Difference between revisions of "MagicBands"

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This system was used in Orlando from summer 2013 until early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused Disney World to close for multiple months. When Disney World re-opened in July of 2020, many changes began to take place including mandatory mask-wearing, social distancing, limited capacity, pausing of the Fastpass+ service, and, later, the phasing out of MagicBands. <ref> Pallotta, Frank. “Disney Parks Chief on Reopening: 'We Are in a New Normal'.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 July 2020. [https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/11/media/disney-world-reopening-disney-parks-chief/index.html.]</ref> Beginning in 2021, MagicBands are no longer complimentary when a guest makes a reservation to stay at Disney World in Orlando. This is in preparation for a new update to the My Disney Experience app, which will shift all of the functionality of MagicBands to a user’s personal smartphone. <ref name="three"> MagicBands & Admission Cards [https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/my-disney-experience/bands-cards/] </ref>  
 
This system was used in Orlando from summer 2013 until early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused Disney World to close for multiple months. When Disney World re-opened in July of 2020, many changes began to take place including mandatory mask-wearing, social distancing, limited capacity, pausing of the Fastpass+ service, and, later, the phasing out of MagicBands. <ref> Pallotta, Frank. “Disney Parks Chief on Reopening: 'We Are in a New Normal'.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 July 2020. [https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/11/media/disney-world-reopening-disney-parks-chief/index.html.]</ref> Beginning in 2021, MagicBands are no longer complimentary when a guest makes a reservation to stay at Disney World in Orlando. This is in preparation for a new update to the My Disney Experience app, which will shift all of the functionality of MagicBands to a user’s personal smartphone. <ref name="three"> MagicBands & Admission Cards [https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/my-disney-experience/bands-cards/] </ref>  
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==MagicMobile==
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On March 30, 2021, Disney Resort guests were offered the option of the Disney MagicMobile service for Apple iPhones and Apple Watches, with a version for Android devices planned for late April 2021.
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<ref> Michaelsen, Shannen. "Disney MagicMobile Service Coming to Android Users by End of April." Walt Disney World News Today, 8 April 2021. https://wdwnt.com/2021/04/disneys-magicmobile-service-coming-to-android-users-by-end-of-april/ </ref>
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It was presented as the new alternative to MagicBands, having the same functionality on top of new features. One improvement highlighted in the service’s initial announcement was the ability to store multiple passes on one device in the pre-existing Apple Wallet service, an option targeted to families.
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<ref> Maehrer, Avery. "Disney MagicMobile Option Launches on Apple Devices – How to Get Started for Contactless Walt Disney World Park Entry." Disney Parks Blog, 30 March 2021. https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/03/disney-magicmobile-option-launches-on-apple-devices-how-to-get-started-for-contactless-walt-disney-world-park-entry/ </ref>
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Users can customize the appearance of their passes in the Wallet app, retaining some of the visual customization from the many different variations of MagicBands. It also introduces a feature allowing guests to link photos and videos from Disney PhotoPass to their profile.
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<ref> Coffey, Kelly. "MagicMobile Officially Debuts to Disney World Guests." Inside The Magic, 30 March 2021. https://insidethemagic.net/2021/03/magicmobile-debuts-kc1/ </ref>
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The new smartphone app is planned to work in the same way as MagicBands, utilizing the pre-existing Mickey Mouse touchpoints for park entry, fastpass redemption, hotel entry, and everything else the MagicBands were capable of. Because MagicBands will no longer be complementary, guests will be encouraged to use the MagicMobile app as a free alternative.
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==The Technology of MagicBands==
 
==The Technology of MagicBands==
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In addition to Walt Disney World's shift from MagicBand to smartphone use for ticket and attraction validation, they are also testing the use of facial recognition software to be used for park admission. Disney World guests can opt into the test of facial recognition software for admission from March 23 to April 23, 2021. Guests under the age of 18 must receive parent or guardian permission to participate in the trial. Disney's facial recognition software converts a guest's face into an identifying number for park admission. Their software is being tested only with guests wearing face coverings and no other facial accessories such as sunglasses. <ref name="fr"> Murphy Marcos, Coral. "Disney begins testing optional facial recognition for entry to Magic Kingdom". Detroit Free Press. 23 March 2021. [https://www.freep.com/story/travel/experience/america/theme-parks/2021/03/23/disney-tests-optional-facial-recognition-entry-magic-kingdom/6966242002/]</ref> Facial recognition are controversial software, partially because of their history of [https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/how-i-m-fighting-bias-in-algorithms inaccuracies with non-white faces.]
 
