New Digital Room Key Roll Out Walt Disney World: Updated 8/21/18

[Figment!]

8/21/18

Walt Disney World has quietly rolled out the "Digital Room Key" feature to all owned and operated hotels. For the foreseeable future, the Digital Room Key appears to be an option to the Magic Band for Resort Room Entry as both use the same "Mickey Icon" door lock.

4/2/18

Walt Disney World has announced a new "Digital Room Key" feature to roll out for Bluetooth Enabled Devices using the MyDisneyExpereince App:




... Coming soon to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, a new feature in the My Disney Experience app will allow guests to quickly unlock their hotel room using a digital key on their mobile devices, providing them with another seamless room entry option that brings added ease and flexibility to their experience.

Guests can also use their digital key to unlock the hotel entrance gate and common area doors requiring a key, which may include pools, fitness centers, elevators and club level lounges. Arriving travel parties that have checked in online may even use their digital key to bypass the need to visit the front desk, giving them the opportunity to go directly to their room when it is ready and start their vacation even faster.

The feature represents the latest evolution of keyless room entry, which we began offering with the MagicBand, the unique all-in-one device that effortlessly connects the vacation choices guests make in My Disney Experience. Guests may use either or both options to enter their room during their stay.

So how does it work? To use their digital key, guests can opt in and activate the feature on their check-in day through a brief set up process in the app. To enter their room, guests tap the “Unlock Door” button and then simply hold their phone against the door lock.

... Bluetooth®-enabled mobile devices with the latest version of the My Disney Experience app are required to take advantage of a digital key for room entry. And don’t forget to wear your MagicBand for all other uses including park entry, FastPass+ redemption, room charges and more.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kczqjyv2f_o

The new feature is expected to be rolled-out in phases to other Walt Disney World resort hotels, much like the MagicBand Access Points were initially.

[magicofdisney]

I’ll stick with my magic band for now.

Im all about tech, but there is something about this I’m not liking.

[NewDVCowner]

Why would I pull out my phone when the magic band will do all this?

[VWL Mom]

I could see this as a convenience for those with an IWatch (in place of a magic band) but not for a phone.

[texas211]

“Here You Leave Today And Enter The World Of Yesterday, Tomorrow And Fantasy”

I would like to go back to Yesterday. I don't like having to use my phone for everything, and generally leave it in the room on days we go to the park. I do bring a burner flip phone w/ me, for emergency calls, but don't want to bring around my expensive phone that has me constantly linked in to work. I dont see why have this and magic bands, unless its for us that hate wearing the MB? I hope it works better than onstar.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I'm another one who just doesn't get the need for this? Maybe they are planning to get away from the Magic Bands, and have you do everything on your phone?

[Figment!]

Why would I pull out my phone when the magic band will do all this?


I'm another one who just doesn't get the need for this? Maybe they are planning to get away from the Magic Bands, and have you do everything on your phone?

Personally, could only see added convenience for Guests staying at Walt Disney World, but taking a day to go to Universal, spending a day at Disney Springs, or elsewhere outside the parks.

I can attest that it was a little annoying to have to carry a MagicBand around when going to Universal for a day and having no other use than a bulky room key.

[PopPhan]

Personally, could only see added convenience for Guests staying at Walt Disney World, but taking a day to go to Universal, spending a day at Disney Springs, or elsewhere outside the parks.

I can attest that it was a little annoying to have to carry a MagicBand around when going to Universal for a day and having no other use than a bulky room key.

I can see your point with this, but maybe it would be time to get one of those 'key fob' type keepers for the MB2 insert. In any event, I can see this as a possible test for other phone/MDE functionality, or possibly some new (upcoming) in-park experiences.

[1DisneyNut]

Personally, could only see added convenience for Guests staying at Walt Disney World, but taking a day to go to Universal, spending a day at Disney Springs, or elsewhere outside the parks.

I can attest that it was a little annoying to have to carry a MagicBand around when going to Universal for a day and having no other use than a bulky room key.


