RFID Scanners installed around MK

[heyitsmejosh]

The range on a passive RFID of the size they will be using is very short, as in inches. Unless you have to put the RFID up to a scanner everywhere you go there is no way to actually track you.


Disney is not going to spend the large amount of money they are for this (and it is large) without some type of return. Whether they charge extra, make it a perk for deluxe resorts or tier it by onsite resort, it will be extra money in their pockets. Simply done for the guest convenience isn't going to bring in the additional business to pay for it IMO.

The same reason they won't fix the Yeti on EE. Why shutdown a ride and pay to repair an attraction that brings people to the AK when plenty of people come there and ride EE the way it is.

they make money on you not being in line because every minute you arent waiting in a line you could be buying stuff or eating stuff.

 

[White_Sox_Fan]

they make money on you not being in line because every minute you arent waiting in a line you could be buying stuff or eating stuff.

Obviously they knew that people in line can't spend money, however, I think they have realized that many people use FL's as an opportunity to take in another attraction or as a method of riding a favorite attraction multiple times.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't like planning out everything in so much detail either but I'll wait and see if that's really what this is all about. I also won't pay extra for the privilege.

 

[PHLtoMCO]

I read an article a few years back and in it Disney talked about working on a "bracelet with a chip in it" and also how they were going to begin creating more in line entertainment such as video games and characters. Its kind of cool to see some of this coming to life. The article went on to say that the bracelets could someday include guests names as well as how often you've visited the parks in the past. It went on to suggest that if the bracelets are linked to the guests names, when meeting a character in the future, you could have your bracelets scanned and the character might even be able to greet you by name (characters that speak, that is). It was a very interesting article. I hope I got all of the take-aways right as it was some time ago!

 

[mbrittb00]

Am I the only one who seriously hates this idea? What was wrong with the way things were? I agree with the poster who said Disney needs to spend more money on the actual parks and not on all this new technology. Just my two cents.

I too have been very uneasy about what is probably coming. I suspect that it will only be a perk to those staying onsite, as a way to increase their hotel revenue. Due to our family size we have been staying offsite for our last several trips. At this point I'm going to withhold judgement until the details are known.

http://www.screamscape.com/html/mk_-_nextgen_0.htm

some more photos with an actual photo of the unit. These things seem to have sprung up very quickly, maybe this is part of tomorrows announcement?

Well tomorrow is over. Did they make the announcement? What was it?

 

[CathrynRose]

As a card carrying elitist, I personally wouldn't mind if it cost extra.

Nor would I.

Can anyone else picture the ones at TSM smoking and blowing up?? LOL!!!

I dont really care for it... These machines would basically replace the CM too wouldnt they? Bracelets drive me CRAZY... I am just going to be the complainer on this one lol.

Yes - the TSM one's will be on fire.

Bracelets don't bother me - and couldn't you always hook this on a belt loop, or lanyard, or something?

 

[kaligal]

And, no one had figured this is a way of tracking your rides/activities?

I carry my cards in an RFID protected wallet. Whatever they give me, if it isn't a card, will go into an RFID protected bag.

Not a fan of the RFID.

 

[jedi jen]

I am also curious to know if any announcement was made Friday? Does anyone know? Thanks!

 

[jjsdad]

I am also curious to know if any announcement was made Friday? Does anyone know? Thanks!

Not a peep about any of this came on Friday.

 

[larryz]

What was wrong with the way things were?

Keep moving forward. Sing it with me,
"There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow..."

I agree with the poster who said Disney needs to spend more money on the actual parks and not on all this new technology. Just my two cents.

Ah, but with all the extra revenue they bring in by selling enhanced guest experiences, they'll have more money to do just that.

After they finish paying all the executive bonuses, of course...

 

[Kimi313]

Keep moving forward. Sing it with me,
"There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow..."
Ah, but with all the extra revenue they bring in by selling enhanced guest experiences, they'll have more money to do just that.
After they finish paying all the executive bonuses, of course...

Maybe it's just me but I really hate to think this will be something I will have to pay extra for, tickets already go up every year.

Am I the only one who seriously hates this idea? What was wrong with the way things were? I agree with the poster who said Disney needs to spend more money on the actual parks and not on all this new technology. Just my two cents.