In addition to Walt Disney World's shift from MagicBand to smartphone use for ticket and attraction validation, they are also testing the use of facial recognition software to be used for park admission. Disney World guests can opt into the test of facial recognition software for admission from March 23 to April 23, 2021. Guests under the age of 18 must receive parent or guardian permission to participate in the trial. Disney's facial recognition software converts a guest's face into an identifying number for park admission. Their software is being tested only with guests wearing face coverings and no other facial accessories such as sunglasses. <ref name="fr"> Murphy Marcos, Coral. "Disney begins testing optional facial recognition for entry to Magic Kingdom". Detroit Free Press. 23 March 2021. [https://www.freep.com/story/travel/experience/america/theme-parks/2021/03/23/disney-tests-optional-facial-recognition-entry-magic-kingdom/6966242002/]</ref> Facial recognition are controversial software, partially because of their history of [https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/how-i-m-fighting-bias-in-algorithms inaccuracies with non-white faces.]
  
Disney has also researched the use of facial recognition in Affective Artificial Intelligence, a technology designed to serve a similar purpose to focus groups. Rather than collecting audience feedback on a piece of media to determine marketability, Affective AI allows Disney to use cameras placed in a movie theater to monitor the faces of every audience member and determine their emotional reactions to different scenes of the film being presented. This process generates a huge quantity of data, which can be quickly assessed by computer algorithms and aid in decisions such as how a film should end. In the future, it’s speculated that Disney could use this technology to determine which parts of theme park rides are most enjoyable to guests or for broader applications to different aspects of their resorts. <ref> KO. "Big Data Behind Disney Magic." Digital Innovation and Transformation, MBA Student Perspectives, 13 November 2019. </ref>
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Disney has also researched the use of facial recognition in Affective Artificial Intelligence, a technology designed to serve a similar purpose to focus groups. Rather than collecting audience feedback on a piece of media to determine marketability, Affective AI allows Disney to use cameras placed in a movie theater to monitor the faces of every audience member and determine their emotional reactions to different scenes of the film being presented. This process generates a huge quantity of data, which can be quickly assessed by computer algorithms and aid in decisions such as how a film should end. In the future, it’s speculated that Disney could use this technology to determine which parts of theme park rides are most enjoyable to guests or for broader applications to different aspects of their resorts.  
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<ref> KO. "Big Data Behind Disney Magic." Digital Innovation and Transformation, MBA Student Perspectives, 13 November 2019. https://digital.hbs.edu/platform-digit/submission/big-data-behind-disney-magic/ </ref>
  
 
==Similar Technologies==
 
==Similar Technologies==

Revision as of 17:00, 8 April 2021

MagicBands, provided free to WDW Resort guests from 2013-2020 [1]
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MagicBands are wearable devices that were used in the Walt Disney World resorts & parks in Orlando, Florida. These devices collected data on guest behavior to simplify transactions and create individualized experiences for users. They were first implemented inside Disney parks in 2013 [2], and began being phased out in 2020 to shift their functionality to personal smartphones and begin testing facial recognition software for park entry. [3] [4] MagicBands functioned using RFID technology, which enabled users to be identified from a distance [5] and interact with short and long range scanners throughout Disney property. [3] They were packaged in the form of a plastic bracelet in a wide array of colors and patterns with adjustable sizing for adults and children. While Disney is not the only amusement park to have used RF technology in this way, many ethical concerns exist specifically regarding Disney's data collection practices, targeted advertising, and information security with MagicBands, as well as the potential future shift from MagicBands to facial recognition technology in the parks.


History

Before the implementation of MagicBands, guests entered the park with paper tickets through turnstiles and used in-park kiosks daily to retrieve paper fastpasses. There was no central information source regarding wait times for attractions.[6] [7]

In 2013, the MyMagic+ suite of technology was phased into use in the Walt Disney World resorts & parks in Orlando, Florida with MagicBands at the forefront of this advancement. [8] With MagicBands, guests could unlock their resort hotel rooms, make Fastpass+ reservations in and outside of the parks, and buy food and merchandise [9]. The MagicBand would sync with users’ My Disney Experience App, displaying personalized experiences, ride photos available for purchase, reservations for fastpasses, and dining options.

