Article: RFID Bands coming to WDW

[OKW Lover]

Oh no they will just be standing in the line with all the bracelets on one arm like it's the 80's all over again.

I'm looking forward to watching the tourists who don't understand how this works and keeps hitting it on the post and screaming about it not working properly.

That would be even funnier if they were headbands.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Hmm. True, but won't these have a significant cost to produce and distribute? Will the data they receive from the use of the bands be financially worth it?

 

[WebmasterMike]

Hmm. True, but won't these have a significant cost to produce and distribute? Will the data they receive from the use of the bands be financially worth it?

You have all ready paid or it. The cost has been passed on to the customer. If "glow with the show" ears cost $22 to $25 (depending on discount) then the electronics are less than $2 (maybe a single dollar) to produce. Disney makes money on margin. That is why they charge $30 for a translucent t-shirt (due to the thin material).

Who needs to go to the Fastpass machine when you will use x-pass. There will be no need to go to a Fastpass machine. Besides, one reason for the RFID-based xpass is to get rid of the paper waste at the Fastpass dispensers.

 

[ougrad86]

So what if we do not have wrist bands? I currently have my tickets in hand ready to go to the park - 3 on an old one and then another 10 day ticket for when those run out - do we have to go the guest services when we enter the park? We are planning to make a run for Space Mountain and then pick up some FP's while there. I can't tie it to my hotel key since I will have days left over on the ticket, and using two tickets...

 

[AndyPok1]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Disney will have policies and procedures in place to handle most situations.

Additionally, I would almost guarantee that there will be overlap and if paper media is ever fully eliminated (which I wouldn't bet on), it won't be for years and years. ATS and various other systems are quite efficient at the moment. For example, when a cast member brings a guest into the park, it prints you out a ticket right at the gate. It'd be much more of a hassle to encode a RFID wristband right there.

If I had to guess, WDW will be entirely RFID by 2015. But it will be a combination of wrist bands for resort guests and cards for day guests. This will have the added benefit of easily being able to identify people staying on property. Not sure about APs. Mike, how long do you think the battery would last?

 

[WebmasterMike]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Disney will have policies and procedures in place to handle most situations.

Additionally, I would almost guarantee that there will be overlap and if paper media is ever fully eliminated (which I wouldn't bet on), it won't be for years and years. ATS and various other systems are quite efficient at the moment. For example, when a cast member brings a guest into the park, it prints you out a ticket right at the gate. It'd be much more of a hassle to encode a RFID wristband right there.

If I had to guess, WDW will be entirely RFID by 2015. But it will be a combination of wrist bands for resort guests and cards for day guests. This will have the added benefit of easily being able to identify people staying on property. Not sure about APs. Mike, how long do you think the battery would last?

5 years or so. It is like the battery in the Active Tag readers that Sun Pass used. The tags have to have a long shelf life also. They will order them in bulk.


And the tags do not have to be encoded, they have to be linked to you. The unique ID number is associated to you in the "MASSIVE DATABASE OF CUSTOMER INFORMATION, TRACKING, AND TRENDING" (my own name not The WDC's name).

 

[AndyPok1]

Ya, if it is that long of a shelf life, then I imagine AP holders would be able to get one as well.

As far as the term, ya I'm all-too-well aware that they are manufactured with an ID. I felt encoded was easier to understand.

I was involved in the RFID linking when DCL implemented it for kids on the Magic back in 09. The master sheet was lost, so we had to sit there and tap every bracelet to find out what the ID was.