Walt Disney World may be following in Disneyland’s footsteps with new entrance gates featuring a photo validation system, which could lead to the phasing out of MagicBands.
Will Walt Disney World Get New Entrance Gates?
The rumor comes from trustworthy source The Visionary Soul on WDWMAGIC Forum. According to The Visionary Soul, Walt Disney World will replace their current “tapstile” gates with the same automated entry gates Disneyland Resort introduced last year. The gates could then incorporate photo validation or facial recognition.
The Disneyland Resort gates have guests scan their tickets or MagicBands, then take a photo with the screen and built-in camera. The photo is attached to their ticket and the gates swing open. All these gates are accessible for wheelchairs, ECVs, and strollers.
This system is similar, although not exactly the same, to the photo validation system Universal Orlando Resort introduced in 2023.
Walt Disney World tested facial recognition entry back in 2021, but it was never permanently instated.
The Visionary Soul reports the long-term goal with new Walt Disney World gates would be to eliminate tapping a ticket and recognize an entire group at once, so everyone walks through together instead of one at a time.
This would result in phasing out plastic tickets and Key to the World hotel room cards, replacing them with eco-friendly alternatives like wooden keys and loaner wristbands. Such bands are already being tested on Disney Cruise Line. Last year, Disney Cruise Line also replaced Port Adventure stickers with wristbands.
Walt Disney World Resort hotels would consequently update their room locks so guests could add a digital key to their Apple Wallet or similar app. Bluetooth-based unlocking via the My Disney Experience app would retire.
This would all be part of Disney’s initiative to end single-use plastic by 2030. The Visionary Soul did not say MagicBands would be completely phased out, but Disney may stop selling them by 2030. They could remain supported, although potentially not older models.
The current RFID “tapstiles” at Walt Disney World theme parks were installed in 2012, replacing the original rotating turnstiles. Guests use a Key to the World card, ticket, MagicBand, MagicBand+, or MagicMobile pass on a smartphone to enter, with a fingerprint scan verifying the link between ticket and guest. The Mickey tap point features different light and sound effects.
WDWNT reached out to Disney for comment but have not received a response at the time of publication.
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The post RUMOR: Walt Disney World May Introduce Disneyland’s Park Entrance Gates with Photo Validation as MagicBand Reliance Wanes appeared first on WDW News Today.