This system was used in Orlando from summer 2013 until early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused Disney World to close for multiple months. When Disney World re-opened in July of 2020, many changes began to take place including mandatory mask-wearing, social distancing, limited capacity, pausing of the Fastpass+ service, and, later, the phasing out of MagicBands. [10] Beginning in 2021, MagicBands are no longer complimentary when a guest makes a reservation to stay at Disney World in Orlando. This is in preparation for a new update to the My Disney Experience app, which will shift all of the functionality of MagicBands to a user’s personal smartphone. [11]


MagicMobile

On March 30, 2021, Disney Resort guests were offered the option of the Disney MagicMobile service for Apple iPhones and Apple Watches, with a version for Android devices planned for late April 2021.

[12]

It was presented as the new alternative to MagicBands, having the same functionality on top of new features. One improvement highlighted in the service’s initial announcement was the ability to store multiple passes on one device in the pre-existing Apple Wallet service, an option targeted to families.

[13]

Users can customize the appearance of their passes in the Wallet app, retaining some of the visual customization from the many different variations of MagicBands. It also introduces a feature allowing guests to link photos and videos from Disney PhotoPass to their profile.

[14]

The new smartphone app is planned to work in the same way as MagicBands, utilizing the pre-existing Mickey Mouse touchpoints for park entry, fastpass redemption, hotel entry, and everything else the MagicBands were capable of. Because MagicBands will no longer be complementary, guests will be encouraged to use the MagicMobile app as a free alternative.


The Technology of MagicBands

MagicBands are waterproof [15] bracelets, which contain active radio frequency technology (RFID) and a small transmitter which sends RF signals through a small antenna, which then sends and receives information through park servers.[16] [17] Short range touchpoints are used to verify admission and attraction reservations, and long range readers are used to provide information to parks to gather insights on guest behavior and deliver personalized experiences. [18] RFID technology does not contain any personal identifying information. Rather, each RFID tag contains a unique number that is transmitted to an encrypted database, which then can transmit a user’s personal information in response, but does not store it.[16] It has been used in car keys, medical bills, employee identification cards, and toll road tags. [19]

Ethical Concerns

Short-Range RFID: Park Entrance, Fastpass+, Purchases, and Hotels

Short-range RFID sensors used for Fastpass+, purchases, hotel rooms, and park admission[20]

This technology was used for extreme efficiency in the Disney parks and resorts. When users touched the Mickey Mouse icon on their MagicBand to a matching Mickey Mouse icon on a short range touchpoint, the touchpoint would elicit a colorful reaction to confirm the interaction - green for go, or blue for pause. [2] Similar to the park entrance, guests could touch their MagicBands to short-range touchpoints with Mickey Mouse icons to validate their Fastpass+ reservations. [21] These reservations could be made before or after entering a park using the My Disney Experience app on a smartphone, and that data was shared with the RFID technology to use a Magic Band to validate a reservation. For merchandise and casual dining purchases, MagicBands accessed the credit card information optionally inputted by a guest to streamline the payment process [22] MagicBands are also used to unlock guests’ hotel doors if they stay at a resort on-property. [11] These features were not used by all guests because of the security risks associated with having personal information so readily available. [23]

Location Tracking: Personalized Dining & Lost Guests

MagicBands could use long range readers to track the locations of guests. This technology was utilized in Disney’s Be Our Guest restaurant to notify waitstaff of a guest’s arrival as well as their name and dinner order. Guests were greeted by name and recieved their dinner orders after being seated without ever having to tell a waiter or waitress what they wanted. [2] MagicBands could also be used to track and locate guests who lost their parties. [15]

Data Collection: My Disney Experience

The incorporation of all of these features in one wearable piece of technology results in a detailed collection of information about every guest, including their spending habits, eating habits, movement around the park, and specific interests. [6] Disney claims to have used this information to provide personalized experiences for their guests, including being greeted by name and sharing personal details like birthdays and anniversaries with employees for personal interactions. [24] Disney also used this data to manage traffic flow around the park, as they could direct crowds and decrease congestion by moving certain attractions to less popular areas. [15] Guests who opted in to Disney’s Magical Express program could use MagicBands before entering Disney property, as Disney-owned buses could pick up incoming guests from the Orlando Airport and automatically check them into their resorts using MagicBands. [15] While these features were convenient and useful, some guests expressed discomfort with the level of surveillance they and their children were under when they chose to use MagicBands. [6]

Less Invasive Options

Disney offered a less technologically advanced option for guests who were not interested in using MagicBands. Guests could instead receive a plastic card, much like an identification or credit card, that had only passive RFID capabilities, which can only be used at a short range. This card prevented Disney from collecting location data and sharing personal information with employees.

