Disney 'Magic Band' RFID bracelet revealed!!

[chartle]

One other thing to keep in mind Wristbands aka RFID does not = Next Gen whatever. Next Gen can happen without RFID, RFID just makes it easier.

[andyman8]

I am getting sick of all this NextGen hype, because I just want Disney to announce it already!

Honestly, I can't wait for FP+ and NextGen even if the wristbands will be a bit annoying.

[utkscvol1]

Originally Posted by chartle

Well they would have to convert all the turnstiles, FP machines, Photopass readers, cash registers and hotel door locks (did I miss any?). I think its going to take a bit of time.

It could be done in phases but then you would have to carry this and a KTTW card.

As for door locks I know they installed them at AoA because they were all new but I thought I had heard that they may have started at some other resorts. Also how many attractions have the new readers?

We were at French quarter this week an our door locks were swapped over to the new ones.

[Queenofspoons]

Im so excited about this, ever since I learned about the bands (back when they were being called X Bands or simply RFID Bands) on a rumor page, I've been hoping they turn out to be real.
It feels like a jump into the future to have these things, sure they will get sweaty in the florida heat, and sure they will make lanyards obsolete (except for displaying pins) but I think the all in one-ness of it is neat.

Sure you can say that their going to track you 24/7 on property like a mousey Big Brother, but this is Disney not a diz-topia, and I see no horrific downsides to these bands at all.

[dvcterry]

Originally Posted by ronnmel

Have you ever be to an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbeans or Mexico? Those little cheap plastic bracelets sure are hard to remove!!!

annoying, don't like the bracelets.

[Dixiemom]

Okay, I guess I missed this but what does RFID stand for?

[Ziggie]

[crazy4wdw]

I certainly hope there's a choice to opt out of using these. I have no desire to wear one ot these bands and I don't want Disney tracking me like a heard of cattle. If these bands are mandatory, I guess my days of staying on Disney property will come to an end.

[chartle]

Originally Posted by Dixiemom

Okay, I guess I missed this but what does RFID stand for?

Best just to Google it.

[crazy4wdw]

Originally Posted by Dixiemom

Okay, I guess I missed this but what does RFID stand for?

Radio Frequency Identification

[chartle]

Originally Posted by crazy4wdw

I certainly hope there's a choice to opt out of using these. I have no desire to wear one ot these bands and I don't want Disney tracking me like a heard of cattle. If these bands are mandatory, I guess my days of staying on Disney property will come to an end.

Disney already tracks you with the current KTTW card. If you use for everything possible it knows.

• When you open your door
• When you get a FP
• When, where and what you ate for meals
• When, where and what you buy anytime you charge it back to your room

The bands will also be used as your PP card and something that deals with personal experiences.

Now one thing that I haven't seen addressed is why there is a battery and is there an active transmitter. Maybe someone with better electronics knowledge can look over the documents. Though the document asks Confidentiality so it may not be spelled out.

Also if you stay off site I would expect all ticket stock to have an RFID chip to be able to work with the new system for FP or FP+ and maybe PP. So if the RFID part is worrying you you may not want to go back to WDW.

[crazy4wdw]

Originally Posted by chartle

Disney already tracks you with the current KTTW card. If you use for everything possible it knows.

• When you open your door
• When you get a FP
• When, where and what you ate for meals
• When, where and what you buy anytime you charge it back to your room

Disney may be able to track when I go into or out of the room but as far as fastpasses, I don't have my ticket attached to my key to the world card so they can't track that. Nor do I charge anything to the room, basically so they can't track it. The only dining reservations they can track are ones I'd made in advance.

I don't like this at all! It's like someone's whose sentenced to house arrest they have wear an ankle braclet so they can be tracked. I also don't like that I'm going to have to make reservations for fastpasses months before my trip. You may be correct, my Disney vacations may indeed be ending.

[chartle]

Originally Posted by crazy4wdw

1. Disney may be able to track when I go into or out of the room but as far as fastpasses, I don't have my ticket attached to my key to the world card so they can't track that. Nor do I charge anything to the room, basically so they can't track it. I don't like this at all! It's like someone's whose sentenced to house arrest they have wear an ankle braclet so they can be tracked.

2. I also don't like that I'm going to have to make reservations for fastpasses months before my trip. You may be correct, my Disney vacations may indeed be ending.

1. Well then if you don't use all the options on your KTTW/Magic Wristband then yes they should only know when you enter a room (not sure they track leaving).

