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Gerardo Collado

Disney, Biometrics and the Department of Defense - 0 views

occupycorporatism.com/-and-the-department-of-defense

shared by Gerardo Collado on 26 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • The Department of Defense (DOD) has been interested in Disney Amusement Parks for decades. Known as Operation Mickey Mouse, the DOD has been studying Disney’s use of technology and coercion techniques. The DOD has also been working in conjunction with Disney to collect information on Beta testing operations that the popular theme park uses on their customers.
  • Through the Freedom of Information Act, the Disney Corporation hands over to the DOD all data on their customers. The DOD has an overabundance of information on the general public going back decades thanks to their relationship with Disney. After the DOD analyses and profiles their data from Disney, it is ready to be used to the US government for whatever purposes they deem fit.
  • The small cities Disney has created through their compound, although seemingly harmless, can harness quite a bit of private information on unsuspecting customers. All movements of patrons are tracked and traced through a myriad of cameras strategically placed throughout the theme parks.
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  • Photos, regardless of whether or not they are sold to passengers, are entered into a data base for future use. Because the photographs are legally property of Disney, they can be used at the corporation’s discretion
  • Gerardo Collado on 26 Jun 12
     
    The arising topic of biometrics in the class in combination with Disney Amusements Parks has lead me to further explore details regards the topic. Disney is the first theme park using biometrics for their operations, prior to entrance in the Disney Parks; a digital fingertip is copied of the pointer finger of their customers. The justification for Disney implementation of the biometrics is in order to reduce or eliminate fraudulent and ticketing crimes. The Department of Defense (DOD) is working in cohesion with Disney in a focus to collect information, through the Freedom of Information Act, after Disney provides the excessive quality and quality of information to the DOD, which is after property of the United States' government able to use the information in their discretion. As well, Disney has implemented facial recognition technology in their cruise lines and private island, Casteway Cay, which is tied to a digital voucher card in the event that the customer would like to purchase photographs of their vacation, with or without permission the pictures are property of Disney.
Paulette Grant

Disney Taps Contactless and NFC Technology as it Seeks to Connect Customers to Its Fant... - 0 views

nfctimes.com/...ct-customers-its-fantasy-world

nfc technology disney

shared by Paulette Grant on 08 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • Perhaps most valuable for Disney is the personal information it hopes to collect from use of the wristbands and from the Web site and app, on an opt-in basis. Personal information could be encoded on the chip of the MagicBands, allowing, for example, Disney employees to greet young visitors by name, according to published reports. The costumed employees might have a hidden contactless reader, though the bands reportedly will store “no personal identifiable information,” Disney reportedly said.
  • Paulette Grant on 08 Jun 13
     
    The article highlights the dramatic change that Disney will effect to increase customer service at the theme park using the Near- Field Communication technology (NFC). This technology which is presently been use by hospitality firms and other industries will allow Disney to eliminate the need for room keys, credit cards, and paper tickets. Customers will be given a wrist band which will be tied to the Disney websites and all accounts numbers and IDs created on the website will be embedded in a chip that is also embedded in that wrist band. All you will need to do is just give it a tap and boom! You are given access to rides, movies, restaurants, kiosks and other attractions within the park. According to the report this saves customers and Disney tremendous amount of time but the real deal behind this is to gather more personal data about customers, and track all the activities you engaged in plus the things you bought. Personal information could be encoded in the wrist band so that an employee or even mickey mouse could greet you by name. All this technology sounds very good but what if I lost my wrist band and it gets in the hands of someone else. The article states that the wrist band can be remotely deactivated if lost or stolen. You and I know that when you having fun at Disney no one will be looking at their wrist every five minutes to see if a wrist band is still in place. If someone found my lost wristband and I notice two or three hours later who will be responsible for all these charges racked up by someone else? I really like this technology because I hate having to wait in long lines; anything that would make my life easier I will pay for it. Having said that I do believe that there are facets of this amazing technology that still needs to be tweaked.
Kassandra Baumgardner

At Disney Parks, a Bracelet Meant to Build Loyalty (and Sales) - NYTimes.com - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...o-build-loyalty-and-sales.html

bracelet disney

shared by Kassandra Baumgardner on 11 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Visitors would wear rubber bracelets encoded with credit card information, snapping up corn dogs and Mickey Mouse ears with a tap of the wrist. Smartphone alerts would signal when it is time to ride Space Mountain without standing in line.
  • Kassandra Baumgardner on 11 Jan 13
     
    Starting this spring Walt Disney World is introducing it's new vacation management system known as "MyMagic+". This system will drastically change the way Disney World theme parks are run. Part of the software is introducing "MagicBands" that will store guests credit card information, Fast Pass, hotel key, and other information to make the guests experience more interactive. The system will also allow Disney to keep a more accurate account of what is interesting to guests and what is not being utilized. There are some concerns with privacy that guests may have, but Disney is proactively trying to ensure that all guests privacy is still intact. Guests will be able to use the system how they want, and share only as much information as they are comfortable with. The introduction of this management system will benefit both guests and Disney if used effectively. Guests will be able to plan their trips with more ease, and spend more time enjoying the parks rather than standing in lines. Disney will be able to offer a better product, as well as manage its parks more effectively and see what guests are really interested in.
natashacastro

