Possible MagicBand requirement. (RUMOR)

[DLRLover]

So this might not be a full real thing but my dad was talking to a Cast Member at a register the other day. Mainly just that he had just been at the same store when I was buying a MagicBand not too long ago. He called the MagicBand dumb and pointless as a joke. But than the cast member told him it wouldn’t be as useless since they would be required for every guest by the end of the year. Take this with a very heavy grain of salt since it would be a very risky move on Disneys end. But I have heard that the cost of MagicBand’s development and implementation has been very high and this would be a very good way to recoup all their losses but than again, very risky.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'd totally discount this rumor. We have had MB's at WDW for quite a few years now and nobody is required to have a MB.

 

[mdmost]

It makes no sense. The logistics of getting every person a MagicBand when they arrive at DLR would be impossible and create way too many issues. I think adoption of MB at DLR will take a long time since there's no real need for them and existing passholders have lived in a world without them for a long time. It's not like a WDW vacation where you could sell it as an add-on to make your vacation more enjoyable and worry free.

 

[cmph]

That doesn't sound possible to enforce for day-trip guests. I can't even imagine how they'd add another layer to the security and ticketing lines process.

Also, they'd have to completely change their usual processes for out-of-town people booking packages and tickets. We went to WDW not long after they first launched FastPass+, when Magic Bands were pretty new and included in packages. That is about the only way to make sure people have them - to include them for free. Plus they were shipped in advance of your departure, which wouldn't work at all for DL. My tickets for my package last month didn't get loaded to my account until 5 days before our first park reservation and the included freebies (pins, lanyards) had to be picked up once on-site.

 

[StormyCA]

Nah, won't happen. WDW has had MB 'forever' and they're still optional.

They have and will continue to put in features that make MBs 'desirable' or 'more efficient' to encourage them, but mandate them? Nope.

I do miss the days when MB were included in your WDW package, though. It was a sweet perk for sure.

 

[Lisa24jks]

That will never happen. Ever. For lots of reasons.

Now, giving them even more functionality akin to what WDW has, then yeah, I can see that. But mandatory? Nope.

 

[RoseGold]

They don't need it. They'd rather be tracking you on your phone anyway.

 

[ironband74]

It's pretty clear that MagicBand+ has been bet on fairly heavily, and they are marketing it aggressively in the parks (every stroller/wheelchair/ecv had an ad on it last week).

It has a lot of promise, but Disney needs to add functionality to really sell it. The current DL functionality is pretty lackluster, and the convenience is limited to certain conditions.

Right now the feature set isn't enough to spur wide adoption. They need to make it more of a benefit to the guest to have one.

If they wanted to sweeten the pot, they could either give MB+ users 1-3 free lightning lanes per day, and/or give MB+ users a discount on Genie+. This would give guests a benefit and a reason to go for the new tech that enhances utility of scanning into Lightning Lanes. Honestly, it would be an approach that could move the adoption needle and throw some needed good-will back to guests. Purchases and Hotel Room keys would be nice...but making it a value for the guest would really speed adoption.

 

[Kerr84]

I would be shocked if they started requiring them. Also, Disney doesn’t tell cast members the information they need to know, so I doubt they are letting them in on secret future changes.

 

[Aurora0427]

Why do cast members say things like this?

 

[BrianL]

I can't imagine that they would be required for entry, however I could see them being necessary for certain things. An MB+ is required to play the SWGE Bounty hunter game at WDW for example. So there may be some value-add type of functionality, but I just can't see it for basic admission or even Genie+ especially when a phone can mimic that functionality.

 

[ComeToSocialize]

Impossible and might even be illegal to require them in California with some of the privacy rules - the reason the original MBs didn't come to DLR until now was because of some California law. As others have noted, they aren't required in WDW.

The investment in "Next Gen Experience" that included Magic Band, Fastpass +, the new apps, etc was actually way back in line 2012, so it's not like Disney needs the money back now. Disney has already basically admitted some of that was a failure with the switch from FP+ to Genie+.

I could theoretically see a world where there are "Magic Band" only entries to the park and to lightning lanes. It's annoying when you're all ready to enter the park but get stuck behind someone who is digging through their phone, needs to have their picture taken, etc etc. Same with Lightning lanes - we've all been behind that person who is swiping 8 members of their party into a lightning lane one by one, having issues, etc.

Having a "Magic Band" line and a regular line could help Magic Band wearers breeze through faster.

 

[Lisa24jks]

I could theoretically see a world where there are "Magic Band" only entries to the park and to lightning lanes. It's annoying when you're all ready to enter the park but get stuck behind someone who is digging through their phone, needs to have their picture taken, etc etc. Same with Lightning lanes - we've all been behind that person who is swiping 8 members of their party into a lightning lane one by one, having issues, etc.

Having a "Magic Band" line and a regular line could help Magic Band wearers breeze through faster.

I would LOVE that, both for park entry and LLs. I've only spent one day with MB+ so far, but already after a few rides, we were trying to see which people ahead of us looked like they were going to be the slowest to scan in and go to the other scanner instead. LOL. They always have multiple scanners at each ride already, so just designate one as MB+ only or something.

The way they're going to sell more MB+ is by adding features that make the park more convenient for people who have them. And they can absolutely do that in the future without making them mandatory.

 

[Kender]

Impossible and might even be illegal to require them in California with some of the privacy rules - the reason the original MBs didn't come to DLR until now was because of some California law. As others have noted, they aren't required in WDW.

People have said this a lot over the years, but have never given actual, undeniable proof it has ever been given as an official reason. The law often quoted does not apply (and nothing has changed with the law often quoted). People were still trying to claim it was illegal right up to shortly before it was announced officially MB+ would be coming to DLR.

RFID tech was even used at D23 Expo 2019 in badges. MBs could have been implemented at any point, but Disney chose not to until MB+.

 

[rstevens333]

Can you tie your ticket or AP to a MagicBand at DLR and boop into the park? I've only been to Anaheim once and using the ticket booths was the only part that felt backwards to me compared to WDW.

 

[ironband74]

Can you tie your ticket or AP to a MagicBand at DLR and boop into the park? I've only been to Anaheim once and using the ticket booths was the only part that felt backwards to me compared to WDW.

Yes...though booping is done through the CM's handheld scanner, and if it is a ticket they still take your picture.

 

[fatmanatee]

Why do cast members say things like this?

I’m not sure I buy that a cast member said this.

 

[Goofy4]

Why do cast members say things like this?

We were told today that they just loaded up on 900 new college Winter interns. I can easily see how stories can be passed down the line, and people are (too) eager to pass along what they have heard.

 

[ironband74]

People have said this a lot over the years, but have never given actual, undeniable proof it has ever been given as an official reason. The law often quoted does not apply (and nothing has changed with the law often quoted). People were still trying to claim it was illegal right up to shortly before it was announced officially MB+ would be coming to DLR.

RFID tech was even used at D23 Expo 2019 in badges. MBs could have been implemented at any point, but Disney chose not to until MB+.

Yeah, I've always thought it was more of an infrastructure question.

That said, ever since digital FastPass came along in 2016 the scanners at attractions have had the ring and a place to tap. Whether there was anything behind that ring is a matter of conjecture, but since the current iteration with the place to stick your phone inside I'm guessing the hardware was there (2019?). It does beg the question of what took so long since phones were never tappable and required the scanning of barcodes. Perhaps they knew they were moving away from basic RFID to NFC and didn't build the old RFID readers into the touchpoints?

I'm looking forward to seeing how they plus it over the next few years.

 

[DLgal]

If they are going to require them, they will have to give them away. They aren't going back to that.