Just how much are the Magic Bands tracking?

One thing about the tracking, is it is more voluntary than the NSA. We can go to Disney or not, even though my DW would not believe that came out of my "mouth."

I am torn, I believe the info may improve Disney for the guest, but it may only improve Disney's bottom line.
 
Reports during earlier testing (this forum and others) have mentioned that a quick glance at the CMs ipad, resulted in a shocking amount of information being projected to a shocking number of CMs. So, yes, that somewhat sketchy CM at Pirates will know everything about you as you scan your Magic Band at the Mickey reader for your ride. If he kind of likes your 15 year old daughter, he knows where she lives and her room number. Nice huh.
 
Whats scarier is folks going through the parks with a scanner pulling your info off the bands.

Yeah it is not that far fetched and I can see it happening.
The only info ON the band is a code for your MDE account. They would need access to Disney's system in order to access any of your actual information. There's NOTHING on the band that would mean anything to people who could read the RFID signal that did not have access to Disney's system. And if they have access to Disney's system...they have your information already...no need to read the band.

I would suggest to anyone that doesn't want to be tracked to either use and RFID protected pocket to store your magicband/park ticket (they sell these in many forms including wallets, purses, backpacks, etc)...or to just not go to Disney.

I always assume whether I am out and about that I am being tracked by someone in some way. No...not paranoid as I really don't care...but most stores you go in have security cameras and if you use your credit card at a register many people can access your information from that store. When you use the internet...it's being tracked...don't we all love those targeted ads that pop up based on what websites we visited? And don't even get me started on those silly smart phones and their apps...how many of you are being tracked with those?

Generally...I prefer not to think about how much of what we do is being tracked...it's life in the modern world. I do not think Disney is doing anything bad with the information and I trust that they are keeping all the important stuff very secure. But for those of you who do care...you do have options (RFID blocking technology, stay offsite and do not get a magicband, choosing not to go, etc).
 

Is there a wallet/box of sorts that you can put your bands/cards in that will block the signals? Even though I'm an incredibly boring person I really don't like being tracked... even for benign reasons.

YES, YES, YES. If you don't want your every move tracked, enter the park and put the MB in the locker at the front of the park. Use cash for all transactions in the park. Since our FP+ are not made til evening we don't need them again for a long while or if all your FP are in the am, use them and then lock up your MB, done!
 
Or an RFID blocking wallet, purse, pouch, backpack, etc...those are good options too if you don't want to pay for a locker and don't want to have to trek back to the locker before a FP+ time.
 
Uhm. . .WDW is in the entertainment industry. They've been tracking people for years and years and years as they move through the park, just as all the major retailers have done at their stores and casinos have done etc. I got used to it about 9 years ago when I saw a company's product that could track people as they moved around a mall by the pattern on the TOPS OF THEIR HEADS. I kid you not! That was 9 years ago - practically an epoch in the technology industry.

Magic bands are much, much safer from fraud or theft than your credit card or your old KTTW. The information on those is unencrypted and available to anyone with a card reader. Also, they're easy peasy to reprogram. The only truly relevant information on a magic band is an encrypted number that is tied to that magic band - and it's been encrypted with the current gold standard of encryption. That number is tied in Disney's computers to you, and apparently, you can be tied to any of a number of magic bands.

Also, it seems from the distribution of the bands and what's being seen that magic bands are likely one and done - you can only burn information onto them once, so there's no threat of someone reprogramming their magic band with your information.

If you are really, really, really paranoid, amazon.com sells faraday bags for cell phones that would work for a magic band. (faraday cages or faraday bags in this case are enclosures that block electrical signals from passing in or out.)

Me personally? I'm collecting them so I can color coordinate my magic band to my outfit and I wear them the whole time I'm at WDW. I'll never lock myself out of my room again!
 
I'm not too worried about my credit card info as I only added it to my MDE account for our ADR - our only one, which is on our first day. Once we've showed up, I can remove it from the account. Whether all traces of that information disappear completely is anyone's guess. I suppose I am of the view that there is a fine line between being duly cautious and being paranoid.

Please note I am not suggesting that anyone who is concerned about this is paranoid. It's just that we each have to draw a line somewhere and that's where I drew mine.
 
If they can pull info similarly to an EZ tag going through a toll plaza at 70mph, then why are there such bottlenecks at FP+ return and the constant reminders of 'Mickey to Mickey'?
 
Very few of the cast with scanning devices actually have any information shown to them. The ones with most likely the most info will be shown are (and in no order)
A. Hotel front desk/concierge
B. Guest Relations
C. Park Support
D. Security


The people who book your fastpasses. Scan your rides, take your order and ask if you want to buy that light up Mickey hat have no access to any of your personal information.
 
When I first posted on a thread similar to this, I was ostracized for being a tin foil hat wearer. Yes, I guess I am. I do believe CMs have access to more than just your resort and ticket information and I will keep mine in an RFID protected pocket. Just sayin...
 
I have a cute little metal box that says Random Crap. It perfectly fits my MB and seems like it is appropriately named!!
 
I have a cute little metal box that says Random Crap. It perfectly fits my MB and seems like it is appropriately named!!

Perfect! I thought about an Altoids container but it appears Magic Bands are larger than that!
 
If they can pull info similarly to an EZ tag going through a toll plaza at 70mph, then why are there such bottlenecks at FP+ return and the constant reminders of 'Mickey to Mickey'?
There are two types of RFID chips in the magic bands...one that can be read by long range scanners and one that can only be read close up (for FP+, park entry, payment information, etc). Or there are two types of readers...and the ones for FP+, park entry, payment information etc are only able to READ close up...or maybe it's both of those things. I can't remember...but they are different because it wouldn't really do you much good if the FP+ scanner or the turnstiles at entry ready your band from far away...you would be noted as "using it" when really maybe you were just near by and not actually using it.
 
