Does anyone else think this is a little creepy?

[gina2000]

My point is Edward Snowden already told us the same thing, but about a million times worse. After the NSA being exposed about what they do, this shouldn't shock anyone.

It's like having your house burned to the ground, but worrying about your hardwood floors being damaged by rain.

In my cynicism, I expect spying at the highest levels of government. That's been going on since time in memorium. When it trickles down (as it obviously has) that's when one realizes the ramifications in daily life. Whether I express my concern about Snowden or WDW, the result is the same. How technology is used determines our future. And I'm not loving the information gathering on everyday people by ones own national security agency or corporations. It's gotten too close to ignore.

 

[Robbi]

Not to turn this political...

But I always get a kick out of threads like this about how creepy Disney is for spying on guests in a theme park...

when the NSA has been exposed for doing much worse every day in your life.

Not to put on the tin foil, but big brother is everywhere. Disney spying on you as an attempt to figure out your spending strategy should be the least of your worries.

I didn't bring up NSA because I didn't want that to be debated but I'm fully aware and it sickens me.

 

[JanaDee]

In my cynicism, I expect spying at the highest levels of government. That's been going on since time in memorium. When it trickles down (as it obviously has) that's when one realizes the ramifications in daily life. Whether I express my concern about Snowden or WDW, the result is the same. How technology is used determines our future. And I'm not loving the information gathering on everyday people by ones own national security agency or corporations. It's gotten too close to ignore.

 

[W.E.D.]

My goodness. I just had an email about this which I sent to junk mail, but just went back and checked it and there were several ride photos of me.

I can't understand how they can link the MB I used, even though I didn't use it for all the attractions, to my image. I do find it very uncomfortable and have sent disney an email to that effect.

They don't link it to your image. The MB tells them you were on that specific ride vehicle. They send the photo to the email linked to your account.

 

[W.E.D.]

The readers are in the tables.

OMG! I'm never going in there! JK

 

[Farps]

Yes before everyone had magic bands and I guess for guests without MBs you get a rose. There are readers in the tables.

Do you know this as a fact? I actually asked our server at BOG, and she hinted to us that they have " magic columns" and that is how they found us. I know that not all CM have great info, but we thought that it made sense. Especially since the columns can't be moved and tables can

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Do you know this as a fact? I actually asked our server at BOG, and she hinted to us that they have " magic columns" and that is how they found us. I know that not all CM have great info, but we thought that it made sense. Especially since the columns can't be moved and tables can

I think the tables are bolted to the floor so you can't move them and block the carts' paths. At least ours was.

I believe the transmitters are either in your magic band, or in the plastic rose they give you when you order. There is a short range chip in the cart, so the CM wheels the cart around and obviously try to match the number of plates ordered with the people sitting, and when it picks up on your magic band or rose it sets the light off on the top of the cart.

Is what we believe anyway, makes sense.

 

[maloned]

I don't think this has to do with the Magic Bands, it's facial recognition.

 

[jon18uk]

Not sure if anyone else mentioned this has havent read all replies...

A UK Theme Park, Alton Towers had a third party install a system called YourDay a few years ago. This worked by staff at the park entrance handing out RFID wristbands, then on each ride there were readers just as the roller-coaster or ride train left the station.
At the end of the day you visited the shop near the exit and they read your wristband code then looked up the videos of you on the rides. You could then purchase a DVD of you on the rides mixed in with pre-recorded ride footage.
Unfortunately the sensors often didn't pick up the bands meaning when you checked in the shop at the end most of the rides you had been on weren't in the video. Also a lot of guests wouldn't take a wristband at the beginning of the day or would just destroy them in the queuelines, this meant less people to try and sell it to at the end of each day. The company went bankrupt after 3 seasons!


However this sound almost exactly what Disney is trying to do with the photos and MagicBands, except with still photos not video. Hopefully as a lot more guests are wearing the bands it should be more successful, but if the sensors still aren't picking up that you are on the ride vehicle then I guess its still not perfect!

