NextGen, Magic Band, and FP+

[Figment!]

The NY Times recently did an article including the child and general privacy implications of the new system a few days ago.

It highlights that putting personal information on a Child's MagicBand will be "opt-in", so it will be the parent's choice as to how much info to place on the band. Guests will also control how much information to put on their own band.

The only potential privacy aspect that a parent would not appear to control is Operations tracking a child via check-in points through-out the park. The same would apply to tracking their own use of the park.

Here are the relevant excerpts from the article with the key privacy issues highlighted:

At Disney Parks, a Bracelet Meant to Build Loyalty (and Sales)

By BROOKS BARNES
January 7, 2013

...

Disney is aware of potential privacy concerns, especially regarding children. The plan, which comes as the federal government is trying to strengthen online privacy protections, could be troublesome for a company that some consumers worry is already too controlling.

...

MagicBands can also be encoded with all sorts of personal details, allowing for more personalized interaction with Disney employees. Before, the employee playing Cinderella could say hello only in a general way. Now — if parents opt in — hidden sensors will read MagicBand data, providing information needed for a personalized greeting: “Hi, Angie,” the character might say without prompting. “I understand it’s your birthday.”

The data will also be used to make waiting areas for rides (“scene ones” in Disney parlance) less of a drag. A new Magic Kingdom ride called Under the Sea, for instance, features a robotic version of Scuttle the sea gull from “The Little Mermaid” that will be able to chitchat with MagicBand wearers.

“We want to take experiences that are more passive and make them as interactive as possible — moving from, ‘Cool, look at that talking bird,’ to ‘Wow, amazing, that bird is talking directly to me,’ ” said Bruce Vaughn, chief creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Guests will not be forced to use the MagicBand system, and people who do try it will decide how much information to share. An online options menu, for instance, will offer various controls: Do you want park employees to know your name? Do you want Disney to send you special offers when you get home? What about during your stay?

“I may walk in and feel good about giving information about myself and my wife, but maybe we don’t want to give much about the children,” Mr. Staggs said. Still, once using the MagicBand, even if selecting the most restrictive settings, Disney sensors will gather general information about how the visitor uses the park.

...

[BrerGnat]

How would you feel if a complete stranger had access to yours kids' DOB and name? And that stranger approached your child, called him/her by his/her name? Kind of creepy, isn't it?

And that doesn't bother you as a parent?

Not at all.

I assume you don't have kids. Am I right?

Honestly, my kids have had "strangers" coming up to them and calling them by name and then taking their hand and walking into a room with them, and proceeded to "evaluate" them from the time they were 14 months old. They both have Autism. WIth that comes a LOT of therapy, evaluations, appointments, etc. and meeting MANY strangers. All of these "strangers" have met my kids after obtaining a LOT of information about them prior to. I have provided all this information, to include their likes and dislikes, favorite movies, toys, foods, etc. I had to put my trust in these people that they were going to use the information I provided to help my children. I would say, some of their therapists knew them better than my parents did. Truth.

Now they are in elementary school. There are HUGE files on each of my kids, and in these files are a whole lot of information about our entire family. I have to trust that it's "secure" in the file cabinets at school, which is ridiculous to imagine. This information could be stolen QUITE easily. But, again, I really don't worry about it at all.

I think our society is sort of backwards when we worry obsessively about people saying "hello" to our children. Our main goal as parents of kids with Autism is to make them more sociable. It actually sort of bothers me that, while we are trying to teach them to say 'hello' and 'goodbye' when they see people, society as a whole seems to be doing quite the opposite. Makes me feel like my "anti social" kids are more normal than not...

So no, I have no qualms about the type of information that I can choose to share about my kids with Disney. If we could walk up to Lightning McQueen and he addressed my son by name? Priceless.

[Granny Jill A]

What's next with Disney? Preplanned vacations where you have an itinerary and that's it?

[ChipNDale79]

What's next with Disney? Preplanned vacations where you have an itinerary and that's it?

