Magic Band reader spotted at DCA!

[Ress76]

KttM=Key to the Magic card. (i.e. Onsite hotel cardkey and chargeback card.) Staying onsite as an AP and charging back to your room, you need to present KttW, ID, and AP. That's a lot to juggle when you're carrying a tray table. Don't know what else needs to be presented with MBs at WDW.

At WDW, your AP exists is linked to your band for admission, but not discounts. Photo ID and your physical AP ticket/card needs to be shown every time an AP is used for any discount. If I am pulling those out, it makes next to no difference to me if I have to also swipe my band, or pull out my KTTW, credit card or cash.

MBs are fine, kind of nice not to have to carry around KTTW and FP, but they don't make the park experience significantly better for me, either. I have not seen that it makes lines move any faster-there will always be people who try to beat the FP time (early, late), think they have one but don't etc who monopolize CMs and back up lines. WDW tends to have a MB reader on either side in most queue entrances, so it's nice that BF and I can both swipe at the same time, but again, this is a a pause to swipe and see the Mickey turn green versus a CM glancing at the FP and waving you on; any time savings (either way) is minimal at best.

As I believe a PP said, the benefit Disney gets with the MBs, besides the add-ons and upgraded bands, is that people don't feel the 'pain' of paying something, they can just swipe, swipe, swipe and go and are probably more apt to overspend. And since I'm sure Disney would love to have their DL guests overspend as well, I anticipate that some version of the MBs will come to DL at some point in the future-perhaps along the lines of the Target Red Card debit card: you sign up for a MB and link that to your CC or Checking Account and Disney will debit your account.

Ress

 

[hjgaus]

I would have to think there are plans to move to a centeralized kiosk based/MDE type system for all FPs even if it is simply for people to get one at a time the day of (like the current system) in the park. I think the first clue on this is if you start seeing the readers anywhere at a ride as opposed to just at a register.

I think there recently was a thread on a Fast Pass reader being tested at space mountain (kinda looked like the MB light up Mickey reader).
Now the card reader for electronic paying (also looking similar to MB) at the cart.... could this be the start of slowly getting some kinda NEW systems in play when Star Wars Land arrives? Anticipating the madness of the crowds?

 

[sunshine1]

Sorry to bump this.

Is it true that only WDW will have magic bands?
None of the Disney parks will be implementing this?

 

[StormyCA]

Rumor has it that there will be 'scannable' FPs and some form of FP+, but supposedly no MBs.

All rumor, though. Personally I liked MBs, but I agree that FP+ as it is at WDW will not work at DL.

 

[OKW Lover]

Sorry to bump this.

Is it true that only WDW will have magic bands?
None of the Disney parks will be implementing this?

Nobody knows for sure. Lots of DL folks hope this is the case but that's their preference. Disney will do whatever they think is right for Disney. I would take some comfort however in the fact that MB's have been used in WDW for nearly 3 years now but Disney hasn't seen fit to expand their use yet.

 

[Xenorye]

Wouldn't it be ironic if the same people that cry for Disney to reduce the crowds become the ones that stop coming because of this?

 

[OKW Lover]

Wouldn't it be ironic if the same people that cry for Disney to reduce the crowds become the ones that stop coming because of this?

More than ironic since it doesn't seem to have had any effect on the WDW crowds.

 

[doctornick]

Rumor has it that there will be 'scannable' FPs and some form of FP+, but supposedly no MBs.

All rumor, though. Personally I liked MBs, but I agree that FP+ as it is at WDW will not work at DL.

I don't expect DL to have pre-reserved FP+ any time soon (if ever) but other aspects from WDW could easily come to DLR -- e.g. Magic bands for onsite guests that are linked to admission media, photos, FP+ and can be used for charging. If they go to electronic FP+ (as opposed to paper FP), it would be interesting to see how that is implemented for day guests or AP holders.

 

[StormyCA]

I don't expect DL to have pre-reserved FP+ any time soon (if ever) but other aspects from WDW could easily come to DLR -- e.g. Magic bands for onsite guests that are linked to admission media, photos, FP+ and can be used for charging. If they go to electronic FP+ (as opposed to paper FP), it would be interesting to see how that is implemented for day guests or AP holders.

I'd be good with that. Maybe they could have ticket media and APs with RFID. I'm pretty sure that's what they do at WDW since MB aren't 'mandatory'.

 

[TGM]

Photos?

There are constant rumors of MyMagic+ coming. It would make sense for DCA to have it first, since their technology is newer.

 

[Jerryp49]

From Mouseplanet this morning :

Disneyland conducted another Fastpass test at Space Mountain last week, in what seems to be a follow up to the testing we mentioned last October. For this test, Disney again placed two temporary bar code readers at the Fastpass return entrance for the ride. Visitors scanned the barcode of their Fastpass at the readers, with a green light indicating the pass was valid.

When this test was first conducted last fall, the look of the barcode readers—similar in appearance to the Fastpass+ readers use at Walt Disney World to scan RFID-enabled MagicBands—led to a great deal of speculation that MagicBands and the Fastpass+ program are coming to Disneyland. Disney representatives tried to downplay those rumors, saying the test was part of a routine trial and not a precursor to a MagicBand roll-out.

However, the return of the bar code scanners does indicate that Disney is moving ahead to roll out some sort of change to the Fastpass system at Disneyland. From a sheer operational standpoint, it makes no sense for Disney to invest in fancy barcode readers to scan the Fastpass tickets of returning riders, when a cast member stationed at that checkpoint can do the same thing faster and more effectively.

The need for a barcode scanner only makes sense if the media being scanned is not a Fastpass ticket at all, but some other item—perhaps an admission ticket or annual passport—that is not printed with human-readable attraction and return time information. And to us, that suggests a Fastpass-like system tied to admission media instead of MagicBands.

Even if MagicBand devices are not in Disneyland's future, the days of Fastpass as we know it are almost certainly numbered.

 

[OKW Lover]

However, the return of the bar code scanners does indicate that Disney is moving ahead to roll out some sort of change to the Fastpass system at Disneyland.

Could it be just a convenient place for the Imagineers to try out technology destined for another park, like Shanghai?

 

[graceclaire925]

We hated fastpass+ which is why we're coming to Disneyland. Long wait times for rides like hm, potc and other rides that used to be walk on. Horrible.

 

[courtneybeth]

I'm in the minority - love FP+ and Magic Bands. If they are indeed coming, bring it on.

I need a system where my credit card is attached to my magic band for the entire annual pass year. it would make purchases so much easier.

 

[msr709]

We used the Magic the last 2 years at WDW and they worked wonderfully. I was surprised to see that DL didn't have them. The volume of visitors alone should be enough to make the MB useful, unless I'm missing something?? We also used the FP+, not saying I LOVED it but it was OK. I prefer the paper FP ones but the MBs were awesome. JMHO, please don't hate.

 

[sunflare]

We used the Magic the last 2 years at WDW and they worked wonderfully. I was surprised to see that DL didn't have them. The volume of visitors alone should be enough to make the MB useful, unless I'm missing something?? We also used the FP+, not saying I LOVED it but it was OK. I prefer the paper FP ones but the MBs were awesome. JMHO, please don't hate.

While the tech is great...there just is NO place to put it in DL. It's already hard enough to move around the lines ... taking up more space with the MB readers would be a major issue. Not to mention that I believe DL has already stated that they cannot physically fit the MB readers in at the entrances, as well.