Disney World guests are now invited to wear the new Disney MagicBands. The rubber wristband (available in stylish pink, yellow, orange, red, blue, green and grey) contains RFID-enabled technology that keeps you in constant touch with opportunities in the park. The MagicBand tracks–and often guides–your every move. When you arrive to a restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, the hostess will receive a signal and seat you without you having to say a word. The waiter will know what you ordered the last time. And if you had sex last night…no wait, it doesn’t track that, but..
MagicBand eliminates the burden on Disney visitors of having to carry wallets, cash or anything else. You swipe onto the rides, at stores (many, many stores)–the swipe is all-access, all-knowing. The biggest obstacle for parents–as technology usurps their parental authority–is losing the ability to say no to their children. Information creates authority. When information is transmitted directly to children–skipping the parents on the way–parents cede their authority to Disney. “Elsa from Frozen can approach a little girl knowing she is her favorite character and greet her by name,” Aaron Shapiro, CEO of Huge, writes. “If it’s the girl’s birthday, she’ll know. The nearby gift shop attendant can steer the birthday girl to the Elsa replica doll, and her parents can just show their wrist to pay for it.” Try saying no to that.
