Magic Bands coming to DCL

[DISNEY FANTASY]

No need to install readers in all ports - a simple wireless link will do the trick. They already do this in the parks.
Agree
As you note, any card will work in the light thing for the new ships. Even better, they could use the "long range" feature of MB's to know if somebody (or at least their MB) is in the cabin.

Agree

The wireless link is a one-time installation on the ship. Nothing is needed in the ports as the readers are hand-held.

Agree

MagicBands are already in use on the ships. The kids are using them in the kids clubs. Quota filled. Let's move on.

Agree

They have wristbands on Quantum of the Seas that seem to act like magic bands. I wonder if they still have to provide people with cards to access the ports.

Agree,

When they start there will be two services side by side and that's what a couple of people do not understand, yes ports of call may still ask for the cruise card, but on ship the magic band can by used for everything and is far easier to carry. You can pay at bars, shops, Palo, Remy Spa, etc and not carry the card.

In case anyone is interested, this is the original Bob Iger interview they're referring to:

http://fortune.com/2014/12/29/disney-ceo-bob-iger-empire-of-tech/

It does actually say: "Already, Disney says, MagicBands have led to increased spending at the park. And the plan is to expand to other locations, including the company’s line of cruise ships."

I kinda think (personal preference of anyone here aside) that's the magic words there -- "led to increased spending". Anything that leads to more $ being spent usually happens, one way or another.

Yes, it's coming, it's not for a few to say it will not work, their not DCL, it's coming and they will sort it out.

They could always do CC level colored bands.

Yes that's the idea.

Ports of call are Not as backward as some would like you to think, it's not costly and if all cruise lines do it, it's cheap.

Hey all of London transport can read one card it's not difficult to install readers.

 

[Quellman]

the idea of the band being able to activate the lights just from being in the room sounds like a much better idea to me than having to find a card to activate them.

We have a magnetic potato chip clip we take with us. We clip a blank card or one from a past cruise to it and stick it on the wall by the activation slot. Leave the room, pull it and clip it. Come back, unclip and push it in.

 

[Alice Royal]

They have wristbands on Quantum of the Seas that seem to act like magic bands. I wonder if they still have to provide people with cards to access the ports.

From the reviews and such I've seen, this is the case. You are given a SeaPass card during check-in and then the WOWBands are waiting in your stateroom.

If one line is already doing that, I see no issues if Disney decides to follow in a similar fashion. MagicBands for onboard use, ID cards for ports. AP holders at WDW are already used to having to carry a card with the band anyway.

 

[bumbershoot]

From the reviews and such I've seen, this is the case. You are given a SeaPass card during check-in and then the WOWBands are waiting in your stateroom. If one line is already doing that, I see no issues if Disney decides to follow in a similar fashion. MagicBands for onboard use, ID cards for ports. AP holders at WDW are already used to having to carry a card with the band anyway.

On quantum they didn't give a card according to many reviews do the first sailing(s). They had one band affixed to your door so you use that to get in, then the rest of the bands are in the room. Can you say security risk?

I hate the bands, all bands, but if you're going to do it, do it right.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

In case anyone is interested, this is the original Bob Iger interview they're referring to:

http://fortune.com/2014/12/29/disney-ceo-bob-iger-empire-of-tech/

It does actually say: "Already, Disney says, MagicBands have led to increased spending at the park. And the plan is to expand to other locations, including the company’s line of cruise ships."

I kinda think (personal preference of anyone here aside) that's the magic words there -- "led to increased spending". Anything that leads to more $ being spent usually happens, one way or another.

We have a magnetic potato chip clip we take with us. We clip a blank card or one from a past cruise to it and stick it on the wall by the activation slot. Leave the room, pull it and clip it. Come back, unclip and push it in.

I use a pre stay hotel room card.

From the reviews and such I've seen, this is the case. You are given a SeaPass card during check-in and then the WOWBands are waiting in your stateroom.

