It's common knowledge that Disney employees an army of logisticians, consumer analysts and transportation engineers, to track its customers and facilitate movement and control of crowds. We expect security cameras everywhere.
But Disney's facial recognition software veers too far from Disney Magic and too close to Big Brother. And the eavesdropping is off the hook.
The U.S. military, the most powerful military on the planet, wants to buy Disney's spy technology. So basically the Mouse has better capabilities than the CIA. Or at least the Pentagon.
The Grape, luckiest kid on the planet, recently returned from his second trip to the Mouse Empire.
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| Innocent magic rodent? Or an agent the envy of spy agencies worldwide? |
Thanks largely to David Shute's AMAZING crowd calendar, the Grape had a ball, and we adults had the most stress-free trip possible (which to Disney novices, still feels crowded, crushed, and costly).
I noticed two things on this trip that I didn't fully process on my first.
They are always watching—at least on their newer attractions.
On our last morning, we went straight to the very popular Mine Train ride, stood in minimal line, and rode the newest coaster. At no point did anyone in my party scan their band. We didn't have fast passes for the ride.
Yet, two days after we returned home, Disney sent us a video of us on the Mine Train. It came in the same email as several stills from Buzz Lightyear and Expedition Everest. Note that this also means they presumably sent pictures of us, including the Grape, to the people who happened to ride with us.
Possibly creepier: They are listening. (?!?!?)
It was the post fireworks rush from the park at the Magic Kingdom. The Grape was cooked. We stood in line on the dock to take the Disney water shuttle back to the hotel.
The gentleman behind us in line (a party of two adults and two kids) struck up a conversation with R.
"It's all for the kids," we agreed when he expressed that sentiment. "And it's all VERY expensive for what you get, especially in the restaurants and hotels."
Our new friend agreed effusively. "Five star prices for three star food!"
"But we know that coming in. Again, it's all for the kids. They love it."
We pointed at fake Tahiti (Disney's Polynesian Resort) across the man-made lagoon.
"If we didn't have kids, we could go to real Tahiti!"
"Or real Paris! Or real Venice!"
And so forth. The boat began loading. The Disney employee allowed R., the Grape and me to board then abruptly cut off the line. He physically blocked our new friend from taking another step.
Plenty of room on the boat. Maybe a dozen seats left. Literally two hundred people on the dock.
Coincidence?
Survey says: Doubtful.
We all accept that the Magic Band, which enables park, room and Fast Pass ride admission, contains a computer tracker. Fine.
Call me old fashioned, but I see a world of difference between tracking guests' choices in attractions and shopping, and actually listening to their conversations and snapping candids without consent.
I'm sure Disney doesn't care what I think—as evidenced by the behavior of their front desk staff and their maddening restaurant reservation rigidity.
My kid loves the place, and he's in the prime window (I'd say the prime window opens at age four and runs into the early teens—a perception Disney works hard to dispute).
Despite this newish ick factor, and the highly disturbing tolerance by Disney of rampant abuse of its wonderful handicapped accommodations, we'll likely return at some point.
Ultimately it's academic; I don't do or say anything in public I don't mind repeated.
So yes, Disney, I'd rather go to real Paris than your Paris, and I don't care who knows that.
All I'm saying is it would've been nice to be forewarned of all this surveillance that makes the Pentagon swoon.
Even George Orwell's characters knew that Big Brother's telescreens could see and hear them at all times.
And maybe they could tweak the Mouse Club song:
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-K-G-B
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