RFID comming to WDW stores

[twilight mitsuk]

Japanese retailer Mitsukoshi is said to be expanding its item-level tagging program as well. According to published reports, the retailer credits item-level RFID tags with helping boost sales by 13 percent in the women's shoe department at its flagship store in Tokyo. Mitsukoshi is currently using the technology at seven stores across Japan and may introduce it at its U.S. stores in Orlando, Fla., and Honolulu later this year.

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

what is RFID?

 

[AstareGod]

Radio Frequency Identification - a special transmitter/receiver can detect RFID "tags" embedded or stickied onto things, for uses like inventory control and sales. Intended to replace barcodes and such.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFID

EDIT: Twilight, where'd you get this story from? I know Mitsukoshi runs the retail shop in the Japan pavilion at Epcot, but I'm not sure how Disney would implement this property-wide, especially since Disney, not the individual host countries, runs all the retail operations.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFID

 

[twilight mitsuk]

park tickets, fast passes, bus and ride vehicles tracking

 

[AstareGod]

Twilight, don't take this the wrong way, but most of your posts, it seems, lack a clear objective or idea, and don't seem to help facilitate discussion on the various threads you've started. Try using complete sentences and making sure those sentences' ideas are relevant to the discussion at hand. Thanks

 

[twilight mitsuk]

those are uses of RFID at WDW

 

[Surf Fish2285]

WOW that's a bold prediction from one small article!

 

[AstareGod]

WOW that's a bold prediction from one small article!

I agree. I think it would be very expensive for Disney to implement RFID for its ticketing in all of its parks. Just think, every ticket would need a tag embedded in it (stickers could easily come off in the rain, water rides, etc), and replacing lost tickets would make it even more costly. They would also have to upgrade the turnstiles, fastpass machines, machines at guest relations (for ticket reprints), machines where you can BUY the tickets, etc etc etc. Not to mention the resorts would need to upgrade THEIR machines for resort keys/key to the world cards, as well as the doors where guests use their cards to gain access to their rooms.

I haven't even started on the cruise ships, cast IDs, costuming, etc etc etc.

 

[Surf Fish2285]

Twilight, don't take this the wrong way, but most of your posts, it seems, lack a clear objective or idea, and don't seem to help facilitate discussion on the various threads you've started. Try using complete sentences and making sure those sentences' ideas are relevant to the discussion at hand. Thanks

Seriously!

 

[uklad79]

EDIT: Twilight, where'd you get this story from? I know Mitsukoshi runs the retail shop in the Japan pavilion at Epcot, but I'm not sure how Disney would implement this property-wide, especially since Disney, not the individual host countries, runs all the retail operations.

This isn't true. Look at the tills in some of the countries and you will see they are not the Disney ones. Disney doesn't operate all of the retail. China and Japan are defiantly not run by them.

 

[WDWFigment]

Keep in mind Disney just upgraded all the Fast Pass machines, so we aren't going to see this technology used for Fast Passes any time in the next five years.

 

[cb3k]

Keep in mind Disney just upgraded all the Fast Pass machines, so we aren't going to see this technology used for Fast Passes any time in the next five years.

I hate to impose on the thread, but would you mind informing me on the updated fast pass machines? I must have missed this update, unless I have already experienced the new ones and was unaware, but I have only been away from my weekly visits for about 6 weeks now. Thank you

 

[tooltime]

RFID is a very efficient way to track inventory levels, counts, you can receive a pallet of disney digs in a few seconds...of course the suppliers have to conform by using rfid tags on their products...it's definitely only going to become more ubiquitous.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

I think it is used in limited ride applications, such as maintance data, and sound control on living with the land

 

[WISH4EE@WDW]

I think it is used in limited ride applications, such as maintance data, and sound control on living with the land

I too was always shocked by how little RFID was used on the WDW property. I agree that RFID is going to become ubiquitous. Unfortunately at this time it's just not yet.

Unless you are a 100% sure that it's RFID enabled and you've seen the technology in use your probably confusing RFID with infrared technology. It seems that the Walt Disney company and Imagineering especially are quite enamored with this technology and use it a bunch in ride vehicles, My Pal Mickey and other stuff that seems to be autonomous. There are quite a few tech articles out there where Disney engineers talk about applications of infrared in the parks. Check out eetimes.com

For those of you who don't think you've seen RFID tags. Open up a Pepsi or Coke 12 pack and look for a little sticker inside of the box. It'll look similar to this:

That's an RFID tag and Pepsi and Coke love these little guys!

 

[twilight mitsuk]

could that be for the alarm system at stor'e exit?

 

[WDWFigment]

I hate to impose on the thread, but would you mind informing me on the updated fast pass machines? I must have missed this update, unless I have already experienced the new ones and was unaware, but I have only been away from my weekly visits for about 6 weeks now. Thank you

They basically made the Fast Passes like Disneyland's. There is a barcode on them, and the date is much more prominent. Other than that, not much changed. I think they still might have a few attractions to change over. I believe the first attraction to get the new machines was Kilimanjaro Safaris, but I could be wrong.

 

[AstareGod]

This isn't true. Look at the tills in some of the countries and you will see they are not the Disney ones. Disney doesn't operate all of the retail. China and Japan are defiantly not run by them.

Ah, I thought all the registers/tills were MATRA-based and run through the same inventory database that Disney uses for all merchandise. I mean, Mitsukoshi doesn't provide everything in the Japan pavilion retail store, like autograph books, etc. I'm sure Disney manufactures these and uses its retail systems to keep track of them. If we had two ways of identifying SKUs (RFID and UPC barcode) implemented in some Disney shops, it would look kinda out of place, but it's definitely possible.

Then again, I could be completely wrong

They basically made the Fast Passes like Disneyland's. There is a barcode on them, and the date is much more prominent. Other than that, not much changed. I think they still might have a few attractions to change over. I believe the first attraction to get the new machines was Kilimanjaro Safaris, but I could be wrong.

A lot of the attractions in DAK have the new fastpass, like Expedition Everest, It's Tough to be a Bug, and I'm sure Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, and Kali River Rapids use the new FPs too. I was at Disney-MGM Studios and got a fastpass for ToT, and that fastpass wasn't one of the new ones, so they're still in the process of upgrading the machines.

 

[Figment82]

I was at Disney-MGM Studios and got a fastpass for ToT, and that fastpass wasn't one of the new ones, so they're still in the process of upgrading the machines.

Rockin's FP is currently down to update it to the new kind, and then ToT will go down next week to be updated. I think there are a few rides in MGM left to do, and then the transfomation will be complete!