Mad Stitch
Well-Known Member
Credit card information is not copied over to a room card. Any expenses incurred while at WDW are merely placed on the same bill as your room expenses. Then you pay it all at once with a credit card.
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New RFID technology in the parks?
- Thread starter wm49rs
- Start date
Credit card information is not copied over to a room card. Any expenses incurred while at WDW are merely placed on the same bill as your room expenses. Then you pay it all at once with a credit card.
theguitarman
Member
Excellent! I think you might be closer to the truth than you think... Disney is obviously aware of this situation, as they recently changed their website policy on ADR's to try and prevent this, at least when booking online. And I heard about upcoming xPass, which was supposedly a fastpass that also works for dining. So clearly Disney is looking to improve their dining system. And, of course, I am sure they do really care about this because it affects the bottom lines of the on-property dining, so they want to be sure that a very small number of ADR's end up being "no-show"'s!
The question becomes, how can they tie the RFID tech in with dining. As was mentioned before, RFID is not GPS, so they certainly aren't going to track you and decide "Ok, he is at MK and has a reservation in EPCOT in 20 minutes, let's cancel him". Maybe ADR's are a thing of the past? Maybe the upcoming xPass, which would be on your wristband, is the only way to get a "reservation"? Seems unlikely to me, but just thinking outside the box. You have a "xPass" station where you go in the morning, pick a restaurant/meal (dinner/lunch/breakfast?), and xPass would give you a time to go there? Seems inconvenient for us, the guests, as we like having control over planning our days, BUT the rumors we have heard lately seem to indicate Disney wants to plan your trip more and more. They currently can influence the time you ride a particular ride, I think they might want to do more of that. So now your wristband can get you into the ride lines during a certain time, and into restaurants at a certain time.
From a business perspective, having ADR's available so far in advance probably leads to a lot of "oops i forgot to cancel it" or "I forgot to show up", so as infuriated as our community might be, because we are the ones who count 180 days and make our reservations for our favorites, it wouldn't surprise me too much to see those be a thing of the past... Or, possibly, just have the number of ADR's taken greatly reduced.
sublimesting
Well-Known Member
Correct. It's my opinion. And people fearing Big Brother is a pet peeve of mine. Folks are watching too much TV. There is no syndicate. There are no black helicopters. There are no aliens...well, there are but they've never been here, they observe from afar.
paul436
Active Member
On-site guests get to spend extra time in the parks without paying extra. And they will also get RFID bracelets in the near future apparently. I don't see the difference in the reasoning.:shrug:
MissMorrow
Active Member
:lol: :ROFLOL:
With all due respect, I think you're delusional if you believe Disney spent $1+ billion on this system and did so without the goal being to track what stores/restaurants/attractions each individual visited during their trip so they could then turn around and tailor their direct marketing and advertising based on this information. You spend a significant amount of time in Sid Cahuenga's? When you get home you're gonna get emails and flyers asking if you're interested in purchasing autographed merchandise.
Now reasonable people can disagree on whether or not this is a big deal (it doesn't really concern me much). But this system is designed to track people and the information will be stored in a database and used/sold for advertising. It may not happen on the day the system goes into effect, but it will eventually.
Pioneer Hall
Well-Known Member
You're probably right, but I personally don't see a problem with that. I am not one of those people who really worries about Big Brother following me. Disney already knows how much I like them and can figure out how much I go to the their parks and where I spend the majority of my time just through my AP and hotel reservations. They can probably expand that more too if you use your key to the world card for purchases as my family tends to do. If this would make my trip better while I am there, and make planning my next one easier then I don't have a problem. As long as Disney isn't going to be selling my information to 3rd parties (which I certainly don't think will happen) then I don't have a problem. In my mind it is almost like signing up for a websites email list or something along those lines.
theguitarman
Member
Very true. Not saying I agree, just from Disney's perspective, they want you to stay in their hotel, visit their parks, and eat all your meals in their restaurants. They are going to set up perks, deals, incentives, extras, ect. to try and convince you to do that. I do believe they have an obligation to balance that and not making the average guest feel that they are missing out on too much.
To that point, here is my opinion about the wristband... All that these bracelets do, besides the fashion statement, is replace your "key to the world" for room charging, and room access, and have the added bonus of storing your photopass card info, and any fastpasses you might have, all in one place. I would bet that just because you don't have a wristband doesn't mean you can't get fastpasses or have your photos taken.. I am fairly certain they won't be taking fastpasses away from the average guest. If you are not staying at the park, I am sure you can still get fastpasses, and if you want a Photopass, I am sure the photographers will still have the cards! A guest who is not staying at the WDW resorts doesn't really need this wristband, it would be more hassle than anything. Unless I am missing something....?
No, it's not GPS, but it can be close enough... if all doorways in attractions and shops and eateries are wired with RFID scanners, your ID could be read every time you walk through a doorway, giving them a rough idea of where you are and when you were there.
Of course, they'd need to want to do this....
SleepingMonk
Well-Known Member
That's not what the neighbor's dog told me last week when we were discussing the tracking chip the aliens implanted in my tooth.
:lookaroun
CndleontheWater
Member
I think that some of the wristband designs look really cute! I'd like to wear one, regardless of what sort of information was implanted inside.
I guess I don't see why they couldn't give them to AP holders, maybe you could have the choice of receiving your AP on a card or a wristband. You could probably also add a photopass card to it, and maybe even a CC for purchases. I'm thinking that would probably involve visiting Guest Services for each trip, but if they made that an option, I would take advantage.
