MagicBand+ announced

[999th Happy Haunt]

This thread is speculation based on a rumor.

I'll join those who think cleaning up the database may improve efficiency. There appears to be issues if a guest has too many MBs active.

I know it’s speculation, I’m the one who sent the rumor in here.

Regardless if it makes efficiency better or not, Disney should tackle this problem by investing into their growing database instead of punishing consumers who have bought in to the system.

 

[dfisher9]

A cutoff date would probably be better; once a magicband hasn't been used for X amount of years, it is deactivated. I can only imagine how many millions of bands are sitting in their database after only being used once.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

A cutoff date would probably be better; once a magicband hasn't been used for X amount of years, it is deactivated. I can only imagine how many millions of bands are sitting in their database after only being used once.

I'm sure it's an astronomical amount. Back in the good ol' days they gave you free MagicBands for every resort stay, so there are surely people with piles of them - especially the multiple trips per year families. I know my wife and I almost have enough to make a garland for our Christmas tree and we only started going in 2015.

 

[MisterPenguin]

A cutoff date would probably be better; once a magicband hasn't been used for X amount of years, it is deactivated. I can only imagine how many millions of bands are sitting in their database after only being used once.

Even better, an email letting us know which MBs are due to be deactivated.

A pop-up on MDE website with the same message.

And then a push notification on the app.

Altho, I'm sure Disney looked to see how many version 1s were still being used and saw only a small percentage of them are.

 

[AEfx]

Regardless if it makes efficiency better or not, Disney should tackle this problem by investing into their growing database instead of punishing consumers who have bought in to the system.

At a certain point, there is only so much you can do in that regard, no matter how powerful the systems running it are. When you think of how many millions upon millions of these things are out there, a database can only instantly access so many records.

And even if they were able to just dump a bunch more money into it to accommodate more - why? They have better data than we do, to be sure - and I'm guessing that its some astronomical number like 99.XXX% of the Magic Bands ever sold have never been used again. It's such a small percentage of people who collect them or use them year after year, it wouldn't be worth the huge amount it would cost to further accommodate them.

That said, until we know more - I would think Disney wouldn't just be banishing the ones they remove from the system, and if you wanted to re-register one there would be some way to do so with guest services or something, for those truly attached to them (pun intended).

 

[HauntedPirate]

The only way to shrink the database is to delete entries altogether and then optimize the tables. The optimization would be a huge undertaking, unless the database is very simple, with few columns per device. Simply deactivating MB's based on some arbitrary criteria won't make the database of devices any less monstrous. Sure, running a query would then produce fewer results but unless they are keeping separate databases for inactive vs. active devices and thus deactivating devices would move their entry from one DB to another, deactivating devices won't really do anything.

And there is a functional limit of (I believe) 20 active devices in your MDE account and then problems start.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The only way to shrink the database is to delete entries altogether and then optimize the tables. The optimization would be a huge undertaking, unless the database is very simple, with few columns per device. Simply deactivating MB's based on some arbitrary criteria won't make the database of devices any less monstrous. Sure, running a query would then produce fewer results but unless they are keeping separate databases for inactive vs. active devices and thus deactivating devices would move their entry from one DB to another, deactivating devices won't really do anything.

And there is a functional limit of (I believe) 20 active devices in your MDE account and then problems start.

The database should be extremely simple.

Serial Number. Style Number. Email address.

I can't think of anything else that would need to be included. All of the complexity is on the Disney ID side, not attached to the band itself.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My Millenial Pink and Sparkly Silver, worked fine last month. they still work in a couple of weeks.

The designs are cool, but I'm not a fan of MB+, the idea of having to charge another device every day, isn't appealing to me.

You don't have to charge MB+.

You CAN charge MB+ if you want the lights and buzzing and long-range RFID to work. But you could never ever charge the thing and it'll work perfectly fine, just like your old MB1 and MB2s do.

 

[Nunu]

You don't have to charge MB+.

You CAN charge MB+ if you want the lights and buzzing and long-range RFID to work. But you could never ever charge the thing and it'll work perfectly fine, just like your old MB1 and MB2s do.

Really?
That's good news to me. Thanks!

All I want my MB to do is open my resort room door, enter the park and make room charges.

 

[jinx8402]

The only way to shrink the database is to delete entries altogether and then optimize the tables. The optimization would be a huge undertaking, unless the database is very simple, with few columns per device. Simply deactivating MB's based on some arbitrary criteria won't make the database of devices any less monstrous. Sure, running a query would then produce fewer results but unless they are keeping separate databases for inactive vs. active devices and thus deactivating devices would move their entry from one DB to another, deactivating devices won't really do anything.

And there is a functional limit of (I believe) 20 active devices in your MDE account and then problems start.

