Long range RFID tracking sensors installed

[JoeA]

This thread could really help the economy... because of all the tin foil being bought for hats. I'll continue to do my own research that hasn't been overshadowed by conspiracy theorists. I have yet to see anything with this program that worries me. At least not enough to stop going to Disney or to start wrapping my MB in tin foil. Then again, like I said before, private property and all that. Which I 100% support. Now, don't get me started on stuff like net neutrality.

Haha! No kidding.

We're all being tracked to some degree. Most retail stores do it now, too. They use technology to watch you walk through the store, where you stop and linger, which shelves you look at or reach for...and how much you spend and on what (gotta loves those grocery loyalty cards, too!)

If Disney knows I am standing by the Dawa bar and the bar tender asks if I want. Rum drink before I open my mouth...no big deal to me.

 

[GillianP1301]

I don't see the big deal with this, they can track me on Disney property if they want. Imagine the excitement of "oh, she's shopping... AGAIN. Hey, she's in line for a Dole Whip... AGAIN. Looks like it's the goofy hat antenna topper this year". I mean seriously, what exactly am I doing on property that I need I would care if it's tracked? Will it lead to target marketing? Likely, but that's okay, my email delete button will just get a little more workout than the excessive amount it already does. The marketing could work in my favour too, maybe I'll get some discounts or target deals for my shopping pattern. I'd be good with that.

 

[Laz]

All the while the song "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell will be playing in the background.

 

[CFioren317]

by definition Downtown DISNEY. Their world, their rules.

I always love when this conversation comes up. You are on a forum that sells your info. That is how they can keep a board this large and expensive to maintain afloat. You have an email address. You carry a cell phone. Many people have navigation systems in their cars. You have a kindle/tablet/laptop. I have a garmin (satellite) watch. Some credit cards are RFID. All of these things broadcast info to the world. The idea of privacy is long gone. Disney isn't doing anything to you that isn't happening to you 1000 times a day from other sources.

You are mixing up Brick and mortar shops with the web. Walking around in a B&M store should not trigger any communication from that shop owner when I leave without buying anything. If it does, then that is an invasion of my privacy. Whether I have a navigation system, I use the web, or carry a cell phone.

Period.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I think you may be assuming that they will contact you and ask why you didn't buy anything. Most large retail stores have these devices according to the person who makes them - and they are not used to contact customers who leave the store empty-handed.

They might e-mail you a coupon though. But the device is not an RFID reader so they would not know who you were.

 

[Liljo22]

Define "Disney Property". Does that mean go into the parks. Or are you saying that when you simply browse around in a Disney Store, you don't mind that they are tracking you? Because to me, it's two TOTALLY different things.

Sure, if I am wearing the band and use it to go into MK, then let them track me to their heart's content. If I bought a dole whip and they want to know if I liked it, then by all means, spam me, call me, do whatever you want.

But if I am in downtown Disney, and simply walk into the store, look around for a minute, then leave without a purchase, and I get an email asking me about THAT PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE, where I did nothing more than browsed in the store...well to me that's simply wrong. And that would spell the end of me wearing the MBs unless I am using them in the parks.

This is no different than when you visit a website and AdWords or any of the other web advertisers retarget the ads to you. Let's say you want to see what the new Ford Mustang looks like. You are not actually buying it or be remotely interested in buying but the ad trackers know you visited the site so for the next couple of days you have car maker ads following you around.

Or do you have a cell phone? The cell phone companies know where you are at all times when you cell phone is turned on. These records are easily obtained by law enforcement or the government.

You might as well get completely off the grid is these type of things bother you.

 

[CFioren317]

This is no different than when you visit a website and AdWords or any of the other web advertisers retarget the ads to you. Let's say you want to see what the new Ford Mustang looks like. You are not actually buying it or be remotely interested in buying but the ad trackers know you visited the site so for the next couple of days you have car maker ads following you around.

Or do you have a cell phone? The cell phone companies know where you are at all times when you cell phone is turned on. These records are easily obtained by law enforcement or the government.

You might as well get completely off the grid is these type of things bother you.

OMG!!! I give up.

 

[Raenstoirm]

I think you may be assuming that they will contact you and ask why you didn't buy anything. Most large retail stores have these devices according to the person who makes them - and they are not used to contact customers who leave the store empty-handed.

They might e-mail you a coupon though. But the device is not an RFID reader so they would not know who you were.

Yeah thats the other thing. This may be used as target marketing in the future, but it is not now. Disney does not have the manpower for such a thing. Can you imagine how many customer service reps Disney would have to employ to give even a single phone call to each and every visitor to ask why they did or did not buy something?? Disney would have to double their manpower and they are currently the #1 private employer in the country! This is a larger scale project. If 10,000 people enter store X but only 100 people buy something, store X is not worth the space and they will replace it. With this new system , they now know that Tiki birds is only pulling 10,000 guests a day (for example, I have no idea about real numbers). If they put something new there, the new attraction would cycle through 100,000 people. So tiki birds might be on the chopping block. As someone else said, 10,000 pop guests are watching Fantasmic, the computer knows to dispatch more pop busses, since most of those people will be ready to leave in 20 minutes.
Not to say that target marketing isn't one of the goals since I am sure it is, but it is just a small piece of the new toy Disney has created for itself.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Is this also the way they are adding your ride photos to your MM without having to go to the counter after the ride? We leave in 3 weeks and have ordered MM and have been reading that you don't need to go to the counter anymore. I wondered how they are doing this.

