The security measures are pretty obvious when you walk into one of the Walt Disney World Resort Parks. The first thing guests see as they near the entrance are uniformed police, some with specially trained hazard detection canines. Then, guests walk through the metal detectors and bag checks, freely give up their fingerprints, and only then can they enter the Park.
Knowing that all guests had to go through the same procedures to enter the Disney World Parks gives you a secure feeling. But what about once you’re in the parks? How does security know a fight broke out before the Main Street, U.S.A., train station at Magic Kingdom? Or that a guest is climbing the Mexico Pyramid at EPCOT?
There are added layers of security once you enter the parks, including cameras everywhere to help keep you secure. But now, Disney is adding an extra layer of protection that takes things just a bit too far.
In order to help secure purchases, Disney is adding cameras to the credit card scanners at quick-service restaurants and gift shops throughout Disney World. According to reports, Disney has added cameras to monitor purchases in response to guest complaints. Some guests have found at the end of their Walt Disney World vacation that there are additional charges they did not authorize on their accounts, and others have found charges added to their accounts after their Magic Bands were stolen.
While there may have been a rash of stolen Magic Bands, which brought about this change, the more likely outcome is that people have seen unauthorized charges after losing their bands or purchases made by party members without them knowing.
The cameras will allow Disney Cast Members to pull up photos of the person who made the purchase, making it easier to confirm if it was unauthorized.
If the Cast Member can see that you did not make the purchase, it’s unclear if they will remove it from your bill, but with the theft proven, customers shouldn’t have to pay for it.
So, the next time you get off a ride at Magic Kingdom and have to exit through the gift shop, smile knowing that your purchase is being photographed and the security cameras see everything. And visitors to Disney Parks should keep their Magic Bands close and know that Big Brother is always watching.
We will continue to update this news at Disney Fanatic.
