Disney's $1 billion dollar bet on magical wristband - Wired

[DDLand]

I was watching the BBC news yesterday and they were talking about how the Apple Watch is new technology but it's sounded like it's not new as they mentioned the same chips that are found in the Magicbands, I came away quite impressed that Disney seem to be looking forward to evolving technology ie credit card transactions etc.

Don't be mistaken. Apple Watch is a powerful well crafted computer on your wrist. The technology you're referencing is NFC I'd wager. NFC is just part of Apple Watch functionality. An output method that isn't one of the headliner features of Apple Watch. It'd be like getting excited about the pipes of your house. Most phones have it. That's not what makes Apple Watch cutting edge.

 

[DDLand]

Interesting article. I think it's extremly impressive what they've managed to do with this system. They've created a moat around their Resort with MyMagic. The incentive is to stay entirely or as much as possible on property. The ease of having park ticket, event ticket, FastPass, Credit Card, hotel room key, photo pass, magic maker, dinner reservations, and identification all on one simple to use band is powerful. It's also fun to employ too. Lots of features and a good user experience are a great combination.

Staggs argument is thought provoking. Instead of waiting through the uncertainty, and participating in the human stampede towards booths you can now have peace of mind. You can go on other attractions without fear of missing out. Which one really is the spontaneous vacation? I'm not so sure anymore...

This has also herded everyone towards the C and D tickets evenly dispersing crowds and maximizing existing assets. Really brilliant.

One note. Through the entire last year total Smart Watch shipments were under a million. Disney has shipped 10 million magic bands since its inception in 2013. While I'm not in anyway trying to compare these more disposable bands with no brains to real computers, it's still remarkable all the people they're introducing this form factor to.

As for conflict of interest or bias? What do you expect? This is how companies work in PR. They made the future CEO of Disney available for interview. Disney can cut off the relationship anytime they want. Wired has every incentive to keep him on their good side. That's an investment that could pay off for more then a decade.

I think they were impressed, as they should be. MyMagic is one great accomplishment.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'm not being a smart, but does Disney own a controlling interest in DLP? I know they don't control Tokyo, so MDE and FP+ won't go there unless it's by invitation.

Once the managing interests in the other parks see how the MB technology can improve their operations, then that invitation will follow.

 

[cisco911]

If they had thrown the avatar thing up in 2 years...we would already be approaching year 2 of operation and it could have been big. What's it worth 6-7 years later? That's a legitimate question.

I work within the construction industry (specifically building schools). The timeline for a school is usually 2 to 3 years for planning/design/permits/politics/etc and 2 years for the actual build and this is for a building. So it is not reasonable for you to think that a company can throw up a ride in 2 years.

 

[mom2rtk]

This has also herded everyone towards the C and D tickets evenly dispersing crowds and maximizing existing assets. Really brilliant.

Only if it turns out long term that people are happy with being herded to the C and D attractions. The jury is still out.

One note. Through the entire last year total Smart Watch shipments were under a million. Disney has shipped 10 million magic bands since its inception in 2013. While I'm not in anyway trying to compare these more disposable bands with no brains to real computers, it's still remarkable all the people they're introducing this form factor to.

For some reason this reminds me about a post I saw last Christmas where someone noted that they have so many magic bands they were going to make a chain to decorate their tree.

 

[Cormoran]

One note. Through the entire last year total Smart Watch shipments were under a million. Disney has shipped 10 million magic bands since its inception in 2013. While I'm not in anyway trying to compare these more disposable bands with no brains to real computers, it's still remarkable all the people they're introducing this form factor to.

Disney keeps shipping magic bands to guests who already have them. So it's not like 10 million new customers are being introduced to this technology. the added bonus for guests is they take baggy fulls of MB's to the kiosks and use them to get additional FP's before they've used their 3. Great system.

 

[Cormoran]

I work within the construction industry (specifically building schools). The timeline for a school is usually 2 to 3 years for planning/design/permits/politics/etc and 2 years for the actual build and this is for a building. So it is not reasonable for you to think that a company can throw up a ride in 2 years.