Yes it is.

 

[dixiegirl]

Sorry, that explanation isn't as exciting as long range RFID sensors.

Can you provide any details on how they work?

My guess is that these are taking the place of the older version of people counters that pretty much every major retail store has installed. With the old counters you could only calculate your conversion rates manually by taking your counter numbers by the hour and then looking at your number of transactions. When I worked at our local Disney Store, we had to calculate our hourly conversion rate manually. Looks like since these identify who has bags vs not, it's a much more accurate conversion rate. Don't really think they are looking for individual shoppers' purchases, it's all about how to get the most people leaving with a bag and get your average dollar sale up.

 

[Networth]

It's the world we live in my friend. Someone somewhere can always find track/find you. If it makes you feel better most the time they don't care about the average Joe Schmo except for advertising purposes.

At least Disney is upfront about tracking you. See that browser your using to read these forums, ever read the terms of use for that?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

This photo is from atdisneyagain.com. I hope he doesn't mind me stealing it and giving him credit.



These new long range sensors are at the new Downtown Disney/Disney Springs Main Street Coop. The sensors will read the Magic Band on your wrist and allow Disney to know where you're at. Expect to see these little receivers all over.

OK............so?

These type of devises are in many stores/ theme parks/and other venues connecting with your card purchases, and cell phones, etc..........nothing new here, in fact old news!
If you just browse in a store these devises track where you go and what you look at!

Welcome to the 21st century!


AKK

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Yeah thats the other thing. This may be used as target marketing in the future, but it is not now. Disney does not have the manpower for such a thing. Can you imagine how many customer service reps Disney would have to employ to give even a single phone call to each and every visitor to ask why they did or did not buy something?? Disney would have to double their manpower and they are currently the #1 private employer in the country! This is a larger scale project. If 10,000 people enter store X but only 100 people buy something, store X is not worth the space and they will replace it. With this new system , they now know that Tiki birds is only pulling 10,000 guests a day (for example, I have no idea about real numbers). If they put something new there, the new attraction would cycle through 100,000 people. So tiki birds might be on the chopping block. As someone else said, 10,000 pop guests are watching Fantasmic, the computer knows to dispatch more pop busses, since most of those people will be ready to leave in 20 minutes.
Not to say that target marketing isn't one of the goals since I am sure it is, but it is just a small piece of the new toy Disney has created for itself.

exactly. if most people come in the door of the shop and then leave with nothing, it's time to replace the stock in that shop....or make it into a new shop. They aren't going to be concentrating on why any individual person didn't make a purchase...they want the larger info.

 

[disneyfan55]

Just wondering if there is signage of video etc. in WDW . I don't recall any. I don't mind if an establishment advises all, but when done discreetly, a different story. In London for example there are signs all over telling the story. Here in the US not so much.

 

[dixiegirl]

exactly. if most people come in the door of the shop and then leave with nothing, it's time to replace the stock in that shop....or make it into a new shop. They aren't going to be concentrating on why any individual person didn't make a purchase...they want the larger info.

Yep - it's all about your conversion rate and your average dollar sale (and your units per transaction too) in retail. Get more bags in people's hands and get more stuff in those bags.

 

[JoeA]

Now what would really be creepy is if my wife made me wear a "magic band"!

 

[lugnut33]

I still think those are sensors and not cameras. There's no lens and they look just like an RFID sensor.

BTW, I don't know where anybody came up with me the OP having a problem with them, I was just pointing it out that they are installed because it's interesting.

Reflecting on it, I don't really care if they follow me around.

 

[ethanwa]

Who cares if they track you. Do you have something to hide? If so, don't wear a Magic Band.

 

[ckergald]

This is a marketing dream, Each magic band is associated with a real person that Disney knows their name, and age, address, and often email address. They can track what stores and restaurants you entered, how long you were in that establishment, when you left, how frequently you returned, if you purchased anything in the store, how much money you spent in the store.

Now it is Disney's private property, and I don't mind them having this information - however I could see them partnering with other companies, or selling this information and that would bother me to start receiving more junk mail, phone calls, and email just because I spent over a certain threshold of time in one of their stores. Not saying this will happen but it is possible.

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

This is a marketing dream, Each magic band is associated with a real person that Disney knows their name, and age, address, and often email address. They can track what stores and restaurants you entered, how long you were in that establishment, when you left, how frequently you returned, if you purchased anything in the store, how much money you spent in the store.

Now it is Disney's private property, and I don't mind them having this information - however I could see them partnering with other companies, or selling this information and that would bother me to start receiving more junk mail, phone calls, and email just because I spent over a certain threshold of time in one of their stores. Not saying this will happen but it is possible.

From a business and marketing information collection standpoint, I think it is absolutely genius.