1) Provide a throw-away value device to EVERY member in the party that is unique
2) Provides a moderated experience where people can 'register' into the system via CM or Disney's identity system
3) Provide a beacon that works all the time at ranges beyond NFC or bluetooth that can operate at scale
4) Provides NFC at both contact and 'near' ranges if desired (Play Disney doesn't use NFC - it uses bluetooth and wifi)
5) Does all this with a device that doesn't require charging, works for people of all points of origin
6) Requires zero device interop
7) Has a lifecycle Disney controls entirely itself - unlike when the handset makers change the platform every 12months
8) Doubles as both a user value add and a value add IoT device for Disney
The Play Disney app is cute... and a good time passer... but it comes with a lot of burdens Disney has to follow others to keep in play. Not something you necessarily like when you design stuff for lifecycles of 3-10 years... not 12-24months.
Ok, while I agree with some of your points, however there are things that you are not taking into account:
1. While throw away, MB still costs Disney to produce. While the App is just minor development cost to upgrade, and can be quickly updated to include new features. The customer doesn't have to do anything but make sure they are on the latest version.
2. This same "register" experience can be accomplished with the app using the same basic system.
3/4. While Play Disney doesn't currently use NFC, it can. And I believe they will for any app based system for SW:GE, which will provide that "beacon" you mention.
5. Its 2018, almost the entire populous has a smart phone, and use it anytime they are in the parks. Disney would be foolish to not leverage that. And with Play Disney and other apps they are beginning to leverage the power of the technology. Also the MBs do die and become outdated at some point. Which requires the end user to get a completely new MB.
6/7. Disney has full control over the lifecycle of the app. And provided it works with the latest OS on the device interop shouldn't be much of an issue.
8. The app provides a value add to both Disney and the guest. It uses a device the guest already has, and provides a mechanism for Disney to provide revenue beyond MB, like the ability to show Disney ads as needed.
I would be surprised if Disney will use a combination of real world and AR experiences for the interactive aspects of SW:GE.
MB is older technology at this point. If they were really committed to it they would have put it into the new park they just built two years ago in Shanghai. They would have put it into DLP, HKDL, TDL, and even DLR, but they didn't. And its my belief that at some point WDW will also get rid of MB once they've gotten most of their investment back.
