Foot Recognition Technology at Disney World

[JennSpencer]

I don't think this patent will go anywhere. If it does it would be annoying to me. They can already track you with the Magic Bands and on my last trip I was told by a CM that was helping me find my daughter, who has ASD, that being able to track people with Magic Bands is coming. I for one am thankful for that. They can already check to see the last time you scanned your band. I have no problem with Disney tracking me or my kids with the Magic Bands. I think it can be very helpful should one of your kids wander off or your party gets split up. It would be great to be able to pull up MDE and see where your party or kids are.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I don't think this patent will go anywhere. If it does it would be annoying to me. They can already track you with the Magic Bands and on my last trip I was told by a CM that was helping me find my daughter, who has ASD, that being able to track people with Magic Bands is coming. I for one am thankful for that. They can already check to see the last time you scanned your band. I have no problem with Disney tracking me or my kids with the Magic Bands. I think it can be very helpful should one of your kids wander off or your party gets split up. It would be great to be able to pull up MDE and see where your party or kids are.

I also view the Magic Band tracking as a good thing. However, there are quite a few people who think of it as "creepy" and who refuse to wear the bands because they don't want to be tracked. This new technology could track people whether they want to be tracked or not. It gives Disney, rather than the guest, control over tracking.

Also, I have a four year old daughter who constantly loses her Magic Band. I end up wearing hers on my arm. If she were to become separated from me, neither I nor Disney would have a good way of tracking her with the Magic Band technology. On our last trip, my nine year old lost her Magic Band. On our previous trip, my four year old (then aged three) lost hers. Magic Bands can be easily removed or lost. Combining both Magic Bands and Foot Recognition Technology might be a good way to ensure that as many people as possible can be tracked- for marketing, enhanced guest experience, or safety purposes.

 

[LeeAndRobin]

Just chip everyone and get it over with.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Just chip everyone and get it over with.

That is what a lot of people are concerned about - the loss of privacy. I think Disney is preparing for future laws that may limit how businesses can track people based on privacy concerns. The more technology and different ways they have to track people, the bigger chance they have to be able to legally continue to do so. While chipping is certainly invasive, taking pictures of your feet while you are in public view on their (Disney's) property is considerably less so.

There are a lot of people who view tracking as scary- and I agree that it can be scary if it is the government doing the tracking. But when it comes to Disney or some other business tracking me when I am on their property for purposes of getting me to spend more money, I really don't care. I am an independent thinker and ultimately, I make the decisions as to where my money goes. If Disney can "trick" me into spending more money there, then I think they have earned every dollar they get from me.

 

[circus4u]

That is what a lot of people are concerned about - the loss of privacy. I think Disney is preparing for future laws that may limit how businesses can track people based on privacy concerns. The more technology and different ways they have to track people, the bigger chance they have to be able to legally continue to do so. While chipping is certainly invasive, taking pictures of your feet while you are in public view on their (Disney's) property is considerably less so.

There are a lot of people who view tracking as scary- and I agree that it can be scary if it is the government doing the tracking. But when it comes to Disney or some other business tracking me when I am on their property for purposes of getting me to spend more money, I really don't care. I am an independent thinker and ultimately, I make the decisions as to where my money goes. If Disney can "trick" me into spending more money there, then I think they have earned every dollar they get from me.

Don't some malls track people via their cell phones? Seems I read a couple years ago that they would track and then target ads at you as you passed certain stores. Also, I would imagine many stores now track you when you log into their "free" wifi. I'm pretty sure Walmart doesn't provide you free in-store wifi so you can surf the web rather than shop. It will already notify them automatically when you are there to pick up an order so it theoretically can be waiting for you at the pick-up desk.

 

[JennSpencer]

I also view the Magic Band tracking as a good thing. However, there are quite a few people who think of it as "creepy" and who refuse to wear the bands because they don't want to be tracked. This new technology could track people whether they want to be tracked or not. It gives Disney, rather than the guest, control over tracking.

Also, I have a four year old daughter who constantly loses her Magic Band. I end up wearing hers on my arm. If she were to become separated from me, neither I nor Disney would have a good way of tracking her with the Magic Band technology. On our last trip, my nine year old lost her Magic Band. On our previous trip, my four year old (then aged three) lost hers. Magic Bands can be easily removed or lost. Combining both Magic Bands and Foot Recognition Technology might be a good way to ensure that as many people as possible can be tracked- for marketing, enhanced guest experience, or safety purposes.[/QUOTE

You have a point with kids losing them etc. I just think the foot thing is not reliable. What if u change shoes during the day. Flip flops during the day and sneakers at night. Or 100 people r wearing the same thing. Its weird. If simething like this happens I hope its an option.