I can see your point with this, but maybe it would be time to get one of those 'key fob' type keepers for the MB2 insert. In any event, I can see this as a possible test for other phone/MDE functionality, or possibly some new (upcoming) in-park experiences.

We have some of the room key/ticket cards with the chip in them that we got in place of magic bands a couple of years ago when we went for a special event. They are the "tickets" you get from vendors like The Official Ticket Center and such. They work just like magic bands and I keep one in my wallet. You can use them to get into your room instead of having to lug around a magic band. I'm not too wild about wearing the magic bands so I just use the card sometimes.

As for this digital room key they are rolling out, considering we still have problems with things disappearing or not functioning properly on the app, I would never rely on this to get me back in the room. On a side note, Hilton has had digital room key on their app for a couple of years now and it is so unreliable I don't even try to use it anymore.

[BrowncatP]

What happens at the end of the day when your phones battery is dead?

[magicofdisney]

I haven't worn a band for over a year. There are other options for the band's disc. Band discomfort and bulk shouldn't be an issue anymore.

[Buttercup]

Seems funny that they spent all this money on developing magic bands, making them available for customization and purchase, and then suddenly they're starting to abandon that for people's phones.
I like the magic band. I don't wanna have to wrestle with the MDE app to bring it up and get it to open my door. Plus, half the time my phone battery is dead by the time I get back to my room! :D

[John]

Hilton has this - and I don't really like it. It's a bigger pain getting out my phone, navigating to the app, going to the unlock screen and pressing unlock than tapping a key that I pull out of my back pocket is!

[John]

Interesting in the promo video - no one has a magic band on? Maybe a precursor to using the phone and not needing a magic band down the road?

[VWL Mom]

We have some of the room key/ticket cards with the chip in them that we got in place of magic bands a couple of years ago when we went for a special event. They are the "tickets" you get from vendors like The Official Ticket Center and such. They work just like magic bands and I keep one in my wallet. You can use them to get into your room instead of having to lug around a magic band. I'm not too wild about wearing the magic bands so I just use the card sometimes.


I never even thought of that, I wonder if my AP will work? I'll have to give it a try. Thx

[Bass T-bone]

Maybe they are shooting for giving the guests several options... instead of a single solution.

[PopPhan]

Hilton has this - and I don't really like it. It's a bigger pain getting out my phone, navigating to the app, going to the unlock screen and pressing unlock than tapping a key that I pull out of my back pocket is!


Interesting in the promo video - no one has a magic band on? Maybe a precursor to using the phone and not needing a magic band down the road?

What happens to all the Luddites out there who do not have, and refuse to get, smart phones? And possibly foreign visitors who would have to pay out the wahzoo for data to use this app (as well as the MDE app)???

I guess you can't fault them for trying, but I'm not getting a warm, fuzzy feeling about this one.

[DisneyWorld1971]

nope too much trouble. I see no advantage to this. I would rather stick to my magic band. I just hope they don't get rid of magic band's and force us to use this to open the door. I mean my phone is my personal device. Why should I have to use it for my hotel. SOOOOO since I have to pay to use there parking lot for my room which I paid them for can I charge them to make me use my phone to open the door. :thumbsup:

[Park Hopper]

I wonder what great attraction they could have built with all the money they will waste on this 'guest enhancement'.

This might not be too expensive for them to incorporate, but the cynic in me thinks they have figured out that this will be an even better way to separate people from their money and/or track guest habits.

[Figment!]

**Update**

[Goofy4TheWorld]

So I wonder if you can use your phone instead of your MagicBand to charge purchases to your room account?

I actually doubt you can (would be a headache for people that also have Apple/Android Pay on their phones) but I am curious if it has been published one way or another.

[mook3y]

I can see your point with this, but maybe it would be time to get one of those 'key fob' type keepers for the MB2 insert. In any event, I can see this as a possible test for other phone/MDE functionality, or possibly some new (upcoming) in-park experiences.

there is absolutely in-park experiences coming. RFID proof of concepts were done a couple years ago.