Preplanned and fastpassed bathroom breaks!

[Stu29573]

You know, maybe DIsney will provide us all with individualized tour guides. That way, our trip will be totally planned to the minute and it will be seen as a good thing!

[Mendelson]

Agree with some others - couldn't care less about my kid's information being out there. I have a 2yo (and a grown child, fwiw) and nothing about his information being available to anyone at WDW bothers me. I signed up for the experience, after all, and I can't even begin to imagine the scary-movie scenario in which an evil plot is hatched involving my child based on knowing he was born on 10/8/10. (See, I just shared it with all of you, even.)

So long as my assumption that he will be in the presence of me or his mother for our entire trip is correct, no problems at all.

Any benefit from a guest-experience perspective far outweighs any negatives (which again, I view as none).

[Jeri]

How would you feel if a complete stranger had access to yours kids' DOB and name? And that stranger approached your child, called him/her by his/her name? Kind of creepy, isn't it?

And that doesn't bother you as a parent?

Maybe I am wrong here, but it seems like you are trying to almost scare parents.
If I am at Disney and a complete stranger comes up and calls my child by name I would assume that I would be with my child. When I am at Disney, my child isn't out of my husband or my sight, in fact we are right with them all the time. So if a stranger ( I am assuming a Disney castmember) came up and called my child by their name, I would not be upset.

I have to agree with Natalie too, I also have a 15 yr old with Aspergers we have worked for years on social interaction. Also I have a Daughter with Down syndrome, and I have strangers come up often to say Hi, talk to her, tell me she is cute, and yes, they ask her name & how old she is, sometimes when she was born, and I tell them.

I think there is no reason to get our undies in a bunch over this since it is clearly an opt in option. Don't like it, not comfortable with it?? No problem don't do it!

[DizneyFreak2002]

Happens all the time at schools. The amount of personal information that is stored in a school is more than what we're talking about for WDW, because schools have SSN, immunization records, and in some cases, specialized test results. I don't have a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings about the security of the info stored at the school in the district we live in.

If I could make FPs for Toy Story, ToT and RnRC before I got to the park, I would. Same with Soarin'.

Jan

So, bring it up at a Board meeting, or PTA meeting... It is your right, as a parent, to question the integrity of the information you have to provide for your child's safety and care while in school... There is absolutely no reason for Disney to need any information about your child.. None...

But hey, if you want to compromise your child's information for FPs to rides, that is an issue you need to take up with yourself... No ride is worth my child's information being available to Cms who have no business knowing my kid's name, age, or any other information

[DizneyFreak2002]

Not at all.

I assume you don't have kids. Am I right?

Honestly, my kids have had "strangers" coming up to them and calling them by name and then taking their hand and walking into a room with them, and proceeded to "evaluate" them from the time they were 14 months old. They both have Autism. WIth that comes a LOT of therapy, evaluations, appointments, etc. and meeting MANY strangers. All of these "strangers" have met my kids after obtaining a LOT of information about them prior to. I have provided all this information, to include their likes and dislikes, favorite movies, toys, foods, etc. I had to put my trust in these people that they were going to use the information I provided to help my children. I would say, some of their therapists knew them better than my parents did. Truth.

Now they are in elementary school. There are HUGE files on each of my kids, and in these files are a whole lot of information about our entire family. I have to trust that it's "secure" in the file cabinets at school, which is ridiculous to imagine. This information could be stolen QUITE easily. But, again, I really don't worry about it at all.

I think our society is sort of backwards when we worry obsessively about people saying "hello" to our children. Our main goal as parents of kids with Autism is to make them more sociable. It actually sort of bothers me that, while we are trying to teach them to say 'hello' and 'goodbye' when they see people, society as a whole seems to be doing quite the opposite. Makes me feel like my "anti social" kids are more normal than not...

So no, I have no qualms about the type of information that I can choose to share about my kids with Disney. If we could walk up to Lightning McQueen and he addressed my son by name? Priceless.

