The MagicBand of the 'Real World'
Here’s the thing: Disney is absolutely genius for creating this MagicBand. They must have known they’d have so much more leeway to create and roll out such a device in their controlled environment. Not only doesn’t it scare people, they love it. Convenience over conspiracy in the Magic Kingdom.
Here’s the other thing: the Apple Watch, if successful, will be the MagicBand for the real world. It will offer up everything the MagicBand can inside Disney World, but in many other places in the real world. And so much more.
As outlined in this piece, the Disney MagicBand is a band that lets you go around all of Disney World without the hassle of needing to carry your wallet, tickets, food vouchers, and many other paper items. It allows you to roam freely and enjoy Disney World as it was designed to be enjoyed.
This is huge and as M.G. Siegler suggested, if Apple Watch is successful, it has the opportunity to be the “real world” version of that. Opening doors, verifying memberships, and receiving important notifications is just the tip of the iceberg. The Apple Watch has the opportunity to be the authentication mechanism to nearly everything that requires a “key” or “scan.”
That’s a big deal.