But why limit yourself to stalking kids on the internet when technology now allows you to physically track children around like they're wayward house cats? In 2013, Disney introduced the MyMagic+ band to Disney World Orlando -- a colorful microchipped wristband that serves as a visitor's ticket, room key, and even digital wallet. Not only that, but the bands also allow the visitors to have a much more personalized interaction with the park, as they can recommend rides with short queues, tell Goofy it's your birthday, and let you know which princesses have the fewest divorced dads circling them. And while children might be blown away by the kind of magic that lets the animatronic seagull from The Little Mermaid address them by name, that's only because Disney is constantly slurping up all the information that the band collects, mostly without parental permission.
Though the bands were a massive success, Disney has chosen not to expand the trackers to their other resorts, acknowledging that the tech is a bit outdated. Instead, the company is experimenting with smartphone apps, which can achieve everything the tracking band does. And smartphones stay in kid's pockets long after they've left a park. Speaking of which ...
145 Comments