What is the deal with the finger scan??

[Pooh Girl 71]

We went last Sept. I wore the same rings on the same fingers; never wore gloves, etc and I still had to show ID almost every time I went through the turnstile. It was a pain but that's their rules.

 

[epcotfan]

When I got my last annual pass the girl at guest services told me to keep photo ID on myself at all times. They randomly ask for ID on occasion to verify the passholder is using a pass in their name.

 

[Sleepy]

Originally posted by pennyfan01
If he goes five days and never uses his pass again. Does it help or hurt Disney profits if I went a sixth day and when I got in the park I purchased the usual amount of daily purchases, what probably $60-$80 (parking, food, gifts) that would not have been spent at Disney that day.

I believe the answer to that is it hurts Disney's profits. The cost of your admission would have been around $50. If just 20 people did that everyday it would be a loss of $372,000 a year.

Parking is free with an annual pass, therefore, as a PAYING one day guest, YOUR cost for parking would be $7 (I think) a day. Lets see.........going by the 20 people a day example, that would be another $52,080. Hmmm...seems like another loss of profit to me.

Food and gifts. You really plan on spending that much in the parks? FOr many that is the daily budget for a family of 4, but I guess if you don't pay for your ticket, you have that kind of money to burn on yourself.

Ultimately the one who really loses in your plan is those of us who pay for tickets. IF people find a way to beat the system, it IS a loss to Disneys profits and guess what happens? Ticket prices go up. I think they go up enough annually as it is. IF you really have $60-$80 to burn in an amusement park in one day, what's another $50 for admission?

 

[goofyme]

i found out my mother-in-law was an alien(which i had previously suspected) when she could hardly ever pass the "homosapien" test/fingerscan.. the cm's explained to us by holding the "black light" up to her hands how these aliens have cosmetic surgery to remove the "web" between their fingers.....you could actually see the scars.... anyway, they confiscated her phaser (it only had the stun setting) and let us go on our merry way....God speed!

 

[disneymom3]

As far as what Steve said about the opposite hand issue...
When we went in Dec, I was going through the turnstiles holding our one year old in my right arm. Now, I always have put my right hand into the finger scanner, but hadn't even thought about it. That is just my dominant hand, so I automatically used it. Well, while holding baby, I put my left hand in. Didn't work...try again...didn't work. CM asks for ID, I switch baby to other side to get out my wallet and CM says, do you usually use your right hand? Yep, tried the right hand and cleared right away.

 

[Uncleromulus]

When we got our first AP a couple of years back and had it first activated at the MK Guest relations, the CM who activated the pass told us "Be CERTAIN to have your photo ID with you at all times" When I asked why, he said--"For when the finger scan system dosen't work"
I thought -Now why wouldn't it work??
But I'd say about 1/2 the time since we got those passes, it hasn't worked!! Varies from park to park and turnstile to turnstile--but at least once or twice each trip,either Mrs. U or I stand there for what seems like many minutes trying to get the darn things to work, while disgruntled guests que up behind us getting irritated at the delay. My hunch is that each machine must have a different level of sensitivity or something--we've had our AP "reset" at least 3 times and it hasn't helped much. Should add that most of the gate CM's seem quite familiar and at ease with the scanner failure, so I gather it happens a lot.
Now to speed things up, I just get my photo ID out ahead of time

 

[Safari Steve]

we can recalibrate the scanners when we feel that they are acting up, and some need to be recalibrated more often. If the sun is low in the sky, use your other hand to shield the inside of the scanner from the sunlight (that will fix your "problem" almost immediately 9 out of 10 times). Also remember that every time you move your whole hand, the scanner starts over. The lights will tell you which finger needs to be slightly adjusted, and you can move it gently. All the time, people jerk and shake and hit the scanners, and that only slows them down (same thing for the folks who hit the fastpass machines... breaking the plexiglass chute off the front will not help you get your pass any faster)...

Of course, there are also those who are too impatient to even put their ticket into the turnstile... "I thought you were using high-tech equipment, this is RIDICIULOUS!" (No sir, it's ridiculous that you think a computer can read your mind; It's ridiculous that a grown person would act the way you are acting IN PUBLIC!)

People are crazy sometimes....

 

[mrsapalm]

Kudos to you, Safari Steve, for putting up with the less-than-pleasant park guests who try whatever they can to "beat the system" or complain about procedure. You're a gem! I don't think I could be that nice to those people.
-MrsAPalm

 

[figmentvi]

Ditto to what mrsapalm said !!!! Some CM's are downright saints!!!

goofyme....your post cracked me up!!!!

Of course, there are also those who are too impatient to even put their ticket into the turnstile... "I thought you were using high-tech equipment, this is RIDICIULOUS!" (No sir, it's ridiculous that you think a computer can read your mind; It's ridiculous that a grown person would act the way you are acting IN PUBLIC!)

Tooo funny Steve.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

My finger scan almost always works, but my husband always has trouble. I don't recall him being asked for ID, but that may be because the other two of us with AP's got in w/o trouble.

I know that kids don't have to finger scan. Is that because they are still growing and their hands are changing?

 

[wdwfreak]

Originally posted by pennyfan01
Does it help or hurt Disney profits if I went a sixth day and when I got in the park I purchased the usual amount of daily purchases, what probably $60-$80 (parking, food, gifts) that would not have been spent at Disney that day.

So why not let us all in for free, as long as we buy food and t-shirts?

 

[DisneyDude10171]

I just have to say that this thread is so amazing, I never knew the scanners were so complex. The only thing that is troubling is that my mother can pften not get the scanner to work for her, but she has never been asked for ID. The CM just presses a button and the turnstyle unlocks. strange.

 

[Belle5]

I saw the cutest book a few years ago. I think it was called, "What if Everybody Did It?" I think it should be required reading. It showed people doing all sorts of things that they thought were harmless and then the next page showed thousands of people doing the exact same thing and the damage and/or chaos that ensued. So often we think the little thing we are trying to get away with is so harmless but we just can't see the big picture of what it's doing to the system (or society) when there are several others just like us trying to rip off the system in a similar way. Cheating hurts everyone in the long run. Some folks think that's ok as long as they can get away with something and NO ONE TRIES TO RIP THEM OFF!!!

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by DisneyDude10171
I just have to say that this thread is so amazing, I never knew the scanners were so complex. The only thing that is troubling is that my mother can pften not get the scanner to work for her, but she has never been asked for ID. The CM just presses a button and the turnstyle unlocks. strange.

This happens to my mom alot too, I don't think she holds her fingers the same way every time. Only about 1 in 10 times is she asked for ID, most of the time they just press a button. I think it's a case of "profiling", if you look honest they don't bother asking for ID (holds up the line).

 

[disney91]

My DW and I have switched our Park Hoppers before and never had a question on the finger scanners. Does it not check on those. Just curious. We would never sale or trade our with a third party, but it seems strange no-one has ever questioned us.

 

[disneymom3]

The park hoppers don't use the finger scan. Just the PAP or AP.

As far as looking honest--oh my! I have had them ask for my ID! What does this mean!?!

 

[Pinnie]

It seems every trip at least one of the scanners at the park will act up. Most of the time it seems to be at MGM for me!

This thread reminded me of a situation I witnessed at The Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It was a HOT afternoon during Easter week 2002 and there was a woman at the FP machine screaming at a CM because the FP machine wouldn't accept her UNIVERSAL ticket! She insisted that Universal's machines took her DISNEY ticket the day before with NO problem. I have to admire the CM, his name was Jason. He handled her professionally and kindly! I don't think I would have had the patience on a HOT and very crowded day!

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