Wristband ticket technology

[Tom Morrow]

Wristband ticket technology at Disney Parks

Disney’s wireless wristband replaces tickets at theme parks Transitioning theme park technology into the digital world, Disney may soon roll out a new way to gain access to parks and rides. Digital Trends Detailed in documents filed with the FCC this week, representatives with Disney are seeking approval for a wristband that will be used for admission privileges to major theme parks like Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. Rather than having to keep track of tickets, the “Magic Band” can be worn throughout the day and it communicates on the 2.4 GHz spectrum. The bracelet is designed to be disposable as well as waterproof for rides like Splash Mountain or Disney’s various water parks. However, it’s also likely that Disney could produce more permanent models for Los Angeles and Orlando residents that have purchased yearly access to the Disney parks. Hypothetically, it would be as simple as visiting the Disney site or using a mobile application to add a day-pass to the account tied to the band. continue by Mike Flacy complete article

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Submitted by Ezra

[TimmyII]

Fascinating technology. All they need to do now is also equip it with GPS technology in case a child gets abducted and voila!

[bodhran105]

I believe they have already implemented grouping technology. So if the Disney Database knows that a wristband is worn by a child, it enters the park with another wristband from the same group. If it leaves without someone from the group. it will trigger an alert.

But GPS would be a neat implementation. I can only think (hope) that Disney is trying, testing, and making sure everything has been tried and tested to it's fullest extent. And that they've thought of everything for safety.

[gurugriff100]

Like to see how this works out

[Wedbliss]

Since I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve, I suppose I could deal with wearing my ticket on my wrist. I'm not sure why this is progress, but I'll go along with the game plan. Perhaps Disney could build an upscale version into a Mickey Mouse watch. However, I must admit, I have never looked at my AP and said to myself, "wouldn't it be great if I could wear this on my wrist?" I would rather have a NextGen Tomorrowland than a NextGen ticket, but such is life.

I'll tell you what might make this more fun for me, especially if it is used for APs. It would be cool if you could go online and get a printout of all your theme park activities for the year. Every attraction, every purchase, every everything in one easy to read print-out is something I would enjoy.

The idea of using it to keep track of children is a great idea also. What other advantages there might be for the average guest, I don't know. I guess the primary question I have is: how is this better than what we have now?

[adrianne]

One advantage I can think of: no more hand-stamps. Every time I park-hop at DLR, I'm a little worried that I might wash up too vigorously and wash off my stamp (I'm a bit of a handwashing freak).

[Wedbliss]

That's a good point, adrianne. I too am always nervous when I wash my hands after getting a hand stamp.

Walt Disney World solved that problem with the bio-metric finger scan they use at the park entrances. WDW has no hand stamps. It would seem that finger scans would still be used with the wristbands, unless there is another way to match the wristband with a specific person to avoid tickets (or, yikes!, hotel keys) being transfered.

The wristbands could also be encoded with other personal information which could make for some interesting interactivity on any attraction equipped with RFID scanners. There is something a little Big Brother about it, but I think I trust Disney enough to go along with it. Technology like this is probably going to be common place everwhere eventually. It may not be wristbands, but the day will come when we won't leave the house without our RFID tags. And, just like any other technology, people will find a way to abuse it and use it for nefarious purposes. That's just the way it goes.

If finger scans make anyone nervous, what they do is locate multiple point on your finger and measure the distance between them. No fingerprint is actually taken, only measurements.

[bodhran105]

The wristbands could also be encoded with other personal information which could make for some interesting interactivity on any attraction equipped with RFID scanners.

Ah ha! See, now you bring up the one everyone is skirting around: Personalized character meet 'n' greets. Where Mickey talks and knows your name, birthday, favorite ride, favorite movie, and probably everything down to your mother's father's sister's cousin's (former room mate's) brother-in-law's uncle's daughter's maiden name.

But just think! To give your kid a wristband and they can go anywhere and be tracked, buy anything (within reason), a personalized experience, and then they can go back to the resort, scan it in the elevator to get the right floor and room number to pick something up and come right back. You never have to carry the fast pass tickets and their park tickets. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING could be in that wristband. Money, Fastpass+, park ticket, hotel key, I.D., GPS, etc.

The thing to think about though is simple. They can put anything in that wristband, but:

1. What will they put in first?

2. What info DON'T you want in it that you think you could ever be required to put in? (That Disney has a legal right to demand and a good reason.)

[adrianne]

Last edited by Wedbliss; Yesterday at 08:01 PM. Reason: I edit everything. It's just a habit.

Too funny -- You just gave me my first smile of the day!

[Tom Morrow]

Admission wristbands could be very versatile

Disney admission wristbands could revamp theme park Orlando Business Journal If there was a way to track your business’ customer traffic, simplify sales to the wave of a hand, enhance safety and make the overall customer experience better, would you do it? That may be the case for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, which has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission for a radio-frequency identification wrist band for potential Disney theme park pass holders. Details on the devices — dubbed Magic Bands — are still a secret, but the wristbands could act as a park admission pass for tourists where they would merely have to wave their wrist at parks’ admission gates to be allowed in. Currently, the parks work off of tickets that have to be inserted into a scanner. On a customer level, the wrist band would work perfectly to minimize the risk of a customer losing their ticket, as well as a permanent device they can keep and use should they renew their passes to Disney parks. It would be as simple as renewing a pass online and the device would be ready to be used again once the tourist revisits the park. But the benefits for Disney could be far greater if the device is adopted. But the benefits for Disney could be far greater if the device is adopted. For example, a Disney hotel guest could use the wrist band not only as a hotel room key, but as a point-of-sale device that they can just wave to purchase items and pay for the products once their bill comes in at the end of their vacation. Also, the wristbands could be used to track traffic through attractions and help the park understand what are peak times for the attraction. Most of that information is already tracked, but the devices could help give a more precise reading. But the device could have additional benefits for safety assistance as well, should guests suffer an allergic reaction or a child is lost. A paramedic could scan the device to see allergy information or theme park police can scan the park to find the location of a lost child. There are no details of when — and if — Disney will ever implement the wristbands, but the idea seems to make complete sense as it would create a better guest experience while giving the theme park more information on the demographics of its customers. by Richard Bilbao complete article

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Submitted by Ezra