It is no secret wearable tech is a major part of the future when it comes to tech innovation. The Apple Watch started selling online on April 10, 2015 at 12:01 a.m. PDT. But, Disney already has been implementing and improving its MagicBand (wearable tech) for a while now. For example, in 2013 Thomas Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts demonstrated the leadership already taken by Disney as it relates to wearable tech. In an interview with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher from AllThingsD, Stagg provided insight to the fact Disney was already making major commitments and efforts in wearable tech and mobile tech.
MagicBand: Wearable Tech
The MagicBand has already proven successful when it comes to integrating wearable tech payment systems, RF radio transmission, ticketing, delivering a customizable user experience, and much more. The MagicBand has a specific audience with specific uses, so it has a more narrow application for its use compared to the Apple Watch. The focused audience and specific use is perhaps the secret for why it has worked so well and been adopted so easily. In order to complement the MagicBand, Disney has also been working on MyMagic+ for the high growth market of mobile users. “Realizing that more of their guests were arriving with smartphones and tablets in hand and expecting access to more information, Disney started the MyMagic+ initiative a few years ago. The overarching goal of MyMagic+ is to provide a much more personalized vacation, even down to characters knowing your name. Staggs gave the example of a little girl being greeted by one of the Disney princesses by first name.”
What’s Next in Wearable Tech?
The major unknown is if wearable tech will supersede or canibalize mobile tech. Currently, there are too many similar features and functions to warrant having both a wearable and mobile tech device. Even if a mobile device communicates with the wearable tech device, it still seems overkill to maintain both a wearable tech device and a mobile tech device. The future is in combining both mobile and wearable tech to create “wearable mobile tech devices.”
Resources:
Tech Insider – http://www.techinsider.io/new-disney-wearable-magicband-apple-watch-2015-4#ooid=B5OGhidDrKhSNwFxMvFrrninPNiFNEKX
AllThingsD – http://allthingsd.com/20130529/tomorrowland-today-disney-magicband-unlocks-new-guest-experience-for-park-goers/
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