A glimpse of an RFID magic-banded future

At least a credit card like ticket would have your picture on it. If the bracelet gets left somewhere, anyone could pick it up and use it.

There are no pictures on your KTTW cards. Disney's solution to a lost bracelet is requiring a PIN code for every transaction. It seems to be hit or miss whether a CM requires customers to use one for their RFID cards, though. :confused3
 
From posts I've been reading here on the RFID KTTW cards, there doesn't seem to be a backup system. If the card doesn't work, the CM's don't seem to have an alternative for making it work. :confused3

So how sad is that this just makes me laugh? :confused3
 
My theory is they aren't telling anything about roll-out dates, because they don't know. Disney is totally winging it.
My thinking is that they are doing exactly what some in this thread are complaining that they should do. They are working out the bugs before doing the roll-out. Since it is impossible for them to know when all problems will be resolved, they haven't given a hard date for roll-out.
 
I am not crazy about wearing something around my wrist, especially if it is hot outside, but --- if this is what they are doing, it doesn't look like anyone is going to have a choice.
Actually, you do have a choice. If you don't want the band, opt for the RFID-enabled ticket (or keychain or other stuff, apparently).
At least a credit card like ticket would have your picture on it.
Why would a hard ticket have your picture on it? The old ones and current ones don't.
If the bracelet gets left somewhere, anyone could pick it up and use it.
How could they use it?

They couldn't access your room, because they don't know where it is.
They couldn't charge things, because they don't know your PIN.
They couldn't use your FPs, because they don't know when they are scheduled.
They couldn't enter a park, because the finger scanner would bust them.
They could scam Cinderella into calling them by your first name, I suppose.
 


My thinking is that they are doing exactly what some in this thread are complaining that they should do. They are working out the bugs before doing the roll-out. Since it is impossible for them to know when all problems will be resolved, they haven't given a hard date for roll-out.

And I really, REALLY hope you are right and that is EXACTLY what they are doing...
 
For the last couple of weeks we've been to the parks every day. We stayed off site, so no KTTW for us. We got RFID tickets, but all our purchases were paid with a separete credit card, swiping as usual.

Half the times, the magnetic reader of the new terminals would not work, and the CM would just ask me for the card and swipe it in the old terminal.

So, the problem is not only related to KTTW. The system as a whole is a mess.

Even at the Character Warehouse Store on Premium @ Vineland it failed to work, and the cashier told me they had lots of problems with the new terminals.

Hope it is a matter of time, and they figure out how to make it work.

Mx
 
That might work, if they didn't ALSO offer Standby (walk-on) lines to attractions.

Regardless, after decades of daily experience, Disney already knows what attractions draw guests at all day-parts.

More likely, Disney can utilize FP+ being added to the attractions that DON'T naturally draw
the most experienced guests, and lure less-experienced visitors to those less popular attractions
with the offer of "less waiting in line."


.

But don't plenty of folks aready buy that service in the form of touring plans?

Sorry, I just see this as Disney's attempt to get everyone on board the touring plans formula. It will take some choice out of the touring WDW picture, but conversely, it will take some of the thinking out of it. You get off a ride, and your phone will tell you where to go next. You will - ideally - hop from attraction to attraction with only a FP type wait.

My guess is that in practice, the waits will be slightly longe than FP of the past, but lower than standby waits.

Mind, I do think there's something slightly creepy about WDW tracking our movements throughout the park.

Disney is hardly alone, ever heard of 'video mining'? What about the proposal to have data recorders in all autos? ("On Star", for a start)

Oh, and how about that handy smart phone you carry around?
 


1. But don't plenty of folks aready buy that service in the form of touring plans? Sorry, I just see this as Disney's attempt to get everyone on board the touring plans formula.

2. It will take some choice out of the touring WDW picture, but conversely, it will take some of the thinking out of it. You get off a ride, and your phone will tell you where to go next. You will - ideally - hop from attraction to attraction with only a FP type wait.

My guess is that in practice, the waits will be slightly longe than FP of the past, but lower than standby waits.

Mind, I do think there's something slightly creepy about WDW tracking our movements throughout the park.

Disney is hardly alone, ever heard of 'video mining'? What about the proposal to have data recorders in all autos? ("On Star", for a start)

Oh, and how about that handy smart phone you carry around?

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? ;)
 
If the bracelet gets left somewhere, anyone could pick it up and use it.

Currently, if a guest drops their KTTW card, anyone can pick it up and use it. What is stopping them? At worst, you have to sign a slip of paper to use it.

Does anyone really think WDW is free of hidden cameras?
 
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:confused3
 
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:confused3

Finger scans.
 
Yes, the finger scans remain for park admission. The bracelet and RFID cards will work for admission just like the cards and Tyvek tickets work now. The difference is there will be no turnstiles and no slots for card scanning.

If you're going to give someone else your band and your PIN number I would assume you are giving them permission to buy whatever they want on your band. If it's OK with you it's not going to matter to Disney what they buy.
 
figment13 said:
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:confused3

mesaboy2 said:
Finger scans.

Well, now I know why they didn't just do finger scanners at all of the touch to pay instead of the PIN. That was driving me nuts for awhile.
 
dadddio said:
My thinking is that they are doing exactly what some in this thread are complaining that they should do. They are working out the bugs before doing the roll-out. Since it is impossible for them to know when all problems will be resolved, they haven't given a hard date for roll-out.

I am fine with them taking it slow to get it all to work and really hope that is what all the unknowns are about.
 
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....
 
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).
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 

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