You are right, I don't have kids... What is your point? You want strangers to have access to your children, again, that is your issue... If I had kids, I sure wouldn't want stranger having access to their information... And if a stranger did approach me and my child and knew his/her name, age, location, and anything else Disney wants to collect, you bet I would find it creepy...

Don't know the age of your child/children, but let me ask you this since you have no issues with strangers having your child's information... How would you feel if, say, your 12 year old daughter gave her information to a 40 year old man on the internet? Still feel ok?

Oh and I'm not talking about a simple hello... I'm talking knowing his/her name, age, location, favorite color, etc... And tracking their every move, knowing where they are at ALL times on WDW property... Huge difference than, "hello"...

Same goes here.. you are giving strangers (some with not so pure thoughts) access and information to your children... You think Disney is immune to issues?

[DizneyFreak2002]

Maybe I am wrong here, but it seems like you are trying to almost scare parents.
If I am at Disney and a complete stranger comes up and calls my child by name I would assume that I would be with my child. When I am at Disney, my child isn't out of my husband or my sight, in fact we are right with them all the time. So if a stranger ( I am assuming a Disney castmember) came up and called my child by their name, I would not be upset.

I have to agree with Natalie too, I also have a 15 yr old with Aspergers we have worked for years on social interaction. Also I have a Daughter with Down syndrome, and I have strangers come up often to say Hi, talk to her, tell me she is cute, and yes, they ask her name & how old she is, sometimes when she was born, and I tell them.

I think there is no reason to get our undies in a bunch over this since it is clearly an opt in option. Don't like it, not comfortable with it?? No problem don't do it!

Nope, not trying to scare people at all.. Trying to educate them on the realities of this system Disney is implementing... Not the pixie dusted OH THIS IS SUCH A GOOD THING that Disney spews... There are real concerns that parents should have about this system... I'm sorry, and no offense, but any normal parent would want to protect their kids.. And I would think, part of that protection is making sure strangers have NO access to your child nor your child's information... Do you think, just because you are with your child, something bad couldn't happen? Then what do you do if, god forbid, something did? Why react? Why not be proactive? Prevent it before it occurs...

Great, people teach their kids not to talk to strangers... but hey, that CM is a stranger who knows all your child's information... Isn't there something not right with all of that?

I, for one, would NEVER let Disney have access to my child's information

I wonder... how many Disney fans would be in an uproar if Universal implemented such a system first? Yea.... Hmmm....

[DizneyFreak2002]

At Disney Parks, a Bracelet Meant to Build Loyalty (and Sales)

By BROOKS BARNES
January 7, 2013

...

Disney is aware of potential privacy concerns, especially regarding children. The plan, which comes as the federal government is trying to strengthen online privacy protections, could be troublesome for a company that some consumers worry is already too controlling.

...

MagicBands can also be encoded with all sorts of personal details, allowing for more personalized interaction with Disney employees. Before, the employee playing Cinderella could say hello only in a general way. Now — if parents opt in — hidden sensors will read MagicBand data, providing information needed for a personalized greeting: “Hi, Angie,” the character might say without prompting. “I understand it’s your birthday.”

The data will also be used to make waiting areas for rides (“scene ones” in Disney parlance) less of a drag. A new Magic Kingdom ride called Under the Sea, for instance, features a robotic version of Scuttle the sea gull from “The Little Mermaid” that will be able to chitchat with MagicBand wearers.

“We want to take experiences that are more passive and make them as interactive as possible — moving from, ‘Cool, look at that talking bird,’ to ‘Wow, amazing, that bird is talking directly to me,’ ” said Bruce Vaughn, chief creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Guests will not be forced to use the MagicBand system, and people who do try it will decide how much information to share. An online options menu, for instance, will offer various controls: Do you want park employees to know your name? Do you want Disney to send you special offers when you get home? What about during your stay?