I'm guessing there is some sync process from the master database to each location. That can be a single server at each location and/or every single touch point like key card access systems. Reducing the total amount of active MB to each location is critical to reducing lag time of the sync process.

 

[concor]

The puck is slightly larger so they don't bend as well on smaller wrists. I wore my first one around the house for a day and had issues with it falling off. May be slightly thicker too maybe.

This, I use the last two holes before the kids sizes, which also makes the end of the band hit the puck.

The good news is I got an email tonight that it was found. I might trim some of the end off when I get it back.

 

[lewisc]

I know it’s speculation, I’m the one who sent the rumor in here.

Regardless if it makes efficiency better or not, Disney should tackle this problem by investing into their growing database instead of punishing consumers who have bought in to the system.lo l

Only an issue if you consider having to spend a minute or two telling Disney you want to use your VERY OLD magic band punishment

 

[HauntedPirate]

I'm guessing there is some sync process from the master database to each location. That can be a single server at each location and/or every single touch point like key card access systems. Reducing the total amount of active MB to each location is critical to reducing lag time of the sync process.

That’s not a sync, though, that’s either a separate database or a query running against the master database to populate a separate database. There’s still a query running against a massive master database in either case. Querying data and then syncing that data across the network would not be an ideal or efficient process, especially since it has to be updated frequently because of the on-site MB purchases. I’m really rather curious as to how this works, now that I think about it more.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Really?
That's good news to me. Thanks!

All I want my MB to do is open my resort room door, enter the park and make room charges.

Yep, a dead-battery MB+ will do all of those things. If you see a design you love as a souvenir, don't worry about feeling like you need to charge it if you don't want to.

 

[Touchdown]

Also count me as someone who enjoys the lights. You forget about them from time to time but then you catch a glance of them glowing purple and ice blue on Frozen Ever After, feel heartbeats as you board your doom buggy, or illuminate your boat just after the drop on POTC with red and yellow cannon fire and it just brings a smile to my face.

 

[Ayla]

Looking at my MB history on MDE, I have a ton of cards, half are already marked "inactive" as well as a bunch of MBs, some marked "Void." I don't even know what that means.

I went through my list 3-4 years ago and deactivated all of mine except the most current one, to try and avoid the issue some were having with too many being active at once.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Also count me as someone who enjoys the lights. You forget about them from time to time but then you catch a glance of them glowing purple and ice blue on Frozen Ever After, feel heartbeats as you board your doom buggy, or illuminate your boat just after the drop on POTC with red and yellow cannon fire and it just brings a smile to my face.

"It's just lights and buzzing!"

Yep. I'm a simple man. Lights and buzzing make me happy.

 

[mikejs78]

The only way to shrink the database is to delete entries altogether and then optimize the tables. The optimization would be a huge undertaking, unless the database is very simple, with few columns per device. Simply deactivating MB's based on some arbitrary criteria won't make the database of devices any less monstrous. Sure, running a query would then produce fewer results but unless they are keeping separate databases for inactive vs. active devices and thus deactivating devices would move their entry from one DB to another, deactivating devices won't really do anything.

And there is a functional limit of (I believe) 20 active devices in your MDE account and then problems start.

I'm guessing there is some sync process from the master database to each location. That can be a single server at each location and/or every single touch point like key card access systems. Reducing the total amount of active MB to each location is critical to reducing lag time of the sync process.

Pure tech speculation here - and sorry for those who aren't up on database design - but a common pattern for very large tables is to partition the table on specific fields, so part of the table is stored in one file and part in another. If, let's say, the table was partitioned on magic Band status, moving a large number of bands to inactive would significantly shrink that partition and could significantly improve performance, without having to physically delete the records.

That being said, I don't see any reason Disney should invest in more storage to support a set of magic bands that are 99% unused and are over a decade old. If I were Disney I would announce the sunsetting of MB1 on a specific date. At that point, all those magic bands would be purged and unable to be reactivated without calling Disney support. Users who still have and want to use an MB1 could go to a page to click a button that keeps it active. That lets them clear out 99% of that data.

 

[Cariad]

I'm sure it's an astronomical amount. Back in the good ol' days they gave you free MagicBands for every resort stay, so there are surely people with piles of them - especially the multiple trips per year families. I know my wife and I almost have enough to make a garland for our Christmas tree and we only started going in 2015.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has made a garland with them. I got a rechargable one on my last trip, I'm planning on using it for as long as it lets me.

 

[Cariad]

Also count me as someone who enjoys the lights. You forget about them from time to time but then you catch a glance of them glowing purple and ice blue on Frozen Ever After, feel heartbeats as you board your doom buggy, or illuminate your boat just after the drop on POTC with red and yellow cannon fire and it just brings a smile to my face.

I loved how it synched with the Water Show at California Adventure, even when I was strolling along Pixar Pier and not watching the show.