Disney is expanding its billion-dollar mobile technology to more parks - Business Insider - 0 views

www.businessinsider.com/echnology-to-more-parks-2015-5

technology mobile hospitality business

shared by natashacastro on 25 Oct 17 - No Cached
  • will expand in some form to other Disney resorts
  • The $1 billion MyMagic+ program features wristbands and a mobile app that let Walt Disney World visitors unlock hotel room doors, pay for food and merchandise, and book dinner reservations or ride times.
  • The parks unit's earnings have climbed over the past few years as Disney invested billions to add Cars Land at the Anaheim resort, expanded Fantasyland at Walt Disney World, built a new cruise ship and made other improvements. For the six months that ended March 28, operating income rose 22 percent to $1.4 billion. It is Disney's second-largest division.
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  • Adding new technology is one way Disney aims to keep the business growing. "We will bring variations on MyMagic+ to our parks and other businesses around the world," Staggs said.
  • that adds projections inside the park
  • natashacastro on 25 Oct 17
     
    The article briefly talks about the MyMagic+ wrist bands that Disney introduced a while back! I decided to use this since I had used this example in our discussion board. The articles explains that with Disneys BILLION dollar technology investments income rose 22% to 1.4 billion. The article identifies that Disney's risks in technology is a huge reason why their business continues to grow (and probably wont decline anytime soon- but thats just my opinion). Another huge investment, which might not seem like a lot is the projections newly introduced in the new fireworks show. By introducing projections inside the park, it allows the nightly entertainment to keep up with new characters and keep the show extremely relevant, for example, Anna and Elsa were just added from the Disney movie, "Frozen". By investing in technology like this Disney will always stay relevant and ahead of the game.
glope143

Disney World Room Upgrades, Special Requests & Tips - MouseChat.net - Orlando News & Re... - 0 views

mousechat.net/disney-world-room-upgrades

property management system technology disney

shared by glope143 on 01 Jun 18 - No Cached
  • Your Disney World vacation booking starts at CRO and is in the CRO system or comes in as a Disney Vacation Package. The key point is that the actual Disney World Resort, like the Grand Floridian, has no record of your reservation until it is transferred to the Disney resort itself. That happens either 3 or 4 days out. Sorry I forget the exact number of days out the specific Disney Resort gets the reservation in their hotel Lilo Reservation System.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 01 Jun 18
       
      By no surprise, the Disney Company is extremely private in what information about their theme parks, resorts, and dining locations is released. One can applaud the company for this monotonous effort as it is very difficult to find legitimate information online on any internal subjects. As a former Walt Disney World front desk agent, I searched some key words attempting to look up some information about the Resort's current property management system to share with the class. The PMS used is a Windows based operation with a User Interface titled LILO (complete with a photo of the animated namesake when logging on). The functionalities provided by LILO include room and ticket sales, reservation management, housekeeping, bank-in/bank-out, accounting, and resort configuration.
  • Other Disney resorts have thousands of rooms with turns that can be very little or 50% of the hotel could turn over in just one day.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 01 Jun 18
       
      The Walt Disney Resort in Orlando includes over 15 lodging options, some exceeding 1500 rooms in a single property. The LILO Interface works to connect the entire property, making it simple for a cast member working at the All Star Music Resort to check-in a guest staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge if needed. This interface interacts primarily with Disney's RFID powered "Magic Bands" that serve as the room key, payment method, photo capture, and Fastpass+ service for guests across property. As of today, the Orlando Disney property is the only property owned by the company to offer the RFID technology. Testing began 2012 and since then the company has successfully rolled out the MagicBand 2.0 program.
esuarezrijsdijk

