Do You Have Privacy Concerns about the New MagicBands?

[Mike2023]

Since I haven't been following the development closely and I don't plan on visiting WDW in the near future, are the bracelets cheaply made? Easily programmed? I feel like I'd want to take it off the second I left the park, but what if I accidentally left it in my room and didn't realize until I got to the park? Does Guest Relations re-issue them?

It's all confusing to me. I thought the KTTW was just fine I used to work front desk @ Disney so I'm trying to get the logistics down. Seems like a bracelet would be more difficult than printing a KTTW.

Thanks in advance The security concerns are really interesting, and seeing behind the scenes at Disney really opened my eyes. I don't want to overshare but there's a lot that really surprised me.

Im sure Guest Relations will be able to re-issue bands, but I wonder if there will be a price associated with it.

The way I understand it, the bands will be mailed to you before you even leave for your trip. This would allow you to skip check-in all together. In theory you could just get a text message with your room number letting you know its ready thats it. No need to go to the front desk at all.

 

[derekburgan]

I really enjoyed the podcast discussion on the MagicBands, and it was interesting to hear the digital privacy expert say at the front there is no chance she would wear - or let her kids wear - a MagicBand and by the end of the interview it almost sounded like she wanted her kids to wear one to get the experience. That's the forbidden fruit in this situation, and how tempting it can be even to someone who knows better.

 

[Reddy]

Sadly, this is my biggest concern. Plus, I don't even like wearing a watch. I'm shallow too...

I'm thinking they have a snap on them & putting it on my bag instead of my wrist
or maybe putting on a beltloop
but at the waterpark it would go on my wrist - don't think it would be good in pics with it looped on my swimsuit

 

[PinkBudgie]

I'm an AP holder at DLR. Disney already knows my address, phone, birthday, credit card number. And they know what we buy, where, and when because I use my AP discount everywhere. It seems more likely to have a bad employee steal and sell and use that info already in the system than for someone to get info off a band. For me, the pros of the band outweigh the cons. That is a decision I make for Disney. For another company I might make a different decision. For example, I do not enter those contests at the mall to win the car that is sitting there. I know that's just an info grab and has no return value to me.

And how many times have we heard that some bank employee lost his laptop with thousands of customer's information on it?

 

[cslittle999]

They can only text you if you give them your cell phone number. That's not required information.

I already allow my grocery store to track what I purchase and when. I don't really care, and I get great discounts. The targeted coupons I get when I check out, nine times out of ten end up in the recycling bin.

Sayhello

It might not be a text. It might be an electronic display that changes when you stand in front of it. The opportunities are endless.

This isn't like a loyalty card where you're tracked only when you make a purchase. You don't get to choose when they read the ID off the chip. They can put readers everywhere, and in a way that you won't recognize them, and grab the ID whether you want them to or not.

I'm not saying this will be bad, I'm just saying that however this starts it could end up in a very different place.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

It's funny, because I had some initial concerns about the whole thing, but I was pretty calm after a few weeks of thinking about it... until the podcast team had on the privacy expert who said she would not wear the bracelet or put it on her children. Well, that's good enough for me.

 

[Mike2023]

It's funny, because I had some initial concerns about the whole thing, but I was pretty calm after a few weeks of thinking about it... until the podcast team had on the privacy expert who said she would not wear the bracelet or put it on her children. Well, that's good enough for me.

IMO that privacy expert was a bit of an extremist. You should make your own choice after you do some research. If you don't want to use the magicbands thats fine, just do it because you decided not to, not because someone on a podcast said so.

And again, in theory they can do most of the same things with the RFID chip you will be carrying instead of the bands, but they may chose not to.

 

[ChrisFL]

- no reason to think there would be anything in the room worth the trouble.

What if they left their kid in the room? That adds a whole other problem....people who are Disney employees who have access to the data and use them for nefarious purposes. There's 60,000 employees on WDW property.

I am very concerned about this new system for a large number of reasons...mostly having to do with adding LOTS of complexity to what should be a care-free vacation.

There's TONS of questions I have that Disney either hasn't or can't answer (such as, expanding this technology in the future to be even more invasive, without any further "opt-in" required, or changing the privacy policy during your vacation, do you get informed whenever you enter the park?).

Planning a Disney vacation is already pretty complex, now they're just adding to it, while also possibly leaving the "last minute" planners out in the cold, when they can't get fastpass+ or dining reservations

But the biggest thing that bothers me is that they're spending an incredible amount of money, yet not improving the parks.

 

[ellie'smom]

What are the opt out options?

 

[Mike2023]

What if they left their kid in the room? That adds a whole other problem....people who are Disney employees who have access to the data and use them for nefarious purposes. There's 60,000 employees on WDW property.

I am very concerned about this new system for a large number of reasons...mostly having to do with adding LOTS of complexity to what should be a care-free vacation.

There's TONS of questions I have that Disney either hasn't or can't answer (such as, expanding this technology in the future to be even more invasive, without any further "opt-in" required, or changing the privacy policy during your vacation, do you get informed whenever you enter the park?).

Planning a Disney vacation is already pretty complex, now they're just adding to it, while also possibly leaving the "last minute" planners out in the cold, when they can't get fastpass+ or dining reservations

But the biggest thing that bothers me is that they're spending an incredible amount of money, yet not improving the parks.

leaving your kids in your room unsupervised is a discussion for a different thread.

