The next time you visit Disney World, don’t be surprised if Buzz Lightyear greets everyone in your family by their first names before you’ve been introduced to him.
According to an apparently well-sourced rumor, Disney is morphing its Key to the World card (which acts as an all-purpose credit card, ID tag, and room key on Disney properties) into a smart wristband that will give you a more personal and interactive Disney resort experience.
Depending on how Disney develops its NextGen park technology, here is what you might be able to do during a future visit to a Disney resort:
- Enter the Magic Kingdom by waving your wristband as you breeze past a turnstile. Or buy a snack at Epcot with a scan of your wrist. No fumbling around for your card as you simultaneously help your children find theirs while you hold up a line of impatient park goers.
- After you enjoy a thrilling ride on Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom, purchase a video capturing the moment and send it home to your friends.
- Have Snow White greet your daughter by her first name (“Hello, Emma, how nice to meet you”!) because your daughter’s wristband is encoded with personal information visible to the Disney Princess.
- See your name appear onscreen as you play Toy Story Mania!
Disney has made no introduction of the wristbands although it’s quite possible Disney could road test aspects of the technology soon. Meantime the rumor has Disney bloggers buzzing, as evidenced here and here.