Disney tech spurs innovation elsewhere
Consumer-centered concepts furthered
From water parks to cruise ships, other entertainment companies are taking ideas that Walt Disney World pioneered and going even further.
Two former Disney executives have made waves in the cruise industry with a seafaring medallion that has more features than Magic-Bands. And Universal Orlando has been taking the Disney Fast-Pass concept one step further, edging toward eliminating traditional lines altogether.
“These are the ripples from the big rock Disney dropped in the Central Florida tourism pool,” industry blogger Jim Hill said. “When people come to Central Florida, they go to take a cruise or go to Universal, one of the comments is, ‘Gee, I wish you had something like Disney.’
A Universal spokesman declined to comment for this article. But the theme-park resort has new plans for tech in its upcoming attractions.
The Race Through New York With Jimmy Fallon ride opening in April will require riders to reserve times. Universal also began testing a similar system Tuesday on its Despicable Me ride.
Universal’s Volcano Bay
“These are the ripples from the big rock Disney dropped in the Central Florida tourism pool.” Tourism industry blogger Jim Hill
water park opening this summer will give visitors free “TapuTapu” wristbands that will alert them when their time to board rides has arrived. TapuTapu will also trigger special effects in the attraction.
“I think Universal doing this is sort of raising the bar, sort of forcing Disney to raise the bar,” said Rick Munarriz, a senior analyst with Motley Fool.
People buying Express Passes still will be able to skip to the front of lines on rides throughout the two theme parks.
Disney for years has allowed visitors to choose rides to reserve through FastPass for free. Disney World began allowing people to book times in advance online or on their phones as part of the MyMagic+ technology program it unveiled in 2013. MyMagic+ also included MagicBands that function as tickets, hotel-room keys, credit cards and tickets. Disney does not use the FastPass system in its water parks.
This month, Disneyland announced visitors can soon book and redeem FastPasses on smartphones — although for a charge of $10 a day. No plans to charge at Disney World have been announced.
Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger has said smartphone technology has evolved so much that mobile devices can perform many of the MagicBand’s functions.
Disney said its FastPass and MyMagic+ program were designed to keep evolving as technology and visitor expectations change.
“At Disney, we will never stop innovating,” the company said in a statement. “We are seeing the benefits of these investments, we will continue to enhance this platform at Walt Disney World, and we are extending elements of MyMagic+ to other locations around the world.”
Meanwhile at Carnival Corp., two former Disney executives have unveiled Ocean Medallions, waterproof, quarter-sized medallions that suggest activities tailored to individual vacationers’ tastes.
John Padgett, Carnival’s chief experience and innovation officer, said his Ocean Medallions will “take it to a much higher level of personalization.”
At Disney, Padgett spearheaded development of MagicBands and FastPass upgrades. At Carnival, Padgett worked on Ocean Medallions with Michael Jungen, another veteran of MyMagic+. The system Padgett and Jungen designed will roll out over several years on Carnival’s Princess cruises. Travelers on the Regal Princess will start getting medallions, gadgets they can put in their pockets or wear on wristbands, in November.
Padgett, who left Disney in 2014, described MyMagic+ as an industry game-changer with features “that were just jawdropping for folks at the time.” Still, he said, he wasn’t able to innovate as quickly as he would have liked. It was hard to move “at the speed of innovation,” he said.
With the Carnival system, crew members will be able to access information about guests, and family members can keep track of each other. Touch screens, meanwhile, can display recommended entertainment or dining options based on information tourists provide, what they’ve already done and their locations.
Disney has activated signs that can display names of guests wearing MagicBands on rides such as It’s a Small World. But though executives have talked previously about the power of their MyMagic+ system to offer personalized services, the company has not done so.
Because Disney’s every move is so closely scrutinized, consumer concerns about privacy could be holding the company back, Pacific Asset Management analyst Bob Boyd said. MyMagic generated internet headlines such as, “Disney World Creepily Tracks Visitors NSA-Style With Magic Wristbands,” from Gawker.
It’s also easier to implement such an extensive project on a cruise ship than through a theme-park resort, Boyd said.
Disney Cruise Line has limited MagicBands’ use to children checking in and out of youth areas. Disney wouldn’t say whether its cruise division is working on something similar to Ocean Medallions.