 

[Krissy562]

Of courser Big Brother is everywhere. The point is that WDW is showing you how easy it is to monitor your movements, your spending habits and your preferences. It's not cloaked behind anonymity. It's jarring to me to see the actual extent that I can be monitored and the fact that I'm so complacent about it. I've never considered how close to the bone this technology is. And that's why it may be a precursor to the Orwellian society in 1984. How we choose to use this technology determines society's future.

Am I really scared? No, not at the moment but it does give me pause. I'd be foolish if I didn't consider all the possibilities. In my post Cold War peabrain, benevolence is not a word I associate with corporations or governments. WDW may be the happiest place on earth but that doesn't mean that this technology is only used to foster happiness. That's naive. If WDW uses it, so do many other entities. And none of them use it to foster my well being. They use it to further their goals.

This.

Outstanding post; you've captured the genesis of my growing unease with the magnitude of MDE.
To the PPs who said that your picture has been taken on every ride for many years: That is true, but they've never actively linked personal information with that photo (without permission) until now.

 

[annacali]

I haven't read all the replies but I had an interesting conversation with the CM who was taking care of our table at Boma when we were there at Thanksgiving. We did not have MagicBands (offsite) but my dad was asking about the new handheld system when it was time to pay and they were joking about how small/hard to read it was. The CM made the comment that it was hard understand why everyone was so excited about wearing the Magic Bands--it seemed like being imprisoned on house arrest. I hadn't thought about it that way before but it many ways it is much the same.

 

[W.E.D.]

I haven't read all the replies but I had an interesting conversation with the CM who was taking care of our table at Boma when we were there at Thanksgiving. We did not have MagicBands (offsite) but my dad was asking about the new handheld system when it was time to pay and they were joking about how small/hard to read it was. The CM made the comment that it was hard understand why everyone was so excited about wearing the Magic Bands--it seemed like being imprisoned on house arrest. I hadn't thought about it that way before but it many ways it is much the same.

Except for the parts where you aren't in trouble with the law, and you can leave whenever you want.

 

[chartle]

I haven't read all the replies but I had an interesting conversation with the CM who was taking care of our table at Boma when we were there at Thanksgiving. We did not have MagicBands (offsite) but my dad was asking about the new handheld system when it was time to pay and they were joking about how small/hard to read it was. The CM made the comment that it was hard understand why everyone was so excited about wearing the Magic Bands--it seemed like being imprisoned on house arrest. I hadn't thought about it that way before but it many ways it is much the same.

Except for the parts where you aren't in trouble with the law, and you can leave whenever you want.

Yea if you leave your house you get arrested.

If Disney sees you leave WDW property they send you a 30% off bounce back PIN.

 

[chartle]

I don't think this has to do with the Magic Bands, it's facial recognition.

But how do they know its your face?

But its been posted that as part of Magic+ Disney will have special personal enhancements to your ride experience.

 

[Hisgirl]

Speaking of creepy (in the title) and photography, when I exited a ride last week which had a disney taken photo of me during the ride, I noticed a man...a complete stranger....holding his cell phone up close to my photo and snapping a shot. Of me. And he doesn't know me.

That totally creeped me out and I walked away from him quickly.

 

[Sparkly]

Speaking of creepy (in the title) and photography, when I exited a ride last week which had a disney taken photo of me during the ride, I noticed a man...a complete stranger....holding his cell phone up close to my photo and snapping a shot. Of me. And he doesn't know me.

That totally creeped me out and I walked away from him quickly.

He may have been in the same ride vehicle as you?

 

[HelenParr]

On the OP: I would find it unsettling to get the photopass (magic photo, whatever it is called now) email with my unsolicited ride photos, because it would be unexpected. I think that will backfire with some percentage of guests.

You do not need to be a conspiracy theorist to be unsettled by someone (anyone) sending you a photo of you and your family/party that you did not expect to receive. Not everyone loves surprise. But I didn't even enjoy the CM at the ride entrances saying hi to me by name when I used my MB. That does not make me feel more magic, it is sort of creepy to me. Won't stop me from going, but not my thing.

I'm not super concerned that Disney tracks me. As a PP noted, they know more about me than my mother does, by a long shot. I just think they have overestimated how many love the personal touch, including the part where they personally remind you that you're being watched.