So you're saying a construction project from planning to completion can take up to 5 years? If that's the case, why did NFL take 7 years, Avartarland is going to be 7 years, and Maelstrom re-purpose who knows? These builds should not take as long as they do, plain and simple. They've been dismantling DHS since last September and I'll bet it remains like this for at least another year.

 

[EdmondD]

There has been very little discussion about the article, perhaps not surprisingly. I'll throw out that I find it interesting that the genesis was Crofton asking a team to outline all of the points of friction, so they could start deciding how to eliminate them. And that eliminating the turnstile was also a concept driving this. And then I started to think about a turnstile and what a barrier it is...an unpleasant one at that. A turnstile can be tricky to navigate physically and I think we've all either been unceremoniously nailed in the derriere or, for a guy...um, elsewhere by one. And I reflected on how much more inviting the entranceway now is, with open spaces and glowing green Mickeys.

 

[Cormoran]

Once the managing interests in the other parks see how the MB technology can improve their operations, then that invitation will follow.

That's a big assumption. Actually the key to the world card had all of the same functionality, except the FP+ technology. So now instead of carrying a card you have a bracelet, not that big of a deal. Additionally, the jury is still out on FP+. You may love all of this, but not everyone is happy.

 

[OKW Lover]

Disney keeps shipping magic bands to guests who already have them. So it's not like 10 million new customers are being introduced to this technology. the added bonus for guests is they take baggy fulls of MB's to the kiosks and use them to get additional FP's before they've used their 3. Great system.

Sorry, but the FP system doesn't work that way. It doesn't care how many MB's you have, it only cares about your valid admission for that day as stored on your MDE account. Doesn't matter if you have 1 or 10+ Magic Bands linked to your MDE account, you still only get the 3 FP's for the day.

That's a big assumption. Actually the key to the world card had all of the same functionality, except the FP+ technology. So now instead of carrying a card you have a bracelet, not that big of a deal. Additionally, the jury is still out on FP+. You may love all of this, but not everyone is happy.

Not a big assumption at all. Notice I said "Once the managing interests in the other parks see how the MB technology can improve their operations...". If there isn't an improvement in operations (which is where you seem to be coming from), then of course they wouldn't bother. OTOH, if there is an improvement then they would implement the new technology.

 

[Cormoran]

Sorry, but the FP system doesn't work that way. It doesn't care how many MB's you have, it only cares about your valid admission for that day as stored on your MDE account. Doesn't matter if you have 1 or 10+ Magic Bands linked to your MDE account, you still only get the 3 FP's for the day.

Nope, your'e wrong.
Here's the link : http://www.disboards.com/threads/ma...-new-mde-see-post-227-before-posting.3245463/

 

[DDLand]

That's a big assumption. Actually the key to the world card had all of the same functionality, except the FP+ technology. So now instead of carrying a card you have a bracelet, not that big of a deal. Additionally, the jury is still out on FP+. You may love all of this, but not everyone is happy.

Magic Bands are just one part of My Magic. Being able to book in advance is powerful. Being able to instantly recognize guests is great as well. You can't ignore those benefits to the system at large.

Now here's the thing about Magic Bands. They're considerably more user friendly then key to the world. With just a tap you're into the park. With just a tap you're into your dinner reservation. With just a tap you've gone through the checkout process.

If Oriental Land really cares about its guests, they'll implement it. I've already seen talk that them moving in that direction already. Plus the Japanese are really big into collecting. I think there's big avenues there with the pins and magic bands.

 

[DDLand]

Only if it turns out long term that people are happy with being herded to the C and D attractions. The jury is still out.



For some reason this reminds me about a post I saw last Christmas where someone noted that they have so many magic bands they were going to make a chain to decorate their tree.

That's one of the great successes of the system. By having people use it on D and C keeps the Es artificially lower. It means that those wait times for E would be worse without the system.

Not trying to say there isn't repeating or anything(I've got like 5 myself), but it's still nontheless impressive. They've put Magic Bands into the hands of millions. That's a noteworthy accomplishment for a vacation destination resort.

