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

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
And what is the MM+ technology? I noticed at Thanksgiving my KKTW card just had to be touched to my door at the POLY to open it which I think was different from over the summer at the BC..
WDW has switched to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Essentially, your KTTW now includes a small "passive" radio transmitter. (Not exactly accurate terminology but conceptually easier to understand.) "Passive" means that it does not continuously broadcast a signal but, using the energy transmitted by another RFID device (sometimes called an "RFID reader") your KTTW card will transmit a low-powered signal back to the RFID reader identifying itself. Each door at WDW resort rooms now is equipped with an RFID reader. Each "RFID tag" (basically the chip embedded in your KTTW card) has a unique identification. It sounds complicated but the technology is surprisingly inexpensive.

It appears nearly all MyMagic+ (MM+) aspects will use RFID technology. Moving forward, you will use this technology to enter your resort room, gain access to the parks, redeem your FP+ selections, purchase food & merchandise, as well as interact with new WDW experiences. With this technology, Disney can identify who you are which, for example, could be used by Cinderella to greet you by name at a meet-and-greet.

I hope I answered your question.:)
 

Genie of the Lamp

Well-Known Member
WDW has switched to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Essentially, your KTTW now includes a small "passive" radio transmitter. (Not exactly accurate terminology but conceptually easier to understand.) "Passive" means that it does not continuously broadcast a signal but, using the energy transmitted by another RFID device (sometimes called an "RFID reader") your KTTW card will transmit a low-powered signal back to the RFID reader identifying itself. Each door at WDW resort rooms now is equipped with an RFID reader. Each "RFID tag" (basically the chip embedded in your KTTW card) has a unique identification. It sounds complicated but the technology is surprisingly inexpensive.

It appears nearly all MyMagic+ (MM+) aspects will use RFID technology. Moving forward, you will use this technology to enter your resort room, gain access to the parks, redeem your FP+ selections, purchase food & merchandise, as well as interact with new WDW experiences. With this technology, Disney can identify who you are which, for example, could be used by Cinderella to greet you by name at a meet-and-greet.

I hope I answered your question.:)

I would much rather perfer using an RFID card than a Magicband. It seems to me that RFID cards have similar capabilities that a Magicband will. Do you think you or any other members who have the knowledge in this area explain the difference between the RFID KTTW card and the Magicband please?
 

pjammer

Active Member
I would much rather perfer using an RFID card than a Magicband. It seems to me that RFID cards have similar capabilities that a Magicband will. Do you think you or any other members who have the knowledge in this area explain the difference between the RFID KTTW card and the Magicband please?
The only difference will be the customization of your experiance. If you are celebrating an anniversary and you want small world to let you know happy anniversary John or just passing through fantasyland and you want something that looks like a regular poster to change and say "hi. Happy anniversary John and Jane." Then the magic band will do that.

The RFID card wether as a resort guest or AP will let pre-book FP+. And be good for everything else except that extra customization magic that Disney wants to give.

I forgot to add because there is a seperate thread about characters but that is part of MM+ and eligible wether you use a band or not.
 

Genie of the Lamp

Well-Known Member
The only difference will be the customization of your experiance. If you are celebrating an anniversary and you want small world to let you know happy anniversary John or just passing through fantasyland and you want something that looks like a regular poster to change and say "hi. Happy anniversary John and Jane." Then the magic band will do that.

The RFID card wether as a resort guest or AP will let pre-book FP+. And be good for everything else except that extra customization magic that Disney wants to give.

Thanks for the info.:) Although I'm a little freaked out you found out what my male first name is.:eek: (I know you didn't know)
 

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
WDW has switched to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Essentially, your KTTW now includes a small "passive" radio transmitter. (Not exactly accurate terminology but conceptually easier to understand.) "Passive" means that it does not continuously broadcast a signal but, using the energy transmitted by another RFID device (sometimes called an "RFID reader") your KTTW card will transmit a low-powered signal back to the RFID reader identifying itself. Each door at WDW resort rooms now is equipped with an RFID reader. Each "RFID tag" (basically the chip embedded in your KTTW card) has a unique identification. It sounds complicated but the technology is surprisingly inexpensive.

It appears nearly all MyMagic+ (MM+) aspects will use RFID technology. Moving forward, you will use this technology to enter your resort room, gain access to the parks, redeem your FP+ selections, purchase food & merchandise, as well as interact with new WDW experiences. With this technology, Disney can identify who you are which, for example, could be used by Cinderella to greet you by name at a meet-and-greet.

I hope I answered your question.:)

Thanks... I knew the MM+ was an acronym for something related to the NextGen stuff Disney is implementing..for some reason I could not figure out what it stood for and it was driving me nuts:confused: ..Well we are on our way back to the World in May so I will get to see first hand what MM+ is going to do for me to enhance the vacation!:)
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Thanks... I knew the MM+ was an acronym for something related to the NextGen stuff Disney is implementing..for some reason I could not figure out what it stood for and it was driving me nuts:confused: ..Well we are on our way back to the World in May so I will get to see first hand what MM+ is going to do for me to enhance the vacation!:)
It's possible, but I wouldn't count on it being in full motion by May. Could be, but, I wouldn't stake the family fortune on it. :D
 

dhall

Well-Known Member
I would much rather perfer using an RFID card than a Magicband. It seems to me that RFID cards have similar capabilities that a Magicband will. Do you think you or any other members who have the knowledge in this area explain the difference between the RFID KTTW card and the Magicband please?