“I may walk in and feel good about giving information about myself and my wife, but maybe we don’t want to give much about the children,” Mr. Staggs said. Still, once using the MagicBand,even if selecting the most restrictive settings, Disney sensors will gather general information about how the visitor uses the park.

...

Let's make sure we present both sides of this... Sure, you do not have to opt in... But explain to Little Jimmy why Mickey knew the other child's name and not his... Explain why now you are waiting on 2 hour lines for Haunted Mansion and not skipping like everyone else... Opting out = less of a magical experience... So, what is Disney really trying to do here? Force you to opt in therefore giving them access to information they should NOT have access to.. all in the name of "MAGIC"...

[doodleboy]

You know, maybe DIsney will provide us all with individualized tour guides. That way, our trip will be totally planned to the minute and it will be seen as a good thing!

This service already exists. And they are like having your own personal FP as they get you to the front of the line for all attarctions as well. I don't know what the cost is though.

[BrerGnat]

There is a huge difference in a 12 year old girl giving a 40 year old man identifying and private information online compared to Disney CMs knowing a child's first name and birth date. Come on.

For full disclosure, my boys are 6 and 8. I am very protective of them only insofar as they lack the understanding of the world to have "street smarts." However, in my presence, at a Disney THEME PARK, I can imagine NO scenario that could possibly play out with the use of MyMagic+ that would end up in tragedy. None. That kind of paranoia is not what I'm all about, and the fear mongering with regards to this is laughable to me.

Anyone who does not yet have children can not give an informed opinion on this particular topic. Like the saying goes, "The best parenting advice always comes from those who have no children."

[Stu29573]

This service already exists. And they are like having your own personal FP as they get you to the front of the line for all attarctions as well. I don't know what the cost is though.

I know, but I meant for free!

[DizneyFreak2002]

There is a huge difference in a 12 year old girl giving a 40 year old man identifying and private information online compared to Disney CMs knowing a child's first name and birth date. Come on.

For full disclosure, my boys are 6 and 8. I am very protective of them only insofar as they lack the understanding of the world to have "street smarts." However, in my presence, at a Disney THEME PARK, I can imagine NO scenario that could possibly play out with the use of MyMagic+ that would end up in tragedy. None. That kind of paranoia is not what I'm all about, and the fear mongering with regards to this is laughable to me.

Anyone who does not yet have children can not give an informed opinion on this particular topic. Like the saying goes, "The best parenting advice always comes from those who have no children."

Really Nat? I can't give an informed opinion? I guess then I must have to go tell off my parents... Since, you know, I learned from them about raising children... And well, i guess they did a pretty poor job since they did everything in their power to protect me, INCLUDING making sure no stranger had access to me or my information, INCLUDING Disney cast members, while I was a kid...

And yea, I guess absolutely NOTHING can ever go wrong in a Disney theme park... Yep, kids aren't preyed on in WDW... Nope, never.. peeping toms are never caught there... Nope... WDW has a shield around it where all the vile humans can never enter (or work for)...

It is laughable until something happens... Then, how fast would you change your tune? or maybe you won't cause IT'S DISNEY!!!!!

[caryrae]

WOW, some really strong opinions on this subject.

[buzznwoodysmom]

WOW, some really strong opinions on this subject.

Agreed!!!

I have to say, having two kids of my own, I agree with Natalie. While I am a protective mom, I am not to the point of paranoia. I have zero issues with my kids wearing these bands, or with Disney CMs having access to their first names and DOB via the bands. The only issue I am having with this is that I, myself, hate wearing these kinds of things. As long as I can attach it to my bag strap I will be fine!

Does anyone have any idea when this rolls out? I am going to be there in less than 4 weeks now, and call me a crazy planner but I would love to be able to get Toy Story Mania FPs before we leave! LOL!!

[Janmac]

So, bring it up at a Board meeting, or PTA meeting... It is your right, as a parent, to question the integrity of the information you have to provide for your child's safety and care while in school..