2. That's part of the Next Gen/FP+ whatever and really doesn't have anything to do with the wristbands. They could do it right now with the current tech they have in place (mag stripe readers), RFID just makes it easier to read your info. But as of right now no one knows exactly what it is and how it will effect visiting WDW.

[cara76]

Great Wolf Lodge uses these. Honestly after a few hours I forgot I had it on. It was nice not having to fumble for a room key while my hands where full. GWL's don't come off until you check out, they can get wet. I went swimming and took a shower with mine. They were color coded but I don't know what the colors meant. I only assumed the gold ones were for VIPs.

My issue would be the kids version. At GWL the kids wear a regular wrist band, my littlest one kept taking hers off and on, so I would be afraid she would lose it.

Some of the ladies at the conference I was attending put their bands in the pouch on their lanyard and that worked as well.

[MikeSF]

Originally Posted by chartle

Disney already tracks you with the current KTTW card. If you use for everything possible it knows.

• When you open your door
• When you get a FP
• When, where and what you ate for meals
• When, where and what you buy anytime you charge it back to your room

The difference is these things require you the person to physically do something, which is use your card or have it swiped for you. With RFID they can track you even if you don't buy a single thing int he park. Now I doubt they'll give specifics of the technology they are using, but I know with the Enhanced Drivers Licenses (EDL) that DHS pushed aggressively for they have quite the long range RFID in them, I've read some stories that say up to 50 meters away you can read them, even if that number is on the far end there's not too far you can get away from the side of a road where an RFID reader might be actively scanning so you can bet there's no place you can "hide" by being out of range in a Disney park.

Now I can definitely see some positives to being able to track this sort of thing, basically Disney can track traffic patterns on the walk ways, in lines, when parades start, finish, I mean the amount of data you can get from tracking individuals is staggering, hell maybe even wait times will be more accurate, rather than every so often giving someone a red card to hang onto through the line, now every is that "red card". Also if there is a unique identifier in each tag this could be quite useful for lost kids, "Help I lost my child" "no problem lets just verify you are the parent, ok good.... *types some keys* he's over by dumbo"

Now of course there's always the tinfoil hat people who don't like being tracked, and I'll admit I'm one of those people as well. However I really don't think there's any Machiavallian schemes going on here. In fact could be quite the opposite where as you walk by a screen or something perhaps a unique "ad" or "message" gets played for you. And if there's any LED lights on it they could flash to some pattern during a show or something, like they do at DLCA with their flashing Mickey Ears that have RFID in them for the World of Color show.

Now one thing that I haven't seen addressed is why there is a battery and is there an active transmitter. Maybe someone with better electronics knowledge can look over the documents. Though the document asks Confidentiality so it may not be spelled out.
.

This probably comes into play with the long range aspect of it, something to help boost signal strength or something of that like is my guess, for it to constantly send a signal out unless there's a transmitter that's requesting it would be silly and wasteful. I do predict a ton of Disney themed RFID receiving stations to be installed in every possible place in the park, side of roads, in lines, along rides, in restaurants, near parade routes, hell perhaps even in bathrooms (too many people going to the bathroom after all ate at a restaurant... good way to track any health issues with food). Disney is already known as one of the best in the world in moving large quantities of people, they're just going to get better by being able to arrange traffic even better too. Basically you see that bottleneck in that pathway? Hmm maybe we should move the churro cart elsewhere during the times of 4pm to 6pm, or what not.

Lots and lots of data for Disney that's what these RFID bracelets are going to be used primarily for, not for your experience, and not to make things "easier" for you. I don't honestly see how a card isn't easier, it fits nicely into a credit card compartment of my wallet, I am virtually guaranteed to never lose it, can't say the same for a bracelet that I don't want to wear so might stuff in my pocket or clip onto a belt strap, that introduces a large potential to "break" off or fall out of a pocket. I'm still going to have to scan my finger at the gate to make sure the bracelet is in fact me, I'm still going to have get held up in line getting into the parks not for tickets getting scanned but for all those geniuses who want to get creative with their finger scanning and can't remember which finger they used. Fastpasses might go quicker if lines for them are long, but I assume I'll still get a ticket so I can remember when it is. And best of all it's an added piece of remembering I'll have to do since I don't wear bracelets ... EVER... and have to remember to strap it on, where as my wallet I pocket every day when I leave the house so it's instinctual.