NextGen / FP+ / Magic Band. The official truth starts to appear

[wdwmagic]

So what will the FP+ benefits be for those staying on site? More "fastpasses" per day? The ability to book FP+ reservations further in advance, tiered by resort level?

I think the specifics of that are still being determined. The system makes it extremely flexible to deliver all kinds of tiered offerings.

 

[SirLink]

But those databases already exist, and have done for a long time.

So ... doesn't stop databases being hacked ... doesn't help when Disney has basically announced more of its customers will want to store credit cards on their Ticket ...

 

[wdwmagic]

So ... doesn't stop databases being hacked ... doesn't help when Disney has basically announced more of its customers will want to store credit cards on their Ticket ...

Disney are not storing credit cards on tickets. They are storing credit cards on databases, as they always have. I don't see the fresh concern here. If you are happy to have your card stored already, how does this change with the new system?

 

[PhotoDave219]

RFID will be used to prove the profitability level of AP's or Florida Passholders. Then TDO will have data upon which to base their phase-outs.

Then I'll just go up the street and spend my money at Universal.

 

[alissafalco]

Most likely an encrypted ID# only accessible via a terminal inside Disney parks.
It would be difficult to duplicate, not entirely impossible, but probably quite difficult.

I'm not worried about it being duplicated, I'm worried about it getting lost by one of my kids! Anyone could easily pick it up and use it. The pic on the Disney blog shows a very young girl with a bracelet. I wouldn't let my young child walk around the park with my credit card or room key card so I wouldn't let them wear that bracelet either.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Then I'll just go up the street and spend my money at Universal.

or SW, BGT, TDR, DLR, HKDL, BGW, DLP... or... and I know it sounds crazy, but how about a national park!!

 

[the.dreamfinder]

From the NYTimes article's comments section

Walt Disney World has all but given up on maintaining their parks, which were once meticulously cared for. Today, multiple rides across property have effects or animatronics that don't work and much of the parks is falling into disrepair. While some of it is small things (burnt out light bulbs everywhere you look, trash, dirty bathrooms), there are other issues like pieces of structures collapsing over guest areas (as recently happened on Splash Mountain and the Tree of Life).
If Disney wants more of my money, they should make their parks great again by investing in new groundbreaking attractions (like Universal and Sea World are doing) and keeping the parks pristine, unique environments -- Not trying to get me to spend more money by supposedly shortening lines in dilapidated 40+ year old parks.

The big result here is that the more you spend the more perks you will get. This is the "world of tomorrow" which we as a society are building. Look at the stratification we create with charter schools, airlines, colleges, internships, political donations, etc. This is just Disney playing it out to the extreme. But within 5 years, this will be our lives when we use our cell phones for all of our purchases and are finally transformed into the measurable consumers that corporations have so longed to create.

In this case, the budget traveler used to have the same experience once inside the park as the person staying at a high priced Disney property. Now the experience will vary greatly based on your spending habits. Think about the ways casinos take care of "wales." Big spenders will get to the front of the lines, get the chance to meet the characters, etc. People who pack their own lunch and avoid buying junk in the parks will spend hours waiting in lines or will simply be denied access to certain experiences in the park.

This December my husband and I took our kids to Disney World for the first time. I was against the trip since i don't the pervasiveness of Disney marketing. Luckily my kids didn't care about the characters and I liked how easy the trip was. It was nice to take a trip where I didn't have to rent or car or take car seats to the airport and I liked not having to lug a purse around all day because everything I needed was a card that I attached to a lanyard.

That being said, I'm not excited about having to wear bracelet all the time and I'm definitely not excited about having to schedule Fast Passes in advance. You already have to schedule dining reservations months in advance which is a pain. I don't want to have to do the same thing with the rides.

I'm also concerned by how many people will lose their jobs. When we were there we saw staff operating the turnstiles and helping with the Fast Pass machines. What will happen to their jobs?

If Disney really wants to keep their resort guests happy, they should upgrade the overcrowded, dilapidated, pollution-spewing buses that take guests from the resorts to the theme parks. Riding back at the end of the day adds insult to injury for guests who have endured long lines for attractions and the endless pitching of over-priced merchandise. Moms are much more irritated by the bus ride, poor food and dirty restrooms than the turnstiles. Also, as another poster here noted, what happens to the jobs of the people who stand by the turnstiles? Low level as Disney jobs park are, they are jobs, which may now be eliminated.

And my personal favorite.

WDW entertainment for the Stepford wives and their families.

 

[GrumpyFan]

Disney are not storing credit cards on tickets. They are storing credit cards on databases, as they always have. I don't see the fresh concern here. If you are happy to have your card stored already, how does this change with the new system?