The band has two (at least) RFID devices and a Wifi capability as well (I don't think it's been established if the Wifi capability is a different set of circuitry or if it is provided by the RFID). At least one of the RFID devices is powered and can thus be read at some distance.

I believe that the KTTW card has (or will have) just a single RFID, and is probably only readable out to 4-8 ft.

The RFID article on WikiPedia is pretty useful, although some of it gets pretty detailed technically.
 

Clamman73

Well-Known Member
The band has two (at least) RFID devices and a Wifi capability as well (I don't think it's been established if the Wifi capability is a different set of circuitry or if it is provided by the RFID). At least one of the RFID devices is powered and can thus be read at some distance.

I believe that the KTTW card has (or will have) just a single RFID, and is probably only readable out to 4-8 ft.

The RFID article on WikiPedia is pretty useful, although some of it gets pretty detailed technically.

The Magicband is WiFi capable?
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
the band can broadcast on 2.4GHz which is the radio spectrum used for WiFi... the assumption is it's broadcasting using 802.11(something) protocols but that isn't known for sure. Presumably (again assumption) is it's broadcasting, not some integrated element in the network (limited uses for recieving information).

@dhall - the two RFID tags are passive, one is UHF and the other HF... the 'power' in the band (cell battery) is presumably for the 2.4GHz radio and circuits as it has no other source of power.
 
2.4Ghz doesn't mean Wifi. That range is set aside for low power devices to transmit on without a license. Many cordless phones and microwaves also operate at 2.4Ghz.

Given the cost I would highly doubt there is a wifi radio in a device with an unreplaceable battery.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
2.4Ghz doesn't mean Wifi. That range is set aside for low power devices to transmit on without a license. Many cordless phones and microwaves also operate at 2.4Ghz.

Given the cost I would highly doubt there is a wifi radio in a device with an unreplaceable battery.

You can make 2.4GHz wifi devices in basically china toy key fobs.. they are single chip solutions that only need antenna and power.

Personally I think it's just a beacon.. but could be using wifi-like behaviors to make it compatible with off the shelf radio gear.
 

Buried20KLeague

Well-Known Member
I'm getting ready for a cruise that leaves in the morning, so we came down to Fla a few days early and hit the parks. When I get back in a week, I plan on posting some of my thoughts on my visit, but there was one nugget I though I'd put in this thread right away.

Yesterday at BoG, I spotted a group of suits. Then we rounded the corner to the ordering room. One of the guys was at an ordering station with.... A set of Mickey cuffs--- I mean --- a Magic Band.

As luck would have it, I was next in line when he finished, and he waved me over. He said he wanted to watch me order. So I started the process, and started to make small talk. "Ooooh. Is that a Magic Band?" I asked, acting ever so in awe. "It is!" Said he. I asked when they would be rolled out, and he first joked it away saying something like "it's right here!", but when pushed a bit more, he told me they're "at least a couple months away".

So... Make of that what you will.

There were a number of things I really enjoyed about this stop in to the parks (contrary to my Doom and Gloom label), and a handful that drive me nuts... But that will have to wait a week as I have a date with The Oasis Of The Seas. But I wanted to share that bit of news right away.
 

Tom

Beta Return
I'm getting ready for a cruise that leaves in the morning, so we came down to Fla a few days early and hit the parks. When I get back in a week, I plan on posting some of my thoughts on my visit, but there was one nugget I though I'd put in this thread right away.

Yesterday at BoG, I spotted a group of suits. Then we rounded the corner to the ordering room. One of the guys was at an ordering station with.... A set of Mickey cuffs--- I mean --- a Magic Band.

As luck would have it, I was next in line when he finished, and he waved me over. He said he wanted to watch me order. So I started the process, and started to make small talk. "Ooooh. Is that a Magic Band?" I asked, acting ever so in awe. "It is!" Said he. I asked when they would be rolled out, and he first joked it away saying something like "it's right here!", but when pushed a bit more, he told me they're "at least a couple months away".

So... Make of that what you will.

Thanks for the tidbit. Good to know they actually have feet on the ground testing it, and studying actual habits and procedures of guests. Probably should have taken this step a year or more ago, but glad they're at least doing it before just dumping them into production.
 
I hope they get it all working before I go back in September. One question I had, which might already be answered in the 50+ pages, how are they going to handle dining plans? Right now the server takes your KTTW and runs it. Presumably they would need some sort of handheld RFID/band reader for each server at each restaurant. That seems like a lot. The only other option I see is you take your band off and hand it to the server. How gross, my server carrying around sweaty bands that other people have worn all day/week in the summer sun.
 

stevehousse

Well-Known Member
Do not know this for sure, and I don't believe it has come up, but I can see Disney maybe using iPods or iPads in the restaurants to "scan" your band table side, then printing your receipts there as well. Think of tgi Fridays, they have mobile credit card/printing machines that they do table side.
 

TubaGeek

God bless the "Ignore" button.
I handled one of the bands. The thing can go SUPER tight, through the size-holes, but I imagine the holes closer to the actual RFID patch are more for putting in the decorative... things (they have a word for them, but I can't remember what it was). I asked how much replacement bands would be, but that's still being decided; I imagine the first replacement will be free, but it will cost more for one-day guests. As has been stated, CMs and AP will be getting their own at some point in the future, so certain AP whiners can calm down. Not naming any names.
 

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