Hi, my name is David, and I’m a Disney-holic.

My family and I have been going to Disney World almost every year since my kids were young. Now that my grown kids aren’t “kids” anymore, we experience the parks in different ways but still love it just as much. On our family Disney trip last month, we couldn’t stop talking about the newest technology advancement that was included in our experience.

Disney’s MagicBands are light, colorful bracelets that make the whole guest experience seamless and simple. They were developed as part of Disney’s billion-dollar MyMagic+ interactive technology system and take customer engagement to a new level.

Let me tell you, if anyone knows omni-channel engagement, it’s Disney.

Inside each MagicBand is a microchip that acts as your interactive key to the parks. Your bracelet grants admission when you wave it over a ticketing reader at the park gate. It saves your place in line for attractions — that’s Fast Pass to you Disney veterans — and your reservations at restaurants. It can let you into your Disney hotel room, keep track of your pictures taken by park photographers, and be used as a charge card to make purchases. It even activates the Sorcerers of Magic Kingdom, an interactive game played at the park.

As someone who can’t even count the number of times my kids lost a hotel room key or FastPass ticket, I see how valuable MagicBands are in easing the stresses and hassles of a family vacation!

The magic behind MagicBands is Radio Frequency, or RF, technology. This is the same tech used with keyless car entries, credit cards, and wireless video game controllers. MagicBands also connect with Disney’s existing interactive software (website, mobile apps, etc.), creating a true omni-channel network.

I couldn’t help but think of ways this technology could be used to bring the customer experience together in many different industries:

Retail:

• track preferred customer programs
• offer special discounts
• make restaurant reservations
• monitor pre-purchase or early-bird access

Healthcare:

• store patient identities/histories
• grant approval for services/privileges
• track process through the system
• schedule appointments

Hospitality:

• grant access to rooms
• book reservations at local attractions
• track loyalty programs
• interact with kiosk software to bring up previous search histories

The sky’s truly the limit with this technology. And would you expect anything less from Disney? What other uses can you see for RF technology like this?