If one line is already doing that, I see no issues if Disney decides to follow in a similar fashion. MagicBands for onboard use, ID cards for ports. AP holders at WDW are already used to having to carry a card with the band anyway.

On quantum they didn't give a card according to many reviews do the first sailing(s). They had one band affixed to your door so you use that to get in, then the rest of the bands are in the room. Can you say security risk?

I hate the bands, all bands, but if you're going to do it, do it right.

Magic bands will come..


Some said you can't have orange lifeboats/ Life-vests.
Some said you have to take your life-vest to the muster drill.
Some said you can't have fireworks at sea.

Some said you can't use social media for cruise meets......

 

[vacationer1954]

Our MYE account show a third set of Magic Bands coming to us. The second set were for our upcoming February visit to WDW so we assumed that the third set were for our upcoming Disney Dream cruise but it looks like it is just an extra set because we're AP holders.

 

[truck1]

Our MYE account show a third set of Magic Bands coming to us. The second set were for our upcoming February visit to WDW so we assumed that the third set were for our upcoming Disney Dream cruise but it looks like it is just an extra set because we're AP holders.

Were AP holders also and we get a new set assigned to us every year when the AP renews. We haven't had them sent to us as we really don't need them. I think though I cant swear to it, you have to click a box that says send them. Other wise they show as available.

 

[truck1]

So let me get this straight. Disney comes up with the Magic bands, and have continuing issues with them under testing. So they expand and give it to everyone and compound the problem. (I know a few call center reps that deal with the issues on a daily basis and they all say the same thing. The system has problems) Now they are adding bus wait times to the system and now DCL. Am I the only one that thinks they need to perfect 1 area before moving on?

Since they have come out, we as a family have not been able to get into a park without a side trip to GS to fix our Magic band account. Everything from cross linked passes to deleted accounts. Each time its "fixed" and GS swears its fixed, something else gets lost during there fix.

 

[vacationer1954]

We haven't had any problems with our Magic Bands yet.

 

[tgeorge]

I use a pre stay hotel room card.





Magic bands will come..


Some said you can't have orange lifeboats/ Life-vests.
Some said you have to take your life-vest to the muster drill.
Some said you can't have fireworks at sea.

Some said you can't use social media for cruise meets......

That pretty much sums it up! I have a co-worker who went to the Creativity and Innovation course through the Disney Institute. She said one of the most amazing parts was speaking with the Imagineers and that one thing Disney will never say 'no' to ideas, but rather 'how can we do that'. This is where Disney EXCELS and why it is such a magical exerience on many levels. They are usually the first to do things and others move to copy. So if there is a way for it to be done, Disney WILL find a way to do it

 

[truck1]

We haven't had any problems with our Magic Bands yet.

It seems to be hit or miss. If you are lucky enough to not have problems, then you likely wont.

In my case and in the case of most of the issues, is when we try to combine magic bands from different family or friends. Disney has made it way to complicated and their IT agrees. For us all I want to do is make it so that my son who travels to the parks with my wife and I and his sister, or he goes with my parents, or one of his friends, that any one person in the group can make fast pass reservations for 1 or all of us, or enter the park with out having to go to gs because the band stopped working, because they cross linked someone or deleted someone along the way during a fix. In the last 5 times weve been to the park, at least 1 it person kept trying to tell me my dad who has a different middle name was my son, and my son who shows same name with jr, after his name and a different character, as me was going to be deleted because it was a duplicate. After going round and round 3 times explaining that the person with the middle initial g was my dad and not my son, and jr was my son, (he kept insisting that G was my son) I gave up and went to MK GS explained the situation then they made things worse in their fix.

 

[Alice Royal]

On quantum they didn't give a card according to many reviews do the first sailing(s). They had one band affixed to your door so you use that to get in, then the rest of the bands are in the room. Can you say security risk?

I hate the bands, all bands, but if you're going to do it, do it right.

They must have changed it up, then. The first media reps to get on the boat got the cards pre-boarding. I think that's a better idea than hanging the bands on the outside of the door.

