Long Ridiculous Rant - My Complete AP Fiasco

whitethunder

Active Member
Well here's the good news. If they can't even get you in the park successfully, they probably aren't successfully tracking your movements. Maybe calming the nerves of Disney conspiracy nuts.

I haven't had an issue with mine yet and have been probably 2 dozen times since I got the card.
 

luv

Well-Known Member
Compared to the paper cards, I consider the new APs to be exceptionally reliable. I'm thrilled with mine. But the OP has obviously had some problems. I'm sure they are not without their drawbacks.

The time an AP didn't work for me was my water park AP, not my regular one. And it did just fail momentarily. The person with me that day had to do it twice with her AP, too. I think it was the tapstiles and not the tickets themselves.

I give a giant thumbs up to the tapstiles, overall. :)
 

blm07

Active Member
I have no advice, but I am very sympathetic.

Passholders pay a lot of money and I think that getting into the park in a timely manner should be a given.

lol getting into the park quicker than before is supposed to be the goal of this whole system

and it kind of sounds like they used the same fingerprint scanners that Universal does now, way to go!
 

Tomi-Rocket

Well-Known Member
I really hope this happens to everyone and they get so many complaints and falling attendance that they remove all Next Gen from the parks. It is not needed. Breaking things that don't need fixing.

It's not called "fixing" it's called progress. And something Walt Disney wanted himself. He never wanted things to stay the same forever.

They will work out the bugs, it will just take time.
 

draybook

Well-Known Member
I've smelled what some of these people's armpits smell like, I'd hate to have to smell their butt cracks first thing in the morning. Let's pass on the rectal identification please.
 

AndyS2992

Well-Known Member
It's not called "fixing" it's called progress. And something Walt Disney wanted himself. He never wanted things to stay the same forever.

They will work out the bugs, it will just take time.
Yes but is it necessary? No.

Magic Bands and RFID does not add anything to the experience, instead complicates things more than it should.

It will take time but with Disney this will take years.
 

SPMTCP2003

Member
I work with a fingerprint scanner almost daily, and have seen literally thousands of fingerprints and can tell you definitively that it is the technology that's lacking, not you! True, yes, that there are many people that have very faint fingerprints, if any at all. But the technology not being able to handle these anomalies is what's frustrating. So if they've dialed up the sensitivity, or number of reading points, then all they are doing is increasing the number of people who will have issues.

The real problem here, as you have highlighted, is not really even the technology. What needs to be happening is better training for the CMs to handle situations when the scanners just aren't able to handle someone's fingerprint now that they are more sensitive. They need to be blaming the machines, not the guests! A very simple, "On no, I'm sorry it's giving you a problem. Let's see what we can try to do to get it to work." Or even throw in a small bit of new information, "Very sorry it's being so fickle. Ever since we upgraded the machines they have become much more sensitive and seem to give a lot of people some problems. I appreciate your patience while I try to get it to work for you."

Super simple. All it takes is how it's worded that can make the frustrating situation a bit more bearable. No need for flaring tempers from the CMs. That's their number one job, extraordinary guest service.
The times are a changing, so if they can't stand the heat then they need to get out of the kitchen!
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
It's summer in Florida, Sir. It's hot. (Really? Hey thanks for that, I was wondering why sweat was running down my back.) In the heat, human body parts swell, so my finger today may be a different shape and size than when I was previously reset. So let me get this straight – When I was reset on Wednesday in 92 degree heat, my finger was different than on Friday in 92 degree heat?
:rolleyes: I can't believe the cm actually said this to you....But next time.... you have to stick your hand in a baggie full of ice 3 min prior to turnstile approach to ensure finger swelling is at a minimum. But no longer so finger shrinkage doesnt happen either. :D I can see it now... Disney to sell FINGER SLEEVES, cooling crystals in a single finger pouch, ensures biometric scan to be perfect every time. No more waiting in line, faster park entry solution. ;) Disney reports finger sleeves help increase profits.
 

asianway

Well-Known Member
I work with a fingerprint scanner almost daily, and have seen literally thousands of fingerprints and can tell you definitively that it is the technology that's lacking, not you! True, yes, that there are many people that have very faint fingerprints, if any at all. But the technology not being able to handle these anomalies is what's frustrating. So if they've dialed up the sensitivity, or number of reading points, then all they are doing is increasing the number of people who will have issues.

