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Credit: Kelly Ryan, FlickrDisney is beefing up its security with a new method that may affect the privacy of guests.
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Disneyland is cracking down on security at its theme parks, integrating new technology that will hopefully make the resort safer. The Disney theme parks are constantly evolving and changing, bringing in dozens of new and exciting experiences for guests to enjoy. Over the last few years, things have really gotten exciting, with new rides and attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle / Run opening up at Walt Disney World.
The Disneyland Resort in California has seen several new adventures open up in the last several years, with the resort’s newest attraction, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, providing guests with a fun, innovative new Mickey-Mouse-themed dark ride. However, one of the most crucial aspects of any theme park experience is guest safety, which Disney takes very seriously.
In an effort to upgrade the safety of Disneyland guests, the Disneyland Resort has started using facial recognition technology.
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According to firsthand accounts from guests and media sites, the Disneyland Resort has begun testing facial recognition systems at the front gates of Disney California Adventure. New gates are now found on the right side of the entrances of Disney California Adventure, with select amounts of guests using the new systems.
The first step involves a cast member scanning a guest’s ticket to see if they have a photo within Disneyland’s system. If a guest already has a photo, they can continue. If they do not, a cast member snaps a photo of the guest at the gate. Then, the guest scans their ticket once again. A camera mounted above the screen scans the guest’s face to see if it’s a match within Disneyland’s system. Guests reportedly had to take off hats and glasses in order to get the camera to work properly, though this is probably a kink that will get worked out eventually as the system gets used more.
This is not the first time Disney has utilized facial recognition technology at the entrance of its theme parks, with the Walt Disney World Resort implementing the technology during tests in 2021.
The Universal Orlando Resort uses facial recognition at both Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida and will also use the technology when Epic Universe opens in 2025.
What do you think of these new changes? Have you been to Disneyland recently?