News Digital Key coming soon to Walt Disney World Resort hotels

[MomofPrincessGrace]

Count me as confused. It’s perfectly fine tech for hotels wanting to eliminate key cards, but Disney has already done that. It won’t eliminate the need for MB’s (at least not yet), so for now it’s just another option. That’s fine, I’d just rather them focus on improvements elsewhere that actually plus the experience.

This. People aren't understanding that you can still use your magic band. They are just offering an additional way to get into your room. I doubt that they will phase out Magic Bands anytime in the near future, so just keep doing it the way you have been.

Kinda like upcharge events. Its not required, but if you want to do it you can.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I'm all for it IF it works with say, an Apple Watch... And you can use same in lieu of a MB as well. Nice option to have nevertheless.

 

[rhino4evr]

as if your cell phone isn't completely out of batteries by the end of the day at the parks messing with your fast pass selections, looking up wait times, and taking photos. Now we will need to make sure it has a few percentages points left to get into our hotel room.........

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

as if your cell phone isn't completely out of batteries by the end of the day at the parks messing with your fast pass selections, looking up wait times, and taking photos. Now we will need to make sure it has a few percentages points left to get into our hotel room.........

Honestly, even without the whole room key option. I recommend everyone get one of those portable battery banks. We have like 4 we bought off amazon and just stick them, along with a 1 foot cable in out park bag. Whenever we are on a ride, waiting in line, or eating we would let the phones charge. Then we just charge the power banks at night along with our phones. Worked great for us the past two trips.

 

[rhino4evr]

Honestly, even without the whole room key option. I recommend everyone get one of those portable battery banks. We have like 4 we bought off amazon and just stick them, along with a 1 foot cable in out park bag. Whenever we are on a ride, waiting in line, or eating we would let the phones charge. Then we just charge the power banks at night along with our phones. Worked great for us the past two trips.

yeah I have one actually, but you don't always remember to charge your phone, and it's just another thing to remember to pack.

 

[LAKid53]

Honestly, even without the whole room key option. I recommend everyone get one of those portable battery banks. We have like 4 we bought off amazon and just stick them, along with a 1 foot cable in out park bag. Whenever we are on a ride, waiting in line, or eating we would let the phones charge. Then we just charge the power banks at night along with our phones. Worked great for us the past two trips.

We do the same. Ours are a tad larger than a tube of lipstick - can get at least 2 recharges from each if them.

 

[LAKid53]

yeah I have one actually, but you don't always remember to charge your phone, and it's just another thing to remember to pack.

Mine resides in the box of Disney stuff that is always packed for any trip. And I have a larger battery pack in the glove box of my car. When we return to our room in the evening, my phone gets plugged in to charge overnight.

 

[NormC]

. It's either going to be bluetooth or NFC. .

It is Bluetooth.

 

[Dave B]

Who that can afford a Disney vacation doesn't have a cell phone? In the very rare instance, I'm sure they'll have a way to get in.

Maybe personal choice?

 

[mikejs78]

The main advantage of the MB at this point is that it's water proof. Would rather take that into the pool/water parks than a smart phone.

Also, little kids often don't have smart phones. Be interesting to see how they handle FP+ in that case if they dunp Magic Bands....

 

[SteamboatJoe]

I'm fine with this so long as it's just an option and not mandatory. I'm already too reliant on my phone. I don't want a well charged cell phone to become a necessity for the average person to enjoy WDW.

I would support it being mandatory, if Disney: gives me a high quality shatter and water resistant case, pay for any data that I use during my trip, gives me a portable charger, and allows me to skip security so I don't have to watch them rummage through the bag I will have to carry stuff I will no longer have room in my pockets for in.

 

[NormC]

 

[Clopin Trouillefou]

Having this as an additional feature is totally fine, great, all for having options. but if they're trying to phase out bands entirely it's gonna be a nightmare for hotel staff(s) when a thousand people get back from the fireworks with dead phones.

 

[jakeman]

I love this forum.

New feature of the MDE app announced. Immediate assumption is that Magic Bands are going away/no longer free and people start to get pre-mad/annoyed/worried over something that's not even the slightest bit inferred from the announcement.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

I love this forum.

New feature of the MDE app announced. Immediate assumption is that Magic Bands are going away/no longer free

Who said Magic Bands ARE free?

 

[TrojanUSC]

...but why? isn't that the point of the magic band?

Probably will save them money and I'm sure a lot of guests, especially those attentending for conferences or conventions, dont want to wear a sweaty, annoying wristband 24/7.

 

[note2001]

At Hilton you didn’t have to hold it to the lock just be near it. It was also slow to unlock so it was a tad annoying

Sounds like another victim of inconvenient convince.

I do hope disney understands that user tolerance is inversely proportional to the amount of work one needs to put in to perform seemingly simple tasks. Opening a door should not require more than the twist of a handle.

 

[UncleMike101]

Sounds like another victim of inconvenient convince.

I do hope disney understands that user tolerance is inversely proportional to the amount of work they needs to put in to perform seemingly simple tasks. Opening a door should not require more than the twist of a handle.

The simplicity of such tasks is lost on some IT types who see everything in the World as a potentially computer controlled object regardless of how easy the task is to perform without artificial intelligence assistance.
(God help us)

 

[Gabe1]

Well then...don't be backwards...

 

[draybook]

We're still getting other people's photos on our Photopass account. I can't wait to see how many wrong doors get opened by someone else's phone...