Furthermore, guests were not required to allow personalization functions during their stays. Guests could instead choose to withhold their names from employees and opt out of receiving special offers. [24] Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that MyMagic+ was a completely optional program that was "designed with privacy controls from the outset." [6]

Targeted Advertising

With the MagicBand, Disney was able to track customer purchases and therefore customer preferences. For example, if a MagicBand user used their MagicBand to purchase 4 dolls from the movie Frozen, Disney knew that that user likes Frozen. They could then use this information to send targeted ads to that specific user in the future (such as Frozen shows specific to Walt Disney World or new Frozen merchandise).[25] Users consented to their information being utilized for advertising purposes by default when they choose to use a MagicBand, but could turn off personalization features later. Targeted advertising could be used while guests were in the park as well as after a Disney World trip. [26]

Facial Recognition

In addition to Walt Disney World's shift from MagicBand to smartphone use for ticket and attraction validation, they are also testing the use of facial recognition software to be used for park admission. Disney World guests can opt into the test of facial recognition software for admission from March 23 to April 23, 2021. Guests under the age of 18 must receive parent or guardian permission to participate in the trial. Disney's facial recognition software converts a guest's face into an identifying number for park admission. Their software is being tested only with guests wearing face coverings and no other facial accessories such as sunglasses. [4] Facial recognition are controversial software, partially because of their history of inaccuracies with non-white faces.

Disney has also researched the use of facial recognition in Affective Artificial Intelligence, a technology designed to serve a similar purpose to focus groups. Rather than collecting audience feedback on a piece of media to determine marketability, Affective AI allows Disney to use cameras placed in a movie theater to monitor the faces of every audience member and determine their emotional reactions to different scenes of the film being presented. This process generates a huge quantity of data, which can be quickly assessed by computer algorithms and aid in decisions such as how a film should end. In the future, it’s speculated that Disney could use this technology to determine which parts of theme park rides are most enjoyable to guests or for broader applications to different aspects of their resorts.

[27]

Similar Technologies

Similar technology has been utilized in other amusement parks.

TapuTapu

Universal Orlando's Volcano Bay, the water park at Universal Orlando, uses its own wearable device, the TapuTapu. The TapuTapu also utilizes active radiofrequency (RF) technology, and was designed, tested, and manufactured to comply with FCC regulations.[28] Much like Disney's MagicBand, Universal advertises this band as a way for customers to personalize their experiences and claims that no personal information is stored. Unlike the MagicBands, however, the device is not owned by the user and is returned upon exit from the park.

Very different from the MagicBands is the fact that the TapuTapu bands function mostly as a virtual queueing device. They do not allow access to hotel rooms and it is not associated with credit card information. The TapuTapu devices vibrate when it is your turn to ride. As soon as a guest leaves the park, any information collected is disassociated from that guest. [29]

Super Mario Power Up Bands

Patent showing the RFID technology of the Super Nintendo World Power Up band. [30]

Universal Studios Japan will also be introducing a wearable device as part of the new Super Nintendo World expansion opening in 2021. This device will allow guests to interact with attractions for various games and activities using not only their arms, but their hands and entire bodies as well.[31] This device is an upcharge and can be linked to a smartphone app.[32] It also uses RFID technology, but will be used more for gaming than for admittance to the park or for making purchases. The primary use of these bands will be for guests to "punch" question blocks to redeem coins, similar to those found in the Super Mario games, play mini games around the land, and team up in "boss battles."[33]