The real problem here, as you have highlighted, is not really even the technology. What needs to be happening is better training for the CMs to handle situations when the scanners just aren't able to handle someone's fingerprint now that they are more sensitive. They need to be blaming the machines, not the guests! A very simple, "On no, I'm sorry it's giving you a problem. Let's see what we can try to do to get it to work." Or even throw in a small bit of new information, "Very sorry it's being so fickle. Ever since we upgraded the machines they have become much more sensitive and seem to give a lot of people some problems. I appreciate your patience while I try to get it to work for you."

Super simple. All it takes is how it's worded that can make the frustrating situation a bit more bearable. No need for flaring tempers from the CMs. That's their number one job, extraordinary guest service.
The times are a changing, so if they can't stand the heat then they need to get out of the kitchen!
I seem to recall from working with biometrics...you can dial the sensitivity down for one person, while keeping the highest for the masses, true?
 

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
I would say that about 50% of the time I place my finger on that scanner at any park, it does not work - and that's with the OLD system! I can only imagine what will happen when I try the new system! It's actually become a running gag in my family after the rest of them make it through with no problem: ("Oh, Mom's finger doesn't work again.")
 

SPMTCP2003

Member
I seem to recall from working with biometrics...you can dial the sensitivity down for one person, while keeping the highest for the masses, true?

I'm not sure how the biometrics work at the park turnstiles, but I want to say that they probably cannot adjust the sensitivity manually at an individual reader. More likely, the adjustment would have to come from the software side, and affect all the readers. This is why the CMs usually just end up manually overriding the scanner after several failed attempts at getting the reader to go green. But they have to make verification before manually overriding, of course.
 

TinkerBelle8878

Well-Known Member
While not an AP and probably under the old system, for my first 2 days of using my ticket, my 'biometrics' weren't taken. So on the third day, the CM at the turnstyle told me to use the same finger. Well sure if you'd asked that for the last two days it would be there. I said this is the first time I've been asked for it and was told that's impossible. Since its also my room key, if the resort was satisfied enough to take my money, issue it and give me a room that opens with it, maybe this whole biometric thing is ridonkulous? It wasn't a non expiring ticket. It was strictly for length of stay. One park, one day. They should really just do what all the cruise ships do and attach your picture to it when it's scanned.
 

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
My wife and I get AP's so it will be interesting in October to see how this goes for us. Last time we were there was last October so we've not experienced the RFID 'thingies' yet. One problem I've always had though is with the biometric scanners. I have Dystonia (a motor neurone disease) and so holding my hand still can be a problem some days. Having my fingers stay still or be in the same angle as when they were originally scanned can cause problems and this often leads to me causing a hold up getting in depending on the cm at the gate.

Some cm's instantly see my movement isn't completely as ease as I try to place my fingers in the scanner and instantly say "That's ok sir" and press a button allowing my ticket to pass through without the need of a finger scan. The ones that do this are also usually very discrete about it which is great as it's rather embarrassing being 'that person' holding up a queue of people trying to get in a theme park.

Some cm's however politely insist on me continually trying to get my fingers on the scanner in the correct manner and try to hold still enough for the scanner to identify me. I've even had Mrs M hold my wrist whilst my hand is in the scanner whilst the queue behind me crane their necks to see who the buffoon from the UK is and why he's stopping them getting in the park. With these cm's I always offer to show my passport or drivers licence but it's hit and miss whether they instantly agree to this or make me repeatedly try the scanner before giving up and accepting my photo ID.

Whatever happens it's always fun and games for me at the turnstyles, let's hope this new system doesn't make things worse :eek:
 

Rob562

Well-Known Member
A couple others mentioned using a different finger (some of them in jest).

From purely a debugging standpoint, I'd wonder what would happen if they reset your biometrics and allowed you to use a different finger. It's conceivable that for some reason or another the fingerprint on the index finger you're trying to use gives the scanner issues, but that the print on a different finger wouldn't. It'd be interesting to test.

-Rob
 

SPMTCP2003

Member
A couple others mentioned using a different finger (some of them in jest).

From purely a debugging standpoint, I'd wonder what would happen if they reset your biometrics and allowed you to use a different finger. It's conceivable that for some reason or another the fingerprint on the index finger you're trying to use gives the scanner issues, but that the print on a different finger wouldn't. It'd be interesting to test.

-Rob

A very good point! If they let you, use your thumb. It's always the most well-defined print on either hand.
 

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