 

[rteetz]

Nope, your'e wrong.
Here's the link : http://www.disboards.com/threads/ma...-new-mde-see-post-227-before-posting.3245463/

But if you read that thread you need old magicbands that are attached to old tickets. And some other circumstances. This is also a very involved process and has been talked about for a while since that thread is a year old. I can tell you a vast majority of people aren't using FP+ like that. You can have more than one magicband but that doesn't necessarily mean you get more FPs. I have two magicbands but I don't get more FPs because of that. Every time you stay onsite you can get a magicband so I'm sure people already have dozens of them. But again doesn't mean they get more than 3 magicbands. This person in the thread also does a split stay which not everyone does.

 

[OKW Lover]

Nope, your'e wrong.
Here's the link : http://www.disboards.com/threads/ma...-new-mde-see-post-227-before-posting.3245463/

Please re-read my post. I said it was all based on your MDE account, not on your MB's. If you have more than one MDE account then yes you can have more than the allotted number of FP's. That's not a function of having a bunch of MB's, its a function of having multiple MDE accounts.

Disney can easily stop this by re-instituting the requirement that FP's are only valid when linked to an MDE account that shows the holder has entered the park that day. Yes, there is a further way around this, doing multiple entries on different MDE-linked MB's, but that gets to be really expensive just for a FP.

 

[rteetz]

Magic Bands are just one part of My Magic. Being able to book in advance is powerful. Being able to instantly recognize guests is great as well. You can't ignore those benefits to the system at large.

Now here's the thing about Magic Bands. They're considerably more user friendly then key to the world. With just a tap you're into the park. With just a tap you're into your dinner reservation. With just a tap you've gone through the checkout process.

If Oriental Land really cares about its guests, they'll implement it. I've already seen talk that them moving in that direction already. Plus the Japanese are really big into collecting. I think there's big avenues there with the pins and magic bands.

I think it's possible but again I think MM+ will differ between the resorts it ends up going to because each resort has different clientele.

 

[DDLand]

But if you read that thread you need old magicbands that are attached to old tickets. And some other circumstances. This is also a very involved process and has been talked about for a while since that thread is a year old. I can tell you a vast majority of people aren't using FP+ like that. You can have more than one magicband but that doesn't necessarily mean you get more FPs. I have two magicbands but I don't get more FPs because of that. Every time you stay onsite you can get a magicband so I'm sure people already have dozens of them. But again doesn't mean they get more than 3 magicbands. This person in the thread also does a split stay which not everyone does.

Don't you need to officially enter the park to use Fastpass+? The same with the the old system. You'd have to use two park admission days.

 

[rteetz]

Don't you need to officially enter the park to use Fastpass+? The same with the the old system. You'd have to use two park admission days.

Exactly there is a lot involved in this supposed loophole that this person found and it involves a lot of things that a lot of people are just not going to do.

 

[DDLand]

I think it's possible but again I think MM+ will differ between the resorts it ends up going to because each resort has different clientele.

Disneyland should be next. With the massive AP base there it seems like they'd be the easiest to role out to next. That would get a nice chunk of the people on Magic Band.

Disneyland Paris is nice too, as it has the large resort hotel occupancy which means that many of their guests will be eligible for Magic Bands.

Tokyo Disney and Hong Kong Disney I'm not as sure about on this front. Do they have large installed Annual Pass bases? Tokyo does have 3 Disney branded hotels on property. Hong Kong is following suit. Not as many hotel rooms as WDW and DLP. Even without Magic Bands My Magic is still better.

 

[rteetz]

Disneyland should be next. With the massive AP base there it seems like they'd be the easiest to role out to next. That would get a nice chunk of the people on Magic Band.

Disneyland Paris is nice too, as it has the large resort hotel occupancy which means that many of their guests will be eligible for Magic Bands.

Tokyo Disney and Hong Kong Disney I'm not as sure about on this front. Do they have large installed Annual Pass bases? Tokyo does have 3 Disney branded hotels on property. Hong Kong is following suit. Not as many hotel rooms as WDW and DLP. Even without Magic Bands My Magic is still better.

Disneyland of course will be next followed quickly by Paris but like I said there will most likely be some differences between the resorts mainly with the clientele. Disneyland is heavy on locals Paris is a very unique resort. MM+ has been rumored for Paris since before Disney officially owned it. Disney and more also said it would be a bit different than floridas version.