News MagicBand+ comes to Disneyland

[aaronml]

Speculating on potential differences:

- Lack of support for use at Park Entry. Getting the Lightning Lane and PhotoPass systems to work with MBs is fairly trivial. Converting the ticketing system (especially since it is third party software) to work with MBs is quite a bit more work, and would require upgraded turnstile hardware. I can see Disney potentially not supporting this at first and waiting to see what demand looks like for MBs at DLR before deciding whether or not to invest in this.

- Lack of support for automatic ride photo linking using long range RFID / BLE. This would require additional hardware to be installed on PhotoPass-enabled rides, and Disney might not support it initially.

In both of the above cases, I’m purely speculating on what the differences _could_ be between MB usage at WDW and DLR, since Disney has stated that there will be differences.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Speculating on potential differences:

- Lack of support for use at Park Entry. Getting the Lightning Lane and PhotoPass systems to work with MBs is fairly trivial. Converting the ticketing system (especially since it is third party software) to work with MBs is quite a bit more work, and would require upgraded turnstile hardware. I can see Disney potentially not supporting this at first and waiting to see what demand looks like for MBs at DLR before deciding whether or not to invest in this.

- Lack of support for automatic ride photo linking using long range RFID / BLE. This would require additional hardware to be installed on PhotoPass-enabled rides, and Disney might not support it initially.

In both of the above cases, I’m purely speculating on what the differences _could_ be between MB usage at WDW and DLR, since Disney has stated that there will be differences.

I though long-range photo linking was basically obsolete at this point. Didn't they migrate to facial recognition?

 

[aaronml]

I though long-range photo linking was basically obsolete at this point. Didn't they migrate to facial recognition?

Nope. At WDW, long-range photo linking using both long range RFID (for MBs) and BLE (for smartphones) is still in use.

The only use of Facial Recognition technology at WDW was for a Park Entry pilot test to replace the fingerprint scanners. They ended up sticking with the fingerprint scanners instead though.

 

[chadwpalm]

That probably is coming.

Maybe, but doubtful. While Apple has been getting more friendly over the past year or so with opening up NFC to third-party apps and will continue to do so in the future, the way Chapek has been going I doubt he will want anything to even remotely hinder every penny he can get from the sales of his precious MagicBands.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Except at WDW you have to be staying onsite to attach a CC. Not nearly as many people stay onsite at DLR. So it will be interesting to see if this is different.

Huh, didn't realize that was the case. That seems weirdly limiting on their part, then, as there is definitely a place for you to enter your credit card information on your Disney profile that I imagined would almost certainly link to your MB.

 

[aaronml]

Huh, didn't realize that was the case. That seems weirdly limiting on their part, then, as there is definitely a place for you to enter your credit card information on your Disney profile that I imagined would almost certainly link to your MB.

Yeah, paying with an MB at WDW is just charging to your hotel room folio. There were rumors in the past about adding charging support for Day Guests but that never seemed to happen.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Nope. At WDW, long-range photo linking using both long range RFID (for MBs) and BLE (for smartphones) is still in use.

The only use of Facial Recognition technology at WDW was for a Park Entry pilot test to replace the fingerprint scanners. They ended up sticking with the fingerprint scanners instead though.

I've definitely had photopass photos linked without a MagicBand or phone. Maybe it was a test? I had to go through and confirm whether each photo was of me or not, similar to the automatic tagging that Google Photos does.

 

[aaronml]

I've definitely had photopass photos linked without a MagicBand or phone. Maybe it was a test? I had to go through and confirm whether each photo was of me or not, similar to the automatic tagging that Google Photos does.

Is it possible that someone else in your party (linked to your MDX profile as family / friends) had either a smartphone with the MDX app installed (you don’t need a MagicMobile pass, just the app) or a MagicBand?

It would be hard for them to do facial recognition when they don’t have a photo on file for most guests.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Is it possible that someone else in your party (linked to your MDX profile as family / friends) had either a smartphone with the MDX app installed (you don’t need a MagicMobile pass, just the app) or a MagicBand?

It would be hard for them to do facial recognition when they don’t have a photo on file for most guests.

Everyone who walks through the gates has a photo on file.

 

[SoFloMagic]

Very excited about this. We are WDW locals and were shocked how slowly the entrance lines moved at Disneyland compared to the magic band touch points on a recent trip. If they install the tap points instead that will be a massive win for disneyland.

 

[aaronml]

Everyone who walks through the gates has a photo on file.

