Disney’s new Fastpass patent

• Set up all of your Fastpass tickets for the next day
  from the comfort of your hotel room;
• Get your next Fastpass from the other side of the park
  via mobile phone or other wireless device;
• Get a reminder message on your phone 15 minutes before
  your Fastpass window opens;
• Trade in your Fastpass for a different attraction completely
  if you change your mind about riding; and
• Have your mobile phone or wireless device tracked as you move around the
  park and make recommendations to you regarding your alternatives if the attraction
  that you have a Fastpass for breaks down.

After Monday’s Park Update was published, Mark received an email from Todd
Swanson, a former employee of two different major U.S. cell carriers, who
noted that it’s not really possible to determine precise locations using cell
phone tracking, partly due to the technology and partly due to FCC regulations
and privacy laws. He suggested that Disney might instead give a guest a GPS
unit or other proprietary device to track them with.

Mark noted that he thought that Disney might try to track people fairly closely
using their cell phones by using other related technology with cell phones
(iR, Bluetooth, etc.) to track people’s movements, similar to what it could
do with Pal Mickeys and other devices. It’s possible that Disney will also
give people PDAs (most likely iPAQs through their HP partnership, or maybe
devices similar to the handheld closed-captioning devices that they’ve rolled
out) to carry around the parks with them.

Mike noted that people who register with a certain service and walk around
the Mall of America can have special offers sent to their cell phones via
Bluetooth as they walk past participating stores.

Another interesting features would be the ability for Disney to send you
related promotional information or discount coupons related to the attraction
that you’ve got a Fastpass for.

The feature that has generated the most outcry on the discussion forums across
the Internet, though, is the ability for Disney to create a hierarchy of priority
and functionality based on several different types of segmentation. For example,
Disney has indentified several methods of segmentation in the patent application.
The spending per guest at hotels, those staying at Disney resorts than other
resorts and seasonal differences can be factored.

Mark noted that the text in some of the diagrams make it seem as if the first
implementation of the new features might be at the Tokyo Disney Resort. (Diagrams
use the Indiana Jones Adventure and Journey to the Center of the Earth attractions
as examples.) This doesn’t surprise Mark, since advanced cell phone features
are still much more popular in Japan that in the United States.

Some quotes from the patent application:

• “For example, in one embodiment a person who is planning a vacation
  or trip to the entertainment venue is sent notification that they can reserve
  access to attractions ahead of their visit. The person uses a computer that
  is connected to the Internet to visit a website in order to make a request
  for a priority reservation in accordance with the present disclosure. In another
  embodiment, the entertainment venue may offer a service to hotels or other
  surrounding venues whereby a person may make priority requests prior to their
  visit to the entertainment venue. For example, a person would use the television
  and remote control in their hotel room to make reservations for one or more
  attractions the day before their visit to the venue. In the preferred implementation
  there already needs to be a valid pass or ticket for the entertainment venue
  prior to being able to purchase or obtain the reservation for the attraction.
  Preferably there can be a validation of the pass or ticket by the computer
  system before issuing the reservation.” [Related Application #0023]
• “There is a next determined whether the resort has rooms with a digital
  TV (“DTV”) in the room. If yes, the guest is directed to use the DTV in their
  room of occupancy. This availability to use Fastpass can be provided on the
  night before or the day of the park visit. If the guest has already made a
  schedule, then the guest is asked whether or not they want to start over and
  add to their schedule. The guest can then be asked a series of questions related
  to Fastpass. If the guest does not have a schedule, then the guest is asked
  a series of different questions. These can relate to which park is being attended
  and what time they intend to arrive at the park. The guest then chooses the
  appropriate Fastpass tickets that are desired. Having effected that, the return
  time window is displayed based on a distribution algorithm around the attendance
  and historical demand profiles. The guest can be given a time slot to use
  the Fastpass and different rules can be applied to Fastpass allocation as
  required. If the guest is satisfied with the return time, the guest is given
  the option of choosing whether the attraction is for all guests or for selected
  guests in the party. The Fastpass ticket would then be stored in the system
  and can later be activated by each guest’s KTTW (“Key To The World” card or
  pass is a trademark of Disney Enterprises, Inc). The guest can be asked whether
  another Fastpass is required at the current park on the same day for other
  attractions and different numbers of tickets can be issued. The guest can
  be provided with on-screen confirmation for each member of the party. Return
  time windows and height restrictions can be made available to the guest so
  that the guest has full information necessary to enable them to be informed
  and make appropriate decisions on whether or not to accept this schedule.
  Ultimately, the guest can receive a final on-screen confirmation and be directed
  to any Fastpass location in the park to receive the multiple Fastpasses.”
  [Related Applications #0103-0108]

• Segmentation
• Different hierarchal models can be established for the
  ability and right to obtain and use the Fastpass according to different
  priorities.
• 1. Guest
  • a. Spending per guest at hotels can determine different
    hierarchies of access to Fastpass. Thus, the more that is spent by
    a patron, the higher the priority can be for Fastpass.
  • b. Hotel accommodation in related resorts and environments
    associated with the entertainment center are allocated different priorities.
    Where a patron is in a related hotel, a higher priority can be given.
  • c. Different levels and hierarchies can be applicable
    at different hotels. Thus, more luxurious hotels can have higher priorities.
• 2. Seasonal differences can be factored into the grant
  of different privileges. Accordingly, special promotions for Fastpass
  can be provided according to the season.
• Guest Value Features
• By providing remote access at different early times,
  there can be different advantages and benefits.
• 1. Early Fastpass Access
  • a. There is the ability to offer guests early access
    to Fastpass via their in-room TV, (DTV or hotel kiosk), to select the
    attractions for a Fastpass is required.
    • i. The ability to access this access may be variable,
      such as the night before, day of prior to entertainment park open,
      and day of after park opens.
  • b. Pre-Arrival
    • i. The Fastpass may be obtainable via the WEB
      from a remote location such as a home computer
      • I. The Fastpass may be supplied as printed
        paper tickets
      • II. the Fastpass may be supplied electronically
        and wirelessly through a download to a PDA or cellular telephone
• 2. Multiple Fastpass accesses for Resort guests is possible
  • a. Each Guest per room is able to select same or
    separate Fastpass as others in the room. As each attraction is selected
    Guest can select which Guests want that selection.
  • b. The ability to offer different numbers (i.e. more
    than 3, could be variable) of Fastpass based on segmentation.
• 3. There is the ability to offer premium return times
  based on segmentation.
• 4. There is the ability to let segmented guests have
  first chance to certain inventory.
• 5. There is the ability to allow guests with parkhopper
  entitlements to choose a Fastpass for a second park on the same day.
• 6. There is the ability to issue a concurrent Fastpass
  for the day guest (with long virtual waits).

Other examples of the use of the disclosure include the
ability to have a patron’s or user’s cellular telephone or wireless device
be tracked as that person moves around the facility, or defined area. For
instance, this provides for locating guests or patrons and for the central
facility computer to track the location of guests and patrons, and make recommendations
as necessary to those persons. In an entertainment environment, when a particular
attraction is non-functional for instance as a priority system or at all,
the recommendations can suggest alternative attractions or activities to the
patrons. Such alternatives can be accepted on a priority basis in lieu of
the unavailable priority services for the non-available attraction.”