Paper or Plastic?

[Timekeeper]

I sometimes wonder why annual passes are issued on the "regular" cardstock as the daily/hopper passes. I've seen some guests slide other types of "plastic" cards through the turnstiles, and it only seems logical that WDW issue annual passes on this same type of "credit card" format (as they have in the past.) It's safe to assume that annual passes undergo much more wear and tear than the 3 day hoppers. Not only do we slide them through at each entrance, but we use them to access FastPasses over and over and over again.

I also wonder why they did away with photos on the passes. I know that the biometric readers don't always opperate as accurately as we would like them to, and having to carry other i.d. (such as a driver's license) can be burdensome. Not to mention that numerous guests such as children and teenagers may not have a driver's license at all. Pictures could easily be placed on the current cardstock passes (which Universal did for a while) or plastic card passes. And with the current popularity of bank check card picture i.d. cards, it seems like a logical security measure.

Tk

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

i always wondered why Disney took away the pics on the cards too...though to be honest, i didn't care too much, cuz my pic always turned out awful! :dazzle:

 

[jmarc63]

Biometric readers

I know that the biometric readers don't always opperate as accurately as we would like them to


I was wondering about the Biometric Readers. This is new since I was last at WDW. are the readers for passholders only or for all the resort guests ID cards as well, and how does the Biometric reader play into the system??

What do the curent resort ID cards look like now. do they still have the printed barcode or have they gone to a mag stripe like credit cards??

 

[kaos]

Biometric thing is a joke. It doesn't really work.. I watched a couple walk in using the other persons AP, and my bro and I did it to, just to experiment. I think it's just a psychological thing, like the curving forever roads behind the MK and the plain and boring hallways in the CM only areas.

 

[Terp02]

My only reasoning for the APs getting a "paper" card like most of the people is because only the people who have length of stay passes get the plastic ones since it's their room key, ticket, credit card extension, etc. and it's only a one shot deal and you can't use them ever again. I think the APs should get a plastic one but I think it's just cheaper to make them on paper.

 

[Dizneydude87]

I heard somewhere that all tickets and passes were going to plastic beacuase the fastpass machines were constantly getting where and tear, and always backed up due to wet tickets. I highly doubt this is true beacause that would co$t a bunch. But it wold make sence to do it for AP. And the biometric things only measure the distance between your two fingers. I think that is almost pointless. I mean, if it's so accurate, why back it up with an ID? I could see doing that when purchasing to confirm your a Florida resident, but after that, what's the point?

 

[Justin]

Yeah, I hate there new system, They dont work right all the time, and it takes forever, Now its Paper passes when we got our Season Passes, and when we go on a water ride (if we forget to put our carryons) somewhere, They get wet, and bent up easy and tear and stuff, I wish they used the old system still, where u showed them your picture, The system was alot easier than the new one, Or they could at least use it like Universal has there's.

 

[Dizneydude87]

Oh, and they went to the biometric things beacuase people were using others AP to get in. Alot of people look alike I guess. My cousin got in on my sisters pass a long time ago. It was raining outside, so she just through something over her head, the didnt look twice, she got in.

 

[Justin]

Oh i c, So now thats why Disney has the biometric or watever things?

 

[brian_gaudio]

If you but your tickets at a Disney Hotel, they put it on plastic. It's like a blank room key. I've stayed at the Yacht and Beach Club Concierge Floors for over 10 years and the last 5 years the tickets have been on plastic. I have gotten the 5 and 7 day park hopper plus passes.

 

[kaos]

Originally posted by brian_gaudio
If you but your tickets at a Disney Hotel, they put it on plastic. It's like a blank room key. I've stayed at the Yacht and Beach Club Concierge Floors for over 10 years and the last 5 years the tickets have been on plastic. I have gotten the 5 and 7 day park hopper plus passes.

That is because they only have the one type of machines at the front desks.

 

[DisneyrazZ]

its not only at the hotels that you get the plastic hoppers...at the Disney Store they sell the tickets and THEY are plastic hoppers as well! i think it is kind of stupid that the AP would be paper because it is used so much more!

~DisneyrazZ~

 

[Justin]

Does anyone know if they also sell them at the Old Key West Resort near Epcot.

 

[Timekeeper]

Plastic Please

Originally posted by Dizneydude87
I heard somewhere that all tickets and passes were going to plastic beacuase the fastpass machines were constantly getting where and tear, and always backed up due to wet tickets.

I think this is ironic, because Universal, who had recently been issuing plastic annual passes, is doing the opposite. The Express Pass systems at Universal have two readers: a magnetic strip swiper (same as WDW), and a laser bar code reader below. Annual passes - printed on plastic cards, have a barcode on their face that is read at entry and at Express Pass distributors. The only problem is, they almost NEVER worked at Express Pass distributors. And I am apparently not the only one with this problem.

Universal recently sent out a newsletter to annual passholders offering a free pass upgrade, meaning a new pass would be issued upon a guests visit to the pass processing center. The newsletter article directly adressed the problem with the Express Pass systems, promising more accurate compatibility with the 'new' passes.

As for the additional cost of implimenting a plastic annual pass at WDW, the cost of plastic is no big secret, and I'd be willing to pay the extra $0.15 for the upgrade.

Whether or not "wet" passes are frequently jammed in FastPass swipers, in Florida it rains, and rains, and rains, and rains (ala living seas.) So paper passes 'are' privy to the wear and tear of weather conditions alone.

If WDW used a "true biometric" system, we would not need annual passes at all. Rather, we'd just have to have our hand scanned and as long as our account was still valid in the WDW computer, we'd be given access.

Tk

Tk

 

[mkt]

actually,

very soon the WDW tickets will be updated to the plactic cards. Not like credit cards, but more like prepaid phone cards.

Right now the only plastic cards being inserted are WDW CM ID's and resort room keys

 

[CmdrTostada]

I cant wait for plastic cards. Im always afraid of ruining my card. Even though if it gets ruined you can get a new one.

 

[RobFL]

My ID is hard Plastic, and so is my Room Key - both i could use to unlock the right type of door.

My "Main Gate" pass however, is sort of like glorified paper with plastic qualities. Very thin, flexible, and compartively cheap to the other two, yet very durable. I guess this is the phone card stock.

-Rob

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by RobFL
Very thin, flexible, and compartively cheap to the other two, yet very durable. I guess this is the phone card stock.

you hit the nail on the head!

 

[Justin]

Originally posted by Turbogames
I cant wait for plastic cards. Im always afraid of ruining my card. Even though if it gets ruined you can get a new one.

Yeah, But if it gets ruined dont u have to pay money to update it or get a new one? Cause one of my cards looks like it has been in the washer and dryer and through the ocean etc. and i would like a new one. But i was wondering if they costs extra money... what would it be like 15$?

 

[CmdrTostada]

i dont think it cost my sister any money when she got it replaced.