Indeed. It's a matter of whether you trust Disney (or the airline or rental car company) or you carry a wallet with cash or credit cards and pull the credit card out and hand it to a stranger everytime you use it and give them your trust. It's the world we live in. Is it 100% safe? No, but what is? Of course, you could always just get a pre-paid credit/gift card, and give them that. Or, you could pay with cash, and just choose not have charging privileges on the RFID band. Really not that big a deal to opt out.

 

[Clamman73]

I'm very tech savvy, but it just seems confusing with the band, fastpass+, signing into my Disney experience, you can also use a RFID card, you can pick the rides in advance on your phone or if not at the kiosk, knowing what time the 3:00 parade is, etc...

 

[flynnibus]

I'm not worried about it being duplicated, I'm worried about it getting lost by one of my kids! Anyone could easily pick it up and use it. The pic on the Disney blog shows a very young girl with a bracelet. I wouldn't let my young child walk around the park with my credit card or room key card so I wouldn't let them wear that bracelet either.

If you don't trust your child with a credit card... why would you enable charging privileges on their wristband??

The same basic common sense protections are still going to be around.

 

[GrumpyFan]

I'm very tech savvy, but it just seems confusing with the band, fastpass+, signing into my Disney experience, you can also use a RFID card, you can pick the rides in advance on your phone or if not at the kiosk, knowing what time the 3:00 parade is, etc...

What's confusing? You make a reservation for six months from now, they send you a packet with information on how to access MyMagic+. You signon with your id, and start planning the days of your trip. Once entered, you can change them from your phone/tablet or in park at a kiosk. When you arrive at WDW, or shortly before, they give you the RFID band. I don't see how this is confusing.

 

[alissafalco]

If you don't trust your child with a credit card... why would you enable charging privileges on their wristband??

The same basic common sense protections are still going to be around.

I wouldn't but someone could get into our room and use our DDP with the lost bracelet. I'm not letting my kids wear them.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

What's confusing? You make a reservation for six months from now, they send you a packet with information on how to access MyMagic+. You signon with your id, and start planning the days of your trip. Once entered, you can change them from your phone/tablet or in park at a kiosk. When you arrive at WDW, or shortly before, they give you the RFID band. I don't see how this is confusing.

So this new technology increases availability and/or decreases popularity to allow these last minute updates? Or even in a tech infested world do we still need a bit of luck to catch a last minute cancellation?

 

[flynnibus]

I wouldn't but someone could get into our room and use our DDP with the lost bracelet. I'm not letting my kids wear them.

How are they going to find your room? Again.. same protects as on your current card - they don't print your room number for that very reason. Unless you are concerned about someone stalking you... then encouraging your kid to lose her band..

For DDP - they'll likely do an identity check...

 

[wdwmagic]

I wouldn't but someone could get into our room and use our DDP with the lost bracelet. I'm not letting my kids wear them.

I am guessing that you will be able to configure which of your groups MagicBands have resort door access privileges.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

How are they going to find your room? Again.. same protects as on your current card - they don't print your room number for that very reason. Unless you are concerned about someone stalking you... then encouraging your kid to lose her band..

For DDP - they'll likely do an identity check...

They said that there would be an identity check for expenditures over $50.

 

[flynnibus]

They said that there would be an identity check for expenditures over $50.

Yup - but she specifically said DDP - which plays by different rules too (and is separate from charging privileges)

 

[alissafalco]

How are they going to find your room? Again.. same protects as on your current card - they don't print your room number for that very reason. Unless you are concerned about someone stalking you... then encouraging your kid to lose her band..
For DDP - they'll likely do an identity check...

Any creep can pick up the bracelet if they saw a kid lose it in the hallway of their resort. As for WDW doing identity checks for the DDP, I highly doubt that ANY QS or snack cart would. Maybe for TS.

 

[danlb_2000]

How are they going to find your room? Again.. same protects as on your current card - they don't print your room number for that very reason. Unless you are concerned about someone stalking you... then encouraging your kid to lose her band...

Yeah, I doubt that someone who wants to steel from your room is going to hang around the parks for days or even weeks until they spot some drop their bracelet at which point they would have to follow that person for the rest of the day until they go back to their room, then wait for them to leave again, so they could break in. Seems to be an unlikely scenario.

 

[durangojim]

Any creep can pick up the bracelet if they saw a kid lose it in the hallway of their resort. As for WDW doing identity checks for the DDP, I highly doubt that ANY QS or snack cart would. Maybe for TS.

I plan on bringing a small surgical kit with me and surgically implanting the chip in my kids' arms at the beginning of the trip. That way they can't loose it.