F.L.I.K. Crazy

J

jwbeck3

Member
Original Poster
On my trip last week it seemed that every time I would get in line I was picked to bring the white card with me. The 1st time I got it was at Maelstrom my first day and I was telling everyone I was with what it was. But then I got sick of ti after I got it about 5 more times. Then my last day the last time I got it was for RNRC.....I had a fastpass so I'm not sure why they would give it to a fastpass person since I thought the purpose was to see how long the standby wait is. Well I put it in my pocket because I didn't want to hold it or put it around my neck.....well I was on the bus going to EPCOT later and I looked in my pocket and there was the card. So I guess they changed the wait time to one week since according to their computer, I'm still waiting in line.
 
MrNonacho

MrNonacho

Premium Member
One time a couple weeks ago, I was at RnRC and the place was pretty empty. The CM at the entrance was giving out the cards at the rate of one every 2 or 3 minutes. I overheard some people asking another CM what they were for, and he told them it's meant to help measure wait times. He went on to say that he didn't know why the guy out front was giving them out at all--let alone so frequently--since it was obvious the line couldn't be more than 10 minutes long. He told them they could keep it if they wanted a little souvenir. :)

Does anyone know how these work, like how the cards are read? They are just plain white cards with no distinguishing marks or anything on them. I know they often have more than one in line at a time, so how exactly can the scanner at the end of the line tell them apart?
 
mandib

mandib

Member
Of all the times I've been at Disney I've never gotten one! Oh and I wonder how many times people walk away with it?! lol
 
celestia

celestia

New Member
When i worked at MGM in foods, we handed out the cards to check the effieciency of moving people through our lines by the time that they weight vs. volume of people. We would usually write a start and end time of the persons wait (the guest held onto them until they reached the register and the person at the register would write the end time after the order was placed), and at the end of our shift the managers collected them.
 
DisneyCP2000

DisneyCP2000

Well-Known Member
I'd say each card has a piece of metal with a unique 'signature' on it. I'm assuming all a cast member needs to do is wave it over a sensor and it'll record the time from entrance to attraction. The place I work at uses them for IDs and for security measures. Each time we swipe the card the system automatically logs the time we entered/exited the building.
 
MrNonacho

MrNonacho

Premium Member
Originally posted by DisneyCP2000
I'd say each card has a piece of metal with a unique 'signature' on it.
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That's what I thought, before I got picked to hold one. I figured it would have something like that or a mag stripe. I looked real close at that card, but there is absolutely nothing on it. It's just white plastic. It kind of seems to me like they are just testing the procedures with blank cards, but that's not what CMs are saying.
 
S

Slinky Dog

New Member
Originally posted by MrNonacho
That's what I thought, before I got picked to hold one. I figured it would have something like that or a mag stripe. I looked real close at that card, but there is absolutely nothing on it. It's just white plastic. It kind of seems to me like they are just testing the procedures with blank cards, but that's not what CMs are saying.
Click to expand...

We have these cards at the place I work too, they are completely white/blank (no sign of a magnetic strip, but there has to be something there) and they are used on sensors/swipe access doors etc... so it's quick possible that the cards being handed out do have something on them :)
 
1

1000th_Guest

Member
We use the same kind of card for ID at work. As I understand it, folded in the layers of plastic is a little resonant receiver/transmitter. When the "scanner" sends out the right frequency, the card somehow interferes with the frequency so that the scanner can read a unique ID. I don't understand how this is done without electrical power in the card, but I'm a software guy.

In interesting aside, when I carried my ID card through an airport metal detector, the detector lit up and I was "selected" for a more "up close and personal" search. When they found my ID card we had a quick talk about how these set off lots of detectors, and I should put it in my coat for xray instead of holding onto it.
 
sillyspook13

sillyspook13

Well-Known Member
We've had FLIK at Pizzafari since long before I started working there. Every 15 minutes, the person working the condiment bar (ME!) hands out 1 to 4 cards, depending on how many registers are open. It can be difficult at times to keep the bars stocked, plus going through the masses of people to the counter to get the cards, go back to the scanner to scan the cards, then hand them out. If we don't do it, a manager comes out and reminds us. (probably why nobody likes working the condiment bar)

But now we only have one card. It seems like the other three have run off with the guests!

As mentioned before, the cards contain an internal "barcode" which is read by each of two boxes. One starts the timer, and the other stops it. The wait times show up on a computer in the managers office.
 
no2apprentice

no2apprentice

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by 1000th_Guest
I don't understand how this is done without electrical power in the card, but I'm a software guy.
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Actually, there is a small power cell inside. We have these "key cards" at work, and I have seen one split in half. The power source usually lasts 3-5 years, depending on how long the new one you get has been sitting around in storage.

We're going to a newer version soon, where the "key" is about the size of a quarter and adheres to a picture ID card.
 
sillyspook13

sillyspook13

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Mickeyman819
never gotten a flik card but if i did i would probaly keep it. I always want a free souvenier.
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Please don't!

* It's just a plain looking card on a string. Not much to look at. Why would you want to keep it?
* If you take it, it defeats the purpose of handing out the cards. They are used to keep track of wait times and guest flow in order to make things convenient for the guests.
 
suzynstitch

suzynstitch

New Member
PLEASE don't keep the FLIK cards!! Or else poor me will be standing out front of space mountain listening to guest after guest complain that the line is longer than the wait time posted. Not fun...not fun at all.:brick:
Just a little side note: The FLIK cards we had at Buzz Lightyear used to have writing on them explaining how they worked...but too many guests thought they made a cool Disney keepsake and never gave them back to us. Eventually they came out as plain white cards to dissuade people from holding on to them.:)
 
Kenan

Kenan

Member
Originally posted by suzynstitch
PLEASE don't keep the FLIK cards!! Or else poor me will be standing out front of space mountain listening to guest after guest complain that the line is longer than the wait time posted. Not fun...not fun at all.:brick:
Just a little side note: The FLIK cards we had at Buzz Lightyear used to have writing on them explaining how they worked...but too many guests thought they made a cool Disney keepsake and never gave them back to us. Eventually they came out as plain white cards to dissuade people from holding on to them.:)
Click to expand...

But they end up taking them anyways....even if we have them hanging around on our necks in clear view, like I used to do at TT.
 

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