AVP
04-02-2011, 10:33 AM
Starting this Monday, the Disneyland Resort will sew Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags into all costume pieces at the Disneyland Resort, beginning with workers at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. The process will continue through October, and will involve every costumed department, from parking lot to entertainment. Cast members are being asked to bring in every costume piece they have been issued so the tags can be added.
I've been told that this change is expected to make costume checkout process faster for workers, will allow Disney to remove the barcode from many costume pieces (which is definitely an improvement, as the white barcode tag is actually visible on some costume pieces unless extra care is taken to conceal it), and will allow "more accurate tracking of costume pieces." That could also mean more accurate tracking of cast members, who could at any time be wearing 6-12 pieces of Disney-issued, RFID-tagged clothing.
Edited to add: a spokesperson from Disney asked to clarify that Disney will only be using the RFID technology to manage costume inventory, not track the whereabouts of cast members.
As I wrote in this week's Disneyland Resort Update, I see this as just another sign of how much Disney is looking to incorporate both RFID and Near Field Communications (NFC) technology in their daily operations, including applications that relate directly to theme park visitors. Disney already issues room keys and wristbands to passengers on the Disney Cruise line, and there are many indications - including patent applications filed by Disney and in-park testing of new devices - that several of Disney's "Next Generation" tools rely on location-based, RFID and NFC technology.
As Disney continues to develop ways to utilize RFID and NFC technology to enhance the guest experience, what better way to test various applications than with cast members? Once this costume project is complete, Disney will plenty of data to collect and analyze, even if they are only doing so in aggregate.
AVP
I've been told that this change is expected to make costume checkout process faster for workers, will allow Disney to remove the barcode from many costume pieces (which is definitely an improvement, as the white barcode tag is actually visible on some costume pieces unless extra care is taken to conceal it), and will allow "more accurate tracking of costume pieces." That could also mean more accurate tracking of cast members, who could at any time be wearing 6-12 pieces of Disney-issued, RFID-tagged clothing.
Edited to add: a spokesperson from Disney asked to clarify that Disney will only be using the RFID technology to manage costume inventory, not track the whereabouts of cast members.
As I wrote in this week's Disneyland Resort Update, I see this as just another sign of how much Disney is looking to incorporate both RFID and Near Field Communications (NFC) technology in their daily operations, including applications that relate directly to theme park visitors. Disney already issues room keys and wristbands to passengers on the Disney Cruise line, and there are many indications - including patent applications filed by Disney and in-park testing of new devices - that several of Disney's "Next Generation" tools rely on location-based, RFID and NFC technology.
As Disney continues to develop ways to utilize RFID and NFC technology to enhance the guest experience, what better way to test various applications than with cast members? Once this costume project is complete, Disney will plenty of data to collect and analyze, even if they are only doing so in aggregate.
AVP