My kids are in their late 40s to mid 50s. Grandkids are from 20 to 32. I'm thoroughly familiar with my rights as a parent regarding schools, integrity of information, school budgets, and yes, strangers in school. Even teachers who are personal family friends can harm their students. Just speaking from personal experience.

... If I had kids, I sure wouldn't want stranger having access to their information... And if a stranger did approach me and my child and knew his/her name, age, location, and anything else Disney wants to collect, you bet I would find it creepy...

Hopefully any future kids of yours will not need to seek medical treatment or be evaluated for special needs because then you're going to be dealing with strangers.

Nope, not trying to scare people at all.. Trying to educate them on the realities of this system Disney is implementing... I would think, part of that protection is making sure strangers have NO access to your child nor your child's information ....

Perhaps the parents posting here are trying to educate people on realities of raising kids today. There is no way to prevent our kids from interacting with strangers. We can limit interaction to the best of our informed abilities.

I suspect that the kids of the parents on this board will fare better at Disney than any of the foster kids I have taken care of fared with their own parents.

Jan

[Janmac]

Does anyone have any idea when this rolls out? I am going to be there in less than 4 weeks now, and call me a crazy planner but I would love to be able to get Toy Story Mania FPs before we leave! LOL!!

Jan

[DizneyFreak2002]

My kids are in their late 40s to mid 50s. Grand kids are from 20 to 32. I'm thoroughly familiar with my rights as a parent regarding schools, integrity of information, school budgets, and yes, strangers in school. Even teachers who are personal family friends can harm their students. Just speaking from personal experience.

Then nothing for you to be concerned about regarding a little child in your family having their information in the hands of a stranger... Since your kids and grand kids are grown up, then they are responsible for their own protection...

Hopefully any future kids of yours will not need to seek medical treatment or be evaluated for special needs because then you're going to be dealing with strangers.

Difference... if that were to be the case, then I have no problem with a "stranger" having access to my child... Why? Well, 1) this person is there to HELP my child, 2) they are technically a person of authority, 3) any doctor/specialist appoint they have, I will be there, 4) I can evaluate and meet the person who will be caring for my child before hand, 5) they are not some random college kid, retiree, or otherwise employed person in a theme park who should NEVER have access to any child's information... EVER...

Perhaps the parents posting here are trying to educate people on realities of raising kids today. There is no way to prevent our kids from interacting with strangers. We can limit interaction to the best of our informed abilities.

So, again, people who don't have kids have no idea about what a parent should be concerned about? Hey, if you aren't concerned about your child's safety, that is your business... but, me? Well, my child's safety will be important to me... And I would do everything in my power to make sure no stranger has access to my child or his/her information... including WDW CMs...

I suspect that the kids of the parents on this board will fare better at Disney than any of the foster kids I have taken care of fared with their own parents.

Jan

Bad correlation.. But when there is no defense of a system that invades on the privacy of a child, that is to be expected...

So, I contacted a few friends who are parents, since apparently, I shouldn't be talking about this because I don't have a kid and I don't know (funny, I laugh at that all the time, especially when this comes from Disney fans who love Disney so much, they have no clue about it at all)...

Anyway, I asked each one a few simple questions... Seems I do know what parents really think about today... Funny that, since I, you know, really don't have any idea... Apparently, parents DO care about strangers having access to their child's information... Apparently, parents DO find it creepy that a stranger could approach your child already knowing his/her name... And apparently, parents DO go out of their way to protect their children... And to think, i was beginning to wonder that I was wrong... Since, well, some parents here apparently don't care that the information of their little child will be in the hands of, potentially, 60,000 strangers... And we wonder why some people have CC info and identities stolen?

Oh, and when I told them about this new program, want to know what they all said? take a guess... and no, it isn't "WELL IT IS DISNEY SO IT IS OK".... Not one of them were happy about it, and have reconsidered ever visiting WDW in the future...