Turns out ‘the most magical place on earth’ is not necessarily the most welcoming to enter … even if you’re the target market.
All Walt Disney World theme parks will now be scanning the fingerprints of kids ages three to nine upon entry … a practice they have already implemented for years amongst adult-aged patrons.
But why, exactly?
Because the pesky little scallywags are running riot, flipping Mickey Mouse the Bird, antagonising Goofy, waking Sleeping Beauty up, pulling Pinocchio’s nose and looking up Elsa’s dress?
No, let it go! They’re inking kids’ digits for what Disney calls its ‘Ticket Tag Service’. These precautions are being introduced to prevent the use of stolen and shared tickets, and further ward off all illegitimate fun-havers – because let’s face it, enjoying the thrills of Disney World ain’t exactly cheap! (A one-day ticket for your three-year-old in OFF season will set you back at least US$91 … BUY A MULTI-DAY PASS, PEOPLE!)
Prior to these new fingerprint rules it had been easy to transfer tickets amongst children as they had no fingerprints attached to them. If this was something you’ve tried in the past, say goodbye to the money-saving loopholes!
It is 100 per cent safe …
Disney assures parents that its finger scanning system is 100 per cent safe, saying they give each unique fingerprint a numerical value which is recalled each time a ticket is used and later discarded. No print is stored. They also say if this knowledge still doesn’t make parents feel comfortable, they will allow parents to use their own fingerprint instead.
Personally, I can’t help but feel that this is an unnecessary invasion of a child’s privacy. These are three to nine-year-olds we’re talking about!
In a world where our children’s faces are splashed all over Facebook, where what they had for breakfast is chronicled on Instagram, and where facial recognition technology is becoming scarily accurate – adding a child’s fingerprints to the mix of available information seems like yet another step too far, doesn’t it?
And what type of message does it send to kids entering a theme park claiming to be “a land for dreams and imagination”, if they are greeted by a person who wants to snap their finger from several different angles using “biometric technology”.
Yes, I know, Disney had to catch up with the 21st Century at some point … but I hoped it would continue to be in a direction that furthered developed Pixar’s (awesome) CGI abilities.