The Messy Business Of Reinventing Happiness - 0 views

www.fastcompany.com/...iness-of-reinventing-happiness

Disney IOT

shared by esuarezrijsdijk on 27 Sep 20 - No Cached
  • Iger planned to pump nearly $1 billion into this venture, called MyMagic+, a sweeping plan to overhaul the digital infrastructure of Disney’s theme parks, which would upend how they operated and connected with consumers. At the core of the project was the MagicBand, an electronic wristband that Iger envisioned guests would use to gain entry to Disney World and access attractions; make purchases at restaurants; and unlock their hotel room doors. It would push the boundaries of experience design and wearable computing, and impact everything from Disney’s retail operations and data-mining capabilities to its hospitality and transportation services.
  • Disney World, Parks’ crown jewel, seemed to be losing its luster. According to multiple sources, certain key metrics, including guests’ “intent to return,” were dropping; around half of first-time attendees signaled they likely would not come back because of long lines, high ticket costs, and other park pain points. Simultaneously, the stunningly fast adoption of social media and smartphones threatened the relevance of the parks. If Disney wanted these more tech-oriented generations to love it as much as their parents, who had grown up with fewer entertainment alternatives, had, it would have to embrace change now.
  • There were the endless lines for rides, food, and bathrooms; parents juggling maps, hotel keys, baby carriages, and bottles of SPF 75; and kids pulling families on long treks to try to visit every attraction. The park was filled with complications, such as a tiered ticketing system with wonky rules.
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  • The NGE team had big dreams for the MagicBand. It would need to interact with short- and long-range sensors that would be installed around the park. The short-range sensors would let guests scan their MagicBand at sales terminals in Disney park stores to pay for merchandise, for example, or to seamlessly check in at their hotel.
  • The long-range sensors would allow Disney to track guests as they navigated the park. The potential benefits were manifold. By monitoring where crowds were forming, the company could better optimize flow.
  • The MagicBand would also collect valuable consumer data.
  • The tussle over digital access points,
  • The tussle over digital access points
  • where customers would use their MagicBands to enter each ride, was typical of the dysfunction between Frog and Imagineering.
  • More than 28,000 hotel doors needed their locks replaced in order to connect wirelessly with the MagicBand, even as some 80% of the rooms at Disney’s resorts, on average, were occupied. Two dozen workers spent eight months upgrading 120 doors per day. The company rolled out 6,000 mobile devices to support MyMagic+ in the parks. More than 70,000 cast members got MyMagic+ awareness training, with 15,000 learning service-specific tasks for, say, FastPass+ kiosks or MagicBand merchandising
  • Disney World’s physical infrastructure, which was first built in the late 1960s, needed major capital improvements. Two hundred eighty-three park-entry touch points needed to be upgraded. Much of Disney World lacked a Wi-Fi connection, so in order for guests and cast members to take advantage of MyMagic+ and its mobile apps (which would offer a map service and real-time wait times for attractions), the company had to install more than 30 million square feet of Wi-Fi coverage.
  • There is no line at the main entrance to the park, where cast members and a row of polished, golden digital access points greet me, and it takes just seconds to stream through with my MagicBand. According to Disney, the MagicBand has cut turnstile transaction time by 30%. Park capacity has also increased.
  • “Honestly, it’s not so magical,” one cast member tells me about MyMagic+, echoing a common sentiment I hear from park employees during my visit. “It’s just for your hotel room [door] and paying for things.” When you look closely, there’s less to MyMagic+ than what some on the team had hoped for.
  • MyMagic+’s rocky rollout makes the Imagineers’ case for conservatism in the face of technological change seem sound. A slew of problems reared up after launch
  • The Imagineers and Frog certainly did disagree during the MyMagic+ development, as did many others, and that disagreement had repercussions and costs. But it ultimately led to a successful conclusion. What Staggs calls “constructive discomfort” is what sophisticated collaboration is all about.
  • esuarezrijsdijk on 27 Sep 20
     
    This article offers a telling account of how Disney developed and implemented the MyMagic+ initiative, providing important insights into how major corporations approach massive tech-related capital investments. Among the most salient takeaways: 1) how Disney recognized that the parks' pain points could be addressed through the public's growing predilection for personal, always-connected; 2) how these massive internal projects can pit different departments against each other, and how sometimes that antagonism can lead to beneficial results; and 3) how a project like MyMagic+ can have a profound positive impact on the company and still be considered by many to have not fulfilled its potential.
natashacastro

Walt Disney World Reportedly Considering Security Bypass Line For Annual Passholders Li... - 0 views

www.inquisitr.com/...-passholders-like-tsa-precheck

technology hospitality travel

shared by natashacastro on 31 Oct 17 - No Cached
  • Now, it appears as if WDW is toying with the idea of bringing in a TSA PreCheck-style line for Annual Passholders.
  • Earlier this year, Walt Disney World changed up how security was done with the checkpoints moving away from the front of Magic Kingdom. Now, the Transportation & Ticket Center and surrounding resorts have security checkpoints done there, and it has opened up the area in front of the park.
  • . Not only would this speed up the process for them, but it would take more out of the security lines and speed up everything for everyone as well.
  • natashacastro on 31 Oct 17
     
    This article talks about something similar that was discussed in our security and emerging technology module video. In the video it is discussed that hotels want to avoid having visible lines of security so guests do not feel threatened. In this article, it states that Disney Land and Walt Disney World have been budgeting more money for safety. But now Disney is trying to focus on how to make security more effecient, for example, they have recently changed their security checkpoints location in order to make it flow better for guests. Now checkpoints have even gone further away from Magic Kingdom and starting infront of the Ticket Center that is miles away from the park entrance. I guess this is creating a sense of safety for the guests as well as faster lines. Disney is even going so far as creating a PreCheck line like TSA for annual passholders that would create less security lines.
sharlabrunsvold