 

[LeeAndRobin]

My point is that if you have a smart phone, you are pretty much tracked everywhere you go anyway. On trips that I make frequently to the same area, I get phone calls (automatically blocked by my phone) from spammers when I drive through a certain area. I only get calls from those particular numbers when I drive through that area. Ever notice how if you search for something on google or in ebay that you magically then get customized ads in your browser for those items? Yet another example of tracking. Not to mention the fact that video cameras are everywhere now. These days, you've got about as much chance of not being tracked as being able to live without ever buying even one item made in China. Basically zero. I may not like it, you may not like it, but it is a fact of modern day life, and there is really no going back, just as no one is going to go back to living in caves (well, some might, but that's another story).

 

[Dfan79]

I know that this feet thing sounds like it will cause longer lines. But it could be a lot worse. They could inject chips into people's necks or give them forced colonoscopies. So thank you Disney for just looking at our hands and feet.

 

[Madonna3]

If this creepy system came to pass I would change my footwear 3x a day for no purpose other than to mess with it.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

My point is that if you have a smart phone, you are pretty much tracked everywhere you go anyway. On trips that I make frequently to the same area, I get phone calls (automatically blocked by my phone) from spammers when I drive through a certain area. I only get calls from those particular numbers when I drive through that area. Ever notice how if you search for something on google or in ebay that you magically then get customized ads in your browser for those items? Yet another example of tracking. Not to mention the fact that video cameras are everywhere now. These days, you've got about as much chance of not being tracked as being able to live without ever buying even one item made in China. Basically zero. I may not like it, you may not like it, but it is a fact of modern day life, and there is really no going back, just as no one is going to go back to living in caves (well, some might, but that's another story).

The technology exists, that is true. But I am sure there is some talk of states passing laws that prevent certain types of tracking. It takes a long time for laws to change, but change they do. The technology may not go back, but there could be laws that prevent the technology from being used in certain ways.

 

[LeeAndRobin]

The technology exists, that is true. But I am sure there is some talk of states passing laws that prevent certain types of tracking. It takes a long time for laws to change, but change they do. The technology may not go back, but there could be laws that prevent the technology from being used in certain ways.

Laws only prevent people and organizations who follow laws from doing things. Locks only keep out (mostly) honest people. Digital tracking is so easy to do without anyone knowing it is being done that enforcing such laws will be almost impossible. Not to mention the fact that those laws won't mean squat to organizations not based in the state (or country) that passed them.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Laws only prevent people and organizations who follow laws from doing things. Locks only keep out (mostly) honest people. Digital tracking is so easy to do without anyone knowing it is being done that enforcing such laws will be almost impossible. Not to mention the fact that those laws won't mean squat to organizations not based in the state (or country) that passed them.

That is absolutely true. But if such laws are passed in the United Sates, Disney will follow them. They won't have a choice. As a family company who relies on a positive reputation, they can hardly get away with ignoring such laws. That is why I think they are investing in different types of tracking technology- so they will have a better chance of being in compliance with any possible tracking laws.

 

[LeeAndRobin]

That is absolutely true. But if such laws are passed in the United Sates, Disney will follow them. They won't have a choice. As a family company who relies on a positive reputation, they can hardly get away with ignoring such laws. That is why I think they are investing in different types of tracking technology- so they will have a better chance of being in compliance with any possible tracking laws.

My comments above which you responded to were not about Disney. I'm sure Disney will follow whatever laws are passed.

 

[UKDisneyJoe]

Was thinking about this the other day and could it possibly be for an individual ride in the future. You go through the scanner at the start and during a possible walk-through it knows who you are and you get a different experience every time or something that is specific to you. That would seem more likely then having these at the entrance to the park surely. If that was the case it could be very interesting to see it

 

[Madonna3]

Was thinking about this the other day and could it possibly be for an individual ride in the future. You go through the scanner at the start and during a possible walk-through it knows who you are and you get a different experience every time or something that is specific to you. That would seem more likely then having these at the entrance to the park surely. If that was the case it could be very interesting to see it

How would that be different than what the magic bands can do?

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

How would that be different than what the magic bands can do?

Not sure it would be much different, but from the articles I read about this, Disney does not intend (at least at this time) to implement the Magic Band system at all of its parks. Isn't WDW Florida the only location where the Magic Bands are in place? Wasn't it outrageously expensive to set up Disney World with all of the required items for Magic Bands to work? This could be a way for them to use tracking technology that is less expensive in some of the other park locations.