Just thinking out loud but I will hate it if you have to pay extra and you have to plan down to the hour you want to ride a ride or if you don't then you have to wait even longer. I know, I know, people will flame me for saying you have to plan ahead to take advantage of everything and we do plan but not when we want to ride what ride at what time.

Now we have always stayed at a Disney Resort unless we went down for a dance competition, so if you tell me this is going to be like what I have read on these boards about Universal where resort guest gets extra privileges on rides at no extra cost then I would say 'hey it's about time' lol.

 

[larryz]

They are saying they have been installed at Splash, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, PhilharMagic, Jungle Cruise, and Huanted Mansion.

Just noticed this ... this would be a new attraction for those from Latin America...

 

[Luv2CtheMouse]

This seems to be more a way to track people and see what they like, what they do the most, where they visit in the parks, etc. Expect to see more and more of this in more places around the globe. It will become very popular very soon. They are doing this to patients, pets, in clothing, etc. This is only the beginning.

 

[Squidgyness]

Will this replace the old card system or run alongside it? If so, no fastpass for offsite?

We have to stay offsite due to family size, and most international travellers stay in villas or offsite, so if this reduces fastpass etc availability for offsite, they will not be happy, and international travellers are some of the highest spenders as they go for 14 days usually, even if they don't stay onsite they will often spend over a week in the disney parks, even 10 days or more.

Seems like they might be jumping the shark with this one. ADR's I can live with, but rides are the whole POINT of the parks. If I can't get fastpasses at all, or for reasonable times, I don't think I'd go back, which is a real shame. But I just don't think I could cope with another penalty on people who stay offsite. We all pay the same to get into the park, we should all enjoy equal access to the rides. I know that might not be a popular view, but there it is.

Resort guests already get significant perks. I also don't think this will be free to moderates or below, much like the dining plan is now, it will most likely be extra.

 

[heyitsmejosh]

as a florida resident i would HATE this if it turned into ADR's for rides. i plan my disney trips on a week or two notice at the most, i usually stay a day or two and see what i want to see.. that type of visting style already makes it a royal pain to do a lot of the things people book 6 months in advance, i can only imagine how much worse it would be with the rides. there is no way i want to plan what ride i want to ride and what time in january for a trip in june that would just be plain silly. if they do advance bookings for rides it should be the day before or a couple days before tops.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

And, no one had figured this is a way of tracking your rides/activities?

Which would make it no different than a trip to a Harrah's Casino. Disney is actually catching up in the area of customizing a guest experience based upon the specifics of how he/she tours (rather than using glorified demographic info). Lots of articles in business journals and the like out there on what Harrah's and others have done with their customer databases - for years now. Only sinister if you consider marketing sinister.

And to state the obvious wrt revenue (commented on by some other posters), there does not have to be a direct revenue stream from a new feature for Disney to make more money in the long run by better customizing guest experiences. Disney plays the loooooooong game -- has since inception -- and we are all better off for it.

I'll never understand why some people (not directed at TheRustyScupper!) get cranky at the idea that Disney is running an efficient, profit-generating operation. That's what a business is. I don't get it.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Will this replace the old card system or run alongside it? If so, no fastpass for offsite?

We have to stay offsite due to family size, and most international travellers stay in villas or offsite, so if this reduces fastpass etc availability for offsite, they will not be happy, and international travellers are some of the highest spenders as they go for 14 days usually, even if they don't stay onsite they will often spend over a week in the disney parks, even 10 days or more.

Seems like they might be jumping the shark with this one. ADR's I can live with, but rides are the whole POINT of the parks. If I can't get fastpasses at all, or for reasonable times, I don't think I'd go back, which is a real shame. But I just don't think I could cope with another penalty on people who stay offsite. We all pay the same to get into the park, we should all enjoy equal access to the rides. I know that might not be a popular view, but there it is.

With ADR's and EMH, resort guests already get significant perks. I also don't think this will be free to moderates or below, much like the dining plan is now, it will most likely be extra.

I do want to point out that you do not have to be staying onsite to make ADRs. Anyone can make an ADR for any restaurant.

You also say that family size prevents you from staying onsite. Disney has accommodations for families of all sizes, and are further catering to larger families with the opening of AoA, which is an affordable alternative to the deluxe resorts.