At Disney Parks, a Bracelet Meant to Build Loyalty (and Sales) - The New York Times - 3 views

www.nytimes.com/...o-build-loyalty-and-sales.html

disney bracelet new york times

shared by sharlabrunsvold on 12 May 20 - No Cached
  • The initiative is part of a broader effort, estimated by analysts to cost between $800 million and $1 billion, to make visiting Disney parks less daunting and more amenable to modern consumer behavior. Disney is betting that happier guests will spend more money.
  • Disney is not the first vacation company to use wristbands equipped with radio frequency identification, or RFID, chips. Great Wolf Resorts, an operator of 11 water parks in North America, has been using them since 2006.
  • The logistical challenges involved in pulling this off are extensive. Disney has 60,000 employees here and many must be retrained to use new technology.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • At Disney
  • sharlabrunsvold on 12 May 20
     
    Since most of us no longer give Magic Bands at Walt Disney World a second thought, I thought it would be interesting to look into the past to see how they were interrupted before they were launched. This article discusses the risks, challenges, costs, and competitors at the time. It dives into the discussion many Disney fans had about their privacy and well-being, and it directly aligns with our material this week. We can now see the pay off of this specific management information system, showing their importance in a business's success.
Nicole Stevens

At Disney Parks, a Bracelet Meant to Build Loyalty (and Sales) - NYTimes.com - 1 views

www.nytimes.com/...o-build-loyalty-and-sales.html

disney parks bracelet loyalty sales nytimes technology hospitality software tech hardware

shared by Nicole Stevens on 18 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Visitors would wear rubber bracelets encoded with credit card information
  • vacation management system called MyMagic+
  • If you fully use MyMagic+, databases will be watching, allowing Disney to refine its offerings and customize its marketing messages
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  • wristbands equipped with radio frequency identification, or RFID, chips
  • Disney is not the first vacation company to use
  • MyMagic+ will allow users of a new Web site and app — called My Disney Experience — to preselect three FastPasses before they leave home for rides or V.I.P. seating for parades, fireworks and character meet-and-greets. Orlando-bound guests can also preregister for RFID bracelets. These so-called MagicBands will function as room key, park ticket, FastPass and credit card.
  • MagicBands can also be encoded with all sorts of personal details, allowing for more personalized interaction with Disney employees
  • Nicole Stevens on 18 Jan 13
     
    The technological makeover Disney is planning will require brand new software yet to be used in the parks. RFID scanners will be placed at set locations allowing guests easier access to the 'Magic'. No more turnstiles or waiting in lines. With just a flick of the wrist those mickey ears are yours and you are on your way. Personal RFID tags will be placed into guest MagicBands allowing Disney to track guests behavior within the parks. This is all thanks to the new vacation management system called MyMagic+.
danakissane01

New Far-UVC Light Technology Can Help Disney, Universal Battle Pandemic | Inside the Magic - 0 views

insidethemagic.net/...uvc-light-disney-universal-kc1

TECHNOLOGY hospitality tech travel solution theme parks safety

shared by danakissane01 on 02 Mar 21 - No Cached
  • The theme parks around the world — including both Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando in Florida — have implemented several different safety protocols in order to operate during this unprecedented time.
  • UVC light is a very effective disinfectant and kills viruses just by shining light on it. But UVC light is different from far-UVC, which is the new groundbreaking technology that could help control the COVID-19 virus.
  • Far-UVC light inactivates viruses the same way as UVC, but the main difference is that it does not penetrate the skin or the eyes. Instead, it is absorbed by the dead skin layer and the tear layer within the eye, making it safer as there is less of a chance that a person would develop keratitis
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • It is important to note that the far-UVC light will not eliminate coronavirus on its own. It needs to work in connection with the other safety protocols already put into place, including face coverings and social distancing, as well as the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • hing about U
  • If Disney Parks, including Walt Disney World and even Disneyland, or Universal theme parks decide to invest in these new far-UVC light devices, it could help them continue to operate safely during the pandemic. The major theme parks in Florida have already implemented several safety protocols including temperature checks, social distancing measures, face coverings, paperless payment methods, mobile ordering, and more, ever since they reopened their doors in summer 2020.
  • danakissane01 on 02 Mar 21
     
    This article explains how theme parks are look for ways to ensure safety for all of the guest and employees during the Covid-19 pandemic. By using Far-UVC light technology to help clean and disinfect attractions and restaurants.
bdegirolmo

Disney's $1 Billion Bet on a Magical Wristband | WIRED - 0 views

www.wired.com/...disney-magicband

disney technology hospitality

shared by bdegirolmo on 27 Aug 18 - No Cached
  • The answer is around their wrists.Their MagicBands, tech-studded wristbands available to every visitor to the Magic Kingdom, feature a long-range radio that can transmit more than 40 feet in every direction.
  • Inside each is an RFID chip and a radio like those in a 2.4-GHz cordless phone. The wristband has enough battery to last two years. It may look unpretentious, but the band connects you to a vast and powerful system of sensors within the park.
  • And yet, when you visit Disney World, the most remarkab
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  • “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” he says. “That’s how we think of it. If we can get out of the way, our guests can create more memories.”
  • pelaez17 on 27 Aug 18
     
