A glimpse of an RFID magic-banded future

[mickeyluv'r]

Originally Posted by mesaboy2

1. I think your making a couple of leaps here. I don't believe Robo is saying WDW is setting up a full-day touring plan for guests to follow, he is simply saying WDW is adding FP attractions in the hopes of dispersing the less-experienced guests around more.

2. Less choice, less thinking, more going around looking at a phone and doing what it tells me to. Where do I sign?

Yes, I am. If WDW adds FP to all attractions, then yes, guests will - in theory- be able to go form FP to FP. At least in theory.

I do think the idea is to distribute guests more evenly through out the park. Improve "flow."

I think it's wrong to say it's about forcing naive guests to spend more of their day on lesser attractions. I'm thinking - maybe I'm overly optimisitc- but i'm thinking guests will be able to select allthe attractions they wish to ride- and Disney will be able to spit out a 'smart' flow chart for them to follow.

How many threads do we have on the DIS that tell guests, "You MUST get to HS at RD and make a beeline for TSM. If not, you are a fool, and your whole day and entire vacation will be utterly miserable mess?" (Okay, so I exaggerate slightly, but only slightly.) At AKL it's the safari. Epcot = beeline for Soarin'. How many people go to lunch between noon-12:30? What if you could get just a few more folks to arrive at 11:50am instead?

Surely, part of the reason the lines get long is that SO many guests are following the same touring pattern(s). I'm simply thinking there is considerable potential to improve the current flow pattern(s).

Try this: Next time you are at WDW, on a relatively busy day, go to any QS lunch place at 11:40am. Watch what happens at 12:10. Go to the Pop food court at about 7:55am. Watch what happens at about 8:15am....

[grelca]

Originally Posted by hoosll

Also, I found the phrase "tap" to be misleading ... tapping never worked. I had to hold the card still on or near the sensor ... to me "tap" implies movement and striking the sensor.

to be fair, though, disney didn't come up with calling it that, it's just using existing terminology. you have to hold rfid credit cards to the sensor, too, if you're "tapping" to charge your card (which actually took me way too long time to figure out the first time i did it years ago haha).

[MarieA]

Originally Posted by dsneprincess

I would NOT want to be anywhere near WDW when this first goes live; it is not going to be pretty. However, I am not a fan of MagicBand, nor do I want to decide what I want to ride or eat 180 minutes in advance. JMO

I agree 100%. I too do not want to decide what park I am going to visit let alone what ride I want to go on 180 days in advance. My DH and I usually decide at breakfast what park we want to visit that day and once in the park we decide what rides we want to go on. I am not looking forward to the Magicband and hope that it does not go live when we are in WDW 5/4-5/14.

[TDC Nala]

I use a RFID card to ride the Metro daily. People either hold it over the sensor for a couple of seconds or they tap it repeatedly, one tap doesn't seem to do it.

[MarieA]

Originally Posted by TDC Nala

Anybody tried the WDW website? I stalled it at least two times trying to add a celebration to a restaurant reservation. On the DVC site, when you try to add a celebration, it takes you to the regular WDW resort booking page - to book a resort reservation, nothing to do with DVC reservations. Which you absolutely do not need if you are DVC. They need to clean this whole thing up before they start expecting the entire thing to be run by the website and related apps.

I used the KTTW for touch to pay once and it worked fine...but I do not have big hands, and the touchpad to insert your PIN number is TINY. I pressed the wrong buttons twice.

I have tried a few times and had the same problems you did. I tried to add my anniversary for our 5/4-5/14 trip through the DVC site and the link kept bringing me to the resort booking page.

I am not a fan of the new website either. I recently took an online survey after visiting the site and let them know that it was really pretty awful.

[LoveMyMoos]

We also had a glimpse into the wonderful RFID technology, a few times. But you brought up a good point, what if there is no card to swipe. This happened to us with our room. We checked in early Friday morning, so of course our room wasn't ready. We came back at about 3(when it should be ready), still not. At about 3:30 it was finally ready. We got our room number(already had our KTTW). Luckily for us, my roommate had luggage being transferred from another resort, so we went up to our room with a bell hop. Touch key to the door, red light. Try again, red light. Try the other key, red light. They keys didn't work, and there was nothing to swipe. Because the bellhop was with us, he called to verify our room, and was able to let us in while someone delivered new keys. Had he not been with us, we would have had to walk all the way back to the main area for new keys, then all the way back to our room.

