The goal of this blog series is to factually prove or disprove rumors and myths in the Disney-verse. Recently we touched on several MagicBand myths. “Credit Card Theft From Your MagicBand” and “MagicBands Need Activated” were addressed in “More MagicBand Myths Part 1.” Tonight on TMSM Mythbusters we are tackling a few more of the “unique” myths and misconceptions (mythconception) we see frequently in Disney based forums regarding MagicBands.
Before we go into tonight’s mythconceptions, let’s take a quick moment to explain RFID, mainly because many people just have no clue what I mean when I say RFID signal. “Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the wireless use of electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects.The tags contain electronically stored information. Some tags are powered by electromagnetic induction from magnetic fields produced near the reader. Some types collect energy from the interrogating radio waves and act as a passive transponder. Other types have a local power source such as a battery and may operate at hundreds of meters from the reader. Unlike a barcode, the tag does not necessarily need to be within line of sight of the reader and may be embedded in the tracked object. RFID is one method for Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC).” In layman’s terms RFID is what stores use for their alarm systems, those little stickers that set off proximity alarms. Toll sensors, race timing chips, even cell phones use RFID.
MagicBands can track you like a GPS
Many people seem to think that if a child is lost they can be tracked through their MagicBand like GPS allowing Cast Members to walk right to where a child is standing. Others think that Disney is able to track your every move down to the exact spot you are standing through your MagicBand. To tackle this MagicBand mythconception we first need to explain WHAT GPS is.
GPS works with a constellation of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites. The GPS in your car or phone needs to connect to four or more satellites so that it can figure out the distance between them and then find you through a process called trilateration. (In geometry, trilateration is the process of determining absolute or relative locations of points by measurement of distances, using the geometry of circles, spheres or triangles.) For trilateration to work, it must have a clear line of sight to four or more satellites, which is why GPS works great outside but not so well inside.
Though they can both track things to a certain degree, GPS and RFID are two very different things.
Inside your MagicBand is an RFID tag. RFID tracking utilizes a passive electronic tag that can tracked from up to 300 feet away using radio waves. RFID readers transmit radio waves that activate RFID tags. Once activated by the reader the tag then sends information back to the reader on a set radio frequency. The information transmitted is captured and sent back to a central database. RFID is passive and can only transmit data to a nearby RFID reader. Meaning if you are within 300 feet of a RFID scanner in the parks, your band can be scanned and it’s number recorded like you see with your Seven Dwarfs mine ride video. Also, your video on the 7D is not something you can instantly access, it takes about a day to appear in your PhotoPass account.
Simply put, though RFID can track things, but it doesn’t work like GPS. It doesn’t allow Disney to track you down to the exact food line you are in until you tap your MagicBand to pay and once you leave that register all it knows is that you are in the area of a reader. Also, we aren’t sure who gets access to that long-range data, but we are pretty sure it is a very limited amount of people for privacy reasons.
That being said, thanks to science, and satellite arrays, we can happily say to all of you racing out to buy Alcoa made hats, that the mythconception that your MagicBand can allow Disney to track you on the same level GPS can, is in fact busted.
Cast Members Can Call The Parents of Lost Children
Another interesting forum mythconception about MagicBands involves lost children and their parent’s cell phone number. Parents have always been encouraged to teach their children their name and the parent’s phone number in case the parents get lost and a Cast Member has to help the child find their wayward parents.
When MagicBands hit the scene once people started realizing kids would in fact wear them, the idea that the child of said wayward adults would merely need to go to a Cast Member and have their bands scanned and the adults phone number would magically appear on the screen in from of the Cast Member. Then the Cast Member would call the astray adult and tell them their minor would for them to return to X location.
Unfortunately this mythconception is just that. In confirming with a friend that worked on the MagicBand project (thank you L!) Cast Member can not access that information. The majority of scanners in the parks are set up purchasing or entry, that only allows access to select personal data on a users MDE account. The other issue is that a 4-digit pin (usually not told to minors due to their desire to return adults impulsive shopping items) is needed to even look up a guest’s resort information, and that still doesn’t provide personal contact information. While many wish this busted MagicBand myth was in fact true, many others simply are not ok with a random Cast Member being able to access personal information like address and phone number. Due to this we recommend you wandering parents either write your Name and cell phone number on your child’s MagicBand with a fine point Sharpie, or look into custom information items like temporary ID bracelets, special waterproof Lost Parents Magic Band decals, or special temporary tattoos to ensure your child is able to find you when you have run off in the parks!
If you have missed any of our other TMSM Mythbuster articles and would like to catch up on what Disney Urban Myths are Busted, Plausible and Confirmed feel free to catch up by visiting our MythBusters archive.
Graphics and info from avionicswest.com; Infinium Solutionz; howstuffworks.com; .jsonline.com
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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Although MagicBands might not allow Disney to track you like GPS, it is kinda creepy that the day after I visit the parks I get PhotoPass emails for pictures taken on rides where I did not swipe my band AND I do not have a PhotoPass account. I guess I must be close enough to scanners as I enter a ride that the PhotoPass system is able to ID me and send me pics.