    This article is about the beginning of the Disney magic band and how the idea came to life. This article i believe is a perfect example of how technology changes can be scary but sometimes they can take your business or industry to the next level. In the world we live in, that technology advances each and every day we need to come to grips that these type of additions are what can contribute to changing the way customers share their experiences for the better. The article states how other multi million dollar companies have contacted Disney about the technology proving the impact things like this can have with businesses across the world.
  • bdegirolmo on 12 May 20
     
    Disney took a large risk when implementing the MagicBands, but it inevitably paid off in the end allowing guests to create more memories. This happens because instead of guests having to spend hours waiting in line for food or rides or Disney experiences, they are able to swipe their bands and receive a notification to their smartphones when its their turn in line.
ypere044

Disney gets personal with new MyMagic+ system - 0 views

www.usatoday.com/...4582957

Disney MyMagic+ Hospitality CRS MagicBands system

shared by ypere044 on 01 Jun 14 - No Cached
    • ypere044
      ypere044 on 01 Jun 14
       
      They have now rolled out MyMagic+ to all Disney resort guests and have made MagicBands available for purchase for guests that are not staying on property.
  • "MM+ is not solely for the benefit of Disney. It's intention is to simplify and enhance the visitor's experience. So while technology of this sort certainly benefits the business side, ultimately the consumer is the intended beneficiary."
  • "Now you can plan your vacation and your ride sequence well ahead of your trip."
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • The more you share, however, the more personalized the experience can be.
  • MyMagic+
  • You'll get three FastPass+ virtual reservations, each giving you an hour time frame in which to arrive. And if you want to switch up scheduled rides on the fly, there's an app for that.
cpaez007

New technology coming to cruise ships in the next few years | Miami Herald - 2 views

www.miamiherald.com/...article188432379.html

shared by cpaez007 on 20 Jan 18 - No Cached
  • Wristbands, which open doors, come for an additional price but are free for children.
  • The app will also have facial recognition to allow crew to identify passengers. Other features include way-finding navigation — like Google Maps for ships, — the ability to make purchases, request services, book excursions and plan daily activities in-app. The MSC for Me app will also offer suggestions based on guest preferences.
  • The Miami-based cruise line announced earlier this month a new Cruise Norwegian app that will allow passengers to check in ahead of their vacation, book excursions, make dinner and show reservations, and purchase drink packages or other amenities. Unlike the Carnival or Royal Caribbean versions, the app doesn’t change the physical embarkation process, but it does offer the option to go paperless with the documentation needed to go aboard.
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  • Like Norwegian, it will rely heavily on an app component, that, like Carnival, will also be available on interactive screens around the ship, in addition to mobile devices and stateroom TVs. And, like Royal, MSC will have a smart watch with geo-location that is also connected to the app.
  • In January, Carnival revealed the result of an 18-month project aimed at making the cruise experience more intuitive. Instead of largely relying on a smart phone, the company chose to build a “medallion.” The quarter-sized, two-ounce disc contains passenger information, incorporates geo-location services and is personalized with each cruiser’s name and sail date. It can be carried in pockets or worn on wristbands or pendants for an additional cost.The medallion interacts with the whole of the ship, which will be retrofitted with thousands of sensors and interactive screens, and miles of cable.
  • In the short-term, those innovations will looks like this: Guests will check-in through facial recognition technology — not check-in counters, thus eliminating lines. On board, passengers will be able to sign up for excursions, order drinks and make dinner reservations from a new Royal Caribbean app that also will enable crew to find passengers based on facial recognition. The app will partner with Royal’s WOW Bands, similar to Disney’s MagicBands, to open stateroom doors. And, thanks to RFID tags on luggage, guests will also be able to track the progress of their bags to their rooms. As with Carnival, the more passengers interact with the technology, the better equipped the app will be to offer meaningful recommendations.
  • For example, as guests approach their stateroom doors, the door senses the medallion and unlocks it for them. A digital photo wall senses a passenger’s approach — thanks to the medallion — and adjusts to show the cruiser his or her vacation pictures. After a guest requests a drink, either on an interactive screen, a smart phone or other device, crew can find that passenger wherever he or she is on the vessel because of the geo-location in the medallion.The operating system behind the medallion is Ocean Compass, an online vacation profile that passengers create before sailing, where they input their preferences; during the trip, they can add information via onboard screens and personal devices. Crew can also access passenger profiles in Ocean Compass, allowing them to offer relevant suggestions and address passengers by name.
  • Beyond that, Royal Caribbean plans to add virtual reality and augmented reality into the passenger experience. These concepts might transform cabin interiors with images of a starry night or a peaceful sunset displayed on screens on the walls, ceiling and floors. It could also transform dining by introducing virtual reality glasses that can transform the venue into a new landscape based on the cuisine passengers are eating.
  • But with the new technology will likely come privacy concerns. Much of the software cruise lines are introducing also involves capturing passenger information and using it to curate suggestions about what to do.
  • It’s already happening. In 2014, Starwood Hotels announced plans to start using smart phones as hotel keys, with the help of an app and Bluetooth connection. Hilton this year discussed plans to build a “Connected Room” in 2018, which will allow guests to control features of the room through an app, including lighting, entertainment and temperature.
  • It elevates the experience for everyone, not just the highest paying passengers, and not just on its best and newest units. I think it will become the norm...eventually the cruise industry and, not just the cruise industry, but other places, other tourism [entities].
  • The technology aims to ease irritations: the long lines to embark or disembark, crowded bars, the impersonal feeling of a mass congregation of people.
  • Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and MSC Cruises — have all come out with tech that promises to make cruising a less cumbersome experience. Most of it incorporates facial recognition and geo-location.
  • In the next five years, the new normal in cruising is going to be a better-connected voyage that will largely do away with lines and waiting — some of the factors that deter travelers from cruising to begin with.
  • cpaez007 on 20 Jan 18
     
