Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TICKETS, BIOMETRICS, WRISTBANDS, AND RFID
TO THIS POINT IN THE TOPIC
, we've used the word
ticket
to describe that thing you
carry around as proof of your admission to the park. In fact, Disney admission media
come in two forms—neither of which is a ticket. While we use
ticket
as shorthand for
“admission medium,” you'll be better prepared by knowing what you'll actually be
handed when you plunk down your money.
If you're staying at a Disney resort, your admission medium is a rubber wristband
about the size and shape of a small wristwatch. Called a
MagicBand
and introduced
in 2013, it contains a tiny radio frequency identifier (RFID) chip, on which is stored
a link to the record of your admission purchase in Disney's computers. Your Ma-
gicBandalsofunctionsasyourhotel-roomkey,anditcan(optionally)workasacredit
card for most food and merchandise purchases throughout the park.
If you don't want a MagicBand, you get a
Key to the World Card
, which looks
like a credit card. If you're staying off-property or you bought your admission from
a third-party vendor, your ticket is a flexible, credit card-size piece of plastic-coated
paper. Both alternatives also contain an RFID chip; upgrading them to a MagicBand
costs $13. The inner workings of
RFID
are discussed in detail starting.
In addition to using RFID chips, Disney's computer systems store the dimensions
of one finger from your right hand, a reference to which is also stored on your Ma-
gicBand or laminated card. Recording this biometric information requires a quick and
painless measurement, taken the first time you use the ticket. When you use it again,
you'll be asked to scan the same finger to validate your identity. If the scans don't
match—say, you use a different finger—you may be asked to present photo identific-
ation.
If you're buying admission for your entire family and you're worried that you
won't be able to keep everyone's tickets straight, Disney's computer system should
have every family member's data linked to every ticket, allowing anyone in your
group to enter with anyone else's ticket. We've confirmed this by having a platoon
of
Unofficial Guide
researchers (including men, women, and children) swap Ma-
gicBands with each other; all were admitted.
