Finger Print

[jeffk410]

Ok, can someone please explain the system to me in simplest words? Haha. I want to know if the finger print machine actually works. What is its purpose? For laughs My brother and I swapped our AP's last year just to see. Nothing happended and it worked fine. Does this actually work? Or is it more of a deterrant for people not to swap passes? I feel like the readings can not be that accurate?

 

[Main Street USA]

It's a biometric scanner. It doesn't detect fingerprints, really, it just grabs a few key points on your finger and verifies that it's yours. It's not an exact science, but for the most part, it's accurate.

I've seen it not let people in, but usually, I see the cast member let them through anyway.

 

[jeffk410]

oh interesting. Did not know that. Yeah it worked when me and my brother swapped so I thought it was more of just a deterrent.

 

[ArialSinclair]

Hi Jeff,

I read a quite involved discussion of this about a year ago and basically what happens is that the fingerprint scanner picks certain key points on your finger and then uses a mathematical algorithm to create a numerical sequence for your account.

The reason that your brother and you were able to exchange passes is because when your family bought their group of passes, the algorithm from the first person to be scanned then became the same number for the rest of your family. That's so everybody in the group doesn't HAVE to make sure to have the right card when they go through the turnstiles and minimizes problems.

Hope that helps.

 

[MarkTwain]

It works. On my trip in December, the first time I put my finger down for the scan, I did so at an odd angle. So every time after that I tried to enter a park, the machine wouldn't let me in until I turned my finger just the right way. :ROFLOL:

 

[Monty]

The scan assigns a score based on measurements of your finger that are run against an algorithm. Each ticket in a family purchase of tickets will accept any one of the individual scores from any of the other tickets [as said, you don't have to keep track of which ticket is which].

If the score doesn't match, a CM can let you through the turnstile by entering a code on the keypad on their side of the turnstile. They are supposed to request a photo ID and confirm that the name on the ticket matches, but they don't always bother.

During the morning rush and really busy days at the park, the biometric scan is often turned off to facilitate faster processing of guests through the turnstiles. There have been comments from people that they've never had a finger scan, likely because they always arrive early and never park hop.

 

[tizzo]

Think of it this way. Everyone has a unique finger print. If they take your entire print, they can theoretically compare it to every print on file and determine for sure if it is yours or not. But this would be computationally intensive and take a long time.

So what they do is take a lower resolution sample of your print, and then measure and store just certain parameters about it. Now the parameters are not unique. Depending on what algorithm they use, I imagine there might be tens, hundreds, or thousands of people in their database who have the same parameters as you. They can't therefore positively identify you from your finger print (which is why you need a ticket also), but they can at least determine that you're finger belongs to one of the few hundred people with that particular set of parameters, and if the person who owns your ticket is also one of those few hundred people, then odds that you are not the owner of the ticket are small enough that they don't care.

It would be similar in concept to having a description of the ticket holder encoded on the ticket somehow. Say you presented a ticket that was issued to a 5'8" black female 30 years old. If you happen to be a 5'9" black female 32 years old, you're going to be let in. If you are a 6'3" white male 22 years old, you're obviously not the ticket holder. It's nowhere near as exact as having an actual photo to look at, but it certainly makes it less likely than no description at all that you are presenting your own ticket, particularly if you don't can't read or decipher the descriptive information encoded on the ticket.

 

[Andrew54]

Ive noticed on our last trip at the MK when it was extremely busy trying to enter the park. They were only scanning passes, which really sped up the line. Its frustrating when people get up there and take 5 min to get there fingerprint scanned.

 

[kimmychad]

A photo ID can be substituted for the fingerprint scanner.

 

[Yensid40]

The scan assigns a score based on measurements of your finger that are run against an algorithm. Each ticket in a family purchase of tickets will accept any one of the individual scores from any of the other tickets [as said, you don't have to keep track of which ticket is which].

If the score doesn't match, a CM can let you through the turnstile by entering a code on the keypad on their side of the turnstile. They are supposed to request a photo ID and confirm that the name on the ticket matches, but they don't always bother.

During the morning rush and really busy days at the park, the biometric scan is often turned off to facilitate faster processing of guests through the turnstiles. There have been comments from people that they've never had a finger scan, likely because they always arrive early and never park hop.

When I was working there all you needed to hit was K on the keypad. It was called K'ing people in or kicking the pass.

 

[S. Paridon]

It works some of the time. I have trouble using the scannner sometimes, but usually it works. My sister used my wife's pass in December, however, and rolled right through teh gate at MK.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

OP, that's interesting that you guys switched cards and nothing happened.

On this past trip, Ryan and I figured out that we accidentally began using each others KTTW cards (according to name) and so when we switched one morning before entering the park, we could not enter because our finger scans didnt match the card. We just spent the entire trip as me being Ryan and him being Liz :lol:

 

[Becky]

Ok, can someone please explain the system to me Does this actually work? Or is it more of a deterrant for people not to swap passes? I feel like the readings can not be that accurate?

They need some big time maintence on the machines at Epcot and MK:lookaroun I was there Jan. 5-13 and almost no one's pass worked. They were not K'ing people in but trying several times to make the passes work Mine took 6 times and that was a lot less than other people in my line and lines on both sides of me. Just about no one's pass worked.

 

[RiversideBunny]

If you have a boiled egg in your pocket then the scanner will not work.

Urban legend?

 

[Monty]

When I was working there all you needed to hit was K on the keypad. It was called K'ing people in or kicking the pass.

I knew it was "K", but got yelled at once [well, chastised :lookaroun] when I told a CM to hit "K".... Like it was supposed to be secret. :shrug:

 

[DizneyPryncess]

I don't know what's wrong with my fingers, but I swear the fingerprint scanner never works for me. I've only had one CM try over and over again, and finally go check the ticket for authenticity. Every other time, they've I guess hit the K button and let me in. I always feel so bad since I'm always the girl holding up the line.

 

[RiversideBunny]

I have found that when doing the scanner for the very first time it's important to get your fingers flat down on it. Don't hurry.
Once I had a finger at a slight angle and thereafter unless I hit that angle the CM had to get me through.

That first scan sets the pattern.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

They need some big time maintence on the machines at Epcot and MK:lookaroun I was there Jan. 5-13 and almost no one's pass worked. They were not K'ing people in but trying several times to make the passes work Mine took 6 times and that was a lot less than other people in my line and lines on both sides of me. Just about no one's pass worked.

Was it raining that day? The tickets have a hard time with water.

 

[Yensid40]

I knew it was "K", but got yelled at once [well, chastised :lookaroun] when I told a CM to hit "K".... Like it was supposed to be secret. :shrug:

:lookaroun

Shhh

 

[jeffk410]

Hi Jeff,

I read a quite involved discussion of this about a year ago and basically what happens is that the fingerprint scanner picks certain key points on your finger and then uses a mathematical algorithm to create a numerical sequence for your account.

The reason that your brother and you were able to exchange passes is because when your family bought their group of passes, the algorithm from the first person to be scanned then became the same number for the rest of your family. That's so everybody in the group doesn't HAVE to make sure to have the right card when they go through the turnstiles and minimizes problems.

Hope that helps.

but we both bought different AP passes at different times? aha.