schoolers to do most of on their own, if they had a little bit of direction from Mom and Dad, but we did know the pavillion pretty well, so it didn't take us much 'roaming' to find the 'gates to the castle' or the Koi pond.
The events we triggered were: For the Water, at the Koi pond, an additional waterfall/source spring for the pond was triggered. For Fire, a stone lantern by the castle gate lit up. For Earth, a Japanese character was illuminated on the back of a rock in the Zen Rock Garden. For Wind, the wind chime 'under' the stairs to the restaurant chimed. And for the finale, inside the store a Baby Bebe robot 'sprang up' from the middle of the display and was 'reset' so that it would behave. We had 2 multiple choice questions, one involved asking a Japanese cast member to translate something, and the other was taken from a sign near the entrance (where we'd been directed, and it was in bold letters).
I'd really love to be able to test out the thing by asking for help or getting multiple choice questions wrong, but we wanted to do it 'clean' for the first time through. I really think this is something that kids (of all ages :D) are going to enjoy and will allow them to 'see' more of the pavillions than just 'attractions' and restaurants.