Ride pics on Photopass on MDE app.... how do they know it's me?

[Seabean]

Not really sure which forum to ask this, so I'll try here. We were at Epcot and MK last month and our pictures from a few rides showed up in the Photopass section of my MDE app. How did they know it's me?

(also... some of our names appeared at the end of Small World)

How do they did this? 3 ways I suppose...

1 Facial recognition software (but we were wearing masks.. is it that good?)

2 The magic bands --- somehow they're scanning the magic bands on our wrists near the ride camera?

3 Our phones w the MDE app --- maybe a bluetooth or data signal is being sent & picked up?

What does anyone think?

 

[BrianL]

Not really sure which forum to ask this, so I'll try here. We were at Epcot and MK last month and our pictures from a few rides showed up in the Photopass section of my MDE app. How did they know it's me?

(also... some of our names appeared at the end of Small World)

How do they did this? 3 ways I suppose...

1 Facial recognition software (but we were wearing masks.. is it that good?)

2 The magic bands --- somehow they're scanning the magic bands on our wrists near the ride camera?

3 Our phones w the MDE app --- maybe a bluetooth or data signal is being sent & picked up?

What does anyone think?

It's number 2. Magic Bands have longer range transmitters that can be scanned as you ride to associate your photo or make other interactive elements appear, such as your name on it's a small world. The Magic Bands have a battery that enables this and when the battery dies it will no longer work, though close-range touch points still will.

 

[BrianL]

Sorry, weird duplicate posting.

 

[Jennasis]

It's Maaaaaaaagic...............(bands).

 

[Liquidice]

It is actually 2 and 3 now .. Magic Bands, but since Magic Bands are no longer provided to you for onsite stays and they introduced Magic Mobile, they also use Bluetooth from your phone. You can learn a little bit more about it here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/star-wars-galaxys-edge/bluetooth-low-energy/
and also this confirms they use Bluetooth for ride attraction photos: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/my-disney-experience/magic-mobile-photopass/

 

[Seabean]

OK, thanks... very informative, those links.

I guess cell phones are the future, and we all pretty much just lived thru the "magic bands era".

 

[Liquidice]

This is what you need to do to allow Bluetooth to work to identify you as well. That QR code takes you to the MDE app and will help you enable the app to use Bluetooth. In this case - that photo is from Rock 'N Rollercoaster so it also opens RnR on the MDE app

 

[CarolynFH]

View attachment 603436

This is what you need to do to allow Bluetooth to work to identify you as well. That QR code takes you to the MDE app and will help you enable the app to use Bluetooth. In this case - that photo is from Rock 'N Rollercoaster so it also opens RnR on the MDE app

So, if you already have Bluetooth enabled for MDE on your phone, when you scan this QR code it will confirm that you have it set up correctly, right? We had issues getting our photos in March and June - got strangers' photos instead! And DH was wearing a MB puck in a lanyard!

 

[Liquidice]

So, if you already have Bluetooth enabled for MDE on your phone, when you scan this QR code it will confirm that you have it set up correctly, right? We had issues getting our photos in March and June - got strangers' photos instead! And DH was wearing a MB puck in a lanyard!

Yep - that is the way its supposed to work, scanning the QR part I mean.

I will say Bluetooth does not work as well right now as the Magic Bands. I noticed on my last 2 trips in June and July that the Bluetooth photos often made me choose between 2 or 3 pictures, showing that it isn't as precise with location. Sometimes it didn't even give me a choice of my own photo out of the 2 or 3. I think with Bluetooth, the one thing that would help is to have your phone out or at least close to out as possible if that makes sense. I found that if I had my phone in my pocket behind my wallet for example it didn't work as well as if I had my wallet behind my phone.

Magicband is also hit or miss, sometimes I don't get my photo at all, it could be because my Magicband is getting old though? Mine is about a year old now I think.

The best way to make sure you get your photo (assuming everyone is wearing their mask, ugh) - is to scan your magicband after the ride when you see your picture. Not all rides have this, but some of them still do.

 

[CarolynFH]

Yep - that is the way its supposed to work, scanning the QR part I mean.

I will say Bluetooth does not work as well right now as the Magic Bands. I noticed on my last 2 trips in June and July that the Bluetooth photos often made me choose between 2 or 3 pictures, showing that it isn't as precise with location. Sometimes it didn't even give me a choice of my own photo out of the 2 or 3. I think with Bluetooth, the one thing that would help is to have your phone out or at least close to out as possible if that makes sense. I found that if I had my phone in my pocket behind my wallet for example it didn't work as well as if I had my wallet behind my phone.

Magicband is also hit or miss, sometimes I don't get my photo at all, it could be because my Magicband is getting old though? Mine is about a year old now I think.

The best way to make sure you get your photo (assuming everyone is wearing their mask, ugh) - is to scan your magicband after the ride when you see your picture. Not all rides have this, but some of them still do.

Thanks. We had the same problems - offered two or three photos, none of them ours. Declined them, of course. Then a few hours later one might pop into my MDE, sometime later another might show up in DH's MDE. Can't remember how old DH's MB puck was - probably less than a year, though. I agree that we'll start scanning our MBs when we can.

 

[larsonb74]

Not really sure which forum to ask this, so I'll try here. We were at Epcot and MK last month and our pictures from a few rides showed up in the Photopass section of my MDE app. How did they know it's me?

(also... some of our names appeared at the end of Small World)

How do they did this? 3 ways I suppose...

1 Facial recognition software (but we were wearing masks.. is it that good?)

2 The magic bands --- somehow they're scanning the magic bands on our wrists near the ride camera?

3 Our phones w the MDE app --- maybe a bluetooth or data signal is being sent & picked up?

What does anyone think?

Magicband is also how your name or someone in your party will show up on the now playing posters when you walk into RnRC.