The main drawback I can see for my personal style of park touring, is that if my FPs are encoded in a wristband, how am I going to know when my return time is? I tend to hold a few FPs at a time, and I'd had a hard time keeping the return times straight in my head. Maybe there would be kiosks that you could go up to, like the price checker kiosks in stores, where I could quickly scan my wristband to remember what time I can head back to Space Mountain. That would be helpful.
I guess I don't see why they couldn't give them to AP holders, maybe you could have the choice of receiving your AP on a card or a wristband. You could probably also add a photopass card to it, and maybe even a CC for purchases. I'm thinking that would probably involve visiting Guest Services for each trip, but if they made that an option, I would take advantage.
The main drawback I can see for my personal style of park touring, is that if my FPs are encoded in a wristband, how am I going to know when my return time is? I tend to hold a few FPs at a time, and I'd had a hard time keeping the return times straight in my head. Maybe there would be kiosks that you could go up to, like the price checker kiosks in stores, where I could quickly scan my wristband to remember what time I can head back to Space Mountain. That would be helpful.
jlevis
Well-Known Member
It was asked before, but I'd like to know how they will deal with all of the walk ups at the ticket counters at the parks, resorts, off site hotels, tickets by mail, ticket vendors on all the highways etc.? I guess all the off site folks could walk up to a RFID window to get theirs. How would you like to be in that line?
theguitarman
Member
I think that is a big part of the reason I don't see them doing this wristband for every guest. It's not feasible or necessary. Put it this way, new wristband = Key to the World. You only get a key to the World if you are staying on property. For everyone else, I would imagine the Fastpass and Photopass systems will remain about the same.
David S.
Member
I do understand your point. I was just pointing out that the option is there for everyone and not just a select few to stay onsite.The ability to afford it or not afford it is our responsibility not WDW responsibility.
Right, but what I was saying really had nothing to do with whether you can "afford" it or not. If you already have a place that you are LIVING in near WDW, it would be impractical and absurd to be expected to check into a hotel just to keep being able to use Fastpass. I CAN afford the hotels, but there is no way I would be willing to check into one for every day I visit the parks just to keep using FP, if I already have a residence in town. I don't think it should be locals' "responsibility" to suddenly have to check into a Disney hotel just to keep getting a perk they already have!
So I was just trying to present the "locals" point of view, which I didn't want Disney to overlook. It's one thing to offer new perks as resort "exclusives", but if they were to suddenly take something away that locals are used to using (like FP), and make it exclusively for resortsters, this would radically alter the local AP's ability to enjoy the parks, for the worse.
But again, I don't want to "complain" or overreact until we know for sure if FP will eventually be "exclusive" to these wristbands (like Al Lutz was suggesting). I'm just explaining where I was coming from.
One thing that's funny for me though is that my favorite hobby is driving around the country (mostly the southern, central, and eastern US, due to my location) visiting theme parks, and at every park outside of central Florida when I'm asked "Where are you visiting from", when I tell them New Orleans or Orlando, I often get a surprised "Wow, you came all that way to come here?" Sometimes the park is not even 500 miles away. It's almost like the regional theme parks have become mainly locals parks.
But after Katrina I moved to Orlando (full time the first 2 years, then seasonally), in order to live in the US market with the most theme parks, including 4 Disney parks. And I often get asked at WDW by CMs or other guests "Where are you vacationing from", or told "Enjoy the rest of your vacation". It's as if everyone assumes you are a tourist! When I say that I am staying in the area, people often even act surprised! So, when outside of FL, I always feel like I am a tourist in a locals park, and while in FL, like a local in a tourist park!
Which does make me often wish WDW had more of a "locals" presence, like Disneyland. Of course, when I finally make it back to Disneyland, I'll be a "tourist among locals" again! And one thing that has stopped me from going to DL the last 3 times I considered it was something major was being rehabbed (like the Matterhorn or their entire Rivers of America), which would have caused a major disappointment to my "rare in a lifetime" vacation. Which is ironic, because it is often said that the reason WDW does not do many major rehabs like DL, or the holiday attraction overlays like DL, is because it will "ruin once in a lifetime vacations"
NewfieFan
Well-Known Member
I've had the same fear myself as well (Disney considering this to be an attraction)! But the fact of the matter is... it's coming... it's just a matter of when!
Disney is doing this b/c it will make them money in the long run, I'm sure! Spending the same amount of money on a 5th park (or whatever) is not going to give them the investment that this will!
This is not about what the guest wants but how it can make them money!
And in saying all that... I'm ok with it! I'm not a big tin foil hat wearing individual, myself. I'm no dummy, I know Disney already knows where I spend my money and when. If this will make my vacation a little more care free, personalized, etc.... that's cool!
It would appear that not much respect was due...:lookaroun
jakeman
Well-Known Member
I don't mean to be offensive, but <insert offensive remark>.
Obi
Well-Known Member
what would be funny is if they are going to keep track of what rides you get on, what stores you go into, what places you eat at, then i would walk into a store and walk out immediately. then immediately walk back in and out.. do this several times. then go to the store next to it and repeat the process.. really mess with their #'s... :goodnevil
ok, maybe i wouldn't.... :shrug:
ok, maybe i wouldn't.... :shrug:
sublimesting
Well-Known Member
I don't really consider Disney monitoring what I buy as tracking me. If they want to send me fabulous offers and coupons based on what I like then I say great. Whether I buy them or not is still my free will. So who cares if that is being tracked. What I was referring to is the people being worried that Disney will "Know where they are at all times." To that I say who cares. I like getting mail anyways.