RFID, short for radio frequency identification, is a relatively new technology being implemented in every day life. This technology consists of tagging an object, which can then be scanned by a reader over short ranges. These tags are useful for tracking products and storing information. Recently, one company has decided to base their new branding and technology with RFID tagging. This company is none other than the Happiest Place on Earth. Yes, Disney World guests will now be issued an RFID chip inside either a wristband or a standard key card as part of the company’s new MyMagic+ initiative. Disney has both short term and long terms on how to implement its technology, which is not without its critics asking about privacy issues. In an official statement the Walt Disney Company has said that the mission of the MyMagic+ system is to take “the Disney guest experience to the next level” (Source 3).
At this point in its campaign, Disney is marketing the RFID enabled wristband (or a Magicband as the company is calling it) to be the source of ultimate convenience for the guest. The chip inside the Magicband can be used to access your park admission, hotel room entrance, dining plan, and Disney’s FASTPASS, all by passing your wrist in front of a reader (Source 2). Also, a credit card can be linked to a guest’s Magicband that can be used throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. In the future, however, Disney hopes to move beyond simply guest convenience to use the RFID technology to personalize attractions to the individual guest as it reads information off their Magicband. One Disney spokesperson said that “it’s not about the technology, it’s about creating an experience (Source 1). Disney plans that this technology will be used to create guest interactions in various attractions and for the characters to know a child’s name when they come up to greet their favorite princess.
Another use for the RFID technology for Disney is using long range Bluetooth in the bands to analyze the flow of traffic throughout the parks (Source 1). It is easy to see how this information could be useful in planning for the future of the parks but the idea of “tracking guests” is bringing out the critics. As usual as Disney says this technology will be for the guests they are allowing those who have privacy issues to opt out of the MyMagic+ initiative (Source 3). Another major concern for critics is the potential theft of the information from the band. However, Disney claims that no information is stored on the band itself; rather the band leads to an encrypted database that stores the data (Source 2). Other security measures are also being taken such as needing a PIN code for purchases over $50 and the ability to deactivate your Magicband from your smartphone if it is lost. Although there are security concerns, Disney is taking every measure possible to minimize the potential risks.
Walt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths (Source 2). Walt certainly would be proud of his company now, as they allowed themselves to pursue this new technology in the sake of curiosity in hopes in would lead them down new paths. Time will tell whether they were successful but it is clear that they are trailblazing a path that the world has not seen before.
Source 1 – http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/05/29/disney-goes-into-wearable-tech-with-the-magic-band/
Source 2- http://allthingsd.com/20130529/tomorrowland-today-disney-magicband-unlocks-new-guest-experience-for-park-goers/
Source 3 – http://blogs.computerworld.com/privacy/21610/big-brother-mickey-mouse-monitor-behavior-disneys-mymagic-rfid-wristbands
Photo Source – http://wdworldnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/disney-magic-band-elite-daily.jpg