JX2 Development

In Part 1 I talked about WiFi and Planning Tools.  In Part 2 I will talk about the more controversial components to Disney’s new MyMagic + system.

Fastpass +.  Back in the day, you would go to the Magic Kingdom and stand in line to ride Dumbo no matter how long that line was.  In 1999 Disney decided to introduce Fastpass to the parks.  Here is how it worked.  You would go to the ride you wanted to get a pass for, put your park ticket inside a machine, and it would spit out a paper pass that would allow you to skip the line for the next available window.  This system worked well and allowed people to maximize the rides they were able to use each day as there was no limit in the amount you could get.  It could also create panic as you chased Fastpasses all day around the park.

Today Disney is taking the chasing out of the equation and limiting the amount of lines you can cut each day.  In the new system you get 3 Fastpasses per day for only one park.  No more paper.  Everything links up to your mobile app and your Magic Band.  Here is where the controversy comes in.  You can no longer take advantage of the system by running around the park chasing paper Fastpasses.  Everyone is on even playing field being limited to 3 passes per day.  Some people do not like this.  Disney likes it because this means more time for you to spend money at the many retail locations throughout each park.

In my experience having 2 toddlers, it worked well for us.  We were able to reserve the rides we wanted to go on and even changed our reservation times on the fly to a later hour because toddlers are unpredictable.  Our experience was helped due to us not needing to utilize Fastpasses for busier adult rides such as Space Mountain.  We also visited at a slower time of year so there were less people competing with us for the reservation.  I can see where being limited and going during busier times can have a negative impact on someone’s experience.  Disney will continue to adjust how this program works as people start using it more and complain to guest services.

Magicbands, everything you need on your wrist.  Prior to these bands being released you were given a credit card sized card that housed your park tickets and hotel key on it.  You were also able to charge to your room by swiping the card at retail locations.  Disney has taken this idea to the next level and put all of these abilities onto a wrist band that uses radio frequency technology to work.  Buying a t shirt?  Tap your band to the Mickey head and put in your pin code.  Entering the park?  Tap your band to the Mickey head until it turns green and walk in.  Opening your hotel room door?  Tap your band to the Mickey head and the door is unlocked.  See a pattern?  As a pure convenience these are all great while on vacation.  No more fumbling around your purse or wallet to find your card to do these.  My experience was that it worked well.  The bands themselves are light and did not bother me.  They are waterproof so you can take them with you in the pool.

Sounds great right?  Why is this controversial?  Well think about it this way, you now have a digital presence on your wrist at all times while walking around DisneyWorld.  Disney can in theory track your movements and behavior patterns by mapping out all those times you tap your band to a Mickey head.  Disney has a website dedicated to such questions if you are interested in learning more.  Last year this technology was cotroversial enough to get a U.S. Senator to challenge Disney.  CEO Bob Iger was not impressed.

As with any technology you have to be aware of what you are signing up for when you accept the terms and conditions.  Most of the population who visits WDW won’t mind being tracked to some degree as it is part of the deal to visit the world’s most visited theme park.  I believe this technology will not be limited to just theme parks in the future.  As most things do around here, this ties back to something Apple is working on, the iWatch.  The first version of the iWatch is very likely to not have purchasing/tracking technology built into it.  As soon as you are able to tap your Apple band on the Apple logo in the Apple store, then Nordstrom’s, then Starbucks…these corporations will easily know your spending habits.  The next step may be targeted advertising personalized to you.

Anyone remember the movie Minority report?  Prior to scanning Tom’s retina perhaps his wrist band was being scanned.  Scary but this is where we are headed and Disney is already there.

What do you think about this technology?  Have you been to WDW recently and experienced it first hand?  Let us know by leaving a comment.

This is part 1 of a 2 part series. Click here for part 2.

Ok I admit it.  I am a Disney nerd.  I’ve been to Walt Disney World in Florida about a dozen times and Disneyland twice.  I frequent a fan site WDWMagic to keep up with the latest news and rumors.  So when news broke that Disney was rolling out a brand new technology called My Magic + I was very interested given my technical background and excited to try it during my recent trip this past February.

What is My Magic + you ask?  Well it’s marketing speak for a number of technological advancements Disney has invested over 2 Billion dollars (unconfirmed reports and yes that was billion with a B) in the resort’s aging infrastructure and guest experience.

Components include:

• Free WiFi access in hotels and parks
• Planning tools accessible through Disney’s website and mobile App
• A new system to reserve ride times called FastPass +
• A wristband called MagicBand that contains your park tickets, room key, and purchasing ability for adults (with 4 digit pin code of course)

In part 1 I will take a look at the first two components.  Part 2 will include the next two.

Free WiFi.  This is a win win for both Disney and customers.  In today’s connected world it is an advantage for most to be able to tap into Disney’s free WiFi network while on vacation.  Sending iMessages, sharing photos, and (gasp) keeping up with work email are all much more pleasant when on a WiFi connection vs spotty cellular service.  While there in February I found the WiFi to work well in both the hotel and parks.  For Disney, it allows for people to be fully connected and integrated with their planning tools during their stay.

Planning tools.  I am a planner.  Prior to this year’s trip I would plan our Disney World trips in Excel.  Some items I would include were park hours for the days we were there and expected crowd levels for each park according to research completed by fan site TouringPlans.  Another tab would have the park we would be visiting each day, dining reservations and any other special events we had planned.  I found with Disney’s new technology tools that my Excel spreadsheets are now irrelevant.  To me, that’s a good thing.  At home I can log onto the My Disney Experience website and link dining reservations or add must do’s.  While on vacation I can fire up the official Disney World app and check what we planned.  For planners like me this is a great tool.  If you are not a planner you run the risk of your vacation experience being less than magical.  For example you cannot walk into many restaurants and get a table without having a reservation 180 days in advance.  My advice is to take the extra time and plan ahead when going to Walt Disney World.

In Part 2 learn about the more controversial components of MyMagic +