RFID coming to WDW

DaRkNeSs · Post by **DaRkNeSs** » Apr Mon 27, 2009 12:31 pm

Yes thats a great idea! I always want to go to Disney! I just hope if Disney does this, they take the time to make it inventive and entertaining!
should be interesting!

:donald:

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Apr Wed 29, 2009 10:20 pm

napastoy wrote:
Jacca5660 wrote:The more I think about this (I'm a low volt tech), it seems that Disney could track everyone in a park. This could be used for crowd control and other security issues. It could also be used for marketing. They would be able to track where people go and what attractions are being seen the most. Disney could adapt how they target people with their internet marketing.
Great...now they will know how many Dole Whips and Sam Adams we are all consuming. And I'm with the rest of you...I do not want those little satanic dolls calling me by my name.

I'm really not sure I see how they could link it to tracking us all, tagged polar bear style - unless you're paying with your room card/park admission media. And if you're doing that, they're probably tracking you already.

Or, rather, I'm not sure I see the benefit to them doing that to everyone with a ticket, since they can roughly track sales and attraction attendance anyway.

What they could do, though, and I wouldn't put it past them, is to 'tag' certain parties and see where they specifically go. Maybe this is what you were both alluding to and I'm just being dense (my apologies if that's the case). But like ... they could say "Okay, here is a family with two 30-something adults, and tween boy and 6-year-old girl entering the park. Let's track those tickets and see what's popular with them and what they're skipping." Now do the same but with ... say, a honeymooning couple with no kids, 4 high school students on their own, an elderly couple, etc etc. That would be an interesting marketing tool for them, I'd think.

And, y'know, kinda creepy but they already do it with their park exit survey people. This'd just be more high tech.

...I think I'd still prefer that to any indication the IaSW dolls know I'm there. Even with all the people in the boat, they'd have us way outnumbered.

LivinTheDream · Post by **LivinTheDream** » Apr Thu 30, 2009 10:04 am

If this in fact does come to be, there are special wallets and/or passport sleeves you can get that are RFID blocking so you wouldn't have to worry about that. Also, it's my understanding that unless the receivers are very powerful, you have to get the RFID tag (card in this case) very close to the reader, which would pose problems if you keep your tickets in a bag for whatever reason.

As I'm thinking about it, what would be more likely/useful for guests would either be a special card that you could purchase/receive free (like photopass) or your gate ticket but with a special place to put your card so that Disney could ensure that your RFID tag was read appropriately and then not let your lap bar up until you remove the card, haha.

On the issue of name pronunciation, I could see you either having to say your name into a microphone or writing it phonetically at some kind of kiosk to "activate" your card.

Peerless83 · Post by **Peerless83** » Apr Thu 30, 2009 11:24 am

the only reason why Disney would do this (and someone already mentioned it) is to get a better gauge of how many people ride a ride. RFID has been..and is becoming more and more popular within corporations. Wal-Mart spends millions of dollars on this technology, which is why they have one of the most efficient procurement systems in the business. So, i can see why companies use it. I would have thought Disney would already have a guest tracking process in place for each of their rides..and maybe they do..and RFID is its replacement. I think it makes sense..I dont think they should copy the E.T. ride because its not like that added really anything to the experience (that is having your name spoken out loud at the end of the ride). Now, if they could somehow have a doll from Iits a Small World jump into the boat and sing a song all about me, then I would be for the customization of the rides

theBIGyowski · Post by **theBIGyowski** » Apr Thu 30, 2009 11:28 am

Peerless83 wrote:Now, if they could somehow have a doll from Iits a Small World jump into the boat and sing a song all about me, then I would be for the customization of the rides

Thanks...I am going to have nightmares about this now!

Peerless83 · Post by **Peerless83** » Apr Thu 30, 2009 11:45 am

Thats only if the doll follows me back to my hotel and whispers Poe poems in my ear while im sleeping....now that would give me nightmares

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Apr Thu 30, 2009 2:43 pm

DisBeamer wrote:Even with all the people in the boat, they'd have us way outnumbered.

