DizTech 12 - Disney's Nextgen: Writbands, Photopass and Experiences

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DizTech

Vol. 12

"NexitGen: RFID Wristbands, Enhanced PhotoPass & FastPass And New Guest Experiences!"

There's a new technology about to make its debut at Disney Parks and Resorts. No, it's not the new trackless levitating monorail or the on-ride dining experience. What it will be is a major upgrade to your "key to the World", as it is known today. Now keep in mind that all of this is "speculation" and "rumor", but here's what a cute fuzzy rodent has told me about some of the latest "Next Gen" projects.

Today we use our "Key to the World" as our hotel room key, credit card, park ticket, Disney Dining Plan card, and general resort ID. Utilizing it as our park ticket also gives us access to Disney's (yes, still free) FastPass system. So what can Disney do to dramatically change you "key to the World" you ask? (Go ahead, ask.) You will soon be wearing you key, not on a cool DizFanatic lanyard, but as a fashionable wristband. Ooooh! (say in LGM voice).

Did someone just say "Big deal, a wristband"? I know other establishments have RFID wristbands like Great Wolf Lodge, who use it as room key access, and account charging. But Disney will be utilizing the technology for all of the "Key to the World" features, plus ties it into your online vacation planning system and this will be added into a major "Plussed up" version of PhotoPass! There are also some plans for "personalized experiences"? that would utilize your RFID.

Now I know the collector in you is dying to know: "Can I collect all three?" and is there "On free of every box of Mickey Magix cereal?" Well yeh, kind of. The current plan (which is subject to change) will offer a basic wristband, you choose your color, with the built in RFID. Oh, for those who don't know, RFID or Radio Frequency Identification, is a technology that allows a unique code to be wirelessly be transmitted under close range. Similar to the tap style credit card and retail store security tags. Ok, but can I have a customized wristband with Buzz Lightyear or TinkerBell or even my name on this futuristic magical fashion accessory? Yes! For an additional charge, you can customize and select from dozens of designs. A Collector's dream!

Now all this gets me excited! So here's how it works (not the tech part, but the user part):

Need to get into your awesome Pirates of the Caribbean themed hotel room? Just hold your wristband up to the door.
At Magic Kingdom gates at 5:30AM for an 8:00 opening? Just hold your wristband to the turnstile (at 8:00 am).
Mmm, time to buy a yummy cinnamon bun at the Main Street Bakery. Just hold up your wristband to the paystation to pay!
Oh, hurry, FastPass to meet Mickey Mouse (or Tinkerbell in my case <3 ). Just hold up your wristband to the FastPass kiosk.
Next? Get that classic photo on Main Street with the castle in the background, and even daddy can get into this photo thanks to PhotoPass. Just hold up your wristband for the photographer to scan. (No more digging in your pocket for that card)
Love EPCOT's Kim Possible interactive spy game? Try some new adventures like a Magic Kingdom Pirate Adventure, an Imagineer's hidden secrets adventure or even "a romantic adventure"? Use your wristband to keep the adventure going.
Can't wait to show your jealous friends at home that awesome ride video of you on Big Thunder Mountain? Just hold up your wristband to be sure that it is added to your 'Enhanced' PhotoPass account.

What? Wait a minute! Back up there cowboy! On-Ride Videos of me? You betcha! We'll get to that in a moment. "Enhanced PhotoPass": One of my favorite "Value added features" will be receiving some major new enhancements. I always purchase a PhotoPass CD when I am at Disney for a family vacation. The ability to get some amazing family or romantic couple photos with some of Disney's most iconic backdrops, or that photo of me smooching Tinkerbell which my wife refuses to take, there's no better invention since PhotoPass. Yes, I still take over a thousand shots with my own camera, but still... And for the record, it IS better than sliced bread!

If you're not totally familiar with what you can get after Disney's PhotoPass Photographer snaps your big glossy smile, check out http://DisneyPhotoPass.com for all the official details. But basically as of the time of my writing, you can purchase photo cd's, various print sizes, animated slide shows, printed items such as mugs and mouse pads, bound photo books, etc. You can even add photos that you have taken with your own camera.

The enhancements you ask? Well, the "rumored" upcoming upgrades to PhotoPass go like this: Disney is installing on-ride cameras, on select attractions, to capture photos and videos you as you scream "like a little girlie man" when you race out of control on your favorite thrill ride. Awesome!! How about the ability to purchase a 3-D 'cut-out' statue of your family with Mickey Mouse? Another nice option will be a video of you family?s photos, with video clips of you on some rides and maybe even you little Princess interacting with Cinderella for the very first time. Imagine a digital "pop up book" where you can watch the pages of your vacation unfold on your computer TV.

Now this is how I see it; if I can put down that darn video camera and my wife put down the still camera, then we can be part of that amazing interaction as a family instead of watching from behind a lens. As a dad, that is definitely worth some extra dough to me.

So I mentioned "experiences". Let's put our magic imagination caps on and picture some things that may enhance your level of 'Disney Magic'.

Lots of us enjoy heading to our favorite Disney park for a special occasion; say an anniversary, birthday, wedding, super bowl win, etc. Picture this; you and your family are getting competitive on Toy Story Mania when a 3D party explodes on the screen announcing "Happy Birthday Nicky" to your 13 year old. How about Cinderella already knowing your little princess's name before she walks up to her; "Good morning Gianna, It's wonderful to see you again." And what if Cinderella presented her with a surprise locket that daddy designed on the internet prior to arrival? Oh, and because of PhotoPass, you don't have to worry about getting your tears on your camera lens, you can instead, enjoy the experience in real life. Not through a viewfinder!

Have you ever played the Kim Possible game in EPCOT? Well picture an extremely enhanced version with even more interaction. How about a Pirates themed adventure in Magic Kingdom? (wink wink) Or maybe even a hidden secrets type of game designed by imagineers?

Part of this "system" of enhancements may include an on line "portal" where you can further plan your Disney experiences before you arrive. We have already seen the progress that's been made with the on line advanced dining reservation (ADR) system. Imagine having the ability to acquire xPasses (enhanced FastPasses) for your favorite attractions or character meets from the comfort of your office desk; during lunch break of course ;) Be sure that the Disney magic machine is aware of any special occasions your party is celebrating. And how about going for extra few bucks and creating your own personalized wristband? Imagine if you saw a screen inside It's a Small World with paper doll versions of your family dancing to the world's most "recognized" tunes? Aw, how cute. SO add them to your Photopass goodies if you like. And you may have seen the enhancements recently made to the ride cues like the Haunted Mansion and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Magic kingdom as well as some cue games such as on Space Mountain and Soarin?. Expect to see more of these things with personalized enhancements thanks to RFID.

So when will we see the new wristbands, experiences and PhotoPass Enhancements? Well some parts are supposedly in the testing stage and Disney is currently doing some heavy market research to see just how much guests will pay for the extras. My guess is that it will be rolled out in stages, beginning real soon. We may even hear some more about these "rumors" at the 2nd D-23 Expo, which is just a week away. I'm sure that we'll be seeing parts or all of these "rumors" come to fruition in the near future.

While I understand that there are varying opinions about FastPass, PhotoPass, ADR's and my unhealthy love affair with Tinkerbell, I am personally excited about these new options. And yes, options. Just like the systems in place now, you can choose to utilize them, or just ignore one or all of them. It's all about options, something for everyone.