    The article revolves around new technological concepts that the main cruise lines are adding to the cruising experience. While they have heavily focused on the ships hardware, they want to implement new software that will make the experience more enjoyable and simpler for guests to enjoy. Carnival, would like to implement a "medallion" called the Ocean Compass, that is crossover between the Disney Magic Band, and the band seen at the Universal Volcano Bay water park. It fits the Disney aspect, because it holds information,can open doors, and links guest pictures to the technology. It is similar to Universal, because it informs guests of when to attend something, so that they do not have to wait in a line. Royal Caribbean, likes the band idea that Disney presented, and wants to make bands of their own, that have similar functions that the Ocean Compass from Carnival has. In addition, Royal Caribbean wants to expose their guests to Virtual Reality. They hope to create an immersive experience for their guests, from the comfort of their rooms. Norwegian and MSC are mostly developing smart phone applications, that allow guests to check-in, book excursions, and open rooms. It is obvious that Disney developed a great idea with combining a "magical" band and phone application. The concept is so successful, that other players want to utilize the same formula. Let us see how well it works in the cruising industry.
Stephanie Menendez

GOP Senator Asks Why Border Security Can't Be More Like Disney World | ThinkProgress - 0 views

thinkprogress.org/...immigration-disney-world

shared by Stephanie Menendez on 17 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • Cornyn made the reference during a discussion of an amendment proposed by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) that would add a biometric entry-exit system and effectively delay the path to citizenship for years.
  • Cornyn argued that not having biometrics like fingerprints or iris scans “could lead some people to conclude that this bill is designed to fail.”
  • “photo tool”
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • Disney World uses a biometric system to ensure people do not commit ticket fraud.
  • If they are that easy, affordable and good enough for the Magic Kingdom, they ought to be good enough for the United States. Senator Sessions’ amendment would guarantee they would not be eligible for lawful citizenship until there is a biometric entry/exit system.
  • “It is true that Disney World used a fingerprint, and then when Disney Land went ahead to use their system they used a picture because it was better,”
  • “two ports of entry. We have 329 ports of entry in the United States, which include land, sea and air. If we are talking about being able to read cards at all ports of entry for those leaving the U.S, it is more daunting than it is at Disney World or Disney Land.”
  • Atlanta and Detroit attempted to implement a biometric system like Republicans requested.
  • “you can change the way your face looks” but a visa “has to be the same. You cannot tamper with it.”
dstic005

Disney World: Digital hotel keys coming - Orlando Sentinel - 1 views

www.orlandosentinel.com/...l-keys-app-20180403-story.html

shared by dstic005 on 26 Aug 18 - No Cached
  • The digital key does not replace the MagicBand, which has been empowered to open hotel rooms, Disney says.To use a digital key, visitors will activate the feature in the app on their check-in day. Guests tap the “unlock door” button and then hold their phone against the door lock.
  • At Disney World, guests also will use digital keys to unlock the hotel’s entrance gate and common area doors (for fitness centers, swimming pools and the like).Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices with the current version of the My Disney Experience app are required to use a digital key for room entry.
  • dstic005 on 26 Aug 18
     
    Disney will now allow the use of a smart phone in addition to the RFID bands to access rooms in their resorts. The option to do so will be included when the guest arrives at the hotel. The Magic Band will still be used if needed, but this change shows that Disney a leader in the hospitality business recognizes that Guests are comfortable with the use of their personal smart devices to navigate their resort stay.
Michelle Munne