[dadddio]

Originally Posted by LoveMyMoos

We also had a glimpse into the wonderful RFID technology, a few times. But you brought up a good point, what if there is no card to swipe. This happened to us with our room. We checked in early Friday morning, so of course our room wasn't ready. We came back at about 3(when it should be ready), still not. At about 3:30 it was finally ready. We got our room number(already had our KTTW). Luckily for us, my roommate had luggage being transferred from another resort, so we went up to our room with a bell hop. Touch key to the door, red light. Try again, red light. Try the other key, red light. They keys didn't work, and there was nothing to swipe. Because the bellhop was with us, he called to verify our room, and was able to let us in while someone delivered new keys. Had he not been with us, we would have had to walk all the way back to the main area for new keys, then all the way back to our room.

Actually, it seems that this might be an easier fix with RFID than the old style keycards since they would not need the actual bands to make the fix. They presumably would just go into your profile and ensure that the band ID and hotel room was correctly linked in your profile. This allows them to do many things, such as allowing your same band to open two different hotel room doors on a split stay or allow you to be checked in at the hotel and have access to your room without ever going to the main building.

[MickeyNola]

I want to be optimistic about the Magic Bands, I think a great thing about a Disney vacation is leaving the stress of everyday life behind. I don't want to worry about driving, and I don't want to worry about money. I think Magic Bands could be using the same psychology like chips in a casino... I didn't just hand over a $20 bill, I just swiped my band and got my to ride Dumbo or buy my dole whip or vinylmation or whatever.

For me, the Magic Band system moves a WDW vacation closer to an "all inclusive" model, I get to eat and shop and experience what I want, and I can worry about the bill when I get home. If Disney get some information about when and where and how I want to spend time at their resort than that's fine by me, so long as I'm not inconvenienced by it.

[bwang123]

Originally Posted by figment13

So, can u give these new bands,cards to someone else to use. if u gave them your pin code. whats to prevent someone with an annual pass allowing someone else to use their rfid card/bracelet for admission.
just asking

what happens if you give them your fingers too?

[bumbershoot]

Originally Posted by dadddio

Actually, it seems that this might be an easier fix with RFID than the old style keycards since they would not need the actual bands to make the fix. They presumably would just go into your profile and ensure that the band ID and hotel room was correctly linked in your profile. This allows them to do many things, such as allowing your same band to open two different hotel room doors on a split stay or allow you to be checked in at the hotel and have access to your room without ever going to the main building.

But how, exactly, do you contact them to have them do this remotely, if you do not have the Bell person with you?

2/12 when we walked the looooong walk to our kidani room and no ones KTTW worked, we had no way to contact them unless we went all the way back.

And when we went back they had nothing they could do except for print all new cards while discarding the old. There was no reprogramming of the cards in our possession.

[carolinamama]

Originally Posted by dadddio

Actually, it seems that this might be an easier fix with RFID than the old style keycards since they would not need the actual bands to make the fix. They presumably would just go into your profile and ensure that the band ID and hotel room was correctly linked in your profile. This allows them to do many things, such as allowing your same band to open two different hotel room doors on a split stay or allow you to be checked in at the hotel and have access to your room without ever going to the main building.

We were told this very thing by the CM checking us in last week. There's a unique # on each band, and that's your permanent number, so to speak. When you book, you'll enter that number. The door will be programmed accordingly. They'll just text you with the room info.

[CuteAsMinnie]

Originally Posted by MickeyNola

I want to be optimistic about the Magic Bands, I think a great thing about a Disney vacation is leaving the stress of everyday life behind. I don't want to worry about driving, and I don't want to worry about money. I think Magic Bands could be using the same psychology like chips in a casino... I didn't just hand over a $20 bill, I just swiped my band and got my to ride Dumbo or buy my dole whip or vinylmation or whatever.

For me, the Magic Band system moves a WDW vacation closer to an "all inclusive" model, I get to eat and shop and experience what I want, and I can worry about the bill when I get home. If Disney get some information about when and where and how I want to spend time at their resort than that's fine by me, so long as I'm not inconvenienced by it.

And that is why the average American is carrying tens of thousands in debt.

And I am sooooo glad I am so much less than average!

Sorry that was off topic...... kinda.

[ekendall2]

Im glad they are taking their time with this and trying to get it right. Its Disney. I have never been disappointed with them before...i dont expect to be now.