But it's a fair bet that the occupants of the boat would have the weight advantage.

If Disney were smart, they could spin it as making the park more interactive...you're essentially "voting" for your favorite attractions by visiting them. They could record the data and send it to you, so you could look at a little Family Circus dotted line around the parks to see where you've been. A great personalized souvenir of WDW that would help you relive your memories.

Before Disney became evil, back when Big Brother Walt was a friendly guy looking out for your best interests, I would have gladly taken part.

Now I'd purposely try to subvert the system, which wouldn't speak much for how I'd be spending my money and free time in the first place...but that's another issue.

MW1218 · Post by **MW1218** » Apr Thu 30, 2009 2:57 pm

Hahaha, I can see you trying that now. "Wow, this one person spent the ENTIRE DAY at Stitch's Great Escape!"

Peerless83 · Post by **Peerless83** » May Fri 01, 2009 6:24 am

awww Disney isn't evil...they are just in business to maximize their shareholder's wealth...the same shareholders that finance all the expansion and new projects that they move forward with...its a balancing act. They will never be able to please everyone!

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » May Sun 03, 2009 8:27 am

The more personalized effects I think they are talking about is something like Mr. Potatohead at Toy Story being automated. You could have say 200 canned phrases, which certain actions activate.

(third time the RFID tag comes by in a day) Hey you this is a theme park what are you doing back here so soon.

(starfish from nemo at coral reef, right after you've done soarin) I find being under water so much nicer than flying over California.

more personalized because it has memory about what you've been doing. Infact if you where being cleaver, and you had enough data. You could write "Story arcs" across the theme park.

johno

Peerless83 · Post by **Peerless83** » May Mon 04, 2009 8:32 am

That would be an interesting way to go...I like it!

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » May Mon 04, 2009 11:09 am

LivinTheDream wrote:If this in fact does come to be, there are special wallets and/or passport sleeves you can get that are RFID blocking so you wouldn't have to worry about that. Also, it's my understanding that unless the receivers are very powerful, you have to get the RFID tag (card in this case) very close to the reader, which would pose problems if you keep your tickets in a bag for whatever reason.

Based on our limited testing at work, BBN. The envelope, sleeves, and wallets aren't any better than your pocket. The issue is if you are looking for a narrow band only the tags you want, or a wide band any tag.

I suspect they could get the data without a Disney RFID tag. So many clothes and other items have the already have an RFID tag in them for stock/inventory tracking purposes. You could hit everyone at the gate with burst of RF and get the tags to "light up" as the person uses there admission media, get a fingerprint (2 walmart tags, 1 kelty tag, 2 crocs tags, etc...) then you link the fingerprint to the media... Since each tag has a unique number it really only takes 1 tag to track a person, but I would load up all the tags so I could see the cases where Mom gave her sweater to Dad to carry. Each time, they pass though a turnstile you could update/refresh the fingerprint.

Anyone at Disney want to hear my ideas, just give us a call, we are consulting firm *smile*. We'll be happy to set something up to work with you.

johno

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Jul Sat 11, 2009 8:05 pm

Any update on the RFID coming to the parks?

aparadissis · Post by **aparadissis** » Jul Sat 11, 2009 9:53 pm

So I have a few ideas on this topic. When you fastpass a ride, doesn't that give Disney the very similar info?

As for the RFID, that's been around a while. I still don't see stores delivering ads directed to me, or some such phantom benefit.

I do think it could speed up entry lines. It could save you from producing the credit card and push it through the scanner. My finger print rarely worked.

As for tracking guests, I think they do a superb job of it now. I never saw the Batman like agents stalking me when I was there; although there was no wind and the bushes did sway a lot

cousininmiami · Post by **cousininmiami** » Jul Thu 23, 2009 8:35 am

I remember there was a pin that I got maybe 5 years ago, it was big, and had LED flashing lights when you passed thru a particular portion of rides all over WDW. And especially during Fantasmic and the Electric Light Parade it would go crazy and flash a lot. It mush have had some of the same things they are talking about now. I still have it and I changed the batteries, but nothing makes it flash anymore.