I see your point on the planning aspect but being a big planner myself its a huge perk for me. Disney wants people to plan ahead so they can better determine the needs of the business. Clearly, this is an incentive to get people to do that.

Regarding the money not going towards improving the parks I disagree. This will improve my experience immensely, therefor improving the parks for me. Obviously this wont be the case for everyone, but disney is betting that im the majority and not the minority. And lets not forget disney is just finishing up the largest expansion in history. And if Avatar ever makes it, 2 or 3 people could be happy with that expansion as well.

Will be interesting to see how it plays out over the next 3 to 5 years.

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

l. And if Avatar ever makes it, 2 or 3 people could be happy with that expansion as well.

.

 

[ChrisFL]

And lets not forget disney is just finishing up the largest expansion in history. And if Avatar ever makes it, 2 or 3 people could be happy with that expansion as well.

I disagree with their metrics about "biggest expansion". They only added one ride and a second duplicate of a ride and one restaurant (yes, I know the Dwarfs coaster is coming, but that isn't really an expansion since they closed Snow White). Also, the place where the Little Mermaid attraction is, used to be 20K leagues under the sea. Technically that's not really expanding either, its replacing a long dead space with a new ride.

Now I really do like the new fantasyland, but they have 4 parks to keep up with and the other 3 parks are in desperate need of some love.

It wouldn't be a big deal if their biggest competition down the road wasn't on a building SPREE right now.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Now I really do like the new fantasyland, but they have 4 parks to keep up with and the other 3 parks are in desperate need of some love.

Amen. I mean, I love the new Fantasyland. I think it's beautiful. But uh, go on The Great Movie Ride, or any other attraction at DHS. They are largely embarrassingly out of date.

 

[Mike2023]

I disagree with their metrics about "biggest expansion". They only added one ride and a second duplicate of a ride and one restaurant (yes, I know the Dwarfs coaster is coming, but that isn't really an expansion since they closed Snow White). Also, the place where the Little Mermaid attraction is, used to be 20K leagues under the sea. Technically that's not really expanding either, its replacing a long dead space with a new ride.

Now I really do like the new fantasyland, but they have 4 parks to keep up with and the other 3 parks are in desperate need of some love.

It wouldn't be a big deal if their biggest competition down the road wasn't on a building SPREE right now.

Thats an interesting assessment and I have to agree when you put it that way.

I have yet to see New Fantasy so I will wait and come to my own conclusions. 95 more days!!

 

[RD-SOX]

Marketing towards kids is in no way a new idea, and your right, it does work.

Thats why the Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms are at "kid" height in the stores.....

 

[fall08CP]

They can only text you if you give them your cell phone number. That's not required information.


Sayhello

When I worked Disney front desk (most recently 2010) a cell # was most certainly required information. Even when guests didn't want to give it, we reiterated that it was indeed required. They may need to get in touch with you in case of emergency- a kid once passed out in our lobby and we only knew who to contact because he was carrying his room key and we could pull up his reservation and get a cell # to call his parents, issues with hotel room that require your items to be moved immediately, issues with billing/your credit card got declined, guest service recovery and many more that I won't go into but are serious enough to contact the guest immediately. In addition, if you leave something in your room after check-out, they need a # to call and confirm that it's yours. Bonus if they can get it to you before you leave property

Most guests don't check their room phone messages so we never relied on that method for any of the above.

 

[Mike2023]

When I worked Disney front desk (most recently 2010) a cell # was most certainly required information. Even when guests didn't want to give it, we reiterated that it was indeed required. They may need to get in touch with you in case of emergency- a kid once passed out in our lobby and we only knew who to contact because he was carrying his room key and we could pull up his reservation and get a cell # to call his parents, issues with hotel room that require your items to be moved immediately, issues with billing/your credit card got declined, guest service recovery and many more that I won't go into but are serious enough to contact the guest immediately. In addition, if you leave something in your room after check-out, they need a # to call and confirm that it's yours. Bonus if they can get it to you before you leave property

Most guests don't check their room phone messages so we never relied on that method for any of the above.

A phone number, not a cell number is required.

 

[Sammie]

None whatsoever

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

It's funny, because I had some initial concerns about the whole thing, but I was pretty calm after a few weeks of thinking about it... until the podcast team had on the privacy expert who said she would not wear the bracelet or put it on her children. Well, that's good enough for me.

Personally I think the privacy expert was full of it. I'd like to know more about her before I take everything she said to light. For example does she have a smart phone, does she use any apps like four square, does she have a bank account, does she have a credit card. If she has any of those then you can still be tracked in theory with them all. As people have said according to Disney you will be able to decide what info gets put on the magic bands and for who. I just wonder what will people say to their kids if they meet with a character and the kid in front of them got addressed by name and they didn't?

 

[Sammie]

One thing I am unclear about is if this is a non-removable thing. Do I have to wear this thing in the shower or can I take it off whenever I like? For me, the biggest ick factor is being stuck with an unsightly wide band on my wrist for a week of dirt and grime and if I will have ridiculous looking tan lines. (I'm shallow)

Yes it is removable and adjustable.