A new rumor says Walt Disney World is planning new park entry gates modeled on the ones at Disneyland, plus hotel room doors that unlock from Apple Wallet or a similar digital wallet. Walt Disney World has not confirmed any of it, and they have not responded to a request for comment. The rumor says the upgrades fit Disney’s push to cut single-use plastic, which could mean fewer plastic tickets and room keys over time. A reliance on MagicBands could also be scaled back as new technology replaces them.
Rumored Walt Disney World Park Entry Changes & Fewer MagicBands
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- What the rumor says about new park entry gates, Apple Wallet room keys, and MagicBands
- What Disney and Apple have already shown on entry technology and digital keys
- How the plastic angle connects to Disney’s goals and a wristband test on Disney Cruise Line
Both claims center on how guests get into the parks and into a hotel room. The poster, who goes by The Visionary Soul, says each entry point would move to newer technology that Disney already uses elsewhere. MagicBands and the phasing out of plastic media come up as well.
The poster breaks the rumor into four pieces:
- Park entry: Walt Disney World would replace its current MagicBand readers with the same gates Disneyland uses. Those gates would still accept MagicBands.
- Facial recognition: Guests would eventually enter with a face scan, and one tap or scan would let the system admit a whole group at once.
- Room doors: Hotel locks would be updated to support Apple Wallet room keys in express mode, so guests could open a door with a phone or watch.
- MagicBands and plastic: MagicBands should stay supported, though maybe not every model, and Disney could stop selling them after 2030 as it moves away from plastic media.
Bluetooth support going forward is uncertain, the poster says, so the digital key feature in the My Disney Experience app could end. The poster calls the changes positive, because one tap or scan could admit a whole group and speed up entry to both the parks and hotel rooms.
What We’ve Seen Already
Disneyland has rolled out the kind of gates the poster describes. Disney says the upgraded gates include a MagicBand+ tap point, and every gate is ADA-compliant. Guests scan a ticket and take a photo on the gate’s screen, and the gates then open for the whole linked party together. Since then, Disney has also offered facial recognition at certain entrance lanes, with lanes without it still available.
Walt Disney World has tried the idea before. Disney tested facial recognition at Magic Kingdom beginning March 23rd, 2021, with participation optional. The test ended in early May 2021, a little over a week past its original April 23rd end date. Of course, a Facial Recognition test during the COVID-19 mask-wearing era seemed less than ideal from the outside looking in.
Support is strongest for the room key claim. Apple announced in June that iOS 27 will bring an enhanced Wallet key experience to participating hotels. Representatives from Apple and Disney confirmed to Skift that Walt Disney World is a launch partner for the feature. Disney announced its app-based digital key for hotel doors in 2018.
Plastic Reduction and the Cruise Wristband Test
In 2018, Disney announced it was removing plastic straws and more. The plans also targeted plastic in guest rooms and plastic shopping bags at its parks and on its cruise line. Disney’s 2030 goals include striving toward zero waste to landfill for its wholly owned and operated parks, resorts, and cruise ships. Disney also announced an intention to reduce single-use plastics in parks and resorts.
The poster mentions a possible loaner wristband, which is something that currently exists in some form. As we reported, Disney Cruise Line is testing wristbands instead of Key to the World cards on the October 10th Disney Treasure sailing. Guests without a DisneyBand+ receive a thin rubber wristband in red, yellow, blue, or green, and they return it to a collection container at the terminal when the cruise ends. Disney says it is testing the wristbands as it looks for ways to make a cruise vacation “even easier.”
I’m not sure that this idea would work at Walt Disney World, but it could be an alternative to handing out plastic cards for tickets and hotel keys.
Keep Reading
- See the details on the colors and return process in our look at how Disney Cruise Line is testing wristbands instead of Key to the World cards on the Disney Treasure.
- Catch up on how Disney introduced DisneyBand+, the MagicBand+ style wearable for Disney Cruise Line.
- Look back at when Disney tested facial recognition for park entry at Magic Kingdom in 2021.
- Revisit Disney’s first announcement of digital keys in the My Disney Experience app for hotel guests.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!