Thursday, March 28, 2024

MyMagic+ technology changes Disney parks

by Martin Palicki

According to Tom Staggs, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman, the company’s investment in MyMagic+ technology has been huge (see InPark Issue #48, Tickets to Ride for more on how ticketing technology is changing the guest experience): changing out turnstiles at all park entrances, retrofitting 28,000 hotel room door locks, increasing FastPass attractions from 28 to over 60 property wide, and installing stationary and mobile readers at countless retail locations.

[quote]As has become typical for Disney, MyMagic+ has raised the bar for the amusement park and themed entertainment industry. This is the forefront of entertainment technology and I imagine that we’ll see it permeate other segments of our lives very soon. -Dave Hutton, Diamond Ticketing[/quote]

At the heart of the experience is the Magic Band, a semi-rigid plastic wristband containing RFID technology encoded with guest information, hotel reservations, park tickets, Fast Pass reservations and more. WDW resort guests now receive a Magic Band for their visit, while visitors staying off-property receive an RFID-embedded ticket card that functions similarly. Those guests are also able to purchase a Magic Band for $12.95. All guests can adorn their bands with covers, attachments and decorations, available at multiple retail locations around the parks and resorts. The technology inside the band (referred to as “magic” by Disney staff) has an anticipated lifespan of several years, although it depends on usage.zebec

Guests see the first change at the park entrance. Turnstiles are gone and guest simply wave their Magic Band (or ticket card) in front of the Mickey post, use their finger for biometric verification, Mickey turns green, and the guest enters the park. Disney has moved their guest relations staff to the entrance area, armed with iPads, standing ready to handle problems that arise on the spot. Approximately the same number of staff are required for the new system as was needed for the old turnstiles.

[quote]With MyMagic+, Disney is prompting attraction operators around the world to evaluate a range of technologies that can deliver similar guest improvements to their own operation. – Steve Brown, accesso[/quote]

Staggs says already 40% more park visitors are using the Magic Band’s FastPass+ system than the old ticket-based FastPass, which was a major breakthrough in queue management for parks when it debuted in 1999. The new program has been designed from the start to allow cast members to be more involved with guest interactions than with guest transactions.

FastPass+ is completely integrated into the Magic Bands, and can be set up in advance via the My Disney Experience website and smartphone app. Each guest is allowed three pre-reserved FastPass+ attractions per day and can then set up additional passes via in-park via kiosks (plans call for this functionality to move from kiosks onto guests’ phones in the future). When it is time to go on the attraction, guests wave their band by the Mickey post (similar to the front entrance) and a green light indicates it is OK to continue in the FastPass+ line. Each Mickey post also makes a welcoming sound upon entrance that, while hard to hear, is themed to each attraction.

[quote]Anyone of any age who sees a MagicBand is immediately intrigued and wants to know how it works and how they can get one…suddenly ticketing seems pretty cool! – Melinda Arvin, OmniTicket[/quote]

Guests can also use their bands to pay for virtually anything in the parks and resorts, including a special lunch at the Be Our Guest restaurant in Fantasyland. There, guests can pre-reserve a meal and dining time online. As they show up to the restaurant, RFID readers indicate to a cast member who they are. Once they enter the restaurant doors, their food order is transmitted to the kitchen. The guests choose their own table and within minutes their meal is “magically” delivered to them.

[quote]RFID is here to stay and MyMagic+ will help to make it more accepted and even desired by the customer base. – Mark Danemann, Siriusware[/quote]

The system is designed to evolve, and the capabilities are nearly endless. “[Our] vision is simple: To be the most trusted provider of shared family travel and leisure experiences throughout the world,” explains Staggs. “And with MyMagic+ we are taking that experience to a new level.” • • •WW_inPark_8.25x5.25_Sydney

Martin Palicki
Martin Palicki
Martin Palicki owns and publishes InPark Magazine. Started in 2004, InPark Magazine provides owners and operators the perspective from "in"side the "park." Martin has also written for publications like Sound & Communications, Lighting & Sound America, Attractions Management and others. Martin has been featured in Time Magazine, CNN.com and Folio. Martin lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

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