At parks, Disney invests in interactive experiences | disne - Business - The Orange Cou... - 0 views

www.ocregister.com/...55-experiences-technology.html

wristband disney parks mobile app experience access

shared by Michelle Munne on 30 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • gets them into the park, pays for food and merchandise, and grants access to their hotel room.
  • smart wristband
  • called MyMagic+, will gather data about a guest's behavior to tailor more personalized experiences.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • project
  • Disney is banking on them to pull in a new generation raised on video games and iPod Touches, while delivering cost savings, managing crowds and delivering valuable insight into customer preferences.
  • mobile phone app that lets visitors reserve firework- and parade-viewing areas, set up a meeting with Mickey or pick rides so as to skip the line. In addition,
  • the band will gather information about a guest's behavior that could be key to even more personalized experiences in the future
  • total cost of the project at $800 million to $1 billion.
  • Today the company is facing a world where most people walking around its parks have a handheld, Internet-connected computer begging to draw their attention away from the immersive, and lucrative, experience at hand.
  • Michelle Munne on 30 Mar 13
     
    Disney has been working on this technology for quite some time. They are hoping to have this up and running within the next few years. The wristband would allow them to personalize their guests' experience.
Nelson Placa

Brazil's New Consumer Class Spending Time And Cash In The U.S. - 1 views

www.huffingtonpost.com/...ian-spending-us_n_1337354.html

shared by Nelson Placa on 13 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • According to the latest statistics, Brazilians spent $5.9 billion in the U.S. in 2010 in a tsunami of cash that's shifting American immigration practices and boosting economies in hard-hit parts of the U.S. that remain in the doldrums. President Barack Obama recently ordered the State Department to speed up the visa application process for tourists coming from Brazil, China and other nations with newly flush consumers. After suffering decades of hyperinflation, Brazil has ridden high commodity prices along with some of the world's biggest offshore oil discoveries to expand its economy, lift millions out of poverty and multiply the ranks of the country's deep-pocketed elite.
  • Nelson Placa on 13 Sep 12
     
    On January 2012, President Obama announced an executive order that would allow travelers from Brazil and China to receive travel VISA faster than before. A study from Huffington Post.com showed that on 2010 Brazilians spent $5,400 per visit, more than any other tourist. This executive order will help increase tourism travel across the nation that will help the economy. The order will help the travel industry, retail and housing. The property that I work at Walt Disney World hosts the majority of Brazilians that visit Walt Disney World. You can spend eight hours in our lobby in the afternoon, and you can experience the amount of money Brazilian guests spend on shopping inside and outside Walt Disney World. Stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart are the most popular; online shopping has also become very favorable for guests. During the summer season, the hotel processed over 6,000 packages received from Amazon.com and other online stores that were purchased prior to arrival. It is amazing to see the items received and how much luggage guests take with them. With this economic boost, more job creations will occur. The most popular US cities visited by Brazilians are New York City, Las Vegas and Orlando (http://www.traveltobrazil.org/post/20-most-visited-places-by-brazilians-in-brazil-and-abroad.html).
Nelson Placa

New Walt Disney World App - 1 views

www.orlandosentinel.com/...times-20120805,0,3588483.story

shared by Nelson Placa on 27 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Nelson Placa on 27 Sep 12
     
    This article talks about how Walt Disney World park-goers are able to enjoy a new app designed for iPhones, iPads and iPods that gives them real-time updates on park information and other services. The application allows guests to better plan their day with the ability to view wait times for shows and attractions; guests are also able to track what are the fastpass return times and the ability to book dining reservation around the parks and resorts. The application enables the guests to move through the theme parks flawlessly and helps maintain a neat order. It gives the guests the ability to view the maps and view what's happening right now at each of the parks. It is a great application that will help everyone be more organize as they enjoy the parks.
natalieemmanuel

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort Implements InvoTech ... - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4066689.html

shared by natalieemmanuel on 26 Aug 14 - No Cached
  • our Seasons is respected for its personalized service. InvoTech's Uniform System ensures all 700 property associates have the appropriate number of uniforms to support
  • he award-winning Four Seasons standards," said Oswald Lares, director of sales for InvoTech Systems. "InvoTech's UHF-RFID readers record the location of each uniform as it travels to and from the property's laundry to maintain a real-time uniform inventory." The Uniform System at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort also automates uniform distribution to each specific property associate
    • danalbert
      danalbert on 28 Aug 14
       
      The Walt Disney World Resort itself implemented the same technology nearly two years ago. With 66,000 cast members (employees) on the property, it seems to have served them well.It tracks check-outs, check-ins, laundry cycles and ensures that all costumes (uniforms) are cycled out and replaced after a pre-designated number of washes and wears. In any large-scale operation, particularly in hospitality, keeping a close track on inventory makes a lot of economic sense.
  • natalieemmanuel on 26 Aug 14
     