References

  1. Smith, Thomas. "MagicBand2 Coming to Walt Disney World Resort." Disney Parks Blog. 19 November 2016. [1]
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kuang, Cliff. “Disney's $1 Billion Bet on a Magical Wristband.” Wired, Conde Nast. [2]
  3. 3.0 3.1 Magic Band Eligibility | FAQ [3]
  4. 4.0 4.1 Murphy Marcos, Coral. "Disney begins testing optional facial recognition for entry to Magic Kingdom". Detroit Free Press. 23 March 2021. [4]
  5. R. Want, "An introduction to RFID technology," in IEEE Pervasive Computing, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 25-33, Jan.-March 2006, doi: 10.1109/MPRV.2006.2.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Perez, Chris. “Disney Uses Apps, 'MagicBands' to Track Guests: Report.” New York Post, New York Post, 24 July 2019. [5]
  7. Pugh, Jena. “FROM PAPER TO PAPERLESS: EVOLUTION OF DISNEY FASTPASSES.” Best of Orlando, 13 Feb. 2015. [6]
  8. Carr, Austin. “The Messy Business Of Reinventing Happiness.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 2 Dec. 2017. [7]
  9. What is a MagicBand? | FAQ [8]
  10. Pallotta, Frank. “Disney Parks Chief on Reopening: 'We Are in a New Normal'.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 July 2020. [9]
  11. 11.0 11.1 MagicBands & Admission Cards [10]
  12. Michaelsen, Shannen. "Disney MagicMobile Service Coming to Android Users by End of April." Walt Disney World News Today, 8 April 2021. https://wdwnt.com/2021/04/disneys-magicmobile-service-coming-to-android-users-by-end-of-april/
  13. Maehrer, Avery. "Disney MagicMobile Option Launches on Apple Devices – How to Get Started for Contactless Walt Disney World Park Entry." Disney Parks Blog, 30 March 2021. https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/03/disney-magicmobile-option-launches-on-apple-devices-how-to-get-started-for-contactless-walt-disney-world-park-entry/
  14. Coffey, Kelly. "MagicMobile Officially Debuts to Disney World Guests." Inside The Magic, 30 March 2021. https://insidethemagic.net/2021/03/magicmobile-debuts-kc1/
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Shamblin, Quinn R. “Disney Balances Convenience and Privacy.” CSO Online, CSO, 12 Jan. 2015. [11]
  16. 16.0 16.1 My Disney Experience – Frequently Asked Questions. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/my-disney-experience/frequency-technology/#:~:text=Each%20MagicBand%20contains%20an%20HF,throughout%20Walt%20Disney%20World%20Resort.
  17. Radio Frequency Technology | FAQ [12]
  18. Radio Frequency Technology | FAQ [13]
  19. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): What is it? [14]
  20. Smith-Strickland, Kiona. "Disney Taps Contactless and NFC Technology as it seeks to Connect Customers to ITs Fantasy World." NFC Times. 18 Jan 2013. [15]
  21. What is Fastpass+ and How to Use It [16]
  22. My Disney Experience & MagicBands | FAQ [17]
  23. “Privacy Concerns Over Disney MagicBand.” Security Magazine RSS, Security Magazine, 1 Jan. 2014. [18]
  24. 24.0 24.1 Barnes, Brooks. “At Disney Parks, a Bracelet Meant to Build Loyalty (and Sales).” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Jan. 2013. [19]
  25. Borkowski, Stephen, et al. "MAGICBANDS IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM: CUSTOMER-CENTRIC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION AT DISNEY." Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies 22.3 (2016): 143-51. ProQuest. Web. 18 Mar. 2021.
  26. The Current State of Advertising Ethics: Industry and Academic Perspectives Minette E. Drumwright &Patrick E. Murphy Pages 83-108 | Published online: 04 Mar 2013
  27. KO. "Big Data Behind Disney Magic." Digital Innovation and Transformation, MBA Student Perspectives, 13 November 2019. https://digital.hbs.edu/platform-digit/submission/big-data-behind-disney-magic/
  28. TapuTapu Wearable Technical Specifications. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/plan-your-visit/taputapu-faq
  29. Niles, R. (2017, February 9). Comparing Universal's TAPUTAPU Vs. Disney's MagicBands. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201702/5444/
  30. Stella, A. (2020, March 01). The tech behind super nintendo world's power up bands and interactive games. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://orlandoparkstop.com/news/theme-park-news/the-tech-behind-super-nintendo-worlds-power-up-bands-and-interactive-games/
  31. Mitchell, B. (2021, March 09). Super Nintendo World unveils Wearable wristbands. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://blooloop.com/theme-park/news/super-nintendo-world-wearable-wristband/
  32. Wang, S. (2021, March 18). Super Nintendo world opens in Osaka, Japan. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/super-nintendo-world-universal-studios-osaka-japan-open/index.html
  33. Stella, A. (2020, March 01). The tech behind super nintendo world's power up bands and interactive games. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://orlandoparkstop.com/news/theme-park-news/the-tech-behind-super-nintendo-worlds-power-up-bands-and-interactive-games/