News Disney MagicMobile Service coming soon beginning with Apple devices

[donsullivan]

Not a 100% Magic Band replacement as it lacks the long range RFID capability.

But Magic Bands don’t have long range RFID. It has always been my understand, from everything I’ve seen that the RFID in the MagicBand is passive and only used for physical contact activities like park admission or payment on active readers or FP Touch Points. All the long-range stuff like on-ride photos, etc. is done using BluetoothLE. The BluetoothLE is the part that uses the battery in the band and is the part that expires after ~2 years. Even at that point the RFID for admission continues to work because it’s passive and doesn’t need the battery.

Also, the text of the blog post indicates that you will not be able to use an Apple Watch for room access. It sounds like that (at least at the start) will not be changing from the way it works now with phone access to rooms.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Interesting indeed. I agree - features like ApplePAY, GooglePAY, etc. are likely a very important (though sad) end game here.

 

[donsullivan]

Interesting indeed. I agree - features like ApplePAY, GooglePAY, etc. are likely a very important (though sad) end game here.

I’m unclear what you mean by those being an end-game since both have been supported at WDW since Christmas 2014.

 

[Disstevefan1]

For those wondering why Disney wants to allow smartphones to enter a fastpass queue instead of charging you for magic bands, its so they can charge you $50 for a Journey Into Imagination fastpass.

It seems to me (not if but when) they begin charging for Fastpass we could have purchased them through the MDE app and they would be applied to the magic band you entered the park with.

But I do agree. Pay for Fastpass is coming. Resistance is futile.

 

[Crunchie9]

Nobody's Apple Watch is waterproof.

water resistant up to 50 metres. How deep are the Disney pools?

 

[sullyinMT]

Great news

Now do I wear magic band because I want to be closed off from the outside world or use this as an excuse to finally get an Apple Watch.

If they add a Garmin connectIQ app, I’d be a happy camper. Wife and I use the wallet functionality through Garmin similar to ApplePay and it’s seamless. So is most of their other smart watch integration.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

water resistant up to 50 metres. How deep are the Disney pools?

"Water resistance isn't a permanent condition and may diminish over time. Apple Watch can't be rechecked or resealed for water resistance."

 

[donsullivan]

"Water resistance isn't a permanent condition and may diminish over time. Apple Watch can't be rechecked or resealed for water resistance."

Go with your beliefs, but facts in the world and published by the manufacturer indicate (outside of the owner damaging the watch) it can be worn without worry while swimming without limit to the number of times or duration of time you do so..

 

[wdwmagic]

"Water resistance isn't a permanent condition and may diminish over time. Apple Watch can't be rechecked or resealed for water resistance."

But based on my experience, it retains its water resistance performance long enough to be used for frequent swimming for the duration of the device's useful life.

The watch, in most editions, is now significantly cheaper than a typical phone, and I think for many will be viewed somewhat as a consumable with a 2 year life span.

 

[Archie123]

water resistant up to 50 metres. How deep are the Disney pools?

51 meters.

 

[Ponderer]

Yes, and then that site lists the specific activities that can actually affect Apple Watch water resistance over time:

• Dropping Apple Watch or subjecting it to other impacts.
• Exposing Apple Watch to soap or soapy water (for example, while showering or bathing).
• Exposing Apple Watch to perfume, solvents, detergent, acids or acidic foods, insect repellent, lotions, sunscreen, oil, or hair dye.
• Exposing Apple Watch to high-velocity water (for example, while water skiing).
• Wearing Apple Watch in the sauna or steam room.

 

[Archie123]

Yes, and then that site lists the specific activities that can actually affect Apple Watch water resistance over time:

• Dropping Apple Watch or subjecting it to other impacts.
• Exposing Apple Watch to soap or soapy water (for example, while showering or bathing).
• Exposing Apple Watch to perfume, solvents, detergent, acids or acidic foods, insect repellent, lotions, sunscreen, oil, or hair dye.
• Exposing Apple Watch to high-velocity water (for example, while water skiing).
• Wearing Apple Watch in the sauna or steam room.

So I shouldn't wear my Apple Watch while water skiing in the Typhoon Lagoon wave pool. Damn!

 

[ToTBellHop]

Ordered a new set of MagicBands. I just prefer the convenience and worry they won’t be as little as $5 once the app works. They are already retiring the classic colors, as it is. The only one left is yellow.

 

[donsullivan]

Might I suggest a debate on the merits of an Apple Watch as a product get pulled out of this discussion and just focus it on the addition of the use of those devices, for those who choose to use them when the option becomes available. We don’t need a debate on Apple technologies.

 

[wedenterprises]

Will 1 phone have multiple passes? I'm curious to see how this works for groups and families. 1 pass per phone makes the most sense to me, but Disney be Disney.

I'm glad there's options for folks, but I'll stick to my magic band.

 

[aaronml]

Will 1 phone have multiple passes? I'm curious to see how this works for groups and families. 1 pass per phone makes the most sense to me, but Disney be Disney.

I'm glad there's options for folks, but I'll stick to my magic band.

To work in “Express Mode” in Apple Wallet (where you don’t have to use Face ID / Touch ID first) at least, it would need to be limited to a single pass per phone, or more accurately you would need to have a default one selected.

I’d expect Disney to either mandate one pass per phone, or at least strongly recommend doing so.

 

[homerdance]

Not sure i get how 1 ticket/pass per phone, especially with kids.

 

[Jon81uk]

this

I was just saying to my gf, I hope this works better than the door opening, as that was "suboptimal" vs magicbands

hmmm - I've tried similar tech when in Vegas to use my phone to open my room door and it's... horrible.
Half the time the players club app would forget who I was so I'd have to relogin and navigate to the reservation before getting in. I stuck with the "real" card.

I can see the phones working well in places like Disneyland but at Disneyworld, especially at the water parks and as roomkeys, the phones are going to be a huge hassle.

Hopefully it works well with apple watch.

There's also an entire group of people that refuse to use this kind of technology that they're cutting out. Heck I STILL have cab drivers think I'm trying to hack their credit card terminals when I use my apple watch to pay!

The door unlocks work with Bluetooth.
This new system is NFC based, same as the MagicBand and Key to the World.
I expect it will work with Apple Watch same as other cards that are in the Apple Wallet.
Also if it works the same as other NFC passes (such as some university ID cards) it will work even if the phone battery dies.

 

[GrumpyFan]

Y’all can thank Apple opening up their RFID chip.

Not entirely accurate.
From the sound of this it will utilize the Wallet technology, which is tied to NFC, which is a variant of RFID, but more capable.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Not entirely accurate.
From the sound of this it will utilize the Wallet technology, which is tied to NFC, which is a variant of RFID, but more capable.

Apple restricted who had access to the hardware.