ETA: The dining plan costs the same for all resort guests also, regardless of room category. I feel like maybe you needed to do more research before writing your post...

Disney does a wonderful job of providing a fun, safe, clean place for people to come and have fun. But Disney is also a business. If they think they've found a way to entice more people to stay on-site and it ends up working, that's a smart business decision on their part. If it doesn't work, I'm sure that they will make adjustments.

Also...there is a LOT of speculation going around about this RFID thing, and Disney has not made any announcements regarding the details. It seems like a lot of people are complaining pre-emptively...

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Disney does a wonderful job of providing a fun, safe, clean place for people to come and have fun. But Disney is also a business. If they think they've found a way to entice more people to stay on-site and it ends up working, that's a smart business decision on their part. If it doesn't work, I'm sure that they will make adjustments.

Bingo!

 

[MrsDuck]

I do want to point out that you do not have to be staying onsite to make ADRs. Anyone can make an ADR for any restaurant.

You also say that family size prevents you from staying onsite. Disney has accommodations for families of all sizes, and are further catering to larger families with the opening of AoA, which is an affordable alternative to the deluxe resorts.

ETA: The dining plan costs the same for all resort guests also, regardless of room category. I feel like maybe you needed to do more research before writing your post...

Disney does a wonderful job of providing a fun, safe, clean place for people to come and have fun. But Disney is also a business. If they think they've found a way to entice more people to stay on-site and it ends up working, that's a smart business decision on their part. If it doesn't work, I'm sure that they will make adjustments.

Also...there is a LOT of speculation going around about this RFID thing, and Disney has not made any announcements regarding the details. It seems like a lot of people are complaining pre-emptively...

Couldn't have said it better myself.

No need to worry until Disney makes an announcement. I also have no problem with the charge, if there is one..

 

[Squidgyness]

I do want to point out that you do not have to be staying onsite to make ADRs. Anyone can make an ADR for any restaurant.

You also say that family size prevents you from staying onsite. Disney has accommodations for families of all sizes, and are further catering to larger families with the opening of AoA, which is an affordable alternative to the deluxe resorts.

ETA: The dining plan costs the same for all resort guests also, regardless of room category. I feel like maybe you needed to do more research before writing your post...

Disney does a wonderful job of providing a fun, safe, clean place for people to come and have fun. But Disney is also a business. If they think they've found a way to entice more people to stay on-site and it ends up working, that's a smart business decision on their part. If it doesn't work, I'm sure that they will make adjustments.

Also...there is a LOT of speculation going around about this RFID thing, and Disney has not made any announcements regarding the details. It seems like a lot of people are complaining pre-emptively...

1) I'll hold my hands up and say I had no idea you could make ADR's staying offsite. To my knowledge, that has never been pointed out on any thread I visited on this forum, and that is where I get my info from (just never thought to do a google.) That point can be ignored then, and I will edit the post.

2) The dining plan thing was to point out that the free dining plan offer gives you a free dining plan appropriate to your resort, so QS for mods and normal for deluxe, and I think that will most likely be the approach here, so IF there is a free xpass offer, it will probably be for deluxe, not for mods or value. I highly doubt you would get xpass included in a value, at least. They are investing a lot here, they need some return, and a few bucks more spent at shops won't cover it all as fast as they'd like.

3) We can't afford to stay in disney property. Full stop, it just isn't possible. I understand you might be fortunate enough, but we just couldnt afford too, and I know they can't cater for me exlusively, but I don't think its too much to ask that we be given the chance to get equal access to rides, even if they charge more for off site than on site guests for this option it would still be better than not having it at all. I could cope with not eating onsite, not staying onsite or not doing all the special events, but the one thing that I really don't think should be changed is the equal access to rides.

Like I say, I have a rather unique view on this compared to most. You are free not to agree!

But you are right, this is all speculation, and probably wrong. I just am not liking the look of this update. I will reserve my final decisions on whether I will ever go again till we get more news, but like I said, I just don't like the look of it. No final decisions, but I'm concerned atm. Plenty of unanswered questions, and its human nature to want to fill in the gaps, guess I just cant help myself! I just wish Disney would hurry up and quash all the rumours... patience is a virtue I guess!