    The new Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World is using the InvoTech Systems Inc. UHF-RFID Uniform System to provide real -time tracking of the 7,000 plus uniforms required for their staff. the system is able to track all uniforms by utilizing a waterproof RFID tag that is attached to each custom made piece for "automated tracking and record keeping." RFID tags are installed as the employee is issued their uniform. The uniform is then passed over the counter to the employee and the tracking system automatically records the pieces as they are being issued. The system is able to count hundreds of articles in a matter of seconds and insures that all uniforms are properly accounted for. The software system also monitors use and laundry cycles to facilitate replacement when required. By investing in the InvoTech System the Four Seasons Orlando is ensuring employee accountability and also reducing labor expenses associated with manual handling of uniforms.
glope143

Can Disney's Magic Bands be Hacked? - MouseChat.net - Orlando News & Reviews | Disney W... - 0 views

mousechat.net/disney-magic-bands-security

technology RFID hospitality security

shared by glope143 on 11 Jun 18 - No Cached
  • While it is still certainly possible to potentially clone a MagicBand (and thereby gain access to protected resources by impersonating the original band holder), the fact that the band operates on the 2.4 GHZ frequency inherently presents some challenges to any would-be malicious users. Admission to the parks is fairly expensive (Fig. 5) and the cost of the hardware required to conduct such a cloning attack far exceeds the cost of a legitimate day pass. For the attack to even be considered economical, the malicious user must clone many passes over time.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 11 Jun 18
       
      This paragraph brings up an interesting point when it comes to the security of Disney's RFID MagicBands. The primary information on the Band itself that could be most "easily" accessed if cloned is a ticketed theme park entrance. The author believes the chances of this happening are slim to none given the amount of theme park entrances that would needed to be stolen in order to justify the cost of expensive RFID cloning hardware. For arguments sake, should a hacker clone a MagicBands individual RFID code there are still a variety of hurdles to cross before being able to walk away unnoticed. Since every RFID code is individualized, should the Band that was hacked enter the the theme park prior to the duplicate, the duplicate will be stopped and questioned by security. There are also bio-metric scanners in the front of each entrance that require the scanned fingerprint to match that on file. Should the fingerprint scanner fail, a cast member with access to the original MagicBand owner's photograph will deem the duplicate band a fraud.
  • Part of the MagicBand system allows guests to make purchases with the band at specific registers provided they have tied a credit/debit card to their account via an external process. This can be seen as a very big convenience to guests who do not wish to continually use their cards to make purchases while in the parks, or for those who find themselves wishing to buy merchandise when they had not initially anticipated in doing so and do not have their wallet/purse/money clip in their possession. Yet in order to make purchases, a user must first swipe their band against a specially designed reader (Fig. 6) and subsequently enter a matching PIN number. Even if our malicious user had an RFID token that was a working clone of a legitimate one, it is somewhat unlikely he would be able to successfully guess the matching PIN number within a reasonable number of tries in one sitting before the cashier would begin to get suspicious.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 11 Jun 18
       
      One of Disney's star features for their MagicBands is the ability to go hands-free throughout their vacation by having everything necessary stored on one device, including credit card information. This gives guests the ability to make purchases across the Resort without the additional moral barrier of having to remove their wallet from their purse or pocket. Should a MagicBand be misplaced, or duplicated as in the context of this article, a four digit code is still required to make purchases with the credit card on file. This code is not available for viewing on the band and cannot be changed though any means besides visiting the front desk with property identification.
  • While multifactor authentication certainly adds to the security of the system in a significant way, biometric  hardware is not flawlessly reliable. Florida is a rather humid place [5] which inevitably affects the performance of sensitive electronic hardware like fingerprint readers. To address this issue and counteract the likelihood of the system presenting users with false negatives, it would be fair to assume that the fingerprint readers themselves are configured to fail open (ie, when in doubt, allow entry). This gives malicious users the potential benefit of knowing that they merely need to intentionally cause the reader to malfunction to be granted access. Social engineering could also potentially play a factor in the exploitation of the MagicBand system by using Disney’s own customer-service policy against itself. Suppose our malicious user is successfully stopped dead in his tracks at the gate. He has been beaten to the entry gate by his victims and has lost the calibration race; there is no hope the machine will accept his cloned band. Yet he scans it anyway, and is denied access immediately. He knows he will not gain entry, but he continues to scan it. The employees at the gate attempt to help him, scanning his band for him, fiddling with the machine, etc, all to no avail. Yet a large line is beginning to form behind him.
    • glope143
      glope143 on 11 Jun 18
       
      This article does a great job at playing devil's advocate in the situation of MagicBand cloning and creates a sound argument at what could happen should a hacker attempt to enter a Disney park with a previously used RFID code. As someone to frequently visit's the Disney theme parks, I would not be surprised if a cast member simply waved a guest through in order to avoid a line back up, especially during peak season times.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Despite the inherent arms-race between malicious users and system security mechanisms, overall the MagicBand system seems to hold up under scrutiny and is fairly well designed. The high cost of the hardware required to compromise the system via an RFID cloning attack combined with the multifactor authentication process provides sufficient layers of systematic defenses; even the most judicious adversaries may still fail to successfully thwart system security.
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