True. I was looking at the hotel aspect of why locals don't use them, but the lack of using LL was something I didn't immediately think about.
I was thinking about it today, it would be nice if Disney could convince all the hotels/motels around the immediate Resort District to agree to use the same keyless system as WDW so MBs could be used. It wouldn't be too hard, as each franchise hotel/motel operator basically implements their own keyless system anyways. So it would be a benefit to the entire Resort District, and if there was a little $$$ flowing their way in the form of a nominal fee for each transaction made by the MB (more on this later) for tap to pay I'm sure you would get easy buy-in from the operators.
Tap to pay doesn't have to be linked to your hotel room. Since the bands are already linked to your account they can also be linked to a credit or gift card already on file. No different than tapping your phone for Apple or Google pay.
Exactly my point. If they implemented the tap to pay feature it would make the MB more useful, even for locals. And as mentioned above if you found a way to get buy-in from local hotel/motel operators around the Resort District, you could even have transactions going back to them as a gesture for making the MB accessible for hotel keys. Heck try to expand it to most of businesses around the Resort, since as you mentioned Apple and Google Pay are accepted pretty much everywhere now, why not MB "Pay" too as its just another NFC tap point, and make the money flow all over the Resort for the benefit of everyone.
It would truly make the Resort District feel more like being in the "Disney Bubble".
Yeah, more interactive stuff would be cool. As I mentioned in my previous post I enjoy a few rounds of Batuu Bounty Hunters. It's probably not the most innovative use of the bands for an interactive game, but it's still kinda fun and something unique only people with bands can do, which I like. It really is a shame that Disney didn't follow through on the whole reputation deal they promised like getting reprimanded or complimented on how well (or not well) you did on Smugglers Run. That would have been a great selling point for the bands.
One of the more fun experiences I had on my visit to Magic Kingdom was the Pirate's Adventure ~ Treasures of the Seven Seas game. A good old fashion treasure hunt which incorporated interactive elements in areas around Adventureland....and I thought it was cool that they are things right in plain site that the average guest doesn't see unless they play the game.
The 70th interactions were mostly underwhelming and I didn't care about collecting the cards. I think the Fantasyland one was the best. There were always at least 2 or 3 other parties waiting to do them, so at least some MB's were being sold. I didn't want to pay for the key unlocking experience, but I saw a lot of families doing that one.
Another aspect at Magic Kingdom that I already mentioned above is the ride photos. I liked that it knew who I was and automatically imported our ride photos into my account without having to enter a number (or take a picture of the number to enter later). It was convenient.
Disneyland did try that interactive stuff, like WDW did with Pirates Adventure, in the Frontierland back in the 2014. It only lasted a couple month, I think because they didn't get much interest from guests. But hopefully the bring it back and start doing it with MB in mind.
But in general yeah more interactive stuff would be cool where MB plays a role. Have something in each land not just GE, with a rotating interaction to keep it fresh.
You're right though, if they just invested in more reasons to use the bands they would sell tons more and make a return on that investment.
Yep, something Disney should really think about. Hopefully the 70th interactive stuff gave them enough reason to see that its a worth wild investment, even if you found it underwhelming personally.
