Old School WDW or New School WDW?

[mindflipper]

Good point, Wizzard! If it was done digitally, it would be in no time at all before they would be plenty of apps creating fake fast passes....

[Wizzard419]

Now that I think about it, you wouldn't need full apps to spoof working passes, you could even just make it "unreadable" (such as a bad display, gunk on the phone, etc) and they wouldn't bother whipping out the windex just to collect your pass.

[Mousekedude]

Oh ye of little faith.....
Barcodes are very specific. If someone tries to create a "fake" it simply won't work. And I don't think the C.M's are going to just "let it through" if you try to fake them out with smudges and stuff. They've always been careful to verify the validity of the paper ones, no reason for them not to use the same care for an electronic one.
I remain unconvinced that it can't be done.

[Wizzard419]

They are pretty easy to spoof if they use a regular pattern, since there is no monetary value tied to them there is no need for high security scenarios. As for making it unreadable, not all smart phone displays (or any display for that matter) can be easily read with laser scans, and the usual CM mantra is to just let them go since there is no threat to anything. With the paper ones, there really is no ability to spoof them short of investing in the cardstock, the printers, etc. The most they do is check that the time is after the time stated and then bin the tickets.

While it can be done, there is no real benefit to it unless they start charging for fastpasses or start selling off your personal information from your phones to offset the cost of development.

[mindflipper]

I still believes it would be easy to fake.

Oh ye of little faith.....

Actually, I have great faith ... in that there are people out there with great talent to defraud. I have seen it in my job. Technology has made into a simple art that anyone can dabble in and great incredible masterpieces. So yes, I think if there is a fastpass app people will find a way to defraud the system.

[Mousekedude]

While it can be done, there is no real benefit to it unless they start charging for fastpasses...to offset the cost of development.

That's what I've been saying. That's probably what they would do.

[Mousekedude]

I still believes it would be easy to fake.

Oh ye of little faith.....

Actually, I have great faith ... in that there are people out there with great talent to defraud. I have seen it in my job. Technology has made into a simple art that anyone can dabble in and great incredible masterpieces. So yes, I think if there is a fastpass app people will find a way to defraud the system.

I don't know about that. How do you create a "fake" barcode? When created, a barcode has to be linked to the system that will be reading it. It has to be "programmed", so to speak, or it can't be read at the intended point-of-sale. How are you gonna do that unless you hack into Disney's system and register your own barcodes?

[mindflipper]

I still believes it would be easy to fake.

Oh ye of little faith.....

Actually, I have great faith ... in that there are people out there with great talent to defraud. I have seen it in my job. Technology has made into a simple art that anyone can dabble in and great incredible masterpieces. So yes, I think if there is a fastpass app people will find a way to defraud the system.

I don't know about that. How do you create a "fake" barcode? When created, a barcode has to be linked to the system that will be reading it. It has to be "programmed", so to speak, or it can't be read at the intended point-of-sale. How are you gonna do that unless you hack into Disney's system and register your own barcodes?

If Disney can come up with a barcoding system for a smart-phone app, there are plenty of clever people out there who can figure out the logic and duplicate it - and they would do it just because they can do it.

[Mousekedude]

If Disney can come up with a barcoding system for a smart-phone app, there are plenty of clever people out there who can figure out the logic and duplicate it - and they would do it just because they can do it.

Are we to infer that you might be one of those people....?

[mindflipper]

No, not me - but if Len90 had an evil twin, most definitely!!!

[Wizzard419]

Never underestimate society's ability to find an easier/faster/cheaper way to do things. There are sites out there that distribute fake coupons and the stores always accept them.

[mindflipper]

Never underestimate society's ability to find an easier/faster/cheaper way to do things. There are sites out there that distribute fake coupons and the stores always accept them.

I've heard about that on the news within the last few weeks and how they expect to "explode" during the holiday shopping season!

[Mousekedude]

Never underestimate society's ability to find an easier/faster/cheaper way to do things. There are sites out there that distribute fake coupons and the stores always accept them.

I've heard about that on the news within the last few weeks and how they expect to "explode" during the holiday shopping season!

Yes, but do they scan on a barcode reader, or do the stores just type it in manually? Guarantee they don't scan them.

[Wizzard419]

They will try to (or in some cases there is no barcode) and it won't work for one reason or another, but rather than look it up or deny the coupon, they take them without question. I'm not sure who gets hit with the loss though. Either the store or the product's maker ends up paying the cost.

[Mousekedude]

They will try to (or in some cases there is no barcode) and it won't work for one reason or another, but rather than look it up or deny the coupon, they take them without question. I'm not sure who gets hit with the loss though. Either the store or the product's maker ends up paying the cost.

I knew you were going to say that! And I have my answer ready: Disney simply does not give the c.m's the ability to enter anything manually, and voila! Problem solved! "No scan, no play." That's the rule, and you make it clear to those who purchase the app. Put it in the fine print with all the other lawyer spew. All the c.m. has to say is "sorry, if it doesn't work it's not valid, it's in your contract". The person always has the option of going and getting a paper fastpass. To cover glitches in the system, include an option with the app that lets you forward a "non-working" barcode to tech support on the spot, who can then check it against the person's account activity for validity (i.e. when they downloaded that particular barcode, what it was really for, etc.) and send an immediate response. That way if someone's trying to scam it with a fake, the c.m. can call their bluff by saying "send it to tech support, they should be able to check it for you in a few minutes. If they acknowledge that you should have a working barcode, we'll let you in."
I still say it would work.