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

Fantasyland? Hardly. It happens starting this spring.

Disney in the coming months plans to begin introducing a vacation management system called MyMagic+ that will drastically change the way Disney World visitors — some 30 million people a year — do just about everything.

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.

“If we can enhance the experience, more people will spend more of their leisure time with us,” said Thomas O. Staggs, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts.

The ambitious plan moves Disney deeper into the hotly debated terrain of personal data collection. Like most major companies, Disney wants to have as much information about its customers’ preferences as it can get, so it can appeal to them more efficiently. The company already collects data to use in future sales campaigns, but parts of MyMagic+ will allow Disney for the first time to track guest behavior in minute detail.

Did you buy a balloon? What attractions did you ride and when? Did you shake Goofy’s hand, but snub Snow White? If you fully use MyMagic+, databases will be watching, allowing Disney to refine its offerings and customize its marketing messages.

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.

But Disney has decided that MyMagic+ is essential. The company must aggressively weave new technology into its parks — without damaging the sense of nostalgia on which the experience depends — or risk becoming irrelevant to future generations, Mr. Staggs said. From a business perspective, he added, MyMagic+ could be “transformational.”

Aside from benefiting Disney’s bottom line, the initiative could alter the global theme parks business. 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. But Disney’s global parks operation, which has an estimated 121.4 million admissions a year and generates $12.9 billion in revenue, is so huge that it can greatly influence consumer behavior.

“When Disney makes a move, it moves the culture,” said Steve Brown, chief operating officer for Lo-Q, a British company that provides line management and ticketing systems for theme parks and zoos.

Disney World guests currently plod through entrance turnstiles, redeeming paper tickets, and then decide what to ride; food and merchandise are bought with cash or credit cards. (Disney hotel key cards can also be used to charge items.) People race to FastPass kiosks, which dispense a limited number of free line-skipping tickets. But gridlock quickly sets in and most people wait. And wait.

In contrast, 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. 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.”

Wreck-It Ralph Headed to Disney Theme Parks

The video game-inspired characters from the upcoming animated movie Wreck-It Ralph will soon appear in Disney theme parks.

The Disney Parks Blog at the company's official site has details on Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweetz coming to Disney parks this November: "At The Magic of Disney Animation attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll step through Game Central Station, catching glimpses of the various game worlds from the film on your way to Sugar Rush, where Vanellope and Ralph are waiting to meet you at the finish line. At Disneyland park, the arcade world of Wreck-It Ralph comes to life within the Tomorrowland Starcade. When Ralph and Vanellope are there, you’ll have an opportunity to meet them at the portal to Sugar Rush and can even play a round on the classic arcade game Fix-It Felix, Jr.”

Gadgetwise Blog: App Smart Extra: More Theme Parks

This week’s App Smart column was about theme park apps that try to give you useful information on more than one theme park at a time. These apps can be pretty useful, but there are many more theme parks than the ones listed in the apps.

In fact there are thousands of parks all around the world, and many of them have their own apps listed in Android and iOS app stores. That’s because as well as official apps there are often third party apps that promise to help you find your way around the parks or avoid long waits in lines for the attractions.

A great example of an official app is the official Sea World app, which is free on iOS and Android. It has detailed data on all three SeaWorld parks (which is individually downloaded, so try to do this at home or over a Wi-fi connection beforehand). Along with detailed maps, it has an interactive search engine, proper GPS-like navigation and up to date wait times for each attraction. There’s also neat in-app photo button, so you can quickly snap a picture of something happening without leaving the app. And the app will even help you find your car in the giant lot at the end of the day.

The Disneyland Paris Maps Free app.

In terms of unofficial apps, the iOS app Disneyland Paris Maps is a great example. It’s available free in an adverting-supported edition. It contains simplified maps of Disney’s attractions. Zooming into each map gives you data on the attractions nearby as well as cafes and restrooms. The same company makes an app called Disneyland Paris Wait Times, which costs $1, and which tells you how long you’ll have to wait to get into individual attractions. You can also submit wait alerts yourself.

Like most things relating to a theme park trip, choosing an app to help your visit is a process that benefits from a little pre-planning. A quick search through iTunes or Google Play will reveal the apps that promise to help you with each park. Many are available as free ad-supported editions. Try them out, then consider if paying for the full app will make your visit to the theme park a little smoother.

Gadgetwise Blog: App Smart Extra: More Theme Parks

This week’s App Smart column was about theme park apps that try to give you useful information on more than one theme park at a time. These apps can be pretty useful, but there are many more theme parks than the ones listed in the apps.

In fact there are thousands of parks all around the world, and many of them have their own apps listed in Android and iOS app stores. That’s because as well as official apps there are often third party apps that promise to help you find your way around the parks or avoid long waits in lines for the attractions.

A great example of an official app is the official Sea World app, which is free on iOS and Android. It has detailed data on all three SeaWorld parks (which is individually downloaded, so try to do this at home or over a Wi-fi connection beforehand). Along with detailed maps, it has an interactive search engine, proper GPS-like navigation and up to date wait times for each attraction. There’s also neat in-app photo button, so you can quickly snap a picture of something happening without leaving the app. And the app will even help you find your car in the giant lot at the end of the day.

The Disneyland Paris Maps Free app.

In terms of unofficial apps, the iOS app Disneyland Paris Maps is a great example. It’s available free in an adverting-supported edition. It contains simplified maps of Disney’s attractions. Zooming into each map gives you data on the attractions nearby as well as cafes and restrooms. The same company makes an app called Disneyland Paris Wait Times, which costs $1, and which tells you how long you’ll have to wait to get into individual attractions. You can also submit wait alerts yourself.

Like most things relating to a theme park trip, choosing an app to help your visit is a process that benefits from a little pre-planning. A quick search through iTunes or Google Play will reveal the apps that promise to help you with each park. Many are available as free ad-supported editions. Try them out, then consider if paying for the full app will make your visit to the theme park a little smoother.