 

[wake74]

Anyone know for sure if our son can use his existing magic band we got for being seasons pass holders last year? Or does he have to get one of theirs when he registers on board? Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Anyone know for sure if our son can use his existing magic band we got for being seasons pass holders last year? Or does he have to get one of theirs when he registers on board? Thanks!

No, the band on the ship, while they look like "real" magic bands, are not. They are only used for checking in and out of the club, and can track when kids go from one room to another within the club. Not true magic bands.

 

[wake74]

No, the band on the ship, while they look like "real" magic bands, are not. They are only used for checking in and out of the club, and can track when kids go from one room to another within the club. Not true magic bands.

Thanks for the quick response. Sounds like they are using the same wrist-bands for the kids they used when we last cruised DCL a few years ago. I keep seeing people refer to them as Magicbands and thought they might have switched over.

 

[Prose]

The new ones look just like Magic Bands - they don't have that big plastic box on them like they used to. The computer system used for the bands in the parks is totally separate from the passenger database on the ship, so you can't use one band in both places. Also, as of right now, the bands used in the kids' clubs on the ships contain only the info needed to check kids in/out....no charging info or other data.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I use a pre stay hotel room card.





Magic bands will come..


Some said you can't have orange lifeboats/ Life-vests.
Some said you have to take your life-vest to the muster drill.
Some said you can't have fireworks at sea.

Some said you can't use social media for cruise meets......

I agree. Look back at the rumor stages how many people said that DCL/Wonder could never sail Alaska.
There are limited # of ships that have permits and all are taken by other lines, the hull needs to be reinforced to handle the ice, etc.

As for those who dislike wearing a band there's no reason they can't offer guests one or the other at check in. Kind of like, "Would you prefer paper or plastic?" at the grocery store.
Those who do online check in still have time to customize their MB but if you skip the online check in, you can choose a generic one while checking in at the port. Band-haters can opt for the card with lanyard. Problem solved by the end of next dry dock.

Port authorities are not chimps. Technology is advancing everywhere. It wouldn't be that difficult to train them how to operate a wireless device. Sheesh, have you ever looked at the average age of the gate monitoring CMs at WDW? It has to be at least 75. I'm sure if they can keep up with technology, the port officials can too.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

This is not surprising at all.

Magic bands are starting to pop up everywhere, even fitted within watches and smart phones. I am afraid in the next few years cards will be gone and we will be buying most things in major stores with a MB like devises.

AKK

 

[jahber]

This is not surprising at all. Magic bands are starting to pop up everywhere, even fitted within watches and smart phones. I am afraid in the next few years cards will be gone and we will be buying most things in major stores with a MB like devises. AKK

Why are you afraid, if you don't mind me asking? I love that I can use my phone to purchase things. For many reasons. The silliest is that I don't want to bring a credit card when I run, but sometimes want to pop into the convenience store for some water or Gatorade or a snack

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Why are you afraid, if you don't mind me asking? I love that I can use my phone to purchase things. For many reasons. The silliest is that I don't want to bring a credit card when I run, but sometimes want to pop into the convenience store for some water or Gatorade or a snack

Its more concerned. Frankly they need to get the security issues settled. The idea that a unknown party can take a loan against my home without me knowing or doing anything wrong and then have the bank argue that I was still going to have to pay for the thief they wrongly permitted to happen is scary!

My wife and I carry 1 or 2 credit cards, but we have gone back to mostly using cash now. Many of the people we know are doing the same.


My question to you is why are you in such a rush that you cannot take a minute to pay cash for the Gatorade or snack? There is a old story about a business man taking a old Chinese's client around NYC to see the sites. The business man explained after a trip on the subway that involved 4 train and line changes had saved them 5 minutes of travel time! The old Chinese's gentleman looking at the business man and politely asked what he was going to do with the 5 minutes now?

I guess my point really is the safety of paying cash is more important to us then a minute or 2 saved.

AKK