At WDW? Since when? If that were true, they wouldn’t need the fingerprint scanners.

When they did a pilot test of Facial Recognition at park entry as an alternative to fingerprint scanning, they installed cameras on certain tapstiles for capturing photos of guests to use for facial recognition. My understanding is that hardware was removed.

I know that they will take a photo of you in certain cases, e.g. if you opt out of fingerprint scanning, or if your fingerprint scan fails and they need to override the system to let you in. As far as I’m aware though, they aren’t taking photos (unless you count CCTV footage) of every single guest.

 

[drizgirl]

Everyone who walks through the gates has a photo on file.

Disney's IT is not even remotely good enough to pull this off.

 

[drizgirl]

At WDW? Since when? If that were true, they wouldn’t need the fingerprint scanners.

When they did a pilot test of Facial Recognition at park entry as an alternative to fingerprint scanning, they installed cameras on certain tapstiles for capturing photos of guests to use for facial recognition. My understanding is that hardware was removed.

I know that they will take a photo of you in certain cases, e.g. if you opt out of fingerprint scanning, or if your fingerprint scan fails and they need to override the system to let you in. As far as I’m aware though, they aren’t taking photos (unless you count CCTV footage) of every single guest.

Correct. They do it at Disneyland though, and they don't have finger scanners.

 

[aaronml]

Correct. They do it at Disneyland though, and they don't have finger scanners.

Indeed. Though I’d thought @CaptainAmerica was referring to the use of facial recognition for photo linking at WDW, not DLR.

If they were referring to DLR, then I suppose it is possible that facial recognition is being used (or tested) for photo linking there, though I haven’t experienced it personally. Last time I visited DLR (which was fairly recently), I had to manually link ride photos as usual.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

At WDW? Since when? If that were true, they wouldn’t need the fingerprint scanners.

When they did a pilot test of Facial Recognition at park entry as an alternative to fingerprint scanning, they installed cameras on certain tapstiles for capturing photos of guests to use for facial recognition. My understanding is that hardware was removed.

I know that they will take a photo of you in certain cases, e.g. if you opt out of fingerprint scanning, or if your fingerprint scan fails and they need to override the system to let you in. As far as I’m aware though, they aren’t taking photos (unless you count CCTV footage) of every single guest.

Disney's IT is not even remotely good enough to pull this off.

The next time you park hop, use a different finger at the scanner at the second park than the one you used at the first park. Insist that you're using the same finger. When they send you to the cast member in the plaid vest, take a gander at the photo they have up on their iPad. Surprise!

 

[aaronml]

The next time you park hop, use a different finger at the scanner at the second park than the one you used at the first park. Insist that you're using the same finger. When they send you to the cast member in the plaid vest, take a gander at the photo they have up on their iPad. Surprise!

Interesting…. I wonder when they started doing that. They must be capturing those through their CCTV cameras. Really begs the question why they are still using fingerprint scanners when they can just verify photos instead.

 

[AJFireman]

Maybe, but doubtful. While Apple has been getting more friendly over the past year or so with opening up NFC to third-party apps and will continue to do so in the future, the way Chapek has been going I doubt he will want anything to even remotely hinder every penny he can get from the sales of his precious MagicBands.

WDW MDE has a feature called MagicMobile Service that you link your ticket media to you Apple/Google Wallet so it works the same as a MB. So its already been done. Also your statement about Maxpass making Magicband less needed curious what you meant by that since Maxpass basically just gave you access to make FP selections via the Disneyland App vs MB is just another way to identify a ticketholder linked to their personal account like the barcode on the app or a physical ticket?

 

[WDWTrojan]

Just as they're trying to phase out MBs in Florida (except to milk the last bit of cash out via MB+)

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Just as they're trying to phase out MBs in Florida (except to milk the last bit of cash out via MB+)

They were never trying to phase out MBs except in the fever dreams of internet fanboys. Not in the slightest. The online fan community COMPLETELY made that up.

 

[WDWTrojan]

They were never trying to phase out MBs except in the fever dreams of internet fanboys. Not in the slightest. The online fan community COMPLETELY made that up.

If you want to buy a MB, that's fine but they are trying to phase them out from the standpoint of not making it the de facto method of payment/admission at WDW. The mobile push is taking precedence. This is all about 7 years late to Disneyland as they never saw the ROI they had expected from the initial MM+ endeavor. Hence why the MB push at Disneyland will be very limited.