It is unlikely that scanners will be able to read the magicbands inside your car or even inside your pocket or a bag. The Sunpass/E-Zpass scanners are high power with a stronger battery and must be in your windshield under clear glass.

I don't mind them tracking where I go in the parks. I plan to visit EVERY rest room for 15 seconds and the same fast food place 20 times just to blow someone's mind if they look.

The gate guard has access to your hotel folio info which is why he knew about the hotels and home address... that's to help ensure you are who you say you are and are authorized to be given access.

I cannot emphasize enough - there is no data on the band except a band number. Disney's various other systems scan your band for the ID and when appropriate you give your PIN to find a match in the records of the hotel system or MDE or point of sale. Those systems have always been designed to protect your data from disclosure... we have to trust Disney to handle that (hopefully better than Target did) or else not go there.
 
It I cannot emphasize enough - there is no data on the band except a band number.

The people who book your fastpasses. Scan your rides, take your order and ask if you want to buy that light up Mickey hat have no access to any of your personal information.

This is not true. All you have to do is look for yourself when you enter a FP+ attraction with your MagicBand. As you pass the scanners, turn around and look back at the CM's monitor screen that displays the names of your party. At the very least, the name of the person using the MagicBand is displayed. Of course, the names also appear on the screens of the FP+ CMs. That may not be a lot of personal information, but it is personal information.

In one instance, a child in our group was welcomed by name when he scanned his MB (as the CM glanced at the screen facing her to see what it was). Some might feel that this adds magic. We didn't like it.
 
Again, there is nothing on the bands to hack. At BEST, if someone were to scan ALL the ID codes on the band (there are at least two, and I understand there may actually be three - one for the active transmitter and two for the different frequency passive chips) and duplicate them somehow to a card or another band that isn't obviously fraudulent, again, AT BEST they'd be able to TRY to use your ticket credentials to enter the park (and if the finger scans are active, be denied and questioned by the CM who sees the name of the band's owner on their display away from the person using it), purchase an item (and need the PIN number), use your FP+ (not sure if they can find out when/where at the kiosks without additional info), and if they somehow know what resort you are staying at, MAYBE get in to your room but without knowing what room number, trying to scan it at every door is likely to wave very large red flags and lock it out.

To get ANY information about you, they need to have access to "Disney's Database of Everything" as I call it. Even if they surreptitiously can manage to scan the band at a CM terminal, that CM terminal likely only displays the information required at that terminal - I haven't seen it myself, but I understand that at a FP+ touchpoint, it only displays a person's name, and their FP+ time. At parking booths or park entrances, they can probably call up more information to better ID the person if needed - match against a drivers license, for instance.

If you're worried about a CM knowing your address and that you're on vacation, they already know it at the resorts, or when you show your ID when you arrive at the resort to check in.

If they can pull info similarly to an EZ tag going through a toll plaza at 70mph, then why are there such bottlenecks at FP+ return and the constant reminders of 'Mickey to Mickey'?

Slightly different. The receivers in the toll booths are MUCH larger and sensitive, and for the more recent passive tags, put out a much larger and more powerful magnetic field - I personally wouldn't want to hang out next to one for hours.

As mentioned previously there are two types of transmitters in the band.

1) An active transmitter. This, based on battery and transmit power as reported to the FCC, can be read at around 9-15 feet without more focused receiving equipment. This is NOT used for most things, as it would have trouble distinguishing people in a crowd. It CAN be used for positional tracking, but basically within a 15 foot radius unless there is more than one directional receiver in range, but most receivers aren't directional in that regard. They basically say "IDXXXXXXXXXXXX" is near LOCATION - along with everyone else in range. The guest-visible use for this is supposed to be for certain special "experiences" where for instance a princess will know the name of a child or pt up a message on a screen when you pass by without anyone having to explicitly wave a band at a touchpoint.

2) A passive transmitter (x2, at different frequencies). This doesn't use the battery at all. Instead, you place it near an "active reader". The reader puts out a magnetic field. A wire in the band (which doubles as the antenna) converts the magnetic field into enough electricity to tell the chip to transmit its ID back to the receiver. The effective range of most passive systems, without very special equipment, is less than 10cm, and for many it's a lot less than that, depending on the power of the magnetic field. Disney's touchpoints are significantly low power enough that you have to be practically touching the touchpoint itself with the "hot point" of the band (where the Mickey head is). I think the location of the hot point on the band and the sensitivity of the touch point trip people up as I think it is awkward for people to turn their wrists that way, and why it seems to slow people up in the FP+ lines.

At any rate, feel free to wear the tinfoil hats if you like. Put them in the anti-RFID pouches when you don't need them.
 
This is not true. All you have to do is look for yourself when you enter a FP+ attraction with your MagicBand. As you pass the scanners, turn around and look back at the CM's monitor screen that displays the names of your party. At the very least, the name of the person using the MagicBand is displayed. Of course, the names also appear on the screens of the FP+ CMs. That may not be a lot of personal information, but it is personal information.

In one instance, a child in our group was welcomed by name when he scanned his MB (as the CM glanced at the screen facing her to see what it was). Some might feel that this adds magic. We didn't like it.

That is nothing more and nothing less than the name that you gave WDW when you ordered your Magic Bands and is the same as the name that is printed on the inside of the band. It isn't tied to anything important. If you don't want a CM calling a child by name, change the name on the kid's Magic Band to something else like "boy" or "NOYB" or "pirate."
 














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